Cap & Trade poses real threat to Sarnia Sir: While I agree global warming is real and some reduction in carbon is necessary, I really wish all of North America worked under the same mandate.
Cap & Trade poses real threat to Sarnia
Sir: While I agree global warming is real and some reduction in carbon is necessary, I really wish all of North America worked under the same mandate.
I believe that without all of America participating we will simply drive jobs south.
I worked in local industry for 30+ years and believe these carbon taxes will add approximately, plus or minus, one million dollars per month to each of our chemical plants.
Maybe I am over estimating and it’s “only” $600,000 to $800,000 per month in additional cost.
Think of yourself as an owner. What would you do?
Shell was going to close or move 10 years ago, Esso is the oldest refinery in Canada, and CF just completed a new fertilizer plant within a day’s drive that has a much higher capacity than the local manufacturing site.
Retaining jobs in Canada, and of even greater concern to me personally, Sarnia, should the absolute Number One priority for all three levels of government.
If you agree, please contact your local representatives and voice your concern.
We need a level playing field for all manufacturing facilities in North America. Or we are done.
I truly believe this is the greatest threat to our economic wellbeing the people of Sarnia have ever faced.
Michael Lester
Sarnia
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City councillors acting like little children
Sir: Coun. Mike Kelch said it all: “This council will be remembered for a long time.
He got that right. This is a council that put a hold on a $25,000 donation to Fort McMurray and had to back-peddle with excuses after it got quite a fallout from the citizens of Sarnia.
But this council had no problem spending a hundred thousand dollars on a witch hunt to oust our mayor.
Too bad we can’t force an election now and see who gets back in.
For now, maybe it’s time they changed their Pampers and put away their soothers and got back to what they were elected for.
Mark Armstrong
Sarnia
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A shared disregard for women
Sir: There are two men called Donald and Mike.
Donald aspires to be the next president of the U.S.A. Mike is a long-serving, do-nothing mayor of a small Canadian city.
They are not similar in any way except one. Their actions in the past have shown a total disregard toward the feelings of women.
Donald is by far the worst because he has stated, on record, that he has sexually abused women. He somewhat apologized, adding what he said was just a joke and that he has never sexually abused women.
Several women have now come forward claiming he has sexually abused them.
No one has claimed that Mayor Mike sexually abused women. What he has done in my mind is just as bad. Publicly criticizing and verbally abusing female employees to the point their health suffered and they resigned.
Mike wrote that it was demeaning to find himself locked out of his office. What an ego. He sounds more like Donald. It is OK for them to treat people a certain way but people should respect them for who they think they are.
Canadians will have no say in who becomes the next U.S. president. Mayor Mike has been around so long, I believe, because too many people in Sarnia take the easy way out at election time and vote for “the devil they know rather than the one they don’t.”
This world has all the problems it needs right now, with foreign wars, climate change and devastating weather. We need real leaders, not the Donalds and Mikes.
Jim Clarkson
Sarnia
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Disgusted by drama at city hall
Sir: As a Sarnia citizen I am disgusted with the events happing at city hall.
Staff and council have accused the mayor of abuse and bullying, but that is what they are doing. It might be through lawyers and tax-paid outside mediators, but bullying is bullying to me.
They think that if they were working elsewhere it would be a bed or roses? Really? Wake up and smell the coffee people.
It’ doesn’t matter who is in the mayor’s office. The mayor has a job to do and they will do it to the best of their ability. No one person is perfect. Everyone has faults.
Stop crying over spilt milk and stop using the Sarnia citizens’ hard-earned money on frivolous, petty, past transgressions.
I’m sure in Sarnia council’s perfect life, which isn’t full of insult and injury on others, this won’t take any effort at all.
I think it’s time for us taxpayers to take a stand and make city hall hear our voice. This cannot continue.
When I go outside Sarnia, and have to listen to other citizens in other towns comment on the disgraceful actions of mine, we have a problem.
JoAnne Martin
Sarnia
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Great job, folks
Sir: My wife and I were recently in an automobile accident in Sarnia that led to the immediate response of paramedics, firefighters, and police.
The professional excellence and seamless coordination of their efforts was tremendously reassuring to us.
We felt that our safety and care was their highest priority, and their courtesy throughout the whole process made a difficult experience so much less stressful than it might have been.
We extend our sincere thanks to all those involved, and certainly encourage the people of Sarnia never to take for granted the highly trained and highly skilled responders who are there for us, 24-7, in any emergency.
Bob Sutton
Camlachie
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Couple decides to make Sarnia home
Sir: My husband and I recently moved to Sarnia from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to be closer to family.
The kindness and welcoming nature of people here have made our move easier than we anticipated.
We make frequent use of the boardwalk and other facilities your city offers. We are truly impressed by your city; the worker’s pride and care of the boardwalk is outstanding.
In our opinion, the city is very well managed. In fact we have decided to retire here and make Sarnia our home. Thank you.
Rosalie Bryson
Sarnia
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Off-leash dog park is just common sense
Sir: A few years ago, you never heard about off-leash dog parks. Now they’re springing up all over, in towns and cities everywhere. There’s a reason for that.
It’s because of the many benefits they offer and their overwhelming success. Everybody wins: the dogs, dog owners and the community at large.
When you make it easy for people to do the right thing, the great majority will make the good choices. That’s why dog parks work, especially when they’re in easily accessible, appropriate locations like Germain Park.
Sarnia has been slow to get on with it, but it’s about time. Common sense says that the positives, by far, outweigh the negatives. There may be problems at times, because nothing is perfect and neither are people or dogs. The minor issues are worth dealing with and that’s what we’ll do, because it’s worth it for the obvious benefits.
Lately, the naysayers are speaking the loudest. They seem to think that Sarnia is different and we will fail where every other community has been able to benefit from off-leash dog parks. Why is the majority remaining silent?
Most Sarnians know that this would be an improvement to our community. Why would we fail while everyone else is succeeding? It just defies common sense to stay quiet while those with negative attitudes tell the city that we’re just not good enough to do this.
I didn’t grow up in Sarnia. I chose it because I thought it would be a positive community to raise my children in. I still believe it’s that good and we can do this. Speak up please. Help common sense prevail.
Rita Timm
Sarnia
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Police and firefighter salaries hurting community
Sir: Re: The article on Sarnia’s crumbling infrastructure.
The question is where is the tax money going? Most of it is going to pay for police and fire, which are either the patron saint or the Knight’s Templar.
Policing and firefighting are jobs no different than any other job that supports the infrastructure of a community. Then why do they get most of the money?
Both agencies could be handled by volunteers, and in Ontario they were once city employees not protected by political patronage as they are now.
Police in Ontario have become leviathans with special privileges. As a recent article about the Point Edward OPP noted, they are not doing their job efficiently but most of the budget goes to their salary and benefits.
The infrastructure of cities will continue to get worse across Ontario if the police continue to ask for more money and their job performance gets worse.
Jeff Williams
Bright’s Grove
