To the Editor,
Re: Core review a good call, Letters, Dec. 25.
May I put in a plea for a new year’s resolution to ban from the letters page ideological rhetoric, exaggeration and just plain falsehood as exhibited by Randy O’Donnell?
To back up his biases, maybe he could give an example of anyone whose retirement plans have been “crippled” by increasing property taxes which at most amount to $20 or $30 per year – about the cost of four or five large coffees.
Rising costs for food, gas, dental care, drugs, entertainment, auto repairs, veterinary care etc., all attributable to private sector profits/costs and are much more likely to “cripple” individual retirement savings.
Perhaps O’Donnell could also give an example of any city employee earning a 40 per cent premium over private sector employees with the same qualifications, performing equivalent work?
He forgets that the so-called “generous retirement plans” of public servants are co-operatively paid for.
It is well documented that a majority of workers are unable to save adequately for retirement. Unless we become willing to tolerate seniors living under bridges and eating out of garbage pails, who is most likely to have to help them survive economically when they are too old to work if not future governments?
Eradicating adequate pension plans merely shifts the burden generally to future generations of taxpayers from current employers and actual beneficiaries.
Regardless of whether city council should or should not have voted for a core review, thoughtless, knee-jerk anti-tax, anti-government ranting solves nothing and is becoming a real bore.
Liz Fox
Lantzville
