What is considered a good return on a government dollar spent?

[Precipice]

I'm not a cynic...well ok, yes I am, but that wasn't my point. What I was trying to convey is the expansion of that road is not created by the government, it is created by the taxpayers that fund the government at a greater expense than if we hired the contractor privately.

The goverment uses private contractors for most of the infrastructure projects. They put projects out to tender; lowest bidder wins.

 

[TenPenny]

The goverment uses private contractors for much of the infrastructure projects. They put projects out to tender; lowest bidder wins.

Yes, but did the private contractors decide to do these projects?

 

[Precipice]

Yes, but did the private contractors decide to do these projects?

No they don't, thank god. If contractors chose the projects, we would have bridges going to other continents. The party that the nation/province votes for does.

 

[Angstrom]

The donations only have so much pull. I would imagine that donations are one factor but wouldn't there be other factors like economic returns or public pressure?



I pay a relatively small amount in taxes, yet I use a 25 billion dollar Skytrain in Vancouver (not including maintenance) a 500 million dollar hospital when I get sick or need a scan, a billion dollar road system to take a trip, a billion dollar school system from p-k to grade 12,etc.

Seems like a good deal to me

If it wasn’t a pyramid scam on our own children id agree.

 

[PoliticalNick]

The goverment uses private contractors for most of the infrastructure projects. They put projects out to tender; lowest bidder wins.

Not always lowest bidder. There are always conditions that need to be met for a bid to be valid otherwise I could bid $10 to build a bridge across the St Lawrence then just cost-overrun the other $999,990 but again, only if I could produce the correct bonds and insurance and prove I have the skill and equipment and manpower and financial resources etc, etc, etc.

 

[taxslave]

I am willing to go on faith. I just can't even find the numbers I am looking for.

The numbers either seem to be too complicated or way too general.

Either I am forced to start down an endless journey of deep economic analysis or I get information that is way too simplified like, "infrastructure is good" or "cutting healthcare is bad".

I know the simple and meaningful numbers are out there somewhere, but like another poster said, the decisions are not necessarily based on economic numbers. Instead, there are less attractive reasons like tacitly prepromises made to donators to the campaign or lobby groups etc.

You may find what you are looking for in individual ministry budgets.Look t the ne items and try to keep your head from exploding. They do have a good handle on what they spend but mostly have no real quantities way of measuring if we are getting good value for the bucks. A great deal of how money is spent is more political than reality.

The donations only have so much pull. I would imagine that donations are one factor but wouldn't there be other factors like economic returns or public pressure?



I pay a relatively small amount in taxes, yet I use a 25 billion dollar Skytrain in Vancouver (not including maintenance) a 500 million dollar hospital when I get sick or need a scan, a billion dollar road system to take a trip, a billion dollar school system from p-k to grade 12,etc.

Seems like a good deal to me

It is a good deal if you are on the low end of the income scale. For the rest of us not so much.

 

[Bar Sinister]

:laughing3:

Are you fuking serious?

The government is like a big money pit. End of discussion

Well that's nice. Does that mean you are going to keep your mouth shut about another topic you know nothing about?

 

[PoliticalNick]

Well that's nice. Does that mean you are going to keep your mouth shut about another topic you know nothing about?

Too bad for you he's actually correct this time.

 

[Bar Sinister]

Too bad for you he's actually correct this time.

It would be too bad you you as well wouldn't it?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I'm not a cynic...well ok, yes I am, but that wasn't my point. What I was trying to convey is the expansion of that road is not created by the government, it is created by the taxpayers that fund the government at a greater expense than if we hired the contractor privately.

Yes, I've seen you saddle up your hobbyhorse many, many times. Usually, as here, it's completely nonresponsive to the question, so I just thought I'd actually respond to the question Precipice was asking, and let you get on with bringing him the Weal Twuth that he neither asked for nor wanted.

Do you go door-to-door?

Well that's nice. Does that mean you are going to keep your mouth shut about another topic you know nothing about?

No point to it, Bar. They're well into their religion now. Won't be getting any sense out of 'em at all.