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This is where cold facts yield to the hottest of takes.

Here you'll find reader responses to stories and newsletter editorials, or letters to the editor for the week of June 30. They may have been edited slightly for readability. The opinions expressed are not those of iNFOnews.ca, unless we occasionally add our own style, like this:

Countdown Timer

That's our official Recall Tara Armstrong Countdown Clock!

Tara Armstrong is currently the MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream. She rode the coattails of the BC Conservative Party, got elected, then rejected and left the party to serve as an Independent because the Conservatives were too left wing. Now she gets to spout moronic, hateful rhetoric and claim that her riding supports her.

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Elections BC says you can recall an MLA if 40% of eligible voters in the riding sign a recall petition — but not for the first 18 months after an election. Some people started an online petition calling for a byelection once she made a shift to Independent, but it won't mean anything until the countdown clock hits zero.

So let the countdown begin!

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North Okanagan man spent 10 years selling illegal smokes; he now owes the gov't $17M

I am not happy with how you approached this story. The photo of the cigarette packs is unnecessary and adds nothing to the story you are reporting on, I question your reporting on this incident, showing photos of the fellow who did wrong but doesn't believe he was doing wrong.

His excuse of "helping others" is shameful. If others spent their money on cigarettes then have to eat cat food, that is a shameful thing and one more wrongful act of the tobacco industry upon citizens. I think that tobacco needs to be treated as an addiction as dangerous as crack cocaine or l.s.d.

The BC government and the federal government, in allowing the sales of tobacco and profiting from it, are guilty of crimes against humanity, even if people choose to smoke the addictive cigarettes and aren't fooled or forced into smoking them.

Tobacco executives are guilty of crimes against humanity and ought to be put on trial. If we had the death penalty, I would argue that the death penalty be applied to each of the CEOs of Canadian tobacco firms.

— Patrick Longworth, via iNFOnews.ca

Why is there an article on a drug dealer?
That is all this guy is. He helps sell drugs that make people sick without contributing to health care to treat them when they get cancer or lung disease.
How about about an article on a worthwhile human being instead?
He should be in jail.

— Carol Greene, via iNFOnews.ca

"Advocacy group Retailers 4 Safe Communities" complains about about the sale of illegal cigarettes. They're not arguing that cigarettes are unsafe and should not be sold. Nope. What they're concerned about is that their members are not doing the selling of them and that someone else is. "Retailers 4 Safe Communities" indeed?

— William Mastop, via iNFOnews.ca

He got rewarded well!

— Ellen Clements, via iNFOnews.ca

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Kamloops mayor's lawsuit meant to 'silence' councillor, lawyer argues

Interesting that there is such a shortage of lawyers in Kamloops & in the entire province of BC that the mayor can't find one.

— Robert Bishop, via iNFOnews.ca

What the hell is this doing for us the people? Quit being a damn jackass, Reid.

— Lola Giddens, Kamloops, via iNFOnews.ca

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'Out of time': Kamloops mayor's delays in defamation case could be over

I foresee a big order for costs against the mayor coming. You can't play up ignorance of the process forever and expect no consequences. There should be consequences.

— William Mastop, via iNFOnews.ca

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Amid calls for separation, Alberta's new referendum rules set to formally take effect

Go ahead separate, good luck with that. It's worked so well for Quebec so far, you might as well try as well.

— Dianne Jackson, via iNFOnews.ca

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North Okanagan landowner protects 80 acres with conservation covenant

There should be signs up stating no hunting or motorized vehicles.

— Kim Low, via iNFOnews.ca

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iN VIDEO: Kamloops Search and Rescue look for missing man in Thompson River

I am incredibly disappointed, yet not surprised, to learn of another visitor to Kamloops drowning in the Thompson River.

It is almost one year ago (2 days shy) of myself nearly drowning while rescuing two international students at the airport, and about 53 weeks since Mr. Stan Cappis drowned in the river near the Tournament Capital Ranch. His body has not yet been recovered.

While I commend the efforts of Kamloops Fire Rescue (I have heard several radio ads about river safety and safe places to swim), I strongly believe the City could have done much more to 1) warn visitors about the hazards of the river with additional simple signage and 2) provide some safety gear, like a life ring, and area beaches around the city. This death was 100% preventable.

Since my near drowning and rescue of the two students a year ago, I wrote City Council asking for more signage and safety equipment, and nothing was done. One reply from council suggested installation of misting cooling stations, like water safety is some kind of choice/preference experiment. Now there is another dead person, a visitor to our city, in the river. 

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DROWN IN THE RIVER BEFORE YOU WILL SPEND SOME TIME AND EFFORT TO MAKE IS SAFER FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS?

— Robert Griffiths, Kamloops, via email

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The new dog park at City Park in Kelowna is .45 of a kilometre from the off-leash dog park at Mushroom Beach. It has tunnels, beams, agility poles and is wheelchair accessible.
It is an on-leash dog park only, according to the signage just installed. The entire City Park is available to dogs on leash.
Just wondering 2 things:
• Why is this $750,000 expenditure located so far away from the density of the condos downtown (that have a large dog population), when the Sunset Drive area residents were turned down on their request for a dog park?
• How can a dog on leash go through tunnels, around agility poles and jump over beams while on leash?

We live at Ellis and Water Streets and our community (Sunset Drive and Ellis Street condos) requested a dog park on the city land beside Bouchons and the parking lot and it was turned down. These condos have hundreds of dogs who would dearly love a nearby dog park.
Sunset Drive is 1.5 km from City Park. So we will have two dog parks in less than .5 km of each other and no dog park in a condo dense area. The closest one is 1.4 km away on Knox Mountain.

— Jacqueline Jones, via email

RE: Friday, July 4 newsletter editorial on tipping

Hello Marshall,

I assuming am that the minimum wage law applies to everyone and that the people involved are reasonably pleasant. Why will you tip a waiter that just does their job – takes your order, brings you your food, makes sure that there are no problems or other need, refills your coffee or drink, and brings you your bill.

And not tip the technician at the oil change business that finds out what you need done (an oil change which includes various checks under the vehicle), and asks if you would like to check your lights, wipers, and in cabin air filter. And if you do need any of the options, will do the work at no extra charge other than parts.

Or the person stocking shelves at the grocery store and spends 10 minutes in the back looking for something for you that is not on the shelf. Or takes five minutes to take you across the store to help you find the item you are looking for.

My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that tipping started because restaurant owners paid their staff as little as they could to improve their profits. Patrons, as they got to know the staff as a person, felt sorry for them and gave them a tip to help them out.

— Ian Otterbein, via email

Tips are a weird societal flaw. Everything about them feels outdated, unfair, and/or awkward. Customers aren't expected to tip a business's employees, other than in restaurants, spa-type businesses, and very few others.

The garage doesn't expect me to tip their mechanics, nor should they, as they are paid by their employers, which makes sense. This is the case with almost all North American businesses.

Although I do tip based on quality-of-service, while doing so I often wonder why I'm paying for both my product and/or service AND also expected to subsidize the servers, cooks, bartenders, manicurists, etc on top of that, simply because these business owners do not pay their workers adequately. Additionally, if the owners work on-site, they also expect to be tipped, no matter how well their venture is doing financially.
 
Wouldn't it make more sense and be fairer for all employers to pay their employees well and leave patrons to pay only for the service or product they've received?

— Karen Klein, Kamloops, via email

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Got something you want to add? Send an email to editor Marshall Jones at mjones@infonews.ca.

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