Shaming a false prince

To the man, I use the term loosely, who got caught stealing hydrangeas from my garden late Saturday night, July 11, you were not riding a sleek black stallion (like a knight of old). You were driving a shiny new black Ram pickup.

Were you picking a giant posey for your damsel fair? Lucky lady to have a prince like you.

You can pay big bucks for that sleek black Ram stallion but you can’t buy a bouquet of flowers. You need to steal them, instead.

Noble knight. Gallant Casanova. A true prince, indeed.

VALERIE SBROCCA, Windsor

Clean energy’s upside

Re: The little guys get say about gigantic wind farms, by John Miner, London Free Press, July 11.

John Miner’s article on clean energy in Ontario got some facts right but also some facts wrong.

The author rightly points out that Ontario has changed the rules for how wind and solar installations are sited to include the view of municipalities. He is also correct that the price being paid per kilowatt hour for both is dropping rapidly.

This is expected as manufacturers scale up production and therefore costs drop. In many areas, solar energy in particular is becoming competitive with many conventional sources of electricity.

However, electricity prices have not been driven drastically upward by renewable energy installations. This is not possible given the small amount of clean energy currently on the grid, and this has been verified by independent studies.

Rather, rising electricity prices also include the costs of needed investments in new transmission lines, upgrades to hydro power stations and new gas plants.

The upside, of course, is that Ontario has thousands of new manufacturing and installation jobs in renewable energy and was able to close its coal-fired electricity plants. Ontario now has clean, healthier, smog-free air, lower carbon pollution and a new industrial sector.

All in all, a pretty good investment. TIM GRAY, Executive Director, Environmental Defence, Toronto

Will to end violence

Every right-thinking and right-feeling person is disturbed by what seems like an ever-increasing amount of violence all around us. It seems to have escalated in the past year. We wonder what we can do about it.

What we should not do is look for scapegoats to blame and look for quick fixes like increased punishment. No one group is to blame, and quick fixes have never worked.

To reverse this trend will take a long-term change of thought and action on the part of all of us.

If we want to end cruel, needless violence, we need to stop using simulated violence as a form of entertainment.

We need to have zero tolerance for bullying everywhere in all age groups. We need to put education, in the fullest sense, first, sparing no expense and making each child our top priority from Day 1.

We need to stress mutual respect, co-operation and assistance rather than competition in our educational programs.

Competition comes naturally. Co-operation has to be learned.

We need to make adult education available and affordable to everyone. We need to make meaningful paid work a human right, not a privilege.

During the Second World War, we didn’t ask if we could do what had to be done, we just went ahead and did it.

We can still do what has to be done, if we have the will.

SYLVIA BERK, Windsor

Kudos to Hurst

It is a miracle. Just months after a new administration was elected in Amher- stburg, the much discussed dismal finances are showing surpluses and reserves are mounting.

Government audits indicate the town’s finances are, in fact, stable.

So what was all the criticism constantly in the daily media regarding finances under the former mayor that prompted former councillors to lose their positions and accusations of inappropriate spending practices?

Now, as it is revealed, Amherstburg simply spent revenue on amenities and infrastructure which will serve the town at bargain prices for years to come.

The former administration simply took on debt to upgrade the town at a time when financing and construction costs were low. Smart move, really, by the former mayor.

We have a beautiful sports complex, new water plant and new, fabulously decorated roads which have attracted development and new residents.

Now it seems we have a new council which thrives on pinching nickels and hoarding taxes. This practice is poor business and in the long run will backfire.

Windsor boasted for years of their low tax increases. Now, you can’t drive down a Windsor main street without dodging potholes.

Every successful business carries debt. Without debt, a municipality will stagnate.

I congratulate former mayor Wayne Hurst of Amherstburg. He was not the best communicator but his aggressive spending will suit Amherstburg well.

Wish he was still there to have completed the picture by upgrading Texas Road with full amenities of storm sewers, curbs, sidewalks and bike paths.

Amherstburg would then truly resemble a well-cut diamond.

VIC DiNARDO, Amherstburg