The BC Government’s Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has set out on their annual pre-budget consultation tour of B.C., hearing from stakeholder groups about what they want to see in the 2016-17 BC Budget. Spoiler alert: most groups want to see a lot more of your money spent.

Many of these causes and ideas are wonderful, but governing is about priorities. Fiscal restraint is absolutely vital. Over the next few weeks, we will post a running tab of the amount of requests this committee receives. Some cost estimates will come from the groups themselves; others will be guestimates.

Your CTF, by the way, is scheduled to present to this committee at 11:50 a.m., Tuesday, October 13, at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel in Surrey. Rest assured we WON’T be asking government to spend more money.

In the first half of their meetings on Day 2, they received another $1,234,800,000 in requests.

On Day 1, the committee had already received $305,000,000 in funding requests.

After 1.5 days, the grand total: $1,539,800,000

Here’s the Day 2A breakdown:

Day 2A - Wednesday, Sept. 15, Castlegar

• Nelson CARES Society wants more ministry resources. No specific amount was given, but a 1% boost in the Ministry of Social Development budget would cost $26 million.
• Like First West on Day 1, Kootenay Savings Credit Union wants to stop the credit union tax credit phaseout. We factored this in yesterday (Kootenay says it will cost them $9m per year)
• Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy wants community literacy funded. They asked for $2.5 million.
• School District #20 wants more funding for the public school system. They mentioned shortfalls of a million dollars, so we’ll put their request at $1 million.
• The BC Schizophrenic Society wants $3 million over 4 years. We’ll put their annual pricetag at $750,000.
• The University of Victoria Students Society wants a tuition freeze, and then tuition fees eliminated over 10 years. They also want per student operating grants increased by 20%. And they want student loans scrapped and replaced with grants. Universities and colleges spend about $5.2 billion per year, but let’s say only half of that is on operating. Students pay about 40% of the cost of their schooling. So let’s guestimate this at $1.2 billion.
• Castlegar Hospice wants more funding for hospice societies, including a dedicated hospice facility. They’re trying to raise $3.8 million. Let’s put their ask at $250,000.
• The Co-operative Housing Federation wants a rent supplement program for low-income co-op members. They peg the first year cost at $2 million.
• The Legal Services Society wants some targeted investments. I have no idea how to put a dollar figure on this, but a similar group last year asked for $10m over 3 years. So let’s put it at $3.3 million.