I guess we should be happy that Stelmach has realized that he is incapable of managing Alberta’s government and economy. Special Ed has taken it upon himself to appoint a panel to take over where he has failed. Unfortunately, Stelmach has appointed people on the same caliber of foresight and intelligence as himself.
To begin with Ed has chosen Anne McLellan. Remember her? The former LIBERAL deputy prime minister who was integral in implementing the $2 billion dollar gun registry. Yes, this is clearly a mind of fiscal wisdom. Anne was an integral part of Chretien’s regime.
Next is David Dodge. Dodge was the LIBERAL appointed head of the Bank of Canada. He was an integral part of Chretien’s regime.
Adding to the list is David Emerson. This is the LIBERAL MP opportunist who quit his own party in order to get into Harper’s cabinet. Emerson was too cowardly to face the electorate after his appointment and sniveled away in less than two years rather than face the electorate again after having crossed the floor.
By the way, Emerson is from Montreal, Dodge is from Toronto and Anne is from Nova Scotia. One would think that after putting tens of thousands out of work that Ed could find some local talent. Ed sure has tapped the bastion of federal Liberals anyway.
Albertans think that they elected a conservative? Look where Special Ed will be getting his advice now;?
Federal Liberals who could not make the grade are now Ed Stelmach’s braintrust.
Yes, another report card has been released on our city council and yet again Alderman Druh Farrell has been given yet another well earned F for her pathetic performance in city hall. The first report card was based on the views of over 5000 Calgarians and this new one is based on local business.
Points should be given to dull Druh for consistency as well as performance. Druh can always be relied upon for unrestrained spending on pet projects and completely disregarding the will of the electorate at every opportunity. Druh will always support giving herself a raise and will always vigorously oppose any notion of common sense or realistic planning. Yup, Druh Farrell is the real thing. A true and unapologetic tax-and-spend person who gets belligerent whenever overtaxed voters dare question her vision for the city.
Never have I seen such discontent with city council in Calgary. The crazed spending and the almost obscene spending has finally gotten under the skin of Calgarians. Completely oblivious to the faltering economy our council has spent other people’s money in a way that would make drunken sailors blush. Council has crossed the line.
Despite our dismal electoral turnouts, it looks like the voting public will be ready to do some housecleaning in the municipal elections a little more than a year for now. Yes Druh, please keep dismissing the concerns of taxpayers. It will make the next election all the more sweet when you get thrown from your cushy seat and get a job as a store clerk in a crystal healing shop where you belong.
Well with years of hard effort Druh Farrell has gotten her just rewards. Sadly despite making such strides towards an utter failing grade, Druh does have to share bottom spot with the lacklustre Joe Ceci.
The arrogance, indifference to Calgarians and outright incompetance have caught up with Druh as the underwhelming outcome in the poll shows. All that is required now is for a reasonable candidate to contest Druh in the municipal election next year. I look forward to seeing Druh taking her well deserved spot in the unemployment line.
Last Friday and Saturday the Wildrose Alliance Party held it’s AGM and policy conference at the Bearspaw Lifestyle Center in Calgary. As (now former) VP of policy for the party, the task of organizing the affair landed on me. I can now add event-planning to my resume though I will try to avoid such tasks in the future. Our main challenge was that we filled the house to the rafters with enthusiastic attendees and keeping everybody comfortable and fed in such tight quarters can be quite a challenge. Thanks to a small army of excellent volunteers, we pulled it off. I can’t thank those who rolled up their sleeves and helped keep things moving along enough. The lineups for food were rather long, but people were patient and their attitudes were great. We all realized that having challenges with too many people coming out beats the heck out of having too few.
Getting to the meat and potatoes of the gathering, the party has clearly passed some milestones and is approaching some more. It was reported to the room that our membership has tripled since last January and continues to grow. The party is at an all time high in membership numbers and doubtless those numbers will explode as our leadership hopefuls pound the pavement in their campaigns.
In our financial reporting, it was re-confirmed that we are completely debt free (unlike the rest of the opposition parties) and funds continue to come to the party at an unprecedented rate from both corporate and individual donors. Concerned Albertans are putting their money where their mouths are and investing in Alberta’s future by supporting our future government. Money isn’t everything, but it certainly is essential when going against the withering but still entrenched PC party of Alberta.
Paul Hinman while leaving his post as leader (though remaining as interim) clearly still is held in high regard and respected by the membership. It is great to see somebody like Paul stepping back for the sake of growth of the party yet still remaining involved and enthusiastic. Assuming Paul wins the upcoming nomination for the Calgary Glenmore by-election, Paul will continue to be an incredible asset to the party as he is a very skilled campaigner. While Paul lost his seat by 39 votes in the last election, his even taking that seat in an upset victory in 2004 demonstrated that underestimating Paul Hinman is a poor course of action. The fence-straddling Alderman running for the PCs down there had best not take that seat for granted.
The policy discussions were excellent and very telling of the direction of the membership. One of the more difficult tasks in front of us was the presentation of a greatly streamlined and completely updated version of our policy set. Our past set was somewhat convoluted, outdated and clearly suffered from a case of the bloat. Part of grassroots policy development means that it can be much easier to get policies added than it can be to remove them. A periodic housecleaning of the policies is required and that can be sticky. We managed that and I expect that people will be impressed when our new version is added to the party website.
Another reality of grassroots policy development is that some members will submit some let’s say less than rational proposals at times. Opponents try to paint the party as radical when they get wind of such things at times. What really counts is how well those oddball policy proposals are received when presented to the membership at an AGM. The policy calling for an immediate referendum on separation from Canada was dropped by it’s proponent after the membership resoundingly rejected her other proposal to have the party principle speaking to working within a unified Canada dropped. This should put to rest those trying to paint the Wildrose Alliance as being a separatist party. Somebody tried to move the party into that direction of political suicide and the attempt was rejected en-masse by the gathered members. Those who want to pursue a separatist mandate should join the Separation Party of Alberta and share in the 1% showing that they had in the one constituency that they contested in the last general election.
There was another rather odd policy submission that called for the government to assume the management of professional associations and such. That one did go to a vote. Two people voted in favor while the other two-hundred and some in attendance rejected it. Collective wisdom won and we had a wise and moderate minded crowd.
With the elections to party executive things went well. We retained many excellent board members and gained some new and very skilled people. It was commented that we really should have more board seats as all of the candidates were excellent and it was a shame that they did not get on the board simply due to lack of space. That being said, there certainly was no hard feelings on the part of those who did not get on and they will be still contributing their skills and efforts to the party. The unity and enthusiasm within the room was excellent. As a side note, while I did leave the posting of VP policy, the members did select me to serve as a Southern director so I will still be on the board. The details and bios of the new board should be on the party website soon so I will not go into more detail in what is already a long-winded summary of the AGM.
One of the main items of interest to many was the formal introduction of two candidates for the leadership of the party. Danielle Smith and Mark Dyrholm both gave well received speeches and began making their rounds among the membership. This will be a strongly contended leadership race with two bright and rational candidates campaigning. The nomination cutoff is September 1st so we may see some more faces added to the mix. It is going to make for an interesting and busy summer for the party to say the least.
Finishing the event we had Tom Flanagan speak to the group where he announced his purchasing of a membership with us and gave some wise advice. Having been so critical in the development of Reform/CA/CPC Flanagan has learned a thing or two. We were reminded that factionalism is one of the main factors that can lead to the demise of an up and coming party and it is to be avoided at all costs. With the clear unity and enthusiasm of those who attended we are not challenged with factionalism right now. That being said, with a leadership race and continued growth that is a very real risk and we will be well served to watch out for that.
In looking at comments on articles posted about our AGM and the leadership race I am more heartened than ever. PC supporters and other lefties have quickly moved into attack mode and are trying their hardest to discredit the party and leadership contenders. The dwindling status-quo supporters are seeing the threat of the Wildrose Alliance Party to their parties of choice and are beginning to lash out. I expect it will only get worse as we continue to gain steam.
I have been in provincial politics since the 90s working on libertarian style alternatives to the tired out PC party of Alberta. Never has the light shone more brightly on the future for such an alternative as now.
Recently Vincent Li was being considered for release. Only massive public outcry made what was supposed to be a secret hearing public. Due to the scrutiny, Li was determined to still be dangerous and will be kept in a facility. Li decapitated and ate a passenger on a bus only a year ago. He is not that old and we can rest assured that he will be walking the streets soon. The liberal fools just tried to let him out when the wounds were too fresh this time.
This trend of releasing violent lunatics into the public must stop!!
Look, I understand that these people have been touched by the Gods and really have no idea what they are doing. There is even a tiny bit of empathy in me for their situations. That being said, they are still dangerous as hell and must be kept from the public. These early releases and this lapse security on those incarcerated has to stop.
There is no cure for insanity. The best that can be hoped for is that medication and therapy may keep these people under control. One week away from their pills and these people can and will harm people again. I don’t care if these people live in four-star accomodations as long as they are securely locked into them.
When will our justice system consider the protection of the innocent public as a priority?
The federal and provincial governments have long turned a blind and cowardly eye to the lucrative and growing business of smuggling across the Canada/USA border on the Akwesasne Mohawk reserve. The self-styled “Warriors” there are little more than organized thugs and they have proven themselves to be such year after year after year with their increasingly bold actions and thumbing their collective noses at the law.
Well, recent events have demonstrated excellently how out of control these “Warriors” are and how emasculated our governments are when dealing with them.
While most nations on the planet arm their border guards for the sake of protection of the guards and protection of the very nation, the Mohawk “warriors” have determined that any effort to arm border guards in Canada is an unforgivable affront to their rights. These domestic terrorists went straight to threats of violence and lawlessness on the issue (apparently the only means of protest that they know).
Here is a reasoned response from of of these “warriors”:
Lets get something straight here people. These are not natives protesting for treaty rights, these are not people fighting a land-claim. These “warriors” are defending what they perceive as their right to smuggle drugs, alcohol, tobacco and masses of guns across the Canadian border without hindrance. This is not a native rights group. The “warriors” are organized criminals.
That’s right folks. We pretty much have given away one of our border crossings to organized crime so that they may continue to smuggle drugs with impunity. How sadly Canadian.
While this would be headline news in almost any other nation, here in Canada it gets little press as the country lives in terror of possibly offending natives. Get this straight, this has nothing to do with natives. Take race right out of the issue. This is organized crime and the race of the criminals is irrelevant.
The “warriors” will doubtless be further emboldened by this latest example of pathetic cowardice on the part of our governments. I wonder what their next targets will be? Will they take all the border crossings in Canada and begin to collect their own tariffs? Will they just outright begin to manufacture the guns that they have been selling to feed into the Toronto gang war? Anything is possible when the government clearly believes these criminals are above the law.
This video displays excellently why the time for organized labor and their sense of entitlement is past.
Leave it to idiot unions to strike during a recession and to do no holds barred negotiations with companies going bankrupt. Enjoying those auto layoffs fools?
From the appearance of that gal, I would say she clearly is not lacking in a food budget and has not been overworked in any physical way. What exactly are they striking for anyway?
Well, Druh Farrell was quite petulant and perturbed about having her senseless plan to close a portion of Memorial Drive for pedestrian use brought up for discussion in city hall. How dare the electorate question the notions of Druh?? How dare people want discourse on issues that we pay for???
Well, despite five aldermen showing common sense and opposing what has to be one of the silliest notions ever to come from city hall, the motion to end this lunacy failed.
The discussion in city hall was nauseating on this one. NDP Bob Hawkesworth actually wrote a sad little poem showing the offense he has taken with democratic exercise. Gord Lowe went even farther and chided the entire room. There seems to be nothing that these overpaid stooges get more worked up about than open discussion of policies. How dare the public try to express their views??
shot down all good reason and made driving treason,
no matter how angry we grew.
Then the jester stepped up from his chair
and proceeded to bellow hot air.
He poked fun at the press
and made discourse a mess
But his limerick was too much to bear.
Opposition was soundly defeated
Ridicule with which they were greeted,
called them all petty,
with the brains of a yeti,
while the victors look simply conceited.
Calgarians do like to party.
When it comes to the outdoors,
we’re hearty.
But this plan seems absurd,
the worst many have heard.
Why not move it and compromise partly?
So we’re left with a council divided,
just because a few members decided
that what all of us need
is for them to take the lead,
but it’s they who deserve to be chided.
Please bring back municipal sense
and do away with ideas so dense
And while we’re at it,
the sniping
and political griping
that comes at great civic expense.
Despite nearly universal opposition to this lunacy shown by Calgarians, city council has marched on and forced this idiotic road closure down our throats.
Thankfully, while Druh initially wanted to make these closures a regular thing, it has been pared down to a one day test run.
In August we will see one of two outcomes. The weather will be poor and we will see traffic backed up for miles while belching exhaust due to the road closure or the weather will be sweltering and we will see traffic backed up for miles while belching exhaust due to the road closure.
In both of the above scenarios, we can rest assured that the closed lanes of Memorial Drive will be empty. Nobody will be out in the pouring rain nor will people choose blistering pavement over a river path right next to them.
Aldermanic clown Brian Pincott will now no doubt feel inspired to push further with his notion of spending $250,000 in taxes per year in order to hire an official city poet.
We have little more than a year left to endure this crop of idiots in city hall. They very well may do some terrible damage in that time, but there is hope. Think of how much better this city will be when the self-entitled parasites Druh Farrell, Bob Hawkesworth, Brian Pincott, and Gord Lowe are gone. Losing the organ grinder Bronco would be nice too.
I just finished listening to a frustrating and circular interview of Lindsay Blackett on an Albertan radio show. While Blackett should be commended for being willing to respond to callers (most PC guests refuse to), he really did not have much of worth to say.
The subject was the contentious Bill 44 that is going before the legislature. Some months ago Blackett mused about the need to reform Alberta’s human rights act as section 3 was leading to infringements on free speech. Blackett was applauded by supporters of free speech and no opposition to this reform was heard.
Finally the day arrived when Lindsay Blackett presented the bill to reform the act and it looks like pretty much nobody was prepared for the idiocy contained within the bill. While the free speech amendments appeared roundly popular, Blackett was compelled to drop that aspect of reform. Protection of free speech is not a priority for the Stelmach Progressives. Alberta can look forward to more attacks on the press and individuals in the future by people claiming hurt feelings. Press can continue to feel the chill and activists can continue to abuse our tax funded human rights commissions in order to stifle contrary opinions.
I can understand why Special Ed Stelmach would like to curb free speech. Stelmach has been known to bully student bloggers who have dared mock him with legal threats. I am sure that Chairman Ed would like to expand his powers to suppress speech made by Albertans that he does not approve of. This move was sad but not surprising from a government that has little respect for democracy and discourse.
What is really odd with Blackett’s bill was the inclusion of parental rights regarding education. The hornet’s nest has been poked and opposition to this addition is coming from all directions whether teachers groups or civil libertarians. Fears of people taking teachers to the human rights commission over the teaching of evolution and other such examples are abounding. Alberta’s unfair reputation as being backwards or redneck is only getting more deeply entrenched now.
Getting back to the “why” of this. On the radio, Blackett kept downplaying the potential impact of this bill by pointing out that the Alberta School act already allows parents to remove their children from school if they feel the subject matter clashes with their religion. Uhh, OK. In that case, why do we need this added to the bill? The host kept asking and Blackett kept dodging. Blackett than pointed out that while there are over 2000 schools in Alberta, only 50 some people actually opted their kids out of any classes. Uhhhh OK. In that case why do we need this? Clearly it is a tiny minority that really even care on this issue. The host persisted on the why aspect and Blackett got increasingly flustered. The reason Blackett was flustered was that he really has no answer to the question of why we need this addition to our legislation.
Stubbornly our PCs push on, enduring heaps of abuse and having our province labelled as being populated by bumpkins (considering the bumpkin nature of our premier, we really did not need more of this).
From record deficits to needless controversy over unnecessary legislation, the Progressive Conservative government of Alberta is proving itself to be completely incompetent. To those who have been claiming for the last 8 years or so that the PCs can be reformed from within, give your heads a shake. The PC party is hopelessly inept.
Well, our Aldermen are bound and determined to spend like mad and are scrambling to keep up through tax increases and user fee increases. Parking is getting exceedingly expensive everywhere and we are getting nickled and dimed to death on home service charges.
While the city is more than happy to have cash-cow style speed-on-green cameras installed all over the city, one area of law enforcement and money generation has been ignored by city hall.
CRACK DOWN ON JAYWALKERS!
Anybody who has had the misfortune of driving downtown on weekdays knows exactly what I am ranting about. Massive congestion is caused as a flood of lenming-like pedestrians floods through a crosswalk and never stops until the light has completely changed. Instead of having a 1/2 dozen or more vehicles turn as the traffic light system is designed to allow, we see that perhaps one or two vehicles manage to make the turn at all per light.
Our council is always claiming to be “green”. Well, how much extra-idling of vehicles is being caused by jaywalkers? If everybody obeyed the signals, we would see a great reduction of the time required for a vehicle to get through downtown. That means less emissions does it not?
Instead of unenforcable anti-idling bylaws or notions of banning drivethroughs, why won’t city council work a little using laws that are already on the books?
Jaywalking is illegal and we already have bylaw officers who can write tickets for it. All that needs to be done is to have these officers stand on streetcorners and begin writing. Rest assured, tickets will be issued as fast as they can be written. How long would it take before we see a reduction in jaywalkers? Not too terribly long I say. Nobody likes paying fines. The city does the occasional one or two day crackdown on jaywalking but those initiatives are rare and advertised. We need enforcement on this at all times. Emissions would be reduced, road-rage would be reduced and more money would flow into the city’s coffers. It is win win win.
To add to that, it would be nice to see some enforcement in areas around high schools as well. While school zones are in place around elementary and junior high schools, I see the most irresponsible pedestrian behaviour being carried out by high school students. When the buzzer goes off, the streets are flooded with oblivious kids wearing their ipods or simply arrogantly blocking cars for kicks.
While the risk to their personal health does not seem to disuade high school kids from walking in the middle of streets, perhaps giving the little darlings some tickets for jaywalking to take home may motivate them to abide by the basic rules of traffic safety.
Perhaps enforcing current laws is just too simple for a city council that is too focused on overpriced bridges and closing major streets.
