Freeway
Scrapple
Level: 108
   
Posts: 3038/3496
EXP: 13326186
For next: 194357
Since: 3.1.02
From: Calgary
Since last post: 217 days
Last activity: 40 days
| AIM: |  |
| | |
|  #1 Posted on 21.9.05 0033.47
Reposted on: 21.9.12 0034.16 | As reported by pretty much every major Western Canadian news agency (Canadian Press, by way of Canada.com) has reported that since Alberta's provincial budget surplus will be massively massive (in excess of $4 billion CDN) that Alberta Premier Ralph Klein and his Cabinet have decided to give everybody $400. If you're a citizen of Alberta, you get $400. Period. Cheques will arrive before Christmas.
It seems like a good idea...except that the cities (notably Calgary) have been bitching about lack of infrastructure money...and university tuition has been rising every year of the Klein premiership...and that Albertans have been voting for the Conservatives provincially in the hopes that now that the province is debt-free, we'd all get tax cuts.
Still, $400 is $400. I'm gonna go buy the WrestleMania DVD set with that coin. Or a lot of beer. | Promote this thread! |             | Gugs
Bierwurst
Level: 82
Posts: 1399/1856
EXP: 5038135
For next: 171114
Since: 9.7.02
From: Sleep (That's where I'm a viking)
Since last post: 532 days
Last activity: 2 hours
| AIM: |  |
| | | Y!: |  |
|
|  #2 Posted on 21.9.05 1055.10
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1059.01 | | Not to sound cynical or anything, but...is there an election coming up? | hansen9j
Bierwurst
Level: 82
Posts: 89/1909
EXP: 5174234
For next: 35015
Since: 7.11.02
From: Riderville, SK
Since last post: 6 days
Last activity: 5 hours
| #3 Posted on 21.9.05 1103.43
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1105.18 | | Not sure if there is an election coming, but that's not really why they're doing it anyway. Alberta is actually 100% debt-free, so the surplus they have is truly extra money. | Oliver
Scrapple
Level: 122
Posts: 1676/4657
EXP: 20071175
For next: 566897
Since: 20.6.02
From: Derkaderkastan
Since last post: 5 days
Last activity: 3 days
| #4 Posted on 21.9.05 1114.46
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1116.44 | ...and I've been away from Alberta for a year. I knew I should have stuck around.
Oh well, I'll be back less than two weeks :-)
If the city of Calgary is complaining about lack of money to their infrustructure, why don't they invite people to invest in it, by means of a high interest donation? Similar to the Canada Savings Bond, maybe? I'd be game for that. | DJ FrostyFreeze
Knackwurst
Level: 105
Posts: 2022/3291
EXP: 12173535
For next: 88765
Since: 2.1.02
From: Hawthorne, CA
Since last post: 7 days
Last activity: 3 hours
| #5 Posted on 21.9.05 1123.24
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1123.29 | Originally posted by hansen9j
Alberta is actually 100% debt-free, so the surplus they have is truly extra money.
They wont ALWAYS be debt-free, will they? I cant imagine why they wouldnt save this surplus for a rainy day (re-pave some streets, build a park, paint a run-down school, buy some new busses, hire some more police, give some teachers a raise, SOMETHING!) instead of just giving it *all away.
*Well, maybe they're not giving it ALL away, but you know. | Mr. Boffo
Scrapple
Level: 112
Posts: 1274/3834
EXP: 15156910
For next: 181343
Since: 24.3.02
From: Oshkosh, WI
Since last post: 1 day
Last activity: 7 hours
| #6 Posted on 21.9.05 1312.49
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1313.34 | | IIRC, Alberta is the province that produces nearly all of Canada's oil. Canada's Texas, if you will. As such, I think they nearly always come out ahead. I think. | Stilton
Frankfurter
Level: 55
Posts: 648/793
EXP: 1300476
For next: 13722
Since: 7.2.04
From: Canada
Since last post: 2664 days
Last activity: 2664 days
| #7 Posted on 21.9.05 1432.51
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1432.54 | Didn't the Harris Government in Ontario try this a few years ago (or was it Ernie Eves? Same shit, different pile). They had a pile of money left over after they gutted health and education, leaving old women to die lying on gurneys in the ER hallways (someone I know), and stuffing 40 or more kids into elementary school classrooms. I think we all got $200 or something like that.
I'd rather have all the hospitals that were closed back. | Mr. Heat Miser
Blutwurst
Level: 35
Posts: 248/259
EXP: 267946
For next: 11992
Since: 27.1.02
Since last post: 2025 days
Last activity: 128 days
| #8 Posted on 21.9.05 1446.19
Reposted on: 21.9.12 1447.29 | Harris was the Premier, Eves was Finance Minister. Year was 2000. (ontla.on.ca) They ran a surplus, mainly through selling off assets at reduced prices.
So both of them were responsible. Hopefully we've seen the last of them. | The Goon
Boudin blanc
Moderator
Level: 91
Posts: 1287/2342
EXP: 7308122
For next: 160819
Since: 2.1.02
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Since last post: 7 days
Last activity: 11 hours
| #9 Posted on 24.9.05 0734.17
Reposted on: 24.9.12 0735.30 | Originally posted by Stilton
Didn't the Harris Government in Ontario try this a few years ago (or was it Ernie Eves? Same shit, different pile). They had a pile of money left over after they gutted health and education, leaving old women to die lying on gurneys in the ER hallways (someone I know), and stuffing 40 or more kids into elementary school classrooms. I think we all got $200 or something like that.
I'd rather have all the hospitals that were closed back.
That was my first thought when I heard about the bonus cheques here in Alberta. I remember getting the $200 when I lived in Ontario, and now history is repeating itself here. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. | | ALL ORIGINAL POSTS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE |
| | | | | | | | | |
