\t\t\tBuying Canadian<\/p>\n
The phrase \u201cvoting with one\u2019s dollars\u201d has taken on critical meaning since our neighbours to the south chose to place both their democracy and their cooperative relationships with allies at risk.<\/p>\n
Unpredictable tariff-mad trade changes have made the question of restructuring our Canadian economy a front-and-centre issue for Canadians.<\/p>\n
Columnist Dan Lett (NDP\u2019s unforeseen budget expenses legitimate; so is bloated deficit<\/a>, March 4) outlines how Canadian provinces, with a focus on Manitoba, are experiencing unforeseen budget expenses, in large part due to increased, unpredictabe tariffs, which will continue to have very real impact upon quality of life for most Canadians.<\/p>\n I believe many of us have upped our efforts to buy local, buy Canadian and not buy from the ununited states to our south.<\/p>\n That said, I see three primary concerns.<\/p>\n One, there is only so much each of us can do, depending upon our personal circumstances and upon availability of necessary items.<\/p>\n Two, to what degree are we aware and informed of the impact of our spending habits?<\/p>\n A third question is to what degree citizens are committed to our survival as a nation and to the maintaining of social democracies in our world?<\/p>\n When it comes to buying groceries and other consumer items or continuing to travel to the un-U.S.A. and unecessarily supporting that economy in other ways, I suspect a very large segment of our population is seriously under-informed. What of the many in all ranges of socio-economic community who do not particularly engage in polical awareness or active responsible citizenship?<\/p>\n I believe an increase in dedicated public awareness and education efforts, including in all levels of public education, could have a huge positive impact.<\/p>\n More businesses and service providers could also contribute information in support of Buy Canadian.<\/p>\n Encouraging mutual respect through exercising sensitivity in how we share information and in how we speak with one another can go a long way in building and strengthening community.<\/p>\n That said, voting with our dollars has never been more important.<\/p>\n Garrett Loeppky<\/p>\n Winnipeg<\/p>\n Driver inattention<\/p>\n Luc Gagne (\u201cTurn down the lights,\u201d Letters<\/a>, March 4) may be largely justified in his complaints that excessively bright headlight systems on modern vehicles cause hazardous conditions for oncoming traffic, but there is another serious problem that\u2019s largely due to drivers being unaware of or inattentive about.<\/p>\n Too many seem oblivious to the fact that they\u2019re driving around the city, both at night or often in broad daylight, with their high-beam headlights or driving\/fog lights on full bore when there\u2019s obviously no need for them.<\/p>\n These can be almost as big a nuisance as the LED lights on many cars, but it\u2019 s not only because of their intensity. It\u2019s because the drivers don\u2019t seem to be aware that they\u2019re on in the first place, or they haven\u2019t figured out what their instrument panel warning lights actually mean.<\/p>\n Maybe if they spent less time playing around with the other gadgets inside their vehicles and focus on the task at hand \u2014 i.e. just driving safely and attentively \u2014 they wouldn\u2019t be causing annoying or actually hazardous conditions for others who have enough to focus on given the often less-than-optimal road surfaces Winnipeg has become notorious for.<\/p>\n Edward Katz<\/p>\n Winnipeg<\/p>\n More to the story<\/p>\n