Sound Off — Feb. 6, 2013

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/02/2013 (4887 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Shop downtown … if you can get out of the car

What is all this talk about getting people to go downtown and shop. This past weekend the city had cleaned snow off Sixth Street from Richmond Avenue south, in which they did a very good job. But we went downtown thinking that the streets would be cleaned up and would you believe it — we couldn’t even get the car door open to let the person in the passenger seat out due to the amount of snow piled up. No wonder no one goes downtown to shop. Let’s get your priorities in order.

One more snowbank to climb

The City of Brandon wants us citizens to do shopping in the downtown, well I took a senior citizen to the corner of Rosser Avenue and Seventh Street a couple of days ago for treatment at a clinic. The snowbanks there were about three feet high, very difficult to park and get to the clinic. There is no excuse for this. What is the incentive for me and others to go there?

Empty promises

In reference to the Sound Off, “Can’t Get Blood From Stone,” according to our premier’s press release on Sept.18, 2011: Seniors and farmers will pay no school taxes, Premier Greg Selinger announced today. Today’s NDP will save seniors $35 million every year by eliminating the school tax on seniors. Have not heard any more since the election.

Have bullies charged and suspended

The person writing about the school board and bullying is right. Our trustees have no guts. What to do about those caught bullying, call the police and have them charged, then suspend them for one month. On the second time caught, call the police and have them charged, then suspend them for one year. Third time, expelled permanently from Brandon School Division.

Need a new transfer depot

Our streets and roads in Brandon are in real ugly shape. Why does our mayor and city council allow semi-trailers on our streets? We pay for them, they ruin them. There should be no semis or heavy trucks allowed in our city. They can set up a “transfer depot” on the edge of town and transfer to smaller trucks, like a lot of other cities. Brandon used to have a “transfer depot” at Ninth Street and Victoria Avenue.

On a downward spiral

I would be interested to know if the Brandon School Division has put any thought into how sustainable these annual increases are. Since tax rates are increasing faster than pay rates are, it is time for the school board and all levels of government to look within to find new ways of becoming more fiscally responsible. The direction that we are going in now is just not one that we can maintain long term.

Signs should have been voted on

Upon returning to the city after a trip I was finally able to see the new “Welcome to Brandon” signs. The image on the signs is displeasing as they do not symbolize our city. It should have contained something that represents our city, such as a wheat stock. Other towns and cities, such as Virden, have beautiful signs that have meaning. Community members could have had input through a contest where the most favourable design was selected.

Doesn’t matter what you’re smoking — it is not allowed

Regarding the Sound Off, “Rock Concert Goes To Pot.” Typical younger generation — rules don’t apply to you. “No smoking” means “no smoking” and, by the way, cigarettes are legal. There was nothing I would have liked better at the Kenny Rogers show than to light up, but I chose to obey the rules. Oh, and by the way, there were a lot of people around us and they were far from the ages of 60 to 80. What was wrong with security that smoking was allowed to go on, anyway?