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13 Comment(s)

Gas should be much cheaper

To The Editor:

When the price of oil was at $147 U.S. a barrel I found myself paying about $1.29 per litre for gas.

It wasn't funny, but I had to accept the high cost of energy like most Canadians.

Now that oil is around $90 U.S. a barrel I find myself paying $1.19 per litre. Unless my calculations are wrong, I would like to know what formula the New Brunswick government is using to fix the price.

In my book gas should be below 85 cents per litre unless the government changed their formula as the price varied or to their favour.

Eugene M. LeBlanc,

Moncton

Call centres hardly affected

To The Editor:

The editorial cartoon in the Oct. 2 Times & Transcript seems to imply that the contact centre industry in New Brunswick is in jeopardy as a result of the recent start-up of the Do-Not-Call list.

The fact is that the vast majority of contact centre jobs, approximately 20,000 of them, are in-bound where the consumers are calling in to the centre and the Do-Not-Call list does not apply.

The New Brunswick contact centre industry is blessed with a stable work force and solidly established clientele. Consumers should see some reduction in the number of telemarketing calls that they receive but should also expect to continue to receive contact from the companies with which they continue to do business. Over all the industry in New Brunswick is strong and the Do-Not-Call List should have almost no negative impact.

Perry Kendall,

President,

Contact NB,

Saint John

Take look at drive-thrus too

To The Editor:

I wish to commend Cheryl Grant from Riverview for using a refillable mug when she goes to her coffee shop as part of her contribution towards saving the environment. Probably everyone should do this, including myself.

She should also be congratulated for questioning the owners as to why they use a paper cup to fill her mug. If each one of us was as conscientious as she, we probably would have a healthier planet today.

May I suggest that she and others go a step further by starting to avoid completely going through the drive-thrus. I assume that cars that idle for a few minutes in line-ups, especially in the winter time, cause greater damage to the environment than those paper cups that are probably recyclable anyway. Cities that believe seriously in preserving the environment should not allow drive-thrus to exist at all.

Roger Arseneau,

Moncton

Listen to public on forestry

To The Editor:

The following was sent to New Brunswick Minister of Natural Resources Donald Arseneault:

Our publicly-owned forests cost us, the people of New Brunswick, between $40-80 million annually. (See the Auditor General's reports). How can this huge natural resource be a deficit?

We have giant forestry companies who "manage" our Crown Lands -- half the land mass of New Brunswick, and in turn, your government oversees this management.

However, recent governments simply kowtow to the big companies, turning a deaf ear to the demands of New Brunswickers. You have implemented just about every request the companies make. Our government acts likes a servant to multinational corporations.

We are now at a crossroad: how much forest do we protect and how much do we cut? We New Brunswickers all want the same things: jobs for the future and a standing forest which will give us good water and clean air.

The Task Force on Diversity and Wood Supply has released their report, describing seven potential scenarios for the Crown Lands. You, Mr. Minister, have announced that decisions must be made soon. Given the downturn in the forestry industry (and the uncertainties of the U.S. economy) what is the rush? Why not use this time to take into consideration the valuable wisdom provided by the people, who have nothing financial to gain, just an interest in the common good?

It is time to expand your vision to all the assets of the forest, not just the cutting of the trees, and implement the recommendations of numerous economic councils as well as the people of New Brunswick. Manage the public forests for high value with the intent to maximize benefits and financial returns for the public coffers.

B. McLaughlin,

H. Robb,

Moncton

Harper wins reader's respect

To The Editor:

I have nothing but respect for Mr. Harper, Prime Minister of Canada. In spite of the bombardment of comments while he was trying to put forward his answers in the debate, he kept his cool, didn't interrupt and let the vultures have their say.

Talk about school yard bullies. The wanna-bes were ignorant and impolite at every opportunity. Any respect I might have had for the other leaders has evaporated.

Ted Ross,

Miramichi

No logic in writer's stand

To The Editor:

The letter written by Hans Kristensen in the Oct. 1 issue of the Times & Transcript is illogical and self-serving. It is like a young man in love saying to his fiancee: "Honey, I love you, but I cannot marry you;" I am a Conservative but I will be voting Liberal?

As for Brian Murphy, during his tenure as the Mayor of Moncton he administered the city with a dictatorial style with elements of secrecy. Take for instance how he handled the city water supply file which almost landed under private concerns. Also the virtual give-away of a large piece of city owned land to a national company. A my way or the highway attitude.

So Hans, before you put a halo on Brian Murphy's head, think again. This is not the time to send an MP to sit in a comfortable opposition seat just to collect a fat pay. That is why, come election day, I will be hoping for a national Conservative government, and will be voting for a local Conservative candidate. Good luck Daniel.

Romeo LeBlanc,

Dieppe