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Here's some advice for Premier Alison Redford: You're onto some sensible policies, but your tone and timing leave a lot to be desired.
Thursday, as the people of High River continued with the monumental task of cleaning up their town — not rebuilding it, yet, just cleaning up all the debris, damage and decay after late June's floods — Premier Nanny showed up to give them a lecture.
They needed a hand, but Alberta's chief scold decided instead to give them a stern talking-to.
Never one to miss an opportunity to tell lesser mortals what to do based on her own vastly superior intellect and reasoning, Redford cautioned the weary, dazed and emotionally drained High Riverites: Don't even dream about rebuilding on a flood plain. And if you do, don't expect the provincial government to bail you out next time.
Buried somewhere inside the premier's preachy statement is the kernel of a reasonable policy. But her message was so ill-timed and ill-mannered that kernel got buried.
Flood plains are inherently risky places on which to build homes and businesses. Many home owners don't know whether or not their houses are at risk of flooding every 10, 20 or even 100 years. Most private insurance policies don't cover 'over ground' flooding, such as when a river overflows its banks. Most only pay for damage from sewer backup.
So when homes flood, few homeowners have anywhere near enough coverage to repair their homes and their lives. They expect one level of government or another to pick up a large chunk of the slack.
Well, then, if the people of High River insist on rebuilding on a plain right after they've been given graphic, devastating proof that plain is prone to flooding, then why shouldn't expect taxpayers to bail them out again.
But right now? Madame Premier, did you really pick the best time to hammer home your point rather than grabbing a hammer and pounding in a few photo-op nails?
The people of High River have been through a lot, the evacuation, the devastation of their homes, sleeping for weeks on cots in the arenas of neighbour towns, having their guns taken by Mounties and being given little useful information by local leaders and provincial disaster bureaucrats for the first two weeks.
Still ahead is the long, drawn own process of rebuilding.
The premier truly is politically tone deaf. Instead of a kind word and helping hand, she swooped in and started wagging her finger.
And what about flood-plain reconstruction in Calgary? Most of the downtown core is on a flood. Is Redford going to pop up next in that city and tell all the oil companies in glass towers to move their headquarters to light industrial strip malls in Airdrie? How about the Stampede grounds? Maybe Redford thinks the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth should pull up stakes and head to Strathmore.
A wise politician once said "in politics, it's not what you do, but when and how."
Premier Redford may be on to something with her proposed ban on flood-plain construction. But now is not the time.
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Alberta Premier Alison Redford's poor timing drowns out good policy idea - Calgary Sun
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