Dear editor,

Recent letters to the editor have been very critical of the Comox Valley Taxpayers Alliance and we are being accused of being a nameless, faceless organization. Let鈥檚 be fair about this.

There are privacy laws in this province. No organization that I know of, including Dogwood, the NDP, the Rotary Club, Probus, the Elks club, etc. releases their membership lists to the public. Even if they wanted to, the privacy legislation prevents it unless the members agree to having their personal information released prior to signing up to belong to an organization. It is clearly stated on our CVTA membership application: 鈥淢ember personal information is for the sole use of the Comox Valley Taxpayers Alliance and will not be shared with any other organization.鈥�

We, the messenger, is being attacked for respecting people鈥檚 legislated right to privacy. What we stand for is shown on our website at cvtaxpayer.com. You may or may not agree with our stated values. Fair enough. We can disagree on different issues. But to attack us for not violating the privacy legislation by refusing to make our membership and donors list public is simply unfair and is attacking the messenger, not the message.

Dick Clancy,

Courtenay