If you had said "I'm assuming that Vladmir Vodka isn't Canadian" - I would have called you racist just the same. Basing your assumption on the origin of his name is racist in the most basic sense of the word.
When you find yourself in a hole, it is usually a good idea to stop digging.
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When you find yourself in a hole, it is usually a good idea to stop digging.
Or dig through to daylight!
Fair enough - As I said... if my interpretation of the comment was wrong, I apologize. However, I wanted to clarify my position so people understood where my 'drive-by' was coming from.
If you had said "I'm assuming that Vladmir Vodka isn't Canadian" - I would have called you racist just the same. Basing your assumption on the origin of his name is racist in the most basic sense of the word.
Why? If the article says he's going over to Denmark to recruit Vladmir Vodka, would you not assume this person is from Denmark and not from Canada? I think you're grasping at straws here with your racism argument.
Apparently Redford is going to pay back the $45 000 for the trip to SA.
What a pathetic last ditch attempt to hang on to control of the party. At least stick to your guns if you're going to go the stubborn moronic route. This woman could honestly be the worst political leader we have seen to date and she's up against some stiff competition.
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You are presenting a false dichotomy, Slava. While one can certainly mock the lack of detail in Wildrose's plans at times, the choice isn't limited to "spend more" and "cut services". Given how much waste exists in Redford's office alone, one can hardly believe that the government as a whole is operating with anything approaching efficiency.
Seriously though, this isn't a false dichotomy. Whether you agree or disagree, there are people pushing for new schools and more health care facilities. You and another poster in particular have suggested we spend too much. You can't build these things for free, so how do you balance the two?
I only brought up the capital plan because I wanted more of answer than just "read that, because it's in there". I actually think, perhaps mistakenly, that this is difficult for the government to grapple with regardless of whether it's the PC's today or the Alberta Liberals tomorrow. It might come as some surprise, but even the Wild Rose might find this to be a bit of a predicament!
Slava, what I find difficult in your position, is that your premise is based upon the fact that savings will ONLY come if we do not build schools. That savings cannot be achieved in other ways.
I'd suggest there are other ways. I do point to some suggestions the WR made, along with other groups such as the taxpayers federation and even the media.
I'm not going to go line by line through the budget. At the same time, I see no value in debate if you're position is to equate less spending with cutting the priorities of the Albertans first (schools and hospitals), and ignore other inefficiencies.
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Several sources confirmed Redford made the decision after at least 18, and as many as 20, Progressive Conservative MLAs threatened to revolt and sit as independents.
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Citing unnamed sources, Journal reporters tweeted Ms. Redford had agreed to repay the expenses after 18 members of her caucus threatened to revolt. If true, their defection would have been enough to reduce the long-ruling PC to a minority government.
Keith Brownsey, a political science professor at Mount Royal University, Calgary, said the premier’s sudden turnabout was indicative of a party in deep turmoil.
“There were rumours floating around that she was in trouble, people in her caucus were dissatisfied, all sorts of people were saying all sorts of things,” he said.
“I guess this gives some substance to those rumours.”
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This signals enormous turmoil in the party, it’s a party that is deeply divided,” he said. “You see this in a leader that is starting to lose authority and legitimacy.”
In his view, the revolt does not bode well for Ms. Redford’s future.
Slava, what I find difficult in your position, is that your premise is based upon the fact that savings will ONLY come if we do not build schools. That savings cannot be achieved in other ways.
I'd suggest there are other ways. I do point to some suggestions the WR made, along with other groups such as the taxpayers federation and even the media.
I'm not going to go line by line through the budget. At the same time, I see no value in debate if you're position is to equate less spending with cutting the priorities of the Albertans first (schools and hospitals), and ignore other inefficiencies.
No, I'm sure that there are inefficiencies and places to be cut. Its just that health and education are already enormous areas of spending and clearly in the case of schools more money has to be diverted here. Is it even possible to cut enough from inefficient spending to build the 50 new schools Redford wants or the 100 new schools the Wildrose says it would build?
I'm not saying that the cuts from inefficiency will automatically mean cuts to services, but at some point the onus is on the people saying it can be done to lay out some hard numbers that are plausible.
Despite how I feel about Redford's trip, I am glad she paid it back. I think her opponents though should be called out for the continuing attacks. It creates zero incentive for people to do the right thing if they are continually criticized after.
Despite how I feel about Redford's trip, I am glad she paid it back. I think her opponents though should be called out for the continuing attacks. It creates zero incentive for people to do the right thing if they are continually criticized after.
Oh come on!
She isn't "doing the right thing", she is trying to save her own hide. She is facing a revolt of at least 1/4 of her caucus that could lead to the defeat of her government, surely it would at least lead to her removal as leader. She initially refused to pay anything back, is she now going to pay back the Grand Prairie fraud? are the other cabinet ministers?
No, I'm sure that there are inefficiencies and places to be cut. Its just that health and education are already enormous areas of spending and clearly in the case of schools more money has to be diverted here
So sick of hearing this. Have you ever dealt with the Alberta Government on a bureaucratic level?
I have for about 20 years and I can tell you that they are the opposite of efficient. The job that one person used to do in the 90's has now been replaced by 2-3 people. That person used to have 1 manager, they now have at least 1 supervisor and at least 1 manager. Nobody left, they were all promoted. All of these people have been given raises and benefits that far exceed the private sector and there is no reward for efficiency, it's the exact opposite, the less efficient they are the more staff are hired to help them.
There are now gobs of red tape and meeting after meeting. It used to be that 3-4 vendors would look at a job, bid, and then the best bid would do the job. Now there are planning meeting, walkthroughs, addendums, addendum meetings, pre-job meetings, post job meetings, post job evaluations, blah blah blah. It's truly ridiculous and every vendor builds extra money into their bids to pay for all the BS that costs them money.
The whole process needs an enema.
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Originally Posted by Wormius
Despite how I feel about Redford's trip, I am glad she paid it back. I think her opponents though should be called out for the continuing attacks. It creates zero incentive for people to do the right thing if they are continually criticized after.
It was those continuing attacks from the opposition and those from within her own party that forced her to pay it back. I'm thankful we have politicians who were willing to try and make her accountable for her actions.
Had she done the right thing in the beginning there wouldn't have been those attacks. She brought it all upon her self with her arrogance and entitlement.
At first I thought Redford will win back some support by paying back, not sure if it is the entire $45K or just a portion of it at this point.
The damage is done and all she will manage is to stop WR's attack on this issue. But WR had already milked every ounce from this issue already and giving back at this moment is a week too late to generate any meaningful amount of goodwill for Alison.
Alison caving at this time is almost like admitting what she did amounts to stealing instead of making error in her judgement or that she was simply ignorant about the high cost of flying commercial.
I don't think Alison will gain much by caving in. I would have just let it play out and move on. She did the same thing about those PC MLAs pocketing tens of thousands from those no meet committee.
Last edited by darklord700; 03-12-2014 at 08:44 PM.
