Editor, The News:
Re: Has Maple Ridge become a police state? (Letters, June 3).
The District of Maple Ridge administration just doesn’t seem to understand basic math and demographics.
White collar municipal employees should have their salary capped at $70,000.
Now, if they were instrumental in reducing our taxes year after year, then maybe they could be paid on a bonus system. But only if they reduce our taxes.
As for the bylaws department, I can tell you that there is an employee at municipal hall who reads all of the classified ads in both local newspapers, then runs the business name, address or telephone number in order to determine whether or not each is complying with the business licence requirements.
If the district wants to raise revenues, then I would suggest starting by monitoring all of the handicapped parking stalls in the municipality and watch for abusers.
Couple that with a fine of $1,000 for each offence and I’m sure we could raise at least $20,000 to $30,000 per day (at least until they abusers catch on).
However, I don’t think municipal hall understands that raising taxes on property owners who live on fixed incomes is cruel, abusive and inhumane.
Staff should get the house at municipal hall in order before we see anymore tax increases. One of these days soon, the entire monetary system could come crashing down around all of us.
I wonder how local governments, always greedy for that next idea to raise our property taxes, will fair?
It should be interesting.
Mike Boileau
Maple Ridge