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LETTERS OF THE WEEK:

ALL BARK

So I see trees are an item once again on Lulu Island. (Review, Feb. 26). For years I wrote local papers, called city hall, attended council meetings regarding a tree bylaw and nothing was done - how surprising.

When a tree bylaw was discussed a few years ago the pro-tree bylaw attendance at city hall meetings was paltry. When I talked to our councillors, at the time, and so-called city tree experts, I was snickered at and got a typical pro-athlete response that represents 'duhhh' from others. And I assure you the response has not changed.

Mr. Patterson's intentions are most sincere - trust me, I know - but really, does anyone care? Trees, fields and neighborhoods in Richmond are being killed off and nature's beings with it and when there's an election hardly anyone votes and pro-development forces win.

We all know when pro-development wins, trees come down, fields get sanded and new trees go up called 16-storey highrises. Of course I shouldn't forget the 'mall shrubs,' they are lovely as well with their blacktop backdrop.

I agree with Mr. Patterson's attitude and feelings but this council doesn't and never will.

For years Richmond council has had lots of bite for destroying greenery but no teeth to protect it.

TOUGH TO FIGURE

The information provided by the city is extremely hard to believe especially when ICBC announced an all-time record high 90,230 accidents reports. This was during the photo radar campaign in the Lower Mainland.

Most accidents happen at intersections where speed is usually reduced anyway. It is extremely difficult to rear-end, side-crash or reverse into anyone on a straight stretch of highway. All of these type of accidents happen at intersections or the avenues and lanes of the city where speed is not normally a factor.

The city is either overlooking other circumstances (like weather, more mature drivers, better driver education etc.) that could have lowered the rate during the August-October time frame from a year ago or it is not very truthful or could be honestly mistaken.

I do not feel one three-month period is long enough for a true evaluation and all circumstances and factors should be considered during any evaluation.

Let's face it: the photo radar campaign is another form of provincial tax grab designed to assist Premier Clark with his budget problem.

How can photo radar officials make a claim that "collisions are down 11 per cent in the first four months of the program" when the facts from ICBC dispute this with a record high for accidents.

Remember, you may be a B.C. driver if you allocate part of your annual household budget to photo radar.

SMOKE ADS PAY

I am writing in response to "Why Smoke Ads", and I just have a few questions for Emmy Pang.

First off, since when is it the newspaper or media's responsibility to educate children about not smoking?

It is our responsibility as parents to raise our own children with values and rules, and to educate them as we deem important.

Secondly, do you enjoy reading "The Review" twice a week, delivered to your home at no cost to you? Advertisements such as the one mentioned help pay for this free newspaper.

MONEY WELL EARNED

I would like to respond to the printing of the salaries of various Richmond School District employees. My first reaction was what could possibly be the purpose of revealing this personal information?

Then in your Viewpoint section I read the title, "Perhaps the budgetary axe should fall on some salaries." The Viewpoint article goes on to say that, "few citizens pull in those kind of wages; most are just happy to have their double incomes pay for food, clothing and a roof over their heads."

This is of course true. However, the average Richmond citizen does not have a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree and 20- to 30-plus years of teaching experience. The article was remiss in mentioning this fact. Seniority and qualifications have led to these salaries - these salaries have been rightfully earned.

May I also note here that these administrators are also dedicated teachers who during their careers have spent thousands of unpaid hours in extracurricular activities with the children of Richmond taxpayers. If an analogy can be made between top level management in any large company and our district's administrators, the salaries would be comparable and perhaps even lacking. The article was correct in saying that few people would question these high-wage earners commitment, dedication and work ethic.

The article also said that few residents can identify with these high paycheques. Exactly. Few people can relate to the high salaries of doctors, lawyers, company management and of course, our school administrators. How can they? Many people are not willing to make the sacrifices that people in high paying salaries have had to make to get to where they are. Concerned Richmond citizens need only watch our administrative teams in action and perhaps they may learn to appreciate what these high salaries involve. For example, our principals and vice-principals are in charge of every student in a school, the staffing of the school and the daily operation of the school - in my current school, that includes 1200 students and 100 staff. The average administrator arrives to school around 7:30 a.m. and leaves around 5:30 p.m.

As a counselor, I have worked closely with administrative teams at three different secondary schools over my 20 years of teaching. I have yet to see an administrator take a lunch break. These men and women walk around the school during recess, lunch and after school to try to ensure the safety of the students and staff. They deal with a myriad of problems all day, every day and they are constantly making decisions that are in the best interests of the staff and students. They attend countless meetings, they come back to the school in the evening and they are often at the school on the weekends. Many administrators also take the extra effort to support as many extra-curricular student events as they can. An administrator's job is extremely stressful, highly demanding and incredibly time consuming. How many teachers in Richmond are interested in becoming administrators? Not very many and those who do, deserve every penny they make.

As a Richmond taxpayer, I can rest assured that highly educated, experienced individuals are running our schools. These people have had to make sacrifices with their own families to take care of your kids.

Hats off to every administrative team in Richmond.

ENOUGH'S ENOUGH

As an area resident for the last 15 years I strongly disagree with allowing the construction of multi-storey commercial buildings and parking lots on vacant land on the corner of Garden City and Cambie.

It is not necessary to build any more offices or warehouses in this area.

The neighborhood is being ruined with these structures and destroying the character of it.

Some of the land or all of the area between Cambie Road and Garden City and Odlin Crescent should be left as a "green area" for adults and children of the community as well as wild life to co-exist.

The short-sightedness of this over-development is the result of money hungry and greedy individuals. Please save some of the land for a park-like setting in this northwest area of Central Richmond. This area is woefully short on parks and green space for now and the future. There aren't many chances left to do something about this development.

If you cannot stop these buildings from using up all the land then please allow no more than one storey and don't allow the cutting down of any more trees... Please make the developers plant large trees and provide seating areas for people.

The highway sign says Richmond Island City By Nature, yet nature is being destroyed as fast as they can build new malls, hotels and office buildings.

JUST PLUG IT

To all airport naysayers...the airport has been around for some 65 years or more. Anyone moving to this metropolis called Richmond, must surely have known that we are home to a large airport. Still people complain about the "noise."

It's this "noise phobia" that lost us the Vancouver Indy along with just about every other form of motorsports in the Lower Mainland.

I have lived in Richmond almost 40 years, on one of the busiest roads. I have watched it develop from a narrow two lane "goat trail" into a four-lane highway. Oh gee, maybe if I start a petition, I can have No. 3 Road closed so I can sleep better.

There is a simple inexpensive solution to all this. Earplugs. I use them. But then again, you could always move.