The final chapter of the Progressive downfall in Alberta was precipitated by this very idea of uniting the right. Prentice, Smith and Preston Manning himself helped engineer the scheme to destroy the opposition Wildrose Party so that responsible voters had no where else to turn.
They even appeared to have succeeded at one point. I myself had left Wildrose for dead, at least mentally for a month or so. I never took Prentice up on his limited time free membership for Wildrose members.
But then Progressives were progressive, raising taxes and lording their perceived invulnerability over us. I couldn't stand it. I tried the Progressive brand on for size and it sucked. There was no way I'd vote for taxes. Strategic vote splitting and all that be damned. I will never make that mistake again.
So here we are and Ken Boessenkool is trying to unit the right again. I agree that vote splitting is a real challenge. And while Progressives were keen to underhandedly wipe out the Wildrose outright for the purpose of unity, I don't see why they won't accept the same logic now and retire the PC franchise.
I don't mean a merger with the Wildrose. I mean pack it in. Close it down. Spare us the needless years of NDP "darkness" that we saw when Reform and PC fought federally. Are the Ken Boessenkools of the world willing to accept that? Surrender or nothing. Those are the terms.
If nothing else the last 6 months have proved that is Wildrose is incredibly resilient. If losing the party leader and 8 more MLA's, then facing a snap election and increasing their seat count doesn't show fortitude then what will? I doubt they'll face an existential threat like that again. Wildrose is a hardened player now.
I don't even care about the vote split all that much. If the NDP lasts for 8 or 12 years, it just means that many more people are going to learn the hard way. I wonder how many people would have voted for the Progs if they knew what kind of a blowout it would be? Perhaps they were holding out hope for a coalition? In fact, there is reason to believe that the Wildrose turnout was suppressed quite a bit with everything that went on in the last year.
Wildrose doesn't need to take the 9 remaining PC's either. Derek Fildebrant said that the party is open to conservatives but not opportunists. PC cronies, elected or otherwise need not apply.
Bitterness and resentment however don't belong in a good party. I would recommend accepting refugee MLAs with some tight conditions. They must publicly denounce the PC Party for starters. They should sit as an independent MLA for a year perhaps. And finally their recognition and acceptance into Wildrose be approved by a vote at the AGM. They would not technically be "floor crossing" in this scenario.
In any case it's looking like it's going to be war.
Showing posts with label PC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PC. Show all posts
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Prentice is too clever to trust
We all appreciate smart people.
Jim Prentice is one of those people, but it doesn't mean you should vote for him.
The reasons are pretty straight forward. Prentice raised taxes. It's a Boolean decision. Forget electronic voting. If I could rig a machine to vote for me it would need one single line of code. If government raises taxes for any reason, vote for another party. Done. My robotic voter would pick Wildrose.
Prentice is sure smart though. That coup he pulled against the Wildrose will go down in history. It's like something out of House of Cards. Nine MLAs including the Leader of the Opposition taken down with smiles and empty promises. Many of them aren't even running this time. We all know the story but it bears retelling as brilliant maneuvers deserve.
The trouble is that Prentice is also a progressive. One can be both smart and progressive. This is in contrast to smart and Liberal which are attributes seldom found in one mind. Progressives tend to see themselves as above the herd. They are the wise shepherds who's job is to lead the flock. Keeping with the analogy they also see it appropriate to harvest and consume the flock at will.
This is exactly what has happened. The PC Budget takes more money directly out of our pockets to pay for their mistakes. Their mistakes are my penalty. Progressives, being the adults, understand why they made all those mistakes. They fully understand why they had to lie to us about past budgets. It had to be done in their view. Else the sheep would ignorantly pick new shepherds and that cannot be allowed.
Redford's budget lies show that the party will go along with anything no matter how unscrupulous.
Prentice can't take the blame for the Redford years but he has to take the responsibility. He wanted the job. The government, the party and all of its baggage are now his. That's fair. If I'm the one paying the freight for it so I think its fair.
Knowing Prentice's craftiness and the unethical party he leads, what can be said about this surprise election? We know the PC's seem destined to rule for 1000 years or more. Alberta is broke and unsustainable (hence the taxes) so obviously we need to blow millions to immediately decide a sure thing. The government could have just waited for 2016.
The "House of Cards" reason for the election is to kick the opposition while they are down. Wildrose is still hurting from "the Betrayal" as Wildrosers are calling it. Call an election and exploit the damage Prentice himself inflicted. Ruthless political mastery of Machiavellian inspiration.
There seems to be something else going on here. Prentice's tax hikes were absolutely necessary because of the oil price (or PC mismanagement). This is basically the line you've heard. So why didn't they reveal any cuts? Things are so dire that taxes need raising, but every part of this bloated government is essential? Not True.
Prentice is playing House of Cards again. There will be cuts but only after the election. Prentice and his fat juicy government needs the votes of all those government employees. Once Prentice gets his "Mandate" he will give a speech something like this:
"While I thank Alberta voters for the confidence in the direction of this government we have heard message from so many who voted for the Wildrose opposition. We have heard the message that Albertans want a government that spends within its means and that is why we will look for savings for the taxpayer"
And with that Prentice will begin government cutbacks after the election. He will betray the people who want a fat government by cutting those same people loose and then credit the cuts to the demands of Wildrose.
Astoundingly brilliant again.
Do you doubt this is the plan? Its so obvious its almost the path of least resistance for the PCs. It's completely in character and matches their style exactly.
We all appreciate smart people. Smart people should be our friends. Smart adversaries not so much. Smart ranchers not at all if you are the cow.
We can marvel at the guile shown by the PCs and their ancient hold on power but we are subject to the rule of those same people. This is not a TV show. I pity Alberta. I pity the government workers blowing kisses to PCs all while they silently sharpen their blades and set the table.
I've made up my mind. If you are still deciding think twice about the sharks in the PC party. They can take care of themselves. I don't trust them to take care of anyone else. They will cash you in like a two dollar coupon if it suits them.
Jim Prentice is one of those people, but it doesn't mean you should vote for him.
The reasons are pretty straight forward. Prentice raised taxes. It's a Boolean decision. Forget electronic voting. If I could rig a machine to vote for me it would need one single line of code. If government raises taxes for any reason, vote for another party. Done. My robotic voter would pick Wildrose.
Prentice is sure smart though. That coup he pulled against the Wildrose will go down in history. It's like something out of House of Cards. Nine MLAs including the Leader of the Opposition taken down with smiles and empty promises. Many of them aren't even running this time. We all know the story but it bears retelling as brilliant maneuvers deserve.
The trouble is that Prentice is also a progressive. One can be both smart and progressive. This is in contrast to smart and Liberal which are attributes seldom found in one mind. Progressives tend to see themselves as above the herd. They are the wise shepherds who's job is to lead the flock. Keeping with the analogy they also see it appropriate to harvest and consume the flock at will.
This is exactly what has happened. The PC Budget takes more money directly out of our pockets to pay for their mistakes. Their mistakes are my penalty. Progressives, being the adults, understand why they made all those mistakes. They fully understand why they had to lie to us about past budgets. It had to be done in their view. Else the sheep would ignorantly pick new shepherds and that cannot be allowed.
Redford's budget lies show that the party will go along with anything no matter how unscrupulous.
Prentice can't take the blame for the Redford years but he has to take the responsibility. He wanted the job. The government, the party and all of its baggage are now his. That's fair. If I'm the one paying the freight for it so I think its fair.
Knowing Prentice's craftiness and the unethical party he leads, what can be said about this surprise election? We know the PC's seem destined to rule for 1000 years or more. Alberta is broke and unsustainable (hence the taxes) so obviously we need to blow millions to immediately decide a sure thing. The government could have just waited for 2016.
The "House of Cards" reason for the election is to kick the opposition while they are down. Wildrose is still hurting from "the Betrayal" as Wildrosers are calling it. Call an election and exploit the damage Prentice himself inflicted. Ruthless political mastery of Machiavellian inspiration.
There seems to be something else going on here. Prentice's tax hikes were absolutely necessary because of the oil price (or PC mismanagement). This is basically the line you've heard. So why didn't they reveal any cuts? Things are so dire that taxes need raising, but every part of this bloated government is essential? Not True.
Prentice is playing House of Cards again. There will be cuts but only after the election. Prentice and his fat juicy government needs the votes of all those government employees. Once Prentice gets his "Mandate" he will give a speech something like this:
"While I thank Alberta voters for the confidence in the direction of this government we have heard message from so many who voted for the Wildrose opposition. We have heard the message that Albertans want a government that spends within its means and that is why we will look for savings for the taxpayer"
And with that Prentice will begin government cutbacks after the election. He will betray the people who want a fat government by cutting those same people loose and then credit the cuts to the demands of Wildrose.
Astoundingly brilliant again.
Do you doubt this is the plan? Its so obvious its almost the path of least resistance for the PCs. It's completely in character and matches their style exactly.
We all appreciate smart people. Smart people should be our friends. Smart adversaries not so much. Smart ranchers not at all if you are the cow.
We can marvel at the guile shown by the PCs and their ancient hold on power but we are subject to the rule of those same people. This is not a TV show. I pity Alberta. I pity the government workers blowing kisses to PCs all while they silently sharpen their blades and set the table.
I've made up my mind. If you are still deciding think twice about the sharks in the PC party. They can take care of themselves. I don't trust them to take care of anyone else. They will cash you in like a two dollar coupon if it suits them.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Alberta Voters Should "Look in the Mirror"
I agree with Jim Prentice. Albertans do need to look in the mirror. The PC's mismanaged Alberta's finances and even lied about it for years.
So who elected the PCs? You did Alberta. It's not like we didn't warn you. Listen to your leader Jim Prentice. Look in the mirror. If you see a PC voter then you caused Allison Redford. All the other mistakes are hers and her government's. But you elected them.
Ontario voters are responsible for Wynne. American voters are responsible for Obama.
Ok. So you screwed up and drank in progressive lies. No big deal. I screw up too. You don't need to be sorry. Just don't do it again.
I'm sure Jim Prentice will get around to retracting this bit of common sense. "Look in the mirror" is bad form for a progressive. The truth is usually bad form.
So who elected the PCs? You did Alberta. It's not like we didn't warn you. Listen to your leader Jim Prentice. Look in the mirror. If you see a PC voter then you caused Allison Redford. All the other mistakes are hers and her government's. But you elected them.
Ontario voters are responsible for Wynne. American voters are responsible for Obama.
Ok. So you screwed up and drank in progressive lies. No big deal. I screw up too. You don't need to be sorry. Just don't do it again.
I'm sure Jim Prentice will get around to retracting this bit of common sense. "Look in the mirror" is bad form for a progressive. The truth is usually bad form.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
I'm still with Danielle Smith and the Wildrose Faction
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I hope everyone is having a good holiday in spite of the shock of the complete disintegration of the Wildrose Party.
Despite all the bad press and sour grapes I'm in support of the Wildrose Faction of the PC party. All the spitting fury isn't going to change the fact that the Wildrose faction will be all that is left of the Wildrose Party after the next election.
Don't feel bad. The Tea Party isn't an actual party either. Despite being not being a real party the Tea Party as a movement has considerable influence over the Republican Party. This is what I would suggest to the embittered party faithful of the Wildrose.
Until recently I was one of those party faithful. I donated. I blogged. I volunteered. But I didn't stop thinking (which is required for true faith). The events of December were the result of a failed ultimatum. Anyone who isn't blind with rage can see that. The social conservative faction within Wildrose, its Achilles heel, called Danielle Smith's bluff and scuttled merger negotiations. This resulted in the mass defection (did you suppose it was all planned this way?). It wasn't a bluff, and in hindsight it wasn't a good threat either since it looks like the so-cons wanted to be rid of her sort anyway. It's a mess, but liberation from so-cons is growing on me.
I've wondered how it would have gone if fiscal conservatives in Alberta had taken over the Alberta Party instead. The Wildrose was a social conservative party from the outset so it was a natural home for fiscal conservatives and libertarians. We all believe in smaller government and low taxes. If we had gone the other way perhaps elements of the old Alberta Party would be pushing fiscal conservatives to adopt mandatory gay marriage or something equally silly.
Who can say what would have been. We can only affect what will be ahead. If my brother fiscally responsible Albertans insist that their future will resemble the failed plans of the past then they will have only the bitterness and resentment they feel today.
Derek Fildebrandt hopes that extremists won't take control of the shattered remnants of the Wildrose Party. I would say that extremists will only take back control. The Wildrose Party is a broken vessel. It shall not be mended, but ground into dust. Our political system is adversarial by nature. The forces that stopped a clean merger have made their choice. Stay with them for stubbornness sake and face the sad conclusion.
Or...
There is another way. Become a movement. Look at how much influence Preston Manning wields with his Manning Center? The old carbon taxer even had a hand in the failed merger as he has apologized for his part. I think Albertans and Canadians would be well served by another conservative organization that would be independent from and at times contrary to the Manning Center. This would enable both of them to play "good cop, bad cop" and advance the discourse in a way that political parties simply can't. The Heartland Institute is a great example for our movement.
A Wildrose Institute could lend support to the Wildrose Faction within the PC party. There is no reason for the Wildrose Nine to stay at nine. The PC Party, particularly as lead by Jim Prentice, is fertile ground to spread the vision of Wildrose as it was under Danielle Smith. Declare Jim Prentice the tenth Wildroser.
In the new year, the Wildrose Faction should come out to play. It isn't going to be easy. I believe Jim Prentice to be an honourable man and a Harper Conservative. You can trust him, but I wouldn't trust anyone else. There is a chance you'll be given an important post only to be saddled with the blame and cast out as a scapegoat at the next election.
The only way to thread the needle will be to publicly vocalize yourself about anyone and anything that isn't right. Be open and transparent about all of it. I have a pretty good idea of what went down, but most people see it as a breach of trust. Rebuild that trust and reasonable people will understand. Of course you'll need to do so in a way that reflects well on the PC Party and poorly on the wrong-doers. Allison Redford is open season.
Guess who else is open season? -The So-cons you all left in the dust. They hate you more than ever and the media seems to side with them. I'm sure you don't like that. Nobody would like that, so you had better not waste any time acting like you are still under their thumb. Libertarians, LGBTQ, Atheists, Feminists, Muslims, all the people who never got any love and never felt welcome with the hill-billies might find resonance with Danielle Smith's story.
Reach out to them and bring them over. There is no reason they should be against free markets. If it makes the So-cons grind their teeth, all the better. Let them counter with embarrassing stories. I'm sure you have a few to tales to tell yourself. Let it out. The sting of the past month will have faded come election day, but if hatred still burns hot in their hearts most people will understand why you made those choices.
There is one other thing you need to do. Before the next election in Alberta, there is the larger matter federal election. The Wildrose Nine needs to throw themselves into battle against Justin Trudeau. Defenders of Alberta, you Nine have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I'm not sure exactly how you can help at this point but I'm sure you'll know. What's certain is that landing one on Trudeau will make you a Hero. Landing the fatal blow makes you the next Premier.
Best of luck to you and to us all! 2015 will be an exciting, memorable and happy New Year!
I hope everyone is having a good holiday in spite of the shock of the complete disintegration of the Wildrose Party.
Despite all the bad press and sour grapes I'm in support of the Wildrose Faction of the PC party. All the spitting fury isn't going to change the fact that the Wildrose faction will be all that is left of the Wildrose Party after the next election.
Don't feel bad. The Tea Party isn't an actual party either. Despite being not being a real party the Tea Party as a movement has considerable influence over the Republican Party. This is what I would suggest to the embittered party faithful of the Wildrose.
Until recently I was one of those party faithful. I donated. I blogged. I volunteered. But I didn't stop thinking (which is required for true faith). The events of December were the result of a failed ultimatum. Anyone who isn't blind with rage can see that. The social conservative faction within Wildrose, its Achilles heel, called Danielle Smith's bluff and scuttled merger negotiations. This resulted in the mass defection (did you suppose it was all planned this way?). It wasn't a bluff, and in hindsight it wasn't a good threat either since it looks like the so-cons wanted to be rid of her sort anyway. It's a mess, but liberation from so-cons is growing on me.
I've wondered how it would have gone if fiscal conservatives in Alberta had taken over the Alberta Party instead. The Wildrose was a social conservative party from the outset so it was a natural home for fiscal conservatives and libertarians. We all believe in smaller government and low taxes. If we had gone the other way perhaps elements of the old Alberta Party would be pushing fiscal conservatives to adopt mandatory gay marriage or something equally silly.
Who can say what would have been. We can only affect what will be ahead. If my brother fiscally responsible Albertans insist that their future will resemble the failed plans of the past then they will have only the bitterness and resentment they feel today.
Derek Fildebrandt hopes that extremists won't take control of the shattered remnants of the Wildrose Party. I would say that extremists will only take back control. The Wildrose Party is a broken vessel. It shall not be mended, but ground into dust. Our political system is adversarial by nature. The forces that stopped a clean merger have made their choice. Stay with them for stubbornness sake and face the sad conclusion.
Or...
There is another way. Become a movement. Look at how much influence Preston Manning wields with his Manning Center? The old carbon taxer even had a hand in the failed merger as he has apologized for his part. I think Albertans and Canadians would be well served by another conservative organization that would be independent from and at times contrary to the Manning Center. This would enable both of them to play "good cop, bad cop" and advance the discourse in a way that political parties simply can't. The Heartland Institute is a great example for our movement.
A Wildrose Institute could lend support to the Wildrose Faction within the PC party. There is no reason for the Wildrose Nine to stay at nine. The PC Party, particularly as lead by Jim Prentice, is fertile ground to spread the vision of Wildrose as it was under Danielle Smith. Declare Jim Prentice the tenth Wildroser.
In the new year, the Wildrose Faction should come out to play. It isn't going to be easy. I believe Jim Prentice to be an honourable man and a Harper Conservative. You can trust him, but I wouldn't trust anyone else. There is a chance you'll be given an important post only to be saddled with the blame and cast out as a scapegoat at the next election.
The only way to thread the needle will be to publicly vocalize yourself about anyone and anything that isn't right. Be open and transparent about all of it. I have a pretty good idea of what went down, but most people see it as a breach of trust. Rebuild that trust and reasonable people will understand. Of course you'll need to do so in a way that reflects well on the PC Party and poorly on the wrong-doers. Allison Redford is open season.
Guess who else is open season? -The So-cons you all left in the dust. They hate you more than ever and the media seems to side with them. I'm sure you don't like that. Nobody would like that, so you had better not waste any time acting like you are still under their thumb. Libertarians, LGBTQ, Atheists, Feminists, Muslims, all the people who never got any love and never felt welcome with the hill-billies might find resonance with Danielle Smith's story.
Reach out to them and bring them over. There is no reason they should be against free markets. If it makes the So-cons grind their teeth, all the better. Let them counter with embarrassing stories. I'm sure you have a few to tales to tell yourself. Let it out. The sting of the past month will have faded come election day, but if hatred still burns hot in their hearts most people will understand why you made those choices.
There is one other thing you need to do. Before the next election in Alberta, there is the larger matter federal election. The Wildrose Nine needs to throw themselves into battle against Justin Trudeau. Defenders of Alberta, you Nine have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I'm not sure exactly how you can help at this point but I'm sure you'll know. What's certain is that landing one on Trudeau will make you a Hero. Landing the fatal blow makes you the next Premier.
Best of luck to you and to us all! 2015 will be an exciting, memorable and happy New Year!
Friday, December 19, 2014
I'm With Danielle Smith
I didn't see that one coming. The Danielle Smith Party merged with the Jim Prentice Party. I've thought it over quite a bit now and I can say without a doubt that I'm a supporter of the Prentice/Smith Party.
The PC Party? WildRose? No I don't really like either of those parties anymore. Allow me to explain.
The Problem
There's a problem with the conservative insurrection in Alberta. It's past due. We had our window and that window is now closed. Not just because of recent developments.
I've found it increasingly awkward to be pro federal Conservative and anti Alberta PC. PC, CPC, and WR all fish from the same pond. I felt it door knocking in Canmore recently. We should not be fighting anymore.
The Federal election is coming this year. Like it or not Jim Prentice is a Harper Conservative. The two brands are inextricably linked. I know this only too well. I volunteered for Jim Prentice when I lived in his Riding. Deepak Obhrai endorsed Jim Prentice and I also volunteered for Deepak and served in his EDA.
There just isn't any room for a conservative civil war in the next year, even if its only in Alberta. We just can't spare the oxygen. Trudeau is the biggest threat we have faced yet. Martin, Dion, Ignatieff were not easy opponents, no matter what people might say in hindsight. All of them are eclipsed by Trudeau. We know it's not rational but the Liberals aren't appealing to reason in the next election. It's an incredibly dangerous time for our country. We can't afford this squabble between friends anymore.
I'm not talking about making up with Allison Redford, but with your neighbors and co-workers who all support Stephen Harper.
WildRose
Oh Wildrose. You had so much potential. The hated Allison Redford conspired with the left and the media to fatally destroy the WildRose brand in the last general election. They exploited Wildrose's greatest weakness, social conservatives, and used them to unfairly smear the party that truly deserved to win.
It would take 10 years to undo that kind of damage. A tough and thankless slog that would be. Enduring the skills of Jim Prentice for a decade with only the hope that the arrogance and entitlement of the post Klein years would blight Alberta once again. No thanks.
I didn't want to face that. In a way I wrapped all of Alberta politics in a package in my mind and marked it "Do not open until 2016". Perhaps the situation would change by then? Yikes did it ever change.
Surprisingly, I think it changed for the better.
I was signed up for WildRose by two cranky geologists. These guys resembled the critics from the Muppets. They were exacting in the their standards and merciless with their criticism. Of course, they got my name wrong on this supporter list they were drawing up. That took years to fix, but I had a lot of patience for the WildRose. I believed in the movement. We had a mission to get Alberta back on track. But I only really started to believe when Danielle Smith was nominated for the Wildrose leadership.
I put up signs. I made calls. You know the tragic story. We'll never recover what Allison Redford and her leftist takeover cost us Albertans. What a colossal waste and squandering of precious booming times!
Then those times changed.
The by-elections showed that people did not blame the PC Party but Allison Redford personally. I wasn't really paying much attention. I did however wince at the WildRose campaign slogan. "Send the PCs a message!" What message will they send if they vote PC? Danielle Smith got the message eventually and here we are.
Progressives
I detest progs and their sugar coated lies. I despise their smug self congratulating entitlement. Justin Trudeau is your typical prog but so is Allison Redford. Redford could not have done what she did alone. There are people inside the PC party as liberal and corrupt as Dalton McGuinty. We are on their side now.
That has to be the worst part about this move to the PC Party. Thomas Lukaszuk said Allison Redford "is Alberta." Doug Horner lied to all our faces about the deficit. Dave Hancock led the plan to remove Alberta's plate slogan to punish the Wildrose. On and On. There was that clown MLA badmouthing our Oil Sands and such. All these goons are still there. All those back office leeches and schemers? Still there.
It's going to be war when Prentice leaves. long may he rule.
Jim Prentice changes a lot of things. He's alleviated all the sore points the PC's have created when the scum bags ran the party. I think the former banker and federal Environment Minister may have the exact skill set that Alberta needs to succeed in these challenging times. I want to help him succeed.
Loyalty
The minute that any of us becomes a liability or an embarrassment to the party we are shown the door. It doesn't matter who it is or how much good was done before. Every party is like this. Everyone should treat their political party like this as well. It's only fair and should work in reverse as well. Don't stick with a party because you're stuck with them. If something better comes along you've got to move. Its democracy. It keeps the parties on their toes. It makes the parties beholden to you and not the other way around.
I'm not going over to the PCs for Prentice even though I think he's pretty good. I would have already jumped. I'm going to the PCs because that's where my leader, Danielle Smith, is going. Shes a smart and brave woman. A lot of people see this as a betrayal but I don't. I'll go where she goes. PC or Alberta Party even.
Danielle Smith is being a leader. She made a bold move. A move that I couldn't even anticipate. I respect that. Smith and the others aren't going to wait quietly in a box until the coast is clear to attack Jim Prentice. We are going to do everything we can, for ourselves, for our parties and for our province and country to defeat Justin Trudeau. -and we are all going to need each other should we fail.
The PC Party? WildRose? No I don't really like either of those parties anymore. Allow me to explain.
The Problem
There's a problem with the conservative insurrection in Alberta. It's past due. We had our window and that window is now closed. Not just because of recent developments.
I've found it increasingly awkward to be pro federal Conservative and anti Alberta PC. PC, CPC, and WR all fish from the same pond. I felt it door knocking in Canmore recently. We should not be fighting anymore.
The Federal election is coming this year. Like it or not Jim Prentice is a Harper Conservative. The two brands are inextricably linked. I know this only too well. I volunteered for Jim Prentice when I lived in his Riding. Deepak Obhrai endorsed Jim Prentice and I also volunteered for Deepak and served in his EDA.
There just isn't any room for a conservative civil war in the next year, even if its only in Alberta. We just can't spare the oxygen. Trudeau is the biggest threat we have faced yet. Martin, Dion, Ignatieff were not easy opponents, no matter what people might say in hindsight. All of them are eclipsed by Trudeau. We know it's not rational but the Liberals aren't appealing to reason in the next election. It's an incredibly dangerous time for our country. We can't afford this squabble between friends anymore.
I'm not talking about making up with Allison Redford, but with your neighbors and co-workers who all support Stephen Harper.
WildRose
Oh Wildrose. You had so much potential. The hated Allison Redford conspired with the left and the media to fatally destroy the WildRose brand in the last general election. They exploited Wildrose's greatest weakness, social conservatives, and used them to unfairly smear the party that truly deserved to win.
It would take 10 years to undo that kind of damage. A tough and thankless slog that would be. Enduring the skills of Jim Prentice for a decade with only the hope that the arrogance and entitlement of the post Klein years would blight Alberta once again. No thanks.
I didn't want to face that. In a way I wrapped all of Alberta politics in a package in my mind and marked it "Do not open until 2016". Perhaps the situation would change by then? Yikes did it ever change.
Surprisingly, I think it changed for the better.
I was signed up for WildRose by two cranky geologists. These guys resembled the critics from the Muppets. They were exacting in the their standards and merciless with their criticism. Of course, they got my name wrong on this supporter list they were drawing up. That took years to fix, but I had a lot of patience for the WildRose. I believed in the movement. We had a mission to get Alberta back on track. But I only really started to believe when Danielle Smith was nominated for the Wildrose leadership.
I put up signs. I made calls. You know the tragic story. We'll never recover what Allison Redford and her leftist takeover cost us Albertans. What a colossal waste and squandering of precious booming times!
Then those times changed.
The by-elections showed that people did not blame the PC Party but Allison Redford personally. I wasn't really paying much attention. I did however wince at the WildRose campaign slogan. "Send the PCs a message!" What message will they send if they vote PC? Danielle Smith got the message eventually and here we are.
Progressives
I detest progs and their sugar coated lies. I despise their smug self congratulating entitlement. Justin Trudeau is your typical prog but so is Allison Redford. Redford could not have done what she did alone. There are people inside the PC party as liberal and corrupt as Dalton McGuinty. We are on their side now.
That has to be the worst part about this move to the PC Party. Thomas Lukaszuk said Allison Redford "is Alberta." Doug Horner lied to all our faces about the deficit. Dave Hancock led the plan to remove Alberta's plate slogan to punish the Wildrose. On and On. There was that clown MLA badmouthing our Oil Sands and such. All these goons are still there. All those back office leeches and schemers? Still there.
It's going to be war when Prentice leaves. long may he rule.
Jim Prentice changes a lot of things. He's alleviated all the sore points the PC's have created when the scum bags ran the party. I think the former banker and federal Environment Minister may have the exact skill set that Alberta needs to succeed in these challenging times. I want to help him succeed.
Loyalty
The minute that any of us becomes a liability or an embarrassment to the party we are shown the door. It doesn't matter who it is or how much good was done before. Every party is like this. Everyone should treat their political party like this as well. It's only fair and should work in reverse as well. Don't stick with a party because you're stuck with them. If something better comes along you've got to move. Its democracy. It keeps the parties on their toes. It makes the parties beholden to you and not the other way around.
I'm not going over to the PCs for Prentice even though I think he's pretty good. I would have already jumped. I'm going to the PCs because that's where my leader, Danielle Smith, is going. Shes a smart and brave woman. A lot of people see this as a betrayal but I don't. I'll go where she goes. PC or Alberta Party even.
Danielle Smith is being a leader. She made a bold move. A move that I couldn't even anticipate. I respect that. Smith and the others aren't going to wait quietly in a box until the coast is clear to attack Jim Prentice. We are going to do everything we can, for ourselves, for our parties and for our province and country to defeat Justin Trudeau. -and we are all going to need each other should we fail.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Alberta Progressives Suck The Life From Taxpayers
In October Doug Griffiths went to PEI and gave a speech telling people that the oil industry "sucks the life out every other aspect of Alberta."
Did you misunderstand him? Of course not. We understood just fine. Everyone knows that Alberta's job prospects at 4.3% unemployment are a worker's market. This can only be bad if you want workers more desperate for work and to pay them less. Who's life is getting "sucked out" here? The booming business owner making money hand over fist? They have to treat their employees well or they are gone? How sad for them.
Doug thinks you heard him wrong though. So Doug is going to clarify with:
"It's very difficult to hire people in hotels and restaurants or in arts and culture because they can't compete with the wages, which damages the other parts of your economy.
"It's better to have balance. And, you know, it happens to any community where one industry is dominant.
"Then when it's gone, you have nothing left."
This is what goes on in the heads of your elected government in Alberta. He noticed he said something wrong so he calls it a Wildrose "smear" and then goes and says it again.
Excuse me Minister Griffiths but extra people making extra money in our province is an inherently good thing. The Oil Industry pays well. Other companies and even the government also have to pay well in order to stay competitive. They find ingenious ways to keep people that don't involve just money. Employers are making the workplace a joy to be in and providing every other type perk and benefit you could ask for. To Doug Griffiths this "damages your economy."
Why does this man have anything at all to do with our economy? He's sees some of the best aspects of it as a detriment. Up is down and down is up with progressives. They have nothing to do with progress.
There is more oil in the oil sands alone than all of the oil used by mankind to date. Don't you worry your empty little head about the oil Doug. You worry about the deficit. What will you PCs do when the Sustainability Fund is gone and you've left us with nothing?
I have a feeling the answer will be a life sucking PST. The PC Party sucks the life out of Alberta.
Did you misunderstand him? Of course not. We understood just fine. Everyone knows that Alberta's job prospects at 4.3% unemployment are a worker's market. This can only be bad if you want workers more desperate for work and to pay them less. Who's life is getting "sucked out" here? The booming business owner making money hand over fist? They have to treat their employees well or they are gone? How sad for them.
Doug thinks you heard him wrong though. So Doug is going to clarify with:
"It's very difficult to hire people in hotels and restaurants or in arts and culture because they can't compete with the wages, which damages the other parts of your economy.
"It's better to have balance. And, you know, it happens to any community where one industry is dominant.
"Then when it's gone, you have nothing left."
This is what goes on in the heads of your elected government in Alberta. He noticed he said something wrong so he calls it a Wildrose "smear" and then goes and says it again.
Excuse me Minister Griffiths but extra people making extra money in our province is an inherently good thing. The Oil Industry pays well. Other companies and even the government also have to pay well in order to stay competitive. They find ingenious ways to keep people that don't involve just money. Employers are making the workplace a joy to be in and providing every other type perk and benefit you could ask for. To Doug Griffiths this "damages your economy."
Why does this man have anything at all to do with our economy? He's sees some of the best aspects of it as a detriment. Up is down and down is up with progressives. They have nothing to do with progress.
There is more oil in the oil sands alone than all of the oil used by mankind to date. Don't you worry your empty little head about the oil Doug. You worry about the deficit. What will you PCs do when the Sustainability Fund is gone and you've left us with nothing?
I have a feeling the answer will be a life sucking PST. The PC Party sucks the life out of Alberta.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Bye Ed
So long Ed Stelmach.
My strongest feeling towards our Premier is sympathy. This didn't start today. I always felt pity for Ed. He just doesn't belong there. I think he's a good man that tried to do the right things. Those things were exposed as wrong. When the recession hit Alberta was caught off guard with a job killing royalty regime and a deficit among other problems.
I've seen first hand how stupid taxes kill jobs and small businesses. Progressive idea's seem so good in boom times, but at the end you get the usual progressive ills like deficits. I blame Ed but it wasn't just Ed. It was the whole team; the whole party. The whole party should pay.
We know they are progressives now. They have been in power too long. They are entitled, so they think. Whatever they might do to improve the economy in a rear-guard action is right an proper, but what is to stop them from slipping back to progressive/socialist schemes once the economy takes off? Nothing.
I'm sorry Ed and the rest of the PC's. Picking on you guys feels like kicking a puppy. I would stamp the life out of a snake, but you guys aren't snakes. You lost your way and I know where you can find it: in Opposition to a Wild Rose Alliance Government. Then maybe we'll get some competition for the best policies for Albertans.
So long Ed. It wasn't your fault, I know. This is much bigger than you or your feelings. We just can't pick our leaders out of sympathy. May I suggest you go into charity? You could do a lot of good work for the Cancer Society or some noble cause where you would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your service.
Alex
Update: Turns out Ed has given himself a 1 million dollar parting gift from the tax payer. I take it back. Get lost Ed and take your blasted PCs with you!
My strongest feeling towards our Premier is sympathy. This didn't start today. I always felt pity for Ed. He just doesn't belong there. I think he's a good man that tried to do the right things. Those things were exposed as wrong. When the recession hit Alberta was caught off guard with a job killing royalty regime and a deficit among other problems.
I've seen first hand how stupid taxes kill jobs and small businesses. Progressive idea's seem so good in boom times, but at the end you get the usual progressive ills like deficits. I blame Ed but it wasn't just Ed. It was the whole team; the whole party. The whole party should pay.
We know they are progressives now. They have been in power too long. They are entitled, so they think. Whatever they might do to improve the economy in a rear-guard action is right an proper, but what is to stop them from slipping back to progressive/socialist schemes once the economy takes off? Nothing.
I'm sorry Ed and the rest of the PC's. Picking on you guys feels like kicking a puppy. I would stamp the life out of a snake, but you guys aren't snakes. You lost your way and I know where you can find it: in Opposition to a Wild Rose Alliance Government. Then maybe we'll get some competition for the best policies for Albertans.
So long Ed. It wasn't your fault, I know. This is much bigger than you or your feelings. We just can't pick our leaders out of sympathy. May I suggest you go into charity? You could do a lot of good work for the Cancer Society or some noble cause where you would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your service.
Alex
Update: Turns out Ed has given himself a 1 million dollar parting gift from the tax payer. I take it back. Get lost Ed and take your blasted PCs with you!
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