Government Tax Silo

Rob Bernshaw, Columnist

Up until the mid 1990s there were many iconic grain elevators standing as sentinels over the many rural communities of Alberta and across Canada.

R. Bernshaw in Edmonton Alberta with Possible New Government Tax Silo in background

In farming communities, each town had one or more small grain elevators that would serve the local growers. The classic grain elevator was constructed with wooden cribbing and had nine or more larger square or rectangular bins arranged in 3 × 3 or 3 × 4 or 4 × 4 or more patterns. Wooden cribbed elevators usually had a driveway with truck scale and office on one side, a rail line on the other side and additional grain storage annex bins on either side.
Grain elevator operators buy grain from farmers, either for cash or at a contracted price, and then sell futures contracts for the same quantity of grain, usually each day. They profit through the narrowing basis, that is, the difference between the local cash price, and the futures price, that occurs at certain times of the year.
~source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_elevator

In the above segue there is  a short description of a grain elevator with a reference to the differential in the local cash price and the futures price. Is the differential in local grain cash prices and grain futures similar to the price differential referred to as the current Alberta Tories much touted ‘Bitumen Bubble’? There is a perception that this price differential caused an approximate $6 billion drop in possible revenue to the coffers of the current Alberta government. Due to this perception there is much speculation as to the outcome that the upcoming Thursday March 7th 2013 release of the Alberta Budget will have on us taxpayers.

Politics seems to be serious business and no laughing matter when it comes to the taking of our precious hard earned tax dollars. Hard working Albertans will always have concerns where these precious dollars end up and for what purpose they will be used? Because no one knows exactly where our precious tax dollars are stored or what the tories actually do in their wasteful spending of our tax dollars.

In the spirit of openness and transparency the current Tory government in Alberta is building for all to see what possibly could be viewed as their new Government Tax Silo.

With that in mind this columnist decided to check out speculation in Edmonton the Capital City of Alberta around the new silo looking structure rising above the Alberta Legislature building(in fact covering the iconic dome itself).

Perched on top of the Government of Alberta Legislature Building is a structure that may be a possible future Provincial Government Tax Silo paid for by our precious tax dollars to hold our precious tax dollars for easier access by the government of the day?

Alberta take a brief moment to picture in your minds the following scenario.

With such convenient access would the many offices under the possible government tax silo be more appealing to the entitlement attitude that seems to be prevalent among the long term regime of the Alberta Tories?
With such easy access how hard would it be to put electronically controlled tubes into  every office of the elected representatives of the ruling party of the day? With electronically controlled access a code would be issued to every member of the government that toes the party line without wavering or hesitation. This code would allow access to the billions of our precious tax dollars contained in the silo above their heads. Once the code was entered wads of our precious tax dollars would flow into their outstretched hands and bottomless pockets without any hard work or accountability on their part whatsoever.

That code would be for the party faithful only and access would be denied for anyone daring to step outside the bounds of secrecy and closed door agendas. Access would immediately be disavowed for members (that finally see the light by getting and understanding the legitimate concerns of us taxpayers) therefore crossing the floor to join any of the parties in opposition to waste and mismanagement of our precious tax dollars.

But the above scenario is pure speculation because with the much touted openness and transparency that this government continues to flaunt that would never happen here in Alberta( ...or would it?).

This writer will now leave you with a satirical video featuring the possible new Government Tax Silo and a question to ponder.

What do you think Alberta?

Disclaimer: Any reference to past, present or future elected officials, high priced administration or other representatives is purely in the mind of the reader, viewer and beholder of the information disseminated here.