Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Alberta Posts $6.9 Billion Deficit, Should we be concerned?

Are we spending too much money? Should we be bringing in more revenue? Should our government be tightening its belt?

Think about the following information Alberta spent $10,513 per person in the 2008-09 fiscal year, how does that compare to other provinces?

Nfld-$10,232
PEI-$9,083
NS-$7,867
NB-$7,987
Que-$7,384
Ont-$6,761
Man-$7,949
Sask-$8,043
BC-$8,087

In 1996-1997 we were the fifth highest at $4,592 per person. In twelve years it as increased a whopping 129% that's an average of 10.75% per year. Is it realistic to maintain that kind of growth in expenditures?

What kind of trouble would we be in, if it wasn't for those whopping Surpluses?

Alberta Surpluses 2000-2008. All of the following are in the Billions

2000-2001-$6.57
2001-2002-$1.08
2002-2003-$2.13
2003-2004-$4.14
2004-2005-$5.18
2005-2006-$8.55
2006-2007-$8.51
2007-2008-$4.58
A total of $40.74 billion dollars in eight years

$17 Billion in the Sustainability Fund at this years level of deficit that will be gone sometime in 2011.

Should Albertans be concerned, what does Stelmach and his government need to do?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reading the Edmonton Journal, it appears the Health Board is looking at reducing their employees by 3%. Seems crazy have they not been telling us for years that there is a health staff shortage.

John Prince said...

The biggest fallacy perpetrated on the people of this province (country) is that conservatives are 'good fiscal managers'. What a crock! Kick the bums out!!!

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

John

Very shocked to see you being critical of the conservatives!. On a serious note looked at the article in the Edmonton paper, that defies logic to me. Every thing we have been fed for the last ten years is that the front lines of the health care system have been under staffed.

John Prince said...

Dean, No you weren't. As you know as I do, the way conservatives manage things is by way of GREED & NEOPOTISM. They are deserving of being criticized after mismanaging our finances and leaving the cupboards bare.

Anyhow, I guess our Premier took a look at the FS, saw the biggest department was Health and the biggest cost item was labour, and VoilĂ ... lets cut 3%. Sounds good! Economics 101, Eddie style. I'm sooo impressed. :-(