Published Mar 08, 2025 • Last updated Mar 08, 2025 • 3 minute read
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Coun. Sonya Sharpe and Premier Danielle Smith pose after the official break ground breaking ceremony for the new Calgary Event Centre in Calgary on Monday, July 22, 2024. Photo by Jim Wells /PostmediaRe. “Latest budget aimed squarely at generating votes in Edmonton,” Don Braid, March 1
Don Braid laments the current Alberta budget as a “galling” attempt to curry favour with Edmonton voters. A cursory glance at the budget reveals the contrary. The government has budgeted nearly $2 billion for the Calgary Green Line LRT, among other funding; no similar funding was announced for Edmonton.
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We should also recall the previously announced $330 million for Calgary’s events centre prior to the last election. In disproportion, Edmonton will receive $106 million for the Coliseum demolition project and a downtown events space. Only Calgarians would think they are being financially slighted by the government in the current budget.
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Preferential treatment for Calgary has been the norm for decades. Edmonton and northern Alberta can only hope to be treated as well as Calgary. Where is our Kananaskis North (promised in the 1980s), our new law courts building, standalone children’s hospital and commensurate LRT funding?
Bruno Binassi, St. Albert
Retalitate with Alberta’s energyOn March 4, Premier Smith stated that “we are not going to retaliate on energy because it is such an essential product for American consumers … .”
This is exactly why we should retaliate on energy. Most of Alberta’s crude oil exported to the United States is refined and sold in the American Midwest, a region that is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. I am quite sure that Midwest voters, when faced with higher fuel prices, would very quickly complain to “Donald” about his very foolish tariff policies.
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Bob Wilson, Vegreville
Hit Trump with oil export taxLooks like another pause in tariffs as Trump is getting heat from Americans. We have an opportunity to show Americans the effects of tariffs by imposing our own 15-per-cent export tax onto oil going to the U.S. until the tariffs are dropped.
The American refineries who are set up for our specific kind of crude will pass that pain on to their customers who will pass that pain on to the Republicans and, ultimately, Trump. We have a window to do this. The time is now. Strike while the iron is hot.
Mark Pearson, Edmonton
Seek relief for kids’ pain medsGiven that our provincial government is forecasting deficit budgets for the coming years, it would be prudent for them to look at all avenues of saving and cost recovery. Given our government has an unfulfilled (but paid-in-full) $70-million children’s pain medication contract with MH Care Medical, shouldn’t our government be demanding those funds back?
Or, if MH Care is not willing to reimburse those funds, shouldn’t the government be taking them to court to recover those funds? Hopefully, the various investigations into this mess will relieve some of the pain the Tylenol has not.
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Richard Vandorp, St. Albert
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