At a time when Cape Breton citizens are fighting for Equalization Fairness harder than ever, Cecil Clarke promised to cancel it. 

He's the current mayor of the CBRM (sort of). While all 12 of our district councillors and just about every citizen know that we're desperate for more funding, Clarke is making promises that may please those in Halifax, but devastate his own municipality.

When the presumptive leader of the PC leadership race, Tim Houston, promised to increase our Equalization by $15 Million more a year, Clarke called that bad policy.

Up until today, CBRM councillors haven't taken the mayor to task on his conflict of interest. He continues collecting his CBRM salary at ~$109,000 per year but spends most of his time travelling the Province, trying to get support to become the leader of the PC Party. CBRM taxpayers are essentially financing his campaign. Debate it if you will. We pay him a full-time salary for a part-time effort as our mayor, and he continues shamelessly cashing our cheques.

Today, Councillor Earlene MacMullin went directly to his campaign page to challenge him on his new policy on Equalization that would take $15 Million away from the CBRM.

Councillor Kendra Coombes and Councillor Amanda McDougall expressed their agreement with MacMullin.

Despite Clarke describing the vague policy change as a plan(?), Councillor MacMullin said it "terrified" her to see him suggest cancelling Equalization while providing "so little detail" on his alternative. She questioned how the CBRM could continue to operate and stated that despite the conversations at Council, his new position took her "completely by surprise".

There are several reasons why Clarke's desire to cancel Equalization to the CBRM could be considered a surprise to some:

1. CBRM councillors never asked Mayor Clarke to state the policy he would have on Equalization during his PC leadership campaign. We can see clearly now why they should have. So much for accountability.
2. Some people may not be aware that Clarke, as an MLA in 2004, opposed more Equalization funding for the CBRM, mocking Mayor John Morgan, and suggesting we were getting our fair share. While we approach insolvency, he still doesn't support the province sending us more of the $1.8 Billion in resources the Federal government gives our Province each year for its communities.
3. Such a policy would NOT be expected from an experienced politician like Clarke because it's so devastatingly bad it will eradicate much of the remaining support he has in Cape Breton. It's possible he's given up on Cape Breton and is making a last-ditch effort to pander to voters in Halifax. I briefly wondered if he had a saboteur on his campaign team.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the CBRM and other struggling municipalities in Nova Scotia cannot operate if funds are taken away from them. We already have to fight with the province for resources. Why would we give the little we get back to them? It's not even sufficient to cover our needs now, even though we can spend it as needed, and use it to get more.

Maybe Clarke will actually reply to the Councillors' comments on his campaign page, but don't hold your breath waiting for it. However, I'm sure the Councillors will be getting a private email or behind the scenes call to try to scold them for doing what all 12 CBRM councillors should have done long ago.

While it's easy to get discouraged with our CBRM council, at least we can be appreciative that we have three courageous new councillors that believe that the well being of the 95,000 people who still live here in the CBRM are more important than the next big thing on Cecil Clarke's political bucket list.

Thank you Councillors Earlene MacMullin, Kendra Coombes, and Amanda McDougall for fighting for us.

If you don't want Cecil Clarke to get a chance to take $15 Million from us so we can beg the Province to give it back bit by bit, just vote for Tim Houston as the PC party leader and we won't have to worry about it. You can vote for anyone you want in the next election. Just don't let Cecil Clarke be on the ballot with a chance to become Premier. While he's busy trying to collect votes in Halifax, a PC membership lets you help pick someone else.

Here's a better offer that isn't taking away something from us:

NOTE: The views expressed above are my own and do not represent lokol (goCapeBreton.com). Read more