Letters, Aug. 10

Good debt or bad?

Re: Hydro debt is good debt (Letters, Aug. 6)

I think Vince Warden’s characterization of all of Manitoba Hydro’s debt as “good debt” may be questionable.

For example, the building of Bipole III on the western side of the province instead of the more direct route along the east side of Lake Winnipeg was felt by many to be a decision based on politics rather than economics. The eastern route would have been shorter, less costly to build, less costly to maintain and would have resulted in less line loss.

I don’t want to reopen the debate, I just want to make the point that if the contribution of a capital asset, purchased using debt, could have been acquired at a lower cost, the additional debt is not “good debt”.

Don Marion, Winnipeg

 

Lessons our pets teach us

Re: The true cost of your pets — to everyone (Think Tank, Aug. 7)

I come from a long line of cats — anyone who has had even one cat in their life knows they are our masters, we are mere servants to their commands — and I have learned something different from each one of them.

From Tigger, the family cat of my childhood: Resilience. He travelled with us back and forth across the Atlantic as we moved for my father’s work. For me, this meant always a new school to navigate and new friends. For Tigger, a new backyard to conquer. If he could do it, so could I.

From Montgomery, my first cat as an adult: Life can be tragically short. He was killed on the road.

From Bountiful, whom I got as a kitten: Quiet, beautiful persistence can win the heart of the most ardent doubter. I was in a relationship with Bountiful for 18 years and four months — that’s longer than the average marriage in Canada.

From Blanco, an adult stray we took in: Chronic illness (he had kidney issues) takes its toll on both the patient and the carers. At some point, putting the pet down is the only humane option.

From Chester, another adult stray: No matter how much love we give another, that love is not always returned. Chester never settled as a pet and was likely happy when a friend took him to live on her family’s farm.

From Lewis: A cat can be very dog-like. Lewis could be walked on a leash, go nose to nose with any other four-legged beast, and loved to cuddle under the blankets.

From Holly: Size is of no account; it is the spirit and the will that mark one’s character. Holly will be 19 in human years on her next birthday — if she makes it that long. If she doesn’t, I will mourn her and, probably, make space for the next cat in line to own me.

But maybe the most important lesson I have learned from my feline overlords is that my capacity to love another sentient being — four-legged or two — is limited only by my desire to open my heart and be vulnerable to their quirks and their charms. And that is a cost I am willing to pay.

Amanda Le Rougetel, Winnipeg

 

Echoes of PET

Re: Police relaunch softer, gentler drug blitz (Aug. 7)

The 10-day sweep to enforce the law and prioritize the safety and rights of law-abiding citizens over those of drug addicts and drug dealers was welcomed and supported by the vast majority of Winnipeggers. Of that there is no doubt, and civic candidates know that.

There are some, however, who did not and do not like that approach even though it works. Well, that’s too bad.

It reminds me of a quote by former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau:

“There are a lot of bleeding hearts around who just don’t like to see people with helmets and guns. All I can say is, go on and bleed.”

Gilles Roch, Winnipeg

 

Let’s get moving, people

Re: Crisis-response proposal makes too much sense for province to ignore (July 31)

I would like to thank Tom Brodbeck for succinctly identifying the value of the crisis response proposal.

While I truly respect both Val Kellberg (Where are the resources?, Letters, Aug. 4) and Yog Rahi Gupta (Response needs more than good intentions, Letters, Aug. 4), I was hoping that instead of pointing out what must be done to accomplish this “fourth crisis-response pathway” they would offer solutions to help move it along. Showing the cup half empty is not helpful nor is the tone of warning they use appropriate.

I would hope that before suggesting a fourth line of response the city and province would know they have to address the lack of resources, the training and funding as well as a plan for introduction.

I’ll risk stating the obvious — we are out of time, and pointing fingers or pointing out delays is not going to help the people who are suffering.

We need this fourth line of support immediately. I just hope this incredibly proactive idea isn’t buried in bureaucracy or the usual tedious and endless planning meetings.

Bonnie Bricker, Winnipeg

 

Time to end U.S. liquor ban

Horrors. Is Donald Trump correct? I think so. The bans on U.S. liquor are discriminatory. How could they be anything else? Provinces don’t ban alcohol from any other country.

The ban served a useful purpose in the beginning. It expressed government outrage. It provided a rallying point for immediate consumer response and gave consumers opportunities to try new varieties and brands of beer, wine and spirits.

There are reports the ban will be lifted in the present round of trade negotiations. It is time to lift the bans and to test consumer resolve to not buy U.S.-made products. Consumers “discriminate” against individual brands and companies daily. “Buy Canadian” is a major marketing point for groceries and almost all other consumer products, including alcohol.

The alcohol market has been disrupted and re-establishment of U.S. brands will take time. Consumers have developed new favourite varieties and brands.

Re-introduction will be similar to a liquor commission introducing a new brand or product — demand must be tested. Provincial liquor commissions should buy limited quantities on consignment and offer them for sale. See if the U.S. brands are still as attractive to consumers. There is a new market reality given the events of the last 18 months. The new reality is being reinforced every day.

Robert Fenton, Winnipeg

 

Nurse practitioners could help

Re: ‘They’re desperate to see someone’ (Aug. 6)

The article mentions hospital administrators are trying to address the problem by hiring physician’s assistants. Why are they not trying to hire nurse practitioners? Would they not also help alleviate the problem if they were working in the many ERs in the province?

It seems to me that nurse practitioners are under-utilized compared to other provinces and I wonder why that is. We need all the health professionals we can get to work in our hospitals.

Ron Robert, Winnipeg

 

Make geothermal mandatory

Re: Getting energy another way (Think Tank, Aug. 5)

With all the positives associated with geothermal energy, perhaps the province should mandate that all new residential and commercial developments incorporate a geothermal facility to provide heating and cooling to all buildings in the developments.

Rene Vincent, Winnipeg