Election 2004

[15444]

What are your thoughts on yesterdays election results ? Interesting that rural AB lost one MLA to the Alliance. I really thought that all the rural PC MLA's were pretty safe but obviously there were issues in Taber/Warner that caused the defeat of the incumbent.
The popular vote is more interesting than the number of seats lost in my opinion. I am waiting to see the vote count in each constituency to see just how much support the 'other' parties really got.
Cabinet selections will be very interesting. I am guessing that George Vandenburg from Whitecourt/Ste Anne will get a cabinet post and possibly Ray Danyluk, and maybe George Rogers from Leduc. Len Mitzel from Lorne Taylors old Constuency might get the nod as well.

But what do I know !!!!!!!!!!!!

[cakadu]

From what I've read of your postings you know more than the average "Henry and Martha".

At 45% turnout, that speaks volumes and you wonder what it will take to get people to come out and vote. I'm not sure that I believe that the PC's will listen carefully to what we have to say, but only time will tell that one.

The constituency results will tell us just how much the tide is turning against the PCs. I think there were some races that were a lot closer than anyone would ever have predicted. The NDP and the Liberals must be bouncing off the walls in joy. I do have to admit that it is good to see some opposition.

Maybe now that the election is over the health issues will become uncomplicated and we can be consulted about them.

[cakadu]

Linda, I think that PC's stayed away and didn't vote to send a message. I have two sons and they have bled Tory Blue for years, but they did not vote because they were upset with arrogance. I have been listening to talk shows today and that sentiment is voiced over and over. I think the Preimer spoke volumes last night when he said the people are the BOSSES. Obviously his speech was written by someone within the party and they realize that the people have got to be able to feel that they have a say. Health care is going to have to be dealt with but I don't really know what more the government can do. Throwing more money at Health Regions for more offices and administrative staff isn't going to get any sick person a bed.
There are some new MLA's in the Tory Caucus and they have likely heard a lot of suggestions on the campaign trail. The next few weeks will be interesting.

[cakadu]

Throwing money at any problem is a solution, but not necessarily the best one. You're absolutely right when you say that whatever the dollar amount given to health care and to education, it is used up in the administrative and middle management layers and the money never filters down to where it could do the most good.

Look at the Calgary Board of Education giving huge bonuses to the upper levels in an attempt to keep them there, while the crowded classroom conditions and shortage of teachers persists.

Or another example would be the money provided ostensibly for the Olympic calibre athletes. The money rarely makes it to the athletes and I don't know of too many amateur athletes that roll up to the training facility in a BMW.

The money seems to get lost in this quagmyre and I keep trying to figure out how we - and I mean a collective we - could change things so that the money gets to where it could do the most good for the most people. I could be wrong, but I'll bet that when Tommy Douglas first proposed Medicare, I don't think it was to have all these layers and layers of bureaucracy.

I'm sure Ralph's speech writers were working over time last night.

[cowman]

I believe this election was a very bad thing for the people of Alberta. The big shift to the left in Edmonton and Calgary will put pressure on the PCs to move even further to the left and that is never a good thing...in my opinion!
So what does all this mean? Again in my opinion...More money thrown at everything possible and more government in all our lives. There will be a race to see who can blow the money!
So we'll have mega bucks poured down the black holes of education and healthcare. We'll have more dipstick rules and beurocrats running around to enforce them...which in turn will mean more expenses for our various businesses.
When Ralph first came into power and slashed all government spending he had the right idea. Of course that didn't last very long? He also had the right idea about privatization...but he didn't go far enough with it? Personally I would never want to go back to the days when we had public licensing or government liquor stores? The service was atrocious...to say the least?
Here is a novel idea? Trash medicare? Trash the public school system? The bleating would be pretty loud but in a few years the system would work just fine? Sort of like all the howling when they privatized licensing and liquor?
Now obviously I am not in tune with the majority of the 43% of Albertans who bothered to vote? But then that is the joy of living under a democratic system? Which incidently is one of the very worst systems ever devised because it is in fact mob rule? The mob can steal your personal property whenever they feel like it? And the "mob" can easily be controlled by the self appointed "elite" who really run things?

[cowman]

Cabinet is to be announced on Friday and the people the Premier appoints to the various porfolios will tell the tale about the direction the government intends on going.
Watch who goes in to Health and Education.