Can't speak to health care, but I have no idea of where the money is all going in Education. Salaries are only marginally higher than many jurisdictions (about the same as BC, Ontario and Manitoba), and class sizes are not meeting gov't targets and in our board, we don't have two nickles to rub together.
Great health care, education, roads, and infrastructure are important and I'm willing to pay for them. We must be spending a ton on garbage somewhere. And we do need to rewrite the royalties (lower than Texas?) and ensure that the money is invested.
As for gas prices, I have never really cared that much personally. We have always had quite fuel efficient vehicles in our garage, not only as a hedge against fuel costs, but because it's socially prudent to consume fewer fossil fuels.
To me, rising fuel costs are a double edged sword. I would like to see $1.50+ gasoline that would curb consumption and increase the urgency to invest in renewable resources and mass transit. But, in the short term, rising fuel costs are a regressive tax against low income families, especially in places like Edmonton that have ineffective transit systems.
