Letters, Sept. 8

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/09/2023 (1044 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tax and other cuts

More tax cuts? Really!

This summer I saw my doctor because I was often short of breath. I was told I could get a free sleep apnea test, but the wait was over a year.

I responded that I would either be dead or better by that time — probably dead — so I paid for an at-home monitoring test myself.

I was diagnosed with severe apnea, with my blood oxygen level falling to as low as 73 per cent. I had to take my father to the hospital when his blood oxygen was in the high 80s.

Had I gone through the province’s sleep study clinic in 2025, the province would have paid a couple hundred bucks toward the cost, but since corpses can’t write cheques, I again paid for this electronic marvel out-of-pocket.

What did I learn from this experience? True, we did receive a couple hundred dollars in tax credits and refunds from the province this year, but, with the cut in services, our family budget shelled out a lot more. So sorry, Premier Heather, I’m not buying your grand solution for what ails us. I have had to buy too much just to stay healthy thanks to your service cuts.

I’m all for saving money, but our aging population deserves a lot better than this!

Barry Bence

Winnipeg

Check the links

Re: Workers’ issues at forefront of election (Think Tank, Sept. 7)

Not sure if anyone noticed the irony. Shannon Sampert noted the “working stiffs walking the picket line” under all sorts of conditions, in support of their demands for a fair deal. (MPI has refused to return to the bargaining table.)

A few pages later, a nice picture from the Aug. 30 IBAM golf tournament.

MPI was a sponsor. I wonder who attended from MPI? Certainly not any working stiffs.

Michelle Burdz

Winnipeg

Bad ad

Re: Liberal leader brushes off Axworthy’s letter backing Kinew (Sept 6)

As a person with training in ethical advertising in print media, and having worked as a summer intern for a major Montreal newspaper, I am dismayed at the format of the front page ad containing Lloyd Axworthy’s supportive letter to Wab Kinew, his former colleague at the University of Winnipeg.

In general, advertising content and news content are supposed to be distinct entities, even if both occupy a front page. In theory, ads, like “think tank” opinions, are biased; news items are objective.

As is required for paid ads, clear border lines and the words “sponsored content” were included on this front page, but were relatively minuscule compared to the giant font size of the words “Axworthy letter supports Wab Kinew”— exactly as if this were a front-page news headline.

To me, this is deceptive advertising, a wolf (the ad) in sheep’s clothing (the front-page-headline). In the context of the current election period, most readers —who may not see the very small footnote indicating sponsorship of this page by the NDP — would think that a news “flash” of great significance is being announced.

Whether or not the NDP communications people intended this misleading response, it did excite several reporters to treat this as “news”, maybe even a “scandal”! In reality, this was simply Axworthy promoting his longtime interest in inner-city improvement by effusively supporting his former university friend, who possibly shares his interest.

While I understand Axworthy’s disgust at mudslinging and his wish to provide a positive image for his friend, I would have used a more appropriate format in creating an eye-catching ad without the camouflage of a fake “news headline”. Were I a political spokesman, I would have criticized the ethical lapse in this NDP advertising strategy in a much less diplomatic manner than Dougald Lamont did.

Jean A. Paterson

Winnipeg

As a 40-year subscriber to the Winnipeg Free Press (a dying breed) I was appalled that the Free Press allowed the NDP to place a political advertisement on the front page of the paper.

An undated letter from Lloyd Axworthy to Wab Kinew. Axworthy talks about events at the University of Winnipeg that happened years ago, referring to the letter as non-partisan. Yet that trust was infringed upon by Wab Kinew and the letter appears in your paper as a political advertisement. Should also be pointed out that, as the letter points out, “At a time when the task of restoring Winnipeg’s downtown…”

As a person who goes downtown on a regular basis and talks to bus drivers I would say that the venture was a complete failure.

Donald Hillman

Winnipeg

Plain speaking

Re: I beg to differ (Think Tank, Aug. 26)

In his column, Charles Adler points out that he should not “…offer false compliments to educated people simply because they don’t look like me.” Of course he is right, but this principle extends beyond the specific subject of his rebuttal.

We need to stop “soaking in syrup” (to use Adler’s phrase) ordinary accomplishments, or alternatively diminishing extraordinary accomplishments, based solely on the person or group who achieved them. Similarly, no person or group should be above criticism, nor their arguments given a free pass.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a penchant for lobbing accusations of “…-isms” or “…phobias”, or innuendo suggesting those things, as knee-jerk replies when a cogent counterpoint cannot be made.

To achieve true equality, we need to treat people equally both for the good and the not-so-good facets of what they do and say.

Anything less is simply substituting one “…ism” for another.

Steve Teller

Winnipeg

Not so great one

After watching countless ads on TV during the NHL hockey season with Wayne Gretzky (net worth $250 million) and Connor McDavid (net worth $30 million) promoting wagering and gambling incessantly, it makes me wonder why do they need more money in return for promoting wagering to the public?

Are you both in dire need of funds or just greedy? Wayne, you were “The Great One” but no longer in my tired eyes and Connor, the best in the league, you have lost me!

Gambling is a major problem for many people in our society and our national “heroes” are apparently not concerned.

How much money is enough?

Ross Murray

Winnipeg

Paying the price

You do, generally, get what you pay for.

The people who are promising “to fight for lower taxes” are the very people who have put every aspect of universal health care in peril.

I would happily pay more taxes to return to the somewhat tenuous system (which now looks pretty terrific) that was in place before the Pallister/Stefanson era.

Gord Mackie

Cooks Creek

Cheap shot head butt

My husband and I no longer attend Bomber games but enjoy watching the games on TV.

We have marvelled at the talented players and felt pride that the Bombers are one of the least penalized teams.

All the teams and all the games have been great entertainment.

Zach Collaros makes watching very exciting. The violent attack on him by Pete Robertson was inexcusable.

The penalty and a one-game suspension are a puny punishment. I think he should be banned for the season, charged with assault and given a large fine.

Since Collaros has had head injuries in the past and a serious neck injury this season that hit by Robertson could have been career ending.

I won’t watch any more CFL games unless the league takes action to protect its players and punish serious violence. It’s our loss and it makes me sad, but inaction on the part of referees and the league make me too angry to be a spectator.

Brenda Trevenen

Winnipeg