No support for Charities you say?

In a report by the Edmonton Sun, a partial quote follows:

"If there's no bottom line, then there's no money that goes to charities. We won't make donations to charities," Mawji said, using the Stollery Children's Hospital and the University of Alberta as examples of where the losses will be felt.

If you don't like what this group are saying, I've compiled a list of the names and office numbers, should you so desire to voice your opinion to them directly. My suggestion would be to simply say:




If your organization is going to refuse the fine and deserving charities in this city and province, then I am sorry but I will never support you or be associated with anything you will ever do.


In all cases, I urge you to be polite, but firm. As much as you may be tempted to curse and swear and scream and holler, it is most important that you demonstrate that you are BETTER then they are.




Tim Melton - Chairman of Melcor Developments 780-423-6931
Ashif Mawji - CEO of NPO Zero 587-409-4299
Doug Goss - Lawyer (net shows multiple possibilities. Anyone got the right number?)
Paul Verhesen - CEO of Clark Builders Edmonton 780-395-3300 Calgary 403-253-0565
John Cameron - CEO of Keller Construction 780-484-1010




Please note. These phone numbers were acquired by an internet search engine, and they may not be accurate. Please advise me, and I will make any necessary corrections immediately. And my deepest apologies to anyone that may get contacted due to an incorrect number.

Alberta Elections 2015

We have seen this over and over in Alberta politics.Both at the local level and the provincial level. Clearly at the national level as well, but that part seems to be way out of our control. What we DO have a chance of controlling, is our own province.

And we must take that control back. It would seem that WE have forgotten, that politicians are elected to represent US, the people. Yet time after time, the appearance has been that those with the most money, win.

This is 100% wrong. Because "most money" generally has meant piles of donations from corporate interests, and those of the rich.

Alberta election laws must be revamped. And I am going to push hope the next government will make some sensible changes for future democracy.

Some of the things I would like to see changed are:

• Fixed election dates
• Donations limited to people. Not unions. Not corporations.
• A low cap on the amount donated. Say $500.00 max.
• An equal limit on advertising by all parties.
• Maximum limit of aired tv commercials and newspaper advertising. Perhaps no more than 10.
• Accountability in election promises. No more excuses. No more "but I wasn't aware".
• Recall legislation.
• FULL disclosure in government expenses. No more hidden funds.
• All expenses to be searchable via the web. No more than a 30 day delay.
• No more "hiding" behind FOIP rules. WE are the taxpayers. WE have a RIGHT to know.
• Mandatory public candidate forums. All candidates are required to evenly contribute to the cost of holding these debates. All forums must be held no later than 2 weeks prior to the election. Community halls are NOT that expensive, especially when costs are shared. And of course, all candidates will be required to attend.

Now, some may say "but you can't limit spending" and I have to ask why? If everyone has the equal opportunity to save for a restricted known amount of dollars on advertising (signs of course, are exempt), then we have a much better chance of a more level playing field. This will allow for a better planned distribution of funds for things like signs, pamphlets, paying for volunteer parties to honor their commitments in helping out their chosen ones, etc.

Nothing will change, unless we... the people... speak out. If there ever was a time when voting was needed by all the people, this election IS that time. Please vote.

Outlaw ROBO calls

If there is one thing made very clear during the Alberta Provincial Election in 2012, is that those robo calls suck. And that is perhaps way too polite of a way of saying it.

These calls can be information based, or survey based. And they are well worth it, cost wise, to the folks trying to mass market something. However my right to privacy and to not be harassed, far outweighs marketers rights to information at reduced costs.

When you get these types of calls, you have NO clue if they are who they say they are... And if they want answers to questions, you have no right to offer anything other than a selection of canned answers, usually tuned to give results the caller wants.

I want to know who I am talking to, I want to question what it is about.

And I do NOT want to be hung up on if I don't give an answer you don't like... such as "Are you going to vote for 'x' party?" and you say no, the phone gets slammed down. Excuse me but that is just freaking rude. And I am tired of it.

Change the laws...

And more Marketing

Recently the City of Edmonton announced how PCL was contracted to do "stuff" for the proposed downtown arena, and with the Provincial election under way the blog posts are appearing all over.

Recently, Mack Male posted some interesting items under a title of More power and money to cities in Alberta? I don’t believe you! In his blog, he quotes the various parties positions on Provincial help for cities, and then suggests that what those parties said doesn't hold some form of "truth factor" with respect to the arena.

With all due respect to Mack... the parties stances on not supporting taxpayers funds going into a billionaires pocket, is 100% smack on.

Now... if Katz was actually putting the majority of the funds into this project from his own pocket, and wanted some assistance to make up the rest, then there would be a valid cause for discussion. However as time has gone on, the citizens of Edmonton have come to the conclusion that we have been hood winked by the process, what we were told Katz was going to be putting in has been whittled down to a few bucks here and there on an annual basis rather than up front, and the City will have to borrow the money for him to "pay back" instead. And then there is the issue of the City going into an "advertisement" agreement which for the most part almost totally negates any pennies Katz will be putting in.

In the mean time, the City is forging ahead with plans to attempt to use the magical abstraction of taking money from one hand and putting it into another hand and calling it "new" money. Or, as some say... its the "CRL" side. The mystical and magical projection of future taxes INCLUDING the educational portion of taxes, being used to pay for this.

And of course, no one in this supposed CRL zone will ever have the need for City services, like the rest of us pay taxes for. No need to cost out things like fire or police responses. There will be no fires or crime that will consume tax dollars, so we can divert all those new and 'adjusted' taxes into the arena. And we most certainty have all of the money in the world up our yin-yang for the rest of the citizens of the Province to add more money from the robbed educational component. Remember, if the City steals a million dollars of education tax per year (or whatever it works out to) the Province will just raise the rate that all taxpayers pay, to cover the loss.

Let us also not be blindsided by the City saying this will "only" be $450 million dollars. They promise there will be no cost over runs... (yeah, right... just like they promised there would be no dollars spent until all of the funding is in place... and I am guessing that at least $100 million has already been spent).

Since when has a politician ever told the truth? Clearly the City of Edmonton has not. And the provincial parties can see the writing on the wall. After all, they are politicians too and can smell the bullshit here because they are all too familiar with the smell.

So for those who take a political stance and say "no" to the arena funding... kudos. There is no valid reason in the world for taxpayers to be literally funding 100% of this arena project, and not get one penny of revenue from it. Remember folks, Katz can walk away from this at ANY time, by simply selling the team.

Like sports owners never sell teams, right?