As a regular contributor to the letters section in local newspapers, on matters of community interest and public policy, I have observed a continuing interest with the subject matter referenced by some of the letters. They are re-published here as a public service.

Following is an article first published in 1999 and re-published here to serve as a reference on the issue.

The Editor, Moncton Times & Transcript,

I must congratulate you on what surely appears to be a major and positive transformation in the editorial attitude of the Times & Transcript.

Your front page coverage of Paul Richard's presentation to the Moncton Rotary Club "Moncton blazes the trail" was an excellent endorsement of the policies and initiatives that have driven the economic recovery and/or advancement of Moncton over the last dozen years.

• 10.7% population growth since 1991.
• An 11.8% increase in companies with more than 100 employees.
• A 17.5% increase in new home construction from 1995 to 1997.
• Moncton has the highest average income ($39,961) in Atlantic Canada,
• and the lowest cost of living in Canada, said Mr. Richard.
• He also reported that from 1991 to 1999, Moncton led the Country in job creation with "a whopping boost of 14.4%".

Now if the new Tory government can deliver on its promises to lower taxes, abolish highway tolls and balance the budget, we'll have it made in the shade.

While we're on a roll, it also seems appropriate to congratulate you on your editorial N.B. must preserve history. History, as manifested by our old buildings and structures, is part of the charm and appeal of New Brunswick for tourists.

Lighthouses are Maritime and Provincial icons and demand preservation if we are to continue differentiating our landscape from that of our inland brethren. In fact, I would encourage our new Minister of Tourism and Culture to examine the possibility of establishing a Government-funded lighthouse and historic building preservation fund for just that purpose.

I would also encourage you to continue pushing for major improvements at the airport.

As the centre of a 1.4 million population base, Moncton is naturally located at the centre of the Maritimes.

• 2.5 hours to Halifax via the new toll highway,
• 1.5 hours to Charlottetown via the toll bridge,
• 1.5 hours to Saint John,
• 2 hours to Fredericton and,
• two hours to the Miramachi and Bathurst.
• The Moncton airport is a hub for cargo and passenger movement.
• New terminals have been built by major courier services like Purolator, UPS and Federal Express,'
• but the airport needs a new passenger terminal (on the north side of the field) with direct access from the four lane highway and the TCH.

Regular, direct and year-round air-service is needed from Moncton to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, Europe and the UK to build business and visitor ties with those communities and with the extended communities served by international hubs.

A rail link from a new downtown Moncton passenger rail terminal (designed with historic character) to the airport would enhance the City's value as both a destination and as a cargo & passenger distribution centre.

As the geographic centre of a population of 1.4 million , Moncton is naturally located as the shopping, recreational and entertainment hub of the Maritimes.

To take full advantage of its location, the City needs to add a downtown trade and convention centre and a 10,000 seat stadium, new restaurants and another 1,000 hotel rooms.

It's time to twin or replace the Gunningsville bridge.

Vaughn Harvey Blvd:

• could funnel traffic through downtown Moncton and create new business opportunities for the City (retail and accommodation).
• An approach route to the Gunningsville bridge could extend from the Commercial Street bypass, travel behind the COOP store direct to the bridge entry point to avoid the Heritage Court bottleneck.and create opportunity for retail and accommodation sites along Commercial Street.

As I said to you in an earlier letter, the Times & Transcript has an opportunity to contribute positively to the economic development of New Brunswick. Do it with imagination and perseverance.

Bill Belliveau,

Shediac, N.B.

As a regular contributor to the letters section in local newspapers, on matters of community interest and public policy, I have observed a continuing interest with the subject matter referenced by some of the letters. They are re-published here as a public service.

Following is an article first published in 1999 and re-published here to serve as a reference on the issue.

The Editor, Moncton Times & Transcript

I'm somewhat intrigued and perplexed by your editorial of June 5th Voters must weigh factors (I've only just read it today).

• 
  After months of criticizing the toll highway deal, the Times & Transcript says it's "... a very good deal for New Brunswick".
• 
  After months of criticizing the RCMP replacement of city police forces in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, you say it was, in fact "the correct decision given the inability of the three municipalities to reach an agreement".
• 
  After weeks of sensationalizing the Rocks management deal with Serco, you acknowledge that, in fact it has "... turned out to be an excellent arrangement for tourism".

This editorial suggests to me that either your editorial writers were out of sync with your news writers or the editorial is proof-positive that your paper was determined to defeat the Liberal government, regardless of the consequences for truth and credibility.

Aside from the above, your editorial goes on to say that "there is actually very little to choose between the Liberal and Conservative promises" the greatest difference being "that the Tories are promising a more regional approach to government and a greater reliance on local businesses to create jobs".

Now there's a deceptive understatement if I ever heard one.

Mr. Lord promised to remove the tolls from New Brunswick's Moncton to Fredericton four-lane highway. As columnist Michael Tutton says in today's Telegraph Journal, that will cost the Provincial Government (and you and me as taxpayers) $22 million a year, for ten years.

That could put the Government into a deficit position (leading to a lower credit rating and higher borrowing costs), reduce the dollars available for healthcare or lead to an increase in our taxes.

There are other options of course:

• the new Government could buy out the $150 million toll-based bonds and reissue them as Government bonds - adding to both the Provincial debt and the Provincial deficit (with interest payments that would have to be made to the new bond-holders).
• 
  They could also go to Ottawa and ask a Liberal Federal Government to bail out a Conservative Provincial Government because they made a promise they can't afford to keep - hey, everyone knows that would work!
• 
  There were other differences in the two platforms including a higher tax reduction promise by the Tories but the most important second difference was in the PC's approach to economic development and their promise to rely more on local businesses to create jobs.

That promise, although well-intentioned, ignores the economic reality of supply and demand.

Small businesses are created and succeed in environments where goods and services are required by large consuming populations, a large industrial complex or large government appetites.

On this basis, New Brunswick may have a problem growing new businesses from its existing local base. To put this in perspective, consider the call-centres that some would dismiss as inconsequential. They depend on a North American market and North American investment for their existence.

They were not created by the local business community although local businesses, including NBTel, supply many of the goods and services required by the operators and the people who work for them.

The existing government, consumer and industrial infrastructure in New Brunswick is not big enough to absorb new outputs from local businesses without the addition of new investment from outside the Province to create demand for those goods and services or without replacing existing purchases of competitive goods and services.

If New Brunswick is to grow and prosper, it must be able to attract new investment from outside the Region and it must produce goods and services for markets beyond its borders.

To rely exclusively on local businesses to create jobs is a recipe for disaster. If it was so easy, we wouldn't have so many people dependent on employment insurance and the seasonal harvesting of our natural resources.

Your paper has an opportunity to contribute to the economic development of New Brunswick.

Invest a little time to know and understand the economy and the people of this Province and then you'll be able to contribute to its success by recognizing and celebrating those who are willing to take a chance on the future instead of tearing them down for trying.

Bill Belliveau, Shediac, N.B.

As a regular contributor to the letters section in local newspapers, on matters of community interest and public policy, I have observed a continuing interest with the subject matter referenced by some of the letters. They are re-published here as a public service.

Following is an article on the role of newspapers, first published in 1999 and re-published here for information purposes only.

The Editor The Moncton Times & Transcript

I think you will agree that the role of a newspaper is to find news, report news and comment on the news. It is not to create the news.

The use of your front page a few days ago to fabricate the results of an election campaign, in favour of a particular political party, by interpreting the observations of an astrologer as fact, was a blatant attempt to mislead your readership and create news where none existed.

The conduct of your newspaper over the last few months has, in my view, been shamefully unprofessional in its bias against the Government of New Brunswick and its political leadership. I have no problem with your paper's editorial support of a political party. That is your right.

However, I do have a problem with irresponsible and inappropriately negative tabloid journalism. It may be appropriate in South Africa but not in New Brunswick.

You do this community a dis-service by making it your mission to hunt and destroy anything and everything that is positive about the Government or positive about the City of Moncton. In the process you endanger the financial well-being of your paper.

The reason - thoughtful people are now openly mocking the Times & Transcript and its 'news' content as irrelevant. The paper has no credibility on issues of substance. You have become the subject of jokes and laughter.

The paper looks good but its read is empty of substance. Many years ago, my father began a very successful journalist's career at the Transcript before heading off to Ontario and the Toronto Star.

He would turn in his grave if he could see how low the Transcript has sunk. I believe he would join with K.C. Irving to condemn the editorial management that could allow this to happen.

The next thing you'll probably do is publish some sort of fabricated poll to stampede your readers towards an untested and untried alternative on election day. My concern is that such a result could set this City back 15 or 20 years.

The Conservatives have been promoting a so-called "made-in-New Brunswick" economic strategy that would turn off outside investment. The President of the Greater Moncton Economic Commission has said unequivocally that 80% of the job growth in Moncton over the last decade has come as a result of attracting new businesses from outside the Province to the City.

His colleagues in Saint John and Fredericton agree with him. Your paper is doing everything in its power to turn off the growth that new jobs and outside investment bring to our communities and our Province.

The Times & Transcript has become the laughing stock of Moncton, a newspaper without credibility that will soon find it hard to sell newspapers or generate advertising if it doesn't take a good hard look at itself.

Sincerely
W.E. (Bill) Belliveau,
Shediac, New Brunswick

cc J.K. Irving,
J.D. Irving and Jamie Irving ,
The Atlantic Newspaper Council ,
The Canadian Newspaper Association,
The Canadian Advertisers Association,
The Toronto Globe & Mail, T
he National Post,
CBC Television,
Global Television,
CTV