| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/5/2008 10:16:33 PM | Well what I thought what we could do here - is see what is the most important issues to us Alberta POF'ers.
One of my main issues - after seeing a bunch of seniors being forced out of their apartment in the place I am living in - due to outrageous rental increases - is the fact someone has to put a rent cap on the increases. Okay - I can see doing it a bit to go with the increase of gas, etc - but when an owner of a building doubles the monthly payments - its getting so bad! And for myself, its not like i go out partying (the last time I was in a club was about 3 years ago), or buying clothes all the time (actually I design my own when it gets tight), or drink, or do drugs. I don't have an expensive car (actually I was starting to save up for one - even a toaster on wheels - but with the rental increase - can forget about that now), and I don't have the thrills = I even have peasant vision (no cable) - and there are a lot of people that I know in this situation as well - hard working people that have good jobs, but are finding it hard now. (and before someone votes this as a self pity thread - its not - I am using my situation as an example - I will still manage - not looking for pity).
I can just imagine what the single mothers (and single fathers) are going through, and the seniors - people on fixed incomes.....
So what are your issues? What would you like to see come forward in the upcoming election? | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/5/2008 10:25:03 PM | ^^ I hear ya on the rental situation Queen. I have to help out my retired father as he's paying much more for his place now. Most landlords have made it quite clear that they don't give a sh-it AND SO HAS the Stelmach government.
But you know what? I think that its too late to address this really - the damage is done. Stelmach has done ZIP about this and he has had plenty of time. What's the point of putting up a cap now after rents have doubled in the last three years for an awful lot of people? Politics is a strange profession that I don't understand. How has some idiot that dropped out of an arts degree in first year and who's background is in milking cows ended up running our province right now??
I think its hilarious that as soon as an election is announced his government starts to talk about eliminating Alberta Health Care premiums. The province is so well off yet we have continual tuition hikes at almost all post-secondary institutions in Alberta. In Germany students pay an administration fee to go to university for a year that usually between $100 to $200.
Feel free to copy and paste this post in an email to Mr. Stelmach!
Hydro. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/5/2008 11:01:35 PM |
How has some idiot that dropped out of an arts degree in first year and who's background is in milking cows ended up running our province right now??
Guess that depends on WHO actually votes...
Not pointing any fingers, but we need to get out and VOTE for flip sakes! | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 12:13:35 AM | I agree with all of this except for this "The province is so well off yet we have continual tuition hikes at almost all post-secondary institutions in Alberta. In Germany students pay an administration fee to go to university for a year that usually between $100 to $200.
Feel free to copy and paste this post in an email to Mr. Stelmach! "
Education is something that leads to a higher paying job. DO NOT expect me to pay for your future.
On average a degree will cost a student $20,000.. ok...
they will earn at least that within the first year of employment.
the rest is just gravy. sorry... I do not feel sorry for students who have have high tuition costs.
Check out the bars on wyhte ave sometime... full of students... the very same students that complain they cannot afford an education.
BTW, I do have a degree... I also had 3 room-mates and ate kraft dinner and noodles, didn't own a car etc...
University is not about being comfy. It is about building a future. And sacrifice. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 6:58:00 AM | My issues?
The environment. We are screwing with our water basins etc, and most of it is slipping under the radar of Joe Public (or JP doesn't care) How about the recently passed bill to split the AEUB into two bodies.
Housing costs. Approximately 50% of the homeless population in Calgary are employed.
Health Care and Education.
And most of the ills we have can be put squarely on the shoulders of Ralph Klein. Stelmach has been in office for one year. I already like him better than Ralph. Won't vote for him though. Actually not sure who I will vote for, better start finding out platforms and policies for our future. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 7:39:29 AM | I think its hilarious that as soon as an election is announced his government starts to talk about eliminating Alberta Health Care premiums
Ditto. I'd be willing to bet that this is just another sleazy attempt by politicians to buy votes, and won't happen because....... *insert lame excuse if anything* after elections are done. Any takers? | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 4:00:18 PM |
eliminating Alberta Health Care premiums
Eliminating them sounds good. If it happened, I can see Privtation of the Alberta Health Care. Something Klien wanted but couldn't get. That scares me. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 5:56:42 PM | education damn it..... class rooms were nearly uncontrollable when I was in school, now they've got 2wice the students and half the teachers.... children are slipping through the cracks at a phenominal rate. who fails and repeats a grade these days??
add to that, daycare subsidy program enhancements.......all my kids are teens now so this isn't so much of an issue for me personally, but when going through this phase of life as a single parent, damn.... what single parent can afford to work. IMO a decent certified "child care" professional should probably make tripple what they do now, the turn around in these facilities surely rivals Mc'donalds, and we wonder why kids get left sleeping in cribs while the doors get locked. So yeah, increase funding in such a way they can also maintain a decent long term dedicated staff to raise our kids for us while we're stressed to the max work'n to buy some KD
when my utilities rival my mortgage payment, yeah I think somethings gotta happen with this natural gas situation, yeah kick me back a hundred bucks Ralphy, that'll make up for the 4 grand a year jump
health care privatization would worry me very much as well
what else..........Hrrrrrrrrrrrrrm, outlaw truck nuts please...... If I can't smoke outside the door of a neighborhood pub, people shouldn't be able to swing their nuts in my face  | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 9:45:46 PM | ^^^ On a less serious note I could nominate you for a leadership position S/S and I could be your traffic advisor. Some of the first tasks in order would be to revise a lot of the current speed limits and restrict access on a lot of roadways to certain types of vehicles (i.e: no semis or gay minivans). I would also advise you to implement minimum speed limits and not maximums on such roadways as Yellowhead and Whitemud.
Now wouldn't that be fun?
^ That's me in the stang out in front.
Hydro. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/6/2008 10:02:42 PM | Edmonfella:
The Alberta government does a dreadful job investing in the University network in this province. If you read the MacLeans Magazine survey on "best" schools in Canada, the Top 10 are all OUTSIDE of Alberta. Many of the engineers out here in the oil industry were educated in the east. Don't you find it ironic that many of our best got an education in engineering at places like University of Waterloo? Have you seen the cost of tuition compared to a place like U of C? It's cheaper pretty much everywhere else. Alberta doesn't have a "superstar" name brand University and it should.....
Most of the people I know that went to University will still paying their student loans back well into their mid & late 20s. Rack up 30 or 40 grand in fees man...it's like buying a BMW. When you are first starting out, you ain't gonna pull in 60K a year unless you're in the "right" position at the right time. It's pretty tough to survive anywhere in this province on 40 grand a year.
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/7/2008 10:50:14 PM | while having delusions of grandure over potentially having the ability to manipulate traffic, silver-surfer becomes distracted while updating "car status" on pof to "stang killa" and forgets to respond to hydro with witful retort 
do that stang thang <-- the reason we're smiling is............ we're about to pass you mang ;)  | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/8/2008 4:34:07 AM | Something to consider...
If health care premiums are eliminated...and your employer is currently paying all or a portion of the premiums...essentially, the government will be taking away from your total compensation at work...nice of them to want you to get "paid" less, isn't it? | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/8/2008 7:50:05 AM | I think the government should roll back the royalty increase in oil and gas...but instead "force" them to clean up the area around Fort Mac (reclaim the land). I'd like to see health care premiums at least eliminated for young families/poor people. For those people with two kids and a collie, 88 bucks can be pretty steep.
Couple of other things....have the government start to seriously invest in attracting wind/geo thermal/solar energy business to the province. Energy = more than oil/gas. I'd also like to see them spend more money on High Tech...specifically making SAIT and NAIT "the" high tech schools of Western Canada. High tech of all types (bio, computer, etc).
Oh yeah, and deep six the photo radar crap. I got a ticket for doing 8 kms an hour over the limit the other day. | |
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exxess
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Joined: 1/31/2006
Msg: 14 | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/8/2008 10:05:30 PM | I would like to see a "none of the above" box added to the ballot, and if none of the above wins, even a minority, then anybody who ran is disqualified from holding any government paid job or office for.. say.. 2 terms. So in 6 to 8 years, they can run again.
But if nobody likes who they see and None of the Above wins, a new election is called and new candidates must be found.
As for the schooling issue, I do pay 100 bucks to the school for supplies. And then the add ons for road trips and such. At least 350$ per year per child in 2 different school systems (One french and one in english special needs)
As for the question of what other choice we have, there are other parties. Some of them are trying to rebuild a failed reputation and so would be more reliable than say... a monarchy party in power that's been screwing the citizens for a long time and formerly led by "King Ralph" who's only real contribution is making Alberta look like an ass to the rest of Canada, ignoring the people of Alberta's needs, ignoring infrastructure's needs and the stroke of luck that he was in power when oil really took off. He didn't make the province wealthy, he was just here when the big companies came and made the province wealthy.
So excercise your right to choose, whoever you choose. Get out, vote, remember that this current government mis-managed their way to the problems we have despite being the wealthiest problem by ignoring the people. Well, any party can do that, and the others haven't had a chance to try here for a long time. From what I've seen in other parts of Canada, it really truly cannot be more mis-managed than it is now. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/9/2008 12:39:30 AM |
As for the question of what other choice we have, there are other parties. Some of them are trying to rebuild a failed reputation and so would be more reliable than say... a monarchy party in power that's been screwing the citizens for a long time and formerly led by "King Ralph" who's only real contribution is making Alberta look like an ass to the rest of Canada, ignoring the people of Alberta's needs, ignoring infrastructure's needs and the stroke of luck that he was in power when oil really took off. He didn't make the province wealthy, he was just here when the big companies came and made the province wealthy.
I have to second this.
If anything the last two leaders of the Tories, post Lougheed, were politically unsavvy bumpkins. Klien's only claim to fame was a teflon-unflappability and a cetain folksy charm (mixed with a certain boozy charm) and has been pointed out riding on a combination of oil prices and the general publics total misunderstanding of how UTTERLY BADLY he and the Alberta Tories were letting the Alberta people get screwed over for their own resources as they began to sell away the province to the lowest bidder...and how they will continue to.
Then came utility de-regulation...oh yeah, that was a great idea
What choice is there?
Well you have the Alberta Liberal Party and the Alberta New Democratic Party for two. Both are mainstream parties in opposition, neither have held leadership in recent memory but both have been strong in opposition. There are other parties as well but these two are certainly the front runners...why not vote for one of them?
Are you seriously going to tell us that they will screw things up worse than a party that has been running Alberta into the ground for 30 years spending the future away like drunken sailors on shore leave? I mean before the Tories it was a tyranny of the Social Credit party...a bunch of cuckoo religious fanatics for decades. We should be trying to move this province into the 21st century.
Clear out all the deadwood and corruption of the last three decades of payola...we know it's there...was it not Lyle Oberg that was gunning for the premier's job earlier and was given the boot from caucus and uttered the veiled threat about knowing "where all the bodies were buried?" We need to show up at the polls and turf these S.O.B.'s out. At this point, any choice is a good one...but do make some effort to vote strategically.
Find out who your MLA candidates are and do some good. | |
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D_rail
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Joined: 1/14/2007
Msg: 17 | |
| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/10/2008 9:07:27 AM | Have you noticed that the PC's are using the catch phrase "the party for change"?
So, what's going to change if the tories get re-elected? Perhaps some of their excuses for not getting the job done.
Didn't the tories cut back on health funding, which resulted in fewer nurses and doctors, fewer beds??? Haven't the tories just handed over the task of running the province to big business? Come on, this is supposed to be the richest province in Canada, yet the government always goes looking for private investment in everything from health the education.
People have short memories; just over a decade ago the people of Saskatchewan sent several Tory politicians to prison for liberating funds from the public treasury, and just recently the tories were re-elected.
Remember, if you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain! | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/10/2008 11:40:19 AM | Anyone hear Lougheed on CBC Radio 1's the Current a couple of weeks ago. Even he admitted he was shocked that the Conservative Dynasty lasted so long. He's sorta before my era, but I was surprised how well spoken and level headed the guy seemed. He was talking about maybe slowing down the oil sands stuff until it was under control.
What I can see happening in the future is a division between Cal/Edm & the rest of Alberta. Calgary & Edmonton are reaching the stage where life becomes very complex in the city. The needs of cities are dramatically different then the needs of the "country" around them. The best example is Toronto....where the voting patterns of the 416 (downtown area code) are VERY different than the 905 (suburbs and hinterland). Folks in Red Deer aren't worried about traffic, homeless bums, over crowded transit & an overall gritty, maddening life that is slowly going to envelope this city. And that's going to drive out the folksy people and bring in the urbanites...who tend to vote more "left" than right. To someone living in the city, the needs of someone living in Beltbuckle Alberta are pretty meaningless & vice versa.
Stelmach really didn't win the gig either. He was the second choice. During the leadership convention it was Dinning versus Morton....aka oil and sushi versus a good ole boy. The division between city and country had already begun. So we ended up with Stelmach who is truly one of the most uninspiring guys I've ever heard speak. King Ralph was a prick, but he did have a way about him...tho it usually just galvanized people against each other.
Not that things are better in the Liberal camp. Kevin Taft....well what's to say about him. He's the same old thing, no real ideas, etc. He floats around and follows the general direction of the populace. My own MLA is Liberal, he's Dave Taylor, formerly from QR77 & I admit, he's a reasonably intelligent guy & seems to have vision. Problem is, I can't stomach the thought of voting for the Liberals. I wake up in cold sweats with visions of Stephan Dion floating over my bed.
In Canada, our politicians suck. They're all tools with no vision. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/10/2008 12:44:49 PM | I have always hated politics.
One issue close to my heart though, as seen on another thread is forcing people into treatment, especially youth.
The courts should not have the power to send youth to unlicenced, unregulated treatment centers that use experimental treatment practices by unaccredited staff. These treatment centers are not accountable to anyone because currently in this province unless a facility is collecting user fees from the government for care they are not subject to regulation of any sort.
I would LOVE to see legislation changed that would allow only licenced, regulated, inspected facilities to care for human beings. That and some accountability shown the process would be great!
These facilities should have an independant outside evaluation, and not rely on their own internal "studies".
If a facility is PRIVATE, ran by a charity and collects no user fees from the government they should still be required to have some sort of a licence, hire only accredited staff (not former clients with no other training) and be subject to some sort of regulation and inspection.
Currently there is no jurisdiction to uphold private facilities to any sort of scrutiny or standards.
Just plain wrong IMO
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/11/2008 7:19:20 PM | (JMO)
Let me be the devil's advocate...( mouhahaha)
Queen, the rental increases are quite unfortunate, but what could the government do really? put a cap like you said? mmmm. yeah... mmmmaybe...
government is a lot like a miror to the population it represents: if you got a liberal government, you got mainly liberals in population. if its a conservative government, chances are, you'll have a conservative population (ESPECIALLY in alberta...).
i hate the fact that people are getting evicted out of their appartments, but the government is far to be blamed (if only partially).
i don't believe in government interventions in economy, liberties... or anything else in that matter. i am simply put for no government at all (other subject hihi )
i believe that people should make the right decisions and be fair.
but they're not.
because the majority that rule in alberta are bullies. crooks. that want to crush the poor. that believe in the least government as possible.
but. whats really funny...
they are charging through the roof in rent. bleeding even the folks who make "good money" - whatever that means here...- who could afford a better house, or appartment anywhere else in the country (except maybe bc...), but live in dismal poverty here. they don't give those people a single break. but yet...
all the profit that they are making... are being sent right back to... the government
instead. of charging a little less rent.
still make a profit.
paying less taxes.
and instead, giving it back to the PEOPLE.
bully people?
bully government.
simple as that | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/12/2008 10:12:45 AM | I think just as a general principle, the PCs have been in power too long, and that leads to a sense of entitlement and lethargy. I think overall the PCs and Ralph did an OK job, and there's really nothing wrong with Stelmach, but it's definitely a time for change.
I'm going to vote liberal myself. It's interesting how that name has such negative connotations, but the Alberta Liberals really have nothing to do with the Federal liberals and the whole Chretien/Martin/Dion thing.
BTW OP check out Dave Taylor's (liberal MP Calgary someplace) platform on affordable housing...it's suprisingly good. | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/12/2008 5:53:05 PM |
BTW OP check out Dave Taylor's (liberal MP Calgary someplace) platform on affordable housing...it's suprisingly good.
He's Calgary Currie's MLA(urban riding). and a former Talk Show host from QR77 where he was on air for something like 18 years. He strikes me as a rather balanced guy that isn't that confrontational, he can speak and he appears to have a brain in his head. This is unparalleled in politics.
If the Liberals were smart, Taft would quit, they'd have a leadership convention & Taylor would win. That might really help their cause. The last politician with a brain in Alberta was a dude named Lougheed. | |
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sum67
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Joined: 12/28/2006
Msg: 23 | |
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| Alberta - heading for election - what is your opinion?
Posted: 2/12/2008 8:13:53 PM | Sum67,
Funny you should suggest the Wild Rose party. I just read the basic promises thing in the Journal and of the group, Green has nothing to say, so not hard to live up to that. Conservatives have proven they are great at sitting on their hands and empty promises. Coming from Ontario, there's no way I can endorse the Liberals. I had hoped to see something more out of them, but apparently not. They appear to be a carbon copy of the trash we had back east.
The NDP are not really basing the platform on much, just what seems to be a repetition of what we've experienced already blended with further promises that seem out of touch with the provincial population needs.
The Wild Rose guys seem to cover a lot of the needs of the province, are making promises that are indeed attainable with glimpses of further direction for the future.
I am not yet decided and won't be until near the election but so far, they are the ones that have my attention.
And for those of you who want to see the basic platforms so far, they are in the Edmonton Journal. Look it up. | |
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