Nothing here about the Alberta election? Well, now there is.

[Lester]

Tories are too arrogant, Too sure in their beleif that it's their right to rule Alberta, They don't accept input from other parties, and seem to spitefully go out of their way to dismiss anything brought to the table that wasn't their Idea.

The way I look at it, put the libs in for five years if they screw it up get rid of them, I think theres' way to much patronage going on and I bet the cronies have skimmed billions off the top in sweet little backroom deals.

 

[Chriskander]

Three days to go and the election will be history. Thought I’d do a bit of an update.

I managed to get to one of the two forums to support our candidate. Asked the first question from the floor – to each candidate on what they would do to increase the democratic involvement of Albertans in the political process. As I expected only the Tory candidate waved a hand around at the people in the forum and said he could see no sign that democracy was threatened by the sight of all the attendance.

That’s exactly what is wrong with the right-wing mentality. The common herd are allowed to vote every few years or so – that is the full extent of the input they should be allowed. After that they should sit on their hands and shut their mouths while those superior to them take care of affairs uninterrupted. That was Klein’s attitude, it’s Harper’s attitude and that of George Bush and his gangsters. They do not want people to participate in their own governance – merely rubber stamp what they – the right-wing elite – choose to do for them. Against them, I should perhaps have said, because ever since the Gang of Three – Thatcher, Mulroney, and Reagan – they have robbed the Commons in order to give to the rich.

I have put up three election signs in the small community where I live. One on my lawn and one at each end of main street where people driving to vote on Monday will have to pass. The first sign I put on my lawn was stolen. Completely removed. The other two have been vandalized – knocked down and damaged. I replaced my own sign with one that had been damaged and put a new one out. I check the others daily – repairing as necessary. I phoned the Returning Officer to ask about the legislated penalties for removing or defacing election signs and find the Tories have removed any such article from the Elections Act. I suppose it makes sense, to them – it’s their goons who destroy opposition signs.

My wife heard the local Tory dupes talking about the election yesterday. The sentiment – “Oh dear, it won’t be such a sure thing this time”. These people are too dumb to understand what democracy means. They destroy opposition election signs with the ridiculous notion that they must protect ‘their’ governing party from the attacks of the masses who might disagree with them. The election is regarded as a bloody revolution in which all and sundry are allowed to express an opinion against their ruling party. Such is the level of understanding after almost four decades of Tory mismanagement and cronyism. We don’t need our armed forces in Afghanistan to protect their democracy – we need a ‘Peace Corps’ from the rest of Canada to come here and teach these mental midgets what real democracy is.

 

[dancing-loon]

Hi, Chris;
looky here, I'm from Ontario and yet, I found something I can contribute to your Alberta thread!!!:smile:
How are your signs doing? Still standing?? I admire your dedication! But isn't that the only way we ever get somewhere?

From the Globe and Mail:

Alberta Tories on cusp of 11th majority

The survey of 750 Albertans was taken Feb. 27-28 and is accurate to within 3.6 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

It found the Alberta Liberals nabbed 25 per cent of voter support, while the Wildrose Alliance, a right-wing party that has only been around since January, came in third with 10 per cent.

The NDP and the Alberta Green party both polled at 8 per cent.
The Tories' support is weakest in Calgary (44 per cent) and strongest in rural Alberta (58 per cent).

Before the election was called, the Tories, which have governed the oil-rich, debt-free province since 1971, held 60 of the 83 seats in the legislature.

http://tinyurl.com/2uwsvc
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Change is in the air, but it won't be on the ballot
The polls say the people here, like people everywhere these days, desperately want change. The polls also say they aren't so desperate that they will change.:lol:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080229.wmacgregor01/BNStory/National

 

[Chriskander]

Thanks for the Poll info 'Loon, but it's not very well informed. I wouldn't say the Globe and Mail doesn't have a handle on Alberta for this election -- they have never had a handle on Alberta.

There are two more accurate polls:
Party .................................... Angus-Reid .................... Leger
Tory ............................................42 ................................35
Liberal .........................................31 ................................23
ND ................................................9 ..................................7
WildRose/Alliance ........................10...................................8
Green .............................................4 ..................................4

The significant number is the Undecideds which are from 20 to 23%. If the blowback from Harper's deceitful attempts to hide the fact the Tories tried to bribe Chuck Cadman enrages enough people, the undecided vote will swing away from the Tories.

Of course, you and I know that the issue is Federal and not Albertan, but about half of the electorate are too simple-minded to know there is a difference. I'm confident about predicting the lowest number of seats for the Tories since 1970 -- if I allow myself to be optimistic I would predict a minority Stelmach government.

I'm still replacing and repairing my signs. The thaw brought one of them down, but now I can break the frost and pound the stakes into the ground. The one at the other end of main street has been stolen -- the Brownshirts have decided merely vandalising it doesn't work. First thing Monday morning I will move my lawn sign out to the end of the street. No one will be able to drive to the polling station without seeing a Liberal sign.

 

[Lester]

Hopefully the WRP/A will take some votes from the Tories. if that happens the Libs and Tories should almost be neck and neck. As for those signs in my area I drove by the corner and there was a liberal sign, and a tory about 20 ft. away. the next day I drove by again and the liberal sign had been moved down in the ditch where no one could see it but the tory sign was in the same place. I guess I should call the riding office and ask if they want me to put it back where it was. I won't touch the tory sign- I don't play dat.

 

[dancing-loon]

Thanks for the Poll info 'Loon, but it's not very well informed. I wouldn't say the Globe and Mail doesn't have a handle on Alberta for this election -- they have never had a handle on Alberta.

There are two more accurate polls:
Party .................................... Angus-Reid .................... Leger
Tory ............................................42 ................................35
Liberal .........................................31 ................................23
ND ................................................9 ..................................7
WildRose/Alliance ........................10...................................8
Green .............................................4 ..................................4

The significant number is the Undecideds which are from 20 to 23%. If the blowback from Harper's deceitful attempts to hide the fact the Tories tried to bribe Chuck Cadman enrages enough people, the undecided vote will swing away from the Tories.

Last I read was the undecideds were at about 27%! Hm, things changed a bit over night.

The Greens at only 4%, with a major environmental disaster looming, is alarming. Many are either not aware off or frankly don't care about the devastation in the making.
I wonder at what percentage the actual voter-turnout will stand when it's done and over.

Of course, you and I know that the issue is Federal and not Albertan, but about half of the electorate are too simple-minded to know there is a difference. I'm confident about predicting the lowest number of seats for the Tories since 1970 -- if I allow myself to be optimistic I would predict a minority Stelmach government.

You are well above the average simple-minded Albertan, Chris!!! You belong likely to a minority group within the larger voting pool :smile: I must call my daughter/son-in-law to hear what they will vote! Perhaps I could convince them to support the Greens or Liberals.;-)

I'm still replacing and repairing my signs. The thaw brought one of them down, but now I can break the frost and pound the stakes into the ground. The one at the other end of main street has been stolen

Oh, you folks are having a thaw already? Lucky Ducks!! Or maybe not. You could get shut down with a major snow storm in the middle of May!! (1986!)

-- the Brownshirts have decided merely vandalizing it doesn't work.

Brownshirts?? You mean resurrected Nazis?8O;-):lol: Oh gawd, what is next?:roll:

First thing Monday morning I will move my lawn sign out to the end of the street. No one will be able to drive to the polling station without seeing a Liberal sign.

Oh, Chris... your dedication!! You might as well go the whole nine yards and stand guard beside it!:canada: Someone, a savage Con perhaps, might rip it out for firewood!

Because of your personal-flavored comments I have acquired an interest in Alberta's vote on Monday.:-|

I wish you and your liberal comrades at least a partial victory. Good Luck!

 

[jjaycee98]

Having worked at getting rid of the present a**holes since the end of the first Lougheed administration I’ve had plenty of experience of Alberta elections. The first thing you need to realize about the present one is that nobody born and raised in Alberta under the age of 37 has ever lived under any government than Tory. Can there be any surprise that their brains are addled?

People get the kind of government they deserve and the most incompetent governments in Canada (Ralph Klein’s) were elected by the stupidest pack of mental midgets in the country. I have to admit that Steady Eddie and a few (very few) of his people are a breath of fresh air in the sh*t smelling world of Brown-nose Alberta. Suck up to the Oil Industry? Tories have long been the lowest bottom-feeders on the planet.

Oil royalties? The worthless Getty and Klein regimes managed to ease Lougheed’s Heritage Savings Fund from around $10 billion to just under $17. In that same time the Norwegians went from zero to $246 billion. What did the clowns do with the rest of our $200 billion? Left it in the pockets of their oil buddies and other hangers on. Now the oil industry is making all kinds of threats because Eddie plucked up enough courage to raise the royalty rates slightly – VERY slightly. A large number of Alberta voters are going to be panicked by these threats, and being weak kneed people with spineless characters he will lose votes because of it.

Tories here are so corrupt, they cannot even honour one of their own who thinks about doing something decent.

Eddie only looks good because his predecessors were so bad. He only suggests tiny changes in order not to scare away the big bucks who fund Tory politics. These people own the Tories and want Alberta to be run the way Klein did – as a banana republic directed from oil company boardrooms. (Guess what – Alberta is short of long term hospital beds. I suppose that wouldn’t have anything to do with Ralph Klein closing hospitals and demolishing them with explosives?)

Well, I have to go out and work for our local Liberal election campaign – the fourth consecutive one I participated in. Before that I worked on about three for the NDs. Trying to teach Albertans what democracy means is a hard row to hoe. The democratic process is about understanding and participating in the life of one’s society – not having half of the population turn out to mark a ballot once every four or five years. This will be one more attempt to educate the stupidest electorate in Canada.

So I take it you have not had much luck. Name calling and abusive comments such as this usually have that effect. Can't argue with success. I will vote PC again.

 

[dancing-loon]

A "note" from out West:

February 19, 2008
Government releases 2007-08 Third Quarter Fiscal Update

2007-08 Third Quarter Fiscal Update Highlights:

• Revenue forecast at $38 billion, an increase of $435 million from second quarter and $2.7 billion from budget
• Expense forecast at $33.8 billion, an increase of $289 million from second quarter and
  $701 million from budget
• Surplus (excluding increased pension obligations) forecast at $4.2 billion, an increase of
  $146 million from second quarter and $2 billion from budget.
• $834 million of cash is available for allocation in the third quarter. One-third is allocated to the Heritage Fund and two-thirds to the Capital Account

Edmonton... The Alberta government released the 2007-08 Third Quarter Fiscal Update, as mandated by the Government Accountability Act. The Act requires the government to report to Albertans on the province’s fiscal position by February 28.
The 2007-08 surplus is forecast at $4.2 billion, a $2-billion increase from budget and $146 million higher than the second quarter forecast, before taking into account increases in pension obligations.
In January, an agreement with teachers resulted in the government assuming their $2.2 billion pre-1992 obligation for the Teachers’ Pension Plan. Including increases in pension obligations, the surplus is forecast at $1.8 billion. These pension obligations are not a cash requirement and do not affect the 2007-08 surplus allocations.
After cash adjustments, $834 million is available in the third quarter to be allocated according to the in-year surplus policy. Two-thirds, or $556 million, is being allocated to the Capital Account and one-third, or $278 million, is being allocated to the Heritage Fund.
Total savings in 2007-08 are forecast at $1.9 billion:

• $1.6 billion is being saved in the Heritage Fund. This includes a total allocation of $1.1 billion under the in-year surplus policy and $451 million for inflation-proofing;
• $227 million is being deposited in the Heritage Scholarship Fund as announced in June 2007; and
• $150 million was originally budgeted to be deposited in the Medical Research Endowment Fund.

Expense is forecast to be $33.8 billion, an increase of $701 million from budget and $289 million higher than forecast at second quarter. The increase from budget includes higher capital grants and increased disaster/emergency assistance for floods, forest fires and mountain pine beetle infestations.

Revenue is forecast to be $38 billion, a $2.7-billion increase from budget and a $435-million increase from the second quarter forecast. The increase is primarily due to higher income tax revenue, which is $2.1 billion higher than budget largely because of stronger growth in personal income and corporate taxable income.
Resource revenue is forecast at $11 billion, an increase of $704 million from budget, but an $88-million decline from second quarter. This reflects higher oil prices partly offset by lower-than-expected natural gas prices and the impact of a higher Canadian-U.S. dollar exchange rate.

The oil price forecast has been revised to US$79.82 per barrel for the fiscal year, up almost US$22 from budget, but essentially unchanged from second quarter. The average price-per-barrel from April 2007 to January 2008 was US $78.66 per barrel. Natural gas prices are forecast to average Cdn$5.85 per gigajoule, 90 cents less than budgeted and 15 cents less than the second quarter forecast. The average price from April 2007 to January 2008 was Cdn$5.71 per gigajoule.
The Canadian dollar is forecast to average 96.9 cents US for the entire fiscal year, up nearly 11 cents from budget.
The Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund 2007-08 Third Quarter Update was released with the 2007-08 Third Quarter Fiscal Update. The Heritage Fund is forecast to have realized net income in 2007-08 of $1.15 billion, a decrease of $69 million from budget, mainly due to lower equity market returns and the higher Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar. At December 31, 2007, the Heritage Fund market value was $16.6 billion, an increase of $497 million from September 30, 2007.
Summary ($ millions)

Budget
2007-08​

3rd Quarter Forecast​

Change from Budget​

Change from
2nd Quarter ​

Revenue

$35,332​

$37,984​

$2,652​

$435​

Non-Renewable Resource Revenue

$10,260​

$10,964​

$704​

($88)​

Total Expense

$33,062​

$33,763​

$701​

$289​

Operating Expense

$27,019​

$27,175​

$156​

$220​

Surplus (excluding changes in pension obligations)

$2,270​

$4,221​

$1,951​

$146​

Sustainability Fund

$7,653​

$7,653​

-​

-​

Oil Price (WTI US$/bbl)

$58.00​

$79.82​

$21.82​

($0.18)​

Natural Gas Price (Cdn$/GJ)

$6.75​

$5.85​

($0.90)​

($0.15)​

Exchange Rate (US¢/Cdn$)

$0.86​

$0.969​

$0.109​

($0.018)​

Fiscal Year Sensitivities

Annual Change​

Impact on Revenue
(millions of dollars)​

Oil Price (WTI US$/bbl)

-$1.00​

-139​

Natural Gas Price (Cdn$/GJ)

-10¢​

-98​

Exchange Rate (US¢/Cdn$)

+1¢​

-123​

-30- The 2007-08 Third Quarter Fiscal Update and the Heritage Fund Third Quarter Update are available online at www.finance.alberta.ca
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Jay O’Neill
Alberta Finance
780 427 5364

To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
This news release is available on the Alberta Finance homepage at: www.finance.alberta.ca
Alberta Government | Ministries Listing | Finance Home Page | News Releases | Top of Page |

Send us your comments or questions
Copyright(©) 2008 Government of Alberta

Hallo, Chris;
my daughter sent me this to pass on to you!!;-) I imagine you are already familiar with those facts and numbers.
Anyway, how are the signs holding up? :canada: Just kidding! ;-) Hope the Liberals in Alberta are in good spirits!

 

[Outta here]

well, about 15 minutes to go before they shut 'er down.... it'll be interesting to see how many of the undecideds showed up... lots of them I hope.

 

[dancing-loon]

Hi, Zan;

CBC projects PC Majority Gov't. In Edmonton it's a blue landslide ...58 - 8 - 4 still counting.

200 000 voters didn't show up, I heard.

Poor Chris Kander!:-(

 

[Outta here]

yes, DL I just heard.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. :angry3::-(

 

[jenn]

I really really felt there would be a change.....

 

[Lester]

people have a stigma associated with the word liberal- the liberals have to do what the fed pcs did - change the name. anybody got any suggestions?

 

[Chriskander]

It takes gutr to change

We heard a lot of talk in the past month that Albertans wanted change, but when it came to actually doing something about it, they proved too timid. Actually the best known word is in Spanish – cohones – and Albertans proved again they don’t have any.

Vladimir Putin would love Alberta – he could regiment himself a docile and pliable society without even having to rig an election.

What it means for Canada is a lot more troubling. While most Canadians accept they have a responsibility toward their children, and future generations, to reform their habits of waste and their over-large footprint on the Earth, Albertans stand squarely for greed. It promises a new decade of conflict between Ottawa and the provinces, with Alberta using its wealth and muscle to array a cabal of like minded governments against the rest of the country. This should not be imagined to be beneficial, no matter what the political orientation of the observer.

Whatever the weaknesses in the Alberta electorate, and the failure of the opposition leaders, the biggest resource the Alberta Tories used to steamroller their way to their 11th majority government was a huge war-chest, with most of the money coming from the oil industry. While the era of banana republics is coming to an end in Central and South America, it is going strong in Canada. Alberta has been run as a fiefdom of oil company boardrooms under the Tories, at least since the Getty governments, it descended to even lower levels under Klein, and now Albertans have allowed their birthrights to be bought off once more.

 

[dancing-loon]

Hallo, Chris;
glad to hear your opinion the morning after!!:lol:

I believe you probably have a good reason to think the Tories are being bought by BIG oil , but I question your notion that the Liberals wouldn't be greedy or as greedy as the Tories are. After all, they are just as vulnerable where money is concerned. Greed is man's most distinctive trademark! Proof is the destruction all around us!

I had a lengthy call from my daughter, who is fine with the Tories getting another term. She feels Stelmach has been making small changes, and that he had to be careful not to upset big business. But now, that he has a full conservative caucus behind him, he likely will make bigger changes happen. She trusts him. She also felt that many Ontarians who went out there to work, have voted Conservative.

Anyway, I hope the Wild Rose Province will continue to do well for another four years!;-)

 

[dancing-loon]

an Update

Alberta opposition crushed in massive Tory win
"Welcome to Alberta's century!" Stelmach told supporters in Edmonton late on Monday.
"In this election Albertans had a real choice, and as Progressive Conservatives we laid out a very positive vision for securing their future and making sure the next generation has the same opportunities we've had."
"I was surprised. I don't think anybody really saw this coming, the magnitude of the Tory win," University of Lethbridge professor Harold Jansen told Canada AM on Tuesday.
Liberal Leader Kevin Taft kept his Edmonton seat, but saw his party's total fall to nine from 16 and popular vote share fall by three points to about 26 per cent. Taft said he isn't sure he'll stay on as leader.
NDP Leader Brian Mason, who kept his seat, saw his party's caucus shrink to two from four. Its popular vote share fell two points to about nine per cent. He said he'll be looking to his party for guidance on whether he'll stay on.
Paul Hinman, leader of the Wildrose Alliance, said he'll retire as leader. But he is seeking a recount in his Cardston-Taber-Warner riding in far southern Alberta. Tory candidate Broyce Jacobs edged Hinman by 39 votes. Hinman's party captured about seven per cent of the vote, down two points from 2004.
The Green Party captured about 4.6 per cent of the vote.
In contrast, the poll found the Liberals weren't able to capitalize on the feeling that change was needed, the commentary said.
The Liberal party went into the campaign essentially bankrupt, and it has emerged in even worse shape...
Voter turnout, measured at about 41 per cent, is a record low,....

http://tinyurl.com/2rb96x
It was a democratic vote - I haven't heard of any tampering.
Winner takes it all.... literally!:smile:

 

[Niflmir]

No one can call a record low turnout a proud victory. Record lows are signs of voter apathy, not voter complicity. Nobody votes in Mexico. Why? Because they don't think their vote will have an impact. Apparently Alberta is going in that direction in terms of popular belief in democracy.

 

[Chriskander]

It is a poor situation for Canada to have a province so xenophobic about any perceived influence from the central government or central political parties. It's made doubly worse by the casual contempt the electorate has for the democratic process. Condescending to go out and vote once every four years when it looks as it the status quo may be modified is the opposite of responsible citizenship.

However, I feel encouraged that Ed Stelmach is not such a conceited and selfish individual as the last two Tory premiers, and that some of his new legislature members are mindful of their responsibilities toward making the system work for all constituents. With such a public fear of anyone outside the hierarchy changing the present party aboard the ship of fools, it can only be by their effort and reaching out to all segments of society that Albertans can learn that they have a right and a responsibility to participate in meaningful ways.

Perhaps the test case would be to float the trial balloon of proportional representation for future elections in the new legislature.

 

[Hazmart]

I am an albertan and I did not vote. I just moved to alberta and to be honest I had no idea there was an election in progress! I don't even know if I can vote in alberta yet. Oops, oh well there is always next time!

 

[wallyj]

. It's made doubly worse by the casual contempt the electorate has for the democratic process.


Perhaps it would be better to have open and hostile contempt of the democratic process. Better luck next time.