Ward 11 Alderman Brian Pincott | City of Calgary Office of the Aldermen

A disheartening scene is unfolding before us. In the sphere of public "debate", the path to dialogue is closing, - actually, it is being slammed shut, by those who are simply not interested in having public discourse.

I am appalled at the willingness of some, in the media and elsewhere, to obfuscate issues and mislead the public.

In the media, it seems that overwhelmingly the budget is being presented as a one-shot deal that appeared out of nowhere and is to be forced onto taxpayers - end of discussion. The budget is not a yes or no choice. It is a detailed, multi-layered document (believe me - it's a huge document)! It reflects direction that all members of Council participated in defining - broken out over many areas of City service delivery. So how can we say "Yes budget" or "No budget?" We can say - "this is important keep it in the budget" or "this will have to wait for a bit until it can be more readily afforded" - that's the debate we're missing. That's the debate I want to have!

Screw the taxpayer?! Wait a minute - I'm a taxpayer! I want a thoughtful, considered approach to the allocation of budget dollars - don't you? When framing the question about the budget as All-Or-Nothing, there is no discussion. Reducing the budget to a blanket yes or no only promotes division and entrenchment. And, a complete distraction from the heart of the issue; that is, the contents of the budget. A "you're either with us or against us" approach sets up a false dichotomy that serves only the very few who are promulgating it.

Public decisions, such as budgets, are not just about black or white decisions. If we shut down discussion about what's contained in the budget then we lose the invaluable input required to really prioritize the multiple issues that budget allocation addresses.

I, for one, am looking forward to budget discussions, with the public and with my colleagues. Everyday, all year long, I hear from residents - are we addressing those concerns that Calgarians bring to the table everyday (as well as the ones raised in the days immediately leading up to budget deliberations)? Are we addressing the public's input around Calgary's liveability and the concern for their quality of life? Does this budget meet that test? Those questions are the real questions we need to be asking - those are the discussions I want to be having.