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Yesterday we were campaigning By Scott Hennig, Alberta Director Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Calgary Mayor Bronconnier and Edmonton Mayor Mandel’s recent calls for new taxing powers for their cities brings to mind a joke that has been making the e-mail rounds recently.

Calgary Mayor Bronconnier and Edmonton Mayor Mandel’s recent calls for new taxing powers for their cities brings to mind a joke that has been making the e-mail rounds recently. It goes something like this:

A politician dies and upon his arrival at the pearly gates he is told he has the choice of going to heaven or hell, and that he will spend one day in each to help him decide. Upon his visit to hell, he is greeted by some of his fellow politicians who take him to a fancy golf club, where they spend their day golfing, drinking champagne and eating caviar. During his visit to heaven, he spends his day floating on clouds, playing harps and singing. When asked by St. Peter where he wants to spend eternity, he chooses hell. So, St. Peter escorts him down to the gates of hell, where he sees his fellow politicians now dressed in rags as they slave away for the devil. The politician is confused and asks the devil what happened, it all was so wonderful yesterday. The devil responds: “Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted.”

This joke is only funny because too often the reality is that politicians will say one thing during an election and do another after. This is exactly the case with Alberta’s two big city mayors.

In winter 2007 Calgary Mayor Bronconnier, Edmonton Mayor Mandel, and the heads of the Alberta cities association (AUMA) and rural municipalities association (AAMD&C) authored a report calling for the provincial government to give municipalities the right to levy a raft of new taxes including a ticket tax, a hotel tax, a property transfer tax, and a vehicle registration tax.

At the time, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation estimated the new taxes would cost a family of four an additional $911 each year, and called on Ray Danyluk, the Minister of Municipal Affairs to reject the request. (To date, the minister still “reserves decision” on the request).

Premier Stelmach also got into the debate by smartly suggesting that the mayors hold plebiscites during their fall municipal elections to see how much support their call for new taxing powers had.

Of course, neither Mandel nor Bronconnier put the question on the ballot during the fall 2007 elections.

In fact, both mayors renounced their previous call for new taxing powers during their fall election campaigns.

Only days before the October 15, 2007 vote, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel said: “Looking at taxing authorities is really a moot topic. It’s not something at this point in time that’s front and centre in my mind.”

Calgary’s mayor was even more vociferous in his renouncement: “We are not pushing for those. The City of Calgary is not seeking new taxes.”

Both mayors were overwhelmingly re-elected with massive majorities. No doubt assisted by their last-minute conversion on the unpopular new taxing powers request.

Fast forward to the dog days of summer 2008 and low and behold, both mayors are once again asking for new taxing powers.

In Edmonton, Mayor Mandel has asked city council to give him approval meet with the Premier to discuss the potential for a hotel tax, an entertainment tax, a vehicle registration tax, and rental car tax in Edmonton.

In Calgary, Mayor Bronconnier recently voted in favour of asking the province to give the city the power to introduce a 1 percent land transfer tax.

It’s bad enough we have two politicians who want to increase taxes, but it’s even worse that they lied to their citizens about it during the last election.

It’s no wonder people will continue to laugh at cynical jokes about politicians lying to them during elections. It’s too often true.