Peace Arch Arch News News Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Peace
letters
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Peace Arch News
Surrey history repeats itself
Taking jobs for granted
Editor: The direction and tone of any city is established by its civic leaders. In Surrey, they are the Surrey First electors group under Mayor Dianne Watts – invented to cull together a group of disgruntled councillors led by deposed mayor Doug McCallum and his Surrey Electors Team (SET). What happened next was the reinvention of SET with all its existing members intact. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. In the run up to 2014 elections, Surrey First should be celebrating its accomplishments and boasting its vision for the future. The reality is that First is deeply mired in controversy – all of it self-inflicted. The new ‘direction and tone’ for Surrey was never achieved. In fact, the issues under SET dating back to pre-2005 remain. First has continued the tradition of rampant development cleverly disguised as the Surrey City Development Corporation. The development sector has thrived under a regime that is systematically stacked against any public or community opposition. Crime, addiction and homelessness remain today just as before, but with a huge difference. Today, all areas, including South Surrey, are dealing with an influx never before experienced. What has almost always been a Whalley/ Newton concern is now widespread and common throughout our city. As mayor, McCallum’s heavy hand directed then-councillor Watts to sanitize the bad news coming out of Surrey – in effect, telling Watts to tell the RCMP what they could and could not say or report on. Watts correctly refused, accusing McCallum of being a bully among other things. Watts handily went on to become mayor. Today, little has changed and is in fact worse. The existing police committee stopped keeping minutes and disappeared from public oversight. Rookie Councillor Barinder Rasode was held out to be responsible, despite her adoption of Surrey First, its methods and direction from the mayor. Watts announced she would be in charge and Rasode was out. Imagine, getting fired for doing what you were told to do? What is most disturbing are longtime sitting councillors who remain mute, in lockstep with the missives of the mayors. Sadly, history will record their character flaws and deny them credit for the many good contributions made. It is true that when you find a trickle, a river runs not far away. The issues are many and the methods sadly, are the same as before. Rebranding Surrey from the ‘City of Parks’ to the ‘Future Lives Here’ is but a chilling reminder of how little has changed. Let’s hope there is a champion in their midst who will walk the talk and bring Surrey back from the edge. Mike Proskow, Surrey
Editor: The federal and B.C. provincial governments – ‘ConservaLibs’ – have teamed up to give cash rewards to companies who will give Canadian jobs away to immigrants. It is called the Immigrant Employment Council of B.C. They give ‘grants’ of up to $200,000 per organization. The total amount of your tax dollars you unwittingly contributed has risen 260 per cent in three years to $1.8 million. In 2004, the BC Liberals gutted the apprenticeship program in B.C. and created an artificial labour shortage. Now they are trying to reap the rewards by exploiting cheap offshore labour. According to the last Stats Canada report, immigrant males get 63 per cent of the wages that their Canadian-born counterparts receive. For women it was 56 per cent. An immigrant worker is a compliant worker, because he has no recourse. These are 2005 figures, as the feds gutted Stats Canada a few years ago. Big business, on the other hand, gives ‘contributions’ to the ConservaLibs in return for ‘grants’.
Cozy. But the ‘grants’ are coming off of the backs of taxpayers. And the taxpayers are assuaged by the calming TV ads, $64 million for the two years leading up to the last election by the BC Liberals, and $600 million from the Conservative feds since they got into power; paid for by you and me. Isn’t it time we stopped using euphemisms like ‘contributions’ and ‘grants’ and call them what they really are: bribes. With all these millions flowing between business and politicians, the ConservaLibs are shills for the rich. R.K. Grace, Surrey
Support invaluable Editor: Thank you to all who helped Larry Robinson and me throughout his public battle with cancer and his passing on March 15 (City grieves for ‘courageous’ councillor, March 18). Your love, help and support have been truly invaluable. He was a wonderful, honest, hard working, intelligent man, a good and loving husband, son, father, stepfather, grandfather and friend to all. His love and commitment to
White Rock was seen by many through his meticulous and dedicated work for our city. Thank you also to the hundreds of mourners who came out to say goodbye to their friend, colleague and councillor at his Celebration of Life (Robinson was ‘inspiring to all of us,’ March 25.) Rest in peace, Larry. You will be loved and missed more than you could ever know. Ann Robinson, White Rock
Profiting while seniors sink Editor: Re: Rising rates adding to seniors’ burden, April 3 editorial. Your editorial is correct in noting the burden placed on some seniors by rising corporate rates. While Hydro and ICBC made a profit last year, no reductions were passed along to customers. The government extracted around $300 million from each corporation which flowed into its sinkhole to “balance the budget.” So they say. A sinkhole is “a hole in the ground providing a route for surface water to disappear underground.” So apt. Mary Garner, White Rock
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Isn’t it time we stopped using euphemisms like ‘contributions’ and ‘grants’ and call them what they really are: bribes.a R.K. Grace
write: 200 - 2411 160 Street, Surrey, B.C. V3S 0C8 Tracy Holmes photo
As long as people ignore the warning signs, trains will continue to sound their horns, letter-writers suggest.
Keeping safe and sound at night Editor: Re: Train horns easy to quell, April 1 letters. While letter-writer Robert Melynchuk may think he has a great idea, there are some flaws in his “simple and inexpensive” solution to silence train horns at night. First, hi-rail trucks cannot operate on the track at the same time as a train. Transport Canada regulations stipulate that maintenance and patrol vehicles must be protected by having “exclusive occupancy” of the track. Railway tracks are divided into “controlled blocks” by signals that allow trains into that section of track. The controlled block for this section extends between the U.S. border and Colebrook Road at 127A Street; hence, a maintenance vehicle must be off the track before a train is allowed into that section of track. Second, a fully loaded train weighing more than 16,000 tons takes as much as two kilometers to stop when traveling at speed. Therefore, even if they could violate the rules and operate this vehicle in front of the train, it would have to be so far ahead that it would provide zero protection for the trespassing pedestrians. Third, if this vehicle did encounter trespassers, would it not use its horn to warn said trespassers? Lastly, with 12 to 15 trains operating on a 24/7 basis
through this area, staffing and vehicle logistics would be prohibitively expensive. Currently, locomotive engineers only have to blow the whistle at night if there are people on or near the track. Far better solution is to educate people to: • Look both ways before crossing the track, • If you see a train approaching, don’t cross the track, • Most important, don’t ever walk on the tracks. Chuck Ingram, Surrey Q The perpetual complainers in the Peace Arch News about train whistles had better get used to the fact that trains are here to stay. The reason they blow their horns is because there are still idiots walking the train tracks and cars that try to beat the crossing guards. As a regular to the beach, I see this all the time. I am an 82½-year-old who is thankful that I can still hear the reminiscent sounds of the trains and the purr of the wondrous commuter jets overhead. Besides, trains and planes were here long before most of the few troubled complainers, so relax and revel in the opportunity we have to hear these sounds. Alex Beleski, Surrey
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