Reboot Alberta

Sunday, November 03, 2024

FINDING OUR WAY IN UNCHARTED TIMES


FINDING OUR WAY IN UNCHARTED TIMES

A sextant was an indispensable navigation tool in the early days of European ocean-going discovery.

Unlike Heisenberg's Theory of Uncertainty, a sextant could tell you where you are and where you're going. Are you on or off course, and what must you do to make necessary changes and corrections?
But you needed an irrefutable constant to determine where you are. For those using a sextant, that constant was the North Star.
As you navigate through your citizenship journey as a Rebooter or an independent citizen and voter, do you have your personal North Star? What facts or articles of faith do you use as your known and reliable constants? Have you considered and calculated what is happening in your life-experiencing reality? Do you know where you are as an Albertan? Are you clear on how you got to your current reality? And are your clear about what you want in your future and how to find your way forward?
Alberta is entering into uncharted waters caused by events and issues beyond our control. Pandemics, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Energy Transition, Economic Recession, and so many more changes are coming at us as Albertans.

TIME TO EXERCISE PERRSONAL AGENCY

There are still many things we can still do personally and in groups to respond actively and positively to these macro-dynamics, and to make the changes we want to actually happen. We do have personal agency and can take control of some aspects of our political culture up to, during and after this critical election.
The question for us then is will we take back Control? Will we set out on an Alternative course from the failing of the past? Will we be wise enough to Delete the harmful actions and assumptions of the past? Will we explore and Reboot ourselves and our province to co-create a Better Alberta?
Elections are prime times to define new directions and get moving into new future-fit destinations. Are you getting ready, as a citizen, to take effective election-time action to make the changes you want to see in public policy, government programs and political processes? Do you accept that an informed citizenship and purposeful voting is a personal duty in a Free and Democratic Society?

A BETTER ALBERTA NEEDS BETTER VOTERS AND CITIZENS.

We will not get a better Alberta until we become Better Citizens and, in the process, become Better Voters. Are you willing to do what you can to become a Better Voter this election and beyond? That means investing your time to decide what is important to you and your family in these uncertain times for Alberta. It means taking the time to step up and raise your awareness of what's happening, and improving the quality of your information on issues and events.

Then are you able to invest and donate into the democratic process? You donate to a local candidate, a political party, or even an interest group whothat is active in pressing for change in a policy area.

Remember, democracy is influenced and run by those who show up.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

RURAL ALBERTANS ARE BEING SCREWED BY THE UCP



There an economic, environmental and social disaster that has been around for a long time in rural Alberta. Part of it due to successive provincial government that have been beholden to the oil and gas industry for decades. 

So we get totally inadequate attention paid to wellsite clean up and reclamation. That is a multi-billion (yes with a "B" dollar complex problem that gets ignored. The obligations get kicked down the road as the cost climb and the debacle turns into a disaster.

The other problem is simpler, more current and easier to resolve in the short term, if there is political will. That is the outstanding taxes and levies owed to rural municipal government by the energy sector.  It is now in the hundreds of millions of dollars. 

With record production levels, and record corporate profits, there is no excuse that any company has not paid up their arrears in full.  If they can't make these payments, why are we even allowing them to continue operating and exploiting our natural resources?

The link is to a commentary of mine on this issues and incidents around local government taxes.  It is election time so the UCP is finally paying some attention to this issue.  That's because it is causing serious tension in their rural voter base. 

This link is also to my new citizenship engagement initiative called Citizenship Matters. This is where we work towards creating a community to become more effectively engaged and assertive citizens. 

If you a moderate of progressive Albertans that wants to change politics, policy, programs, and processes about how we are governed, Citizenship Matters is for you.

If you are already involved in your community as a volunteer, a leader, or an advocate, Citizenship Matters is  for you.  

You can start getting involved by subscribing to Citizenship Matters in this link.