An open letter to federal, provincial, and municipal politicians

An open letter to federal, provincial, and municipal politicians, specifically:

Justin Trudeau, PM
Terry Sheehan, Sault Ste. Marie MP
Kathleen Wynne, Ontario Premier
Navdeep Bains, Min. of ISED
Brad Duguid, Ontario Min. of Economic Development
Christian Provenzano, Mayor, Sault Ste. Marie

Perhaps your governments could take a moment to put your green energy policies, carbon taxes, and self-aggrandizing, cross-country, taxpayer-funded, town hall hug-a-thons down. You could set them down in the corner with your other activities that serve no good purpose, yet cost your fellow citizens immensely. Don’t worry, no one will touch them, we don’t want them.

If you did put them down, perhaps you could take a moment to realize that yet another Canadian steel-making location is being destroyed by non-Canadian interests, super-secret (and likely foreign) corporate vultures, and the provincial and federal, corporate-friendly judiciary. Did I mention the under-funded pension, with no money for special payments, but money to bribe super-secret management to stay on the job?

Here’s a hint. Essar Steel Algoma. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. If you are unfamiliar with either, Google is your friend, although we pay you well enough that we would expect you to not need Google.

Here in Sault Ste. Marie, we would like you to pay attention. You like us to pay our taxes so that you can squander it elsewhere, or thoughtlessly, or both, so the least you can do is glance our way once in a blue moon.

We have a bit of a crisis here. It seems our city is about to implode, and our country’s steel industry is in dire shape. I’d like to say the situation is being handled, but, well, it’s not. Some leadership is required. I’d like to offer some advice as to just who should step up, but, hey, you’d all just point fingers at other levels of government. I think I just saw our Prime Minister do that on TV, and make it all better with a hug. (I don’t think that worked, by the way.)

Here’s a novel idea…why don’t you ALL step up? That IS what you were elected to do, no?

Put down the windmills and solar panels, UN position ambitions, sales tax on carbon tax, $4.3 billion donations to other countries that we serfs never authorized, selfie sticks, back-room teacher deals, electricity mismanagement, and lattes. We badly-neglected deplorables here in this northern Ontario city are angrier than the soon-to-be-phased-out Alberta oil workers. (Well, I’m thinking they’re just as angry.)

You were elected to do a job, overseeing your city, province, or country, to the benefit of your fellow citizens. Well, let me just provide you with a report card…you are all failing miserably! A hearty round of Fs for everyone!

Before you all pull a Dalton McGuinty, sailing off to some place you feel unreachable, with a golden taxpayer-funded pension, taxpayer-funded friends, and some other parasitic job, I would advise you to look south, and imagine a Canada full of Deplorables. We taxpayers, your fellow citizens, grow weary of you, and your repeated neglect/abuse. (Choose one, either applies.)

Now, back to that steel mill, and Canada’s steel industry. We’d appreciate some help here. That is your job after all, isn’t it? Working for the benefit of your fellow citizens? We really don’t want to have to dig our pitchforks out of the snow. It’s winter, it’s cold, and we’d really just rather work.

Thanks so much. I promise you can return to enriching yourselves, your friends, your colleagues and choosing future board positions when you’re done. Honest.

In regard to my somewhat disrespectful tone, you must give respect to get respect. That’s another F on your report card.

Your faithful, taxpaying serf,

Rheba Beall
Sault Ste. Marie, ON

PS. In case you think some admin in your office can just read this and hit delete in your email, it’s going far and wide to media and opposition politicians, as well. Why waste a good 3 a.m. rant? You won’t even think about doing anything without the threat of bad PR. And as you may know, we are in need of a provincial by-election, if that helps in the motivation department. What with the provincial and federal Liberals being such great friends and all.