aaarrrggghhhhh

I read in the paper today that the government is going to let private enterprise take over the running of the hot springs in the national parks. This is to be part of the fiscal cuts which are designed to bring the country back into the black.

I have been to the various hot springs over the years and I have never seen them when they weren’t crowded. In the summer people will go in droves to these pools. Some feel that the mineral water has therapeutic and even medicinal qualities which can only do a body good. European and other foreign visitors just can’t seem to get enough time in the pools. In the winter, the skiers go to soak their weary, cold bodies in the healing waters. The hot springs charge $7.30 per adult and about a dollar less for kids, so it is an affordable activity when in the mountains. They are used year round and as I say are always busy.

In fact, the hot springs are the reason for the formation of Banff national park in 1885 in order to protect them. The hot springs were discovered in 1882 by Canadian Pacific Railway workers and in 1884 the first Europeans “discovered” the hot springs. Shortly thereafter tourism began at government built facilities. The first cars began arriving in the park in 1915, and tourists have been spending their money in Banff ever since.

I just don’t understand the rational of basically selling the hot springs to private interests to run. It has to be one of the few profitable things that Parks Canada has. I could maybe understand if they were losing money, but even then, it is just a matter of poor marketing. I have never bought into the idea that businesses can be better run by privately owned companies as opposed to government. Sure, a park ranger doesn’t know squat about how to run a business, but a businessman wouldn’t know if he stepped in grizzly bear shit or deer droppings. We all have our special areas of expertise.

I can’t see what the difficulty is in the government hiring some shrewd business guy to run the hot springs. Pay him a good salary and let him or her work the money magic. You read all the time about how the government should get out of business. This is usually said by business associations of course. The same people will then go on to complain about the high taxes which are preventing said businesses from expanding and making this country a paradise on earth. Ya…ya…ya…

These business dicks should get screwed just as hard as they are screwing us. I read that the Royal Bank made something like 30 billion in the last quarter and I got a notification that they are raising the service charges on my account. I am starting to feel like a washcloth having everything twisted out of it!

Anyways, the hot springs should remain in the hands of Parks Canada. It won’t, but it should! The government should stop giving away profitable businesses to their buddies in the private sector. They won’t, but they should!  I shouldn’t have to pay taxes and $19 to get into Banff National Park. I do, but I shouldn’t!  I should have been born rich AND good looking, instead of just good looking. Someone should fucking start listening to me aaarrrggghhhhh…….