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Thursday, October 27, 2005
Transfer Of Wealth
Paying off the provincial debt - $22.7 billion |
(As an aside, be sure to read the link to the MacLean's article above for a dripping example of Alberta envy masquerading as a story about a winning ticket.)
Posted by Kate McMillan on October 27, 2005 in Canadian Provincial Politics | Permalink
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Comments
It's nice to suck them dry for a change.
Posted by: AsISeeIt | 2005-10-27 3:32:55 PM
The Bias in that article makes me absolutely sick
Posted by: Young Canadian | 2005-10-27 3:54:38 PM
People who criticize Maclean's should perhaps learn how to spell its name. Small "l".
Posted by: D. B. Scott | 2005-10-27 3:55:30 PM
$99,946,000,000 left to repay.
If they paid up, every Albertan now would received a little over $33,000 each.
I'd settle for an apology, but the Rich Easterners would never do that. They will, however, demand more sacrifice under Kyoto. So be on guard for these real rich people. No matter how 'rich' they say Albertans are, we will never be accepted into their society, which is actually a good thing.
Question: when Alberta becomes State #51, should we become a Powerball state or a Mega Millions state?
Posted by: Scott | 2005-10-27 3:59:23 PM
d b scott, where in the east do you live or come from? That's a Western question or do you get it?
Posted by: West not east | 2005-10-27 4:04:43 PM
My bad.
Of course, had Macleans not turned into the snivelling left wing rag that prompted us to drop our subscription 20 years ago, I'd have remembered that.
Posted by: Kate | 2005-10-27 4:43:21 PM
People who put more emphasis on style than substance
really got there priorities screwed up. Small l indeed.
Posted by: Jeff Cosford | 2005-10-27 5:20:27 PM
Heh. I saw this story in the headlines today and thought, "Can't wait until some easterner spins it into a 'dumb-luck-Alberta' angle". And Maclllllleans is reliable as ever, aren't they?
Posted by: Meg Q | 2005-10-27 5:46:45 PM
All this proves that Ontarians are petty and greedy.
They're petty for not being able to articulate broader issues. They have but one thing on their minds: get richer.
They are greedy because they are never satisified with what they have. Despite being the richest people on the planet, they still claim poverty. They've drained most of the country of their resources, and now set their eyes on Alberta, the gift that keeps on 'giving'. It remains to be seen which precious non-renewable resource will run out first: Alberta's oil or Alberta's patience.
If spelling errors are the best Ontario has to offer, Alberta is better off looking for alternatives to Canada. They think we're a bunch of unsophisticated hillbillies, in need of culture. However, even the briefest visit to Toronto will reveal that Canada has no culture, so whenever an Ontarian criticizes Alberta, remember who needs the Army to shovel snow.
Posted by: Scott | 2005-10-27 6:19:50 PM
"Rewarding every man, woman, and child in the province - $10 million"
I presume this refers to the Ralph's "prosperity dividend". If so, at $400 per that's more like $1.2 billion.
Posted by: JR | 2005-10-27 7:00:23 PM
The $10m refers to how much it will cost for the Commonwealth of Alberta to distribute those checks.
Posted by: Scott | 2005-10-27 7:19:59 PM
Scott, unfortunately the $10 million to print and distribute the cheques is going to the feds.
Posted by: TimR | 2005-10-27 7:44:39 PM
That could well be - I did a very quick google search for a total and grabbed the wrong one.
Posted by: Kate | 2005-10-27 8:01:56 PM
It's just the thing Ottawa needed - another multimillion-dollar windfall.
Posted by: Kathryn | 2005-10-27 8:29:52 PM
TimR: true, but at least this time we get something valuable back from them.
Posted by: Scott | 2005-10-27 8:31:25 PM
D.B. Scott
What kind of a snivelling turd are you anyway? I guess it's pretty easy to figure out where you live.
Posted by: BCer | 2005-10-27 8:49:28 PM
Hey, you don't suppose D.B. stands for dumb bastard,now do you?
Horny Toad
Posted by: Horny Toad | 2005-10-27 10:23:25 PM
Rewarding ? or Refunding ? .....every man, woman etc.
Posted by: Nbob | 2005-10-27 10:54:01 PM
Perhaps I am getting into this late, but the numbers seem off. Last week the jackpot was 30 mil. They added 14 million to it this week. On sales of 99 million just this past week alone, the extra 14 million is only about 15%. The other 85 million goes to the Trillium foundation does it not? Oh, and the lottary corp's expenses. So who cares about the 15%. I want to know how the other 80% is distributed. Does each province get their share? Is it based on per capita? Sure 54 mil did indeed go to Alberta, but if that is only 15% of the entire take of about 360 million leaves 345 million for the rest of the country. Why would Macleans bother to gripe/whine? Perhaps those who pay the "tax on the stupid" won't figure out my numbers. How many from Macleans bought tickets?
Posted by: jmrsudbury | 2005-10-28 7:52:26 AM
Sorry, 306 million for the rest of Canada
Posted by: jmrsudbury | 2005-10-28 8:02:24 AM
Predictably the first comment from people on the street on last night's City TV news in Toronto was "Don't they have enough money out there" Not sure if it was a joke or not...
Posted by: mark | 2005-10-28 8:14:55 AM
Now this is what makes Albertans the best people on the planet, not only do we share our good fortune with the rest of the country every year through the equalization program, and see it as our patriotic duty, but we remember our friends. These people are pretty classy.
"Thompson said the group will spread the wealth with co-workers who didn't participate in the office pool.
"Most of us have worked together for 15 years but there's eight or nine guys who didn't play. There's a pretty good chance we'll do something for them ... probably cash."
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2005/10/28/1282448-sun.html
Posted by: MSYB | 2005-10-28 6:29:45 PM
Alberta envy?? LOL
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2005/10/22/1273835-sun.html
"Albertans are unhappy, lazy people who use sex, alcohol, drugs, tobacco and fatty, salty food to provide instant gratification, says a local doctor.
And a recent University of Alberta study supports his claim - naming Albertans as the highest-ranking Canadian population suffering from mental illness and social discord."
Posted by: Justin | 2005-10-29 12:54:12 PM
Justin: you're right. They don't envy us. The rich Ontarians just want our money to they don't have to use their own to pay for their privileged lifestyle.
It's not envy; it's greed, but both are sins.
No matter - I sleep well at night because I know that I do not need the Army to shovel my snow. Ontarians are lazy, weak and stupid.
Posted by: Scott | 2005-10-29 1:05:13 PM
It comes from the ground you dumbass.
Posted by: Justin | 2005-10-29 1:17:08 PM
Typical elitist opinion from Tronna and its disdain for those who work the land, agriculture or energy, to make a living. Ontarians earn their wealth through the exploitation of non-white immigrants in the factories and service economy. They're treated little better than slaves. Yet abuse these immigrants with low-paying jobs, bad conditions and general malaise, but say how much better off they are under this system. These opinions are shockingly similar to those from slaveowners defending their horrible institution by criticizing conditions in the industrialized northern states. Sad, truly sad.
Yes Alberta has its fair share of problems, but Ontario is too much of an obstacle. We could cut crime in half overnight if we had our own justice system and police force. We could - and should - have the best schools and hospitals in the world if we didn't have to send money to the East, who just wastes it on the CBC. It's like what General Schwarzkopf said about comparing going to war along side the French being like taking an accordian on a hunting trip: just learn to leave the useless things behind. Get rid of Ontario and Alberta will be far better off.
Posted by: Scott | 2005-10-29 1:38:40 PM
Yes we're elitist and exploitive. Albertans on the other hand are oh so sensitive to the working class and the poor:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/news/?/news/2001/12/14/klein_011214
btw he got re-elected by these kind-hearted souls.
Posted by: Justin | 2005-10-29 3:11:17 PM
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