Why or why not? I'd like to know what people think of this concept.
I believe it would help the region become self-sufficient and prosperous.
It doesn't make sense to have so many separate provincial administrations for such a relatively small geographical area with such a relatively small population. Excessive bureaucracy, red tape and so many unnecessarily wasted tax dollars are clearly serious hindrances to Atlantic growth and prosperity. The reasonable person would have a difficult time arguing the opposite.
The potential advantages are plentiful, I believe. I don't see any disadvantages stemming from amalgamation which would change my mind as to the logic and benefits of such an undertaking. Besides, coming together can be more easily sold to the people than can separation. After all, the Canadian Confederation amalgamated provinces under one federal umbrella. The difference here would be to maintain one level of government rather than add another level. We just don't need so many competing, separate provincial governments on the same level which only serve to slow and weigh down a region already excessively awash in government and bureaucracy, losing billions of dollars a year just to keep some people sitting at desks clicking mice... when the money could instead be circulating freely throughout the Atlantic ecomony via the people and businesses and being used to develop and maintain critical infrastructure and basic services.
That is the way to growth and prosperity. We must look boldly to the future, not try to live in the past. We must be visionary, not revisionist.
We cannot just hope Ottawa will be our savior. That never happened anyway. We must now look into the mirror and ask ourselves the hard questions and proceed to have serious discussions about the future of the Atlantic Coast.
The comments are, as always, open. Come on, let's get talking!
