Tag Archive: budget

If the political will is there, the money is too to settle teachers’ dispute

Sep 13, 2014

I’ve submitted the following Letter to the Editor to the Vancouver Sun. Hoping they publish it in the next couple days: Enough with the pleas of a bare cupboard from the Premier, Finance Minister and Education Minister. If the political will is there, there is plenty of money to settle the teachers’ dispute, hire more… View Article

BC government using affordability excuses to underfund education and health

Aug 11, 2014

By Iglika Ivanova

Affordability is becoming the new buzzword of the BC government. In the dispute with teachers, for example, the Minister of Education has repeatedly argued demands for lower class sizes and improved class composition, as well as fair wages, are unaffordable and unrealistic (see here). When parents and businesses make the case for more public funding… View Article

How Doctors are Paid in BC

Feb 22, 2014

By Dr. Vanessa Brcic

[A version of this piece was posted on the Tyee] Health care is the biggest, most expensive and most important thing that government does. Hospital care swallows up a large proportion of the health care budget, but primary care in the community takes care of most patient needs and keeps people out of hospital…. View Article

7 things that should be in this year’s BC Budget

Feb 17, 2014

By Iglika Ivanova

In the fifth year of a slow and largely jobless economic recovery, the 2014 BC Budget should prioritize measures to set the foundation of a more just and sustainable economy, where prosperity is shared by all citizens. Here are 7 initiatives that will get us there. 1. A comprehensive poverty reduction plan Combating poverty is… View Article

With BC’s job market stalled, it’s time for a jobs plan that actually works

Aug 13, 2013

By Iglika Ivanova

The latest BC job numbers reveal a picture of persistently high unemployment and stalled job creation. Since January, BC’s unemployment rate has been on a roller-coaster ride, down one month and up the next. All in all, here have been very few jobs created in 2013, far fewer than needed to employ our growing working… View Article

Reality check on government spending: is the overspending fear mongering justified

May 9, 2013

By Iglika Ivanova

Both main parties in this election campaign are accusing the other of being big spenders. The BC Liberals claim the BC NDP is making election promises that are too expensive and argue the 1990s (the last time the NDP was in government) was a time of particularly high spending. The BC NDP points out that… View Article

Assessing BC’s Fiscal Health: Can BC afford more deficits?

Apr 17, 2013

By Seth Klein

By Seth Klein and Iglika Ivanova [Note: this piece has also appeared in the Tyee here.] OK, time for a reality check on BC’s deficits. Simply put, while arguments about deficits and “who is the better fiscal manager” may make for entertaining politics, there is no compelling economic reason why BC cannot run a few… View Article

Social Housing Reality Check: Government’s own numbers reveal modest investment in new social housing

Mar 31, 2013

By Seth Klein

[This post has also appeared on the Tyee here.] One of the more contentious issues regarding the BC government’s record concerns the issue of social housing. To hear Minister Rich Coleman tell it, BC’s record has been above and beyond. For the last few years, barely a week has gone by without a government news… View Article

The Shifting Terrain of Taxes in BC: Budget signals new openness to tax increases

Mar 3, 2013

By Seth Klein

[The following piece was also published on The Tyee here.] These are certainly interesting times. For all the faults in last week’s BC Budget (and there were many), it’s worth noting that the conversation about taxes has fundamentally shifted, and in a welcome direction. After vigorously insisting for years that tax increases would be ruinous… View Article

BC throne speech repackages old announcements, lacks courage and vision

Feb 12, 2013

By Iglika Ivanova

Today’s Speech from the Throne reads more like a list of what this government sees as its main achievements than a true framework for going forward. New initiatives are few and far between, sandwiched between pages of self-congratulatory recap of the natural gas strategy, the jobs plan and highlights from the last budget. All in… View Article

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A progressive take on BC issues

A progressive take on BC issues

Tag Archive: budget

If the political will is there, the money is too to settle teachers’ dispute

BC government using affordability excuses to underfund education and health

How Doctors are Paid in BC

With BC’s job market stalled, it’s time for a jobs plan that actually works

Reality check on government spending: is the overspending fear mongering justified

Assessing BC’s Fiscal Health: Can BC afford more deficits?

Social Housing Reality Check: Government’s own numbers reveal modest investment in new social housing

The Shifting Terrain of Taxes in BC: Budget signals new openness to tax increases

BC throne speech repackages old announcements, lacks courage and vision