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What's Your Political Stripe
- Are you more like George Bush or Nelson Mandella? Pope Jean Paul II or the Dalai Lama? Take a 5 minute test and find out where you fit. Email me your results if you want along with which Alberta Party you support today; PC, Liberal or NDP. I'll compile the results and post them here; anonymously of course.
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Ralph Klein has gone and it is time to retire Ralph's World. Thanks to all of you who have supported this venture by contributing material and through your comments. It has been fun.
Should we get another blog underway? Let me know your thoughts by e-mailing me at johnnyslow@gmail.com.
John Slow
January 1, 2007
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Smells Like an Election to Me
Klein recommends year freeze on insurance. CBC article
Hmmmm.... Now that the insurance rates have gone up by 50.1% in the last year, Ralph is going to freeze 'em high. Click here for details on the rate increase.
Well, this should keep the insurance companies happy. They made $644 million in profits this year, up from $110 million the same time last year. I'm sure they would happily have these rates frozen for all eternity. It will also keep the injury lawyers happy as it provides lots of money for injury settlements and consequently, lawyers' contingency fees. So the boys and girl on Rob Renner's insurance reform committee (three insurance company people and three lawyers) will likely praise Ralph publicly by saying things like "The Premier has taken a prudent wait-and-see approach in this very important matter and we concur completely with his judgment."
Most importantly for Ralph and his Tory band, they can avoid having to do anything about insurance for a full year. They might even try calling an election for Fall 2004 and hope they can avoid responsibility for their insurance mess by saying "We have our very best people working on a made-in-Alberta Insurance Policy and we will announce the details shortly after being re-elected."
By very cautious fellow Albertans. The spin doctors are out and their after your mind.
Hmmmm.... Now that the insurance rates have gone up by 50.1% in the last year, Ralph is going to freeze 'em high. Click here for details on the rate increase.
Well, this should keep the insurance companies happy. They made $644 million in profits this year, up from $110 million the same time last year. I'm sure they would happily have these rates frozen for all eternity. It will also keep the injury lawyers happy as it provides lots of money for injury settlements and consequently, lawyers' contingency fees. So the boys and girl on Rob Renner's insurance reform committee (three insurance company people and three lawyers) will likely praise Ralph publicly by saying things like "The Premier has taken a prudent wait-and-see approach in this very important matter and we concur completely with his judgment."
Most importantly for Ralph and his Tory band, they can avoid having to do anything about insurance for a full year. They might even try calling an election for Fall 2004 and hope they can avoid responsibility for their insurance mess by saying "We have our very best people working on a made-in-Alberta Insurance Policy and we will announce the details shortly after being re-elected."
By very cautious fellow Albertans. The spin doctors are out and their after your mind.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Public Insurance Makes Sense say Alberta Liberals and NDP
Both of the opposition parties have come out in favour of a public insurance plan to give Albertans relief from the huge increase in auto Insurance costs this year. And is it any wonder? Just look at the Alberta rates as provides by Stats Canada. Alberta sports a 50.1% increase, by far the highest in Canada. Note also the comparisons between jurisdictions which have public insurance schemes vs. those with private schemes. Looks like a pretty good case for public insurance.
The Tories would also do well to abandon their right-wing ideology for a change and implement a public insurance plan that benefits the consumers instead of the insurance companies. The Automobile Insurance Reform Implementation Team led by Tory MLA Rob Renner is suggesting a $4000 cap for soft tissue injuries will reduce rates but the cost will be borne by the unfortunate consumers who happens to suffer soft tissue injuries. The insurance companies lower take on premiums collected will be about equally offset by their reduced payout. Their profits will stay the same. Have a look at who is on this team and see if you can figure out why their recommendations don't impact insurance companies profits.
Have a look at this in-depth article done by the CBC called Insurance: rising rates and risks.
Then go have a look at the Alberta Liberals Public Insurance Proposal and the NDP Plan. The Public Insurance Plan approach just makes common sense.
Stan's Got A Plan
Those of you who are quick to chastise Stan Woloshyn, our Minister of Seniors and Homeless, had better think again. Stan’s got a plan. He’s going to combine the Long Term Care facilities used by our seniors with the Homeless Shelters saving the over-burdened Albertan taxpayer a substantial amount of money. He has already boosted the rates on the long term care facilities by 40% and has plans to charge the homeless for their overnight soirees. My goodness, he’s almost got a profit centre on his hands. No wonder his cabinet colleagues call him “Stan the Man”.
Think of the synergies and cost savings this will bring. Seniors will be able to sleep on comfy mats instead of those bed things. Much better for their posture. And the homeless can be trained to give out medications and perform other duties that are currently undertaken by overpaid nurses. How hard can it be to give out a pill or two. For their part, the seniors can instruct the homeless in their clearly lacking life skills by saying things like “Why don’t you get a job”, “Your mother would be ashamed of you”, “I’m sick and tired of you freeloaders” and other similar encouragements. The homeless will be back on the street in no time.
This government wastes $15.7 million dollars a year on support for homeless shelters alone. This works out to almost one and a half cents a day out of the pockets of every hard-working Albertan. This extravagance has got to stop and Stan Woloshyn is just the man to stop it.
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Strong Albertan Majority Resents Homeless - Gimme a Break John
Edmonton Journal Story - Advocate denounces shelter fees: "John Carpay, Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, praised Woloshyn for trying to introduce accountability into the shelter system.
'People have to learn that things in life are not free,' he said.
The government faces a difficult challenge balancing compassion and responsibility, he said. But across Alberta, a strong silent majority resents the vocal minorities who want to spend the majority's money on social programs, Carpay said."
Our Tory Government that John is so proud of spends $15.7 million a year supporting the homeless in this Province. This works out to $5 for every Albertan/year or a little over one cent a day each. The government also spends $33 million a year subsidizing the Horse Racing industry. Much of this $33 million goes into increasing the prize purses that horse owners race for.
John Carpay, along with the mean-spirited Ministers of the Tory Government are true practitioners of the right-wing creed that the only way to motivate the poor is to give them less money and the only way to motivate the rich is to give them more.
The majority of Albertan’s are generous, helping people. Many of them donate money out of their own pocket and countless hours of volunteer time helping the less fortunate in this Province. I doubt they begrudge giving a cent or two a day from their taxes to help the homeless.
Mr. Carpay has the same annoying habit as Premier Klein. They both make statements about how Albertans feel about things instead of just saying how they personally feel. Perhaps they think this shows leadership. It doesn’t. It shows arrogance and it makes my blood boil. We do not need our politicians telling us how to think.
'People have to learn that things in life are not free,' he said.
The government faces a difficult challenge balancing compassion and responsibility, he said. But across Alberta, a strong silent majority resents the vocal minorities who want to spend the majority's money on social programs, Carpay said."
Our Tory Government that John is so proud of spends $15.7 million a year supporting the homeless in this Province. This works out to $5 for every Albertan/year or a little over one cent a day each. The government also spends $33 million a year subsidizing the Horse Racing industry. Much of this $33 million goes into increasing the prize purses that horse owners race for.
John Carpay, along with the mean-spirited Ministers of the Tory Government are true practitioners of the right-wing creed that the only way to motivate the poor is to give them less money and the only way to motivate the rich is to give them more.
The majority of Albertan’s are generous, helping people. Many of them donate money out of their own pocket and countless hours of volunteer time helping the less fortunate in this Province. I doubt they begrudge giving a cent or two a day from their taxes to help the homeless.
Mr. Carpay has the same annoying habit as Premier Klein. They both make statements about how Albertans feel about things instead of just saying how they personally feel. Perhaps they think this shows leadership. It doesn’t. It shows arrogance and it makes my blood boil. We do not need our politicians telling us how to think.
