jdobbin Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories Alberta, once the high-flying petro-powered express of Canada's economy, jumped the tracks and crashed Tuesday when Finance Minister Iris Evans tabled a budget with a $4.7-billion deficit.After years of multibillion-dollar surpluses, the predicted shortfall in 2009-10 is the largest in the province's 103-year history. Immediate measures include tax increases on tobacco and alcohol, as well as an increase in the education portion of property taxes. And the pain may not be over. The article says there may be more tax increases and tax cuts coming as well. The law against deficits is being re-written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStoriesThe article says there may be more tax increases and tax cuts coming as well. The law against deficits is being re-written. Goes to show the problems of leting people buy memberships and voting in leadership races the day of the vote. Too many dippers and liberals have gotten in the party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted April 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Goes to show the problems of leting people buy memberships and voting in leadership races the day of the vote. Too many dippers and liberals have gotten in the party. Maybe time to form a new party where the leader chosen by delegates. Doubt you are going to get that with the present PCs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Maybe time to form a new party where the leader chosen by delegates. Doubt you are going to get that with the present PCs. One member one vote is still far superior to th delegate system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted April 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 One member one vote is still far superior to th delegate system. Then you accept people who might not have your party's interest in mind when the join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Then you accept people who might not have your party's interest in mind when the join. Had they put a 60 day requirement on holding membership to vote it, would eliminate this crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Goes to show the problems of leting people buy memberships and voting in leadership races the day of the vote. Too many dippers and liberals have gotten in the party. That's the cons perennial problem ... they just are a perennial minority. Try to add any people, you get into the "dippers and liberals" majority, see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 That's the cons perennial problem ... they just are a perennial minority.Try to add any people, you get into the "dippers and liberals" majority, see? No the problem is that most conservative are to busy working to bother to get out the vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 No the problem is that most conservative are to busy working to bother to get out the vote. Yr not telling me cons are ... lazy about democracy? They think the boss is taking care of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Yr not telling me cons are ... lazy about democracy?They think the boss is taking care of it? Most conservatives are too busy working unlike the squeeky activists of the left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 (edited) Most conservatives are too busy working unlike the squeeky activists of the left. we work and vote. boss is supposed to give you 4 hrs. Edited April 8, 2009 by tango Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 we work and vote. boss is supposed to give you 4 hrs. So that doesn't stop the attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 So that doesn't stop the attitude. ok, you're saying there aren't enough conservatives who vote ... because of their attitude? or because bosses have attitudes and don't give them the time? I'm confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 ok, you're saying there aren't enough conservatives who vote ... because of their attitude?or because bosses have attitudes and don't give them the time? I'm confused. their attitude not the bosses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Bandelot Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Why should this (and everything) descend into a pissing match between the "left and right"? Do you think this financial problem happened the day after Ralph Klein retired? It often seems to me that when theres a change in leadership, its followed by bad news. How could all that wealth evaporate in such a short time... where did it really go? Evidently not to the hard-working citizens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 No surprise the bubble has burst yet some here need to find a scapegoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Why should this (and everything) descend into a pissing match between the "left and right"?Do you think this financial problem happened the day after Ralph Klein retired? It often seems to me that when theres a change in leadership, its followed by bad news. How could all that wealth evaporate in such a short time... where did it really go? Evidently not to the hard-working citizens. This d=started the year before Ralph retired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Here's an interesting take. http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2...are-budget.html Alberta NDP slam “welfare budget”While it’s always the job of opposition political parties to criticize the government, you have to wonder at the absolute disrepair of the conservative movement when the socialist NDP disparagingly call the Stelmach Conservative provincial budget a “welfare budget.” NDP leader Brian Mason even criticized the $2 billion Tory carbon capture scheme. Ouch. If this continues, Premier Stelmach might be forced to try a conservative agenda on for size. Here's the NDP press release: Half-baked budget has no new stimulus spending to create jobs: Mason EDMONTON – “Albertans needed a jobs budget; this government gave them a welfare budget,” NDP leader Brian Mason said following the government’s much-delayed 2009 financial plan. “This budget will create zero new jobs. There is no new capital spending,” Mason said. “They’ve squandered a real opportunity today. Ordinary Albertans are worrying about how they’re going to pay their bills and this government doesn’t care.” Mason also criticized the government for plans to spend $2 billon on carbon capture and storage. An NDP stimulus proposal would have invested that money in sustainable energy research, home retrofits which create ten times the number of jobs per dollar invested. The NDP also proposes funding of municipal infrastructure projects that would create over 70,000 jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Here's an interesting take.http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2...are-budget.html You know ist bad when the NDP call it a welfare budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munkless Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 I'd say this deficit budget is a reflection of the chronic shortsightedness of the Conservative party. And people here blame the policy of letting anyone into the party thereby diluting the proper conservative element? For god sakes the Conservative party comprised of conservatives made it as easy as slapping down $5 and voting to be part of the party. Quit blaming others for the Conservative's shortcomings, they've been in power since '71. You figure 30-odd years of governing and two busts would have taught them something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democratic Caped Crusader Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Maybe time to form a new party where the leader chosen by delegates. Doubt you are going to get that with the present PCs. Maybe time to look for an alternative in an entirely new direction than simply another party where the leader is chosen by delegates. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'. www.directdemocracyparty.ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 I'd say this deficit budget is a reflection of the chronic shortsightedness of the Conservative party. And people here blame the policy of letting anyone into the party thereby diluting the proper conservative element? For god sakes the Conservative party comprised of conservatives made it as easy as slapping down $5 and voting to be part of the party. Quit blaming others for the Conservative's shortcomings, they've been in power since '71. You figure 30-odd years of governing and two busts would have taught them something. If you hadn't noticed I was blaming the conservatives for the membership voting privilege. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 I'm not sure there's any point to 'blaming' politicians or politics for the deficit budget. Obviously, it's reduced income from the oil industry, for the same reason the auto companies are in trouble. Silly to blame politicians for the global economic meltdown, imo. Doesn't matter what party they are, they are all in the same pickle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted April 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Maybe time to look for an alternative in an entirely new direction than simply another party where the leader is chosen by delegates.www.directdemocracyparty.ca My view is that the system you describe would be easily taken over by parties even if in secret. We have seen this in municipal politics where coalitions formed in secret behind the scenes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta4ever Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 I'm not sure there's any point to 'blaming' politicians or politics for the deficit budget. Obviously, it's reduced income from the oil industry, for the same reason the auto companies are in trouble.Silly to blame politicians for the global economic meltdown, imo. Doesn't matter what party they are, they are all in the same pickle. It wasn't the lack of revenue it was the blatant over spending. They could have easily cut a lot of "pork" from the budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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