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Ditch bike lanes
Premier Doug Ford has signalled we need to stop the concept of dedicated bike lanes. Our city council, I hope, is listening and ready to move on to building and repairing roads that are used by the majority of the population 12 months a year.
Obvious projects that benefit the majority include fixing pot holes and crumbling pavement and widening main roads to accommodate the growth London has experienced. And please, do not downplay the huge development fees that should be feeding the required expansion and maintenance needed.
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Robert Webb, London
Speed up road work
If the city can close a street for 22 hours in order for cement trucks to do a job, why can’t they close city streets overnight to get these road construction jobs done that seem to go on forever?
Put on a second shift, work weekends, whatever is needed but get them done. It was done on Sunningdale Road a couple of months ago for road repair, so why can’t it be done now?
Carol Williamson, London
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Focus on seniors
Many London citizens, me included, are concerned about the city’s plans to build numerous highrise apartment buildings to address the housing shortage.
One of my key concerns is whether the people in need of housing actually will be able to afford these new developments. Will the rent be affordable for those we are trying to assist?
I believe there is a more beneficial solution that could help all Londoners.
As the baby boomer generation approaches their 80s, soon, a significant number among this population will be unable to live in their homes. By focusing on building accommodations specifically for seniors, we could encourage them to move into more suitable housing. This, in turn, would free up their existing homes for others, those who can afford current market rents or home prices.
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This could help alleviate the pressure on housing without forcing people into high-rent highrises.
Al Hobbs, London
Audit spending
Regarding Brian Lilley’s column Audit shows Ford increased Ontario spending (Sept. 24) and Steven Lewis’s column Feds should reward health-care successes (Sept. 24) .
At last, someone is starting to figure out the problem.
The problem is not money, but what you do with it. All of these public institutions are top heavy. Whenever they receive more money, they build a bigger bureaucracy.
London Health Sciences Centre is starting to get the picture; when you cut from the bottom, you decrease service.
Thames Valley District school board has seven superintendents of academic achievement. When I was teaching, that was my job. These superintendents have a combined salary and benefits of about $2 million. That is about 40 educational assistants or early childhood educators.
How much better would students be served if these funds went to front-line workers?
We need forensic audits of all of these institutions and a mechanism to enforce financial responsibility.
Betty Wright, London
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