I don’t know where to start this letter. The B.C. Liberals are no different than the B.C. NDP. I have waited for far too long for surgery. Dr. Taylor is my Penticton orthopedic surgeon. He told me the other day that he and his three colleagues could perform four to eight surgeries per day.
The minister of health allows Dr. Taylor just two vacancies per week: 2×4=8 operations per week. This is a far less number than the 32 operations that could be done in one week; the public should not be surprised to see such long waiting lists.
My ophthalmologist mentioned the other day that the B.C. government is putting him out of business. His operation times are being reduced. This evening’s CHBC news mentioned that a pain specialist doctor is leaving Kelowna for greener pastures.
I have a solution: The CEO of ICBC Jon Schubert receives $449,201. The 50th person on the ICBC payroll is M. Hancock, who receives $207,277, plus expenses and benefits.
Not one of these employees are as highly skilled as are the medical doctors and health care specialists (nurses, etc.) the public relies on for surgeries and hospital care. These ICBC highly overpaid paper shufflers should have their salaries reduced by two-thirds. The same treatment should apply to every government department. B.C. is $60 billion in debt. A billion is 1,000 million.
When premier W.A.C. Bennett was voted out of office in 1972, B.C.’s accumulated debt since joining confederation had risen to $12 billion. B.C.’s only three premiers that understood debt management were W.A.C., his son Bill and Bill Vander Zalm.
The crisis the province is facing will not be fixed by either Shifty Christie or the Dix Mix. The Lt. Gov. should call an emergency meeting with the caucuses of the three political parties, then make the serious decisions to properly manage the economy. The Conservative leader was a Reform MP from 1993 to the end of the last parliament; he understands debt management. Reform really put the pressure on Chretien and Martin to lower the federal debt in 1995.
If the lieutenant-governor fails to recognize the seriousness of the situation, he should be reminded that his presence means more than to warm an extra seat in the legislature. In other words, there is no “free lunch”;, even for the lieutenant-governor.
Every government employee should expect to have their salaries reduced. Without those cuts, B.C., similar to Ontario, is facing bankruptcy. Ontario’s debt is $249 billion. Ontario is facing a credit reduction rating. Being a have-not province, Ontario is really finished, especially if Alberta and Saskatchewan cut off transfer payments.
Ernie Slump
Penticton
