Saskatchewan money?

[cowman]

On the news last night Serby was bemoaning the fact that the feds were expecting Sask. to kick in their 40% share of this new program, and he thought it would be difficult to come up with the cash. On top of that there was an article in the Western Producer about how Saskatchewan might have to default on their CAIS portion?
Is it really that bad over there or is this just political rhetoric?

[amazed]

Why should this surprise you?

This is the same NDP that retroactively changed the GRIP program in the early '90s. They didn't pay out their full portion of CFIP and yes they have said they won't meet their obligation to CAIS. This year they cut back on crop insurance and guess what, WE HAD A HUGE FROST in August. A frost that could very well do in a lot of producers because of the Sask. NDP cutbacks to farm programs.

Why should this new announcement be any different?

[cakadu]

Also tied in to that is the tax base in Saskatchewan is eroding. Less tax collected, less money for other things.

[cowman]

Now don't get me wrong here! The few times I've been to Sask. I really enjoyed it. Found the people to be real friendly and "downhome". However I was amazed by how many government businesses seemed to be around and how everything seemed to shut down at 5 pm!
How come Quebec can afford to support their farmers and Sask. can't? I assume Sask. must be getting some sort of transfer payments just like Quebec does? I would support Alberta helping out Saskatchewan if that is what it takes! We can't keep having this "balkanization" of programs? Afterall we are one people...and one industry?
The thing I find totally amazing is that Sask. is a have not province! How is Sask. any different than Alta.? I realize that oil and gas make Alberta happen, but that oil sure doesn't stop at the border?
Can we totally blame the NDP governments? Seems to me Devine sure didn't get a lot done for the province, or am I wrong?

[kajun]

This NDP government is a big part of the trouble in Sask. It seems that if They can't be the buisness they don't want the buisness.If any thing happens in this province to create some economic activity it is in spite of the government instead because of the government. Over the last number of years we have lost lots of peaple to other provinces because of the economics and the ones that have left are our younger peaple and our best educated and buissness minds. What we seem to have left are gov't workers,first nations and welfare cases. Throw in a few farmers and ranchers and retirees and you can see why we have no tax dollars to fund these programs. I think that to this gov't agriculture is just not that big of a deal as they figure it doesn't really matter if there are 20,000 farms or 2,000 the land will still be worked and they can concentrate on their buddies in the cities. My rant for the day.

[cakadu]

Population would be one reason, I would think, cowman. There are over 3 if not 4 million people in the greater Montreal area versus less than 1 million in the entire province of Saskatchewan. There is also an awful lot of money that rests within that same population base.