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‘Albertans will have to live with less’

It’s time now for Albertans to tighten their financial belts after the provincial budget came down last Thursday.

It’s time now for Albertans to tighten their financial belts after the provincial budget came down last Thursday.

No doubt, almost everyone will feel the effect in their lives, families and communities.

With significantly reduced revenues from energy resources, a deep deficit has now clogged the once-bottomless pit.

After decades of literally being spoiled with unlimited resource revenue, Albertans will have to live with less — funding and services from the provincial government to help reduce the deficit.

Reduced funding has created a prime time for government and each organization to and citizens to review programs and services and restructure services to make them more efficient with the limited or eliminated funding.

What really is essential?

Where does alternative funding come from?

Why does the government provide funding to certain programs and services that could be handles with private funding?

Local schools — especially small and rural schools — have felt the brunt of funding cuts.

As the board calculates the costs of the budget, the figures will paint a broad picture of the financial foundation and help the board and administration determine how to most effectively deliver services and programs to provide the best-quality education for services.

While other provinces have frequently been handed deficit budgets, those outside Alberta may say that it’s about time the so-called rich province got a reality check.

Let’s show the true hearts of Albertans as each of us continues to give and contribute to this province and Canada, despite a shortfall of funding.

Love and care with go farther than money.

Even though money is the basis of our work and livelihood, let’s all seek to work together to continue to do our best and serve others, even when funding is reduced or eliminated.

Let each of us build on our legacy to serve and help others and our province from our hearts, not just for our pocketbooks.

While she’s committed to municipalities, the government could save millions of dollars by reducing the number of small municipalities that have three-member councils that are common in villages and summer villages and merging them with counties or municipal districts.

After the budget is presented, let’ s continue the Alberta to work together with a spirit of co-operation and do the best with what we get financially.

It’s not truly and solely money that builds a community, province and business, it’s people that help build the future.

Let’s all be part of the solution, not the problem.

Be creative and constructive.

Why should anyone be entitled to get all the hand-outs from government?

Things might not get any better soon as the federal government is also expected to hand down a tight budget in the coming weeks.

— FROESE’N TIME