Born on election night April 23, the little tyke is a Taurus which, according to irrefutable Internet sources, means it is “dependable, persistent and generous” and shares its zodiac sign with the Queen, William Shakespeare and Lester B. Pearson.
According to the same reliable sources, though, those born under Taurus are also “stubborn, lazy and possessive” and include the likes of Josip Tito, Saddam Hussein and Timothy McVeigh.
Bernard Madoff is a Taurus, which is strangely fitting given that a large number of Albertans feel like they’ve been ripped off by their Taurean government.
A new Leger Marketing poll, commissioned by the Journal and Calgary Herald, shows that 63 per cent of Albertans think the Redford government is “heading in the wrong direction.” A relatively tiny 20 per cent think it’s headed in the right direction and 17 per cent don’t know.
The poll doesn’t explain what the “right direction” is but it probably has something to do with Redford’s shopping list of promises made during last year’s election campaign — promises that included balancing the budget, more money for post-secondary schools and staying out of debt.
It would seem 63 per cent of Albertans are dismayed that Redford is headed in the exact opposite direction from that promised one year ago.
The most important issue for Albertans remains health care. About 18 per cent of Albertans say it is their top concern. The good news for the government is that a year ago 26 per cent of Albertans chose it as their main issue. So it would seem Albertans are less worried about the health-care system now than last year.
The bad news for Redford is that a growing number of Albertans think the biggest issue facing the province is “government trust and accountability” — with 17 per cent listing it as their top worry.
Then there’s the issue of the provincial deficit. Last year, only four per cent were concerned — today, 11 per cent rank it their No. 1 concern.
Which brings us to the issue of government debt. It wasn’t even on the radar screen a year ago but now that Redford has announced she’ll be borrowing billions of dollars to pay for infrastructure projects, debt is the big issue for 11 per cent of Albertans, tying it for third spot with the deficit and the provincial economy.
And it gets worse.
On a list of issues that include taxes, the economy and managing the province’s finances, the government gets a failing grade on everything. On every single issue, more Albertans are dissatisfied with the government’s performance than are satisfied.
On managing its finances, for example, the government gets the thumbs-down from 77 per cent of Albertans and the thumbs-up from just 11 per cent. On government trust and accountability, 71 per cent are shaking their heads and only 17 per cent are nodding.
The issue that has most Albertans satisfied with the government is taxes — but even then it’s still a minority: 47 per cent are satisfied, 41 per cent dissatisfied and 11 per cent don’t know.
Redford has long dismissed these sort of polls, saying the only poll that counts is the one on election day. Monday, though, she acknowledged the numbers, blamed the dip on the recent bad-news budget and predicted “things will settle out.”
The only thing that will really settle things out is a bump in government revenues that will allow Redford to balance the budget.
Historically, Albertans are forgiving of premiers who wipe out deficits. In 1994, one year after his first election, then-premier Ralph Klein still maintained an impressive 61-per-cent support among voters despite his massive spending cuts to health, schools and welfare. Importantly, one year into his mandate Klein was on track to balance the budget.
Conversely, Ed Stelmach saw his popularity plummet in the year after his 2008 election victory when shock waves from the global fiscal meltdown rocked Alberta. Stelmach had promised good times ahead and instead delivered deficit budgets. Albertans didn’t really care that it wasn’t his fault.
By that measurement, Redford has much more in common with Stelmach than with Klein. After celebrating the first anniversary of his initial election victory, Klein lasted another 12 years as premier. Stelmach didn’t even finish his first term before resigning.
It would be premature and unfair to say Redford’s days are numbered. The province’s finances could yet turn around and the Leger poll has shown that even though Redford’s popularity has dropped to 26 per cent, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith has not seen a corresponding rise in her numbers. Many Albertans (25 per cent) are simply sitting on the fence to see how things turn out.
Redford is also not one to give up easily.
She has proved to be stubborn and persistent, much like the zodiac sign under which her government was born.
Original Article
Source: edmontonjournal.com
Author: Graham Thomson
No comments:
Post a Comment