News:

And we're back!

Main Menu

[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

Started by Josephus, March 22, 2011, 09:27:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Barrister

Quote from: Valmy on November 21, 2022, 11:17:46 AMToronto might as well care because the Leafs are never winning anything.

You'd think so.  Argos are a fun team - tons of history, almost always at least competitive (if never dominant), with a cool name and logo, playing in a really nice stadium - yet almost nobody cares.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Grey Fox

Imo, that's because 3 down football is a hard sell.
Colonel Caliga is Awesome.

Barrister

Quote from: Grey Fox on November 21, 2022, 11:50:03 AMImo, that's because 3 down football is a hard sell.

It really isn't.  Scores tend to be higher, which means more offence and more yardage.

CFL is without a doubt the second best "north american-style" football league in the world, and it isn't close.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Grey Fox

It's a boring punt fest to the uninitiated.
Colonel Caliga is Awesome.

PRC

I've been a CFL fan in the past, but my interest has waned.  I feel like in Vancouver the White Caps have been more popular than the Lions, and possibly the case is the same with Toronto FC.  In Calgary the Stamps are definitely more popular than the Canadian Premier League soccer team (Calvary FC), but Calvary has been putting out a good product.

Barrister

Quote from: PRC on November 21, 2022, 12:45:49 PMI've been a CFL fan in the past, but my interest has waned.  I feel like in Vancouver the White Caps have been more popular than the Lions, and possibly the case is the same with Toronto FC.  In Calgary the Stamps are definitely more popular than the Canadian Premier League soccer team (Calvary FC), but Calvary has been putting out a good product.

Hey, there's only so much time in a day to watch/follow sports.

I had in the past been a huge football fan (with CFL being top of the list, but also following NFL and NCAA).  With the return of the Jets in 2011 I began following NHL much more closely, and less about football.  It kind of got to the point where I'd watch the Grey Cup and Superbowl, but that's it.

Now I watch so much kids hockey I don't have nearly as much time or interest in the NHL.  I still follow the league but it's way more exciting to watch when you kid is playing.

But anyways somehow this year I watched much more CFL than I have in the past - mostly two live Elks games, but also the Western Final and some of the Grey Cup, and I really enjoyed it again (other than the fact the Elks are terrible).

I wish the folks at the CPL well, and I hope FC Edmonton finds a new owner (kind-hearted construction company heirs have been losing money on the team for years and years, but finally had enough), but it's unlikely I'll ever watch a game.


But saying 'I don't have enough time to watch' is completely different from saying 'it's a boring punt-fest' which it is not.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Josephus

I did go to an Argos game last year (had free tickets). It was late in the season agains Hamilton. I swear there were more Hamilton fans than Argo fans. There is a hard core fan base, but from my experience, they don't seem to attract middle-of-the road casual gamers (divorced daddy taking out son type of thing), as other sports, like the Jays, Raptors and TFC seem to do.
Civis Romanus Sum

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world." Jack Layton 1950-2011

viper37

#18157
Quote from: Valmy on November 21, 2022, 11:17:46 AMToronto might as well care because the Leafs are never winning anything.
Beat me to it.  They're so used to have a losing team that when they have a winning one, they don't notice.  Might as well move that franchise to Quebec city, we'll show them proper love.  :wub:   (too bad the Rouge & Or management would vehemently, albeit quietly, oppose any plan to bring a CFL team to the city, but I understand their position, they'd lose big if there was a pro team in such a small market).


And the Arizona Coyotes too, while we're at it...  I mean, it's not like we could do worst.  A 4600 places arena (at least, it's a sellout...) FFS...  How low can that franchise sink before than NHL throws the towel?
I don't do meditation.  I drink alcohol to relax, like normal people.

If Microsoft Excel decided to stop working overnight, the world would practically end.

viper37

Quote from: Grey Fox on November 21, 2022, 11:54:52 AMIt's a boring punt fest to the uninitiated.
When looking at an NFL game, I always see the same pattern: 3 offensive play, then kick.  Comes the 2nd and 4th quarter and it's a time-out fest on both sides.  I find it way too predictable, while the CFL will have more play variations.

I feel like the CFL has more action than NFL in regular games.  However, I do find the NFL series & superbowl generally being more exciting than the CFL series & Grey Cup.  On a few occasion where there really boring defensive games in the SB.
I don't do meditation.  I drink alcohol to relax, like normal people.

If Microsoft Excel decided to stop working overnight, the world would practically end.

Barrister

#18159
OK, so lets get back to politics.  Alberta-style again.

So Premiere Smith - one of her campaign promises was to introduce something called Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA).  Every Albertan would get $300 per year to spend on healthcare services.

The question though is what are these accounts used for?  Right now according to Smith they're to be used for health care costs currently not covered by medicare: things like a dentist, chiropractor, counsellor or naturopath.  (I of course think there's a good reason why some of those things are not covered, but that's for another day).

So far so good?  Free money is always popular, though left unsaid is how you'd pay for it.  Over 4 million Albertans means that would cost $1.2 billion, a hefty amount.  And would be a huge boon to those practitioners currently in non-medicare services.

But prior to becoming Premiere Danielle Smith had suggested that the $300 would be used for non-hospital medical care - that is things that ARE covered by medicare.  So, namely, doctor's visits.  You go to see a doctor at their office or at a walk-in clinic you pay, I dunno, $50 out of your HSA to cover the visit.  The money then for the HSAs would be coming out of the existing AHS budget (Alberta Health Services).

I can understand the policy appeal to HSA in this context - it's a disincentive to frequent doctor's visits, and as such hopefully a way to deal with rising healthcare costs.  Healthcare costs have been increasing at a rate much higher than inflation for decades and keep consuming ever-larger portions of government spending.

But this would also be deeply unpopular.

Really though Smith in just politically tone-deaf.  The UCP is behind in the polls with an election to be called next spring.  Running on all these hard-right policies (like HSAs, the Sovereignty Act) is not going to bring suburban Calgary voters back into the fold, and those are the ones they need to win the election.


Edit: here's a column that sets out the issue fairly

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/braid-smiths-health-spending-accounts-aim-at-grooming-the-public-for-private-payment
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Jacob

So that "$300 for everyone" is not "here's additional money for health care" but rather "we're rationing healthcare for people who aren't willing / able to pay out of pocket."

Barrister

Quote from: Jacob on November 22, 2022, 12:57:57 PMSo that "$300 for everyone" is not "here's additional money for health care" but rather "we're rationing healthcare for people who aren't willing / able to pay out of pocket."

Well that's the question.

Right now Smith is saying it's new money (and $375, my mistake), and she's calling the NDP liars for suggesting otherwise.

In the past though (and not all that long ago, just a couple years ago) she said that HSAs would be used to pay for routine doctor's visits.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

HVC

Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

PRC

Danielle Smith's past comments have also noted, word for word: "Once people get used to the concept of paying out of pocket for more things themselves then we can change the conversation on healthcare." 

She wants to move Healthcare into an insurance style industry where you pay a deductible when you require services.  It will be more palatable to people once they've - as she said - gotten used to the concept of paying out of pocket.  This is a policy intended to groom the public to pay for their own healthcare with the long term goal of a private healthcare system.






Barrister

Quote from: PRC on November 22, 2022, 05:32:18 PMDanielle Smith's past comments have also noted, word for word: "Once people get used to the concept of paying out of pocket for more things themselves then we can change the conversation on healthcare." 

She wants to move Healthcare into an insurance style industry where you pay a deductible when you require services.  It will be more palatable to people once they've - as she said - gotten used to the concept of paying out of pocket.  This is a policy intended to groom the public to pay for their own healthcare with the long term goal of a private healthcare system.

So look - there is something to be said for trying to introduce more market forces into healthcare - that because it is "free" it causes people to over-use healthcare resources.  This is also controversial and likely largely unpopular.

It is clear Danielle Smith would like to increase the role of private health insurance in Canada (and remember - we already have private health insurance).

But the notion that Smith wants to completely eliminate medicare can not be supported by her past words or actions.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.