[bootlegga]

martin14 martin14:

Sunnyways Sunnyways:

Alberta has been badly run for decades, closer to KSA than Norway. More of the oil revenue should have been saved for the bad times.

That money got sent to Quebec, and other places. Norway wasn't busy sending money to Sweden, Denmark, or Finland.

That's a red herring.

Equalization funding comes from federal taxes Albertans pay, not the resource royalties Alberta collects every year.

Alberta never sent one cent of its resource royalties to any other province.

[Sunnyways]

martin14 martin14:

Sunnyways Sunnyways:

Alberta has been badly run for decades, closer to KSA than Norway. More of the oil revenue should have been saved for the bad times.

That money got sent to Quebec, and other places. Norway wasn't busy sending money to Sweden, Denmark, or Finland.

Nowhere near all of it. I remember the first day I saw Foothills Hospital during a downturn in the economy there; it looked like a luxury hotel.

If you'd had Norwegians running Alberta since 1948, they would have saved an awful lot more. People voted for low taxes and high spending and the result was inevitable.

[Alta_redneck]

She looks just like this

[Thanos]

bootlegga bootlegga:

All in all, I think the biggest problem is the Dipper's rush to push through all of their agenda in a couple years - had they spaced some of this out, I think it wouldn't be soo bad.

If I was a right winger in this province though, I'd be rejoicing, because of all these changes and their refusal to take a more moderate stance, I think the Dippers have set the progressive movement in Alberta back substantially. After they leave office in 2019, it will almost certainly be at a generation or two before Albertans ever consider a progressive government again.

They probably decided to go for broke because they know what happened that got them elected in the first place was a fluke. It was an anger vote to punish the PC's for Redford's graft and Prentice's arrogance that went to the NDP, because at the moment the WRA was in tatters thanks to the plotting and scheming of Prentice and Danielle Smith. If that screw-job that gutted the WRA hadn't happened we'd have a WildRose provincial government right now*. Fresh faces or not the Dippers were at least organized, and the way Notley clobbered Prentice in that one debate did a lot to convince a significant number of non-Dippers that she might be OK as premier.

* and it wouldn't have been a good thing either, in light of the oil price collapse and now the McMurray disaster, to have a government in a terrible downturn that would have instinctively gone into Austerity Hero mode; the unemployment rate would now be double from all the "socialist leech" pubic-sector workers they would have laid off over the last year

[BRAH]

Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:

She looks just like this

This could have been Notley or Trudeau's Bush Ground Zero bullhorn moment instead they blew it and Brian Jean picked up the bullhorn.

[Alta_redneck]

BRAH BRAH:

Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:

She looks just like this

This could have been Notley or Trudeau's Bush Ground Zero bullhorn moment instead they blew it and Brian Jean picked up the bullhorn.

Did you hear what Rachel said this morning when asked why and how long the cash cards are taking so long to be given out.

She said these evcauees have everything they need, they have a bed, food, water, clean underwear and soap and tooth brushes, what else do they need.

How about a nice meal that dosent include egg salad sandwiches and a bottle of water.

[herbie]

Hell no Thanos. Wildrose would've had a $9 billion fire budget and every unemployed oil worker would've been in fire gear with tankers full of water on every street corner in Alberta... in April! Relief cheques would've been printed back in January.
And Elizabeth May gets shit for 'politicizing' a natural disaster. I wouldn't want to be Premier of BC when the big quake comes.

[martin14]

herbie herbie:

And Elizabeth May gets shit for 'politicizing' a natural disaster. I wouldn't want to be Premier of BC when the big quake comes.

I'm sure the Mad Cow will find a way to blame that on global warming as well.

[bootlegga]

Thanos Thanos:

bootlegga bootlegga:

All in all, I think the biggest problem is the Dipper's rush to push through all of their agenda in a couple years - had they spaced some of this out, I think it wouldn't be soo bad.

If I was a right winger in this province though, I'd be rejoicing, because of all these changes and their refusal to take a more moderate stance, I think the Dippers have set the progressive movement in Alberta back substantially. After they leave office in 2019, it will almost certainly be at a generation or two before Albertans ever consider a progressive government again.

They probably decided to go for broke because they know what happened that got them elected in the first place was a fluke. It was an anger vote to punish the PC's for Redford's graft and Prentice's arrogance that went to the NDP, because at the moment the WRA was in tatters thanks to the plotting and scheming of Prentice and Danielle Smith. If that screw-job that gutted the WRA hadn't happened we'd have a WildRose provincial government right now*. Fresh faces or not the Dippers were at least organized, and the way Notley clobbered Prentice in that one debate did a lot to convince a significant number of non-Dippers that she might be OK as premier.

The thing is that even though many Albertans likes to think of themselves as conservative, I think in general most are really closer to the centre than they want to admit - the exception of course being rural voters.

That's one of the reasons the Wildrose weren't able to get a majority in the past two elections - they simply can't win in urban centres like Edmonton or Calgary. And to form a government in Alberta, you've got to win two of the three main votes: Calgary, Edmonton and Rural.

The problem with the Dippers is that too many are true left wing believers that Notley and the handful of moderates (well moderate for NDP at least) have to rein in.

I really think that had they brought in policies slowly and carefully and at least tried to keep deficits low, they might have had a chance at a second term, especially if Notley succeeded in getting Energy East approved.

Thanos Thanos:

* and it wouldn't have been a good thing either, in light of the oil price collapse and now the McMurray disaster, to have a government in a terrible downturn that would have instinctively gone into Austerity Hero mode; the unemployment rate would now be double from all the "socialist leech" pubic-sector workers they would have laid off over the last year

Agreed there too - the Wildrose are mirror opposites of the Dippers (hardcore right wing true believers) who would have gutted government services and likely privatized even more government services all in their desperation to balance the budget.

The problem is we need a middle of the road approach somewhere between the two extremes and it just isn't available at all. And almost nobody trusts the PCs to fall into that role either.

[andyt]

The NDP in BC did the same thing their first kick at the can and were tossed out after three years. But they passed a lot of legislation that is still with us, including the agricultural land reserve, which the righties have tried to nibble away at for years, but never had the guts to just eliminate because they know most BCrs support it. I think that's the case with a lot of NDP ideas - people set their hair on fire, but once enacted, nobody wants to change it back. Compare that to the federal Libs that are busy undoing what Harper wrought - nobody seems to be complaining about that, except the hardcore right, and they don't have the numbers.

[bootlegga]

andyt andyt:

The NDP in BC did the same thing their first kick at the can and were tossed out after three years. But they passed a lot of legislation that is still with us, including the agricultural land reserve, which the righties have tried to nibble away at for years, but never had the guts to just eliminate because they know most BCrs support it. I think that's the case with a lot of NDP ideas - people set their hair on fire, but once enacted, nobody wants to change it back. Compare that to the federal Libs that are busy undoing what Harper wrought - nobody seems to be complaining about that, except the hardcore right, and they don't have the numbers.

The thing is, that some of the NDP policies - like getting rid of coal-fired power generation - were already in the works and the ND just accelerated them, so those policies may stay, depending on how much they appear to have hurt the economy.

Having said that, if the Wildrose form the next government, they will almost certainly repeal EVERYTHING the NDP brought in, as they cannot find common ground on pretty much any issue.

If it's the PCs, then Thanos is probably correct - much of it (including all new taxes and fees) will stay, while a few unpopular 'nanny state' policies may get repealed.

[BRAH]

Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:

BRAH BRAH:

Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:

She looks just like this

This could have been Notley or Trudeau's Bush Ground Zero bullhorn moment instead they blew it and Brian Jean picked up the bullhorn.

Did you hear what Rachel said this morning when asked why and how long the cash cards are taking so long to be given out.

She said these evcauees have everything they need, they have a bed, food, water, clean underwear and soap and tooth brushes, what else do they need.

How about a nice meal that dosent include egg salad sandwiches and a bottle of water.

[andyt]

bootlegga bootlegga:

The thing is, that some of the NDP policies - like getting rid of coal-fired power generation - were already in the works and the ND just accelerated them, so those policies may stay, depending on how much they appear to have hurt the economy.

Having said that, if the Wildrose form the next government, they will almost certainly repeal EVERYTHING the NDP brought in, as they cannot find common ground on pretty much any issue.

If it's the PCs, then Thanos is probably correct - much of it (including all new taxes and fees) will stay, while a few unpopular 'nanny state' policies may get repealed.

well, you'd know better than me, but I have faith, despite what see displayed here, that as you say, Albertans aren't mostly wild eyed righties. So they may vote in the Wildrose out of dissatisfaction, but if that party goes hog wild may vote them out again too. Y'all may be in for a period of flipping back and forth, as you don't like spending cuts, don't like the taxes to pay for the spending, and don't have the huge oil income you used to have. (I read that SA is putting their oil company up for sale because they see the end of oil being way overpriced, ie a new normal with lower oil prices). Weaning off the teat is hard for anybody.

[BRAH]

herbie herbie:

Hell no Thanos. Wildrose would've had a $9 billion fire budget and every unemployed oil worker would've been in fire gear with tankers full of water on every street corner in Alberta... in April! Relief cheques would've been printed back in January.
And Elizabeth May gets shit for 'politicizing' a natural disaster. I wouldn't want to be Premier of BC when the big quake comes.

When that happened to me I didn't blame the NDP I blamed the bottle of wine I drank.