Letters to The Sun, Jan. 28, 2020: Please continue to investigate handcuffing of teen girl
Credit to Author: Carolyn Soltau| Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 02:00:28 +0000
Re: ‘No child should have to ever go through that,’ says grandfather of handcuffed girl, 12
Please continue to investigate and report on this story. It is so important in the context of Canada’s treatment of our First Nations people. It cannot be sloughed off as just another story or incident. The police used handcuffs … on a 12 year old. To contain what situation? It was not a robbery, assault or anything particularly serious (I am aware that some say numbers were mixed or IDs didn’t match). I’m 70, a retired lawyer, and for part of my career I worked for legal aid. This appalling action by the bank and the police will be seared in the minds of many.
So the bank doesn’t apologize to the victims, but instead some high-ups hunker down and the best they can come up with an advisory council of Indigenous leaders. This is garbage, and I trust any Aboriginal leaders will see it that way. How much consultation and “advisory councils” does this country need to recognize racism in action?
Two things: How much money was involved? I’m guessing it was closer to $100 than to $100,000. How were the bank employees dealt with? Were there repercussions? Should they meet with the Johnsons and personally apologize? I think so.
Kenneth Smith, Vancouver
Re: Vaughn Palmer: Money-laundering inquiry is a big ask legally, plus deadline is costly
Vaughn Palmer recently wrote that “the NDP’s stake in the process” of the money-laundering inquiry is their ax to grind against the Liberals, negating that the public wants an inquiry. Also, when Palmer “asked recently, the commission defended the hirings” of lawyers needed to conduct the inquiry. So Palmer thinks they have hired too many? Should they hire just one lawyer, part time, to do the inquiry? That would certainly save money.
The Liberals saved us money by cutting the budget for the overseers of money laundering, so we should be grateful. Are the NDP doing this as a political stunt to help them get re-elected, as claimed by Palmer? It is going to cost us $15 million, so maybe we shouldn’t bother. Many people want accountability, and think the value is worth it, certainly more value than the $6 million spent on legal fees for the Liberal who pled guilty in the B.C. Rail scandal.
Shelley Bevandick, Delta
We know or ought to know that the way we tax commercial and retail buildings is ruining our city. I cannot determine when this practice actually started through my searches. I now wonder if the real reason for rezoning the city as a whole has more to do with taxing all single-family property in the city on a “highest and best use” basis.
It is high time to cut the fat at City Hall and all city operations, including councils’ compounding rate of salary increases. An auditor should go into every department and talk to the people on the ground to determine efficiencies and waste. Cut the waste, duplication and overspending just like a private business needs to do.
Let’s get a “highest and best use” practice in every city department or there will be an ever-increasing need for more money. There are two sides to every equation. One side is continually ignored.
Wally Henkel, Vancouver
I’m all for recycling, but since the City of Vancouver outsourced our recycling pickup a few years ago, things have definitely gone downhill. Here we are weeks after a big snowfall and we’re still waiting for it to be picked up. Hats off to the unionized workers that used to do the work, as rarely was a pickup forgotten. I miss the good old days!
Chris Mckee, Vancouver
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