Ponderings
It occurs to me that, although we are basically free from “fear and intimidation” in our government, we are mainly ruled by our politicians using two basic tried and true methods, these being manipulation and gullibility.
The first method works like this: The tax collector saunters into the local village and kicks everyone’s behind and then punches them in the nose, thereby collecting huge taxes. This goes on for some time until it is time for elections. Now, said tax collector comes into town and decrees, “From now on I will not be punching anyone in the nose.” The people cheer and say, “What a wonderful tax collector he is. From now on we are only going to get kicked in the behind.”
The second method follows thusly: Every day Mr. Muldoon’s wife hollers out the window, “Get that donkey out of our carrot patch.” Muldoon contemplates that the donkey absolutely craves carrots above all else and that leads Muldoon to this idea. “I will tie a string around a carrot and then dangle it from a six-foot pole right in front of the donkey’s nose [“New ferries to use liquefied natural gas,” December 11, 2013]. The donkey foolishly believes that as long as he keeps plodding along, he will eventually get that “new Powell River ferry in 2016”...I mean, “carrot.”
Lawrence Thompson
Duncan Street
Recycle
Recycle we must do, recycle to clean up our planet. Recycle we need to have. Boo hoo to Powell River for removing the bins [“Changes on horizon for recycling,” March 5].
Everyone wants to recycle, but apartments don’t all have a bin. Not everyone has a car to take it to the recycling depot.
Boo hoo to Powell River city hall.
We must recycle.
Karen Zohner
Highway 101
When is it not a choice?
Reducing a Powell River Public Library referendum to only two choices, one of which has already been proven to be in disfavour by the library’s own expensive pollsters, seems one more example of the erosion of democracy [“Library location put to public,” February 26].
We, the citizens, would be paying for this relocation of the library, so why are we not allowed to vote on all 18 possible sites?
Yes, I know—the all-wise library board has studied and ruled on the other sites, but perhaps the public has wisdom and opinions of its own, and is willing to take extra steps, or to reduce expectations, to have a particular site.
In a true democracy, the public, who will pay for and use the library, would get to vote on all 18 in a primary vote, and then vote for a finalist among the top three. Then, let the library board work with the public’s choice.
The retired therapist in me sees in the library board a case of unfinished grief for a location, in which they had a deep emotional investment—Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ “denial stage.” What part of “no” do they not understand? It is time to grieve, move on, and listen to the taxpayers.
Many do not want to pay for a waterfront country club for the intelligencia, or for an alleged tourist attraction, at the cost of breaking a well-conceived covenant, loss of prime public waterfront, and an investment of $10-plus million.
Restore democracy to this process by giving us a real choice, not a pretend one.
Wendy Pelton
Serendipity Road
Stay green
Green recycle boxes that are in good standing with the local and out-of-town people are very handy [“Changes on horizon for recycling,” March 5]. Remember, if the green boxes are removed from their locations and are not used, the recycling will end up on the streets or in the landfill where is not needed.
Please keep those green boxes where they are very handy. You do not want to see a garbage city for our beautiful city. Let’s keep our pearl of the Sunshine Coast green and be seen in a beautiful way not in a garbage-looking way.
Powell River is a very pretty city; let’s keep it that way with a healthy respect. Powell River is my home town.
Clifford Lang
Squamish, BC
Headaches behind smart meters
What should disturb all of us is BC Hydro’s forced installation of the “wiretapping” smart meter [“Film explores controversy around smart meters,” November 20, 2013].
If we do not wish to be wiretapped, we can opt out at a cost of $35* per month to retain our privacy. If we accept the smart meters on our homes, we are unknowingly condoning wiretapping and allowing the so called “powers that be” to bypass British Common Law as well as our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Around the 16th century came the saying “A man’s home is his castle.” Well, his castle walls have been breached, and his records are being taken and stored, and may well be sold to others. At one time a search order was required. How and when was it bypassed?
BC Hydro has stated that the smart meters pose no known health hazards, and that electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is psychosomatic. This, of course, means that in their opinion: “It’s all in your head.” Yes, many people with EHS know all about headaches, ringing in their ears, lack of concentration, disruptive sleep patterns, hypertension and other symptoms.
Yes, I suppose most of it is “all in our heads.”
Well, since there are no known health hazards, why do the Corix installers of the “safe” smart meters wear shielded coveralls and full face masks?
As far as the smart meter program goes, it appears that what is good for business is more important than individual rights. There is no competition, and we can’t afford to go off the grid. In most urban areas, generating your own power it is not allowed.
* The Mafia calls extortion “insurance.”
Norm Hutton
Duncan Street
