What the STC meant for me
In 2017, among other cruel austerity measures that year, the Saskatchewan government shuttered the province's public transit company. The reason being: it costed taxpayers $12 million per year to operate, which works out to be less than 1/100th of a percentage of provincial expenses. So, instead of raising taxes slightly on their corporate donors or raising royalty rates on commodities that aren't selling at their low cost anyway, the Sask Party continued their sell-off of essential services that helped provide freedom to the underprivileged in this province. One of their best underprivileged customers was in fact myself.
When I was only six years old, my parents separated, and my father moved four hours away from us in Regina. I have my own judgements about the decisions my parents made back then, but one thing I can commend my mother for is her efforts to ensure I had a relationship with my father, as every young child needs. How did she accomplish that while also trying to raise three kids with a minimum wage job? The Saskatchewan Transportation Company.
My memories of taking the bus as a child give me a feeling of melancholy, but that is not the STC's fault. It is hard to forget the sadness and devastation of getting on that bus to head back to Regina, knowing I won't see my father again for several weeks or even months. It is hard typing this now without a flood of emotions pouring in. But I wouldn't trade the time I did get to spend with my dad for anything. Though I am still working on putting myself back together after growing up in a broken home, I couldn't imagine how much worse off I would be if I was growing up today without STC being an option.
Even as an adult, I made use of the STC's services. When I ran a phone-repair business, my customers used its courier service to ship their phones to me. My father would often use the courier service to ship packages of meat to me and my siblings (he used to be a butcher). When I moved to Saskatoon in 2012, my partner used the bus to visit me, while she finished her education in Regina. Later, I would use the bus as a safer alternative to traveling long distances in winter. I really was one of their best customers.
I shouldn't have to point out to anyone that the point of public services is to run at a loss. This is because in a democracy, we understand that our citizens need certain essential services that the private sector cannot run effectively (think of the police, fire department, libraries, education, etc). Heck, practically every municipal bus service in the world runs at a loss. This isn't just to make life easier for people wanting an affordable way to get to work, or to visit their families or to travel for medical appointments, but it helps the economy too. This is why we use public funds to invest in things like roads, power and internet. It gives everyone a level-playing field to prosper. It is clear that the Sask Party doesn't believe in level-playing fields, however.
Since 2007, the Sask Party has sold off many pieces of our province, and it is clear we are no better off today. Our savings have been long depleted, our debt is skyrocketing, and the gap between the rich and poor continues to grow as drug addiction and suicides rise. When you go to mark your ballot in this October's election, ask yourself, do we make this province better by removing supports for the poor, further exacerbating socioeconomic inequality, or do we strengthen our public services and invest in our people, lowering the long-term costs of poverty and ensuring our province is ready for the economy of the future? I think the answer is clear.