Alberta PC's way out front

[Slava]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Only free tuition? I was expecting free beer and online coed dating services for 4 years from the Grits. If you sincerely want to do something, do it now. The Grits might not even be here in 2025 thought.

Ya, cold hard cash and big screen TVs are probably more up your alley?

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...545/story.html

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Slava

Ya, cold hard cash and big screen TVs are probably more up your alley?

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...545/story.html

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by SebC

Have you seen the Liberal's platform? It'd totally nuts.

http://www.stalbertgazette.com/artic...ction-platform

Highlights:

- Eliminate tuition by 2025.
- Corporate tax goes from 10% to 12%.
- Taxes go up 3% for income $100K-150K, 5% 150-200, 7% >200.

Sorry, but free tuition? If you don't value your education enough to pay for it, why should the taxpayer?
.

I actually think that post-secondary education should be more drastically subsidized, and if you graduate you should get a sizable chunk of the money you put in returned (in the form of tax credits perhaps?).

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by SebC

Have you seen the Liberal's platform? It'd totally nuts.

Highlights:

- Eliminate tuition by 2025.

It's easy to make expensive promises when you know you'll never actually be the government and have to keep them. Just ask the federal NDP.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by First Lady

How is that a fail for me? Its your candidate making these potentially illegal promises!

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Slava

How is that a fail for me? Its your candidate making these potentially illegal promises!

Is how I felt when I heard about this yesterday.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

It's easy to make expensive promises when you know you'll never actually be the government and have to keep them. Just ask the federal NDP.

Except that, quite unusually, the Liberals have also included a seemingly plausible but potentially unpopular method for paying for this particular promise. I applaud them for that.

[Jacks]

I didn't have time to listen to the budget but the Globe & Mail is reporting another deficit budget and more money drained from the sustainability fund. They are reporting every department either seeing the same or increased spending.

[Azure]

$41 billion dollars is the apparent budget. A new record.

What a load of crap. They didn't even attempt to cut spending.

[grizz29]

"Aunt Allison" - what a disaster.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Azure

$41 billion dollars is the apparent budget. A new record.

What a load of crap. They didn't even attempt to cut spending.

The deficit is miniscule though; in a few years when the economy is really rolling this could look brilliant. Cutting to the bone is simply not necessary and not wanted. That said though, the Liberals are the only ones who talk about a sustainable funding model here (as much as I'd rather not pay more taxes). No other party wants to have the grown-up conversation at this point because they would rather try to get elected.

[Azure]

Well that is what I mean. They never even attempted to cut spending, nor did they mention a word about the long-term, and how they will get spending under control.

They don't need to cut to the bone. They need to start a review process and find out what can be cut, what can be made more efficient, what needs more money, and whether or not the taxes are at the optimal level. But no, they'll just continue spending like drunken fools, because that is what keeps them elected.

I was thinking things would be different, but apparently not. WRA it is.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Azure

Well that is what I mean. They never even attempted to cut spending, nor did they mention a word about the long-term, and how they will get spending under control.

They don't need to cut to the bone. They need to start a review process and find out what can be cut, what can be made more efficient, what needs more money, and whether or not the taxes are at the optimal level. But no, they'll just continue spending like drunken fools, because that is what keeps them elected.

I was thinking things would be different, but apparently not. WRA it is.

The WRA "plan" doesn't address anything. Its a ridiculous approach to a government budget because the services would just fluctuate with the economy, which is already boom and bust in this province.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Slava

The WRA "plan" doesn't address anything. Its a ridiculous approach to a government budget because the services would just fluctuate with the economy, which is already boom and bust in this province.

That's a great way to really waste money.

Deficit (times are bad, construction is cheap) -> blow up hospital
Surplus (times are good, construction is expensive) -> build new hospital

Thanks, PCs.

[Slava]

Its essentially what the WRA is looking at though under the guise of fiscal conservatism. They opposed the budget last year because they would've spent less money; I read the counter budget and it was a complete joke. They had increases for core services, but absolutely no method to set priorities. Instead it was a blanket percentage, with no actual thought given to what is/was needed. Surely there are better choices.

[darklord700]

It is a wishy washy budget to say the least. A lot of special interest groups, teachers, seniors etc. got their dough. Delivered by a guy who's one the way out, who would be left holding the bag when the bitumen revenue increase doesn't materialize?

Steady Eddy was doom and gloom but he was, I never though I would say this, 10 times more conservative than Redford ever will be. Bad news for the Grits and NDP, who needs them when sweet Allison is doing a bang up job giving out money to the poor and old left right and centre.

[4X4]

Lol. Listening to raj getting interviewed on qr right now. He really did become a liberal. Almost sounds like an NDP. Higher taxes for big corporations. Higher taxes for earners over $100,000. Using catch phrases like pork barrel politics. Ugh. No way I can vote for this guy.

[Jacks]

I missed the Raj interview, have to listen to it later on the audio vault.

Apparently Danielle Smith is going to be on QR at about 11:30.

[First Lady]

Press release with highlights of Wildrose Alternative Budget

http://www.wildrose.ca/feature/news-...t-alternative/

More detailed .pdf

http://www.wildrosecaucus.ca/media/2...ative-2012.pdf

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I missed the Raj interview, have to listen to it later on the audio vault.

Apparently Daniel Smith is going to be on QR at about 11:30.

Daniel ??