The Elephant in the Room
Jun 14, 2013
elephant, mgeu, room, services, talk, taxes, union
In mid-May, the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union launched a campaign to get Manitobans talking about a simple, stark reality: those who provide public services to Manitobans have been working hard to deliver more with less, but the system is starting to give.
It’s true that the civil service has grown in the last decade. However, those on the front lines, delivering these services, ― whether their testing our blood for disease, or repairing our winter-ravaged highways, or caring for our most vulnerable ― say dig a little deeper and the numbers tell a very different story.
In an effort to save money, the Provincial government is in the midst of cutting 600 public service positions, bring the total number back down to 2009 numbers. Given that our province’s population continues to grow, what does this mean for Manitobans in 2013?
Since 2006, the number of children in care has increased from 6,629 to 9,730. Though there has been more investment in child welfare, vacancies remain unfilled and those striving to keep those kids safe say they continue to struggle every day to get kids and families the help they need.
Though there has been increased investment in our justice system, it has not come close to addressing the reality of our ballooning inmate population. The number of inmates skyrocketed nearly 100% in the last eight years, leaving no room for rehabilitation programs and threatening the safety of everyone in the institutions.
Meanwhile, in the last budget, ten departments had their budgets decreased. The department of Conservation and Water Stewardship, for instance, saw its budget slashed by 6.2%, leaving fewer people to keep our campgrounds clean and safe, and to manage our waterways and natural legacy.
Manitoba’s demographics don’t help the situation. The needs of the boomer cohort continue to grow as our services are squeezed and cut. For instance, home care attendants helped 14, 217 Manitobans remain in their own homes in 2012, a 4% increase from 2008. And what about our province’s well-known infrastructure deficit, which has received much attention but little action over the last several years?
This all adds up to a tough question that each of us as Manitobans must answer: what are our public supports worth to us?
The MGEU ads currently playing on TV, computer and cinema screens throughout the province refer to this question as “the elephant in the room.”
Because we know Manitobans value greatly their public services. In a January 2013 poll, most said maintaining or improving public services was their top priority, ahead of reducing taxes (11%) and balancing the budget (19%).
What’s not quite so easy to talk about, though, for governments or for citizens, is exactly how we find a balance between fair taxation and maintaining and improving the public services we’ve come to rely on.
If revenues were flat and you had to sacrifice a service, what would you cut? The program that helps an inmate escape his gang ties? The seasonal employee who keeps our campgrounds running? The specialist who helps an autistic child learn to speak to her parents? The upkeep of a highway or bridge that thousands rely on for safe passage?
As Manitobans, it’s time to start talking about these choices, and what they mean for all of us, with our families, our friends, and our neighbours.
As a community, it’s time to have a frank discussion about how we adequately resource the public services we want and deserve.
Please join the conversation at www.elephanttalk.ca.
Comments
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Manitobans need to take responsability and make the politicians accontable by their vote and active partciipation in decisions that affect them. There is no alternative. We have the goveernment that we elected.
Susan Loeppky - 2013-06-15 11:35