It was a great relief to read the news that the City of Abbotsford’s financial crisis was resolved and that there would be no need to impose the 2 cents a litre gas tax or to impose more than modest property tax increases.

Obviously the financial problems and capital needs (road repairs and maintenance, the new water source, sewer and waste treatment, etc) have been solved … right? If these money issues had not been resolved Abbotsford would not have been spending money badly needed elsewhere on an unneeded play structure … would it?

After all, anyone with a single functional brain cell and the smallest iota of responsibility would have enough common sense not to fritter away money needed to keep Abbotsford operating on a frivolous toy.

This leaves the only conclusion as, in some mysterious way, all the financial and capital challenges that were facing the City of Abbotsford have been resolved and that the city no longer needs a large injection of cash.

I suppose alternatively … if the financial and capital challenges facing the City of Abbotsford have NOT been resolved, one must conclude from this purchase that Abbotsford city council and city staff are completely irresponsible, do not care about Abbotsford or its taxpayers, incompetent and/or brain dead and have no contact with financial reality or reality period.

If the financial and capital challenges have been successfully resolved then the mayor, council and staff deserve our appreciation, thanks and support.

If the financial and capital challenges have NOT been resolved then the mayor, council and staff deserve to be removed from the city’s payroll. Taxpayers deserve the resignations of mayor and council and the firing of staff responsible for this unnecessary and thoughtless expenditure.

Since such a course of action would require a sense of responsibility and caring for Abbotsford and its taxpayers that Abbotsford’s elected politicos have repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of, I won’t be holding my breath.

I will however, be writing to Gordon Campbell, Mike de Jong, John Van Dongen and the Minister of Community and Rural Development (Bill Bennett) to point out this further evidence of Abbotsford’s civic government’s lack of financial planning, discipline and responsibility.

I will be asking that, in light of Abbotsford city hall’s and city council’s demonstrated irresponsibility and lack of financial ability, for the future of the City of Abbotsford and its citizens they refuse to enable council’s spendthrift behaviours and spending addiction by just saying no to the 2 cent a litre gas tax. I would suggest others contact provincial officials with this request as well.

City council and staff must be compelled to start acting responsibly and thoughtfully on financial matters – or replaced. Otherwise someone will be buying the Safari Kid Zone from the trustee handling the bankruptcy of the City of Abbotsford.