Teachers Seek Dialogue Following Election
Sunday, May 12, 2013 @ 5:09 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The head of the Prince George and District Teachers Association says the education system in B.C. is in need of attention from the provincial government.
PGDTA President Matt Pearce says in recent years “we’ve had a real withdrawal of support for the classroom situation for special needs students, and that withdrawal has affected all of our kids because there simply isn’t enough support to go around to meet the needs of those children. Everything has been stretched very thin. We’ve lost lots of non-enrolling support, learning assistance teachers, ESL teachers, librarians, counselors. Those children were in especially acute need of those services, and they’ve been removed year after year due to funding cuts.”
Funding, the crux of the matter. Where is that money to come from? Pearce says “when the Liberals took over 26% of the provincial budget went to fund K-12 education. At this point twelve years later it’s down to 15%. And at the same time we’ve had tax cuts and fee increases in all sorts of other areas. But I don’t think you can fund your basic programs like health and education out of resource revenue. The resource revenue for the commodity prices is far too up and down, unreliable. You need to make sure the taxation levels are there, at a very minimum, to support the basic programs for the citizens. You can’t fund something like a K-12 education, which really sets the path for a lifetime for our younger citizens, out of resource revenue.”
Pearce says monies to fund things like health care and education need to remain dedicated to those areas. “The current government came up with their Pacific Carbon Trust scheme which meant that schools and hospitals had to funnel really necessary dollars off into this program which gave the money to mostly large corporations. A number of projects for resorts were done with Pacific Carbon Trust funding to improve the heating systems at ski resorts, Whistler and Sun Peaks. I really do not think there is a substantial number of British Columbians who support the diversion of tax dollars for those purposes.”
So, what are the priorities of teachers in sitting down with whatever party is elected government next week? “Well it would be fantastic for us just to be able to sit down with the government. Over the past twelve years we have invited the Liberal MLAs from our area to many of our meetings, they have a standing invitation. They have never once come to any of our meetings to meet with teachers from Prince George. That has not been our experience with the opposition. Adrian Dix came and visited our members a number of times already, prior to the election campaign beginning.”
As far as the possibility of the NDP becoming government, Pearce says “right from the start they’ve said that they’re committed to the ideals of free collective bargaining, which has certainly not been our experience with the Liberal government. But we’re under no illusions. It’s a difficult financial time for whoever will be forming the government as of Wednesday. But we would be very excited about not having illegal legislation passed against us every couple of years.”
Comments
Carbon taxes went to pay for heating systems in Whistler and Sun Peaks ski resorts?? OMG shame shame shame……picking the pockets of poor seniors at the gas pumps and giving the money to rich shareholders of these resorts????? Shame
Teachers union rhetoric……but them it’s election time isn’t it?
Oh how they love the NDP wo will do and give them anything they want.
I wonder how many reacher will be booked off sick on Tuesdy to work on the Dippers get out the vote campaign?
One thig about the BCTF is that they are totally transparent!
Solidarity forever….
Teachers can seek all the dialogue they want with whatever Government is elected, however at the end of the day we need to take a serious look at our education costs, and how we are going to pay for them.
We need to keep in mind that the single most expensive cost is wages and salaries. While this may sound obvious the missing part is the fact that a large number of workers do not make anywhere near the money and benefits that teachers do, however they are expected to pay these costs.
So in effect we have low income people in the Province being taxes to pay for the wages and benefits of the higher income groups, of which teachers are one.
As an example in 2008 the median wage in BC was $25,722.00. I doubt if it is much more to-day. The average wage for people in the Prince George area is $40,000.00 so one can see that there are a lot of people who make less than $40,000.00
How can the lower income people be expected to pay higher taxes for education, when the majority of the money goes to wages and benefits???
Certainly we need to sit down and look at this problem, however it is much more complicated than paying out more money.
As an example the enrolment in School District 57 dropped from 16759 in 2002/03 to 13,845 in 2010/13. a 2914 drop. So one would assume that having funding based of enrolments, there should have been a significant drop in funding. Was there??
Taxing low income workers to pay wages and benefits to high income Government workers has to stop.
Hopefully ALL the teachers will vote NDP and with thier thousands of votes, should help get snooki out. Hope the NDP get the majority they deserve and get this province back to THE PEOPLE. BTW if any of these rich business people would like a ride to the airport wednesday morning, please get ahold of me. Will be FANTASTIC to see you out of here. Good riddance to you and your LIE-berals. And your failed HST.
As they say change is in the wind, in BC we elect them and throw them out. HST, BC Rail, Bollywood the list is long. And all the cuts to safety Regs within WCB, oh yes they had 12 years of fun at our expense.
Typical teachers union crap. Use the “percentage of budget” number to make it look like a huge drop. Let’s hear what the budget has actually done for a number year after year. Then compare that with the drop in enrollment and you may see a little different picture of your budget.
So Palopu how would you “fix” the education system? What would you pay teachers? How would you set up schools and classrooms?
Also could you tell me what makes up the difference between low income and higher income earners besides health issues.?
Have you ever had a dialogue with teachers about their issues?
Any majority gov’t whether it be NDP or liberal is not going to be good for BC. I really hope a minority govt is formed. I don’t really care who it is.
It’s about priorities. In years past they had dedicated schools for ‘special needs’ students. They eliminated those schools and put all those special needs kids into the mainstream schools, and used the money they saved to fund something else. Now they are cutting the special education teachers and aides these kids NEED to learn. So they can use the money saved for what? A Bollywood party? A huge advertising campaign to tell us what a good govt they are?? Pick your poison but the fact is they are not committing the resources necessary to educate the children properly….shame shame
Here’s a good read to keep your sunday entertaining.
http://lailayuile.com/100-reasons-the-bc-liberals-must-go/
Please everyone get out to vote tuesday and help GET RID OF THE LIBERALS.
The article I linked should help you see the rampant corruption of these LIARS.
After reading the rant posted by “gimmeabreak” I can only think he/she could
have really used a teachers help. Probably not!
2 days left. Our future MLAs need our help in the remaining hours. Encourage/help your family and neighbors to go and vote for change and help to supervise the votes and count the final results.
Hopefully the weather improves for the election day …
When unions were on strike all the time backabout 15 yrs ago, it was almost impossible for a business to operate,
We lost a lot of jobs back then.
Most the mills out west shut down.
Lets hope the ndp do not get in.
I definatly will vote for Christy.
Article from CBC states that the government loses a minimum of 4% of what it is rightfully owed by people who do not claim their full income and therefore do not pay all the tax due.
This adds up to millions of dollars a year. If collected this money could be put to good use in our schools, hospitals, highways etc.
Can you take the word of a CHEAT who calls someone a LIAR at face value?
I suspect come Wednesday we will have an admitted forger as premier-elect of this province, will be surprised if he makes it a full term. The Vancouver Province was right when they called Dix a greased weasel.
Funny thing about the attack the NDP posts….they only have one bad thing to say about Adrian Dix. While there seems to be a never ending array of things to say about the entire Christy Clarke government.
Casino gate & Clark’s back deck
Bingo Gate and charity money to NDP coffers ffs
Fast Ferries
Fudge it budget
Don’t have enough time to even touch the surface on party president Moe Sihoda!
I’ll give you real good odds that Dix lasts at most one term.
I like to think about who my vote cancels. Therefore when the four voting members of our household vote I will be very happy to know that, whoever wins, I am effectively cancelling Jim13135, Ammonra, univ and Mattys votes :D
But that’s who I wanted to cancel!!!! :(
And the real kicker was when Dix tried to justify the forging of documents in a criminal investigation by saying it was something he did when he was 35….what?
A 5 year old might not fully understand the difference between right and wrong but if Dix cannot figure it out by 35 there is something seriously wrong with him. Does he ride to the legislature on a short bus?
I have voted for many different parties in the past both provincially and federally.My household and my other family members have always been open minded when it comes to voting.This time I will be voting NDP as I have had enough of the liberals lying and pure criminal behavior,and all the time getting away with it with the voters of this province.The rest of my family and immediate household members can and will vote for whomever they wish for.Is that the case in your household interceptor or do you influence or dictate who the members of your household vote for?Oh and for the record my voting test that I took showed that I should vote liberal as that is where my ideology points towards.I do not consider our provincial liberals to be true liberals,they lean more towards being conservatives.
Every vote counts in this election unless the BC Liberals have a plan to corrupt the election process like the rest of institutions in the province.
It is time to put an end to the wide spread corruption in BC and restore the education system.
After the recent WIDC scandal in Prince George, we need to send from Prince George an MLA who is not implicated in ongoing corruptions. It was a BC Liberal minister/MlA who asked Shirley Bond to resign. Have you forgotten?
Don’t continue supporting corruption in this election, send someone who has a clean record in Prince George.
This is the way we should educate our children who could be the future MLAs from Prince George. And education starts at our homes and we should educate our kids by our actions that corruption is wrong …
The question is really what message we want to send to our kids and family by supporting corruption? … What message we will send to an impressionable kid if we support stealing money from public? … Are we telling our kids that to be corrupt is good? … to steal money is good?
Interceptor, as a teacher I remind you that you are not canceling my vote, you are canceling some positive values from moral value system of your kids …
How about the NDP stealing money from charities in Naniamo? What lesson does that teach the children.
Yes there is something wrong with our education system and a glaring example of this is the $1.5 million dollars spent on unlimited massages for teachers in the lower mainland. This would pay for how many classroom assistants?
Yea it’s all about the kids….pssst!
Univ – and may I take a moment to thank you for brainwashing your students into believing that the NDP is the only party to vote for. It is really interesting to listen to some of the stuff that they come home and say their teachers tell them.
univ, you really have me confused! On one hand, you suggest that we shouldn’t support corruption in this election, that we should send someone who has a clean record in Prince George. Yet at the same time and on the other hand, you bow to the alter of an admitted forgerer. Not only did Adrian Dix admit (only after he got caught) to altering a document in a police investigation, he then walked away with a $70,000.00 severance package. I consider this to be a theft of the taxpayer’s hard earned tax dollars.
As a teacher, you also point out positive moral values from moral value systems(?). You ask what message we will send to an impressionable kid if we support stealing money from the public. Have you completely forgotten about the infamous Bingo Gate scandal on Vancouver Island where the NDP stole charity money and money for seniors?
Your selective memory is very suspect!
Please don’t speak of moral values, impressionable children or any such things. You belong to a union that has no problem holding the children of this province hostage. Your union seems incapable of settling a contract with any government. Your Union has very little in the way of a moral compass and you, Matt Pearce and others in the BCTF really need to take a long hard look in the mirror before you try to take the moral high ground. After all, we all know that the BCTF is salivating at the prospect of a big payoff from the NDP if they are elected. I for one, am not at all looking forward to having to pay that bill!
“Teachers seek Dialogue” BEFORE Election
(with parents) …
So I guess what the Hart Guy is saying is that the high moral ground that univ is trying to claim is build on a mound of what comes out of the back end of a bull ;)
Yeah – you know “moral high ground” like taking the youth of today and slanting your political opinions on them for your own personal agenda.
I am sure you are fully familiar with electoral system. On the election day in Prince George-Valemount you have on the ballot the choice of:
Sherry Ogasawara vs
Shirley Bond
and other candidates …
Christy Clark and Adrian Dix are party leaders and competing in Vancouver area region and I am sure they will be under very close scrutiny by the voters in the election in their own constituency. But I will wait for the outcome of 8:01 for a comparison of Dix and next BC Liberal party leader.
lonesome sparrow,
correct me if I am wrong, but your comment about undeclared income was a direct shot at mattyc?
If not, it should be.
mattyc is pushing so hard because he is expecting a raise in his welfare cheque to go along with his under the table work.
many years ago my dad gave me a simple lesson in business and it applies to all citizens.
There are two types of employee’s (citizens). There are the ones who earn the company revenue with their work, they are cost plus people. Then there are the employee’s who cost you money but dont earn revenue, overhead is the simplest term.
This applies to the tax paying public as well. If your job is paid by a business you are a value added citizen. If you are paid by the government, you are overhead and a cost negative citizen.
When you run a business you must keep the cost negative employee’s at a minimum and the cost plus employee’s must earn extra to cover the deficit created.
Citizens are the same. Teachers, government workers, street sweepers, mayors, (you get the idea) are all deficit citizens, so we need as many cost plus citizens as we can get to cover their costs.
Anybody who gets a government cheque and has a problem with buisness people might want to take a long hard look at their next paycheque and wonder who is really paying them.
Albus–perhaps he was alluding to kick backs to the Liberals by big corporations?? Ooops-I mean political donations. BC Hydro pays for capital assets for large corporations—-large corporations make juicy campaign contributions.
Jim13135,
got your head stuck in the sand do you.
I suspect a picture of Moe Sihota hangs over your fireplace.
Supporting a political party (NDP) who has the support of multiple unions that fetter their members on thier ballot choice is the farthest thing from a “Democratic” process and has unforeseen consequences. This is what a lot of people haven’t considered in this election.
The great problem with politics is if a candidate told you the truth about what needs to be done he would never get elected. There is the pandora’s box.
what so many can not seem to figure out is the simple fear of the NDP getting elected will cause a mini-recession. After the fact it could very well lead to an actual recession.
Just curious all you high and mighty NDP supporters, where will the money come from top pay all those election promises? Just where does the NDP stand on improving the economy to create for cash flow for their social programs?
Albus-the flaw in your thinking is you attach NO value to the govt paid worker–the worker that provides the education for your kids–the worker that fixes your failing heart-the first responder that pulls your sorry hide out of a car wreck….it’s sad that your thinking is so flawed, without the hard work of those people our country would be more like Bangladesh than Canada. Another BIG reason I support the NDP, it’s time for positive change.
Class dismissed … ;-)
Jim13135
No, your thinking is the flaw. I am talking strictly economics, you are trying to get emotional.
Economics are economics. We can have all the frills we want, until we cant pay for them, then were broke, your household budget or your provincial budget. Once the cash is gone, your screwed.
Think about it in an analytical sense rather than with emotion. It is a VERY simple concept.
I can answer that one Albus.
A whole lot of QE compliments of Adrian “Bernake” Dix.
Interceptor, I seriously doubt you will cancel my vote. I live in Ladysmith and Doug Routley will be elected by a landslide. There’s no doubt of that as it’s one of the safest NDP seats in the province. So sorry!
All you NDP supporters please answer this question:
If the NDP have no plan to improve the econmics for this province, but plan to spend endlessly on social programs, what current services do you plan on cutting to make the ends meet?
Albus-I am not talking frills, I am talking essential services. That is the whole problem with the BC Liberal ideology, it’s far too simple.
Attacking people that work for a living and proposing they are of negative value to our province is obnoxious to the extreme. Working people deserve a fair chance at having a good living that can be provided by the wealth of this province….at least the NDP understands that.
Jim13135,
its obvious you have no concept of economics. A lifer NDP’er, thats pretty simple to figure out.
oh and Jim1313, where is the attack on the “people that work for a living”?
Simple fact, you either earn revenue or you cost revenue. How simple can that be?
Sorry bud–your the one without a clue.
Without working people corporations could not make ANY money. Who is going to do the work?? You cannot have a successful business with only managers and shareholders. :-).
In order to have profitable business you need a strong partnership between business and employees. The business and the workers have to share in the wealth they are creating together…that is how it’s supposed to work.
The BC Liberals lost sight of this…..they have no one to blame but themselves, they forgot that corporations don’t have A VOTE .
Jim13135
reading comprehension a problem for you? Go back to my original post, it is the most simplistic form of economics.
revenue creating people or revenue cost people.
a carpenter who hammers nails is a working person who creates revenue.
a secretary who answers your phone is a working person who does not create revenue.
They are both “WORKING PEOPLE” One creates revenue, one costs revenue. You need more people creating revenue than you have costing revenue. Its a real simple concept obviously lost on you.
Oh and Jim1313, just to help with your learning deficit,
A teacher is a revenue cost worker.
A welder in your local shop is a revenue creating worker.
On pays money out of their wages to the government.
The other one gets their wages from the government.
Guess which one we need more of?????
I read what you wrote—government workers was your original position— you now want to change your position to carpenters and secretaries??
REALLY??
Albus–your butt is getting kicked in this debate, that is why your resorting to personal attacks. Thanks for the entertainment.
Here is a little item from a Fraser Institute report put out last month:
“When we compare the average wage in the public sector in BC (including federal, provincial, and local workers), it is 37.5 percent higher than the private sector.”
http://www.fraserinstitute.org/research-news/display.aspx?id=19519
Jim13135,
really? please quote me. Your obvious bias clouds your ability to read?
I quote my very 1st line:
“many years ago my dad gave me a simple lesson in business and it applies to all citizens.”
Now Jim13135 I will post my 2nd line, maybe this will make it easier for you to understand:
“There are two types of employee’s (citizens). There are the ones who earn the company revenue with their work, they are cost plus people. Then there are the employee’s who cost you money but dont earn revenue, overhead is the simplest term.”
Now I will quote you:
I read what you wrote—government workers was your original position— you now want to change your position to carpenters and secretaries??
REALLY??”
Where in any part did I say my post only pertained to government workers? I directly state “in business” and guess what, carpenters and secretaries are part of business’s.
You need to get your head out of that hole in the sand real quick.
The NDP LOVES to add bureaucrats to the payroll.
I still remember an RPF on the news piling up all the binders holding the NDP forest practice code, by the time he had finished he was completely hidden behind a pile of binders- total overkill.
I’m sure they had to cut 10% more trees just to make the extra paper required for all these binders, forms and reports.
univ……typical teacher…..when is asked a hard question dismisses the class. Next class could be about your, you’re, and yore:)
“”This applies to the tax paying public as well. If your job is paid by a business you are a value added citizen. If you are paid by the government, you are overhead and a cost negative citizen.””
To quote Albus: “If you are paid by government you are overhead and a cost negative citizen”
A teacher, doctor, legal aide lawyer, social worker and many more ARE NOT of no value to our economy as your alluding to. Those working people trying to raise a family are an integral part of our society and the work they do has value. IMHO
Jim13135 wrote “Working people deserve a fair chance at having a good living”
One question. Do you think that the good people of BC will still have the lowest provincial income tax rate in Canada under the government of Dix.
BTW If you don’t claim your income in the first place I guess it won’t make much difference what the marginal rates are. Right MC?
ahh Jim13135,
typical NDPer, costs dont matter, now lets all get in a group hug and sing a happy song.
Now can we all get our participation ribbon?
Oh and Jim13135, you still havn’t answered my question, where does the money come from?
“When we compare the average wage in the public sector in BC (including federal, provincial, and local workers), it is 37.5 percent higher than the private sector.”
Private sector workers are sure getting ripped off. Those multi million dollar CEO paychecks got to come from some where.
“where does the money come from” ? Why LNG of course. Have you seen not seen the commercials ? In 15 years BC will be debt free. At least the socialist hoard isn’t basing its whole campaign on a fantasy. They are being honest and telling us we will all pay.
NDPers made endless vicious comments about the “convicted criminal” Campbell who had admitted his mistake of driving under the influence, paid his fine, apologized and was then re-elected. Until very recently this was their unforgiving mantra! Never giving an inch, no mercy! Guess what? Now they want others to forget the document forging of Dix! Why?
What goes around, comes around.
‘Money’ comes from
the Banks, the Royal Canadian Mint, and anyone who wants to risk ten to twenty in the slammer running tens and twenties off on his laser printer and paying his bills with them.
Albus seems to have some nebulous idea that a farmer, say, who grows a ton of potatoes, simultaneously ‘grows’ the purchasing power in ‘money’ he thinks a ton of potatoes should be worth. To their great chagrin, thousands of potato farmers have found out otherwise.
It amazes me that you people persist endlessly in trying to have greater access to ‘money’ through having a ‘re-distribution’ of same through taxation, as the NDP wants; or preventing that, so far as that’s possible, by those who would be taxed, (which really isn’t very far), ala the BC Liberals. And neither side has enough brains to ever look at whether the ‘money’ itself exists in adequate quantity to meet all the ‘price values’ expressed in money it’s always supposed to be able to meet, and has to, if all we can ‘produce’ can ever be fully ‘consumed’.
Oh and Jim13135, you still havn’t answered my question, where does the money come from?
===========================================
Where is the money coming from to pay a little over $5 million for 5 portable classrooms for Granisle? Or should I just call them modular homes without any interior walls and plumbing?? At $150 per sq foot this must be some pretty plush classrooms.
Where did the money come from for the $300 K signs just outside of PG…three of them…another cool million.
I doubt the governments sources of revenue have been much of a secret for what perhaps a 100 years or more??
The NDP has offered a change for the better….one practical step at a time.
steph99:
“As they say change is in the wind, in BC we elect them and throw them out.”
Yes, isn’t that a fact! Bingo Gate, Casino Gate…etc – then the NDP got thrown out, only two MLAs left to sit in the Legislature!
Amnesia is what makes the voting people fall into the same traps over and over again.
Catchy slogans like the one above don’t hurt either.
If the voters of Prince George Mackenzie/Valemount do not watch what they are doing, we could end up with a NDP Government, and two Liberal MLA’s in Prince George to represent us.
If this happens then you can rest assured that we will get little or no attention from the Government in power.
It would be fair to say that the NDP will win the election. Do we really want no representation in this area???
A smart electorate would vote in one of each, and hedge our bets. Whats the chances of that happening??
Jim13135, you end your last comment with:
The NDP has offered a change for the better….one practical step at a time.
Let me tell you and I’m sure that I’m neither the first nor the last to tell you…the NDP offers absolutely nothing for me, especially not a change for the better.
One practical step at a time? Hardly!
Step 1, reward big labour!
Step 2, increase big labour!
Step 3, grow the size of government!
Step 4, raise taxes!
Step 5, spend, spend, spend!
Step 6, drive out investment
Step 7, make BC a “have not” province one again!
So much for a change for the better and practical steps!
Hart Guy, I hate to point this out to you but people are still leaving BC for work in Alberta…..and that is after 12 years of Liberal Government. This last year they got so desperate to deliver a ‘balanced’ budget they had to start pawning off provincial assets…..
Spend, spend, spend…..that’s a real good one, I like that….never fails to amaze me how liberal supporters tout this one when the current government has driven the provincial debt up faster than any other BC government in the history of this province.
Jim13135, workers are leaving BC to Alberta not because of the political climate but rather the fact that for the most part BC companies cannot compete with the wages & benefits workers can get in Alberta.
How can you compete with $20,000-40,000 signing & retention bonuses? Let’s face it, the unions in BC did not or could not anticipate this kind of competition. Twenty somethings pulling in $200,000 a year. Other than north of PG, where else could a young person get a vocation, a great wage + benefits?
I will say this, I have heard from several people that if the NDP form the next government they are seriously looking at going east, The most common comment is that they remember what the NDP did with a healthy economy in the 90’s…What now?
So how is that any different than what happened back then when our kids were going to alberta for jobs with better wages and benefits??? BC employers could not compete then and they cannot compete now….the party in power has nothing to do with it, and neither do the unions.
A relevant question will be what the BC children themselves think about the Teachers and Parents political dialogue?
Apparently, B.C. kids (unlike their peers in other provinces) are not influenced by parents’ voting behavior in mock elections.
Today, a day before BC election, more than 100,000 school children (grade 1 and above) will cast fake ballots that will be kept secret until the official election results are in on Tuesday.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/kids+influenced+parents+voting+behaviour+mock+elections/8373659/story.html
According to Vancouver Sun, while voters elected Liberal governments in 2005 and 2009, kids across BC favored the NDP in parallel elections.
…just observing.
univ – all you are showing is the proof of how hard teachers push thier personal agendas on todays youth. Talk about poor morals…
Uh Jim13135…”Hart Guy, I hate to point this out to you but people are still leaving BC for work in Alberta…..and that is after 12 years of Liberal Government.” Your reply to Hartguy.
“BC employers could not compete then and they cannot compete now….the party in power has nothing to do with it, and neither do the unions.” Your reply to my post. Thank you for making my argument. I did not or do not blame the unions for the wage disparity, just pointing out that they cannot bargain to compete with Alberta wages. It is interesting to note that wage parity is slowly creeping down through to central & southern Alberta.
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