Oct 2015 Alberta Budget Discussion

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I was a prosecutor. Other prosecutors were routinely fired. It must differ by department, because no one felt iron clad safe in prosecutions.

You are management scum, not a member of the unionized proletariat.

[Jacks]

Politicians have no spines, the last leader we had with any sort of political courage was Ralph in the early days. Even he went soft after the debt was paid off and started throwing money at every loud noise. We shouldn't expect the NDP to solve anything on the spending side. Maybe in 4 years we can start fixing that problem, unfortunately by then we'll be swimming in debt and interest payments will cut even deeper into revenues.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Interesting, I didn't know Alberta crown prosecutors were unionized. Yeah, I'd imagine they're the exception and certainly not the rule to job security in that regard.

They are not.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

They are not.

Wait what?

What was the point of saying that they could be fired in relation to the point of Union jobs being essentially inviolate regardless of economic conditions.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Wait what?

What was the point of saying that they could be fired in relation to the point of Union jobs being essentially inviolate regardless of economic conditions.

I have no idea why he brought it up. They are not unionized and are "management".

[corporatejay]

Pretty sure the law society forbids lawyers from being in a union.

[Johnny199r]

Sorry, I missed the union emphasis, I thought it was just gov't employees in general.

The law society doesn't prevent gov't lawyers from being in unions. I think gov't lawyers in most other provinces are in unions, I know my friends who are prosecutors in Manitoba are in a union.

Gov't employees (including management) don't get paid maternity leave, only EI in Alberta. That blew my mind. I'm pretty sure every other Province offers paid maternity leave.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

For me as an Albertan now living outside Alberta, the most puzzling thing for me in discussions of politics and economics is when Albertans will seem to dismiss the idea of high taxes while at the same time lamenting not having the resources they create.

"That could never happen here, we have low taxes." As if there is some predetermined, perhaps geological barrier towards raising taxes in Alberta.

I can't make heads or tails of it.

The only people that complain about wanting more services are those who are ok with paying any amount of taxes. Norway and sweden want more services so they pay for it. Me personally, i want the government to keep their hands off my money and can accept less services.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

The only people that complain about wanting more services are those who are ok with paying any amount of taxes. Norway and sweden want more services so they pay for it. Me personally, i want the government to keep their hands off my money and can accept less services.

...until you need them. Come check back if you are unlucky enough to get something like cancer, and tell us how willing you are too have services cut to the bone. I'll bet you sing a different tune after your care is delayed, scans unable to be done, tossed around the city to whatever hospital has space to stuff you in a closet, endless wait times and told, oh, sorry. "Your $5000/month treatment isn't covered. If you were in an other province, it would be." Been there.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

...until you need them. Come check back if you are unlucky enough to get something like cancer, and tell us how willing you are too have services cut to the bone. I'll bet you sing a different tune after your care is delayed, scans unable to be done, tossed around the city to whatever hospital has space to stuff you in a closet, endless wait times and told, oh, sorry. "Your $5000/month treatment isn't covered. If you were in an other province, it would be." Been there.

And how much per capita was that other province spending on health care, compared to Alberta?

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

...until you need them. Come check back if you are unlucky enough to get something like cancer, and tell us how willing you are too have services cut to the bone. I'll bet you sing a different tune after your care is delayed, scans unable to be done, tossed around the city to whatever hospital has space to stuff you in a closet, endless wait times and told, oh, sorry. "Your $5000/month treatment isn't covered. If you were in an other province, it would be." Been there.

Healthcare and emergency services should be publicly funded but transit and infrastructure could be more of a private system so long as taxes are highly reduced. The coquiholla did it.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

The only people that complain about wanting more services are those who are ok with paying any amount of taxes. Norway and sweden want more services so they pay for it. Me personally, i want the government to keep their hands off my money and can accept less services.

I would rather see the introduction of user fee in some services like health care. Once people have to pay, people will use the services judicially and demand improved quality of service at the same time.

Free for all usually leads to poor and expensive services that we are seeing in Alberta right now.

[Fuzz]

Private transit? No one would use it. It would be at least double the price, so more people would drive..creating endless problems. What other infrastructure do you see privatizing as being a benefit, and why?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I would rather see the introduction of user fee in some services like health care. Once people have to pay, people will use the services judicially and demand improved quality of service at the same time.

Free for all usually leads to poor and expensive services that we are seeing in Alberta right now.

The poor and expensive services we have now can be traced back to endless horrible decisions by the Conservatives over the years. It has very little to do with people using it when they shouldn't.

[peter12]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...641/story.html

Ah, the perennial dream of big government enthusiasts has reawakened!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The poor and expensive services we have now can be traced back to endless horrible decisions by the Conservatives over the years. It has very little to do with people using it when they shouldn't.

Defending a position using the "Conservative mismanagement" argument makes for a mighty flimsy shield when the NDP are intent on mismanaging it in exactly the same fashion.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by peter12

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...641/story.html

Ah, the perennial dream of big government enthusiasts has reawakened!

Novatel

Swan Hills

Alberta Government Trains

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by peter12

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...641/story.html

Ah, the perennial dream of big government enthusiasts has reawakened!

I'm glad we are in a recession with a huge deficit budget so the NDP won't have the money to see this through. Wasting some millions on some reviews or studies is the worse they can do, I hope.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by peter12

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...641/story.html

Ah, the perennial dream of big government enthusiasts has reawakened!

Ah great, so they're commissioning a study to study to compile the results of other studies in the past decade. Effective government in action!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Zarley

Ah great, so they're commissioning a study to study to compile the results of other studies in the past decade. Effective government in action!

Obviously a great time to be a transportation consultant. Job creation!