Prentice is absolutely right and deserves credit for being honest with the public.
There is a sense of entitlement in Alberta, not unlike the rest of Canada, that we deserve Cadillac public services at no cost. A few examples:
- Young families that move to new suburban neighbourhoods to save money on house prices, and then demand the government build new schools in their suburbs - when there are perfectly good underutilized schools in established areas.
- Many folks want better roads and transit but balk at any form of subsidy or user pay system (toll roads, higher fares, etc.).
- The mentality that our justice system and health system should bend over backwards to help every citizen in every case.
I remember the outcry when the PC government was actually running surpluses and trying the save the money - the media and the left were all over them for "over-taxing" Albertans. This directly lead to some of the enormous wage settlements with nurses and teachers that are now crippling our bottom line.
The bottom line is the system needs a re-alignment at all levels (federal, provincial, municipal) and we need visionary leaders to institute.