Letters, Oct. 24

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This article was published 24/10/2022 (1297 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Taxing debate

Re: Honesty not Murray’s best campaign policy (Oct. 19)

Mayoral candidates Scott Gillingham and Shaun Loney’s suggested further increases in property taxes and frontage fees (the latter, in Gillingham’s case) to fund their platforms are simplistic. Winnipeg depends too heavily on property taxes, most of which are diverted to roads (Concrete commitments leave deep potholes in civic services, Dan Lett, Oct.13; Mayoral candidates vexed by taxing issue, Tom Brodbeck Sept.13). Kevin Klein’s multi-pronged approach is more rational: first develop an infrastructure plan, improve efficiencies and eliminate financial mismanagement.

Potential additional funding approaches could include:

1. Funding from provincial and federal governments for infrastructure, social programs and Indigenous-related issues.

2. Immediately reform city council’s outrageously overgenerous, unsustainable pension plan (Council’s pension plan also ‘unsustainable’, Colin Craig; Sept. 23); Mayor Brian Bowman and Coun. Gillingham failed to do so.

3. The weight of a vehicle is directly related to road damage. Therefore, impose a weight-based infrastructure/transportation tax on vehicles of city residents and businesses, and also on those based outside of Winnipeg but commuting regularly to the city.

Property and frontage taxes should be used for what they were intended for.

Shashi Seshia

Winnipeg

Just bus a move

Minneapolis provides another example of why Winnipeg should shun Light Rail Transit (LRT) and instead continue to focus on expanding Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

A recent audit report found the latest LRT project in Minneapolis, an extension of its southwest line to connect the downtown with suburban communities, is nine years late and US$1.5 billion over budget. Informed by this debacle, the region’s metropolitan council is putting more resources to expand its BRT network.

Metro Transit, which serves the Twin Cities and surrounding communities, already operates four BRT lines. They formally began construction this week on a new 16-kilometre BRT line to connect downtown St. Paul with one of its suburbs. Planning is also underway on a 24-km BRT line featuring electric buses, which is planned to open in 2026.

More than 200 cities globally have invested in BRT, one of the fastest growing forms of rapid transit. It is baffling why Winnipeg, home to North America’s largest transit bus manufacturer (including electric buses) and blessed by an abundant supply of low-cost, renewable hydro electricity, continues to drag its heels on expanding its BRT network beyond a single line.

Ken Klassen

Winnipeg

Job pattern troubling

The work history of one of the current candidates for mayor displays a series of resignations. Glen Murray resigned his position as mayor of Winnipeg in 2004 to run for federal politics, but then lost that race. He was elected to the legislative assembly of Ontario in 2010, became a member of the Liberal government’s cabinet and was re-elected in October 2011. He resigned that post in November 2012 to run in the 2013 Ontario Liberal party leadership race. He then became the province’s minister of transport in February 2013.

He resigned from that cabinet position in July 2017 to take a job in Alberta at the Pembina Institute on Sept. 1, 2017. He resigned from the Institute in September 2018. In 2020 he ran to lead the Green party and lost.

On Oct. 26 please vote, and vote to select a candidate for mayor who will work hard to guide our great city and stay the course.

Jan Bones

Winnipeg

Same old tax talk

Re: Premier wants province to be more affordable, competitive (Oct. 19)

Premier Heather Stefanson has said Manitoba can afford some more tax cuts, and also that we will (eventually) make the tax revenue back through higher competitiveness. This sounds an awful lot like Truss/Trump economics, where we are to imagine the bountiful free-market opportunities that will naturally materialize if we just reduce taxes and cut spending.

This is the same utopian neo-liberal ideology that has been peddled since Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher first tried it, and Stefanson is obviously enamoured with it. It’s a great vote-winner. Unfortunately, history and reality show it is a loser for society and the economy. Targeted government investment appears to be a much better way to grow the economy, and there are many case studies all over the world where this has worked.

What is surprising, though, is how fast markets reacted to (recently resigned British prime minister) Liz Truss’s proposed tax cuts, resulting in a complete U-turn, and actually talk of tax hikes. I thought perhaps people were finally figuring out tax cuts aren’t the no-brainer we have been told they are for the last 40 years.

But here we are again, with another conservative ideologue, this time in Manitoba, and there doesn’t seem to be much pushback or questioning of the assumption that tax cuts are (eventually) good for everyone.

If we want our kids to stay in Manitoba, if we want a safe downtown, hospital beds and roads we can be proud of, we need to invest, not focus on tax cuts, privatization and spending cuts.

In Truss’s resignation speech, she said now is not the time to cut taxes. Is it the right time for Manitoba? When is the right time?

Joseph Dane

Matlock

Step up for adult learning

Re: A new road map for adult education (Think Tank, Oct. 21)

I want to thank Jim Silver for his column concerning this topic.

I hope this information reaches local, provincial and federal politicians. Manitoba, like the rest of Canada, is desperate for workers but fails to support the thousands of Canadians who need to upgrade their literacy skills or complete their Grade 12 education. Many adults would like to work but are held back by their lack of necessary skills and education.

Adult learning centres in Manitoba are doing an excellent job but are limited in meeting the need because of inadequate funding and support.

Yvette Souque

Portage la Prairie

Pedestrians, hunters a bad mix

A public pathway along the floodway banks was a government creation for pedestrians. Given that purpose, it is odd that the same space is available for hunting and trapping. That is a conflict of use that can endanger the strollers and their pets.

Furthermore, those living in the immediate neighbourhood can be, and are being, disturbed by the noise of gunshots and vehicles. Signs have been erected prohibiting all off-road vehicles, but what is really needed is a ban on hunting. Manitoba Conservation has told me these people are hunting illegally, but after many complaints nothing has been done.

This area is increasing in population, and I dread that one day there will be a regrettable incident. Why must we wait for that in order for the situation to change?

Margaret Friesen

Selkirk

Once upon a downtown

Re: Urban inertia (Oct. 15)

I read with interest Melissa Martin’s column about Winnipeg’s downtown. It brought back memories of me as a 20-odd-year-old in the 1950s, strolling down Portage Avenue on a balmy summer evening. I could buy a watermelon, have some popcorn or an ice cream cone.

There were the Capitol and Lyceum theatres, Eaton’s, the Bay, Woolworth’s 5 & 10, Hanford Drewitt, Birks, Dominion News, the Chocolate Shop… I could go on and on.

The avenue was alive with people. Being in harm’s way was never once on my mind as I walked arm-in-arm with my soon-to-be husband.

Ah, memories!

S.E. Rombough

Winnipeg