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3 minutes. Tick-tock
The overriding issue today is not containment of Russian military moves, as you state in your editorial on a proposed new NATO force in Eastern Europe (Canada Should Be In – June 10). It is the unwillingness by either side to initiate significant actions for nuclear disarmament.
The U.S. and Russia continue to play nuclear chicken, with planes carrying nuclear weapons flying close to each other's "territories" in Europe. India and Pakistan hurl insults at each other along their border, each threatening the other with weapons capable of destroying large cities and likely causing a nuclear winter for much of the world. China is sending its nuclear-armed navy into the Pacific, where the nuclear-armed U.S. Navy is already entrenched.
Because of such inanities, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, with 16 Nobel laureates on its board, has set its Doomsday Clock at three minutes to midnight.
Murray Thomson, Ottawa
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10 minutes. Or less
Re Why Can't Our Airport Screening Be Better? (June 10): Jeffrey Simpson indicates that spending more money has no role in reducing lineups at pre-boarding screening. We disagree. There are process improvements to be made, and these are being pursued. But passengers are paying a very high Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC), the revenues from which are not entirely dedicated to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).
Canada's airports and carriers have proposed establishing a service-level standard to mandate that CATSA process 95 per cent of passengers in 10 minutes or less at Canada's largest airports. This would set a baseline for everybody's expectations. Passengers are already paying enough for a service, and they deserve predictability and value for money.
Daniel-Robert Gooch, president, Canadian Airports Council
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Jeffrey Simpson is right about CATSA. Many airport security systems seem to operate more as a way of showing us that we are all equal threats to aviation safety. No consideration can be given to travellers who are obviously extremely low risk. All must suffer equally. Most screeners will insist on rigidly applying CATSA regulations, regardless of the situation, but a very few, occasionally, will be more flexible (sensible), especially when dealing with severely disabled passengers.
In addition to the $50 fee for the Nexus program, a personal interview is required. In B.C., the interview locations are in Vancouver.
While paying the fee and attending an interview is not a problem for most frequent travellers who live in a major centre, the rest of us must cover the often considerable expense of travelling to the interview, including time lost from work. Expanding this system by making it more accessible would go a long way toward reducing the delays introduced by CATSA, and make additional funding unnecessary.
Colin Lowe, Nanaimo, B.C.
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Thank you, Mr. Hockey
Re Gretzky Says Gordie Howe Was 'Greatest Hockey Player Ever' (June 10): I met Gordie Howe twice. The first time was by chance. A friend and I were buying shoes outside Toronto, and there in the lobby was Gordie Howe. Very much a gentleman, he was kind and gracious, and we chatted. Later, we all left the building and were heading in our cars the same way on Highway 401. Little did I know, Mr. Howe still had his eyes on us and, when his driver took the next off ramp, out the window came this big arm and he waved.
The next time, I was with my son at a hockey-card show and Howe was signing autographs. I still remember his massive fingers when he signed one for young Michael, who has always been a huge Wayne Gretzky fan. Michael asked Howe who was the best player he ever saw.
"Well, Bobby Orr was pretty good. Bobby Hull was pretty good." And then came this big guffaw. "Aaaah," Howe said. "Gretzky." Mr. Hockey sure made Michael's day.
Jerry Amernic, Toronto
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Homes at risk
In the discussion of Canadian debt levels and soaring housing prices, I see little emphasis on reining in banks and other institutions only too willing to lend money to borrowers with assets so limited that a slight increase in interest rates would mean mortgage default and personal bankruptcy (Rising Risk Of Housing Correction In Vancouver And Toronto, Poloz Warns – June 10).
Wiggling a "naughty, naughty" finger at consumers, lending institutions and real estate agencies, as Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz has done, is likely to do very little to slow things down. If hiking interest rates is not an option for cooling the lending market, then find a way to discourage lending to borrowers who are already on shaky ground financially.
Aside from putting some controls on the lending practices of institutions, ensuring that these bodies face real economic consequences for loose lending practices, with no possibility of public bailout to fall back on, might help.
Stephen Poloz can go back to bed now.
Jane Shrestha, Barrie, Ont.
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Bubble? You bet there's a bubble and government is not in a hurry to do anything about it because it is not in politicians' re-election interests to tell people they can't buy a house. There is no way they will take us back to the days of 30 per cent down payments, maximum housing budgets (three times gross income) and maximum carrying costs (one-third of net income).
But the banks will, because they don't want to lose money on either unsustainable mortgage or consumer debt. Right now, they are lending us cheap money because they are getting it more cheaply, but as the risks continue to rise, they will turn off the taps and increase rates – and governments will blame it on the banks.
It's happened before and it will happen again. Meanwhile, we'll be up a creek without a paddle.
Bernie Teitelbaum, Toronto
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It's another …
Re What Not To Say To Parents Who Don't Have 'One Of Each' (June 10): As a mother of five boys, I enjoyed every word of Leah McLaren's great article.
My favourite question, which I get asked often, is: "Were you trying for a girl?" (If I was, what do these people think I'd do with the boy?). Next in line is, "Are you going to try for a girl?" (Absolutely, because it's just another child, right?)
Gisela Koehl, Thornhill, Ont.
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Perhaps the people making the remarks about having a third boy that Leah McLaren finds disturbing are just … making conversation? Not every remark is charged with cultural and sexual stereotypes, even those that suggest that with a third boy you'll save on clothes, or wonder if you're disappointed not to have a girl.
The drawback to having such high expectations for the people who speak to you is that you may end up with no conversations at all – even with these bumblers who actually sound like regular folks, just trying to share in your joy.
Judy Irwin, Toronto