Presentation to the Minister of Finance October 24, 2005 In Response to request for input into the budget process Dear Minister Selinger, Thank you for asking the Manitoba public for input into the ways your government will spend our money. I represent Concerned Residents of Winnipeg, an organization whose primary mandate is to reduce the use and impacts of pesticides in Manitoba. I am told by one one of your esteemed colleagues that you do appreciate the feedback you receive in these sessions, and I hope you realize how much we appreciate the opportunity to provide it. I am writing today to briefly outline some of the things that we believe should be priorities for this government. Since these suggestions may cost money, I am also prepared to explain some cost-saving measures that we would like to see adopted. The challenge of the 21st century will prove to be survival. We must protect our resources. I am not referring to those exportable resources that typically make dollar signs appear in people's eyes. I mean those precious resources that we need for survival: clean air, clean water, and nutritious, healthy food. I have come to a new understanding of environmentalism. Contrary to what some people still think, environmentalists do not believe that the environment is more important than people. Environmentalists simply understand that what we do to the environment, we do to ourselves. As we continue to poison our air, water, and food, we become poisoned. No one has been tested anywhere on the plant who does not carry a toxic body burden of chemicals. I will be very blunt: this government has a pretty terrible environmental track record. We, the people, invite you the government, to spend more money on finding and funding sustainable energy sources and obviously, I am not talking about building more hydro dams, or tearing down pristene wilderness to sell more hydro. Spend the money it will take to ensure a level of water quality that leaves us confident enough to swim, bathe, and drink. Anywhere in the province. Spend the money that needs to be spent to find out how to clean up Lake Winnipeg, and then be courageous enough to take the actions required to do it; even if big industry might not like it. Stop hiding behind unrealistic phosphorus thresholds for spreading manure around our province. That's a bunch of crap and we deserve better. I promised that I would propose some ways that you could save some of the money we would like to see spent to safeguard our future, so here they are. Going back to the earlier example of hydro, this government could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by having realistic salary caps placed on public service positions. Why is Bob Brennan annually earning well over $300,000 of taxpayers money? How many other public servants are earning atrocious salaries like that? And why? You could save another small fortune by actually using some of the data the province generates. For example, last week I heard the Province's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Joel Kettner, explain some figures that were generated as a strategy to "try to put West Nile virus in perspective." Here are his figures: Deaths from:
I did not have the opportunity to ask him why that strategy
failed so miserably. any other cause 700 motor vehicle accident 90 tobacco 130 flu 1500 AIDS 200 something (I missed it) 10 meningitis 1 West Nile virus 1 Not only could the province directly save the advertising dollars it spends to promote West Nile virus, it can also save our money that it spends on the poisons that put us all more at risk of contracting a serious case of WNv. Lastly, when you decide to stop poisoning us, you will also save immeasurable dollars in healthcare both immediately (as complaints of respiratory problems and summer "flu" will decline) and far down the road when there will be a public that is healthier, more productive, and spends a lot less money treating cancer. Speaking of cancer, we would like to see this government put more teeth into the Healthy Living portfolio. Please start investing in PREVENTING illness and disease and please stop being used as a pawn in the machinations of the corporations. Renaming some of your departments will make clear exactly what your priorities ought to be. For example, the current Department of Healthy Living should be named the Department of Health, and the current Department of Health should be known as what it really is: the Department of Sickness. You should rename the Pesticides Approvals Branch, the Pesticides Alternatives Branch. Other departments should stay the same, but actually do what their name implies. For example, the Department of Conservation should start conserving natural species instead of having the biggest list of 'noxious' weeds of any province (which it kills, along with the rest of us, with toxic pesticides.) In conclusion, I want to point out that the problem with elected governments is that they are elected every 4 or so years. We need to to take actions now to protect our future. Don't try to make a budget that will please your voters, try to make a budget that will please your voters' grandchildren. Thank you for listening. Glenda Whiteman |
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