Easy to be cynical, if not angry
Vancouver Island News Group -- Courtenay Comox Valley Record
11 May 2007
Letters

Dear editor:

Re: "Child-care funding cut by one-third," May 2 issue

We've just read about the one-third cutback in provincial funding for child care support services, an amount that's close to the percentage a consultant team has decided would be a fair increase in the salaries to our premier and MLAs!

I seem to remember, though, that British Columbia is the only province that didn't top up the slashes made to child care by the federal government, and yet it appears to be quite alright to use our tax dollars to give these representatives raises that will see MLAs receive $98,000 instead of their current $76,000 (a 29-per-cent increase), with Premier Gordon Campbell receiving a 53 per cent increase!

But, isn't this the same government that decided to cancel the last sitting in the legislature -- saying something to the effect that it was just "busy work"?

A new "work less, receive more" policy?

A quality child-care system equates to the quality of our social fabric, and eventually the economy, but it's quite obvious the Liberal government hasn't given it much priority when we see they're more concerned about a personal pay raise than the future well-being of their children or grandchildren!

I wonder as well if the rising costs of the 2010 Olympics might have anything to do with the downgrading of services to the "other" citizens of British Columbia?

Pretty natural to be cynical at a time like this, not to mention angry.