Dear Editor,
I am writing in regards to the article titled “Kneehill County wants reasons for $156 million error”; April 11, 2024, pg. 11, ECA Review.
The county governments and the municipal governments will have to get in line. Financial businesses such as banks and lending institutions must report quarterly results to their shareholders. Correct?
When was the last time the Alberta Government published quarterly reports on the Heritage Trust Fund?
How does it “stack-up” to Alaska’s fund and to the Norwegian fund? Show me the money!
How much did Premier Smith spend “pushing” her Alberta Pension Plan that most municipalities and most citizens were opposed to. Is it because her government may be “running-out” of cash? Show me the money!
How much money did the provincial government spend “pushing” for a provincial police force that most local governments and citizens didn’t want? Show me the money!
How much is our government going to spend cleaning up all those “orphan wells”, or will it pass “the buck” to local governments? If I rent an apartment, I must put down a “damage deposit”. If I wreck the place, the landlord can claim the damage deposit. Why are energy companies allowed to circumvent the rules for abandoning orphan wells?
How much are the orphans wells costing the municipalities and the local tax payers? Show me the money!
When was the last time our provincial government provided a detailed accounting for supporting private businesses like private schools? Show me the money!
The mayor of Sundre, Alta. wonders why his local government cannot access federal money to build infrastructure for his community.
Why must local governments report to a “new bureaucracy” to get provincial support? Must the peasants “beg” for assistance? Where is the money?
How much has Premier Smith spent “pushing” her agenda for political parties to be created for local governments?
Again, local governments and citizens are oppose to that idea. Partisan politics has virtually shut-down local, state and federal governments in America. Does Smith need to “re-invent the wheel” on this matter? Show me the money!
How much has the Smith government spent on “Cutting the Red Tape”? Anytime I hear politicians talking about cutting red tape, I wonder who wins and who loses? The tale of Boeing in America is a classic example where a government under Trump cut back regulations and mandatory inspections for Boeing and for the railroad industry.
Who lost? Well, 343 people died in two Boeing 737s Max planes in 2018 and 2019. Was anyone held accountable for those accidents? For the railroad with a multitude of accidents under his administration, who was held accountable?
Who paid for the damages to rivers, lakes, streams and forests under his “deregulation” policies?
I’m glad that Kneehill County officials are not going to accept the “royal run-around” by the bureaucrats at Municipal Affairs.
George Thatcher,
Olds, Alta.
