Letter to CBRM Councillors from NSEF

Dr. Albert Maroun Follow Me

Posted this 2018-02-22 1:37 PM AST (updated 2018-02-22 2:20 PM AST)

The following is a copy of a letter sent to CBRM Councillors by Nova Scotians For Equalization Fairness:

Good Afternoon:

This is a courtesy email from the NSEF (Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness) group in Sydney. We are currently organizing a major protest in downtown Sydney over our concern of the Equalization distribution in this province. Currently, our fight is falling on deaf ears as far as government representation is concerned. We, the people, elect government representation and we will be heard on this issue no matter what. Currently, we are reaching over 40,000 people on social media and now have so many people attending our monthly meetings now that we have had to move to a larger venue.

The infringement on our Rights and Freedoms is a political crime and will be dealt with accordingly. The Constitution Act of 1982 states that no Canadian citizen will be burdened with over taxation and Equalization will be provided by the Federal Government to prevent this. The fact that Halifax (Provincial Capital) is not disbursing the Equalization grant properly to the various towns and municipalities will be looked at on a federal level. We urge all politicians to get educated on this situation and fight to save Cape Breton Island from this injustice. Cape Breton Island has a population of 132,010 and receives $15 million yearly from this grant. PEI has a population of 146,283 and they receive $420 million from the grant. We are being shorted hundreds of millions here in CBRM every year. Stop the Government of Nova Scotia from killing towns and communities across this province.

As a politician, we expect you to fight for the people you represent and look after our best interests. We currently have one of the highest child poverty rates in the country here in CBRM and pay almost double the taxes (Commercial & Residential) than that of Halifax. If you are unaware of the Equalization Grant program, then educate yourself and become informed as the fact of the matter is that most politicians do not understand the Equalization Grant system. If you wish to meet with us or attend our next meeting, please respond to this email and we will advise you in advance of the next meeting/rally. Thank you and have a good day.

Regards,

The Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness Group Sydney

Posted by Dr. Albert Maroun
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[comment deleted] Posted 2018-02-22 1:41 PM AST
Debbie Keating Follow Me 2018-02-22 3:05 PM AST Reply 1 0 I am in total agreement with this group’s stand for equalization. But our municipal leaders do not share in seeking our fair share. Mayor Cecil Clarke, when he was MLA took a stand against equalization and has kept this issue off of council’s agenda since he was first elected in 2012. On his website for PC leader, he has openly stated that he believes Halifax needs to be the centre for economic development in the province - he has reinforced all of his past rhetoric against equalization. Hopefully with the election of a new mayor, we will finally advance this cause once again!!! Dr. Albert Maroun My Post Follow Me 2018-02-23 10:41 AM AST Reply 2 0 I saw the post on Cecil's facebook about that. I believe that he is trying to let the people know in Halifax that the city will be his focus and like every other premier, he will forget about the rest of Nova Scotia. I believe it has been mentioned in the past that he said "we get enough". I am not sure if this is true or not but what a thing to say especially when he is from here. We have been advised by certain parties in Ottawa that it is time to change our local provincial politicians and put new people in power that will actually fight for us. I do believe that we do have some people now in council that will start to fight but we need everyone on board. The problem with Equalization is that most of the politicians do not know enough about it. The simple fact is that our Charter of Rights and Freedoms are being infringed upon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau provided provisions for placed like CBRM in 1982 and Halifax is ignoring these laws and keeping all the money. I guess they will have to learn the hard way but one thing is for certain. "We will not stop until this situation is fixed" and that is a promise.
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2018-02-23 1:12 PM AST Reply 0 0 Great letter to our councillors as their support on the part of too many is lacking as they adhere to playing party politics. My own councillor has been deliberately silent in seeking the CBRM’s legal funding provided by the federal government that approximates $4 billion over the past two decades. Our federal MPs too have NOT ensured that this legally provided funding does get to the entitled and financially struggling municipal units of this province. They have been made aware of this blatant manipulation of this funding goes to the continued economic development and subsidized municipal low-tax rate of our Capital Region. As more people in the economically discriminated areas outside the Capital Region learn the facts about the whopping accumulated amount of this municipal under funding, their anger is increasing. Our next meeting of NSEF will be held on Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cedars Club, SYDNEY, on McKenzie St. That is located off Townsend St. by the Kay’s Kozy Korner restaurant and Steel City Tavern. We outgrew our old meeting place as the level of interest and concern for our economic survival has made it necessary to seek an alternative location to accommodate our growing numbers. Dr. Albert Maroun My Post Follow Me 2018-02-23 3:19 PM AST Reply 0 0 Thanks Charles for mentioning that. We will see more people than ever before at the next meeting. The new participants are actually angry and outraged when they learn how much we are being shorted. After the last meeting, I had the privilege of speaking to a few people who were very upset with the politicians in our area. They were angry with them because they will not stand up to the bullies in Halifax and fight for us. I told them that we will have to do that fight for ourselves. The biggest comment was "why do they get paid to do a job that now we have to do"?. If I was a politician here on Cape Breton Island, I would get on board quick or risk not getting elected again. We have reached over 40,000 with this story and growing everyday. We have developed a new website to educate people, we are producing several videos showing the differences between the two regions (CBRM & HRM), we are printing over 50,000 flyers next week for distribution, we are in talks with people in Ottawa regarding the infringement of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The long and short of it is we will not stop with this cause until it is fixed. The people of Cape Breton need to challenge the politicians and soon. If you vote for the same person every time, then ask yourself if your doing the right thing. I will be asking my politician next time if they will be fighting for more funding from Equalization for this area and if not, they will not get my vote.
[comment deleted] Posted 2018-02-23 4:11 PM AST
[comment deleted] Posted 2018-02-23 4:14 PM AST
Dr. Albert Maroun My Post Follow Me 2018-02-24 10:35 AM AST Reply 0 0 Great question Lillian. I did the math and it is actually 0.77% of what the province receives and what we get. Can you imagine that this money is designed to help us with our economic situation and Halifax is not eligible for any of the $1.933 billion and we do not even get 1% of the funds that Ottawa provides us. So the provincial government in nova Scotia will only pass out 1.6% of the total equalization grant transfer to all the provinces towns and municipalities combined and this amount is $32 million. Cape Breton Island represents 14% of the provinces population and we do not even get 1% of the transfer. This is a crime against us by the provincial government in Halifax. Please ask your MLA's why they have allowed this to happen over the past 2 decades. We have 8 MLA's on this Island and none of them are fighting for us. If we continue to vote for these people, then we are the problem. We have to ask ourselves if these politicians are actually looking after our best interests. [comment deleted] Posted 2018-02-27 4:09 PM AST
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2018-02-24 10:35 AM AST Reply 1 0 Our CBRM Councillors and mayor have mostly been protecting the political party they vote for. The information NSEF has compiled should be their job. They have been made aware of it too but sit on their behinds and remain silent. They are getting paid to represent the interest of the CBRM but that is not what they have been doing for two decades. Former CBRM Economic Development Manager John WHALLEY informed the public some time ago in the CB POST of the amount of Equalization that is federally provided for the economically struggling municipal units - like the CBRM. That amount exceeded $400 million. However, council still remained silent. Given the absence of responsible local government, the Municipal Government Act must provide for the right of recall of councillors/mayor who are conspicuously representing and protecting a political party that has formed government or is maneuvering to form the next government. CBRM has been cheated about $4 billion over two decades - how do you recover from the accumulated economic consequences of such intentional government policy’s?
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2018-02-25 1:41 PM AST Reply 1 0 On the other website about Halifax taking all the money a person question Dr. Albert Maroun's involvement in this struggle and that it was a more recent involvement. I believe that person was posted as: "KT TOBIN." Well, I came across a letter by Dr/Fr. Albert Maroun to the Cape Breton Post, dated October 10, 2009, whidh reads as follows: Headline of the letter: FINANCIAL RESEARCH CONVINCING BODY OF LETTER: Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness was very happy to have some local politicians attend recent meetings at the Cedars Club. MLA Gordon Gosse, along with regional councillors Dave LeBlanc, George MacDonald, Dave Wilson, Wes Stubbert and Derek Monbourquette, were impressed to see statistics from government sources that our researchers have dug up showing a shortfall of more than $118 million per year in equalization funding for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality over a number of years. Forty-one other Nova Scotia regions suffered shortfalls, damaging our infrastructure, tax rates and services in general. All agreed that a grave injustice has been perpetrated in these communities by former provincial governments but the newly elected government seems to be sensitive to our situation. The equalization information will be disseminated throughout Nova Scotia soon. Dr. Albert Maroun Sydney But we know today that even that government of that day did not address the unfair equalization under funding to municipalities.
Charles Sampson Follow Me 2018-02-27 12:33 PM AST Reply 0 0 Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness next public meeting MARCH 6, 2018, at the CEDARS CLUB, SYDNEY, AT 7:30 p.m. It is off Townsend St. at intersection of Kay’s Kozy Korner Restaurant and Steel City Tavern. Politicians will be invited. Everyone welcome.
Jim Murphy Follow Me 2018-02-27 8:10 PM AST Reply 0 0 Let's hope all the recent "distractions" don't take away from this important cause!
Dr. Albert Maroun My Post Follow Me 2018-03-09 1:53 PM AST Reply 0 0 The NSEF would like to thank all the Councillors who showed up for our meeting. It was nice to hear their comments and insight on the equalization situation. Thank you all so much again. We have produced our first in a series of videos regarding the equalization unfairness in this region and we thought we would share it with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqf8y1pNFsg