Alberta to have $11.6 Billion surplus

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

How much money did the Nazi's spend to fund this work?

If that was a joke then that is really in bad taste.

To answer your question, whatever it cost to murder 6,000,000 people.

[Calgaryborn]

Infrastructure investments are a good idea. From what I've heard Northern Alberta is in dire need of road up grades for both safety and to cut down travel times. There's bound to be bridges that could/should be built. Your bound to have areas that are susceptible to flooding. A few more dyke's might be order.

Plan right now and be ready to turn the soil in 2010. There will be a surplus of workers looking for work once the Olympics projects are complete. Take advantage of it.

Offer to employ struggling artists to pour the cement.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

4) DIVERSIFY. Start investing in non-resource dependent industries, such as high-tech, new media, and more finance / insurance.

You'll need oil to go back to $35 a barrel for that to happen. Basically, Calgary is the worst place to run any time of business that isn't oil related or that panders to rich people you're competing with the oil industry for resources. We're at a huge competitive disadvantage that would cost a fortune to overcome, in spite of already having low corporate tax rates.

Far simpler and more and more effect to invest money in high-tech, new media, finance etc. in other places. And when they start making more money and you start making less money, that's fine because you own them.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Calgaryborn

Offer to employ struggling artists to pour the cement.

I can tell by your colour you're being sarcastic, but really, that's a benefit too. People need jobs to pay for the increase in gas... Maybe the hard work will give the artists inspiration...

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

If that was a joke then that is really in bad taste.

To answer your question, whatever it cost to murder 6,000,000 people.

It actually wasn't.

I find it ironic that in arguing how imperative it is to fund the arts, you provide an example of art produced where absolutely NO funding was available. I think your example actually argues for the other side of this debate - that financial handouts do not inspire great art.

Now, that being said, I would actually support funding such as this. And, as I mentioned, funding of community rinks, and any other programs that get kids active, interested and learning. With $11 billion, increasing funding to such outlets is not mutually exclusive to hiring more doctors, fixing more schools and building more roads/transit.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Well because my title is artist I demand $15,000 dollars from the government to support my career choice.

You are more than welcome to apply for a grant.

It's not quite as easy as just declaring yourself an artist though. You'll have to produce something and go through, as I understand it, quite the rigmarole and someone (some artsy-fartsy types no doubt) will have to determine if what you are producing is good enough for government funding.

An old friend of mine has something of an international reputation (in certain small circles) as a visual artist. He's shown his work all over the world, won awards, taught and spoke at several Universities and at ACAD. Half his time is spent filling out forms for grants and he probably never "made" more than 30 grand a year, and a lot of that goes to materials. The art he makes is very hard (if not impossible) to sell but people do see value in it. I think it's pretty cool myself.

The value of it is pretty hard to quantify but if it comes to dollars and cents he does, just by doing what he's doing and being where he's from, provide Alberta with some amount of recognition. And he makes this province a better place to live in just by producing interesting stuff for Albertans to see.

[krazycanuck]

wow....8 pages and not one mention of this...i'm disapointed.

....I know what we should spend the money on...HOOKERS AND BLOW!!!!

But honestly, let's buy a bunch Jack in the Box franchises. Maybe a few In-and-out burgers too. Throw in a Sizzler and we're good to go.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It actually wasn't.

I find it ironic that in arguing how imperative it is to fund the arts, you provide an example of art produced where absolutely NO funding was available. I think your example actually argues for the other side of this debate - that financial handouts do not inspire great art.

I'm sorry if I'm being misleading. Let me reiterate my position:

1 - I do not believe in public money being used to fund adult art or athletic projects. This includes all art (music, theatre, dance, painting, etc...) and all athletics.

2 - I do not believe in favoring art or athletics, as both are equally integral to the soul.

Now, that being said, I would actually support funding such as this. And, as I mentioned, funding of community rinks, and any other programs that get kids active, interested and learning. With $11 billion, increasing funding to such outlets is not mutually exclusive to hiring more doctors, fixing more schools and building more roads/transit.

And I agree totally. I only started to lose it a bit when this comment was made:

"The Arts" should be the last thing on the list for funding. The very last.

It really pissed me off. So I retorted about how the world would be up in arms if we took away the Football team or the Hockey Rinks. To which the effects of demand were commented upon.

And I forgot to make the comment that:

For every hockey kid in the world there are 1000 music kids. And in Calgary, Alberta...the richest place in the world, we give them crap music classes in crap schools run by totally uninspired crap music teachers. I cant speak for the other kinds of art because I'm not a singer, actor, painter, etc...

There are no artists in Alberta because Alberta doesn't value it or produce artists in our schools. And in 2008 that is pathetic.

[Antithesis]

That's quite the generalization there, Trad. I have several friends who are fine arts teachers and they aren't "crap" and they certainly are not uninspired. I would agree that more money could be spent on Arts education in schools to give our kids more opportunities to express themselves but at the same time I could do a lot of cool stuff if my yearly budget for the Science program was increased from the pittance it is right now.

I can tell you are passionate about what you are discussing but when you say things like "we give them crap music classes in crap schools run by totally uninspired crap music teachers", it doesn't really help make your point because it's insulting and untrue. I hate to bring education rants in here but if you could see the energy put in by the majority of teachers in our schools there is no way you'd be saying that. Teachers complain about coaching which is - at most - a 2 month committment ... being a band teacher in our school is an investment in time every single day, before school, at lunch, and going to after school recitals for our kids to perform. Really, really disappointing comments.

I'd love to see the money invested in the huge backlog of school infrastructure, just including the schools that need to be maintained or brought up to safety standards. Also I'd like to see some investment in mass transit, and a lot of this surplus going into the Heritage Fund. I'd love to see some kind of legislation that says 1/2 of all surpluses must go into that fund.

[Azure]

So we'll have $11.6b to waste after this year, and apparently we're going to spend it arguing about whether or not artists should get government grants.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Azure

So we'll have $11.6b to waste after this year, and apparently we're going to spend it arguing about whether or not artists should get government grants.

I think an official government study needs to be done on this topic.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by SebC

You'll need oil to go back to $35 a barrel for that to happen. Basically, Calgary is the worst place to run any time of business that isn't oil related or that panders to rich people you're competing with the oil industry for resources. We're at a huge competitive disadvantage that would cost a fortune to overcome, in spite of already having low corporate tax rates.

Far simpler and more and more effect to invest money in high-tech, new media, finance etc. in other places. And when they start making more money and you start making less money, that's fine because you own them.

Disagree. Dubai, for all the oil they sit on, are expecting it to run out in the next 10-20 years. As such, they are diversifying into tourism and service industries, and will be a tourist hotspot that was built with oil money.

When your economy is going to the ter, like the oil economy ultimately will in Alberta at some point or another, you'll be glad there's other industries we can rely on to survive.

Hasn't anyone told you to never put all your eggs in one basket? Well, we have plenty of other eggs to put in many other baskets.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

If buddy is meant to play the (insert whatever here) then it will happen one way or another.

I know musicians who had to steal their gear.

Dude, I think you're oversimplifying the problem. What you said can apply to pretty much ANY facet of life that someone chooses to pursue. So, I guess nothing of the sort should be funded at all? I'm sorry, but I disagree with you here.

the whole point of funding would be so that people don't HAVE to steal musical gear. Grants from the government would provide that for them, if they qualify.

The National Film Board of Canada hands out grants to aspiring filmmakers. This is a great start, but we need more organizations like this with better funding to really encourage homegrown Canadian talent that can make positive contributions domestically and abroad.

But, I guess some people believe that it's always a safe bet to spend it on more and more roads and road upgrades.

[Stranger]

Let's buy the Predators, relocate them to High Level.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I think an official government study needs to be done on this topic.

Well we don't want to WASTE any money here.

[Canada 02]

160 posts and not one mention of income tax cuts? What has happened to my conservative brethren?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

160 posts and not one mention of income tax cuts? What has happened to my conservative brethren?

Arts is more important. Why on earth would anyone want to propose income tax cuts that would only strengthen the economy even more?

[SeeGeeWhy]

I would be for the creation of a free university system for residents of Alberta.

[Canada 02]

tomorrow is tax freedom day for the average Canadian. I'm sure the average Albertan had it a few weeks ago, nevertheless, you're all taxed up the ying yang. The Alberta government is taking $11.6B to much for its citizens and corporations

Time for the Conservatives to start acting like it

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Azure

Arts is more important. Why on earth would anyone want to propose income tax cuts that would only strengthen the economy even more?

Strengthening the economy would be developing the minds and improving the lives of the citizens that run it. Arts do that. I don't know why you can't see this.

Income tax cuts are great; but let's start thinking outside the box; let's start investing in areas that develop the minds of those who will one day be the artists / doctors / scientists / teachers / etc. that will lead Albertans into the future. It requires investment, and it's an expense worth budgeting for.