Oh, Vancouver Voice, thank you from the depths of my heart for pointing out what many downtown Vancouverites are rightfully grumbling about — parking tickets. As a resident of the downtown Vancouver area, as well as a former employee of a local coffee shop, and a frequenter of shops, restaurants, bars, and movie theaters, this issue of paying to park is one that hits close to home. There are only one-hour parking meters in front of the shop where I worked, and because of this, I was constantly running outside to plug my meter. It was brought to my attention that there are long-term parking spots in other areas of downtown, but at the time I started work, I did not feel comfortable walking that distance by myself in the dark. It was then brought to my attention that there are monthly parking passes from the city that run for about $65 a month. This suggestion to me was laughable as I am a broke college student working at a coffee shop — give up my Spaghetti-O’s and Top Ramen for a parking spot? I don’t think so. So this dilemma left me with the only plausible option of risking the wrath of the meter-maids to plug my meter every hour — resulting in many a fifteen-dollar parking ticket. Come on City of Vancouver and give us small businesses and employees a break by taking away those darn meters — it’s bound to pump some life back into our local economy.

What is the purpose of parking meters? Who asked for them and why? Perhaps part of the editorial should have involved some research. When a downtown area begins to contain a density of businesses there is often no room for a customer to park because the business owners and employees fill the spaces. This often leads to customers not wanting to look for parking and they drive to someplace with a large parking lot (say perhaps a mall). When this becomes a problem business owners will often band together and approach city government to fix it by installing parking meters to discourage all day parking. Turnover increases the number of customers a business can attract in a day. And the potential income. As for working downtown and paying for parking, well, that goes with the territory. In other words Ossie my dear, suck it up. Plug the meter or get a ticket. Or buy a bus pass, or walk (as you say only a few blocks where it is free).

Articles like “Working the Streets” are exactly why alternative newspapers exist. Columbian reporters can’t take the time interview prostitutes and without a alternative news paper their stories would go untold. Hopefully, the article will bring enough awareness to get people talking about the local sex industry. Too many local woman turn tricks for the community to keep pretending it’s not happening.

While I couldn’t get down to Olympia on President’s Day, I am writing to lend my support to those who rallied at the Capitol in support of a balanced approach to the budget. We cannot afford to make further cuts to critical state programs like health care and education. I sincerely hope our lawmakers see past the reactionary tactics of Tim Eyman and the tea baggers and find the courage to make smart changes. We need long-term solutions so our state can have a real economic recovery. Putting programs like family planning, maternity support services, and the Basic Health Program on the chopping block will not only undermine our shared values, it will result in further economic hardship for everyday people and families like mine. These simply are niceties for a lot of Washington families and women. We need a balanced approach that will raise substantial revenue to help protect the services that we all count on - now more than ever. Don’t let Washingtonians down! Join me, and contact your legislator today — they do listen.

Clark County has to be the greediest & the most anti-business county in Washington State. When a struggling business can hardly keep their doors open, they want to increase fees for the fire marshal inspection. In 2009 it cost me $350; in 2010 it cost me $1,050.00. That’s a 300% increase. The fire marshal did the same job he did last year. He took 20 mins to walk-through, found no problems, but had to inform me that the fees needed to be increased “to help recover the cost of the inspection program. These modified fees are temporary, with a new fee structure being examined to take place in 2010”. How can the county justify ripping business off like this? Businesses around the world have made sacrifices, so should the government!!!

I don't know what you guys get paid, but your stuff is priceless. I had never heard of the VanVoice until my son advertised in your publication and I happened to see Ossie's wise-ass comments on a mutual friend's FaceBook page. I laugh out loud at your irreverently humorous but socio/political relevant articles and at Ossie's slant on life. If I wasn't twice your age(s), I would love to be partying with you all. Keep up the good work. I am now an addicted VanVice, I mean VanVoice reader. By the way, I don't think that my phone number is any of your business but as I had to enter it, I did. Chris

Who is Kat Templeton? What makes her art that "KRAZY KOOL"? But most importantly, why do we not see her art in the Couve? She is a 100% home grown Vancouver artist who is starting to truly establish herself..... shhh... "over the bridge". Some may say , "so what? what's the big deal? It's just an artist showing art in Portland." SO WHAT? SOOOO WHAT? It's much more than an artist showing art in P-town. It is the difference between what you see here and over there. Don't get me wrong there are alot of galleries,clubs, resturants etc in PDX that are similar to Vancouvers', but there are also alot of places in Portland that clearly are influenced by way more culture. Kat's art is explosive, evocotive, sensual , sexual, and very bold. Her work is daring, and can quite possibly scare, shock, or even arouse you upon your first viewing. But wait a gosh darn minute! ! She can only be found in Portland! She had tried to get her work back in her home town but it wasn't "family friendly." or "not the right fit." Her work is not the right fit for what-? THE ENTIRE TOWN? The content of her work might cause mass hysteria, prohibition laws to take effect, married couples to start sleeping in separate beds, but to not see, hear, feel, and touch the diversity of ALL art is the very death of us all. Well, oneday, I hope to see her art back where it all began, here in the city that helped develop and influence her concepts of visual arts first! Not over the bridge.

I picked up a copy of the October 2009 Bar Guide recently from The Sport's Page as I was involved in a Soft Tip Dart League match there. Having been to many of the Bar venues listed in your publication for darts, or just a beverage or two, I was curious to see how your reviews compared to my views. You have passed the test of respectability...fair and balanced! Even making the point of advising readers of places with deserved 'bad raps'. Except for your light coverage of Yacolt, you have the county covered well. My personal view of the Red Fir Inn in Yacolt having played darts there before: "Rustic local watering hole, but makes a great pizza for being so far away from the rest of civilization!" I have shown your Publication to our Soft Tip Dart League President, and hope to have an advertisement for the Vancouver Dart Players Leagues in your 2010 Bar Guide, as well as looking at advertising some of our major events in your bi-monthly publication. Well done!

It was irresponsible for you to publish the article, “Medical, or small business”, without condemning drug use. Impressionable children and teenagers should not be given the idea that drugs are anything less than dangerous and horrible addictions. Outrageously, your paper mislead the public that the “Dresden” is some type of small local bussiness owner rather than accurately calling him a criminal. I am offended that your paper claims to be serving the local community, but you take more care to protect the identity of criminals than to protect our children from drug pushers.

I am impressed with Vancouver Voice’s investigation of illegal medical marijuana sales. The public doesn’t need anymore fear mongering or anti-establishment rants, we got enough of that from Fox News and homeless hippies. What the public needs is unbiased, fact based reporting on marijuana and other controversial topics so that the public can make its own decisions about public police. So thank you for the fair and balanced special report in your last edition.