A Response the Ontario Budget

In response to the NDP request for public input into the proposed Ontario Liberal budget I offered the following. You can have your say at http://www.ondpcaucus.com/yoursay/index.php#form

Whilst each of us may have a different view of where to cut cots or increase income there is little doubt that the fiscal imbalance must be addressed, forcing an election over the semantics of what to cut or tax is simply unacceptable. It merely delays the inevitable and adds addition expenditures to an already struggling economy.

The Conservative knee jerk reaction of saying without even taking time to offer alternatives or positive criticism that they will not support the budget can only be called irresponsible and a typical partisan response. I urge the NDP to offer alternatives to those portions of the budget with which they disagree and attempt to come to some consensus and / or offer other means to reduce the burden upon future taxpayers.

With regard to the Public Service wage freeze I believe that government has no choice in this regard given the major part of the expenditures that goes to wages and benefits to public employees. Most of these employees fall in the $40,000 to $80,000 range and have benefits (including pension plans) which most of us can only dream off. Those who fall below the $40,000 threshold (and many nearer $20,000 or even less, including our family! ) are sick and tired of hearing the annual whining by these unionized above average paid workers for more, more more! We have long ago reconciled ourselves to doing with less in an economy where daily costs keep rising despite the ever increasing difficulty of keeping or finding a job. That’s reality OPSU and others unionized PSW, get used to it we cannot afford to keep paying for your very comfortable life style.

None of the above detract from the fact that those above $80,000 or so can, and must, increase their contribution to the public purse and in particular those in upper levels of management, CEOs, Board & Commission Chairs and the like where salaries and bonuses often reach obscene levels.

In short, we must all share the pain but those that have hitherto seen little impact of the ongoing 'downturn' must now also do their share. Forcing an election however will not accomplish any of this for no matter what the outcome the fiscal situation will not change but simply become worse in the interim.