Premier-Wannabe Jim Dinning looks skyward for inspiration at a campaign stop last Friday at Edmonton's Metro Billiards.
View Calgary Grit's leadership profiles here. Heavy on partisan editorial (self-admittedly so), but has lots of good tips and innuendo.
The Alberta Decides 2006 blog also has a few choice words for the Dinning camp.
(photo by the Alberta Report)
EDMONTON - Operatives from the Alberta Report joined the adoring throng at Friday night's Jim Dinning rally in downtown Edmonton - in more ways than one.
One operative at the event at Metro Billiards was deluged with buttons, campaign literature, and even special "Dinning Vouchers," ostensibly to sell to his friends.
"It was a shit-show," said the operative, who (of course) will not be named. "The entire event was a frenzied, frantic, appeal to the lowest common denominator in leadership campaigns. Not money, not volunteers - just votes."
Our insider skulked away with a free PC membership, laden with his fake address, constituency, and phone number, as well as a Dinning Voucher book - a type of pledge book to sign up friends and take their money. The operative was not asked to provide proof of identity or of residence, nor was she asked to uphold any sort of ideals pertaining to the party's constitution.
A sign-in book at the front of the room had four pages (as of 7 pm) scrawled full with twenty names a piece. Organizers had evidently hoped for more, but regardless, the venue was full with young urban professionals clamoring for a moment with their leader.
Edmonton's Ward Two City Councillor Kim Krushell and Education Minister Gene Zwosdesky joined the Dinning revelers. Krushell's name had been mentioned as a potential opponent to Rachel Notley in Edmonton Strathcona.
Event organizers also claimed a number of Liberal activists among the Dinning din. Gene Zwozdesky, for his part, left the Alberta Liberal Caucus in 1998.
A bar staffer told the operative that the Dinning camp had guaranteed 200-250 people. While they were short of this number, the bar was full. The $2 high balls, domestic beer and wine were subsidized by the campaign, not the bar.
"We just received a call two weeks ago from someone asking if we'd host this," said the staffer, who appeared lukewarm to the Tory tide.
A three-dollar subsidy per drink, times 150 Tories (many patrons were clearly not partisan), with many in the youngish crowd boozing unreservedly, would not come cheap.
Dinning himself came on to a shower of feedback in a overly-lit makeshift stage, dressed in an Edmonton Oilers jersey to trumpet his hometown roots.
"For the first time in its history, Alberta will have a Premier who was born in Edmonton," Dinning told the crowd.
The essence of Dinning's remarks was his very urgent and very blatant appeal to sell even more memberships and get out the vote.
"Sell the membership even if you don't particularly like the person," said Dinning, to laughter.
"I already did," smirked one well-dressed young woman, proudly brandishing her orange 'I'm with Jim' sticker.
comments
6 Responses to "Gettin' in with Jim Dinning"Krushell was mentioned at daveberta as a possible PC candidate, not a Liberal candiate.
Ooohh...
That wasn't so painstaking. Thanks for the correction.
- Reg.
"I'm a fiscal conservative, and I'm not going to buy people with their money. I'm not going to buy their votes". (Jim Dinning, Calgary Herald, November 16, 2006, page A3)
List of Mr. Dinning’s Policy Promises
•Expanding the supply of doctors, nurses and health care providers (Speech to the Calgary Area and Physicians Association, June 21, 2006)
•Introduce a comprehensive and transparent lobbyist registry (Implementing high ethical standards in government, September 12, 2006)
•Establish a new on-line registry identifying all contracts over $25,000 (Implementing high ethical standards in government, September 12, 2006)
•Establish all-party working committees with specific mandates for public reviews, hearings and debates (Implementing high ethical standards in government, September 12, 2006)
•Institute a Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006) (Estimate of R&D Tax Credit: $56 million: Source: Alberta Tax Review Committee, May 1998)
•Establish a new Alberta Foundation for Clean Energy Research (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Establish 50 new research chairs at Alberta’s universities, colleges and technical institutes (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Expanding access to venture capital for industries beyond oil and gas (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Expanding training and education for Aboriginal people ((Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Establish an Alberta Aboriginal Education Council ((Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Encourage development of an Alberta biofuels industry (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Expand the role of Alberta’s International Offices, including establishment of an Alberta Office in Ottawa (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Build a Water for Life Endowment Fund (Environment Plan, October 2, 2006)
•Develop a long-term province-wide plan to upgrade all aging water infrastructure in the 10 year capital plan (Environment Plan, October 2, 2006) (Estimate: $201 million: Source: Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, Alternative Financing Options, June 21, 2005)
•Revamp or improve our income support programs to support our farmers (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Provide permanent funding for implementing the Rural Development Strategy through a new Rural Development Endowment (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Dedicate funding for research into crop science and “varietal research” through the Alberta Agicultural Research Institute and the Ingenuity Fund (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Create a new Alberta Agriculture Market Information Office (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Encourage more health-care graduates to work in rural Alberta through the use of tuition and student loan incentives (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Implementing junior kindergarten for kids at risk (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Establish a First Ten Years Foundation (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Speed up full funding for the Access to the Future Fund (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Reduce interest rates on student loans to the prime rate (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Improve the recognition costs of textbooks, tools and supplies (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Update allowable amounts for living and transportation costs so they reflect modern realities and the costs of living (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Increase exemptions for part-time earnings and scholarships so that hard work and academic success are not penalized (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Change exemptions for vehicles to reflect transportation costs to address the unique needs of rural and urban-based students attending school away from home (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Provide increased, stable, long-term funding to our community and school libraries (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Annually adjust AISH benefits to reflect changes in the cost of living (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Strengthen and expand the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Establish a seniors’ advocate
•Annually review the Alberta seniors’ benefit amounts to reflect changes in the costs of living (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Review the Education Property Tax Assistance Program for Seniors and the Special Needs Assistance Program (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Review the mandate and funding of the Wild Rose Foundation and lotteries grants (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Fully fund the seven city Mayors’ recommendation for $20 million to support innovative approaches and outreach access teams (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Ten year construction plan to reduce the backlog of roads, schools and hospitals (Calgary Herald, October 20, 2006). Alberta’s infrastructure deficit was estimated at $7.248 billion as of June 2005 and is projected to be $7.764 billion as of 2007
•Double the current funding of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts from roughly $20 million annually to $40 million annually (Source: Supporting the Arts and Culture in Alberta, October 25, 2006)
•Provide a one-time grant of $12.5 million to the film and television industry(Source: Supporting the Arts and Culture in Alberta, October 25, 2006)
•Create a Premier’s Council on the Arts (Source: Supporting the Arts and Culture in Alberta, October 25, 2006)
Question:
How much is it all going to cost Mr. Dinning?
Jim Dinning: A Leader with a Proven Track Record
1992-1997:
Health Care:
•Between 1992/93 and 1995/96, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut health care spending from $4.578 billion to $3.873 billion, a percentage decline of 15.4% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1995/96, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut health care expenditures per capita from $1,732 to $1,411, a percentage decline of 18.5% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1995/96, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut hospital spending from $2.377 billion to $1.704 billion, a percentage decline of 28.3% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1995/96, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut hospital expenditures per capita from $844 to $621, a percentage decline of 26.4% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut health care spending on physicians from $914 million to $769 million, a percentage decline of 15.9% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut physician expenditures per capita from $346 to $276, a percentage decline of 20.2% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut health care spending on other health care professionals from $163 million to $83 million, a percentage decline of 49.1% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut other health care professionals expenditures per capita from $62 to $30, a percentage decline of 51.6% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut health care capital spending from $175 million to $102 million, a percentage decline of 41.7% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut health care capital expenditures per capita from $66 to $37, a percentage decline of 44% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1995/96, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut public health care spending from $223 million to $170 million, a percentage decline of 23.8% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
•Between 1992/93 and 1995/96, Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning cut public health care expenditures per capita from $84 to $62, a percentage decline of 26.2% (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends Data Tables, 2006)
Education Overall:
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, the education expenditure growth trend in Alberta fell from 100 in 1993/94 to 89 in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 11% (Source: Dominion Bond Rating Service, The Canadian Federal and Provincial Governments, 2000 Overview, September 2000)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, spending on basic and advanced education fell from $4.036 billion in 1993/94 to $3.713 billion in 1995/96, a percentage decline of 8%. (Source: Alberta Budget 1996: Historical Fiscal Summary, 1987/88 to 2008/09)
K-12 Education:
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, the K-12 education budget was reduced from $2.971 billion in 1993/94 to $2.699 billion in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 9.2% (Source: Agenda’96, Alberta Government Budget, February 1996)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, per capita spending on K-12 education fell from $1,112 in 1993/94 to $1030 in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 7.3% (Source: Alberta Economic Accounts, 2000 and Agenda’96, Alberta Government Budget, February 1996)
•Under Jim Dinning watch, the number of FTE in the Department of Education fell from 776.9 in 1993/94 to 631.0 in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 18.8% (Source: Alberta Government Budgets, 1993 and 1997)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, FTE spending per pupil in public elementary and secondary schools in constant dollars fell from $6,514 to $6,222, a percentage decline of 4.5% (Source: Canadian Teachers’ Federation)
Early Childhood Services (ECS)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, funding for Early Childhood Services (ECS) was cut from 400 hours per child per year to 200 hours per child per year. Funding was increased from 200 hours to 240 hours in the 1994 budget (Source: A Government Reinvented: A Study of Alberta’s Deficit Elimination Program, 1997, page 388)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, funds for Early Childhood Services (Pre-school education grants) was reduced from $61.895 million in 1994/95 to $10.863 million in 1995/96, a percentage reduction of 82.4% (Source: Alberta Public Accounts, Volume 2)
Advanced Education:
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, the advanced education budget was reduced from $1.306 billion in 1992/93 to $1.106 billion in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 15.3% (Source: Agenda’96, Alberta Government Budget, February 1996)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, per capita spending on advanced education fell from $496 in 1992/93 to $251 in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 49.4% (Source: Alberta Economic Accounts, 2000 and Agenda’96, Alberta Government Budget, February 1996)
•Under Jim Dinning watch, the number of FTE in the Department of Advanced Education fell from 1682.0 in 1993/94 to 1591.0 in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 5.4% (Source: Alberta Government Budgets, 1993 and 1997)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, operating grants to universities fell from $491.8 million in 1993/94 to $399.2 million in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 18.8% (Source: Alberta Public Accounts, Vol. 2)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, operating grants to public colleges fell from $187.7 million in 1993/94 to $159.6 million in 1996/97, a percentage decline of nearly 15% (Source: Alberta Public Accounts, Vol. 2)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, operating grants to technical institutions fell from $139.5 million to $116.9 million, a percentage decline of 16.2% (Source: Alberta Public Accounts, Vol. 2)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, government spending on postsecondary education fell from $1.089 billion in 1992/93 to $866 million in 1995/96, a percentage decline of 20.5% (Source: Statistics Canada, Provincial and Territorial Government Revenue and Expenditures, 2006, CANSIM Table 385-002)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, the average net of students upon graduation increased from $8,246 in 1992 to $12,047 in 1997, an increase of over 46% (Source: Advanced Education and Career Development: Learner Assistance Division)
Seniors:
.Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, an estimated $184 million was cut from seniors’ benefits between 1994/95 and 1996/97(Source: Edmonton Journal, May 4, 1994).
•Under Jim Dinning watch as Provincial Treasurer, cash payments to seniors were cut from $205 million to $126 million over three years, with seniors paying an additional $48 million in health care premiums (Source: Edmonton Journal, February 25, 1994)
Some of the reductions, included in the 1994 budget included:
•Alberta Health Care Insurance Premiums: Seniors paid on a sliding scale, based on last year's income up to $384 for singles and $768 for couples. Full health care insurance premiums would be paid by seniors having incomes above $18,200 for a single senior and $27,600 for a two-senior couple (Source: Alberta Budget 2004)
•Alberta Blue Cross: Seniors paid 30 per cent of prescriptions up to a cap of $25 per prescription. They used to pay 20 per cent with no cap. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Alberta Assured Income Plan: Monthly benefit of $10 to $95 previously paid to lower-income seniors, now rolled into the Alberta Seniors Benefit (ASB). (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Property Tax Reduction Benefit: Program reduced taxes by up to $1,000, now rolled into ASB, with eligibility geared to income. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Senior Citizens' Renter Assistance: Grant of up to $1,200 a year, now rolled into ASB, with eligibility geared to income. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Long Term Care Centres: After increases in August 1993, and in April 1994, rates are $24.75, $26.25 and $28.60 for standard, semi-private and private rooms. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Seniors' Emergency Medical Alert: Program providing grants of up to $700 to purchase approved medical-alert units has been eliminated. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Seniors Independent Living Program: Grants of up to $4,000 to repair or improve homes eliminated. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Self-contained apartments for Seniors: Eligible residents paid 25 per cent of gross income on rent, rising to 28 per cent of income July 1 and 30 per cent in April 1995. Renter rebate of $600 cut. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Lodge Program: Rents have been deregulated and are expected to jump by $200 to $400 a month in many cases. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Home Care Program: Rates jump to $5 an hour from $2 an hour. (Source: Calgary Herald, December 13, 1994)
•Slashed 40 per cent of the cash benefits available for eyeglasses and dental care. Seniors will no longer be covered for a portion of the cost of such dental services as bridges, crowns, fluoride treatments, orthodontics and teeth cleaning. The amount paid toward a pair of glasses every three years has been reduced to a maximum of $93.50 from $164. Health Minister Shirley McClellan urged seniors to shop around among dentists and opticians to get the best price. The changes, which take effect Jan. 1, 1995 will save the government $13- million a year. They will also mean more cash out of pocket for many of Alberta's 230,000 seniors, most of whom already receive lower monthly benefit cheques and pay higher user fees for some services.
Housing:
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, provincial expenditures on housing fell from $298 million in 1992/93 to $122 million in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 59.1% (Source: Statistics Canada, Provincial general government revenues and expenditures, 2006)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, provincial expenditures on housing per person fell from $113 to $44, a percentage decline of 61%. (Source: Alberta Economic Accounts, 2000, Statistics Canada, Provincial general government revenues and expenditures, 2006)
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH):
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, provincial expenditures on AISH increased from $152 million in 1992/93 to $170 million in 1995/96, a yearly average increase of just 3.9%
•Since 1995, AISH base benefit levels climbed by five percent, while the cost of living went up 25 percent. Before the review in 2003, the maximum monthly benefit available for AISH stood at $850. Recipients who were able to work could only earn $200 per month before their AISH benefits were reduced significantly, for each dollar earned over $200, they could only keep 25 cents (Source: Caledon Institute of Social Policy, May 2005)
Family and Community Support Services (FCSS):
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, funding for FCSS was reduced from $40.552 million in 1993/94 to $31.076 million in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 23.4% (Source: Alberta Public Accounts)
Environment:
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, under Jim Dinning’s watch, provincial spending on the environmental protection fell from $406 million to $364 million, a percentage decline of 11.5% (Source: Alberta Budget’97, Post-Election Update)
•Between 1992/93 and 1996/97, under Jim Dinning’s watch, provincial per capita spending on environmental protection fell from $154 per person to $131 per person, a percentage decline of 15% (Source: Alberta Economic Accounts, 2000 and Alberta Budget’97, Post-Election Update)
•Between 1993/94 and 1996/97, under Jim Dinning’s watch, the number of FTEs in the Departmental of Environmental Protection fell from 4,088 to 3,580, a percentage decline of 12.4% (Source: Alberta Budget 1993, Alberta Budget 1997)
Fiscal Planning:
•Between 1994/95 and 1996/97, under Jim Dinning, Alberta had the third highest absolute expenditure forecasting errors among all the Canadian provinces at approximately 3.5% per year. The province-wide average was approximately 2.5% per year (Source: Informetrica, Budget Forecasting Records of the Federal and Provincial Governments, August 26, 1998)
•In 1995/96, Alberta had the second highest absolute expenditure forecasting errors among the Canadian provinces at over 6%. The province-wide average was about 3%. (Source: Informetrica, Budget Forecasting Records of the Federal and Provincial Governments, August 26, 1998)
Arts and Culture:
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, provincial government funding on recreation and culture fell from $222 million in 1992/93 to $142 million in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 36% (Source: Statistics Canada, Provincial Government Revenues and Expenditures, 2006)
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch as Provincial Treasurer, provincial government funding on recreation and culture on a per capita basis fell from $83 per person in 1992/93 to $51 per person in 1996/97, a percentage decline of 38.6% (Source: Alberta Economic Accounts, 2000, Statistics Canada, Provincial Government Revenues and Expenditures, 2006)
Law and Order:
•Under Jim Dinning’s watch, between 1992/93 and 1994/95, provincial government spending in Alberta on protection of persons and property fell from $543 million to $433 million, a percentage decline of 20.2% (Source: Statistics Canada, Provincial general government revenues and expenditures, 2006)
Infrastructure:
•Under Jim Dinning, capital expenditures as a percentage of total expenditures fell from 7.1% to 5.8%, a decline of 18.3% (Source: Dominion Bond Rating Service: The Canadian Federal and Provincial Governments – 2000 Overview )
•Under Jim Dinning, capital expenditure growth fell from 100% in 1993/94 to 72% in 1996/97, a decline of 28% (Source: Dominion Bond Rating Service: The Canadian Federal and Provincial Governments – 2000 Overview)
•Under Jim Dinning, Government of Alberta transfers to local government’s fell from $624.311 million to $388.120 million, a decline of 37.8% (Source: Statistics Canada: Public Sector Statistics Supplement, 2006)
2006:
List of Jim Dinning’s Promises
•Expanding the supply of doctors, nurses and health care providers (Speech to the Calgary Area and Physicians Association, June 21, 2006)
•Introduce a comprehensive and transparent lobbyist registry (Implementing high ethical standards in government, September 12, 2006)
•Establish a new on-line registry identifying all contracts over $25,000 (Implementing high ethical standards in government, September 12, 2006)
•Establish all-party working committees with specific mandates for public reviews, hearings and debates (Implementing high ethical standards in government, September 12, 2006)
•Institute a Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006) (Estimate of R&D Tax Credit: $56 million: Source: Alberta Tax Review Committee, May 1998)
•Establish a new Alberta Foundation for Clean Energy Research (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Establish 50 new research chairs at Alberta’s universities, colleges and technical institutes (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Expanding access to venture capital for industries beyond oil and gas (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Expanding training and education for Aboriginal people ((Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Establish an Alberta Aboriginal Education Council ((Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Encourage development of an Alberta biofuels industry (Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Expand the role of Alberta’s International Offices(Innovation News Conference, September 26, 2006)
•Build a Water for Life Endowment Fund (Environment Plan, October 2, 2006)
•Develop a long-term province-wide plan to upgrade all aging water infrastructure in the 10 year capital plan (Environment Plan, October 2, 2006) (Estimate: $201 million: Source: Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, Alternative Financing Options, June 21, 2005)
•Revamp or improve our income support programs to support our farmers (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Provide permanent funding for implementing the Rural Development Strategy through a new Rural Development Endowment (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Dedicate funding for research into crop science and “varietal research” through the Alberta Agicultural Research Institute and the Ingenuity Fund (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Create a new Alberta Agriculture Market Information Office (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Encourage more health-care graduates to work in rural Alberta through the use of tuition and student loan incentives (Rural Development Strategy, October 3, 2006)
•Implementing junior kindergarten for kids at risk (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Establish a First Ten Years Foundation (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Speed up full funding for the Access to the Future Fund (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Reduce interest rates on student loans to the prime rate (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Improve the recognition costs of textbooks, tools and supplies (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Update allowable amounts for living and transportation costs so they reflect modern realities and the costs of living (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Increase exemptions for part-time earnings and scholarships so that hard work and academic success are not penalized (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Change exemptions for vehicles to reflect transportation costs to address the unique needs of rural and urban-based students attending school away from home (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Provide increased, stable, long-term funding to our community and school libraries (Preparation Strategy, October 10, 2006)
•Annually adjust AISH benefits to reflect changes in the cost of living (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Strengthen and expand the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Establish a seniors’ advocate
•Annually review the Alberta seniors’ benefit amounts to reflect changes in the costs of living (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Review the Education Property Tax Assistance Program for Seniors and the Special Needs Assistance Program (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Review the mandate and funding of the Wild Rose Foundation and lotteries grants (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Fully fund the seven city Mayors’ recommendation for $20 million to support innovative approaches and outreach access teams (Strengthening Communities, October 19, 2006)
•Ten year construction plan to reduce the backlog of roads, schools and hospitals (Calgary Herald, October 20, 2006). Alberta’s infrastructure deficit was estimated at $7.248 billion as of June 2005 and is projected to be $7.764 billion as of 2007
•Double the current funding of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts from roughly $20 million annually to $40 million annually (Source: Supporting the Arts and Culture in Alberta, October 25, 2006)
•Provide a one-time grant of $12.5 million to the film and television industry(Source: Supporting the Arts and Culture in Alberta, October 25, 2006)
•Create a Premier’s Council on the Arts (Source: Supporting the Arts and Culture in Alberta, October 25, 2006)
Question:
Just who is the real Jim Dinning?
God, anonymous, thanks for that info.
With a list of promises like that, why is Dinning even running as a Progressive Conservative. If he becomes PC leader on November 25 or December 2, you may as well as vote for a real Liberal like Kevin Taft, than a Liberal lite like Jim Dinning in the next provincial election.
What happened to balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility. Is this the same Jim Dinning or a Paul Martin imposter?
I think this guy will be recruiting Liberals and New Democrats (Lingenfelter?)to run for as PC candidates in the next election. Then Alberta will really be a one party state.
Wow, who are these anonymous types who are adding so much to public discourse?
Why on God's Green Earth would someone not want to put their name on a missive like that? Thanks though, much appreciated.
- Reg.
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