YO PAR teins Peet he ae A AN pons rina,’ raking fronting. Continued from Page A8_ and others who speed should be ashamed of their disregard for the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, other drivers, passengers, and even themselves. The article mentioned that Cen- tral Saanich police chief Bob Miles “is unsure the fine ($75) and demerit point levy (3) points is enough of a deterrent.” - The severity of the penalty is important to a degree; but a severe penalty is not a deterrent at all unless people believe there is a good chance of being caught. It is unfortunate that some will remain unconvinced that they ought to respect the speed limits _ for the safety of others. _ Perhaps these people will be - persuaded to do so by the police, ’ who have indicated they will _ patrol the school zones regularly. _ Cliff McNeil-Smith Sidney Property tax unfair Editor: Each year the federal and pro- vincial governments provide all their services for the benefit of everyone equally, and then directly tax us according to our ability to pay, our income for the year. No income, no taxes. Now watch what the local gov- emment does. Each year our municipalities provide all their services for the benefit of everyone equally, but then directly tax only those of us who go out on a limb, borrow money, and buy a home. No income, you must pay taxes. Each year, unbeknownst by most of us, tucked away out of sight, hundreds and hundreds of unemp- loyed homeowners in B.C. are silently forced to pay property taxes out of their savings. So you have the ludicrous, but outrageous, situation of unemp- loyed hoeowners, through lack of work, or because wf sickness, relentlessly forced to finance the salaries of mayors and counselors. the unemployed financing the employed. : So why do we not hear from even one of our elected officials Mh fon Pin poem, FOR NOW ...... “Let Charity Continue ...” ° at your Peninsula Bingo WHITE | PARK NORTH OF JAMES taking time out to investigate in depth the ramifications of a tax system that is clearly riddled with unfaimess and then indignantly denouncing the system, calling for change? Why? CT. Larrington Central Saanich Python skit? Editor: I’ve had quite a few chuckles over the anti-freeway group’s (AFG) use of logic in their opposi- tion to the upgrade of the Pat Bay highway. I’ve come to the conclusion that they can’t honestly be serious, and that their behavior is actually a reenactment of some Monty Python skit the group collectively watched at some point. Hmmm, maybe it was that classic skit about the roving gang of biker grannies? Anyways, it appears that this group opposes a Pat Bay freeway because it would necessarily result in the following three ‘undesirable consequences’: there would be tremendous pressures for housing development; mad drivers would be speeding down an Indy race- way; beautiful scenery would be tumed into ugly, noisy cloverleafs. On the first point, the AFT has assumed that all housing develop- ment is bad. I wonder how these people ever managed to arrive on the Peninsula without develop- ment? Was their one level rancher with a nice waterview part of God’s creation. Or did they evolve from the primordial soup and climb onto land just down from the Chalet restaurant? Perhaps they came by wagon trains, blazing a wagon trail (an early freeway) after lengthy con- sultation with the Natives about right-of-ways and wagon clover- leafs? Hmmm, those neighborly peo- ple living on the Peninsula are not elitist, are they? Assuming that these people and their homes just magically appeared, if the AFG now con- STILL FREE PARKING DRIVE WHITE RD THE “BIG ONES” 7 DAYS A WEEK SIDNEY DROP-IN BINGO FREE PARKING nects the construction of a safer freeway with undesirable develop- ment, then can we infer that the AFG might support the removal of all pedestrian overpasses? After all, if drivers’ lives can be sacrificed to help prevent develop- ment, just think of how effectively development can be discouraged by the frequent killing and maim- ing of pedestrians. And if this were not enough, perhaps all the traffic lights and stop signs could be removed from the existing highway so that traffic camage would escalate to such a degree that development would never be a concern! After all, anyone who tried to commute on the Pat Bay would survive one, maybe two, weeks! And as for those silly tourists going to and from the ferry, well there are just too damm many of them anyway. We could afford to lose a few. Hmmm, does this “drawbridge mentality’ ever factor the lives of other people into their equation? On the second point, the AFG has stated that a freeway will encourage speeding, citing the freeways of Vancouver where driv- ers typically exceed the speed limit by about 10 to 20 kph. I would invite AFG members to drive the Pat Bay a bit more frequently to see that the Pat Bay drivers typically exceed the speed limit by at least 10 to 20 kph. Freeways do not cause speeding: people cause speeding. Ask any traffic cop about school zones! Upgrading will allow everyone, those inevitable speeders and non- speeders alike, to travel at 80 or 90 kph in a much safer fashion. Hmmm, I wonder if the AFG is the same group that says condom machines in schools cause teenage pregnancies? On the third point, it appears as though the AFG group prefers the quiet serenity of lots of nice peace- ful graveyards, which the existung highway promotes, to the hectic commotion of a freeway clover- leaf. I'd suggest that the AFG spend a few shifts in a hospital emergency ward, experiencing the hectic commotion of twisted bodies and (NO TICKETS) 3RD. 1 |. BINGO!! 9842 3RD 4TH TheReview Wednesday, September 26, 1990 — A10_ distraught families, for first-hand _ they are siriving to maintain. Hmmm, for some reason the Continued on Page A12 *DRAPERIES * ETC. experience of the ‘beauty’ which ‘UPHOLSTERY ANTIQUES N J ce & pm’ 652-9454 6655 TRUDEAU TERRACE BRENTWOOD BAY, B-C. Kents Cabinets and Furniture i) For a Free Estimate Call #6 - 10114 McDonald Park Rd. Shawn 655-0881 (1 Block from Slegg Lumber) SIDNEY HOUSE OF RUSSELL HAIRSTYLISTS LTD. UNISEX 656-1522 ene Our Reputation is on Your Head ® Precision Cutting © IN SIDNEY CENTRE #102-2367 Bevan Ave., Sidney, B.C. (Next to Safeway) Sail Away loaNewLé You've always dreamed of owning a waterfront home ... why wait any longer? The Residences at Port Sidney offer an unsurpassed waterfront location with all the amenities of Sidney’s town centre. 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