Has Redford done any good for Alberta?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Yet another broken promise by Redford results in cuts to nursing, journalism and arts programs at MRU.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...-programs.html

Betcha one of the first responses to this will be to try and deflect the topic into an anti-Wildrose post, yet again.

Are you complaining that they made cuts? Is this Bizarro land?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Of course Wildrosers are complaining about Redford cutting programs they themselves would cut even deeper...because....ummm...Redford has cooties?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Are you complaining that they made cuts? Is this Bizarro land?

Well, first, thanks to Senator Davis for making sure the hidden text in my post was accurate.

But to your response, it is simply yet another promise that this government made, then broke. But I am curious to see how many lies you are willing to swallow before you guys stop circling the wagons in Redford's defence.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Politicians make campaign promises they don't keep? Jesus that's only happened in....every political campaign since the dawn of time. Fake outrage serves no one well and advances no discussions. Its just fake outrage.

[Rathji]

I am not defending Redford, I do not think she is the right leader for our province right now.

It is obvious that regardless of what Alison Redford does or says, you will attack her because of it. Why try and hide it under the guise about being upset about something she has done? Especially when the thing she did is obviously something that the party you support would have done.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I am not defending Redford, I do not think she is the right leader for our province right now.

It is obvious that regardless of what Alison Redford does or says, you will attack her because of it. Why try and hide it under the guise about being upset about something she has done? Especially when the thing she did is obviously something that the party you support would have done.

You're making an assumption that the Wildrose cuts would have been exactly the same as what Redford has decided to do, but that isn't the case. We can't debate the merits of the wildrose cuts because they weren't instituted, perhaps wildrose would have demanded a 15% salary rollback across the board saving these programs.

Instead of creating a false situation, why not deal with the facts?

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

You're making an assumption that the Wildrose cuts would have been exactly the same as what Redford has decided to do, but that isn't the case. We can't debate the merits of the wildrose cuts because they weren't instituted, perhaps wildrose would have demanded a 15% salary rollback across the board saving these programs.

Instead of creating a false situation, why not deal with the facts?

Indeed. The fact is that the WRP has not made one single good decision
or done one positive thing as the government of this province. Those #######s.

[Rathji]

That's true. They might have done that.

He didn't say why he was opposed to the cuts other than "ALISON REDFORD LIES".

I guess I don't see making these cuts as lies, but if you would like to provide me with some facts that showed how these cuts are something that Reford indicated that she would not do, I would gladly reconsider my position.

[Dion]

[Dion]

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Dion

I hope you are equally critical of Jim Flaherty's lack of foresight and pre-recession spending increases.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by SebC

I hope you are equally critical of Jim Flaherty's lack of foresight and pre-recession spending increases.

Are you assuming I wasn't?

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by Rathji

That's true. They might have done that.

He didn't say why he was opposed to the cuts other than "ALISON REDFORD LIES".

I guess I don't see making these cuts as lies, but if you would like to provide me with some facts that showed how these cuts are something that Reford indicated that she would not do, I would gladly reconsider my position.

Um, were you here during the election?

Maybe you should show us the facts where she indicated that she was considering these cuts as part of her platform? How did you form your opinion that these cuts were part of her plan?

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Dion

Are you assuming I wasn't?

I didn't see any poorly made infographics about it.

On that note, why do Conservative/Right-Wing groups in Canada always have terrible infographics? Are there literally no good graphic design students that work for these media outlets? Or are they scooped up and shipped off to Fox News?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Dion

Are you assuming I wasn't?

Nope, I'm just pointing out that the federal conservatives have a record that is highly similar to what you are currently criticizing Redford for.

For what it's worth I think the Conservatives did the right thing in correcting course and implementing the stimulus program, but they were wrong to inflate spending pre-recession and they look silly for predicting that Canada would avoid a deficit and would not go into recession.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

Um, were you here during the election?

Maybe you should show us the facts where she indicated that she was considering these cuts as part of her platform? How did you form your opinion that these cuts were part of her plan?

I don't recall any specifics about cutting program funding (or not) at MRU. the election was a long time ago, and quite frankly, cutting MRU funding (again, or not) would have been very low on my list of things I was considering during the election. Obviously, it was higher on Resolute's list, as he is complaining about lying, which is why I asked.

If you have access to any statements etc regarding the matter, I would gladly take a look at them. If she is lying, like he is claiming, then I assume there is some record of her saying something about it.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I don't recall any specifics about cutting program funding (or not) at MRU. the election was a long time ago, and quite frankly, cutting MRU funding (again, or not) would have been very low on my list of things I was considering during the election. Obviously, it was higher on Resolute's list, as he is complaining about lying, which is why I asked.

If you have access to any statements etc regarding the matter, I would gladly take a look at them. If she is lying, like he is claiming, then I assume there is some record of her saying something about it.

So really you're just arguing that you believe Redford is incompetent but not a liar? Strange point to distinguish, but to each their own.

"U of C president Elizabeth Cannon, on the other hand, said it will take more than "working on the edges" to make ends meet.

"There will have to be serious discussions and serious change," she said in an interview Thursday.

Cannon also cited the Redford government's promise in last year's pre-election budget to boost operating grants to post-secondary institutions by two per cent annually over three years.


"It's a nine-per-cent swing from where we were a few months ago," she said. "That's tough to take in one fell swoop and is extremely surprising and disappointing."


Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/po...#ixzz2Ql5bsiTx

[Rathji]

I don't think her being competent is something that is even up for debate anymore, is it?

I happen to agree with you, that making cuts to post secondary institutions is likely a bad idea.

[Dion]

Redford flip-flops on campaign promises:

Redford has backtracked on so many campaign promises and carrots that she held out to Albertans before the election and right after that it’s hard to take anything she says seriously.

Her first big flip-flop involved a judicial inquiry. When she was in Premier Ed Stelmach’s cabinet, she publicly broke ranks with him and called for an independent judicial inquiry into allegations that politicians and high-level bureaucrats were helping well-connected patients to queue jump so they could get faster treatment in the health-care system.


She campaigned on that promise during both the leadership vote and the provincial election. But when it came time to follow through, Redford decided against the judicial inquiry and instead handed off the job to the government-appointed Health Quality Council of Alberta.


That broken promise could have been easily overlooked. Except in hindsight it looks like the beginning of a trend.


The flip-flop that has hurt Redford the most is the 180-degree turn she has taken on Alberta’s finances.


When she was campaigning, she made all sorts of gold-plated promises. She pledged a balanced budget for 2013-14, and even forecast a surplus of $5 billion by 2015. Money would be flowing into new infrastructure, health care, education and environmental protection. And to top it off, there would be no new taxes.


These were promises that a lot of Albertans wanted to hear. She attracted teachers, health-care workers, parents of school kids, and university students back into the PC ranks. Even more crossed over when some Wildrose candidates made racist and homophobic remarks.

During the election campaign, Redford pledged $3 billion to a government-sponsored environmental research program that would focus on cleaning up the oilsands. That’s been shelved and now Redford tells opposition pasrties that criticizing Alberta’s environmental record “is not good for Alberta, it’s not good for Canada.”


Last week she told reporters that the rest of Canada should follow Alberta’s example and levy a carbon tax. The next day she backtracked even though her remarks had been recorded word for word.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/colum...s_steward.html

[Slava]

So some people here have the position that there should be no change in course, regardless of the current state of the economy? I get the impression that there are a number of people basically hoping for a complete train wreck so they can (a) say I told you so or (b) make Redford look as bad as possible.

I think either is deplorable. We all have to bear the consequences of these actions, so I just hope for the best possible outcome in the long run.