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Where do we go from here?

I have been reading about debt.  Federal, provincial and personal debt. Doesn’t sound like things are Black – mostly red!

What really made me think about the debt was the debt clock released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation which shows our federal debt at  more than $500 billion, www.debtclock.ca.

That equates to just over $16,500 per Canadian citizen regardless of age.

The Provincial debt is $47 billion that is about $10,000 per person.

If my math is correct a family of four in B.C. owes in excess of $100,000 which does not include the daily interest.

The federal budget is soon to be debated in the House – I hear there will be no new funding programs, perhaps not a balanced budget.

Of course as soon as government wants to control spending we cry foul and demand they fund our every demand.

It certainly isn’t right to spend the income of future generations, generations that can’t even speak for themselves.

It doesn’t matter which level of government, they are responsible for infrastructure, roads, water, sewer, health, education.

There is only one taxpayer – you and I. No doubt there isn’t a community group or city in Canada that doesn’t have a project they want funded. Should priorities be established sooner rather than later?

Perhaps I misunderstood, I thought I heard our MLA say the federal and or provincial government’s should fund our multi-centre 100 per cent.

I don’t think the rest of Canada would agree nor do I, as who wants to pay for a major NHL arena in Montreal or the new theatre proposal for Vancouver at a cost of $220 million, plus?

Job creation will enable us to grow our economies leading the way for funding health care, education and the necessities of life.

To move the economy forward we need resource jobs, which include mining, oil, gas, forestry and agriculture.

The environmentalists and others have so many perceived reasons and obstacles in play that it is almost impossible to move projects forward.

One peeve I have is the hydro smart meters to be installed by 2012 in every home in BC – at a cost of $930 million – with a projected pay back of $500 million in 20 years, my math says that is a lousy investment for the taxpayer.

Fiscal responsibility by government is necessary even though we don’t want to hear it, we can’t keep financing the future.

Taxpayers’ ability to pay will continue to diminish creating higher taxes. At the end of the day all levels of government need to remember whose money is being spent.

Where to from here or do we care?

Mary Glassford is a long-term Quesnel resident, former Cariboo Regional District director and city councilor and president of the Post Secondary Education Council.