Letters, July 5

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/07/2023 (1163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rewards of selflessness

Re: What you give, not what you get (Editorial, July 4)

It is definitely time for an article which highlights the benefits for all on the merits of volunteerism. I would have added a secondary title. ”When you give, you get.”

At one time the virtues of volunteerism were a given, taught by society along with the Three Rs. Now, not so much! In trying to recruit volunteers for a variety of worthy projects, the reply given by young, and not so young, adults is often, “I don’t have time, I work full time.” The answer to that remark is obviously that people will always make time for the things they feel are important, therefore volunteer work is not deemed important enough to make time by most.

As the above article points out, a great many worthwhile endeavors in our current society don’t run at all without volunteers.

If our aim is to provide a good society, we must have volunteers. In fact, we cannot hope to have a quality society without the work provided by volunteers. And yes, absolutely, that volunteer work brings its own rewards as well.

Step up indeed!

Margaret Mills, Headingley

 

Severance policies need change

Re: Crown bosses’ salaries jump while workers take job action (July 4)

Severance pay is not always warranted.

It is wrong to hand out severance pay to someone who voluntarily leaves a job. Especially so, in highly compensated positions. Most contracts have clauses to protect parties in any bilateral contract. And so it should be… for both sides.

When an employer’s situation changes and an employee’s contract is terminated a “severance package” is most certainly warranted, unless the termination is for just cause. If there is just cause to terminate the contract, not only severance pay is no longer needed or proper, I say the employee should be subject to covering the unexpected cost of having to find a replacement for the position.

When an employee decides to voluntarily end their contract of employment, not only there should be no severance package offered, the employer should also be the one compensated for having to initiate a search for a new employee. That is what I would consider “fairness in the workplace.”

What is currently happening is totally out of place. It needs to change.

Giovanni Versace, Winnipeg

 

Get rid of coyotes

Re: Leg-hold traps used in full-on effort to track coyote after second attack (July 2)

Two reported incidents of coyote attacks and the best we can do is live trapping? Experienced hunters should be hired to eradicate them before more serious attacks occur.

Michael Leipsic, Winnipeg

 

Parallel struggles

Re: The new robber barons of the web (Think Tank, July 3)

Everyone has their story, indeed. Patricia Dawn Robertson’s thought-provoking account of a freelance journalist in the era of social media parallels the experiences of disabled Manitobans seeking equitable health care.

When I needed an ambulance, I discovered I wasn’t ‘on a plan’ either ­­— unlike those who dreamed-up our exorbitant paramedic-service fees. With perky union contracts, group-plan insurance, workman’s compensation programs and disability pensions, these people are ‘Alright, Jack’ to have the feds move into Manitoba like a white knight, and deliver us from Canada’s meanest criteria for determining what ‘disability’ really is!

Here, qualifying for ‘Disability’ Employment Income Assistance is not based on an assessment of health (as it is, say, with the Canadian Disability Tax Credit) but rather on the financials of people who may or may not live with them, whether they are married or ‘conjugal’ with someone — anyone!

So disabled Manitobans valiantly soldier on, paying for their own meds, ramps, rehab orthoses and ambulatory health care with personal savings earned during their ‘employable years.’ This will not change, because who in Shared Health’s insured-benefits department even has ‘lived experience’ with disability, if they get ‘pensioned-off’? (And, dare I say it, disabled Manitobans have no union going to bat for them when they claim disability.)

Manitoba’s disabled community is being forced to join the ranks of the homeless in order to qualify for assistance, and, horribly, some are selecting Manitoba’s MAiD program as a ‘way out.’ All this, while our able-bodied legislators fiddle with their laces and feign compassion.

In this election year, I would say no political party is superior when it comes to understanding the needs of disabled Manitobans.

Karmel Schreyer, Winnipeg

 

Need deterrent to crime

Every time that I read about a rise in theft — whether it is garage break-ins, pilfering cars or shoplifting, the conclusion drawn is that it is due to the rise in the cost of living.

Are we kidding ourselves? When is the last time that you heard of police responding to a garage break in or shoplifter?

In my view, people are becoming more brazen due to there being a lack of consequence.

Think about it. If you can afford the trip up to Gimli, you can afford to spend a few dollars in a local shop — let’s stop justifying these situations and call it what it is.

Crime.

Debbie Ristimaki, Winnipeg

 

Remembering a talented pupil

Re: The Pundance Kid (Passages, June 30)

Thank you Ben Waldman for this poignant remembrance of Daniel Augusta, a.k.a. The Pundance Kid. It brought to mind an exchange I had with Daniel way back when he was in Grade 6.

I taught Daniel, in early years at Joseph Teres School and then again at John W. Gunn Middle School. Dan was truly brilliant. His intellect was developed far beyond what teachers typically expect from preteen middle school students. Dan was also mischievous and had a highly developed (some would say evil) sense of humor.

I recall prepping my students in the days leading up to my formal evaluation conducted by my principal. I implored the kids to be on their best behaviour for this fateful event. The day of the evaluation came and I was in full stride, feeling confident and in control until, that is, Dan raised his hand and deadpanned a question which I suspect he had rehearsed for days.

“Mr. Bennett,” he said, “I have a question… actually I have two questions, no, make that three.” He then proceeded to ask three of the most complex and convoluted questions designed entirely to flummox his poor teacher under the watchful eye of his principal and 27 adolescents. I was at complete loss and did my best to mumble a semi-coherent response.

I remember backing up to the blackboard, clutching the ledge for support, and sweating bullets. I glanced over to my administrator and noticed she was doing her best not to laugh out loud. It was at that moment I recognized the setup and joined her in laughing while Dan smiled angelically feigning his innocence.

That was Dan; funny, smart, kind, mischievous, and so full of life. He was loved dearly by all his teachers, educational assistants, and principals.

Michael Bennett, Winnipeg

 

Thanks, Shelley

Re: Signing off after three years of sharing your stories (July 4)

A short and simple thank you to Shelley Cook for her column. Will miss the “down to earthness” of her articles.

The biggest compliment I can give to Shelley is that when her column appeared, I read it.

Have great success at whatever is next on your horizon.

Robert Monuik, Thompson