August 22, 2012
22/08/2012 06:42
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Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa
hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur. Follow @mybirdietweets
A&HF, City Both A Proven Taxpayer Burden
Editor:
On August 27th, Council will have to decide whether to renew its current stewardship agreement with the Arts and Heritage Foundation (AHF), incorporate AHF into the city administration or pursue another option altogether. No doubt the gallery will be packed with AHF supporters who are trying to save the foundation. Council will feel pressured to listen to these ardent supporters, many of whom come out to vote on election day.
But before they make their decision, council should also consider the perspective of the other voters out there. These would be the taxpaying voters who are dismayed at the increasingly high taxes they have to pay to fund arts, heritage and cultural projects and programs supported by the city and AHF but have become so frustrated with the state of the city that they’ve stopped voting altogether. This is the bigger issue and it was highlighted by Ms. Watamaniuk's commentary in the Gazette on August 18th.
The city takes AHF to task for its increasingly expensive operations. Surely this state of affairs results from the attitude of the city that we have to have the best cultural department and cultural services in the province. But, I ask why should St. Albert have this standard? Why should Carol Watamaniuk and her followers make the decision that St. Albert, a bedroom community of 60,000+ has to be a cultural Mecca? Certainly it’s not supported by those residents who answered the city's own satisfaction survey. They said most of the arts, heritage and culture programs and facilities were of lowest importance to them. And this result came despite the bias in the survey results to those who are older and most affluent in our city.
Council recently approved a Cultural Master Plan presented by its cultural department. This plan had millions of dollars of proposed increases in expenditures in programming as well as funding for huge projects. These projects included a new art gallery and the $16 million heritage project, both of which sit on the city's unfunded capital project list. This plan is seen by the cultural department as the way to further St. Albert in its dream of being a cultural Mecca. So why should they blame AHF for coming to them and asking for a new gallery when it’s in their own plan?
So you may want to ask whether it is really AHF that is the problem here, or is it the city? Perhaps AHF coming back to the city for more and more money to fund the best is just reflecting the perspective of administration. There are options that could improve the efficiency of AHF including the service contract option where clarity on what services AHF provides and results of those services are measured accurately. This would automatically eliminate the duplication of services for which administration faults AHF. And efficiencies could be achieved by using excess capacity within city departments, like as been stated as existing in finance, to provide AHF administrative services from within the city. Those costs could then be cut from their funding.
But don't hold AHF responsible for the city's own mistakes. And, ask whether an administration that is responsible for the Cultural Mecca Plan would be more effective at providing the services now provided by AHF. Keep and refine the services and facilities we now have. They are more than enough for taxpayers to pay for.
Are our taxes high? They are because we allow council and administration to do as they please!. We need to get involved and let council know that there is a limit to the tax increases we will allow! Take charge, get involved and at the next election, vote in a council that is committed to zero tax increase during it’s tenure! You can do it! Nothing will change unless you push for that change. Check out my web-site and be a part of the solution.
We do not need to spend millions to become the best, we are already the best!
B.K. Kang
Realtor
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Perhaps the best letter ever received on the out-of-control-spending by city council and administration here on St. Albert's Place. Finally a voice from the wilderness, from one in the know who understands the damage the cultural types in this city have done to local taxpayers over the years. Bottom line: A&HF should be turfed, shut down, disbanded and good riddance. Thank you Mr. Kang. And folks, if you really want to help Mr. Kang, send the link to this letter to mayor Crouse and council. Just click here to send an email with your comments.
The Photography Of Paul Dicaire
Don,
This picture of a fishing boat was taken near Stanley Bridge, PEI.
Paul Dicaire
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
That PEI is one pretty place Paul.
__________________________________________________________________
BBC News Feed:
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
PQ would ban non-french speaking persons from running for office - CBC
JetBlue, WestJet shrink legroom for coach seats - CNN
NDP little changed from house that Jack built: poll - CTV
Rat patrol reinforcements arrive in Medicine Hat - Edmonton Journal
West Nile virus hits Alberta - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Hot air ballooning in Australia . . .
How Many
Guys Was
That?
Hermit Crab Versus Conch
The 11-pound horse conch might seem invincible against most threats. But the tables are turned a bit when hermit crabs stage an invasion of the dinner-snatchers.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
Songwriters Showcase with Elvin Berthiaume at 9:00 p.m.
Then an Open Stage hosted by "Shaved Posse" - Rocko Vaugeois, Charlie DeShane and Kenny Skoreyko.
MGD $4.25, great food, service and music.
hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur. Follow @mybirdietweets
A&HF, City Both A Proven Taxpayer Burden
On August 27th, Council will have to decide whether to renew its current stewardship agreement with the Arts and Heritage Foundation (AHF), incorporate AHF into the city administration or pursue another option altogether. No doubt the gallery will be packed with AHF supporters who are trying to save the foundation. Council will feel pressured to listen to these ardent supporters, many of whom come out to vote on election day.
But before they make their decision, council should also consider the perspective of the other voters out there. These would be the taxpaying voters who are dismayed at the increasingly high taxes they have to pay to fund arts, heritage and cultural projects and programs supported by the city and AHF but have become so frustrated with the state of the city that they’ve stopped voting altogether. This is the bigger issue and it was highlighted by Ms. Watamaniuk's commentary in the Gazette on August 18th.
The city takes AHF to task for its increasingly expensive operations. Surely this state of affairs results from the attitude of the city that we have to have the best cultural department and cultural services in the province. But, I ask why should St. Albert have this standard? Why should Carol Watamaniuk and her followers make the decision that St. Albert, a bedroom community of 60,000+ has to be a cultural Mecca? Certainly it’s not supported by those residents who answered the city's own satisfaction survey. They said most of the arts, heritage and culture programs and facilities were of lowest importance to them. And this result came despite the bias in the survey results to those who are older and most affluent in our city.
Council recently approved a Cultural Master Plan presented by its cultural department. This plan had millions of dollars of proposed increases in expenditures in programming as well as funding for huge projects. These projects included a new art gallery and the $16 million heritage project, both of which sit on the city's unfunded capital project list. This plan is seen by the cultural department as the way to further St. Albert in its dream of being a cultural Mecca. So why should they blame AHF for coming to them and asking for a new gallery when it’s in their own plan?
So you may want to ask whether it is really AHF that is the problem here, or is it the city? Perhaps AHF coming back to the city for more and more money to fund the best is just reflecting the perspective of administration. There are options that could improve the efficiency of AHF including the service contract option where clarity on what services AHF provides and results of those services are measured accurately. This would automatically eliminate the duplication of services for which administration faults AHF. And efficiencies could be achieved by using excess capacity within city departments, like as been stated as existing in finance, to provide AHF administrative services from within the city. Those costs could then be cut from their funding.
But don't hold AHF responsible for the city's own mistakes. And, ask whether an administration that is responsible for the Cultural Mecca Plan would be more effective at providing the services now provided by AHF. Keep and refine the services and facilities we now have. They are more than enough for taxpayers to pay for.
Are our taxes high? They are because we allow council and administration to do as they please!. We need to get involved and let council know that there is a limit to the tax increases we will allow! Take charge, get involved and at the next election, vote in a council that is committed to zero tax increase during it’s tenure! You can do it! Nothing will change unless you push for that change. Check out my web-site and be a part of the solution.
We do not need to spend millions to become the best, we are already the best!
B.K. Kang
Realtor
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Perhaps the best letter ever received on the out-of-control-spending by city council and administration here on St. Albert's Place. Finally a voice from the wilderness, from one in the know who understands the damage the cultural types in this city have done to local taxpayers over the years. Bottom line: A&HF should be turfed, shut down, disbanded and good riddance. Thank you Mr. Kang. And folks, if you really want to help Mr. Kang, send the link to this letter to mayor Crouse and council. Just click here to send an email with your comments.
The Photography Of Paul Dicaire
Don,
This picture of a fishing boat was taken near Stanley Bridge, PEI.
Paul Dicaire
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
That PEI is one pretty place Paul.
__________________________________________________________________
BBC News Feed:
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
PQ would ban non-french speaking persons from running for office - CBC
JetBlue, WestJet shrink legroom for coach seats - CNN
NDP little changed from house that Jack built: poll - CTV
Rat patrol reinforcements arrive in Medicine Hat - Edmonton Journal
West Nile virus hits Alberta - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Hot air ballooning in Australia . . .
How Many
Guys Was
That?
Hermit Crab Versus Conch
The 11-pound horse conch might seem invincible against most threats. But the tables are turned a bit when hermit crabs stage an invasion of the dinner-snatchers.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
Songwriters Showcase with Elvin Berthiaume at 9:00 p.m.
Then an Open Stage hosted by "Shaved Posse" - Rocko Vaugeois, Charlie DeShane and Kenny Skoreyko.
MGD $4.25, great food, service and music.
