Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Bigtime]

It was easy to see dumb stuff coming in regards to new regulations for wind and solar, and yup. It appears to be dumb.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1762849642977652873

https://twitter.com/user/status/1762861233873519066

[fotze2]

We have a landowner that will not allow us to remove our pumpjack because he loves it in his front yard.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by fotze2

We have a landowner that will not allow us to remove our pumpjack because he loves it in his front yard.

I think it is mostly that people hate change.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I think it is mostly that people hate change.

No, he's an old guy and loves it, we want to use it elsewhere. His wife doesn't.

[Ozy_Flame]

Ask an average person what a PAC is. Most voters don't pay attention to that, let alone what the acronym is.

To assume we already have 'political parties' is political wonk speak and doesn't work for most.

Also, it insults the intelligence of people who already vote in municipal elections and can decipher the differences between two viable candidates. And municipal elections in both major cities (as Marlaina suggests needs it) don't have abysmal turnouts as it is.

I'd like to see the stats and polling on how many non-voters will suddenly vote in municipal elections based on parties. Until then it's a unnecessary idea that is simply ideological grandstanding from a party who loves to grandstand.

[DoubleK]

But mining coal in the Rockies is cool?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

But mining coal in the Rockies is cool?

Very cool, the coolest.

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

But mining coal in the Rockies is cool?

Rockies... Pft. It ain't pristine.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Ask an average person what a PAC is. Most voters don't pay attention to that, let alone what the acronym is.

To assume we already have 'political parties' is political wonk speak and doesn't work for most.

Also, it insults the intelligence of people who already vote in municipal elections and can decipher the differences between two viable candidates. And municipal elections in both major cities (as Marlaina suggests needs it) don't have abysmal turnouts as it is.

I'd like to see the stats and polling on how many non-voters will suddenly vote in municipal elections based on parties. Until then it's a unnecessary idea that is simply ideological grandstanding from a party who loves to grandstand.

While many people might not know what a PAC is or the specific names of them in Calgary they certainly have a lot of influence in the election. The PACs spent as much, if not more, than the actual candidates at $2.1M in the last election. The biggest spender helped elected 8 of councillors so their efforts very likely helped.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Very cool, the coolest.

As long as its metallurgical coal, the less heat value coal is the bad stuff.

[Fuzz]

This seems like a real challenge for any renewable project, because it all seems fairly arbitrary. "Pristine views"? What's the metric for that? Who decides what is good ag land? Are they putting out maps showing go and no go zones? Because as a company looking to start a project, where do you even begin? Why invest a bunch of money in finding good locations if someone is going to object about their "pristine view" being ruined? Why not just go to another province at that point? Talk about chasing money away, as all good strong Conservative governments aim to do, right?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

While many people might not know what a PAC is or the specific names of them in Calgary they certainly have a lot of influence in the election. The PACs spent as much, if not more, than the actual candidates at $2.1M in the last election. The biggest spender helped elected 8 of councillors so their efforts very likely helped.

PACs are a way to fundraise. They are not a slate of candidates with official branding.

If the UCP wants to implement political parties, they should just educate the public on what PACs are. But they don't want that. They want democracy to be tilted to tribalist politics. You need to see party name on the ballot box, not on the newsletter of your local fundraising aficionado.

Instead, provide municipal voters with a singular, one-stop-shop for candidates to document and list their platform, experience, and disclosure of private interests that impact municipal matters. Have an AI-generated political spectrum measure based on a candidate's platform, and peg them them spectrum buckets.

Education, not tribalism, will influence better outcomes.

There is no need for any political parties at the municipal level.

[Monahammer]

This type of regulation is absolutely hysterically hypocritical when we've been collectively lobbying against the impact assessment act for years because of the perceived political blackbox that it creates in regulatory confirmation.

THIS DOES THE SAME THING! who determines a pristine landscape? It's lunacy.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by fotze2

We have a landowner that will not allow us to remove our pumpjack because he loves it in his front yard.

100% he's worried he'll stop getting surface lease payments.

[Fuzz]

Paint it NDP orange and see if it changes his mind.

[puffnstuff]

Party of small govt really likes telling land owners what they can do on their land

Also, no one was putting solar on prime ag land.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

PACs are a way to fundraise. They are not a slate of candidates with official branding.

If the UCP wants to implement political parties, they should just educate the public on what PACs are. But they don't want that. They want democracy to be tilted to tribalist politics. You need to see party name on the ballot box, not on the newsletter of your local fundraising aficionado.

Instead, provide municipal voters with a singular, one-stop-shop for candidates to document and list their platform, experience, and disclosure of private interests that impact municipal matters. Have an AI-generated political spectrum measure based on a candidate's platform, and peg them them spectrum buckets.

Education, not tribalism, will influence better outcomes.

There is no need for any political parties at the municipal level.

They serve to raise funds and promote specific candidates based on their ideology. The candidates don't obviously run under a PAC banner or brand but a PAC does endorse and advertise for a slate of candidates.

This serves as a good overview of where elections are going with PACs:
https://livewirecalgary.com/2020/11/...n-of-the-pacs/

Mount Royal University political science professor, Lori Williams, said the potential for money being spent depends on the ward race itself.

“The fact that more money can be spent on advertising means that there is the possibility some groups could have significant influence in the time leading up to the election,” she said.

“That would impact people’s votes because of the advertising money.”

Meadows said TPAs will be able to spend significantly more money than candidates. It shifted funding away from candidates and into third parties.

“That means the discourse around the election is going to be shaped by third-party advertisers,” he told LiveWire Calgary.

“They will be the ones with the most means to do so.”

Current Ward 3 Coun. Jyoti Gondek believes PACs will define the upcoming Calgary municipal election.

She said it’s due to the amount of money that can be collected – and spent – by these groups.

“This will not be an election of the people,” she said.

“It will be an election of the PACs.”

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by fotze2

We have a landowner that will not allow us to remove our pumpjack because he loves it in his front yard.

Originally Posted by fotze2

No, he's an old guy and loves it, we want to use it elsewhere. His wife doesn't.

OT, but I'm curious if this is preventing your company from abandoning the well properly? And if so what the implications are when a company wants to properly follow regulations and the landowner is preventing them from doing so.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by fotze2

We have a landowner that will not allow us to remove our pumpjack because he loves it in his front yard.

Originally Posted by fotze2

No, he's an old guy and loves it, we want to use it elsewhere. His wife doesn't.

Why are you even asking?

[Cappy]

Better get rid of these while we are at it:

Spoiler!