Sound Off — March 5, 2016

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2016 (3858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Don’t give Drew so much credit

The news of WestJet’s plans for an eastern route starting later this year is surely great news. Shaun Cameron should perhaps think twice before attributing part of the credit for the decision to Drew Caldwell. May I suggest that two main factors would have influenced WestJet’s decision to fly an eastern route: 1) airline economics, and 2) plans for the (mainly federal-funded) terminal expansion, announced nearly a year ago.

This is beginning to sound familiar

I had almost forgot, but this is what “back to basics” looks like. It means spending months and years studying an obvious issue, sending it to expensive consultants and back to city staff, then studying it again. It’s councillors making decisions in private “informal” meetings instead of bothering with public debate. It’s how we ended up with a 10-year fire hall mess. And now we get to do it again with the Eighth Street bridge. Wish our elected representatives had the courage to have a debate in public, make a decision and stick to it.

Stalled on the bridge

Still studying the Eighth Street bridge, I see. More like still stalling. Raise your hand if you think a “Brookwood Bridge” in similar poor condition would have been fixed long ago.

Thanks for the great phone book

I would like to say a big thank you to the phone book company on Princess Avenue for putting out such a good phone book. It is big print and it has all the area codes and postal codes in there. It is a great phone book.

Education tax battle

The Brandon School Division has recently been in the news about its supposed operating budget. From what we are seeing, we are led to believe that the Brandon Chamber of Commerce president appears to be an expert on the issues involved in this situation. What the president does not tell you is that the reason we are having this “tax discussion” is that businesses, especially the big businesses, do not and has not paid their fair share of tax. This is called subsidizing the industry. To be clear, when businesses, especially big oil and gas, do not pay their fair share, then I, and we, pay more tax to make up the difference. What could be more important then our children’s education? Well, recently the president has also come out against the tax or cost that will help maintain a safe water delivery system. Business versus common good … hmm!