Alberta budget news

[Ozy_Flame]

So . . . no Ralph bucks?

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by darklord700

By 2016, we'll be 16 billions in debt. I still don't understand how did it get so bad so quick. Oil is over $90 today and if you can balance the budget at $90 Oil, how much do you need?

With one budget, Redford managed irk the unions and fiscal conservative alike. That took some stupidity to do.

I think the plan is that by 2016 there will be several new pipelines on line which will be a huge boon for Alberta revenue. Couple that with higher gas prices and the PC's can spend their way through the election and come out rosy on the other side.

I think the WRA would be in a great position if this was an election year, but the election is three years away and a lot can happen between now and then.

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I hope Redford would be stupid enough to introduce an Alberta Sales tax. That'll spell a Wildrose majority in three years time. I don't even think the PC cacus will allow that even.

If Redford implements a sales tax, I would be honestly shocked. If she does she'll have sealed her own fate politically and the rest of the party's fate and you can usher in Premier Anderson. That's why I'd be shocked if they go down that route, as much as the PCs have dropped the ball since April there is enough politically savy people in the ranks to know that's a horrible, horrible move.

But, three years is going to be a long, long, long time in the political life cycle and a lot can change. I wouldn't bank on the PC's continue to struggle politically long term. Sure they can continue to on the series of political PR debacles or playing right into the strengths of the Wildrose or they could just as easily turn it around.

I haven't had a full chance to go through the budget, but overall it seams to lean towards populist causes - Twinning Highway 63, Increading Health Care, Building New Schools - while not introducing any new taxes. The people really hit hardest are Universities (which I think is a bad call, but if anything the average person isn't that sympathetic to Students complaining about raising tuition) and to some extent Seniors, but not in an obvious way.

It'll be interesting to see how this "big bad budget" pans out in three years.

[malcolmk14]

So what does the budget mean for teachers?

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

So what does the budget mean for teachers?

It means Redford suckered them in to joining the PCs to win the party leadership, then stabbed them in the back.

[Dion]

To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, the only sure things are death, taxes, and that Alison Redford will continue to lie to Albertans.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The talk of a Wildrose majority at this point is hilarious. 3 years is a long time, and when right now you aren't even polling above 40%, I'd calm down a bit. And oh yeah the Liberals and NDP lapped you in Edmonton and Calgary the last election. I'd be happy the PCs are crapping the bed, but worried it still won't matter long term. Plus all its gonna take is one mistake with social issues next time and that will be that. I think the Wildrose has a good chance to win the next election, but it'll be a minority.

[First Lady]

Link to the PDF of the 2013 Budget

http://www.finance.alberta.ca/public...lan-tables.pdf

Work your magic Slava.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The talk of a Wildrose majority at this point is hilarious. 3 years is a long time, and when right now you aren't even polling above 40%, I'd calm down a bit. And oh yeah the Liberals and NDP lapped you in Edmonton and Calgary the last election. I'd be happy the PCs are crapping the bed, but worried it still won't matter long term. Plus all its gonna take is one mistake with social issues next time and that will be that. I think the Wildrose has a good chance to win the next election, but it'll be a minority.

I agree with most of your points.

I did find it funny though how you start out saying it's too early to make a prediction... and then you go and make a prediction.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by First Lady

I agree with most of your points.

I did find it funny though how you start out saying it's too early to make a prediction... and then you go and make a prediction.

Of course I gotta make a prediction! Bad news for Wildrosers is I'm usually dead wrong (you can ask Raven fans that one). But I think it's like the CPC nationally, people will be afraid to give them the outright majority at first, but by 2016 I do think people will be sick of the PCs finally, but I see thier support eroding to the Liberals and NDP, while the Wildrose support will remain close to what it was with a minor uptick.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by darklord700

By 2016, we'll be 16 billions in debt. I still don't understand how did it get so bad so quick. Oil is over $90 today and if you can balance the budget at $90 Oil, how much do you need?

With one budget, Redford managed irk the unions and fiscal conservative alike. That took some stupidity to do.

The $90 oil isn't the issue though, its the gas royalties that were once $8B and are now a mere $1B. That's the issue as far as resource revenue.

It wasn't that long ago, about 13 years when the province was feeling rich on these revenues and slashed corporate taxes and taxes for the highest earners in the province as well. That has had an enormous affect as we now have the budget funded largely on resource revenue at a time when our largest customer is cutting their demand and use.

[droopydrew19]

As many families who have to run a tight budget know, in any budget scenario you have to assess what the largest sources of you expenses are. If I get a $200+ power bill I ask my kids what the heck is going on. If we have 5 TV's running at once then you stop it. If lights are being left on you punish the inefficiency.

So why does this government get away with not questioning the front line health care staff? I know many nurses who work in an emergency environment and they claim that at least 2/3 of their cases are non emergent. So a person with flu like symptoms comes for comfort and it costs the system over $700. If said person would have gone to a walk in clinic or a family doctor the cost to the system is closer to $200. Multiply that by the hundreds of cases a day and you have found the culprits who have left the lights on all day and night.

The Solution...

A patient walks into a facility that houses both an emergent and walk in clinic set up. They are assessed by a triage person. If it is necessary they are treated on an emergent basis. All other cases are seen in the clinical (more cost effective) area.

This alone would save a ton of heath care dollars that could go against the budget and give the general practitioners more to work with to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I dont' see too many tough choice made by PC in this budget. They sacrificed the seniors and and some students but still gave AHS 3% increase. 3 more years of this we'll be in a big hole and pay billions in interest just to service the debt.

In real terms a 3% increase year-over-year to AHS is essentially a freeze. What's actually impressive to me is they they are essentially planning to hold the line in nominal terms on expenses.

I'm going to show my cards here. I have voted Wildrose in the past, but after a review of some of the top-line numbers I cannot actually really criticize this budget from a year-over-year spending point of view.
A lot of Albertan's don't realize that under Ralph Klien's tenure, Alberta is actually one of the only jurisdictions in the developed world to actually spend less dollars from one year to the next. Essentially freezing expenditures is pretty much like cutting 2% across the board in real terms when you factor in inflation. The province isn't a household, considering it's stakeholders and the local economy it can't just intelligently or responsibly hive off 5-10% of expenditures all at once. So all the folksy 'if Alberta were to just run like a household' crap is coming from a place of ignorance of running large organizations.

The real criticism of the PCs is all about past budgets where spending was allowed to increase at an unsustainable pace. To right that ship without increasing taxes it would essentially take spending increases at less than the pace of revenue inflaiton for probably 10 years, leaving O&G royalties constant just to balance the books. To reduce the debt racked up between now and then you would have to count on another gas boom without new revenue sources.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The biggest problem I have with the budget right now is the Twitter hastags at the bottom of some pages. This is still a budget right?

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

The Solution...

A patient walks into a facility that houses both an emergent and walk in clinic set up. They are assessed by a triage person. If it is necessary they are treated on an emergent basis. All other cases are seen in the clinical (more cost effective) area.

This alone would save a ton of heath care dollars that could go against the budget and give the general practitioners more to work with to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

So... triage?

A better solution would be more general practitioners and a decreased emphasis placed on the emergency department as a form of primary health care, in conjunction with the creation of smaller urgent care centre type clinics in high risk neighbourhoods which act as a mediary between a walk in clinic and an emergency department.

[Dion]

Looks like 4 years of Don Getty style government.

[droopydrew19]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

So... triage?

A better solution would be more general practitioners and a decreased emphasis placed on the emergency department as a form of primary health care, in conjunction with the creation of smaller urgent care centre type clinics in high risk neighborhoods which act as a mediary between a walk in clinic and an emergency department.

I am employed at an urgent care facility. They still cost the system $700+ per visit. While the walk in across the street is 1/3 of that.

People don't seem to understand what urgent care is. That is part of the problem. That is why they need to be assessed by someone to show them where to go.

There are tons of health care dollars wasted daily by patients in the health care system. And tons of staffing issues that lead to Nurses making mandatory double time pay etc. They system needs an overhaul. It is sick.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

So... triage?

A better solution would be more general practitioners and a decreased emphasis placed on the emergency department as a form of primary health care, in conjunction with the creation of smaller urgent care centre type clinics in high risk neighbourhoods which act as a mediary between a walk in clinic and an emergency department.

Preventative medicine?

Ya don't say!

[Slava]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

I am employed at an urgent care facility. They still cost the system $700+ per visit. While the walk in across the street is 1/3 of that.

People don't seem to understand what urgent care is. That is part of the problem. That is why they need to be assessed by someone to show them where to go.

There are tons of health care dollars wasted daily by patients in the health care system. And tons of staffing issues that lead to Nurses making mandatory double time pay etc. They system needs an overhaul. It is sick.

It's the way the system is setup in general though; the emergency room 'controls' everything (for lack of a better term). A couple of years ago it was about 7:30-8pm and my doctor wanted me to have blood work done immediately. I wasn't going to die, and if you saw me sitting in the ER that night you would've thought to yourself "that guy doesn't look sick at all, he's fine!"

Problem is that in order to get done what had to be done, I had no alternative but to go to an ER. We're not talking about anything crazy here either...just blood work at that poInt. This is the way it goes for almost all diagnostic testing. I was also directed to ER for a CT scan by a doctor on another occasion.

We (average guys who don't work in medicine, but also don't run to the doctor every time they get the sniffles), all realise that if you are going to need anything done you can wither sit at a walk-in and get a requisition to go to a lab and then go there for what it is you need. Then you head back to the clinic and see what the results are/were. Or you go to the ER and its all done at once.

Frankly, if doctors offices were equipped to do some of this stuff it wouldn't be as much of a concern.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Slava

The $90 oil isn't the issue though, its the gas royalties that were once $8B and are now a mere $1B. That's the issue as far as resource revenue.

It wasn't that long ago, about 13 years when the province was feeling rich on these revenues and slashed corporate taxes and taxes for the highest earners in the province as well. That has had an enormous affect as we now have the budget funded largely on resource revenue at a time when our largest customer is cutting their demand and use.

Ralph's Alberta advantage (tm) was to have resource revenues carry most of the bills... So corps and people didn't have to.

Remember when he gave away a billion dollars in ralph bucks? Or when he gave natural gas rebates to Albertans... Including the ones in jail?

In hindsight, these acts don't seem so fiscally responsible.