May 1, 2015 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings
 
   We are mere days away from a Provincial Election in Alberta.
 
   I personally agree with Premier Prentice’s comment from earlier this year that all Albertans need to look in the mirror to see who is responsible for the current situation Albertan find ourselves in.
 
   Now, WHY I agree with that comment?  Because all Albertans have not only expected, but have DEMANDED loudly, that “The Government” take care of us in ways that it shouldn’t be.
 
   I don’t believe we need “The Government” to give out more money to the departments, we need “The Government” to give out LESS money!
 
      For example, health care doesn’t make us well.  Our daily choices - what we eat and drink, exercise/activity, lifestyle, etc. - make us well.  It is not “The Government’s” responsibility to tell us what to eat or how to be fit.  Health care should be for emergencies, and a last resort, when other options fail. 
 
   Also, education (schools and universities) doesn’t make us learn.  Truthfully, children (and adults) learn more effectively outside of any organized classroom setting.  For example, we learn more from hobbies than we do from rote work in a classroom.  And moreover, the oft repeated statistic from School Boards and the Opposition parties that there will be 12,000 more students and no teacher to teach them - NOT TRUE.  In a province this size, that works out to maybe 1 more student in a classroom, and not every class will see an increase.

   It is not “The Government’s” responsibility to run this province in the day-to-day, it is OURS.  Each of us, through the jobs we do, the Boards we are members of, and the communities we live in, is responsible for doing the best we can with the resources we currently have at our disposal.  If we can’t efficiently do that, all the government money in the world won’t solve our problems, nor will user fees.

   And maybe, once we take back our own responsibilities, then “The Government” we elect will be more able to effectively do the job we elect them too do.

   Voting on May 5th is very important, but even more important is the many choices you make every day which impact this province.

Beth

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