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Pots and kettles
Dear Republic:
During the first week of the teachers strike in British Columbia, the Premier of the province was traveling Canada in an effort to gain support for a protest. His protest involved the breaking of trade agreements and breaches of international law by our American neighbours. In short, he was protesting American unilateral actions.
Back home on the farm he was sending telephone messages that he would not meet with the teachers who were protesting his unilateral actions without regard for their human rights.
Many people have pointed out that the premier should have stayed home. What more evidence did we need to see that he was part of the problem and could hardly be expected to be part of the solution?
- Henry G. Armstrong, Vancouver. Mr Armstrong is a former executive director, BC School Trustees Association from 1973-1990
Hypocrisy
Dear Republic:
Contempt for the law is something Gordon Campbell is overqualified to observe in others, since contempt is something he overindulges in himself where the will of BC citizenry is concerned; he is also no stranger to breaking the law.
Campbell shows his contempt for British Columbians when he says BC's teachers, and BC's citizens, should accept unjust legislation, as law, and accept it whether we agree with it or not.
Public education is essential, but not as a service. The best education we can provide is the right of all BC's youth, whose government has been neglecting them, just as it now disregards their teachers. How can we afford the Olympics when we can't afford to reduce the size of our classrooms?
While Gordon Campbell's electoral campaigning never mentioned the sale of BC's utilities, like his penchant for union busting and gutting social services, this as been a driving ambition. Without a doubt, British Columbians would rather have the law punish politicians who misrepresent themselves than to have it punish teachers, or the education system.
Does Gordon Campbell expect British Columbians to swallow his unjust legislation, when our cup already runneth over with his hypocrisy and dishonesty?
I, for one, abstain.
- Ken Dresen, Vancouver BC
The good, the bad . . .
Dear Republic:
I would like to commend Michael Nenonen on a great article (“Ecstasy and the traps of Beauty”, Republic issue 124), which was a poetic and lyrical piece full of sharp observations and eloquent language, amidst a collection of run-of-the-mill leftist esoterica that this paper seems to pride itself on. Good job.
- Michael Khmelnitsky
Oil companies good
Dear Republic:
You are dreaming in Technicolor if you think for one split second that the Canadian Federal government, which has become the property of the Liberal Party of Canada under the morally bankrupt Paul Martin, cares about using this new source of revenue to invest in alternative energy sources (“Now is the perfect time to massively increase gas taxes,” Republic issue 123). Any additional revenue generated from your proposed new taxes will simply be buried in General Revenue and not used for research.
As much as I dislike the big oil companies I have noticed that one of the most onerous of them all Shell, has purchased companies that manufacture solar cells to produce electrical energy. See their web site.
It would seem that this oil company has already jumped on the alternative energy bandwagon and wants to still be in business after the last barrel of oil has been pumped from the ground.
- Bruce (last name withheld)
One in the win column
Dear Republic:
I was happy to read the election editorial by Mr Potvin in the latest edition of The Republic.
He is decidedly the right person for the job as he so aptly proved when he played Vancouver's mainstream media for all it was worth by simply using the truth. Yes, time and again: honesty is the best policy.
As a successful (ie any business that is not closing its doors) small business owner, I'm sure Mr. Potvin has proven on more than one occasion that he has what it takes to make ends meet. And that is the kind of person the average-lad/lass-on-the-street needs in the corridors of power in this 2010-hyped upwardly-spiraling inflationary burg. Vancouver City Hall needs its second-ever independent-elect.
Mr Potvin has this person's vote. (Hopefully, The Republic of East Vancouver won't suffer too much in his absence.)
- Ryan Sparks
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