Ralph Klein – A Man For The People
Ralph Klein was a hit with the voters because he never lost track of how he got his job.
Whether it was just sitting with the boys in the local hotel in Calgary having a beer after work, or designing legislation , he always had in the back of his mind what is good for "all" of the people of the province of Alberta.
Ralph Klein was one of those people who came from notoriety in the form of a talk show and newspaper writer and so when he became the Mayor of Calgary there was little glory in the job he had undertaken.
When he moved on to become Premier of Alberta, it can be said he never sold out. Klein did not die a rich man but rather he left this world as just one of the common ordinary folk.
Alberta certainly was better for the time that he served as Premier. He never let the office get in the way of his beliefs other than when he told his Alberta audience that he had a drinking problem and was going to do something about it.
He said it matter of fact , not looking for any special forgiveness from the public, but they gave it to him anyway . He was, after all, just one of the guys and the public of Alberta knew it.
Comments
we despertly neen a Ralph Klien premier in BC. In 4 years it would be the best place in the world to live.
? so when you open your borders to lots of international corporations to ravage your resources at fire sale prices unchecked and totally disregard the environment, you are somehow a hero?
the northern alberta residents and natives of the region may have other rememberances of the man.
he was from a big city and did what the big cities wanted. period. He wasn’t a “good ole boy” as some have suggested.
Ralph’s legacy of low corporate tax and resource royalties has resulted in a Province running flat out, never producing enough to pay the bills. Proving the Conservative phylosophy of Trickledown economics and having a workforce busy will pay the bills, as a failed idealogy.
He was a colorful character with some good one-liners.
Trickle down economics is nuts. That’s the same as having someone up above peeing all over you. The money that’s needed to keep an economy going should percolate up, from consumers. Whose dem,and is the proper origin of all economic activity. And that money could if we related ‘production’ and ‘consumption’ properly, which was something that people like Ralph Klein, however many their other attributes, clearly didn’t understand. That marked their difference from the old Social Credit group that governed Alberta so successfully for so long. When they left office, Alberta was not in the poor financial position it’s in today. Something that will be blamed on Klein’s successors, no doubt, but also something which he set the stage for.
kendoo, we don’t need a Ralph Klein, we need a Danny Williams.
Ralph Klein made a name for himself across Canada. Why, I do not know. I do not follow Alberta politics. I would not have the faintest clue whether he was good or bad for Alberta.
What I have been discovering is that the oil Alberta has, has been relatively good for Alberta, which Albertans figure is the main thing.
Yet, with all those riches, Albertan’s still do not seem to have enough to run the province.
Perhaps Alberta can teach us that no matter how much wealth one has, it is never enough.
I think that is indeed the big question gus. I think some serious discussion is long overdue in regards to what governments should provide, who should pay for it and in what proportion.
And yes, trickle down economics is nuts. I agree with socredible’s post.
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