Dear editor,Those of us that do not want the homeless shelter downtown (unfortunately I didn't get to join the 1,100 people who signed a petition) support (not necessarily welcome) the HST, think farming salmon is better than killing their wild cousins, do not want public sector unions (Courtenay city workers, teachers, postal and ferry workers) to keep bleeding us dry, and look forward to modern coal-mining paying our bills.We let the lefties rave on, depicting us as uncaring.We wish we could afford everything from bike lanes to shelters. It would be a wonderful world if the city hall staffers, teachers and postman could all retire at age 50 after 20 years of making 30 per cent more than their private-sector counterparts.The truth is, and this is where we sound like uncaring meanies: We cannot afford it.Like the rest of the Western world — Courtenay, B.C., Canada and most Canadians are swimming in debt. To avoid what is happening from Greece to the USA, we have to put aside our wishlist of noble wants and figure out what spending we have to cut and what businesses we are going to support to pay off our ever-growing debt. Art galleries, buying local, ecotourism and other service-sector jobs ain't going to make even a dent in paying our interest charges.Once we have some money in the bank, or at least have no debt, then we can go shopping. When did it become so normal to be always in debt?It is sad that a small percentage of our population is hard done by. But if we bankrupt ourselves as Greece and the USA have done, who is going to pay for the homeless shelter for the rest of us after we scare business and customers away from downtown?If we get out of debt, then we will have less taxes and less poverty. Just say no to borrowed money. Support the HST, but support spending cuts more, at all levels of government so we can get rid of value-added taxes altogether and afford to help our homeless mentally ill in a meaningful way.S. Nielsen,Courtenay