Elections

[farmers_son]

I heard from a very reputable source that the Alberta provincial election will be called this February 3 or 4. There is also speculation that a federal election will be called the end of February.

[Horse]

Do you realy feel it will make a difference? The local Yocals will stand up and flap thier flipers like they have for the last 40 yrs.
I heard Rutherford even admit to the Klien Mofia, sure would be nice if the electorate would at least understand what they vote for.
I have lived most of my adult life under the torys sure would be nice to have a different master at least once
before I pass on.
Have to move to a diferent province probably.

[ivbinconned]

You could have moved to saskatchewan while you had the chance to enjoy the utopia of a red state...seems to me I invited you.

Guess you thought better of it!

[Horse]

IVBC are the streets paved in gold yet? I sure hope so as youall sure have been waiting and now you will have your chance to live like Albertans, hope it is as good as you thought it would be.

[per]

F_S, will it make for voter confusion, chaos or burn out? For us junkies it will be fun for awhile. There are some credible folks running from all stripes. Too bad with our adversarial system good ideas and bright people on the other side of the house are usually marginalized. There has to be a better system. Until the current reign ends I suspect we'll have more of the same.

Horse you might have to move to B.C. but be warned that there a Liberal is the Conservative. B.C. does like to change it up once in a while.

IVBC your gold streets will be black and smoother but the tar sometimes splashes leaving possible environmental concerns!

[farmers_son]

Do you think the environment will be a big election issue? What about royalty rates? The cities will get more money for infrastructure but what will rural Alberta get? There are not many miles of roads being built in rural Alberta, nor schools nor hospitals. I think health care is a problem in rural Alberta, remember the hospital closure in Vegreville.

I think there is discontentment with the PCs but there is just no credible opposition. The only question will be not who is in power but how many seats will the opposition get.

Rural Alberta's steadfast support of the PCs does not translate into government dollars being spent here. After the last byelection the rural PC candidate won, the city PC candidate lost. Immediately there were announcments of infrastructure money for Calgary and a Calgary MLA was named Cabinet Minister.

At the same time there were people in the riding of the successful rural Alberta PC candidate who were patching the secondary highways in their area themselves with front end loaders and grain trucks because the Progressive Conservative government was too busy kissing up to the cities to notice.

[per]

Your analysis is right on F_S. I hope that better balance in the Leg will translate into better government. It is a real danger to ignore your roots and only service the squeaky wheel. Royalty, Oil Sands, Nukes and all sorts of environmental issues will be discussed but unfortunately some of your rural concerns won't likely receive much press. I don't quite know what to make of the new party and where the old one will end up. Could be interesting. Factor in discontent and apathy and it will be fun to watch.

[Horse]

F-S just what is a credable opisition? Thats the kind of terms that people throw around when they dont want to admit thier old govmt is notning more than an old boys club.
Our feerl;ess house leader and my MLA Ken Kowalski has sat there like a bump on a log ever since him and ralph had a dustup and ken told ralph he knew where the skelatons wre burried,and he is quite content to collect his pay and do nothing.
Anyway I fail to see how anyone could do worse for the majority of albertans I do see where a few very rich and powerful ones could end up hurting some.
Did you see where exon made a profit of 44billion$ last yr but the oil buiz in alta cant cough up a few more dollars in royalty, just like carghill cant give the producres a few cents more.
Thats why I wouldnt be afraid if PET came back to life and ran for provincial politicts just how much worse could it get.

[wilagro]

Horse: Have to agree with you. How much worse could it get if this gov't was thrown out?

Sorry to hear that Ken Kowalski is your MLA. Nice guy in a lot of ways and not too stupid either. I do believe that he is looking out for No.1 first though, and Ralphie did bow to pressure many moons back.

WE HAD Steve West for our MLA for years and it disturbed me every time he performed housecleaning and fired thousands of civil servants at a crack and then privatized with out any public discussion or comparison of efficiency.

Oh well, he is out for good now.