Interestingly I just finished reading excerpts from The Wealthy Barber Returns by Dave Chilton. We as a city, cannot afford the one million dollars, a “relatively modest amount,” according to Craig Curtis, city manager. How much are we paying him, that a million dollars is insignificant?
Have we not learned from the Greek experience — the dramatic effect it’s having on the world economy? It starts at home, here in Red Deer. How can families manage? Our taxes are up as well as gas, shelter, etc. Has anyone from this elite group bought a litre of milk lately?
We cannot afford a million and a quarter on a celebration that is three years away. By that time, our free-wheeling city will have doubled the cost of the centennial celebration and we tax payers will pay. We cannot afford a million and a quarter dollars when we have homeless, hungry people. Our hospital is straining at the seams. Our winter roads blow our budget in a short time. We need more policing and safer communities. We need to protect our children and our natural resources. We need to leave the future generation free of out debt.
John Harries mentioned the Collicutt Centre — we all remember the cost overruns on that project. Shortly after the renovations to this very museum, were they not at the table asking the city for one more million? The list goes on.
Where has common sense and logic gone? We cannot afford this interactive display. We need to scale back. We need to consider what we can do to keep our city great and celebrate without expecting the people of Red Deer to pay and pay — and pay we will if no one objects or if no one speaks up. If we remain silent, this council will spend twice as much on this event and again with more cost overruns.
I myself will remember the legacy of this council and this mayor. There is always an election coming up. Ask the citizens of Red Deer —what do we want? Debt or a council that weighed all options and seriously considered the costs, so that we don’t create our own Greek experience.
Cameron Harper warns of a second recession. The world monetary fund also cautions restraint. Yet here we are, blithely spending a million and a quarter with more yet to come.
Lucille Gaumond
Red Deer