BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-01-26 12:41:35
Certain social services are necessary. However, as much as possible, people should be able to decide how they spend their money. I think that a broad tax on everything is retarded. It's a Mickey Mouse way of generating revenue.

Anonymous says: 2006-01-30 20:54:02
I agree. The reason people leave Manitoba to Alberta is because so many businesses here pay diddly squat. I am not talking about McJobs. I am talking about professions like Engineers and Lawyers. Winnipeg is a town of plumbers and pipe fitters. A city with a severe plumbers crack.

BigB says: 2006-01-31 09:42:35
Please keep in mind tho ramrod. If you come out to Alberta you would recieve a lower wage and higher cost of living. (min wage is lowest in canada), but the rest of us would make more and tho the cost of living may be higher the government doesnt charge any taxes so it is offset.

JT says: 2006-02-02 17:12:41
One thing that Calgary does right is has user fees instead of higher taxes. I'm also assuming that their infrastructure and city planning are operated more efficiently because I don't know how any other city could be worse than ours.

BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-02-03 13:18:33
I don't give a s*** about Alberta. They're the beverly hill billies of Confederation. Essentially they got lucky. That's the ONLY reason they're doing as well as they are. That they feel they shouldn't have to share this with the rest of the country that isn't doing as well I don't understand. Getting $400 just becase you live there is stupid.

BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-02-03 19:48:40
I don't hold anything against them. At the same time they are where they are based solely on luck. That is all. Nothing more. The way some of you talk you'd think they were smarter or that they deserved their prosperity. Don't make me laugh. That could just as easily be Manitoba if we had the oil.

BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-02-04 02:24:33
The educated move west because there's an industry there that will pay them more than they can make here. That industry is there because of oil. The oil was there before they were there. I think you can probably figure out where this is going. It's not a chicken or the egg scenario. The egg definitely came first. Everything that is happening there is a direct or indirect result of Oil money. That is all.

big0joe says: 2006-02-13 13:38:16
yes all that is true. but we are supposed to work as a team are we not. with out alberta we would be worse off. and wl really thre arent any uts i can think of. so i could se why alberta would want to go. oh as i was writing this i realisd thy do get somethng from us.. our smart people ad with those smart people they get more money euase they work/ apply themselfs. but if they didnt take our people then the work load would e more evenly spread!

big0joe says: 2006-02-13 20:20:31
ok sorry if that was offensive... but that is just my oppinion based on what i know. yeah im sure that some of he stuff i say might not be true. mind you i do try to say things that i know are true or i know from what others say could be true.

taracam says: 2009-05-08 23:30:10
I moved to Alberta 7 years ago and we are now headed back to Winnipeg in 3 wks. I just wanted to share a few things with everyone. The boom in AB was great while it lasted and it will surely boom again in the coming months (recessions haven't lasted more than 18mths in the past). It seems that the jobs and huge salaries (that you know just shouldn't be possible, I know my salary is way too high for what I do and it just doesn't seem sustainable over the long term for companies to do) are slowly dwindling down at most of the larger oil and gas companies and large corporations. We didn't want to sell and lose money on our house due to the recession, however, at the same time we started to fear that if we waited another year or two and the market continued on the downward slump that we may only break even and then have to return to Winnipeg in a couple years with little or no downpayment towards another home. The sad thing is that we were doing really well when we sold out 1st house 2 years ago, but also purchased our 2nd home at "high time" and in Winnipeg people who bought homes a few years ago or more will have a profit of nearly as much or more. I was also very surprised at how high the taxes are in Winnipeg compared to in Calgary, I don't think the user fees can make up for the difference we're talking $1500-$2000 compared to $300 in user fees a year, not to mention the tax difference that comes off your paycheck in MB (a lot more!). On average I've been paying $2,000 a year for a 1500 sq ft home with a decent backyard, back home in Winnipeg depending what area you choose it's anywhere from $2600 to $4700, yes I know about the rebate, but I also don't want to have to pay $300/month in taxes when I know very well that 1/2 of that money could be going towards the equity in the home or towards a new vehicle payment. The house prices have also remained constant and Winnipeg's housing market has not taken a beating even close to as badly as Calgary has. I find it insane that the Winnipeg housing market in Whyte Ridge, River Park South, Charleswood, Headingley, Waverley just to name a few seems to be up in the $320K to $489K, where are they getting the money from to purchase these houses when the wages seems to be so much lower than AB? Also if you can afford a house in Linden Wood ($299K) you're looking at $350/mth in taxes on top of the mortgage. The hosue prices appear to be Calgary sticker prices, but with lower income jobs. When I moved to AB 7 years ago I was earning about $2.50 less an hour, yet my bring home (net pay) was actually more than in Winnipeg, boy was I shocked to see that when I got my first cheque in AB. The reason we are moving back is mainly to be with family (just had a little one a year ago) and knowing that my job is evenually becoming redundant it just makes it that much easier to move. I'm sure I could apply to other jobs internally, but it gets sickening when every department you transfer to seems to be getting shutdown (outsourced to low labour rate countries), it feels like you have a fire under your chair and have to keep running from dept to dept hoping it won't catch up with you. On the up side - family, friends, less stress, 45 minute drive to the beach/lake can make it all worth while. Winnipeg is also # 2 for lowest unemployment rate (next to SK). There seems to be quite a few bilingual govt jobs as well.