Have your say

Remembering who's boss

There is a misprint in your Aug. 23 front page headline, Our house, our rules. Given that the Blue Bombers are a community-supported team and that taxpayers are helping to pay for the new stadium, the headline should have been "Your house, our rules."

The Bombers organization has to remember who pays the bills: the fans and the taxpayers. Every day should be fan appreciation day, not just Sept. 8.

SHERRIE EDWARDS

Winnipeg

I believe there is just one simple change the Bomber organization could make that would go a long way to restoring some goodwill with the fans: make bottled water readily available at or very near cost.

In cold weather, a tasty, reasonably priced hot beverage would also be a nice gesture. Snacks and soft drinks or alcoholic beverages are not necessities so charge what the consumer will pay, but gouging the fans on basics such as water should not be an option.

HANNELORE POTSCHKA

East St. Paul

Ban the interference

I appreciate Mia Rabson's Aug. 20 article, Foreign influence in our elections. If it is true that the Elections Act, as currently written, does not make an offence the activities of partisan interests from outside Canada, clearly, the law must be changed for the sake of democracy.

It is outrageous that anyone or any company could disrupt voting by making calls giving erroneous information about where to vote. Equally outrageous is the possibility that any Canadian political party is able to receive campaign contributions or assistance of any kind from persons, companies or organizations outside the country. They could have and are likely motivated by specific political or trade interests.

Interference with our political democratic process should be considered a criminal offence under the law and subject to punishment.

BEV HINDLE

Winnipeg

Missing the point

Re: Crossings are country-wide (Letters, Aug. 11). I believe that Andrew Chimko completely missed the point of the previous comments by a contributor on the same topic of pedestrian crosswalks. This contributor's point was to make these crosswalks safer by using standard coloured lights the same as at other crosswalks.

Chimko rightfully believes in standardizing between all jurisdictions but he apparently doesn't believe in using standardized signal colours at all crosswalks. As it is, at away-from-intersection crosswalks, a flashing yellow light means stop. No light at all means proceed. There is no warning, unlike at other intersections, that the light is about to come on to mean stop. To make matters worse, flashing yellow lights are also used to mark abutments on highways, as approach signals on higher-speed thoroughfares and at other intersections at certain hours when traffic is very light, in which case they mean caution/slow down, but none of these mean stop. Using a flashing yellow light to mean stop rather than red at intersection crosswalks would not be a good idea any more than it is at the ones in question.

ROLAND CHARTRAND

Winnipeg

In response to Andrew Chimko, I wish to clarify some facts about traffic control in Winnipeg. It is technically true that the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is "adopted in law," but it is only partially adopted. Only the design and dimensions of a traffic device must comply. Even with that one minor requirement, some City of Winnipeg signs are smaller than the legal minimum.

Winnipeg claims to follow the MUTCD's guidelines, but in reality, unlike other cities, much of Winnipeg's infrastructure is drastically out of compliance. Winnipeg also does not adhere to its own internal policies.

Provincial court has ruled that traffic-control devices are not required to comply with standards in regard to their use and placement. Winnipeg's road signs are often many metres outside MUTCD placement standards and city policy, which is often why they are not observed or obeyed by motorists.

Traffic signals are also non-compliant at several locations. City policy is especially ignored with regard to school-zone signs.

Collisions have remained high at locations that are most non-compliant and many deficiencies have created enforcement abuse.

CHRIS SWERYDA

Winnipeg

Puzzled by Ritz

The Aug. 18 letter by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, It's a brand new day, supposedly to correct the Aug. 11 column by Laura Rance, is an example of subjective opinion intermixed with fact. Ritz uses such emotionally charged terms as "exciting" and "marketing freedom." Perhaps many share his joy in his "new era."

It puzzles me that Ritz personalizes the institutions of federal government. The national apparatus that creaks along as Canada's central government is not the property of any one political group. Thus describing a previous administration as "Ralph Goodale's government" is as illogical as calling the present one the "Ritz government" or even the "Conservative government," as announcements about federal grants all seem to do now.

In theory, taxpayer dollars collected by the Canada Revenue Agency are intended to fund federal programs that serve all Canadians regardless of political allegiance. Or is it now the Conservative Revenue Agency?

As for those few "unfairly jailed" men, it is equally likely that they chose brief confinement over paying fines to the then-titled Canada Customs Agency, because they wanted publicity about their opposition to permits to take grain-filled trucks across the international border. By removing their trucks prematurely from customs impoundment, they secured their role as heroes. It does seem appropriate to call them "Harper's heroes."

JEAN A. PATERSON

Winnipeg

Change of attitude

Re: A better way (Letters, Aug. 20). Let's suppose for a moment that the young woman buried in the landfill was the daughter of a wealthy family. What would the public attitude be towards searching for her body?

Would we say that this is a waste of time and money? Or would we say that it must be done, regardless of the cost?

JUNE McDOUGALD

Winnipeg

Just gristle for the mill

Kudos to the Free Press for cooking up such a delectable assortment of rib-tickling, lip-smacking puns for the story of the Winnipeg Free Press Pit Masters Barbecue Championships (All ribbing aside, it's delicious, Aug. 20).

I only regret that beefy former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his entourage of grilly men could not attend the meet.

DON WARKENTIN

Winnipeg

Absence of precision

Regarding the Aug. 21 poll on the loss of two Osborne Village restaurants: Option No. 4 reads "Ambivalent. I rarely visit Osborne Village."

Please note that "ambivalent" indicates simultaneous but conflicting feelings toward something. I suggest you mean "indifferent."

ERICA BALL

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 24, 2012 A13