Lethbridge West residents need to vote with their heads
By Lethbridge Herald on December 4, 2024.
Editor:
There was a time when I was quite a bit younger than I am now, that I voted for only one Alberta party at every election time. But as I got older, I began to realize that my party of choice was becoming to far right for me so I began voting with my head instead of my heart.
We have a by-election in West Lethbridge called for on December 18th of this year and to me, to give the UCP an even larger majority than they have now would almost certainly guarantee an Alberta Pension Plan, selenium in our drinking water, a Provincial Police Force and continued conspiracy theories aimed at the federal government all at the taxpayer’s expense.
Also, it is a fallacy to think that that if we elect a UCP representative in the Lethbridge West, that the provincial government will shine their light down on us.
To be an effective government, there must be equal distribution of taxpayer’s dollar shared among all municipalities of Alberta. The recent announcement of funding a catheterization lab at the Chinook Hospital is just the UCP buying votes for the UCP candidate in the Lethbridge west by-election. Hopefully, there will be more people in west Lethbridge voting with their heads than their hearts.
Kent Perry
Lethbridge
8-7
This UCP government has proven not to be a government for the people of Alberta. We have had the highest increase in utilities across Canada, our inflation rate is one of the highest in the country. Still 50% of Lethbridge residence cannot find a doctor and this has been going on for years. The plans to grab CPP are self serving for their coffers. They have the lowest funding for education in Canada leaving our kids behind. Between April 2021 and April 2024 Alberta Health Services increased spending on private for-profit staffing agencies from just over $5 million a year to more than $156 million a year, an increase of roughly 3,000 per cent. The missteps keep adding up and up. Next on the list of increases is auto insurance. It’s obvious that they do not know how to govern so let’s not give them anymore people to screwup our lives.
You got it and what is so disturbing is the fact that so many of our fellow seniors aren’t smart enough to see it. My late father was right. “They vote for the word Conservative and don’t care that these are Reformers and there is nothing conservative about them”.
Vote NDP if you want the carnage on our streets and downtown like we see in BC. UCP is still cleaning up the mess of addicts and homeless from the bad decisions made by NDP. Anyone is a fool if they believe it would be better to have the NDP in Lethbridge West as opposed to a member of the sitting government. Having a member of the government to share concerns has always been more effective. Voting NDP will be a step backwards for our city! The NDP Constituency office was closed for most of the time in the last 3 years, so that is how they represented us! The Lethbridge East was being handed most of their work to deal with! Just another political rant to try to sway voters for the by-election.
Are you going to whine about homelessness when it’s a world wide problem , and ignore what these Reformers have created for you like dumping a $260 billion oil well cleanup mess on our children’s future and a $78 billion debt, and putting our lives at risk by treating our doctors and nurses like third class citizens. While photo radar made our lives safer letting drivers run amok and not being able to hold them responsible for accidents that could put you in a wheelchair is just plain stupid, don’t you think? Why would we support Axing the Tax when oil executives know it works and 27 countries agree and the Rebates are helping people who desperately need it?
Totally agree Kent Perry we need to “vote with our heads”. When we go to the polls, consider the facts:
1- Why are we infact having this byelection? Well, good question, the NDP (Shannon Phillips) left the constituency abruptly and for no apparent reason(s). In other words, the NDP let Lethbridge West down. Logically, we can NOT risk this again!
* Mrs. Shannon Phillips is now teaching at the University of Lethbridge.
2- The NDP (Shannon Phillips) for nearly 2 years, was not in her Lethbridge office, at least certainly not accessible. She (NDP) would not respond to e-mails, phone calls, letters and refused the majority of requests to meet with her. NOT what we want/need for our MLA. Logically we can NOT risk this again!
3- The notion that one more UCP or NDP seat in our Alberta Legislature originating from Lethbridge West, will “throw the balance of power” that the UCP (huge majority) has ‘out of balance’ is ridiculous. We have gone basically 6 months without a NDP (Shannon Phillips) in the legislature! Have we gone to H*** because of it, NO! Thankfully, and respectfully, Nathan Nuedorf -UCP-(Lethbridge East MLA) stepped in to commendibly “take over” for the absent NDP (Shannon Phillips) in Lethbridge West!
4- What is the one most significant pressing issue conerning our community? SAFTEY! With Lethbridge being as identified as “the most (# 1) City per capital in Canada for crime, several years running and this due to illegal drugs, vagrancy/crime! Do we want to elect Rob Miyashiro (NDP) who was an absolute advocate for the now failed Supervised Consumption site which admittedly created most of our issues today? Rob Miyashiro has ZERO knowledge, skills or insite on how to deal with safety/crime issues in our city! In the alternative, we have John Middleton-Hope with a plethora of experience, proven respected history in policing, “safe community strategy” excellent voice with reason on current Lethbridge City Council. The choice of this in it self is clear as to whom to vote for.
5- The NDP candidate, Rob Miyashiro is a disgraced former City Council member who is on record of being a bully towards his fellow City Council Members, do we want/deserve this type of character as our MLA?
6- The NDP candidate, Rob Miyashiro is NOT a resident in the Lethbridge West Constituency. John Middleton-Hope is! (and has been for many years). Using your/our head, why would we want a non-resident to represent us, when our (Lethbridge West) issues, do not even concern him as he is removed from them????
7- Which political party does Rob Miyashiro really represent??? He has shown Liberal colours as a Federal MP candidate recently!
8- Rob Miyashiro failed in his bid as the “Lethbridge East MLA” when his OWN CONSTITUENTS rejected him! Now he is teathering to the Lethbridge West constituency, NO THANK YOU!!
9- By the way, Rob Miyashiro, is Executive Director of Lethbridge Senior Citizen Organization (LSCO) as “full time” something he never relinguished while he “served” on Lethbridge City Council” ….how much effort/time did he even dedicate to his role as a city councillor?
10- Vote with your head! Vote for John Middleton-Hope! Make your vote count!
More stupidly from the Right wing extremist. Must make you proud watching these Reformers deliberately destroy everything our conservative hero Peter Lougheed created for us right? The conservative MLAs I knew certainly called it they knew what they would do to us and they were right on. They called Reformers the worst enemy of the Conservative Party and the people they controlled. They are destroying their own supporters that’s how stupid they are.
The MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat is NOT a resident of her riding. For the third time, HaroldP, how is it that you do not voice your vitriolic opposition over this non-resident MLA in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding?
She got defeated in her own riding when she tried to become their Conservative candidate. The people knew there was nothing conservative about her she was a Reformer and they didn’t trust her. I wonder why? They were a lot smarter than the fools who elected her weren’t they?
Our Premier, Danielle Smith is ALSO the recognized MLA for Medicine Hat/Brooks. This resulted, of course, from a byelection when the UCP MLA in that constituency resigned to allow Danielle Smith the opportunity of being elected (successfully) to our legislature…. perhaps something one of Naheed Nenshi’s sitting MLA’s might consider.
Danielle Smith’s constituency in Medicine Hat-Brooks has offices in both Brooks (Unit A 503, 4th Ave West) and Medicine Hat (413 6th Ave SE) these offices are actually OPEN and serve her (Danielle Smith’s) constituents effectively. Danielle Smith often visits the constituency, holds “town hall” meetings.
I previously responded to your redundant question and asked you to report to me how many premiers in Canada are in their resident riding as a MLA??
I’ll pass on the revisionist delusions, HP. But my recollection is that Miyashiro only held a couple of Councillors to task. One of them being ‘the laziest and most unprepared councillor’ in the history of Lethbridge. One should be grateful to have someone who tries to raise expectations for the competence of elected representatives.
Why the charade? Its a choice between Nutbar extreme Lefties which are Woke and Self-righteous against the Nutbar extreme Righties!
The mere fact you think the Nutbar extreme lefties are a better bet is debate worth having. I see no party even partially attempting to fill the middle area of sanity? So why is your INSANE Group better than the OTHER INSANE group?
The reason people flock to the Extreme Right is their only other choice is the Extreme left, its not difficult to understand. So it comes down to a Spearman puppet, SCS loving, riding jumping, party flipping radical Lefty, or “the Righty guy”? Not much else matters!
Gads, I said that without invoking a Dead Conservative, wonder if Fedup can do that? lol
In the real world the former Conservative MLAs praised Notley for what she was doing and pointed out that she was just like Conservative Peter Lougheed she was not a left wing extremist as you suggest. She had nothing but praise for what Lougheed had done for the people and knew she had to get our corporate taxes and oil royalties increased back up to the Lougheed levels. The oil industry crash of 2014 destroyed that for her and these Reformers used it against her and these mindless seniors believed them.
The financial statement that I saw as a former Banker proved that she didn’t waste taxpayers money like these Reformers want us to believe and the conservatives in my world aren’t going to ignore what these Reformers have done to our children and grandchildren’s future are you?
Expecting Notley to fix in only 4 years the mess they created in 25 was just plain stupid, yet that’s what these ignorant seniors wanted, that’s how stupid they are.
If it’s not bad enough that Albertans have to fight these Reformers who are deliberately destroying everything the Conservatives created for the good of the people they have to contend with these mindless seniors blindly supporting them and showing no respect for our children and grandchildren’s future and they don’t care about the jobs they are destroying just like the former Conservative MLAs knew they would.
While the former conservative MLAs praised Notley for wanting to increase Corporate Taxes and Oil Royalties back up to the Lougheed levels these fools continue to blame her for the financial mess we are in. Ignoring the fact that she was only in office of 4 years and it took these Reformers 25 years to create the mess we are in that’s how stupid they are.
Kent Perry is absolutely right these Reformers are nothing like the Conservatives we proudly support, so why are these fools still willing to support them, and ignore the mess they have created?