Editor, The News:
Re: Greens didn’t demand party subsidy, Andrew Weaver says.
Despite pre-election promises to the contrary, our new provincial rulers are requiring taxpayers to directly fund the three major parties to the tune of several million dollars per year.
One might wonder how our democracy benefits from giving payments to only the existing major parties, while excluding smaller or new parties and independents.
It appears that the major parties are colluding just as some monopolistic corporations do to strangle competition, and prevent new and better ideas from seeing the light of day.
Even worse, it appears that taxpayers are being forced to pay for their own manipulation by expensive party propaganda and marketing machines.
It’s no accident that most advertising by major political parties concentrates on establishing a positive image for the leader, and maintaining the party brand, instead of engaging the audience’s rational and critical faculties.
Large corporations do the same thing to maintain brand loyalty while selling inferior products.
Forcing citizens to pay for the dumbing down of political debate and the narrowing of options demonstrates that the major parties are driven by narrow self-interest.
They are in no way a public service that citizens should have to pay for.
Hopefully, next election B.C., citizens will show they’re not dupes, and will refuse to vote for any of them.
Steve Ranta
Maple Ridge
Editor’s note: Mr. Ranta was a local independent candidate in the most recent provincial election.