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Syndicate
Some rich people need controls put on them just the way pigs at the trough do.
Stockholm wrote:
In what way would a Wildrose government be any worse than the PCs were all those years under Ralph Klein when they were savagely cutting and slashing everything in sight!
It will be worse because thanks to Firewall Harper. The thin thread by which Medicare hangs will be totally cut and privatized as Harper permits the provinces to do whatever they want. There will not be even token federal resistance to this destruction. WRA will lead the way with Saskatchewan following close behind under Wall and the BC Conservatives, who are growing rapidly, proposing the same for BC. In other words expect Medicare to be balkanized. In addition, Smith will allow lots of free votes on social conservative issues where a WRA majority will attempt to dismantle gay, abortion and other rights, while she may herself not vote for some of them to maintain her alleged libertarian views.
For those who think voting PC might be a better idea:
Tory or Wildrose?
Perhaps you can clarify this. Does it only apply to Alberta and petrochemicals, or does it apply to British Columbia and the lumber industry's attempt to turn the province into a moonscape by clear cutting, Quebec and the hydro-electric industry and their quest to submerge the northern half of the province in order to generate more [exportable] electricity regardless of the devastation to the environment, Saskatchewan and the mining industry who seem quite content to turn the lakes in the north into one huge tailings pond, how about Ontario and its nuclear industry, or have they found a foolproof way of disposing of the waste from their reactors that isn't putting future generations at risk?
While I loath using the argument, I do have to observe that for some time now Alberta, sitting on those reserves of black gold, has been funding (out of proportion to our numbers) the equalization programs that help define that Canadian value of "sharing the good". I see nothing wrong with this, as you correctly point out, those reserves are at best a geographical accident. Unlike the WRP and their federal Conservative mentors, I don't think that the rest of the country should be expected to express thanks for this redistibution -- it is a matter of fairness. At the same time, I am quite willing to point out that when it comes to "sharing the bad" (the best example of which is the grotesque inequality in distribution of seats in the federal parliament... you know the flip side of that democratic deficit thing) the "Canadian fold" seems to make a response along the lines of "suck it up". How about spending a little time and effort in calling for fairness in regards to this inequality?
Hmm, how about we use the monies that are funding the equalization payments to do just that. Oh wait, then we wouldn't be sharing the good, would we? While we are busy building firewalls, can we build one around Ontario and Quebec and make them pay for the mismanagement of their manufacturing sectors?
But back to the case at hand (which seems to be resource management) -- I wonder, is British Columbia also to be penalized for its softwood timber exports (especially if they are shipping out logs rather than dimensional lumber), how about the Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec for exporting ore? The bastards, they are exporting resources without sufficient value being added, off with their heads.
Of course I am left wondering who is left to actually manage the "the Canadian fold" - maybe P.E.I.? I don't think exporting natural resources is a particularly significant part of their economy [unless you consider potatoes and Lucy Maude Montgomery knick-knacks to be either natural or precious resources.]
Brian Mason is remind me of Kevin James (Doug in the King of Queen) when Kevin wear moustache in funny movie `Mall Cop`
I can't bring myself to write anything mean about Brian Mason. He has done so much for the people of Edmonton, and Alberta, over the course of his political career.
And bagkitty brings out her claws! Nicely said!
I am still undecided. I may vote the way I did the last time and I may not. Our PC MLA is a nice guy but I doubt that will win the day for him. Anyways lots of WRA signs around here.
The way I see it Alberta is a relatively toxic presence in confederation and frankly complaints about the democratic defect ring hollow as an explanation or excuse.
For one, BC and Ontario are just as under represented in the House of Commons, soon Quebec will be too. Quebec is at least culturally distinct. Alberta is distinct only in so far as it's reactionary and the most American of all provinces. Soon Quebec will be just as under represented in the house so I can't see where this western alienation cliche has any validity.
Two, BC is more under represented in the Senate and Alberta's hair brained "elections" make the situation worse by threatening to legitimize the process. If Alberta joined with Ontario and BC to call for the Senate's abolition, before crazy Christy Clarke's desperate sop to her conservative base reversed this position, as opposed to their wierd idea on this matter, we'd make more progress on a real solution on this matter.
All of this doesn't even address the Dutch disease aspect of Alberta's overvalued resource determining federal economic policy to the detriment of other Canadian provincial economies and exporters, especially manufactures, but not just them. If the Canadian dollar wasn't so over valued, exports from other provinces would be more attractive on the world market.
But no, apparently the rest of Canada should, despite assurances to the contrary, be grateful that Alberta contributes "so much" and only asks to build their pipelines all over our territory with only minor (lol) chance of spills (let alone the environmental degredation from the tar sands that makes Bagkitty's examples from the rest of the country look positivley organic, environmentalist and green) and of course the chance to determine federal economic, political and social policy with "a majority" of 10% of the population, lest we "ignore" them. You know Alberta is barely tolerable as it is now, but go ahead and elect your Sarah Palin (although I'll admit that no one here would). If you do I'm going to go testify at the church of North Report.
Um, Hurtin' Albertan, I happen to be a tomcat. That would be "bagkitty brings out his claws. I have also been known to "spray" on cherished personal items of people who have displeased me.
I think Ontario has higher median incomes than Alberta. No point letting facts get in the way of a perfectly good opinion.
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/Income/Page....
It is of no relevance whether the one per centers are from Newfoundland and Labrador or British Columbia. They can not and nor should they ever be trusted with the keys to the Canadian vault.
If true, it's a big minus, but she seems intelligent enough to start picking it up, which would be a big plus. Harper's has improved, language coaching is a perk of the job. Remains to be seen, accent is important too, can't speak French as if it were English with different words. This doesn't mean I'm cheering for her.
The lid on the loonies starting to loosen. In time to make a difference in the seat count?
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CFL