I realize that I am a bit late, but I would like to respond to Ed Tatarnic’s letter of April 18, titled Alberta votes Tory no matter what. I would like to say to Tatarnic, thank you, thank you, thank you! You are exactly right!
Tatarnic pointed out things like Ralph Klein slashing seniors’ benefits only to have him go to a nursing home and have people line up to shake his hand like he was some great friend of theirs.
He also pointed out that the same people who were fighting the high voltage power lines and were spied on and deceived, still helped vote the same government back in. Tatarnic continued to write about casinos, dental plans, etc.
Someone wiser that I am said that politicians are like diapers. They both need to be changed periodically — and for the same reason!
What we have in Alberta is basically a one-party system of government and I don’t think that is in the best interest of a healthy democracy.
Someone else wiser than me, said that the best government is a scared government. The Tories aren’t scared. They have no reason to be.
As Tatarnic points out, they assume, correctly it seems, that people will vote them back into office no matter what they do.
I urge my fellow citizens to consider this, not as Tatarnic suggests, to forget about it within a week.
In conversations with other people on this topic, I have heard responses such as “Who else are you going to vote for?” My response to that is, it doesn’t matter, as long as you vote.
Please understand ladies and gentlemen, I am not in any way speaking against our two present MLAs, nor am I advocating the policies of any particular party.
I am merely suggesting that even if you think the Tories are the best thing since sliced bread and our present MLAs are doing an excellent job, that not for the sake of healthy government, give the Tories some opposition.
I believe that if I am in error on this, I err on the side of freedom and democracy — I can live with that.
Wes Stickel
Red Deer