To the editor,
According to audited financial statements available online, the City of Nanaimo spent $181 million of your money last year, 2021. That is a nine-per cent increase from $166 million in 2020. With more recent inflation, including wage demands, the 2022 expenditures are expected to be substantially higher.
Large budgets can often contain unnecessary, wasteful spending that only benefits special interest groups. Such items rarely are in the general community interest. Simply because something has been budgeted for years does not ensure that it is appropriate. Lobbying elected officials has occurred forever leading to budgets filled with expenditures not in the community’s interest. Never assume a continuing budget item should be passed automatically.
How does this happen? Such vested interest groups ‘get their vote out’ and endorse the candidates willing to do their bidding if elected.
With ever-declining voter turnout, special interest groups, such as public sector unions, advocacy groups, sports and cultural organizations, etc., can dominate election outcomes. Their candidates win and the general taxpayer loses, wondering why their taxes go up and the quality of community services go down.
If you do not vote for candidates independent of special interest groups you will not have a city council acting for the greater community good, guarding against wasteful spending, working to protect the taxpayers. You need to vote. Be skeptical of any candidate endorsed by special interest groups and especially any candidates seeking the endorsement of such vested interests.
Viable democracy depends upon your actions – at the municipal and school board election polls in October.
Gary Korpan, Nanaimo
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The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin.
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