Are we going to allow an oligarchy?

Dear Editor,

Too many Albertans stood by and said little when the Kenny government closed provincial parks and sold some crown land for private development and allowing private campgrounds to open.

The same happened when the provincial government cut funding to public education, cancelled the contract with the doctors thus undermining public health care, cut funding to health care workers and usurped the pension funds of teachers and other public servants.

Will the citizens now allow the Kenny government to cut funding to municipal governments while continuing to fund the energy sector, the “war room”, and the hiring of his friends to key positions in the government?

Are we going to allow an oligarchy (government run by a few people) to undermine our democracy by executive decree?

Our politicians who just high class, high paid civil servants, seem to have forgotten that they work for us, the voters; the taxpayers, not special interests like the energy sector and private businesses.

So, I suggest we do the following: Write letters and send emails (keep copies) to Jason Kenny, to Tracy Allard (new Minister of Municipal Affairs), and to our own MLAs.

Let them know we are not happy with cutbacks to municipal governments and to other public services. Jason Kenny, Premier of Alberta, Office of the Premier, 307 Legislature Building, 10800-97 Ave, Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6. Email: premier@gov.ab.ca Phone: 1-780-427-2251.

Tracy Allard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, 513C Legislature Building, 10800-97 Ave, Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6 Email: minister.municipalaffairs@gov.ab.ca. Phone: 1-780-643-1018.

Make the oil and gas companies pay their “fair share” in property taxes.

If this government continues with its policies of supporting private businesses while underfunding the public sector, we ought to look at instituting a provincial sales tax.

Many provincial and U.S. state governments depend on sales taxes to implement their budgets since they cannot depend on resource companies to be their main sources of income.

The incomes earned by the energy sector is heavily influenced by outside forces including U.S., Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Venezuela, United Arab Emirates and Iran.

Maybe our politicians should do a better job of managing our Heritage Trust Fund as well.

 

George Thatcher

Trochu, Alta.

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