Tuesday, March 21: If we left the potholes unrepaired, we might not have to install speed bumps. You can write to us too, at letters@ottawacitizen.com
Why are we filling potholes at all?
A recent letter-writer proposes a novel means of financing pothole repairs in Ottawa. But I think he, most other drivers, and city hall, miss the point entirely.
How much sense does it make to spend truckloads of money to repair potholes so that cars can drive faster, and then more truckloads of money to install speed bumps, to make them drive slower?
It seems to me we could save a great deal of cash annually by not fixing the potholes; then we wouldn’t have to install a $10,000 bump every 50 metres or so.
Jack Pyl, Ottawa
Let’s truly reimagine medicare
Re: Heath care fix is about more than just money, March 17.
Mohammed Adam reflects the consternation of many Canadians over our serious Canada-wide health-care woes. His plea is for “new thinking” to address the crisis but, sadly, there is no venue or seeming plan for this to occur.
What about a major federal-provincial conference of health ministers to begin to rethink the Canada Health Act, to re-imagine and create an actual health-care system? It would replace the decentralized payment model that has existed unchanged since the inception of medicare. It would have the buy-in of all parties.
What we currently have is no “system” and, if the only fix is money, it will never succeed. What we risk is a Canada that never solves its problems because it is too afraid to act. This condemns us to mediocrity but, in health care, even this is becoming harder to maintain.
Arthur Leonoff, Perth
History shows we must fund health care
When I was young, the one great fear lurking in everyone’s psyche was of developing a disease, or having an accident, or even having a baby — and not having enough money to pay for medical attention. People sometimes waited too long to call a doctor, and thereby lost a loved one. And when we heard that someone had been taken to hospital, we just assumed it was because they were dying.
Yes, health care is expensive. But it must be paid for, because it is a common good, and in the only way that is fair, through our taxes. That’s how we get roads, bridges and education. They’re for everybody. Health care was added to the list the 1960s because everybody knew that.
Treating health care as an opportunity for some people to get rich will lead to a system that is under-funded, multi-level and undependable in quality, and for some, inaccessible.
Sorry, Doug Ford’s “Little Guy”: the premier’s not doing you a favour. One of these days, you may delay just a little too long in calling for health care because you won’t be able to afford it. I remember what that was like.
Patricia Howard, Ottawa
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Today's letters: 'Thin blue line' flag is completely out of line
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Today's letters: Is daylight time really so hazardous to your health?
