The Editor:
I have tried over the last few years to sit back and not publicly voice my opinions and watch things work out in their own way and time.
I have watched the contract for the garbage pickup erode piece by piece, which is exactly what we knew was going to happen. I have at least been surprised (not pleasantly) at the terms and time of this erosion. Most people would at least tend to be a little more subtle with their deception.
Recently we got our updated tax bill; an increase of approximately one-third. If you add up all the new and increased charges on our utility bill, it is actually much greater. We have also been to be receptive and happy for a special tax to fix our roads. Obviously the taxes we have been paying have not been used to their best advantage. (Editor's note: a special tax for roads was not passed by council. However, council did pass a tax increase which will largely go toward repairing the north leg of Highway 47.)
The problem hasn't just come from nowhere, it has been obvious and long standing. It is like driving a car and never doing any maintenance or buying new tires or upgrading your brake system. You end with a real mess.
We are not able to go into our employer or old age pension and say I overspent on dreams and misguided priorities so I will need a raise or increase.
Our city government knows there is a problem. They have voted themselves a nice increase even though this is a side income for most of them. On one hand they are telling us we don't have enough money and borrowing much more at the drop of a hat. Then on the other hand they're saying we need a bigger piece of the pie we don't have.
Wouldn't it be a wonderful gesture if they all decided to donate their self-appointed bonuses to the nursing home building fund?
When those of us on fixed incomes are taxed and inconvenienced out of our homes that we have been financially responsible for, they will have places for us to go to. We will need more than one nursing home and senior living facility. I'm sure their raises would make a most welcome donation.
Our city manager appears very impressed with the job he has done for Estevan. I think possibly your lofty idea and apparent mismanagement of basic issues needs a much larger tax base to work with. As for myself, I feel that if any larger city has looked at your performance record and wants to poach you for their city, please feel free to go. Don't let us hold you back for one minute longer. I'm surprised your previous employer was willing to let you leave and didn't offer you everything short of the moon to stay. It's a good thing your job doesn't hinge on a vote. You may be disappointed.
Now, our city government has decided to grant a new contract to Regens for recycling. They are being rewarded handsomely for thumbing their nose at us for the first contract they were awarded (if in fact that is the correct term to us here). They are like a monster we are feeding T-bone steaks - because that happens to be what they like to eat.
I, like everyone else at the very well-attended meeting held by the city awhile ago, am for recycling. It is not an emergency we have to start immediately. Wouldn't it be great if Regens showed some good faith and purchased some lighter trucks, gave us the back alley pickup a good percentage of us still need and want and stop playing this deceitful game and most of all, stop trying to hold us up at the end of a garbage bin.
When our city government works toward these practices we may once again have some faith in their choices. At the present time that is are sorely lacking by many of us. Oh, that's right we are just the ones paying the bills why should we feel we count?
Maybe the next expenditure for them to vote on is hearing aids so they can hear us or is it simply a lack of comprehension or caring?
Please don't spend money for coffee and doughnuts for meetings where the message is loud and clear yet totally ignored. What's the point? If you are only trying to pacify people it didn't work to your advantage.
Natalie Kleinser,
Estevan
