Tuesday, September 25, 2007

BC Budget Consultations

You can give input into the BC 2008 budget by filling out a short online survey here.

I would be very interested to hear the perspective of grad students with expertise in survey design about the structure of the survey as I think the questions are leading. For instance, one of the questions is:

Last year, Balanced Budget 2007 provided an additional $476 million over four years towards housing supports for everyone from the homeless to homeowners. Are there other housing initiatives you would like us to consider?

Seems to me what is described is funding, not an initiative, and it looks at cost only which I would argue inhibits suggestions of spending more. if the questions said "Victoria has 1,242 homeless people in the 2007 homeless count, what housing initiatives would you like us to consider" my guess is there would be a stronger interest in housing those people even if it is expensive.

In any case, whether your issue is how funding for graduate students has been implemented, housing, childcare, or climate change you have until October 19, 2007 to have your say.

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