[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

But that's really just a pipe dream unrelated to reality.

Ralph's "huge" cuts never cut us below a provincial average in spending. Since then, Alberta has outspent every other province considerably, and in some years spent as much as several provinces combined. And yet, people still see a lack of results on the front line.

We spend 25% MORE per person than Ontario. That's EVERY person. Why do we spend double what saskatchewan does on Agriculture, when they have more farmland than us? Why do we spend twice as much than BC every year on transportation when they have more population and mountainous terrain? Why do we have twice as many public employees per person than every other province?

This bloated spending has led to increased public salaries, and waste. The answer isn't to spend more on these things, but to fix the spending we have and eliminate waste. And to stop our bloated bureaucracy from expecting billion dollar shots in the arm year after year.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2333090/

As I wasn't arguing about waste in government, but rather wholistic vs. individual perspective on government decisions, I did a simple search on Alberta's infrastructure deficit and came across this report.

http://parklandinstitute.ca/research...ture_spending/

As the Klein era came to a close in 2006, the infrastructure deficit for the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation was estimated at over seven billion dollars. According to the Department, “Although a significant increase in capital funding has been provided to build necessary highways, schools and health facilities related to new capital projects, infrastructure deficiencies will take time.”

Alberta's population has also grown by almost a third since 1993, adding more than a million new Albertans. Alberta’s economy has also grown significantly. Not surprisingly, this growth has led to significant demands for new and expanded infrastructure, from the twinning of the highway to Fort McMurray to new hospitals and schools. Also, with inflation and construction cost escalation, the province has been buying considerably less infrastructure than it seems

Ralph buck came in 2005 (which is a bit off of my almost a decade quote), but considering the population boom from his time as Premier to today and the fact that the costs of living (construction, wages, etc.,) went through the roof in Alberta around the same time, it's not too shocking to see why we've been spending more than other provinces.

Back to my original point. Ralph left us in a hole and we're still working to catch-up. The Ralph bucks were a poor decision at the time and if that infrastructure deficit hasn't caught up to the rate of growth of the province by 2015, then I think the proposed WRP dividend cheques will be an even worse idea.