I wasn't so surprised to learn about this quote from Ron Liepert, but I was a little surprised to learn about this ad from the Friends of Medicare in the Calgary Herald today. Any thoughts on it's effectiveness? (or Ron Liepert's effectiveness for that matter...?)(h/t @michaeljanz)
(UPDATE: The ad will be running in the Herald tomorrow. h/t Jason Fekete)
Everyone who will see it and care already has distinct opinions about "Friends of Medicare".
ReplyDeleteWaste of money. Doubt it helps their recruiting.
They're also countering what they're suggesting is a negative attitude with negative tone. Fail. They'd do better with a positive message about what they believe.
There have been subtle changes in access to people over the last few months. (two personally). One was that a private person could do the work, no waiting just a thousand bucks and the second was a procedure that normally was done in the Doc's office is not allowed any more as of this coming April 1.
ReplyDeleteSo far public musing has been on the changes affecting Seniors but at least that was thrown in to the public view.
I want to know the plan and also what other new rules have been implemented.
Health care is the one issue Stelach can be crushed on and he has 3 to 4 years to get it right?
Just for the record I have always been staunch PC however they are pushing the envelope.
Funny thing.. Alberta keeps voting PC by a wide margin.. why would that be if our government has done such a poor job of attending to our needs?
ReplyDeleteI just got through attending emergency last week with my wife as a result of her father's stroke - health care was exemplary and quick.. followed up by a visit to his physician two days' later.
My mother recently also underwent surgery as did my father - in both cases, without complaint.
Where is this "crisis" the so-called "Friends of Medicare" keep telling us about?
Is it the father who brought his daughter into emergency while we were waiting to here news of y wife's father - because "her sister has strep throat and I think she might be getting it?" (Uh, how about making time in your busy day to make an appointment with a physician).
Is it the profusion of self-inflicted illnesses (drug and alcohol abuse) sought to be treated at the tax-payers expense?
Maybe its the 60 year old woman who decides she must have children.. and then goes to India to get pregnant, but comes back here to saddle the taxpayers with her massive neonatal tab for her twins..
Tell you what - I'm sick of the whining in this Province too..
I think more people should harken to the words of Democractic President John F. Kennedy, who suggested we "ask not what our country can do for us, ask what we can do for our country."
A few too many people who want to ride the wagon, and a far too few who want to pull it.
"A few too many people who want to ride the wagon, and a far too few who want to pull it."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. You mind paying some extra taxes to get us through this recession? How about paying off Harper's debt?
Ryan, I'm already there.. I have a small business, 26 employees, and beyond creating jobs for them, I cut my own cheque annually for some $40 - 50 thousand dollars.. and I'm not complaining - but that's the rub. I pay. I don't abuse. I appreciate what our government provides me and my children.
ReplyDeleteIn talking to a buddy in business, he has a not-so-subtle comment on the difference between those who sign the front of cheques and those who sign the backs..
Tell me Ryan, which do you do? Do you sign the front of cheques, or just the backs when it's payday?
I see your occupation as being "non-profit", which, more often than not, is a laudable endeavor, but probably not an endeavor where you should tell someone else to pay "their share".
well done roblaw....I'm with you 100%
ReplyDeleteIf I were Ron Liepert I'd feel the same way...doesn't this ad kind of substantiate his comment??? There is never anything that this government does right in their eyes. Very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteAs per usual, I'll speak from the corner of the spectrum occupied by my favorite batch of centrists (the ones who aren't giant pedantic sissies) and say they're both wrong.
ReplyDeleteMinister Liepert's ridiculous gaffe is both bad politics and bad governance - even if your constituents are a bunch of whiny left-leaning welfare bums, you should at least try to pretend that you take your democratic responsibilities to represent them (and thus heed their concerns) seriously.
On the other side, this ad is doing nothing to hold him accountable for flipping the bird to some section of the electorate (again), and will do nothing to attract people to the cause, to elevate the discourse, or to push the government to be more careful about sound bites related to Medicare.
Never mind moving the discussion out of sound bite land and into responsible policy land.
I want vision, dammit.
(And before someone wanders off to my blog profile to point out that I'm in Africa doing non-profit work and so not doing my fair share in any way shape or form, I'm going to pre-emptively tell you to stow the personal attack that doesn't actually deal with the quality of my points in any way shape or form - in the absence of my duly elected representatives and self-appointed lobbyists stepping up to provide said vision, I'm working on it, being in Africa notwithstanding. The internet is a magical place).
A - just to make my point, I wouldn't demean anyone for non-profit work, that's not my point.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that while I pay a chunk of tax, I have a nice lifestyle, probably beyond anything that someone doing non-profit work has.. and I meant it when I said most non-profit work is very laudable.
My point - however, is when someone suggests I should pay MORE tax, from a place where they may not pay significant or any tax, well, that is as questionable as me suggesting that you aren't doing enough in Africa..
Beyond that, your point is well-taken in some respects that it certainly isn't political to make the statement that Liepert makes.. but as per my original post, it is understandable. I mean, in Africa, you must be exposed to deficiencies in living standards that we can't imagine.. and yet, we complain here.
"Funny thing.. Alberta keeps voting PC by a wide margin.. why would that be if our government has done such a poor job of attending to our needs?"
ReplyDeleteI don't think there are many people who believe this has more to do with the PC's competence than the incompetence of their competition.
It's impossible to say this is a well-run province. If it were there's no way we would ever be close to a deficit, full stop.
The trouble with some Conservatives is they don't LIKE too much government. So when they're asked to govern they grumble about it.
ReplyDeleteMy relatives complain about having to wait 12 hours in the emergency room. Now the province wants to cut chiropractic services (something it tries to do every couple of years it seems.) And just last week, a senior I know was sent a letter saying she has to wait longer for cataract surgery because the govt. is cutting back on the number of cataract surgeries it will cover.
So maybe some people are getting served quicker while others are not? Or maybe this is just happening to Alberta seniors?
In BC, Medicare partially covers both chiropractic and acupuncture treatments. These types of medical services help keep people out of the acute care system which is very expensive. As far as I know, the BC govt. is not making cuts to health care in its latest budget.
"The trouble with some Conservatives is they don't LIKE too much government. So when they're asked to govern they grumble about it."
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I mean, our federal Conservatives - in power barely three years - posted the first budget deficit in more than a decade. The size of government has certainly grown under their watch.
And given the patterns over the past 37 years, deficit spending seems to be the default setting for the Progressive Conservative government in Alberta, too - with Klein's belt-tightening and hospital-leveling being an aberration.
So if Conservatives don't like too much government, they have a funny way of showing it.
Besides which... if you don't like the job of governing, then why even put your name in for consideration? Wouldn't that just lend itself to doing a half-assed job?
Okay my previous post about subtle changes has been clarified. Apparantly there is actually a budget now and eye surgeries have been suspended because they are deemed elective. The private providers has been told there is no more money and services have been suspended until the new budget.
ReplyDeleteSince there will be a glut of underused capacity for the next month and a half why can't I then pay for my son's eye surgery myself? There would be no one bumped and the facilities are there waiting... waiting.
I've got a question, is it possible for Canadians to discuss improvements to our health care systems without it automatically turning into a nasty debate about the Americanization of our system? We have decided that we have the best system in the world and often any sort of changes are thought to be the first step to hell (aka US-system). Why can't the conversation be framed with comparisons to other systems around the world?
ReplyDeleteFRANKIE,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that comment. I think you head the nail on the head.
It's this same kind of small minded thinking that has mired canada in under achievment. East vs. West; French vs. English; even U of A vs U of C battling for funding.
Working together and utilizing our regional strengths to grow the pie, to the benefit of every one's standard of living should be our approach.
I think this is the perspective from which the energy industry here in alberta should be used. Leverage it to create tomorrow's industry and wealth.
Jarrett