There’s a faction of Vancouver’s left that seems more interested in demonizing success than creating more of it (unless it’s their homies). Everything becomes a class war. That’s Pete fry. That’s COPE. But they need to remember that the public services and govt jobs they champion depend on a healthy tax base, supported by businesses, investment and economic growth. That includes the arts too. And what gets missed is that public safety is economic policy too. Small businesses can’t thrive when employees feel unsafe coming to work, customers avoid certain neighbourhoods and owners are left dealing with street disorder. Why does Pete Fry not take the danger to public safety seriously? Why won’t he listen to the small business owners. Many who are women and also have women customer bases? That’s why the public safety plebiscite deserves a serious conversation about open-air hard drug use, treatment, recovery and the future of our neighbourhoods. And the news orgs need to be better cuz right now they fail to adequately cover this topic and are complicit in not holding folks accountable . You can believe in compassion, fairness and a strong social safety net while also supporting entrepreneurs, economic growth and safe streets.