Monday, 28 April 2008

Money grows on trees

Or it must seem that way to our provincial government, who's solution to every problem is to throw money at it. The latest example?
EDUCATION Minister Peter Bjornson has taken school boards by surprise this afternoon by introducing a moratorium on closing schools. ... To keep schools open, government would provide greater funding [FP]
Why close redundant half-empty schools when you can dip into the bottomless well of tax dollars to keep them open?

I like this part:
"To determine the most effective ways to use these buildings to serve their communities on a long-term basis, we will consult with school divisions about the regulations."
Did he say that with a straight face? I want to see some video.

4 comments:

  1. Unapologetic Ex-Winnipegger29 April 2008 at 12:53

    This is a dangerous case of ideological blinders. The NDP are supposed to manage assets with a view to what is best for all Manitobans. Keeping schools open "just because" when students are elsewhere sucks up resources that hurt Manitoba's children and their ability to squeeze the most out of the education system. Resources are finite and yet the government doesn't maximize what these buildings should be doing for kids.

    If we would have managed our real estate assets in the same way, our tenure in the market would have been very short indeed. Too bad Manitobans (and the children the education system is supposed to benefit) don't have prudent asset managers in government...

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  2. PITT29 April 2008 at 15:50

    For a guy who wants to stop bullying, Peter Bjornson is a very big bully himself. Back in the day, schools used to close because they needed a bigger one..under the NDP government so many people are leaving Manitoba that schools just close because they don't have enough kids. I think it would be wise to keep as many schools open right now, even though it doesn't make much sense, because when the NDP are gone , this province will boom again and we will need those schools.

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  3. cherenkov29 April 2008 at 22:36

    The schools are closing in part due to the sprawl and changing demographics. The young people are out in new suburbs with no schools, and the old neighbourhoods are filled with empty-nesters. It doesn't make financial sense to keep all of those schools open with the hope that maybe someday they will be filled again, because if that day comes it will be far in the future.

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  4. cherenkov29 April 2008 at 22:36

    in my opinion, of course... :-)

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