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Letters to the Editor for the week of January 19th

Do as I say, not as I do' PM must change fast From the celebratory lamb dinner with (U.S.
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Do as I say, not as I do' PM must change fast

From the celebratory lamb dinner with (U.S. President Barack) Obama in Washington (huge greenhouse gas [GHGs] emissions to produce lamb) to the recent helicopter ride to the palatial home of federal lobbyist for a free vacation with friends, Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau has, related to carbon emissions and GHG reduction, completely failed to live by the simplest of rules: lead by example.

There are situations where he, of course, can not do this (like flying with the rest of us). But his apparent refusal to even try to live by example shows, at best, a lack of mature principles and, at worst, a total disconnect from any middle-class realities with no desire to forge one.

A carbon tax affecting all Canadians coupled with several large fossil-fuel project approvals demonstrates this same double standard. The world is noticing.  

Canada went into Paris as leaders, with the largest delegation per capita I might add, and then the PM came home and approved three huge fossil-fuels projects (soon to be six with Keystone, Energy East and a second LNG in B.C.). 

This is not balance; this is hypocrisy. This is simply a "do as I say, not as I do" world approach as well.

We can be fairly certain that if every country that went to Paris then came home and announced, within a year or two, four new pipelines and two new massive LNG plants, the Paris agreement may as well be rolled up and... thrown away.

Let's use our tax dollars to lead the world in humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, national medical care, poverty rates, treatment of indigenous people and human rights.  

And let's hope, someday soon, that we can join a strong group of countries, with bold leaders, making real commitments, with binding measures, that are actually doing something real about climate change. Then we can do as they do.  

I am not sure the Paris group, with a so-called "leader" like Mr. Trudeau, is ready to do any heavy lifting beyond taxation coupled with increased extraction and usage.

There is little value in a carbon tax with these results, except for the governments that fatten their budgets. 

Perri Domm
Whistler

Lucky to live here

There are so many people I'd like to thank after being helped from my truck after it had flipped on the highway last Tuesday morning (Jan. 10) due to icy conditions.

I couldn't believe how many bystanders came to my rescue, and how caring and helpful the fire department, the staff of the Whistler Health Care Centre and the towing staff were.

A special thanks to the young lady, Anastasia, who held my hand until I got to the clinic.

Once again, thanks and it makes me feel very thankful to live in such a great town with such great people.

Linda Jones
Whistler

To clarify...

Our mayor was a squatter when she first came to Whistler? What century was that? My point is, even if true, squatting in Whistler 40 years ago wasn't the same as today. Squatters were swallowed up by the forest 40 years ago. Since some people missed my point (in my "Letter to the Editor," Pique, Jan. 5 with reply to letter in Pique, Jan. 12), let me explain it again.  

We've had people live in our driveway (for free). We've had tenants (more than one lived for free). We're part of the service industry — not requiring it.  

I didn't say people shouldn't live in their vehicle, nor was I complaining about them living in it. My primary complaint was about the garbage and excrement they leave behind.

I also said they shouldn't expect priority when there's legitimate users of available parking. People living in vehicles are not legitimate users — they're campers.

Squatters are not the "heart and soul" of the community. Too many other people fit this description and they didn't all come as squatters.  

It's ridiculous for people to assume they can camp wherever they want now. It's not like it used to be and never will be again. Visitors pay a small fortune to come here and don't expect to see tents pitched next to the Valley Trail in the summer with laundry hanging (which I have seen), or people living in the skier parking lot, or open cesspools with used tampons (which I've seen more than once).

Some of the vehicles that used to occupy the skier parking were nothing but garbage. There is only one reason council clamped down — it's disgusting and people don't want to be disgusted, even if they helped create it.      

My comments about campers and tenants are not "ironic" — they're facts. I don't have to rent to one or the other. It wasn't a situation we created.

Now there's a petition circulating trying to force landlords to take pets. These are the kinds of things that drive homeowners to nightly rentals, which we don't do either.  

I'm not sure who the "spoilt brats" are but Mike Rogers ("Letters to the Editor," Pique, Jan.12) shouldn't make assumptions about people he doesn't know.           

Erna Gray
Whistler