Pubdate: Tue, 12 May 2015 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Times Colonist Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Bill Tate Page: A7 VICTORIA'S POT SHOPS WORKING FINE AS IS The new city hall group in Victoria seem to be big advocates of social engineering - trying to regulate everyone and everything around them. The pot-shop situation is operating just fine as it is, thank you. There have been no complaints, according to city authorities, and the shops do not serve those under 18 years of age. Is this a money grab by the city? Eighteen dispensaries paying $30,000 each is $540,000. A bloated city staff trying to pay for itself? Coun. Marianne Alto doesn't want to affect negatively those using the dispensaries, but those extra costs will inevitably be passed on to the users, who are mostly low-income to begin with. It would be the poorest in the city disproportionately supporting city services. Coun. Geoff Young is correct: Hold off until the marijuana situation is cleared up in the federal election in October. My advice to city hall: Think things through and hold town meetings before you jump into matters that you are not conversant with. Bill Tate Victoria - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom