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Political advantage
Re Ontario Does Sudden About-Face With Vow To Ban Cash-For-Access Fundraisers (Aug. 30): I support the Ontario Liberal government's new proposal to stop MPPs from attending fundraisers, but am very concerned the proposed reforms will only make things worse.
It is important that these reforms do not give the government an unfair advantage in future elections or make the government more dependent on the interests of corporations.
In my time with the Ontario Liberals, publicly funded political staff helped organize election campaigns and acted as "volunteers" on those campaigns. Some "volunteers" on the campaigns worked for lobbying firms and were able to get additional access to politicians through this work. Making it harder for parties to raise funds may backfire by increasing the value of these forms of free labour.
The Liberals' per-vote-subsidy solution to this problem should also be unacceptable. It clearly gives incumbent politicians an unfair advantage over challengers in upcoming elections, since the incumbents by definition won more votes in the last election. Surely we can find a fairer way to publicly fund our political parties.
Jason Dumelie, New York
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Without it, they die
Re Addiction (Folio, Aug. 30): I have been pleased to see The Globe and Mail's series on the crisis related to the misuse of opioid drugs. Your coverage has revealed serious issues in Ontario's response to this problem.
Replacement drug therapy (Suboxone and methadone) is only one component of effective addiction treatment: Addiction is frequently accompanied by a history of trauma (up to 80 per cent of cases), mental-health, social and vocational issues.
Opiate addiction treatment is thus a lengthy and complex process, requiring multiple approaches, including counselling, support, and psychotherapy to assist individuals to regain a healthy and stable life.
While Ontario does offer some comprehensive treatment programs, they are struggling. Most treatment programs and agencies have not received operating increases to offset inflation in six years, resulting in a significantly reduced ability to meet the current demand for service.
If, as predicted, the opiate problem increases, we will not be able to cope. This needs to change.
With appropriate treatment, people can recover from addiction. Without it, people die.
Dennis Long, executive director, Breakaway Addiction Services; instructor, Mental Health and Addictions, University of Guelph-Humber
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Our Third World
Re Empty Glasses, Empty Promises (editorial, Aug. 30): In 1976, the first UN Habitat Conference was held in Vancouver, which at the time was the largest UN conference ever assembled. One of the key speakers was Margaret Mead, and a declaration was made to bring clean drinking water to the world by the year 2000. It is shameful that our own indigenous people and their children have no access to clean water in 2016!
The provinces and federal government must do much more than carry out studies on this pathetic situation in our very own Third World.
Farouk Verjee, West Vancouver
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Arms-logic terrain
On Aug. 17, your editorial Ottawa Comes Clean On Arms Exports praised Justin Trudeau for showing "maturity" by watering down Canadian arms-export controls – thus freeing Canada to sell arms abroad, damn human rights concerns. On Monday, your editorial It Ain't Peacekeeping proposed that the Trudeau Liberals have acted in an oversimplified, immature way in joining UN peacekeeping efforts.
These two editorials act as the bookends that capture the terrain of The Globe and Mail's position on these matters: economics first, get tough, no tree hugging.
What of the Liberals' new clothes: Concurrently selling arms to nations with abysmal human rights records while participating in UN peacekeeping missions?
Humans cannot inhale and exhale at the same time. In the vernacular, you cannot suck and blow at the same time.
Perhaps politicians can. Who knows? Canada sells arms to nations, then sends in troops to do peacekeeping?
Steve Sanderson, Quispamsis, N.B.
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Berlin, in Ontario
Re Enduring Spirit: The Rejuvenation Of Berlin (Ontario) – Focus, Aug. 27: Through quiet lobbying, common sense and recognition of historical facts, our German Canadian Business and Professional Association of Waterloo Region was able to get the administrative office tower of the new Kitchener City Hall complex, built in 1993, named the "Berlin Tower." We were responsible for the rebuilding of the column that once housed the bust of Kaiser Wilhelm I referred to in the article. We also were integral in establishing Kitchener's successful Christkindl Market and the driving force behind the annual German Pioneer's Day celebrations.
We have always tried to keep the German "spark" alive, despite opposition at times, and are pleased and proud to see the provenance of Berlin, Ont., rejuvenated.
By the way, there are at least 24 population centres in the United States with, or including, the name Berlin – Berlin, New Berlin, Berlin Heights etc. While anti-German hysteria was just as bad in the U.S. during the First Wold War, despite about a quarter of the population there being of German heritage, they simply changed the pronunciation and put the emphasis on the first instead of the last syllable in Berlin – BERlin versus BerLIN. Of course, these were all small towns and villages with lower profiles than Berlin, Ont. A simple solution to politically charged circumstances.
Perhaps John Allemang might wish to investigate the name of the town of Swastika in Northern Ontario and how it successfully fought efforts to change the name.
Harry Drung, past president, German Canadian Business and Professional Association of Waterloo Region
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A visitor to Kitchener today could hardly tell that the city has a German heritage. Downtown Kitchener has Asian grocery stores, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, East African and Middle Eastern restaurants. Not a German restaurant or store in sight except for the recently opened "Berlin" restaurant.
Kitchener has become as multicultural as Toronto. Returning to the old name would be a meaningless exercise in 2016.
Gary Walsh, Kitchener, Ont.
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Mettle-worthy effort
Re Literacy Fans, Let's Test Your Metal (Focus, Aug. 27): I enjoyed taking your literacy test. A bonus was the comedic touch in the headline. It was indeed my mettle that was being tested, not my metal.
Sandy Blazier, Mississauga