Albertans are getting a new bumper sticker . . . .
su...@hate2010.games
"Please God, let there be another oil boom, I promise not to piss it all away next
time"
The latest bumper sticker in Alberta (courtesy of the Wildrose Alliance):
"Please God let there be another oil boom: This time, we promise not to vote for
the Tories."
The last part works for all of Canada, too.
___________________________________________________________
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 | CBC News
Alberta budget includes $4.75B deficit
Alberta's Progressive Conservative government is projecting a record $4.75-billion
deficit, planning cuts to many departments while managing to increase health-care
spending.
"We've chosen to make cuts in some areas and increase spending in others to protect
essential services," Finance Minister Ted Morton said at a news conference, which preceded
his budget speech.
"These choices we believe strike the right balance between spending too much and spending
too little, between fiscal discipline and protecting essential services, and between
funding services today and also not saddling future generations with debt."
The government is projecting it will spend $38.7 billion during the 2010-11 fiscal year
while taking in revenues of $34.0 billion. The budget contains no tax increases.
Overall, health-care spending for the province is going up 16.6 per cent.
The government of Premier Ed Stelmach plans to cover the deficit for Alberta Health
Services, the province-wide health board, at an amount of $542 million for the current
fiscal year and $759 million in 2010-11, with the latter number including $40 million in
pension adjustments for AHS staff.
AHS is also getting a $512 million - or six per cent - increase to its base funding.
The province is also raising the possibility of Alberta's first public-sector job losses
since the 1990s. While the final numbers have not been determined, the layoffs could
translate to about 250 full-time jobs.
Education funding will rise slightly, increasing 0.7 per cent - or $43 million - on an
overall budget of $6.1 billion.
The province's so-called rainy day Sustainability Fund - built from budget surpluses in
previous years - is estimated to end the 2010-11 year at $8.6 billion, down from the $15
billion forecasted for the end of 2009-10.
15 government departments face cuts
Treasury Board president Lloyd Snelgrove defended the government's spending decisions.
"While it's all right to suggest we could cut $5 billion, I would feel a lot more
comfortable if they could show Albertans where they would like to cut the $5 billion from
and see if Albertans support longer waiting lists, no roads, 60 people in the classroom,"
he said.
"I quite frankly think we are one of the few places that has the courage to talk about
addressing health care on an ongoing basis and not being afraid to fund it."
In last year's budget, the government said it would have to find $2 billion in cuts if the
economy didn't improve. A total of $1.3 billion was found and put toward health care
because the economy is showing signs of recovery.
According to Morton, about eight departments saw increases to their spending, while 15
will face reduced budgets.
Children and Youth Services faces a $36 million drop in spending with nearly $28 million
in cuts coming from child intervention services, which is now budgeted at $382 million.
Spending for foster care will be $163 million, an increase of $1 million from the previous
year.
Culture and Community Spirit will see a 15.1 per cent drop to its operating budget.
The province plans to maintain the 2009-10 funding levels for the Persons with
Developmental Disabilities program. While it has slightly increased spending on the
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) benefit, the maximum monthly income
amount of $1,188 would remain the same.
Alberta school boards will see a 4.6 per cent - or $246 million -increase to the money
they get for their operating budgets, which will total $5.6 billion in 2010-11.
=============================================================================
"If Ottawa giveth, then Ottawa can taketh away." -
Stephen Harper
Winston Rutgers
>Alberta's Progressive Conservative government is projecting a record $4.75-billion
>deficit, planning cuts to many departments while managing to increase health-care
>spending.
Seeing how health-care budgets are typically 70 -80% the cost of
drugs, there certainly would be an upswing in the demand for meds when
you are on the road to being a "have" and you suddenly fall into a
"have-not". People should just relax and maybe go fishing in the
northern Alberta lakes and catch those two-headed fish that are
morphing from all the toxins being dumped from the tar sands.
Are people allowed up there?
Canuck57
> Alberta budget includes $4.75B deficit
>
> Alberta's Progressive Conservative government is projecting a record $4.75-billion
> deficit, planning cuts to many departments while managing to increase health-care
> spending.
>
> "We've chosen to make cuts in some areas and increase spending in others to protect
> essential services," Finance Minister Ted Morton said at a news conference, which preceded
> his budget speech.
Watched his speach, he has carisma and see why fast Eddy stepped asside
for Ted to deliver it. But I am a numbers guy.
The budget is "we are too scared to do anything" budget.
At most, some small realignment of spending to where it should have gone
in the first place but was special pork waste all alone. Didn't go near
deap enough on the pork.
As for Bronco's complains, I really hope the constituants of Calgary can
get a better choice for a mayor than Bronco the whiner. If Bronco spent
more time running the government properly, he would easily find lots of
pork.
But Bronco decides we need sbow removal after he is late for a meeting,
well hello Bronco, we are in the white north! We don't want to fund a
personal Bronco snow plow because you don't check the weather.
But be it civic or provincial, it is how they run the government as a
budget is only a guideline, and I have faith in neither.
Winston Rutgers
>According to Morton, about eight departments saw increases to their spending, while 15
>will face reduced budgets.
>Children and Youth Services faces a $36 million drop in spending with nearly $28 million
>in cuts coming from child intervention services, which is now budgeted at $382 million.
>Spending for foster care will be $163 million, an increase of $1 million from the previous
>year.
Indeed, when you hack into important social services for children, you
had better increase the monies for foster care - you'll be needing
more foster homes from the government's buget cuts. It all seems
rather self-defeatist but not if you are a religious organization who
claim the qualifications of being social workers rather than just
being spiritual "healers". Oh the picture is becoming brighter.....
Canuck57
Trouble is, I don't trust government acounting and don't see a detailed
financial report for the government. Thy say they would need to cut the
stuff we want, but what about the pork behind the scenes?
And although I think the provincial governmetn is only 75% effective,
Ottawa to a western Caandian is only 22% effective. Ottawa and cities
are where the real pork is.
Alli...@trash.can
> Trouble is, I don't trust government acounting and don't see a detailed financial report
> for the government. Thy say they would need to cut the stuff we want, but what about
> the pork behind the scenes?
>
> And although I think the provincial governmetn is only 75% effective, Ottawa to a
> western Caandian is only 22% effective. Ottawa and cities are where the real pork is.
Face it, you down-beaten citizen of Alberta . . . . . . your province has taken you ONCE
AGAIN from huge surpluses at the cost of scourging the land of your province through OIL
extraction - to major DEFICITS. That's not called
'nature', son - that's government at the hands of right-wing governments. Enjoy.