Re: Tom Fletcher’s column “NDP’s Problems Run Deep,” January 26
I was shocked at the blatant and unbalanced political parochialism displayed by your columnist. I certainly echo the letter from a reader you published last week about this very issue.
Furthermore what Mr. Fletcher seems to have to say is ignorant. The comments he makes about a disparity in wealth study mentioned by Mr. Dix and then suggesting a great conspiracy by the NDP was ridiculous and somewhat like a sensationalistic American TV show with a rabid host.
The years of collaborative research collated in the book I presume Mr. Dix was referring to correlated greater disparity in wealth between rich and poor, with poorer quality of life indices for the entire population, including the wealthy. It comes from a landmark international project done by unaffiliated academics.
Mr. Fletcher would appear to be appealing to fear and greed while fostering ignorance or displaying his own lack of homework, if he claims to be a professional journalist. Ideology over substance has no place in journalism.
His suggestion that the HST is another example of redistribution of wealth from the wealthy to the poor is also entirely ignorant or should I say the exact opposite of the truth. VAT taxes, as they were originally called, are the archetype of “regressive” taxes (as opposed to “progressive” taxes like income tax, that progress or increase as income increases). These disproportionately affect the less wealthy as a higher percentage of their income.
So not only does he appear biased but either ignorant or intentionally misleading your readership. If you indeed have any freedom to choose what you carry, kindly find someone else other than our very own “Fox News North.”
The writing represents a breach of the BC Press Council Code of practice with respect to accuracy and misrepresentation of commentary as fact.
Andre Piver
Nelson