CBRM has approved another hundred thousand dollars plus for hanging flowers in local downtowns. The multi-year commitment I'm estimating could cost as much as $0.5 million. Yup. For flowers. For a couple of months in the summer. In a region that has high unemployment and poverty.
Several councilors justified the expense as encouraging shopping, improving business, creating positive attitudes, and making us look good to tourists. But, somehow, I don't suspect the "flower strategy" is widely known and applied by economists around the world.
Councillors Ray Paruch and Mae Rowe were the only ones that showed some common sense and voted against this expenditure. Paruch put it best ...
"It's all about choices....I would rather put taxpayer money in to where you can see some tangible results that can impact favorably on the lives of the people that we are here to serve."
Rowe added:
"There are [other] applications [to the Sustainability Fund] that are hanging by a shoestring and need any number of things. It's a common sense thing. It's not a practical solution."
Watch the VIDEO of Paruch's full response by clicking this link and jumping to 1:02:00. Mae Rowe is at 1:06:00.
1:02:00 Ray Paruch (District 6)
1:06:00 Mae Rowe (District 3)
You probably don't want to hear what the other Councillors said, unless you are sitting down with a hard drink. If you do, jump to the 00:48:00 minute to see the discussion from the start.
Look, I don't blame the people who put forward this idea. I've had an office in downtown Sydney for 20 years and the flowers do look nice. Everyone has the right to put such ideas forward. But, Mayor and Council have the responsibility to prioritize how our tax money is spent and to make sure it is used wisely.
And, it's not like our community couldn't come up with better ideas to encourage shopping and visits to the downtown areas. For example, with $0.5 million, CBRM could issue 50,000 Gift Cards at $10 each that could be redeemed at local businesses. Now that would guarantee more visits and shopping. Or, better yet, issue 10,000 Gift Cards for $50 each and give them to people with the lowest incomes or the working poor. Heck, stock the shelves of all the food banks for the next three years. Do something tangible. We need to pay more attention to how these decisions are being made.
Click here to find out more about how your money is allocated from the CBRM Sustainability Fund.
Meanwhile, a freezer in Kentville square provides free meals for residents in need. In CBRM, we prefer to let them eat flowers.
What would you do with $0.5 million to help improve CBRM?
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