Does anyone else see the irony in Manitobans enduring School Board tax increases while the province legislates that university and college Boards of Governors can’t increase tuition to fund basic operations? Post-secondary Boards represent “local autonomy” but the local School Boards merely represent a bureaucratic level of “standards management” (80% of the costs of running a School Division are based on provincial salary negotiations).

Universities and colleges are experiencing record enrolment but more students require more services, staff, and infrastructure (students barely pay $0.34 for every $1 of total costs).

However, local school boards, like that in the Brandon School Division, have absolute discretionary power to raise taxes to pay for their institutional needs. The Brandon Board doesn’t even need an enrolment increase to justify its lust for cash. Brandon enrolment is on the decline. What other business do you know actually raises the price when demand for the product continues to drop? What other household do you know actually refuses to cut costs when revenue (government transfers) is on the decline?

The Brandon School Board even had 2 of its own members state that they “missed an opportunity to raise taxes” even more than the amount that Brandon faces in June 2005. When since did the raising of taxes represent “an opportunity”? That attitude constitutes taxpayer abuse!

When is Manitoba going to follow the lead of most other provinces and finally dismantle its irrelevant School Boards?

D’Arcy Barker is a Chartered Financial Planner and Registered Employee Benefits Consultant- www.barkermoney.com

E-mail: ReduceYourTaxes@barkermoney.com