Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Billionaire Oilers owner Katz gave $430,000 to Alberta PCs

Slava · 10-26-2012, 11:01 AM

http://janemorgan.blogspot.ca/2012/0...e-why-you.html

Some great comments here about the financial system (electorally) and why this is so difficult to police on a constituency level. I especially appreciate the points regarding the constituency association treasurers and their overall lack of experience and knowledge.

In general, people have this idea that political parties and campaigns are incredibly well thought out and planned. I have some terrible news for you. For the most part these are organizations that are volunteer dominated and not as well planned as might be believed by the general public. Most campaigns on the local level are literally a group of say 6-12 really dedicated people banging the whole thing out; yes there are people knocking on doors, delivering flyers, making phone calls, etc. but the heart of these campaigns is really small and not glorious.

So when you see that a party ended up with a donation they ought not to have and think "don't the PCs know better?" The answer is yes....the party probably does. The guy on the front-line taking that cheque though might honestly not. Its not underhanded and its not strategically malicious at all, but just a simple case of them not knowing any better. Certainly that doesn't absolve people who did know better of their actions; I would never advocate that. All I am suggesting here is that its not as cut and dried as people think.

10-26-2012, 11:01 AM	#174
Slava Franchise Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Calgary, Alberta Exp:	http://janemorgan.blogspot.ca/2012/0...e-why-you.html Some great comments here about the financial system (electorally) and why this is so difficult to police on a constituency level. I especially appreciate the points regarding the constituency association treasurers and their overall lack of experience and knowledge. In general, people have this idea that political parties and campaigns are incredibly well thought out and planned. I have some terrible news for you. For the most part these are organizations that are volunteer dominated and not as well planned as might be believed by the general public. Most campaigns on the local level are literally a group of say 6-12 really dedicated people banging the whole thing out; yes there are people knocking on doors, delivering flyers, making phone calls, etc. but the heart of these campaigns is really small and not glorious. So when you see that a party ended up with a donation they ought not to have and think "don't the PCs know better?" The answer is yes....the party probably does. The guy on the front-line taking that cheque though might honestly not. Its not underhanded and its not strategically malicious at all, but just a simple case of them not knowing any better. Certainly that doesn't absolve people who did know better of their actions; I would never advocate that. All I am suggesting here is that its not as cut and dried as people think.