Whose interests are being served?

By Letter to the Editor on May 27, 2021.

Editor:
Dale Leier’s May 22 letter discussed “intricacies of municipal finance” and “higher taxes” suggesting voters change “voting preferences.” I concluded long ago someone or something hellish more omnipotent than our “elected” control government administrations at all levels – my “voice” every three or four years means diddley squat.
The perfect example is council’s recent unanimous approval of a councillor Crowson motion – the e-scooter pilot project. A Herald poll said 92 per cent of Lethbridge’s ratepayers did not approve of that motion.
Will it go ahead? Bet the house on it. Another Crowson motion earlier this year gave away $435,000 of public money to a small group of citizens to launch a private investigation (can you believe it!) into a matter clearly non-municipal – in fact a federal criminal matter which to date has blown away $100,000,000 – another outrageous example of an unaccountable, administrative engine with the throttle wide open, throwing your money around like candy off a float in a parade.
It’s crap like that with zero benefit to the larger community your “elected official” fails you as its representative. Some believe, like departing councillor Miyashiro that what ratepayers need is a “nudge” to get us buying what he/they thinks best for us.
Within the last two years a travesty of misspent public finds came to fruition along South University Drive where hundreds of plants and trees were placed in wide concrete stone filled heat sinks.
I bleed for the stressed plants who’ll die an unnatural death when all the water that’ll be dumped on them, which we’re told is in such “short supply”, doesn’t save them.
What that stupid, needless never-ending baby-sitting project will look like when weeds start popping up around the rocks and curbs is totally predictable.
Mr. Leier’s letter asked “whose interests are being served here.” The answer – those connected to a job for life, followed by wonderfully indexed pensions all slugged out in the backrooms by tough union negotiators. You’ll rarely find among that nobility a restaurant, hardware, hair salon, thrift store labourer who may never own a home they can call their own.
Alvin W. Shier
Lethbridge