Dear editor,

In your story April 7, Hornet joins Snowbirds to buzz around valley, we are introduced to the CF18 national demonstration team.

At first it sounds straightforward, but with some consideration one might ask, what they are demonstrating? I get the need for Orville and Wilbur to demonstrate flight, as it was quite unproven in 1903, but surely at this point, flying is generally accepted.

Perhaps there are still some sceptics as to the CF18鈥檚 airworthiness, even after 30 years, and multiple combat deployments? With a public commitment already made to pursue the F35 stealth fighter, why would we bother to 鈥渄emonstrate鈥� the alternatives?

As one must tread carefully, I鈥檒l not attack the airmen, or even their generals, but the politicians that hold the pursestrings and allow these dumb policies.

Providing our forces in Afghanistan with the helicopters and kit of a modern army was a late time in coming, and the Harper government should be given credit for providing the money. Harper, however his predilection for expensive kit, does not seem so generous with the cannon fodder.

One of the victims of the current election is Bill C55, a feeble attempt to address the callousness of the Conservatives鈥� 鈥淣ew Veteran鈥檚 Charter,鈥� that substituted lump sum compensation for pension benefits. As a cost-saving measure, the government decided that a fixed lump sum was much more desirable fiscally than an indeterminate pension obligation.

Possibly an admirable cost-cutting measure in a time of peace, lump sum payments, unless extremely generous, would seem just plain stingy, to a soldier and family, suffering injury or traumatic stress through service in their country鈥檚 wars.

I guess when running record budget deficits, the government must find savings somewhere; perhaps 鈥渄emonstration team[s]鈥� would be a place to start?

By the way, who are the Snowbirds entertaining, and what are they training for, and if they are a demonstration team, what are they demonstrating? As long as one serviceperson needs help, how can we blow millions of dollars on such fluff?

Think about how much of our money is invested in planes, pilots, and the infrastructure to support them. Fuel, training, maintenance crews, travel agents, all for a 鈥渄emonstration team鈥�?

In 35 years of this flying circus, six Canadian servicepeople have died. When will this backwards titillation and the waste of resources end? Well, since Conservatives by definition don鈥檛 like change, perhaps the answer lies elsewhere?

Steve Hodge,

Comox