Who do you want to win the Saskatchewan Provincial election?

[Dalreg]

Sorry folks but it doesn't really matter who is in charge.

A politician is a politician is a politician. Not worth the air that they breath. At least we will hear many wonderful campaign promises over the next couple of weeks. To bad NONE of them will actually happen once the election is over.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by CCF

I just don't get why we are in such a hurry to oust the party that has brought us this "boom." Things are finally rolling here and we want to get rid of the guys who have made life good? Why, exactly?
What has the Sask Party said or done that makes them the smart choice. As far as I know the only thing they've done is kept their mouths shut as an attempt to not say anything stupid. They know if they mention anything about the Crown Corps it'll be Hermanson all over again. I follow politics very closely and the only thing that comes to mind is their promise to bring 800 nurses. As if that plan is feasible. Where are they getting 800 nurses from?

Interesting that on a forum that's about urbanism that people are favouring the Sask Party, a party that has strong rural ties. Whereas the NDP, the more urban party, is getting no respect.

I'm not saying change is bad, but I just don't see what the Sask Party has done to warrant all this respect.

Wow, I didn't know Calvert was single handedly responsible for the high resource prices (oil, uranium etc) that are largely propelling the boom. There is more to him than I thought I guess.

I think you could argue that Sask is doing remarkably well despite the current government, not because of it.

[swilley]

Originally Posted by lubicon

Wow, I didn't know Calvert was single handedly responsible for the high resource prices (oil, uranium etc) that are largely propelling the boom. There is more to him than I thought I guess.

I think you could argue that Sask is doing remarkably well despite the current government, not because of it.

Exactly, the NDP has little or nothing to do with this boom.

[CCF]

Right..........

Please, someone tell me what Brad Wall is going to do to make life better? I really am interrested because he hasn't said much.

[ReginaGuy]

I think the way a lot of people feel, is that after 20+ years of NDP rule, the province hasn't really gone anywhere, and we're in need of a change.. something to shake things up.

[CCF]

Well that's valid, but I for one would like to know what that change would be. The Sask Party has said next to nothing on what they'll do.

Who's to say that this change won't bring the same sort of policies that the Torries practiced the last time they were in power. That really did a lot for the province........

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Haha. Saskatchewan's penitentiaries don't need any more inmates.

[ReginaGuy]

I guess the Sask. Party is vowing to refund up to 20,000 to graduates who stay in Saskatchewan.

This will most definately keep people in Saskatchewan, but won't it also bankrupt the province?!

[TSN]

Originally Posted by ReginaGuy

I think the way a lot of people feel, is that after 20+ years of NDP rule, the province hasn't really gone anywhere, and we're in need of a change.. something to shake things up.

I would concur that change after a long time in government is good. Two terms is ideal, max 3, you see governments get sloppy and complacent much like the federal Liberals did and the Alberta Conservatives are right now.

Governments get too much credit when things are good and too much blame when things get bad. Funny when I read comments about how Calvert has nothing to do with any 'boom' yet I'm willing to bet that the same people would say that Klein had everything to do with the boom in Alberta.

If you're sitting on some kind of valuable resource (oil, uranium or whatever), any PC/Liberal/NDP can make themselves look good. Take a downtrodden economy and turn it into a high tech/medical/R&D mecca, then I'll probably acknowledge your greatness.

[Mayor Quimby]

Originally Posted by ReginaGuy

I guess the Sask. Party is vowing to refund up to 20,000 to graduates who stay in Saskatchewan.

This will most definately keep people in Saskatchewan, but won't it also bankrupt the province?!

In tax deductions meaning one would have to pay at least $3,000 in Provincial taxes annually to get full benefit, with current graduate tax exemption it would be $4,000 for the first 4 years and $3,000 for the last 3. To pay $4,000 in tax a single person with no dependents would have to make almost $30,000 per year, assuming 15% provincial income tax. Sounds good if your walking into a good job right after grad, but it doesn't deal with the affordability on the front end, a $1k deduction in tuition does more affordability and the income threshold to take advantage of the $1,000 graduate exemption currently in place is less then $10,000 ensuring every gets full advantage of it.

It seems that Wall thinks tax cuts could cure cancer. Tax breaks are nice but are not the biggest burden on most people, government should look to give reasonable relief in areas that effect the most people. Tax deductions do not fully meet that requirement and should be combined with reductions in fees and/or grants and funding.

[lubicon]

The flip side is that tuition reductions do nothing to keep someone from leaving the province after they graduate, nor does it give someone incentive to finish their degree and get on with life. A tax cut (which only applies if you live in Sask) targets those who A) stay in Saskatchewan after they graduate and B) actually have a job and thus contribute to the economy.

$30 000 is not that large a salary to be making after you are done school. I'm hard pressed to think of anyone who would not make at least that much after finishing post secondary schooling.

[Mayor Quimby]

Originally Posted by lubicon

The flip side is that tuition reductions do nothing to keep someone from leaving the province after they graduate, nor does it give someone incentive to finish their degree and get on with life. A tax cut (which only applies if you live in Sask) targets those who A) stay in Saskatchewan after they graduate and B) actually have a job and thus contribute to the economy.

$30 000 is not that large a salary to be making after you are done school. I'm hard pressed to think of anyone who would not make at least that much after finishing post secondary schooling.

There already is $1,000 graduate credit for 4 years after, which combined with lowering tuition allows everyone to participate in the incentive. $30,000 per year is the minimum and does not including other deductions such as tuition, bus passes, kids and daycare, to name only a few. Which could put the income needed near $50,000.

Tax cuts only help those that already have money. Whatever happened to helping those in need by giving them an education to succeed?

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Well there are some tax cuts that can help those in need. Increasing minimum taxation levels for instance would help those that work crappy jobs in the service industry.

The biggest incentive to stay is decent job availability though. We can do everything we want to increase education levels for people to succeed, but if there's nothing for them to succeed at here then where are we? Simply educating people to leave.

There are solutions here somewhere. I just wish the parties were talking about ideas instead of instilling fear of the other parties. Right now I don't have much of an idea what any party is really about. So I'm more than likely going to base my vote on past history and not what they might currently do.

[J-MAN]

Id suggest u stay away from anything NDP

[CCF]

Right...and why's that?

From what I've seen the SK NDP and the MB NDP are very different.

[DowntownRiderFan]

Unless i missed it on here I dont think this has been brought up yet. The NDP announced they would extend the $15 prescription plan they put in place for seniors in the last budget to everyone in the province to the cost of $150 million a year (i think that is the cost, correct me if im wrong) for the whole program.

I think the NDP totally missed the target with this one, there are so many other issues in healthcare that should and need to be addressed way before the cost of prescriptions, such as waitlists and recruitment.

[babo]

Isn't it "Karwacki", with a "c"?

[DowntownRiderFan]

As a recent UofR graduate (and current student) who has found a great non-government/non-union job and stayed in Regina I really enjoy hearing about these types of programs cause they put $$$ right in my pocket.

As much as I like them, and they could very well decide how i vote in this election, Im not entirely convinced they help keep educated people here. I think that most of the educated people that leave do so for one of two main reasons. They either just want to leave, possibly to experience other places or bigger cities or they cant find work here. I think the latter is becoming less of an issue as the economy develops.

Granted, there probably is a large number of people who leave jobs here for better paying jobs elsewhere, but I would think that most of these jobs are oilfield/construction related and other labour jobs, most of which would be unaffected by a tuition reimbursement or tax credits for post-secondary graduates.

Anyway the only definitive solution is to develop the economy as then the jobs and the wages will take care of themselves.

And just to touch on the tuition reduction...I would prefer to see this money put towards scholarships, awards and grants. This way it reduces the cost of education for those who really want it, will excel, and are willing to put a little more effort in rather than accross the board where all the slackers who will drop out in 2 years will waste the money.

[rrskylar]

With housing price increases of 53.6% a in Saskatoon and 29.2% in Regina in just the past year, you can plainly see the terrible job the NDP is doing, the economy must be in a shambles to record those low numbers!

[J-MAN]

Shaaa, its not where your from its where your at....