City Notebook: Political problems
By COLLIN GALLANT on May 13, 2023.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant We’re two weeks into an all-out dash to the polls on May 29, and I’m not sure we’re any smarter for it. Sure, the two major political parties fire big and little shots on policy and perceived slights, but has anybody been won over, or changed their positions, or feel more involved in the democratic process? Perhaps it was always so. But I recall a time when local issues or at least regional prospects were part of the discussion. In case you’re wondering about the local issues, we are too, having received a hearty round of “no comment” from various campaigns this week. Now, it’s been standard for some time that local campaigns send questions to head office where they are boiled to death. The result really only aligns with standing answers that play to a perceived strong suit and overall strategy, not localizing big issues or promoting regional needs. It’s the opposite of the old adage that all politics are local. Above all, the goal is to avoid so-called bozo eruptions, and let the leaders do their job. Love him or hate him, this is what Drew Barnes is always on about – effects of party politics – and might he have been on to something? This week there was a huge blowup over the potential costs of a net-zero electricity grid, which is essentially a math question. But has the policy or estimates been run through? Nope. The NDP are out to lunch and the UCP are lying, depending on who you ask. Never mind that net-zero and grid reinforcement would be a huge benefit to this region. Never mind that a global move away from fossil fuels would chop the biggest leg off the Alberta economy. It is said that it’s a citizens duty to take part in an election. The same should be said of politicians. Another problem: Morons In another red letter day for participatory democracy, protesters broke up a press conference by UCP Leader and local candidate Danielle Smith in Calgary. And before you say “both sides do it”… both sides don’t do it … morons do. A premier confronted with a garage sale sign hardly seems like the huge security threat that the UCP are making it out to be. Watch the video. But, it’s different to step on stage, which one person did to challenge her on her health-care stance. At best it’s more than a bit rude, and really counterproductive in the end. As well, once again, the News has been bombarded with calls of smashed up election signs around town and the gist is there’s more orange being spilled than blue. Again, no comment. Busted signs are most likely the result of bored teenagers or older individuals with juvenile minds (again, morons) not organized terror campaigns dreamed up in some smoky backroom of a campaign office. Giving spirit A Red Cross appeal is well underway to help Albertans forced to evacuate in the face of wildfires in the province’s north. Those contributions are tripled by matching grants with the province and Ottawa. And, sure, times are tight, but Hatters shouldn’t have to be reminded that 10 years ago this June it was our town that required aid and support. Flooding forced thousands from their homes and badly damaged 500 properties. But for the grace of God… A look ahead The local election campaign heats up this week with forums planned for Wednesday and Thursday at the Crescent Heights High School theatre. City council meets Monday to discuss the city’s tourism outlook. 100 years ago City would block the Prairie Oil Co. from rebuilding its burned out warehouse and storage tanks closer to the city, but would discuss extending its current site further from downtown, the News reported in May 1923. The petroleum concern had been destroyed in a massive fire near the Seven Persons Creek a week earlier, and other industrial firms worried about relocation. Shelby Mont. offered the ability to seat 100,000 spectators on a hillside amphitheatre for the heavyweight title bout between Jack Dempsey and Tom Gibbons. “The only way to force down the price of sugar is to not buy it,” declared mercantile exchange directors in New York in response to angry women protesting high prices. The cost to ship Alberta coal to Ontario was determined to be $9.90 per ton, much higher than the commodity’s price in Central Canadian markets. That came after several months of lobbying by coal interests to create an fully domestic market. The Collegians beat the Industrials 9-8 in the season opener of the city’s new amateur baseball loop. Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com 38-37
