Our public assets are not for sale
Re Time to talk honestly about pros, cons of selling of Hydro, Nov. 17 I’m following very closely the process by which those elected to serve us are so eager to cannibalize the household furniture to stave off the approaching chill. Businesses have been given carte blanche for years, corporate welfare to ease their efforts in raking in obscene profits, while the 99 per cent have to make sure we return our beer bottles and save coupons just to make ends meet. What is wrong with this picture? The tail is wagging the dog.
To those ennobled elite who toil at Queen’s Park, and to our own feckless city council: Our public assets are not yours to sell. Stop giving away what our forefathers dedicated their lives to build and maintain for the benefit of all in perpetuity.
I can’t help but think that money is changing hands on this one. I see no indication of due diligence on the part of our leaders at either level. Rather, it appears that those government operatives in this shell game are making every effort to remain wilfully ignorant of the calamitous ripple effect this irresponsible behaviour will have on everyone in this province for years to come.
And, of course, no one will be held accountable when the chickens come home to roost. Cluck, cluck. T. Leo Keeler, Toronto Edward Keenan, rightly, suggests that an honest discussion take place regarding the financial capacity of Toronto Hydro to execute its mandate of providing stable, predictable and affordable electricity to Toronto. Perhaps we should also have an honest discussion on how the financial statements of Toronto Hydro are prepared. If there is a funding need for ongoing infrastructure upgrades then why hasn’t there been an allocation to a reserve fund to pay for these expenditures? This is a common, and proper method of reporting practiced by most large corporations. Should this allocation result in less profits going to the city, then so be it. Allowing interference by John Tory’s so-called “expert advisers” leaves the impression that the books are being cooked for political rather than practical reasons. Steve Craine, Toronto