alberta election: MLAs

MADD as hell

The writ hasn't been dropped yet, but PC party advertising has began (campaign style events). Another point is the budget: is the Redford government in breach of the legislature with budget 2012 ads? Premier Alison Redford had a nice time and was so well-spoken in Washington DC and New York City (Eastern Energy Conference) that she was asked to be Mitt Romney's running mate.

The unelected leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party in Okotoks picked an issue, and of all the issues from which to pick, it's 0.05 blood alcohol. The campaign is on drink coasters.

What's more intriguing are 21 MLAs who get paid $1000/mo. for being on a committee ("Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing") when there are no meetings. In fact, there has been no meeting since November 2008, so that's quite a few potatoes.

There also is the recent $500,000 MLA retirement transition allowance and or severance payouts, in addition to pension. That's half a million bucks for an MLA? So ---- 23 retiring MLAs ---- $10.5 million. Economist Herbert Grubel said every legislature in the country provides a transition allowance, but the dollars doled out here make Alberta stand out like a sore thumb. Thank you, Ken Kowalski. Of course, a lot of MLA's are retiring.

Next, the graph. Who knew!? 

Adding this up, it appears to be a big, expensive, self-serving, bullying, and bullying Alberta PC... oil & gas junta ... natural resource gestapo junta that went national. (Graph: Liberal 2012 Election Platform.) See also: Political funding spurs 52 probes.

In the previous election, March 3 2008, carbon capture and storage (CCS) was the cat's meow. Stelmach, Jul 2008: $2 billion in funding, the green image. Now it's not.

More: Wikileaks shines light on $16 billion electricity scandal.
Ah, memories: EUB spies on landowners.