Some of the big stories this past week were strong reminders of the role of government and public sector bodies in affecting our daily lives.
Northern Health went to court against an unlicensed Prince George daycare while also slapping a high hazard rating on a downtown eatery after finding mouse droppings in a container of bread crumbs.
These two stories lead to a question that should constantly be debated and reevaluated in a modern democracy: how much time and money (meaning your tax dollars) should government be spending to crack down on individual businesses to keep people safe? Shouldn't individuals decide for themselves if they're prepared to take the risk of putting their child in an unlicensed daycare (especially when there is a chronic shortage of pre-school child care)? As for restaurants, shouldn't buyer beware be part of the equation?
And here's a broader question: do regular government inspections, be they of daycares, diners, workplaces or speed traps on the highway really pay for themselves with less illness and injury or are they opportunities to hire more government workers (and collect fines)?
As for the proposed College Heights developments, the rubber hits the road on improving housing affordability when developers want to build large multi-family buildings in your neighbourhood. Do we want a pro-development city council, regardless of what the area residents want, or a council that tells developers no because people (and some of their supporters) will be mad at them?
Discuss!
