Editor the Times:
Re: Clearwater Times, March 27, 2014
Congratulations to our editor! He once stated, “Just mention ‘roundabout’ or ‘global warming’ and I’m sure to get a letter from Jim Lamberton.” Well here I am and here you go.
There are four topics I have to address so they will appear in my order of priority.
1. The article “Wild Game Featured at Rod and Gun Club Banquet”. Many thanks to Kalen and Amanda and their staff from K&A Gateway Grill for a world class meal. The word on the street is that this was the best game banquet meal ever. There was a huge round of applause for the chef and crew, but unfortunately they had already left the building. Also, I apologize to everyone in attendance for having to put up with a P.A. system that worked only when it wanted to. I’d like to thank the Rod and Gun Club for allowing me to be the Master of Ceremonies for the past three years. However, it is time to pass the mic to someone else. I nominate Goldie Krawec for next year’s Master of Ceremonies so she can enlighten the crowd from time to time with various bits of wisdom!
2. The article “Roundabout project received ICBC. funds”. ICBC contributed $43,200 last year towards the installation and lighting of the new roundabout on Highway 5 in Clearwater. What a pack of crap! If you think that’s bad, how about, “Since l990 ICBC has spent $120 million towards road improvement projects and safety studies across B. C.” These are prime examples of why B. C. needs to go back to private enterprise insurance. What happened to the days when road building and upgrades were paid from fuel tax revenue? No more! That goes into general revenue! That’s a slush fund set aside for whenever Christy Clark wants to go on a trade mission to China to buy new shoes.
Throughout the election, Christy babbled about her five-point plan that had to be addressed before she would condone a pipeline through B.C. Well, Christy, it should be a six-point plan and number six should be number one, that all British Columbians should be paying less for fuel than any other country our natural resources are being shipped to. LNG, Christy’s golden goose, should be available to all British Columbians before one drop of it leaves the country. Most of the major centres have LNG. However, rural areas must rely on propane.
Here is a recent example – last week, I price-checked two propane outlets in the North Thompson, one in Clearwater and the other in Little Fort. Both places charge $123.20 to fill a 100 lb. tank. In Kamloops, the cost was $63.49. I would say that’s way beyond gouging and something has to be done! This is not the problem of the peon on the side of the road. It’s the problem of the provincial and federal governments. It’s time to realize that fuel in rural B. C. is an essential service, not a perk! It’s time to quit giving millions of dollars in grants to environmentalist groups so they can lobby the government to increase the price of fuel because it is causing global warming. It’s time to use that money to create an alternative to fossil fuels.
Another failed Liberal campaign promise was no increase in B. C. Hydro charges. Here again Christy didn’t finish her sentence. What she meant was no increase unless her party got elected, and they did. Consequently, we suffer a 26 per cent Hydro increase over two years!
I haven’t seen Terry Lake with his electric car in Clearwater lately, and I can’t say I’ve seen an electric car fuelling station here either.
A guy on a local radio talk show stated that there are lots of fuelling stations throughout Vancouver. Evidently the electricity is free and it takes about $1.50 worth of electricity to drive from Vancouver to Whistler. While he skis, he can recharge his car free. Nice perk! But I guess that’s for those who donated to the Liberal campaign!
4. Because of the length of my letter, I’ll have to skip #3 and briefly touch on #4, which is the editorial by Keith McNeill on page A4, about a “New Use for Dutch Lake”. “An overflow for Dutch Lake beach. There is sand on the property and possibly a small beach could be constructed that would catch the morning sun and warm up earlier in the day than the present beach”. Keith! We need a sewer system around Dutch Lake. We don’t need another park! Don’t even let the sun on the beaches get a chance to vote!
Jim Lamberton
The Rambling Man
Clearwater, B.C.