I think there were still the pragmatists with enough influence trying to ensure the 16th through downtown portion getting done first because anything less would represent a huge obstacle for any expansion. For the NC supporters, being able to sell 16th to McKnight as a section, and McKnight to North Pointe as another had a much more palatable timeline than what we would have been facing now: focus on the SE then needing to pay for the Eau Claire to 16th Ave portion before getting anywhere meaningful on the NC line.
True even with that significant disappointment in 2017 there was still hope about cost savings and a bit more funding to make a manageable extension to 64th Avenue.
But with current conditions (and planning/investment) even as an ardent NC supporter, the only real option is to build to the deep SE to get some ridership. And a 4th Street SE to Seton should be well under $6B since there's nothing comparable in challenge to DT on that route.
And in the meantime, Council needs to finally do their job and demand accurate costs for the remaining segments and options. So that Council and the Public can agree on what's the best route forward, and that they can discuss with the higher levels of government on funding schedules. That way, at least long-suffering NC bus riders can finally voice their opinion on whether they would prefer a tunnel in the DT core even if that meant no LRT service to Panorama until 2060, instead of being forgotten every single time the Green Line needed to be cut back.
I'm sorry about not doing enough of my own research. I assume that the city plan was to use some of the existing underground tunnels in the core, that were never put into service? At least as part of one of the stations?
The GL tunnel would be brand new and independent, starting at 4 Street SE and exiting at Eau Claire (before the 2020 revision it also went under the Bow and all the way to 20th Ave N on Centre Street). One of big cost drivers is that the GL tunnel has to be quite deep because it also has to go under the Red Line tunnel at MacLeod and the reserved space for the potential 8th Avenue subway.
And while it is theoretically possible to use the 8th Ave Subway, the subway isn't built out yet and the SE LRT would need to switch to high-floor.
I'm sorry about not doing enough of my own research. I assume that the city plan was to use some of the existing underground tunnels in the core, that were never put into service? At least as part of one of the stations?
The UCP putting in a sky train kind of feels like they don't know the area very well.
A better way to think of the existing tunnel is that it would otherwise just have been two levels of parkade. I haven't parked there in ages and I don't remember how many levels it has, but I suspect the tunnel is basically the other side of the north wall in the City Hall Parkade accessed off 9th Ave.
So it's about 170 meters down, ~2200 meters to go (and a few stations, which are a big part of the cost) to bury the Red Line.
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CP's 15th Most Annoying Poster! (who wasn't too cowardly to enter that super duper serious competition)
I think there were still the pragmatists with enough influence trying to ensure the 16th through downtown portion getting done first because anything less would represent a huge obstacle for any expansion. For the NC supporters, being able to sell 16th to McKnight as a section, and McKnight to North Pointe as another had a much more palatable timeline than what we would have been facing now: focus on the SE then needing to pay for the Eau Claire to 16th Ave portion before getting anywhere meaningful on the NC line.
As soon as going north of the river wasn't part of the plan anymore, the focus should have been on everything south of the CPR tracks. I'd wager that getting from Shepherd to 4th Street would provide better ridership than Eau Claire to Lynwood, and not require a huge investment beyond to get to Seton and connect with that employment centre. Is that a $6.5B leg? I'm not sure, but I'd be confident it would be a better bang for the buck for ridership even if it didn't get all the way downtown.
The funny thing is that the interim stage of a forced transfer at 16th Ave would have been a service downgrade for most people.
Currently the 301 doesn't stop between 16th and 6th Ave, then you get stops at Centre, 2nd, 5th, and 7th/7th.
Whereas you'd have to transfer to a train, wait for it to leave, likely stop at 9th Ave (if that station survived), and then get off again at 2nd...if your destination is close to 2nd or a transfer onto red/blue then it's probably a slight upgrade, but otherwise you're probably further away from your destination than the current set up.
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CP's 15th Most Annoying Poster! (who wasn't too cowardly to enter that super duper serious competition)
A year's worth of respiratory virus data for Alberta reveals, once again, COVID-19 is far deadlier than the flu.
The death toll due to the two illnesses, combined, topped 900 over the past year.
More than four times as many Albertans died due to COVID compared to influenza.
Quote:
"This is the most we've ever lost to flu, and COVID has still put up many more deaths than flu. So these remain significant viral diseases in Alberta. They remain a significant risk to some Albertans. And unfortunately, and tragically, they continue to take lives at a really unacceptable rate."
Quote:
"We also have that at-risk population [including] people on chemotherapy, people post-transplant — people really who are immuno-suppressed and are at risk — or the frail elderly who we see," said Duggan, the president-elect of the Alberta Medical Association.
Quote:
Just under a quarter of Albertans received their flu shot during the 2023-24 season, while 16.9 per cent were immunized against COVID.
"It's going to be very vital that people get vaccinated this year to protect themselves, of course, but to also protect the vulnerable and to protect the hospital system, because we are already overflowing," said Duggan.
So the idiotic voters who elected a covid denying moron who refuses to support public vaccination campaigns has helped contribute to this travesty, while putting more Albertans at risk and degrading the abilities of our hospitals to care for patients. Thanks again, idiots. Maybe consider these costs to our system the next time you vote for your tax cut. Oh ya...how's that going for ya?
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So the idiotic voters who elected a covid denying moron who refuses to support public vaccination campaigns has helped contribute to this travesty, while putting more Albertans at risk and degrading the abilities of our hospitals to care for patients. Thanks again, idiots. Maybe consider these costs to our system the next time you vote for your tax cut. Oh ya...how's that going for ya?
You’re welcome?
Geez.
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So the idiotic voters who elected a covid denying moron who refuses to support public vaccination campaigns has helped contribute to this travesty, while putting more Albertans at risk and degrading the abilities of our hospitals to care for patients. Thanks again, idiots. Maybe consider these costs to our system the next time you vote for your tax cut. Oh ya...how's that going for ya?
Although I am not a fan of this government's points on healthcare or some of the anti vax people in the party, what is it anybody can really do in Alberta? Who should Alberta emulate in Canada and who can Canada really follow much better in terms of Covid/flu prep short of a completely different way of life than Canadian's may be used to.
A quick look at the stats and it looks like flu shot rates were pretty much just in line when the NDP was in power give or take a percent or two.
I think people who are sick, weak, elderly, have multiple health problems and more should really look at Covid/Flu vaccines.
I know it's popular to blame someone for the state of our healthcare in AB and in Canada but as Canadians, we really are in a very sad state. It's a failure of policy and a coordinated effort We have a lack of funding problem, an aging population, a severe lack of healthcare workers, a rural problem, a city problem, a newcomer problem, lack of domestic production problem and much much more.
I think we would be better off really looking at a lot of root causes within our lifestyles, food supply, environments, healthcare system, healthcare politics and a lot more. Why do we have tax on an actual healthy salad at the grocery store but not on low grade, processed frozen burgers? What is a salad other than just vegetables and greens? How much time and money is spent phoning, faxing, appointments and delays for a senior to get a script refill on a statin medication they have been on for 30 years?
Although I am not a fan of this government's points on healthcare or some of the anti vax people in the party, what is it anybody can really do in Alberta? Who should Alberta emulate in Canada and who can Canada really follow much better in terms of Covid/flu prep short of a completely different way of life than Canadian's may be used to.
A quick look at the stats and it looks like flu shot rates were pretty much just in line when the NDP was in power give or take a percent or two.
I think people who are sick, weak, elderly, have multiple health problems and more should really look at Covid/Flu vaccines.
I know it's popular to blame someone for the state of our healthcare in AB and in Canada but as Canadians, we really are in a very sad state. It's a failure of policy and a coordinated effort We have a lack of funding problem, an aging population, a severe lack of healthcare workers, a rural problem, a city problem, a newcomer problem, lack of domestic production problem and much much more.
I think we would be better off really looking at a lot of root causes within our lifestyles, food supply, environments, healthcare system, healthcare politics and a lot more. Why do we have tax on an actual healthy salad at the grocery store but not on low grade, processed frozen burgers? What is a salad other than just vegetables and greens? How much time and money is spent phoning, faxing, appointments and delays for a senior to get a script refill on a statin medication they have been on for 30 years?
That's what I'm saying. Smith's policies are harmful and costly. Why wouldn't you do everything possible with messaging to increase rates and reduce stress on our system? What's the disadvantage to that?
Quote:
Earlier this week, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported that the Alberta government directed the province's health-care delivery agency to remove references to influenza and COVID-19 from ads promoting immunization, and to limit details on their effectiveness.
How does that help? What is the net benefit of that? How do voters like GoRiders justify electing someone who clearly said they would not listen to experts? Does that make for good policy? Do you trust Smith so much that you think all her decisions are above those of professionals? If so, why? If not, what made you ignore that fact?
As to your last sentence, absolutely yes. Holy crap I can't tell you how frustrating it is to get prescribed medications by your doctor, and then spend months fighting with insurance companies and paying form fees and wasting doctor office time to try to justify it to those ####ing vultures. With the amount of dollars siphoned away on non-medical admin stuff we could probably afford pharmacare for everyone. It's absolutely bonkers. You don't know just how bad it is until it happens to you.
Alberta is on track for what could be its lowest influenza vaccination rate in at least a decade.
Less than one-quarter of Albertans — 24.1 per cent — have received their annual flu shot so far this respiratory virus season, according to provincial data.
It's a dramatic drop from the high of 37 per cent in 2020-21.
The last time the province recorded an overall immunization rate this low was at the end of the 2012-13 season, when uptake was 24 per cent.
Alberta recorded the highest number of influenza deaths in 15 years, and some people are attributing the death toll to a decline in yearly immunization rates.
That's a failure and a direct cost to us. This is what stupid policy results in. Stop electing stupid people. This isn't hard.
This is great policy. Seniors dying early is great for the budget. You know how much stress on the healthcare system is alleviated when a senior dies of flu instead of waiting for cancer to kill them? With that, we can cut corporate taxes. It also frees up housing, which helps with affordability. And they're spending political capital for this, sacrificing their own voters for the greater good. How magnanimous!
Spoiler!
That was sarcasm, in case your detector is broken.
Although I am not a fan of this government's points on healthcare or some of the anti vax people in the party, what is it anybody can really do in Alberta? Who should Alberta emulate in Canada and who can Canada really follow much better in terms of Covid/flu prep short of a completely different way of life than Canadian's may be used to.
A quick look at the stats and it looks like flu shot rates were pretty much just in line when the NDP was in power give or take a percent or two.
I think people who are sick, weak, elderly, have multiple health problems and more should really look at Covid/Flu vaccines.
I know it's popular to blame someone for the state of our healthcare in AB and in Canada but as Canadians, we really are in a very sad state. It's a failure of policy and a coordinated effort We have a lack of funding problem, an aging population, a severe lack of healthcare workers, a rural problem, a city problem, a newcomer problem, lack of domestic production problem and much much more.
I think we would be better off really looking at a lot of root causes within our lifestyles, food supply, environments, healthcare system, healthcare politics and a lot more. Why do we have tax on an actual healthy salad at the grocery store but not on low grade, processed frozen burgers? What is a salad other than just vegetables and greens? How much time and money is spent phoning, faxing, appointments and delays for a senior to get a script refill on a statin medication they have been on for 30 years?
classic
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
What about if our government stopped wasting money and stopped making incredibly bad money losing decisions like the pipeline and invested that money in say healthcare professionals? Maybe just maybe we wouldn’t have as many issues with healthcare professionals in rural Alberta.
Or maybe if we accepted that a small increase in our taxes could help pay for such programs? The reality is people are too damned scared to vote for a small increase to help their neighbors while in reality the current government is going to do everything to strip away our current systems so that you end up paying way more for everything in the end.
Ask yourself honestly what would have been more expensive for you on the bottom line:
A small tax increase or a culmination of a the small increases that have occurred as a result of the UCP? Insurance, electricity rates, k country pass, etc.
Fundamentally this is my problem with people here, they will happily accept a nickel and dime action but will cry like a two year old at paying (still) the cheapest tax rates in the country.
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Shameless self promotion
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Even sillier is that people believe the low tax myth. If you make, say, 130k or less in somewhere like BC or Ontario, you actually pay higher income taxes in AB. It's much worse if you are in the "struggling" middle class zone, where you could be paying closer to 5% than 10%. You've been taken for a ####ing ride, and keep buying the goddamn ticket. Smarten up.
What about if our government stopped wasting money and stopped making incredibly bad money losing decisions like the pipeline and invested that money in say healthcare professionals? Maybe just maybe we wouldn’t have as many issues with healthcare professionals in rural Alberta.
Or maybe if we accepted that a small increase in our taxes could help pay for such programs? The reality is people are too damned scared to vote for a small increase to help their neighbors while in reality the current government is going to do everything to strip away our current systems so that you end up paying way more for everything in the end.
Ask yourself honestly what would have been more expensive for you on the bottom line:
A small tax increase or a culmination of a the small increases that have occurred as a result of the UCP? Insurance, electricity rates, k country pass, etc.
Fundamentally this is my problem with people here, they will happily accept a nickel and dime action but will cry like a two year old at paying (still) the cheapest tax rates in the country.
Maybe we need a Medical War Room
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Fundamentally this is my problem with people here, they will happily accept a nickel and dime action but will cry like a two year old at paying (still) the cheapest tax rates in the country.
People in Alberta have been conditioned - for generations - to think taxes are the devil and the be-all, end-all of personal prosperity. And yet they have no idea how much the common good and community needs to be well-oiled to fuel their modern lives, and how little they realize the cost of living is being hijacked by private and corporate interests.
The 'business can do no wrong' mentality is still very much engrained in Alberta culture, including those at the top of the government you all pay for.
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People in Alberta have been conditioned - for generations - to think taxes are the devil and the be-all, end-all of personal prosperity. And yet they have no idea how much the common good and community needs to be well-oiled to fuel their modern lives, and how little they realize the cost of living is being hijacked by private and corporate interests.
The 'business can do no wrong' mentality is still very much engrained in Alberta culture, including those at the top of the government you all pay for.
And the interesting thing about this is that Alberta has never been a low spending jurisdiction. In general we have routinely been among the highest spenders per capita on services. Some due to higher salaries and others due to better funding. An example being for years Alberta was the only province with funding for pre-school aged kids with moderate to severe speech delays.
The entire myth around Alberta fiscal conservative is that we were not fiscally conservative at any point before or after Klein’s budget cut. For one four year period of governance Alberta was fiscally conservative. For the remainder of the time we were a high spending province maintained by High salaries and royalties allowing for lower tax rates.
The whole Alberta ethos is based on a lie. Which is apt because stampede and Alberta cowboy culture is based on a lie too.
Last edited by GGG; 09-10-2024 at 10:36 AM.
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Even sillier is that people believe the low tax myth. If you make, say, 130k or less in somewhere like BC or Ontario, you actually pay higher income taxes in AB. It's much worse if you are in the "struggling" middle class zone, where you could be paying closer to 5% than 10%. You've been taken for a ####ing ride, and keep buying the goddamn ticket. Smarten up.
I think you are missing the larger personal exemption in your analysis here. BCs 12k personal exemption vs Alberta’s 20k personal exemption means that up to about 27000 in income Alberta is lower taxed. I actually prefer the Alberta Model as I think earners between about 75k and up don’t pay enough tax. We need broad tax increases on anyone making over median income AND targeted tax increases on the top 5%
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