Better take them for a stroll through the downtown area.
Colin can really beam and stick his chest out over the city's accomplishments in that area.
NO, you say!
Ugh

Gypsy: "Better take them for a stroll through the downtown area."

Your disgust with the condition of downtown PG is well-founded and you blame much of it on Kinsley and City Hall.

Here is a little story:

A couple of months ago we stayed in Kelowna for three days at the downtown Travelodge. It is located right on the municipal park that faces the waterfront; next to this, on Water Street and in the adjoining blocks Kelowna has built all its civic structures, City Hall, Arts gallery, Museum, the Grand Hotel, the arena, etc. etc.

Everything looks very neat and modern. Yet, in the morning we observed a City worker with rubber gloves and a long grapple device pick up dozens of hypodermic needles from the lawns and flower beds of the park and carefully put them into a heavy plastic bag! When it is dark we would not dare go for a walk in that area as just around the corner on Bernard Avenue and on some of the other sidestreets we could see any number of "street people" hanging around on the sidewalks and in doorways. In the daytime the sidewalks reflect the activities of the previous night by being filthy with garbage of all kinds!

We also read a story in the Kelowna newspaper where homeowners in a residential area are extremely upset with vagrants sleeping nightly on their front lawns, drinking, smoking pot and having sex in plain view of everyone, refusing to move even if asked by the police. Homeowners became victims of a lot of vandalism after phoning the police, so they don't know what to do next!

Remember,Prince George is only one of many cities that have a problem downtown - even tiny little Summerland has problems of B and E and vandalism.

Downtown problems seem to be experienced universally. Does this mean that the Mayors and City Councils of other cities are "sleeping' on the job too?

Here is another little story.

We stayed in the heart of downtown Vancouver for the last four days. There was not one single time when I left the hotel that I was not confronted by someone begging for money in a very aggressive way. Four days, every single day ... and when walking down the "tourist" shopping street of Robson there were others who were more benign. In addition, there were those who slept right on the streets, in the middle of the day. The guy in the picture I am attaching, in the red, was right on a pedestrian intersection in front London Drugs, across from the downtown Bay. It was taken about 1pm on Saturday.

That does not happen in “downtown” Richmond, nor does it happen on Vancouver streets such as Commercial Drive, South Granville, Broadway, etc. It seems to be confined to the "downtown" streets.

Of course, compared to Prince George, I find it much more “intense” in a place such as downtown Vancouver with Beamers, Jags, Mercedes, Porshes, and the occasional Ferrari and Lamborghini buzzing by, as well as stores such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton lining the street, and hammerhead cranes dotting the skies wherever one looks to keep on building those $500,000+ apartments in Yaletown.

Magically, the lawn in front of the VAG is spared. I did not check to see whether they have electrodes planted there, but the homeless seem to know that they will not be welcomed there.

http://ye-olde-owl.tripod.com/vancouver/5.jpg

http://ye-olde-owl.tripod.com/vancouver/4.jpg

http://ye-olde-owl.tripod.com/vancouver/dec_2005-1.jpg

http://ye-olde-owl.tripod.com/vancouver/6.jpg

So, what is your problem Prince George? Get over it. Help these people and move on with your lives and start re-inhabiting downtown ... or else go cocoon yourselves in suburbia and continue to be part of the problem rather than the solution.

Guess direct links to images do not work

hopefully the "album" works

http://ye-olde-owl.tripod.com/vancouver/index.album?i=0&s=1

My apologies, Dip, as I should have suggested George Paul, or Sherry Sethen, or perhaps Murray Krause, but God forbid I would suggest the Mayor of a city should be in attendance with this fine delegation wishing to learn from the brilliant minds in charge of the cities operations.
I wonder just how fine a line I should draw in the sand????
You bet I blame the powers that be that run a city for the decadent conditions it is lowered to.
Who pays the police force that is responsible for hampering the criminal element from taking over?
Seems I have seen the Sup't appear before council on a number of occasions asking for MORE MONEY to police the city, and more officers to enforce the laws.
Are there any laws downtown????
The few times I have entered this festering mass of decay area I have never seen a police car.
They are too busy hiding behind trees to issue tickets for traffic infractions to add revenue to the city coffers??? (And no, do not accuse me of being bitter by acquiring tickets-I have not gotten any. I naturally assume that will be a drawn conclusion).
I see the pan handlers, the druggies, the ladies of the day-or night, the homeless, but I have yet to see any effort to bring law and order on the downtown streets, so I am lead to believe all these people are involved in legal activities. True??
Who gave licence to all the pawn shops, second hand stores, thrift shops, homeless shelters, food kitchens, needle exchange etc that makes up the majority of the downtown?
It appears the businesses operate behind bars, and they fear the ones on the streets who enjoy absolute freedom.
Is it not up to the powers that be governing a city to attempt to keep the city clean, viable, vibrant, busy and safe???
It does not appear so.
Years ago the police walked the downtown streets, and one did not fear venturing downtown.
Now there has been MILLIONS of dollars spent to preserve and beautify the downtown streets, and the expense was a total waste of taxpayers money.
Of course I realize the coffers are a bottomless pit at city hall, so I best not question that expenditure.
All these people with no aim in life are allowed to loiter wherever they desire.
Law abiding citizens live by rules-yet these people appear to happily make their own.
They control the downtown area. It belongs to them.
Strong action, and a major change in the judicial system dealing with vagrancy, pan handlers, prostitutes,thieves, druggies, and dealers should be a goal of the taxpayers.
I try not to turn a "blind" eye, but I suppose I must do so rather than question how this city is being run.
Actually, I do not "give a damn."
Happy now???

Owl: >"So, what is your problem Prince George? Get over it. Help these people and move on with your lives and start re-inhabiting downtown ..."

Well, exactly. Of course these people should be helped if they ask for help.

Yes, gypsy, I am happy! You make great points and the "admin" must be taking notes for future reference! It is a very complex issue and an idea to have all the services which these people need integrated in one large building makes a lot of sense to me. Perhaps city council will pick up on that idea and evaluate its benefit.

Diplomat - You sound like Murray Krause. Do you make your living off the "Serves for Bums" industry?
Sure sound like it.
I don't mind seeing the working ladies, at least they look friendly.
Adding more draw cards for the bums downtown like Diplomat says, is a bad idea, can't complain if you build it, they will come.
Life is way tougher in Russia. People do what ever they can to just survive. This city should have a red light district and legalize and control the sex trade. That is the information the Russians need. We have had visitors from Russia who can't speak English either, but the wife does. Found out we live in a fairy tale land, you whiners don't know anything. Putting a full loaf of bread on the table to show your wealth is an insult that took a lot of explaining.
You think the mayor and crowd aren't doing the job, all I can say is we're lucky it's not some cheap shot artist named GYPSY.

>Diplomat - You sound like Murray Krause. Do you make your living off the "Serves for Bums" industry? <

No, I am not Murray! No, I don't make any money of the "Serves for Bums" industry. I do however regularly put my money where my mouth is: by supporting St. Vincent de Paul and the Spirit of the North Foundation, and other worthwhile causes. Merry Christmas!

Yama, I do believe you are missing the point!!!
I firmly believe that brothels should be licenced and run as businesses, and it will get those women off the streets.They will be safe, get proper medical care, and provide the same services, but their smile would perhaps be more genuine. It is the oldest profession in the world, and I do not believe it will ever be non existent.
Society must learn that has to become an accepted fact.
I have no problem with prostitutes. After all, it is really the men who create the problem by seeking them out, and the friendly smile is not the attraction???
I just do not agree with the manner in which they are dealt with. They basically take chances with their lives on a daily basis, and I feel they would have safety if proper brothels were established.
I understand many Russians have deplorable lives, but is that any reason why we should not work to maintain a decent viable, healthy, progressive city???
I feel sorry for many of the homeless, but in most cases it is a chosen way to live. I have no objection to them being fed, and given a place to sleep out of the elements. I just do not understand when they take the liberty to actually destroy a part of our city.
Is that permissible in Russia????
If druggies use needles, is it too much to ask that they dispose of them sensibly? Is it not offensive for you to see a person drop their pants and leave excrement on the street, or open their fly and relieve themselves on a building???
Spitting all over is rather repulsive-at least to me.
Is destroying what cost millions of dollars to redo streets and plant trees and install lighting permissible in Russia, or for that matter, in any country????
I agree we live lives that many countries envy, but why should we allow one section of society to desecrate what has been established at great expense?
Better we should have sent the money to Russia to put bread on tables?
At least it would not be wasted.
Do you and your wife approve of what is happening to further destroy the downtown?
I really am at a loss as to the point you are struggling to make!!!

Gypsy: >I feel sorry for many of the homeless, but in most cases it is a chosen way to live. I have no objection to them being fed, and given a place to sleep out of the elements. I just do not understand when they take the liberty to actually destroy a part of our city.<

I think you are 100% right.

The idea to unify all the services and help they get into one central large building is not a "bleeding heart" idea. If Murray Krause thought of it first, more power to him.

Either all possible solutions are explored or we just turn a blind eye and live with it, admitting defeat.

Gypsy said: "Is it not offensive for you to see a person ....(snip) ... open their fly and relieve themselves on a building?"

Don't know if you were ever in Amsterdam ... but here is the way they handle that situation downtown .....

http://p.vtourist.com/1431733-Urinating-Amsterdam.jpg

http://p.vtourist.com/1556319-Urinating-Amsterdam.jpg

http://p.vtourist.com/1044232-Urinating-Amsterdam.jpg

Then, for those special occasions when weekend events bring more people out onto the streets, we have these temporary urinals .....

At least one does not have to endure the smell of our Port-a-potties

http://p.vtourist.com/413313-Urinating-Amsterdam.jpg

wave to the ladies as they go by ....

as they say, different countries, different customs ..... ;-)

and stores here complain if one puts a bus stop in front of them ...LOL ....

From then in France:

http://home.eckerd.edu/~oberhot/paris/im-pissoir1868a.jpg

http://home.eckerd.edu/~oberhot/paris/im-pissoir1868b.jpg

to now in Germany .....

http://www.topix.com/~sean/Germany_2004/Pissoir.jpg

http://hottie.free.fr/ap13.html

to the proposed Prince George Forest Capital version .....

http://www.streetart.beatcamp.de/streetart3/images/karl-liebknecht-str-pissoir.jpg

Gosh Owl, and did you happen by chance to walk down a few streets and see all the ladies looking for a bit of affection behind the glass walls???
Now, come on, you can tell us???
I personally feel it is much better than if they walked the streets displaying their assets.
Safer for them also.
As for your urinal pictures-it is hard to be impressed!!!!
Better you should have taken picures of the ladies!!!!
Thanks anyhow.

Gypsy ... they were not my photos .... they are on the net ... but I have been there in my younger days trecking across Europe .... :-)

neither are these mine ... http://everything.but.jp/archives/DSCF3797ams.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/redlightsverige/amsgirl114.jpg

But you know, thinking about it, I think I should go wih Colion and a few others of "the boys" to see how it is done over there since lots of people seem to want to go to Amsterdam and we really need to find out how they attract people ...

When Tom Sizemore was here for the Dreamcatcher movie, he seemed to like our girls a lot as I recall, so I think we might be half way there ....

I mean, we need to look on the postive side of this and learn how to use our ass-ettes ..... ;-)

You really do appear to be a bit too intellectual to trek around the world with the fast cats.
And, pray tell, are you capable of consuming large quantities of booze and staying on your feet??
I have heard that is a pre requisite to the laying down part, and it would not behoove you to return classified as a "party pooper??"
Possibly by the time you returned you would not care what they called you.
You could just recuperate and wait for the next trip.
Practice would make perfect-providing you lived long enough-as I imagine the pace could prove exhausting!!!
Oh well, you can dream-can't you???