If you want budget, you’ve got it

It’s the edmontonian’s Alberta Budget Blowout 2010!

I told you we should focus on the Edmonton news in the daily headlines, and here’s why: There is SO MUCH stuff on the Alberta Budget that it would have taken all of our focus away from the local news.

Which is, I’m sure, what the Katz Group was hoping for. But I digress…

The provincial budget is a big deal though. It sets the stage for health care, education, crime and punishment, transportation, cities (see, there’s an Edmonton angle) and a whole lot more. So, take a spin through all of these stories to get a taste of what we know so far. As the Journal’s Archie McLean says; we are only scratching the surface of the budget in the first 24 hours.

You’ll notice stories out of Calgary and other points. If the same company has newsrooms of different names (like Canwest with the Journal and Herald) I’ll note that. If they don’t it’ll just say CBC or whatever. I’m also bouncing around to some websites and blogs to get some more opinion and thoughts.

First, a basic budget breakdown.

Now…here…we…go…

from the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald:

Higher oil prices needed to meet planned surplus (Come on, big money!)

Those in need won’t be hurt, minister says

Post-secondary funding shifts from scholarships to loans (Because students don’t need to go to school without massive debt.)

Albertans care most about health care (How this budget is about politics, not economics.)

Budget cuts worry Alberta families, disabled

Alberta government eyes layoffs in latest budget

Budget takes aim at Wildrose

Close to the bone

Where’s the vision?

This one is only sort of related to the budget: H1N1 treatment, flu shots cost $148M

from the Edmonton and Calgary Suns:

Opposition decries record deficit

Better times coming: Mandel (He hopes.)

Health Minister explains health budget

from the Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune:

‘I can’t say right now’: Zwozdesky

Tories are picking fruit from the magic money tree (I have to get me one of those.)

from The Canadian Press:

Budget a risky ‘gambit’: Finance minister

from CHQR:

Alberta’s finance minister talks about budget with Calgary business leaders

from CTV:

Record deficit (It’s the post-budget breakfast.)

from Global:

Calgary projects (Projects in Calgary, and other cities, might be on hold.)

from 660 News (Calgary):

Provincial groups react to Stelmach budget

Wildrose Alliance release it’s own budget (More on that here.)

from the Red Deer Advocate:

A sigh of relief (School boards won’t get slashed, but they do have to find money, or go into deficit, to pay teacher salaries.

Conservative’s budget stance rather perplexing

from the Medicine Hat News:

Budget day protest

the edmontonian Budget Blogroll!

Daveberta:

Alberta budget 2010: Striking a balance?

DJ Kelly:

Comparing Budget 2010 to Budget 2009

Chris LaBossiere:

Budget 2010

Alberta Diary:

First impressions of today’s budget: a B+ for now

Colby Cosh:

Strange bedfellows indeed

Werner Patels:

Alberta budget 2010: A coin flip?

MasterMaq:

Alberta Budget 2010 website – security through obscurity (We touched upon this one yesterday.)

Holy crap I underestimated how much there was. Let me know in the comments if there’s anything else out there I missed.

p.s. This is all going to go down much smoother with a little AC/DC