Alberta Politics Thread

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by woob

Oh god, please not the Drover horse again. It's been beaten to death a hundred fold!

who's Drover, why does he have a horse and is he a bigot?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by LanceUppercut

Last I checked she was back in the NDP caucus.

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Whew, that's good then. i'm glad to hear she's no longer a part of the NDP party. I'd hate to think that the leader of the party, someone elected to represent the views of all Albertans regardless of sexual orientation would welcome anyone who expressed these views. thanks for setting the record straight.

So in your opinion then, the NDP have an equal number of bigoted supporters as the WRP because one of their MLAs did this? Because if not, I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here as that was my original point.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by LanceUppercut

OMG BIGOT! Wait, that was a NDP MLA, oh so sorry, she was just a misguided soul and should have a safe space set up so she can contemplate her action.

Drover's was a personal failing. She's an immature idiot. The difference is that she didn't campaign and win her nomination on being an idiot, and then champion idiocy at her party's convention.

[Mr.Coffee]

I'm not in love with the NDP, but they seem to take a lot of criticism in this thread that doesn't seem very warranted.

However, I think what people are venting is more frustration that we haven't had a good government in a while, period. A government that looks out for socially liberal, fiscally conservative voters and aren't horrifically corrupt. One that is a bit more centrist in its' governance and doesn't rule by ideology.

I think of it like this. The mess we're in? It's oil prices, mainly. That is what has caused the collapse in revenues. But it's also sort of the PC's terrible mismanagement over in particular the last decade or so. Mismanagement on finances themselves, on structural internal controls, on ethics and being a true representing party of the people.

But it's also a reluctance by ANY government, new or old, to go after costs in a meaningful way and be transparent about it. It's all of these things.

How easy would it be to change the governent structures one party had put in place over 40 years? Probably not that easy and especially not that easy when revenues were so rapidly declining and the province was in an economic free fall. However when we fast forward to today, what has the NDP done to capture the confidence of the people? Not much, honestly, and that's the problem. We see the same BS lack of transparency on an honest assessment of the cost part of the equation because of (what appears to be) ideology. Which is of course complete and utter garbage. It's frustrating.

[killer_carlson]

Interesting pickup today in the legislature and reported by Don Braid.

NDP environment talk about Alberta facing catastrophic weather because of climate change.

NDP goes on to cut forest fire budget to $86 million. Last two years it was $500 million, and the year before that it was $200 million.

Easy way to cut $400 million from the projected deficeit. Problem is risk that equipment and resources move out of province where there are more guaranteed contracts and require a premium to come back on short notice.

[monkeyman]

next NDP slogan: NDP, burning Alberta down figuratively and literally since 2016.

[GaiJin]

Originally Posted by rubecube

If the beliefs they hold are blatantly discriminatory or dehumanizing of another group of people based on race, gender, sexual orientation, etc., then yes I consider them bigots. Do you have a better term I should be using?

A figment of your imagination? Or Rightwing Bogeyman.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by GaiJin

A figment of your imagination? Or Rightwing Bogeyman.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...service=mobile

Or the WRP convention voting down an equal rights policy that specifically mentioned lgbta people.

Which led to Smith leaving, which led to prentice and the snap election, which led to the current gov taking power. If the party follows Smith and at least gives lip service to equal rights the outcome of the last election is likely very different.

Budget probably looks similar though. No Carbon Tax

[Slava]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Interesting pickup today in the legislature and reported by Don Braid.

NDP environment talk about Alberta facing catastrophic weather because of climate change.

NDP goes on to cut forest fire budget to $86 million. Last two years it was $500 million, and the year before that it was $200 million.

Easy way to cut $400 million from the projected deficeit. Problem is risk that equipment and resources move out of province where there are more guaranteed contracts and require a premium to come back on short notice.

That situation is scary. Reducing logging or eliminating it entirely sounds like a good idea, until you have a fire and there is so much more fuel. It's a fine line because obviously clear cut logging is something that almost no one wants. But selective logging lets things stay manageable (or more manageable) for when there is a fire. Here we have less of that taking place, a very dry winter and less money to deal with what could be an enormous fire, sure to be blamed on climate change.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by peter12

Median income in Canada is in the low 40s. 60-120 k is decidedly not middle income.

Well, I think you're wrong.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

Well, I think you're wrong.

Good rebuttal, 10/10, would read again

[heep223]

Originally Posted by MattyC

It's the same as the Federal election. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would have voted Conservative based on economic policy (myself included, potentially), but there are social issues that just can't be ignored on principal. Until the right wing parties figure out that they can't center policies around outdated ideals, it will be tough for them to win going forward.

This. The conservatives were drifting way too far right socially. Capitalists care about people too and want an open, progressive society. Well the younger ones do and most older folks that I talk to.

Why can't someone run as a fiscally conservative, socially progressive?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Interesting pickup today in the legislature and reported by Don Braid.

NDP environment talk about Alberta facing catastrophic weather because of climate change.

NDP goes on to cut forest fire budget to $86 million. Last two years it was $500 million, and the year before that it was $200 million.

Easy way to cut $400 million from the projected deficeit. Problem is risk that equipment and resources move out of province where there are more guaranteed contracts and require a premium to come back on short notice.

This is what happens when politicians are pressured into austerity measures instead of sound long-term fiscal planning. When the time comes no one is going to say "let my home burn I don't want to spend any more of someone elses' tax dollars" so the money will be there regardless what the actual budget is.

The BC Liberals have been doing this in BC for a decade:

Critics say the province is spending huge amounts of taxpayers money fighting forest fires when it should be focusing its efforts on preventing them.

Climate models predict hot, dry summers will be the new normal in B.C., and forestry experts such as Lori Daniels say the province needs to be realistic.

The province allocated $63 million to fight wildfires and burned through that within weeks of the forest fire season taking off in May. As of today, the bill is $198 million — more than three times what was budgeted — and climbing.

The province has overspent its wildfire budget for nine out of the past 10 years. B.C's Forests minister Steve Thomson says that's because the province doesn't want to tie up the funds.

'What we don't want to do is to tie up resources in a budget line that could be available for other purposes in the event that we don't need them," he said Friday.

But Daniels, the UBC Forestry expert says while BC has shelled out almost $200 million fighting wildfires this year, less than $1 million has been spent in southern B.C. to cut the risk of forest fires.

She says the province has to take more of a lead, especially with Environment Canada warning the warm El Nino current nicknamed "Godzilla El Nino" is continuing to build. That means there could be little snow again this winter and B.C. is in for a repeat of this year's widespread drought conditions.

"This summer has been a real wake-up call for British Columbia," she said. "We need to come up with some big picture changes to some of our forest management policies."

Daniels says this can be done by starting programs to remove surface fuel hazards, such as debris, branches, leaves and establish a provincial strategy for fireproofing communities.

[GaiJin]

Originally Posted by GGG

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...service=mobile

Or the WRP convention voting down an equal rights policy that specifically mentioned lgbta people.

Which led to Smith leaving, which led to prentice and the snap election, which led to the current gov taking power. If the party follows Smith and at least gives lip service to equal rights the outcome of the last election is likely very different.

Budget probably looks similar though. No Carbon Tax

And you got bigots out that how exactly?

[killer_carlson]

The forest fire budget cuts will affect those who live in rural areas. It will put homes and livlihoods at risk.

I do not see any explanation that makes sense on these cuts aside from trying to reduce the projected deficit in a way that doesn't affect the NDP voting base.

this is simply the wrong thing to do.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

The forest fire budget cuts will affect those who live in rural areas. It will put homes and livlihoods at risk.

I do not see any explanation that makes sense on these cuts aside from trying to reduce the projected deficit in a way that doesn't affect the NDP voting base.

this is simply the wrong thing to do.

All austerity measures have this outcome.

Where would you like these cuts to come from instead? Police and Fire? Roads and Bridges? Education? The province can't sell AGT again, so it looks like higher taxes or lower spending.

[Weitz]

It's interesting to learn that the GF and I are decidedly not middle income according to CP.

[malcolmk14]

$70k puts an individual somewhere near the 70th percentile for income in Alberta. Maybe I'm on the higher side of middle.

I just wouldn't consider myself a high income earner. Sorry that my rebuttal wasn't up to your soaring intellectual standards, Ozy_Flame.

[Slava]

^ I think that you're right, personally. I would consider that income to be in the middle or close to. I think that peter12 was using median income from across Canada (too lazt to go back and look).

[burn_this_city]

Some folks on here think once you've hit $100k you swim in a vault of cash like Scrooge McDuck. $70k is baller status, I'm sure you've got the Bentley on back order with that massive flow.