Reverend Blair said:They don't have as much oil as Alberta, Blue. They also had a deal with the federal government (entered into by Devine and Mulroney, I believe) where for $1.00 worth of oil, they sent $1.07 to Ottawa.
Reverend Blair said:I found it hard to believe too, but it's the truth. Saskatcherwan is trying to get the same deal as Newfoundland now, needless to say.
They were also developing other resources when Devine came to power. That's why the province was in the black. Devine privatized the ones that were well...sold them for less than they were worth just as the crown investment was starting to pay off.
I've seen your policies in action, Blue. I've lived through what they lead to in two provinces now.
Reverend Blair said:Those costs all went up under the Devine government though, or to pay off the massive debt that they incurred. Under Blakeney (the NDP premier before Devine) PST was 5% and provincial taxes were lower.
Devine spent the province into a horrific debt while selling off its assets at rock bottom prices. The NDP have been building things back up ever since. They've had some major problems to deal with too...drought, BSE, crappy prices for grain, hail, floods.
Those things all have to be covered by taxes.
Like I said, I've seen where your policies lead. Long term pain for short term gain.
Reverend Blair said:Your friend, by your own account, moved there in the late nineties. Devine was gone by then. What he experienced was the aftermath. There will be several years of it yet. When I say Saskatchewan was broke, I mean there was talk of seizing the few assets left. It was really bad.
The only thing I don't know about is Regina city taxes. I have a brother that lives there and he says his aren't too high at all. I have a friend who swears his have doubled in the last ten years. That's got nothing to do with the provincial government though, it's a municipal matter. Your Conservatives are against extra money for cities, so Regina will have to get the money from someplace should they get into power and cancel the money.
Reverend Blair said:But he complained about the extra money for cities in the NDP budget amendment. So which is it? Does he secretly like the NDP amendment, or is he lying about the money he'd give to cities?
See, he contradicts himself and flip-flops and gives vague statements. Then you wonder why there is concern about Harper's secret agenda.
Reverend Blair said:What budget. The one he supported, then wasn't sure of, then was going to vote against, then voted for while voting against an amendment that would kill what he just voted for?
Reverend Blair said:Ah, a Saskatchewan Party supporter. How's Hermanson? Has he gotten the bolts removed from his neck yet?
I don't know if you've been following the news, but the price of energy has been going up all over the planet, so you are bound to see rate increases. If you'd been following the news over the last couple of years, you would have noticed that privatisation and deregulation of energy in Alberta and Ontario caused massive increases too.
So please be as critical of your NDP buddies as you have been of our Alberta conservative buddies. The same arguments apply.
You will also find that not every investment works out, whether it is the government or private enterprise running it. Jobs are created at least for a while even if a project fails though, and if the project succeeds it provides a return on your investment as well.
So please be as cirtical of your NDP buddies as you hae been of our Alberta conservative buddies. The same arguments apply.
Nobody is saying that the Calvert government is perfect. It is better than the last Conservative government though, and changing their name to the Saskatchewan Party doesn't change the fact that the last time they were in power they almost bankrupted to province and several of them went to prison for petty theft.
You are also ignoring the positive things they have done. Two alternative energy plants that not only produce jobs and clean fuel, but give farmers a market for their crops is certainly no small deal. Neither is getting a major scientific facility at the U of S. You have a tech sector now. You have those covered buildings... I can't remember what they're called, but my cousin works there and travels all over North America as a result.
So please be as positive about our Alberta conservative buddies as you are for your NDP buddies. We have put into place many wind frarms for several years now, and have developed cutting edge technology, especially in the oil industry.
Where is your dad's farm, btw?
Reverend Blair said:Ah....You mean the one that was the worst received by the accountants.
Reverend Blair said:Except that you're either diddling numbers or falling for the Liberal's diddling of numbers.
unspoken said:With some of the talk being about Saskatchewan becoming a have province and myself being a lifelong resident of Saskatchewan, I'm going to put in my two cents here:
Bluealberta's comment about SK becoming a have province because we finally effectively began to produce oil has merit to it. Our economy is extremely based on production of resources, especially those from the agricultural sector. With both quality and prices of grain as low as they are (my father, a farmer, said last year was his worst crop in over 30 years of farming), as well as the terrible cattle prices, the province's economy would have taken a huge hit if it were not for the oil.
And before anyone goes singing the praises of the SK NDP for this, lets not forget about some of the other prudent economic decisions they have made in the past.
1. The now infamous Spudco, a 28 million dollar venture into the potato industry that went absolutely nowhere, and ended up costing nearly 10 million more on top of the investment for settlements, court costs and other legal fees.
2. Meadow Lake Pulp, a company which the NDP originally threw in 275 million and was written down several times to a value of 78.8 million. Recently they threw in another 52 million to pay off creditors in Ontario, so that equals 332 million invested into a company now worth 130 million.
3. Telecommunications investments through SaskTel in BC, Alberta, Nashville TN and Atlanta GA that have to-date lost 90 million dollars
4. A recent report by the Provincial Auditor reveals the Department of Community Resources and Employment have lost over 1 million due to an executive employee defrauding the system by writing and cashing fake welfare cheques. What the scary part about this is is that the provincial auditor has been making the government aware of irregularities in this department since 2000, and only recently was this investigated and stopped. The government regulations of this department are loose at best and easily allowed for this to happen
5. Saskatchewan may very well have a sponsorship scandal of its own, as The Department of Environment has shelled out 500,000 dollars from 1998-2004 with no services rendered.
And just a few others include government investments (and eventually losses) in electronic bingo, TV and movie production, and a major mishandling in land titles.
However, one can also attribute Saskatchewan's status of being a have province to the big raises in the rates charged by SaskPower and SaskEnergy (crown corporation monopolies, where the government refuses to let in any form of competition whatsoever. These are just a few of the ones that Calvert campaigned on to save from privatization and job loss during the last election campaign, then started handing out pink slips at three days after the NDP barely won the election).
