Little patience left for highway blockades
This is becoming a broken record as police sit on their hands as illegal protesters block roads to law-abiding citizens.
It is so sad it has become a joke. Why don’t the commuters get out and remove them? It works in other provinces.
Maybe if someone with a spine gets tough with these lunatics maybe they would think twice about this.
I suppose Stop Old Growth doesn’t realize that thousands of idling vehicles don’t help their trees.
Also, most polls don’t support them. Hate to say it but one day this may cause a violent confrontation.
Then who is to blame?
Ken McKay
Saanich
Public transit for free, driving a bus for free
If Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt wants to make public transit free in Victoria, then maybe he will get his class 2 licence and drive for free instead of coming up with more stupid ideas.
James Cooper
Victoria
No free transit, and no free parking
Who pays for free transit? Good question! Next, who pays for “free parking?”
There is no such thing as “free parking” or “free transit.”
There is no such thing as “free parking” at shopping centres — the cost is incorporated in the prices. At Uptown each parking space cost more than $50,000 to build, and who paid for that?
Who pays the continuing maintenance?
“Free parking” at the hospitals is an added major expense to the health-care budgets. Is providing parking for individual private cars a good use of public health-care dollars?
Where is the “free parking?”
Robert Townsend
Saanich
Free transit is better than the alternative
I disagree with the letter disputing the idea of “free transit,” which suggested jobs will be lost and the cost to taxpayers will be extreme.
I suggest the extreme cost of building the McKenzie interchange, showing “if you build it they [more cars] will come,” instead of making public transit the preferred method of transportation, proves the argument for “free transit.”
We pay for climate change mitigation now or later, when choices are no longer available.
Lynn Martin
Victoria
Don’t live in Victoria? Don’t run for council
In a democracy, having a government of the people, by the people, and for the people is never a bad idea. In fact, it is kind of actually the whole point of it all.
If any Victoria city council member is wondering if they should run for office again, and neither they, nor their landlord, pays property taxes in Victoria, then wonder no more. Don’t do it.
If you are not of the people of Victoria — by actually living within the city limits — then don’t claim you can be for the people of Victoria. You can’t, even if some archaic rules have allowed it until now.
Trevor Amon
Victoria
Langford council needs new faces
I’ve grown up, worked and lived in Langford for more than 40 years, and graduated from the same high school as Mayor Stew Young.
We built our house before incorporation and have seen many, many changes over the years, including some much needed infrastructure updates and some not-so-much hyper residential/business expansion with all the added hustle and bustle.
I’ve always believed, like a sports team, every organization has a cycle of development and different types of managers needed for all those stages of advancement.
In the beginning we required a strong local voice who could gather consensus to create a vision to provide a much needed tax base for a growing need of services.
But in this stage of the cycle, I believe we need a different team, one who has the skill set to manage an organization that has grown into a large enterprise with many diverse issues and challenges.
I’m hoping there are candidates in the community who can fulfil a new vision and continue the great job the long-standing current council has started.
Len Jansen
Langford
Langford, Victoria should trade councils
Re: “Residents’ group aims to uproot long-serving Langford council,” April 20.
Be careful what you wish for, I would say.
In fact, here’s a thought: How about we switch councils? Langford can have Victoria’s and we will take Langford’s.
Victoria might just get a council focussed on city matters and city building!
Chris Lawson
Victoria
You can’t beat the tax on used vehicles
The provincial government is introducing a tax change regarding the purchase of used vehicles by private sale effective Oct. 1.
The change is that the seven per cent provincial sales tax will be based on the market value of the vehicle.
As an example, if a vehicle has a market value of $17,000 and sells for $15,000, the provincial sales tax on that purchase would be $1,050, and if the province deems that the market value of that purchase is $17,000 the provincial sales tax would be $1,190.
The government states the reason for this tax change is to curb fraud.
Market value is for the best shape a vehicle is in. Some of the vehicles being purchased are not in the best shape.
The government states that if you are not satisfied in paying the additional tax, you would have to get a appraisal done on the vehicle that is being purchased, as there is no qualified personnel working in insurance renewal offices that are qualified appraisers.
A appraisal will cost around $250.
In summary, this new tax change is a win-win situation for the government.
Just pay the additional tax, because having to pay extra for a vehicle appraisal is defeating the purpose of trying to save money on the additional tax.
Unbelievable!
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan
Now, bring back unvaccinated nurses
Re: “B.C. to speed up accreditation for internationally trained nurses,” April 20.
The Health Ministry ought to rethink their policy that saw more than 1,000 health-care workers, including RNs and LPNs, get fired and stripped of their seniority for not getting vaccinated.
I’m an ER physician and it’s been really tough with the nursing shortage.
With the current situation, a properly masked, unvaccinated nurse poses no additional risk and would be an immediate help. Hoping the ministry reconsiders.
Ashley Riskin, MD
Langley
Single use containers? Try fixing the roads
Here we go again. The Silly Council of Victoria is thinking about having businesses charge for single use containers.
Every time I hear about this council deciding to take on something that is out of their scope it drives me crazy. I wonder what they plan on doing with the newfound money this will bring in.
It’s not like they have a great track record with financial issues.
How much for a coffee cup, spoon, fork, knife, straw? And heaven forbid, a plastic or styrofoam container.
Maybe, just maybe the next council will spend their time on civic issues. You know, like roads (driven Gorge Road lately?), recreation facilities (Crystal Pool among them), trash and recycling collection.
Ron Sleen
Victoria
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