Leave your lunch at home and hit a café to help economy

Re: SunnySide initiative

I propose that on Friday, May 29, every daytime worker do not bring a lunch if they can possibly buy it for that day. That includes coffee or tea. The exceptions, of course, would be if it’s financially impossible or there’s no cafés or restaurants near them.

This would give all local cafés and restaurants across Canada immense business for at least one day.

May 29 should generate enough business to get some money circulating from British Columbia to Newfoundland.  If it works, perhaps the following month do it again on June 26.

Canadian economy may be scary, but cartoon wasn’t

What a racist comic depiction in Metro (Nov. 20) of Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean portrayed as a “spook.”

Sure, the Canadian economic forecast is “scary” and Stephen Harper has vague plans on responding to the challenge, but Michael de Adder’s attempt at satire scraped the bottom of the barrel with this one. Not funny!

Mick Levin, Halifax

Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money, says a proverb of the Cree people.

If there’s one thing the rich and powerful can agree on, it is that they all wish to remain rich and powerful. Response to the recent global financial crisis was swift, significant, and expensive.

In contrast, the response to the climate crisis has been fragmented, ineffective, and marginalized, with the major players deadlocked in disagreement on how to proceed.

The global response to the financial crisis illustrates that world leaders have the ability to combat climate change in a meaningful and co-operative way. 

Jorge Torrealba, Halifax

Stephen Harper’s defaming ads against Stéphane Dion make me believe Harper stole the election.

I believe such a practice must be sternly reviewed by the Elections Canada director general prior to Nov. 12, and he must let us know if Harper won within the dictates of our Constitution, and with due respect of the supremacy of Parliament, which is a fundamental value of our democracy.

In my opinion, a clear statement from Elections Canada is crucial, particularly when the global pseudo-economy is in its last gasps of agony and global warming menaces Canada’s North in an alarming manner.

That menacing uncertainty demands Elections Canada to affirm that slander and false representation are not a constitutionally accepted practice in the democracy of Canada.

– Jorge Torrealba, Halifax

Carl Peters, Sackville

We are through two elections and I am amazed at how these went.

First, the federal one. Having to show ID sure didn’t go well. And with really no one to vote for, why was the turnout so low? Because of the IDs.

No one even bothered to come around to meet the people. So here we have a whole lot of people in Ottawa that we will never know.

Now on to the city election.?It was the same thing — no one cared to come around to see us.
The new council will have to change its ways or be kicked out.

As for me, I want to vote, but if this is how they are going be, then why bother?

– Carl Peters, Sackville

Community-centric decisions should be made within community

Although voter turnout was poor, I hope that the mayor and all elected councillors realize that there is voter dissatisfac­tion with the way the municipality is being run. They need to look at how they can improve the structure so that decisions are made on a timely basis and community centric decisions are made within the community. In this 250th year of democracy we no longer have a democratic form of municipal government. We can only vote for the mayor and our district councillor, however, the entire council makes the decisions. We don’t get to vote for the entire council — should we? What if we had a reduced number of councillors, elected at-large and community councils that actually have financial and decision making capabilities? Nova Scotia is a wonderful place to live and the capital city could be so much more. It only needs to be tweaked to ensure that it becomes the great place that it can be. Changes need to be made now — not four years down the road.
- Donna Lugar, Halifax

CTV Atlantic reponds to Dion interview criticism

Letter to the Editor:
 
On Thursday, October 9th CTV Atlantic interviewed Liberal leader Stephane Dion. This was a very timely interview given M. Dion had been critical of Mr. Harper for inaction during this time of economic crisis. CTV Atlantic anchor Steve Murphy started the interview by asking M. Dion: “If you were Prime Minister now, what would you have done about the economy and this crisis that Mr. Harper has not done?”  M. Dion struggled with the question and asked to start again. While some broadcasters have indicated that re-starts are commonplace in interviews with politicians, Mr. Murphy’s daily interviews on CTV Atlantic are almost always live and if not live, are never edited. But seeing that M. Dion was in obvious distress, Mr. Murphy agreed to start again. After two more attempts and an intervention by M. Dion’s assistant to help explain the question, the interview proceeded.
 
With one hour to go before the start of our 6:00 p.m. newscast, the tapes arrived back at our station. Given the unprecedented nature of the interview, the tapes were reviewed by senior regional editors including Jay Witherbee, Director of News for CTV Atlantic and national editors including Robert Hurst, President of CTV News. Their review considered whether or not there was a problem with the phrasing of the question, whether M. Dion did not understand the question or simply could not or would not answer the question. After a great deal of deliberation, CTV News decided this footage was newsworthy and ran it in its entirety so that viewers could decide for themselves.
 
Public reaction to this decision has been influenced by misconceptions and inaccuracies. Steve Murphy is being attacked for what was a CTV News decision, not a decision made by him personally. Contrary to widely circulated reports, Steve Murphy did not make a promise to M. Dion to not broadcast the false starts, nor was there a commitment to M. Dion or representatives of the Liberal Party that what happened before or after the interview was “off the record.”
 
The decision to air the interview was made by CTV News and we stand by that decision. Mr. Murphy conducted himself professionally, in a non-partisan manner and with the respect and sensitivity he has become known for in the Maritimes. The personal attacks against Mr. Murphy’s character and integrity are entirely without merit.
 
 
Michael Elgie
Vice President and General Manager
CTV Atlantic

Young offenders should pay for crimes

Re:  Halifax hospital opposes Harper's youth justice plans

Ruth Carter obviously does not realize what impact a crime has on the victim. It is about time that someone in government decided to step up and do something about young offenders. If they are old enough to commit a crime the whole world should know who they are and what they did. They also should go to jail with the inmates in the penitentiary and for life if the crime is murder. They choice to do this crime and they should most definitely pay for it. Instead trying to waste more of the tax payers dollars by trying to rehabilitate these people [we should] teach them what it is like to be a victim and show them they are responsible to make changes in their own lives. Good for the government; put them behind bars and publish their names and crimes of all young offenders.
- Judith Howe, Halifax, NS

Chebucto protest went too far

I live on Westmount St. that leads onto Chebucto Rd. and we have had our own problems with the project to widen the road (RE: Protest planned for police conduct during Chebucto incident). We haven't lost our sidewalks or our front yard but I feel that most of this protest thing was a little stupid. I feel that the protest was done a little too close to the tree cutting day and that the protesters themselves went at it the wrong way. Climbing trees and wrestling with police -- it sounds like a guerilla warfare story! What ever happened peaceful protesting? Also why are there people protesting that don't even live in this city? That makes me mad! Why are THEY (the out of towners) protesting? They don"t live here and don't have to drive down or up Chebucto Rd. in a nasty rush hour. I don't like the fact that so many people lost their front yards and have to put up with so much construction all summer but the city will do what the city thinks will help the traffic problems. I wish the city would have helped the people living on Chebucto a little bit more but having protesters litter, wreck construction equipment, cause the police to use force to stop them from acting stupid and so many other things is dumb!

Just had to get that off my chest!!