Letters, Feb. 9

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/02/2024 (947 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Let system, not civilians, deal with suspect

Re: Police ask for help finding 2021 rooming-house shooting suspect (Feb. 8)

Am I reading this right? The WPS wants us, the public, to help them locate a known drug trafficker, who is 6-3 and 235 lbs., who has skipped bail on a slew of gun-related charges, including two of attempted murder. Facing these very serious charges, and a history of ignoring court orders, he was given bail, of course, and guess what? Skipped. Likely more dangerous than ever before, the Winnipeg Police now want us to go find him because they cannot.

Is this an early April Fool’s Day prank, or did someone slip something into my warm milk last night? The police should be the ones doing the policing and not untrained civilians. It’s time for them to step up and be the good guys who get the bad guys.

Randy Clinch

Winnipeg

So the police are asking for the help of the public to find this guy. Have you seen the rap sheet and prior convictions that he has amassed? Maybe the police should be asking for help from the justice system and the judges who keep putting this guy back on the street.

When will these individuals be held accountable for this guy walking the streets?

Brian Short

Stonewall

Ending convoy protest right move

So the Emergencies Act initiated by Trudeau to end the truckers’ protest in Ottawa was wrong. So What!

The trucker protest was out of control and morphed into other protests. It was like some sort of circus. They were camping on Ottawa streets along with frolicking in hot tubs as well as hurting residents and businesses. Some thing had to be done.

Goofy Trudeau did the wrong, right thing to put an end to the mayhem in Ottawa.

Robert J. Moskal

Winnipeg

Skip the drive-thru

Well we all know it is here and here to stay. Unless you live under a rock or in a mushroom plant the and not aware of the forthcoming the world news tells it all.

Now as a senior citizen this will not affect me too much as me and other seniors are on the back nine and our days are numbered. But the younger generation will witness it all. and hopefully survive and do what is necessary to eliminate the problem.

That being said, I would strongly suggest that those fast food patrons get out of their car and off their rear ends and walk into the fast food establishment and get whatever their taste desires but turn you vehicle off. And it is time that fast food establishments enforce this suggestion by shutting down all drive thrus. Only common sense.

Oh sure, you can say electric cars are on the horizon and I agree, but will you be able afford one? And when this happens there will still be gas-operated vehicles polluting our atmosphere.

Dan Herzog

Winnipeg

Here’s a tip…

Re: “Ticked over tipping” (Letters, Feb. 7)

Unjustly guilted into tipping, poor Brad Enns makes an urgent call to us as a society: put an end to the blatant misuse of 15 per cent tipping, otherwise Brad’s generosity is sure to erode the next time he visits Happy Dog’s Grooming.

Remember: this is for society.

I propose a far more efficient remedy: the next time Brad is struggling with those fancy-schmancy touchscreens, he can press the “No Tip” option. He could also try using those old-fashioned things called “buttons” to put in a tip of $0.00. (Hint: press the “0” key three times.)

Paul Robertson

Beausejour

Poor show by Tories

Re: House of Commons approves new Canada-Ukraine trade without Tories (Feb.7)

I have been following over the past few years the situation in Ukraine and in particular since Russia’s unjustified invasion of a democratic state. Over the two years, many nations and in particular Canada have committed themselves to assist war-torn Ukraine. Canada’s overall commitment has been in form of being a world leader to ensure support for Ukraine, being an ally, by supplying financial assistance, military equipment and providing a home for thousands of displaced Ukrainian refugees.

Reading the article about the Canada-Ukraine modernized trade deal, passed Feb. 6 in the House of Commons by Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois MPs, not including the Conservative party. The PC MPs decided to show no support for Ukraine, a sad picture, lack of cohesive collective support for Ukraine. The new Canada-Ukraine trade deal was discussed and debated in Parliament a number of times. The federal Conservatives on the other hand do not see or understand the whole format of this Canada’s free trade agreement with Ukraine.

Personally, I am surprised and not surprised to see that some federal Conservative Members of Parliament representing constituents of diverse background, showed lack of support for the new Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. I guess as the article states, the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is playing right-wing American politics in Canada. Unfortunately, strong pressure has been placed on Tory MPs who represent large Ukrainian communities throughout Canada, supporting their leader. Does Poilievre understands how many Canadians of Ukrainian background now live in Canada?

Peter John Manastyrsky

Winnipeg

On Hydro’s future

Re: No time for tilting at ideological windmills (Think Tank, Feb. 6)

Deveryn Ross’s op-ed quite accurately indicates that there is an urgency to develop additional power sources in Manitoba. However, using Manitoba Hydro’s debt ratio as an argument for privatization is disingenuous. The private sector must also raise money for these developments through debt, likely at rates much higher than available to Manitoba Hydro.

In addition, they must pay shareholders and executives who typically earn much more than staff at our electric utility. Risk will also be priced into their offerings, which means that rate payers will pay for anticipated problems whether they occur or not.

There are many paths to increasing and diversifying Manitoba Hydro’s generation capacity, while working on reducing the demand side through conservation and geothermal developments. Let’s not sell the store just yet.

Tom Pearson

Indian Wells, Calif.

There is a simple solution to the onerous interest rate the Manitoba government might incur to publicly expand our electrical power infra-structure. Go to the bond rating agencies, “Trump” up the value of Hydro’s assets and maintain the same interest rates we have now!

Gary McGimpsey

Winnipeg

Profits may come second in health

We Canadians are often envied abroad for our “universal” health-care system, yet our health may soon-enough come second to profit maximization, in particular those insatiably amassed by the pharmaceutical industry.

Resultantly, we continue to be the world’s sole nation that has universal healthcare but no similar coverage of prescribed medication, however necessary. Therefore, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh really needs to continue insisting the government keep its promise to implement a ‘pharmacare’ plan.

Not only is medication less affordable, but research has revealed that many low-income outpatients who cannot afford to fill their prescriptions end up back in the hospital system as a result, therefore costing far more for provincial and federal government health ministries than if the medication had been covered.

Ergo, in order for the industry to continue raking in huge profits, Canadians and their health, as both individual consumers and a taxpaying collective, must lose out big time.

So, while we are often envied abroad for our supposedly universal health care, our health may soon-enough come second to profit maximization, in particular those insatiably amassed by the pharmaceutical industry.

Frank Sterle Jr.

White Rock, B.C.