Budget and unrest.

Lyle Oberg shows uncommon good sense in demanding the removal of Klein. Klein has orcarstrated with Dinning the total demise of the Alberta Advantage. He has reduced this Government to a position of outright lies; one economical and political misadventure after another!

By privatizing, this Government finds an easy way to side step responsibly for governance. All the good things happen to the Minister and all the bad things are the fault of a private entity, away from Government control. Such a scam!

Yet, Mr. Oberg and other contenders have to answer the public and party on where their political compass is pointed. Do we suffer more and more of the hard right wing disasters exploiting seniors, plundering estates (yes, middle age person your parents estates are all but gone on the present course) and the shilling of enterprise to personal friends or can any of these people come up with the transparent Government and fiscal responsibility that Ralph has abandoned entirely.

Are any of these candidates strong enough to pick up the political challenge of being socially responsible or are they all stuck in the trickle down and hope for the best mode as is Iris Evans?

As for gagging ministers in the remote hope he will retain the party leadership; that is just plain dumb. Its one thing to see a debt ridden drunk stonewall and lock their door against the world. It is quite another to see a premier of this Province do the same thing. I can only wonder at this level of desperation and paranoia! One and the same?

Klein and company have completely abandoned infrastructure up keep for the past 10 years. Billions of dollars are required just to bring it up to an average provincial standard. That is what this budget is about. An election budget played early.

There is no budget for water and sewage on a provincial scale. This is because Ralph’s crew plan on privatizing it all and, EPCOR and ATCO are at the fore front to pick this up. Rather than an essential Government funded and maintained utility we will be dealing with a privatized utility.

At first read I see nothing in the budget on the 1.6 billion dollar power line between Genesse and Langdon. Consider this will be contracted through the EUB and Mr. Lougheed has said the cost plus 11% profit in building power lines is better than building pipe lines. This at a time when steel is at the highest price in history!

The 1.6 billion dollar expense on the 500 MV Genesee to Langdon power line shows up no where. This is because it is set to be a private venture paid for by Albertans and is not to be included in Taxpayer equity! It will be used by oil companies and other industries to export their power on residential rate payer’s tab.

I know of no other Jurisdiction where individuals through their homes are asked to chip into the pot to support the industries. Market pressure be dammed. This is all a straight subsidy to industry which you pay on your electrical bill.

The resurface of highway 2 is outstanding! The plans are to extend the highway to 6 lanes through out. This is overdue and another budget over run.

The spin that Iris Evans has produced a high spend budget to keep Ralph out of the coffers is just plain crap. It’s all done in caucus long before it is presented in the Legislature.

cyberclark@shaw.ca

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