Have your say

False wage assertions

Re: Spare us vacuous tough talk (Editorials, Feb. 6). Free Press, spare us the false claim that the wage increases of private-sector workers won't reach those of public-sector workers.

In fact, Labour Canada, the Conference Board of Canada and the Hay Group all report that from 2010 to now, private-sector wage increases have exceeded those in the public sector. These differentials also exist in Manitoba.

MURRAY CONKLIN

Winnipeg

Royal birthday mix-up

In the Feb. 6 article Sixty facts about the Queen, Bruce Deachman mistakenly reports that the Queen's official birthday is officially celebrated in Canada on the last Monday of May before the 25th. The celebration at that time is Queen Victoria's birthday. Many calendars have that day included, and this year it is on May 21.

The Queen's official birthday is celebrated in June with the Trooping of the Colour in London. I have attended many of these ceremonies over the years.

God bless Queen Elizabeth. Long may she reign.

BARBARA WALLEY

Winnipeg

Writing on the wall

Re: Plant closure puts 450 out of work in Ontario (Feb. 4). What is Stephen Harper saying now about the advantages of corporate tax breaks given to Caterpillar Inc. as it moves its plant to the U.S? Is this what our future holds?

To many it may seem unbelievable that a company making record profits would ask employees to take a 50 per cent cut to wages and benefits, but to me the writing is on the wall. This is a wake-up call for Canadians. Corporate greed often overrides decency, and it's time to challenge our politicians on their decisions.

PAT MALIS

Winnipeg

Warmongering is alive

John Baird and our prime minister, and too many UN Security Council members, seem to believe that diplomacy is publicly demonizing and belittling others from afar (Holocaust justifies uneasiness: Baird, Feb. 6).

Warmongering is alive and well. To my knowledge, neither Harper nor Baird has actually met with the Iranian leadership to discuss their world view or do anything to allay their fears that the world wants to annihilate them.

It is extremely disappointing that the good start to Middle East understanding, outlined by U.S. President Barack Obama at Cairo University three years ago, has deteriorated to name-calling and threats.

Since when has the leadership in the developed world been so intimidated by an irrational little tyrant that we are afraid to talk to him? Let's stop the sabre-rattling until we have tried to treat the Iranian leadership like human beings and understand their issues.

JERRY STORIE

Brandon

Swearing out loud

As long as Ronald Isfeld (Those &$*@! politicians, Letters, Feb. 4) and his Selkirk brethren continue to vote for the Conservative MPs, we will need people like me to continue to elect MPs to bring to light the government's deplorable actions through whatever language necessary.

Last week alone, I counted a dozen things done by the Conservative government that made me swear out loud: Sun News-gate; invoking closure on a bill yet again; the old age security debacle; and the list continues.

Who did worse by Canadians last week: my MP, who let slip a word or two, or Isfeld's MP, who supported all of the actions that caused Canadians' anger in the first place?

GERRIT THEULE

Winnipeg

A noisy rebuttal

Re: They're loud, he's clear (Letters, Feb 2). Could Bob Waldon please explain to me how a snowmobile is louder than a combine? Or a grain truck hauling crop down a gravel road?

As he is from Cartwright, he should be well aware of many vehicles causing what he deems "noise." Oh, and by the way, taxpayers contribute almost nothing to maintain our trail system. The money used to maintain trails is raised by snowmobilers and snowmobile clubs and the sale of snow passes.

CHRIS MARQUART

Winnipeg

The Snoman operation is funded entirely through Snopass sales and fundraising by its member clubs. Manitoba Public Insurance receives no money from the Snopass sales, though their vendors receive a $10 commission. Snoman promotes safety and responsibility within suggested speed limits.

To put the sound of a snowmobile in perspective, engineering groups have compared the sound of modern snowmobiles to those of road vehicles, and many road vehicles emit a higher level of noise than a snowmobile. In fact, many trucks and road vehicles, tested to the SAE J-192 procedure, registered sound levels nearly six times greater than a stock snowmobile.

KEN LUCKO

Snoman Inc.

Winnipeg

Jeopardizing the lake

Re: Mining peat in lake's watershed opposed (Jan. 30). Does the Manitoba government have the guts to stand up for our lakes? I and many others are probably thinking the same thing -- why are we putting our lake in jeopardy for less than $200,000?

The NDP government is all for protecting the east-side boreal forest from the Bipole III project, but it is OK to mine and ruin a large natural filter on the west. Excuse me, but isn't that the definition of hypocrisy?

ARIELLE MacLEOD

Winnipeg

Mistaken about drugs

Letter writer Lou Spakowski (Views badly flawed, Feb. 2) is mistaken to think that the drug-prohibition laws are stopping people who want to use drugs from doing so. Prohibition stopped few people from having a drink when alcohol was prohibited. What makes anyone think the prohibition law stops drug users today?

It is not the taxes that government collects from tobacco and alcohol that keeps those products legal. It is the experience humanity has gained prohibiting alcohol in the past that keeps those products legal.

Gangs led by the likes of Al Capone arose to supply the liquor demand. Street shootouts became commonplace, with gangs vying for control of a lucrative black market. Citizens went blind and died of adulterated alcohol. In short, the problems alcohol itself caused were minor when compared to the problems prohibition caused.

CHRIS BOURS

Winnipeg

Broaden the ban

Re: Cosmetic pesticides face ban in province (Feb. 1). Conservation Minister Gord Mackintosh proclaims that he wants to see a modern regulation of non-essential cosmetic lawn pesticides to help protect people's health and the environment but emphasizes that any ban would apply only to lawns and parks, not farms.

Mackintosh would have us believe that it is much better for our health to eat the pesticides in our food than to walk on them on our lawns.

CAROL CLEGG

Seven Sisters Falls

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 7, 2012 A11