April 23 2012: Alberta Provincial Election

[First Lady]

ALF is closely tied to the NDP. Though I'm not for one minute suggesting the NDP are behind the call.

I expect this is completely created and funded by the AFL. It might be in reaction to the third party advertiser "Merit Contractors". Their campaign targets the union friendly NDP.

[Jacks]

Didn't even notice that Forum has a new poll out also.

Forum
WR 40
PC 33
NDP 12
LIB 10

Leger
WR 42
PC 36
NDP 10
LIB 9

Those are close enough that they are probably fairly accurate. Based on the way the vote is distributed we could actually see a minority government. Gotta be honest, I wouldn't mind that at all. We would have 12-18 months before another election. The PC's would have a chance to get a much needed enema. The WR would be able to attract some star talent and flush some of the crappier candidates. Plus we could all waste another 28 days trading barbs.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Jacks

The odds that the media pick up the story, I'm guessing 15%.

Call the Sun. Guaranteed it would be front page news. On the Herald, maybe a small blurb. The Edmonton Journal wouldn't even report on it.

[Resolute 14]

In other news, I finally got my first robocall! I'm finally one of the in crowd!

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Do I deserve a tax break? I don't see the difference between what I've done and a schoolteacher buying school supplies for someone else's children, so I guess I do.

PC or Redford only caters to the disabled, poor or union workers. To bad if you are an able body and a hard worker trying to get ahead, Redford doesn't care about you.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Gotta be honest, I wouldn't mind that at all. We would have 12-18 months before another election.

UGH.... I will need a vacation.... oh wait... I only have 4 days to pack post election, then I hit Australia..... Oh yaaaaaa.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

In other news, I finally got my first robocall! I'm finally one of the in crowd!

I got my first one too. Which is very odd, because I've been careful not to give my number to Elections Alberta.

Mine was from David Fletcher, to my cell phone.

[Jacks]

You'd have time for a vacation .... just not a very long one

[IntenseFan]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Based on the way the vote is distributed we could actually see a minority government. Gotta be honest, I wouldn't mind that at all. We would have 12-18 months before another election. The PC's would have a chance to get a much needed enema. The WR would be able to attract some star talent and flush some of the crappier candidates. Plus we could all waste another 28 days trading barbs.

As I said above in this thread, that is also my preferred outcome. Starting to look more and more likely. Although I still think WRA might be polling above what they will ultimately get. If they can keep the small lead I believe they have (probably about 5%) they will form a minority.

Please let me know how long it takes those of you who have complained to Elections Alberta to hear back. They are so busy during an election that I am curious to know how long their response time will be.

[Senator Clay Davis]

At this point a total even split (maybe 38-38?) wouldn't surprise me. Its looking like it's gonna be razor tight. Critical to avoid any last minute gaffes.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Critical to avoid any last minute gaffes.

Not sure that even matters anymore, there have been so many major goof ups that the public must be numb to it by now. Short of someone being caught on tape eating a kitten that is, which also wouldn't surprise me.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by First Lady

I got my first one too. Which is very odd, because I've been careful not to give my number to Elections Alberta.

Mine was from David Fletcher, to my cell phone.

Is he the independent senate candidate? If so, same one.

And I've decided that since he is the only one to honour me with a totally impersonal recorded message, I will vote for him. Unless someone else robocalls me, at which point I'll probably get annoyed. Or I forget to vote for him. Or I decide to vote for someone else.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by First Lady

UGH.... I will need a vacation.... oh wait... I only have 4 days to pack post election, then I hit Australia..... Oh yaaaaaa.

(I should probably get that carrier from you before you leave, if its a long trip!)

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Is he the independent senate candidate? If so, same one.

And I've decided that since he is the only one to honour me with a totally impersonal recorded message, I will vote for him. Unless someone else robocalls me, at which point I'll probably get annoyed. Or I forget to vote for him. Or I decide to vote for someone else.

I was hoping to save your robocall for Monday to tell you that your polling station had moved from Hays to Brooks!

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Oh for sure. I actually brought my own artwork into my office and hung it on the wall. It's a big photo of construction workers standing on a beam over New York City. $45 at Ikea.

Do I deserve a tax break? I don't see the difference between what I've done and a schoolteacher buying school supplies for someone else's children, so I guess I do.

Yes...of course your IKEA artwork has the same value to the future of Alberta as early childhood education

(And FWIW I think the tax break is a vote grab as well...)

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Slava

(I should probably get that carrier from you before you leave, if its a long trip!)

Will be back the May long weekend. Can return prior to us leaving.
We will have live-in dog/house sitter, so even then you could get it.
But will shoot for right after E-day.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by darklord700

PC or Redford only caters to the disabled, poor or union workers. To bad if you are an able body and a hard worker trying to get ahead, Redford doesn't care about you.

I thought that we had already talked about this.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

Yes...of course your IKEA artwork has the same value to the future of Alberta as early childhood education

(And FWIW I think the tax break is a vote grab as well...)

This is Alberta. Anything that benefits teachers is probably a net vote-loser. But whatever, I'm not voting for the PC's anyway.

I do think it's kind of strange anyone would get up in arms about a piddling 500 dollar tax credit that will reimburse teachers who use their own money to improve a public school classroom.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I do think it's kind of strange anyone would get up in arms about a piddling 500 dollar tax credit that will reimburse teachers who use their own money to improve a public school classroom.

That's not what it does. While Redford has used the fact that some teachers use their own money to improve classrooms as justification for the credit, I can't find anything that says they actually have to do so to claim the credit. Basically what this does is gives teachers and extra $50 a year for being teachers. It's not a huge sum, but I dislike it on principle.

[First Lady]

EDMONTON - The first thing the creator of the viral video campaign I Never Thought I’d Vote PC wants you to know is, she and her friends are not Progressive Conservatives.

“We are not PC people,” says Aviva Zimmerman, 27, a documentary filmmaker, stage director and social activist. “We’re just a group of young people, all under 30, living in Calgary, really getting scared about the Wildrose party.”

Full column.

Looks like they spent $3000.00 and nope, don't see them registered... oopsie.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by SebC

That's not what it does. While Redford has used the fact that some teachers use their own money to improve classrooms as justification for the credit, I can't find anything that says they actually have to do so to claim the credit. Basically what this does is gives teachers and extra $50 a year for being teachers. It's not a huge sum, but I dislike it on principle.

Yeah, it is pretty vague. If it's just "you are a teacher, here's 500 bucks", that's something else, and I don't like it either.

They do make it sound like reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.