Still waiting for a reply
Dear Editor:
Re: Candidates lack a serious plan (Letters, May 10)
Jon Peter Christoffѻý letter contains a plethora of topics, including: U.S. and European sanctions against Russia, the funding and arming of Ukraine, Donald Trumpѻý disrespect for NATO, the changing world economy, capitalists, liberal globalists, socialists, Republicans, Democrats, Palestinians, China, Iran, Israel, Taiwan, and the U.S. (Thankfully, there is no mention of the kitchen sink.)
I am still waiting for Mr. Christoff to answer the simple questions I first asked him in my letter of March 20 (Pontification or communique?).
For those who never read the questions:
1. True or False? A major impediment of peace has been Russiaѻý disinformation war.
2. In 2012, Patriarch Kirill, the current Russian Orthodox Church leader, addressed Putin personally as the saviour of modern Russia and compared his reign to a “miracle of God.” Do you share Patriarch Kirillѻý opinion?
3. After Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Patriarch Kirill threw his support behind Russia. Do you support Ukraine or Russia? (Read: “Why the Russian Orthodox Church Supports the War in Ukraine” by Ksenia Luchenko, Carnegie Politika)
4. Do you approve of North Macedonia being a member of NATO?
5. Do you support Ukraineѻý request for NATO membership?
On , read the article “39 years ago, a KGB defector chillingly predicted modern America,” and watch the accompanying interview with former KGB agent Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov, who said Russia has a long-term goal of ideologically subverting the U.S.
Bezmenov described the process as “a great brainwashing” that has four basic stages. The first stage is called “demoralization,” which would take about 20 years to achieve. The second stage is “destabilization”; the third stage is “crisis”; and the fourth and final stage is “normalization”.
David Buckna
ѻý
Right wing is wrong choice
Dear Editor:
I recall that letter complaining about all the Penticton letters in the ѻý version of the newspaper. Clearly ѻý residents don’t pay enough attention to news outside of their own navel gazing city, if they elected that troublemaker Tom Dyas as mayor.
As for Doug Rosen, only a navel-gazing individual could ever consider the right wing as the “right” choice when they have over 40 years of failure and losing.
Liberals are liars, Conservatives are conmen and conwomen as shown by their atrocious 100 years or more of playing musical chairs at the expense of the people within Turtle Island as well as the environment.
Sincerely, neither a leftwinger nor a rightwinger nor even a centrist,
Patrick Longworth
Penticton
BC-NDP not worth the cost
Dear Editor:
Re: “ѻý NDP seems out of touch with forestry woes,” by Vaughn Palmer (Vancouver Sun, May 10).
Like Justin Trudeau, David Eby and the BC-NDP are not worth the cost. We British Columbians need change away from this socialist/communist style of government that always has its hand in our pocket, especially when it comes to the carbon tax scam. And now Eby is trying to buy our vote next election by holding ICBC rates until 2025 and giving us another phony rebate... another scam by Robin Hood!
Like this latest failure exposed by Vaughn Palmer, the NDP talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Sounds like the illegal drugs “experiment”?
And letѻý not forget Ebyѻý big brother Jagmeet Singh, whoѻý keeping Trudeau in power. They are all cut from the same cloth. Tax, tax and overspend with money they should not have the right to steal...and then try to look like heroes giving a pittance back to us in the form of rebates.
Our younger generations need to wake up and realize their only way out of this mess is to work hard, and earn their freedom of choice back and fire them all come the next elections. Not continue to be fed like dogs by these over-controlling leftists, who want us all to end up in government housing and not being able to afford our own vehicle.
Yes, these are strong comments.
But someone has to peel back the layers and call it like it is.
Greg Snider (retired teacher)
Creston
Corporate greed remains constant
Dear Editor:
Re: “Trump and Poilievre, Leaders” (May 3) and “Blame Trudeau, not grocers (May 2)
As someone who spent 25 years in retail middle management in ѻý , I can plainly attest retail though before perceptible “skimpflation” and “shrinkflation” was geared to substantial profit for the company and to not overdoing the quality of goods. Staff was paid the minimum as they are now. This, before the 12% profits (Loblaws) of 2023 and further 9% of 2024, but the principle monetarily then was the same as today and there was no “secure future” for employees.
Perhaps the writers were in short pants at the time, assuredly Trudeau was not even a gleam in his Daddyѻý eye and there was no carbon tax.
Global issues have intensified but corporate greed remains a constant. The focus has been profit and share dividends, which you will note, in Loblaws’ case, now are up 15% year over year. Dividends, the symbol of profit.
Additionally, carbon tax originated right here in ѻý with Gordon Campbellѻý brand of ѻý Conservatives.
Interestingly, the food chain guru, Sylvain Charleboisѻý Lab received a $60,000 grant from Weston Foundation in 2018.
You may want to fact check before “axing the facts” and definitely be careful what you wish for .
Zoltan Lawrence
ѻý
He was insured, paid full cost
Dear Editor:
It really is just common sense to look at lower ICBC rates and realize that ICBC has to be paying out less in order to make it all work.
And certainly Premier David Eby has told us that lawyers are making less from lower personal injury claims and the victims are receiving smaller claim payouts.
But maybe you really want to think about that in case you are involved in an accident.
I was rear ended by an out-of-province licensed driver who was driving an uninsured car with bad brakes (I know, the trifecta of bad luck).
I was stopped at an intersection on my motorcycle when it happened. The 600-pound bike launched ahead and fell over onto its side, sliding across the road. I was fine (quite spry for an old guy) but there was damage to the motorcycle, and it had to be towed.
The police attended and issued a report stating it was 100 per cent the other driverѻý fault.
Imagine my surprise to be told by ICBC that there was no damage to my bike. I had to pay for the bike to be towed and repaired.
I chatted with three adjusters, the process went nowhere and I was on the hook for all costs.
Be aware that what you’re not paying in premiums is balanced against the services you are also no longer getting.
Nigel Beattie
Victoria
Better way to use $110 rebate
Dear Editor:
As much as a $110 ICBC rebate is always welcome, why not use that $400 million to invest in something substantial, such as transportation?
I am sure the Vancouver Island railway lines could be refurbished and rolling stock purchased with at least some of those funds.
Susan Clamp
Esquimalt
Free speech vs hurt feelings
Dear Editor:
Free speech is more important than your hurt feelings.
If you wish to write pompous letters to the editor, camp out at the legislature or express your beliefs, within civilized limits, you are entitled to do so (not blocking traffic or obstructing others’ right to lead their normal daily lives, of course).
If you wish to express your disagreement with those opinions, you are equally entitled to do so.
What you absolutely cannot do is call for those people to shut up, be silenced, be cancelled, removed, fired or punished.
People gave their lives to preserve the right to free speech, which does not exist in maybe 50 per cent of the world we leave in.
We must preserve it, even when we don’t like it.
The right to free speech is more important than your hurt feelings.
Martin Hill
Sooke
Refuse to pay the hackers
Dear Editor:
The hackers who demand money from some ѻý libraries are threatening to release their stolen data to the public, including phone numbers and email addresses.
They don’t appear to have a sense of history.
Not so long ago, when phones were on landlines and mail came to a street address instead of an inbox, we called such data “the phone book.”
Personally, I wouldn’t mind having an updated “white pages,” with mobile numbers and email addresses. If I lived in one of the affected communities, I might hope the library refuses to pay up. Even if that meant people would know about my overdue books.
George Jamieson
Victoria
Buying votes, ignoring debt
Dear Editor:
What a joke! What a pre-election attempt to buy votes! The provincial deficit will be about $8 billion this fiscal year and is projected to be $7.8 billion next year.
Thatѻý not COVID spending. That is NDP lack of financial management discipline. And rather than using the ICBC surplus to help pay down the debt or allocate it to the health care budget, they are trying to buy votes.
Ian Munroe
Victoria
ERs symptom of care crisis
Dear Editor:
Because there are no more clinics and the family doctor is inaccessible when you’re sick, emergency rooms have become clinics.
The emergency room I was in was packed, with everybody from sweet people to senior citizens who could hardly sit up, waiting hours for help. I wonder how many just stay home and die because they don’t want to put up with this.
I saw old people who were motionless for the whole time they were sitting there, not a move. Thatѻý wrong.
Thereѻý no help for the people sitting there. You just sit and wait.
I was fortunate to get a good doctor and after eight hours get good medication.
The system has broken and something should be done about it.
James West
Victoria
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