Editor:
Re: Hospital parking fees ‘stress’ patients, docs say, Dec. 1.
As someone who has had to visit Vancouver General Hospital several times recently, I was appalled to discover their extortionate parking fees. It takes an editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal to bring this disgraceful situation to everyone’s attention.
Now we see the BC Liberals trying to spin this story of one more tax on a section of the population.
They claim that these so-called fees are “needed to pay for capital equipment.” Nonsense. Revenues for medical care are aggregated together into one account and then allocated based on political thinking by the stooges appointed directly by the B.C. government.
Reductions in both the number and massive salaries of health-care “administrators” would go a long way in making B.C. voters recognize that we have a fair and economic health system.
Fees and surcharges have been some of the sneaky ways this government has used to take more cash out of B.C. taxpayers’ pockets without appearing to increase income taxes.
The fact that a “lucky few” – who have their taxes kept low so they can buy private rooms in our hospitals – are getting free parking illustrates the two-tier society that our leaders wish to impose on B.C.
It is also disgusting to see that health workers are also being gouged by this government, as they often have to drive to the hospitals where they work. The pathetic excuses being used to avoid being swamped by free parkers was already addressed in the editorial – ticket validation has been used by merchants for years.
When Delta municipality can ban these types of charges, it shows how truly political is this action.
It is disappointing that the NDP have not already brought up this issue and promised to ban these charges by raising taxes on the top 10 per cent – not one per cent – to ensure that the other 90 per cent of the population get first-class medical service.
Herbert Spencer, Surrey