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Even Worse Than California
In Canada we have a strange tradition of “spreading the wealth around.” Provinces are divided into “Have” and “Have-Not” categories, and the federal government redistributes wealth from the Haves to the Have-Nots. Aren’t you glad you’re an American?
But hold on. It gets worse.
Sometimes, when politicians in a province think they’re not getting enough redistributed wealth from the feds, their premier (equivalent to your state governor) will move heaven and earth to get a better deal. Such is the case right now, as the premier of the province of British Columbia (B.C.) is using every phony environmental concern in the book to stop a pipeline from running across her turf that would carry crude oil from the oil sands of Alberta to a port where it could then be shipped to China.
You’ll recall how President Obama used phony environmental concerns to forestall the Keystone Pipeline, which would carry crude oil from Alberta down to refineries in Texas. When it became obvious to our prime minister (the equivalent of your president) that Obama wasn’t going to budge on Keystone, he wisely approached the premiers of B.C. and Alberta to see if they could work out a deal to get that crude to China instead. And everyone in Canada was very pleased with this idea because, as explained, the wealth that would accrue to Alberta would be spread around nicely and evenly all across the land.
All was going well until one fine day, when the premier of B.C., Christy Clark, got it into her head that she needed to hold out for more money. To heck with the rest of Canada! And Alberta.
Clark is predicting all sorts of disasters that could occur if a pipeline running across her province were to spring a leak. But I can guarantee you it’s all just a bunch of trumped-up, phony-baloney environmental posturing, because after all, she’s stating pretty clearly that more money will solve the problem.
No…not more money to ensure that the pipeline won’t burst, or more money in some sort of environmental-protection contingency fund that could be drawn upon at such time as there is a leak. No, silly — Premier Clark simply wants more money in her general-revenue coffers so she can spend it right away, and hopefully get herself re-elected.
So if Clark doesn’t really care about the environment, what, pray tell, does she plan to spend this money on? Ah…now this is something that you as an American might be able to relate to, especially if you live in a state like California, where public-service pensions are poised to bankrupt your whole state.
Start by wrapping your brain around the fact that 750 public-sector employees in the province of B.C. earn more than $200,000 a year, with top wages approaching a cool million! And they’re all in line to receive gold-plated, indexed pensions, with full benefits, ’til the day they, or their spouses, die.
If they all retired right now, they’d drain over $200 million per annum out of the province’s treasury (which is empty, by the way) in exchange for doing nothing. That’s $200 million a year for just 750 people — barely enough to fill a high-school gymnasium shoulder to shoulder. And the rest of us have to pay for that.
But these people must be the exceptions to the rule. Right? La crème de la crème of the province’s public sector? Surely most civil servants in B.C. earn more modest wages, something in the neighborhood of a teacher’s starting salary of just $47,000. Right?
Nope!
Bad Brad
August 24th, 2012
Monkey Boy:
I guess I’m not moving up there after all.
Frosteetoes
August 24th, 2012
This is good…let them keep stalling until President Romney is sworn in. Canada, don’t sign any contracts with China just yet.
Wyatt, Insensitive Jerk
August 24th, 2012
As a Californian, I’m outraged that anyone would even think of comparing British Columbia to California in terms of fiscal insanity. The Premier of British Columbia is trying to extort billions of dollars from the rest of Canada in order to pay for the rich booty they pay out to public employees – we in California are much purer from an ideological standpoint and prefer to punish our own citizens directly. And, if we succeed in driving even more private sector businesses out of this state, we can not only claim to be environmentally sound, but also claim complete victory over evil, corrupt corporations who do nothing more than provide goods, services, and jobs.
Of course this may likely lead to financial collapse in the near future, but at least our hearts are pure and our consciences clear (and our heads are full of rocks).
Monkey in Red
August 24th, 2012
Monkey in Red
August 24th, 2012
Brad — ain’t the same in Alberta. Politics differ from province to province.
Alberta is more like Texas; and BC like Oregon.
Billy Fuster
August 24th, 2012
Eh?
Unneutral
August 24th, 2012
I graduated high school and never had a single course in economics but I’m just smart enough to know this has a built-in dead end.
Stranded in Sonoma
August 24th, 2012
What @Wyatt said.
Jack Daniels
August 25th, 2012
Cardigan,
As maddening as that is, consider this; Quebec receives over HALF of all transfer payments! and has not been a have province for over 50 years.
This to a province that has made it crystal clear for the last 100 years that it has no interest, desire or intent on EVER becoming a willing participant of Canada. (no, it would rather be a parasite)
According to the Fraser Institute’s 2010 Social and Economic Freedom report for North America, Quebec is the bottom of the barrel in every category! (remember, this report reflects both the US and Canada)
In 2010, Quebec received over 8 BILLION dollars in transfer payment, most of the monies came from Alberta! (Manitoba placed 2nd with 3 billion) In addition, more federal money is poured into Quebec than any other province, including federal funds to celebrate Canada’s birthday, which it does not even celebrate!
All this to a province who cannot and will not stop itself from hating the country that sustains her, and has according to the UN (no friend of conservatives) has the most draconian laws when it comes to dealing with its English minority.
Oh don’t get me started with Quebec!! I could go on an on and on
Quebec is by definition, literally, a parasite, a blight on our country that holds and has been holding this country as a political hostage for the past 100 years!
I have maintained for years, that if the rest of the country ever actually woke up and stopped transferring vast amounts of money, monies that literally sustain her economy, she would become a Cuba overnight!