| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/24/2008 8:31:20 PM | Sure blame Ralph - Stelmach had lots of time to prove his worth - and he failed. Sure - lets give Edmonton 25 mill for a new arts center that no one will go too - but lets ignore the homeless crisis - and yes I know about the talk - 11,000 new low income housing - but where are these houses being built - and when? Its too late for them.
And Stelmach could have stepped in to put rental caps on - but hey - rich property owners are probly big contributers to his campaign - don't want to piss them off. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 1:11:17 AM | Frankly Ralph Klein was not the one running the province. You cannot convince me that a city mayor cum tavern brawler was really the brains behind the operation. It is a firmly entrenched bureacracy that makes things go along with a well placated corporate army of back (and nut) scratchers that drives what occurs in Alberta. The Tories under Getty and Klein fiddled while the infrastructre of Alberta burned, creating problems in the health care system by divering transfer payments away in order to create a problem that never existed, costing health care professionals their careers to usher in private user-pay health care and creating the current shortages in health care professionals that now plague communities around the province while trying to place the blame on the feds, all while selling short the resource royalties of Albertans and de-regulating the utilities.
Bloody hell. The Tories have been selling off the province's wealth like a yard sale...bridges and roads crumbling, houses are ridiculously overvalued and it's nearly impossible to find reasonable rental property anywhere...
As my one friend commented, Stelmach's latest ad paints him in the light he would seem most adequate in...a salesman in an apron in a Home Depot or similar store informing customers where the flat head screws were or how to best renovate their bathrooms, not running the highest political office in the province...or perhaps dealing with broadleaf weeds in their harrington barley.
Having a local gold rush economy contributes to high property values, high rents, high mortgages...etc. Klein and Getty were, not to put a fine point on it, handled well. Stelmach looks positively inept in his new job...and the handler haven't got their hands on the wheel yet.
Only the anti-democratic inequities of the rural voting blocks in this province, now practically a century out of date, will keep the Tories in power after nearly 50 years of fat-catting beholden to the oil-industry. When I think about the origins of the politics in this province it almost makes me want to go Guy Fawkes...and it's not just my moustache making me want to do it... | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 5:04:27 AM | I am amazed how many people do not even know there is an election or if they do then they dont know who is running in the other parties .
I listened to three girls at a store the other day mentioning how no one will be able to beat out Klein and why waste the money for an election.
Do we blame the government or the people for not being in touch ?
I don't know if there is a leader to vote for personally .The pickins are slim.
But we need something done even though it is too late in some cases to correct what should have been done awhile ago. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 5:13:24 AM | Hey lookin', long time no see!
OT: I agree, there really isn't a leader.
In my riding there is a very strong candidate. I like what he has done in the past, I like what he believes in, and I heard him speak last week, and I liked him.
Too bad I dislike his party. I do believe I will vote for him next Monday anyway. Voting for the person not the party.
As for blaming Stelmach for the state this province is in? Well he was part of the ruling party for the last 15 years or so, so he does have some responsibility, but the skyrocketing costs of housing were on their way in before he was declared premier. And Ralph put a lot of the homeless people on the street when he closed hospital beds. And the environment? I won't go there, because in redneck Alberta, most people don't care what we are doing to our water and environment, so why should the politicians?
It is too bad that there is such voter apathy out there though. It just seems wrong when people are more interested in the US primaries than their own provincial election!
JMO | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 8:16:20 AM | I kinda find it funny...reading all the posts...how everyone has a 'beef' with the current government...some actually make excuses for them...but, come the time to vote. They will ll most likely vote Stelmach anyways! ..."Moo!" is all I gotta say.
Only people can make change happen. Change can be a good thing.... | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 9:57:18 AM | "Moo!" is all I gotta say. Ditto !!!
It's the entire system that's broken/perverted hopelessly though, not just some of the players.
Sure seems like alot more indecision and acceptance thereof this year.
I spit it out on the "Alberta municipal elections" thread last year, that I saw little purpose for me to bother voting, and I think they're still fighting over who gets to kick the stool from beneath the strung up loser.
I'll repeat my position as my hate-mail's running a bit short.
If there was ANY accountability for crooks oops, I mean politicians I think voting would gain tons of support, but I've just had my fill of empty sales-pitches for 1 lifetime | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 4:21:36 PM | You know the more I read about politics the more disgusted I get. It would be nice that once...JUST FOR ONCE...a party would come in to represent the people, and not the party. We all know that this happens, and in every level of gov't in this country.
I really do not think it matters who will come to power this election...promises made will be broken, money will be spent foolishly, people will just generally not be happy with someone always ****ing about something. Instead of looking after the people, politicians will look after their own party. I said it once, I'll say it again...I'm just waiting for the next Jesse Ventura to come to Alberta to do what is right for the people...
Some Liberals have Conservative views...some Conservatives have Liberal views. Could it be that the voter themselves are confused in what they believe in now? After seeing some of the things that are decided and done in our society it wouldn't surprise me at all. We here in Alberta are sitting on a gold mine right now. Not only the politicians, but the people better start braining up on how to utilize this vast wealth.
Yes I will vote in this election. Yes, I hope to hell the party I support gets voted in. And yes, I hope to hell the party I vote for who I hope gets voted in will keep their word/s on what they promise. Fingers crossed...not that it'll do any good | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 4:32:17 PM | Castaline: You keep referencing water and the environment in a vague and negative sense. I'm curious to know if can elaborate on anything specific or have any examples?
On provincial and municipal levels our water management policies have been used as models. The provincial government instituted a program about five years ago called "Water for Life" which has been very successul. In fact, and after review, their efforts are now going to focus on ecosystem preservation and rehabilitation as water quality is no longer a primary issue. Canadians use a NET amount of water per day of only 14 litres which is impressive on the world scale. There are so many environmental guidelines and restrictions these days that you can't put a stake in the ground without having to obtain some sort of a permit.
Please do share what you are alluding to.
Hydro. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 7:06:33 PM | My vague and negative references to the environment. I guess that would be personal opinion. I don't feel that politicians in Alberta have shown much leadership towards environmental concerns.
The original question was what the important issues were to us.
My important issues are water, the environment, affordable housing and health care. Not necessarily in that order, but they are the things that I focussed on when reading party platforms.
Water for life is a beginning, and not a bad beginning, but it isn't complete.
Any use of water that takes it out of the 'normal' water cycle concerns me.
Watching farmers east of the city irrigate at high noon bothers me. (can't they set timers for those things to pump at midnight?)
Moving water between basins makes me wonder what that will do to the 'new' basin. (consider that the hay trucked in from Eastern Canada a few years ago brought with it seeds for weeds that were not native to our prairie)
Reading about the futility of dams (as storage basins) in Africa, Asia and even some in the US makes me wonder.
Nope, no cold hard concrete facts to go on (for the most part, but I like what Fred Pearce has to say) just my own personal (green) opinion. And I am glad to see that someone else cares enough about water to have some knowledge to share. (that's where the nic comes from I guess) | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 7:17:55 PM |
Moving water between basins makes me wonder what that will do to the 'new' basin.
Another view of that picture is - without interceding in the natural flow of water, there would be large areas of this province that would not have enough water to support current population levels... not to mention agreements with other provinces to allow water to flow across the country to meet the needs of all Canadians. We could allow the natural occurences to occur... life as we know it, however, would change radically... and continue to change - we would have to become far more adaptable.
Contamination of groundwater would be more of a concern with all of the drilling and filling activity in the province... and the apparent natural contamination by oils and gases.... the hot topic here though seems to be centred around royalties
C | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 7:34:31 PM | ^^^ excellent points. Also, all the massive infrastructure developments from urbanization is a big consideration to aquifer contamination. The unfortunate part of this is that we usually don't know the degree of pollution for many years afterwards. Further, eighty percent of Alberta's water supply comes from northern Alberta which is used to supply eighty percent of Alberta's population which lies in southern Alberta. From this, sub-surface flow contamination should definitely be a concern for Albertans. Once an aquifer is contaminated it cannot be repaired.
Taking water out of its normal hydrological cycles concerns an awful lot of people! Personal use of water is a small component of overall water consumption - agricultural and commercial use account for almost all human related use.
History has shown that we have been very successful in supplying water for human needs and also have a terrible lack of concern for sustainability issues. Reservoirs and, in particular, dams, have trememdous impacts on ecosystems. In the U.S. there are approximately 75,000 active and inactive dams today. Over the last fifteen years or so now a lot of organizations and bodies have taken initiative to try to bring balance to all of the consumers of water - through legislation and policy changes. The United States Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA have been doing some excellent work on this in the U.S.
Alberta has really excellent policies in place which address sustainabililty issues but these have NOTHING to do with Ralph or Stelmach - thank Alberta Environment and the DFO (and a number of other organizations and concerned citizens) for this.
So many people watch that video "An Inconvenient Truth" and all of a sudden seem to think they are informed on environmental issues. I liked the information in it but it was presented in a context to frighten and cause panic - which may be required. Coal plants appear to be the worst contributors to global warming and there are some of them (I know of one near Edmonton) in operation in Alberta. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 7:48:50 PM |
Coal plants appear to be the worst contributors to global warming and there are some of them (I know of one near Edmonton) in operation in Alberta.
Speaking of this one, the industrialization of China should be worrying us all...
C | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 9:24:54 PM | The tories seem to be lost, a ship adrift.
The liberals will tank the economy,
The NDP? well they destroyed any province they've had control of
Alliance? It's a nice thought.
I might not vote. I don't know. I will go but maybe just void my ballot. Where is Rod Love when you really need him.
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 10:00:20 PM |
The tories seem to be lost, a ship adrift.
Not so much adrift, but divided. Remember back in the leadership convention? It was Dinning (Calgary/Urban) versus Morton (rural/redneck). The party was split so Steady Eddie came up the middle & won. It parallels what happened in Ottawa to the Liberals (need I say more). The 3rd place dude is running the show.
Alberta is going to pull an Ontario...where the urban centers will vote left and the country will vote right. Thing is, apparently, the cities have 50% of the ridings but 80% of the people live in the cities. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/25/2008 10:18:06 PM |
The tories seem to be lost, a ship adrift.
Frankly I can't remember the last time there was someone at the wheel...perhaps the early Klein years...prior to that, Lougheed.
The liberals will tank the economy,
Doubtful. As in the 70's, the world price of oil set by OPEC, not anything done by any Liberal anywhere real or imagined or lamented by Westerners ignorant of world economics and looking for a scapegoat close at hand will tank the economy.
The NDP? well they destroyed any province they've had control of
Even if that were the case, which I have yet to see established, how is that in any way relevant here? Is there an ND conspiracy? Never mind, I think I can spot a red-baiter when I see one...
Alliance? It's a nice thought.
Probably for some...but there are a lot of Red Tories, especially amongst the federal party that feel as if their old party was hijacked by a lunatic fringe that tried to steer the party away from the socially and fiscally moderate Canadian mainstream towards a dangerously neo-Conservative American model. A lot of those Red Tories have a lot of money and connections and are waiting for the un-muzzled whackos in the New Conservative party to start showing their true colours and letting that unfriendly fringe and "too-close" for comfort relationship to the US make the majority of Canadians uncomfortable. They're patient enough and eventually will take their party back and the fringer's can make their way back to the fringe.
At the provincial level, the Wild Rose Alliance represents that neo-con far right fringe that is conservatism more conservative than the PC's.
Any vote for them bleeds away votes and seats from the PC's if anyone wants to move that way, please be my guests. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 8:21:26 AM | /\/\/\/\/\Agreed, Tories but by a much reduced majority. Does Stelmach deserve to? Possibly not but much like past elections Alberta opposition parties can't seem to come up with a palatable alternative. Hopefully this reduced majority will introduce some humility into our present government.
As an earlier poster mentioned, there will be a further polarization of the urban/rural vote, to the benifit of neither | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 8:41:47 AM | There has already been talk if the Tories get in tomorrow - and they loose a bunch of seats/ridings to other parties (which if you take what is not only being said in the media - but by people out on the street = they very well could) - that stelmach is in big trouble within his own party. There are members of his own party already talking about ousting him out as soon as they can.
And a note here folks - from what My Grandfather - a decorated WW1 vet once said to me when I was around 8 years old (when he lived with us)...
You don't vote - you have no right to btch...
We fought and the generation after us (WW2) fought and sacrificed so you can live in a country where you can help decide the leaders. We helped keep that power for you and generations to come - don't take it lightly....
And although it seems a lot of times that 'power' is lost - it isn't...
so if you are not happy with the choices out there - find someone who is running on an issue - even one - that you agree with. Go out and vote. Or dont btch when its over. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 8:58:49 AM | | I get sick of hearing this manure repeated endlessly and with no foundation other than a zillion puppets regurgitating it and patting one another on the back in agreeance. If a person could quit paying the wages of an employee that they don't approve of, then they should shut up! As long as it's not an option though, I think folks can say what they like about their employees. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 9:06:39 AM | You are contridicting yourself there bub...
You don't vote - then YOU didn't have any input into the process that put them in the jobs that they have - thus working for us...thus - YOU don't have any right to btch about the job they are doing - period.
And manure? Okay - that shows how much you respect vets and what they have to say...
Why don't you go live in a communist country. Some of us happen to be very proud of our vets and guys/gals in military still. If our people over seas that are fighting, and day and night don't know if they are going to get blown up by some kid with a bomb attached to them, or by a roadside bomb or even a sniper - and they are even voting - what the hell is your excuse? | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 9:22:32 AM | Alberta has always elected cats.. when they want to change the gov't.. they just elect a differ type of cat! Cats only look after...
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wait for it....
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other cats! Go figure!
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Time to elect a mouse.. they are the only ones who will serve the interests of us mice.
... just my 2 cents worth! | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 10:09:23 AM | I'm voting for anyone other than my current MLA.
She has done NOTHING to help with a problem I've had this past year.
And a note here folks - from what My Grandfather - a decorated WW1 vet once said to me when I was around 8 years old (when he lived with us)...
You don't vote - you have no right to btch...
Good advice!!
GO VOTE!!! | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 10:27:34 AM | I'm contradicting myself? Are you saying that a person who doesn't play a role in the curriculum of a school has no business in affairs of what their kids are being taught? Or maybe that a person who didn't participate in legal definitions has no business in how criminals are dealt with, or even defined for that matter? Pretty sure it affects many who didn't involve themselves in the details, but that it's still their business, and they have every right to express their feelings regarding such issues.
As for the veterans you seem to feel I'm disrespecting for some reason, I'd be willing to wager that many didn't wanna be sent to their death a long time ago but weren't given the choice, and I'd take bets that many didn't and still don't wanna fight for control over oil. I have nothing but great respect, and a tad of sympathy, for folks being sacrificed still.
As for excuses, I spit it out on the "Alberta municipal elections" thread last year, and nothing has changed much | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 2:13:15 PM | Its people that sit around and btch and do nothing in participating in the democratic process - is the problem with this country. Lots of people btch and moan - and think they have all the solutions to problems - but they don't get off their asses to participate.
Very sad... | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 3/2/2008 3:01:35 PM | Very sad... I'll second that bit of your spiel at least.
Its people that sit around and btch and do nothing in participating in the democratic process - is the problem with this country Far bigger problems out there than a few people speaking their minds. Go back and read this thread and see how many people are saying that they dunno what they're gonna do on election day, but they'll put an X someplace. Yeah, those are the folks I want controlling my destiny.
and think they have all the solutions to problems I dunno where that came from, but I'm guessing it's from one of your special tactics. Making up and putting words in other peoples mouths and then condemning them for it. I don't profess to have squat for answers and just said that a I believe putting a blind X on some piece of paper would likely fix very little, so I probably wouldn't be bothering.
but they don't get off their asses to participate I personally feel my time could be used far better than going and putting some X on some piece of paper, supporting somebody who I believe is only trying to harvest said X's, and will be the next one folks are bad-mouthing and complaining about. When was the last time you were happy with a person in power, whether or not thats who you voted for?
Weren't you just saying how this'll likely be the first time in over 90 years that somebody in your family has voted NON-conservative? I won't even lower myself to go there.
One more time
Very sad...
 No offense  | |
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