Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 21, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free april 13 others biting too by Bud Robertson staff reporter when you read the details of this years provincial dont feel too not taxpayers in other parts of the country have also had to bite the Bullet this in some cases the entire As governments struggle with growing Here Are some examples of other provincial budgets tabled so far this year Alberta the conserva Tive government Cut spending by almost coming Down hard on Educa Tion and social services and set the stage for another 780 layoffs in the Public senior citizens with higher incomes will pay healthcare premiums and higher rents for subsidized As increases in medicare premiums and other fees will Cost million More this Alberta has a deficit and an accumulated debt of it is hoping to have a surplus in Saskatchewan the nip government didst raise tax didst make any major spending cuts and still Man aged to trim More than million from the deficit in its provincial Saskatchewan is also using lottery Revenue to bring Down the British Columbia the nip government froze taxes while maintaining key ser vices and using Public Money to create working from the strength of Canadas Healthiest Provin Cial Premier Mike Harcourt government prom ised to reduce its deficit to million this year Down from the current shortfall and eliminate it by the end of Prince Edward Island All civil service from the Premier on received a pay Cut of per cent this the aim is to slice million from the setting it up for a Hope for balanced budget next Newfoundland provincial Hospital staff and others will be required to give up about million in benefits under a for the second straight the government is de pending on Public sector con Cessions to solve its financial new Brunswick the pub Lic service was targeted for major cos cutting in this years the province eliminated its Ordinary account promising instead a modest surplus of million in 199495 and predicting a Lav ish surplus for new Brunswicker pay one of the highest income tax rates in Canada 64 per cent of Federal Nova Ontario and Quebec have yet to table their budgets for Jeff free press Stefanson delivered a budget yesterday that included help for firs time new Home housing Trade sees Bonanza in budget by Alice Krueger legislature reporter for a few Brief moments yes Lynn Carriere had High Hopes for a government Grant to help put a new roof on her modest West end but under the new Home renovation program unveiled by finance minister Eric Stefanson in his the minimum Cost for a qualifying project is a level too High to help Shes already received one Esti mate for to replace the we need a does it in clude things like fences she no Luck fences Are on the not eligible along with things like decks and exterior painting and Interior Home renovators like de Nisby were delighted with the pro which Stefanson said will Cre ate about 450 jobs in the in really ecstatic it will be fan the owner of Nisby Home renovations i can see where i will have to do some coming on top of last years renovations Bonanza created by heavy flood damage to thousands of Winni Peg Nisby predicted his Industry now can expect another Boom a second initiative aimed at the housing Industry is a million program to rebate sales tax on new Homes for firs time Home the to a maximum of will be payable after the owner has moved into the effective for Homes purchased before april firs time Home buyers in Manitoba will be eligible for a rebate of the provincial sales tax on the materials used in the construction of their qualifying Homes include detached to Semi detached townhouses or permanently installed Mobile i think this is just said Mickey Vic president of Gen Star development company and Vic president of the Urban development Institute of Labrie said there is currently pent up demand for new Homes for firs time and the rebate program should create a Ripple effect and stimulus throughout the in creating jobs both directly and Peter Public affairs director for the Winnipeg real estate Board agreed the two programs should help families buy a Home and create jobs by promoting the Mani Toba Home building one Winnipeg real estate agent said she doubts the rebate program will help Many Celine Mcmahon based on her eight years experience in real firs time buyers usually look at existing Homes because they cant afford a new i dont see it benefiting firs time she theres hardly a new House that Sells for under the two programs Are expected to create or maintain 600 Here Are rules Toge fragrant for renovations to qualify for a renova Tion Here Are the rules q Cost of the project has to be at least q the Home must have been built before and assessed at less than q Only principal Homes qualify and assistance cannot be claimed More than once for the same q cottages and multiple dwell Ings with More than five Resi Dences do not q eligible renovations include reinforcing or repairing found weeping building additions and installing water or sewer q upgrades in plumbing or heating also As does bathroom and Kitchen renovations and modifications for the q also eligible Are projects to replace doors and windows and finish a q Grants will not cover swimming Interior or exterior q applicants must get two writ ten estimates for a project and submit copies with q Grants will not be paid until the project is for homeowners can get a break on renovations by David Kuxhaus staff reporter looking to Spruce up the old Homestead you might want to Start with the for you can give it a whole new look and get Back after youre that the Deal the tories offered Manitoban yesterday when they unveiled their under the Manitoba Home renovation upgrades on Homes assessed at or less Are entitled to the provided they spend a minimum of on a renovation you can get yourself a fairly Nice bathroom for says Harv Grayston of Apple design that includes dressing it up a bit with Ceramic maybe a Whirlpool tub and extra and Here Are a few other things you can do for to make your Home just a Little More according to local contractors q install new doors and q get started on the basement with rough Din Walls and a finished q do a Kitchen renovation with new cabinets and and if you want to toss in a couple of extra grand you can build an addition for that cosy Little Den youve always the improvements will return More than just the offered by the Filmon says not Only will they increase the resale value of the he but things like new windows and doors will help chop heating while the rebates Are Keith Swain of renovations by Belleville says its still a Nice even if youre doing a Job that that will cover the said gaming Revenue Rollin in every Days a Jackpot for tories As profits from gambling grow by Doug Nairne and Paul Samyn legislature reporters no new a1 government con trolled once Little More than lottery tickets and Crown and Anchor has become one of the provinces larg est and fastest growing sources of gambling has now surpassed even tobacco taxes As a and will pour an estimated Mil lion into provincial coffers in 199495 50 per cent More than it did Only a year the fast Money has prompted some to say the government itself has joined those addicted to the pull of the vat we have become lottery Epen Dent under the Filmon govern nip Leader Gary doer the tories have now taken us to the Point where they have to run commercials to convince people to Gamble to pay for essential Servic Liberal Leader Paul Edward gambling now nets the province slightly More Revenue than both corporate income tax and gasoline finance minister Eric Stefanson said yesterday that gambling is part of the provinces fiscal plan and con tributes to funding for Edu cation and family gambling Money is one of the few sources of new Money the govern ment and it has permeated All facets of the tory economic there Are Only two growth Indus opposition leaders take shots at budget by Paul Samyn and Doug Nairne staff reporters they were expecting a reelection budget and that what opposition leaders say the tories delivered nip Leader Gary doer criticized the Filmon government for continuing its pattern of providing tax Breaks for business while offering nothing for Manitoba doer also questioned How the to Ries can continue to spend less on health where the budget was Cut by million to while doer liked the govern ments plan to provide homeowners with up to in Grants for Reno he worried the total repair Bill required for the program May be too Rich a threshold for in Newcity residents and doer said his caucus will meet to Day to determine if it will vote against the a key consideration As the Filmon government has Only a on seat Liberal Leader Paul Edwards also was Quick to slam the but said he will have to read it More closely before he decides whether or not to support Edwards said the budget does As the government contain a tax tries in lotteries and Wel said along with health gambling funds everything from the Infra Structure renewal agreement to ru1 ral development in the 199495 Bud in the next gambling Money will be used to cover the provinces share of operating the Winnipeg convention Winnipeg and tourism As 25 per cent of the vat Revenue will be used for Rural development and a further 10 per cent i will be unconditionally Given to All Manitoba another million will be spent on eco nomic development in most of the will go to reducing the provincial this is the new fiscal stabilization Edwards the flow of gambling Money into the governments accounts has paralleled the rapid expansion of Gami ing in the with the opening of the Crystal Casino in the province started to hit the Revenue in the 199091 budget the government pocketed just Over one per cent of its total the popular and profitable video lottery terminals debuted in Rural Manitoba in late and have since expanded into Winnipeg and filled two huge Bingo there Are now about of the popular on armed bandits in the province rides to the Rescue of City agencies by Dan Lett City Hall reporter the province has come the Rescue of three civic tour ism and economic develop ment agencies by pledging up to million in video lottery terminal revenues to cover Basic operating the City made a desperate plea last year for the province to share in the operating costs for Winnipeg the cites economic development tourism Winni Peg and the Winnipeg convention although the province had been silent on the cites yester Days provincial budget included a pledge to provide up to 50 per cent of operating costs for 1994 and a Promise to consider additional port in the finance minister Eric Stefanson said he is willing to discuss future support to these agencies but no promises Are being Well be sitting Down with them very shortly to discuss these he without provincial some councillors had threatened to close the agencies rather than ask erty owners to pay an additional one per cent on their 1995 tax tories invest in Blu Collar education Bald Santin education reporter the Filmon government sent a Clear message to High school students in its budget yesterday think think skilled the budget Cut University operating Grants by per cent while in creasing Community College operating Grants by per in the tories Are setting aside million to revitalize a moribund apprenticeship i would Hope that people coming through the Public school system will remove the stigma associated with trades and Community Colleg education minister Clayton manness said after the budget was the greater focus today is on apprenticeship and technical theres no that moving into the next students will need that kind of while the budget chopped pro Grams in almost All the Fil Mon government directed Mil lion of new Money for its highly touted Public school Reform including q developing new curriculum q developing a system using new technology to allow teachers to speak simultaneously to several re Mote Northern Manitoba classrooms q linking Rural libraries to share q developing computer course Susan president of the Manitoba federation of said the Only positive note in the budget was the Money set aside for a revitalized apprenticeship weve been asking the govern ment for four years to improve the apprenticeship Harkul Baba manness said details on How the province plans to spend million on an increase of Over last will be re leased in a few the budget allocations for Post secondary education followed closely the advice of the University education review which concluded the province must spend More Money on the budget ignored one recommendation to freeze tuition opting instead to Cap pos Sec Mondary student tuition increases at five per University funding takes slide the Filmon government Cut its department of education operating budget by per cent yesterday to among the highlights q Community colleges operating Grants increased per cent to q University operating Grants were Cut by per cent to Down from q student tuition fee increases were capped at five per q pos secondary Access funds for disabled and visible minorities were Cut by 20 per cent to q clinician services for hearing and visually impaired students in the Public school system were Cut by per cent to q Public school Reform was allocated million in new manness said he hoped the additional College funds would be used to meet the commissions recommendations of doubling enrolment and increase the number of diploma pro Grams Over the next five Tony president of the red River Community said an increase in funding is Welcome at a time when other provinces Are Cut Ting Back College Knowles said the Community col lege track record warranted the extra adding that placement for graduates ranged Between 85 per cent and 100 per 1 University officials the continued cuts threatened the viability of the Treyve really gone too Arnold Naimark said of the the third year University funding has been reduced by the Filmon govern i dont think the kinds of reductions being sustained Are in the Lon term interests of the Cory president of the u of is students said the budget Means students will pay More for a lower Quality of Robert president of the u of m faculty said the Filmon government is essentially telling parents to Send their children out of province if they want a Quality University ;