Raise a Reader Campaign for Literacy

I applaud the Edmonton Journal and the rest of the Postmedia people for their annual Raise a Reader campaign focused on children's literacy.  I was "solicited" this morning to buy a newspaper by Alberta's Education Minister  and long-time friend Dave Hancock to make a donation for the cause.

Dave is a big advocate for all aspects of the literacy challenges we face.  Alberta is the most literate province in the country but the results are not impressive when you consider the implications of the lack of literacy on the economic, social, health, justice, education, community capacity, costs, well-being and competitiveness of our people.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

James Cameron - David Swann & the Plight of Fort Chip People

I had dinner with Liberal Opposition Leader David Swann last night at Rigoletto's, my favourite restaurant in downtown Edmonton.  We were talking about the Reboot3.0 and the next steps for the progressive citizen's movement known as Reboot Alberta.  I, and others, are working hard at changing the political culture in Alberta.  Progressives from all political stripes and walks of life know that we must move Alberta away from the shift to the Libertarian right in our political culture caused by the recent rise of the Wildrose Alliance Party.

David mentioned in passing that he was having breakfast this morning with James Cameron and others from the First Nations people from Fort Chipewyan.   David's chat with James Cameron is happening before Premier meets. An interesting prelude and a great opportunity for James Cameron to see another side of Alberta...for sure.

I expect both Swann and Stelmach will be hospitable and curious about Mr. Cameron's observations and reaction to what he has seen and heard in the past couple of days. I hope there is a realization of the enormous good that can happen from responsible development of the oil sands.  That responsible potential has to integrate the health and social concerns of the people of Ft Chip as well as the environmental, habitat protection and reclamation responsibilities inherent in development.

The dinner conversation last night reminded me of the first time I met David Swann.  Ironically it was two years ago in Ft. Chip at a Keepers of the Water Conference he and I attended with many others.  It was while I was working with the Canadian Boreal Initiative trying to figure out a system to compensate for the loss of wildlife habitat from oil sands development with the use of conservation offsets.

I remember a warm summer evening where David and I whiled away the evening lying on a rock high above a field watching the sun set over Lake Athabasca and gazing at the starlit clarity of the night sky. We talked way into the night on that rock that night and mostly about the future of Alberta.  We talked about the need to take an integrated, balanced holistic approach to the development of the oil sands that was respectful to the needs and rights of First Nations people.  David and I shared some thoughts, hopes, aspirations and even a few fears for the future progress of our province that night - and we have continued to do so ever since.

The wisdom of Albertans today is that the proper development of the oil sands should be the goal.  That includes assuring Albertans, as owners, that the government and development corporations are not being indolent in their duties.  Some of those duties is a guarantee that no harm is being done to human health and the well being of wildlife and the quality of air, land and water in the course of oil sands resource exploitation.

I hope when James Cameron and David Swann meet today that they get to share that  same kind of great conversation David and I did that night.  I hope they get to share thoughts about what kind of energy and commitment it will take for Albertans before we can realize the potential for the province.  I hope they get to compare notes and impart to each other a shared sense of common cause.  I hope they both agree to commit to help co-create that progressive prosperous and preferred future for Alberta that benefits everyone, not just a few.  I hope they connect with the same great intensity and share that same sense of inspiration, hope and obligation David and I felt as we discussed the blessing and burden of being Albertan with the birthright of the oil sands.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Obama's Rolling Stone Interview

I seem to be getting copies of interesting but long articles these days.  Here is the "Obama Fight Back" interview with Rolling Stone magazine.  Definitely worth a read.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/209395?RS_show_page=0#userComments

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Linda Duncan Steps Up With a Report on Water and Oil Sands

I have not read this report on the oil sands by Linda Duncan - MP for Edmonton Strathcona yet...but I will soon.

I disagree with Linda politically on a few issues and agree with her on many others.  We both share a passion for good music and Leonard Cohen in particular went together to his concert in Edmonton earlier this year.  Full disclosure of my bias and friendship with Linda.

One thing for sure you cannot question Linda's integrity, honesty, accountability and transparency when it comes to her application of her environmental expertise.  Based on that I suggest every Albertan, as an individual owner of the oil sands read her report.  Reflect on the implications and come to your own conclusion as to the implications for the responsible development of our resource.

Here is the link and I look forward to a full and open discussion on the content on this blog.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Gaming Rivals Royalties in Alberta Coffers

Albertans own some of the greatest and largest collection of natural resources to generate wealth now and for future generations. Those include forestry, coal, oil, gas and oil sands in abundance.  But are we getting good value from our tenants?  Are we getting good management from our government?  How are they jointly providing for the proper stewardship?  Are they taking a comprehensive long-term integrated development approach that embraces the social, political, cultural, ecological and economic elements related to exploitation of our resources.

If so, why then do we only expect to collect revenues from those resources at about the same level as we garner from gambling in the province? What is wrong with this picture?  This is a perfect storm example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.  Gambling revenues are apparently highly concentrated from a small and not very wealthy portion of the population and is a very socially expensive tax system.

Non renewable resources have only one time to generate royalty revenues from our natural capital. But we forgo them in exchange for subsidized jobs in the energy sector especially.  This is nothing short or selling out the birthright of future generations as we use these capital revenues to subsidize our about a third of current public service programs instead of taxing our selves properly to pay our way.

Instead we adhere to a narrow-minded Alberta Advantage mantra of low taxes at all costs.  Foolish and selfish are the only conclusions one can come to when gambling is as important a public revenue source as natural resources.

Any political party prepared to suggest to Albertans that we return to our self-reliant, self-respecting and resilient selves and actually pay our own way for health care, schools, seniors, safe communities and so forth.  that may mean a rise in taxes and a closer look at value for money as taxpayers.  It also beg the question of the proper role of government and the appropriate level of funding for government to do the jobs we ask of it.

Time to wake up and grow up Alberta.  We got serious about getting rid of debt and deficits in the early 90s in no small part so we would not leave that burden on our children and could look them in the eye.  Not so sure we can do that now.  This is especially true given how we are squandering such resource wealth and opportunity and at the same time stifling our capacity for caring, compassion and dignity for the young, vulnerable and marginalized in our society by under funded government programs because we will not pay our way as taxpayers.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org