Reform the rental board

Regarding "Landlord denies being bad," [Letters, July 14]: Not all landlords are bad, but I can see why those ones are thriving. Their intimidation tactics too often succeed, and the rental board authorities only maintain their status quo.

Many owners forget that they're not simply offering us another consumer good. The reality of shelter, like food, has been universally considered a necessity rather than an option, and largely accessible, meaning reasonably inexpensive. Most residential buildings don't belong in the same league as extravagant mansions or hotels. Unfortunately, there are landlords who persist in thinking the generic housing market should return the same profit margins as luxury items in the commodity market. They pretend to sell pastry when they're only offering bread. And they'll get away with it insofar as there aren't any official complaints.

But complaining isn't enough if the Régie du logement just ends up monitoring certain percentage rent increases. That isn't helpful if two apartments of the same type and size still end up $100 per month apart. With such gaps in rental cost, you could accuse the Régie of tolerating chaos, despite all their diligence. What's needed is a beyond-the-staus-quo concern for fair pricing. Better control over this inflammatory situation would be possible if the authorities could administer a rents registry wherein the pricing of all apartments (across the city or according to borough) is gathered and categorized in regard to size and amenities. That way, we could determine the average prices and thereby know who the exploitative owners are.

In effect, this data can facilitate changes in how rental increases are calculated in cases of great disparity, with apartments above the average allowed a much lower per cent than apartments below the average. If our rental board tried adopting some such policy, it could get the respect it deserves both from tenants who are hitherto paying too much and from landlords who are hitherto receiving too little.

» L.S. Cattarini

Paper nor plastic

There should be a movement afoot to reduce the consumption of plastic bags ["Ban the bags," July 14]. Toronto's successful composting program of plastic bags is a step in the right direction. But I don't think banning plastic bags outright would be a good idea. It takes less money and energy to produce plastic bags than paper bags, and plastic bags also take up less space. Besides, if the consumption of paper bags should escalate, many more trees would have to be sacrificed.

The best thing to do in the long run would be to encourage the consumption of cloth bags. Cloth bags are sturdier and more durable than either plastic bags or paper bags, and are also very environmentally friendly. A cloth bag can be used for many years for carrying groceries, books, etc. Why not promote them?

» Manish Patwari

War stories

Re. "Fuzzy Politics" [Letters, June 30], by Anonymous. At the time of the nuclear disaster in the then Soviet Union, I was in Kiev. The soldiers from the Great Patriotic War had on their ribbons. They were given the front-of-the-line respect. A class act.

Our veterans were called "suckers" by many in Quebec. One Bloc Québécois MNA turned down flags to veterans to be used on Canada Day. Why so? Are the separatists not expected to represent all of the citizens in their constituency? Even those who think of themselves as Canadians rather than Québécois?

Or are they lacking in class? How much courage does one have to have to be Anonymous?

» John C. Underwood

Sir,

I send you this picture as a remembrance to those Canadians who rest in peace over here. Please let your readers see and know that those men are not forgotten. They will always have a place in the hearts of the old continentals. In honour of Major F. Philip Griffin (age 26) and his brave fellows of The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada. Died 25th July, 1944, Normandy.

From an old survivor of the CAOS WWII,

» Jacky Tange, Gent, Belgium

Pick-up pickle

Me, I agree that the worst way to pick up a chick is by telling her she's so beautiful and she has a nice personality ["Seduction for dummies," July 14]. Man, there are always better looking guys with more cash than you, so don't kid yourself. But the thing I don't understand is what you're supposed to use for a "neg" [an observation about her designed to destabalize her ego], because you can't just say, "Baby, you're so fat and so stupid. Me I keep in shape and drive a BMW." So what's a good neg?

» George Panopoulus

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