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Letter writer Bob Wayte of Calgary expresses his frustration with "Easterners," Ontarians and Torontonians in response to a letter from Toronto that criticizes "Alberta's flagrant disregard for the environment." I sympathize with his frustration (The Attitude Of Easterners - Jan. 28).

At the same time, let me express my frustration with most Canadians, but most particularly with Albertans, over equalization and the contribution of Ontario taxpayers. While it's true Ontario will receive more than $300-million from this federal program in this fiscal year, it's also true Ontario taxpayers, through their federal taxes, will contribute about $6-billion to the program, far more in total than Alberta taxpayers, if slightly less than Alberta per capita.

Despite Ontario's troubled economy, the federal government continues to drain $6-billion out of Ontario and distribute it to other provinces.

Equalization is actually cause to bring Alberta and Ontario together, not separate them, if only people in both provinces understood the program's inherent flaws beyond the rhetoric of federal politicians of all parties and the premiers of some other provinces.