This short read outlines the highlights of the budget passed today by the Alberta Finance minister, Ted Morton. It seems the only department that was not hurt by the budget was Health. Think about the impact education will have with only an increase to allow for new students into the system? How will inflationary pressures effect education spending? What other departments were hit with a decrease and the implications of these cuts will be? What do you think the overall impact of this budget will have? There is no better time to examine this as we are studying economics. For alternative views on budget priorities, consider looking at these two sources: The Parkland Institute and/or Public Interest Alberta.
Like you said Ted, "strike the RIGHT balance".
ReplyDeleteI am most certainly pleased that health care is getting more support. Education is too...but just to promote more students per teacher? How will anyone get the best out of education if it's close to imposible to individually develope? Our children are our future...and frankly so am I. I know what it is like to struggle in a learning environment and it is not easy to fix something when you go unnoticed in a classroom of 35-40 kids.
And decreasing the environmental budget?? Look, I am no tree hugger but our Earth is all we have left! If we can't pay attention to it, develope ways to preserve it, what will we have left? Mars? ha
Im happy there was no tax increase and happy hospitals, roads and schools are being thought of, but I think there are definate issues that were overlooked.