Letters to the editor

A4

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I was taken aback to read Health Minister Mike Murphy's comment that, "Methadone... can be a bottomless pit - people get on it and they don't get off."

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The whole point of methadone maintenance treatment is that it's possible to be on methadone and hold down a job, raise a family - in general, have a life. If someone eventually weans off methadone entirely, that's fine, but just being on methadone is a huge step forward both for that individual and for the community as a whole. A person who can obtain methadone cheaply and legally does not have to shoplift or engage in other criminal activities in order to support their habit. Their methadone habit is not creating a profit for illegal dealers.

A person on methadone is a person who has crawled out of the "bottomless pit" of addiction to other opiates and has a chance at building a life for themselves.

Too bad New Brunswick has a Health Minister who's so poorly informed on this issue.

SARAHROSE WERNER

Saint John

Let business fend for itself

What is the purpose of government in a democracy? The idealistic and naive amongst us thought it was to look after the public interest. I am sure many politicians started out with this ideal as well. The provincial and federal budgets make it clear that the business of government is the promotion and protection of business.

The vain hope is that trickle-down "Reaganomics" will do for the public what government should be doing. This ideology has failed repeatedly, yet successive federal and provincial governments repeat the mantra of lower taxes and reduction of social spending as the solution to all economic woes.

Implementation of these policies has resulted in a marked increase in income disparity with tax relief benefitting the wealthy, reducing the real income of our poorest citizens and requiring two incomes for middle class families to simply maintain their economic status. Some 3.3 million Canadians live in poverty, 2.7 million depend on food banks and 300,000 are homeless.

Entrenched poverty has both an immediate and a long-term cost. Learning is impaired, lack of adequate shelter and food promote disease which not only increases health care costs but decreases productivity and shortens life expectancy.

Governments cannot depend entirely on charitable organizations to deal with the social and economic problems created by flawed policy. The example of the Scandinavian countries shows that high-quality social and educational programs are fully compatible with a globally competitive economy. It's time our governments started re-investing in people and let business fend for itself.

DAVID BEAUDIN

Rothesay

Higher nursing home rates unacceptable

For the past year, seniors in New Brunswick have watched with alarm as their investments have decreased in value. The downturn in the economy has affected everyone, but especially those on fixed incomes who depend on their investments to live.

How arrogant to have the government of our province state that they will have residents of nursing homes "who have the means" pay a daily rate of $83 compared to $70. When the current government made changes to fix the rate at $70, they were not favouring our most vulnerable citizens. They were correcting an injustice which had been allowed to exist in New Brunswick for far too long.

Seniors are very careful with their money. They understand that these are difficult times. However, the new rate of $83 is an increase of almost 20 per cent. This is unacceptable.

We encourage all seniors to contact their MLAs to express their outrage at this policy. Don't stand by and let this happen!

WAYNE HARRIGAN

Riverview

Regulate personal support workers

It is sad that the issues surrounding our seniors, health care aides and personal support workers, have fallen by the wayside.

All the concern voiced by politicians regarding issues of senior care, including lack of personal care time, limitations and rationing of incontinence products and unbalanced patient-to-staff ratio, seem to be all but forgotten.

These issues and more are resulting in substandard living conditions for patients and substandard working conditions for those who care for them.

Well-meaning health professionals and government officials have no idea the battle that is fought by those suffering with dementia, Alzheimer's, physical and mental limitations, or receiving palliative care. Do they not deserve the same rights and dignities that the rest of us do?

We say the time has come.

We recommend that government start gathering our most dedicated front-line workers and start showing them the value, dignity and respect they deserve.

If the government chooses to keep us, the invisible workforce, out of the loop, our society will be left with poorly trained caregivers to care for your loved ones. The government must start providing health care aides and personal support workers with a safe, accountable, outspoken workplace, where our concerns are not met with reprisals.

Regulate health care aides and personal support workers. With regulation we can prevent diplomas from being handed out without proper training. Regulation will ensure proper training, recognition and work practices, which will result in proper care for all.

We want action, not election promises.

LORI DONOVAN

PSW Canada

Belleisle ferry is essential

The announcement that government will eliminate three ferries reveals how little thought went into this decision. It is a given that the Hampstead ferry is a waste of taxpayer's money as the Evandale is so close and is an unnecessary duplication of services. Gagetown is questionable, and I would suggest a reduced service offering only a summer schedule to accommodate the many travelling tourists. Do we need to reduce our appeal as a tourist destination any further? Whatever happened to the concept of making the St. John River system more appealing to tourist and resident alike?

As for the Belleisle ferry, this has become an essential part of the road system for all living in Kars, Hatfield Point and Wickham as the shortest route to Hampton for supplies and an essential route to the regional hospital. Ambulance rides will be much longer and lives will be lost. There will be a significant extra expenditure for gasoline.

Why was the Millidgeville ferry not mentioned, since it services such a small population?

We are not all farmers and those who are have come to rely on this essential service on the Belleisle as part of the highway system so unique to this southern region. Some downsizing and cost-cutting is reasonable and to be expected, but let's be wise enough to leave essential services in place. Based on this decision, we will be even more isolated than some of us chose to be and we strongly encourage the decision makers to reconsider the elimination of the year-round Belleisle ferry service.

DAVID NICKERSON

and NANCIE FOX

Kars

Quispamsis hailed for equity stand

Hats off to the town of Quispamsis for being the first English-speaking municipality in the province to pay men and women the same wages for jobs of comparable value.

Mayor Driscoll and his team are demonstrating the leadership which should be adopted by all the municipalities in New Brunswick. Being in business management all my career, I agree without reservation that equal work deserves equal pay.

A day's work is a day's work so remuneration should be rated by job performance, experience and years of service. A paycheque is a measurement used to reward a person for their accomplishments regardless of gender.

RICK DEMONE

Quispamsis

A quick look at a nurse's life

I have been punched, slapped, kicked, and spit on. I have been sprayed with stool, urine, phlegm, and blood. I have been yelled at, sworn at, cursed and praised. I've been threatened with fists, words, and dirty needles.

I have held my hand to bleeding arteries; held wounds closed and jumped on a bed to save a life. I use complicated technology and write down my entire days work. I have cried, and laughed until I cried. I have held a dying hand and bathed a dead body.

I educate myself and attend mandatory training. I pay union dues and registration dues. Every few years I argue, negotiate and justify every penny I get.

I am a nurse.

JO-ELLEN BURKE, RN, BN

Quispamsis