Letter to the editor: Appalled by police offering coffee to protesters

Article content

Re: LILLEY UNLEASHED: Delivering coffee and doughnuts not the job of police, online, Jan. 8

Article content

As a proud retired Toronto police officer, I was appalled when seeing Toronto police officers delivering coffee to protesters attempting to block public roads.

In my time, Toronto was ruled by left-wing politicians, but the police brass would never have allowed their officers to be waiters for any protesters. If they did, officers would have refused to do it.

I guess the left have now got the gutless brass they wanted in charge. The on-scene supervisor who authorized this move should hang their head in shame. But I doubt they will.

WILF TOWNLEY

BUSINESS LIFELINE OR ANCHOR?

With each passing day, we hear and see more news reports of small, often family owned/operated businesses facing ruin. As the Jan. 18 deadline to remain eligible for the $20,000 CEBA loan forgiveness approaches, small businesses are increasingly desperate, laying off all staff except (cost-free) family and trimming every other cost possible to avoid drowning in debt and bankruptcy.

Article content

Meanwhile, where is glib PM “we have your backs” Justin Trudeau or his equally disingenuous finance minister?

With government already mired in debt, surely Trudeau would be forgiven if the government incurs just a tiny bit more to announce blanket cancellation of all remaining $20K “forgivable” portions of his much vaunted CEBA rescue plan. When these family businesses close, the feds are going to incur costs anyway. Lost tax revenues (business and income taxes), employment insurance payments to the unemployed, lost GDP in the economy, et cetera. The only difference to the federal treasury is from which pocket the money will come.

It’s time our woke PM and his finance minister listened to and acted on the entreaties of numerous Canadian small business owners and their lobby groups such as the CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business). At least extend the deadline, if not just make permanent, forgiving repayment of all $20K obligations remaining after the Jan. 18 deadline.

As it stands, the help Trudeau offered during the pandemic is no longer a life preserver, but an anchor, and we all know the result of tossing an anchor to a drowning man.

MIKE ALAIN
OTTAWA

JUST WALK AWAY (IN THE SNOW)

Even though I don’t like winter, I was delighted when Ottawa finally got its first significant snowfall recently. Perhaps now Trudeau Jr. will copy Trudeau Sr. and take a long walk in the snow, then resign. One can only hope.

JUDY WARREN
OTTAWA

Share this article in your social network