Alberta Sales Tax ....

[lmtada]

Originally Posted by Badgerbadger

Do you feel like dealing with 40 kids (from 6 yrs old to 18 yrs old, take your pick) for 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week while trying to instill the basics so that the they can pass calculus/physics/mechanics/english/math/writing/history? Do you think that's a job of limited value? Would you rather your kids "learn" from some person who is paid the bare minimum?

Front line staff such as teachers or healthcare workers is the wrong place to look for savings, as that's precisely where the best investment in our society is made. An educated and healthy populace makes for a very productive populace.

BadgerBadger 75% of provincial expense is health/education. Where else are you going to save????
A couple of my family members are teachers. I am the nasty uncle
P.S. How about integrating some new technology to replace the teacher? Where is the innovation to improve teaching? If there is new technology. Why is it not implemented.
In the energy industry. Companies always want to reduce cost, speed,increase efficiency. Industry embraces technology. At first some may be reluctant to change. However numbers don't lie. Change will be implemented. Example. Electronic tower book( pason), When it first introduced in 95 no one wanted to have anything to do with it. Five years later, everyone utilizes the pason. Creates new jobs Pason service hand. instead of 6 man crew, there are 5 man or 4 man crew. Now there are Iron roughnecks, derrick hands. Super Singles with 13 m joints. Bit technology has totally changed penetration rates. From tricone technology, to PDC. One run bits. Rigs are smaller, compact, fast.
What solutions Do you have for this Dilemma?

[Rdamours]

We are in a mono-economy with nothing to offer other than the oil that the govt. gives away to take out of the ground. If oil goes below x then a sales tax may be a viable option...hopefully it can be rescinded above y dollars per barrel.

You got to watch your salary cutting talk as the oil companies can all agree that 15 dollars an hour is what you get and if you don't like it then you will be replaced with off shore workers. At 50 per barrel prolonged it may be the only way to keep the oil flowing...or more automation to take people out of the mix as much as possible.

[ShooterSteveYYC]

Since when is a government ever fiscally responsible?
I had this discussion with my dad years ago, we both agreed that were oil to ever take a tumble like this that the first thing the government would suggest is a sales tax....not tightening their spending.

[TripleTTT]

According to may calculations, we should all have been getting Alberta Prosperity Cheques at any oil price of $50 a barrel or greater! FOR THE LAST 9 YEARS!!!

[roper1]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

Oops ... I just remembered ... I was a teacher for thirty two years. Six years of university on my own dime ... substantial debt when I finished because I needed student loans to stay in the game. So, like all teachers, my start salary was close to 50% of what it would be after 11 years on the job (that max salary that keeps getting misused as representing what the average teacher is earning). In addition to the time I put into my "earned" salary, I volunteered ...sometimes hundreds of hours a year, coaching other people's kids...while mostly other teachers coached mine. I never had more than 6 weeks vacation time any summer, even after 25 years. My pension contributions took about 10% of my gross salary. I am proud of my work, and although could not have passed some of the courses in engineering, I knew enough to teach kids that used the knowledge I shared with them ... so they could pass those courses. I understand full well, that the job I did was no more important than any other job ... nor was it any less important. So, to the pouters that envy my easy lot in life, I say, if you really think teaching is so cushy and easy, put in the time to get yourself trained and give it a go. My bet is you will find it is not as easy, not as financially rewarding as you might imagine ... but I can almost guarantee ... it is very rewarding.

You get the good guy award of the year. Many people volunteer time coaching, BTW. It took you 6 years to get the education AB education web-site says 4 required. You slower than average or took you a little time to find yourself? Not relevant to my post. You're guilt complex is showing, I never posted once about work conditions, holidays, tenure, Little Johnny, Little Susie, nor am I in any way jealous. What I pointed out is all Ab tax-payers have a big challenge paying public sector salaries & pensions significantly higher than the private sector. You have yet to explain how we're getting out of this( taxes or cutbacks). Instead you try to explain how tough it really was. The private sector in this province is getting their butt kicked, and it will get worse. What is your solution ??

[260 Rem]

Sorry rope, I did six years 'cause I did a Masters degree ... you know, boring dissertation type of stuff. I guess the difference between our "knowledge" regarding teachin stuff is that I lived it before you learned to do an Internet search. No point in arguing as I doubt you could be convinced to abandon your position regardless of facts.

[roper1]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

Sorry rope, I did six years 'cause I did a Masters degree ... you know, boring dissertation type of stuff. I guess the difference between our "knowledge" regarding teachin stuff is that I lived it before you learned to do an Internet search. No point in arguing as I doubt you could be convinced to abandon your position regardless of facts.

You're still whining. My position is unchanged. Unsustainable public sector remuneration. My question is unchanged. More taxes or rollbacks??

[260 Rem]

Hmmm ... So there are only two options ... A or B? Unsustainable? That concept is used as much as "the sky is falling". OK, pop quiz. Will the gov roll back teacher compensation or increase taxes? My bet... No rollback and the sky will stay up there!
Me whine ... No way, I'm on pension

[roper1]

Well, like you say, those 7.4 billion aren't believable because you disagree with the concept. So it appears to be simple for you, there is no problem because the sky isn't falling. However, there are a lot of Albertans really in a tough spot & the thread is about more taxes. You keep dodging the question, how are we going to pay the difference ??

[260 Rem]

Here is a dose of reality ... I was directly involved in negotiating many collective agreements during the 80's and 90's. Employing boards were always very quick to pull out the "unsustainable" card . So often that we just ceased to take it seriously. With the exception of the one big rollback in the 90's more than a dozen so called Unsustainable agreements were made and behold, none of the dire predictions ever came to fruition.
None of my three sons are public service, all earn more 2/3rds into their Careers as I did at the end of mine. Don't whine to me about poor private sector, they still make decent salaries.

[roper1]

So you are saying the 7.4 billion is not on the books??Seriously, can't believe everything you read, correct? The one big rollback in the 90's certainly went a long ways toward balancing the books, helping to eliminate ALL of Ab's debt just for a dose of reality. Another dose of reality, if private sector lays off any of your three sons, they will be earning EI, significantly less than you did at the end of your career. No whine here, I am doing very well.