Does the investigator have qualifications?
Before the investigation into the comings and goings of the legislature clerk and the sergeant-at-arms, no one ever heard of a 鈥淪peaker鈥檚 aide鈥� or 鈥渃hief of staff.鈥�
Now this individual is mentioned consistently in the media relating to the Speaker鈥檚 office and its ongoing issues.
He is now assigned to re-examine the review already completed by Beverley McLachlin with respect to the sergeant-at-arms, who was exonerated in her report.
I find it puzzling how, and why, an ex-corrections officer would be remotely qualified, or have the legal experience, to have anything to do with the Speaker鈥檚 office, let alone this type of investigative authority.
John Stevenson
Victoria
听
Subjective taxation is simply wrong
Despite overwhelming proof of an abundant supply of affordable housing in Langford, an insurgent effort by the mayor and his council has failed to change the position of the Horgan government even though it adversely affects the premier鈥檚 own constituency.
Specifically, Langford鈥檚 resort community, Bear Mountain, is unfairly ensnared in the provincial government鈥檚 juggernaut speculation tax.
After years of playing catch-up, recent capital investment and improved access has created a welcomed exuberance on Bear Mountain, fast becoming a mecca for sports and outdoor activity, while Whistler, a similar-styled community, continues to have hundreds of vacant homes exempt from the tax.
The reason for the disparity: Communities that are primarily dependent upon seasonal tourism and pastime investment will remain tax-free as it would unduly undermine their existence.
Home to Golf sa国际传媒, Tennis sa国际传媒, Bike sa国际传媒, a five-star golf and tennis resort and plans to to open its doors to hundreds of Canadian Olympic athletes, the Bear Mountain of today surely qualifies under those guidelines.
Disrupting the real estate market of a community that is already contributing more than its fair share of property transfer taxes seems counterintuitive amounting to less available housing, not more.
Similar comparisons exist across the province. Subjectively taxing one city, one town or one community over another is unmitigated favouritism.
Richard Welch
Victoria
听
Simple ways to reduce council meetings
Saanich council learns slowly, if at all.
I repeatedly pointed former mayor Richard Atwell to the basics of running meetings properly. Councillors Susan Brice, Judy Brownoff, Fred Haynes (now the mayor), and Colin Plant would have seen much of that advice.
Now study is suggested 鈥� nonsense! It isn鈥檛 a complex subject.
Besides the chairperson not doing his or her job, reasons for long meetings include:
Council has too much on the agenda (government is meddling in too much); there are talking heads on council 鈥� members who think they have to say something about every topic 鈥� and vague rambling comments from council members who can鈥檛 essentialize and communicate succinctly.
Presenters should be given instructions for presenting to council, including tips on length and effectiveness.
Some presenters are dense or devious, such as the outfit that spent 15 minutes reciting its long history before getting to the particulars of its status and desire for money from Saanich taxpayers. The chair that night was negligent.
Presenters should practise their speech to be succinct. That should be in the instructions for presenting to council. I suggest the chair remind people at the beginning of the meeting. I鈥檇 even ask each speaker if they read the instructions.
Saanich staff are verbose and worse. Typical reports from the planning department have gratuitous information. And they don鈥檛 present succinctly either.
Long meetings are a recipe for poor decisions.
Who elected this government?
Keith Sketchley
Saanich
听
Don鈥檛 forget the disadvantages
Re: 鈥淐ombined police forces the safest solution,鈥� column, July 14.
Catherine Holt, the CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, neglects to include an important word in her opinion piece about amalgamation.
She wrote: 鈥淰ictoria and Saanich are committed to a Citizens鈥� Assembly exploring the benefits and costs of amalgamation (and where are they with that, anyway?).鈥�
The missing word is that the Citizens鈥� Assembly has a mandate from the voters in Saanich and Victoria to also explore the 鈥渄isadvantages鈥� of amalgamation.
Here is what the voters in Saanich and Victoria approved in the 2018 municipal election (source: District of Saanich website) 鈥� 鈥淎re you in favour of spending up to $250,000 for establishing a Citizens鈥� Assembly to explore the costs, benefits and disadvantages of the amalgamation between the District of Saanich and the City of Victoria?鈥�
Roger Stonebanks
Saanich
听
What was the cost of听Victoria鈥檚 bag ban?
Re: 鈥淜eep the bag ban,鈥� editorial, July听13.
I鈥檓 all for the bag ban. However, the 鈥渂it of paperwork鈥� comment is significantly more than a bit off.
How much has been spent to date, considering court costs etc., and how much more in outlays before all is said and done?
As Tom Cruise said in A Few Good Men: 鈥渢he hits just keep on coming鈥� with this council.
Kerry Blain
Sooke
听
Fort McMurray took the plastic bag lead
Re: 鈥淜eep the bag ban,鈥� editorial, July 13.
鈥淲e have been leading the country on this issue, setting the example for others to follow.鈥�
I have seen this kind of bombastic statement countless times in your newspaper鈥檚 reporting and opinions on this issue, and it is misleading and wrong.
鈥淭hat is also why other jurisdictions have been leaping on the Victoria bandwagon, bringing in their own bag bans.鈥�
Fort McMurray 鈥� that Alberta city synonymous with the big, bad oilsands 鈥� has had a bag ban in place since September 2010. So it took Victoria eight long years to see the environmental light.
Leaf Rapids, Man., implemented the first bag ban in North America in March 2007.
I鈥檇 hardly define Victoria council鈥檚 actions as 鈥渂eing ahead of the curve.鈥�
Lori Hamilton
Cobble Hill
听
Free paper bags would听cut plastic use
Now that the Victoria plastic bag bylaw has been struck down by the sa国际传媒 Court of Appeal, there is a golden opportunity for the bylaw and its copy-cat versions in other municipalities to be amended by removing the charge for paper bags.
In particular, grocery store check-out paper bags are ideal for use as kitchen garbage bags; they decompose much quicker than plastic kitchen garbage bags.
But if they cost more to buy at the check-out counter than the plastic kitchen garbage bags, consumers will just switch to plastic kitchen garbage bags and one of the objects of reducing the amount of plastic bags going into the landfill will be thwarted.
Councils: Ban single use plastic bags if you must, but leave paper bags alone.
David Waldie
Saanich
听
Make public transit a true alternative
As the discussion moves forward on providing free transit passes for children under 18, there are a few questions I think should be addressed.
First, what is the basis for Saanich Coun. Nathalie Chambers鈥檚 assertion that providing the free passes will help get 鈥�50 per cent of vehicles鈥� off the road?
That implies that children account for half of motor-vehicle traffic: was she quoted out of context and if so, what was the full context of her remark?
Second, what evidence is there that providing free passes will do any more to inculcate a 鈥渃ulture of transit鈥� than there is now?
Will today鈥檚 children be tomorrow鈥檚 ardent 鈥� and full-fare-paying 鈥� transit users? (One could study the U-Pass program, which has been around for a decade, to see if the level of transit use among those who received the passes was maintained once they had to start paying full fare.)
And third, what messages are we sending young people? That if you want a service, 鈥渟omeone else鈥� should pay for it?
One Victoria councillor was heard on tape (aired on C-FAX radio after the concept was discussed earlier this year) that children could 鈥渓ead鈥� their parents to use transit more, as if parents have 鈥渇ailed鈥� at training up their kids in the way they should go: Is that an appropriate message to send young people?
Isn鈥檛 the way to 鈥済et cars off the road,鈥� to make public transit a true alternative? That takes investment 鈥� to expand routes and increase frequency, and to buy more buses and hire people to drive and service them.
Full disclosure: I worked for TransLink in Metro Vancouver and sa国际传媒 Transit here, and both those agencies do stellar jobs with the resources they have.
At the same time, suburban development planning needs to ensure that transit infrastructure is in place before people start moving in; or else the new residents will say, 鈥渢he heck with it 鈥� I鈥檓 taking the car.鈥�
Drew Snider
East Sooke
听
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