View/listen to Thursday’s webinar “Governing Communities – Episode #2. Understanding  the Problems in Municipal Relationships and Their Recommendations”  HERE  https://youtu.be/aY_5Sp_1-KM  featuring a presentation and panel discussion of what CAOs and Councils recommend for both a rewrite of the Municipal Government Act and addressing Municipal problems with the Province, Other Municipalities, the Public, and Council itself.

Episode #2 concluded with an Overall statement: “All municipalities are vulnerable to Provincial downloading and grant cuts. Councils are challenged to clarify their role in managing multiple relationships with limited resources amid soaring public expectations and voter apathy.”  George Cuff, a webinar panelist shared – “off the cuff”, a list of reasons why public participation is so limited making it difficult to manage soaring public expectations:

1. Confidence: Most people have confidence in those whom they have elected (at least at the local level); we chose them therefore they must be doing ok
2. Fear: You “can’t fight city hall”; this is felt to be true by many people who either have tried once or know those who have or have swallowed the Kool-Aid
3. Personae: I would rather avoid the embarrassment of being perceived as a bit “off” if I write to the Editor or show up on social media
4. It’s the Math: Most folks are overwhelmed by large numbers; they are ok tackling the food bill but not the cost of major capital works projects or the sum of staff salaries
5. Feel Good Projects: Many do not want to be viewed as being opposed to my neighbours children playing on a new playground or swimming in that new pool
6. Credit Card Mentality: So what if the numbers keep adding up; so do mine on a monthly basis but eventually things will work themselves out
7. Debt Unawareness: This year’s budget seems ok; those new projects didn’t even show up on my tax bill…! I’ll worry about that when the time comes.
8. Dennis Pommen, also a panelist, added: Local disinterest: Lack of awareness and interest in local affairs until it affects me.

Our Governing Communities series of webinars concludes Thursday May 2nd with Episode #3, to which all Alberta’s 317 municipalities will be invited, for consolidating the survey’s results and discussing options for taking action.

ZOOM LINK ALWAYS https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82390691947

ZOOM LINK ALWAYS https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82390691947

  Is Government As We Know It Sustainable?

While Trumpeting continues to dominate the news south of the border, Canadians are being smothered with gloomy news and views of doom about the Federal budget and the imposed intergenerational wealth transfer. The budget is viewed by many as driving Canada into oblivion. The underlying/ over-riding policy to tax the “undeserving” wealthy – corporations and personal beneficiaries of principled savings and investing, to benefit the more needy others through a further expansion of public services into for example housing.

Call it what it is – an authoritarian imposed wealth transfer. This has been long anticipated. Sooner or later government growth and it’s penchant for debt had to be addressed, forcing it to tax the beneficiaries and lighten the load on the next generation. From each according to their means and to each according to their need – government as the intermediary.

The KEI Network’s May 9th webinar is to feature a panel discussion of just how serious is public debt, continuing budget deficits, and the reluctance and implications of governments to stop – if not reverse, the growth of – and dependency on, public services. Some believe that a transition to authoritarian government is inevitable. Martin Wolf, chief economist of the Financial Times and author of The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism – argues that crony captialism and the resulting inequality have created the conditions for a swing to authoritarianism in the countries that grew rich and happy by integrating democracy and free markets after the Second World War. FOR MORE

Agree?  Disagree?  Share your view and plan to join us May 9th. – Editor@KEInetwork.net

Editor@KEInetwork.net

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