Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

This might actually be true, but if automation and AI lift the bar of the skills and intelligence types of tasks done by humans require then there will be a growing population of people that are essentially unemployable for productive work in any facet. This is where the societal conversation about safety net / welfare, other avenues of providing work and purpose for people needs to be had. UBI isn't a panacea for this. Working to support oneself/family gives people purpose in life and simply giving people money doesn't replicate that aspect of it.

I thought we might be able to enter a new golden age with people free to create art and artisan goods but AI is looking to put a damper on that dream.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I’m not a fan of the concept of UBI but with that being said the investor class doesn’t really seem to be too bothered by being given money without having to actually work for it.

Is that saying there's too much corporate welfare from the government or are you saying that the pursuit of allocating capital efficiently isn't 'working' for money?

Depending on the specificity of the first argument I can get behind that sentiment. If it's the second part I would disagree.

[Fuzz]

Family doctors and nurse practitioners have been told they will not be receiving deliveries of flu or COVID-19 vaccines in time for the fall immunization program launch later this month. And it is unclear if they will get any at all.

In a recent memo from Alberta Health, physicians and nurse practitioners were told they would not be able to access key vaccines this fall.

The memo, obtained by CBC News, said the distribution of provincially funded vaccines to medical and nurse practitioner clinics was "temporarily paused" in April when a contract with the distribution company expired.

"At this time, Alberta Health has not been successful in contracting a distributor to ship vaccines to community medical and nurse practitioner clinics," it stated.

It went on to say a recent expression of interest had closed and no submissions were received.

"As a result, a vendor for vaccine distribution will not be in place by October 15 for the start of the influenza and COVID vaccine program."

Penrod hasn't been able to access other key publicly funded vaccines for several months, including the pertussis shot (Tdap).
That means pregnant patients, for whom the the vaccine is recommended, have to go elsewhere.
"[Whooping cough] is actually a very, very dangerous illness for infants. So that gives those babies a little bit of passive immunity from their mom until they can get their own shots," she said.

"Routinely in my office I would be vaccinating those pregnant people just because they're coming for their prenatal [appointment] anyway. So I haven't been able to do that. I'm having to send people away a lot."

Even people who come in injured and needing stitches have to be sent elsewhere if their tetanus shot is not up to date, she said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...nics-1.7341997

OK, what in the actual #### is going on in this province??? You can't even go to your clinic to get a whooping cough or tetanus shot? Is this 1905? This is a malicious failure of our elected representatives. This isn't an accident, or a technical issue, or a business issue. It is a purposeful attempt to reduce immunization in this province. They've had since long before April to address this, if they actually wanted to. Which they don't. More people will get sick and die.

And that's on you DUMB ASS MOTHER####ERS WHO ELECTED THIS BULL#### BATCH OF IDIOTIC ####FACES. #### YOU TODAY AND FOREVER. Unreal.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Is that saying there's too much corporate welfare from the government or are you saying that the pursuit of allocating capital efficiently isn't 'working' for money?

Depending on the specificity of the first argument I can get behind that sentiment. If it's the second part I would disagree.

There are thousands of wealthy families who take no part in the accumulation of their wealth. Whether they rely on Investment Funds, real estate experts, Wealth management companies, etc. They are taking a minimal part in their pursuit of wealth accumulation

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

From my recollection, it's a bit optimistic. Essentially the concept is sound, but the unwind of the existing programs is likely to be extremely perilous. And, for example, we are not including some of the biggest social spends in Education and healthcare, so you're only eradicating the less expensive (comparatively) social programs that currently exist while adding one giant one on par or bigger to those other two.

Are you looking at UBI replacing low income support programs as a single silo or part of a bigger picture? A lot of health care is connected to low income situations. houselessness caused by low income, creates many first responder calls that accumulate to significant dollars.

Truthfully, it was an economics/business - type grad student that suggested I consider the cost/benefit of the bigger scenario/scope. (Back then, it was sometimes called "guaranteed income")

[lambeburger]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

This might actually be true, but if automation and AI lift the bar of the skills and intelligence types of tasks done by humans require then there will be a growing population of people that are essentially unemployable for productive work in any facet. This is where the societal conversation about safety net / welfare, other avenues of providing work and purpose for people needs to be had. UBI isn't a panacea for this. Working to support oneself/family gives people purpose in life and simply giving people money doesn't replicate that aspect of it.

Immigration levels sky high, just in time for a chunk of the workforce to be automated out of jobs. What can go wrong?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...nics-1.7341997

OK, what in the actual #### is going on in this province??? You can't even go to your clinic to get a whooping cough or tetanus shot? Is this 1905? This is a malicious failure of our elected representatives. This isn't an accident, or a technical issue, or a business issue. It is a purposeful attempt to reduce immunization in this province. They've had since long before April to address this, if they actually wanted to. Which they don't. More people will get sick and die.

And that's on you DUMB ASS MOTHER####ERS WHO ELECTED THIS BULL#### BATCH OF IDIOTIC ####FACES. #### YOU TODAY AND FOREVER. Unreal.

Vaccines are too good at what they do. We need a significant outbreak of measles that kills a large number of people to get people to wake up about preventable diseases. The last of the Polio survivors are dying now so the collective memory of how well vaccines work is gone.

Covid should have been another opportunity for people to learn that vaccines work but Covid didn’t kill enough young people for the message to hit home.

Hopefully in whatever future outbreak happens it’s concentrated in the unvaccinated. Unfortunately because most people will vaccinated infections will be evenly distributed between the vaccinated and unvaccinated once again proving that vaccines work but also proving to morons that they don’t.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GGG

Vaccines are too good at what they do. We need a significant outbreak of measles that kills a large number of people to get people to wake up about preventable diseases. The last of the Polio survivors are dying now so the collective memory of how well vaccines work is gone.

Covid should have been another opportunity for people to learn that vaccines work but Covid didn’t kill enough young people for the message to hit home.

Hopefully in whatever future outbreak happens it’s concentrated in the unvaccinated. Unfortunately because most people will vaccinated infections will be evenly distributed between the vaccinated and unvaccinated once again proving that vaccines work but also proving to morons that they don’t.

In the meantime can we please stop electing people who can't even understand how foundational vaccines are to our healthcare system? ####ing please? I'd really rather not be one who dies just to teach stupid people lessons. That wasn't in the social contract.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Is that saying there's too much corporate welfare from the government or are you saying that the pursuit of allocating capital efficiently isn't 'working' for money?

Obviously the comment was meant to be a little tongue in cheek but to answer your question, a little from column a and a little from column b.

Depending on the specificity of the first argument I can get behind that sentiment. If it's the second part I would disagree.

I don’t have any issue with investors making money, lately though I’ve spoken with quite a few who seem to think they work harder to earn that money than say a labourer and as such deserve to pay less taxes than that individual on those earnings which I don’t agree with. Not sure what your take is on that but I’m not suggesting that you agree or disagree with that.

As Cappy mentioned though, and I think you’d agree, there are many investors making more money without lifting a finger than most could ever dream of having.

[FlameOn]

Danielle Smith is now tying the UCP's historic lack of funding in healthcare, ahead of the nurse's union dispute and upcoming nurses union strike vote, to Trudeau, the Federal government, and the carbon tax. This is despite them actively trying to privatize, constant mismanagement of billions upon billions of dollars, and the UCP running a huge provincial surplus. None of those things she blames has anything to do with the provincial healthcare budget or contract negotiation. What a POS.

Spoiler!

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Danielle Smith is now tying the UCP's historic lack of funding in healthcare, ahead of the nurse's union dispute and upcoming nurses union strike vote, to Trudeau, the Federal government, and the carbon tax. This is despite them actively trying to privatize, constant mismanagement of billions upon billions of dollars, and the UCP running a huge provincial surplus. None of those things she blames has anything to do with the provincial healthcare budget or contract negotiation. What a POS.

Spoiler!

Well if people believe that equalization payments come out of the provincial coffers, I'm sure they'll believe the carbon tax does too.

[BowRiverBruinsRule]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Danielle Smith is now tying the UCP's historic lack of funding in healthcare, ahead of the nurse's union dispute and upcoming nurses union strike vote, to Trudeau, the Federal government, and the carbon tax. This is despite them actively trying to privatize, constant mismanagement of billions upon billions of dollars, and the UCP running a huge provincial surplus and that none of those things she mentioned has anything to do with the provincial healthcare budget or contract negotiation. What a POS.

Ya the blame Trudeau thing is getting old, but the UCP rubes still eat it up.
Dynalife $98 million = 1,300 Nurses.
Keystone Gamble $1.3 billion = 17,300 Nurses.
And on and on and on.
The most unqualified Alberta Government in history and we are just getting started. On a positive and something to look forward to in this backward province - I am meeting Sarah Elmeligi and Naheed Nenshi tonight in Canmore.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

I thought we might be able to enter a new golden age with people free to create art and artisan goods but AI is looking to put a damper on that dream.

It was always optimistic to think most people would paint, make music, write novels, train for marathons, open artisan bakeries, etc. if freed from the need to earn a living. Some people will do that stuff. Most won’t.

We just have to look at the example of places with chronically high seasonal unemployment, like rural New Brunswick where a third of the population is on EI every winter. It’s not a hotbed of creative industry. Most people just play video-games, drink beer, watch Netflix, make sourdough bread, take their dog for long walks, etc if they don’t have any pressing need to do anything in particular all day.

[calf]

Probably should've kept the 'made in Alberta' carbon tax so the tax money could stay here, instead of going to the Feds

[calf]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Most people just play video-games, drink beer, watch Netflix, take their dog for long walks, etc if they don’t have any pressing need to do anything in particular all day.

Is New Brunswick calling?

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by BowRiverBruinsRule

Ya the blame Trudeau thing is getting old, but the UCP rubes still eat it up.
Dynalife $98 million = 1,300 Nurses.
Keystone Gamble $1.3 billion = 17,300 Nurses.
And on and on and on.
The most unqualified Alberta Government in history and we are just getting started. On a positive and something to look forward to in this backward province - I am meeting Sarah Elmeligi and Naheed Nenshi tonight in Canmore.

Utter horse####, and half of the province is lapping it up.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Utter horse####, and half of the province is lapping it up.

And not one of the cowards will step into this thread to admit their mistake, or *snicker* try to justify it.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by calf

Probably should've kept the 'made in Alberta' carbon tax so the tax money could stay here, instead of going to the Feds

The UCP gave away 981 nurses. From now on, all provincial currency can be told in nurses.

[Locke]

Nurses as a Unit of measurement.

Well it makes more sense than the Imperial System.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Locke

Nurses as a Unit of measurement.

Well it makes more sense than the Imperial System.

What’s the conversion rate between a nurse and a pharmacist?