Taxpayers grade the candidates...

[coppertop]

Ed has certainly not preached being all things to all people. He is adamant that we need to improve the delivery of health care with the same dollars. Dinning has also said that health care isn't something people should have to dig into their pockets to pay for.
The municipal grants Ed is advocating do nothing more than replace the old Municipal Assistance Grants that the provinces lost ten years or more ago. Since that time municipalities both rural and urban have had to debenture basic road and utility projects, and pay interest on them.

I don't know how often you have heard Ed speak, but I have been on the campaign trail with him numerous times and heard his message over and over, it doesn't change from day to day like Morton and Dinnings does.

[blackjack]

...that is impossible coppertop to keep the delivery of health care with the same dollars unless you let the private sector build the infrastructure...let the private sector take the risk...and by all means do not let the govt subsidize these ventures neither...let them have their own administration and let there be competition...just maybe the public system might be a little more accountable for their actions than they have in the past...i have nothing against mr. stelmach as a person i just see more of the same ...maybe none of the three are what i truly want...but one of them is going to be our premier...so i think morton would be the one closest to how i feel in what it takes alberta to move forward...not only for alberta's sake but canada's as well...

[kpb]

Whoa coppertop, what happened to taking the high road and not slamming the other candidates? I don't want to argue with you about this--I told you I'm not a Morton supporter and I didn't vote for him the first time around. But this time I think I will because I agree with most of what he says--not all--and I think he's clear on where he stands, like it or not.

Seems to me that there are a lot of people out there like me. We're not dumb so we likely won't get scared by the old Lib private health care bogeyman. It's kind of telling when the other candidates bring this up--shows me where their campaigns are going.

The thing is I just want to hear Ed tell me in his own words where he stands on the issues. Not from his supporters, not in a newspaper column but when someone asks him a direct question, from his own mouth. I've listened closely to him twice now, over a period of half an hour or so each time, and I've yet to hear a straight answer to a straight question.

That's all I'm saying--I have no ax to grind here, don't support any particular candidate. But I have a pretty good idea of where Morton and Dinning both stand.

Cakadu, please, no more studies, no more committees. Sure let's build a consensus before we act but is it not too much to ask to know what a candidate thinks is right? I mean look at coppertop's reply as to what Stelmach thinks should be done about our health care mess (it's a few posts up)--does that tell you if he favors private clinics? Or is a firm advocate of public only health care? He's apparently going to act within the Canada Health Act--does that mean he is opposed to private clinics? or what? Which direction does he want to go? Surely we are entitled to know that. I'll make it real simple--would Ed allow private clinics or not--yes or no?

Now I know what's the answer for the other two candidates on this question and I'd really like to know Stelmach's answer, from his own mouth. All I've ever heard from Stelmach on this and the other big issues is a whole lot of fog that I can't wade my way through. The questions are pretty straightforward but who knows where Ed stands?

kpb

[ivbinconned]

It's Dinning who's living in the past, not Morton

Conservatives are strong when they are guided by the past without living in it.

This is what sets Ted Morton apart from Jim Dinning.

Dinning is clinging to a Canada that is already vanishing -- a Canada of political correctness and big central government. It is being methodically dismantled and redesigned by Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Calgary.

Ted Morton is looking forward to Stephen Harper's new Canada, and knows how to shape Alberta's place in it. He's eager to do it.

The Canada Jim Dinning talks so much about was run by Jean Chretien and Paul Martin. Dinning spent most of the Chretien/Martin years on sabbatical from his career in government. He was salaried at $400,000 a year by a provincially regulated utility. His main duty at Transalta seems to have been to support Jean Chretien's Kyoto policy by needlessly buying useless carbon credits from South America, financed by Alberta power consumers, and arranging a $25,000 gift to the Liberal Party of Canada (http://www.jimdimming.com/images/letter.gif).

Ted Morton, meanwhile, was actually working with the Reform Party, the Canadian Alliance and the new Conservative party to defeat the Liberals and restructure Canadian federalism.

It was regrettable, perhaps, that Premier Ralph Klein was of such little help. But it is unacceptable that Jim Dinning was actively supporting the other side. While Ted Morton was pushing the Alberta Agenda at public meetings in places like High River, Stony Plain and Nanton, defending the rights of farmers, gun owners and families, Jim Dinning was shmoozing it up at the Petroleum Club, amassing his $2 million leadership war chest, recruiting all Ralph's worst people to run his campaign, and signing up MLAs who wanted promotions to cabinet.

Dinning has no evident interest except to be premier. And if he can't be premier he has expressed no intent to become an MLA.

Ted Morton, meanwhile, has spent the past three years becoming an MLA, talking to town hall meetings about our future as a province, and promoting a vision of Alberta in the new Canada Stephen Harper is creating with the people we sent to Ottawa to do it.

In this new Morton/Harper Canada, all provinces will have the social and economic rights and responsibilities the Constitution of Canada gives them and that Liberal governments have stripped away. (Dinning refuses to discuss the Constitution.)

In this new Morton/Harper Canada, the Senate will be elected to represent provincial interests in Parliament as originally intended. (Dinning has no interest in the Senate.)

In this new Morton/Harper Canada, judges will not remain, as they have become, a law unto themselves. (Dinning ridicules this as "refighting old battles.")

This is the Canada that Ted Morton and Stephen Harper are trying very hard to create. It's a difficult and risky political task, and Alberta must step forward to play a bold part. That's why a dozen Alberta MPs are coming home this week to urge their friends and aquaintances to help make Ted Morton the Premier of Alberta on Saturday.

You should help too. Recruit a few friends and neighours and vote for Ted this Saturday.

[coppertop]

kpb, there is a debate on Global tomorrow night at 6:00. I am sure the health care issue will come up, and hopefully you will get answers on this from each candidate.

I think we all realize government has to change, but Ralph tried to bring in an enhanced health care for Albertans and each time he tried it the public got up in arms and he backed down. I think health care dollars can be utillized more efficiently. Top heavy administration within the health regions does not cure one person, or speed up the process in emergency wards. I think that Oberg had some good ideas on health care, although he was certainly not my choice for leader. If you called twenty people and asked them what should be done to make the health care system more streamlined and keep costs down you would get twenty different answers, and unfortunately that is what the government has been getting thousands of times over.
Municipalities face the same thing when they try to charge fees for service, such as garbage collection etc., People think that because they pay taxes everything should be covered but it is not. We need to realize two things, one, that healthcare is not free, and secondly we need to take ownership of our own health as much as possible.
All the candidates are getting varying wish lists from rural and urban Albertans. Urbans want more policing, more freeways, more affordable housing etc. Rurals want a guarantee of a good health care system, an agriculture policy that really works, and decent highways, and all Albertans want clean air, ample and safe water supplies etc.

Pretty tall order for anyone to fill, hopefully after the dust settles on Saturday the man in the 3rd floor at the Leg. is up to the task and has the support of caucus, because regardless of who it is, well over half the new found PC's won't be around for long, in fact I suspect a lot of them will vote Liberal or NDP in the next election.

[cowman]

Well obviously people are fairly passionate about this whole subject!
A few points: Healthcare, as we know it, is not sustainable. It really isn't. Ralph tried many times to bring some sanity into the equation and was rebuffed many times...and the overspending goes on? Ralph asked a very important question about 8 years ago..."How much is enough? Is 50% of government revenue enough? 60%? 75%? Where does it end?"
I believe healthcare cost $10.5 billion last year...on a $27 billion budget? Next year all the royalty money in Alberta will not cover the healthcare bill! If you haven't seen it yet, believe me, the oil patch is slowing down in a big way! And not just here in central Alberta, but everywhere except the tarsands! Ask around what the drilling intentions are for the second and third quarters of 2007?
Second point: Replacing the RCMP. What do you think is happening now? Have you seen the "Alberta Sheriffs" cars around? They are now branching out into drug enforcement? Why do you think the province is building a police training center? Many Alberta cities already have their own police forces, including Calgary and Edmonton? Do you think we get the RCMP for free? I believe in the near future Red Deer will move to a municipal police force...due to a lower cost and a more efficient police force!
Last point: Morton won't be able to do all he desires! But at least he will be able to point us in the right direction instead of being on cruise control like we've been for several years? You can't give Ralph all the blame? He was just one man. There was a whole cabinet who has to share in the "do nothing" mode? Alberta is riding high right now but if spending keeps increasing at the rate it has we will be in a deficit position by 2013...and that is "if" our oil patch activity stays the same as 2005!
Alaskans get a dividend check every year...on a lot less oil field activity than Alberta. We get more "studies" and "committees" to see how we'll piss away OUR money! Want more of the same...just keep voting for the likes of Dinning and Stelmach!

[coppertop]

The Sheriff's were initiated by the Solicitor General to aide the RCMP in dealing with traffic violations etc. IF they do find someone in possession of illegal drugs during a routine stop of course they will deal with it. When drug trafficking is in epidemic proportions in this province I, for one want to see every possible means taken to try and bring it under control.

The RCMP are paid for by urban municipalities over a certain popultation but the province pays for policing by RCMP in rural areas. Having said this, there are some rural municipalities that have opted to fund an extra rural constable or perhaps help pay for the cost of one admin support position within their local detatchment.

[coppertop]

Sorry for the second post, but cowman, what do you think will happen with exploration when Morton brings in his new plan for royalties ? I know the royalties need to be reviewed and likely increased but his plan to have them collected on a sliding scale will surely mean a slow down of working over old wells to get them into production etc. Any business within the industry that services the oil patch should be concerned.

[cowman]

I agree that in the short term it will put a damper on some activities, but basically companies will continue to compete...if the projects are feasible? Lets face it oil at $100/bbl makes just about anything feasible...at $50...its another story? Reworking old wells that weren't feasible at $30/bbl, but are at $60/bbl, only makes sense?
Royalties are just the cost of doing business? Just like renting pasture? If the rent doesn't make sense...you just don't do it?
I wonder how it is that Alaska gets about $9/bbl in royalties while Alberta gets $4? On conventional oil? The tarsands...1%...or about 60 cents/bbl! Now I might suggest at 60 cents/bbl that the owners(Alberta citizens) might need a raise?
Morton also came out with an idea of sharing royalty wealth with the municipalities? Is that a good idea? Do you think the municipalities should get some of the royalty income to offset their infrastructure costs? And please don't say this can't be done! Where there is a will, there is a way!
Dinning says "he'll look at the royalty thing"? Is that good enough?
Stelmach was in cabinet for many years...is he advocating a fairer share for the Alberta citizen? Do you think we are getting our fair share?
Morton also says he will change how surface lease and pipelines are paid out? Now you say he can't do that and without a doubt the PC government has done nothing about this since 1980!!!
Do you think this is fair? Do you think, as surface owners, we should have maybe have had a raise?
What was gasoline worth in 1980? How about natural gas? Everyone else on the oil/gas value change got more...but not the guy who owned the land? Is that fair?
Why would we keep electing people who want to keep the status quoe alive and well? Should we expect to keep getting the lowest royalties and surface prices from 1980?
Without a doubt I benifit from servicing the oil field. They probably provide over half of my business...with municipalities, industrial business, farmers, Alberta highways, CPR and CN providing the other half.

[coppertop]

Surface lease payments are governed by the Surface Rights Board, is Dinning going to start a dictatorship and meddle in the affairs of a quais judicial board ? Somewhat like telling a judge what sort of sentence to give out. But that is the American way isn't it ? Control the judges, and control everything, down to the election of local sheriffs !!!!

Ed announced weeks ago that he will implement a grant for ALL municipalities based on the education tax component, that is, in fact, some resource dollars coming back to the local level of government.

Morton's plan will see the resource base municipalities get far more than ones that have little or now resource asssessment, so he is picking winners and losers based on the resource activity taking place. When he mentioned that at the AAMD C Convention it was not a popular suggestion, not to mention how he plans on doling out funds to urban centres. It scares the heck out of me when preachers are out telling their flock how to vote.....sounds like Alabama all over again !!!!!