Wow...it seems like everyone is blogging these days!

It must have been a slow news day in Canada yesterday! I see that on the FRONT page of the National Post, one of the main cover stories was dedicated to Archie Andrew's proposal to Veronica. Well I am glad he finally made up his mind...it only took 60 years. ( At least now they don't have to hide in the backseat of the old "jalopy" anymore!) It looks like the publishers of the Archie Comics have finally "jumped the shark" in an attempt to have their stale product remain relevant.

I nearly died of laughter when I see that rejected potential lover Betty has her own BLOG.

Well I guess its true....everyone has their own blog now!

PS.. Archie, I think you made the wrong choice!

"Don" Andre (Soprano) Chabot protects his turf

In a previous post, I sarcastically compared City Halls actions on the ward re-drawing issue akin to the old Mafia Commissions. If this theory holds true, than I guess the new "Boss of Bosses" is Don Andre Chabot.

In an amazing ( well I guess not really) turn of events, Alderman (Don) Andre Chabot has succeeded in putting aside the Returning Officers recommendations with respect to the redrawing of Calgary's ward maps and "protected his home turf". In one of the funniest statements I have heard all year, Don Chabot responded that losing his ward boundaries "would make it difficult to get re-elected." Do you know what else makes it hard to get re-elected? Perhaps being a mediocre representative and political opportunist?

After being a frequent loser in past Aldermanic campaigns, Chabot realizes that he just does not really have a lot of support. I think he is counting on the Incumbent/Name Recognition factor to carry him through in 2010. Be careful what you wish for Andre, as hopefully people will remember you for your gerrymandering ways. Hopefully you saved the riding for a better candidate next election.

I am just curious how he gained enough support for this? Perhaps Chabot knows where the skeletons are....

I am supporting Diane Colley-Urquhart in Calgary Glenmore

The race for Calgary Glenmore is on! I was intrigued last week when I heard the news that Calgary Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart confirmed that she would be seeking the PC nomination for Calgary-Glenmore. As the Alberta blogs started discussing potential candidates, I posted on several sites that Diane would be a logical choice to run in this riding, given her 20+ year association in the area.

I had lived in this area since I was a toddler, bought my 1st home in Cedarbrae and lived in the area for nearly 30 years. Even though I moved to Calgary Hays in late 2007, this riding is my "home" and I feel the need to help contribute to the Alberta PC party's continued success in Calgary Glenmore.

In an attempt to further my wife's position that she is quickly becoming a "committee widow" with my ever expanding volunteer commitments, I sent a quick email to Alderman Diane to express my congratulations on her decision and to offer any volunteer services to her campaign.

Now, never having met her, I was shocked that I received an email response within 20 minutes thanking me for my interest and offering to engage me as a volunteer. This personal touch of hers is legendary, but I got to see it 1st hand. This just reaffirms my belief that she will make and excellent MLA for Calgary Glenmore.

As an aside, there were more people at her nomination campaign meeting than the Wildrose Alliance were able to draw to one of their highly touted "Town Hall Meetings" in Calgary. This just reinforces the support that Diane has in this community.

So, those of you that live in Paliser, Pumphill, Bayview, Cedarbrae, Braeside, Oakridge, Haysboro and Southwood and want a PC membership, send me an email.

Shane

Shocking Wildrose Alliance Video!!

I came across this strange piece on Youtube this morning by chance. At first, I didnt know what to make of it, but after watching it for a while I became quite disturbed. I do not endorse this video but think that it needs to be brought to light.

Based on the details and multiple WRAP name drops, one may conclude that it was created by a disgruntled? party member.

I like a good laugh like anyone else, but draw the line at the HITLER references and the sexist comments about potential leader Danielle Smith.

What are your thoughts?

Is the Wildrose Alliance Party the real deal?

Over the past few weeks, I have seen countless blog postings over the potential godsend that the Wildrose Alliance Party feels it is bringing to the Alberta political landscape. Most of the WAP supporters are posting constant spins about how their party is going to lead Alberta back to the “promised” land after they “wipe out” the PC Party in the next election. I have had some time to watch some of the theatrics and thought it was time I posted some of my thoughts on this…

Disclaimer: I am a supporter of the PC party of Alberta and sit on my local constituency board. That said, I strongly believe that in order to make Alberta a better province, we must first ensure that there is a strong political engagement from our citizens, regardless of what party you support. I really don’t care what party you belong to, as long as you are passionate about making this province stronger. To each their own, as long as your views are not harmful to others.

The WAP is a new party and seemingly lacks the support of the Alberta voter. I am not sure why they feel that they are the “party in waiting” (The last time I checked, they had NO elected members.) but their confidence is definitely not lacking. .They are currently running town hall meetings across the province, with minimal success in my opinion. There recent meeting in Calgary had a paltry 50 people show up. (Wow, 50 whole people? in a city of 1.1MM which is considered a conservative bedrock?) Not exactly the grassroots earthquake of support that they are claiming to be causing. (Probably more like enough “shake” on the Richter scale to cause a candle to flicker!)

The recent announcement that Paul ( I am sure he’s a nice guy and all) Hinman will be stepping aside as WAP leader has given the media ( and us bloggers) some fodder to try and guess who the next leader will be. This move is entirely spin related and designed to gain some attention for their upcoming AGM. There is lots of speculation on who the next leader will be. In my opinion, its easier to decide who the leader will NOT be…

1) Craig Chandler. ( See the last post on the following blog, and you can see that Chandler confirms that he is OUT!)

2) Preston Manning. ( Why Not? Why end your career being associated with a disorganized movement? Ie. “Also Ran”)

3) Danielle Smith? This is an interesting plant? She has stated recently that she is interested in the position. Or is this just posturing for a better cabinet post when she runs (and wins) under the PC banner? If the latter is true, the WAP movement will be dead in the water in my opinion.

4) Ted Morton. (See # 2 above.)

Note: I would not be surprised to see Hinman run again, and win, given the possibility that no credible leader comes forward for the nomination.

If the WAP wants to make inroads in Alberta, they must elect a centrist leader that appeals to ALL Albertans, not just the hard-line WAP supporters and rural voter.

The WAP Platform is all over the map in my opinion. The most curious line in the whole platform to me is:

SOCIAL POLICY
Wildrose Alliance social policy will always reflect the views of mainstream Albertans.

I spit my coffee out on this line! Even as a conservative myself, I find their stance on social issues a little too right for this “average Albertan”. Interestingly enough, the VP of Policy is Cory Morgan, who was once the LEADER of the Alberta Separatist Party. ( Note: His wife is fellow blogger Jane Morgan, who is also the executive director of the WAP.) Hmmm… I guess he must have seen that there was no future with an unelectable party promoting an unelectable platform? ( Seem familiar?) Perhaps he just saw the light?

Personally, this destroys all of the WAP’s credibility in my view.

Interestingly enough, The WAP has been successful in raising money from the oilpatch over the past year. I believe that this is simply a “protest” donation rather than a symbol of support. The true test will be 2 years from now, as the election nears. Will the money still be flowing to the WAP? Time will tell.

The next few months will determine the future of this party. There leadership campaign will be over in October, which will confirm what this party is all about. Will it continue to be a party for the same hard-line rightwing conservatives? Will they move to the centre in an attempt to capture the average Albertan’s vote? Or will they fade off into the sunset?

Until they prove otherwise, I believe that they are “All Hat, No Cattle”.

I am sure that I may not make many friends in the WAP after this, but seeing how they are champions of free speech and all, I just thought that this “Average Albertan” would share his thoughts.

Jason Kenney awarded Maclean's Parliamentarian of the Year!

I received a surprise phone call from a fellow member of the Calgary Southeast Conservative EDA on Wednesday night, calling to let me know that our MP, The Honourable Jason Kenney, had just received Maclean's award for Parliamentarian of the Year! Having worked on Jason's board over the past year, I feel that this is an excellent choice.

Jason has proven time and time again that he is a man of principle and he never wavers from his positions. His passion for the Immigration portfolio is unquestioned and he is the best MP for the job. It is a thankless position, as every statement and interview seems to create some sort of unwarranted controversy, but Mr. Kenney always represents Canadians values.

Mr. Kenney has brought some interesting ideas into the Immigration portfolio and has proven that the CPC is a party for all Canadians. New Canadians are getting the message that the values of the CPC truly reflect their own values ( Hard work, low taxes, tough crime stances.) and that the Conservative Party can be a home for them.

I believe that Mr. Kenney is likely one of the hardest working MP's in Canada. If you look into his work schedule, I am amazed how he finds the energy to keep it up? That said, he is also to be commended as an excellent representative in our riding. Jason is frequently attending Board meetings, community functions and local events, even with his challenging schedule.

Personally, I am proud of Mr.Kenney's accomplishments and believe he should be applauded for them.

The award is just in my opinion!

Ahhh...and so it begins!

Round 1 Begins!

I was pleased to see that Conservative Party has fought back today against all of Ignatieff's constant threats of forcing an election over Employment Insurance reform! The CPC is correct in is stance that Canada cannot afford to amend the EI qualifications to allow benefits after a mere 45 days of work! I believe that the EI system is valuable and has its place in our society, and while I feel for those Canadians that have lost their jobs, the Liberal math is absurd.

Ignatieff would be foolish to force an election over this issue now. How will he find the time to promote his new book? ( And I see that he is in 5th place on the Canadian Best-Sellers list, behind #3- Ezra Levant's "Shakedown".) Come now Iggy, you cant even sell your own book...how will you sell your party?

I love the "aggressive" TV ad that was just released.

Personally, I cannot wait for round 2. Perhaps its time to go and get a new pair or running shoes for the upcoming campaign? ( I think Iggy will back off once he realizes his reasoning is foolish, but thats jsut my opinion.)

Calgary Hays PC Association AGM

The Calgary Hays PC Association will be holding thier AGM tomorrow, May 14, 2009 at 7pm.

Location: Deerfoot Inn McKenzie Rm. 1000 - 11500 35 St. S.E., Calgary

The guest speaker will be Yvonne Fritz, Minister or Housing and Urban Affairs.

I am hoping for a good turnout. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Just keep me out of the Casino when we are done!

Calgary Southeast Conservate EDA AGM

The Calgary Southeast Conservative EDA is holding its 2009 AGM tommorrow at 10 am at the Calgary Delta South. ( 135 Southland Drive SE ) This will likely be a low key event, unlike the fiasco at Calgary West last month.

I was fortunate to be able to join the board in the fall and I must say it has been a positive experience.

I have my name up for re-election to the Board. So if any Conservative readers in the riding are attending, be sure to say hello!

Wish me luck!

Update: The AGM went well! Mr. Kenney was an excellent speaker as usual. Our guest speaker, Steven Fletcher, was hilarious! His personal story is quite an inspiration.

Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette... What our Government can learn from The Flintstones and China!

Hilarious! No wonder kids in my father's generation smoked at 10 & 11 years old!

Perhaps the Canadian Government can use similar methods to get kids smoking earlier today? Just think of all of the taxes that they are losing out on! Especially in progressive Alberta, where the government recently increased the "sin" taxes as a measure to bolster their annual revenue. ( Or was is designed to force people to quite smoking? I am not quite clear on that...)

Earlier this week, I came across a great news story from China. A local county government is demanding that local officials ( likely including Police Officers, Teachers etc.) to up their smoking purchases or faces potential fines. ALL IN THE NAME OF RAISING TAX REVENUES!

You see, if the Chinese government can come up with such wonderful ideas, I am sure that our fine governments can follow suit and propose a similarcreative measures!

Lets all smoke our way out of the recession together, one puff at a time!

( Disclaimer: I am being sarcastic here and would never condone the smoking of cigarettes by children. I am a future non-smoker myself...)

Anyways.... Happy Thursday Everyone! ( I'm off for a smoke myself....)

Anders Survives Nomination Challenge in Calgary West

I was not surprised to hear on the weekend that Calgary West MP Rob Anders will not be facing a nomination battle. (Fellow Blogger, The Enlightened Savage, had an excellent post on the background of this story, which can be found here.)

While I am sure that potential challenger Donna Kennedy- Glans will be crying foul after this news, I must say that I feel that the result is fair, given the rules presented. Under the national party rules, there must be at least 2/3 support from the riding members to force a nomination battle. This in itself is a challenge, but I believe it is fair, as the rules were the SAME for all sitting CPC MP's.

Now, I know that group that opposes Mr. Anders has some support, ( they are rumoured to have sold 1000 new memberships) but they appeared to be a little late getting organized. That said, they look to be pretty well run. Take a look at their website and blog and you will confirm that they potentially posed a serious threat.

Once again, voter apathy was likely the culprit here. If the majority of Calgary West members actually cared, they would have sent their mail out back to the party, confirming that they would like a nomination contest. Seeing that they did not get the support required, I can guess one of these things is the cause...

1) Calgary West Loves Rob Anders

2) The group making the most noise/protests about Mr. Anders do not hold CPC memberships. ( or did not open or respond to the party letter. I got mine in Calgary SE, so they were sent out.)

3) Donna's supporters are just not large enough in number to have forced the issue?

4) People in Calgary West just do not care?

5) All of the above.

Blaming the CPC rules is the easy thing to do, but not entirely fair. If there is enough support for change in Calgary West, it will happen eventually. ( And hopefully not to another party. )

Who will be Calgary's Mayor in 2010?

With 18 months to go until the next Calgary municipal election, I am pondering who will be making a run at Dave Bronconnier's mayoral seat? Here are my quick thoughts on some potential challengers...

1) Ric McIver... Common sense alderman. Popular. Organized. Loves the media (and they love him....his soundbites are a breath of fresh air.) A recent fundraiser he held is said to have had over 350 guests. Ric is my 1st choice for mayor, without a doubt.

Odds to Run? 2-1

2) Dianne Colley-Urquhart... Dianne would be an excellent choice should Ric Mciver not make a run at mayor. She is the other "common-sense" alderman and represents her ward well. Timing may be a big factor here, as she will not likely have much success with a split vote against both McIver and Bronconnier.

I cannot see how much further Dianne can go in City politics after 2010. She has probably better suited at a run for MLA, which she would win in a landslide.

Perhaps with the (rumored) pending "retirement" of Ron ( Federal Judge post awaits?) Stevens, she may look at the PC nomination for Calgary Glenmore. Just my thoughts?


Odds? 10-1

3) Al Koenig... Former Police association president. Could not win an alderman seat in 2007. Has a grand total of 4 signatures on an online poll supporting him to run for mayor in 2010. (Not scientific mind you, but pretty funny.)

Odds? Not good.

4) Alnoor Kassam... HMMM... Spent a fortune of his OWN money (close to $1MM) to run against Bronco in 2007. Lesson learned? I hope so.... But seeing that his website is still up and running, you never know!

Odds? 1 Million to 1.. ( no pun intended! )

Here is hoping some fellow bloggers run....

5) The Enlightened Savage... Maybe then we will see the 'mask" come off and find out his/her true identity? The E.S has some sound ideas and is not scared to rock the boat!

6) Jeremy Zhao ... 19 year old U of C Student runs...gets a respectable 8,000 votes. Awesome!

Anyways... it will be interesting to see who starts making noise over the next few months. As long as we get rid of Calgaryrants good friend, Bronco Dave, I will be a happy man!

Alberta's Unofficial Rock Song Contest

The Calgary Herald is having a fun contest to try and pick Alberta's Unofficial Rock song! As I am in a cheeky mood this Friday morning, I thought I would list my picks below...

For those "temporary Albertans" who made their coin during the boom...

1. Running Back to Saskatoon ( The Guess Who)
2. Take the Money and Run. ( The Steve Miller Band)
3. Opportunities ( Lets Make Lots of Money)... Pet Shop Boys

For those Albertans who are still here....

• HELP! ( The Beatles)
• Taxman ( The Beatles)
• Can't Buy Me Love ( The Beatles) ... and you cannot "buy" my vote!

And if it were a pick of the unofficial country song, I would have to go with....

• " If you got the money, Honey, I've got the time"! ( Willie Nelson)

Any other ideas?