Alberta is rich with oil, but what has it got to show for it?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Quite correct about rights of other Canadians to relocate here and to enjoy all the benefits and obligations of residency. Similar to how things are arranged in the US.

However, the fact that the borders of Alberta are not national, does not mean that Alberta does not own mineral rights. Nor does it mean that the people of Quebec or PEI have some sort of claim on those minerals.

The simple fact is, until you relocate to Alberta you may very well have potential rights to do so, but you have no other rights what so ever until you do so. And BTW, you'll have to establish a permanent residence and live here for at least 6 months before you get any say in government (like any other province). So it's not quite so simple as blowing through and asking for your ballot during an election.

I know (been here 8 months and plan to stay). I agree with everything you said. I was just trying to say show Asher that status as an Albertan is pretty quickly gained or lost. All those other " Canadians" he seems to find it so difficult to share with through things like the federal transfer payments all have the right to come here.

[Garth Vader]

Asher, although you made the comment 100's of posts ago the NDP is Sask has been a great fiscal government.

The PC's spent money like drunken bums, building hospitals for every town with a few hundred people, stupid programs where the government pays people to renovate their houses. They racked up a massive debt.

The NDP have done a good job despite the problems of being a large, spread out province with a small tax base.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Flubber
I know (been here 8 months and plan to stay). I agree with everything you said. I was just trying to say show Asher that status as an Albertan is pretty quickly gained or lost. All those other " Canadians" he seems to find it so difficult to share with through things like the federal transfer payments all have the right to come here.

I understand that it's pretty easy to become an Albertan, and I was ever arguing to the contrary.

But to say the resources belong to everyone and the provincial government acts in the interests of all Canadians is bull. That's what I was saying.

Garth: So why do the doctors keep hopping the fence?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher

Garth: So why do the doctors keep hopping the fence?

That one is pretty easily answered by the things in his own post. A spread out province with a small tax base cannot pay the same salaries as a larger richer province no matter how fiscally competent the government may be

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

But to say the resources belong to everyone and the provincial government acts in the interests of all Canadians is bull. That's what I was saying.

Garth: So why do the doctors keep hopping the fence?

I think we're coming around to an understanding about residency. The whole thing seems to me to have been a bit of a red herring.

re the doctors... maybe for the same reason a lot of Alberta's professionals have gone to the states... brighter lights and more money.

[Asher]

Anyway, I hope Tingkai had his questions answered in the thread.

Tingkai, out of curiosity, you said you have a BA in Economics -- where do you live today and what do you do?

[KrazyHorse]

I can answer those: he's a Canadian ex-pat living in Hong Kong who does freelance journo work.

[Asher]

His economics degree has taken him places, I see.

[KrazyHorse]

You're an ass, Asher, and you're been more than a bit twattish lately...

[Asher]

He doesn't even live here, which is probably why he's so clueless about Alberta to begin with.

Then he throws red herrings and semantic arguments out and slowly changes his stance hoping no one would notice throughout the debate.

It's pretty frustrating.

[KrazyHorse]

You're clueless about Quebec, Asher. I'm probably clueless about Alberta. He's had more experience closer to the Canadian political scene than you and I put together. This doesn't make him an infallible source, but to hear you, a useless student, making fun of him for having a useful career is astounding. And there's no such thing as a "citizen of Alberta".

[Asher]

Do you see me making troll threads about Quebec filled with lies and bull?

KrazyHorse, that was a semantic argument.

Citizen IN Alberta. Are you happy now?

I guarantee he knew that too. But to save face from his blatantly wrong comments earlier he tried to slowly turn it into a semantic argument to distract attention.

And how could ANYONE with a REMOTE CLUE about Canada today say: "The Socreds and the PCs in Alberta have done a terrible job. That's why there are only three million people there. After 50 years of massive oil revenues, pretty much all Alberta has to show for it is a bunch oil rigs."

[KrazyHorse]

You've turned every Can. political thread I started into one about Alberta, including the one I started about Quebec's language law and its relevance to the debate in the US regarding Spanish/English services. Turnabout's fair play.

[Asher]

I talk about Alberta because that's what I know.

I don't know much about Quebec, because I don't care about Quebec. All I know is more money goes into that province than leaves and because of them I have to deal with two languages on my cereal box. They can go away.

I do know about Ontario -- but so does everyone. Noone argues about Ontario, because nothing of interest happens in Ontario.

[notyoueither]

Actually Asher...

Quebec could go away, we'd still have to deal with the 'French fact'. Canada's constitutional history, going all the way back revolves around the presence of the French.

The French will still be here if Quebec leaves. just not as many of them. In fact, many might opt to stay with Canada and ditch Quebec if the separatists ever get their way.