Great Letter by Joe Ward

Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness Follow Me

Posted this 2024-05-23 2:37 PM ADT (updated 2024-05-23 3:26 PM ADT)

We are hoping that an honest candidate will come forward to seriously represent the issue of the federal equalization transfers. The NSEF Committee will stand behind any candidate(s) by providing the candidate(s) the information needed to properly represent the serious issue of severe underfunding of most municipalities in this province. Today this letter was printed by Joe Ward, and he makes some great points. We have heard only a few names so far have been put forward to run as Mayor of the CBRM. CBRM Needs More Mayoral Candidates 23 May 2024 With Horizon Achievement Centre strategically chosen as a backdrop for photos and video, Cecil Clarke announced his Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) mayoral candidacy on May 16 – just as everyone expected. Mayor Amanda McDougall-Merrill had already told us that was stepping away after her single term, and no other significant contenders have been announced. As such, the role of mayor may appear to opportunists to be a well-paying job that can be grabbed just by being the first one to sit down when the music stops. This is very similar to when former mayor John Morgan decided to move on in 2012, and Clarke swooped in for the first time – although Rankin MacSween stepped up to oppose him. Clarke isn’t just a career politician. He accepts the unshakeable designation as such. But let me ask you something. During the last three and-a-half years of being adrift in the sea of political limbo, why has there been radio silence from him? Allow me to summarize for you the issues Clarke’s weighed in on and the concern he’s expressed for the community during that time: (the sound of crickets goes here). Unfortunately, for some of the key issues facing the CBRM, the same chorus of crickets was all that could be heard from his office. Even during his two stints as mayor. Eight years with Clarke as mayor was enough. The CBRM cannot afford to languish as second fiddle to his political and career ambitions for four more. Who is going to step up? Or do I have to go to Value Village to get a dusty suit jacket, to a barber for a salesman-like haircut, and do it myself? Or will someone step up before the son of a carpenter specs out the job? Joe Ward Sydney

Posted by Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness
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Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2024-05-24 7:35 AM ADT Reply 5 0 From my standpoint,after watching local politics the last few years,we need a mayor with: -LEADERSHIP ABILITIES -MUST BE HONEST AND TRANSPARENT -ABILITY TO USE COMMON SENSE -NOT AFRAID TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS This may seem obvious to many but we simply have not gotten much of this for a LONG LONG LONG LONG time. Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness My Post Follow Me 2024-05-24 11:10 AM ADT Reply 5 0 How true Ray....especially the "tough decisions" part. Most of all, and to just add to what you said, our new mayor should have the best interests of all the CBRM residents and not just a few business people who pull the strings from the sidelines. Great comment Ray. Mike Johnson Follow Me 2024-05-24 4:45 PM ADT Reply 0 0 We haven't had a single one of these qualities consistently in the past 12 years. I can't speak to the John Morgan regime but if he was better, he should be asked to run. He would only be a 'moderately recycled' poltiican. Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2024-05-24 4:59 PM ADT Reply 0 0 If you google Morgan you will find plenty of baggage.We certainly don't need that.We need a breath of fresh air. Mike Johnson Follow Me 2024-05-25 7:35 AM ADT Reply 1 0 Agree, but right now we need to find someone who is better than we what we have or what we had.
Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2024-05-25 9:43 AM ADT Reply 1 0 IT'S NOT COMPLICATED SO LET'S NOT MAKE IT COMPLICATED. DON'T BE TAKEN IN BY ALL THE SHINY OBJECTS TYPICAL CANDIDATES WILL THROW OUT THERE.MOST OF THAT STUFF IS BS. LOOK FOR THE ONE THAT PROMISES TO WORK HARD AND TRY THEIR BEST WITHOUT SPECIFIC PROMISES THAT THEY LIKELY WON'T DELIVER.
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2024-05-25 1:00 PM ADT Reply 0 0 With regard to John Morgan’s time as mayor, the support he received from the electorate after his first term 29% was 80% and in the final term 82%. The people’s evaluation of John Morgan’s tenure as mayor differs from what Raymond has said. Morgan’s background as a lawyer had him identify the CBRM’s legal and political issue as being underfunded from the federal government’s yearly Equalization payments. The 2005 Federation of Municipalities report, “ A Question of Balance” added more evidence to support his argument of underfunding by the provincial government’s equalization grant, which funded only about 40% of the funded municipalities’ normal expenses. Morgan, however, had to deal with a hostile council because of party politics. And the politicization of the judiciary in Nova Scotia was evident in the Supreme Court committee of three that was instrumental in preventing the CBRM’s case from going forward to be heard. Morgan’s case too was not based on what the NSEF’s is seeking answers to. Morgan acknowledged that the NSEF has gone further in the investigation of this matter that exposes even more how unfair this issue is. And the NSEF information is provided from the two levels of government, information which both governments have refused to be accountable and transparent in explaining or answering questions about their own data. The response from government in Morgan’s time is still the response today. We need a mayor and councillors who will not be a repeat of playing partisan politics instead of finding out why the formula categories in N.S. which generate the federal Equalization totals have never been applied to them by the provincial government. Why? That is of utmost importance in the category funding the municipal deficiency in tax capacity related to property taxes and miscellaneous revenues here in Nova Scotia. Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2024-05-25 1:17 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Folks can google Morgan themselves and form their own opinion. Barry Smith Follow Me 2024-05-26 12:52 PM ADT Reply 1 1 Morgan was pushed out by a faction that's still operational today!
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2024-05-25 3:08 PM ADT Reply 1 0 Raymond, your unexplained opinion of John Morgan’s terms as mayor is, “ If you google Morgan you will find plenty of baggage.We certainly don't need that.We need a breath of fresh air.” I agree people unfamiliar with Morgan’s efforts to get accountability and transparency from government should do more than google but ask around about his honest efforts to help the residents receive justice that is constitutionally protected in the supreme law of our constitution. That effort was transparent and his subsequent two more electoral terms he received was a testament to that effort to seek Justice from our own government. Martha Ross Follow Me 2024-05-28 8:38 PM ADT Reply 5 0 Thank you Charles for responding to Ray’s comment about John Morgan. I too have something to add about Ray’s comment. First of all Ray you certainly don’t know John Morgan, and your mention of “goggle John” sometimes trashy comments come up on google, which isn’t worth repeating. John Morgan is a fine human being, those who supported him in the 82% range. John Morgan is the only mayor that had the backbone to stand up for Equalization Fairness, the crooked judge threw the case out, it was never heard. Sometimes there is those who want to go around with their heads in the sand, condemning those who want to try and make change. Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2024-05-28 9:18 PM ADT Reply 0 1 I fully respect your opinion.I don't know the man but I do know that if we elect a mayor that's willing to jump into the quagmire/rabbit hole of equalization they may forget to conduct the day to day operations of CBRM something that the citizens have seen for years just by observing the number of cans that have been kicked down the road with several issues meeting that fate as recently as today. Martha Ross Follow Me 2024-05-29 7:09 PM ADT Reply 6 1 That is enough said when you say you don’t know the man (John Morgan). There isn’t any quagmire/rabbit hole of equalization, you don’t know John Morgan and you don’t know anything about equalization. John Morgan as mayor for 12 years never neglected any particulars to do with the business of the CBRM, and if he ran and became mayor this October he would do a good job. Lillian Dolomont Follow Me 2024-05-29 11:51 PM ADT Reply 1 0 ABBC!!!! Blair Gushue Follow Me 2024-06-01 1:48 AM ADT Reply 2 0 I try not to judge a person by what I hear in social media, I like to make a decision based on my first impression when I meet them, Fortunately, I met John a couple of years ago. Over a span of two years we had a few discussions. I found the man to be very friendly and decent. One who loved his politics. He had a strong desire to see Cape Breton become successful and prosperous. There was no bs about him. What more could you want in a politician
[comment deleted] Posted 2024-05-30 10:48 AM ADT
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2024-05-30 11:47 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Raymond, there is no “quagmire” situation about the equalization under funding of municipalities in Nova Scotia created by John Morgan or the NSEF volunteer citizens committee. The “rabbit” hole you mention and any muddying of the equalization issue has not been the creation of John Morgan or the members of the NSEF like Fr. Albert Maroun or Russ Green, etc. That criticism, however, is completely the responsibility of the federal, provincial and municipal governments and the legal or justice system. When these authorities refuse to be accountable and transparent in explaining their own policies and actions, a duty that they are legally required to do so in a constitutional “democracy”, the injustice of their own making gets worse. The impact of this injustice is now becoming increasingly apparent to more of the public. Politicians are conspicuously silent and as more and more people are financially struggling, the problem for the unaccountable governments is becoming a serious election issue, as it should. The unexplained simple question: the federal Equalization transfer this year is $3.284 billion generated by deficiencies in tax capacities in five categories. In the municipal category, approximately 21% of the total transfer or about $650+ million is federally funded because of the municipal deficiency in property taxes and miscellaneous revenues. The provincial government equalization grant of only $30 million is grossly inadequate and capped for decades as these federal Equalization transfers kept increasing. The fact that it is an enshrined constitutional requirement that all levels of government are legally required to obey and which all governments obviously have knowingly violated to date needs to change.
Lillian Dolomont Follow Me 2024-05-30 3:50 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Come on Joe, go for it. I will pay for the jacket and hair cut.
Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2024-06-04 9:42 AM ADT Reply 0 0 There are 2 letters to the editor in today's CB POST,one by me and one by David Delaney which just may give CBRM voters food for thought for the Fall Municipal Election.Enjoy.