Look at the numbers since the mid 2000s, they have decreased significantly, most notably in the non-renewables due to the decline in natural gas prices and the associated revenues. People still want more services and at a higher quality though, thus requiring different sources of revenue... Thus a revenue problem
you are reading the chart wrong. Revenues are UP, not down.
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"OOOOOOHHHHHHH those Russians" - Boney M
Could it potentially be that we were playing catch-up for capital projects that weren't completed in the cuts in the 1990s? Or the fact that it costs more to build services for an increase in the population rather than an established population. The government doesn't need to spend nearly as much for a stable population than it does an an expanding population, for which you need to build more roads, hospitals, schools, libraries and other services which are associated with living in our society that don't come free. It isn't as simple as looking at population and looking at expenditures and saying that they should be equitable in growth.
There is obviously waste in the government, but it isn't someone you can waive a wand at and bippity-boppity-boo have it gone.
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This really has been a case of a death by 1000 cuts, none of what Redford has done has really been a major breach, but the continual optics of her actions are quite poor. Frankly I don't understand why people are so up in arms about the really quite small things like plane trips to similar destinations, these are things that one would hope that the Premier of the province would be unaware of ever occurring. To start putting to boots to someone based upon things like that is downright embarrassing. Then there is the stuff about how she is a bully, I know politicians, they are almost always bullies, at least the successful ones are. Look at Harper, he is a bully, but you never hear him getting called one, he is rather considered a strong willed-leader... Women on the other hand get called bitches and bullies.
Except that her transgressions really range to the personal side, flying her kids and friends around, sending her assistant to South Africa completely when it wasn't necessary and charging to tax payers for the first place flights, and then spending even more on first class tickets to come back.
A lot of the expenses really have nothing to do with doing provincial business. They also come across as incredibly spoiled.
I've never heard anyone come out and accuse Stephen Harper of yelling and brow beating people, like I've heard Redford doing. Harper might be controlling but he doesn't seem to be the type to do that. When someone in her inner circle states that he was so uncomfortable with what she was doing to her aids that he left the car and walked, that's an unprofessional level of bullying.
However Harper gets called out for being a bully all the time, but I've never seen stories on him doing personal level bullying as oppossed to being controlling and those are two different things.
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Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard
She is viewed as being too liberal by the more right wing factions of the populace and too conservative by the left wing factions of the province. Really right now there isn't a huge population that the PCs are really attractive towards.
Right now her politics really have no bearing on this discussion, in fact they've been lost in the static.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard
Right now Alberta has a revenue problem and any party that doesn't acknowledge that is going to be one that will find themselves in a deficit situation for a long period of time.
You clearly need to read more and understand what's happening budget wise in this province, especially when you have a finance Minister who's running a very mafia style 2 book budgeting system.
But Alberta doesn't have anything near to a revenue problem.
I'm not sure how you can have a Premier "on probation", imposed by her own party, who can in turn still effectively govern, especially where the probation is instituted by the party but where the cabinet was left in the dark. Redford is wounded politically from that-- I don't think she can recover. This probation thing is the worst idea ever.
Part of the problem is that Redford has always been seen as a left-of-center politician but still somehow managed to head the PC's. Now the more conservative elements in her party aren't coming to her defence, a defence she sorely needs if she's to remain leader... but it just isn't there, not even in her own cabinet. Reason being, much of her cabinet is comprised of more traditional tories.
Even more odd is that those who would be expected to be considered the leaders of the party, the cabinet ministers, deny knowing what happened in the Saturday meeting amongst the PC brass. They are waiting to hear from Redford as to what happened.
So there's a big disconnect between the party that governs and the government proper. This is a recipe for a massive upheaval. There is no actual internal agreement between the party, the cabinet, and the premier... they're all on different pages.
I think Redford has been a poor Premier and as such I'm looking forward to seeing her resign, and then how the PC's reinvent themselves over the next few months. I predict someone from the outside will swoop in to become leader, but only because while I think there are a lot of competent cabinet ministers, I don't currently see any of them as Premier yet.
I'm not sure how you can have a Premier "on probation", imposed by her own party,
Exactly. If an ordinary employee is put on probation, that's basically a nice way to say he should quit. Let alone a leader of a party and a province which reputation, face, intergrity and dignity should count for much much more.
This really has been a case of a death by 1000 cuts, none of what Redford has done has really been a major breach, but the continual optics of her actions are quite poor.
I think she used up some of her benefit of the doubt with the public over the issues surrounding the class action lawsuit contract that was awarded to her ex-husband's law firm. The optics were simply not good.
Yes the individual dollar amounts are relatively minor in the greater scheme of things. The unifying themes are lack of judgment, reluctance to take personal responsibility for mistakes and lack of care with the public purse. In particular while she is telling others (ie physicians, government workers) that they need to make do with less.
It all adds up to major problems for Premier Redford.
Last edited by automaton 3; 03-17-2014 at 12:11 PM.
none of what Redford has done has really been a major breach,
I agreed that had the $45K SA trip not happened, she'll not be in such hot water . But perhaps that shows how much grievance most Tory MLAs had against her personally and her leadership or lack of thereof. They are just waiting for a live wire and the $45K SA trip and plunging in the polls provided just that.
Remember Redford had only been a less than one term MLA since 2008 before she entered the leadership race without any Tory backing. And she won the leadership race with a gimmikc payoff to the teachers union. Before that she was leading an elitist life style as a UN rep and in South Africa.
I doubt she realizes that she doesn't have too many friends in the party nor she does cares. By this is coming back to haunt her.
If Gary Mar won and did all that she did, I doubt Gary Mar would be in the same predicament as she is now.
Last edited by darklord700; 03-17-2014 at 12:29 PM.
Exactly. If an ordinary employee is put on probation, that's basically a nice way to say he should quit. Let alone a leader of a party and a province which reputation, face, intergrity and dignity should count for much much more.
Well there's only one thing to do when your put on double secret probation
This really has been a case of a death by 1000 cuts, none of what Redford has done has really been a major breach, but the continual optics of her actions are quite poor.
I think you hit the nail on the head here, none of her individual gaffes have been ship sinkers. But her handling of them collectively has been the back breaker.
Even the $45k trip was recoverable, she had the option of simply owning up to it from day one "I felt this was an important event to be part of and I used the resources available to me to ensure my staff and I could be in attendance." But the humming and hawing "well I didn't know it cost that much" and "I'm disappointed to hear it was that much" are what makes her look out of touch.
If we're comparing Harper to Redford it's like apple's & oranges, I don't typically agree with what either of them says or does (politically speaking), but at least with Harper you know where he stands as he acknowledges & owns up to his decisions. Where as Redford seems to want to deflect criticism as her first response, which makes her seem out of the loop on things that should be her decision.
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I would like to travel the world, stay at the best hotels and drive the most expensive cars. I can't afford to do this. I could call this a "revenue problem", spend beyond my means and end up bankrupt. Or I could manage my expectations and taylor my travel plans to fit my needs.
Alberta doesn't have a revenue problem nearly as much as it has a problem managing expectations.
I would like to travel the world, stay at the best hotels and drive the most expensive cars. I can't afford to do this. I could call this a "revenue problem", spend beyond my means and end up bankrupt. Or I could manage my expectations and taylor my travel plans to fit my needs.
Alberta doesn't have a revenue problem nearly as much as it has a problem managing expectations.
Or you could make more money and afford to pay for quality rather than spending less and driving around in a 1974 Lada, staying at the super 8 motel, and having a vacation of seeing the glorious backyard.
Obviously we won't be able to afford everything we like, but when there are people who are complaining about the government and spending who have received money to rebuild their basement, it rings hollow. People only want the government to spend money on things that benefit them directly.
No but there is a certain degree of inefficiency that is built into any system. But that isn't why Redford is struggling as a politician right now, she is in hot water because of small issues such as flights. The optics are bad and the WR has done a really good job in hammering the PCs on everything but actual policy. I legitimately don't think I have heard Danielle Smith or the WR say much of anything about policy rather they have put the focus on what amounts to very small issues.
Last edited by Mean Mr. Mustard; 03-17-2014 at 01:35 PM.
"But if the premier feels cornered, with no face-saving way out, who knows? She does have that power."
A snap election seems far fetch at this stage. But to Alison losing in an election could be more gracious and face saving than being forced out by her own caucus.
Who knows, it'll be interesting to see. May be Don Braid had just given Alison some idea on how to get out of this.
Well, overspending is a policy that WR has been hammering on. And as much as you are right about the death by a thousand cuts metaphor, one of those cuts was the widely mocked "balanced" budget.
No but there is a certain degree of inefficiency that is built into any system. But that isn't why Redford is struggling as a politician right now, she is in hot water because of small issues such as flights. The optics are bad and the WR has done a really good job in hammering the PCs on everything but actual policy. I legitimately don't think I have heard Danielle Smith or the WR say much of anything about policy rather they have put the focus on what amounts to very small issues.
I think the WR has loads of policy but the media isn't interested in reporting on that. Just check out their webpage if you're really interested.
If they lost the last election because of a couple comments from one bozo, they surely have learned that they can attack the government based on the actions of their red-head bozo in charge.
If they lost the last election because of a couple comments from one bozo
There were at least 2 bozos, the lake of fire guy and the guy who had the "white advantage". That being said there are at least 2 bozos in every party.
