Wednesday, February 22, 2012

And We Voted Him In.

When Ralph Klein first ran for Premier, he told us he would reduce our spending by 20%. He told us we needed to do this to get rid of our debt, to give our children a fighting chance.

And we voted him in.

And he did what he said he would do, he reduced spending by 20%. I remember because 5 people were going to have to be let go at work and I was number 6, I survived the cuts, barely. He was vilified by the ruling Federal Liberals, made into the bad boy of Confederation by the ruling elites. Why? Because he turned our province around, and got rid of the debt, faster than promised. I miss him. Even after all the cuts and pain....

We Voted Him Back In. 

Where the PC's went wrong, was to push him out, before he and Albertans were ready to see him go. It has been a disaster since then. We got Steady Eddie, a guy way over his head, useless but harmless. Now we have Red Ali, an arrogant, my way or the highway, female Dalton. She is not harmless. She has surrounded herself with weak Minister's, like Fred Horne, the marshmallow, as Minister of Health. She says jump, he says how high. He's a "Yes Mam" kind of guy. 

So, what are Albertans going to do? How can we solve this problem of poor leadership, shown by the election budget they released? Do we sit back and hope it gets better? Do we pretend that the PC's are still in any way Conservative?

We can't vote Ralph back in, I wish we could. We need to change course. We need to understand that the PC's are Conservative in name only, and that Red Ali is a Liberal. We need to look to the only party in Alberta that can provide the government that we need, and that is the Wildrose Party.

Albertans are slow to change. We think about things for a long time, because we care deeply about our province. Because we care so deeply about Alberta, we need to take up a new banner. We need to make our kids and grand kids proud. We need to stop automatically voting for the PC's just because they happen to have Conservative in their name, they are closer to the NDP than to Conservatives under Red Ali's leadership. 

I was upset when Klein was pushed out as leader. I was willing to give Stelmach a chance. He was awful. The PC's had the choice to go more Conservative, and what did they do? They voted for a Liberal who only won because she promised the teachers union they would get 100 MILLION dollars. That was the first thing she did when she got "elected". Then she went on to pander to special interest groups with her .05 drinking and driving law. They have mentioned a PST, and increasing the "sin" taxes. Not very Conservative at all. She has refused to support our oil industry and yet went to Ontario and Quebec to get agreement on a "National Energy" program.  I smell disaster if she actually gets elected as our Premier.

I want you all to understand that they are going to use every trick in the book this election. It's going to be nasty. I have noticed government sponsored ads being run by the PC's already...remember, you are paying for them. The unions are going to be advertising for her, just like they did to get Dalton re-elected.

We can not sit on our butts, and think that she can't do much damage if she is elected. She can, and she will. Liberals have been infiltrating the PC party for years, knowing that is the only way they can gain power in Alberta. I say, it's time we taught them a lesson. Voters have power. We decide who will rule Alberta.

Got out into your neighbourhoods and talk about Wildrose. Talk about Danielle Smith and her party. Put up a Wildrose sign. Go out and door knock with your Wildrose candidate. Get the message out.

Quebec booted the Bloc last election, unfortunately they picked the NDP as a replacement. It's time for Alberta to boot the PC's and replace them with the Wildrose! If Saskatchewan could boot the NDP after years in power, in favour of the Sask Party, Alberta can replace the PC's with the Wildrose. Look at how well Saskatchewan is doing now. We can and should be doing better, it's only our 40 year old, tired, entitled party that is holding us back.

Come on Alberta! We can do better.  

Disclaimer: I am not a member of the Wildrose Party, but I was a member of the Alberta PC's.

9 comments:

Platty said...

A small bit of advice, I would leave the name calling up to the kids on the playground. I can understand it once or twice, but to keep on repeating Red Ali, Red Ali. It becomes redundant and your point gets lost.

I would much rather read a post where you talk about what the WR would actually do if elected, but then, that's just my two cents...


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hunter said...

The point I am making to Albertans is that Red Ali is a Liberal and they can not be confused with Conservatives anymore. I only used the term Red Ali 3 times, I mentioned Klein 2 times.

Sometimes you need to overstate your point to get it through to the people.

But, you are right, from now on, I will call her our Premier.....oops, sorry I can't do that, as we haven't elected her yet.

So, what do I call her? Alison? Nope to informal. Redford? Nope, to impersonal. Okay, I've got it, from now on I will call her, Your Highness.

I would much rather not to have to inform Albertans about how bad the PC's have become, but the media won't do it, so I will!

Calgary Junkie said...

Diane Francis recently wrote:

"Politicians buy our votes through over-spending and, most costly, garner support from a huge chunk of the electorate who belong to public sector unions. Once in power they can manufacture support by over hiring union workers.

Canada’s unionization of its public sector represents the country’s single biggest competitive disadvantage. Always has. And always will unless direct democracy is invoked."


Albertans have to be made aware
that this monopolistic public sector status quo is just not sustainable. We have to find a way to introduce some element of competition into both health care and education.

The challenge for Wildrose is how to make that case, without generating a huge push-back from all the usual suspects. At this point, it doesn't look like Danielle is going to go down that road, during the campaign. However, I remain hopeful, that Dr. Flanagan will find a way to make that case.

A good start would be to allow anyone with the academic credentials to teach in our schools without being a member of the Alberta Teachers Association. Ralph considerred that, when he was at the height of his popularity, but backed off.

Dr. Brain Day, the former head of the CMA, has long advocated for more private involvement in Health Care. Again, the challenge is, how to make the case during a campaign.

Archie said...

You have become delusional to believe that Klien should of stayed on. Klien did a lot of good for this province, but he also cut everything to the bone and things were starting to break down and fall apart due to these cuts. People used to joke that Klien and his buddies used to make policies sitting around a keg of beer. Klien ruled with a iron fist and he also had his loonies in his cabinet, but he was a man of the people. When he said he was going to do something , he did it, but he was starting to become a joke and he need to be removed. Stellmack made the mistake of putting the wrong people in charge, but he did the right thing of putting money into the infrastructure of the province, it was needed. Lets face it the battle here is who has control of the purse stings of Alberta, Calgary and the oil companies (Wildrose party) vrs the rest of the province. This fight is not about being liberal or conservative, it's about control. Smith hasn't done a thing and it is a joke to even mention her in the same breath a Klien. If anything your the one that is starting to sound like a liberal.

wilson said...

The Wildrose platform should appeal to nurses, doctors, teachers etc because of our front line approach to decision making as the solution.
The ratio of managers to workers is 1:4, Wildrose would move to a 1:10 ratio, more workers less VPs.
Decisions made closer to the front lines, not by a 'crat.

Funding for municipalities would be stable, no more applying for numerous different grants and hoping the 'higher ups' approve funding requests for schools/hospitals/staff etc.
That's where decisions can become very political.
One source of predictable, stable funding (plus 10% of all surplus') for municipalities to plan around.

Albertans don't need a Nanny making decisions 'for our own good', we are not stupid.

wilson said...

Archie says:

"...Lets face it the battle here is who has control of the purse stings of Alberta, Calgary and the oil companies (Wildrose party) vrs the rest of the province...."

So you think Big Oil is the enemy Archie?
That's like saying the Fishing Industry is the enemy in a fishing village.

The purse strings belong to us, the people, Albertans.
It is our money thru taxation, not the Govts money,
we Albertans own our natural resources, the govt doesn't, they simple represent us.

wilson said...

Archie says:

"...This fight is not about being liberal or conservative, it's about control. Smith hasn't done a thing and it is a joke to even mention her in the same breath a Klien...."

After 41 years the PCs have that control thing down to a science.

Like boycotting an MLA breakfast when they disapprove of the presidents (factual) statements.

PC control by passing legislation to give Cab Mins the power to decide on how a farmers land will be used, and taking away the farmers rights in the process, with no right to appeal.

Daniell Smith will make a fantastic Premier.

Archie said...

Wilson your dreaming to believe the teachers, nurses, and Doctors would ever vote for any conservative party.80-90% of them vote for either NDP or Liberal and wouldn't matter how much you try to bribe the union, because the union is not the one that votes and believe me they don't trust any conservative party.
The Wild Rose became a force after Klien lost control, thus Calgary lost it's influence. A lot of Wild Rose members are Klien backers and when they lost control they revolted, especially when Stelmack excluded most of them in his cabinet, which was a mistake. You talk to most people outside of Calgary and they'll tell you that the Wild Rose party is a power play by the big oil companies to protect their money.
The road to Fort Mac is badly needed, but why does the province have to pay the full bill. The oil companies have no problem building the pipelines to get their product out, they should have no problem for paying to improve the infrastructure to get their supplies in. But no the province has to pay for it and the Wild Rose .
How can you say Daniell Smith would make a fantastic Premier, when she was fired from the only public office she held because she couldn't work with people.

wilson said...

Ok Archie,
you just keep thinkin' that.

Do you think your employer should pay to fill the potholes in the road you travel to get to work?