SOOKE NEWS MIRROR - WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012
www.sookenewsmirror.com
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Opinion We asked: What do you think ofi the federal government’s plan to phase the Canadian penny out of existence?
I think it’s a good idea. It would just make things simpler, more even numbered.
I think it’d save a lot of I think it’s good. It’s not money in revenue in the worth enough to be managed long run. anymore, I guess.
Don Brown Sooke
Elaine Newman Sooke
Budgets slashed for zero per cent Like everyone else in Sooke, the thought of a zero per cent increase in property taxes initially seemed like a great idea. But then I took a moment to research exactly what was needed to accomplish it. We all know prices are on the rise, what we paid for something last year isn’t what we’re paying for the same thing today or a year for now. Given these facts it is easy to conclude that a zero per cent tax increase doesn’t mean that budgets stayed the same from 2011 to 2012; in fact, the increase in prices means that budgets were most likely slashed in order to maintain that zero per cent. Take, for example, Sooke’s volunteer firefighters. These firefighters train to the same standards and certification as any paid firefighter anywhere in North America. The fact that they are volunteer already saves the municipality thousands, if not millions, of dollars a year. Yet their training budget, the one the community relies on teach them the lessons they need to know to save lives was cut by $8,000, from $29,000 to $21,000, or roughly 26
Personally, I’m against it. I was of the generation where you watched your pennies and nickels and the dollars took care of themselves.
Clint Sinclair Sooke
LETTERS per cent A little known fact about volunteer firefighters: The average volunteer firefighter in Canada retires after three years of service. The current mayor and council have been elected to three year terms, so can we expect our firefighters to be 26 per cent less trained by the time of the next election? Does this mean they will be 26 per cent less likely to put out a fire or rescue someone from a car accident? The fire department wasn’t the only area to take a budget cut. The mayor and council cut their own training budget from $38,000 to $26,000. That’s right, the mayor and council, seven people, have a larger training budget than 35 volunteer firefighters. Jason Dixon Sooke
The kindness of strangers On Friday, May 11, my 10-year-old son’s bike was stolen from in front of our garage in Sooke. I reported it to the Sooke police, posted it on Facebook and with the suggestion of a friend I posted a stolen notice on Used Victoria. My son’s bike was not
worth much but it was his. He would spend a lot of time riding it and trying to do tricks like the older kids. When he came home from school Friday to see it had been stolen he was devastated! We took him for walks through local trails in hopes that it had just been dumped somewhere but have had no luck. This selfish act from someone with no care for others has made my son look at people different. But on Sunday, May 13, the kindness of a complete stranger renewed all of our faith that good kind hearted people do still exist! Due to my notice on Used Victoria a man named Eric from Victoria emailed me and asked if we found the bike and, if not, he had a replacement bike for my son. After a few emails and phone calls I met Eric Sunday night and brought a new bike home for my son. There are not enough words for me to express what a wonderful person Eric is and how he made a 10-year-old boy’s day end with the biggest smile I have ever seen. Thank you Eric for your kindness, you truly are the type of person that makes this world a better place! Heather Medwedrich Sooke
Great market
As a member of the “District of Shirley,” I wish to publicly thank Mr. Christoper Lucas and all those who took part in the preparation of the Shirley Farmers Market, held at the Shirley Community Grounds this past Sunday. A resounding success on a beautiful day. A good job, well done. P. David O’Flynn Sheringham Point Shirley District
Free from hunger One person writes “we’d all starve” if any attempt be made to transform our current world economic systems into a more co-operative resource based strategy. He or she brings up a good point. In our current system one out of seven people on this planet are already starving, 19 million of them live in “developed” countries. They are starving not because there is not enough food, yet, but because of poverty. The principle causes of poverty are the unequal income distribution in the world and conflict.
Feature listing
Sandra Crozier Sooke
Essentially, the control over resources and income are based on military, political and economic powers that are controlled by a minority who live well, while those at the bottom barely survive, if at all. Climate change triggering drought, flooding and unpredictable climatic patterns is also increasingly viewed as a current and future cause of hunger and poverty. Acknowledging the fact that our current extraction processes and use of natural resources on this planet are not only unsustainable, but have a negative impact on our atmosphere, and is contributing to the erosion of the web of life that we are all dependent upon is not “tree hugging” nor is it a terrorist crime as Mr. Harper would have us believe. It is a growing, realistic point of view that we must change our ways. To achieve this the world must become more co-operative and less competitive and we must find and develop alternative, low impact forms of energy. Some countries are already well on their way in achieving these goals and generally most people want to move in this direction. Everybody wants to live well, have freedoms,
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Affordable - $49,900 2 bedroom home in a quiet family oriented park. Cozy woodstove in the Living Room, Computer Room/Office, Family Room, private yard & more. Convenient river access. Drive by #1-2670 Sooke River Road or call Michael at 250-642-5056.
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