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Read Letter - Invest in our children and our future
By Samara Jones
Written Jan. 15, 2010
A letter written to Premier Ed Stelmach, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
Dear Premier Stelmach, I returned to Alberta in 2006 after living out of province for several years. I thought that Alberta would be an ideal place to settle with my husband and start a family. Unfortunately, none of my expectations have been met and I find my hopes dashed. We arrived at the height of the boom, and found that living in Alberta was much more expensive than we'd thought. Over the course of the past few years, we've seen the economy crumble, and have been very disppointed with the lack of political leadership from your government. In times of economic plenty, your government failed to save for these, the rainy days. Instead of investing in public services, the status quo was maintained, despite a rapildy rising population. Now that we have a child, we face the highest childcare costs in the country and an acute lack of not-for-profit childcare spaces (personally, I don't think that shareholders should be making a profit off of taking care of children). We are looking at schools and find them to be strapped for cash and calling on parents to raise funds for basic classroom supplies. And yet, the tune of your government has remained the same: it's time to cut, to tighten our belts. How can you possibly consider making cuts, when working people in this province are already finding it difficult to make ends meet? How can you justify undermining the quality of education for our children - for the 'future of this province' - about whom you so often speak? Cut to public spending on education, health care and social services are short sighted and will not help boost the province's economy. With cuts looming, people will spend less, and in fact, consider leaving this province. Instead, this is the time to invest in our public services and make Alberta a real leader. It was frustrating that Alberta did not take the lead when our bottom line was booming. It's disappointing and sad that this province is not taking the lead now, when we most need it.
Written Jan. 15, 2010
Dear Premier Stelmach, I returned to Alberta in 2006 after living out of province for several years. I thought that Alberta would be an ideal place to settle with my husband and start a family. Unfortunately, none of my expectations have been met and I find my hopes dashed. We arrived at the height of the boom, and found that living in Alberta was much more expensive than we'd thought. Over the course of the past few years, we've seen the economy crumble, and have been very disppointed with the lack of political leadership from your government. In times of economic plenty, your government failed to save for these, the rainy days. Instead of investing in public services, the status quo was maintained, despite a rapildy rising population. Now that we have a child, we face the highest childcare costs in the country and an acute lack of not-for-profit childcare spaces (personally, I don't think that shareholders should be making a profit off of taking care of children). We are looking at schools and find them to be strapped for cash and calling on parents to raise funds for basic classroom supplies. And yet, the tune of your government has remained the same: it's time to cut, to tighten our belts. How can you possibly consider making cuts, when working people in this province are already finding it difficult to make ends meet? How can you justify undermining the quality of education for our children - for the 'future of this province' - about whom you so often speak? Cut to public spending on education, health care and social services are short sighted and will not help boost the province's economy. With cuts looming, people will spend less, and in fact, consider leaving this province. Instead, this is the time to invest in our public services and make Alberta a real leader. It was frustrating that Alberta did not take the lead when our bottom line was booming. It's disappointing and sad that this province is not taking the lead now, when we most need it.
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