The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Provincial Issues - Education As sure as health care and its positives and failings will be an issue in the next provincial election, it is also a guarantee that education, specifically education costs, will also be a major issue. The PC's plan in 2003 to take the cost of education off homes and farms rocked the governing NDP for a time but did not prove to be a winner; however, school taxes, set by school boards, continue to be what the Association of Manitoba Municipalities calls "an issue for everyone." In a huge Free Press ad over the summer, AMM appealed to Joe Citizen to get concerned about the onerous burden of education taxes on property owners, and gave three reasons for their concerns: 1. The current system of charging taxes on property for education is unfair and unsustainable. 2. Property taxation should be collected only for municipal services and: 3. Education has no relationship with property ownership. The organization reminds taxpayers that while municipalities must collect education taxes from the homeowner, they have no say in setting the rates. They insist that they are not for a reduction in education quality, but that the province must assume greater responsibility for funding education, and "relying on property taxes to fund an ever-increasing percentage is unfair." The AMM's plan makes sense and is exactly what the PC's policy states. This year's education grants to school boards, proudly announced by minister Peter Bjornson, was claimed by most boards to be not enough, and education taxes were again raised throughout the province. Bjornson insisted that all boards should use up any surpluses before raising taxes, but most have little extra money. In fairness, it must be said that school boards have little choice, as they are not allowed to run deficits Ð they either raise taxes or cut staff and programs. The province has it both ways Ð cutting the provincial levy on education and claiming they are reducing taxes, but allowing school boards to take back the savings. This problem will not go away as the costs of education (80 per cent is salaries) will continue to increase. What about the amalgamation of school divisions that the NDP said would save all that money on less administration and costs. Recent reports say that all the so-called savings were eaten up by equalizing worker's contracts in the amalgamated divisions. The result? No savings at all for the taxpayers, at least so far. The government said it will happen,but critics are skeptical. One Winnipeg school board showed some innovation in making money even though it was quite illegal. Seven Oaks School Division got involved as a land developer in a residential area called Swinford Park. Boards are not allowed to do this, and for good reason Ð all their money is tax money and losses cannot be suffered. The state of university financing will also be an issue in '07 or '08. Unlike most American universities, our three institutes of higher learning are most dependent on government financing, especially since the NDP cut tuition fees by 10 per cent in 1999 and have a freeze on since. With inadequate revenues, the three brought in fees on everything, in effect a 15 per cent increase in tuition. The government blamed the universities for the increase, accepting no blame for the inadequate grants. They gave some money to the institutions, allowing them to cut their fees, but this is only a stop-gap measure and will arise again and again. The problem is the freeze. Manitoba has the lowest tuition fees in the country and low entry standards (causing MacLean's Magazine to rate the U of M last in ranking among major Canadian universities). Programs will have to be curtailed or eliminated if the shortfall continues. A recent poll claims 70 per cent of Manitobans are in favor of the freeze. This is hardly surprising, as few want fee increases and many want a lot for very little. Only about 25 per cent of Manitoba high school graduates attend university. No one likes to pay more, but there are ways of paying the costs, such as scholarships, student loans, summer jobs and family support. Education, particularly higher education, is important but you get what you pay for.5/10/05
