Shovel-ready or not, we need accountability
By Toby Barrett, MPP

For many throughout our area, 2009 seems to have brought more than our fair share of trials and tribulations. Many have had their livelihoods affected by circumstances related to tough times in agriculture, the general economic malaise, or the lack of security because of land disputes.

Reading newspapers, listening to the radio and watching television over the past year-and-a-half, leads one to conclude that little is right with our economy – both locally and internationally. Ontario just lost another 16,600 jobs in December alone.

This calls for action – bold and swift – not only to create new jobs but also to lay the foundation for future growth. Not only to pave roads and build bridges and arenas, but also to harness science and technology and training to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive world economy.

A major response has been the funding of a plethora of ‘shovel-ready’ projects – projects that have had preliminary work done, have met environmental requirements and have conducted the necessary public outreach.

In February of 2009, President Obama announced $787 billion in such infrastructure stimulus spending. Announcements followed from Prime Minister Harper, Premier McGuinty, and on down the line.

But as we approach a new budget year, and pre-budget deliberations, it is important to monitor and evaluate this stimulus, or ‘ready-to-go’, spending. The most important measure of success is job creation. However, for some, the mark of success can be spending to buy votes to get elected.

In these times of high government debt and high government deficits, ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ is ill-advised, especially when government is robbing Peter’s children and grandchildren to pay Paul. At some point, Peter objects and even Paul starts to question.

So will there be the resulting shovel-ready jobs to justify the various municipal, provincial/state and federal projects? Or is the concept of tax dollars putting a man on the end of a shovel or a back hoe an obsolete one of the Great Depression?

Will today’s shovel-ready result in short-term work accomplished but not much in the way of either long-term, or short-term, employment? In the 1930s, when you were literally building with shovels, it might have made sense.  Shovel-ready investments helped our economy create jobs and recover from the Depression. But the government spending projects that we will remember in the future, won’t be the ones that required shovels.

Some ask: Why are governments funding projects that previously did not make the cut – that were not deemed worthy of funding before? We must also guard against pork projects that now could get the green light at taxpayers’ expense. Another problem with quick-fix funding is it gives the public a false impression that something major is being done about critically-needed infrastructure.

Certainly, steel workers, autoworkers and others laid-off or locked out need the ear of government as they stare down the barrel. Are they going to be stimulated by this spending? Will these dollars save jobs at the Hilton and Lake Erie works?

As we commence a new year, I offer my wishes for peace and prosperity to all. As we come together with family, friends, co-workers and neighbours in the coming year, we can all strive to strengthen our communities as a support to us all – whatever may lie ahead.