bud osborn — a poet, a founder of the vancouver area network of drug users, and member of the vancouver/richmond health board — flayed the three levels of government: ”we’d rather you die than live with hope for a change in your life.”
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the force finally seemed to get it: closing institutions, social-housing cuts, inadequate welfare rates and easy access to adulterated illegal substances fuelled the raging drug pandemic. enforcement was not an answer.
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there always has been a skid road in vancouver, but the current tragic disorder can be traced directly to successive governments and their failure to care for the mentally ill.
this province emptied riverview hospital, moved to an underfunded community-based model and refused to deal with the fallout of misery . it aggravated rather than alleviated suffering.
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