Thursday, October 31, 2019
An exceptional article for Albertans and everyone to read!! Written by an Albertan!
“Alberta doesn’t send a single penny to Quebec and never has, nor can it withdraw from Equalization even if there was a referendum: it’s constitutionally enshrined & its formula was approved by Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney himself!
It’s truly unfortunate that Jason Kenney prefers to throw gasoline on Alberta’s “Misplaced Anger” instead of explaining the program to his constituents.”
Link https://lietracker.ca/2019/01/07/equalization-and-alberta/?fbclid=IwAR2ks28XIaKrFWZD43JsN-I5ezdpzXOnXbmg92WkUa9SiLLEofCjQwYTV8E
It’s truly unfortunate that Jason Kenney prefers to throw gasoline on Alberta’s “Misplaced Anger” instead of explaining the program to his constituents.”
Equalization and Alberta
Alberta is the richest Province in Canada with the highest average income in the country and it boasts the lowest taxes. Conservative Albertans complain that they are being unfairly treated by Ottawa b/c many wrongly believe Albertans are “generous” by sending money to Quebec.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Equalization
"The West has had considerable input in the refinement of the current equalization formula. Indeed, that formula was largely based on the recommendations of an expert panel chaired by Al O’Brien, a former Deputy Treasurer of Alberta, which was set up by Stephen Harper’s government. As we know, Jason Kenney, now a frequent critic of the current equalization formula, was an influential cabinet minister in the Harper government. If Kenney hates the current formula so much, why didn’t he do something about it when he had the chance? "
The key issue in the equalization debate is finding the right balance between economic growth, development and the redistribution of financial resources.
Monday, October 28, 2019
You're not listening Alberta
Jason Kenney is a one trick politician and like it or not he is not for the people.
This post doesn't spell the end of oil anytime soon but it does indicate that the market is dwindling, as it has been for years, however it does indicate that the move away from oil is accelerating. For years we have watched as the auto industry built cleaner more efficient vehicles but you ignored them.
I know what you are going to say, "what the hell do you know about Alberta"... well I know my grandfather owned a farm in Three Hills back in the late 1910's and I know my mom was born in Three Hills. I also know my grandfather sold the farm to one Pierre Paris in 1920 for the princely sum of $827.00. I would venture a guess that the decedents of Pierre Paris are still in Alberta and if they wish to see the document of sale I still have it and they are welcome to see it.
For years we watched as governments imposed legislation to curb emissions from coal and oil fired electric plants and still you turned a deaf ear.
Then came the EV revolution and you buried your head in the sand.
You have to stop listening to those who are in the pocket of Oil Barons, people like Scheer, like Kenney and like their promoters Stephen Harper and Preston Manning. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, my fellow Canadians, it is going to get worse. Like any new idea science, engineering and increasing sales volume will make electric vehicles more affordable while the range they can travel on a charge is already increasing and now with quick charge terminals and the development of the electric highway the EV is here to stay.
China is building more and more EV's, installing wind and solar farms if you continue to ignore the changes coming down the road you will only punish yourself. WEXIT is not your road to salvation it is the next step to the demise of Alberta.
You can no longer sit back and hope for new markets, new pipelines or for Jason Kenney to pull the proverbial rabbit out of his a$$, the man has your number, he knows how scared and desperate you are becoming and he keeps feeding your fears.... stop letting him use and abuse your emotions.... listen to what is happening outside of Alberta, outside of your government and outside of your friends or they all will bring you down with them.
I want you to consider this and think very seriously about what I am saying. If Jason Kenney had any business sense at all he would be investing in diversification, industry other than oil. In the late 1980's and early 1990's the World economy hit the wall, Pittsburg PA had been devastated by the loss of it's steel industry then governor Bob Casey, unlike Jason Kenney, invested in promotion, diversification and development to attract new industry, sometimes the simplest of ideas are the best. They looked at their proximity to population and came up with and ad "Pittsburg, within 500 miles of 50% of North America's population". It worked, why? Because even Montreal and Toronto were within that circumference and companies setup in Pittsburg and today it is a thriving city.
I am telling you this for your own good and because I love you and want you to remain as an essential part of the Canadian family.... our family.
This post doesn't spell the end of oil anytime soon but it does indicate that the market is dwindling, as it has been for years, however it does indicate that the move away from oil is accelerating. For years we have watched as the auto industry built cleaner more efficient vehicles but you ignored them.
I know what you are going to say, "what the hell do you know about Alberta"... well I know my grandfather owned a farm in Three Hills back in the late 1910's and I know my mom was born in Three Hills. I also know my grandfather sold the farm to one Pierre Paris in 1920 for the princely sum of $827.00. I would venture a guess that the decedents of Pierre Paris are still in Alberta and if they wish to see the document of sale I still have it and they are welcome to see it.
For years we watched as governments imposed legislation to curb emissions from coal and oil fired electric plants and still you turned a deaf ear.
Then came the EV revolution and you buried your head in the sand.
You have to stop listening to those who are in the pocket of Oil Barons, people like Scheer, like Kenney and like their promoters Stephen Harper and Preston Manning. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, my fellow Canadians, it is going to get worse. Like any new idea science, engineering and increasing sales volume will make electric vehicles more affordable while the range they can travel on a charge is already increasing and now with quick charge terminals and the development of the electric highway the EV is here to stay.
China is building more and more EV's, installing wind and solar farms if you continue to ignore the changes coming down the road you will only punish yourself. WEXIT is not your road to salvation it is the next step to the demise of Alberta.
You can no longer sit back and hope for new markets, new pipelines or for Jason Kenney to pull the proverbial rabbit out of his a$$, the man has your number, he knows how scared and desperate you are becoming and he keeps feeding your fears.... stop letting him use and abuse your emotions.... listen to what is happening outside of Alberta, outside of your government and outside of your friends or they all will bring you down with them.
I want you to consider this and think very seriously about what I am saying. If Jason Kenney had any business sense at all he would be investing in diversification, industry other than oil. In the late 1980's and early 1990's the World economy hit the wall, Pittsburg PA had been devastated by the loss of it's steel industry then governor Bob Casey, unlike Jason Kenney, invested in promotion, diversification and development to attract new industry, sometimes the simplest of ideas are the best. They looked at their proximity to population and came up with and ad "Pittsburg, within 500 miles of 50% of North America's population". It worked, why? Because even Montreal and Toronto were within that circumference and companies setup in Pittsburg and today it is a thriving city.
I am telling you this for your own good and because I love you and want you to remain as an essential part of the Canadian family.... our family.
Honda will sell only electric and hybrid cars in Europe from 2022
Charging Stations will feature Electrify Canada’s DC 350kW Fast Charger
Loblaw pre-orders 25 Tesla all electric trucks for its fleet
Petro-Canada unveils ‘Canada’s Electric Highway’
China is trying to build an empire of electric cars — but the strategy has one huge flaw that will benefit Tesla
GM underway with plan to build U.S. electric-vehicle charging infrastructure
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Upper Lesperance and Tiffen Road
Went to visit my brother in rehab and took these photos on my way home 🏡
Lesperance and Rockpile green at Tiffen end behind CCHS with condos over looking the green
Thanks Ivan - The principal from RGHS lived in one of those houses on Lesperance near Tiffin and Marty and I were out cruising on his bike when he decided to drive up on his lawn an crack the throttle tearing up the lawn.
You might be a Canadian if...………………….
- If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May you may live in Canada.
- If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you may live in Canada.
- If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Canada
- If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialled a wrong number, you may live in Canada
- If “Vacation” means going anywhere south of Muncie for the weekend you may live in Canada.
- If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Canada
- If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Canada
- If you have switched from “heat” to “A/C” in the same day and back again, you may live in Canada
- If you can drive 90 kms/hr through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Canada
- If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Canada
- If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Canada
- If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Canada
- If the speed limit on the highway is 80km — you’re going 90 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Canada
- If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Canada
- If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Canada
- If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Canada.
- If you find 2 degrees “a little chilly”, you may live in Canada
Thanks Joe and Lezlie
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Sherri Romonado - Congratulations
Was at Legion coffee this morning and had the opportunity to sit and talk with Sherry Romanado,
Liberal encumbant for Longueuil St-Hubert.
Quite interesting to hear her tell of election night precedures and the amount of effort it takes to get to the end zone.
She won the riding with a better percentage than 4 yrs ago.
I also put in a plug for your blog. At least she wrote down the address.
Thanks Ivan
The WEXIT movement cannot be overlooked by the East
There is more to western anger than carbon tax, much, much more. The mainstream media keeps harping on it and the western conservative plays along but the disillusionment with Canadian politics began long before that. In fact it began before Pierre Elliot Trudeau became Prime Minister.
So what is the source of western anger, it's the east, not the people of Ontario and Quebec as much as it is that in the modern era almost every Prime Minister, with the exception of Joe Clark and Stephen Harper have come from the east, Quebec on top of that.
That in a nutshell is the crux of their discontent, they don't get representation. Their anger is directed at Liberals because it is the Liberals who keep nominating a leader from Quebec even Brian Mulroney a conservative came from Montreal.
In 1988 a friend who had relocated from Quebec to Alberta a few years earlier came to visit us at our new home in Ontario, we had a discussion about Alberta alienation and that was one of his major points, he said he now knew why Albertans felt left out. It is not the sole reason but it certainly was the beginning.
We, as a country have a lot of work to do to restore civility to the country as a whole and to Alberta and Saskatchewan. In my opinion Saskatchewan is a soft separatist movement and has joined their friends in Alberta as support for the cause.
Canadian unity is important to us all and I personally understand Alberta's anger, forgive me Saskatchewan I am not ignoring you it is just that the feeling of alienation has been loudest from your neighbor.
The future of Canada is at stake here and tempers, innuendo and misinformation must be put aside and honest dialogue, with some compromise on both sides, can and will resolve our differences.
So what is the source of western anger, it's the east, not the people of Ontario and Quebec as much as it is that in the modern era almost every Prime Minister, with the exception of Joe Clark and Stephen Harper have come from the east, Quebec on top of that.
That in a nutshell is the crux of their discontent, they don't get representation. Their anger is directed at Liberals because it is the Liberals who keep nominating a leader from Quebec even Brian Mulroney a conservative came from Montreal.
In 1988 a friend who had relocated from Quebec to Alberta a few years earlier came to visit us at our new home in Ontario, we had a discussion about Alberta alienation and that was one of his major points, he said he now knew why Albertans felt left out. It is not the sole reason but it certainly was the beginning.
We, as a country have a lot of work to do to restore civility to the country as a whole and to Alberta and Saskatchewan. In my opinion Saskatchewan is a soft separatist movement and has joined their friends in Alberta as support for the cause.
Canadian unity is important to us all and I personally understand Alberta's anger, forgive me Saskatchewan I am not ignoring you it is just that the feeling of alienation has been loudest from your neighbor.
The future of Canada is at stake here and tempers, innuendo and misinformation must be put aside and honest dialogue, with some compromise on both sides, can and will resolve our differences.
From a long time internet friend in Santa Clarita CA
I have gotten all my paperwork and weapons and sleeping bag in my car ready to roll.
The fire is 1 mile northeast of me and 7 miles west of me. all schools closed and most are businesses closed. The 14 is closed and bouquet is closed 1 mile north of me.
Thanks Kerry - stay safe our thoughts are with you my friend
Update: Got notification at 6 am eastern time Kerry is safe.
Update: Got notification at 6 am eastern time Kerry is safe.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Stop blaming others Alberta
Albertans~Denial Prolongs Pain
Albertans, especially politicians and media propagandists, like to blame its hardships today on the Trudeau government for the last 4 yrs. But seriously people, that makes no sense at all!
I thought I would share a little history with those of you who are interested.
In 2004 I ran in the Alberta provincial election. At every candidates debate, through my writing, letters to the editor and so on I tried to bring awareness to the fact that Alberta was not being paid fair royalties for our oil. Norway was charging far more for their oil and had huge reserves of money from doing so. The response at that time was, ‘but Alberta is landlocked’ and there is nothing we can do about it. I also tried to bring awareness that Ralph Klein’s cuts to healthcare and education had created huge hardships on many people; but within the ‘Conservative machine that was somewhat drunk on new wealth’, they didn’t care to hear.
Well that was ignorance born of 40 yrs of PC government climate of indoctrination. They had their own ideas about managing our resources~ for some reason they had no interest in getting our resources to new markets. Yes Alberta is landlocked, ever since the big shift and receding glaciers created North America it’s been landlocked, but pipelines were still built to the USA. They could easily have been built to tidewater, had there been the will to do so. We fed the multinational corporations, instead of our own people. We practically paid them to take it. They left us abandoned wells and the cost to clean them up, (a recent court case suggests they may still have to pay for it, but we’ll see). That’s the reality.
Link https://letsgetrealchattinwcatherine.wordpress.com/2019/10/13/denial-prolongs-pain/?fbclid=IwAR2xioNo3XEYTEeGLaGF_BllsnlxB9cFmbMXGbFPZeLXAa3ZNllCyxhMIbM
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Found on FB
A friend from Alberta shared this on her wall this morning. Made me smile.
"You Might be the Reason the Rest of Canada Doesn’t Take Alberta Seriously if . . .
If you have ever complained that the size of Alberta’s ridings are undemocratic but also complained that “elections are decided by Quebec and Ontario” you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you can look at a Canadian media that election after election overwhelmingly endorses conservative parties and still believe that there is a massive left wing bias in the media you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you believe that the historic low unemployment rate Canada as a whole has experienced under Trudeau is a complete fiction because unemployment has been high in provinces dependent on the oil sector you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you were mad at Trudeau for renewing the current equalization formula but were fine with it when Harper wrote it you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you think Trudeau’s carbon tax is going to destroy Alberta, but didn’t even notice when Harper proposed one in back in 2008 you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you think Trudeau’s environmental regulations are going to kill all future pipelines but don’t understand how Harper’s deregulation resulted in every pipeline being tied up in court until the company bailed you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you are worried about Trudeau’s deficits bankrupting Canada but never really cared about Harper’s larger deficits you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you’ve never realized that Trudeau spent more on Alberta in four years than Harper did in ten you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you haven’t noticed that three federal parties are proposing making massive investments to help Alberta workers and none of them are led by Scheer or Bernier you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you are furious about Trudeau’s SNC-Lavalin scandal, but were completely oblivious to Harper having a larger scandal involving the same company you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you have ever defended inaction on climate change by pointing to China without ever having looked into all the ways China is leading the world in carbon reduction you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you think that the problems Alberta’s “separatists” complain about would actually be made better if Alberta were its own country you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you think there are other provinces which would join Alberta if it separated, you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
If you think Alberta could separate from Canada without it being tied up in court for decades while First Nations sued for the land to be given to them under the treaties that promised them every square inch of this province you might be the reason the rest of Canada doesn’t take Alberta seriously.
My POV
I look
forward to seeing how the LPC and NDP work for Canada
This was by
far the most vile un-Canadian of election I have endured in my 75 years. Every
political party, except Liberals, gained something from the four year campaign
of anti-Trudeau, anti-Liberal, anti-Canadian vitriol spewed by the CPC.
Thanks to the CPC and their anti-Liberal views we have seen the rise of the Bloc in Quebec and a renewed call for WEXIT coming out of Alberta. They have created a division unprecedented in Canadian history perhaps that is their intent.
Contrary to
what the media is reporting this morning reconciliation and Canadian unity is
now in the hands of the CPC it is up to them to stop the divisive vitriol and
temper their words to stop the spread of hate that they created. Unfortunately
I don’t believe they will since Harper started the conversation with his talk of
building a wall around Alberta.
People,
including conservatives, will blame Andrew Scheer for the ugliness that we
experienced but Andrew Scheer was the messenger of negativity and false narrative,
make no mistake this campaign was made in and directed from the party that
Stephen Harper created and still plays a major role.
Dark money
was laundered through right wing think tanks and funneled to third party advertisers
who relayed the false narritive that came out of CPC central. Scheer may be a
false prophet with a fake bio but he was good at what he did, create an
atmosphere of distrust based solely on innuendo and without truth.
My
predictions:
The LPC and
the NDP will find a way to work around their differences for the benefit of the
country. It should be interesting to see the compromises over the next 12 to 18
months and perhaps longer as neither are prepared to enter into an early election.
We could see
dental care in the pharmacare package but I don’t see much else in year one.
The CPC will
have a hard time convincing themselves and Andrew Scheer to quit unless one of
their benefactors offers him a cushy position to get out of the way.
If Scheer
stays we will see more false narrative and personal attacks on Trudeau and to
some extent on Singh and the NDP when they make concessions.
The BQ will
also play a part in keeping the government running simply because what benefits
Canada as a whole will benefit them as a party. They can go back to their base
and say “see what we did for Quebec”.
Monday, October 21, 2019
You can't reduce revenues and cut services to the people and call it austerity
"We do not anticipate a sudden conversion by Premier Kenney or Minister Toews to a broader consideration of Alberta’s fiscal circumstances. As we laid out in the report, Albertans have been lulled into believing they were paying the full cost of their public services. Unbeknownst to most Albertans, it was the sale of non-renewable resources that was paying 10 to 40 per cent of the cost of public services since the 1980s.
In fact, data going as far back as 1965 show that were it not for Alberta resource revenue, the Alberta government never has run a budget surplus. Thus, past Alberta governments have always looked to the next boom to repay Canadian and foreign bondholders they borrowed from when oil and gas prices were depressed."
Opinion: Spending cuts and oil aren't a long-term fiscal plan
From Le Journal de Montreal
Political cartoon LOL
Link https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/10/03/la-caricature-dygreck
Thanks Ivan
Link https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/10/03/la-caricature-dygreck
Thanks Ivan
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Cuts are a threat not a promise
Remember the Harper era when you go to vote.
Andrew Scheer and the CPC are the same as the Harper regime. They are the takeaway party, there are no gimme's.
In Andrew Scheer's budget there are the known takeaway's and then there is the unknown 14 billion dollars that they have yet to specify, so before you vote ask yourself "what do I want to lose that Andrew Scheer is not telling me about"?
Forget asking "what we as a country can afford to lose" this is about you and I and our families, like Harper, Andrew Scheer's intent is to cut essential programs that you and I, as well as most Canadians, have come to enjoy, that are a benefit to those earners who are not in the upper 10 or 20 percentile.
This is not about deficits, deficits are manageable, this is our tax dollars being put to good use to fulfill our wants and needs.
There are two ways to mange and lower a targeted deficit like the one that has restored our economy, one is to raise taxes, which is considered political suicide or through immigration. Contrary to the conservatives plan of bringing in qualified immigrants such as the educated, the business operator or the wealthy, which Harper tried without great success, working class immigrants who help the country grow pay taxes, more people paying taxes equals more revenue for the government to pay down a deficit.
It is simple logic that eludes conservatives. Canada is a large country with a very small population density, immigration can solve that but people have to stop fabricating misinformation about new Canadians..... Stop Feeding the Fears.
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