As reported on Nanaimo Info Blog
Was $23 Million A Misleading Announcement?
When I first saw the press release from Government Canada I thought the feds had finally opened the purse and were sending Vancouver Island some of our tax money back. It sounded as if we would be able to curtail our borrowing for the new water treatment plant as it looked like we were getting another $16.6 million in funding for that project.
I sent an email to Mayor Ruttan to confirm our good fortune only to be told by the finance director that in fact the $16.6 million was not new money at all. In fact we still needed to borrow the $22 million for the water treatment plant.
If that was the case, why the suggestion in all reports that this was new funding? Are our politicians deliberately trying to deceive us, or worse yet, do they not know what is going on?
The language in the official press release, and in the reporting in the local press all lead us to believe this was new money, and all these projects would be receiving a boost this year courtesy of our friends in Ottawa.
From the Government press release:
"Eight local projects will benefit from federal Gas Tax Fund support in the coming year". The same press release quotes Mayor Ruttan as saying:
"The funding received by the City of Nanaimo as a result of today's announcement will play a critical role in our community's long-term plans to provide clean drinking water to our residents for many years to come. Joint investments in infrastructure involving different levels of government are an important factor when planning for and building a new water treatment plant."
Reported in the local press:
Nanaimo Daily News headline (pictured above) declares 'Whopping $23 Mill for RDN projects' with the sub heading ' Total of $16.6M goes to water treatment.The report then goes on to declare 'UBCM officials call it one of the largest-ever transfers of federal gas tax funds to a municipality in the province.'
The News Bulletin headline 'City of Nanaimo gets close to $17 million for water treatment plant'. This report opens with this sentence: 'The city of Nanaimo will receive $16.6 million in gas tax money which will aid in providing residents with clean drinking water.'
Nothing indicates that $15.6 Million was 'old' money
If you read the way the official press release is written, and any of the comments by our elected and non-elected officials and the way the story is covered in the press, there is no reason to believe that this wasn't all new money as of yesterday.
Considering $15.6 million of the $16.6 million has been accumulating since 2005, you might be forgiven for thinking the spin doctors we employ might have overdone it this time .
I am waiting to hear from the RDN if all of the other project funding listed in this 'story' is in fact new money as the announcement would lead you to believe.
Thanks, as always, for the awesome true digging and reporting
ReplyDelete