Why trust the people who gave us the Games?

"Poverty is not the Olympics problem," according to former tourism minister Ian Waddell, who helped in winning the Olympic bid.

He concedes that, "If I'd known we had to spend a billion dollars on security I don't know if I would have been so keen." Did he not know the cost before he bought in?

In fact, those who brought us the Olympics were more than a little off about the cost. Their budget was only one-fifth what it has actually cost. Most people making such a costly mistake would no longer expect their opinion to be accepted.

He defends his cavalier opinion about poverty by saying, "Whether we had the Olympics or not, we'd still be dealing with it." Are we dealing with it? Or is government following Waddell's example of shirking the needs of people, not just the poor, but everyone who needs health care and education?

He praises the federal money the province is getting, "We're like Quebec!" No, we are not like Quebec. Their child poverty rate is in the middle of Canada's shameful standard. B.C.'s rate has been the worst for all the years that billions have been lavished on the Olympic party for the few.

Paul Glassen

Nanaimo

Harper should be in Parliament

Prime Minister Stephen Harper closes down the Parliament with the help of the Governor General and then welcomes the world to the Olympics at a provincial legislature.

He should welcome the world from Parliament and let the provincial premier do likewise for B.C.. I am not a member of any political party but like many independent voters I am appalled by his actions. If he gets a majority in the next election, beware democracy.

Eric Jones

Victoria

Australian team should fly that flag

As if the whole boondoggle of the 2010 Games has not been sufficient to pile ridicule (and much worse) on the heads of the International Olympic Committee, we now have their order for the removal of the flag displayed by the Aussies at the Olympic Village in Vancouver. What a wonderful example of sportsmanship.

Until the IOC stop flying their own flag which supposedly embodies the same image of "sport and fair play" as the boxing kangaroo, I encourage the Aussies to continue to "sock it to 'em".

Good on y'mates!!

Val McWilliams

Victoria

We already have two tiers of care

Re: "Clinging to the myth of two-tier care solution," Feb. 5.

I agree with health care remaining public, but "health care" is not provided only by medical doctors.

We in Canada already have at least two-tier provision of health services, because other practitioners are not included within the publicly-funded health care as we know it.

If a person wants to have foot care, chiropractic, massage therapy, some physiotherapy, and many other healing services provided by professionally trained people, they must pay for it out of pocket, because in most provinces these services are not included in the provincial plans.

If these services were universally covered by the health plans, then I would venture to say that there would be much less sickness-care required by the medical doctors, because the other practitioners help citizens maintain their health.

There is a great shortage of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals within the system, and I agree that taking any of them out part-time to serve in a private system would reduce the quality of care we receive now.

Carolyn Herbert

Victoria

A way to increase costs without helping patients

Re: "Clinging to the myth of two-tier care solution," Feb. 5.

Naomi Lakritz is correct, allowing doctors to practice both in the public and a private system would not shorten waiting lists because it would not increase the number of doctors.

In addition, it would be more costly without improving the quality of health care.

A parallel private system would create a market for private health insurance with all of the abuses that occur south of the border. Private insurers would cherry pick clients leaving those with health issues and seniors to be served by an under-funded public system.

Canadian exporters would lose the competitive advantage they have now from not including health insurance in the cost of their exports.

The private system would include the cost of red tape and generate profits for health insurance companies, estimated at 30 per cent in the U.S.

The resulting two-tiered system would provide no better service overall but would be significantly more costly than our single payer system.

Harvey Williams

Victoria

ER visit reminder of value of health care

Recently, I had to go to the emergency department at Royal Jubilee Hospital. The emergency room doctor and the frontline staff were there for me when I needed care — kind and helpful even though they were dealing with many varied cases at the same time. All this assistance was given to me without the added worry of having to pay upfront with a credit card.

It was a reminder to me how much we need to protect our medical system, even though sometimes it also needs treatment.

Maureen Applewhaite

Victoria

Care home sale also a scandal

Western Forest Products' lands are not the only lands being sold off or given away. Right now, both public school lands and hospital lands are under threat across British Columbia.

In Oak Bay-Gordon Head, two excellent public seniors' care facilities are for sale. Vancouver Island Health Authority CEO Howard Waldner admitted at an Oak Bay council meeting that he is selling our land because the authority needs the cash.

Both Oak Bay Lodge and Mount Tolmie Hospital have passed recent inspection and are structurally sound and partially updated. Over the next 30 years we will need every scrap of public seniors' care we can get our hands on in every region of the south Island.

The auditor general said the public interest was not considered before the forest lands were released from the tree farm licences. MLAs Murray Coell and Ida Chong should go to bat for Mount Tolmie Hospital and Oak Bay Lodge. Their sale is just as much of a short-sighted scandal as the WFP lands giveaway.

Jessica Van der Veen

Oak Bay

Headline 'Prostitute assaulted' demeaning

I believe it is demeaning to the woman in Chilliwack to headline her assault story on Feb. 5 with "Prostitute assaulted."

Violence is not part of sex and such provocative headlining only serves to give the assault the "oh well" connotation.

She is a woman like any other and her occupation is irrelevant to the crime.

Paul Middleton

Victoria

Salmon farms changing story on risks

Re: "Activists, salmon farmers work together," Feb. 4.

I see that the foreign-owned fish farms now want help to make their farming operations more environmentally acceptable. Not too long ago they stated that their farms had no affect on the wild salmon. They now state that they will fallow the farms while the juvenile salmon migrate north — what a turnaround. The article also states that they use a treatment to kill the sea lice.

These farms are like feed lots and the manure they produce is astronomical. The containment nets trap other marine animals.

The worst thing that can happen is that the virus killing salmon at fish farms in Chile will be spread to our waters. There is a multitude of reasons that they should stop operations completely.

That they have the audacity to ask the taxpayer for help is ridiculous.

Gord Gebhardt

Parksville

Use your rear lights to reduce collision risk

Years ago I read of a survey in Sweden which showed that having one's low beam headlights (and rear red lights) on at all times made for a dramatic reduction in accidents, perhaps 20 per cent.

Ever since then I have always put my low beams on day and night, because the automatic built-in requirement on modern cars for the sidelights to come on with the ignition does not also put on the rear red marker lights.

I was also influenced by hearing of terrible motorway accidents on foggy United Kingdom motorways which led to installation of extra red brake lights at the rear. Have often wondered why our police don't use more lights front and rear as an example to other drivers. See and be seen!

Patrick H. Wesley

Victoria

Packs of northern dogs real danger

Saskatchewan NDP MLA Buckley Belanger is quoted as saying "In these northern communities, there are many more challenging problems than dog control."

I wonder if the parents of 10-year-old Keith Iron, mauled to death by a pack of dogs, would agree with so little importance being placed on this issue. Particularly when the problem could easily be solved with the implementation of a spay/neuter program. But then, of course there is the cost issue.

Judy Westhaver

Victoria