The more things stay the same, the more things stay the same;
On the same day the provincial government announced it had taken in an extra $1.2 billion in the last budget year, the latest population numbers from Statistics Canada showed a decrease of nearly 2,000 people in the first quarter of this year.
That dropped Saskatchewan’s population to 988,980, putting it under 990,000 for the first time since July 1982.
If past behavior is any indication, we can brace for an influx of immigration as Lorne Calvert addresses the decline by advertising civil service positions out of province.
ok4ua, there is more to life than living cheaply: we could move to Siberia or Cuba if that’s all we wanted. I am young and educated and work in private industry in SK: I see this province falling behind, and quickly. We need some freedom, we need to get rid of the old 1950’s NDP mentality. We need to rid ourselves of the maryjane’s of Saskatchewan that tell the best amoungst us to leave (more for you then eh, maryjane, as the great NDP philospher Laudermilch said). ok4ua, you and your generation of socialists are the problem; I know you mean well, but you are misguided.
maryjane:
Fill me in where my history is wrong. Instead of the same tired rhetoric, give me something to base your dribble on that in some way appears as valid and verifiable. If you want to review history then let us recount the tactic of the NDP to simply resort to rhetoric and fear mongering when they see their kingdom coming apart (ala 2003 provincial election).
I have a fair bit of family in Alberta, both immediate and extended. My brother pays less tax than I do here. His property tax in Edmonton is half of what a comparable house would be in Saskatoon or Regina. The initial cost of his house appears high ($400,000), except that my wife and I went to look at a 1600 ft^2 bungalow last week here (nothing special) for $380,000. I know I could find a pretty nice house in Alberta for the same price and my brother’s house is only $20,000 more. Now, considering my starting-wage (note ‘starting’ wage) here in Saskatchewan is roughly $15,000 – $20,000 less than the comparable job in Alberta the supposed cost-of-living gap between SK and AB has already been shortened. Further consider that the top wage for my industry and skill-set in Alberta is $130,000 – $150,000 in comparison to $95,000 – $105,000 in Saskatchewan and you start to see real differences. I’m not going to go in to all the tax revenue my wage would bring to the government because you, and any NDP reading this post, wouldn’t understand the economic benefits.
It doesn’t seem to sink in to your (maryjane and like’s) head is that competition is a good thing – not bad. Without competition you create monsters like SaskTel who, instead of delivering essential services, have moved to the private sector markets and compete with their own citizens. There are so many more examples of this in the NDP government that it really is sickening. The issue that is most maddening is that your ilk cannot see the nose in front of your faces let alone a view toward the future of the province. Having a disproportionate amount of government and public-sector versus private-sector employees never leads to strong social programs or economic health.
What you call ignorance is what many others (including me) are calling facts and a serious need for change. BTW, history does shine through clearly and it shows that you are going to be trounced out on your ass.
Quit with this comparison to Russia that is your problem.It’s cheaper to live here and you can live better here on a little lower wage. To the fella claiming the 100,000.00 plus wages I think you are full of baloney. I’ll bet you don’t have a high paying job at all. I have a 1280 sq ft bungalow I recently had it appraised at 184,000.00. It’s a nice house in a good neighbourhood. You living in a 380,000.00 house is, if it’s true is not an average home here in Sask. Houses in Wascanaview go for that not in most hoods. Most people that talk big like that is just talk. More American type/Alberta B.S.
For what it’s worth to postscript and wake up!, I feel the exact same way. I earned just under $75k last year, live in a nice 5 bedroom home in rural SK (recently appraised for legal purposes at just over $110k), operate a small business that employs half a dozen very talented and very appreciated people. I drive a nice truck, have a nice 24 ft. camper and a few other toys. My wife has a degree from the U of R, a diploma from NAIT (she moved back to SK because we were getting married) and holds certificates in some other disciplines. After 2 years of searching for even the most basic position, she’s still pretty much jobless. Over 100 resumes out the door, 4 interviews and 4 employers who told her she was “over qualified”. But, we’ve made due on one income so far but with our first child on the way, I’m not sure we’re going to be able to stay that way (unless Lorne comes to the rescue…which is highly unlikely).
The part that makes me violently ill in this province is the attitude people have…and I quote:
“…must be nice to have all that money…ever think of the rest of us working for nickels?”
“…so, hauling all that cash to the bank with the fancy new wheels again today?”
“…so who’d you screw to buy THAT house?”
and on and on and on it goes.
By comparison, when I drive out to AB to see my sisters and their kids, I feel a bit like a derelict in my ’04 truck. But, the comments I get out there are “right on, business is good, huh?” and “yeah, I’m like you and am planning to trade up sometime later this summer”. In SK, it’s jealousy and mean spirited envy if you have some of the nicer things. In AB, it’s expected! No one in AB is going to sit there and feel sorry for you if you aren’t prepared to work for what you want. It’s true, people in SK do value material things more because they’ve had to bust their ass to get what they want…but, that said, they also know that it could all disappear with one stroke of the order in council pen (ask the private security company guy what happened when SaskTel got into providing security monitoring service or the guy working for the cable company when someone at SaskTel had the brainwave to say, “gee boys, we need to start offering cable service through our phone lines because we’re in long distance competition now”.
I’m not saying terrible things can’t happen in the marketplace, but when it’s your own government that delivers your pink slip, that’s when most people draw the line.
The socialist dogma may have worked in the 30s and 40s when people felt they were disadvantaged. However, times change (we’ve gone from shacking up as a sin in the 50s to full-blown gay marriage in this country) and so does the global economy. In order to compete with other countries around the globe, we as a society need to free ourselves to make OUR OWN choices in the economy and not have someone on the teet drawing up some plan for us.
We will never have that ability as long as the NDP hold power or lurk in the shadows in this province. If the NDP were truly serious about being a party for the common good of the people of this province, they could set an astounding example by ripping up and burning the Regina Manifesto tomorrow. But, we know that will never happen because of the anti-business attitude that exists in the NDP. If they do something that radical, I’ll even show up with the ceremonial Bic lighter!!!
And MaryJane, it’s interesting that you say I was “wet behind the ears” when Devine was in power. I really had a good chuckle at that one. My father, whose knowledge of the political history and landscape of this province along with his experiences, never ceases to amaze me. Like any good parent, he’s allowed me to make my own political choices and, for the most part, it’s been very, very easy to do. My youngest aforementioned sister will be the first in four generations to collect a publicly-funded pension (in AB as a nurse, I might add) as the rest of us have all been successful owning and operating various businesses. I guess what I’m getting at is I’m dancing with the one who brung me, to coin a phrase. The NDP have done nothing for us (and tens of thousands others) and it’s time to get this place moving FORWARD and not relying on painfully-biased, publicly funded Tommy Douglas movies and recollections of yesteryear to provide warm, fuzzy feelings amongst the easily bamboozled electorate.
I’ve never supported the NDP and will go to my grave that way. In closing, MaryJane, come to my doorstep before next election night. And don’t forget to bring a resume…I’m always looking for scrappy, easily swayed people like you at my office. Type “B” personalities such as yourself are easily trainable. Who knows, you might even enjoy working for me. I pay well, treat my staff better than my own family most days and offer not 3, but 4 paid weeks of vacation to start!
See you soon…unless, of course, you can’t part with your life in Lotusland…
Hey ok4ua, Cuba is not in Russia;
and Hurray for Saskatchewan! It’s cheap here! We’ve created the Bargain Basement of provinces! We should be so proud of our roads, our waiting lists, our crime rates, our coupon-collecting old-timers and pension-collecting civil servants and hand-out expecting envious dependants. You make me so proud: I’m from Saskatchewan, our motto is “try us, we’re cheap!”. Our bird is the seagull? our flower is the dandelion; we don;t fly high, we’re too cheap!
Sometimes you fkrs get what you pay for!
History lesson… In the almost 80 yrs. prior to the election of the Devine PC govt. in 1982, through two world wars and the great depression, while a significant infrastructure was put in place ( Universities, schools , hospitals, Crown corporations, etc) successive govt.s of every stripe had accumulated a debt of $3.3 billion, not a dime of which resulted from deficit budgets. By March, 1990, in 8 short years, the debt had increased to $12.7 billion, while provincial assets were being divested. LP political columnist Dale Eisler put it this way at the time: “If the government sold off everything it owns and paid all it’s debts, the government would still owe $3.4 billion.”
The deficit in ’91-92 was $800 million, ’92-93, $600 m, ’93-94 $250 m. Since then there has not been any deficit budgets. Debt to GDP in ’93 was 69%. in ’05 it stood at 28%.
So we’ve come a hell of a long way since the dark decade of Devine. I can recall hearing the same empty rhetoric from the PC’s and their supporters in the early ’80,s as I’m hearing from the SK party and their supporters today. All that’s missing is the cereal box sloganeering, but I’m sure that’s coming. We’ve come too far, sacrificed too much to foolishly repeat history in our forgetfulness of the yahooism of the ’80,s.
Thant’s great mj, you’re stuck in the 80’s. Meanwhile, in the real world, your buddy Calvert runs deficits and pretends he doesn;t, calling them the fiscal stabilization fund.
And as you pointed out before, 10 years ago, Ab and Sk had the same amount of debt, but AB had 3X the population: now how do things stand? AB has no debt, SK debt is growing, and AB has 3.5X the population?
Very impressive how you can quote newspaper articles from the 80’s: you don’t sound like your average pothead!
maryjane:
Are you on crack? Why are you the only one who seems to have this view of history?
Devine governed through drought, a massive crash in oil prices, 20% interest rates and the National Energy Program (under the nimrod Trudeau).
You’re, “… not a dime of which resulted from deficit budgets.” from the governing NDP, is full of crap. It is still widely disputed that all the NDP did was hide their losses in the Crown Corps. It’s convenient to have those Crowns around when you want to shift money here and there so that your crappy government doesn’t look like it really is – a useless economic engine.
Calvert and crew have been governing in one of the best decades for financial development, and yet, they have managed to shrink the population and run deficits. They would still be running a deficit if it wasn’t for the fluke timing of a surge in oil prices.
Personally, I’m waiting for the NDP to start their personal smears like they did last time around on Hermanson.
ok4ua:
Take a look at the median wage for an Information Security Professional. A couple of weeks ago I saw a posting for an ITSec Professional in Calgary. The starting wage – $85,000. That’s the starting wage, wages after a few years in the industry go up substantially. I personally know someone in the field here in SK who told me that unless you get in the good books with the Crowns, you’re not going to make a lot of money here.
Believe me, if I was fully certified right now, off to Calgary I would we.
You Tories are so full of hate. Why are you so angry? We have had balanced budgets for the past 10 years that is a fact. No scandal involving the NDP. The farmers in spudco got a good deal,no NDPer benefited. We are in a boom here in Sask if you’d open your eyes. We have never had good times under any Tory gov’t federally or local. Tory times are hard times. All you tories do is whine that you’d do better. I for one no my history Tory times are hard times. I don’t trust the Sask/Tory party at all.
Another comment you know what the NDP have done? They make the Tories look bad and the Tories make themselves look bad. Every time a Tory gov’t gets in it’s bad. Even in Alberta the Tories have a heritage fund of 14 billion dollars. How long has it been at that amount? I’d say at least 2o years. Norway has a similar fund and it’s at 200 billion dollars. Where has all the money in Alberta gone? Something stinks. That’s your tories if they get any money they piss it away.
You pay 430.00 a year in health insurance,380,000.00 for your average home in Calgary. High electrical and energy rates. Go stick your Tory ideas where the sun doesn’t shine. You are full of crap.
ok4ua:
“You Tories are so full of hate.”
Wow, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
“I don’t trust the Sask/Tory party at all.”
Well, you’d better look at relocating cause you’re in for a long, long haul with the SaskParty running the ship.
My point exactly. You have no policy just threats. The one thing the NDP do is make the Tories look bad.
ok4ua:
Evidently you can’t read. The NDP make the Tories look bad? Jack Layton is the laughing stock of Canada. The guy is such a boob it doesn’t warrant even making statements about him.
When the SaskParty is in power and you’re precious NDP is virtually non-existent next year – I’d love to have this conversation with you again.
Oh, by the way, you and your hypocrites the NDP are now thinking of selling off the Crowns to private industry. Wow, you guys really suck at the teat of the SaskParty when the ship is sinking, don’t you?
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=488350ba-2c32-48d4-84c7-30b530c7897b&k=51542
ok4ua, you have been brainwashed; there is no use arguing with this bitter, envious old fool. His fear of Calgary prices is pathetic. Bargain basement civil servent and his race to the bottom: well, they are winning, but the yonger generation will turn this place around before it’s too late!
Two things bushman.
The fact that we still have debt is an indication of how deep a fiscal hole the last free enterprise government put us in.
It is also an indication of how much of a drag on the economy is subsidizing right-wing voting farmers from cradle to grave.
http://www.bmonesbittburns.com/economics/
budget/2006sk/
postscript…If those old canards debt being hidden in the Crowns had any validity, they should be easy enough to verify. Why don’t you do so?
You Mr.Bushmen should look back to history. I’m older than you that’s for sure and “budwiser”. You’re blind and ignorant to the facts. You can’t scare people to vote. And you’re right the SaskaTory party is scary. Why would I vote for a party that in your own words will make it difficult for the average taxpayer. You said it. If you don’t like it here leave your job, if you have one ,I’m on vacation, and go where your much needed skills can be used. Like exactly what skills do you have if any?
typical SK red civil servant telling a young taxpayer to leave; Mr ok, we’ve been leaving in droves, and when loyal people like me finally get fed up and leave SK, there won’t be much left. Harder for taxpayers? yeah, that’s why we keep leaving for AB: it’s not NDP voters that are leaving: it is young, educated, or older, monied people that are leaving: teh NDP voters, the poor, the unionized and Crown employees, Aboriginals, are hardly leaving at all. real Taxpayers are leaving.
And mj, remember 10 years ago: AB had teh same debt as SK: now they have no debt and way more people: we have more debt and fewer people; only you NDP could F-up the god-given benefits that SK was given, jsut like you F’ed up Russia and Cuba and N Korea. thanks alot.
You socialists have also F’ed up every Reserve in Canada: way to go, you misguided fools.
ok4ua and maryjane…
As a right-leaning, younger (37) small business owner, I’d like to hear you say to me…”under another NDP majority administration in 2007, Saskatchewan will continue to perform beyond expectations into the next few years”.
The reason I’d like to hear this is for one reason. It would prove that you two have not paid much attention to what’s happening outside of your government offices.
Pundits say that Saskatchewan is performing admirably. I’m not sure if I was an MLA that I would be “happy” with continued population loss, 4 to 33-year wait times for many post-secondary programs in our applied sciences institutions or the fact that, despite $75/barrel oil, your party’s job creation record is dismal. These are supposed to be the best of times but we have a party with absolutely no clue where it is going to take us. Compared to the early 90s under Romanow, the bench strength Calvert has at his disposal is brutal.
Romanow: Lingenfelter, McKinnon, Axworthy, Goulet
Calvert: Higgins, Atkinson, Forbes, Lautermilch
Also ok4ua…before speaking about Spudco, I suggest you actually talk to some of the investors (not all farmers, either, trust me) before you say they got a good deal. Lautermilch lied…and at the end of the day, the potato industry in Saskatchewan was set back some 20 to 30 years. Don’t believe me? My neighbour, who was one of the biggest NDPers this side of the eugenics lab in Weyburn, invested everything he had because “my boys in Regina know a good thing when they see it”. Almost one year to the day after Spudco was officially wound down (actually, it morphed into another entity under a different name for awhile) this very same neighbour put a lawn sign up that read:
GOT SCREWED BY MY OWN PARTY.
VOTE NDP?
NEVER AGAIN.
BASTARDS.
Beside the text (to the left, of course) was a caracature of Mr. Potatoehead with Lorne Calvert’s face.
The NDP have proven they will knowingly screw their own if it means staying in power a little longer. Talk about being a scary party…if the NDP stay in we’re all going to be wards of the State, forced to make licence plates and eating cat food to survive!
One more thought just occurred to me. If, as Rev. Lovejoy proudly declares, “No one gets left behind”, does this mean:
a) the use of the word “left” is used for subliminal purposes?
b) that everyone will have their standard of living lowered to meet those who have no ambition to do anything in order to make it appear they government is doing something good?
c) SaskPower will install a master breaker on the last power pole at Alsask so as to promote a Green & Prosperous Economy?
If you answered yes to “B”, make your vote count and get rid of these clowns before all we have left are chrome domes and leftist whackos.
If you took “A” and “C” seriously and you feel compelled to spew more socialist drabble, do us all a favour and just end it now. Remember kids, it’s “down the block”, not “across the street”.
Drabble???
I don’t believe Alberta had debt.I think that was a big lie. I wonder if anyone would open the books and jail the crooks in Alberta? Did any MLA’s get money they weren’t supposed to get or the same with buisnesses? I wonder what really happened to all the oil money? Keep up with the doom and gloom and you’ll really attract voters. How anyone who gets a T-4 could vote tory is beyond me. It’s easier to vote Tory than to think.
Mr ok, AB had over 10 billion debt in the early 90’s.
And I think that you are an old civil servant, meaning that you are a net tax taker, not contributor.
I also that you are too set in your ways, there is no reasoning with you: and face it, you’re full of envy and jealousy.
I also think that you suffer from cognative dissonance, that’s the only explanation how you fail to see what a mess your dipper friends/bosses are making.
Bushman….Sk had over $14 billion debt after the debacle of a decade of conservative governance.
Or almost 4x the per capita debt of AB.
I believe you are a farmer , meaning you have your face firmly planted in the public trough. Doesn’t that embarass you.
If the farm brats in the SaskaTory party get in anyone besides civil servants who has a T-4 will have a rough time. Look at the SaskParty caucus……………….they’re all farmers helping farmers(50,000). There are 480,000 working stiffs in Sask and the Saskparty ignores them. Why should we vote for a repressive party like that. You are sexist,homophobic,racist,Waspy party who scream at the government because you have no solutions for anything. You call the NDP crooks because you’re ashamed of your parties roots in the PC party. You will try to rewrite history just like Earnest Zundel did. You’re border line Facists and you remind me of Nazi germans. You’re rich farmers who don’t give a damn about anyone but you. You farm brats,and I know a few look down on Natives and and people on welfare and you hold your hands out for cash. You are worst than welfare you’re the idle rich. The Tories paid farmers in the 80’s more than they made farming and you think this policy should still be in place. The more the Saskparty says we’re different the more I know they’re not.
You’re still peed off because your leaders ended up in jail. You are envious because you have delusions of grandure. The Sakatory party does not want to share the wealth. They and their farm buddies want it all.
Mr.Bush I think you are a graduate of some community or vocational Bible College and are either unemployed or in a job you find below you.
I make 42,000.00 gross a year my wife makes 44,000.00 a year gross. I have 2 years left til retirement my wife has 3 years left. We don’t waste our money and make out ok. I can’t get on TV and blame the Governmet for bad weather or bad crops. I got a 2% raise last year. What did most successful farmers gross per year on average for the last 5 years? That’s a big secret. A farmer made 300,000.00 last year and only made 250,000.00 this year so he lost 50,000.00. Right!!!!??? Most farmers lose more money than most of us make???? Most working stiffs have gone without a decent raise for 20 years. But who cares??? The news media and the TV puts the farmers and buisnessmen in the spotlight. The cost of living high is catching up to these parasites of society. My Dad could not leave me a legacy to guarantee anything but you rich farmers always have enough to bail your kids out over nd over again. And guess what????? You’re still want more. I’d be ashamed of myself if I was you,on TV begging for more and you criticize the Natives ,workers and the poor. If I had your assets I’d give mine to charity. The NDP cater to you but you want 115.00 an acre for bad weather. It isn’t the NDP’s fault the weathers bad. Go ask all the Tory MP’s you voted in to help you. Some of my family farmed and in good times they banked for hard times. The world price for grains is not the NDP’s or my fault. Maybe some of you should get a second job off the farm and quit begging for handouts. You are 8% of the GNP in Sask. Not big players anymore, working peoples taxes and wages are much more, Mining,Lumber,manufacturing,oil and gas bury you 10 times over. You used to be a big player but not for over 40 or 50 years. And you know what you can’t stand that.
1) I’m not a farmer, I’m a born and raised city boy:
2) Tories where way before my time;
3) I blame you socialists for much of the poverty that we see in SK: and we have too much poverty when we should be a rich province. I blame you NDP civil servants and politicians for being selfish and for supressing the poor while simultaneously attacking the rich: I know that your dippers are making things worse for everyone except your pathetic selves;
you are all about fear and envy and hate: and you are Now Destroying a Province.
Did you read the Leader Post today? We’re not poor anymore we’re in a job and building boom. Where have you been for the last 4 years? We have the 2nd lowest unemployment rate and 5000 new jobs created in the last year. If you are not part of the solution then you are the problem not the gov’t. I think you either don’t know what’s going on or don’t want to know. Which is it? You and the SaskaTory party live a lie.
We are underperforming when compared to all other Western provinces: we are creating far fewer jobs than Manitoba, never mind AB and BC; mediocre is not good enough. AB can create almost 100,000 jobs, and you dare to crow about 5,000? With SK’s many benefits, we shoudl be doing much better; you old socialists are holding us back!
We can’t compete on a level playing field with either Alberta or B.C. Who else can? We as a province are just getting on our feet after 10 lost and expensive years under the Tories. I live well with my family on our salaries I couldn’t do the same in B.C. or Alberta niether would you Mr.Bush. Most people who want to work in Sask are working. That was a latest stat I read. How much better will it get? I don’t know. But I know how bad it can get under a Tory or SaskaTory party. I’ve seen it all before. It will be bad for the people and I mean people who have a T-4.
ok, it’s been what, 15 years since Devine was in power? get over it, you old fool! And BC recently had a dipper gov, but after a few years of you crazy socialists, they have Campbell in there, and their economy is recovering nicely!
Mr ok, be honest! You know that the 80’s was marked by drought and high interest rates and low resource prices: you know Devine’s been gone for 15 years: be honest! you should know that many young families are moving from SK to Ab and BC (I know becasue they are friends and peers of mine!) OK, STOP LYING TO YORUSELF AND TO US ALL:
You socialists have f’ed up the SK economy, and have no-one to blame but yoruselves!
p.s: you exibit very cute fear of AB and BC! And very cute envy of businesses and farmers! It would be funny if you dorks didn;t do so much damage to Saskatchewan!
We’re in a boom stupid. Where the hell have you been? Why do you feel sorry for the top 10% of wealthy people? Are you a wanna be? Do you think by kissing their asses you’ll get wealthy? Get your head out of your ass and look around. We are a have province so why would I vote Tory? They are too narrow in their beliefs. You do not know much. Open market helps no one but the bigger buisnesses. Wait till they get rid of the wheat board. You have to remember that the Ammerican farmers are subsidised. Now what happens when the bottom falls out in grain prices. Do the farmers expect the people of Canada bail them out after all you want an open market and you make go broke with your open market. America figures the wheat boards a subsidy so think on this awhile. I for one will not support moneys going to farmers who opt out.
We are a have province only becasue of high oil, gas and uranium prices.
Freedom is good;
socialists are bad. Fear is bad. Envy is bad. Over-regulation and taxation is bad. The NDP are bad. Old civil servants that are stubborn and not very bright are bad.