Dear Editor,
Re: “Residents needed to liven up Steveston area,” News, Dec. 1.
Anyone who has ever worked for a government department knows that there are always a multitude of details and variables to be considered when dealing with development applications and policy changes.
So it is very disappointing that Coun. Alexa Loo played the race card when voicing disappointment over Richmond City Council’s decision to vote against allowing residential use on a vacant lot on the south side of Bayview Street.
Aside from being an example of “reverse prejudice” in their own right, her comments leave open a few questions that could be asked about who she might really be committed to supporting while in office.
For example, when she says “Asian buyer” and “Asian applicant,” is she referring to Canadian Asian developers, or offshore Asian companies who might be more interested in simply exploiting opportunities for profit in Richmond rather than contributing in well-considered ways to making life better for Richmond, and Steveston, residents?
And, although we do not have official numbers that would indicate occupancy rates in our city, we do know for certain that a distinct percentage of houses, townhouses and condos built in Richmond remain unoccupied for most, if not all, of the year and it is therefore superficial reasoning to argue that allowing more such residences in Steveston would somehow make the Village more “vibrant”.
Perhaps Loo should try turning the mirror around before she plays the race card.
Ray Arnold
RICHMOND
