Salary increases inequitable

Re: Senior bureaucrat salary increases

It has recently been reported that unwarranted and obscene salary increases were “given” to senior bureaucrats of the province. Included was a $105,000 annual increase to the deputy premier, bringing her base salary up to $348,600 per annum. If my calculations are correct, this equates to a salary of approximately $29,050 per month or roughly $6,703 per week. A bit above the poverty level, you might say.

As a retired fixed-income pensioner, I recently received a $3.52 monthly increase to my federal pension, due I believe, to a cost-of-living adjustment. In order to savour my windfall, I told my wife that we would treat ourselves to one of those special latté style cups of coffee that they serve at the corner Starbucks outlet.

Much to our chagrin, we found that our pension increase would not cover the cost of one of their fancy cups of coffee. So, a bit disappointed, we went home and made ourselves a delightful and tasty cup of tea.

Perhaps the deputy to the premier might buy us a cup of coffee with her windfall!

Martin Battle

Victoria

Province should back down on sewage demands

Yes, we do need options on the proposed sewage system.

Unfortunately, consultants cost money and it seems more than enough has already been spent by the CRD.

It’s time for our provincial government to back down and accept that their politically motivated agenda for the environment is not the answer for the people of Greater Victoria.

Leith Harper

Victoria

PM missing point about his role

Parliament is not dysfunctional because the leader of a minority government fails to understand that his obligation is to make parliament work, not to impose his personal agenda on Canadians or that of a fading foreign neo-Con movement.

It is not “common ground” that caretaker Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs to find with Opposition leaders, but the means to “peace, order and good government.”

Canada’s interest, not his party’s interest, is what matters. It’s not about calling an election before November’s presidential winds of change sweep away neo-conservativism, an American contrivance that its self-styled “godfather” Irving Kristol uses to contrast with Toryism, or the “conservative movement” as Harper’s Conservatives have called it since their days as Reform.

It’s not about advancing the agenda of a minority government elected not to be the Chrétien Liberals.

It’s not about avoiding the “in and out” scandal that pales the Gomery Report into insignificance. It’s about making government work, something that the Harper Conservatives are determined to prevent because they want to “change how this country is governed.”

It’s about serving the interest of Canadians and the welfare of the provinces, as our constitution requires.

Brian Marlatt

White Rock

Vessel replacement halt short-sighted

With much talk of a dysfunctional parliament as a cause for a election, I am distressed by the news that the government is postponing the much needed replacement of Maritime Forces supply ships Protecteur and Preserver ostensibly because they are concerned that the bids received were not the best value for tax dollars.

Presuming that input costs would be a combination of raw materials such as steel and other metals, skilled labour, and the carrying cost of capital investment in the infrastucture, I cannot foresee how these costs would be significantly lower in the future without a substantial global downturn in demand for the materiel, a lessening of demand for skilled labour in Canada and reductions in the cost of capital.

The only other way that bids might be lower would be that bidding firms would reduce profit margins.

Delays in the delivery of the replacement vessels create risks to the environment, defense personnel – even our sovereignty and independence of foreign policy.

That a government is concerned about getting best value for the tax dollar is admirable.

I suspect that few governments would claim otherwise.

I worry that the marginal savings being sought may be more than offset by the aforementioned risks, downtime and the higher cost of maintaining vintage equipment.

Few businesses would consider it prudent to keep using and maintaining an old vehicle because they thought they might be able to save a little on the replacement at some later unspecified date.

I would look forward to any and all criticism from the government, candidates, DND or others to clarify errors or weaknesses in this analysis.

Gordon MacKinnon

Victoria

Council decision on needle services irresponsible

Re: Council Briefs, Aug. 20

Keith Vass informs us in this article that ‘the City of Victoria won’t seek to regulate location of needle exchange services through zoning amendments.’

This outrageous dereliction of duty on the part of the Victoria city council follows a July letter sent by Mayor Alan Lowe encouraging the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) to dispense hypodermic needles out of all of its facilities.

This is a pathetic, stealthy betrayal by the mayor and council of the public interest, particularly that of parents of vulnerable children at the nearby Victoria Conservatory of Music, St. Andrew’s elementary and preschool and Christ Church Cathedral Preschool.

When parents convened an emergency meeting at the St. Andrew’s gym earlier this year, they were given assurances by Victoria city Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe, VIHA CEO Howard Waldner, the school’s principal Keifer Pollard, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools Joe Colistro (representing the Bishop of Victoria) and other worthies that their legitimate concerns for the safety of their children were heard and would be brought to the attention of the council.

The overwhelming majority of parents, neighbours and other concerned citizens attending the meeting opposed the siting of a so-called ‘needle exchange service’ in the new Our Place facility on Pandora Avenue. Parents were horrified at the obvious failure of the needle dispensary on Cormorant Street to reduce addiction and social disorder (overt public injections and drug dealing, defecation on private property, needles, condoms and other debris left everywhere, etc.).

They later presented a petition asking that city council not allow such facilities anywhere near schools, pre-schools or playgrounds. By choosing not to bring in zoning changes, the irresponsible council has completely dropped the ball, leaving innocent children vulnerable.

Instead of continuing to enable poor, sick active addicts to stay mired in their deadly addictions, the City of Victoria should prohibit the siting of any such facilities near vulnerable children, as the parents requested.

They should then start to offer rehab and abstinence-based residential treatment programmes in conjunction with successful self-help groups to help these addicts recover, regain their health and become productive members of society again.

Gregory Hartnell, president

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition