Friday, December 03, 1999
In a city where the government is the biggest employer, even the mention of job cuts to help manage the deficit is bound to ignite an inferno of speculation.
Mix the rumours into an election campaign and you have a very confusing spectacle. However, cutting government jobs, a preferred panacea of free-marketers, won't make much of a dent (pun intended) in a $34 million cost overrun.
There is also the issue of the delivery of services. The GNWT, once a swollen bureaucratic machine, has pared itself down substantially. The number of people employed by departments, boards and agencies has dropped from 6,332 in 1996-97 to 4,059 in 1999-00.
Essential services, such as nursing and teaching are already in critical conditional due in large part to underfunding. Literacy, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, programs for single mothers are all struggling for money to deal with big problems we have yet to solve. Cutting more from these services will only exacerbate an already serious situation. Job cuts aren't the answer.
The answer lies in increased revenue, and the revenue comes from resources, our resources. The royalties and taxes that the resource industries pay go to the federal government. The next round of MLAs will have to be firm with their federal counterparts.
If the federal government isn't willing to part with some of the income it gets from our mining and gas and oil reserves, then it will have to boost the transfer payments. Now that's something on which to build an election platform.
"What are we going to do -- close the pool or close the library?" Coun.Ben McDonald defending the decision to raise taxes in July of 1999 as the "right" thing to do.
The good news for Yellowknifers is that city administration is cutting expenses.
If budget figures hold firm, there will be a 10 percent reduction in 1999 and a further 10 per cent reduction in 2000. In dollars, the city's spending is to drop from $33.9 million in 1998 to $26.5 million in 2000, far below revenue of $32 million.
Also by the year 2000, the city hopes to have $2 million for new equipment and $5.2 million for a new arena.
On top of this fiscal success, the city is getting tough on its $20 million debt, increasing annual debt payments this year by over half a million dollars and spending $4.6 million on debt repayment next year.
The mystery in all this good news is why did city council raise taxes last summer?
About 200 people gathered outside city hall to protest the tax hike while inside councillors spoke of the lost Giant taxes and the possibility of cutting services, even the pool, unless they made the "right" choice.
Seems all that resulted from the protest was a bylaw, now under consideration, to stop people from questioning administration's motives or insulting councillors over unnecessary tax hikes.
But even as ratepayers cried out for no tax hike, administration must have known cost cutting savings in the millions were coming in 1999, with the potential for more millions to come in 2000. The lost Giant taxes totalled $738,000 in 1999.
The mayor insists the rules of accounting forced the tax hike, pretending the millions of dollars ($7.8 million) in the reserve funds do not belong to Yellowknifers and could not be touched. As well, there seems no other option than to pay off faster even more of the lowest debt in six years.
Something is wrong with the whole picture. Council was either misled or they deliberately misled Yellowknifers.
City administration should be congratulated for its successful cost-cutting. Council should apologize for the tax hike and pool closing fear mongering.
As council is now in the middle of the 2000 budget debate, they can show their sincerity by rolling back the tax hike of the summer of 1999.
Editorial Comment
Daniel MacIsaac
Inuvik Drum
Catherine Mitchell recently raised her voice in concern over the issue of public housing and the possibility of having to leave the home she's made for the past decade.
She is a tough, proud active woman with a ready sense of humour. She's also worried about an uncertain future, and it was this uncertainty that prompted her to go public, not only for herself but also on behalf of her neighbours and friends.
Inuvik's elders are indeed becoming more vocal on a range of issues. Legislative candidates have been asked point-blank what they intend to do to protect and better the lot of elders and about working toward building a new home.
Having said that, manager Vicki Boudreau also raised a number of valid points on behalf of the Housing Authority, which is working to accommodate the needs of an overflowing number of applicants with a limited amount of resources and in a limited number of public-housing units. It may very well be determined that Mitchell and others do have to move in order to make the best use of available space. That won't be easy for anyone concerned.
The important thing, however, is that the authority continues to plan ahead and keep the number of moves to a minimum; not just for now but for the future, too. An authority staffer did visit Mitchell after she received her letter, but it's also important that elders' concerns and potential concerns be considered from the start.
An official notice was probably necessary but the news could have been broken to Mitchell first in person, or perhaps by telephone. Those efforts may cost the Housing Authority time, but it also saves them headaches later.
Missing in action
George Roach described Monday's all-candidates forum at Aurora College as a "fiasco." With scheduling problems preventing his participation in the Twin Lakes debate, it was for him an unfortunate evening. He missed what proved to be a lively and, at times, impassioned question-and-answer session with his Twin Lakes rivals Roger Allen and Glenna Hansen.
Fortunately for Roach, as mayor he has been very much in the public eye and his comments and performance have been well- documented. Like his co-candidates, he is well-known in town and through campaigning can make his position on particular issues better known to his would-be constituents.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
Barring unforeseen circumstances, another four years will go by before there's a chance to change that representation. It would be a shame if Monday came and went without all eligible voters having their say in such a far-reaching decision.
Hopefully, everyone was able to meet with the candidates and press them for answers on a wide range of topics. The candidates' forums helped, especially coming relatively early in the campaigns. There has been plenty of time since then to follow up on concerns and address additional questions. There's still some sand in the hourglass. Make sure you feel confident in the person whom you will trust with your vote. Honesty and trust are fundamental requirements for effective representation.
Although mud-slinging can make an electoral race interesting, there really has been none of that in these ridings. No name calling and no dredging up skeletons from the closet. The candidates have chosen to base their campaigns on their own capabilities and objectives. Good for them.
It's been fun listening to supporters make the case for the candidate of their choice. Then there are those who are sure they can predict the outcome of the election. Soon the speculation will be over. The numbers will be in.
May the best candidates win.
A tragedy indeed
There are some issues that seem to never go away. Loose dogs is one of them. Snowmobile safety is another. The life of a 17-year-old girl hangs in the balance after a snowmobile accident in Nahanni Butte last week.
She wasn't wearing a helmet. The snowmobile had no brakes. Those are ingredients for disaster.
The hazardous operation of snowmobiles has been a concern in Fort Simpson since the snow has struck. Fortunately, a similar accident hasn't occurred here yet, and good fortune really is the only reason it hasn't happened to date.
Parents have to be held responsible for their underage children riding wildly at all hours. Helmets must be worn. Bylaws should be enforced and the penalties should be more severe.
An initial ticket of $25 is not much of a deterrent. Depending on the type of violation, the fine should be $100, regardless of whether it's a first-time offence or whether the individual pleads guilty. Impounding the snowmobile should immediately be an option for those found to be driving recklessly. Lock it up not just for a few days, but a few weeks, at least.
Of course, those who drink and drive should have the book thrown at them. As applies to motorists, it's not just their own lives they're endangering, but also those of other snowmobile operators and pedestrians. Many of the machines available today are capable of perilous speeds. It's a serious responsibility.
As of next week, the Deh Cho and Nahendeh ridings will have elected representative members of the legislative assembly.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
If, indeed, our government is looking at tourism as nothing more than a way to provide make work projects for our less fortunate, the industry is doomed to forever being a non-factor as an economic vehicle for our region.
Dyan Gray is bang on when she says the tourism industry must be run like a business.
And, as with any business, that means having skilful, dedicated, well-trained and professional people on the front lines.
She is also bang on when she laments far too many of the training funds available to our region have too many stipulations or strings attached.
Again, we harken back to our premier's words that Nunavut is for all the people.
That is, at least, all the people who fit the right demographic category.
Even our educators have run into problems when trying to gain funding for educational projects which broaden the horizons of our youth.
Too often, the availability of the funding depends more on "who" is included in the group, rather than the worthiness of the project.
Premier Paul Okalik did, in fact, name tourism as one our prime candidates for a successful economic engine while rubbing elbows in Japan.
He has also used the same line numerous times while in discussions at the federal level.
However, one need look no further than the cruise ship fiasco in Coral Harbour earlier this year to see just how far our tourism industry has to go.
When a boat-load of tourists, with pockets full of money to spend, lands unannounced in your region, you have some serious communication and preparation problems within your industry.
Arguably, the strongest point which could be made through all this, is that we, both as a region and a territory, or letting a glorious opportunity slip through our fingers.
Environmental tourism is a buzz term within the industry right now which our region is well-equipped to take advantage of.
As well, there is still a certain romantic idealism surrounding our new territory in the eyes of many around the globe -- which won't last forever.
With the obvious disadvantage of having precious few tax-based communities in our territory, the premier is right when he identifies tourism as a viable economic vehicle.
The problem is, tourism is falling into the same category as most pressing issues in our territory -- there's a whole lot of talk and very little action.
And, until action replaces rhetoric, the vast majority of faces we see in the Kivalliq will continue to be our own.
It is more than a little distressing to hear our Keewatin regional tourism development co-ordinator speak about our government's view on the tourism industry.