Why Leaving Canada Makes Sense for Alberta

[Looch City]

US should join Canada, not the other way around.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

[/B]

Only a few. I'm sick as hell and grumpy .

First off any Canadian who is in favour of this should be charged with treason and deported to the US. This is Canada if you want to live in the States then ####ing pack your bags and go.

Love it or leave. How very American.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

I can't picture Alberta voting Republican if they looked into it too much.

Once Albertas looked into what the political parties think about things like health care, education, social issues, maternity/paternity leave, international politics etc....they'd realize that they are probably left of even the Democratic party, never mind Republicans.

Just because the energy policy happens to line up with the thoughts of the sector that most Albertans work in, doesn't mean everything else is in line too.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Once Albertas looked into what the political parties think about things like health care, education, social issues, maternity/paternity leave, international politics etc....they'd realize that they are probably left of even the Democratic party, never mind Republicans.

Just because the energy policy happens to line up with the thoughts of the sector that most Albertans work in, doesn't mean everything else is in line too.

Yeah, Albertans as a whole are left of even swing states like Colorado.

[killer_carlson]

Albertans do not like being dictated to by a central authority, whether it be Ottawa or Washington.

I have no doubt the US would want Alberta but I think they would have to do an awful lot to convince Albertans that they would want the USA. The "we'll protect you because we have a big army" won't work in their favour.

[Erick Estrada]

Anything is possible and once that Liberal GQ boy is Prime Minister I wouldn't doubt if the topic of secession does pick up steam in this province.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

Evman and 4x4, which gun laws are you referring to? With the varying state laws, some that are as or more restrictive than Canada's, you can't make a blanket statement that you're “against US gun laws”.

You got me. Lazy posting on my part. I should have said that I don't like the gun loving mentality of the US. Dudes wearing guns on their hips, dudes wearing concealed guns in their belts, soccer moms with guns in their purses, people with guns under their pillows... I think it's crazy. It's like a bad movie. Funny that my FOB buddy from England thinks that we Canadians like guns too much. I guess it's all relative.

[Ozy_Flame]

You know what's easier? Just have cross-border working arrangements like Australia and New Zealand. Its a whole hell of a lot easier and doesn't cost us our Canadian roots.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Anything is possible and once that Liberal GQ boy is Prime Minister I wouldn't doubt if the topic of secession does pick up steam in this province.

The teeth-grinding malcontents will always be here. They are here right now, even with our Calgary-bred corporate robot running the show.

[Vulcan]

Alberta would probably be better off trying to join Cascadia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadi...ence_movement)

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

That's false.

Transfer payments are based on federal revenue like income taxes, business taxes, and GST. This money is all pooled, and then redistributed back to the provinces based on a formula that compares average per capita revenue of provinces to average tax rates.

So a high-income person in New Brunswick pays more into the federal coffers than a low-income Albertan. Alberta has been a net payer into the program simply because there are more people with high incomes in this province than in other provinces.

This notion that the every Albertan puts X amount more into federal coffers than their counterparts in other provinces, or that Alberta writes cheques to other provinces, is demagoguery and nonsense.

And I find it curious that the people who froth and bluster about equalization payments the loudest never say a peep about the huge transfer of revenues in Alberta from the cities to the rural parts of the province. Calgary generates far more revenue than it receives in provincial funding, and some rural parts of the province barely generate enough revenue to pave their roads, let alone build hospitals and schools. I understand the merits of a model that ensures people across the province have equal access to government services. But surely if it's a good policy for Alberta, then it's a good policy for Canada.

A lot of the municipalities in this province are huge net contributors. Look at Greenview, Opportunity and of course Wood Buffalo. Take a few of those out of the picture and the province is significantly different.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Once Albertas looked into what the political parties think about things like health care, education, social issues, maternity/paternity leave, international politics etc....they'd realize that they are probably left of even the Democratic party, never mind Republicans.

Just because the energy policy happens to line up with the thoughts of the sector that most Albertans work in, doesn't mean everything else is in line too.

Yep. I don't think many people truly realize that the left-center-right political spectrums of the the two countries really don't line up very well at all. On the surface it seems Harper conservatives are equated with Republicans and even Tea Party Republicans. But, as you say, once people really look into things you'd find thatHarper conservatives are center if not center-left on the current US political spectrum. All those fundamental things that canadians, for lack of a better term, take for granted are the things that line up with the left leaning Democrats more than anything and are things Republicans want no part of....even if they make complete sense.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

You know what's easier? Just have cross-border working arrangements like Australia and New Zealand. Its a whole hell of a lot easier and doesn't cost us our Canadian roots.

Have you signed the petition that has been circulating recently?

[troutman]

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do

[polak]

I'd be choked if it happened but I'm not sure if I'd move. I would have to see the results and consequent fall out. What happened with work, my friends and family...etc before I made my choice.

I love being Canadian but not more than the life I've built in Calgary. Uprooting and moving some place where I don't know anyone would not be worth being able to say "I'm from Canada".

"I'm from Calgary" would do.

[BlackRedGold25]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Criticizing is one thing... purposely doing it in rude and nasty way is another. Sometimes I wonder if this place is populated by 12 year olds.

Fine... I'm sick and tired of the drive by insults and the nastiness exhibited by some members here. I'm sick and tired of the mods allowing this behaviour to continue by the same members over and over again. I'm sick and tired of people applauding (thanking) other people for such behaviour.

You guys win. You just drove out another member. I'm not the first and I doubt I'll be the last.

Are you sure about that? Because this place just won't be the same without you. It will be better. Much, much better.

[BlackRedGold25]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Criticizing is one thing... purposely doing it in rude and nasty way is another. Sometimes I wonder if this place is populated by 12 year olds.

Fine... I'm sick and tired of the drive by insults and the nastiness exhibited by some members here. I'm sick and tired of the mods allowing this behaviour to continue by the same members over and over again. I'm sick and tired of people applauding (thanking) other people for such behaviour.

You guys win. You just drove out another member. I'm not the first and I doubt I'll be the last.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold25

Are you sure about that? Because this place just won't be the same without you. It will be better. Much, much better.

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold25

Are you sure about that? Because this place just won't be the same without you. It will be better. Much, much better.

This wasn't worth posting once, and it sure as hell ain't worth posting twice.

[crazy_eoj]

Interesting article but definitely ignores the reality that so many in this thread quite easily point out; this is much more than just an economic decision.

I think fixing the broken equalization program would be a much more likely and desirable outcome to address the current reality. However we shouldn't forget that a misguided wealth grab from the east was what stoked original Alberta Separation idea and surely another such attempt isn't out of the question for the future.

[CaptainCrunch]