To the editor:
Re: "12th & Cambie," July 20.
In talking about the "authority" to host the Stanley Cub fan zones, Mike Howell talks about the direction city staff have been given to hold street celebrations. In any post-mortem of the riot, the city should go back to square one and revisit its policy that allowed the game "celebrations" to take place. It was clear from the outset that this taxpayer-funded "celebration" would have two major beneficiaries-the privately owned hockey club and some privately owned beer and alcohol merchants. Vancouverites should know when and why the city will use their tax dollars to further the interests of private businesses. There is no shortage of worthy causes to use scarce taxpayer resources to help create a world class city. We can reduce homelessness, gang violence and support poor seniors rather than cheering on wealthy young men as they give each other concussions and whose silence about the riot is deafening.
Barry Elkin, Vancouver
