Dear editor,
An article in last week鈥檚 Record (Public has say about pay parking issue, April 6) says the official from Island Health is whining that the new hospital won鈥檛 be able to function without money from paid parking made off the backs of the ill and their families. Let鈥檚 be honest here 鈥� only a very small percentage of the money taken in through levies on the sick and already stressed actually goes to the hospital, nearly all of it goes to further line the pockets of the mega-company Robbins Parking based in Victoria.
In the same issue of the paper is an article about TimberWest making a large donation to the hospital project.
Surely this will cover the deficit from lack of parking fees, at least for a while? In fact, why not get permanent corporation sponsorship for the small and very benevolent financial commitment of supporting a hospital car park?
TimberWest perhaps, Home Depot maybe, or how about Timmy鈥檚 across the road?
They could put up a big sign in the car park informing everyone of their sponsorship, and grateful people waiting for friends or relatives who are at the hospital, could take their coins and stretch their legs with a short walk over to Tim鈥檚 for a stress-reducing cuppa and a few non-institutional minutes of rest. Much better use of their couple of dollars.
Sounds win-win to me. How about it Timmy鈥檚, interested in stepping up to the plate for your community?
Don鈥檛 forget about the the students at North Island College either. Paid parking should be banned there too.
James Webb
Comox Valley
