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If you don’t want your cash “grabbed,” just slow down.

That costs you nothing. Once people get a few tickets, well, they’ll figure out how to stop paying the extra taxes. Meanwhile, the government can use the extra income to fund the many services crying out for more funding.

Sharon Riley, Niagara Falls

Slow down or pay the price. It’s simple

I believe we have missed the point regarding speed cameras. The entire idea is to slow drivers down. People simply drive too fast, especially in school zones and in the area around pedestrian crosswalks. Some folks are arguing said cameras are nothing more than a tax grab. To them, I would suggest all money collected is donated to a charity, the Hospital For Sick Children for example.

Flashing warning signs prior to entering the zone would alert drivers that unless they slow down, they are about to make a charitable donation.

If a camera collects zero dollars it has done it’s job.

Brian Finbow, Port Hope, Ont.

Speed cameras too vulnerable to damage

I don’t live in the GTA, but in Niagara Region. In Niagara-on-the-Lake a speed camera in a school zone has been damaged or cut down repeatedly. Same problem as in Toronto, but on a smaller scale.

I support the use of a speed camera, particularly in school zones or near high population density locations with crosswalks. I simply cannot understand how the engineers employed by municipal governments have not come up with solutions to stop vandals from damaging cameras or apprehending them and having appropriate fines and punishment applied.

I’m no engineer, but it seems these devices are too easy to cut down. I would encase the pillars on which the cameras rest in cement, or multiple layers of material that would make it extremely difficult or time-consuming to cut through. I would also mount the cameras higher, to make them harder to reach and damage. If the vandals wanted to spend the extra time, surveillance cameras might give the police enough time to catch them in the act.

Yes, it would cost more to make cameras more vandal-proof, but much less than the cost of repeatedly having to repair them.

Ron Ashenhurst, Niagara On The Lake, Ont.

There has to be a better way to address speeding

Getting a ticket for speeding clearly does not prevent repeat offenders. There is another way. There are a number of crosswalks on Parkside Drive, each of which could be equipped with a red light camera.

As long as you approach below a set speed the light stays green. If you approach above that speed the light turns red.

We experienced such a system several years ago in Portugal. Even in villages with little traffic if the light turned red, without fail, vehicles stopped.

Geoffrey Kemp, Mississauga

Is solar power really the best energy solution?

Jory Cohen, Inspirit’s Director of Finance and Impact Investment, and the rest of the solar proponents are forgetting one thing: It is estimated approximately 80 per cent of the solar supply chain is from China.

Does this sound like a good strategy, to rely on a potentially hostile foreign nation for one of the most important needs in our society?

The biggest impact to emissions reduction has been the transition from coal to LNG. Canada should focus on ramping up LNG capabilities that will help our economy and the environment.

Supporting the solar supply chain manufactured using coal-generated power in China is the definition of greenwashing with limited benefit to the Canadian economy.

Matt Little, Oakville

Our premier needs to refocus on what really matters

Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatens to do away with automated speed cameras, Sept. 9

Premier Doug Ford appears to be channeling previous Conservative premier Mike Harris by referring to speed cameras in safety zones as a “cash grab.”

For those with short memories, Harris’ polling indicated some voters were so strongly opposed to photo radar they would cast their vote based on that single issue instead of things like healthcare and education.

Doug Ford now appears to be singing from the same songbook. Just a reminder that the best way to avoid this ‘cash grab’ is to obey the law and drive the speed limit.

I wish Ford would stay in his own lane and focus on funding our children’s education appropriately, ending (as he promised many years ago) hallway medicine and reducing emergency room wait times, letting cities determine where best to implement bike lanes and repairing the Ontario Science Centre.

That’s only a small taste of how he is avoiding governing in favour of grandstanding.

Brigitte Nowak, Toronto

Canada needs stable trading partners, not the roller coaster to the south

The good news for Trump? His tariffs are working. The bad news? His tariffs are working, Sept. 13

Who in their right mind, after reading David Olive’s column on Trump’s tariffs, would agree they are a success for the American people?

It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Certainly the American people will be out $2,400 per household, but please explain how increasing the expenses on families is good for the country? The average family can ill afford to pay this amount. You can already see the opposite effects with large companies relocating to other countries instead of moving to America. Tariffs are going to push the country into stagflation, and then you will see the real damage.

We all hope Canada is able to weather the storm while we set up new reliable trading partners, not one that creates uncertainty.

Arvo Luik, Ajax, Ont.

For those averse to travelling to the U.S., Canada has plenty to offer

With many Canadians cancelling or postponing vacations to the United States due to tariffs and/or the political situation, I think it’s important to look at how people can adapt their leisure habits closer to home.

Travel to the U.S. often includes amusement parks and big attractions. When those trips are no longer possible, Canadians can still find creative ways to enjoy similar experiences. For example, families can ride virtual roller coaster simulators —whether through YouTube videos, laptop screens, or VR headsets — just like many of us did during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This can provide a fun, safe, and affordable substitute without crossing the border.

I travel from Brampton to the Scarborough Bluffs by transit, where I can take in the breathtaking view of Lake Ontario. From that shoreline, I’m reminded of the border between Canada and the United States. For me, that experience is just as meaningful as travelling further away, and it shows you don’t always need to venture south of the border to find enjoyment.

I believe Canadians can use this moment to rediscover local destinations, technology-based experiences and the beauty that exists within our own country while avoiding the stress of U.S. travel uncertainty.

Steven Perez, Brampton