The “Send ’Em A Message” survey rating so far of how well the Alberta government has been doing on maintaining public infrastructure like schools and roads are telling about the depth of discontent in the province.
Albertans’ are clearly not pleased with the government's performance in this regard. Only 6.73% believe the government is doing a very good to excellent job in dealing with the infrastructure deficit. A whopping 73.02% rate the government performance poor to fair in dealing with the infrastructure deficit. OUCH!
Again appreciate this is not a scientific poll but tells something of the collective wisdom of those who are engaged and concerned enough to participate and to try and help set some public policy priority concerns for the next Premier’s and his remaining 2 year term before the next election.
Facilities maintenance is not the only big concern for education policy makers and influencers. The local school boards and Trustees are trying to respond to the dual dynamics of growth and sustaining marginal schools with declining enrolments. They know a school is a key support to the viability of rural and inner city communities all through the province.
Some classic government blame shifting has been going on here caused be the tepid and less than timely response to critical funding demands from school boards to meet these needs. I have beat up on Oberg enough in this blog as of recent times but he was the Minister for infrastrucutre at the critical time aroudn these issues...I do not want to even go to the negative impact he had on the K-12 education system as Learning Minsiter when he was one fo the central causes of a teachers strike.
Public Interest Alberta, (http://www.pialberta.org/) and the various school boards and their associations are very actively engaged in the broader and deeper issues about K-12 education and trying to get political attention during the PC leadership race in some meaningful way. Check out their efforts and visit the various candidate’s websites for details of their commitments on education policy.
Finally take a few minutes and do the Survey and Send ‘Em a Message about what you would like to see as the top public policy priorities for the next Premier. Rate the government’s performance in some key policy areas and consider what you would say about recommending the candidates to friends and family.
In a democracy we always get the government we deserve - not participating is hardly a rational option if you are concerned about the future of your family and your province.
I took the survey...I wasn't thrilled with its methodology (e.g., rating an issue "most important" diametrically against "least important" with no grayscale in between. Or, what if I found two issues equally important or equally unimportant?). Nevertheless, I am glad to see the survey results unscientifically illustrate that a good number of Albertans have moved past the "let's lower taxes even more phase" of our province's economic and social development. Paying taxes is a civic and social responsibility, and if my paying taxes ultimately equates to decent schools, roads, public transit and health care, then I'm happy to do so. Our economic deficit may have been addressed, but out infrastructure deficit is seriously wanting and lowering taxes isn't going to ameliorate the latter. The last time I checked, the Ronald Reagan / Arthur Laffer School of economics hasn’t proved all that effective…
ReplyDelete-Sean
Ken:
ReplyDeleteThis is your anonoymous friend. Take a look at my earlier posting on preventative health care from your previous post. Feel free to post. I would like to edgender some discussion around this issue
Ken:
ReplyDeleteThe infrastructure deficit is a huge issue which requires immediate action.
The infrastructure deficit in June 2005 was estimated at $7.248 billion. If this problem is left unaddressed and calculating the impact of inflationary pressures and rising labour costs, that deficit will grow to an estimated $11.6 billion within ten years.
Here are my suggestions for dealing with the infrastructure deficit:
Give municipalties and educational institutuions adn health institutions full accees to the education property tax over to years
Dedicate 2% of resource royalties per year to smaller communities that do not have sufficient property tax base capacity
Through these steps, my calucations suggest that the infrastructure deficit can be eliminated within a period of six years, avoiding $1.9 billion in inflationary pressures induced by the ten year Dinning plan.
Municiplaities, educational and health authorities determine their own local priorities without the big hand of the provincial government hanging over their heads, playing politics with infrastructure funding, and pitting community against community.
The SUSH sector becomes full partners with the province, rather than being considered wards of the province.
Ken, I woild appreciate your comments and the comments of other bloggers to this proposal. Let's have an informed and respectful discussion
Hi Sean - I understand your angst about not have a grey scale option in choices...makes it hard for people but at the end of the day REAL POLITICAL CHOICES get made and grey scales then disappear.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it we want our governors (not our betters) to do when they "choose" on our behalf and how do we get that information about our beliefs and values to them between elections. It ain't through television news and talk shows - that is for sure.
Thx for perservering and doing the survey.
No apologies for the difficulty in answering the sets. What you end up doing by choosing is deciding in a "push coming to shove" way what is your strongest value/issue driver...and the intensity with which you hold those beliefs.
That is what we need to tell our politicians and what they need to know. today we merely go to an artificial "war" with the least informed driving an adverserial process that is just a fake "battle" in a gamesmanship metaphor. No wonder we get such crappy results.
That models lets us live in the grey area and not have to choose - just position and message so the power structure gets to live another day. That kind of thinking enables a culture of fooling ourselves by either ignoring or denying consequences of our actions. Think climate change consequences and the stupidity of still arguing the science instead of ameliorating, adapting and mitigating for a real life example.
Hi Anonymous - good to chat on the phone yesterday and I will repect your anonymity until you are ready.
ReplyDeleteAs for preventative health comments - it will have to wait a bit - I am swamped in other areas right now but will be able to gather thoughts and comments soon and respond.