VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

MISPLACED PRIORITIES

HRM Council, including the mayor, seem to have forgotten that there is only one taxpayer.

So the $20 million they just voted in favour of for the new football stadium will no longer be available to help Nova Scotians address the health-care crisis, which denies one in every nine of us access to a family doctor, results in seniors being discharged from nursing home care, has created wait times that are a national disgrace, not to mention the crying need for affordable housing and for a sustainable public transit plan for the region, etc., etc.

Adding insult to injury, these same benighted HRM officials are now contemplating seeking additional provincial funding, i.e., tapping yet again into our already depleted public resources to support a stadium we neither want nor need. What planet are they living on?

Scott Burbidge, Port Williams

INSULT TO TAXPAYERS

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage and councillors Streatch, Hendsbee, Nicoll, Karsten, Mancini, Walker, and Russell should be hanging their heads in shame. Tuesday’s vote to inject $20 million from HRM’s strategic capital fund into a stadium isn’t really fair.

What an insult to the neglected, like the elderly, the poor, the homeless and the many marginalized groups that could really use some financial easement in these troubled times. Not to mention taxpayers in general.

“No stadium if it involves taxpayer money” was the mantra. Well, where is the $20 million coming from? A secret Swiss bank account, maybe?

Not long ago, during the decision to raise taxes, as opposed to making up the shortfall from the strategic capital fund, CAO Jacques Dubé piped up and indicated that it was bad practice to take it from the fund. So taxes were increased. But taking $20 million from the fund to give away to a private corporation is OK?

Recently, Dubé announced that HRM would have to increase its debt by $22 million. Could money not come from the same fund and reduce the debt?

My, my, my, my, my.

Frankie Foster, Halifax

A BETTER IDEA

I know, let’s take all the money being proposed for a stadium at and build a lovely long-term-care facility. A place specifically geared to the care of geriatric people and their complex care needs. A much-needed job creator, with well-trained/well compensated CCAs and health-care professionals, and a solution to tying up much needed hospital beds.

This is the way forward and needs to be accomplished now, before the grey tsunami completely floods this province.

It would help end the heartbreak of families, like the one recently in Bridgewater.

Come on, government, get it together. We need action, now! Cynthia van Kooten, Dartmouth

THANKS TO HALIFAX WATER

On Sunday morning, Dec. 8, I came into the city and stopped, as usual, to pick up a coffee at Starbucks on Young Street.

I parked across the street in a noparking spot and, forgetting that my keys were still in my lap, stood up and they fell down. Down, down, down, into the storm drain that I wasn’t aware I had parked over, my keys rattled into the 10-foot abyss. Oh, the sinking feeling. I met a friend, coming out of the coffee shop, who connected me to CAA. They offered to tow my car back to Bridgewater but were unable to do anything about retrieving the keys, so I refused.

After calling 311, I was connected to Halifax Water, and they told me someone in Dartmouth would soon arrive in a blue truck. Before I could finish my latte, a tall young man named Mark arrived in the blue truck. After several attempts with a very large magnet, he retrieved my keys, stinking from the sludge, and dropped them into my grateful gloved hands.

Thanks to Halifax Water for working on Sundays, and thanks to Mark for being such a great help and kind person.

Katherine Sorenson, Bridgewater