Newspaper’s position is unacceptable
Re: “B.C. voters should reject proportional representation,” editorial, Nov. 16.
Please accept this as my formal protest against not so much the Times Colonist’s stand, as its egregious promotion of the current B.C. voting system. Such bias is unacceptable in a, nominally, balanced newspaper.
Diane Cliffe
Saanich
PR helps to keep an inclusive country
Re: “B.C. voters should reject proportional representation,” editorial, Nov. 16.
I am most disappointed at the Time Colonist’s views on proportional voting.
I quote former U.S. Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis: “We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of the few, but we can not have both.”
I think that proportional representation helps to keep us an inclusive state. And of course, parties will have a political agenda both before and after the election. The parties that win the right to govern will have to compare agendas and hammer out a common agenda.
In the most recent election in Holland, this took five months. Life went on, no hasty decisions were made, and I like to think that the actions that were agreed upon were in the best interest of the population as a whole. It also should be noted that it is much harder for those who have the money and the connections to influence national policies when dealing with more than one party.
Vince Devries
Ladysmith
Times Colonist backs archaic voting system
Re: “B.C. voters should reject proportional representation,” editorial, Nov. 16.
I was shocked to read the Times Colonist’s editorial regarding the referendum. It was as if Bill Tieleman had ghost-written it, given the conjecture and bias strewn throughout.
The benefits of proportional-representation voting systems are clear:
• more stability of government policy;
• a clear match of the people’s will reflected in government;
• a greater diversity of backgrounds among those elected.
The paper’s endorsement of an archaic voting system astounded me. Next time, the Times Colonist should do its homework.
Donovan Cavers
Kamloops
Fixed doesn’t mean fixed, with natural gas
Re: “Chilling out amid natural gas deficit,” Nov. 14.
I’m constantly amazed by the excuses coming from Fortis about the gas-supply problem. When the pipeline broke near Prince George, reducing the gas supply was understandable.
So the line has apparently been fixed. But not like when the water line to my house broke, and the plumber came along and fixed it. It seems that pipelines are different. Fixed doesn’t mean fixed, along the lines of: It can be used, it’s fit to go.
The plumber didn’t say the line is fixed but you can’t have showers for a month. I dealt with another guy who was not averse to being unequivocal about the meaning of fixed. The tire mechanic said the puncture was repaired, but didn’t say I’d have to reduce my speed to a crawl.
So what’s the real story about the gas restrictions? I have to assume there is more to the pipeline rupture than meets the eye. Something like poor pipeline maintenance perhaps?
I’d like to know.
Terry Coulter
Victoria
Compress ignorance into a combustible fuel
On Friday, Alberta oil was selling to U.S. buyers at $13.78 a barrel. China, India and other countries would pay between $65 and $80, depending on market fluctuations, if it could be transported to the coast by pipeline and shipped to consumers.
It would help if Quebec bought Canadian petroleum instead of obtaining it from Saudi Arabia, the medieval dictatorship, or from Argentina, which is an economic disaster due to foolish government policy.
One can only hope that for the sake of Canada Premier John Horgan, B.C. Green Leader Andrew Weaver and federal Green Leader Elizabeth May have a plan for our salvation other than dispensing wildly inaccurate rhetoric to their adoring gaggle of snowflakes, millennials and generic dreamers who cling to the theory it is possible to convert fairy sweat, angel breath, moonbeams and rainbows into usable fuel. One solution would be for someone to invent a carburetor that could compress ignorance and nonsense into combustible vapour.
B.C. is the only province that cannot produce its own daily requirement of gasoline, diesel and related products. The total refinery capacity is 50,000 barrels a day and the other 300,000 are purchased mainly from refineries in Washington, within 50 kilometres of our border.
Apparently, any pollution created by the refining process is prohibited from entering Canada by Canada Border Services agents stationed in their dirigibles.
Dwayne Rowe
Sidney
Tax is robbing Peter to pay Paul
Re: “Health-premium shift could raise property taxes,” Nov. 16.
The prospect of raising property taxes to cover the likely shortfall of Medical Service Plan premiums from employers is a classic example of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Rather, the provincial government should quit dilly-dallying around and distribute licences to sell marijuana. The government is squandering potential accrual in the millions of dollars. Get off your butts and get to work, Premier John Horgan, and stop this imprudent idea of raising property taxes that will affect citizens’ ability to live and work in British Columbia.
Steve Hoffman
Victoria
Some have no choice but to burn firewood
Re: “Burning firewood is assault on community,” letter, Nov. 1.
To the letter-writer and all others affected by wood smoke — admittedly I do not agree. I live in a rural area and have little choice in how I heat my house.
While I feel calling wood smoke an “assault” is overly dramatic, I tried hard to consider the position of those affected, and I empathize. I know that many renters, like me, have no choice in our methods of heating.
I was quite surprised that Victoria still allows wood heat, but it makes sense out in the West Shore where I live. I understand your frustration, but I would ask that you consider perhaps some people have no choice in the matter. Welcome to Victoria.
Luke Pretty
East Sooke
