Weekend Mailbag: Jan. 23, 2021

By Letter to the Editor on January 23, 2021.

Weekend Mailbag is a new online feature at the Medicine Hat News which includes letters to the editor that could not be fit into the paper in a timely fashion. Check back each Saturday for more thoughts from the community, or share yours by submitting a letter to the editor by email at letters@medicinehatnews.com.

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Health and the UCP

Dear editor,

Below are a few comments about current health issues and the United Conservative Party of Alberta:

a) Per capita, Alberta has had among the highest number of COVID-19 infections in Canada. This can be largely attributed to Premier Jason Kenney’s reluctance to make the wearing of masks in public mandatory and to impose a timely full lockdown during the second wave of COVID-19 infections.

b) The proposed outsourcing of community laboratory testing to the private sector makes no sense. At present, Alberta Precision Laboratories, a subsidiary of AHS, provides an integrated and highly cost efficient service. Implementation of this policy will result in disruption, staff layoffs, very expensive equipment made redundant and questionable savings.

c) The confrontational and amateurish approach adopted by Health Minister Tyler Shandro during negotiations with physicians and the Alberta Medical Association is counter-productive.

d) Coal mining on the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies is going to cause air and water pollution, which will adversely impact public health and result in irreversible environmental degradation.

e) The government’s recent discontinuation of an integrated EMS dispatch service in Lethbridge, Red Deer, Calgary and Wood Buffalo has very little local support and is strongly opposed by the respective mayors. The current partnership between fire and ambulance services saves lives.

f) Recent out-of-country travel by UCP politicians and staffers shows an arrogant disregard for the provincial COVID-19 public health measures.

The UCP government is putting political expediency, narrow party ideology and short-term economic gain ahead of sound public policy, and there appears to be a reluctance to seek and use impartial expert advice. Shandro should be replaced and Mr. Kenney held accountable.

Michael P. Greeff

Lethbridge, Alberta

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Financing private sector should not be in purview of municipal government

Dear editor,

I read with interest the “City looks to boost investment” article, in the Jan. 14 edition of the Medicine Hat News. Apparently, the city is looking into things such as “guaranteeing assets or other loans” to private sector businesses in order to attract, “new private investment and to create jobs.” In my view, because of the risk involved, financing private sector businesses  should not be in the purview of municipal government.  If there is a business case for new private investment, the promoters can raise the necessary equity from shareholders, and if debt is needed, from the banks. There are too many examples, less than stellar, of governments getting ahead of themselves in the market place and leaving the taxpayer to pick up the pieces of what become failed policy initiatives.

In regard to job creation, how about if we concentrate on providing basic municipal services such as roads, utilities, police and fire protection, park and recreation facilities, on an even more efficient and cost effective basis? By so doing, there may be room to cut property taxes. Less taxes will free up capital for businesses, particularly small businesses, to not only retain existing jobs but perhaps to expand and create more employment.

However well intentioned, it is my hope our city concentrates on doing what it does best and does not try to “help” the private sector along with taxpayer money.

Val T. Felesky

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Common decency should be more common

Dear editor,

It saddens me to see signs in retail stores and medical offices warning people that foul and abusive language will not be tolerated. I agree with the signs, just saddened to see we have sunk that low as a society.

Does anyone really believe being rude or ignorant will get them a better deal or faster service? I am retired now but not long enough to forget that my level of service depleted the ruder the client.

Foul language is common in the military, no surprise there. They have a dirty job that no one else wants. I had an instructor one time many years ago who said the only time you should swear, shout or both is if you have an emergency or a large group of people to move in a small space. He was right, many folks I worked with used foul language as a normal part of their everyday speech. When asked how they would attract attention during an emergency I was usually presented with an open mouthed blank stare.

If we are not prepared to respect each other, how on earth can we be respected? It is no wonder our political leaders are telling us to stay home and stay safe while they swan off to exotic climates, feed us large plates of Bovine excrement and ignore our requests. They do not have any respect for the electorate and who can blame them, the electors do not hold them in high esteem either. Time to follow grandma’s instructions, if you would not say it to your mother then keep your mouth shut.

Ian Parkinson

Medicine Hat

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Getting drunk or high is not an accident

Dear editor,

The Supreme Court of Canada has consented to hear a case regarding the culpability of people who unintentionally commit heinous crimes while extremely intoxicated.

The federal government got it right 25 years ago by barring drunkenness as a criminal defence. Then an appeal court proclaimed this restriction unconstitutional – a typically Canadian absurdity.

Apparently one should be entitled to murder and maim without true penalty as long as he is out of control and unaware of his actions. The victim’s rights are never mentioned in this argument.

In the real world, killing someone, even by accident, risks prosecution for manslaughter.

Getting drunk or high is not an accident. To a rational person this would not absolve a perpetrator of crimes committed in a self-induced state of insensibility. The intoxicated killer hadn’t meant to kill, but the victim is just as dead as if they had.

Charmaine Wood

Irvine

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A letter to Premier Jason Kenney

Hi Jason, Tom here in Medicine Hat (again).

With your popularity rating hovering in the 30s, looks like you had a rough ride in 2020 with that darn pandemic. If that wasn’t bad enough, the New Year has barely started and there’s more bad press for the Un-Coordinated Party.

I’m referring of course to the unfortunate New Year’s press conference where the travel practices of certain prominent UCP team members became public knowledge.

To refresh, MLA Pat Rehn off to Mexico. Municipal Affairs Minster Tracy Allard and family apparently loathe to break a 17-year Christmas in Hawaii tradition. MLA Tanya Fir and MLA/Parliamentary Secretary Jeremy Nixon also in Hawaii. MLA Jason Stephen off to the USA. Then there’s the unelected person in a key position – Chief of Staff Jamie Huckaby – travelling to Britain in November for personal reasons. During the press conference, you said something I was totally in agreement with: “I recognize that those of us in positions of public trust must maintain a higher standard in our personal conduct than is expected of folks in the general population.”

Sadly, you then turtled as a leader by declining to hold these people to the higher standard you referred to;

“I don’t think it’s reasonable for me as a leader to sanction people who very carefully followed the public-health orders and the legal requirements in a province where we have been, frankly, encouraging safe travel.”

Then, you delivered the signature Kenney deflection move attempting to justify the actions of your team members with this bit of puffery;

“Completely shutting down travel would result not only in tens of thousands of more job losses, but would likely result in the financial collapse of Canada’s airline industry, which is an essential part of a modern economy for Alberta.”

Really Jason – what we’re talking about here are five elected members of the UCP team and one unelected but high-profile team member who displayed incredibly bad judgement. So, let’s not wander off topic with dramatic statements – you’re only making it worse.

I would much rather hear you discipline these people (news flash Minister Allard’s apology was very weak), read the riot act to the rest of the team and start focusing on the important issues of the day. And no, that doesn’t mean more fantasies from the Fair Deal Panel concerning a private, I mean provincial, police force or getting your fingers into the Federal Pension Plan, etc.

Might I suggest something that will actually affect our economy, like putting greater urgency on the vaccination implementation thereby enabling people to return to work and out of self isolation? Yes – many of us were able to easily understand the AHS guidelines and have actually been practicing self isolation and avoiding non-essential travel!

I’ll conclude here Jason. Please keep these suggestions in mind next time one of the team members soils the bed again because – frankly – we both know it’s only going to be a matter of time. Until then, have a great day and keep working on those poll numbers!

Tom Simpson

Medicine Hat

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Faith and American politics

Dear editor,

The final act of a Shakespearian tragedy is winding down as President Donald Trump exits the stage of American politics. It reminds one of the fall of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who was forced to eat grass like an ox and be wet with the dew of heaven. And like Nebuchadnezzar, Trump may well have given God the recognition for his successes, but we were never really sure where he stood in his relationship with Jesus Christ. His wisdom was in inviting born-again Christians into the White House to pray for him and his American Republic in decline.

The first act of a new tragedy will be the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. There is no doubting where they stand with God. They don’t. In the vice-presidential debate, Harris said, “Joe and I are people of faith.” I would like to hear her explain that to all those Americans opposed to abortion. Biden, on the other hand, says he’s a practicing Roman Catholic. He even admits that life begins at conception. However, he says he will not oppose abortion. It is not surprising that priests and other Catholics have called for him to be excommunicated. On election night, Harris phoned Biden. “We did it, Joe. We did it,” she said. God knew what He was doing.

There seems to be a sense among Democrats, and even a small minority of Republicans, that following Trump’s departure to the Florida golf courses, there will be a new Camelot in Washington. Don’t hold your breath. Remember, God is absolutely in control of the engineering of Man’s circumstances. He has removed Trump and replaced him with Biden. At least for a while.

The Prophet Daniel tells us: “He changeth the times and the seasons; He setteth up kings and removeth kings.” Everything must ultimately conform with God’s perfect will and His purposes. As one tragedy is replaced by another, I am reminded of Shakespeare’s tragedy of Julius Caesar’s assassination and the words of Mark Antony: “Cry Havoc! And let loose the dogs of war”.

Civil war in a post-Trump America is not far-fetched when we consider the recent turmoil in the U.S. There was turmoil in Judah prior to the invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in the days of Jeremiah. However, Jeremiah warned the people of Judah to accept the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar and go into captivity in Babylon for 70 years. Americans may well regret that many of their fellow citizens did not accept the yoke of Trump.

John Stanley

Medicine Hat

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