Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Giuliani says needle sites won't help

DAVID EBNER

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:37 PM EST 18/09/08

Tough policing is what's needed to clean up Vancouver's crime-ridden Downtown Eastside, says former New York City mayor ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. Paul Jones from kitchener, Canada writes: Way to go Guiliani.
    Have a problem with a persons lifestyle? Toss them in jail! THATS the American Way.
    Why look for answers to problems when you can just imprison half your population, waste millions of taxpayers dollars on court cases and prison gaurds, and expand the govt to watch over the new prisons we'll have to build?
    What the h*ll would an American know about dealing with drugs?
    They've been waging a War on Drugs for decades now. Someone remind me: have the won yet?
  2. Tom Richards from Canada writes: How many times did he mention terrorists and 9-11 in his speeech..............dinosaur............
  3. Loki Peterson from Toronto, Canada writes: I am personally going to follow Rudy's example. I'm divorcing my wife later today.
  4. Bosco . from Toronto, Canada writes: What does he know, he only cleaned up New York City and made it world class again.

    Left wing Canadians will do a much better job, just look at how the social programs are working for Vancouver and Toronto.
  5. Paul Jones from kitchener, Canada writes: 'Speaking with reporters, Mr. Giuliani said one key is to arrest small-time drug dealers and aggressively take on petty crime.'

    The full quote actually reads:

    'We went after the small-time drug dealers instead of the large ones for two reasons: 1) The pharma companies wanted us to crush their competition or they'd withold contributing to our campaigns. And 2) I found out most of the guys that were big drug dealers were folks I had dinner with on a regular basis. I mean, come on! No one prosecutes their friends.'
  6. Kevin Desmoulin from Toronto, Canada writes: The American war on drugs has been a stunning success not. Learn to think before you speak.
  7. Mike Milne from Canada writes: Hmmmm... rude comments with no substance. Hmmmm... typical liberals.

    Guiliani actually HAS experience with this and actually improved things. Maybe we should consider it? Maybe?
  8. old dog from Delta, BC, Canada writes: Mr. Giuliani , go back to the 'Land of arrogance and ignorance', as soon as possible, please.
  9. Linda Price from Canada writes:

    Bosco. I travel to NYC often. It's no better now in that regard than it was 10 years ago.
  10. Bob F from Edmonton, Canada writes: Yeah, hire Bernie Kerrick to handle it.
  11. Marc S from Canada writes: I guess Mcsame doesn't need this idiot anymore now that guiliani is in Canada pushing the policies of the harper crew!
  12. Thomas D'Arcy McGee from Canada writes:
    Rudy should stick to 'A noun, a verb and 9/11'.

    It's the only thing he's qualified to speak on.
  13. Leon Russell from Gatineau, Qc, Canada writes: I used to play piano at Fort Boogie in the 1970s: 1000 block Hastings. Till 2 AM. There was a guy patrolling the Downtown Eastside named Sargeant Smith and I tell you policing didn't get any tougher than that guy. Didn't work then and it won't work now.
  14. Angry West Coast Canuck from Canada writes: Actually, crime was dropping before Giuliani took office. It was his predecessor who passed the tax bill that paid for the huge number of extra cops in New York. It was William Bratton, the police commissioner that Gulliani dismissed that set up CompStat, the statistical tool Giuliani mentions. Giuliani simply took credit for all the work done by others, but he actually fought against many of those changes. Oh, and the commissioner Giuliani appointed instead of Bratton ended up being a crook.

    In other words, Giuliani is a consumate neo-con politician that takes credit for other peoples work, and a filthy liar. He and Harper would get along just great.

    Meanwhile, Bratton hasn't been asked about InSite. He does, however, seem to favour an approach of 'sweat the little stuff' when it comes to crime. If you're tough on the little stuff, what he calls 'quality of life' crime, the rest gets easier. He also seems to favour having the police actually be more part of the community rather than hidden away.

    Given that the real reason for New York's drop in crime thinks that police involvement helps drop crime, and that local police in Vancouver supports InSite and thinks it helps, I'd take their opinion over someone like Giuliani's any day.
  15. Midtown Bob from Toronto, Canada writes: I'm with Guiliani on this one. Heroin is bad bad BAD. The junkies who use it and even worse are the dealers and smugglers. Its a serious problem that must be eradicated not nurtured with the public dollar.

    A few years ago, progressive world-class city Zurich had a safe-injection area aka Needle Park. Google it and make your own opinion. It didn't work and by the time the experiment concluded, it should have been renamed 'Human Garbage Park'.

    Martin Fedgrass and old dog from Delta: judging by your comments, you actually appear to be for heroin, not against it. Do you guys deal?
  16. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: Given Guiliani was mayor of North America's largest city, his opinion may be worth something. His recommendation for targeting petty crime is bang on. When the NYPD started arresting everyone from subway turnstyle jumpers to those spitting on the sidewalk, they found a high percentage of them already had outstanding warrants against them for more serious crimes.
  17. Progressive Fascist from Canada writes: But that would dry up most if not all access for the Liberal and NDP party supporters to obtain their party favors.
  18. R. M. from Regina, Canada writes: Is there any truth to the rumor that Jack Layton and his wife have promised to open a safe injection site on his block and in the neighbourhoods/communities of every NDP candidate? If it works in one place surely it should work everywhere....why limit it to lotus land?????
  19. Bagkitty in Calgary from Canada writes: A dog bit my neighbour.

    The sun is hot.

    Snow forecast for December.

    An American (Republican no less) opposes harm reduction strategies.

    Pope still single.

    Amelia Earhart will not be attending this year's Emmys.
  20. The Economic Hitman jr. from Vancouver, Canada writes: If I can paraphrase a line from The Wire: It can't be called a war on drugs; why? wars end. In all of recorded memory, some humans have looked to get high in one form or another. Denying our own humanity through forced ignorance is no solution.

    ---
    “You should not encourage the use of drugs, that's a terrible mistake. It's just going to make your drug problem much worse,” Mr. Giuliani said
    - He's assuming Insight encourages drug use. How do you make that case Rudy?

    Someone please tell me we, as taxpayers, didn't fund this appearance! Go home Rudy!
  21. Brendan B from Vancouver, Canada writes: I'm 9/11 glad that Rudy 9/11 Guiliani feels he knows the 9/11 answer to the 9/11 east side's problems.

    I walked through the neighbourhood on Monday, only about 10 minutes from my home. I was taking a friend on a tour of Vancouver, and felt that it wasn't right to show her only Grouse Mountain and Robson without contrasting that with our greatest shame and challenge in Vancouver. I've strolled through the east side on many occasions, but the intensity of it on Monday seemed to be the highest I've ever experienced. There were blocks where we seemed to be the only two people without an obvious mental health, addiction or poverty issue.

    My frustration with Guiliani and others from outside Vancouver ('s east side) who claim to know the answer, is that they fail to realize the extreme and unique challenge here, instead choosing to view it through their prism of morals and preconceptions. Vancouver's problem is not the same as New York's was in the 80s. In its own way, I suspect the east side is unprecedented. I can't think of anywhere else where, across the street from the main police station is situated the largest concentration of drug abuse, full view and in broad daylight. It is not a black and white situation. There are no clearly right or wrong answers.

    Unlike Guiliani, and many posters on these forums, I don't claim to know the answers. But I do believe the situation is best dealt with by people who understand it's unique challenges. Community members, the business community, politicians and Vancouver police have all shown (at times and to varying degrees) an willingness to tackle the situation in meaningful, progressive and non-judgmental ways. The others - who have never set foot in the east side - be careful of what you think you know about this situation. It may very well be way off base.

    Brendan
  22. Luke W from Windsor, Canada writes: Not mentioned in the article: America has the highest per-capita prison population in the world, half of whom are incarcerated for drug-related charges.

    Guiliani is a buffoon. He alienated almost every black and hispanic voter in the city with his ruthless and racist approach to crime. New York is safer than it was in the 80s, but so is almost every city in North America. There has been a multi-decade drop in crime across the continent, and for Guiliani to take sole credit for New York's revival is preposterous. The consequences of the American War on Drugs are that one in every twenty people can expect to be in jail at some point, one in eight if you're black.

    Dear Vancouver, don't take a failed mayor's advice too seriously.
  23. Sal Gillespie from Canada writes: I find it funny and sad how aggressive and attacking the left wing remarks are on these boards- as they label right-wingers mean-spirited and hateful. The venom and bile of left wingers is absolutely vicious. Yet its the right who they accuse of being hateful.
    I vote right. I don't harbour hateful views or bitterness. Grow up kids, and stop attacking people who disagree with you. Oh I forgot, Canada is a place where we discuss things openly and freely- as long as its within the bounds of left wing doctrine!
  24. rahim ladha from Canada writes: Stick to NYC politics Mr Guliani

    Couldn't influence National Politics in US but unsuccessful bid to become the President there, so now he is trying to influence Canadian politics.

    Canadians are intelligent enough to solve their own internal problems, thank you very much..
  25. S L from Victoria B.C., Canada writes: Although I disagree with guliliani on MANY MANY issues, I think the underlying issue of how long do you let a soft hand approach try and fail before you look at harder alternatives is a valid one.
    And while I don’t believe we&8217;ve reached that point yet, is it wise to continue on our current track without an end date in mind where we will look at what we have achieved and say is it time for a different approach, a harder approach.
  26. West Coast Not West from Canada writes: Hy Rudi, had you applied your 'get tough on crime' on Wall street maybe you could have saved the taxpayer a few trillion.
  27. Bosco . from Canada writes: Linda Price from Canada writes: Bosco. I travel to NYC often. It's no better now in that regard than it was 10 years ago. Yeah your probably right, Times Square and 42 Street are real dens of eniquity what with the Disney store etc,. there now. Homicides are down by half, crime across the board is way down. Guiliani started the 'broken window' approach to crime before your 10 year time frame. Grow Up.
  28. puddin and pie from Canada writes: let it ride free love free drugs lotus land
  29. dean spence from Canada writes: Why does it take somebody to state the obvious - you should not encourage the use of drugs.
    Harm reduction is basically saying, well, drugs are dangerous, so we'll try to make them safer. Yes, it's possible a few more deaths would result in the short term, but i am far more concerned with the thousands of ruined lives that will result in the future if we keep assisting people with this destructive life style.
    If people want to stop, help them; until then, frankly, they're on their own. Destructive actions have consequences.
  30. Conservatives Lie from Canada writes: What a joke. What's his education and experience to talk on a subject like this? His pathetic tenure as a municipal politican? Pfft. Give me a break. Any clown can get elected. It doesn't prove that you know anything. What's more, the rampent drug use and crime in NYC demonstrated that his claims are entirely without merit. He was a failure.
  31. David N from Canada writes: Rudy Giuliani is dead wrong, but like any ideologically-driven neocon he won't let the facts and the experts get in his way of pleasing the uninformed. Further evidence of the close ideological correspondence between the Republicans and their Canadian wing, the federal Conservative party.

    Choose science and compassion over anger and retribution. We can treat serious drug addicts like human beings, reduce crime and save tax payers money all at the same time, a rare win/win situation. Vote carefully next month.
  32. s l from Vancouver, Canada writes: Since when has Giuliani been considered an expert on anything other than using the terrorist acts of 9-11 to boost his 'fame' and 'credibility'?

    Cleaned up NYC? Really? Sure, it's pretty and feels safe, unless you end up in Jamaica, Queens, or other such spots. Maybe 'cleaned up NYC' should really read 'cleaned up the parts of NYC that tourists tend to frequent'. Tourists don't hang out in crime, gang, and drug infested ghettos, of which there are plenty in NYC. You might not see them, but they're there. I had no problems in NYC and thought it was great, but I sure as hell knew to stay out of areas where I was significantly more likely to get shot.

    I've said it before, I'll say it again: arresting low-level drug dealers is an exercise in futility. Arrest one, you'll have 2 new ones on the street the next day. Choking off the supply from the top down would lead to much better, more long-term results, but that means doing nasty, hard things like prosecuting organized crime gangs and cleaning up ports of entry. You know, real police work, as opposed to optics.

    Giuliani reminds me of an incompetent doctor who treats symptoms without looking for causes. Sure, your headache goes away, but oops, he missed the tumor that was causing it and it kills you. Stupid stupid stupid.
  33. J S from Canada writes: The one thing Mr. Guiliani doesn't understand is that Insite does NOT encourage drug use it encourages seeking treatment to end addiction. What's the use of filling our jails with addicts who will be given methadone in prison to reduce the withdrawal symptoms. Then when these addicts get back on the streets they'll be searching out methadone instead of heroin - or will search out whatever drug they've been hooked on while in prison. If an addict has gone to Insite they know they need help. After all Insite provides clean needles and a place with medical professionals with the credentials to help addicts. They do NOT provide heroin. Just as an example, when I was in my early twenties I had a friend that was dealing pot. He was arrested and sent to jail. When he exited jail not only was he hooked on heroin, he also was taking a large amount of prescription meds (not prescribed to him). Our fine justice system took this boy who was a pothead and created a full fledged junkie. A few months after he was released from jail he broke into a drug store to steal more prescription drugs to feed his habit. He was sent back to jail. The last I'd heard, he was homeless. Is this really what we want? Wouldn't it have better to rehabilite him so he was a productive member of our society rather than put him in jail and expand his problems to create a homeless junkie??
  34. emilio D from Canada writes: Mr. Guiliani is right when he said:' Insite is a terrible mistake.' According to CTV news, Vancouver homeless may triple by 2010. So more addicts beating seniors with a metal pipes, burglarizing cars and homes, robbing banks to support their addiction, spitting and deprecating on sidewalks and 80% of doctors are on the side of these lawless individuals? Very stupid situation this Downtown Eastside has become. This should be the number 1 election issue federally, provincially and locally for the electorate of British Columbia.
  35. Roman Spears from St. Catharines, Canada writes: I seem to be having a dis-connect here. The purpose of Insight is not to encourage drug use or supply heroin. Its to prevent the spread of AIDS and other nasty diseases. Is Rudy against disease prevention?
    I wish we had more information in the article. Has he reduced both crime and disease in New York City or just pushed them into Newark?
  36. emilio D from Canada writes: Roman Spears, if you give these addicts syringes, you are encouraging drug use. It's like giving cough syrup to your kids. You need a teaspoon to provide the right dosage. Insite does not prevent the spread of diseases because there so many addicted prostitutes who are spreading HIV. Hepatitis A, B,C. are spread through body fluids and human waste. These people are sleeping on each others spit, urine and poop. I just don't understand how 80% of doctors support this kind of unsanitary environment.
  37. Terry F from Edmonton, Canada writes: I don't know what the solution is but I'm glad I wasn't stupid enough to stick a needle in my arm in the first place. Insite may have good intentions but how does it weed out those who are just using the site as a place to shoot up without any desire to quit? There's a fine line between helping and enabling.
  38. Toxic Planet from dead zone USA, Canada writes: There is one way to solve this problem, free drugs. The drug dealers go out of business, the drug addicts dont need to commit crimes to find money to buy drugs. Deal with the serious addicts in rehab hospitals, everyone else gets free drugs. If you have addictions problem, you do time in hospital rehab and you lose your job, car and home and family of course but thats the price of addiction. Of course some people might be permanent residents of the hospital rehab but its better than prison. Be a good drug user or dont do it at all. Your choice.
  39. Rusty Berr from Ontario, Ontario, Canada writes: Reality check....New York city is still not a safe crime free place....
    ...to say that it is any safer than it was is disengenous....
    Mr. photo op (I saved NYC after 911)should take his neo con nonsense and keep it were its wanted...south of our border ....
  40. Dennis sinneD from Calgary, Canada writes:

    Martin Fedgrass from Canada writes: ' Mr Guiliani can keep his f%!king american nose out of our affairs '

    Guliani was only responding to questions from reporters. He didn't just decide to attack your sacred little suicide rooms.

    Does the DTES have a drug court, like Calgary...?
    http://tinyurl.com/3soyj6
  41. Blaque Jacque Shallaque from Canada writes: Bottom line is New York went from one of the worst cities in the US for crime and drugs, to one of the best.

    The touchy feely libs with their 'lets all get along' philosophy can rant and rave and huff and puff. But bottom line is law and order gets results.

    And for those who continue the big lie, and say that New York is not a safer place due to this approach, have a look at the 2007 crime stats from new work. Violent crime down 33%, property crime down 35%, across multiple categories.

    http://tinyurl.com/4ffpd9
  42. john doe from toronto, Canada writes: emilio D writes: 'Insite is a terrible mistake... spitting and deprecating on sidewalks...'

    I think there should be laws against that --- you should only say nice, complimentary things to your sidewalks, no more of this deprecating!
  43. Randal Oulton from Toronto, Canada writes: >> Conservatives Lie from Canada writes: What a joke. What's his education and experience to talk on a subject like this? His pathetic tenure as a municipal politican? Pfft. Give me a break. Any clown can get elected. It doesn't prove that you know anything. What's more, the rampent drug use and crime in NYC demonstrated that his claims are entirely without merit. He was a failure.

    No doubt the Grade 8 teacher who tried to teach you spelling is also shaking his or her head and thinking the same.
  44. Dennis sinneD from Calgary, Canada writes:

    john doe from toronto, Canada writes: 'emilio D writes: 'Insite is a terrible mistake... spitting and deprecating on sidewalks...'

    I think there should be laws against that --- you should only say nice, complimentary things to your sidewalks, no more of this deprecating!'

    ..

    Gee, why so anal?
  45. J Albert from Toronto, Canada writes: Are all the left-libs in Canada taking lessons in crudeness and intolerance from Heather Mallick? As the saying goes 'Pride goeth before a fall'
  46. David Smith from Canada writes: If a junkie can't find a syringe, he'll use whatever's available thus doing himself considerable damage. I expect that the same person who would use Insite on an afternoon could be found shooting up in an alley later that night because it was closer. That said, the more times they use Insite, the less are the chances of them contacting a blood infection of some sort.

    Insite does not encourage greater drug use. The drug use will happen anyway, safely or un-safely. Let's not allow small-c conservative ideology or in this case, BIG C Conservative policy stand in the way of a sensible approach to a pretty much insurmountable problem.
  47. Prairie Boy from Canada writes: I love the tolerance for other opinions. If condoning illegal drug use is your thing go for it, if berating anyone for disagreeing then you are a facist or a progressive. I really can't tell the difference.
  48. Brown Eyed Girl from Montreal, Canada writes: Loki Peterson from Toronto, Canada writes: I am personally going to follow Rudy's example. I'm divorcing my wife later today.
    ****************************************************

    I almost fell off my chair laughing at that one.

    People, this is not a political thing, I'm sure that Giuliani was just answering reporter questions like a previous poster said. Americans don't care about anyone but themselves, we all already know that, so I'm pretty sure that he didn't just start talking about Vancouver because he actually cares.
  49. Matt Toma from Vancouver, Canada writes: J Albert from Toronto, Canada writes: Are all the left-libs in Canada taking lessons in crudeness and intolerance from Heather Mallick? As the saying goes 'Pride goeth before a fall'
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    No, we actually take our cues from Conservatives such as Gerry Ritz, Lawrence Cannon and staff, Ryan Sparrow, and Tom Lukiwiski. Real professionals in the fields of intolerance, insensitivity and crudeness.
  50. evelyn robinson from Canada writes: What makes him an expert and why doesn't he clean up some of the ghettos in his own country.
    If the insite program does no more than keep the dirty needles off our streets, parks, and skytrain stations; it is a great improvement and good enough for me.
    I do not see needles everywhere like before the program.
    I did not support the program when it began but this has won my support
  51. Billy Talon from Toronto, Canada writes: Rusty Berr from Ontario, Ontario, Canada writes: Reality check....New York city is still not a safe crime free place....
    ...to say that it is any safer than it was is disengenous....
    Mr. photo op (I saved NYC after 911)should take his neo con nonsense and keep it were its wanted...south of our border ....

    ***

    Rusty, I just came back from NYC in May, and I felt just as safe in NYC as I do in Toronto.

    I personally don't agree with Guiliani's opinion, but god, reading some of these posts is downright depressing.

    He was asked some questions and he answered them. End of story.
  52. Brad Wood from Houston, United States writes: ' Martin Fedgrass from Canada writes: Mr Guiliani can keep his f%!king american nose out of our affairs '

    Canadians please stay out of American affairs and comments then :P. Doubt that would ever happen!
  53. Joe Gopher from Canada writes: evelyn robinson from Canada writes: What makes him an expert and why doesn't he clean up some of the ghettos in his own country.
    If the insite program does no more than keep the dirty needles off our streets, parks, and skytrain stations; it is a great improvement and good enough for me.
    I do not see needles everywhere like before the program.
    I did not support the program when it began but this has won my support ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Uh, that's what he did. Crime in NYC went down dramatically as a result of his policies.
    Don't let your anti-American bigotry blind you to the very real results he produced.
    If you really want results you may have to get rid of your prejudices and hate and take an honest look at what has actually worked instead of focusing on the race and background of the speaker.
  54. Fake Name from Canada writes: ' S L from Victoria B.C., Canada writes: Although I disagree with guliliani on MANY MANY issues, I think the underlying issue of how long do you let a soft hand approach try and fail before you look at harder alternatives is a valid one.'

    The hard approach (War on Drugs) has hardly been a shining success story - prisons are hotbeds of drug activity, so any drug criminal that goes in is very likely still going to be an addict when they come out, and probably on a worse type of drug at that. At least with the harm reduction approach they're slightly less likely to spread diseases, and it has coaxed some people into rehab.

    Besides, the economics of harm reduction are drastically different in the US. They're quite able to leave their addicts to die of hepatitis or AIDS in the back-alleys; we're obliged to provide ours with medical treatment that keeps them ill but consuming more (fairly expensive) medical care for years beyond when they would otherwise expire. That necessity makes reducing disease transmission much more of a priority in canadian policy than what Giuliani would have dealt with.
  55. Blaque Jacque Shallaque from Canada writes: Politicians are Facist Pigs from Canada - your tin foil hat is ready. You can pick it up at Green Party HQ.

    Peace.

    btw. that's 'fascist'. I would assume that a facist is someone who discriminates against people with faces.
  56. Joseph Whistle from Canada writes: I'm absolute sick and tired of the US Republicans and all their utterly blatant crap after crap after crap.
    But I'm delighted to see that unanimously, people have no regard for that condescending sadistic backstabbing POS.
  57. Sean Williams from Canada writes: Guiliani is right. Pity that so many in Canada are ignorant like so many of the posters here. Just because he's American, you want to discount any advice he may have. I don't think most of you got what Guiliani actually SAID. To get tough on PETTY CRIME. Typically, a criminal's career starts in his young teens, and begins with a petty crime. If the police actually do the police work to catch these teens, then the state has a chance to turn them around before they go on to more serious crimes involving guns and hard drugs. As it stands now, in most cities like Toronto and Vancouver, the police won't even investigate a petty crime. If you're car or even your house gets broken into, the most that police will do is show up to take notes in their notebook. Most of the time, they'll take the information over the phone. The other advantage of tackling petty crime is that in many cases, serious criminals will also breech minor criminal infractions, and the police can catch criminals with outstanding warrants. Guiliani's message is not about prison sentences, it's about the policework.
  58. D Le5 from Canada writes: Its called SHIFTING the problem not SOLVING it.
    Republican logic.
  59. Joe Gopher from Canada writes: A solution is at hand.
    It's been proven to work.
    It's not onerous or barbaric.
    But we can't look at it or discuss it because it comes from an American.
    We'd rather suffer and let people become victims of criminals.

    Three cheers for Canadian's bigotry and racism!
  60. Joseph Bloggins from Canada writes: Paul Jones from kitchener, says 'Way to go Guiliani.
    Have a problem with a persons lifestyle? Toss them in jail!'

    Oh...so now being a junkie is a 'lifestyle'? I see. How about we start handing out free booze to alcoholics? You lefties are so stupid it must hurt you. If it doesn't, it should.

    Guiliani is right on the money. Paul Jones is an idealogical idiot.
  61. a. j. from penticton, Canada writes: I think the real problem is that once the petty criminals are arrested, the judicial system does nothing to punish them. It's not surprising the police will not investigate petty crimes when criminals never face appropriate reprocussions for their crimes. I believe that judicial reform is the first step in solving the east end problem.

    Also, the unintelligent, immature anti-Americanism comments on every single globe post i read are starting to wear thin. It's actually kind of embarressing to know that some peoples' opinion on Canadians is probably based on reading these ridicoulous posts.
  62. L B from Canada writes: safe injection sites are wrong,your not helping them getting over their drug addiction,where are they getting their drugs from? surley not by the government, let me guess, oh I know robbing defenceless old ladies, home invasion, breaking into cars, breaking into stores, so they can pay for there drugs and go to the safe injection sites, what a warm thought,god, yeah thats really going to cure them, sending them to jail?? yes, indeed that will help,oh right seems to me i heard that drugs are easily attainable in jails, these people need help ,medically,oh yeah , you need governments to care for people to get real help,and so far they have turned a blind eye,not just on people that are on drugs, the mentally ill, etc. crack down on the drug dealers (gangs) send them to island just for them, somewhere where its freezing cold, and they can't get off.
  63. Dave Jansen - A progressive centrist from Canada writes: .

    9-11

    9-11

    9-11

    9-11
  64. skinny american from Boston, United States writes: Linda Price from Canada writes:

    'Bosco. I travel to NYC often. It's no better now in that regard than it was 10 years ago.'

    RIDICULOUS: I know the city well, very well.......Guiliani SAVED NYC.......the city went from 2000 murders a year to under 500....................Guiliani made it a MUCH more livable place. He cleaned much of it up.

    The leftist ideology dating from the 60's-70's almost completely destroyed the city.
  65. Doug Dewan from Canada writes: Kevin Desmoulin from Toronto, Canada writes: The American war on drugs has been a stunning success not. Learn to think before you speak.

    Kevin, are you serious??? I hope not. The U.S war on drugs is as about successful as their war on terrorism. I don't think they are comfortable unless they are having a war on something.

    Pushing it into the underground just makes the dealer more money - legalize it, control it and treat it.....oh, but their morals and God won't allow that....so lets just keep doing the same thing.
  66. Kevin Desmoulin from Canada writes: Doug Dewan from Canada writes: Kevin Desmoulin from Toronto, Canada writes: The American war on drugs has been a stunning success not. Learn to think before you speak.

    Kevin, are you serious??? I hope not. The U.S war on drugs is as about successful as their war on terrorism. I don't think they are comfortable unless they are having a war on something.

    Pushing it into the underground just makes the dealer more money - legalize it, control it and treat it.....oh, but their morals and God won't allow that....so lets just keep doing the same thing.

    Come on now, Look at the 'NOT, a stunning success not.

    I think you must new new to these boards and not familer with me or my posts. I think think it been a success, it been a disaster, waste of money and lives and bad public policy.

    Believe me I am well schooled in issues of illegal drugs and addiction failures of prohibition and the lack of good policy on these issues.
    I sit on 2 groups addressing these matters.
  67. S L from Victoria B.C., Canada writes: ************************************************ Fake Name from Canada writes: ' S L from Victoria B.C., Canada writes: Although I disagree with guliliani on MANY MANY issues, I think the underlying issue of how long do you let a soft hand approach try and fail before you look at harder alternatives is a valid one.' The hard approach (War on Drugs) has hardly been a shining success story - prisons are hotbeds of drug activity, so any drug criminal that goes in is very likely still going to be an addict when they come out, and probably on a worse type of drug at that. At least with the harm reduction approach they're slightly less likely to spread diseases, and it has coaxed some people into rehab. (coment shortened due to length restrictions) *********************************************** I agree that a WAR ON DRUGS approach is NOT the best way, but I think that at a cretin point making punishment for cretin acts strict while still emphasising rehab and recovery would not be a bad thing. Rough Example, first drug use offence rehab, 2nd 5 years, 3rd Rehab, 4th 20 years, how many do you bet wont hit the 4th out of fear and those that REALY want to change wont hit the second. Dealing, first offence 5 years, second Life. Also an amended prison system for those on the first terms. 100 foot electrified fences with minimum like setting on the inside, everyone has jobs, rooms, make there own food; teach people how to live productively, which is I believe the issue with a lot of repetitive addictive behaviour, people don’t know how to live differently.
  68. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: Toxic Planet, sure, free drugs is a wonderful idea. Until someone dies from an overdose of government-issued drugs, and his family sues the government, and thousands of others join in. You want to supply junkies with free drugs, you go right ahead. But YOU take the liability that goes with it. Taxpayers don't want it.
  69. Anon Ymous from Toronto, Canada writes: Why is Giuliani still listened to or given any credence at all whatsoever? The man has lived his life on the shoulders of those who have actually done something. His 'leadership' on 9/11 was nothing more than positive rhetoric.
  70. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: Politicians are Facist Pigs, you're well overdue for your next fix. You might want to head over to Insite right away before your state of deluded agitation gets any worse.
  71. Blaque Jacque Shallaque from Canada writes: Toronto needs a Rudy Giuliani.

    All we have is Mr. Pastyface, who sees every legal gun owner as a mass murderer, and every psycopathic gang member as a victim of our cruel society.

    And now wants non-citizens to vote, because it's about the only way he can stay in power into a third term.
  72. Prairie Duststorm from Edmonton, Canada writes: If I was a drug addict and homeless I would rather live in Vancouver than Winnipeg especially in the winter. I bet they have more than a few from elsewhere who are enjoying the climate and the insite. My elderly parents live in a rejuvinated neighborhood Mount Pleasant and I got an eye opener walking to Second Cup early one May morning. People sleeping on sidewalks and doorways everywhere. Vancouver can have their insite and their problems. I would want to try and clean up that mess it seems they are used to it and live around it.
  73. P. Pobega from Canada writes:
    Go home Giullinia!

    You still have to explain for why the Control Centre... at World Trade Centre went down in it's footprint too, and it wasn't hit!
  74. Right On the Left Coast from Vancouver, Canada writes: Vancouver doesn't need insite, it only needs freedom and justice!
  75. Grant Bowen from Canada writes: Mind your own god d@mn business Rudi.
  76. Raymond P from Canada writes: Heroin should be made illegal. This way drug addicts have no access to it.

    As for Giuliani he floated on the coat tails of an already falling crime rate in New York. Even Arnold had acknowledged that imprisoning everyone that commits a petty crime is unaffordable without massive increases in taxation.
  77. Right On the Left Coast from Vancouver, Canada writes: Jokes aside, I think a little pragmatism is called for here. One can't look at Giuliani's work cleaning up NYC and apply it to Vancouver any more than one could lower the drinking age to 5 and expect teenage Canadians to act like French children and drink moderately.

    I doubt Giuliani has a bloody clue what the effects of more Insite, less Insite, or no Insite are, nor what the holistic effects of quintupling the police presence and 'getting tough' would be. I may as well tell New York that if they banned handguns and created a long gun registry, that their murder rate would drop to that of Toronto's.

    I, personally, am not willing to fund the massive ramping-up of police efforts that truly 'getting tough' on drug crime in this city would take. Giuliani might, but he knows about as much about running Vancouver as I do about living in New York...
  78. Winston Smith from Canada writes: Giuliani speaks a lot of common sense and he has results to show. For anyone who has traveled around would know Vancouver is a disgrace. Canadians need to put aside their political ideology and listen to this man.
  79. C K from Canada writes: Frankly, you folks from elsewhere in Canada don't really get how bad the downtown East Side is. I'm pretty libertarian - you want to do drugs, go ahead - but I also feel that when I call the police because 2 or 3 guys are free-basing in the alley behind my house, and openly vandalizing property, breaking into cars, fighting, etc, the police should actually respond. In Vancouver, the cops no longer do that; they have basically stopped policing these sorts of things. The BC judiciary is even worse: The VPD released a report that showed how the more often a petty criminal in Vancouver was convicted, the shorter the sentences became! We are talking about people convicted over a dozen times in a few years. I think that that's a bit much: freedom to use drugs is not and should be an entitlement to rob, harass, and pillage others' property. Do people out there seriously think that we folks in Vancouver should just sit down and quietly accept property crime rates that are the highest on the continent because it's the compassionate thing to do???
  80. David Simon from Canada writes: Apparently British Columbians have made a decision, namely to have the most tolerant attitude to drugs in Canada, as well as to have the biggest drug problem in Canada.

    With one you get the other.
  81. Gary Thomson from Surrey, BC, Canada writes: Who the F@$# cares what this guy thinks about anything that happens in Vancouver?!
  82. Cognitively Cogitative from Urbia, Canada writes: Guliani was hailed as some kind of hero because he was doing his job on 911. First words to come out of his mouth on 911: Thank god G.W Bush is president.' Asfar as cleaning up the city goes, he just pushed the problem to the suburbs. Just ask the people in the Bronx or Queens. This guy has no idea about our problems. Its his country's war on terror which has crated this problem.
  83. Marc Twane from Canada writes: Now hold on Rudy....crime rates were dropping BEFORE you were elected as mayor....large US cities that did not implement your draconian measures had even greater decreases in crime..C'mon Rudy, a little truth can go a long way to retsoring your own credibility.....well then again, maybe not..
  84. A reader from Canada writes: Scanning through some of the posting, one quickly realizes we have a younger generation that is very angry and one that feels drugs are the answer to their problems . They also feel no one should tell them it is a road to destruction. This generation is very scared of Harper but many of my generation are scared of them if they are to rule the country some day. I also realize there are many fine, young individuals who get a high out of life without taking drugs.
  85. Jeremiah Travistock from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Tough Policing?

    Giuliani clearly doesn't realize that he entered Liberal Heaven the place where 'hug a thug' and give a thug the order of Canada, when he entered Canada. Folks in these parts are on one big road trying to discover their true selves, even at the age of 68.
  86. Bad Bob from Montreal, Canada writes: old dog from Delta, BC, Canada writes: Mr. Giuliani , go back to the 'Land of arrogance and ignorance', as soon as possible, please.

    You are right, we have our own Land of arrogance and ignorance......
    It is called Vancouver.......................
  87. Brendan Caron from vancouver, Canada writes: Giuliani should stay in the states where the war on drugs is lost. This is Canada and he has absolutely no reference point in his America from which to base an analysis and assessment. What a loser. His countrymen other than Americans run the drug trade and he wants to keep it happening by putting the witnesses in jail. Huge money. Trillions. i.e. If you were to spend 75,000 dollars a day since JesChri was born you would only be approaching the first half a trillion dollar mark. Wake up Canada. Insite is by far the best that there is to offer these American engendered drug addicts. Keep Giuliani's ilk out of our solutions.
  88. R Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: Who is Rudy Guiliani anyways ?

    Is he that guy who thought that he could become the Republican candidate for President by winning the Florida primary alone and forgetting about all the other states...

    Seems like the kinda guy that I wouldn't want to take any advice from.

    Cheers
  89. Bad Bob from Montreal, Canada writes: Brendan Caron from vancouver The drug war is lost in Vancouver if you look.
  90. Joe Gopher from Canada writes: So if David Suzuki told you 2 2=5, you would believe him because you agree with his politics, and he's a Canadian, and an ethnic Canadian to boot.
    If George Bush told you 2 2=4 you would call him a damn liar because you don't agree with his politics, even though he could show it to you with apples, and besides, he's a goddamn American?

    We really need to put more emphasis on logical thinking in our education system. There seems to be a certain lack of logical thought on this thread and a heap of disgusting bigotry and racism.
    Having a bit of training in how to think might allow the bigots here to analyze their own thinking patterns.
    Or maybe people's brains are just addled from smoking too much pot?
  91. J Law from Canada writes: I guess it is what the American says whether people are for him or not. Guliani says fight crime with blunt words and the Liberal/NDP hate him for having the audacity to tell Canada to fight crime.

    Gore says spend billions and make me rich while you pretend to fight GHG and the Liberals love him and want to make him an honourary Canadian. It all depends what the American says.
  92. Jesu Pifco from Canada writes: Mike Milne,
    '..rude comments with no substance.'..typically PARTISAN, period. Knickers so twisted that some can't read or spell straight.
    Gary Thomson has the right idea; and the same to the Vancouver bashers 'from away.'
  93. Dennis sinneD from Calgary, Canada writes:

    R Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: 'Who is Rudy Guiliani anyways ? ...'

    Try google... then try your name. Then compare accomplishments.
  94. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes: Thank you, Mr. Guiliano!
  95. Inquisitor Torquemada from Canada writes: I love the whole 'it didn't work then it won't work now' mentality. The fact is that since the weak-kneed took over parliament it has increased.
    Then again actually standing up to people and enforcing real punishment was a Canadian trait from pre-WW2...since then this country has lost its spine, balls and heart.
  96. emilio D from Canada writes: John Doe, the word is defecate not deprecate. My spelling just went south of the border as far as Tijuana, Mexico. But still better than Ted Kennedy when he introduced Obama, called him Barack Osama.
    Or a person going through security at the airport. They asked him if he is a missionary. And he answered 'absolutely not' I am a mercenary. They send him straight to Guantanamo. But Rudy Guiliani
    should be congratulated for being honest or not being coy in telling
    what should be done to Downtown Eastside. The bottom line is more addicts means more criminality in the area. Seniors are being attacked almost everyday because they are easy targets. Insite is the eye of the storm of lawlessness!
  97. R Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: Dennis sinneD from Calgary, Canada:

    And what pray tell does Mr. Guiliani's opinion have to do with a public health care issue in Canada...

    I await your response with baited breath...

    Cheers