Rant on the city of Ottawa
So like I'm reading the proposed budget for 2009 for the CIty of Ottawa, right?
I think it is kind of ridiculous, personally. From what I understand, he (Larry O'Brien) is cutting tons of services, healthcare, to keep taxes lower, and because he believes they can do better than just raising taxes to 4.9%. I understand, what with the failing economy and all, that we are on a tight budget, but I, personally, would not mind a higher tax in order to keep some of the things they are proposing to cut.
For example, they are planning to:
- cut funding to arts, culture, and heritage by 42% (a huuuge chunk)
- ELIMINATE funding to festivals and events, something that not only sucks because I like festivals, but which will be a loss for the hospitality and tourism buisness as well because it is a huge reason of why people come to Ottawa. Ironically, they claim in option 5 that they don't want to adjust services if it will affect the "ability to attract people" to Ottawa. Hmm. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't festivals generally attract people to a city? Isn't that one of our main tourist points, other than the museums? OH, but you're cutting funding to culture and heritage too, so that affects the museums. Do you want ANYONE to come here?
- cut funding for community and protective services (social housing units for people with addictions and mental illnesses, tenant resource centers, youth programs, childcare, etc.)
- cut funding towards Ottawa Health Plan, which means cutting jobs such as nutritionists, project managers, long-term healthcare, and NURSES? What the hell, Ottawa? Doesn't Canada desperately need nurses and you're FIRING them? Also, it says IN the document that results include "delays and reduced access to some public health services as well as a reduction in investment of staff education and skills development" (option 3). Delays in healthcare nowadays are already pretty bad, cut staff and wait lines will be longer, which will be detrimental to many patients.
- Eliminate outdoor rink grants while also raising the price of ice, thus resulting in 3200 less hours of ice available to the community at city-subsidized rates, making ice time more expensive.
Anyways, that's just a couple.
Now the reason they are cutting such things as health care, from what I understand, is that the provincial government is supposed to pay about 25% towards social services and healthcare, however the demand for funding grew in Ottawa and the amount from the province stayed the same, regardless. So the province's "25%" is really just a fixed rate. So the city has decided to lower the quality of our healthcare services so that we spend enough on it that the province's contribution is 25% once more. So essentially we are lowering our standards to meet the province's contribution. But we obviously have a demand for a certain level of healthcare.
In a perfect world the provincial government should be paying 25% like they claimed they would, rather than a fixed amount which is clearly not enough. I hate to see our city losing nurses when, at the moment, there is a desperate need for nurses in Canada.
Now, I think these things are important to the city! Healthcare in Canada, due to the fact that it is free, has always been a point of pride among canadians. But cutting funding and staff does not make it any easier for the healthcare to remain free. Social Services are there to help people and clean the city up, (youth programs keep kids out of trouble, social housing will help people with addictions and mental illnesses, childcare helps single working mothers or families with low incomes). Cultural and Heritage institutes are integral to developing a national identity, and as the CAPITAL of our nation we should be developing these institutions rather than cutting them. Arts and festivals are important for attracting people to our city, and they generate money in the form of the tourism and hospitality industry. Personally, I wouldn't mind a hike in taxes if it meant healthcare, social services, and the arts didn't get cut.
Anyways, god, I wrote a lot. If anyone has differing opinions please share! I'd like to learn more about opposing opinions. And if I've made some glaring error (which is possible as it is 1am) and its obvious that the city of Ottawa is making these cuts because if not the apocolypse may come or something, do let me know. This is just my opinion based on what I read.
I think it is kind of ridiculous, personally. From what I understand, he (Larry O'Brien) is cutting tons of services, healthcare, to keep taxes lower, and because he believes they can do better than just raising taxes to 4.9%. I understand, what with the failing economy and all, that we are on a tight budget, but I, personally, would not mind a higher tax in order to keep some of the things they are proposing to cut.
For example, they are planning to:
- cut funding to arts, culture, and heritage by 42% (a huuuge chunk)
- ELIMINATE funding to festivals and events, something that not only sucks because I like festivals, but which will be a loss for the hospitality and tourism buisness as well because it is a huge reason of why people come to Ottawa. Ironically, they claim in option 5 that they don't want to adjust services if it will affect the "ability to attract people" to Ottawa. Hmm. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't festivals generally attract people to a city? Isn't that one of our main tourist points, other than the museums? OH, but you're cutting funding to culture and heritage too, so that affects the museums. Do you want ANYONE to come here?
- cut funding for community and protective services (social housing units for people with addictions and mental illnesses, tenant resource centers, youth programs, childcare, etc.)
- cut funding towards Ottawa Health Plan, which means cutting jobs such as nutritionists, project managers, long-term healthcare, and NURSES? What the hell, Ottawa? Doesn't Canada desperately need nurses and you're FIRING them? Also, it says IN the document that results include "delays and reduced access to some public health services as well as a reduction in investment of staff education and skills development" (option 3). Delays in healthcare nowadays are already pretty bad, cut staff and wait lines will be longer, which will be detrimental to many patients.
- Eliminate outdoor rink grants while also raising the price of ice, thus resulting in 3200 less hours of ice available to the community at city-subsidized rates, making ice time more expensive.
Anyways, that's just a couple.
Now the reason they are cutting such things as health care, from what I understand, is that the provincial government is supposed to pay about 25% towards social services and healthcare, however the demand for funding grew in Ottawa and the amount from the province stayed the same, regardless. So the province's "25%" is really just a fixed rate. So the city has decided to lower the quality of our healthcare services so that we spend enough on it that the province's contribution is 25% once more. So essentially we are lowering our standards to meet the province's contribution. But we obviously have a demand for a certain level of healthcare.
In a perfect world the provincial government should be paying 25% like they claimed they would, rather than a fixed amount which is clearly not enough. I hate to see our city losing nurses when, at the moment, there is a desperate need for nurses in Canada.
Now, I think these things are important to the city! Healthcare in Canada, due to the fact that it is free, has always been a point of pride among canadians. But cutting funding and staff does not make it any easier for the healthcare to remain free. Social Services are there to help people and clean the city up, (youth programs keep kids out of trouble, social housing will help people with addictions and mental illnesses, childcare helps single working mothers or families with low incomes). Cultural and Heritage institutes are integral to developing a national identity, and as the CAPITAL of our nation we should be developing these institutions rather than cutting them. Arts and festivals are important for attracting people to our city, and they generate money in the form of the tourism and hospitality industry. Personally, I wouldn't mind a hike in taxes if it meant healthcare, social services, and the arts didn't get cut.
Anyways, god, I wrote a lot. If anyone has differing opinions please share! I'd like to learn more about opposing opinions. And if I've made some glaring error (which is possible as it is 1am) and its obvious that the city of Ottawa is making these cuts because if not the apocolypse may come or something, do let me know. This is just my opinion based on what I read.