Dear Steve Murphy. It seems that the mainstream media in this province does a better job keeping the truth from the public than the politicians who just stand before the people and lie. CTV, CBC, etc. are doing a great job of “the grand cover-up” when it comes to equalization. You should know that it is Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia that generates the total transfer (equalization) for the province. If the province consisted entirely of the HRM’s economy, Nova Scotia would not qualify to receive equalization period. CTV has been very effective in covering up this injustice by remaining silent and not allowing the truth to reach the people. The Nova Scotia Provincial Government will receive over $2.315 billion this year because of the poor fiscal capacity of Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia. That funding is sent to Nova Scotia, so the provincial government has the resources to treat all citizens equally within the province. Equalization is sent to create opportunity and to reduce disparity in these struggling regions of the province but that is not happening. Its main purpose is to deliver services to residents in fiscally struggling municipalities, without excessive taxation. The CBRM has the highest commercial tax rate in Canada. We have the highest child poverty rates in this country. The unemployment rate is also the highest in the nation but none of this seems to matter to CTV or you as a broadcaster. People are building 2- and 3-bedroom homes here and getting $7000.00 to $8000.00 property tax bills. Our municipality (CBRM) of over 100,000 people has a municipal budget of $150 million per year to deliver service to 7 large towns that are included in the CBRM. The national average for a municipality of this size in Canada is between $350 million to $450 million per year. The capitol region of this province has been using Cape Breton for far too long (200 years). They have taken our revenues for coal, fisheries, steel production, etc. and now using our poor economic situation to generate billions for the province and we must sit back, and watch Convention Centers, Museums and infrastructure be erected in Halifax with funding that Ottawa is sending to help us. All political parties in Nova Scotia are guilty of this injustice but the sad part is we must sit back night after night and watch mainstream media ignore the whole issue. How long to you expect the citizens of rural Nova Scotia to put up with this corruption while our one major news source just simply ignores the situation? At 6pm each night, I turn on your news broadcast and watch you deliver the news to Nova Scotians but that will end today for me. I simply can not watch a broadcast that cares only about the resident of the “almighty Halifax”. CBRM has never benefited from being a part of this province and the CTV is as guilty as the politicians for ignoring the residents of Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia. I must say Steve, that I am very disappointed in your lack of coverage of the truth when you deliver, your so-called news, to Nova Scotians. Regards, Rev. Dr. Albert Maroun