All of us share cost of poverty reduction
Published Thursday November 26th, 2009
Letters to the editor
Hats off to our provincial government for formulating a plan to reduce poverty in New Brunswick.
The work-in-progress plan to increase the provincial minimum wage is without question an essential factor. The question is how high the minimum wage must be increased to make life more comfortable for many New Brunswickers.
It must be remembered that the well-deserved wage increase carries a cost to all New Brunswickers. Business owners are being asked to get involved in this process and this is necessary to make it happen.
Many small business owners can't afford and will not be agreeable to absorb the total cost resulting from wage increases. The cost will then be passed on to the consumer of whatever product or service is offered by the business.
So I guess the question is, are all New Brunswickers, not just business owners, willing and agreeable to help with poverty reduction?
RICK DEMONE
Quispamsis
Parking ban bylaw wasn't thought out
After attending last week's Ward 4 meeting for the snow parking ban I came away with no sense of actually having any of my questions and concerns answered and explained.
We did learn however that there was a lack of communication between council, the municipal office and citizens of the east side. Kevin Rice did say that the enforcement of this ban would not take place for two weeks. So in effect, two weeks notice was given to all citizens of Ward 4.
People who have no place to park were told that was not the city's problem. But the uptown area as well as Douglas Avenue and some areas on the west side are exempted from the parking ban.
In effect, the citizens of Ward 4 are being dictated to - if you don't have enough room in your driveway you can't have company over later than 11 p.m. and if you have health care workers that haven't a place to park and they stay overnight they therefore will either wake up to a ticket or a towed vehicle.
As far as I can see this whole parking ban was not thought out. No homework was done for each subdivision. This was a hurried, quiet bylaw that was implemented for the city's benefit, not the citizens.
The city appears to be lacking in communication and understanding. They refuse to listen. The citizens of Ward 4 won't forget this come election time.
DEBORAH KNEELAND
Saint John
Falls plan seems to be inconsistent
Dan Glenn's comments in the story "$35M Reversing Falls plan will take time" (Nov. 24) reveal what I believe is a lack of inconsistency in his plan.
Glenn says since tourists often do not understand the significance of the Reversing Falls Rapids, we need to explain the history and wonder of the geological phenomenon and the area. Yet when it comes to the Loyalist Man, he says retirement is in order as the icon "doesn't really register with people outside Saint John."
The obvious solution would be to explain the social history of the area as well. Icons to represent the aboriginal and French influences are needed, rather than the removal of the reminder of our historical connection to Americans who moved here after the American Revolution.
LARRY FYFFE
Saint John
We need a fighter like Williams
Love him or hate him, Danny Williams is a passionate fighter for his people. The other premiers around Atlantic Canada should take notice and appreciate that Newfoundland has come along way from being the butt of the nation's jokes to being one of the real leaders of this country.
I predict soon New Brunswick will soon replace Newfoundland as the butt of those jokes if we, the people, allow this government to continue on its arrogant path. Love him or hate him, he is a fighter for his people.
That is what we need - a fighter. Put the people first; they are speaking loud and clear. Our current leaders seem to have given up on New Brunswick's goal of self-sufficiency too easily.
Let all New Brunswickers stand up and stand shoulder to shoulder and defeat this attack on our democracy by Shawn Graham and the Liberal Party.
Once this deal is done, it will be too late to complain. Let your local MLA know what is on your mind.
Now is the time to fight for our children and grandchildren.
JOHN CAMPBELL
Saint John
Will outright sale be right choice?
After years of poor management decisions, cost overruns, faulty or no contracts and political interference by successive governments, the chickens have come home to roost at NB Power. Bloated management salaries and bonuses with little or no accountability or consequence have added to the problem.
It is hard to conceive that NB Power by itself has 40 per cent of the provincial debt when one considers all the roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other government assets we have in this province.
It is unfortunate that the many good people who work at NB Power have been impacted. This would include the linemen, engineers, technicians and others who maintain power to households and industry in an exemplary manner.
The immediate benefits of sale are clear but the long-term consequences are not so clear. This would include long-term power rates after five years, taxing and regulatory powers of the province, decommissioning costs of abandoned assets and an independent value assessment of assets to be sold.
At the very least, the province has to tie longer-term power rates to those enjoyed in Quebec.
Newfoundland's experience with Churchill Falls bears testimony to proceed with caution. They received short-term benefits and have been paying the price ever since.
As cost overruns and miscalculations continue in the many hundreds of millions of dollars, it is clear something had to be done. Whether outright sale is the right choice remains to be seen.
DON McCREA
Fredericton
Special payments won't be required
I believe it is important to correct some of the inaccuracies contained in recent letters to your newspaper submitted by Opposition Finance critic Bruce Fitch in relation to the NB Power file, the latest one being Tuesday.
Mr. Fitch should know that there is no longer capital tax in New Brunswick - we phased it out.
Secondly - the special payments in lieu of income tax are currently made by NB Power to the New Brunswick Electric Finance Corporation.
It is with these special payments that NB Electric Finance Corporation makes interest payments on the debt it assumed from NB Power at the time of restructuring in October 2004 - when Mr. Fitch was energy minister and vice-chair of the NB Electric Finance Corporation. When the $4.75 billion debt is eliminated as a result of the NB Power, Hydro-Québec agreement, special payments will no longer be required because the debt will be gone.
After the proposed transaction, NB Power would continue to pay all taxes which it currently pays.
Our government encourages healthy debate on this important issue. It is unfortunate that the Opposition continues to spread information and innuendo which is just plain wrong.
GREG BYRNE
Minister of Finance
Get to know children's friends
As parents we like to believe that the people that our children choose to associate with are trustworthy and above reproach. However this is not always the case. Sometimes unsavory people with extremely questionable backgrounds infiltrate families by getting involved with a family member and the extended family are expected to accept this person into the fold with no questions asked. More disturbing is when a someone has information about this individual but does not alert other family members to be on the lookout for fear of causing a family rift.
A word of advice. If you have children and find yourself in this situation, ask questions of this newcomer. If you do not receive satisfactory answers, distance yourselves. More than likely if your instincts are dead on you will eventually be proven correct when the culprit shows his true colours.
One last comment. If you have reasonable suspicions that a child is being sexually abused, or at risk of becoming sexually abused, etc. you are required by law to report the offender to the authorities. If you don't, you yourself may be charged for failing to report it.
BLAIR E. BARTLETT
Saint John
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Traitors who moved here after the American Revolution.
And this was after he expounded on the fact that NBPower currently makes 'special payments' which will not be paid after the deal with Quebec hydro.
A bit of misleading information, as NBPower, after the proposed transaction, will pay NO taxes at all.
so a major source of revenue for the province will disappear.
Nobody should expect to try and support a family on minimum wage jobs, to break the true cycle of poverty the real sollution is meaningful jobs that pay much more then minimum wage. But i guess only people with half a brain can figure that out.And we all know that intellegence and government can never be spoken in the same sentence.
leaving welfare should top up several on min wage. The devil would be in the details.
But any 4o hours of work on any job that is needed by society, the pay should allow for a reasonable life style. A fair society can do no less.
If society is not willing to pay then the job should be ruled as being redundant and society might change its mind. Anybody with half a brain could figure this out. (:-)
However like most you entirley missed the point. Soceity needs minimum wage jobs, as some small bussinesses like retail stores rely on low wage jobs in order to keep their prices down and be competitive. But as mentioned, by upping minimum wage they ae also upping the prices because of the increased cost of doing bussiness. Therefore there is no benefit because the poverty margin is still there. But instead of it being people who earn $7.50 an hour or less it now includes everyone who earns $12 an hour or less. Therefore making poverty a larger problem.
If you want to study this for yourself then i suggest you take a trip to scandanavia. Any country there has an average wage of $25 hr. But a hamburger, fries, and coke cost you $30. 1 beer in a bar cost $16 etc.
As i said, people should not be trying to support a family on minimum wage. (Cont)
Like i said in order to reduce poverty we need meaningful jobs that pay well above minimum wage. With benefits that will support a family. I mean how many people spent 12 years in public school and maybe even time in post secondary to earn minimum wage. i know i sure didn't.
So i will leave it at this. increasing minimum wage will do more harm then good. because all it will do is bring more people under the national poverty line because now people who used to earn $6/hr above minimum wage will now only be earning $2/hr more, thus bringing them into the poverty threshold.
And if you cannot understand that then i am obviously wasting my time and breath. Keep upping minimum wage and the poverty level will increase, I guarantee it.