Alberta Budgets Will ask all to ‘Give up a Little’
OK, I know I don’t live in Alberta, but we’re prairie neighbours. Besides, it could – and does – happen to anybody.
In my opinion, people really should be OK with giving up ‘a little’ to help the economy of their province/home – at least I’d be alright with it, as long as my money/time actually went to helping the economy. I mean, when our province is in crisis, let’s stand together and fix it, right?
However, I would also not be OK in some circumstances. If the government asked ‘a little’ from its people because of what they did (or what they didn’t do), I’d be a little upset. Going to the people for money to compensate for their mistakes should be the last resort. Whenever the government wants something from their people, it makes me wonder: are they just looking for an easy way out? People work to sustain themselves, not the government.
In July 2009, Alberta froze hiring [Article]. The premier also pledged to use their seventeen-billion sustainability fund, and also vowed not to up the taxes. Despite the sustainability fund, they are raising taxes and cutting budgets (ex. public services), among other things [Article]. Whatever – if the government is suffering with their decisions along with the rest of us, I would be somewhat satisfied. Not because I depend on their demise for my happiness, but because I don’t see why they shouldn’t – they’re ‘the people’, too. On that note, I’ve often heard that MLAs get paid way too much [Article]. Hmm…
Alberta went from a six-billion surplus, to a four-billion deficit. The Conservatives Somebody made mistakes. It isn’t surprising that the recession has caught them off-guard either. Whenever I think of Alberta, I think oil. They depended heavily on that oil, and they had a six-billion surplus partly because of their success in that industry. That’s like leaning on one crutch, and then somebody kicks it out from under you – you’re going to fall. If you had the other crutch, it wouldn’t have been so bad; at least you’d be standing.
Also, if a six-billion surplus means the government gets cocky and starts handing out four-hundred dollar ‘pleasure checks’ [Article], I hope they never get that rich again. There is such a thing as budgeting for the future (including possible future crises) and saving up money. If you have money to spend, doesn’t mean you have to use it. “Oh! But that’s what the sustainability fund is for! We’ll be OK”. Maybe the sustainability fund was too much of a crutch, too. Don’t spend like there’s no tomorrow, because if tomorrow does come, you’re screwed.
If I was an Albertan, I wouldn’t want to hear just a budget and the current economical ‘going ons’ in Alberta. I’d want an apology, a working budget, and strategies on how they’ll avoid this next time. I would disown Alberta if I see the government start ‘impractical but “pretty”‘ building projects – projects like those should be cut first.
OK, well, to be fair, you can’t always blame the government. If this is supposedly a ‘democracy’ where people have a voice, it is partly the people to blame too. I mean, they did vote in a Progressive Conservative government. Also, Alberta probably wouldn’t have such a large deficit if the economy wasn’t so bad. There are other factors that contribute to a province doing well, or not well. But the reason people get so upset about the government is because they supposedly have the power to make things better – so why aren’t they?
Now all you Albertans know who to vote for next time. Just keep this in mind: If you vote the PCs, they will only ask you to ‘Give up a little’.
