Hospital tower decision not clear
(re: District approves $5 hike in hospital fund contributions,Western News, Feb. 12)
Regarding your news item about Janice Perrino and the new Penticton hospital tower contributions, who is it exactly that decides homeowners will pay an extra $5 to the project over the next five years?
Which level of governments have the authority to assign this and other additional tax expenses to many already beleaguered South Okanagan home owners?
Janice seems to be throwing around $25 million dollar figures as if they were jellybeans. As mayor of Summerland and a member of several related committees, chairwoman of the board of the local hospital district, executive director of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation, wife, mother and grandmother, she certainly appears to be a woman on the move.
Impressive credentials.
While her level of civic involvement is impressive, one might hope she is not being stretched too thinly.
If she burns out, which of her jobs will be the first to go I wonder. The two Dans already got in ahead of her for MLA and MP jobs.
Summerlanders are presently wallowing in tax increases and parcel taxes to pay for monuments they really have not actually needed, let alone been able to afford.
Analysis of any number of recent projects must certainly be considered to figure out why.
Gordon Boothe
Summerland
*****
Fair Elections Act not so fair
What a contradiction of terms when it comes from Stephen Harper’s Canada.
I know my democratic Canada would not try and lay this on its citizens.
Stephen Harper’s Canada would stop Elections Canada from placing ads in the media encouraging Canadians to vote. In our society where voting turnout is sometimes very low I would think this encouragement would help get more people out to vote, especially the younger voter.
Stephen Harper’s Canada would stop Elections Canada from issuing Voter Registration cards used for identification at the polls and do away with vouching for someone you know personally for identification.
This will prevent thousands of legitimate citizens from voting. In my Democratic Canada voting is a right of every Canadian.
The only group these changes to the Elections Act will benefit is Harper’s Conservatives.
George Venables
Cawston
*****
Green Mountain Road needs care
I have been concerned about the lack of care given Green Mountain road and the lack of adequate snow removal.
On the morning of Feb. 23, only the middle of the road was sanded and it made my trip down the hill towards Penticton scary and treacherous.
Even at a less than 30 km/h I lost control of my car and ended up hitting a telephone pole which could have been avoided if the road had been properly cared for.
Other family members, friends and neighbours have experienced similar problems as the road gets progressively worse every year.
It seems to me that ever since the federal government privatized road maintenance things have deteriorated.
Why should I end up having to pay for the damage to my vehicle and miss a day of work when lack of adequate road maintenance is at fault?
Gordan Hall
Penticton
*****
Premier needs new LNG strategy
Premier Clark has put herself between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
The biggest problem facing Clark and her LNG strategy is obviously how to structure the tax, and while insisting on her colonial powers as dictator, she has procrastinated herself into the corner-of-no-return.
In the meantime the provincial debt is spiraling out of control.
And four million British Columbians are about to learn the hard way that you cannot borrow your way out of debt.
Andy Thomsen
Summerland
*****
Thank you for caring
On behalf of my family and I, we would like to extend a humble thank-you to all in our community who reached out to us in so many ways. From family and friends, to neighbours and to the faith community and the Penticton Vees hockey club we are overwhelmed with love and support. We are grateful to be part of such a compassionate community. At times such as these it is encouraging to see how everyone has pulled together to make this long tough journey we are on a little easier. From the bottom of our hearts thanks again for blessing us as you have done so graciously. May God bless you for your generosity and thoughtfulness.
Jamie Weberg and family
Penticton
