Politicians should be serving for good of community
I object strongly to Metro Vancouver directors voting themselves a pay hike and retirement allowance. One should become a municipal politician because of a passion and commitment to see the best and right things done for residents — not to supplement your pay.
To put it bluntly, taking the extra money makes them all look entitled. It’s a crying shame that our leadership doesn’t lead.
Brian Wormald, Port Coquitlam
Why not overturn pay hike?
All I have been hearing for the past two weeks is anger about the pay hike and retirement allowance for Metro Vancouver directors. If a significant majority of taxpayers disagree with the decision, why can’t it be reversed?
We are the people! Nothing they have done is etched in stone.
David Sheehan, Coquitlam
More drugs, more tragedies
So the wrong-way driver who had a fatal crash near the George Massey Tunnel was
impaired — but not by alcohol.
Great! We are about to legalize marijuana in B.C. and — if we ever vote for an NDP federal government — legalize all drugs. Can you imagine how many times this terrible scene is going to happen after that, maybe to you or your family?
Come on people, stop supporting our maniac Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who will cause so much family grief to Canadians so he can have his lifestyle?
Police will have to attend these crashes and bring awful news to families. Canadians need to speak up and stop this. Bill Davis, New Westminster
16 and treated like an adult
If the voting age is lowered to 16, will the Youth Criminal Justice Act be amended so that those 16 and older are treated as adults if they commit crimes?
If they’re responsible enough to vote, they also should be eligible to be charged as an adult.
If you want to be treated like an adult, then be prepared to deal with what comes with it. Jim Kerr, Surrey
Compulsory voting needed
Never mind about getting 16-year-olds to vote, as the B.C. Green party is advocating, we need to get adults to vote.
Typical turnout for most elections is around 50 per cent, which means that half the population doesn’t understand that it takes active participation of citizens for a democracy to work effectively.
Just ask anyone who has immigrated to Canada from an oppressive foreign regime how lucky and privileged we are to live in a country where democratic principles are upheld.
Perhaps the only way to get some people to the polling booths every few years is to bring in mandatory voting, as some countries have instituted. Forcing people to vote is actually the best way to strengthen a democracy. Charles Leduc, Vancouver
A gold mine for taxes
Neither the NDP nor the Liberals before them have any desire to cool the overheated real-estate market. It’s not in their best interests.
The property transfer tax is a huge source of revenue.
Now that they have eliminated the revenue generated by the bridge tolls and MSP payments, and still want to provide housing for the homeless, subsidized rental homes and subsidized daycare, how else are they going to pay for it all?
Greg Thornton, Port Coquitlam