Dear Mr. Minister:
听听听听听听听听听听听 With the pressures associated with Saskatchewan's current financial predicament, I am certain none of the decisions about 鈥渃ost-cutting鈥� and 鈥渂elt-tightening鈥� were easy. When it comes to the financial health of an entire province, I can't imagine the kinds of considerations that are needed before decisions can be made.
With this said, I hope you might revisit a part of the decision you have made in the March 22 budget. I know that a budget is a plan that needs to be presented to the legislature and must be passed, altered, or a bit of both. I am speaking specifically about the plan for the future of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company.
I am not a regular customer or passenger of the STC but as a taxpayer, I see the value of the company to the well-小蓝视频 of my province. I mean I am willing to support the continuation of our provincial bus company. Just because I have not used the services provided by the STC doesn't mean that I don't depend upon it. I depend upon the bus because it gives me the confidence that if I needed it, it would be there. Like an ambulance or a doctor, fire insurance or a police station, we have services that are perhaps expensive because we don't all make use of them continuously but because they are on standby we know that we can depend on them.
According to your own financial statement, the sale of the 70-year-old service would save Saskatchewan taxpayers $85 million over five years; $17 million a year. This money might quickly be gobbled-up by paying out severance to the 574 newly unemployed that would also be created. This does not include the costs associated with numerous small community bus depots and the services associated with the comfort and transportation of not only passengers but also freight.
I know that 1946 was a long time ago but has the role of government changed since after the Second World War? Does government not protect and defend a way of life? Whether it is the transport of our young people and new immigrants to post-secondary schools and institutions in the city from the many small towns and villages that still exist in our province, or to get our elderly and sick to their appointments, (buses are used).
Can we all not afford to provide for these few on behalf of the many? Are we all certain that we ourselves may not someday require the regular service that our provincial bus company provides?
Once the hardship and desperation stories from the various corners of Saskatchewan come to the public's attentions in social media will the $17 million a year be the true savings?
According to your own press release, you have reported that only two of 27 routes have been profitable. How about selling those routes to private interests since there is a demand? There will be profits to be made. Focus instead on service to those communities and regions that are so small that capitalist economics make it impossible to provide services.
Is this not the same as Medicare, SaskPower, SaskTel and SaskEnergy? Most rural communities wouldn't have electricity if a company needed to make a profit providing service to a new farm family or small town.
听
A government 小蓝视频 was quoted in the media that the government 鈥淚sn't in the bus-business鈥�. I disagree. As the government stated last year when asked about the cost of running STC, 鈥淲e (Sask-Party) wouldn't touch STC because of the valuable service it provides...鈥�
I hope there is still time to rethink and modify some of what has been disclosed by the budget. I have great confidence that Saskatchewan's people, resources, and many blessings will see us through our current fiscal situation without turning our backs on another institution that like Medicare and rural roads network makes our province unique in this Confederation.
Gary Gabel
Madge Lake
