I really do not care if the governing party is Liberal, Progressive Conservative, or New Democratic - I get sick to my stomach every time I see spending sprees before elections. Now that we have fixed-term elections - compliments of Danny Williams initiative - the in your face - flashing of cash is downright disgusting. First they announced most of these dollars in the budget and second the cash they flash is ours.
I know this has been the practice since the beginning of votes - but this practice is designed under the assumption that the electorate is stupid. I hate that word and use it very rarely - but that's actually what these backroom planners think.
They won't dazzle us with vision, or articulate and debate sound public policies, no they want to slap money at municipalities, organizations, and most importantly at people with minimum income.
Throw some siding on houses, create a few daycare spaces, announce oil rebates for seniors, and create some part-time make-work opportunities - and that to the politicians means the work is done.
Tom Marshall wants to provide housing to people - now - for votes - to curry favour. Create a housing plan a month before an election when you have been in office for 8 years.
Yet with all the cash - children still go hungry - people still live in dumps - seniors decide between heat and food - and low-income families still go without and remain unable to provide their children with advantages of personal, arts, sports, and educational programs outside the school system.
The tidbits of townie oil cash sent to rural communities for fire-trucks, playgrounds, or brush-cutting does nothing in the long run for these communities who are still in the process of dying. They remain without a real plan for these beautiful places and the naturally caring and giving people who live in them.
These rural towns and livyers who have watched their industry disappear, their livelihoods eliminated, their children and grandchildren leave, are certainly going to appear grateful when anything is announced for their community. People needing a doctor - or hoping to avail of medical treatments near or in their community - will possibly thank anybody who does something that makes that part of their lives easier.
Public Service Pensioners - who have pretty much had to beg to be heard - are still treated like a nuisance by a Minister of Finance who should know better. Seniors who worked their lives for our province - retired on incomes that are below poverty level are being ignored by a young pup, a lawyer, and a person who will be entitled to more pension after 8 years of service than these pensioners are receiving after 40 years of service. What's the plan? The plan is wait till they die. Problem fixed.
Why do we still have food banks? Why?
Why do we have people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes - unable to afford a proper diet? A diet that would keep them healthier or avoid having to resort to insulin - when perhaps that could have been avoided. Why?
Why do we have seniors, those with physical and or mental illnesses, or children living in sub-standard housing? Why?
Why have we not recovered from the cod moratorium? Why are we continuing to let this vital renewable resource die - continuing to let foreigners control our future - and still doing nothing to seek proper redress from Ottawa? Why?
Why are we still suffering record unemployment rates in rural areas? Why are we still hemorrhaging skilled workers and their families to Ontario and Alberta? Why? We are resource rich and benefits poor - why?
Why is a sea-faring, boat building people with the Centre for Marine Excellence located in our province - unable to successfully bid on federal shipbuilding contracts? Why?
Why will a government speak to any out-of-province business - but yet ignore and refuse to meet with local business owners with 100 million dollars invested - mostly in rural communities? Why?
Why would any government continue to ship out the "best" energy potential in North America to competitive jurisdictions - when we remain industry poor? Why?
Why are we the third largest producer of hydro-power in the country - yet falling to last place when talking about associated industry? Why?
So Ross Reid who slides out of a senior government job to PC campaign chair as easily as we change socks should really stand above this continued insult to our people and their intelligence by planning to buy them with their own money.
And now finally before I even finish this post Steve Kent is on challenging my points by NOT dealing with one of them - he did not answer the economics, the need, the best utilization, or anything else. He quite obviously does not understand the history, the resource, the potentials or even the deal itself. He answered nothing. He failed.
