LorneGunter
Below are 2 comments on the property tax increase. Lorne Gunter's comments were based on what he thought would be an 8.7% property tax increase. I wonder what his comments may be after the 8.9% property tax increase?Global News journalist Phil Heidenreich's comments were written after the increase was approved to be an increase to 8.9%.
The Blatchford development was touted to be a showcase "green" development site but has not lived up to its initial hype and has become a real drain on Edmonton taxpayers. Projections were that nearly 3,000 homes built would be built by this time and to date there are only 84. This is in spite of the city already spending more than $200 million on Blatchford. Lorne Gunter lists a Its number of reasons why Blatchford does not appeal to home buyers and why it the city should look count their/our losses and offload it at a "white elephant" sale.
Last Thursday the city’s chief financial officer, Stacey Padbury proposed that property taxes be increase to 8.7% from the approved 6.6% increase. Lorne Gunter consistently expresses a contrarian perspective to many of city's proposals and decisions and his voice is one of the loudest speaking out about another property tax increase. Do you approve of a property tax increase to 8.7%?
The last post was about the city considering a 7% property tax hike for the 2024 budget and in my comments included a number of sayings. I'm going to use another saying in my introduction to Lorne Gunter's thoughtful column.
The trouble with common sense is that its in short supply and when found should be treasured. As he does so often in his columns, Lorne Gunter presents some common sense, this time on the issue of city spending.
The city's annual budget should include retainer fees to the like of Lorne Gunter who would bring a common sense perspective to issues under deliberation.
Yesterday a news conference addressing crime in Alberta was held. The four main speakers were Justice Minister Mickey Amery, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee.
Mayor Sohi was the first speaker who mentioned "root causes" and insufficient "social infrastructure” both of which require long term solutions. Chief McFee followed Sohi and said that if we focus on infrastructure and social services without dealing with crime, then five years from now things will be every bit as bad as they are today. The chief added, “We get what we tolerate, and we’ve been tolerating way too much.”
Focusing on root causes and social infrastructure not only require long term solutions, they serve to divert attention away from what has escalated and become all too common in our city: homeless, panhandling, tent cities, drug use, violence, theft, assaults, shootings and murders.
#LorneGunter, #MickeyAmery, #MikeEllis, #AmarjeetSohi, #Dale McFee
The reference to WHO WAS THAT MASKED.....?? was a question often asked at the end of an episode of The Lone Ranger, a radio and television program, popular from the 1930s to the 1950s. The WHO is a question that can be answered by visual observation.The Who is one question but an even more important question maybe WHY WAS THAT MASKED.....??
The WHY WAS THAT MASKED.....?? is a question being asked by many people around the globe, including Alberta's premier and commented on by the Edmonton Sun columnist, Lorne Gunter.