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3 Comment(s)

Re: Traffic issues

Mayor Brad Woodside's concern over the intersection at Ring Road and Maple is certainly legitimate, but speeding through yellow and red lights is something that is done all over the city.

My concern is the traffic light when turning left (both coming up and going down) at the intersection of King and Westmorland; why is there not a left turn signal there?

There is a left turn lane, so why not a left turn signal?

Just about any time of the day it's like dodging a bullet trying to turn left. It would seem reasonable to me that any place there is a left turn lane there should be a left turn signal.

And the lights on Queen and King do not appear to be traffic controlled. Why? There must be enough traffic to warrant it.

Myra Graham

McLeod Hill, N.B.

Conservation council should respect the social environment as well

Re: Conservation Council of New Brunswick member expulsion policy

Recent letters by David Coon and Sue Rickards attempt to defend the Conservation Council of New Brunswick's member expulsion policy, suggesting it protects the organization from mischief and hostile takeover.

The policy was put in place when nine Kent County farmers joined the organization.

At that time the farmers were being sued by neighbours for spreading manure. The neighbours were taking advice from CCNB who predicted widespread environmental damage to a watershed.

These were not simple private deliberations; there were public meetings, media advisories and press coverage, mostly suggesting the family farmers were polluters.

No pollution was ever found and eventually a damming $90,000 CCNB watershed study was found to have errors in excess of 1,000 per cent after peer review.

The farmers were advised by lawyers to take CCNB to court and sue them for damages caused by numerous counts of defamation and slander.

Instead, they ignored legal advice, purchased nine CCNB memberships and took their case directly to the floor of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick annual meeting of members.

They just thought it was a more rational thing to do.

The farmers were outvoted, and at the end of the day, democracy prevailed for CCNB. Until afterwards, however, when the member expulsions began.

Whether at Fredericton City Council or on the back roads of Kent County, there is a lesson to be learned here. CCNB and business alike, should respect the social environment as well as the natural environment.

Abolishing the member expulsion policy would be a good start.

Larry Jewett

Keswick Ridge, N.B.

The insects win

Re: The downside of summer

This summer has been notable for its bonanza of bugs.

Here in New Brunswick I've seen luna moths - the size of large cats - swoop down and steal young children from their strollers as if skilled shortstops shagging ground balls.

Mothers, horrified, have watched helplessly because they were enshrouded by clusters of mosquitoes biting and buzzing until their victims fell, scratching insatiably, itched to madness.

As if drunken loggers made rowdy by spring, June bugs have crashed and banged and buzzed kamikaze-like into walls and doors and slow-moving homeowners, their racket like stones hailing from the heavens, their deaths beyond numbers and reason.

Grown men have wept seeing their homes fall to dust, the targets of the hunger of gluttonous ants.

Spiders, large as wading pools, have goose-stepped with unyielding resolve on picnicking families, veiling them in webs, hoisting their prey above to hang as signals to others, and as readily accessible munchies.

Languid earwigs have scaled the elderly hedonistically, the old defenseless and unable to flee them for their tired limbs were too aged and covered by pinching, wiggly things.

Like a storm crazed sea, the waves of insects have been relentless this summer, their lust for dominance fuelled by the interminable rain.

And we, the improbable bipeds, can only scratch and swat and dream uselessly of deserts. As it has always been and always shall be: the insects win, the insects win.

Bill Wren

Fredericton

Someone made a big boo-boo

Re: Recent letters to the editor

In regard to letters of Mr. Patterson, Mr. Alward and Mr. LeBlanc, I offer a theory: In the midst of a contrived process that defied the Municipalities Act, inappropriate for the Department of Local Government to be involved in, the minister got impatient and decided to fast track a source of financial subsidy for the City of Fredericton's recreational infrastructure.

To do so the minister made local service district budget adjustments and prematurely exercised the privilege, exclusive to provided services, to make increases in the property tax rate for all neighbouring local service districts, in time for an increase to appear on the 2008 property tax bills.

That would be followed by creation of an exclusive policy to increase the scope of that privilege, eliminate any restriction on, or regulation of, that privilege, to be made perpetual, if only it had Royal Assent.

Ironically the privilege to increase the property tax rate remains contingent on compliance with existing legislation, the Municipalities Act, which requires certain documentation to accompany any process, as allowed by the Act and prescribed by regulation, and, when all is said and done, in the proper sequence, the Minister is warranted to exercise that privilege.

My theory is someone made a big boo-boo and will try to weasel out of it. When that is done my theory will be proven. Q.E.D. pending.

Tom Oldenburg

Estey's Bridge, N.B.

Don't treat our physicians this way

Re: Doctors' wage freeze

In regards to doctors' salaries, everyone should stand up for our doctors.

I think all New Brunswick employees should especially be standing behind and supporting the doctors.

Nurses, teachers and all other public employees could also have this happen to them when their contract is up and it is time for them to go to the bargaining table.

Beware New Brunswick employees, your turn to go to the bargaining table is coming, and with a stroke of the pen, the contract you negotiated might not be honored.

Also, if the government treats employees that way, what is to prevent private companies from treating their employees that way?

Premier Graham, wake up. You cannot treat our doctors this way. Many people here are without a doctor now and what will happen if the doctors do not get their negotiated salary?

We need our doctors. Please reconsider and treat our doctors fairly.

Mary Small

Saint John