The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives isn’t much impressed with the new provincial budget: “For a document titled Building a Prosperous British Columbia, the 2010 B.C. Budget is underwhelming in its ambition.”
Writing in Policy Note, the CCPA’s blog, Marc Lee and Iglika Ivanova dissect the budget in detail:
The budget’s priority is to show a reduced deficit for 2010/11, funded by a smattering of spending cuts that will not help the province’s overall economic situation. This drop in the deficit by $1.2 billion (from $2.65 billion in 2009/10 to $1.4 billion in 2010/11) is partially offset by increased capital spending. So, a check mark for accelerated capital projects that push the total envelope to $5.4 billion in 2010/11 for taxpayer-supported projects (up from $4 billion in 2009/10).
There is a drop in other (self-sustaining capital projects), but an overall increase in total capital spending to $8.2 billion. Not all of this is well spent, such as $390 million this year for the BC Place roof upgrade.
The budget heralds a return to conservative budgeting practices, with numbers set out in a way that ensures the government will outperform the targets. Barring a major economic collapse, BC will rebalance the budget sooner than the stated 2013/14. For example, the budget estimates a deficit of $145 million in 2012/13, peanuts relative to more than $40 billion in revenues. But if resource royalties bounce back (as higher commodity prices seem to indicate) the shift back to surplus could happen even further ahead of schedule.
A number of ministries saw budget cuts, led by the Ministry of Forests and Range, with a one-year cut of 35% (a drop from just over $1 billion in 2009/10 to $641 million in 2010/11, and this is on top of previous cuts. This will hurt in smaller communities around the province. Other ministries received cuts that were small by comparison, typically in the tens of millions of dollars. Translated into public sector jobs, there is a continuation in the reduction in full-time equivalents (FTEs) from a peak of 36,277 workers to 32,000 by 2012/13.
...Funding increases in education and social services are small, barely keeping up with inflation and the increased downloaded costs. There are some additional funds for full-day kindergarten, and an additional $26 million over three years on child care subsidies for low and middle income families, but no new operating funding to enhance the accessibility of child care spaces.
The analysis concludes:
The budget announces additional ministry cuts to the tune of $320 million over the next three years. This comes on top of previous cuts announced last year – a total of $3.3 billion over three years in “administrative and other savings.”
BC’s public service is already the leanest in the country as this recent CCPA brief shows and it is wishful thinking to assume that these cuts can be made without compromising much-needed public services.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Whiskey River
2 years ago
There was more than disappoinment....
Colin Hansen and Gordon Campbell were outright fibbing about the "extra HST tax revenue" going to Health care,perhaps Colin Hansen and Gordon Campbell have...
Forgotten what their own finance department said...There will be a $370 million dollar yearly tax shortfall caused by the hST...
That is not my assertion,that assertion comes from the ministry of Finance and reported by no other than one of their own..
Vaughn Palmer,Christ,Gordon Campbell and Colin Hansen can`t even remember or keep up with their own fibs, or perhaps they think the Media isn`t payiny attention..
Well I am,paying attention that is...
Read about how Gordon Campbell and Colin Hansen put their own feet in their mouths here..
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/03/british-columbia-budget-greased-with.html
circle A
2 years ago
THEY`RE NOT CONCERNED
with having a whole lot less public service employees to deliver something they don`t intend to provide.Now look you worthless peasants,you`ve had your moment of glory,all those nice foreigners gave you a pat on the head and told you how lovely your mountains and trees are, now shut up and do as you are told by your masters, get the hell out of the way cause we got powerful friends in big rich foreign corporations to look after. and by the way we hold all the cards and have all the power and if you don`t like it, tough shit. signed gordon campbell & Co.
Ayla
2 years ago
Boo-hoo-hoo!
Gordon Campbell, and the BC Liberals, won the May 2009 election fairly!
The NDP will never, ever, achieve power again.
How many more disasters and fiscal bungles do the die-hard leftists want?
Barrett was a disaster!
Harcourt was an incompetent left-liberal!
Clark was so trade-unionist and morally bankrupt that Campbell's DUI mishap was child's play!
Dosanjh, whether he is a Liberal or NDP, was totally incompetent and inept.
What about the present NDP? Does James seem like a credible Premier? No! She's a harpy leftist cretin who doesn't even deserve the credibility given to her.
BC has never been a socialist paradise, and never will be.
If the poor starve to death, so be it; their survival was their own responsibility, not the government's!
The government's duty is to not redistribute wealth, but to ensure that a proper environment is fostered to ensure the success of the free enterprise system is expanded.
Also, wasn't it cute how Campbell divided the left with the Carbon Tax: Suzuki helped to ensure that the NDP was damaged beyond repair.
If the poor die, they deserved it. In a capitalist system, only the fit survive; the cancer of society must be left behind.
How much more of a debt does the CCPA advocate? Who should be taxed more? The rich? If so, they'll take their investments elsewhere and we (the poor) would really suffer.
Does the CCPA not remember the disaster that the Harcourt-Clark-Miller-Dosanjh era brought to BC? Only under the Coalition (1941-52), Social Credit (1952-72, 1975-91) and the BC Liberals (since 2001) has British Columbia thrived for all of its people!
Raedwulf
2 years ago
Dear Ayla
I hate to break it to you, but there was more economic growth during the NDP decade, than the Campbell decade. During the Campbell boom years, median wages decreased substantially. The only thing that has kept the BC economy going was credit, people borrowing on their inflating house prices, a house of cards waiting to collapse. Just look south of the border. The Olympics are over, and the budget shows the Campbell government is bereft of ideas.
Frank
2 years ago
Ayla
Please apply to write BC Liberal speeches, its nice hearing the truth of what your side thinks instead of the usual pablum.
If the BC Liberals and federal Conservatives were as honest as you neither would ever be in power.
freebear
2 years ago
What? No more 'Golden Decade'!
Time to 'cash out, Campbell?
Skywalker
2 years ago
Poor Ayla
She has not read Will McMartin's article today. By the tone of her post it wouldn't do her any good as she wouldn't understand it.
freebear
2 years ago
Ayla all a bunch of poor hating iceholes?
"If the poor die, they deserved it. In a capitalist system, only the fit survive; the cancer of society must be left behind"
Except when the capitalists f%*k up and get bailed out right Ayla?
Whiskey River
2 years ago
@Ayla
Ayla,are you part of the 2% increase to the public affairs bureau?
I normally wouldn`t waste time on you,a few LOLs and HAs HAs is all you deserve,my how desperate the PAB has become.
You are obviously a RANK AMATEUR.
Now go,go tell your children to bow to Gordon Campbell,and while your at buy some vasoline and grease your Ahole and prepare for a BC Liberal gift!
Social Cretin
2 years ago
Hi Ayla
Well it appears you have caught the attention of the usual posters. Good on you.
Generally, the nastier they get, the closer you are getting to reaching them. All out character assassination can't be far behind.
Welcome aboard and keep on rocking them!
G West
2 years ago
S. Cretin
Nice friends you have. The bite of right wing vitriol around here has been a little less sharp of late: I've noticed it seems to crank up a notch when you guys realize the average joes and janes may finally be starting to catch on...
But for real incoherent nastiness and spite you guys will have to dig up Ron Erwin and wheel him back to the keyboard.
Since he disappeared it just hasn't been the same.
Skywalker
2 years ago
From usual posters
Generally "the nastier they get" is usually a reflection of the moronic nature of the post they are responding to.
Social Cretin
2 years ago
Joes and Jane's?
To be as clear as possible. Gwest said "The bite of right wing vitriol around here has been a little less sharp of late: I've noticed it seems to crank up a notch when you guys realize the average joes and janes may finally be starting to catch on..."
Well, actually, if one is looking to undermine the "left" its way easier to simply laugh at them. They go no sense of humour!
Here is tip for political success: Don't take yourselves so seriously!
The real joke is that, because this comes from the "right" none of the lefties will ever be able to entertain the idea.
btw Gwest - Nice homage to Peter Warren. He used to love talking about Joe Sixpack.
Whiskey River
2 years ago
@Social Cretin
Go back to school.
See you during the recall campaign in the fall...8 ridings and adios..
A piece of cake.
G West is heads and tails above anything you have upstairs.
Wait until the next poll comes out..Can you say 22% support for the BC Liberals.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
G West
2 years ago
that's "average" joe and jane
Not joe 'sixpack' I said joe average ...and Peter Warren!
Who the hell is he?
Social Cretin
2 years ago
@Whiskey
Whiske said - "G West is heads and tails above anything you have upstairs."
Uhh? Your blog post at the top of this thread is a site that list "honest newspapers." Top of the list is Sports Illustrated so it looks like the bar is not real high for you.
If you want to go on about recall you might consider what happens after a narrow NDP victory and a well resourced and well organized political machine sets its sights on some key ridings.
Will you be the first one crying about anti-democratic tactics?
The people voted in May. You may not like the outcome but that is democracy. You'll get your chance in four years.
Whiskey River
2 years ago
Cretin
We will get our revenge in the Fall, there are over 500 volunteers for gathering signatures in the point Grey riding alone.
Typical PAB...nothing but blather,no substance,you guys might have the tired old man Bill Good in your corner but he`s on his way out,thank goodness for that,man has Bill Good aged like ten years in the last two,pressure from lying,Keith Baldrey,the apologist needs to remove those bags under his eyes,obviously Baldrey isn`t sleeping well..
Donna Barnett,wow,a walking corpse, thought she was going to collapse in the legislature today...Shirley Bond(glug glug glug)she isn`t aging well either, I guess when you lie your face off everyday the stress builds and builds until.
Until you die and go to hell!
As for taking NDP ridings,good luck with that.
Chilliwak can keep the land fraud MLA,they deserve it,Karma,Karme,Karma.
"revenge is a dish best served cold"
Whiskey River
2 years ago
Cretin
By the way,you missed one of the other "Honest Newspapers" over at The Straight Goods...
Like the Honolulu Star.
I`ll save you the trouble,here`s the link!
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2003/03/25/news/story8.html
Matt T.
2 years ago
@Whiskey River
Thanks for providing some humour in this thread as well as your insightfulness.
cghzd
2 years ago
Right wing nutbars
I can't believe these morons that still suck on the exhaust pipe of the capitalists.
The US is virtually bankrupt because of the absolute greed and corruption of these so called bright lights.
800 trillion $ is certainly not chump change.
Canada is in hock to the tune of around a trillion $ when all the dust has settled.
Tell us again how smart and virtuous these free enterprisers are?
zalm
2 years ago
If nothing else...
... objectivist nutbars like ayla should finally put paid to Carole James' idea that the hearts and minds of centrist business-people can be won over by logic, reason, common sense and listening. Despite her best efforts, she failed to win a single one of their votes.
Therefor it's safe to ignore them forever, and concentrate on breaking the power of big business by telling the truth about it.
They're greedy, they don't pay taxes, and they don't create jobs. all they do is make messes and export their profits offshore. Leave small business alone, and hammer the big guys.
Time to play hardball.
Frank
2 years ago
zalm
You forgot to include Social Cretin in your short list of Objectivist nutbars.
I'm sure you'll recall Social Cretin applauded ayla's statement that the poor should be left to die.
zalm
2 years ago
FRank
I don't count trolls who don't leave their mothers' basements. Socred Crouton is a follower. Ayla's trying to lead the way.
Doesn't seem to good at it, though - even Rand had moments of uplifting emotion. All Ayla's got is a mean streak a mile wide to go with the potty-mouth.
Social Cretin
2 years ago
@whiskey
"revenge is a dish best served cold"
I suppose an NDP government might offer some benefit in implementing a counselling service to convince you that you are not a Klingon.
zalm
2 years ago
I doubt it
But at least we'd have an identifiable left to go with our identifiable right, leaving the middle ground for the centrists to take away from both. Right now there's no hope of any serious debate over how best to lead our society because there's no identifiable philosophy to either party except "Elect me!"
"Indeed, revenge is always the pleasure of a feeble, paltry, tiny mind" (Juvenal)
I'm looking for real change. This budget is just more of the same ol', same ol'. Didn't work before, won't work now. Every real economist worth his salt would say so, were they attentive to any really new thought coming out of BC.