Cut backs- starting to see effect

[Ken07AOVette]

My daughter worked at the museum here a couple summers, as a student. The village office got yearly grants for a summer student as well, $12.00 per your for both positions.
My son wanted to apply for the museum job this summer, but found out that all grants have been cancelled, neither job is available any longer.
The village office job was for allowing poor overworked staff to take a portion of the summer off, they do work 2 days per week all year long, but now they no longer will employ summer students. The museum is going to have to rely solely on volunteers.

I am actually very glad these programs are being cut, AS LONG AS the money goes where it really should; healthcare, schooling, infrastructure, not to welfare, immigrants, etc etc etc.

[FishingFrenzy]

Can't say I agree with the cutbacks as far as grant positions go for not-for-profits. For example in the summers I lifeguard casually at an outdoor pool here in town. Every summer we secure 5 grant positions. Without those grant positions we would not be able to stay open. A swimming pool is NOT a profitable business and each summer we barely break even, if we do. The pool is a place where hundreds of kids spend their summer and I truly believe it is a valuable service and asset to our town... JMHO

[Zip]

Ken you say AS LONG AS the money goes where it should..well first off i am sad to hear that now the museum will be staffed by volunteers...the ripple effect of that is eventually the volunteers get harder to find and that is bad for the museum. And secondly...the new found money will just go to line the pockets of our poor and underpayed premier,mla's,actually all politicians.

[recce43]

my wife is a nurse and they cut half the staff starting monday at a Dementia facility. and the goverment wants ever residence to have two baths a week well there is only have the staff to feed dress give out medications , clean them and supervise the them plus provide activities for them this facility is for late stage dementia . wife says they will be lucky to get half of this stuff done in a shift .

[TriggerHappyHippy]

Originally Posted by FishingFrenzy

Can't say I agree with the cutbacks as far as grant positions go for not-for-profits. For example in the summers I lifeguard casually at an outdoor pool here in town. Every summer we secure 5 grant positions. Without those grant positions we would not be able to stay open. A swimming pool is NOT a profitable business and each summer we barely break even, if we do. The pool is a place where hundreds of kids spend their summer and I truly believe it is a valuable service and asset to our town... JMHO

I grew up around a pool. Swim Club. Lessons, both sisters were lifeguards for a lot of years. I too believe pools and rec centers are needed in every community.
Sad to hear ..

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Zip

Ken you say AS LONG AS the money goes where it should..well first off i am sad to hear that now the museum will be staffed by volunteers...the ripple effect of that is eventually the volunteers get harder to find and that is bad for the museum. And secondly...the new found money will just go to line the pockets of our poor and underpayed premier,mla's,actually all politicians.

The museum was built by volunteers, always was staffed by volunteers. The grants were a bonus but we never really expected them to go on forever. If a museum had to be closed for a year so a hospital could stay open or renovate, add equipment, I am for it.

Originally Posted by recce43

my wife is a nurse and they cut half the staff starting monday at a Dementia facility

That is just ridiculous. Cuts to non essential services should mean more benefit to essential services.

[2 Tollers]

Ken there is a lot more to the cuts than what has been presented in the news. Post Secondary is hit hard with cuts to operational budgets, reduced or removed student program grants, research grants cut and infrastructure renewal cut. These cuts mean less summer students hired, significant reduction in summer field reseach programs, cut backs in project work for contractors. This will start to ripple through the work forces over the course of the next two years and you will see more impacts like the ones recce43 noted as direct impacts and then there are the longer term issues that come from weakening post secondary and research program.

Originally Posted by recce43

my wife is a nurse and they cut half the staff starting monday at a Dementia facility

What is in place in this budget is not well thought out.

[recce43]

the ahs bosses are still getting there bonuses though

[Badgerbadger]

Good thing the economy's booming! I'd hate to see what would happen if this government had to deal with a recession, eh? (I'm being sarcastic. We haven't had a decent premier/government since Lougheed)

[Ken07AOVette]

I didn't word it exactly right- I am not happy that there are these cuts, I am happy that they have started to realize on some of the promises to straighten out the defecit and the budget.
Again, I am not at all for any cuts that effect essential services, but we don't need another 300 million dollar arena, another 50 million dollar wing in the Alberta museum, another massive city hall while there are shortages and no budget for teachers nurses and doctors.

[Rusty P. Bucket]

Everyone whining the blues about the cuts needs to give their head a shake.

These aren't 'jobs'. They are make-work projects and if you want to be honest about it they are welfare or 'work-fare'. To sustain stuff like this we are going to be looking at a Sales Tax or massive debts - and that will filch even more money from the guys who need to be hiring the kids on their own dime - the private sector.

If we go to a sales tax I think that will set the stage for other fiscal mismanagement that has sunk other provinces.

[2 Tollers]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

IAgain, I am not at all for any cuts that effect essential services, but we don't need another 300 million dollar arena, another 50 million dollar wing in the Alberta museum, another massive city hall while there are shortages and no budget for teachers nurses and doctors.

Ken the area that has to be watched closely are the P3's. These are fixed term contracts that are on the operational side of the budget vs the capital. These contracts have to be paid and essentially take away funds from the overall fiscal budget - the slices of the pie for other items - capital, student grants etc gets smaller. Take a look at the next round of P3's - massive spend that will be an on-going operational committment for 30 years.

[benamen]

Originally Posted by Rusty P. Bucket

Everyone whining the blues about the cuts needs to give their head a shake.

These aren't 'jobs'. They are make-work projects and if you want to be honest about it they are welfare or 'work-fare'. To sustain stuff like this we are going to be looking at a Sales Tax or massive debts - and that will filch even more money from the guys who need to be hiring the kids on their own dime - the private sector.

If we go to a sales tax I think that will set the stage for other fiscal mismanagement that has sunk other provinces.

Saskatchewan has been one other best at balancing the books. I don't think the provincial sales tax hurts there. It's the provinces with the HST that are ripping off their residence and anyone doing business with that province. I hate paying HST to courier parcels to those provinces.

[Ricktye]

Really???? Maybe explain these make work projects to the 60 nursing positions they're loosing at the Stollery. I'm sure the sick kids will understand your logic! Wake the HE11 up!!!

And now we have a mayor who wants to use the Federal and Provincial infrastructure (roads, repairs, sidewalks etc) to help fund a new area???

Wake up people, the politicians are no longer there to serve the people, but rather to line their and their friends pockets!

R...

Originally Posted by Rusty P. Bucket

Everyone whining the blues about the cuts needs to give their head a shake.

These aren't 'jobs'. They are make-work projects and if you want to be honest about it they are welfare or 'work-fare'. To sustain stuff like this we are going to be looking at a Sales Tax or massive debts - and that will filch even more money from the guys who need to be hiring the kids on their own dime - the private sector.

If we go to a sales tax I think that will set the stage for other fiscal mismanagement that has sunk other provinces.

[riden]

My school was told we will have the same number of teachers next year, we expected one position to disappear. However, student numbers actually justify one more teacher than we have now, so it is what it is. Can't speak to TA's.


The province has asked division offices to cut 15% of their expenses. In other words admin jobs outside of schools. But grapevine is they are trying hard to come up with money to not lay off anyone. It is really hard to lay off the guy you eat lunch with every day. Be curious to see what happens.

My parents are fuming. I teach an incentive woodworking program where we raise a little money for charity and do a project in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. I have no funding next year as of now and it's on the chopping block. If it continues, the money may have to come from the community.

[Ken07AOVette]

Want to talk about spending stupidity? There are over a dozen teachers aides in school here, and there are not 200 kids here from k12. They are not 'special needs' children, they are 'special needs' parents. Our school is going to be downsized, because of cutbacks, but 5 of these kids in kindergarten have aides, and the teacher can't handle 12 kids on their own? It's a joke.
My kids in high school did not have math teachers, they had video conferencing with other small schools, THE TEACHER TAUGHT OUT OF HER HOUSE.

We need some changes, some we do not.

[riden]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Want to talk about spending stupidity? There are over a dozen teachers aides in school here, and there are not 200 kids here from k12. They are not 'special needs' children, they are 'special needs' parents. Our school is going to be downsized, because of cutbacks, but 5 of these kids in kindergarten, and the teacher can't handle 12 kids on their own? It's a joke.
My kids in high school did not have math teachers, they had video conferencing with other small schools, THE TEACHER TAUGHT OUT OF HER HOUSE.

We need some changes, some we do not.

What does that mean Ken?

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by riden

What does that mean Ken?

5 of these kids in kindergarten have aides. Sorry auto correct I guess.

There are no kids in wheelchairs, none with down syndrome, none with f.a.s, it is ridiculous. The kids are high strung and all of a sudden mom's need to be there and get paid $250 per day to sit in school and chat with each other.

Oh yeah, these are not trained aides, they are mothers.

[HunterDave]

The construction that they started on a new overpass on highway 2 at Morinville is on hold.

The ambulance service in Legal either is or will be cancelled shortly.

Classes at Grant MacEwen have been cut which resulted in my Daughter having to do an extra semester.

That's just what I know of close to home.

[riden]

Don't even know what to say to you. Things are changing a lot in special ed funding right now, and I am not that up on it.

I have never heard of anything like that. My experience is, to be assigned an aide you have a severe need. Very odd half the class is.

You know, that is what parent councils are for.

[dantonsen]

cancel north east leg of the henday, permenantly shelf twinning highway 19, and shelf twinning highway 63. Theres 4 billion in savings right there Start chopping other projects, start firing some managment and tearing up AUPE contracts.


Theres plenty of stuff to cut in Alberta.. You would not believe how much bureaucracy there is in school boards and the union reps etc. For every teacher there is probably atleast one union monkey or even two.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by dantonsen

cancel north east leg of the henday, permenantly shelf twinning highway 19, and shelf twinning highway 63. Theres 4 billion in savings right there Start chopping other projects, start firing some managment and tearing up AUPE contracts.


Theres plenty of stuff to cut in Alberta.. You would not believe how much bureaucracy there is in school boards and the union reps etc. For every teacher there is probably atleast one union monkey or even two.

BILLION???

With a B?

(pentagon wars)

[greylynx]

I was a victim of government cut backs when my Pay check came from the government in one form or another.

So I went into the private sector.

I recovered.

[Trophy Slayer]

The cutbacks are necessary. I’m not saying the politicians are not overpaid though. The problem is I hear so many people complain about the cutbacks that complain about oil companies, pipe lines and anything oil related. Not necessary on this site but neighbours and friends. Am I mistaken but are the cutbacks not greatly related to oil royalties. It would be nice to see the oilfield completely shut down here in Alberta for about 2 years just so these people will see the affect on the economy. I would feel for the families such as mine that rely on it though. But it would be nice not hearing about oil companies being villains and how dare an oil company put a pipe line on my land. That’s just my opinion and maybe its way off topic.

[riden]

Originally Posted by Trophy Slayer

The cutbacks are necessary. I’m not saying the politicians are not overpaid though. The problem is I hear so many people complain about the cutbacks that complain about oil companies, pipe lines and anything oil related. Not necessary on this site but neighbours and friends. Am I mistaken but are the cutbacks not greatly related to oil royalties. It would be nice to see the oilfield completely shut down here in Alberta for about 2 years just so these people will see the affect on the economy. I would feel for the families such as mine that rely on it though. But it would be nice not hearing about oil companies being villains and how dare an oil company put a pipe line on my land. That’s just my opinion and maybe its way off topic.

I for one, am very grateful for the low taxation rate I pay in Alberta.

[B_Type13X2]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

BILLION???

With a B?

(pentagon wars)

Yep for some reason the cost to twin highway 63 is twice what they originally thought and its projected to take until 2017+. Cost of slipform paver= 1 million USD it can do 4 lanes wide at the same time and about 17+ miles a day... Somehow I think were being just a little stupid.

[dantonsen]

Originally Posted by B_Type13X2

Yep for some reason the cost to twin highway 63 is twice what they originally thought and its projected to take until 2017+. Cost of slipform paver= 1 million USD it can do 4 lanes wide at the same time and about 17+ miles a day... Somehow I think were being just a little stupid.

It isnt the pavement and the paving that will cost Alot of money for 63. 1.2 billion is probably a conservative estimate that is only roughly 250 000$ kilometer. There are probably Alot of million dollar miles with the muskeg etc up there.

If you want to look at places to cut look in all the private run clinics and testing facilitys. The place across the street from me runs a few thousand people through a week, everyone comes out with a blood and urine test slip to go to dyna life. If you want to see your results schedule another appointment. The province just paid who knows how much money for about 3 minutes of service from the doctor and for private testing on top of that.

[B_Type13X2]

Originally Posted by dantonsen

It isnt the pavement and the paving that will cost Alot of money for 63. 1.2 billion is probably a conservative estimate that is only roughly 250 000$ kilometer. There are probably Alot of million dollar miles with the muskeg etc up there.

If you want to look at places to cut look in all the private run clinics and testing facilitys. The place across the street from me runs a few thousand people through a week, everyone comes out with a blood and urine test slip to go to dyna life. If you want to see your results schedule another appointment. The province just paid who knows how much money for about 3 minutes of service from the doctor and for private testing on top of that.

It does not cost 250,000$'s to clear 1 km of swamp land for the purpose of paving it. It is a gross over estimate. The actually cost to get a D11 to clear 1km of swamp including the operators wage and 500$'s an hour for the machine and the fuel is about 80,000$'s and that's the largest expense. And the province doesn't pay for the drug testing the company that you applied for does.

[riden]

Originally Posted by dantonsen

It isnt the pavement and the paving that will cost Alot of money for 63. 1.2 billion is probably a conservative estimate that is only roughly 250 000$ kilometer. There are probably Alot of million dollar miles with the muskeg etc up there.

If you want to look at places to cut look in all the private run clinics and testing facilitys. The place across the street from me runs a few thousand people through a week, everyone comes out with a blood and urine test slip to go to dyna life. If you want to see your results schedule another appointment. The province just paid who knows how much money for about 3 minutes of service from the doctor and for private testing on top of that.

I am a little confused here. How are you suggesting money can be saved?

[B_Type13X2]

Originally Posted by riden

I am a little confused here. How are you suggesting money can be saved?

He isn't and he's wrong, a doctor isn't actually even involved at all in the process for drug testing. Its actually a lab tech and an occupational nurse. The bill for the testing is passed back onto the company who ordered the test. Further to get your results back, you don't even re-enter the facility, you are more often then not contacted over the phone to tell you if you studied a little to hard for your drug test.