I cannot for the life of me imagine that the country folk of this blessed isle will react with fulsome cheers over the revelation that their Liberal government has been very liberal indeed in presuming to divert one million big ones from a fund supposed to help them, to build a concert site within the environs of the City of Charlottetown, just on the city side of the bridge across Charlottetown Harbour.
Now we are not talking here about some old pasture field out in the Royalties, absorbed by the city during the craze for amalgamation, wherein several dandy goose fields came under city jurisdiction and goose hunters were unceremoniously chased as being a threat to the citizenry.
No siree bob, we are talking here about a choice bit of city property owned by the CADC, a property literally at the foot of the bridge.
I would expect the hills are ringing with the sound of country folk shouting more or less in unison, the perennial plaint of the backers of losing athletic teams - WE WUZ ROBBED! and so we were, explanations of His Eminence Ronnie MacKinley to the contrary.
With good reason, for the one million bucks was drained and diverted, if you please, from the vaunted “Rural Action Plan Island Community Fund,” supposedly devoted to the improvement of rural infrastructure and the uplifting of the economy in the nether regions of the province.
This new edifice will provide the 140,000 odd (and even the ones that aren’t odd) citizens of the blessed isle with two major outdoor concert sites to be used once a year for the entertainment of the masses, and the profit of the promoters.
Those promoters are not likely to come from Morell or North Rustico, or points in between.
Then again, perhaps the genius planners at the Charlottetown Festival (they lost $400,000 on last year’s festival) could move their Johnny Cash show to the new site?
According to the thinking of His Eminence Roundabout Ronnie, all Islanders and especially rural organizations and residents will benefit from this latest example of sound governmental decision making.
Come on Ronnie, that’s a stretch that even you can’t pull off.
“The harness racing track is a rural outfit that’s in Charlottetown and also the Exhibition Association is in Charlottetown and there are lots of events at the Civic Centre in Charlottetown, so this is going to help them,” quoth the Minister of Rural Development in The Guardian.
If the logic of that escapes you, as it does me, join the club.
In fact, the Rural Action Plan identifies seven key goals to assist development of the economy in rural Prince Edward Island and help rural communities and primary industries become and remain sustainable.
Building outdoor concert sites is not among them.
The plan was announced with great fanfare (but without the attendance of Premier Ghiz - what should that tell you?) in Tignish during January of 2010.
It sets forth an ambitious vision for rural Prince Edward Island: “A prosperous, vibrant and healthy rural Prince Edward Island, able to adapt to a changing world and to offer diverse opportunities and a high quality of life to all its citizens.”
Nowhere in its seven key goals does it include parking lots and a place to hear rock music and hurtin’ songs in the capital city at something called Charlottetown Summerfest.
(Remember? ... That’s the one that lost a bundle booking Cirque de Soleil.)
This latest bit of governmental nonsense is a complete contradiction of every fundamental principle announced at the release of the document containing all the details.
One of the underlying principles of the Rural Action Plan is that “... all government initiatives will be examined through a rural lens.”
(Seems Ronnie’s lens is fogged up on this one.)
“That means that everything government does, everything that government considers, will take into account the impact on rural communities.”
(Except this one.)
Oh ... one other thing. The site for these new facilities is very near water level. The seas they are arising. It’s all about climate change. Like the conventioneers at the new 16 million convention site, who will soon need wetsuits to attend conventions there, concert goers will need to do the same.
Then again, parking lots can always be used to tie up boats visiting Charlottetown.
There is a particular arrogance in this devious bit of budget shifting. The government says it consulted with 1,200 rural Islanders in formulating its action plan to boost the rural economy, and thereby maintain a dwindling population in the countryside where the three traditional industries (fishing, farming, tourism) struggle on.
I really can’t imagine the government heard deafening cries that the biggest need was a four million dollar outdoor concert site for rock music and hurtin’ songs, all paid for by taxpayer dollars.
Minister MacKinley’s boom, brag and bluff approach to explaining the diversion of funds supposed to strengthen the economy of rural communities to this idiotic enterprise - rings hollow in the extreme, especially when a truly rural enterprise like the Small Hall Festival goes begging for government assistance.
There are those who have accused the Ghiz government of ignoring the needs of people in rural Prince Edward Island, and that the Rural Action Plan was nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
This nasty bit of business would seem to give the truth to both accusations.
You could build a half dozen really fine venues in the countryside for $4 million, and do those communities some economic benefit, as the action plan set out to do.
MacKinley’s pounding of the big bass drum echoes a dismissive arrogance towards the electorate - we’ve got the power, so bug off.
That is a somewhat irresponsible, and very questionable interpretation of democracy as governance.
Mr MacKinley and his Liberal cohorts might need to remind themselves that it’s not their money they are so irresponsibly dishing out - it’s ours.
That’s the view from here.