Okay, so, if I had to choose one word for a recent article from a Writer at the Chronicle Herald it would be, "Wow." Said article, titled, "A Cape Breton job that nobody really wants" had been published in the "Nova Scotia" section of the Herald website rather than the "Cape Breton" section. An oversight perhaps but I noticed it at least. Before talking about it I'd like to first share the link to the article with you: http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1417388-farries-a-cape-breton-job-that-nobody-really-wants The article discusses an apparent job opening with the CBRM for a tax collector (I have not seen the job posting myself after a brief search) saddled with the role of collecting on the alleged $18.5 million in unpaid taxes owed within the confines of the CBRM. Again, I say "alleged" because I do not have facts to back up her claim. I'm not a reporter or journalist but I'm sure somebody out there has the numbers. While I am sure there is money owed in unpaid tax bills and it is not far fetched that there would be a job created to collect on that money, I find the article to be riddled with sarcasm against the people of Cape Breton. It may not have been the intent but it's very easy to draw the conclusion that the Writer attempts humour to show how Cape Bretoner's are attempting to avoid paying taxes nor do they want to pay the monies owed. I find this very offensive to the many who I'm sure are struggling on a day to day basis as they are forced to pick which of their bills they will focus on in a triage like manner. The impression that Cape Bretoner's are removing stop signs, changing numbers on their homes, or placing lookouts is just absurd. Again, I know this is likely an attempt at humour but it is an offensive attempt which only gets worse upon further reading. The Writer then has the audacity to claim that the amount of taxes owed is one-third of what Cape Bretoner's spend on alcohol in the run of a year. Really?! You felt the need to take your message that far? I suggest reading the article to form your own opinion as I may have read it completely wrong and if so, I apologize. To give benefit of the doubt, I decided to go looking for other articles by the Author and was happy to find articles calling out behaviours that I agree should certainly be pointed out in the hope of changing the habits of those she has described. However, I have one request of the Author ( and again, I admit that I am not a reporter, journalist, nor a trained writer), please be wary of how future articles are targeted and directed. Alcoholism is not a Cape Breton problem, it exists in all corners of the globe. Bad drivers exist not just in Sydney, but in the Hallowed City of Halifax as well. And I agree that it's sometimes cringe-worthy to watch people bypass hand sanitation stations in places where we all are at most risk, but Cape Breton is not the hypothetical ground-zero of this behaviour. We have our problems here in Cape Breton, I freely admit that. Social, economic, and health issues can be found here and we must own up to them. We must take responsibility for them. Until we can all agree that we have a problem, we will never be in a position to address and fix them. But you know something, all over this great Island we have people who are doing just that, they are working very hard to fix these problems. But they need help. They need help from all areas of life, their friends, neighbours, elected officials, media, family, Professionals, you name it. We all need to be a part of the solution. And if your part is to be a little more positive towards those are trying to help than I feel you are in an ideal position to do so. Your words can inspire, they can rejuvenate, they can invoke action, they can give hope, or they could simply be a slap in the face of those who wake up with a heart full of love, devotion, and pride in who they are and where they live. Let's lend them a hand in a way we are capable of doing so. Then and only then will we see real change on our precious Island. Love, A Caper