Lynda Flannery, president of the St. Albert Taxpayers Association (SATA), is an enigmatic figure. On one hand, she exudes energy and sincerity in her crusade to prevent municipal tax rates from rising beyond some arbitrary figure. And nobody can quibble w
On the other hand, her manner is often inflammatory, and some of her statements are grossly inaccurate. The sad result is she thereby undermines whatever good she might otherwise contribute to our community. I have space here for only a few examples.
Special interest groups: Wikipedia offers at least two definitions: (1) "a group of individuals or organizations with interest in a shared area." (2) "Advocacy groups (also pressure groups, lobby groups and some interest groups and special interest groups) use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy." Surely SATA fits either definition to the T, so why does Ms. Flannery always use the term as a pejorative in her diatribes against various groups she disapproves of?
Shouldn't we admire those who advocate on behalf of issues that matter to them and who play an active role in promoting something for the common good? Shouldn't we encourage more people to engage in civic life without unfairly accusing them of promoting their own self-interest? The major problem I have with SATA, however, is that they don't seem to be an advocate 'for' anything. They have no definable mission beyond suppressing any program that they deem to be not 'essential' (whatever that means).
Flannery actually writes in one of her letters: "We question why we should build all these world-class facilities when we have the advantage of the big City of Edmonton next door with all its facilities and employment opportunities." It beggars belief that someone who aspires to public prominence would express openly so little pride in her community. For example, in what conceivable way does the existence of the Northern Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton render the Arden Theatre in St. Albert superfluous? When people flock to the Arden from Edmonton and beyond to experience the best of popular entertainment, how can one possibly put a negative spin on this?
Curbing tax increases is not a valid political platform per se. SATA pretends to advocate on behalf of the lowly pre- and post-retirement downtrodden masses. But in fact nobody benefits from a platform advocating nothing but squeezing the budget. Anyone campaigning for a seat on council should be expected to run on a concrete platform; they should be advocating on behalf of their special interests, and not conceal them. All programs require some investment of tax dollars. One expects all councillors, and not simply those supported by SATA, to heed the bottom line of fiscal responsibility when approving programs. It is totally sterile, let alone lacking in imagination, to make 'the bottom line' the only consideration in running any organization, including a city.
To the citizens of St. Albert: inform yourself before election day as to the special interests of the various candidates, and support those whose interests resonate with yours. And to you, Ms. Flannery, from now on please use your good quality of energetic resolve to benefit our city, rather than continuing to undermine your own vision of a fiscally prudent council through mean-spiritedness.
Reuben Kaufman, St. Albert
