Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Budget Day in Alberta

With apologies to the Groundhog,

"If Ted Morton remains the Finance Minister will we have 6 more years of financial mismanagement."

Today is budget day and as predicted by this Blogger it's cut, slash and burn day in Alberta.

This Government cannot manage our finances so we need to suffer, almost religious in nature wouldn't you say?

There are alternatives, for instance a scenario brought forth by Greg Flanagan, the eminent Alberta economist in the Edmonton Journal article , 'Revenue the real problem
Now's the time to dip into 'rainy-day' fund, avoid raising taxes', offers a solution, see the link below.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/story_print.html?id=2516693&sponsor=

Others have offered solutions such as Dr. Avalon Roberts' initiative for a 'value for money audit' prior to any reduction of front line services, but I'm afraid it's all about cuts for this Minister and this Government.

Ted Morton sees Health Care, Education and Social Services as expense items on a balance sheet rather than investment in people. So when 2 + 2 needs to = 4 rather than look into the future for solutions they will revert to the past and fall back on 'the Klein Revolution' or as it was called 'the New Zealand Experiment". Incidentally, New Zealand considered the experiment a colossal failure.

And so it goes.....

PS: Budget Day is also Crossing Day for Guy Boutilier. Watch for Danielle Smith, the Wildrose Crossing Guard in action today.

2 comments:

  1. One of your better commentaries to be sure.

    The reference to New Zealand was insightful.

    I think that Smith is enjoying the limelight, and the momentum chariot right now. Definitely working to solidify a number two party position with aspirations of being number one.

    With the right mentorship, it is doable, but I tend to think that this is a between election euphoria.

    Have a good trip, and be safe!

    Tedde Lotecki

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  2. Tedde,

    Thank you from Oman. I was in New Zealand at the time when the failure was announced.

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