Voice of the People

SALARIES TOO HIGH

I would like to know why our mayor and councillors believe they deserve salaries that either compare closely or are above that of the largest cities in Canada. For example, wouldn't you think Toronto or Vancouver could more easily pay their mayor the $200,000 that HRM's mayor, Michael Savage, is expected to make? The tax base of Toronto, I'd think, would be much larger than our city's and, therefore, substantially larger. Is it possible that we need to pay more taxes than we ought to have to pay because of this particular factor alone?

If the salaries of our politicians were lower, is it plausible that issues relating to improving our infrastructure could be more quickly dealt with? Then more funding could be allocated to infrastructure projects without having to run to the feds for assistance. Could we provide better and more adaptable transit options to those who depend upon these services just to get to workplaces that provide lowpaying jobs, if more city funding for such services was available?

I find it difficult to believe that the mayor and councillors of Halifax face the magnitude and complexity of issues facing cities which are so much larger than HRM in population. To get our elected civic leaders back to thinking with more fiscal responsibility, I'd suggest that they all seriously consider taking at least a 15 per cent decrease in salary, not a wage increase. If such a move took place, maybe these people would be in a better position to negotiate with other city employees when contract time comes for them, on behalf of taxpayers. After all, would it not be hypocritical to ask an employee who now makes a salary of $40,000 per year to be pleased with an offer of a two-per-cent raise per year, when city taxes and every other city bill is equal to or above what is being offered?

John Savage seemed way more fiscally balanced than Mike Savage. But that's just the opinion of a resident of HRM. Hopefully, I am not the only person who was more than a bit angry, emotionally and morally, when I saw the recent news relating to staff salaries of our trusted city servants. They seem more likely to be seen as our Royal civil servants.

Clarke McKenzie, Dartmouth

ACCEPTING BLAME

Men always get a pass, even when they hunt down and kill 14 women, as Marc Lépine did in 1989 at the École Polytechnique de Montréal. The fact that it was a man hunting women was given little importance.

The media — taking its cue from the police — ignored the explicit message in Lépine's suicide letter. The media in English and French Canada insisted Lépine could be dismissed as “a crazy man” with no specific agenda. The fact that he, himself, said otherwise, and that the 14 murder victims were women, did not disrupt the accepted narrative.

Francine Pelletier, for one, took a different view. Pelletier was then, and is now, a prominent Quebec journalist. Her name was on Lépine's “hit list.”

Pelletier wrote at the time that Lépine's act was highly political and that he knew exactly what he was doing that day. “I always felt those women died in my name.

Some of them probably weren't even feminist,” Pelletier said, “they just had the nerve to believe they were peers, not subordinates of their male classmates.”

If we want to actually reduce, never mind eliminate, violence against women, it is long past time for men to own up to the in-your-face reality that it is men who bring that violence. It does not fall from some unknowable source in the sky. It is men who do it to women.

Enough men already get a pass when accused of such violence. We owe it to women, and ourselves as human beings, to at least admit it is men doing it.

Skip Hambling, Delhaven

HEFTY OVERHEAD

If an envelope containing an important document takes three weeks to travel from Mumford Road to Farnham Gate (both in Halifax) by Canada Post, and a money order takes three months to travel from Halifax to England by Canada Post air mail, how long should it take a very large and heavy parcel to travel from Nevada to Nova Scotia? Answer: Five days by FedEx.

The cost of stamps is to rise again next month. Must be storage charges.

Jean Cameron, Halifax

OUR OWN BACKYARD

I was pleasantly surprised to read Peter Moreira's Entrevestor piece “Focus on entrepreneurs, not just innovators,” Dec. 6.

Peter seems to recognize that, while important, the high tech, distributive and IPO-focused economic development policies of government and its support agencies are not the only game in town.

The ecosystem that he refers to includes several interdependent elements. Commercialization is at one end of the spectrum and we rightly celebrate it at every opportunity. However, it doesn't happen in isolation. At the foundation is a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation that is manifest in education, strong communities and strong volunteer organizations dedicated to creating and enhancing an enterprising environment that's focused on growing the quality of life of this province and region.

I was glad to see Peter recognize those organizations dedicated to this cause, but somewhat disappointed that he did not recognize the one that exists in his own community.

Chris Pelham, president,

St. Margarets Bay Community Enterprise Centre

IN SUPPORT OF EPAS

Re: Penny Doherty's letter (“Scaled-down services,” Dec. 9).

First, I recently saw a nurse practitioner at my family doctor's office. I had great service from this individual and have no issue with seeing him in the future.

Second, I was an EPA (educational program assistant) for 12 years with the Halifax Regional School Board. I disagree with the idea that special needs students get scaled-down services.

If it wasn't for classroom support from EPAs, these students would be learning very little, if at all.

Many teachers I worked with were lovely, caring individuals who had no time to help special needs child individually according to their IPP (individual program plans). EPAs are caring people who go beyond to learn how to help meet the needs of children under their care.

Bring on more nurse practitioners and EPAs.

Linda Lockyear, Dartmouth