Friday’s letters: What’s Smith doing about drugs?

Re. “‘The fact is, Canada has a drug crisis,’” Feb. 5

I have lived in California and came back to Canada in the 1980s because of crime, violence and guns. I can’t begin to imagine life there today. I have been to Rochester, Minn., Rochester, N.Y., Buffalo, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, Fort Wayne, Ind., Spokane, Great Falls, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, Phoenix, Huntsville Ala., and in every one of those cities, I have seen more than my share of drug addicts, homelessness, mental-health issues in city cores.

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It is now everywhere and it is in every major city in North America and beyond, not just Edmonton. To be called out by someone who more than likely saw nothing or knows nothing of our great city, it seems to be the one and only trump card being played out these days for his own political gain towards his leader.

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Danielle Smith, yes, we have a drug problem; what are you doing to help fix this? I would really be interested in your response. What are you doing? I guess changing AHS boards makes it look like you are doing something but we aren’t that easily fooled by those played-over-and-over-again themes.

M.L. Kufuor, Edmonton

UCP ignores threat to agriculture

It appears Danielle Smith’s government is only concerned about the corporate oil and gas industry and is leaving her core rural constituency high and dry. The federal government should impose a 7.5- to 10-per-cent export tax on oil and gas. Ms. Smith can’t complain (although she will feign outrage) because that sector is still favored over every other.

The kicker would be for the feds to promise to use the money raised to be only used to help the agricultural sector. Our farmers and ranchers largely depend on the American market and will be devastated by a 25-per-cent tariff. Same with the value-added products like flour mills, packing plants, and canola oil. The caveat being if wacky Trump imposes tariffs in 30 days.

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D.P. Pronovost, Edmonton

Education needs proper funding

The ongoing chaos being created by U.S. President Trump seems to have pushed some important local stories off the page. One of those stories is the attempt by education support workers to earn a living wage. The UCP government has the lowest per-student funding in the country and have not provided school boards with what they need to meet the needs of all students.

And yet, there is increased funding for private schools. The UCP government have just given themselves a raise. They have loosened rules around the value of gifts they can receive. The minister of Education is silent on the needs of EAs and the students they support. The minister of Finance denigrates their work by calling it part-time. The UCP government needs to step up, fund public education properly and provide school boards with the ability to pay EAs a living wage.

Harry Wagner, Edmonton

Letters welcome

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