Really??!!

If you can believe it, Calgary City Council spent two days debating and trying to figure out what its "core" civic responsibilities were!

Because they obviously have no clue!!!!  They had to actually put forward a motion to clarify the responsibilities of the three levels of government, i.e., federal, provincial and municipal.  If they had a clue they'd realize that the cities are creatures of the province and don't need to exist at all.  This is what Britain has, just two levels.  

Of course, this is all about money and who pays for what.  But, there's only one taxpayer and we pay for every, wasteful cent at every level.  

Just to make everything "crystal", as Jack Nicholson retorted to Tom Cruise in 'A Few Good Men', it was City Solicitor Jill Floen who came to the rescue.  "The Municipal Government Act (MGA) outlines what cities are legally obligated to carry out, but does not define what constitutes a core civic service," she intoned.

Huh??!!  If the Act defines what cities are legally obligated to undertake, then those are obviously "core" responsibilities.  How could Ms. Floen say they're not defined??!!  Probably because she's a lawyer and specializes in counting the number of angels dancing on every pin she meets.

City council at work!

"Everything we're doing right now is a core responsibility based on those basic premises," she added.  Well then, so those are core responsibilities are they not?

I could go on, but at the end of the day, councilors could not agree on what their jobs were.  I suggest they take a drive down any Calgary street and weave around a few sink-hole-sized potholes to find at least one core responsibility.  They might also take a gander at all the dead and dying trees screaming for help on city property.  THOSE ARE JUST TWO OF YOUR CORE RESPONSIBILITIES!!!!  GET BUSY!!!!!   

It's so insane!!!!!