YaY,,,,,It’s friday. Question to any one who has an answer. What the heck is going into the cleared lot on O’Grady rd. going through behind the mall in College Heights?

It’s to be a SHAGG Superstore LOL. Honestly we don’t need anything more in CH, the traffic is pain full enough for those of us who live here. I hope to hell that whatever is going on there has no access to O’Grady. The bunch of access onto and off of O’Grady in that spot is dangerous enough already.

It looks like they are building a roadbed as it goes all the way down to the trailer court along that old powerline

I’ve heard there’s an Old Navy coming to College Heigjts. Not sure exactly where though.

More importantly…..Ben affleck as batman?????

Just watched an interesting documentary yesterday, poses some interesting questions around some very important issues.

Some of you might want to pop some popcorn and sit down this weekend at your computers to watch this;

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/what-a-way-to-go-life-at-the-end-of-empire/

Old navy is going in across from Wallyworld over by the lingerie stores

I know Bass Pro Sports shop has been trying to set up shop in PG last couple yrs huge chain in the states mostly in the east and southern states but only 3 in Canada. But having been facing challenges from city hall and the other sporting goods shops in town maybe they finally got some land to build on.

I heard that its a Montana’s restaurant and possibly an apartment complex. Unconfirmed though.

So anyone know whats going on with the road painting? The new stuff on hwy 97 is like a speed bump! That stuff is like 1/2″ thick. Are they thinking if they layer it on it might last more then a year? Now we have to dodge pot holes and road lines.

Road paint is actually thermo plastic and not paint. Its melted into the pavement and last something like two years, rather than the six months regular paint lasts for. In Europe thats all they use… up here they just use it on busy intersections.

As for Pro Bass setting up in PG. That would be amazing if it ever happened… it would be the biggest tourist draw PG has. Perfect location for one I think, but not sure we have the population level. Probably a franchise thing too with the existing recreation vehicle dealers having territory rights. One would hope Bass Pro would come to Pine Center as an expansion if they did come to town so we could maximize the tourism shopping potential….

Maybe the city can approach Wallymart and ask them if they could install a sani-dump on the vacant piece of leftover land across the road from Visions Electronics. Charge them a token buck or two and give the tourists a coupon for anything Made in China in the store.

One more thing. Kudos to Home Depot for finally putting the American price on their Allure flooring. Was $59 Canadian. It is now $42 dollars which was the U.S. price.

I was thinking a little bit about the up coming 2015 Canada Winter Games. Lots of potential for PG if its done right, but looking at the Civic Center Square issue maybe its time the community start to speak up with our own ideas.

Two huge issues stick out and one is camping for RV tourists considering there is no way PG has the hotel rooms for those participating in the event, to say nothing of those that might want to come to PG as spectators. The other involves Hockey Night in Canada… could we get them here for a Saturday night hockey night in PG during the Canada Winter Games?

On the campground issue. PG sorely misses the old Exhibition Grounds campground we lost in the 1990’s when the pool was built, and then the campground was not replaced. PG fails to see its potential when we don’t have RV camping within the bowl area where the services are, and specifically at the Exhibition Grounds where all the sports tournaments, concerts, festivals and expo’s are all located.

I think a good idea would be to put in power for RV hook ups next to the multiplex at the old rodeo grounds… maybe a few picnic tables, but in winter it might be enough just for people to have a place to park their RV’s and plug them in (ground would be frozen so easy for roads and parking)… easy walking distance to the Exhibition Grounds events, bus service, pubs, and even shopping. Most RV’s are winterized and if hotel rooms are scarce its a way to enable people throughout the north to come and enjoy the games and possibly camp in groups. In the future other user groups could use it to enable their own events like soccer tournaments, swim meets, hockey tournaments, exhibitions and expos.

As for Hockey Night in Canada. I wonder if anyone has looked into the idea of coordinating with the NHL to see if we couldn’t have no Canadian teams playing in the west on the Saturday night of the Canada winter games? Thus enabling a second game broadcast nation wide on Hockey Night in Canada with the main game at the Multiplex (maybe BC Ontario?), with other side games covered at the Colosseum and Kin 1. How many seats could PG sell for those hockey games all on the same night if HNC covered the games… 10,000 maybe (a new PG record)….

If we had the NHL and HNC confirm they would be willing to enable an event like this it would be huge for the games and PG. It would encourage the best players available to attend for the scouting exposure… and quite frankly could have more exposure than the opening and closing ceremonies.

Other games related issues I wonder about include nightclub entertainment… please tell me we are not going to invite the nation to party in PG at the Generator only. It would be nice to have some more upscale nightclubs open by then… maybe even a non-alcohol mingling area for watching the various events on TV in front of a warm fireplace…. And what of Fort George Park band-shell will it be used at all? And UNBC is this going to be the athletes village, and if so will it also be used for recruiting for the university during the games?

Lots of questions for the planners. These games will cost PG tax payers a lot of money, so we should be involved in shaping the games so they have the most success. I just don’t think it should all be done behind closed doors like the Civic Center Plaza planning has been.

Cheers
Time Will Tell

Looks like the Alberta to the East oil pipelines option (rather than Alberta to the West Coast) is getting some serious attention now, finally!

Did anyone see Wednesday’s paper? Sears is laying of 238 people in the Toronto area. The Jobs are going to India for IT services and the Philippines for pay roll. Yet Sears wants us Canadians to buy their products while they farm our jobs overseas. :(

City utilility bill looks like junk mail, almost didn’t get opened in my home, I thought it was just information about the 2015 winter games. It would be ashame to have to pay the late fees

Some great suggestions, Eagleone!

On another note, who DID eventually win the baseball tournament? I can’t seem to find any results yet.

Someone mentioned thoughts on Egypt last week. The thing I find fascinating about the Egyptian army crackdown is how it exposed the irrelevance of America to current events in the Middle East due to the lack of leadership.

Senator McCain and Lindsey Graham went to Egypt to read the riot act to General Sisi and tell him to be a knight and do it right. The General had different ideas though and used the two American Senators as patsies by having his propoganda minster announce even before the Generals meeting with the American Senators had concluded… that talks broke down and therefore the only option left was the crack down. A slap down of the Americans and their efforts to avoid civil war, but going the extra step to blame the events on the American failure at ‘negotiations’ that never took place.

Turns out Israel was advising General Sisi with a flurry of diplomatic activity prior to the crackdown, and simultaneous advising the Americans to go easy on the Egyptian military and not cut the aid money… defining it as part of the war on terror. The surprise is not that Israel would support the Egyptian army crackdown, but they would have the zeal to insult American diplomacy in the process.

For Egypt they knew any money the Americans pull in aid will be made up for 6-fold by the rich gulf states like the Saudi’s and UAE. The gulf states said as much themselves closing rank and undercutting American leverage on Egypt.

Personally I agree the Muslim Brotherhood was a danger to peace and a threat to the intent of democracy. I find myself agreeing with Israel(very rare thing for myself), just not on the method of the Egyptian military. The risk though is that by showing America to be weak and having no influence on their supposed key regional ally, and by having Egypt side with Israel over the Americans… it gives Israel a green light in their eyes to commit the outside world to the consequences of their unilateral regional war policies. If Israel can set the policy on Egypt, then why not be able to preempt policy on Syria and Iran? Obama leaves a dangerous void, and his animosity with Netanyahu doesn’t help any.

Senator Lindsey Graham after getting smarted by his zionist ‘allies’ said it right though… Sure its only $1.5 billion Egypt risks in aid from America that can easily be made up for by Arab allies… but America is still the most important economy in the world and most countries will align with American policy… a calculation that shouldn’t be dismissed by the Egyptian military.

Myself I think they all need to learn to have mutual responsibility for communal dignity… a core value that needs to transcend their religious divisions if ever they can see the merit of living in peace.

Time Will Tell

When is that new road open behind the Airport. From Happy Trails to Eastway Esso?

I,keep,hearing how good the winter games will e for PG.

If you aren’t a business owner how will it benefit us citizens. My taxes won’t go down, the businesses won’t be paying higher taxes to the city but making a lot more money. The only thing it will do is make pg a very busy place for a few weeks.

Of course we will never see the true cost of what pg spent as mayor and council hasn’t been honest with anything yet. But our taxes will go up along with our debt to pay for all the upgrades to buildings and venues to support the gams..

How come the City gets away with growing thistles on a lot of the byways and such while in the Regional District, you’re threatened with fines and cost of clean up if one doesn’t control them?

I see some of the gravel side roads up the Hart area of the city are finally getting the pavement promised during the 1975 (or about then) amalgamation into the city. Well it is actually old pavement from some other road that is getting new pavement but the city has to dump this garbage somewhere so they might as well dump it on the side roads up there so the people who will be dumping their garbage in the ditches of the side roads starting this September won’t create any dust in their hasty getaways from their dump site. Win/win situation! :D

@Eagleone: Bass Pro shop being the biggest tourist draw PG has? Really? I see it didn’t take much to get you wound up on the Israel thing again.

Has anyone thought of asking the workers onsite @ O’Grady to see if they know what is being built there?

“PG sorely misses the old Exhibition Grounds campground we lost in the 1990’s when the pool was built, and then the campground was not replaced.”
We had some friends in from out of town last weekend with their trailer and they stayed at the RV park on the north end of town. It was jammed to overflowing at $45.00 per night. We definitely could use some more campground space in town. Im just not convinced it should be run by the City ;)

I just drove from the top of the hart, to the spruceland light. I counted 15 drivers texting. Pretty much every car in each lane, all the way down the hart! Is it so difficult for the rcmp to hand out tickets?! This has gotten way more dangerous dodging these idiots than worrying about even noticing a drunk driver!

Posted by: checkitout on August 23 2013 8:58 AM
I just drove from the top of the hart, to the spruceland light. I counted 15 drivers texting. Pretty much every car in each lane, all the way down the hart! Is it so difficult for the rcmp to hand out tickets?! This has gotten way more dangerous dodging these idiots than worrying about even noticing a drunk driver!

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Too funny. There’s something about the Hart that attracts the brain dead. :)

Posted by: Eagleone on August 23 2013 6:17 AM
Road paint is actually thermo plastic and not paint. Its melted into the pavement and last something like two years, rather than the six months regular paint lasts for. In Europe thats all they use… up here they just use it on busy intersections.
—————————————–
Not completely true.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/popular-topics/faq.htm#pavement

http://www.lafrentz.ca/

there is a new road going through there on o’grady.there will be traffic lights at the new intersection when it’s completed.

“Has anyone thought of asking the workers onsite @ O’Grady to see if they know what is being built there?”

pick up the phone and call the communications department …. ;-)

As people have said, they are constructing all of or part of a road. There is a right of way there and for that property to be properly developed it will need access. Just as with original Joe’s, they have a similar access.

Whether there will a development right after or whether it will simply make it easier to get a tenant for a building, who knows.

I think it would be nice if the city would require developers to put up construction signs like they used to in the past.

The city itself should have signs if they are developing a road a civic building, etc. The sign at the RCMP station is atrocious, as an example. No pride shown there.

I have not been at the WDIC building for a few weeks, but the same was true for that, and the same is true for the supposed Old Navy store being developed. Some subtrade signs strewn all over the chain-link fence. That’s it.

Subdivision developers seem to want to promote their properties, of course. Everyone else is pretending it is a big dark secret.

Perhaps we need to spread a rumour that the O’Grady site is going to have a neighbourhood facility for youth in trouble developed on it. That might have someone come out to let the plebes of the City know what is happening in their back yards.

Speaking of new buildings, does anyone know what that new building on the Hart just north of Chief Lk Rd is? Not the car wash at the Husky but the one just north of it.

Just curious.

Axman – Just north of the car wash (south side of Lobol)is Lo Bar Loggings new shop

Thanks interceptor!

Posted by: axman on August 23 2013 9:02 AM
Too funny. There’s something about the Hart that attracts the brain dead. :)

Okay, I guess I am the somebody who feels compelled to protest axman’s unintelligent comment, not withstanding the smiley face :)
Stereotyping, axman, its just so low brow.
There are all types of people everywhere you go, sometimes there are clusters of idiots in a certain location, say for example many of the drivers leaving the ball game last night, for those particular idiots I have a question; Will the two seconds that you gain by not allowing one vehicle to go ahead of you really make a difference? I waited patiently and politely for an opportunity to join the traffic stream, part way on to the roadway, angled in the direction of flow, signal light on, finally had to barge in, the driver of the small car that I “cut off” reacted rather rudely, to say the least, I bet he lives in the……. area of P.G. oh well it takes all kinds.
metalman.

Posted by: axman on August 23 2013 9:02 AM
Too funny. There’s something about the Hart that attracts the brain dead. :)

Okay, I guess I am the somebody who feels compelled to protest axman’s unintelligent comment, not withstanding the smiley face :)
Stereotyping, axman, its just so low brow.

—————–

If anyone is stereotyping it is you. We were discussing the Hart Highway yet when you saw the phrase, “brain dead” you immediately referenced a geographical area and it’s residents. Tsk, tsk…how low brow of you.

There are terrible drivers everywhere; they are just more noticeable on the Hart since it’s a major artery in to and out of town.

Axman, the way you wrote your comment (“the Hart that attracts the brain dead) certainly suggests that the Hart (I assume you mean the Hart area) attracts the brain dead. What you should have written was something to the effect of “driving on the Hart seems to attract the brain dead”.

Have you ever seen the book entitled “Eats, shoots and leaves”. I suggest you look it up to see what I mean about the way you wrote your comment. I am glad, however, that you didn’t mean to insult the residents of the Hart :)

Must give a big thumbs up to the woman and her small child (2-3 yr old) who completely ruined my dinner out with my boyfriend at the China Buffet last Sunday evening. The child screamed his ass off and the mother sat and ate her meal and told the child that she could not hear him and to cry at even a higher pitch. I agree that if a scum of the earth mother allows this to happen in public, she probably wont be reading opinion 250 in private. Have some respect people for other folks in public.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Posted by: bornandbred on August 23 2013 12:09 PM
Axman, the way you wrote your comment (“the Hart that attracts the brain dead) certainly suggests that the Hart (I assume you mean the Hart area) attracts the brain dead. What you should have written was something to the effect of “driving on the Hart seems to attract the brain dead”.

Have you ever seen the book entitled “Eats, shoots and leaves”. I suggest you look it up to see what I mean about the way you wrote your comment. I am glad, however, that you didn’t mean to insult the residents of the Hart :)

—————-

Hindsight is 20/20 and you are correct. I should have added the word “Highway” but in my mind I knew what I was talking about. That doesn’t always translate well into the written word though.

I too am a resident of the Hart. The best place to live in PG.

What is up with the press reporting on Justin Trudeau’s previous pot use?! This topic drives me nut because I don’t think anyone wants to open up that can of worms on themselves.

I would like to see an honest report on how many of the press have previously done drugs. I suspect it would be very high and yet they don’t think it compromises their jobs. I think most people would be surprised at how man people in positions of power have smoked pot or done some other kind of drug. And, what about those who drink heavily? Must of been a slow news day.

Oops, my last sentence should have read “must have been”.

Justin Trudeau, admits he smoked a bit of pot. and the old guards are all up in arms about it. Justin is on the hot seat because of it.

Well, if I was Justin, I would use it to get in power. I think its time to legalize pot.

I’m not a Trudeau supporter or a pot smoker. But legalizing Pot will reduce revenues for the gangs who controls the drug trade.

Posted by: bornandbred on August 23 2013 12:19 PM
What is up with the press reporting on Justin Trudeau’s previous pot use?! This topic drives me nut because I don’t think anyone wants to open up that can of worms on themselves.

———————-

It’s illegal still isn’t it? The man who wants to lead this country breaks a law that -in some countries- could get you locked up for a very long time.

Personally, I don’t really care if he lights up a fat one every day but some people do.

Bornandbread, it was flipflop Trudeau that brought it up. That is what he does, plays for the special interest groups. He will say one thing to one group then something totally opposite to another. Besides he did this as a sitting MP. He broke the law plain and simple.

He is an attention grabber and the liberal dominated media follow him around like a pack of panting dogs waiting for a treat.

Posted by: axman on August 23 2013 12:46 PM
It’s illegal still isn’t it? The man who wants to lead this country breaks a law that -in some countries- could get you locked up for a very long time.”
———————————-

Actually it isn’t illegal to smoke pot. Look it up.

The man that leads the country calls an election after his government is found in contempt of parliament! What is worse: The contempt thing or admitting having lit up a non-conventional smoke?

Posted by: Dragonmaster on August 23 2013 1:00 PM

Actually it isn’t illegal to smoke pot. Look it up.

————————-

I’m pretty sure possession is illegal. Look it up and get back to us. Thanks.

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on August 23 2013 1:40 PM
The man that leads the country calls an election after his government is found in contempt of parliament! What is worse: The contempt thing or admitting having lit up a non-conventional smoke?

———————–

Most of us having nothing but contempt for Parliament, politicians and their childish antics. :)

I don’t use drugs, I don’t think anyone should use drugs BUT my understanding is that possession is not illegal if you only have enough for your own personal use.

From the Huffington Post:

“A new survey from UNICEF has found that more Canadian kids smoke marijuana than anywhere else in the western world.

“The study on the well-being of children ranked Canada first out of 29 countries on the percentage of young people smoking pot.”

==============================
1. The Conservative Party of Canada opposes the decriminalization of marijuana.

2. The Liberal Party of Canada supports the legalization and regulation of marijuana after voting in support of a resolution to this effect at their biennial policy convention in January 2012.

3. The Libertarian Party of Canada supports the legalization of cannabis.

4. The New Democratic Party supports the decriminalization, but not legalization, of marijuana under Thomas Mulcair.

5. The Green Party of Canada supports regulation and taxation of cannabis.

6. The Bloc Québécois supports the decriminalization of marijuana

A few points:

– I don’t see Bass Pro Shops ever going to PG, as the population base and market size simply isn’t there. Perhaps people were getting confused with Wholesale Sports, which is a similar, yet much scaled down version of Bass Pro Shops. I’ve been to the Bass Pro Shops in Vaughn (Toronto) and it has to be well over 100,000 square feet in size serving a market of 5-6 million people. A store like that isn’t happening in PG but it it may work in the Lower Mainland. I say “may” because a huge percentage of the stuff they sell (at least as far as fishing goes) is suited for warm water species, fish that aren’t all that common in BC.

– Justin Trudeau must be driving the Cons absolutely bonkers. By the time the election comes around, there will be absolutely nothing they can dig up to attack him on. Give it until Tuesday and this story will be yet another non-issue that fades off into the sunset. Personally I think it shows poor judgement on his part to have done what he did while he was an MP, but I don’t think the general public will hold it against him. Truth be told, he’ll probably get more points for being honest about it and admitting what he did. He outflanked the Cons again. There is no way that they will risk exposing the “skeletons in the closet” of some of their own members by attacking him on this issue. When the election rolls around, I don’t think there will be any effective personal attacks to be made and the cons will have to get into a long and boring policy debate, which people won’t care about (sadly). It will be charismatic Trudeau vs. boring Harper.

– I see the Fraser Institute has said that people should be able to raise a child for 3-4K per year. Speaking of drugs, I think they’ve been smoking something a little more potent than dope! Daycare alone is typically at least $800 per month per child. Maybe they think mom should just stay home, raise the kids and cook dinner for pops?

– Was in Penticton last week and noticed that they have a very nice downtown core with LOTS of small mom and pop shops and restaurants. Now granted they have a huge tourist draw to help out, but I couldn’t help but wonder why PG at double the size can’t do something similar. It was also great to not have to deal with a humid 30+ degrees, LOL :)

Have a great weekend folks!

From Wikipedia

Though the drug is illegal in Canada (with exceptions for medical uses), its recreational use is often tolerated and is more commonplace in the province of BC as compared to most of the rest of the country.

The British Columbia cannabis industry is worth an estimated $6 billion annually, and produces 40% of all Canadian cannabis, making cannabis among the most valuable cash crops in the province.

Posted by: graymare on August 23 2013 2:00 PM
I don’t use drugs, I don’t think anyone should use drugs BUT my understanding is that possession is not illegal if you only have enough for your own personal use.

——————-

It’s still illegal; however it’s quite possible that if it’s for personal use only you will not spend any time in jail if they decide to waste the court’s time in having you charged and tried. Possession of larger amounts usually leads to trafficking charges and in that case, if convicted, you may receive the infamous and oh-so-shaming slap on the wrist.

Meant to add that the local talk radio station had a call in question asking if people thought that Trudeau admission was refreshing or whether they thought he was dangerous (their words, LOL).

The callers to this station are typically Conservative party supports and I’d say the audience was split about 50/50. Generally speaking, younger callers didn’t care and older callers were outraged. I think that speaks to the cultural divide that the Cons have to deal with . . .

Regardless of how the laws are written, from an enforcement point of view I think it’s probably fair to suggest that smoking a joint in Canada is the equivalent of doing 110 in a 100 zone.

Do Conservative MP’s speed?

Here is an interesting link to a ranking of 61 cities around the globe, ranked on Technology, Talent, Tolerance and Quality of Place.

http://ht.ly/obkBu

Overall, I’d say the major Canadian cities that were ranked did pretty well. Here is the list and their overall GLOBAL ranking amongst the 61 cities:

Ottawa-Gatineau 1
Calgary 9
Montreal 12
Quebec City 15
Edmonton 18
Vancouver 19
Toronto 26

I’d say that Canada is a pretty damn good place to live!

Incidentally, the first three categories are used as a proxy for “Economic Development”.

Yup, “Tolerance”, which includes things like diversity, multiculturalism, gay and lesbian population, openness and bohemians, is seen as a critical component when it comes to economic development. Who needs a PAC, LOL ;)

Here is a summary of the measurements they use and why:

Technology – the key to economic growth.

Talent – skilled, ambitious, educated and entrepreneurial people are a central force in economic progress.

Tolerance – the places that are most open to new ideas that attract talented and creative people from across the globe broaden both their technology and talent capabilities, gaining a substantial economic edge.

Quality of Place – the unique set of characteristics that defines a place and makes it attractive, and a desirable place to live. Successful places provide a range of quality of place options for different kinds of people at different stages in their lives.

The 3 Ts of regional economic development are leading indicators that reflect the potential for economic growth in a region. They are a useful analytical tool for regions to judge and benchmark themselves against peers. Past research has shown that regions that have long term success are those that have the right mix of technology, tolerance and talent. It is not sufficient to focus on one T; success in the new economy requires that regions pay attention to all three as there is a strong co-dependence between them. The rational for the 3Ts lies in what Richard Florida calls creative capital theory, the view that “regional economic growth is powered by creative people, who prefer places that are diverse, tolerant and open to new ideas”.

I think this is worth repeating:

“The rational for the 3Ts lies in what Richard Florida calls creative capital theory, the view that “regional economic growth is powered by creative people, who prefer places that are diverse, tolerant and open to new ideas”

NMG said,It will be charismatic Trudeau, so that is how you place your vote, not boring facts. That is just so sad.

Just look how that charismatic thing is working out for the US, Obama is destroying it.

If you are going to repeat what I said, at least be accurate (I didn’t say that’s how I would vote):

“When the election rolls around, I don’t think there will be any effective personal attacks to be made and the cons will have to get into a long and boring policy debate, which people won’t care about (sadly). It will be charismatic Trudeau vs. boring Harper”

You would probably be good at making attack ads that use soundbites to distort what people said in order to get votes, instead of relying on policy and platforms, LOL ;)

Wow, did I start this. LOL have a good weekend

Personally speaking unless the young people go out and start voting, it will remain on the Harper side.

See, a bunch of baby boomers are heading into retirement and they want to protect their investments so they will vote on the right side, instead of day dreaming socialists.

I would love to smoke one with JT. We could talk about that charity boxing match with Brazeau. And would he go 3 rounds with either Wallin or Duffy.

That is an extremely interesting site NMG. Thank you!!

Going out right now for supper just north of Seattle. City #2 on the list! … ;-)

NMG ; Our downtown is quite different from other downtown areas,ours is focused on social problems. That’s why the problems are coming here. We just had a stabbing around 3rd and George St.The Farmers Market is the best thing going on Sat. I wish our downtown had more quaint shops and restaurants.

Middle finger how about Harb? His questionable expenses are more than Wallins and Duffies combined.

Apparently, motorized bicycles are required to be licenced and person driving them need a licence to operate. What next??? Insurance???

Awesome light show!

Seamutt: ya, I know, they are are all crooked. It might rain tonight. WOW !

As in, wow it is @$!* raining !

Finally, after many years of dodging (often unsuccessfully) patches on top of patches and potholes, Austin Road West has been resurfaced! Miracles still do happen!

Only have one comment of the Trudeau thing,
Did he buy his drugs off organized crime, and if so, why is he contributing to them.

How many people does it take to move from an unorganized crime to an organized crime?