[JackIsBack]

[QUOTE BY= whelan costen]The majority of Albertan’s are not that greedy, nor forgetful, that they can’t realize the benefits of being part of Confederation, it is about give and take, yesterday, today and for tomorrow. <br />[/QUOTE] <br /> <br />Give your head a good shake man!!! There is no give, Canada is all take take and we will take some more from Alberta. Equalization doesn't work for Alberta or the rest of Canada - even the recipients of cash are hurting because of it. <br /> <br />http://www.aims.ca/Main/equalization.htm <br />http://www.iedm.org/communique10_en.html <br />http://www.fcpp.org/publication_detail.php?PubID=730 <br />http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/boothe-1.pdf <br />http://oldfraser.lexi.net/publications/books/equalization/ <br /> <br />Alberta has given over 250 billion dollars since 1961 and the supposedly the “cash cow” province of Ontario has lagged far behind not even mustering up a 100 billion into the pool. On a per capita base Ontario doesn’t even come close to Albertans $3500 yearly payment – they only give about $100 bucks each. <br /> <br />By the way the founder and president of the SPA is from Northern Ontario, hmmmm, that’s real funny. Also Alberta has the best Healthcare and Education programs in Canada. <br /> <br />Regards, <br />Jack <br />http://projectalberta.com/

[Calumny]

Alberta's population is about the size of Toronto, and 1/4 the size of Ontario's. Ontario, and Toronto in particular, absorb the vast majority of Canadian immigration. There are a number of costs associated with these facts that may serve to reduce Ontario's overall per capita contribution. <BR> <br /> <br />I don't disagree that equalization has 'problems'. How for example the population of Quebec can remain relatively static the past few years (+100,000 or so, as opposed to Ontario's +1 million or so) while Quebec equalization payments increased by nearly one billion is a bit mind boggling. However, rather than having the provinces bickering amongst themselves and some feeling hard done by, perhaps we could follow Venezuela's example and bump up oil and similar natural resource royalties to 30%, thus having more money to meet national needs and getting a fairer return for our <b>national</b> natural resources while also reducing the responsibilities of the average Canadian taxpayer. <BR> <br /> <br />Continuing to allow our <b>national</b> natural resources to be siphoned off in a manner that benefits very few is ludicrous. <BR>

[whelan costen]

Thanks Jack for the advice, gave my head a shake and really hasn't remedied the problem, however you might want to expand your horizons and take a read from this website <br />http://www.policyalternatives.ca/bc/bccfall02.pdf <br /> <br />I quote in part, 'The federal Equalization program is one that Canada's Right love to hate. It is equated to welfare for needy provinces, and portrayed by many, including Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, as a direct transfer of funds from the "haves" to the "have nots." It is neither, but the fact that Equalization is poorly understaood makes it vulnerable to such rhetorical attacks.' <br /> <br />Have a read and then come back and discuss. I am tired of not getting the truth from government, I am tired of being told we know what we are doing, so you 'the people' just go away. We are paying their salaries and we have the right to know the truth. Full disclosure on where our money is really going,at every level of government. Then the people will really be able to vote as informed voters and not brainwashed pawns. <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/mad.gif' alt='Angry'>

[Reverend Blair]

Very well put, Whelan. We need a cheering, clapping emoticon thingy.

[whelan costen]

Thanks Rev, I am a little surprised that this post has had 84 views and only 4 posts. Perhaps most people don't see this as a threat??? <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/confused.gif' alt='Confused'>

[Milton]

It is hard to follow you "guyses" acts. I like the 30% royalty idea and I am sick to death of hearing exclusively about stakeholders rights. It might be time to drive the stake into the holders hearts, assuming they have hearts. Also, I do not support separatism but I don't mind sharing. <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/mrgreen.gif' alt='Mr. Green'> <br /> <br />I work with a fellow who is a cow-calf producer, when he is not at work earning money to support his cow calf operation, and he has received nothing as yet from the provincial or federal governments slush fund payouts. <br /> This fellow hopes that Klein will get re-elected, he thinks Klein has been good for the province and that privatized health care is the way to go. Now this really floors me because this guy is intelligent and not a greedy person. How many more like him are there in this province? <br /> <br /> My conclusion is that all they are exposed to is the Sun and Herald newspapers, as well as local radio and TV stations, and all they print and broadcast is the news according to the right wing think tanks.

[whelan costen]

Well Milton, that is one of the reasons I decided to run, their are not enough voices expressing another point of view! Recently the letters to the editor section of most papers, including the Sun occassionally, are very anti-Klein government. So the tide is changing and people are slowly waking up, but it will take a great deal of noice to alert most to the corporate agenda which is being promoted. If we don't speak up now, we are all going to end up being slaves to corporate profits!

[Milton]

You are right about the need to speak out Catherine, I hope you are right about the <i>change is in the air</i> bit too.

[Crankster]

All Canada is in Welfare mode.If we're not makin it some one else should pay is the modicum of thought lately. <br /> What the hell ever happened to working hard to achieve.I realize it is a difficult thing to do given the fact that most if not all Canada is run by idiots who don't seem to know thier arsehole from a hole in the ground. <br /> If the feds are not giving the proper transfer payments to the provinces,if the feds aren't living upto there end of the bargain so to speak,why dosen't Canada as a whole openly oppose the crap going on.All I hear is whining from that sandy hole that most heads are stuck in and wind from the hole left sticking up!! <br /> The same can be said for the provincial governments.If the people are so dang fed up,stand up and be heard!! <br /> Personnaly I think the Alberta Sep Party is the way to go.Enoughis enough with the political corporate finger upthe butts of Canadians.At least we could whine for oil.Wait,we already do!

[whelan costen]

Well Crankster you have an interesting attitude; many Canadians do believe in working hard for a living, however that becomes harder to do when you are working for corporations that treat you like a slave. Alberta has the lowest minimum wage in Canada, which certainly is beneficial to the corporations, not so good for the worker. Being paid a fair wage, and having decent working conditions shouldn't be that difficult, or considered a welfare mode. <br /> <br />Many people are forced to work several part-time jobs to keep food on the table, how does that serve the people, how can you raise a family when you are working all the time to feed them, how can you pay your utilities when they skyrocket? The corporations are making their bucks, but the average Albertan is not! We need responsible government, people don't want a hand out, most want a hand up, fair trade deals, fair royalties on our oil, so that we can support healthcare, education and our infrastructure. <br /> <br />If we don't look after our youth, educate them for the future, we won't have one. A true measure of society can be made by observing how they look after their young, their old, and their sick. We are not doing very well! <br /> <br />Is it really too much to ask that our government serve the people? Separation will not be the answer, it will just make us more vulnerable to more corporate control. Selling off our public lands fast and furious isn't going to make us stronger, it is selling off our future. I don't think most people have their heads stuck in the sand, but many are afraid to speak out, else they lose their job, many more don't understand the double talk we get from our politicians. <br /> <br />I think people need to look at the big picture. When you consider that many of our social systems, were designed after the dirty thirty's, after so many lives were lost, farms were lost to the banks, and people were faced with no hope; now we are destroying these systems put in place so that we the future generations wouldn't have to go through what they did. They didn't have the communications, the technology or science we have today, and yet they had guts, vision and we need to get that back. They were a generation of people that kept their word, from the common man to the politician; nobody sold out their country, else they would be turfed out of office so fast their head would spin. Every one had pride in their country, and the intestinal fortitude to stand up and be heard, we need to get that back! We won't do it by standing by and watching our country be taken over by the corporate agenda!

[Crankster]

Thats exactly what i mean Whelan.When are we going to stop bitching and whining and do something.Your're exactly right saying the gov should be serving the people,not the other way around.Quite frankly,I'm sick and tired of the beefing and no action attitude.If we let the government continue in this way,Alberta,Sask,Bc,it matters not,will be barren wasteland cause nobody can afford to do nothing. <br /> You remember some sci-fi shows where everybody is in little factions and groups killing over a few tanks of gas and food stores and shit.Not to far from the truth if we continue to let gov and corporate greed go screwin each other any longer. <br /> You don't have to dictate to me how tough it is for families,I have four and the wife and I barely make it.I live in BC and the wages here are not much better.I been doin what ido for almost 20yrs.Stillsuckin hind tit because I refuse to get on that fuckin merry-go-round! Sad thing is,if you arew a hard workewr and honest,it shouldn't be as hard to live.Its those greedy bastards living off our sweat and blood that live easy! Its WRONG,it needs to be fixed!!!!

[Kory Yamashita]

Crankster: Exactly! We need a government that actually works to the benefit of the citizens. But the problem nowadays is that the corporations are bigger than the governments. If a corporation can make countries compete with each other for its investment, then those countries will undermine their morals. It's like bribery in jobs. The only bargaining chip that countries have is the RIGHT for the corporations to invest there. We have vast resources in Canada. By giving them to large corporations with only minimal taxing (to attract investment) and low wages, we are selling off our only assets (resources) at minimal returns. For example, we sell uncut logs to other countries. They mill them into timber and then build furniture and sell it back to us. So they get all the jobs, and we pay for it. <br /> <br />Now, as a country, Canada has a market of 30 million people and a ridiculously big excess of resources for those people. I find it ridiculous for a country with so much to have ANYONE dying of poor medicare or a malnutrition. There should be excellent schools and intelligently planned cities and towns. <br /> <br />Canada is one of the only countries that could shut its border and achieve self-sufficiency. We don't need to cater to large corporations; we need to cater to the people. Making concessions to encourage investment for jobs is ridiculous. We should simply be starting our own companies. I feel like we're struggling so hard to keep our heads above the water, and right behind us is the shore. <br /> <br />The Alberta Separatist Party is just a distraction. It's a corporate tool being used to channel the anger at incompetent governance into yet another example of divide-and-conquer corporation-over-people dominance. We need to wake up, stand up, and unite against these vulture corporations, who turn the very serious business of providing the necessities of life into a stock market game.

[whelan costen]

Well said Kory, and Crankster I hear your frustration and believe we are saying the same thing. The main difference is you are venting, and expressing a sense of hopelessness; I on the other hand am taking my 'whining' to a different stage, I am willing to put myself on the line, to elevate the voice of the people and run for public office. It is my belief that if enough people start to once again believe in this country, in democracy enough to practice it at the polls, we can make a differenc. We don't have to take it, we don't have to live under corporate control, we have a process which allows us to make change, all we have to do is exercise that right. Many people say well, the NDP can't really make a diffence, that is true if people don't give them the chance. I have heard they'll spend us into debt, that is rubbish, the Liberal party in Alberta is in debt, the NDP is not! A party is only as good as the members within the party. Alberta has a great opportunity to take hold of policies that will really improve the lives of Albertans and we don't have to thumb our nose at the rest of Canada to do it. <br /> <br />You are right we have to stop the internal whining and become externally active and we will make a difference.

[Kory Yamashita]

Whelan, I'm impressed that you've taken the step to run. That's a huge responsibility and I wish you the best, because I can see that you will be running FOR something. You have a vision, and that's a rarity in this day and age for politicians. And even more importantly, you have a vision that you're willing to discuss openly. <br /> <br />I, too, am planning on running when the circumstances are right. I think it would be wise of me to finish my degree first and get some experience within political parties before I make the leap of faith.

[whelan costen]

Kory good for you, only you will know when the time is right for you. The climate in Alberta and Canada, is such that I can no longer just write to my MLA etc and feel that I'm doing something. Since they refuse to act according to the idea that they represent the people first, and in Alberta they don't feel they have to divulge the people's accounts. For me this is the right time to become active.