David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary

Please see my effort to make sense of this fast-mo...

2012-06-02T16:32:25.001-06:00

Please see my effort to make sense of this fast-moving story from right here in Lethbridge Alberta.

Anthony Hall

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/05/31/quebecers-lead-the-way-in-the-global-rejection-of-voodoo-reaganomics/

Casseroles Nights also happening in Calgary almost...

2012-06-02T16:06:04.788-06:00

Casseroles Nights also happening in Calgary almost every night!
https://www.facebook.com/events/238363652940777/
https://www.facebook.com/events/428021983898986/

I think these two paragraphs sum it all up: Cutti...

2012-06-01T11:03:48.085-06:00

I think these two paragraphs sum it all up:

Cutting staff eliminates metropolitan dailies’ chief competitive advantage, the ability to cover their communities like no other news organization. Moreover, it will further degrade the quality of their already weak and derivative stories. Local coverage, and the local angle on national stories that was once the Southam chain’s great strength, will be lost forever.

Paywalls, meanwhile, drive away online readers – who are demonstrably unwilling to part with money for picayune tripe that can be found elsewhere with ease. Moreover, paywalls will chase away their few remaining advertisers, who won’t pay to place ads where readers can’t see them.

And while TV and radio may think things are better, they should take heed. Putting effort into original and local is the only way to ensure relevance in the busy digital world.

@ mohammad re: violence, vandalism Given 107 day...

2012-05-30T20:26:54.328-06:00

@ mohammad

re: violence, vandalism

Given 107 days of activism and counting, tens of thousands then a few times some hundreds of thousands of people in the streets...

I just don't see the evidence for the general claim that the student movement is violent and full of vandals A very small number have acted that way.

The army would have been called out by now to shut this down if the students were behaving as you smear them.

Have you given any thought to how much damage would actually be possible by thousands of people actually acting as you imply?

Do you remember how much damage was done in Edmonton on Whyte Ave in a matter of hours by hockey fans in Edmonton?

The Black Bloc types and other idiots doing random vandalism, provoking the police (who hardly need provocation to lash out) and just generally indulging themselves... sure, grab them up, and prosecute.

The evidence is just not there that the students deserve the generalizing smear of violent/vandals against their actions.

Seems our definitions of "dignified" dif...

2012-05-30T14:16:50.261-06:00

Seems our definitions of "dignified" differ by quite a degree David.

Mine does not inclue: masks, violence, vandalism nor preventing students from attended classes NO MATTER what "alleged" provocations are claimed

mohammad

Citizens of Quebec have always seemed to grasp the...

2012-05-30T11:57:47.661-06:00

Citizens of Quebec have always seemed to grasp the fundamentals of the relationship between government and the public, that the government is there to serve the interests of the public and not business. If government has any role in business it is to regulate the actions of business to provide fairness to consumers, and to tax business for the use of shared resources.

We in the other provinces seem to have been caught in the thrall of the Regonomic ideal that government is to provide for business so that the mythical 'trickle down effect' somehow makes all our lives better.

Rather than accepting the toadying media conglomerates view of the Quebec protest movement as being childish students who want everything handed to them, we should join in taking back our country from governments who no longer represent our interests.

Yet one more front in the struggle against parasit...

2012-05-30T10:42:36.500-06:00

Yet one more front in the struggle against parasitic capitalism which is threatening to strangle us all.

When Red Deer lost it's TV station, no one her...

2012-05-29T21:27:55.998-06:00

When Red Deer lost it's TV station, no one here thought much of it. I do, I miss being able to see the local news that is happening in our town. I miss commercials and references to the things and events in our town. I must admit I read the stories online from the Herald and Journal, but I know if they completely disappear, people will realize they've lost a valuable resource.
-Dave W.

The good news is with western civilization on the ...

2012-05-29T12:12:43.897-06:00

The good news is with western civilization on the verge of collapse (thanks to global warming, solar storms and imploding capitalism) it won't be too long before we'll be getting our news on cave walls again. I can't wait.

Not really surprised by these developments. How d...

2012-05-29T10:40:13.277-06:00

Not really surprised by these developments.

How does the old broadsheet compete against the internet or even the local tv news

Regarding the editing jobs being transferred, would it be ok if it was to a union shop Dave?

Be thankful it's not being outsourced overseas, at least some jobs are staying in the great white north

Ah yes, the neo-con slap at Black and "propaganda", would it have ok with you if Black was a neo-commy and the propaganda extolled the virtues of Stalin, Castro, Mao, and centralized control/planning etc?

Just wondering...

Great post! The sad state of affairs at Post Med...

2012-05-29T10:32:27.550-06:00

Great post!

The sad state of affairs at Post Media can be traced to sleazy ownership, plain and simple. Mr. Black was to journalism what VD is to sex.

The chain won't die ... it will be giggled out of existence. Good riddance.

Honestly, fire a vice-president and get some local...

2012-05-29T09:51:13.569-06:00

Honestly, fire a vice-president and get some local reporting. The Journal has pages and pages of nothing but ads. This is just an excuse to fire more worker bees. As the kind of reader who wants a city section and national/international news, I don't want to pay for Toronto restaurant reviews and Vancouver real estate updates.

And leave it to Lord Black to launch an expensive, proper propaganda sheet with big name commentators. Sun News does it on a dime. Why pay a salary when you can just feed Ezra Levant's ego.

@Ivan Bromke said... Their platform was vapid, v...

2012-05-29T08:29:25.981-06:00

@Ivan Bromke said...

Their platform was vapid, vacant and platitudinous. What did it mean when they said "We will develop policy with meaningful citizen engagement and transform the role of MLAs to ensure that they are connected to their constituents"

1. wow...committing to 'meaningful citizen engagement' has no meaning to you?

2) And if I recall correctly Preston Manning had a little bit of success with this aspect of the Reform platform: "...transform the role of MLAs to ensure that they are connected to their constituents..."

There must be a like button here somewhere. Now i...

2012-05-29T05:48:24.785-06:00

There must be a like button here somewhere.

Now if only the maddening robot test goes away...

Thank you for your insightful post. Yesterday I re...

2012-05-29T05:29:27.487-06:00

Thank you for your insightful post. Yesterday I read one from Warren Kinsella in which he declared the death of the broadsheet, but I think your analysis offers the real reasons for Post Media's myriad failures.

With an ideological underpinning that grows tiresome upon repeat viewings, Post Media has no one but itself to blame for its current fiscal peril.

Indeed, as I posted in a comment on Kinsella's blog, if the day of the traditional newspaper has passed, as he suggests, how does one explain the financial health and very high circulation figures enjoyed by the Toronto Star? My explanation, although probably not complete, is that where people discern journalistic integrity and the commitment of sufficient resources to do some fine investigative work that actually results in societal changes, they are willing to pay for it.

David, Thanks for your comments. What I found cu...

2012-05-28T18:31:44.082-06:00

David,

Thanks for your comments. What I found curious about Dave Taylor's post was his intimation about the Alberta Party not having the courage to ask the question of our relevance. We have never shied away from rigorous and open debates. The problem for Dave Taylor is that he never joined them or really got to know many of us. His lot (it always seemed to me) was more important than rubbing shoulders with us Alberta Partiers at the bottom of the pile.

Well, Dave Taylor is right about the Alberta Party needing to address the very disappointing results. We started doing that on Saturday and Sunday. But many of us to began the (new version) of the party, still see opportunities. The Liberals lost 100,000 votes. The PCs won support out of fear of extremism and will take their win to a total of 45 years of majority. Sure... Alison Redford is a more progressive leader than we have seen in this province for many years, and that gives many people great hope. If, however, she cannot become 'all the things she points at' the Alberta Party may yet have life in it.

That life may have to take on a new direction and look for different ways to capture the imagination of Albertans... but let's be honest, David... the Alberta Liberal Party hasn't captured anyone's imagination for nearly 100 years (head nod to Laurence Decore), and this province is very unlikely to cause a provincial orange wave. The Wildrose, I believe has shown itself as an undesirable option... and unless it undergoes huge change and moderation, it will never challenge the progressive heart of Albertans.

We boast a great name. We're willing to address tough questions. We've just suffered serious disappointment... but we're not giving up just yet. We sure wouldn't be worth much if we did.

"Maybe the Alberta Party should a ran on a pl...

2012-05-28T12:44:45.985-06:00

"Maybe the Alberta Party should a ran on a platform of banning chuck wagon races." -- Ronmac

Perhaps they should have. That would at least have been taking a stand on an issue, rather than mouthing platitudes.

Their platform was vapid, vacant and platitudinous. What did it mean when they said "We will develop policy with meaningful citizen engagement and transform the role of MLAs to ensure that they are connected to their constituents" or "Stronger communities are the key to a better quality of life for our families, including our children and our seniors?"

Basically their policy platform document looked like it was woven out of blandishments.

The Alberta Party’s name is as excellent as the Li...

2012-05-28T12:37:31.340-06:00

The Alberta Party’s name is as excellent as the Liberal Party’s name is toxic in our province. The two parties should merge under the excellent name without further delay, and the leader of the new, merged party probably should not be named Taylor or Sherman (although Blakeman has a nice ring to it).

Blakeman was dreaming if she thought she could win...

2012-05-28T12:03:11.555-06:00

Blakeman was dreaming if she thought she could win, even in a hung legislature. Her abrasive and sometimes nasty style of punctuating her Legislature comments with innuendo and condescending bile has clearly not endeared her with members across the isle. Somebody, anybody else would have been found to do the job.

Dave Taylor was caught up in the long term malaise...

2012-05-28T11:53:43.804-06:00

Dave Taylor was caught up in the long term malaise in the Liberals created by Kevin Taft and Laurie Blakeman. These two knifed the previous leader before Taft mercilessly and contrived to limit organization so their positions and leg sinecures would be secure. In Taft's tenure, conventions were kept to below 150 hand-picked members and there were few accountability measures.

Outside forces, especially the Alberta Building Trades, and King Ralph's arrogance helped Taft/Blakeman do well in 2004 and this also brought in Dave Taylor and David Swann. Taft squandered the opportunity and a lacklustre Ed Stelmach still wiped the floor with him in 2008.

Taylor stuck it out for this second election but it was clear that if he was to do anything constructive in growing the center left it would have to be after Taft.

Swann was always a Taft sycophant with a core of idealistic green supporters who gave him the leadership. Taylor left after years of frustration of dealing with a leadership that always should have done much better but was satisfied with not organizing.

All political parties these days pretty much see t...

2012-05-28T10:29:22.562-06:00

All political parties these days pretty much see themselves as a "bold experiment in centrist policy making."

Not too many years ago the federal libs were the living embodiment of it. I would call Obama the "Great Centrist."

Maybe the Alberta Party should a ran on a platform of banning chuck wagon races.

Have a look at this month's Walrus magazine if...

2012-05-28T09:04:40.922-06:00

Have a look at this month's Walrus magazine if you want to tell the myth from true history in Calgary's cowboy past.
(This is NOT a paid advertisement!)

David, you are a fine writer and I truly enjoy mos...

2012-05-28T08:51:24.034-06:00

David, you are a fine writer and I truly enjoy most of your posts but I have to say I find your comments on the Alberta Party quite curious.

Right from the get-go you were very critical of the effort and more than a little condescending. This I find odd from someone who clearly is no fan either the PCs or the Wildrose.

As you know David, neither your beloved NDs nor the eternally floundering Liberals likely stand a chance of hitting the double-digit seat count again, ever. The Alberta Party was and hopefully still is a genuine alternative.
It is very true that the PCs have temporarily saved themselves from the inevitable dust bid, although, as we saw in the spring, Albertans are restless and looking for a place to vote that is not the same forty-year ruling party. If it were not for a few poorly timed comments about "lakes of fire" and ridiculous denials of global warming etc (and by ill timed I mean perfectly timed :) )
we would have Danielle and her team as our elected leaders (shudder).

It is no surprise that the AB Party did not win seats in this election. The renewed party is so very new and these things take time, especially in the current environment where the spotlight has been on the PCs with their latest reincarnation as well as the Wildrose who are still quite likely a possible government-in-waiting.

My point is I think you do the province a disservice by slagging the AB Party. We need more and better options than we currently have. The party may still be a significant part of our future. One that is less ideological than traditional parties. True prospects look tough at the moment but things chance quickly. Imagine for example if in a few years one current Calgary Mayor decides to make a switch to provincial politics. Nenshi or other high calibre contenders would likely prefer a party with a fresh start and a brand that will not forever limit them to small-opposition status like the Libs and NDs.

Looking to the future, it would be beneficial for the Aberta Party to hang in there. Glenn Taylor has actually done a fine job despite the slow start. There are times to blame a leader but this isn't one of them.

It won't be easy and it might not work, but here's hoping it does, because it should. There are hundreds of thousands of Albertans who will someday soon decide the PCs have had their turn and, respectfully, I believe the province would be better off with a moderate and progressive option as opposed to one currently offered by the Wildrose.

Sadly I agree entirely with both Dave Taylor's...

2012-05-28T08:40:58.972-06:00

Sadly I agree entirely with both Dave Taylor's comments and yours David. It was a grand political experiment but a failed one. Not a single seat won. That fact speaks for itself and all the hand wringing in the world won't change the outcome of the election.

Glenn Taylor did better running in West Yellowhead...

2012-05-28T05:36:30.475-06:00

Glenn Taylor did better running in West Yellowhead for the NDP in 1997 than he did under the Alberta Party banner. He should come home - he might actually get a seat in the Legislature.