page
      10
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i]
     
     
      eee
     
     
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      -j
     
     
      oa
     
     
      J
     
     
      o
     
     
      ed
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jim-beau
      Lieyeah
     
     
      STAFF
      GONZO
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      17%,
      2000-
     
     
      As
      my
      eyes
      rise
      up
     
     
      from
      my
      snow
     
     
      covered
      Doc
     
     
      Martens,
      I
      see
      the
     
     
      silhouette
      of
      the
     
     
      Coles
      Building,
      lying
     
     
      in
      the
      shadows
      of
     
     
      Province
      House.
      It
      is
     
     
      7:55AM
      and
      I
      have
     
     
      traded
      my
      sure
      to
      be
     
     
      snowstorm
      cancelled
     
     
      class
      to
      sit
      in
      with
     
     
      barely
      20
      other
     
     
      journalists.
      On
      this
     
     
      St.Paddy’s
      Day
      they
     
     
      will
      ingest
      and
     
     
      interpret
      some
      230
     
     
      pages
      worth
      of
     
     
      numbers
      and
     
     
      propaganda
      and
      the
     
     
      spin
      they
      take
      fromit
     
     
      will
      guide
      how
      the
     
     
      general
      public
      will
     
     
      take
      it.
      What
      I
      want
     
     
      to
      do
      is
      portray
      how
     
     
      a
      gig
      like
      this
      goes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      down.
     
    

    
     
      The
      first
      thing
     
     
      one
      needs
      is
      a
      press
     
     
      pass.
      I
      had
      secured
     
     
      this
      in
      November
      but
     
     
      waited
      until
      today
      to
     
     
      claim
      it.
      This
     
     
      necklace
      gives
      me
     
     
      privileged
      access
      and
     
     
      assures
      me
      guarded
     
     
      words
      from
      everyone
     
     
      from
      the
      security
     
     
      guard
      to
      the
      Minister.
     
     
      It
      also
      entitles
      me
      toa
     
     
      thick
      manilaenvelope
     
     
      of
      documents
      and
     
     
      unfettered
      access
      to
     
     
      coffee
      and
      other
     
     
      munchies.
     
    

    
     
      On
      Thursday,
     
     
      I
      had
      been
      told
      that
      I
     
     
      should
      get
      involved
     
    

    
     
      with
      what
      is
      known
     
     
      as
      the
      “lock-up.”
     
     
      What
      that
      means
      is
     
     
      my
      presence
      at
      8AM
     
     
      Friday
      morning
      to
      get
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
      +e
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      information
      I
      need
     
     
      and
      give
      me
      time
      to
     
     
      digest
      it
      before
      the
     
     
      actual
      announcement
     
     
      in
      the
      Legislative
     
     
      Chambers
      of
     
     
      Province
      House.
      I
     
     
      sign
      aconsent
      form
     
     
      promising
      not
      to
      leak
     
     
      anything
      between
     
     
      eight
      and
      eleven.
     
     
      Leak
      is
      simply
     
     
      beating
      someone
      to
     
     
      the
      punch
      by
      getting
     
     
      the
      information
      out
     
     
      before
      the
     
     
      announcement
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      see
      these
      journalists
     
     
      brain
      storm
      and
     
     
      discuss
      the
      varied
     
     
      content
      within
      the
     
     
      budget.
      Little
      groups
     
     
      huddle
      in
      corners.
     
     
      Credit
      must
      go
      where
     
     
      credit
      is
      due
      and
      the
     
     
      4
      French
      journalists
     
     
      were
      deep
      into
      the
     
     
      document
      when
      I
     
     
      walked
      in.
      I
      gota
     
     
      chuckle
      out
      ofhow
     
     
      things
      play
      out
      with
     
     
      the
      Franco
      contingent
     
     
      equivalent
      to
      25%,
     
     
      kind
      of
      like
      their
     
     
      contingent
      in
      Canada.
     
     
      I
      mustalso
      point
      out
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “lIt]
      reinforces
      what
      |
      think
      about
     
    
   
   
    
     
      most
      journalists.
      hacks.
      3
     
    
   
   
    
     
      made.
      Then
      he
      asks
     
    

    
     
      me
      for
      my
      cell
      phone.
     
    

    
     
      Ionly
      need
      to
      smile
     
     
      and
      shrug
      before
      he
     
     
      realizes
      I
      am
      a
      writer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      the
      UPEI
      paper.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Itis
      an
     
     
      interesting
      exercise
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      time
      looking
      over
      the
     
     
      speech
      the
      Provincial
     
     
      Treasurer
      Patricia
     
     
      Mella
      will
      give
      in
      the
     
     
      Legislature.
      Then
      I
     
     
      took
      a
      closer
      look
      at
     
     
      the
      numbers.
      What
      I
     
     
      see
      seems
      to
      be
      good
     
     
      news
      and
      I
      am
      not
     
     
      surprised
      by
      this
     
     
      because
      it
      has
      all
      the
     
     
      fixing
      ofan
      election
     
     
      budget.
      The
      one
      thing
     
     
      that
      stands
      out
      to
      me
     
     
      issomething
      called
     
     
      the
      Sinking
      Fund.
     
     
      What
      this
      really
      isis
      a
     
     
      contingency
      fund
      that
     
     
      the
      government
      can
     
     
      use
      to
      make
     
     
      sure
      they
     
     
      stay
      ina
     
     
      surplus
     
     
      area.
      The
     
     
      fund
      sits
      at
     
     
      $23
      million
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      I
      was
      the
      first
     
     
      Englishjournalist
     
     
      there
      which
     
     
      reinforces
      what!
     
     
      think
      about
      most
     
     
      journalists...
      hacks.
     
     
      I
      spent
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Senior
      Class
      Awards
      are
      given
      to
      those
      graduates
      who
      have
      ‘seis
      .
     
    

    
     
      a
      contribution
      to
      the
      Senior
      Class
      and
      to
      UPEI.
     
     
      awards
      to
      be
      given
      out.
      Nomination
      forms
      are
      included
      in
      the
      Gradua-
     
     
      tion
      Information
      Packages
      being
      mailed
      out
      next
      week.
      Please
      take
     
     
      the
      time
      to
      enter
      your
      choice
      of
      nominee
      for
      each
      award
      and
      retum
      the
     
     
      form
      to
      the
      “Senior
      Class
      Box”
      located
      in
      ue
      Breezeway
      before
      lait
     
    
   
   
    
     
      April
      7,
      2000.
     
     
      Awards
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Owen
      MacDonald
      Award
      -
      Student
      Excollanial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Service
      Awards
     
     
      Spirit
      Award
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Class
      of
      ‘98
      Leadership
      Award
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Life
      Executive
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Please
      renee
      ed
      nominations
      close
      on
      April
      7,
      nee:
      end
      2
     
     
      will
      take
      place
      during
      ;
     
     
      Awards
      willbe
      prese!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Listed
      below
      are
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      presently
      and
     
     
      the
      government
      has
     
    
   
   
    
     
      decided
      to
      draw
      on
      it
     
     
      to
      make
      sure
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      budget
      is
      balanced.
     
     
      What
      this
      little
     
     
      hoarding
      exercise
      is
      is
     
     
      aspecial
      slush
      fund
     
     
      that
      I
      expect
      to
      get
     
     
      used
      up
      in
      the
      course
     
     
      ofthe
      impending
     
     
      election
      campaign.
     
     
      Here
      are
      the
     
     
      key
      numbers
      that
     
     
      stand
      out.
      The
     
     
      government
      has
     
     
      revenues
      of
      $882
     
     
      million
      and
      expects
      to
     
     
      spend
      just
      under
      that
     
     
      in
      its
      forecasts
      to
     
     
      arrive
      ata
      surplus
      of
     
     
      about
      $200,000
      for
     
     
      the
      year
      2000-2001.
     
     
      Revenues
      are
      down
     
     
      by
      about
      $11
      million
     
     
      due
      primarily
      to
     
     
      cutting
      the
      provinces
     
     
      tax
      rate
      from
      58.5%.
     
     
      to
      57.5%
      of
      the
     
     
      federal
      tax
      take.
      This
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ets
      je
     
    
   
   
    
     
      coupled
      with
      federal
     
     
      tax
      cuts
      accounts
      for
     
     
      most
      of
      the
      $11
     
     
      million.
      The
      most
     
     
      alarming
      part
      of
      this
      is
     
     
      that
      federal
      transfers
     
     
      to
      the
      province
      _
     
     
      amount
      to
      $340
     
     
      million
      or
      about
      38%
     
     
      ofall
      ofthe
     
     
      government
      of
      PEI’s
     
     
      revenues.
     
    

    
     
      Last
      years
     
     
      budget
      (1999-2000)
     
     
      had
      a$16.5
      million
     
     
      surplus
      which
      the
     
     
      Tories
      managed
      to
     
     
      bury
      ina
      manner
      that
     
     
      would
      make
      Paul
     
     
      Martin
      envious.
     
     
      Basically,
      they
      took
     
     
      $12.5
      million
      of
      that
     
     
      surplus
      and
      set
      up
      4
     
     
      different
      funds
      to
     
     
      spend
      it
      with
      this
     
     
      year.
      This
      led
      to
      a
      $4
     
     
      millionsurplus
      which
     
     
      was
      put
      against
      the
     
     
      net
      debt
      of
      the
     
     
      province
      which
      is
     
     
      $986
      million.
      This
     
     
      level
      of
      debt
      is
     
     
      dangerous
      because
     
     
      the
      total
      Gross
     
     
      Domestic
      Product
     
     
      (GDP-
      which
      is
      the
     
     
      total
      value
      ofall
     
     
      goods
      and
      services
     
     
      produced
      on
      the
      ©
     
     
      island-
      basically
     
     
      everything)
      is
      $2.99
     
     
      billion.
      This
      creates
      a
     
     
      debt
      to
      GDP
      ratio
      of
     
     
      33%.
      This
      high
      levei
     
     
      of
      debt
      means
      that
     
     
      the
      province
      must
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      pay
      $108.5
      millionin
     
    
   
   
    
     
      interest
      charges
     
     
      which
      represents
     
     
      12.2%
      of
      the
      budget
     
     
      the
      third
      biggest