I shake my head in disbelief at the almost weekly news that our city council intends to continue and even ramp up spending. Have they noticed the societal earthquakes the last two years? Have they been asleep?
Federal, provincial and local governments are stretched to an impossible breaking point. They openly admit our infrastructure (at every level of government) is an unsolvable debt trap (to say nothing of social spending) and in the next sentence go on to describe how they intend to shovel more of our dollars into the chasm.
On top of it all, they have the nerve to reduce service levels year after year.
Something fundamentally wrong is happening in our society and most everyone can feel it. That's why divisions run so deep. Not just in Canada, all over the world. Trust in government has hit all-time lows in many countries.
Yet habitual spenders like our council think they can just go on as before. No one is going to go downtown while offenders are let out at record rates and addicts leave needles all over. Everyone in this town already knows the new art gallery is a loss and taxpayers will be bailing out its operation (and the obligatory ridiculous salaries) in perpetuity.
Yes, a few years ago these "legacy projects" may have been good ideas, but the world has changed … dramatically. Unfortunately, our council and staff continue to spend like it's 2019. It's not. Please stop. It's our money. And the debt you plan to take on is my children's money. You scoundrels will be remembered as such if you press on like the taxpayer credit card has no limit.
Here's hoping the next protest movement shows us how to withhold our tax money from incompetent governance.
Derrick Boutet
Greater Sudbury