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There have been a number of letters complaining about city spending and at the same time have left the UCP off the hook. The provincial government under the UCP have consistently foisted provincial responsibilities on the city without paying for them — including in areas of the homeless, health care and social programs.
At the same time, they have welched on paying the appropriate taxes on the property they own in the city to the tune of $60 million. On top of that, the province continues to take a portion of our property tax as school taxes and then shortchanges Edmonton schools to deal with our increasing number of students.
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The UCP has never dealt with Edmonton fairly. Those people complaining about city spending should be directing their complaints at the provincial government. It is hard to maintain services and infrastructure when one is constantly being stabbed in the back.
Gerhard Henkemans, Edmonton
Alberta must pay city taxes owing
Yes, the present city council does lack in financial responsibility, especially during these inflationary years. Some of their expensive pet projects are very costly and not necessarily needed at this time. The $60 million spent on ETS electric buses is particularly egregious.
That decision was made by the previous city council who didn’t do their homework. The big $60-million question that is causing much angst was brought on by Jason Kenney. In 2019, he decided that the UCP shouldn’t have to pay taxes on provincially owned buildings in Edmonton. Kenney’s spiteful scheme reeks of an immoral attitude towards Edmonton. Did Calgary get the same memo?
The federal government pays its taxes to Edmonton on a yearly basis for the federally owned buildings here. What is the holdup? What the UCP is doing is tantamount to grand larceny and also very childish. Show some honesty and pay Edmonton what it is duly owed.
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H.C. Kolthammer, Edmonton
Show us carbon-tax is working
Everybody is talking about the carbon tax. And nobody likes it. One problem is that we don’t know what we’re getting for our money.
If, for example, Trudeau were to say, “Our carbon footprint, on a scale of one to 10, was a full-on 10 before the carbon tax
and since the carbon tax it is now at nine out of 10, so it is working,” then people might have something tangible to contemplate.
If the measurement of effect of the carbon tax cannot be realized until several years after implementation, so be it. But then Trudeau is asking us to “Just trust me.” And we all know how that will fly in Alberta.
I don’t know if the carbon tax is having a beneficial effect on our carbon footprint or not. But Trudeau is not helping in that regard. So people have every justification for thinking we are buying a pig in a poke. Trudeau needs to show us the numbers if he wants us to stop complaining about the carbon tax.
Sam Stewart, Vermilion
City should cut pet projects
At first, I was very upset that the city was in financial trouble because of cuts that the UCP made to the municipality, plus owing outstanding property taxes.
I am still; however, if you see that your available funds are being cut, would not the financially prudent thing be to adjust your spending? My disposable income no longer permits me to go on an all-inclusive holiday without going into debt and so I have to cancel it and save up.
That’s fiscally responsible but the city instead is still continuing on with its pet projects. It’s irresponsible and detrimental to the taxpayers to allow small special-interest groups to hurt us all to make sure their agendas are capitulated to, i.e., rejuvenation of Downtown and Whyte Avenue.
Grant Hammond, Edmonton
Letters welcome
We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don’t publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@edmontonjournal.com
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