Editor, The Times
Re: Put Your Faith in Mr. Harper, July 30 issue
After several weeks of biting my tongue, it’s time again to vent! Mr. Atkins’ letter demonstrates the worst case of verbal diarrhea that I have read in a long time. It is obvious that he is a non-Conservative by the very “orange” statements he has made.
Let’s bury our heads in the sand and pretend Canada doesn’t need the wealth that is generated by oil production. We’ll just adopt the Liberal and NDP method - we’ll tax our way to prosperity! However, we already know that doesn’t work. It’s “... like standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself up by the handle” (thank you, Winston Churchill).
Mr. Atkins, I really hope that you do win the lottery. Then, maybe, you can afford to go to a country where you can don your rose-colored glasses and see nothing but butterflies and rainbows!
On a lighter note, congratulations and many thanks to the Clearwater District council for its request for a Smart Meter moratorium. I think a lot of questions need to be asked. We know that Hydro’s CEO resigned and then joined the Jimmy Pattison Group. My first question is: Is the manufacture or installation of the Smart Meters being done by a Pattison-owned company?
Former NDP premier Glenn Clark also resigned and then joined the Pattison group. The Fastcat ferries sold at auction for less than the value of their scrap metal. Was the successful bidder a Pattison-owned or - affiliated company?
Premier Christy Clark used to work at a radio station. Was that a Pattison-owned company? We won’t even talk about BC Rail.
It’s less than a year until election time in B.C. This event can be compared to something as simple as fixing a pothole in a road. Let’s imagine that a nasty pothole developed at the approach to the southbound lane of the bridge on the Clearwater bypass. When questioned how to fix it, the parties’ replies were:
Conservatives: Put up a BUMP AHEAD sign. Bring in a crew. Dig out the approach, fill it with gravel, compact it, and pave it.
NDP: Close the southbound lane. Northbound traffic will use the bypass. Southbound traffic will use the Old Thompson Highway as people did in the past.
Liberals: Move the bridge 15 feet to the left. By doing this we will not only miss the pothole but also create hundreds of jobs. When we’re done, we’ll put a toll on the bridge to recoup the costs.
I intentionally didn’t mention the Green Party because I think everybody knows that painting the pothole green would not soften the bump.
Jim Lamberton
Clearwater, B.C.
Editor’s Note: Searches on the Internet showed that BC Hydro’s smart meters are being provided by Itron, a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ. The Jim Pattison Group is not listed as a major shareholder. The Pacificat ferries were sold to Washington Marine Group, now known as Seaspan Marine Corporation, which is owned by Dennis Washington of Montana. Christy Clark worked for CKNW Radio, which is owned by Corus Entertainment, which in turn is controlled by the Shaw family.