Editor,
Finance Minister Wesley Sheridan recently revealed our budget deficit has risen $30 million and is still climbing towards the $100-million mark.
The little province of P.E.I., with basically no industrial tax base is $2 billion in debt. Our finance minister attempted to deflect concerns by revealing we, in comparison with other Atlantic provinces, are equal or better when it comes to debt.
We were told our government would put $12.3 million into pension and employee benefits. In 2004 the governing Conservatives added $33.9 million for underfunded pension liabilities.
Mr. Minister, you may not be able to control weather or tourists, but you can repair this money-guzzling albatross.
Is your government still giving two years’ pension for each year worked to the government’s appointees?
Do you allow people to start drawing too early in life? How are monies invested? When the markets are strong does our government skim off surplus and earmark it for other projects?
Is the pension plan for government appointees, MLAs and employees funded by them or do taxpayers foot the entire bill?
Considering the numbers, one realizes the taxpayers of P.E.I. have been taken to the cleaners for years. Obviously pension woes must be addressed and strong decisions made.
This is a starting point.
Everything our government touches seems to be counter productive. Instead of putting spin on problems would government not be better perceived by taking decisive steps to truly attempt to reel in the debt?
Perhaps it would be more prudent to bite the bullet before the bubble bursts and we end up
having the Fed’s put a program in place for us as
they have done in Attawapiskat.
Gary A.O. MacKay
Tyne Valley
