Now That We Can Do Anything, What Will We Do?

Just so you know that I am not all angst and anguish over the state of democracy in Alberta, I had a wonderful evening last night. I was at a good old fashioned pot luck supper with an eclectic collection of old and new friends. Sitting beneath the stars on a patio in the river valley on a beautiful evening with a cold beer, great conversations and the sounds of the fabulous Edmonton Folk Festival filling the air…thx to our hosts for a great time.

In my conversations last night I was struck by the commonality of concern and comments about the future of Alberta. We had a wide mix, from an architect to an economist, a social agency executive to an artist, a film festival producer to a media monitor and lots of people with different experiences in between.

It is pretty clear change is in the air. My sense is that people are focusing on the environment as an overarching concern and how it must be integrated into everything else we are doing in Alberta. These folks last night were creative, comfortable, competent and confident folks but they were not convinced our politicians are “getting it.” I am sensing there will be a singular ecological act or event, either symbolic or tangible, which will be a tipping point causing the environment to become the #1 concern public policy issue. I could be wrong but I would not be surprised if I wasn’t.

I remember an earlier tipping point in 1993 when Laurence Decore stood in the Legislature with his wallet held high above his head. He was making the point that the Alberta government had a serious spending problem and it was coming right out of the wallets of every Albertan. The public already knew this and the dramatic gesture resonated with Albertans. The other “dramatic” consequence was, given the public’s response, Premier Klein immediately dove headfirst into an election and campaigned on “slaying the debt and deficit dragon.” Some of you will remember the choices the voters were given – brutal cuts or massive cuts, take our pick.

So what is the next tipping point going to be in Alberta that captures our collective imagination and moves us forward? I got part of the answer today in some material sent to me from the Alberta College of Art and Design. In it was a quote from Bruce Mau, head of the Toronto based Institute Without Boundaries. He said, “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?” It is that sense of possibility and potential that we in Alberta must capture and use constructively. We have all the tools, timing and talent to do “anything” – the challenge is to define and deliver on what we mean by “anything.”

Some possibilities that appealed to me were in the ACAD material, including: to build our communities, create a new industry, invigorate our province, explore ideas, stir culture, celebrate, imagine and be prepared to be amazed. Nice places to start the thinking and design process for the next Alberta.

It is Sunday – a day of rest. I think I shall do just that for the “rest” of the day.

Are We Ready for a Change?

I first read Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point” back in the spring of 2000. It’s been 99 weeks on the Globe and Mail Best Sellers list. The book is a “how-to” primer for modern retail politics. Gladwell says modern changes occur when three characteristics coincide, contagiousness, the fact that little causes have big effects and change is not gradual but happens “at one dramatic moment.”

With these awareness’s expect political campaigns to change big time. For an example of this just look at Democratic candidate Howard Dean, the internet based political phenomenon that was – and then all of a sudden, wasn’t – just one “scream” later. Contagion, little things creating big effect and then, all of a sudden, it’s over.

Couple this with James Surowiecki’s 2004 book “The Wisdom of Crowds” where he illustrates the amazing accuracy and effectiveness of “disorganized decision making.” There is a power of collective wisdom in decision-making that result from the participation of a diverse collection of independently deciding individuals. Even with insufficient data and personal biases when pooled and applied, there is an amazing accuracy. Sounds like a rich decentralized network of people not a centralized hierarchy of power brokers, right?

In the Internet age of networked independent, effective, connected communities of interest based relationships, I can see a new political paradigm emerging. This is especially true in Alberta. The SuperNet is starting to “light up” in libraries all over Alberta. Albertans will likely be the most powerfully connected place and people on the planet. With citizens having a direct access to this network and its power, it will be hard to control political events and information from a top-down, command and control centralized source – like the Legislature – or worse yet, the Premier’s office.

This shift is already happening but on a modest scale. Blogs are the canaries in the political coal mines for the traditionalist politicians. Blogs are a contagious, disorganized “decision making” reality that is the beginning of the end of the traditional political class. Anyone who believes and/or hopes that the past centralized top-down elite driven political power and authority will continue into the future is wrong. It will not!

We are approaching - or may already be at - a “tipping point” in Alberta politics and the PC leadership results could be the proof of that new reality. We saw the tipping point at work in the last Edmonton Mayoralty race. Voters started to question conventional “media wisdom” and the appeal of the two front runners. The erosion of their support happened slowly at first, but time took its toll. In the critical last two weeks of the campaign, everything changed because people wanted real change and the so-called third candidate was seen as real change. Mandel won handily. Messrs. Dinning and Oberg should read Gladwell and Surowiecki and get ahead of the change before it’s too late.

Who Is "fromthemountains"

Today a blogger who uses the name "fromthe mountains" and is part of a group of political bloggers "Renewingtheonepartystate" suggested Dave Hancock, who I support for the PC leadership, rein me in. My words - not his/hers. I commented on that site but wanted to share what I had to say on this blog as well. Here was my reply to "fromthemountains:"

I have read your comments on my blog re lack of long term planning and your advice to Dave Hancock to “lay down some ground rules” with me. I hope you read my entry today. I think it best answers what I think is wrong with your recommendation to Dave Hancock.

When people are afraid to express independent, considered, reflective thought and opinion we end up with the state controlled by dictators - not citizens. When you are required to adhere to an ideology of the powerful and to be silent for fear of reprisal we get old style communism. When you feel you have to be on the side of the “authority” regardless of whether you respect them or not, you destroy democracy you don’t merely diminish it.

When you find people of ability and character prepared to enter thankless politics in order to authentically serve the public good and not just a party boss – it does not take much to value them and want to support them, regardless of party affiliation. Parties can be effective if they are composed of citizens who believe in and value our freedoms. Parties exist to make sure politics is in the service of our society - not the other way around.

We in Alberta still have a free, open, inclusive and democratic society. We lack an active, informed and engaged citizenry. If that trend continues power based extremists politicians will be able to take over and “set some ground rules” including free speech. That would be tragic. Political participation is not an option. Citizens either get involved politically or else politics will get them. If you allow powerful extremists to take over our democracy and destroy it – to blog will be at your peril.

I notice you do not tell us who you are in your blog. That is your prerogative. Come out from behind the shadows “fromthemountains” and bring your co-contributors with you. Come into the sunlight and tell us who you are and speak your mind freely. Do this with out fear of reprisal from your peers - or your masters, if you have them. You owe this to yourself so you can avoid having that “little chat” with someone some time soon who will “lay down some ground rules for you.” In your last sentence you say to the effect “If you don’t, I think things will only get worse.” With that statement I could not agree more. Who are you? Inquiring minds want to know.

Has Citizenship and Cynicism Become Synonyms?

The “silencing” of citizen's voices in our governance system is disheartening. Why have so many people settled for cynicism and given up about speaking out? It is as if Sidney Harris’ observation about a cynic is becoming embedded in too many citizens and becoming a fundamental part of our culture. He said “A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future.”

I have recently read a book of essays by Margaret Wheatley, “Finding Our Way – Leadership for an Uncertain Time.” An essay she did entitled “Ending Our Silence” struck home and gave some insight on this trend.

She observes that “we don’t know how to talk to each other anymore…even nations where there is a strong tradition of citizen participation; people have stopped talking to one another about the most troubling political issues.” She observes the consequence of “…the silent thoughtful people creates a vacuum filled by extremists.”

We feel overwhelmed and helpless by the amount of suffering in the world and the complexity of the problems. She wonders if it is all “too much to bear, and so we choose numbness over involvement.”

Wheatley believes “People feel more powerless now than at any time in recent history.” Decisions get made politically in our name that we absolutely disagree with. This seems especially true for youth.

Others are afraid to speak out because of what they might lose. Some people in government are more about power than public service and they are bullies. Silence becomes co-option and one ends up forfeiting personal integrity and principles in order to stay on the “good side” of those in power. Wheatley observes that we want some significant change yet we delude ourselves that it can happen at no cost to ourselves.

Is it time for a wake up call for citizenship? I think so. As Edmund Burke noted “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” I think I have just found another good reason to be writing this Blog.

Planning - We Don't Need No Stinkin' Long Range Planning

So the Premier says Alberta doesn’t need long range planning for oil sands development and those “think-tanks” who say differently ought to keep their nose out of the risky business of oil sands development. So there! That attitude sums up the short sightedness that has characterized our provincial policy planning since the “victory” over debt and deficit. With such hard fought fiscal flexibility one would think long term infrastructure planning would be Job 1 for a fiscally prudent government - but it obviously isn’t. At least not until there is “new management” in place.

The oil sands industry has been trying for years to get the province to do some public sector infrastructure planning for the Wood Buffalo region – Fort McMurray especially. There were three comprehensive business case studies done jointly by the municipality and industry over the years. Each one was done professionally, with prudence and caution. Each time the province was forewarned of the dire consequences to the region of public infrastructure neglect in the face of rapid populaton and oil sands project development.

Each time recommendations were persistently ignored by the province. Each time government said industry should take over government’s role and provide the Ft. Mc. public infrastructure. Each time industry said OK as long as it was included as part of project costs. Nothing ever came of it.

A good example of the political neglect is how the province perpetually sat on the release of residential land supply in Fort McMurray in the face of 6-8% annual compounding population growth. Land for housing was, and is, totally within provincial control and for years nothing was done. Now Ft. Mc. housing prices rival Toronto and Vancouver. And we wonder why we can’t get any labour to work up there.

We did a long range plan once - in 1993 - to eliminate the provincial deficit and debt. We said we would do it over 25 years. The powers that be at the time took personal pride in the fact that “they did not blink.” True enough. So steely and concentrated was their focus on the fiscal goal, that it was accomplished in a mere 8 years – and to great fan fare. Every available loose nickel seems to have been put directly to the debt and deficit.

Government did not blink but they wore blinkers. They let infrastructure demands slide in the face of population growth and ignored things like school maintenance. Such infrastructure neglects and planning “mistakes” were widespread. Alberta taxpayers are now paying a premium to fix up the messes - if contractors can even be found to bid such public sector projects in this over heated labour constrained construction market.

Long range planning? We don’t need no stinkin’ long range planning…not at $78 oil we don’t. Cash flow can hide a lot of sins…for a while! Just ask the federal Liberal Party. And remember - there is more than one way to piss away a boom.