Overcast, Reeve's Ramblins
Field Trip to Edmonton
Sometime during the middle of March the MD council went on its annual pilgrimage to the big city of Edmonton. During our stay there we had a meeting with one of the provincial government ministers. I have trouble recalling his name, even though last KNIGHT I clearly remembered.
The meeting was to be held at the legislature at nine in the morning. Not wanting to be late we made sure to be on time. Being early we had ample time to admire the halls of power. With a little imagination one could envision the ghosts of premiers past staggering through these hallowed halls. Across the hallway from our meeting room was a big impressive set of double doors with a big brass plaque stating: “Cabinet Policy Committee” - a room of policy and priorities.
I assumed that is where the important decisions are being made. Of course not everyone can get into a room like that and special instructions are required to gain access. As luck would have it, laminated instructions for those needing access were taped to the door. It read: “Turn knob completely to open.” (Photographic evidence available upon request.)
Some would call me a crankpot, but some of the decisions being made in that room have me a little bit worried. One issue of concern is the advanced metering of electrical use - pricing changing hourly. If you were wondering how your power supplier last summer and fall could give you a good deal on converting from natural gas to electric pump irrigation the answer will be in your power bill next summer. Good luck cancelling your water with the irrigation district once or twice a day during peak power use. The cost of power is not regulated by demand but more so by manipulated supply.
But once the province starts upgrading and refining bitumen from the oilsands, money will be rolling into government coffers by the truckload and power can be cheap again. I seem to remember that the government business was to stay out of business and now the taxpayer is going into the oil business. Petro Canada Place in Calgary used to be called Red Square and it was a sin of great proportion for the government to be involved in oil and gas production. Collecting royalties was deemed adequate for government. Now the government guys are tripping all over themselves to sell our oil and gas resources to Petro China and other Chinese government agencies. And for buying a share in Alberta oil sands we give them a veto as to what we can do with our oil? Who is getting swindled here? And the western stooges are in Asia drumming up more business.
I don’t even want to start again on Bill 19 and 36 and Bill 50. Or the teachers contract negotiated by the then minister of education and giving the calculator to some other outfit to figure out salary increases.
I have no clue about healthcare, nor does anyone else.
Our present government has taken a lot of crap lately and deservedly so. But the financial and budgetary problems of today started 10 years ago, when the government was hell bent on lowering provincial corporate taxes. When resource revenue rolls in like it did for years the amount of personal income tax does not amount to a lot. But when resource revenue drops like it has for the last 18 months taxing the poor won’t balance your budget and half baked royalty schemes only makes things worse.
My apologies to all of you, because I should have ripped that laminated sign off of that door in Edmonton, so that these deciders would not be able to get in that room and screw things up even more.
I realize seeding is slow but given the choice between too wet or too dry for most of Southern Alberta probably prefers the moisture with all its associated headaches. With a little heat at the right time this will still turn out to be a good year. Good luck finishing seeding if you aren’t done already.
HANK VAN BEERS, Reeve