Re: Adding 30 costly MPs inefficient, excessive (Letters, July 13)
Of course Harry Atkinson is right: We are over-governed. If we’re to affect a change, it has to start at the local level, where – surprise – we’re also burdened with too many politicians and too many bureaucrats. This means getting together and amalgamating at least some of the many Greater Victoria municipalities and then setting our sights on bringing about efficiencies at the provincial and federal levels.
I am completely confident in forecasting that this won’t happen. We’re too fragmented as a population to recognize our overall best interests and to act on them. And our richly paid politicians and bureaucrats (who aren’t similarly handicapped) know this. Regardless of the party they supposedly represent, politicians primarily stand for their own welfare. Not being stupid, politicians and bureaucrats know that if they just weather the occasional storm in public opinion, the populace will soon move on to other things and the governing classes can, with impunity, keep profiting in ever bigger and better ways to the detriment of the taxpayer.
Anyone care to wager that I’m wrong?
Dolores Bell
Central Saanich
