Utility Deregulation!

[Deb]

The Conservative government in Alberta has slowly been handing over our industries to foreign corporations. Our health care will be privatized and American corporations will make money off sick Albertans. We've been shafted by deregulation of power companies. The public has no protection against intensive livestock expansion in their neighbourhood.

Social services is cut back so that social workers have an unbearable case load and little twin baby girls die.

Didn't Ralph and his friends just vote themselves a bonus into their pension fund or something? The trees are practically given away, the oil and gas is practically given away (and all that water used to get it out of the ground!)

And our premier, the alcoholic (a sign that he is not happy with himself) who beats up on unemployed people in shelters, doesn't really want the job anymore. You can see it in his face. You can hear it in his words (like lets have a leadership review pal-eeeese). When he staggered to the microphone on the night he was re-elected last year, he was still in shock that he was re-elected. He must have thought, "Gee, I can fool all of the people all of the time!" Welcome to Ralph's World!

So why do Albertans (the few who bother voting) still vote for him???

[Deb]

Deb I knew you were a NDP supporter from Sask. Ralph is The best leader Canada has ever seen. He has created an Alberta advanage in the Canadian economy.(not hard to do with socialist governments all over the place)

He would also create a huge economocial boost to agriculture too if the federal government would loosen up it hold and caused some more freedom of marketing choices to happen.

[cowman]

Deb: Why do we keep voting for Ralph? That is a good question. Maybe one reason is who else is there? I mean the Liberals? The same liberals who ripped off every Albertan for 80 billion? The same Liberals who only promise tax and spend? Or the NDP? So we can become economic wrecks like B.C., Sask. and Manitoba?
I do vote in every election, even though I believe it is mostly a waste of time.
I am not a great fan of the Tories but they are the best we have.
And besides Ralph is a very good politician! The little guy can relate to him...he is likable and comes across as very down to earth. He is big enough to admit he has a problem with booze. And what he said to those bums in the homeless shelter....was any of it untrue? Would it be better if he had told them that it was good to be a parasite on society?
I won't try to defend all the Tory policies...because some of them are questionable! But I do believe this government basically reflects the views of the majority of Albertans....otherwise we wouldn't have the incredible majority in the legislature.

[countryguy]

I'm with Kernel.When you people are done with Ralph please send him to Manitoba.

[Deb]

You cannot equate Alberta Liberals to the national Liberals. Look at B.C. they have a Liberal government more heartless and right-wing than the Alberta Tories. Voting for parties is ridiculous, you have to look at the people. That is an act that Klein puts on in front of the camera, because he's learned how gullible Albertans are and how they are too lazy to learn what's really going on. That's why they can get away with shredding studies that don't jive with their ideology

The Alberta Tories are arrogant and completly corrupt. You vote for them because they are so American.

Do you have any idea why there are people who can't find jobs? It has to do with technology replacing people, corporate business merging and downsizing. It's about turfing out mentally ill people onto the streets because taxpayers don't want to pay to take care of them in institutions anymore. There are dozens more reasons why there are homeless people. There is also not enough low income housing in cities. And finally, when you are born into an alcoholic family, you have a much greater risk of living the same lifestyle. Once the spirit has been broken by physical and sexual child abuse, then by booze and drugs used to forget the past, it's unbelievably hard to get one's spirit back.

[cowman]

Deb: Whenever I hear an Alberta liberal speak out it is all about how much more they will put into education,health care,social services! Spend more right? The fact of the matter is where does this money come from? In case you haven't looked we have a very, very narrow surplus this year? We still owe about 7 billion dollars? So where will the money come from? You guessed it...raise the taxes! So there you have the Alberta liberals policy...tax and spend!
The Campbell liberals in B.C. are just what the doctor ordered! After years of completely stupid and corrupt governments, B.C. is just about destroyed! There is NO more money! The one thing that might pull their butts out of the fire are the massive gas fields in northern B.C.!!! Oh, but I forgot you have a strong hate for oil and gas, right?
In the riding I am in you have only one choice. The real election happens at the P.C. nomination! You could run a yellow dog under the Tory banner and win. This suggests to me that the people are generally satisfied with where Ralph is taking us. And if that is the "American" way as you suggest then I would suggest that is what the majority of Albertans want???
We all know there are inequalities in our system. But what is the solution? We can't all work for the government...someone has to pay the bills! In Alberta there isn't really much of an excuse for not having a job. Look in the help wanted ads? I know lots of kids just getting out of school making $3000-4000/ month. But then it is difficult to get hard working kids to work service rigs. A lot of them are from Sask., Manitoba, Nova scotia, Newfoundland. They think this is the promised land and it is! Too bad you can't see it!

[Deb]

I've always wondered, to whom do we owe the $7 billion?