Schools need funds to produce innovators.
British Columbians continue to skip down the yellow economic brick road led by Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and, of course, the yapping dog Toto.
The provincial finance minister – Carole Taylor complete with resoled red shoes – reaffirmed her predecessor Gary Collin’s entire February budget and provided the legislative assembly with a retreaded version on Sept. 14th. British Columbia taxpayers should carefully follow the house debates regarding budget spending estimates and the underlying rationale.
Taylor (Dorothy), in her quest to demonstrate that Premier Gordon Campbell (the Tin Man) has a heart, has allocated $242 million to improve support for seniors. When approved, the retreaded budget will provide up to 40,000 low-income seniors with a renewal of their Seniors’ Supplement and a doubling of the annual funding for Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER).
The SAFER subsidy of $50 will now include seniors who own trailers or manufactured homes. Seniors make up 14 percent of British Columbia’s population and this is expected to rise to 23 percent by 2031.
For First Nations, Dorothy announced an allocation of $100 million to support initiatives designed to assist First Nations in becoming effective partners. You may recall from an earlier column printed in this space that according to Statistics Canada, the federal government turns over to the chiefs and councils about 90 percent of the $7 billion budgeted by the federal government annually for Aboriginal spending.
Taxpayers might wonder about the intellectual soundness of this additional expenditure. B.C. Minister of Aboriginal Relations Tom Christensen might consider avoiding the possible perception that he is the strawman of Oz by consulting with Dorothy before this funding receives approval.
“It’s about the image, it seems to be the budget is attempting to restore the balance for seniors and Aboriginals,” says Steve Chubby, general manager of Island Savings in Victoria, when asked for his analysis.
But the Cowardly Lion budget fails to demonstrate the courage that is needed to do the right thing for transportation and heating costs for workers. Taylor made it clear that the yellow brick road will not be any more affordable for citizens, as she declared she will not be following other government leaders in Europe and other jurisdictions by reducing the government tax on gasoline and heating fuel. The government’s windfall on this necessity continues to grow.
Taxpayers wait for Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon to demonstrate the appropriate level of intestinal fortitude and reduce the government’s “take” at the pumps.
This same attribute will be necessary for the minister of Advanced Education, Murray Coell. Political leaders talk the talk about Canada’s need to excel in a knowledge-based global economy, but when asked to walk the walk, the Taylor budget offers very little to this ministry.
Following four years of tuition and wage freezes, Dorothy has provided only a $56-million increase for the current year; $64 million in the following year; and in years three and four, $76 million. This represents an increase in the order of three percent per annum. I estimate that this is significantly less than the teaching infrastructure will cost just to keep abreast of wages, property taxes, transportation and fuel prices in the province.
While competing in a national and international economy, without the financial support of Oz, British Columbia will become less competitive.
“My son has a learning disability, so the size of the classrooms and the availability of teaching assistance is important. The budget is a small step in the right direction but is still insufficient,” notes Chubby.
In addition to the sizable tax reductions announced in former finance minister Collin’s February budget, Taylor sweetened the pot for business with a further corporate income tax rate cut from 13.5 percent to 12 percent effective July 1, 2005; and additional tax incentives for the international commercialization of life-science patents.
“Why biotech, over other competing interests?” asks Chubby. It seems strange to me, too.
Without funding, our school system continues to reduce hard-skill programs such as math- and science-based courses. Accordingly, the likelihood of innovation of the kind that spawned B.C.’s Carmanah Technologies, ACD Systems and other technology firms grows more remote.
We have fewer Canadians educated to undertake this type of innovative research and development. Money is desperately needed by education at all levels. It cannot be given to supporters and lobbyists. The allocation of scarce resources requires critical thinking and must provide B.C.’s 4.2 million taxpayers value for money.
Ah yes … What about Toto, you ask? It is the taxpayers’ hope that Opposition Leader Carol James will continue nipping at the heels of Dorothy and her colourful companions. May this in turn help them find that which they seek.
Note: This article was originally published in 2005.
