A Quarter Of A Mill Is Still A Quarter Of A Mill

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 03:44 AM

It may have only been a half per cent saving in your taxes, but it all counts and it should only be the start for the new Prince George City Council.

It was nice to see for a change this week, Council members talking about what we can do without, including hosting the World Winter Cities conference at $ 200,000 and a further $25,000 a year to twin up with the city of Jiangmen in China.

A quarter of a mill may not seem much when you’re dealing with the number that city hall is looking at this year, but the two items suggest that there is yet more to be peeled off the onion , should they want to dig a bit deeper.

The taxpayers were tired of listening to the Council talk about the trips to China, and the Olympics. We were going to get this and that, but talk was cheap and we got nothing, exactly what the taxpayers of the city had been saying before these junkets took place.

To his credit, Mayor Dan Rogers and the new bees on Council are having a fresh look at what they were left in the way of spending that yields little to the city and the taxpayer.

A number of the new Council members ran on a platform of getting back to the basics. The basics are good services, roads and police and fire. Trips to China or parties to celebrate the fact we live in a cold climate should be far down the list.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 03:44 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: tombstone81 on February 18 2009 8:51 AM

Exactly right, Ben. It's not so much the dollar amount in this case as it is the optics, and the establishment of a trend toward fiscal responsibility.

The Kinsley-IPG era of treating PG taxpayers as their personal slush fund to chase every dreamscape venture from San Francisco to Seattle to Shanghai has absolutely got to come to an end. We don't have an endless supply of money for chasing offshore fantasies with no tangible return on investment.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 18 2009 12:27 PM

I hope they removed the speed dial number to the travel agency from the mayors phone at city hall, too.

Posted by: tombstone81 on February 18 2009 12:50 PM

I wonder how that Alaskan volcano is working out for YXS and IPG. Rounding up all kinds of business for our new $33 million tar strip?

Maybe this new council will bring a refreshing new concept to bear...that of actually determining if there is a market for something before blindly throwing money at it. Spending our BC Rail trust money to build a giant runway and then having to rely on once-in-a-millenia geological events to churn up business is pretty pathetic. Kind of like commiting $400-grand of our money before asking any of us if we would fly to Seattle on a daily basis.

Posted by: tombstone81 on February 18 2009 12:51 PM

Posted by: Shellshadow on February 18 2009 4:04 PM

I am afraid the days of Kinsley are still here under a different name. Increasing our taxes 3.4% is the SLUSH FUND. :}~

Posted by: astro on February 18 2009 7:51 PM

I thought the money for the airport expansion came from the Pine Beetle Fund. But never mind, it actually came from us, whatever they call the fund.

Posted by: Palopu on February 18 2009 9:49 PM

Astro. Airport expansion money came as follows;

11 Million from the Federal Government

11 Million from the Provinial Government

11 Million LOAN from the Northern Trust Initative Fund that was set up by the Provincial Government with funds from the sale of BC Rail. The fund is to help finiance projects in North Central BC. The $11 Million loan has interest based on inflation, and of course must be paid back.

Posted by: gus on February 19 2009 11:48 PM

"and of course must be paid back." Sure. *wink**wink*.