Thank you Premier Notley for your letter (Innisfail Province Aug. 9) about NDP government's management of our taxes and budgetary spending.
Both your parties appear to be in a locked-horn position, one that threatens to severely diminish our province well before the next election. The impact of your economic policies affects people in more ways than is evident. Alberta urgently needs real movement in all components of the government's understanding of the impacts of your economic policy decisions.
Today I gave vegetables from our garden to a local family of four who have been unemployed for a year. The stress has taken its toll on their marriage, and they are separated. They cannot make their mortgage payments on their beautiful little home, which will be foreclosed by the bank.
This evening, we host a woman who has thrown in the towel on her marriage after a year of financial stress and unemployment.
I have two family members in default on their payments because of the economic strain on their small businesses. Their client base is reduced and is not paying what is due. The federal tax department has moved to dissolve their businesses because they can't keep up. The stress on their families is alarming.
Over the past 14 months, my own contract sources have dried up and we are currently spending our home equity to keep afloat.
We are surrounded by damages everywhere we look, and the prognosis looks to be worse ahead. The impacts on personal and corporate credit ratings have already begun to create a widespread legacy of damage that will endure for years to come.
Albertans did not vote to become collateral damage for noble but unproven ideas about climate management, social engineering and economic experimentation.
Those groups who have global management aspirations need to speak for themselves. You were not elected to be their agents, but have a mandate to represent the people and the province of Alberta. We need you to place our families and our jobs at a higher priority than the global think-tanks do. They simply do not have our interests in mind.
Thank you for your attention. I pray for you and all our parliamentarians to receive the courage and wisdom needed to conquer these epic challenges that we face in Alberta and Canada.
Fred Van Vliet
Didsbury
