April 2: Trash smokers, try tiny houses, Bratina ain’t that and more letters

Try Tiny Houses

Here is a very simple question. You don’t need a college degree to figure out the right answer, just common sense. Here we go: you have $305,000 in your budget to help solve the city’s homeless problem. One option is to hire three additional police officers to help evacuate these people from areas where they have pitched tents that protect them from the elements. That doesn’t solve the problem at all.

The other option is to take the $305,000 and use it to build at least 30 small houses on the city’s many currently empty properties, and offer them to people currently living in tents. Let’s do something useful, constructive and socially responsible with the money. Let’s start by looking for long-term solutions that are easy to implement and effective. We have a lot of people in this town who are able to set up simple structures. We have many large chain stores that could donate supplies and staff to guide volunteers. It’s time to go back to old Hamilton where things used to be and where City Hall wasn’t full of councilors whose middle name was NIMBY.

Message for smokers who litter

Thanks to Tyler Charlebois for his column in the March 24 Spec on cigarette waste in Hamilton.

Returning to Hamilton after years of working in Ottawa, it’s always a shock to see litter lying around in the streets, ditches and bushes. Am I the only one calling the town hall about this? Maybe it’s just an accepted part of life here. But those goddamn cigarette butts, as Tyler puts it, are particularly egregious.

I have rarely seen a smoker in Ottawa. I think they were ashamed to be seen smoking in public in this health conscious city. If you saw a smoker, you looked — it was like seeing a dinosaur! But in Hamilton, the message did not get through.

Smokers should be aware that it takes 15 years for each cigarette butt to decompose. So we see years of accumulated cigarette butts littering the outside of public buildings and along sidewalks. The leaching toxins affect countless other living things, including humans when they eventually enter groundwater.

If you’re a Hamilton smoker and don’t care about your own health, think about the environment you’re desecrating by your unconsciousness when you’re tossing. Not to mention the air pollution that this city just doesn’t need. Throw your cigarette butts in the trash and not on the ground.

Ford’s aspirations come first

Doug Ford has finally signed Ontario into the Canada Child Care Plan, the last province to do so! The delay in signing will deprive Ontario parents of certain discounts.

Parents will receive rebates in May, which is when Ford will campaign to be Premier of Ontario! What a disgusting display of Ford putting his second-term aspirations ahead of Ontario families.

Bratina isn’t it

For the mayoral race in Hamilton, I know who I will not vote for. Bob Bratina presents himself as the veteran of the fund. I say no thank you. I vividly remember his time as mayor: deep division in council, dithering decision-making and visceral hatred for the TLR. How much did Hamilton lose because of his bad leadership without vision? It’s time to pass the torch to a new generation, one that is committed to public transit, cooperation and major projects. It’s not Mr. Bratina.

More MacKay locals please

For the past two years, I’ve hoped to see Graeme MacKay return to his mockery of local politicians. It was wonderful to finally see and appreciate his March 30 editorial cartoon, as he commented on Bob Bratina announcing his candidacy for mayor. Although I am glad that other Torstar newspapers have benefited from his state and federal commentary. I am delighted that he is once again allowed to make fun of our local politicians.

Your deaf and irresponsible

Scott Radley’s March 30 column is completely tone deaf and irresponsible. How could no one stop and think, “Should we use Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for heavy columns?” The answer is no.

People are dying every day. Major cities are attacked with missiles. Lives are destroyed.

War is not content, and this column tries to turn it into a kind of patriotic simile. I hope future coverage of the war in Ukraine will take a more compassionate approach.

Hell yes we would fight

Regarding ‘Would we fight like Ukrainians?’ (March 30): I’ve been asking myself this question and others since Russia invaded Ukraine 35 days ago. If Canada were invaded by a despot like Putin, would Canadians fight like Ukrainians? Damn yes! O Canada, we stand guard for you!