Ed Stelmach, Premier of Alberta, announced yesterday that the province will use this year’s budget surplus of $4 billion to develop two funds: one for carbon capture and one for transit funding.
Regarding transit funding, I would love to see the transit money being used to bulk purchase buses for all the transit authorities in the province. A train from Lethbridge to Grande Prairie would be nice, too.
You’ll note it’s a projected surplus. The Conservatives are usually pretty conservative in their budget surplus estimates, but it’s money we don’t have yet.
Interestingly enough 2 bil of it looks like a subsidy for the carbon-capture industry – awarding funds for research and innovation. Not a bad idea, really. Especially if we can export the expertise to other provinces and countries.
Maybe they can put some of that into funding for mental health services, so people can get properly trained and people get the help and information they NEED.
I doubt they will.
This portion of any budget surplus is only earmarked for the previously mentioned two areas of spending.
I know.
Hmmm… Sounds like a monetary ‘Smoke screen’ to me.
I have still yet to be convinced that money spent on the environment isn’t better spent on something other than the “Carbon Crusade” which is still debatable in my books. Regardless of what Al Gore seems to believe.