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Be afraid, people, be very afraid!
Chris Clegg
South Peace News
An underhanded and unnecessary scheme is bubbling as we speak which will see the Alberta government push forward legislation to create a totally useless bureaucracy.
Just what we need in these trying times of deficit budgets – more bureaucracy!
It’s the news M.D. of Big Lakes CAO Jeff Renaud delivered at the M.D. of Big Lakes meeting April 9.
What this means is the Alberta government wants to form a brand-spanking new bureaucracy to poke their noses into the Town of High Prairie and M.D. of Big Lakes councils’ finances whenever they see fit.
Technically, we already have an organization overseeing town council and the M.D.’s finances. It’s called municipal affairs.
The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, which High Prairie town council is a member of, and the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, which the M.D. is a member of, both strongly object. Here’s what the AUMA had to say and, please, don’t be too bored.
“The Bill, which would provide for the establishment of a municipal auditor general with broad powers to conduct random audits of municipalities and make recommendations respecting their financial statements is noted in the letter from AUMA to be totally unnecessary, especially since the minister of municipal affairs already has the authority to require an audit of a municipality whenever (he) considers the audit to be needed.”
M.D. reaction was swift.
“We want more bureaucracy, not less,” says M.D. of Big Lakes Reeve Alvin Billings.
“We don’t want that thing,” adds Joussard Councillor Guy L’Heureux.
And the AUMA letter said the following.
“This kind of new proposed activity is exactly what creates more unnecessary bureaucracy and increased costs, to both the (Government of Alberta) and municipalities, which can be ill-afforded during these already difficult fiscal times.”
Right on!
Kinuso Councillor Ken Killeen was even more blunt.
“A big board paid big dollars,” he says.
No kidding!
I can see it now. Albertans would be paying for a bunch of yahoos, sitting in an office in Edmonton, twiddling their thumbs. They awake from their morning nap to scurry across the street to Tim Hortons for coffee and doughnuts. They return. Later, after awakening from their late morning siesta, they leave early for lunch. Remember the government motto, “If you get to work late, leave early to make up for it!”
Then comes the afternoon blockbuster. Time for a meeting to make the really big decision. An Alberta map is in the meeting room. The head honcho tosses a dart. It sticks somewhere in the map and some poor town or M.D. closest to the dart is the poor sucker to feel the wrath of the new municipal auditor general.
Work is now done for the day.
The next day, the real work begins. Plans have to be made to travel to the poor unsuspecting town. There goes at least a week or two. Can’t be to efficient, you know.
And, hey, if you’re lucky, you can be like that woman hired by Alberta Health and Wellness. Remember, she got paid about million smackeroos before she started her job. The gang of bean-counters hired to assist the municipal auditor general will also surely be along for the ride.
What a lousy idea! What a waste!
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