February 2021
Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!
Viruses and Politicians After one year of avoiding COVID-19, waiting in that the long line for a vaccines, I can sympathize with frustrations but when delivery of vaccines appears so close, let’s all aim for the finish line. It is important that we not forget social distancing, mask and hand sanitizing, more so at this time because the virus has mutated three times already. It is fighting hard against our defenses. The more contact it has with people, the more chance of a worse mutations happening. While we near the finish line in the form of vaccines, this virus is not waiting around patiently. We owe it to our families and ourselves to continue the good fight. This struggle has had the greatest amount of worldwide casualties ever. It is also appears that the number of deaths due to this virus have been under reported by some countries. It has been fought by a vast amount of front line workers in spite and despite our collective “faut pas”, which culminates in more hard work for our protectors. Let’s hope that they remain safe and don’t give up. We now have seen three different mutations of this virus. It may even throw a mutated curve, which will offer unforeseen difficulties. Let’s hope our scientific leaders can manage. Importantly the political leadership appears either timid or inconsistent. Giving tickets for flagrant unmasking in crowds was met with approval, but why not the same ticket for each day an elected person is not in Manitoba without a reason. Same should apply to an unelected government official. These “entitled” knuckleheads are demoralizing to us who pay their salaries and have quarantined for a year despite politicians loosening restrictions, because we realized early on to follow the science not play Simon says. To many of our Federal and Provincial and even some municipal authorities are not on the same page, this includes the opposition playing games. If there ever was a need to have an effort from all stripes, this is it. Playing politics during a pandemic seems pathetic and petty.
Dawson Trail Dispatch
Debt is a Moral Issue – Part I Something is owed by one to another, with the understanding that what is owed must be paid back. This is a basic principle and one almost universally understood within the contexts of business, finance and even personal relationships. If you borrow money from the bank to finance the purchase of a home or vehicle, there is an understood and binding agreement as to how and when that loan will be paid back. The borrower has taken on that debt and, with it, the responsibility for repaying the amount borrowed from the lender. A commitment has been made to restore the financial situation of the lender. The refusal or failure to do so will result in penalties, or, at the very least, adversely affect the credit and financial wellbeing of the borrower. To borrow without the ability and a clear plan to repay is foolish. To borrow under dishonest circumstances is fraud. While in our culture, some debt is usually unavoidable, it is a reality most of us try to avoid. We don’t want to be in debt. We want to be free. Sadly, when it comes to government spending, most people are quick to throw these common and agreed upon understandings out the window. Most Canadians understand
that there is no such thing as free money, but, when it comes to government spending, too many choose that fiction over reality, believing government to be a never-ending supply of generosity. It’s not, and it cannot be. The reason is simple. Government does not have its own money. It has only the money it receives from the taxation of citizens. When your tax dollars cease to satisfy the spending needs-or more often desires-of government, they have three choices: to raise taxes, cut spending elsewhere, or borrow. In times of crisis, such as war, depression or pandemics, governments are often forced to borrow. But when the government borrows it isn’t borrowing against its own money as capital. It’s borrowing against its citizens. It’s borrowing against you and your family. When they do so, in a democracy, it is incumbent on government to empirically justify the need for their actions, but also to ensure they are not unduly burdening, not only their citizens but, future generations. To borrow and spend someone else’s money recklessly is foolish but to mortgage the future of generations to come is immoral. Sadly, that is exactly what the Liberal Government has done and continues to do at unprecedented levels. Their record levels of peacetime debt preceded COVID-19, but their
pandemic spending has eclipsed what even the most pessimistic decrier of deficits could have imagined. I can appreciate the initial need for reactive measures, as governments took time to sort out what was going on, and voted accordingly. But over the past few months I have become increasingly disturbed by the haphazard and, in too many cases, wasteful spending by the Liberals. That’s why, in the coming weeks, you’re going to be hearing more from me about debt and deficits. Shining the light on how money, borrowed to “beat COVID-19”, has been used for other things, wasted and, in some cases, seems to have just disappeared. Money the Liberal Government borrowed under the guise of helping Canadians, when, in too many cases, they’ve just been helping themselves. For more information on this or any issue please feel free to contact my office toll free at 1-866-3331933 or at 204-326-9889. Visit me at Facebook.com/TedFalkMP. You may also write my office at 76 PTH 12N, Steinbach MB, R5G 1T4 or visit my website at tedfalk.ca.
Get Engaged in Budget 2021 Our PC government recently announced an investment of over $210 million in K-12 school capital projects across the province to provide staff and students with safe, modern, and accessible learning facilities. This includes investing in seven future school sites, muchneeded major repairs and accessibility upgrades and future designs for major projects. I am pleased to share that in our community, the crawlspace remediation needed at Ecole Lagimodiere has been approved under this funding. This project will help improve the school building in a timely and cost-effective way to best fulfil the needs of students and teachers.
As we prepare for our upcoming 2021 provincial budget, our priority is to support and protect Manitobans through the COVID-19 pandemic. I encourage all constituents to have your voice heard by participating in our Winnipeg virtual engagement session on February 4 at 6:30 pm. Registration details may be found at engagemb.ca/budget-2021. Manitobans can also email comments and ideas to budget2021@gov. mb.ca. In the coming days, I am looking forward to virtually participating in I Love to Read Month. I Love to Read Month is always a highlight of the year, and due to COVID-19, it was uncertain if it would still take place. Even though it will be a different format than previous years,
I’m glad that we’re still able to get together and celebrate the importance of reading and literacy. In addition to reading to the students, I am also looking forward to answering all of their unique and interesting questions about our provincial government and my role as their local MLA. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact my constituency office at ca.lagasse@outlook.com or 204-807-4663.