Letters, Oct. 23

Bad move by Kinew

Re: U.S. booze down the drain (Oct. 21)

There are good decisions and bad decisions. The knee-jerk reaction by Premier Wab Kinew to remove all American wine and spirits from Manitoba Liquor Mart shelves was a very bad decision, both financially and logistically.

We are now paying the price with $29,000 down the drain and probably more spoiled booze to come. The more logical approach would have been to quickly sell off the American stock at bargain prices, then not reorder.

U.S. President Donald Trump has more than three years left in office, how much more product will end up down the drain?

Terry Meindl

Winnipeg

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries states that it hasn’t had to deal with “any significant spoilage” of American liquor that was pulled off the shelves.

I guess they think $29,000 worth of liquor and $2,400 to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way is chicken feed in the big picture, but to me it represents all the provincial income taxes and sales taxes that I have paid in the last three or four years. Instead of squandering my contributions to the provincial treasury, that liquor, along with the other $3.4 million worth of American liquor in storage should have been sold, and no further American liquor purchased until the problem with the U.S. is resolved.

The Manitoba government didn’t hurt any American company with this foolish decision. The only ones they hurt were the Manitobans who continue to pay some of the highest provincial income tax in the country.

Bill Parkes

Winnipeg

I have to question the decision of the powers that be, regarding the “storage” of all of the stock of American liquor on the shelves of all of the liquor marts in Canada.

This booze that has been taken off the shelves has been paid for. Since it was already paid for, wouldn’t it make more sense to sell out instead of storing it? Then just do not order any more until the tariff deal has been settled.

It likely had a huge cost for every liquor store in Canada, taking this product off the floor and putting it into storage. Now, according to the Free Press, they are also throwing out certain product. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

Rick Sparling

Winnipeg

Carbon boondoggle

Re: Carbon-capture technology has its flaws (Think Tank, Oct. 21)

Alex Passey documents many of the flaws of direct air carbon capture. An overriding concern is that renewable energy must be used for the direct capture and storage technology, otherwise there would be more carbon produced than captured.

However, much more carbon could be saved than captured by using the renewable energy required for direct air carbon capture to replace existing fossil fuel usage. There is no free lunch. When renewable energy is used for direct carbon capture, it cannot be used to replace fossil fuels.

Why is the Manitoba government investing our taxpayer dollars in a boondoggle that will actually produce carbon rather than save any?

Dennis LeNeveu

Selkirk

In defence of community mailboxes

Re: “Not a fan of community mailboxes” (Letters, Oct. 22)

In response to Michael Dowling’s letter, I would like to point out a few things about life in rural Manitoba and mail delivery.

I grew up in a small farming community in Westman. There was no home mail delivery. Rural residents rented a mailbox. My parents paid a yearly fee to have the privilege of a mailbox for well over 60 years, as did their parents.

A prime example of a two-tiered system.

I now live in a small city which had home delivery and now have a community mailbox. Yes, it was a minor inconvenience to go to the new system and not have home delivery.

However, if it’s -40 I choose to stay at home or stop on a grocery run and pick up the mail. It’s a hardship only if you make it one.

Lois Wales

Selkirk

We have had a community mailbox for a few years now and I prefer it because it can sit there until I decide to pick it up.

A little walk to the mailbox is not going to hurt anyone that is able. Most of it is flyers anyway and it is safely locked up until I want it.

Brian Jones

Winnipeg

Service issue

I walk in our neighbourhood several times a day, and I see two transit-on request buses sitting empty and standing idle on our streets.

In the months since their addition to our transit services, there has only been one rider in view on one of the buses. Can anyone explain this service? Expanding it to night runs is more feasible than empty buses during daylight hours.

Rennie Bodi

Winnipeg

Canadian football better

At a time when Canadians for the most part are taking an elbows-up stance against things American, the CFL governors have taken an elbows-down position.

The league is trying to transform our uniquely Canadian game into a form that an American television audience can understand. The object of course is understandable. The CFL is trying to get a lucrative American television contract. The income from this contract will be used to support the privately owned teams, in some of Canada’s largest markets, that can’t get their act together and build a fan base around their team. From a Canadian fan’s perspective, the field dimensions, the three downs, the rouge and the 12th man all make the game unique. The Canadian kicking game adds opportunity exciting plays. The NFL fair catch eliminates any possibility of a return.

Similarly, placing the goal posts at the back of the end zone eliminates most runbacks of missed field-goal attempts. The new NFL kickoff format is a joke. There are more touchdowns scored per game in the CFL than the American game. Who cares if there is the odd kadoink when a quarterback’s attempted pass hits the goalpost.

When I lived in Australia between 1985 and 1987, American gridiron football was being introduced to the country on television. The Aussis used to laugh at the huge oversized players who need long breaks between plays and sucked on oxygen at the bench. Aussi rules was a fast game by comparison, with few stoppages in play.

Sometimes you just don’t appreciate what you have until you lose it. Keep the CFL the Canadian version of gridiron football unique. Don’t change the game in the hopes of drawing a few American subscribers. Those who like our game probably follow it already. Changing it to some compromise between the NFL and CFL may add a few American viewers, but it will occur at the expense of losing some of the Canadian audience. I for one will not follow the CFL after 2026 if the proposed rule changes go through. The league has already insulted its supporters by not consulting with its fan base before announcing its changes. Why did they not do so? They didn’t want to hear the fans opinions.

The CFL could go a long way to gain more public support by promoting Canadian junior football, high school and university football more than they do today.

John Frostiak

Balmertown, Ont.