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Re: Lululemon founder puts his wallet to work for right-wing candidates
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Given the growing and obscene inequality of income and wealth in our society, I am shocked when I hear one of the richest people in the world complain about how the voices of the “right” are not being heard in the political arena.
The wealthy like to stay out of the public eye and certainly don’t often make serious public statements about their lack of political clout, no doubt for fear of becoming the butt of ridicule. The political “right” has historically dominated the political sphere, especially since the Reagan/Thatcher neoliberal revolution in the 1980s, when radical tax cuts to favor the wealthy, government deregulation, and cuts to social programs they became central elements of his political program.
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In BC, the Gordon Campbell/Christy Clark governments repeatedly cut taxes and required balanced budgets, leading to underfunding of education, health care, and social programs.
I have yet to see viable policy proposals from the “right” to address the climate crisis, environmental and ecological destruction, homelessness, the opioid crisis, land speculation, housing affordability and rent, and poverty.
Chip Wilson apparently wants more of the same, and he wants wealthy donors to put money into making that happen.
The NDP’s reform of election finance laws to remove the influence of large financial donations gives democracy at least a reasonable chance to work for all, not just the few.
The fashion industry worldwide is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis. Wilson could focus his influence and his financial power on reforming the practices of that industry and thereby help resolve this existential threat to humanity.
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Incidentally, the so-called “socialist” European countries rank as follows on the UN Human Development Index: Norway (1), Sweden (7), the Netherlands (8), Denmark (10), Finland (11 ). Canada ranks 16th and the United States 17th.
Fast Jerry, Vancouver
So Chip Wilson and other conservatives don’t like limits on how much wealthy people can spend on political campaigns, so they create other vehicles to get around the rules. There is no surprise here.
I was in Ottawa when we convinced the then Liberal government to pass election finance laws that put limits on political contributions. Harper’s conservatives immediately dismantled those laws for the reasons exemplified by Wilson’s self-serving spiel and underlying message: he wants to be able to buy the election outcome. His anger is on display because the NDP has been in power for four years out of the last 20, and his preferred government has been rejected by the electorate.
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He and his friends want a structure like the one south of the border, where politicians are totally beholden to the rich through corporate-funded Super PACs to finance their election campaigns. I don’t think our citizens want that American-style system.
And oh yeah, Chip, hard work isn’t the province of conservatives like you. It is the reality for most customers that they can afford the products that made them rich.
Ken Georgetti, Burnaby
Too late for the Downtown Eastside?
About 70 years ago, my father built the Bamboo Terrace restaurant leases and booths on Hastings Street.
After that, once a month my parents and sometimes my brother and I would go there for Chinese food, and after dinner we would go up to the Mount Everest Cafe for ice cream.
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When we were having dinner, I remember that I loved listening to the talk of the waiters and the music. It was so relaxing. The food was delicious, and I was fascinated by the little brown bag that my father kept in his suit jacket and put under the table with his sipping cup.
Seeing the photos of that neighborhood now and the struggling people there is heartbreaking. The city and the province do not seem to see the dire need, the pain of the people and the danger to our society. Every day, conversations are sparked, plans are made, and our fellow citizens are increasingly disenfranchised, demoralized, and often demonized.
I can only hope this gets fixed before it’s too late. Or has that time already come?
Diana Cabott Nimsick, Surrey
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