Action for Agriculture AGM

[malleefarmer]

Action for Agriculture's AGM will be held on February 24th at the Balzac Hall.
According to Harvey Buckley the main focus of the afternoon will be a presentation by the Development Officer and others from Red Deer County on their long term plans for development. In addition there will be a panel of representatives from several municipalities in the south central region of the province speaking on whether the Red Deer County model would work in their areas.

[cowman]

Well if Red Deer County is an example of where other municipalities are going you all might want to get that subdivision today...unless you are among the chosen few!
Watch the money slide through your fingers.

[cowman]

cowman, if you have concerns about the way Red Deer County is planning on setting out their Land Use By-Law etc. you should attend the Action for Agriculture Workshop and make your concerns known to the rest of the folks that attend.

[cowman]

Well I think I went to just about every town hall meeting they put on here and wasn't too shy about voicing my opinion!
In the end the people put a stop to some of their more outrageous schemes(first parcel out) but they bulled ahead with this creation of "primary agricultural areas"? If you are unlucky enough to be in a designated "agricultural area" then say goodbye to being a millionaire!
When the administration was forced into retaining first parcel out they relented although I believe they still have a hidden agenda to make it as difficult as possible? The councillors knew right away to try to take first parcel out away was political suicide!
The mindset of the planners seemed to be the farmers were a bunch of idiots or something who didn't understand this plan they came up with. They didn't respect the right of the pioneer families to cash in on their property if they saw fit. In my opinion we had a bunch of gypsys making decisions for the people who were here long before they got a government job! Probably gone in a couple of years!

[cowman]

Cowman, just out of curiosity what percentage of the agricultural community have become involved in voicing their opinions ?

First parcel out vs multi lot subdivisions is a very different issue with respect to fractionating agricultural land. The province is currently dealing with land use policies and has a cross ministry committee developing an integrated land use policy that will go through a public consultation process prior to any legislation. Keep your eyes and ears open and make sure you have your say when the opportunity comes on this one !!

[cowman]

Emerald: I attend practically every townhall meeting, info sessions, etc. the municipality puts on. I am familiar with quite a few of the employees and know every councillor.
At just about every function the county puts on it is basically the same people attending! Sort of sad really?
On Monday I went to a info session for how they are planning to change the electoral boundaries to accomodate an elected reeve. Maybe a dozen people there...the old standbys! The consultant gave a good presentation and acknowledged whatever the council decided there would be complaints and problems. What bothers me about these things is the ones bitching the most usually don't attend these input sessions! Its like suddenly they realize "This is going to affect me"...after it is a done deal!
It must be very frustrating for councillors? How do you deal with that? Happens practically every time they try to do something.

[cowman]

As one who sat in a councillors chair for years, I know how frustrating it is to the municipality when they only get a handful of opinions prior to making changes then a whole whack of people complaining afterward.
Municipalities spend literally thousands of dollars a year advertising public meetings, only to have people get up and complain after the meeting that they knew nothing about it because NOBODY TOLD THEM !!!

I made a presentation at a watershed meeting the other evening and the riparian co-ordinator had literally called and emailed over 100 producers. That is time consuming but there was a good turn out.

[cowman]

Emerald: One old boy at this meeting actually stood up and said who in the hell decided we needed an elected reeve! The consultant said well they had a plebisite on the last ballot in the municipal election? The old boy said well he voted but he never knew anything about no plebisite!....sometimes I wonder if you should have to take an intelligence test or something before they let you vote!
Then he thought the consultant should go back and tell council that we don't want no elected reeve! The consultant explained that a clear majority of voters had indicated they wanted an elected reeve and his job was only to get feedback on how that should be done! Then the old boy got all snuffy about how his rights were being violated etc.! Finally the consultant just blew him off! It really must make you wonder how these consultants view idiots like that?

[cowman]

sadly it is people that are uninformed that usually feel the need to be very vocal isn't it ?
I used to marvel at how many people with so much to say could neither read nor listen when it came to communication between council and the public !!!
The comments that I always find amusing are the ones where some old farmer stands up and tells people from AB Environment, the NRCB or even the local county weed inspector that he will SHOOT anyone that enters onto his property !!! Comments like that are so foolish because in effect they constitute uttering threats and could get the speaker in a lot of hot water...but some people just like to blow hot air !!

[cowman]

Well despite my enjoyment at being able to roast my local politicians at the forums I always acknowledge their good works and I seldom question their integrity and their willingness to do what can be a pretty dirty job! And I tell them that personally...and publicly!
I never take an attitude of righteous indignation or total outrage when I'm at these type of things. It is a lot better to ask the tough questions in a reasonable manner and then watch them squirm as they try to answer!
I have no problem with people who ask hard questions of politicians and civil servants but I like to see civility and relevance expressed in those questions? Pretty quick you learn at these forums who has a brain and who is just a blithering idiot?
Hey I like politics.

[cowman]

The councils that get themselves in trouble are usually the ones that don't have a good 'read' for what their constituents want or think they are ' in charge' and can do whatever they choose.
I used to go out to every community hall and have a meeting every spring and fall, and discuss what we were planning in the budget and get ideas on what the priorities were among my constituents, then I went back and fought like hell to ensure that at least some of those priorities were addressed .
The mindset of some members of council when I was still a member was to promise paved roads to everyone and you would get elected, then when you couldn't deliver the pavement you blamed it on the spending priorities of the rest of council or administration !
I would never play that game, even though it cost me votes when people would meet me at the door during the election campaign and demand that their road be paved and tell me point blank that they would vote for the first candidate that would promise to get the pavement for them !!! That is where you find out just how selfish some people can be, no thought to priorities all across the municipality, just past their own backdoor !!!

[cowman]

Well like I said emerald, it can be a pretty dirty job and whatever you do there are going to be people who question your motives?
I went to one councillors retirement party and he got up and gave a little speech where he lectured the crowd about how municipal politics had changed in all his years in office. He really pointed out how bad some aspics of it had become! Where honorable men were smeared and the rhetoric had got out of hand! And I had to agree with him? I know he was an honorable man and I know he was libelled and slandered and ineuedoes cast upon him....we had one councillor who was a real jerk...luckily he got the boot!
I believe your average "informed" voter sees through all the BS and can come to a sensible conclusion? The trick here is the word "informed"? My own personal belief is only about 10-20 % of voters ever do their homework and have the information to make a rational judgement on who should be elected?
Maybe we need to start teaching that sort of stuff in school instead of how to feel good about yourself no matter how big a loser you really are?

[cowman]

It is a sad day when good, honest people with common sense and integrity are slandered and smeared in the very community they have spent their lifetime working for its' betterment. I have seen good people that have done one heck of a job on council get elected due to a smear campaign, and it is not only hurtful to the council member but devastating to their family as well.

I would NEVER consider running again for municipal council, the 10-15% of voters that really pay attention aren't usually the ones that speak out, so more than often it is the ones with axes to grind or just like to hear themselves talk.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy my years on council, learned a lot about my municipality and also how the provincial government works, as well as learned one hell of a lot about numerous pieces of legislation that affect rural alberta, although I still have a lot to learn in that regard.

I think I ran for council for the wrong reasons, I wanted to make a contribution to my community and also was steadfast in my committment to being honest at all times.....seems that the councillors that are the exact opposite are the ones that get all the credit for the good things that get done and escape the blame for the royal screwups that they are responsible for. But, sooner or later they either quit or pay the piper in an election.

[cowman]

oops should have said get defeated due to a smear campaign !

[cakadu]

Critical thinking skills are extremely important cowman, yet in school we are taught to be the "round pegs" that fit into the holes. Labels abound for children these days and it is really quite sad to see. I have never, ever been afraid to ask a question when it needed to be asked and I do get informed about issues. Instead of quashing that in kids we should be encouraging critical thinking skills. Logic and reason should be used to form ones opinions etc. not emotion, misinformation or just plain raising cain.

I also happen to think that having self-esteem and liking oneself goes a long way towards being able to stand up and voice one's thoughts. The two go hand in hand actually. It takes a great deal of belief in yourself to be able to stand fast when others around you are trying to pull you down.

My experience has been that if you are thinking about the question, then so are others.

I'd like to share the "Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership"

People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered, love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives, do good anyway.

If you are successful, you'll win false friends and true enemies, succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow, do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulneralbe, be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds, think big anyway.

People favour underdogs but follow only top dogs, fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight, build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway.

Give the world the best that you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.