The following letter to the editor was published in the Cape Breton Post on Saturday past (Sat April 22, 2023). Amanda ignores that our funding problem is answered in the federal equalization transfer. She has not been the only mayor to ignore this fact. Party politics remains alive and harmful to the CBRM and all rural Nova Scotia. When is this going to change?

We have included a link below of a podcast Russ and Father Maroun did with Amanda before she was elected. What are your thoughts?

Here is the letter:

Government doesn’t answer questions anymore. From a municipal level to the Prime Minister, we are just ignored when we ask a question that the politician does not want to answer. We watch it in Parliament, the Legislatures and of course at a municipal level right across this country.

Politicians have decided it is ok to ignore questions that they are not comfortable answering or have been told by the higher ups to just ignore that topic or any subject that makes the politician look unfavorable, in the public’s eye.
Our mayor published an Op-Ed in the Cape Breton Post (Sat. April 15, 2023) where she finally identified our biggest problem in the CBRM and that is a lack of funding at the hands of our provincial government. The mayor now knows how we feel when we write her email after email that are never answered and when these important emails are ignored, I then go into the editorial section of the Cape Breton Post and address the issue publicly. The mayor then calls this mudslinging.

Politicians today seem more interested in playing party politics than representing the community that they were elected to serve. I strongly believe this is due to corruption within the political party system and I have seen far too much evidence of this while trying to seek fairness for our community.

Equalization payments are generated because of the poor fiscal capacity of the rural communities in Nova Scotia, such as the CBRM. Keeping us poor fiscally has been generating billions for the provincial government in Nova Scotia for many decades now all while our elected officials turn the other cheek. Derek Mombourquette is a prime example of this because as Min. of Municipal Affairs, he was able to change how we are funded but he did not and instead, he like many before him and many after him, tell us that the funding agreement with the province is currently under review. I have heard that a few times in the past decade, but nothing ever changes so who exactly do these politicians represent?

I am happy to see the mayor finally admit that equalization is growing each year, but the CBRM still receive the same pittance from our, so called government. Her request for a meeting with provincial officials will most likely be ignored. The mayor should take a lesson from the NSEF playbook and hold a public meeting at C-200 and invite Cape Breton MLAs, MPs, and the council to discuss the situation. Let the public see who shows up and who does not and let us, the public, judge based on their actions, answers, and attendance if they are worthy of being re-elected.

Our mayor needs to put the power in the hands of the voters with regards to our severe under-funding and yes, this letter was written because she has ignored our email (from NSEF) on this subject.

Rev. Dr. Albert Maroun &
NSEF