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When I voted for a person to represent me on council, I expected someone whom I hoped could manage a significant financial budget. Unfortunately, the majority of the current council have trouble with budget management, but want to drive a personal ideological agenda.
I don’t think it is council’s place to reduce carbon production, which can force small businesses to adapt to their personal ideology of ecological changes. This latest is in the context of eliminating plastic for shopping bags and disposable auxiliary food items. I suspect the councillors that voted for this have no idea the costs they are imposing on the food-service business.
I also suspect they like the idea that they are reducing demand for petroleum-based items, even if it means driving someone who may be operating a marginal business out of business, along with the staff. The salary of a city councillor takes them away from the economic reality of a lot of people who are just making do.
I suggest council spend their time on what they were put in position for and that is managing the city budget. They will find enough things there to satisfy their desire to help the people of Edmonton without driving personal ideologies.
Wynn Payne, Edmonton
Obscure trivia a poor citizenship test
Re. “Think you could pass the citizenship test? Poll shows most Canadians would flunk,” June 29
It is little wonder that most Canadians would flunk the citizenship test if the bulk of the questions are similar to samples given in the article. What purpose is served by asking prospective citizens to know a bunch of trivia? How does this show their understanding of what this country is about?
The answers to two “famous Canadians” were a.) a governor general from 1935 who wrote a novel that is catalogued as being written by a Scottish author, and b.) an Olympic athlete who got two silver medals in track in 1976. The answer to an early English settlement question was a 1610 Newfoundland colony that failed and came to nothing. Who expects this to be common knowledge?
Certainly, if you know that the major acts that led to the creation of our system of government will be on the test, you should study such things as the Constitutional Act of 1791, but can you rank the 2006 Quebecois Nation motion which changed little but some names among them? Seventy-six per cent of those average Canadians polled did not know about it.
I’d hate to think that the other questions were as equally useless in determining whether the people applying truly appreciate the country they are about to join.
Harry MacKendrick, Edmonton
Right wing driving dissatisfaction
An Ipsos poll showed that the proudest Canadians are from Quebec and the most dissatisfied are from Alberta. Why Alberta you may ask, when we have the lowest taxes, the best economy, and highest incomes? Who is bad-mouthing Canada? It’s the Conservatives and the UCPers. The only songs they know are anger, anti-Ottawa, and anti-Canada.
Ken Zinyk, Edmonton
