Joe Albertan

Unfit For Public Office

2012-02-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Doug Griffiths, "Bully wanna be"

Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths granted a political amnesty to the president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association on Wednesday, after she publicly accused the Conservatives of playing pork-barrel politics with funding.

Linda Sloan triggered a vicious political dispute when she said Friday she believes the province doles out money to municipalities based on their voting record — an allegation the government says is false.

“The concerns I have are (about) the mildly slanderous comments she made that I know are patently untrue,” Griffiths said.

In case you haven't figured it out Griffiths is doing damage control and was a victim of his government's own neanderthal mentality. He wasn't smart enough to realize he shouldn't write a letter like this? He is a minister, he ran for the Premier's job and he can't control himself?

He is acting like so many before him within the Alberta PC party, like a school yard bully. The list of bullying incidents with this party are long and illustrious. Ray Prins swearing and verbally abusing spectators at a forum in Lacombe last year. Ron Liepert losing it in a meeting with some members of the Airdrie town council. Mel Knight busting in on a presentation by Joe Anglin and making a complete fool of himself. Now this.

Doug Griffiths isn't even smart enough to realize that this behaviour is unacceptable. He is absolutely unfit for public office.

See the story here

Alberta's Bully Government

2012-02-14T17:15:00.001-07:00

This following letter is a bullying tactic by the Alberta government to keep those in civic governments in line. Linda Sloan obviously didn't agree with the policies laid out by the Alberta government in their vote buying budget released last week. It's clear you either tow the line or you pay the price. My my this governments looking more like a true thrid world dictatorship every day.

Had enough yet?

Good Riddance Ron

2012-02-12T12:15:00.001-07:00

Good Riddance Ron!

It’s quite rich to watch Ron Liepert as he winds up his political career after starting his gig as Peter Lougheed’s press secretary in 1980

Ron Liepert is a coward. He's running away from the mess he created and his retirement was prompted by the reality that he knows his chances of being embarrassed in his riding are very high. He like some of the other chicken run PCs know their days in office are numbered.

Allegations of bullying and intimidation were leveled at AHS during the time period he was in charge. On January 25 he blew up in bully like fashion at an Airdrie Alderman (Click here see the letter from the Alderman to Redford). Yet no investigation was done? They didn't dare have this go public because they already knew the truth.

This man is a disgrace to the Legislature.

See the story here

Sorry Alison Not This Time

2012-02-12T09:59:00.002-07:00

Premier Alison Redford unveiled her campaign bus at the Radisson Hotel Saturday, just two days after their dismal provincial budget was tabled in the Legislature.

And some are calling it “grossly ill-timed” after critics declared Redford’s budget an “election budget” for its new highs in spending.

These people have been campaigning for a while now. They go on a "cabinet tour" that is oddly enough timed to give them the opportunity to campaign on tax payers money, the timing was no coincidence. Their claims that this wasn't campaigning is a flat out lie.

It's time for all Albertans to speak out and make sure this government is defeated soundly in the next election. Their attempt to buy votes with a careless spending based budget Is a sign of a desperate government grasping to hold onto power. We should have seen this coming from Redford, this is exactly how she won the leadership of the Alberta PCs, she bought it with our money. The budget released Thursday is another attempt to buy another election.

Sorry Alison not this time.

See the story here.

Spend Spend Spend

2012-02-10T09:12:00.001-07:00

Redford, Horner and Liepert smile while Alberta falls deeper into debt

$886 million in deficit and $3.7 billion taken out of the Sustainability Fund. Take these factors and combine them with Bitumen royalties are forecast to be $5.7 billion in 2012-13, $7.6 billion in 2013-14 and $9.9 billion in 2014-15. The key word being "forecast".

Expenditures are forecasted to be $41.1 billion — an increase of $1.3 billion over last year — with revenues estimated at $40.3 billion. The government expects to be back into a surplus by 2013-14. The key word here is "expects".

The Alberta governments' "forecasts" and "expectations" have been less than accurate up to this point in fact they been dismal in there success rate. At a time when the fiscally responsible thing to do would be to cut spending and get our finances in order this government continues to try and spend their way out of debt. This governments legacy to Albertans will be a massive debt and little else.

The 2012 Alberta Budget is nothing more than "vote buying 101" designed to keep the current government in power by making irresponsible promises that will no doubt end poorly for the tax payer.

They have not been exactly honest about the level of debt they've driven us into. So it turns out they have been fudging the numbers. By considering infrastructure spending as "acquired assets" rather than part of the debt they have essentially been reporting a false number for the debt.

The Real Deficit number

The 2012 Alberta budget reminds me of a young person with a brand new shiny credit card. It's fun and exciting to go out and buy everything you think you need and live it up for a while but then the bill comes. The bill always comes. The situation is the same in Alberta the bill will come, it's not a matter of "if" but "when".

Albertans can avoid this bill simply by marking an "X" next to any candidate that isn't in the Alberta PC party.

A Bully To The End

2012-02-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is a letter written to Alison Redford by Airdrie Alderman Allan Hunter concerning the conduct of Ron Liepert in a meeting on January 25, 2012. So is it just me or do the stories concerning bullying by this government seem to have a whole new batch of validity?

Maybe Ron should open up a charm school when he leaves public office.

At Our Expense

2012-02-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Tory MLAs travelled west Wednesday for a two-day caucus retreat at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

The retreat, where the premier and MLAs will discuss the upcoming legislature sitting, will cost government coffers $70,000. Many newly nominated Progressive Conservative candidates and party organizers will also travel to Jasper this week for a concurrent party meeting, but that cost will not be borne by taxpayers.

Another abuse of tax payers money. They sure don't mind spending it like it's their own own do they? Last week they campaign on our dime so why not holiday on it as well?

There's only one way to stop this. Put the X anywhere but next to the PC candidate in the upcoming election.

See the story here

No Class To The "Bitter" End

2012-01-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

Finance Minister Ron Liepert

An Airdrie alderman is calling for the resignation of Alberta's Finance Minister.

Allan Hunter says says when he was discussing contentious Bills 19, 24, 36 and 50, Ron Liepert began swearing and disrupted the dinner meeting.

"The question was actually directed at the Deputy Premier Doug Horner but Ron Liepert jumped in and started swearing and lost it and pretty much shut it down and embarrassed everybody," said Hunter.

Hunter has sent a letter to the premier, asking for an apology as well as Liepert's resignation.

With Liepert's notorious history as a bully this should not surprise anyone. With his impending retirement from the Alberta Legislature this typifies his lack of respect for the electorate of Alberta.

See the story here

A Zero-Based Government

2012-01-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Alison Redford

Premier Alison Redford, we’re told, is going to flesh out her conservative resume next month when she presents her first budget, announcing the government will move to zero-based budgeting.

That’s right. Tough action from the top to send a message to voters that today’s Tories hold your tax dollars sacred.

Writes the Herald’s Don Braid: “True zero-based budgeting will likely be phased in over about three years, because it’s a huge project that’s almost impossible to do properly in a single year, the sources say. Therefore, the first Redford budget, to be tabled Feb. 9, won’t include much zero-based accounting, if any, again, because there wasn’t time to accomplish it.”

If this government were truly interested in transparency they would podcast forums on the internet such as the salary review being conducted by Jack Major and have them available for all to see any time. They could also include a comment application that would allow the public to post their comments for all to see at any time, that's transparent.

The Alberta PC government has become purely reactionary and only acts when cornered (eg. the Land Bills that they recently held forums on 2-1/2 years after passing them). Alison Redford and her cabinet with their theatrics are exhibiting some very questionable character traits that are not desirable in a leader or a government.

See the story here

The Cart Before The Horse Again

2012-01-25T13:03:00.002-07:00

It’s unclear when Alberta’s new tougher drunk-driving legislation that allows police to immediately suspend the licence of anyone caught driving with a blood-alcohol content over .05 will actually become law.

Bill 26 was passed by the Alberta legislature in December and gives police more power to curb drunk drivers.

Premier Alison Redford told reporters Tuesday that she’s not exactly sure when the bill will be proclaimed. “I guess that will depend on the extent of the consultation the minister (of transportation) has with bar industry and when I call the election,”

"Bill 26 was passed by the Alberta legislature in December" "Premier says drunk driving law needs consultation with industry" = "Horse" "Cart"

It's odd that these people don't understand the order they're supposed to do this in, willful ignorance?. Bills 19, 24, 36 and 50 were passed in the same manner in 2009, just recently they decide they should have forums on Property Rights. Once again the cart's before the horse.

Passing legislation in this manner shows a clear disregard for the concerns of Albertans. The Alberta PC government has made a habit of pushing their agenda rather than that of Albertans. This is the sign of a government that is completely out of control.

See the story here

Bad News Alison

2012-01-24T23:24:00.004-07:00

***UPDATE***

"Alison Redford's Cabinet tour is

nothing but a Prue-election campaign"
-Lloyd Snelgrove PC MLA Vermilion-Lloydminster

Looks like the jigs up Alison!

This poll question is on the CBC Calgary homepage. Looks to me like the people of this province are seeing this tour for what it actually is.

A pre-election campaign

on our money

This may be legal according to Election Alberta but it's unethical to Albertans.

Bad news Alison, we just aren't this stupid.

Click here to vote

ALISON REDFORD YOU DISGUST ME!

2012-01-23T20:02:00.001-07:00

Alison Redford Lied to A.I.S.H. Clients.

Word has it that the increase to A.I.S.H. clients will be $100, not the $400 she ran her candidacy on. She made a promise to these people and lied. She knew at the time she was lying. I find it hard to believe she didn't know she could not come through on this, her excuses do nothing for any of these people. Nothing like taking people that are having trouble living day to day, lifting their hopes up and then pulling the rug out from under them.

This is disgraceful.

I guess her corporate benefactors and the others she owes come before Albertans that need our help. She has sunk to the lowest level an elected person can sink to.

ALISON REDFORD

YOU DISGUST ME!

Alison's 2012 Fraud Tour

2012-01-23T07:04:00.001-07:00

The premier and her cabinet ministers are coming to a town near you to kick off a pre-election campaign at tax payers expense.

Beginning Monday morning, Alison Redford and her team will be making stops in communities across the province to meet face-to-face with hand picked Albertans.

“I think it’s important for the premier and cabinet to get out into the community to listen to the concerns of Albertans,” said Jay O’Neill with the premier’s office. “They’ll hopefully talk about the issues and have some good dialogue.”

The Alberta government under Ed Stelmach did the same thing that they sold as a tour to "talk to the Alberta public" and denied access to the average Albertans. When contacted about times and dates in 2010 Thomas Lukaszuk's office replied "the Cabinet tour schedule is not public information". What does that tell you? This is the same gang with a new leader so it will be business as usual with no dissenting voices in the crowd.

I urge people to attend these tour events if at all possible and let them know that spending tax payers money on their campaign is not acceptable.

This Cabinet Tour is a fraud, a fraud that Alberta tax payers will be on the hook for.

See the story here

Where's Jack Hayden Hiding?

2012-01-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Jack Hayden M.I.A. on Property Rights

On March 2, 2009, then Alberta Infrastructure Minister, Jack Hayden, introduced Bill 19, the Land Assembly Project Area Act, to the Legislature. Bill 19 along with Bills 24, 36 and 50 have been panned by many as "draconian" and an intrusion into the fundamental rights of Albertans to own property without the threat of arbitrary government seizure.

The Alberta government hosted forums across the province to listen to the concerns of Albertans with regards to property rights. The general mood at these forums was for the most part tense and angry with the anger being expressed by those in attendance towards the Alberta government's attempt to eliminate our Property Rights.

On Monday January 16 a Property Rights forum was held in the small town of Hanna that was well attended considering the minus 30 temperatures. In attendance were 5 Ministers and 2 MLAs which did not include Jack Hayden MLA for Drumheller-Stettler and key figure in this controversy even though this forum was in his home riding and the subject of the forum was in part about Bill 19 the very Bill he authored and presented in the Legislature. The Ministers and MLAs did not interact with the people in attendance thus insulating them from any accountability. They appeared to be largely disinterested in the goings on and it appeared they were their simply because they were ordered to attend from the top brass. The legislative attendees flew in and out of Hanna at tax payers expense on the government funded airplane while the rest of their entourage travelled by bus that was nowhere near it's capacity, is it any wonder they have us in a deficit?

It's very hard to believe that Mr Hayden could have had anything more important to do then listen to his own constituents concerns about these threats to land ownership that are obviously a key issue in this largely rural riding.

This is another example of an Alberta PC MLA showing their lack of accountability to the people they swore to represent. His first priority should be his constituents but obviously he doesn't understand that or simply doesn't care. His lack of attendance was noted several times by the agitated crowd that overwhelmingly called for these Bills to be repealed immediately.

The constituents of the Drumheller-Stettler riding need to send Jack Hayden and the Alberta PCs a message about his behaviour and this attempt to further erode what should be a fundamental and protected right in Alberta.

Jack Hayden's conduct has been nothing short of disrespectful.

PCs Campaign On Our Money

2012-01-21T18:58:00.003-07:00

The Alberta PCs feel it is their right to use tax payers money to run a pre-campaign tour. Premier Alison Redford and Alberta's Cabinet team will be travelling across the province to talk with Albertans.

Let's make sure they hear lots of talk. If you can make any of the tour stops make sure you go and tell them that this is wrong and an abuse of tax payers money.

The tour starts Monday, January 23 and ends Thursday, January 26.

Itinerary: Monday, January 23, 2012

Beaverlodge

Lunch at Beaverlodge Chamber and public question & answer

Noon. 116-6A Street. Attending: Minister Frank Oberle, Minster Jeff Johnson, Parliamentary Assistant Naresh Bhardwaj

Tour of Beaverlodge Hospital

2:15 p.m. 422-10A Street. Attending: Minister Frank Oberle, Minster Jeff Johnson, Parliamentary Assistant Naresh Bhardwaj

Brooks

Dinner with Mayors and Reeves

5:30 p.m. Ace's Lounge & Grill 341 — 9 Street E. Attending: Minister Evan Berger, Parliamentary Assistant Dave Rodney

Community forum

7:15 p.m. Brooks Campus cafeteria, 200 Horticultural Station Road. Attending: Minister Evan Berger, Parliamentary Assistant Dave Rodney

Calgary

Charitable sector breakfast hosted by Dr. Neil Brown

8:30 a.m. The Storehouse, 3751-21 Street NE. Attending: Minister Ted Morton, Minister Manmeet Bhullar

Tour and meeting with students

10:30 a.m. Almadina Language Charter Academy 225-28 Street SE. Attending: Attending: Minister Ted Morton, Minister Manmeet Bhullar

Chat with Thornview Seniors Association and guests

1:00 p.m. Thorncliffe Community Centre 5600 Centre Street NW. Attending: Minister Ted Morton, Minister Fred Horne, Minister George VanderBurg, Minister Manmeet Bhullar

Mount Royal University memorandum of understanding signing and reception

3:00 p.m. Mount Royal University, Lincoln Park Room (J301), 4825 Mount Royal Gate, SW. Attending: Minister Ted Morton, Minister Fred Horne, Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister George VanderBurg, Minister Manmeet Bhullar

Edmonton

Tour kick-off (photo-op buying LRT tickets)

7:45 a.m. Departure Alberta Legislature via Grandin LRT Station- 97 Avenue and 107 Street. (approx. 8:10 a.m. arrival at Health Sciences/Jubilee LRT station. Attending: Premier Alison Redford, Minister Doug Horner, Minister Dave Hancock, Minister Fred Horne, Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister Diana McQueen, Minister Ray Danyluk, Minister Doug Griffiths

Kick-off event

8:30 a.m. Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium 11455-87 Avenue. Attending: Premier Alison Redford, Minister Doug Horner, Minister Dave Hancock, Minister Fred Horne, Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister Diana McQueen, Minister Ray Danyluk, Minister Doug Griffith.

Stollery Children's Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department opening

10:00 a.m. 8440-112 Street. Attending: Premier Alison Redford, Minister Doug Horner, Minister Dave Hancock, Minister Fred Horne, Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister Diana McQueen, Minister Ray Danyluk, Minister Doug Griffiths

Community open house

Noon. Rosedale Griesbach 4480 McCrae Avenue. Attending: Premier Alison Redford, Minister Doug Horner, Minister Dave Hancock, Minister Diana McQueen, Minister Ray Danyluk, Minister Doug Griffiths

Grande Prairie

Public Q&A at the Legion

9:30 a.m. 9912-101 Avenue. Attending: Minister Frank Oberle, Minister Jeff Johnson, Parliamentary Assistant Naresh Bhardwaj

Multiplex tour

4:00 p.m. 10 Knowledge Way. Attending: Minister Frank Oberle, Minister Jeff Johnson, Parliamentary Assistant Naresh Bhardwaj

Chamber dinner and meet and greet

5:00 p.m. 11330-106 Street. Attending: Minister Frank Oberle, Minister Jeff Johnson, Parliamentary Assistant Naresh Bhardwaj

Lethbridge

Meet with Volunteer Lethbridge

4:30 p.m. Culver City meeting room, Lethbridge City Hall, 910-4 Avenue South. Attending: Minister Greg Weadick, Minister Heather Klimchuk

Dinner with College and University guests

5:00 p.m. Garden Court restaurant, Lethbridge College, 3000 College Drive S. Attending: Premier Alison Redford, Minister Greg Weadick, Minister Heather Klimchuk

Community reception

7:00 p.m. Garden Court restaurant, Lethbridge College, 3000 College Drive S. Attending: Premier Alison Redford, Minister Greg Weadick, Minister Heather Klimchuk.

Medicine Hat

Tour Bridges Program

8:00 a.m. 477-3 Street SE. Attending: Minister Heather Klimchuk

Medicine Hat Community Foundation

10:30 a.m. 104, 430-6 Avenue SE. Attending: Minister Heather Klimchuk.

Okotoks

Tour of Health and Wellness Centre

9:00 a.m. 11 Cimarron Common. Attending: Minister Evan Berger, Parliamentary Assistant Dave Rodney

Red Deer

City, Chamber, County and College breakfast

7:30 a.m. City Centre Stage, 4922-49 Street. Attending:

Minister Ron Liepert, Minister Cal Dallas.

Meeting with Mayor and Council

10:00 a.m. Crimson Star Room, City Hall 4914-48 Avenue. Attending: Minister Ron Liepert, Minister Cal Dallas

Rotary lunch

11:45 a.m. Quality Inn North Hill (formerly North Hill Inn), 7150-50 Avenue. Attending: Minister Ron Liepert, Minister Cal Dallas

St. Albert

Sturgeon Hospital tour and meal delivery

2:30 p.m. 201 Bourdeau Road. Attending: Minister Doug Horner, Minister Dave Hancock, Minister Diana McQueen, Minister Ray Danyluk, Minister Doug Griffiths

Strathmore

Tour schools in Strathmore

1:30 p.m. Sacred Heart Academy, 709-2 Street. Attending: Minister Evan Berger, Parliamentary Assistant Dave Rodney

Meeting with Wheatland County

2:45 p.m. Wheatland County Office, Highway 1, RR1. Attending: Minister Evan Berger, Parliamentary Assistant Dave Rodney.

If anyone has any further information please feel free to leave a comment.

Let's be loud and disruptive and send this government a message.

P.S. For my next article I'm thinking about writing a story about Jack Hayden the Tourism Minister who's been on vacation since he got elected. I'll call it

"Jack Hayden, Man Or Myth"

Nobodies seen him in months.

The Trail Of Broken Promises

2012-01-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

The list of leadership campaign promises that Alison Redford did not follow through on:

- $400 more per month for AISH recipients,

- A full judicial inquiry into health care,

- More funding for police,

- Restoring chiropractic funding for seniors, AISH people, and low income Albertans,

- Three-year funding for education,

- Online voting in provincial elections,

- Putting all resource revenue above $6 billion into savings,

- An absolute and final end to all political meddling in health care. (this one is too funny)

The one thing that Albertans can be assured of, the only thing Albertans can be assured of is that Alison Redford will promise anything to get elected (see October 2011 PC Leadership campaign). Following through on promises is not something she's good at.

Her revision of Bill 36 and her review of Bill 50 show a disturbing pattern. Just prior to being elected Ms Redford was actively promoting both of these Bills along with Bills 19 and 24. If she's not careful she's going to drop her transmission switching gears that fast. She claimed that there was nothing wrong Bill 36 and it could stand on it's own merit but yet she revises it a couple of months later. It's clear she was lying.

Look for more hollow promises from Alison Redfords' government as soon as she calls an election that they have NO intention of every keeping. If you have been paying attention you'll realize that promises from Alison have no value.

See the story here

You Get What You Pay For

2012-01-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

Building two north-south power lines will help Atco Power’s plan to build large hydro projects on two northern Alberta rivers to replace aging coal-fired electricity plants, says the Calgary based company.

Nancy Southern, president and CEO of the Calgary-based Atco, said Friday in an interview old coal plants are being phased out to meet new federal greenhouse-gas regulations and the company hopes to replace them with hydro, natural gas and more co-generation.

The company has completed soil testing and other technical work on the two sites on the Athabasca River and is also looking at an 800 megawatt plant on the Slave River, Southern said, though the project is on hold after an area aboriginal band opposed hydro development.

The association also wants a return to the public process for determining the need for new transmission lines. The Electric Statutes Amendment Act removed the need for a public hearing at the Alberta Utilities Commission. Instead, the provincial cabinet, under Bill 50, deemed $14 billion worth of new transmission was essential, including two north-south lines.

"The Electric Statutes Amendment Act removed the need for a public hearing" (Bill 50)

Bill 50 along with Bill 36 that allows them to take land without compensation and without the ability for appeal means that this project and the massive proposed $14 billion overbuild Southern has paid for through her donations to the Alberta PC party will meet little to no obstacles.

This is how business is done in Alberta with our current government. The bottom line is Albertans were sold out by the Alberta PCs.

See the story here

The Dessert Tray Isn't For All Of Us

2012-01-19T20:44:00.002-07:00

Ron Liepert

Forget about "goodies" in provincial budget, Ron Liepert says

Alberta Finance Minister Ron Liepert said Thursday he won’t be opening the chequebook in this election-year budget, though he cautioned the financial blueprint remains a work in progress.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of spreading the goodies around,” he said

The "goodies" will be well targeted I'm sure to maximize vote buying at our expense. Liepert has nothing to lose because he's going to run and hide before his constituents hand him his head but Redford is hanging by a thread with her trail of broken promises.

The dessert tray will make the rounds there's no doubt about that it just won't be stopping at every table.

See the story here

An Updated List Of Running PC MLAs

2012-01-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

The scene of the crime

The list of Alberta PC MLA's fleeing the scene of the crime:

16 and counting.

1. Ken Kowalski
2. Ed Stelmach
3. Ron Liepert
4. Mel Knight
5. Lloyd Snelgrove
6. Lindsey Blackett
7. George Groeneveld
8. Barry McFarland
9. Rob Renner
10. Iris Evans
11. Art Johnston
12. Ken Allred
13. Richard Marz
14. Janis Tarchuk
15. Doug Elniski
16. Fred Lindsay
...and counting.

Here We Go Again!

2012-01-18T12:25:00.002-07:00

Here we go again! Another Alberta PC shell game

this time with Alison Redford at the helm

As the Redford government prepares to unveil its first throne speech and budget in February, cabinet ministers will fan out across the province next week to talk to Albertans in a tour that appears to be a pre-election campaign at tax payers expense.

Final details are still being arranged, but the four-day tour will begin Monday January 23 with groups of ministers visiting cities and small centres, and Premier Alison Redford making an appearance in Edmonton.

The premier’s spokesman Jay O’Neill claims the tour is in line with other meetings, such as the property rights task force, meant to give citizens from across the province a chance to speak directly with cabinet ministers. The property right task force meeting were attended and did not give anyone a chance to speak directly to the Ministers, I know I was in attendance. They sat quietly and did not interact with those in attendance at all for the record.

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said because a provincial election is likely to be called within the next two months, sending Tory cabinet ministers into the field now will be seen by many as “a campaign tour on the government dime.” I think that's obvious to everyone.

O’Neill also claims "the tour has nothing to do with the upcoming provincial election."

The worst part of this whole situation is this government treating us like we are not intelligent enough to figure our the motivation behind this obvious self promotion tour at our expense.

I encourage people to attend these meetings and to let them know that they are not fooling anyone with this shell game.

That is of course unless they manipulate these forums as they did on the last tour to ensure it is stacked with their own supporters. These tours are all about optics for this government and has nothing to do with what Albertans want.

See the story here

Ignorance Of The Law Is No Excuse

2012-01-15T13:28:00.002-07:00

Catholic school officials in Medicine Hat admitted Friday they have been illegally donating for years to Alberta's governing Progressive Conservative party.

David Leahy, superintendent of the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, said they only became aware in December that the practice has been against the law since 2004.

"Nobody here (at the board currently) was around in 2004," Leahy said. "That doesn't excuse what happened, but that explains why it happened."

Illegal is illegal, so who's going to jail or being fined or having some sort of sanctions imposed on them? Nobody. If not this is not a law. The idea of a law is to have consequences for actions deemed to be wrong. Without consequences a law is nothing more than a suggestion. This government is not fooling anyone anymore.

If the money was coming from the school board, who got the receipt? Did the employees claim the tax deduction? If anyone claimed those deductions on their taxes they are guilty and if anyone issued a receipt to an individual knowing it was an illegal donation they are also guilty. In both cases this would be fraud. Was the $200 donation paid by the school board in the form of a cheque? If this was the case, why did the Conservative Party accept the cheque? They must have known it was an illegal donation, after all, they wrote the law.

There needs to be a closer investigation into all of these allegations and if necessary charges should be laid. The general public can't use ignorance of the law as a defence, why should it be allowed for public officials?

See the story here

Thanks to,
SendLawyersGunsan

Out Of Touch With Reality

2012-01-15T09:59:00.001-07:00

Call it the season of long overdue goodbyes and golden handshakes.

With Alberta inching toward what looks to be a frenzied election campaign this spring, a good number of veteran PC MLAs are figuring their days of fighting the good fight are done, it would seem the writing is on the wall.

They are exiting the legislature in droves — but not before passing "GO" on the way out and collecting far more than $200.

Taxpayers will be on the hook for millions in so-called “transitional allowance” money to departing members of the Alberta legislature.

Right now, MLAs get one year’s pay for every four years of work — including extras from being in cabinet or on committees. Suffice it to say it will be more money than Joe Average gets when quitting a job.

This "transition allowance" needs to be explained to Albertans. Lindsay Blackett for example after a mere 4 years of service will get a whopping $183,000 transition allowance how does this even seem reasonable? He is not being fired he's quitting of his own free will. How is it possible that he is entitled to this obscene amount of money after such a short period of time?

The disconnect seems to be that pay structures, bonuses, expenses and allowances for provincial representatives in no way reflects the conditions that the average Albertan lives by.

Transition Allowances:

1. Ken Kowalski $1,271,600

2. Ed Stelmach $1,008,100

3. Barry Mcfarland $709,500

4. Iris Evans $698,700

5. Janis Tarchuk $645,400

6. Richard Marz $544,200

7. Lloyd Snelgrove $513,000

8. Mel Knight $513,000

9. Ron Liepert $348,700

10. George Groeneveld $312,000

11. Lindsay Blackett $183,000

12. Ken Allred $129,700

You and me $0.00

See the story here

PC Non Confidence

2012-01-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

"The Nanny" Alison Redford

Go figure.

It sure sounds like the sight of cops taking vehicles and licences from folks behind the wheel who blow .05 to .08 won’t be seen until after the upcoming provincial election.

There you have it, they have so little confidence in this legislation they aren't willing to put their money where their mouth is.

So what other unwanted legislation will this government be ramming down our throats in the future to go along with this ridiculous law?

Think about it, first they want to take our land, then they want to take away our freedom and they aren't willing to put it on the table before an election, why? Because they know it's wrong to.

See the story here

PC Vote Buying 101

2012-01-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Premier Alison Redford says she intends to pass a provincial budget before calling the next election, which means Albertans will have to wait until mid-April at the earliest to cast their ballots.

“I have been very clear on this from the beginning,” Redford said Thursday. “I have said that we would have a throne speech, bring the budget forward, we would have a spring session of the legislature, and then we would go to the polls.”

Grant MacEwan University political scientist Chaldeans Mensah suggested it’s somewhat unusual for the government to pass a budget before going to the polls. Past governments often introduced a budget, then immediately called an election.

“You can introduce a budget to give a signal of your program and then take it to the people for endorsement,” Mensah said. “This way, if the government’s intention is to pass the budget before the vote, it will give all the parties an opportunity to campaign around the budget before the election.”

I hope Albertans are not fooled by this government bringing out the dessert tray. This budget it's obvious will be aimed at buying votes that's why they are doing it in the manner they are. Alison Redford has a history of purchasing votes but what we need to remember is she's intends on buying them with our money.

We can have change and it can't come soon enough.There is no way on earth Alberta should be in deficit that is due to poor management plain and simple.

See the story here

Not satisfied with new law

2012-01-12T18:05:00.001-07:00

There are many people talking about the 0.05 drunk driving changes to the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. But perhaps the bigger picture is being missed. The PC Government has subtly changed the officer’s discretion portion of the 24 hour roadside suspension (Section 89 of the Act).

Previously, you could have your license suspended for a day if the officer suspects a driver’s impairment as a result of alcohol, drug, or ‘any other substance.’ This didn’t change.

However, added to it was if an officer suspects that a “medical or physical condition that affects… the driver’s physical or mental ability” they can also take away their license - new paragraph 89(1)(a) of the amended Traffic Safety Act.

So, what defines a medical or physical condition? Sadly, this is open to an officer’s interpretation, who, although well trained for their job, is not a medical professional.

My brother-in-law lost his right leg in an industrial accident. He now wears a prosthetic limb, and drives a normal vehicle, using his left foot for the gas and brake. Would this be considered a “physical condition that affects the driver’s physical ability”? I would submit to you, yes, by definition only.

Since losing his leg, my brother-in-law has constantly driven his vehicle with no problems whatsoever. However, this new legislation now gives the power to take his license away on a road-side suspension.

This begs the question, why would the PC Government introduce legislation taking rights away from the mentally and physically handicapped?

I’ve made my choice. I have given up supporting the PC Government, and have made the switch to the Wildrose Party who realizes these changes are horrible for our society.

Cory G. Litzenberger
Red Deer