Tuesday’s letters: No tax dollars to build private schools

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Re. “Private school construction a public good,” Opinion, Sept. 26

The article referenced above fails to mention that think tank Cardus is a Christian institute which supports private or independent schools, thus rendering a biased perspective. It claims public education includes 45,000 Alberta children who attend private schools.

A definition of “public” means open to all. Independent or private schools are not open to all. Alberta’s public schools have a history of excellence in education. Public schools offer a vast variety of programs while encouraging understanding and acceptance of others. I support the use of my tax dollars for increased funding to public education, not for funding the building of independent schools.

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L.L. Goss, Edmonton

LRT built cheaply at high cost

Surprise surprise, there is another accident involving a motor vehicle and LRT train. Actually, it should not be a surprise at all. The LRT was built ultra-cheaply, though not inexpensively. Substandard pillars, no fencing, no barriers where it interferes with real traffic.

Now that many “incidents” have occurred, the city is still crying poverty. Odd they don’t seem to have that financial crunch when it comes to another project. I am referring to the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on bike lanes and other traffic- impeding ideas the city has installed the past few years.

How about cancelling the mess they are making of 132 Avenue, where they are taking an important arterial road, and making it a homeless relocation centre? If they quit the never-ending bike lanes, they could very likely correct the dangerous LRT intersections.

Jim Orfino, Edmonton

Health care not a priority for UCP

The lack of health care in Alberta has reached a critical level. Doctors, health-care workers, and the general public have been expressing concern for a long time now but the Alberta government has not acted in a meaningful way.

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Spending over $8 billion building new schools while at the same time cancelling building a new hospital in south Edmonton is a clear signal that health care is not a priority for this government. Having worked in health care for 40 years, I have an understanding of the challenges associated with providing a system that will meet the needs of Albertans. I am appalled at the level of care that currently exists in this province.

Throwing more money at the system is not the singular solution. More effective management, better transparency, and real accountability, along with increased funding is the solution. It’s time for a task force made up of doctors, nurses, and other health-care workers, along with representatives from government, to develop a comprehensive plan that will meet the short-term and long-term needs of Albertans. No more talk and hollow promises; we need action now.

Ivan Olsen, St. Albert

CN workers’ exit will change Jasper

I was disappointed to read last week that CN was pulling their operations out of Jasper, removing 200 CN jobs from that lovely mountain town. Mayor Richard Ireland is correct that this is a choice CN gets to make, but it will change Jasper forever.

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I worked for CN out of Jasper in the mid-’80s, and enjoyed everything the town has to offer residents. Beautiful scenery, challenging hikes, and a small-town Alberta community. Yes, I ate breakfast at Smitty’s the morning after enjoying a beer or two in the Atha-B like many tourists and locals alike, but I played racquetball at the local rec centre and enjoyed the community chili cook-off as a local.

It will be tough for Jasper to rebuild with the same culture and sense of community that Jasper had without CN employees at the heart of industry. We have a name in Alberta for a mountain town whose only employers serve the municipality itself or the local tourism industry; it’s called Banff.

 Albert Brenneis, Edmonton

Health-care crisis looms for Alberta

The Alberta government’s action and non-action regarding health care is disturbing: There is no action to allay the concerns of physicians and other health-care providers.

There is an impending crisis due to provider shortages and the risk of the fall respiratory viruses overwhelming the health-care system, and no plea to the public to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID; and a planned “human right” to refuse vaccines (which is currently the case) and which, I think, is meant to prevent hospitals and others from requiring vaccination of health-care workers in certain situations (e.g. a pandemic).

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We are racing towards catastrophe. Is there no one who sees the danger who has the premier’s ear?

Trevor Theman, Edmonton

Epcor should give gardeners a break

Re. “Wastewater bills need a rethink,” Letters, Sept. 25

I’m writing in response to Dan Onischuk’s letter from Wednesday regarding Epcor billing practices, specifically the current drainage fees practice needing a rethink.

Many years ago when the City of Edmonton was responsible for our drainage and water-consumption billing, the practice was exactly the same as it is today. The City of Edmonton billed for drainage based on what your meter-reading consumption was. The City of Edmonton did change that policy and, as recently as 2017, they would take your consumption in the wintertime and they would prorate that to your water usage for the summer months so that you were free to water your plants without being charged for the corresponding drainage.

When the city council of the day approved the transfer of the drainage utility assets and liabilities over to Epcor, in April of 2017, that practice then reverted back to what the current practice is where Epcor charges you drainage based on your meter reading.

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I completely agree with Dan. This practice needs to change and we need to go back to the way things were before Epcor took over the liabilities and assets in 2017.

Don Elliott, Edmonton

Poilievre’s anger tough to watch

Every time I turn on CBC or CTV news, it sickens me to my core. We love to laugh at bitter politics in the U.S. and say “that won’t happen here.” The Conservative leader reminds me of the worst bully in the school yard. Anyone who dares question him in the House or in a media scrum gets his full hate-on treatment. They are either “bought-and-sold by the Trudeau  government” or “against me.”

He has zero good to say about the economy, people, or Canada, for that matter. One wonders what created an individual that has so much pent-up anger and total lack of compassion for others. It is not only profoundly unsettling to watch, but he is way up in the polls and has brought out this anger in millions of his followers.

If this is what vaccine mandates and lockdowns created over the past several years, maybe our health professionals should just let future pandemics roll out. This is no way to run a country.

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Inez Dyer, Edmonton

UCP leader’s review disrupts jabs

My safety, through my choice to vaccinate, is being delayed by the timing of the upcoming UCP leadership. All UCP decisions are being filtered through the political lens of not impacting Danielle Smith getting a high rating in the upcoming leadership review.

Hopefully, government interference in my health choices will be significantly reduced right after she gets her 80-per-cent approval rating. A lower rating will hand the UCP party over to the Take Back Albertas folks. Vaccinations will probably be banned within the provincial borders — banned or red-taped all the way to being impossible to obtain.

Glenn Walmsley, St. Albert

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