The Son Of A Coal Miner

Rory J. Koopmans, B. Admin., #6, 14504-108 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 1G8

January XVth, MMXV

Hon. Gordon Dirks, B. Ed., M. Ed., MLA, Minister of Education, Progressive Conservative, Calgary-Elbow

Dear Gordon:

I am not sure what is in the peace pipe that your boss, the Hon. Jim Prentice, PC, QC, MLA, Premier, Progressive Conservative, Calgary-Foothills is smoking. He is talking about trimming the fat then he should start with the number of Her Majesty's MLAs. Here we have what a million less people than British Columbia currently & yet we have LXXXVII (87) MLAs while B.C. has LXXXV (85)! I ask you, how in the hell does that make any sense? Especially in a downturned economy, now I know its probably too late for this upcoming election cycle, but why not trim the number of MLAs by 1/3rd to better reflect the citizenry of the province & population levels? Students coming into the Alberta Legislative Assembly for field trips can see it, I can see it, Albertans can see it. We are over governed as hell! So a level of 50-55 MLAs would I think be a more appropriate number of elected representatives!

Maybe if we do this, other provinces will follow suit. I mean only in Stephen Harper's Canada are we putting in place XXX (30) more Members Of Parliament (MPs) when we already have too many elected reps & yet at the same time are laying off 5,000 good hard-working Canada Post employees. I would say Canada Post is a hell of a lot more of an "essential service" (particularly in remote areas) than an MP! So bIV Jim talks about civil service cutbacks, he should impress the students of today by laying off excess MLAs!

An Editor's Note: The Legislature sits what X-XII (10-12) weeks a year, why stock it with a high number of elected representatives who are hardly ever there otherwise?!

Jim Was A Coal Miner: Let Him Get His Hands Dirty & Cut MLA Costs Ist,

Rory

Source: Myself.