Geee, correct me if I am wrong but was this not another campaign promise by the Liberals? Not to cut any funding to schools and health care?? It is becoming more and hopeless and frustrating with this government. Everything they do lately is in complete disregard for the good of British Columbians. I feel so helpless. Carbon tax when Alberta has the tar sands right in our back yard. HST that only helps the big corporations. The huge money sums funnelling into the Olympics. Large increases by our own city and regional district. We are really in big trouble and I see the loss of education and healthcare as a constitutional right. We all should really read our constitution because our rights are in trouble with the pompous arse attitudes of the mere men we VOTE IN to represent the people. The way things are going they may as well just let the rich and corporations vote for government because that is WHO THEY NOW REPRESENT.

But those in the know where warning that this would happen when the Lieberals were elected in their first term. Perhaps most individuals are only know discovering what the educated and experts were saying all along. now the hen has come home to roost and it's too late. The elderly and the disabled have been screaming for years that thrye are being forced into abject poverty and the general public's response was to re-elect B.C.'s Weapons of Mass Desruction two more times. This time the government has come for the poor and the middle class and guess what; they don't like it. Corporate give aways have left the cupboard twice as empty as they would have been simply due to a recession. We are indeed in bad shape hear and it is going to take a long time to repair the damage if it can be repaired at all. We have got what we voted for due to ignorance of concequences. Much of the media was in collution with the lieberals as they too have a corporate agenda and the result was a public that simply had no realization of just what enslavement was being foisted upon them. Given this absolute knowledge the concept of British Columbian's re-electing the Lieberals for a third shot at destroying what is left of our province seems totally inconprehensible to those who follow what is really going on yet here we are yet again. Helathcare, school boards elderly, arts... the list is now endless and we are the one who either voted for the criminals or worse refused to vote and allowed our province to be overun with political pirates left to rape and pillage what lean things are left. Proof of this is the HST. Gifts to the corporations have reached a leave where it is now difficult to hide the shift from the citizens to the corporate welfare. The result is an obvious tax shift from corporation to you guesses it the general public. It has reached the point where the public coffers are so lean that any increased shift will be immrdiately obvious to the avarage citizen. That is why we see more propaganda from the lieberals where they are using (Surprise, Surprise) busisness leaders to try and sell this latest round of fleece the public. Given the public past agreeable sheeplike attitudes this too will likely be eventually swallowed and then the next round of steal from the public can begin. We must wake up and do something to fight for ourselves but it would appear the average Canadian is more interested in the roman gladiator games (Sorry, the NHL) than pay attitntion to what has been and continue to be foisted upon us and our childrens future. The truth was out there all along and yet we still have sold our own farms.

"It is becoming more and hopeless and frustrating with this government. Everything they do lately is in complete disregard for the good of British Columbians. I feel so helpless."

Your not helpless. Simply agree to fund the additional portion of education and health care out of your own pocket and problem solved. The government has to make difficult decisions about services when the demand is infinite.

"Perhaps most individuals are only know discovering what the educated and experts were saying all along."

I have never met an educated NDP supporter, or candidate for that matter. If you mean that people said that the Liberals would make difficult decisions to balance the books then I guess you are right. Alot of people that dont the government raising taxes are probably on some kind of government support. As a person that pays a significant part of my wages in income tax I think we have to realize the best government is one we can afford.

I know its alot harder for people who spent their formative years in the 60 and 70s when money pretty much grew on trees. Its alot harder for individuals, families, businesses and governments now. The good old days are gone. Everyone has to make difficult choices.

Make sure you don't make a sound while your bent over Born in BC. You sound like someone who has nothing to stand up for. I am sure that parents WILL be trying to help out as much as possible but CaringSoul is right when she says it was a campaign promise. It is time for people to make these politicians accountable. The only tough difficult choice this government is making is how to hide their dirty deeds, where to get more money for the Olympics and just what the bottom line is in the deficit from the people. If you want to back them that is fine but leave the people alone who actually stand up against things that do not help the province and its people.

Born In BC is right. There are only so many taxpayer dollars to go around. So it's either cut services or raise taxes or both. Which do you choose? We can't keep racking up the credit cards.

The example people constantly bring up is the cost of the Olympics. Those are going to be a drop in the bucket compared to the big picture. Government services, healthcare costs, education costs are going through the roof and nobody ever says anything about that. People want it all and they want it now but they don't want to pay for it or sacrifice something else.

As for education, the reality is that enrollment is down -- way down in places like good old PG, and that trend doesn't look like it will be reversing soon. You can't keep all the schools open when many of them are at 50% capacity.

yes so sacrifice the education of British Columbian children....good place to start.

So if government is having to make dificult choices, how come the government itself has not changed. No layoffs, no cutting back department sizes, the spending of 1.6 million dollars on sports boxes and tickets....on and on and on. I say cut all you want but educating our children should be first and foremost if we are going to be on the cutting edge. A phrase that Campbell has used many times.

Again, cutting government employees (and services) would be met with outrage, much like everything else. As an employer, the government has to compete with the private sector to get the best employees, and yes, that means perks -- they're in the private sector as well.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that government should get smaller, but nobody can seem to agree on where.

Don't cut government employees or services, cut the fat! As I suggested yesterday, by cancelling all bonuses, raises, travel perks, etc, the government could save millions. They say that they have to pay the top salarys with bonuses to keep the top talent, but in this marketplace, people at all levels are generally lucky to have a job, maybe they would'nt resign in righteous outrage over the lack of a bonus if there was nowhere else to go. The politicians expect us to do more with less, why can't they practice the same?.
metalman.

The issue facing districts is that they budget based on government promises, and then the government reduces these promises. If I'm reading this correctly, the government promised about $4 million to upgrade or fix schools. The board then spent money to upgrade schools. Then the government pulled that money back. This wouldn't be an issue if the government had said during the election campaign, or even after, that there would be no grants. Then the board wouldn't have spent the money.

Add to this new costs coming their way (MSP premiums, HST, carbon credits) how does the government expect boards to balance budgets? I know times are tough, but make a promise, keep a promise. Its not that hard. If you have no intention of following through on a commitment, don't make the commitment. We'd all be better off if we were treated with some honesty, don't you think?

I would think bonuses have already been cut or eliminated. As with many private sector companies, bonuses are reduced as the company's performance has decreased. Does anybody have any tangible proof that huge bonuses are still being handed out and to whom?

You are the one argueing the point MrPG, maybe you should find out. But finding out anything from this government is near imposible. They wont answer any question to due with anything. I know that less than to weeks ago Campbels right hand man got a nice fat raise so I would think your point of these things being reduced is just a dream on your part. :}~

I didn't make the assertion that huge bonuses were being given out, that was metalman... but thanks for coming out!

As for education, the reality is that enrollment is down -- way down

Except in Surrey where they built a new school in a new sub division and that school was intended for 400 students. the year they have 4 portables on the grounds to handle the unexpected additional 200 students.

So enrollment is down in PG you say? Did people in PG stop having kids six to 12 years ago?

Enrollment in the college level has dramatically increased this year mostly attributed to economic downturn.

"So enrollment is down in PG you say?"

Yes.

"Did people in PG stop having kids six to 12 years ago?"

Apparently.

I am just cynical about government, assuming that the top dogs get fat bonuses, we all konw it happens, but do I have any facts? No.
metalman.