Letter to the editor: Nov. 19

November 19, 2008

Letter to Editor

Police road check

Dunc Malcolm/News staff

Secondary suites don’t cause disturbances

Re: Campaigns offer plans for secondary suites, Saanich News, Nov. 12

Why are people are so foolish to think that secondary suites would cause “a whole flow of cars and parties,” as Paul Gerrard reports and rebuts in your article. My experience is the opposite.

I once lived next door to a productive couple who rented the bottom half of their house, typically to a mother with child. All was quiet and peaceful.

But someone on the street kept complaining, probably because the owners’ skin was brown. While the fiefdom usually ignored suites, they had to respond to a complaint. After a few such legal skirmishes, the nice young couple gave up and moved away. The house was purchased by a realtor on speculation. She rented it to an individual who got others to share the house. They had noisy parties, one time including someone dancing on the roof of a car parked in front.

All legal because there was only one tenant, but obviously an unacceptable result for the neighbourhood and for the owners who were discriminated against.

The objectors on Saanich Council, and the NIMBYs they pander to, should be ashamed of their obstructionism.

Keith Harold Sketchley

Saanich

Give drunk driving police a break

As citizens of B.C. we should not be vilifying the small number of RCMP and municipal police officers that have recently been charged for allegedly drunk driving. We must remember that everyone is innocent until convicted in the courts.

Being a police officer is a stressful and onerous job which places a great deal of strain on them.

Therefore I believe that if a police officer is found guilty of drunk driving he or she should be given a conditional discharge by the court. Why you say? Well we the citizens of B.C. gave Premier Gordon Campbell a “conditional discharge” so to speak for his drunk driving conviction in the state of Hawaii.

We forgave him for this indiscretion as did Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, they did not demand his resignation. This being the case, why don’t we give our overworked police one free drunk driving charge? This would certainly aid in the recruitment of badly needed officers in the RCMP.

Adam Ustik

Saanich

B.C. should have participated in remembrance vigil

Letter to Premier Gordon Campbell.

I am expressing my dismay, disappointment and disgust at your government’s decision to not fund the Remembrance Day visual presentation Vigil 1914-1918 here in British Columbia.

The majority of provinces in Canada participated in honouring our World War veterans. Why not British Columbia?

The projecting of names of the fallen in Canada Square, in London, England, visibly moved Queen Elizabeth. I would have liked to have witnessed this in my home province.

Why did British Columbia choose not to be a part of this 90th anniversary tribute to our war heroes?

We, the taxpayers, are putting out billions of dollars for the Winter Olympics so why not contribute to the cause of Remembrance?

I would like an answer to at least one of my questions.

Robert Dunn

Saanich

Full constituent representation needed

To all those candidates who topped the polls in this year’s municipal elections, I offer my sincere congratulations.

I request that, when the euphoria of your respective successes have worn off, you remember that you represent all of your constituents – not just those who voted for you or the (political) machine that helped you to win. To those who were not successful but who offered themselves as candidates for public office, I extend my heartfelt thanks for the energy and efforts that you expended during this latest campaign. Your interest was very much appreciated. Finally, to candidate Apathy who, in some areas, appealed to as many as 73 per cent of the electorate, I look forward to watching your platform unfold and your voice being heard (in spades, I’m sure) as all of the candidates try to understand what it would take to get you off your duff the next time around.

Paul Redchurch

Oak Bay

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Letter to the editor: Nov. 19

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