Firing school board unacceptable

Re: Province is already in control, so why bother with elected boards?, Column, Oct. 19

Pete McMartin cites New York and Chicago as examples of jurisdictions without school boards; however, under the American system of government, control of the education system is still local. Unless the Vancouver government has the right to make taxing and spending decisions, as cities do in the U.S., then the resulting system is undemocratic.

In Vancouver, we have no ability to hold the province accountable as only four of 11 Vancouver MLAs are B.C. Liberals. The province doesn’t care whether Vancouver parents agree or not with their decisions, because they don’t need their support to win elections.

Decentralization of tax authority and decision-making power to local cities would be a much more democratic system, but we’re unlikely to see that sort of political change. Leslie Wilkes, Vancouver