A6

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

3 Comment(s)

John Chilibeck's recent article concerning the city hall workers' contract and its affect on taxpayers is a prime example of fine reporting.

Enlarge Photo

When generous increments are granted the domino effect comes into play. A new benchmark is acknowledged and this sets the stage when new negotiations commence for other employee groups (or individuals) as well as those at the management level. Once agreements are met, and signed, such additional costs are further reflected in health and pension benefit plans and on and on it goes.

It is necessary great prudence be shown when dealing with contracts and particularly important council members are not (consciously or not) bound to union positions as a result of support offered a candidate during an election.

It is most unfortunate when unions employed by any level of government publicly endorse and actively campaign for elected members. The elected member is adversely affected when it comes to such matters as workers' contracts, in my opinion, and they should abstain or withdraw when such matters are placed on the table and a vote is to be taken.

Secondly, "hats off" to Tristan Stewart-Robertson on the excellent article on local poet, and now deceased, Kay Smith's journey to Yugoslavia.

Kay Smith was a brilliant individual in many ways and an outstanding English teacher for many decades at Saint John Vocational School.

She was dearly loved by students, fellow teachers and all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Thank you for this wonderful read.

MILDRED GREGORY

Rothesay

Mayor's a leader, not a cheerleader

I found your editorial response to Mayor Ivan Court's recent letter unwarranted and unreasonable.

It seems that just because Mayor Court does not see his role as mayor to be a cheerleader of the ideas your editorial board deem as the 'right way to go' on the three matters in question, you have indicted him for lack of leadership.

In your view, if he does not respond with immediate, uncritical zeal and commitment to your own position on these issues then he has demonstrated a lack of leadership. This is an unjustifiable assumption and you have used his defense to your criticism as another chance to repeat your standard line on the issues of pension, water and the proposed Irving Oil building on Long Wharf.

You seem determined to read beneath his text and between his lines and, on that basis, accuse Mayor Court of abandoning his responsibility to the citizens of Saint John when all he had said was that where large issues are concerned, his responsibility is to ensure that time, care and open consultation with all stakeholders occur. This to me is leadership, which I differentiate from cheerleading for vested private interests.

I agree with Mayor Court when he says that the only thing we can do in a hurry is to make a mistake.

Why the rush?

These issues are ones that will have a long-term effect on Saint John citizens.

Let us take the time to get them right.

CHARLES MURPHY

Saint John

Attack on deputy mayor unwarranted

I would like to respond to Pat Riley's public attack on Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase. Mr. Riley has been trying to imply that the deputy mayor's meeting with port management was "improper."

I strongly disagree with that statement.

What people need to understand is that Mr. Riley has been meeting with the mayor and several other councillors himself, which is why I find his comments so hypocritical.

There are no reasons for his arguments except for politics.

What he needs to realize is that there will be consultation, the councillors will listen to the community, and they will make a decision.

Meeting with port officials to fully understand the issue is common sense, and it's the right thing for the councillors to do.

SHAWN PETERSON

Saint John

No need for free power, rebates

I was born in Plaster Rock and am a proud Tobiquer, now living in Rothesay. As a youth I spent plenty of time on the reserve and did not observe any shortage of salmon due to the Tobique Narrows dam. As far as the wild rice, mentioned on CBC news, it was purchased at the Save Easy in Perth-Andover along with everything else their vouchers would cover.

So I believe that if they receive free power and rebates so should each and every New Brunswicker.

PAUL GALLANT

Rothesay

Time to stop using toxic chemicals

There are those who would argue that using pesticides of uncertain composition is a sign of advancement for our species, as if we're climbing a ladder to some greater chemical good. But the man lying broken under the rotten rung on his ladder doesn't philosophize about this; he curses himself for not having checked the soundness of his tools.

You can try to kill a rat colony two ways. One, the unsuccessful way, is to use an instantly deadly poison. Rats see their mates die, associate, and avoid this bait. You might get a few, but they learn mighty fast.

The other way is to use a slow poison. Eight or nine trips to the bait are necessary for death to occur.

These methods will annihilate a whole colony.

Right now we humans haven't checked first and we're administering slow poisons everywhere. Pesticides are in the water we drink, the food we eat and in the air we breathe. We want to make beautiful music with our environment, but our instruments are not in tune.

It's time to change the program. Stop using toxic chemicals. There are safe alternatives.

KELLY PORTER FRANKLIN

Nanaimo, B.C.

NB Power bonuses a ludicrous idea

Since when should it become public policy to pay bonuses for public servants? The very people Energy Minister Jack Keir is talking about are just that, public servants, because they work for a publicly owned Crown corporation.

They agreed to work for a certain salary and benefits package that is more generous than most employees are entitled to, even in the private sector.

I find it ludicrous for the energy minister to defend paying the top executives of this publicly owned utility one cent more than their agreed upon salary package.

I could also care less how competitive the market is for these executives, because I'm sure that there are people just as academically qualified who would work for much less.

The reality is that when bonuses and incentives are in the offing, the way executives often achieve that is to save costs by eliminating the people at the bottom of the pay scale to achieve the amount of savings they need to qualify for those bonuses, while leaving the executive team intact.

Why are bonuses even an option?

I'm sure these people aren't going to bed at night hungry as are many families in this province, only to awake worrying about whether to make a payment on that hydro bill, or buying that loaf of bread or to fill that prescription for medication.

The Liberal Party seems to have developed agendas that have more to do with maintaining big government, which requires an ever-increasing amount of taxes.

J. WAYNE McQUEEN

Grand Bay-Westfield

Let's just have one, fair tax

I have a solution to the current taxation policy. Our government wants to change out tax system to a flat tax, which I think is a great idea.

However, it is still being met with a lot of opposition due to the proposed increase in HST.

I have the solution. Eliminate progressive tax, eliminate flat tax and call it fair tax. What will this be, you ask?

How about a simple 25-per-cent consumer tax on everything except food. This is the only true flat tax.

It is fair because those who consume more will pay more, but here is the one advantage. We can drastically cut the cost of running Revenue Canada because we could downsize their work force. Eliminate every other tax and have a 25-per-cent GST. That way, even those who earn their money "under the table" or by tips will still have to pay their fair share.

I have to pay tax on every dollar I earn. It is only fair that everyone else pay taxes on every dollar they earn too. And a "fair" consumer tax is the only way to do this effectively.

JOE DOUCETTE

Hampton