City shouldn’t point finger
Re: Homeless count falls short, March 26, 2015.
Mayor Moonbeam like those that preceded him fell short of his goal to end street homelessness for much the same reason as they did. He laid the responsibility on the provincial and federal governments and sat around bitching and complaining they did nothing. In my lengthy lifetime I have yet to see anything accomplished by waiting around for someone else to do it.
–Donald G. MacKay
There’s no secret to good health
I see that the long standing nutrition store at the corner of Robson and Bute is slated to close its doors soon. A note attached to the window announces the closing and that it was due to a lack of customer support. Sad... Well maybe it is just that people are finding out that a healthy diet and lifestyle has nothing to do with popping vitamins and supplements.
If you lift weights or do long distance cycling, you don’t need a tub of egg white powder.
Detoxing has been debunked as nonsense and if you eat a relatively healthy diet then vitamins are superfluous and akin to pouring water into already full bucket. In other words: a waste of money.
I think this rant has become a rave and people are hopefully starting to see through this craze and put it in the scrap heap of nonsense consumer goods. Good job West End!
–Brett
Sell off Translink
Sadly, current TransLink fiscal problems are not going to be solved with 0.5 per cent or even a 2.0 per cent sales tax increase. I see no option other than voting NO.
Maybe we should look at different solutions. One option might be to sell the TransLink system to an offshore soverign wealth fund (in Dubai or the Gulf area) and lease it back. Under a professional, motivated owner, revenues could be creatively increased, fare loss problems could be addressed and costs could be put under control.
Currently, taxpayers are paying close to a 40 per cent premium – over comparable private sector wages/pensions – for TransLink labour services. A new owner may be able to turn this around, and save tens of millions of dollars, while hiring more people at market rates.
There are solutions out there for TransLink’s broken fiscal management but raising sales taxes and throwing more money at a broken system is not the answer.
–Grant Mclaren
Trash the totem?
We asked our Twitter followers what they thought of Marcus Bowcott’s Trans Am Totem sculpture in False Creek:
@susanmcewan: Try living across the street from it. It’s practically in my living room. #TakeDownTheTotem #TrashTotem
@allan_regan:Very cool, I like it
@stirls: @WestenderVan it UGLY! Now I look out my living room window everyday & see a scrap heap of old cars - should have planted a tree instead!
All rants and raves are the opinion of the individual and do not reflect the opinions of Westender. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and brevity, so please keep it short and (bitter)sweet. Email your rant or rave to [email protected]
