Here is Father Maroun's latest letter to the editor, that was published today, in the Cape Breton Post. Father Maroun is willing to help the CBRM get this ball rolling but there must be a political will by our municipal governments. Cape Breton has had enough and change is needed. Enough talk and more action is needed...... Here is the letter: Cape Breton Needs a Regional Government. When was the last time we saw any wastewater infrastructure in the CBRM replaced? When we see 20 or 30 mils of rain now, we see the water bubbling up out of the storm drains rather than draining this wastewater, as it should. The infrastructure under the CBRM (all communities) has not been updated or maintained in many decades due to severe under-funding from our provincial government. All we see now is people’s homes and roadways flooding, whenever we have significant rainfall. The CBRM can blame it on anything they want, and they can bring in “experts” to say what they want them to say, but the reality is, our infrastructure is failing beneath our municipality due to a lack of funding. We have all seen the storm drains twisting, sinking, and eroding on our roadways. We know that these storm drains sit on a large round concrete collector and when the grates on the road no longer sit level with the road, you must ask yourself, why? The concrete tops of these collectors have completely crumbled and only a patch job is ever performed by our municipality. Where does the concrete go when it crumbles? It falls inside the collectors and blocks the flow of water and then, we have flooding. I am 90 years old, and I have seen my share of heavy rain over the years, and it is only the last 20 years or so that we see the flooding occurring. My good friend works inspecting sewers and storm drains in the municipality, and I am told that most of the infrastructure needs to be dug up and replaced. The arrangement the CBRM has with the province is not a good one and it is time to change it for the better. It is time the Council and Mayor get the ball rolling to set up a Regional Government for Cape Breton Island. The municipality can be dictated to by the province but that is not the case for a Regional Government. The Provincial Government must sit down at the table with the Regional Government and negotiate for yearly budgets. We then would have the power we need to address what is important for our communities. The present situation is not working and putting lipstick on a pig is not going to work for much longer. It is time to start to meet with the other communities around our beautiful island and start to propose long term, sustainable solutions for our future. If the provincial government refuses to discuss equalization, municipal needs, failing infrastructure, taxation, etc., then we must come up with a better solution. I, for one, would be willing to get this ball rolling. Who is with me? Rev. Dr. Albert Maroun