91Ô­´´

More regulation needed to control gambling

I am one of those avid hockey fans that agree that gambling on sports might be a mistake. Because sports gambling is here to stay, I would add that sports gambling across Canada requires more research, education, and action towards establishing a much more effective regulatory framework.

Not easy to do, as the recent explosion in sports gambling must be a huge revenue generator for leagues and players. Hockey celebrities are enthusiastically touting viewers to go all in and get into that other exciting game, sports betting, where there is a lot of fun to be had.

The darker side to overzealous gambling promotion includes addiction and harmful consequences. As well, children are bombarded with constant exposure to numerous video gambling clips during every period during the excessively long NHL season including four rounds of playoffs ending with the Stanley Cup victor in June.

The various organizations that promote sports gambling respond to criticism by stating they are stringently following the existing rules. As well, they point to personal responsibility warnings like those bottom screen inscriptions about gambling responsibly.

It’s not easy to push back against monied corporate powers behind a sporting event we like to watch.

But, we can do more by looking at other jurisdictions like Australia and the U.K. to see what they have done, such as not using current athletes for promotions.

Nothing is perfect but we can definitely improve upon the present sports betting environment in Canada.

Bob Lisevich

Sidney

Invest in lotteries? It’s a losing proposition

I see these ridiculous advertisements on my television promoting the buying of lottery tickets.

They say something like “imagine your dreams” and encourage you to gamble more money.

I long ago realized that investing in lotteries is a losing proposition.

Unfortunately the lottery corporation is still preying upon poor people to invest in a losing proposition.

Shame on them!

Wilf Sigurdson

Victoria

We all make decisions, and they deserve respect

As father of two, and a grandfather of five, I would like to weigh in on the children debate.

It’s every adult’s personal decision about what kind of family they choose; a decision that should be respected and which needs no explanation or defence. And having made that choice, there is no need to be critical of others, only to celebrate their own.

Speaking to our own life experience, I am grateful that my wife and I, early in our marriage, chose to have two sons, who in adulthood make us proud.

We are thankful for the memories of our shared life experiences, and pleased that they continue to be an integral part of our lives.

Our five precious grandchildren are an additional blessing that bring us joy and happiness, as they too transition into young adults.

They reinforce the wisdom of our choice for us, as individuals. But that says nothing about the life experiences and choices of others.

John Amon

Victoria

To have or have not? …. children, that is

There have been several letters of late debating the subject of couples deciding not to have children. It all seems to be about what happens to the parents as they grow old.

What a strangely selfish point of view.

What has been missing in these letters is the impact on those children, which is the real reason to give the matter very serious thought.

It’s not much of a stretch to realize that all of the world’s problems these days come down to one simple fact: There are more humans on the earth than it can support with our current behaviours and if we continue as we are it can only get worse.

There is only one solution to this problem. So, as cold-hearted as it sounds, my advice to young couples is that if you really care about your children, you won’t have any.

Oh, and just a side note. Don’t blow all that money on having fun now.

Plan for your old age as if everything will go wrong. If you’re lucky it won’t and you can have even more fun.

Jack Trueman

Brentwood Bay

In the great DINK debate, people are feeling sorry

Those who have babies and those who don’t — each of these groups feels very sorry for the other.

Cynthia Montgomery

Maple Bay

Why even bother going to downtown Victoria

Here’s the thing. Victoria’s downtown core is an increasingly uninviting and inhospitable place for its constituents to visit. Most people don’t feel comfortable bringing their family downtown and certainly not so as the daylight fades. And why is that?

Let’s call it as it is, for once, and then have the mayor and council respond.

With an overwhelming focus on social projects, an inability to manage the security needs of downtown, bike lanes and rampant housing development, which is needed, but still largely inaccessible and unaffordable for the working class, the council has forgotten about the majority tax base — the middle — and has neglected the city as community space for all to use.

And what’s their solution? Attack our finances. We don’t bike enough, we aren’t green enough for them … we sure can pay their bills. But hey, it certainly won’t change our behaviours, will it?

And so, this cadre of privileged and progressive council members makes decisions based on their own agendas, and feels entitled foist their ideological policies on its citizens while dismissing our concerns.

I will support their choices when their choices support their constituents. This isn’t the way forward. Until then, go downtown? Why even bother.

Chris Forester

Esquimalt

Making downtown Victoria even tougher for drivers

Pay-parking hours in downtown Victoria have stretched from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting May 1.

Sadly, downtown Victoria continues its casualty spiral and now, to make things worse, its city council makes it more difficult to draw folks into the downtown core.

What kind of collective lunacy drives council members to increase already exorbitant parking charges when downtown businesses are struggling to survive the assault by other challenging realities; homeless folks camping on the streets, others struggling with mental health and addiction issues, an overwhelmed police force trying to deal with rampant criminal activity, motorists attempting to navigate cycle lanes and general city infrastructure collapse.

If folks were already reluctant to go downtown, then this ridiculous decision has probably turned “reluctance” into determined “avoidance.”

Parking in the city is, at the best of times, challenging and this just makes that situation even worse. I have, on more than one occasion, had to abandon lunch engagements with friends when I was unable to find a place to park.

Coun. Jeremy Caradonna’s ridiculous assertion that “extending pay parking is unlikely to affect people’s behaviour” is ludicrous under the current circumstances already challenging businesses and those living in the city.

Adding another “circumstance” is an abject failure of the city council’s logic. Their mantra appears to be “It’s bad, let’s double down and make it worse.”

John Stevenson

Victoria

Four wheels bad, and two wheels good

Well it’s May 1 and the grass is green, the birds are chirping, and the final Japanese blossoms are bursting out all over. And Victoria’s union-elected city council has extended paid downtown parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Once upon a time, city priorities were focused on increasing prosperity rather than a war on cars. But this council sees bike lanes as more important than public safety. Their vision of the future is fixed and certain.

Unfortunately predicting the future is tricky business. Unintended consequences we live with.

Municipal recall legislation?

Patrick Skillings

Victoria

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