Stop the Hogs!

[Oscar]

Real stimulus, with REAL Canadians

From: Shane in Wpg.
To: WFP EDITOR
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 9:49 AM
Subject: Real stimulus, with REAL Canadians

The Editor
Winnipeg Free Press

Dear sir:

The first and foremost objective of the Harper/Ignatieff $600 Billion stimulus package is obviously to preserve the power hierarchy in Canada, not help Canadians weather the crisis.

The top down way money is to be distributed - through provincial governments, excluding cities and individuals from the system - guarantees only a trickle will reach the people and the majority of money will go to projects that support the archaic concept of economic activity that created this crisis.

One good example of how things would improve for Canadians in general if cities were administering the flow is: Cities already regulate and monitor home renovations and improvements, so a program to improve Canada's home heating infrastructure with 50-50 cost sharing of conversion to geo-thermal heating, would stimulate a truly green and 21st century industry, immediately create thousands of jobs and actually put more disposable income into the pockets of Canadians...the savings of geo-thermal heating are such that already the savings out-strip the expenditures. With a 50-50 cost sharing, and a guaranteed low interest loan, a huge proportion of the stimulus money would re-circulate in the communities. The government program would also encourage small Canadians with reasonable resources to also stimulate the economy. Multiply that by millions of Canadian homes and you have a stimulus package that actually grows.

This is the sort of 'green-bottom up' thinking that, unfortunately, Canadians cannot expect from this unholy alliance between the two dinosaurs of Canadian politics. This is the sort of stimulus that would stimulate and support the real foundation of the Canadian economy, the people. There was absolutely no mention of the 21st century green economy in the budget and so the real Canadian resources of energy and hope - the Canadian people - have been dogmatically excluded from the solutions to this crisis. But then what would you expect from the Conservative-Liberal alliance!

Shane Nestruck(Winnipeg)
shanedn@mts.net

P.S. I KNOW of what I speak! I have geo-thermal on a small 25 x 150 foot lot in down town Winnipeg. I installed 4 winters ago and my energy bill is 'flat' since then. BUT if I'd had a 50-50 subsidy I'd be so far ahead I'd be throwing parties every week!