Graffiti editorial all wrong
Re: Graffiti mess your problem, Editorial (Oct. 17)
Contrary to your editorial, the responsibility for cleaning graffiti it is not equally shared.
A private citizen should look after its own property as a matter of respect for its neighbours.
Public municipal spaces, as a matter of respect for the citizens and taxpayers, should be looked after by municipalities using our taxes to pay for the service.
The City of Victoria does a good job in maintaining its installations graffiti-free, but the same cannot be said for others.
BC Hydro, Telus and the cable companies have abdicated their responsibilities and decided that the public and the tax payers must clean up their mess and their equipment, for free.
They believe that supplying a few cans of paint and the odd brush absolve them of their social responsibilities and entitles them to obtain free labour under the subterfuge of “community pride,” whatever that means.
These are the same private-for-profit entities that impose usurious charges on the public, yet they expect the same suffering public to look after their lamp posts and distribution utility metal kiosks abusing the good will of well-intentioned individuals.
I volunteer a lot in the community, but not at the cost of depriving someone of gainful and productive employment.
Large utilities companies must be forced to clean up their own installations at their own costs instead of extracting free labour from a well-intentioned public, or in some cases, from taxpayers.
Those utilities that refuse to take responsibility for cleaning up their mess should not have their business licenses renewed to operate within the municipal boundaries.
Carlos FloresSaanich
