Dear Editor,
Re: "Richmond resident at a loss after spec tax exemption revoked"
I am the subject of Vikki Hui’s article in the Richmond News recently.
I write not to re-cap what Miss Hui has written but to express frustration at the state of representative democracy.
The Seinfeld TV series was famous for being a show about nothing. In my case, this B.C. government has now upped the idea by taxing people for just doing nothing.
The quaint notion that politicians are put in office to serve the public has been supplanted by the reality that they are now empowered to make edicts against their constituents.
As voters, we need to hold these people responsible for actions they may take that are irresponsible and irrational.
They should not get a pass to impose hardships on people just because they won a popularity contest.
All of them are average people, no more qualified to make fiscal and policy decisions than your next door neighbour. They make mistakes, except that their mistakes always come at the cost of others.
We can disagree on policy but policies cannot be irrational.
If they do nothing at all, at the very least, protect the rights of citizens. They are not omniscient decision makers and are only able to do things that we allow them to.
It’s certain that most people have no interest in politics and likely can’t even name their particular representative.
This must change. People need to be more involved in the process that has such enormous impact on their lives.
When they come for your vote, ask them what they have accomplished. Hold them to account, because if we don’t, they are like a crazed house guest who won’t leave until the next election cycle.
We entrust them to do a job carefully and thoughtfully, but like all hires, if they can’t do it properly, they need to be fired and replaced with competent people.
Tony Chan
Richmond
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