Stop the confrontation, solve the problem
Sparks flying in our legislature won’t solve our doctor shortage. Posturing, shouting and heckling may make our elected officials feel like they are doing something, but in reality most adults know that complex problems generally require complex solutions that have been worked out in a collaborative manner.
Confrontational politics only serves to alienate the electorate and in turn makes it easier for autocrats to appear as rational choices for results-oriented voters.
My advice to Premier John Horgan and all legislators is to stop the phoney drama, grow up and do what you were hired to do.
Len Dafoe
Nanoose Bay
Horgan and Dix need to take action on health
Health Minister Adrian Dix and Premier John Horgan are not listening to the people.
There is a critical shortage of family doctors in this province and when politicians do not listen, it just might cause the political tide to change.
They have both been riding a wave of well-deserved support and respect for how they handled the COVID crisis. However, it is time for them to ask family doctors for their opinions on how best to solve this crisis.
The doctor shortage was bad before they took office, but the whole health-care system has imploded. Their stop gap measures have exacerbated the problem, not solved it.
As we have just been told, we have the longest wait times in Canada. Our ERs are full; people have no family doctor to visit so that is their only option.
People are fed up; doctors cannot afford to practice in our province. They need more money and support now —and the government needs to engage with the public now as well.
Shirley Tousignant
Victoria
Margaret Thatcher had the right idea
Clinics are closing, a million people don’t have a doctor, overworked and underpaid nurses are quitting, young Canadians are reluctant to enter the profession, immigrant doctors and nurses can’t get certified quickly enough, politicians are blaming each other in the legislature. Will things improve, or become even worse?
The province continues to plead for more money from Ottawa. All provinces have been pleading for more health-care funding for years.
Will it ever happen? According to a recent letter on this page, Ottawa’s transfer payments cover only about one quarter of the cost. Will this ever be corrected?
Delivering the service is a provincial responsibility, but the feds collect most of the tax to pay for it. Theoretically, in a democracy, the taxpayer who pays for the service should have some say in how her money is spent. She can vote, you say.
But how will she vote? At the federal level, the current Liberals-NDP coupling is based mostly on the promise to give “free” dental care and prescribed drugs.
So we’ll be able to get free prescribed drugs, but not really — because we won’t be able to find a doctor to write the prescription. Why do politicians spend our money on prescriptions rather than for doctors?
And will the voter who cannot find a doctor to get a prescription, still vote for the parties that promise free prescriptions? Or would it matter?
Will things get better or worse? “Socialized medicine,” to paraphrase Margaret Thatcher, “is a great idea until you run out of other people’s money.”
But how many people understand that, or want to understand it?
Dan Ogle
North Saanich
Horgan expressed a common point of view
Premier John Horgan should be forgiven for his profane outburst in the legislature. After all, one in five B.C. residents says the same thing every time they think about going to see a doctor.
Michael Butler
Victoria
Victoria needs smoother roads
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said in her recent letter that the city has been spending more on road repairs than ever since 2015.
I think there is some number fudging going on there. Installing curbs and islands while removing parking for more bike lanes does not count in my mind as road repair. Neither does creative paint jobs on crosswalks.
While running the TC10K I was constantly looking down at the worn-out road for fear of tripping. I think Victorians would be happy with smooth roads for all modes of transport as soon as possible.
C. Scott Stofer
Victoria
Stop complaining about pickleball
I am disgusted by James Bay residents near Todd Park complaining about the “unbearable noise” from pickleball players.
Reading my Times Colonist over the weeks where real unbearable situations exist in Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, many countries in Africa to name just a few, makes me say to those pickleball complainers to open your eyes and ears and stop the bad habit of complaining about nothing!
Lynn Martin
Victoria
Thanks, Victoria; now, Saanich’s turn
Congratulations to Victoria’s mayor and council for adopting much-needed rapid and efficient affordable housing approvals.
Many of our local councils are shamefully slow in approvals.
We can only hope that our largest and slowest approving municipality (Saanich) finally sees the light and finally speeds up the critical approval process.
E.A. Lubick
Saanich
Devil in the detail with Victoria’s housing plan
The affordable housing legislation passed by Victoria council is laudable in promoting more affordable housing. However, the devil is one particular detail.
It will “no longer require rezonings or public hearings when consistent with the city’s Official Community Plan.
Who decides the Official Community Plan?
The council does; they can and do (witness recent changes to Fernwood/Oaklands plan) change the plan however they want. They solicit responses to a survey, but they make whatever changes they want.
This new legislation gives the council complete power and takes any influence completely out of the hands of the neighbourhood community.
Richard Volet
Victoria
Ukraine abandoned by the U.S. and U.K.
While Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine, the United States also bears some responsibility.
In 1994 the U.S., the United Kingdom and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum guaranteeing Ukraine’s security, and in return Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal.
Not knowing who would end up ruling Ukraine, and wanting to stop nuclear proliferation, this seemed like a reasonable bargain for the U.S., the U.K. and Russia to make.
Now Ukraine is being invaded by Russia and neither the U.S. nor the U.K. is living up to the terms of the Budapest Memorandum. With no nuclear capability, Ukraine became a sitting duck for Russian aggression.
Russia soon figured out the U.S. and the U.K. had no intention of coming to Ukraine’s aid, and the Budapest Memorandum wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.
Since Ukraine had given up their nuclear deterrent, the stage was set for a Russian takeover. Now Ukraine is being reduced to rubble and all the U.S. and the U.K. do is impose sanctions and send weapons. The security promised in the Budapest Memorandum is missing in action.
Now there will only be one of three tragic outcomes: Ukraine is destroyed but maintains its independence. Or Ukraine is destroyed and partitioned. Or Ukraine is destroyed and becomes part of Russia or a Russian puppet.
This is what happens when the U.S. and the U.K. renege on their security treaty obligations.
S.I. Petersen
Nanaimo
Self-inflicted misery because of the deficit
The April 12 letter calling for higher deficit spending made me want to weep.
The interest cost of servicing the debt for this year is about $25 billion. Under the new budget, it will grow to more than $40 billion per year — and that’s before the increases in interest rates that are now kicking in.
That’s $40 billion in in tax revenue, off the top, that doesn’t pay for one teacher, one nurse, one policeman. It goes into bank coffers, where it will be lent to hedge funds. They will use it to bid up the price of real estate.
They do this because holding actual dollars is for suckers. Every dollar printed makes every other dollar worth a little bit less, and Drama Boy has had the printing presses running red hot. That’s the upshot of your deficit spending
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has persuaded many people, such as the letter-writer, that this will all work out fine in the end. He doesn’t spend much time thinking about monetary policy. The deficit will pay for itself.
Anyway, for him it will certainly be no problem. As for his Liberal henchfolk, and his NDP sidekicks, it’s all good, so long as their comfy rides keeps rolling.
The worst part about this whole tragedy is that it’s self-inflicted.
Michel Murray
Saanich
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
• Email letters to: [email protected]
• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5
• Submissions should be no more than 250 words; subject to editing for length and clarity. Provide your contact information; it will not be published. Avoid sending your letter as an email attachment.
