UCP spending money in bid to sway voters

By Letter to the Editor on July 22, 2020.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why the UCP has suddenly become so interested in southern Alberta, and especially Lethbridge? Just today, July 10, I read that the UCP has announced a $20-million grant to the University of Lethbridge to upgrade its heating and cooling centre. Good for them! We must keep our university staff and students cool and comfortable, in view of other cuts that have been made to the university budget!

Earlier in the week there was another announcement about twinning the highway to Medicine Hat! I believe earlier governments began discussions on that project earlier, but were unable to implement anything.

What suddenly made the current government so generous? I have a theory. I believe the UCP is concerned that there is a radical element in the south that they want to eliminate! There was a time when all (two) seats in the constituency were not Conservative ones. In the last election, half of them were lost to the dreaded socialist (dare I say “communist” element as others have labelled them?).

Now, in an attempt to lure the voters away from that horrid group, the current government (as is wont with most governments in the last half of their term) suddenly has found money to spread around in this area to ensure that we the voters know how to cast our ballots in the next election! They are obviously concerned about the popularity of Shannon Phillips, who might not let the entire south become totally Conservative again!

Well, I know I have difficulty supporting a government that intends to replace our current health system (which, by the way, is functioning satisfactorily for most of us) with a privatized form which will eliminate much of rural Alberta! I also have a problem with the cutting of budgets to the education system in favour of giving lower tax rates to corporations who have not shown any job increases as envisioned by the government when those tax measures were implemented!

Now, if you add in the dictatorial way in which they handled the contract with the medical profession, I really have a problem in supporting such draconian (dare I say the “c” word?) system of government to run this province. Now for a dream: I wonder how things would be if Peter Lougheed were in charge!

Eugene Balay

Lethbridge