How can a tagger deface such a beautiful public mural?
Is there no honour among taggers? I don’t understand why someone decided it was a good idea to tag the beautiful hand-painted mural in the 2100-block of East Hastings. Sadly, this is the second mural defaced at this location.
The first mural was tagged so badly that the business owner had no choice but to paint over it. I was so pleased to see this new mural appear a number of months back in exactly the same location where the previous mural had been proudly displayed for many years.
To whomever needlessly and selfishly defaced this mural, grow up and keep your tagging off public art installations!
Edward Rogers, Vancouver
Incompetent management
Having had total control of our motor vehicle insurance for decades and admitting that they have failed miserably at their job, ICBC now wants to raise rates again. Seems that admission of failure stems primarily from overpaying management personnel who have not done their jobs effectively.
This senior can recall when the corporation issued cheques to British Columbians when they had a surplus as a result of competent management. Since then, no cheques, just rates hikes for lower-quality service.
Compare your motor vehicle/home insurance available here to other areas. In Arizona, for instance, home and vehicle insurance is bundled together. It’s a common practice where open competition is allowed and encouraged by government, resulting in lower rates to the consumer.
It’s not allowed in B.C. as the provincial powers found it convenient to “balance” the provincial budget with ICBC surpluses. If we had a competitive market, a lot of consumers would benefit from the competition and a lot of incompetents would be looking for work.
Allan Wrightson, Ladner
Liberals behind ICBC woes
ICBC’s financial woes stem from the siphoning off of the huge reserves it was forced to build up by the Liberals — at least $1.2 billion. The B.C. Liberal party should be held responsible and pay back the money.
The Liberals have a long history of using taxpayers’ money to pay for questionable ads that were more to puff the party than anything else. Greg Middleton, Victoria
Cheaper meds needed
Dr. Diane McIntosh rightly points out in her op-ed that lack of access to modern medications compromises the care of B.C. patients. We do not have access to the best medications, and often patients cannot afford them.
Rather than just paying for doctors and hospitals, we need to fund medications, psychologists and other health-care providers. Timely access to medications would improve the health of British Columbians. Let’s hope the new government addresses this issue in a timely fashion. Dr. Derryck Smith, clinical professor emeritus, University of B.C.
NDP wrong on pipelines
It is very upsetting that the new NDP government is trying to overturn the decision made by both the federal and previous provincial governments to twin the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Consulting with First Nations and safety requirements on both land and sea had already been met by the prime minister to arrive at his decision.
This is a federal issue that benefits the entire country and not a provincial decision. Also, it would create thousands of jobs.
How would the B.C. NDP feel if all softwood lumber had to travel through Alberta yet shipments were halted because of a new provincial party in Alberta?
Frank Townsley, Coquitlam