Women of ABpoli: Hot Flashes - Issue #15
This Week in AB
It's Election Day! Again...
“I can’t decide which would be more entertaining:
1. Albertans voting no on the equalization question as a giant 🖕🏼to Kenney or
As Albertans head to the polls once again, Calgary and Edmonton are taking up most of the attention as we watch for a change, or stay, in the tides of the two largest cities.
Will the UCP-friendly Mike Nickel and Jeromy Farkas eke out a with fairytale policies from yester-year, or will the urban jungles choose to push forward?
There are rumours answers to the referendum questions may be delayed by a week or more, so it's not even close to being over... yet.
Still, we are expecting a higher than average turnout to answer the referendum questions that were super important in the spring but seem to have lost their thrill amidst a preventable fourth wave. Some even speculate that being in opposition to the provincial government is preferable to "working together" with nothing but wishful thinking to guide us. We shall see.
Farkas was polling as the front-runner in Calgary's mayoral race early on but didn't see enthusiasm for his campaign while Gondek's grew, and grew.
With a "Hail Mary" on the weekend before election day, Jeromy Farkas send out a request for Jeff Davison and Brad Field supporters to put their faith in him instead, as polling shows a statistical tie between himself and Jyoti Gondek.
Neither Davison nor Field, got behind the idea, and Farkas ended up looking desperate, instead of politically astute.
Farkas took some risks by choosing to side with minority opposition to vaccine passports in the city, but it almost worked for the provincial government in a non-election year, so... worth it?
"No fucks Nenshi" strikes again
Calgary's outgoing Mayor, a man who held the role for 11 years, still lives in the city, and still has a stake in its future, posted some biting parting words on Sunday.
It's no secret that Nenshi was at odds with the provincial government's incompetence on the Covid file, and the province's decision to cut funding for police services, and take a higher percentage of ticket revenue, and the list goes on, actually.
Outgoing Mayors can choose to wish everyone well and fade into the background, but that's never really been Nenshi's thing, so why would he start now?
The majority of the Mayor's last address was about the future of Calgary - not shocking. However, he did throw shade at the government for "chest thumping" against unions before having their proposals rejected outright by the mediator. He did take aim at Jeromy Farkas for accusing City staff of theft.
Again, nothing that should really bother the Premier's Director of Communications, or the Justice Minister enough to start calling the soon-to-be-former Mayor "petty".
An excerpt:
"So also ask yourself who will bring the face of Calgary you want to see into those corporate boardrooms and big stages.
Ultimately, we get to live in one of the best paces in the world. Regardless of whom we elect, Calgarians will continue to do great things.
But when you vote, I hope you do so with optimism and with joy. With hope for a better future. Because it will amazing.
(Oh, and do vote against Jason Kenney's ridiculous referendums, on principle if nothing else)."
Or maybe it was the reminder that the government failed to offer Albertans any real options that might actually benefit us - again.
I noticed a post on one of my local Facebook pages last night. A woman said she had just moved and wanted to know who to vote for that would embody her exceptionally conservative views.
Looking through the comments, not one person named names - they all sent their recommendations via private message. Weird, I thought, since I live in rural and you'd think they would be proud to let everyone know who the conservative choices are.
Strange to think it's not the selling point it once was.
A reminder to Calgarians that the fluoridation question is apparently way at the bottom - or the next page or something.
Anyway, I don't ask for much, but as someone who pays to get Calgary water delivered (the whole town does but you get it), yet wasn't offered any say in this question, please vote yes.
And remember that a vote against Kenney's stupid referendum questions isn't just a vote against lulling people with simplistic solutions to complex problems, it's also a giant fuck you to Jason Kenney.
Cheers.
cover photo: @abpressrelease