Editor:
Something happened last week that made me angry.
A local representative of the provincial government came to my children's school PAC meeting; but before I get to that I should tell you this. My school PAC raises money each year so that every kid there gets a chance to do things like swimmingand skating and going on field trips. Some kids, for whatever reason don't ever get to do these things. Their family can't afford it or doesn't have a car or something, and the kid never gets to. Every kid that goes to my school gets to.
The PAC also puts out breakfastsnacks like fruit and muffins for kids thatgo to school hungry. One waythey raise money is by selling chocolates to parents at Easter and Christmas, expensive ones that parents give as gifts or keep as treats for themselves. The chocolates provide about $1,200 worth of good things to the kids, and a small pleasure to the grownups.
The government lady toldthe PACthat they couldn't sell chocolates because it was unhealthy. She tried to explain how cutting swimming and nutrition from a child's life makes them healthier, but no one could understand it. She was told that "parents will just buy them somewhere else," a fact she dismissed as irrelevant. Every attempt to bring her to reason was countered with authoritative nonsense.
I hope someone in government is reading this letter and sitting up and taking notice. People I talk to have no patience for this illogical and overbearing style of government. Fortunately for us, bad government can be dismissed like any other incompetent and insubordinate employee. People in general don't protest much about the intrusion of government into their lives but at some point, it becomes worth it.
Stanley Scott
Gibsons
