I see there’s another homeless encampment going up in the north end Saint John New Brunswick

I see there’s another homeless encampment going up in the north end. I imagine a lot of people who live there are getting nervous. It’s not just about homeless people having a place to stay — these sites often turn into places where people can do drugs, get high, sleep it off, and repeat the cycle.

This isn’t about being against helping the homeless, but it is about people who abuse the system, abuse taxpayers, and disrupt the lives of others in the city of Saint John. What do our leaders do? They open more encampments.

Years ago, if you did drugs and broke the law, you went to jail. That has changed. People with mental illness used to be treated in institutions — now they’re put on street corners. Ever since Centracare was shut down, it’s been like this. What we need is an institution, not more encampments.

People deserve to feel safe in their homes and businesses. Kids should be able to ride their bikes, families should be able to take an evening stroll without fear. Instead, people are being shot, stabbed, robbed, beaten, and raped.

When will city council and government do something instead of sitting in offices collecting big paycheques while this continues? They make speeches, but what has actually been done? More fentanyl. More overdoses. More deaths.

I don’t blame the police — they follow the laws they’re told to enforce. I blame the managers, the staff, and the politicians who tie their hands. We need a real mental health system. We need an addictions centre. If you don’t want help, then yes — jail. For some, that might be the best thing that ever happens to them.

How can someone addicted to drugs be expected to make good decisions? They can’t, until they’re made to. City council and the government have changed the laws so that people get off scot-free because they’re on methadone or claim addiction. Meanwhile, they’re allowed to break into homes, damage property, and terrify children.

Years ago, if you were caught with weed, you went to jail. Now the government sells it for profit. Anything for a dollar. Our country is a mess, and Saint John is part of it.

We need places to incarcerate people who break the law. We need facilities for those with mental health issues. We need treatment centres for addiction. We need leadership in Saint John that will stop enabling this and actually make changes.

That’s my rant of the day.

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@susanholt @DonnaReardonSJ @cityofsaintjohn