Dear Editor,
A number of situations have been occurring in Richmond, and other areas of Metro Vancouver, in the past few years that have angered residents and frustrated many law enforcement officers who feel their hands are tied in properly taking care of them.
Numerous conversations on the street, in coffee shops, restaurants, and various other public venues now seems to revolve around the anger that has been generated by the abuses that are taking place in this city.
These include, and are not limited to the following:
• Illegal ride-sharing companies
• Illegal hotels and home rentals
• Illegal gambling conducted in farm mega mansions
• Birth tourism at our local hospital
• Farmland mega mansions and tax-avoiding speculation
• Tax-avoidance schemes such as corporations purchasing homes with money from overseas buyers
• Empty condos and houses owned by investors
• Dangerous money laundering through River Rock Casino and Resort
• Abuse of official languages
• Residents often called racist or xenophobic for speaking out.
For those reading this letter who feel frustrated, have had enough of it, and no longer want to sit patiently for more infractions and abuses to occur, it is time to contact your city councillors, MLAs and MPs to voice your concern and to say, “enough is enough.”
Measly fines will not solve these problems unless they are $10,000, or maybe $50,000, or $100,000, plus jail time.
Let your government officials, the media and everyone know, it is time to shut down this mess.
R.Lewis
Richmond
