The Editor,
Re: "City spokesman says Big City Spenders report is a "fail," News, May 31.
If anything is a "fail" it's Richmond City Hall's Ted Townsend's response to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses report on municipality spending.
Mr. Townsend's use of such phrases as "They only look at one side of the balance sheet," "It's a simplistic analysis," and "Many services are driven by demand," are quite distracting.
Could such phrases by Mr. Townsend be "a knee-jerk response" to criticism of municipal overspending.
To use YVR wanting more police as an example of customer demand requires more explanation. Why not just tell YVR to raise their beloved improvement fees to pay for more police?
What happened to airport security being a federal responsibility?
Stating that Richmond has kept property taxes at the rate of inflation, while putting in place user fees and hiking them at every opportunity, is reminiscent of the ploys used by olden-day snake oil salesman.
Schemes for new bylaws that have excessive fines attached are proof to some that city staff are running amok trying to find ways to get into your wallets.
Sooner or later cities that continue their spendthrift ways are going to have a reckoning. Better it be sooner than later.
D. Edward Robinson Richmond
