OPINION
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
COMOX VALLEY RECORD • Friday, November 16, 2012
A25
Royston taxpayers are being soaked
Why secrecy, ramrod style? Dear editor, A Chinese state-owned company invests in Raven Coal. The mine proposal gets turned down for environmental reasons, so the company sues. A secret tribunal decides Canada must pay the loss of profits that the company expected from the entire life of the mine. Canadian taxpayers pay China millions and millions. That scenario could become reality if Stephen Harper ratifies the secretive and extreme Canada-China FIPA investor agreement, which he could No studies on do at any time. Canadian the risks, no reports, courts are gen- no thoughtful diserally fair and course or debate, just almost always a secret deal with a open. At least we usually get powerful dictatorjustice and see ship that will last justice being until our grandchildone. But FIPA dren are adults. suits will be Jamie Bowman heard by secret tribunals, made up of appointees, with no appeal to the Supreme Court. We would never see the reasons for judgment or even know the arguments made. No studies on the risks, no reports, no thoughtful discourse or debate, just a secret deal with a powerful dictatorship that will last until our grandchildren are adults. If it’s so good, why can’t we at least talk about it? Why the secrecy and dictatorial style? No one wants our state affairs carried on like in a politburo or a Mafia meeting. So, I am sending a copy of this letter to our Member of Parliament, John Duncan, asking him to take our message to his boss, Mr. Harper: Don’t do it! Be true to Canada! Canadians, especially your true-blue Conservative base, do not want our rights sold to China! Jamie Bowman, Comox
❝
❞
No debate and no vote either Dear editor, More than 75,000 Canadians across political lines signed a petition opposing the Canada-China FIPA trade deal. A huge contingent of Canadians (not foreigners or radical environmentalists) have engaged in a letter-writing campaign sent to Conservative MPs offices opposing this FIPA deal. Conservative MPs are sending out misleading and false talking points to make it sound like a good deal for this country. Don’t be misled — this FIPA deal isn’t in the best interests of our economy or our democracy. There has been no real debate in Parliament, no vote and no report on the risks. FIPA would let foreign corporations sue Canada in secret unaccountable arbitration tribunals outside of Canadian courts. We wouldn’t be allowed to know what we are being sued for and for how much. We will not know how these lawsuits are undermining our democracy and economy. We would get all this with no option of cancelling the deal for 16 to 30 years. It’s no wonder the Chinese signed this agreement after 16 years of negotiations; we’re giving them everything they’ve ever wanted in a trade deal, including our democracy and rights to self-determination. Richard Goletski, Comox
Dear editor, Re: Royston Waterfront Trail. Upon receiving a Comox Valley Regional District announcement by mail late in October I assume that I have some say even though I was informed a week after the event. A reply to my three comments and three questions would be welcome. 1. Upon seeking maps, I found Hilton Road but no map of Lince or Chinook Road so am in the dark as to the affected area. A map highlighting these map references would help. 2. After reviewing one page, there is a statement referring to ‘green’ guiding principles; “minimize or reduce pollutants to the marine environment.” 3. The statement is in direct reference to
the trail, the cost, the impact of anticipated funding to the taxpayer and the holy grail of ‘green principles.’ I have resided on Forde Avenue in Royston since 1989 and am amazed at the continuous assault on the taxpayer for more and more public funds, yet throughout those 23 years the only service updated was the water meters and the residents paid for that through fees. To this day, there is no pavement, no curbs, no storm sewers, and most of all no sanitation system, yet the onslaught of increased fees and taxes never ends. An example; I am temporarily residing in Stony Plain, Alta., a community in which I pay taxes equivalent to those that I now pay or applied in Royston — the difference is
that my present street is paved and curbed with storm and sanitation sewers. Wide and well-lit streets along with paved bike and walking trails exceed by a factor of 20 those found in Royston, and, I might add that every trail is mowed and pruned weekly. This leads me to ask the first question: Why is the CVRD so long on taxation and so short on amenities? The second question on amenities; is sewage not a priority service when the harbour and Baynes Sound is being polluted daily by dysfunctional septic systems that CVRD seems to ignore yet focuses on ‘looking good’ rather than pursuing a sewage solution? There is a third question as to the cost of living in Royston; In the past five to
Recycling needs support Dear editor, Maybe it’s just me, but I find it ridiculous that the municipal powers in Happy Valley can’t legislate or shame the stores and malls that import and produce the largest amount of packaging and recyclable materials into accepting and maintaining onsite depots to deal with the mounds of crap they insist on selling along with their products. I don’t fault the municipalities for pushing recycling. The results are amazing, as they have extended the life of the garbage dump, and got us all (well, almost all) reducing the amount of material we throw out. And I don’t fault the majority of citizens who have embraced the Three Rs — you only have to go south
of the border to see how stupid people can still be with their garbage. What I do fault is our so-called ‘corporate citizens’ who have rolled in like latterday carpetbaggers to farm the wallets of our shoppers, but refuse to take responsibility for the amount of material they sell to their consumer drones. Kudos to Home Depot for doing their part. Let’s see the rest of the malls and big box stores step up. Corporate responsibility should not stop once the product has been sold. Things might change quickly if consumers showed up for every shopping trip with a bag full of packaging and recyclables and just dropped them inside the entrance of
their favourite stores. Call it GOGI. Garbage Out, Garbage In. Andy MacDougall, Royston
10 years, the CVRD continues to allow maximum houses on small lots, driving up the density [and taxes] with a huge effect on the environment including bed and breakfast services impacting on amenities, yet the CVRD does not and will not balance the equation of taking taxes and providing services. Why not? Why does the CVRD continue to allow density on the Royston shorefront? Is the collection of taxes for providing services like a sewer system or is the ‘trail’ just a shill to pull in tourists? The bottom line is that the average owner is and has
been forced to spend up to a capital outlay of $25,000 to install and/or replace the septic system, which says nothing of failed upkeep and/or the pollution of ground water throughout the shoreline. That bottom line has now been reduced to the obvious; Royston taxpayers are not only funding the tourist industry; they are also forced to provide their own amenities without any provision of funding from the enforced tax rolls applied by the CVRD. To conclude; there is a smell to all of this — and not from sewage alone! Mel Garden, Royston
Quality Asian Food You Cook at Home
Baked Spring Rolls • Wonton Soup Steam Dim Sum • Chinese BBQ Pork GOLD PHOENIX ASIAN FOOD ORDER ONLINE • DELIVERY AVAILABLE 3771 S. Island Hwy., Royston | 250-338-3881 | www.goldphoenix.ca OPEN M-F 10-5:30, SAT. 1-4; Closed Sun. & Holidays
Side effects of flying with us last long after you land.
Industry pollutes Dear editor, Several issues ago I read a letter to the editor telling how great the mining industry has been to the Comox Valley over the years. He forgot to mention the 40 odd years that the Tsolum River was dead and/or who had to pay (the taxpayer) for the capping of the mine site on Mount Washington to fix this. He also forgot to mention the fact that the cleanup of the coal
piles in Union Bay is to cost $17 million (a large part of this to come out of the taxpaying pocket). There is also the problem of the coal piles out by the Comox Lake main logging road that have never been dealt with (a festering sore if ever there was one). I feel that all of these issues must be put before the public in any debate on mining here in the Valley. A.R. Wainwright, Comox Valley
Your options for convenient holiday shopping in Vancouver just reached a whole new level.
Your travel experience. Elevated.
harbourair.com | 1.800.665.0212