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In article <46j0nj$3hv@wolfe.wimsey.com>, kpollak@portal.ca (Karl Pollak) says:
>
>robinson@df06h.mdd.comm.mot.com (Jim Robinson) wrote:
>
>>>The deficit, both finanacial and otherwise was in large part, a legacy of 
>>>many years of Socred mismanagement.
>
>>As I understand it, the deficit was well under control prior to Vander Zalm
>>assuming command. As well, as I understand it, much of the deficit/debt
>>racked up by the NDP has been hidden by moving spending off budget (e.g.
>>BC21). 
>
>You're only partially right, Jim.  Also you have to avoid falling into the
>trap of looking only at what the government calls "curent year deficit".
>You see, both the Socreds and the Socialists had the nasty habit of hiding
>a lot of the borrowing under items other than "direct governemnt
>requirements".  
>
>For example, the government will show as income $250 million transferred
>from BC Hydro or some other Crown Corp.  But at the same time, the same BC
>Hydrop will go out and borrow $430 million, in effect, borrowing the
>"profit" it is paying out to its sharholder.  It is one of the more popular
>dodges used by governments to hide portions of its deficit.
>
>Year ending March 31  (in million $)
>                     1991      1992      1993        1994       1995
>Deficit             625.7     2,355.4   1,761.3     1,284.0      898.0
>Total Prov. Debt 17,208.0    19,977.5   23,337.0   25,395.9   27,422.4
>
>As you can see on the above figures from the '94 provincial budget, the
>total provincial debt (the amount the taxpayers will have to fork over
>sooner or later)  is increasing at a rate somewhat greater than the amount
>of the stated deficit.
>
>The NDP have in their first 4 years of "glorious achievements" more than
>doubled the direct government debt from $4,725,900,000 at March 31, 1991 to
>a staggering $10,697,500,000 by March 31, 1995.
>
>Ask David Schreck what happened to the 1991 election promise of balancing
>the budget ?
>
Why Don't we the taxpayers of B.C. make the government balance their budgets 
every year. A simple statement stratigicaly placed that said something to the 
effect. ..WE THE TAXPAYERS OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA WELL NO LONGER 
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEBTS INCURED ON OUR BEHALF FROM DECEMBER, 1, 1995.
Wouldn't that work.
>Karl Pollak
>Bottom Line Productions           Canadian Infomaticon BBS,
>Richmond, British Columbia        Fido 1:153/965  (604) 275-9579
>