Don’t raise our local taxes — spend revenue more wisely
The more money in taxes our greedy municipal governments take in, the more absurd it gets. I was upset to hear the mayor of Surrey on the radio justifying new property assessment increases.
The North Shore has three city halls and the elected officials regularly vote themselves pay raises, yet we have serious traffic gridlock with massive new construction underway, as in most municipalities. Why not take a large portion of the land tax of all these new projects and put it toward “mobility,” instead of asking for more money from taxpayers?
I hope this new mobility commission realizes that London and Stockholm have excellent transit to outlying areas, something we don’t have yet in Vancouver. Our situation isn’t the same. It would be prudent of all our municipalities to use their increasing tax revenues more wisely.
Joe Hussey, North Vancouver
Refugees need lots of support
June 20 is World Refugee Day. More than 21 million people around the globe are refugees because they left their country of origin fearing for their lives and safety.
The countries that take them in act out of compassion but have the challenge of caring for them until they can become re-established. In the past year, Canada received 40,000 refugees.
Since January 2016, the New Hope Community Services Society has been providing safe, affordable, clean housing for incoming refugees to Surrey, helping them for 12 to 24 months to get them on their feet. We help newcomers learn English, find jobs and schools for their children, and learn basic life skills to live in Canada. We couldn’t do it if we didn’t have a lot of help from our more than 200 volunteers who gave close to 6,000 hours of their time in 2016. Thank you, people of Surrey, for your help. Jamey McDonald, executive director, New Hope Community Services Society, Surrey
‘Show respect’ with signage
I have stopped going to Richmond as I can’t understand the signs on the stores. These store owners are living in Canada, a country they chose. They should show courtesy by using the language in their signs of the country they chose to move to. Show some respect.
Nicky Chester, Maple Ridge
Don’t turn Canada into China
In response to Lee Rankin’s letter to the editor regarding Chinese signs, I disagree.
No Chinese signs! As a proud Canadian of Chinese background who doesn’t speak Chinese, who hates eating in Chinese restaurants and gets really annoyed hearing people speak in Chinese, I understand completely why people don’t want Chinese signs up.
Do you know what it’s like to have a Chinese person assume I can speak their language and then give you the cold shoulder when you can’t understand them? I learned this frustration after moving to Richmond from Maple Ridge, where I had the luxury of not dealing with people who come here and try to turn Canada into China. Chris Yu, Richmond
MLAs should be on job again
Why aren’t the MLAs back in the B.C. legislature? After all, the provincial election was five weeks ago.
By comparison, Britain’s general election was June 8 and the MPs in their House of Commons are already back working.
The people of B.C. want action, not delays, and certainly not another election.
Alison Watt, North Vancouver
Could have been worse
Daniel Dahlberg, the young guy who was fined for riding his motorized longboard on a street, seems to be on a quest to find someone to blame for his $598 ticket.
Perhaps he should consider that had he hit someone, injured them or worse, he could easily be facing a future of destitution.
Gordon Swanson, Surrey