That said, Mr. Klein tamed deficit spending and eliminated the provincial debt. For now.

Social spending, especially new or expanded programs, have ramping costs.

Fact is,… Albertans(not Ontarians) can afford this, right now, in this economic environment. The question is,… is it sustainable.

It’s a gamble. I’ve done some gambling. But never anything I could’nt pay easily if I lost.

It’s not about your annual income tax Candace. It’s about the future that your children, grandchildren, and even we have.

The Heritage Fund is around $20 billion. It has accrued value, but the royalties which formerly fed it have been diverted into general revenue. Thus, the fund has achieved a virtual stagnation under the Klein regime.

Some credible estimates, if the oil royalties had been fed into the Heritage Fund instead of raises to public union employees(not to mention loans to Africa), project the fund would be been valued at about $85 billion.(with accrual)

Albertans could build a country on that sum.

Why do you suppose the Heritage Fund exists?

It exists to provide a future for Albertans when the oil either runs out or they invent cold fusion tommorow.

Maybe it exits so we can be masters in our own house.

So I guess I’m saying that yes, CA and OR would have more disposable income, but that would be the feds & the provinces taking their less-than-fair share. AB not only has a 10% flat tax, but gives personal credits of almost 14k - BC the last year I lived there? 8% of your taxable income. Nothing for dependants (AB you can claim an “equivalent” for an additional 13-14k) On average, my 10% flat tax has been more like 5%. In BC, it was roughly 60% of my federal tax bill.

Yes, Ralph is spending. But he hasn’t for many years, and you can’t tell me our infrastructure is in good shape. Fort Mac, which is a big part of our financial engine, can’t expand if the highways & infrastructure surrounding it aren’t improved, and SOMEBODY has to pay for that. Given that our surpluses are from royalties on o&g, I personally don’t have an issue with taking that cash and investing it back into the province.

Is it time for Ralph to retire and yet some new blood lead the way? Most definitely. But I would argue that he’s hardly spending us into oblivion; we’ve got what, 12 billion in the Heritage Fund? Exactly how big do you see growing that?

It amazes me how many people didn’t notice that socialism was completely discredited in the 20th century. I call these folks ‘prophets of a failed philosopy’. Usually they claim socialism works, it just hasn’t been tried properly or purely .

Progressives pursue their agendas because of how they ‘feel’ about the world around them, empirical data dosen’t matter.

Many people feel as they do, as adolescents. Life experience usually replaces the utopian illusions with a more practical view. They somehow failed to grow up.

They’re not idiots, just retarded.