October election may be city’s most important

By Letter to the Editor on October 9, 2021.

Editor:
October 18 may be the most important election in the history of this city. That day residents determine whether they employ a municipal government who works for them, or if they continue to enslave themselves through runaway taxation and work for government!
Administrators at every level are slowly eroding through debt-supported taxation, freedoms and enjoyment of life we once cherished. They’re accomplishing this by running massive “fly now pay later” deficits adding to out-of-control debt loads and interest charges.
A perfect example adding to the fiscal calamity is talk of a totally unnecessary, Performing Arts facility. This $100,000,000, (plus plus plus) extravagance is a duplication of existing entertainment venues – ones primarily only the wealthy among us can afford to use.
Recently, Lethbridge taxpayers spent $14,000,000 renovating Yates Memorial Center. What for? Why? Prior to that your Enmax Centre swallowed $26,000,000. That’s $40,000,000 dollars.
Forget the tax financed monies poured into CASA, Nikka Yuko, and the Agri-Food and trade center, among others. What Lethbridge really “needs” are road and infrastructure repairs and maintenance, an efficient transit, properly funded police agencies, a safe city and facilities keeping the destitute from stealing our kid’s bikes, or busting down any door with a valuable behind it to fuel a substance abuse problem. Until every kid in this town is fully funded educationally, until every person with a need is housed, clean, sober and leading a productive life, the wealthy in my books can pound sand, along with the mayoralty aspirant who thinks progress is celebrating a city “with a flourishing arts community,” damn any unfortunate living in a cardboard box under a bridge, or the struggling parent(s), who, will never see a kid off to hockey school because all the money is gone to food and rent. Frankly I’m sick of artsy extravagances. I’m sick of those who support it too, particularly when we’re already impaled with massive debt & runaway social dysfunction – both killing our former great city.
Lethbridge, Oct.18 is the day you get to choose whether government works for you or you work for government. Vote smart or regret it forever.
A.W. Shier
Lethbridge