MONEY WON'T SOLVE STREET PROBLEMS

Re: "Public's concerns left out of budget," Feb. 21.

The editorial implies that throwing money at the addicts sleeping in
the streets and stealing from us should be at the top of the
government's list of priorities.

In fact, most of the financial resources channelled to these people
end up being enablers for their drug-fuelled lifestyle.

If we want to address this problem, we should make it more difficult
to be a street addict, not less. However, today an addict can easily
obtain free food, clothing and clean needles. All that's missing is
money for the drugs, and for that they turn to property crime.

I'm sure there are some mentally ill people on the street, but I see
a lot of people following a lifestyle of their own choosing when I
walk around downtown.

On the same page, columnist Paul Willcocks sneers at the income-tax
reduction in the budget, claiming it will be inconsequential to the
average family.

B.C. now has the lowest provincial income tax rate in Canada. I am
sure Willcocks was also unimpressed by the federal cut in the GST,
but over time all those small cuts will add up to a big reduction in
the overall tax burden.

That is what the people who create the wealth in this country should
expect from responsible governments.

Nick Redding,

Victoria.