2.6 C
Niagara Falls
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Letter: Pensions and salaries can’t keep pace with taxes and rising costs

Dear editor:

Last month we received a pension increase from the federal government.

Thank you.

But due to the CRTC’s do-nothing policy, Rogers was able to increase its internet access rate to us by over 128 per cent of the pension increase.

Rogers did this by eliminating a long-standing discount we had been receiving, Rogers also has cut costs by only using frontline representatives and eliminating its client loyalty/retention department.

Rogers was not concerned that we seek other providers, such as Bell, which, when contacted, advised that its system indicates Bell does not service our area, notwithstanding our next-door neighbour uses Bell for their internet. Bell was to have someone call back in 24 to 48 hours but that expired more than two days ago. Is Bell not calling back because it has an agreement with Rogers?

By the way, Bell also eliminated our neighbour’s internet discount. I surmise price-fixing does not exist, just as it does not with gasoline.

Our local government wants to collect 8 per cent more tax. I am guessing that will in itself also significantly exceed the pension increase. While government is also cutting back on our waste disposal service, spending monies on suits i.e. the Rand Estate (notwithstanding the design revision of what looks like a nice structure), and who knows what else.

Food costs are soaring, quality and choice reducing, staff being laid off, including the seniors who must work to survive (employment insurance costs increase / need more taxes to compensate) due to self-checkout and other greed tactics.

Is this because we now have higher minimum wages? Well, those increases and more are gone.

Stores hire many people part-time to avoid paying benefits, but one cannot live on part-time wages or no job. The government should require the hiring of full-time employees when there are multiple part-time positions and also force these large companies to provide re-employment assistance.

Who is going to buy food when there are no jobs?

William Hargreaves

NOTL

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