Letters, Aug. 26

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/08/2023 (1013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Parents already have access

Regarding the PC government’s recent campaign announcement to “finalize and enhance rights for parents and guardians in the Public Schools Act”.

I am a retired educator who served in education for 37 years. Throughout my career, I worked in two provinces, 11 schools and with elementary, junior and senior high students. The last 16 years of my career were spent as a principal. I am also a parent of three children who are products of the public school system.

I am perplexed and appalled at the PC government’s announcement. During my years working in and with schools, I can say with one hundred pern cent certainty if families so chose, there is an abundance of opportunities to, “know what’s going on in the day-to-day lives of their children”.

To name but a few regular communication tools: schools hold meet the teacher evenings at the start of every year to go over curriculum documents and classroom yearly plans; curriculum family evenings are held and all curriculum documents are available online; interactive classroom portals posting recent student work and communication are available to families 24 hours a day; classroom and school wide newsletters exist informing families of upcoming special speakers or events; parent councils serve as a voice for family input and to top things off, the school team is available via email or phone at almost any time.

When addressing bullying or behavioural concerns, it is protocol to inform and work with involved families when dealing with the issues at hand. Now, more than ever, there is an abundance of communication and opportunities to speak to school staff with any questions or concerns and to provide input on a regular basis.

The irony is many families do not take advantage of these rich and plentiful opportunities. There is no lack of opportunities for collaboration with schools, if you so desire.

The PC government’s agenda is nothing more than a politically motivated, divisive, monolithic, fear-mongering attempt to push forward an anti-LGBTTQ+ agenda. Schools are being used as a political ploy to forward and propagate hate.

There is no room in our school system or society for this.

Shame!

Luba Krosney

Winnipeg

 

More big spenders

In his letter to the editor on Aug., 24 (Breaking the bank), Alfred Sansregret criticizes the NDP for promising to spend many millions of taxpayer dollars on new services and programs.

Where has Mr. Sansregret been the last number of months?

The PC party has made almost daily announcements of new spending — everything from $1.5 billion dollars for the HSC Hospital to a million dollars for the new professional basketball team in town.

Not a mention in his letter about where the PC’s are going to get the money for their promises.

I would venture a bet that the PC’s have outspent the NDP by a considerable amount.

Irwin Corobow

Winnipeg

 

Missing the point

Re: The voice from the radio (Think Tank, Aug. 24)

In the middle of a rather self-congratulatory column, Charles Adler asks, “What difference does it make whether climate change is part of the problem, much of it, or all of it?”

Seriously?

Yes, the people who are dramatically affected matter — of course.

But is that “all that really matters?”

And yes, more robust and effective emergency services are vital.

But to suggest the cause of increasing weather events — that is, climate change — is superfluous to the needs of those affected by fire and floods now, and in the future, is short-sighted.

A little more prep time might have made Mr. Adler’s article more palatable.

Ina Baas-Penner

Winnipeg

 

Poor choice

I am appalled by your editorial cartoon of August 25th. The cartoon acknowledges India’s successful landing of a craft on the moon with the caption: “Congratulations to India — that’s four nations that can afford to land on the moon but not feed their poor.”

This conveys the message that money dedicated to scientific research can simply be diverted to feeding the hungry, turning off one tap and turning on another.

World food production is at levels not dreamed of a century ago. The reason is that scientific research has enabled crop yields that would have astounded farmers even a few decades ago. Often these new applications were not even envisaged when the research was initiated.

The cartoon invites us to go back to the Dark Ages, to kick science out the window and replace it with charity.

You cannot splice and dice science. Surely someone on your staff has taken a course in science and its development.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg

 

Collateral damage

Wagner Group founder and failed coup plotter Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his henchmen appear to have met the fate of so many who have opposed Putin.

The ridding of the world of a cadre of brutal, amoral war criminals, although mourned by some with flowers and vigils, is somehow an almost just end.

Sadly, as is often the case in war, the collateral damage — the violent deaths of three non-combatant civilian flight crew members — receives little more than a casual mention.

George Bednarczyk

Winnipeg

 

The show must go on

Kudos to Carson Nattress and his crew at Rainbow Stage for the incredible performance of The Little Mermaid Thursday night at Rainbow Stage!

In spite of cast illnesses, and last night’s flooding, hail and severe winds, the show we saw was wonderful in all respects.

Special kudos to Ariel and Prince Eric. One would never know that Ariel was the understudy and that Eric had been hired the day before the performance!

He was so skilled that we actually forgot that he had the score in his hand throughout the performance.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best I have seen at Rainbow Stage, and I have been attending for many, many years.

Brenda Wedlake

Winnipeg

 

Politics and inflation

Re: Letters to the Editor Cause, not effect, redux Aug 23.

Letter writer Don Halligan missed Switzerland in his assertion that inflation exists in every country in the world. Google it, Switzerland did not print currency in lockstep with the central banks the world over because the Swiss understand that printing currency is no different than trying to melt lead into gold. Thus, low inflation in Switzerland’s Franc.

Inflating the money supply is a debasement that creates no wealth, so leads to the proverbial “more dollars chasing less goods” slogan.

The idea that the Bank of Canada runs independently of politics is childishly naïve.

Governments needed money to pay for their Covid policies and the central banks accommodated them. When governments needed money to pay for their housing policies pre-2008 the central banks accommodated that too.

It doesn’t get any more political than just happening to expand the money supply whenever the government of the day needs money and does not want to raise taxes. Printing currency simply steals the purchasing power of our money.

We are paying for government largesse of the past through rising prices rather than increased taxes. Easier for politicians to pull the wool over your eyes printing money than face the wrath of the public by raising taxes.

Mr. Trudeau is indeed responsible for the inflation Canadians are now enduring. Short-term political gain for him is now causing long-term economic harm, the poor being hurt the worst. Thus is the bane of electing self-admitted economic ignoramuses.

Chris Buors

Winnipeg