Dear Editor:
Regarding your Viewpoint, Income Chasm (North Shore News, Feb. 5): Another ridiculous left-wing editorial from your left-wing newspaper. If you do not understand the type of society that we have here let me explain it for you. We have a system that works hard to provide equal opportunity not equal outcomes. We all have a chance because of the free education that society provides. We all have a chance because of the various family support systems that society put in place. But society is not required to support people throughout their lives. People have to take some responsibility.
What you are advocating without saying is more income redistribution. You want the people who work hard to support those who don't work so hard. That is what is going on in Europe right now. They have countries like Greece and Portugal that provide massive government assistance at all levels - income redistribution - and are now broke, and the hardworking countries with sensible public policies, i.e. Germany and Finland, are being asked to support the countries with poor public policies. Naturally the Germans, Finns and others are not happy about this.
I pay my taxes, I look after my family and I support the charities that I like. What more do you want from me? Maybe you ought to look at the outrageous salaries and wages that are being paid by the city and district on the North Shore. Maybe there is room for reform there. Look at government waste before you advocate more theft from private individuals by the government.
Alan Wilson North Vancouver
