Letters, Feb. 19

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/02/2021 (1667 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Restaurant staff vulnerable 

As hard as it must be for restaurant owners struggling during this time, a perspective that seems to be left out is that of the staff they employ.

When restaurants reopen, laid-off wait staff are expected back to work since they’ll no longer qualify for employment insurance benefits. Being a waiter or waitress is not without a significant amount of risk.

People going into a retail or grocery store are generally walking in, looking around, getting what they need and being on their way, with both customers and employees wearing masks and keeping distance. Hairdressers and barbers work in close proximity to their clients, but both are masked and risk is significantly minimized.

People dine in a restaurant with the expectation of staying a while. This, combined with the fact patrons are not masked for the duration of their meal while servers must deliver the food in close contact, easily puts a waiter or waitress at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 than many other lines of work.

Waiters and waitresses make up much of a restaurant’s staff but bear no power with regard to whether a restaurant will open. Their voices need to be reported on and considered when governments and restaurant owners make decisions that will increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 and prolonging the pandemic.

Kenny Ingram, Winnipeg

 

Forrest’s deal dumbfounding

Re: Bowman insists salary deal for union leader on table (Feb. 18)

Alex Forrest, the union leader who receives 60 per cent of the $116,000 annual compensation from city taxpayers, said: “I can’t comment on any issues that may be in front of the bargaining process.”  As a taxpayer, I can comment on it.

I am dumbfounded this happened in the first place. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for union leaders’ wages. The city should get the taxpayers their money back at the bargaining table. If not, maybe it’s time to take both the city and the firefighters’ union to court.

A message for Forrest: stop taking money that does not belong to you.

A message for Bowman: stop giving him this money; the taxpayers have had enough.

Leah Durham, Winnipeg

 

China will reject demands

Re: Canada, allies denounce arbitrary detentions (Feb. 15)

I note your recent article regarding a Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention, signed by 57 nations including Canada. Although the declaration is country agnostic, it seems aimed in large part at China’s detention of the two Michaels.

The signatories display an ignorance of Chinese history. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, western nations exploited a declining Chinese imperial dynasty by imposing trade conditions that were egregiously one-sided. The West put a gun to China’s head to ensure that western business interests flourished.

The Chinese revolution was motivated as much by a passionate desire to overcome this humiliation as it was by adherence to Marxist doctrine. 

Whether rightly or wrongly, China will interpret any criticism from Western sources, particularly in the form of a joint declaration, as an attempt to reimpose the master-servant relationship of that era.

The current Chinese government never will comply with any joint demand of Western powers. China will deal one-on-one with other nations, but only in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Pierre Trudeau would have understood this; his son, not so much.

Kurt Clyde, Winnipeg

 

Caring for homeless

Re: City neglects plight of tent city residents (Opinion, Feb.17)

How fortunate for the Winnipeg Free Press to have such an informative and talented writer in Niigaan Sinclair.

Chi-miigwech for the accurate and passionate article on the plight of our city’s homeless. We, all of us, should do our part in helping the less fortunate, not just during these challenging times but every day of the year.

I try to do my small part by cooking one grand meal every Sunday for an elder. This gesture is not noteworthy; it is a mere reckoning of how fortunate we are.

Having safe housing, being warm and having food are the human rights of all people. Thank you, Niigaan!

Marguerite Flett, Winnipeg

 

We have come a long way from the days when we used to “blame the victim.” In fact, we have come so far that now we blame the politicians and others for not addressing complex social problems such as poverty, mental illness, addictions and homelessness, which create “victims.”

Maybe it is time to recognize that we have limited resources to address social problems and that many of these problems are bottomless pits. Throwing endless amounts of money at these issues is not going to significantly change things.

Niigaan Sinclair and the Mama Bear Clan are to be congratulated for their ongoing commitment to the plight of the homeless in Winnipeg. At the same time, accusing the city of being guilty of “apathy, neglect and refusal to address its myriad poverty, housing and health issues” is not helping matters.

Mac Horsburgh, Winnipeg

 

Seniors feel snubbed

Re: More Manitobans added to vaccination list (Feb. 17)

By announcing that young criminals currently in Manitoba jails will get the COVID-19 vaccinations before Manitoba seniors, the province has clearly stated where our seniors rank in their priorities. People who have worked and contributed to society for 60-plus years, and who based on scientific data are the most likely to die from COVID-19, will have to wait in line behind young criminals who are at little risk of dying from the virus.

I strongly urge all 60-plus Manitobans to remember this when the next election rolls around, and ensure that this government has zero chance of re-election.

Brian Johnston, Winnipeg

 

Re: Seniors before prisoners (Letter, Feb. 17)

Letter writer Gary Carr believes growing old and working hard, a life well lived, should be rewarded with the privilege to be first in line for the vaccine.

Elderly people can still choose to protect themselves, versus prisoners trapped in a ventilated building primed for a outbreak. The idea that health care is based on the choices one makes in life is a path I do not want to see normalized in society. Critical thinking and minimal health damage should be top priority.

Gisele Bedard, Beausejour

 

Brian, talk to Brian

Re: Premier ‘missing in action’: Mayor (Feb. 18)

I am disappointed to hear that again Premier Brian Pallister has refused to meet with Mayor Brian Bowman. It is an insult to all the citizens of the largest city in the province. The premier should meet the mayor, leader to leader. 

It is not right for people to be sleeping in bus shacks or using warming centres. Homeless people require places to live, and this requires money from the province and bureaucrats who understand the issue.

The premier shows he does not care about our most vulnerable citizens. Kudos to the mayor for reaching out.

Ruth Swan, Winnipeg

 

Even spiritualists like Longhurst

Re: Free Press faith columnist Longhurst receives award (Feb. 17)

Congratulations to Free Press writer John Longhurst for receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Advancement of Interreligious Understanding in recognition of his service to readers of all faiths, including those spiritualists who believe in a power not associated with organized religion.

Tom Pearson, Winnipeg