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Esquimalt shares weight of region’s woes

Taxes, construction, cost-sharing

Re: Esquimalt taxes affected by outside forces (Letters, June 15)

Missing from Mike Baker’s claim that Esquimalt’s taxes are substantially determined by outside forces is the reason why the provincial government pushed Esquimalt to change policing. Somehow Baker thinks that policing Esquimalt properly would be less costly if reverted to Esquimalt control, but I don’t hear a commitment from Esquimalt’s politicians to do policing properly, as a priority to defend human life. That’s an odd failure for people who live off of federal taxpayers in the form of the defense-of-life effort represented by the naval base.

Baker overlooks unnecessary spending, such as the jay walker-hiding median on Esquimalt Road, which has not achieved its intended purpose of slowing traffic. Only good policing will do that.

Missing from his claim of a great public works department is the mismanagement of street construction, such as on Admirals and Craigflower roads.

As a resident of Saanich affected by the heavy traffic from Esquimalt I’d like to alert its taxpayers for the benefit they get from neighbouring cities.

Esquimalt voters should look at the complete picture, and look in their mirror instead of blaming outsiders.

Keith Sketchley

Saanich