Letters - To Town of Neepawa Mayor and Council

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Published on Monday, February 5, 2018

Members of the Beautiful Plains Horticultural Society
Submitted

Neepawa has long been known as a most beautiful town, with a beautiful tree canopy, lilies and a cemetery unlike any other. While our town is fortunate to be growing in population, we are slowly losing our beauty. The changes to the former Eastview Lodge site have been very obvious during the last month. As horticulturalists, we are concerned with the number of trees and natural vegetation that is being destroyed.

While the trees are still standing they will not survive having their roots buried below so much dirt. Two majestic cottonwoods, 14 mature spruce trees, and a maple will all succumb very quickly. We encourage the town to develop a tree replacement/planting policy for areas such as this as well as for any new developments. Developers need to be held accountable while the town needs to ensure replacement.

In addition, trees that are removed due to Dutch Elm Disease need to be replaced without specific requests to do so. The public is not aware that the requests need to be initiated by the public so streets are left without new trees. Without such policies in place, our canopy will easily disappear. Trees take a long time to mature. Please keep our town beautiful.

Editor’s math incorrect
Submitted

In Mr. Waddell’s article on minimum wage, he makes the strange statement that there is no federal tax deduction on a minimum wage pay cheque of $446.00 per week. (40 hours at $11.15/hour) Say What? The federal tax exemption is $11,635 per year or $223 per week. Earnings above that level are taxed at 15 per cent. The federal tax payable on weekly earnings of $446 ($23,192 per year) would be $33.45 per week ($1,739 per year). Mr. Waddell’s calculation of the tax exemption is off by 99.33 per cent which is pretty far out, even for a mathematically challenged journalist.

Mr. Waddell then continues with that old Tory argument that a higher minimum wage may cause the price of food, rent and gasoline to rise. Probably true. But I wonder if he noticed the 20 per cent increase in the price of gas the night before the Thanksgiving weekend. No wage increase at all and no mention by the news media.

Leonard Paramor
Arden, MB