Julia Necheff - Alberta Party Candidate - Edmonton Whitemud

Our votes, often feel insignificant amongst the thousands alongside them, regardless of which side of the popularity you may be on. Without a doubt in the last 20 years of voting, none of my votes have made the singular difference; how many actually have? So for this reason, you might think your vote is meaningless.

But I have always seen my vote as something of great personal responsibility and one of a few things that fill me with real civic pride and thankfulness. Not as much because it will determine an outcome, as more because it reinforces my personal belief in the process which society chose to allow us all to get along and make decisions. A single vote may have little impact; but a society that respects its democratic process and our humanity, which believes in the power of the whole; that is why I vote.

Voting is a privilege, and every time I do it, I walk away from a polling station filled with pride and thankfulness for even having the opportunity.

So I’ll be damned if I am going to vote for a party I don’t believe in, to prevent another party I don’t believe in, from forming government. My vote, as a personal reflection of myself, means everything to me in that context.

My vote for Julia, and the Alberta Party, reinforces my belief in choosing to vote for a positive future, which is inclusive, positive and hopeful. One where Alberta can be the best for the World. My vote for Julia was a rejection of the losing concept that is “Strategic Voting”.

Julia is a wonderful person who has sacrificed much to help propel the Alberta Party into the mainstream. The Party has been a passion of mine since 2009. As one of the founding members of the party during it’s reinvention, I have wanted to help build an alternative that can find the common ground amongst Albertans, built on common sense principles. Giving Julia my vote today, was my way of recognizing that there is potential in all of this.

Win or lose, my vote will be no more singularly important than in elections past. But, it will be meaningful to me. And THAT is the reason we should be voting.

Our Party has a long way to go; but soon it is going to be the moderate choice for Alberta as the existing centrist alternative parties (The PC’s and Liberals) have lost their ability to innovate. Regardless of what happens on Monday, the Progressive Conservative Party no longer has a cohesive vision for Alberta beyond grasping onto its power. The Alberta Liberals suffer from an even greater problem; their many good ideas are hindered by a brand that simply won’t sell in most of the Province; and sadly many of their people are married to this brand, even in exchange for any chance of forming government.

As ideal as I can be about politics, I am realistic about one thing. If you want real and meaningful change at any level of government, your Party needs to gain power. Government may be out of reach of the Alberta Party this election, but I think it will be the only real alternative to the hard-right conservative battle being waged by the Wildrose Party and parts of the Conservatives.

It’s this future reality, combined with my belief that you must vote FOR something as opposed to AGAINST something, which leaves me feeling good about my single, purposeful vote.

Please don’t waste yours.

Rick Miller - Alberta Liberal Party Candidate

On twitter, the Alberta Liberal candidate Rick Miller made what has become a common war-cry against the Alberta Party:

“Many progressives in Aspen Gardens are upset with #abparty for further splitting the progressive vote.”

Miller, who served as MLA for the constituency from 2004 – 2008, ironically lives outside of the constituency in Edmonton Millcreek.

I have entertained this vote-splitting argument from nearly every angle and should start by asking myself, “to what end” would it make sense in not running great local candidates for the Alberta Party, when Liberal alternatives were running.

• The best argument being used by Miller at the doors, and this is something he is pushing hard with each resident he seems to be targeting with Walters signs, is that the he and the Liberals in the last election lost by only 58 votes. And because he argues the Wildrose Party will certainly siphon votes from the Conservative candidate (Fred Horne), the Alberta Party is taking away his opportunity to win again.

So, although I disagree seriously with his logic, and I will tell you why shortly, I have to wonder what things might look like if he was correct. This came to mind:

• In the last election, the Liberals were polling an average of 29.4% going into the election. With even that high percentage of public support, the Liberals lost 43% or Seven of their provincial seats.
• In this election, the Liberals are polling at and around 12% 

So it’s hard to see in Miller’s logic an argument that the Liberals are poised to win if Alberta Party candidates would simply get out of the way. But let’s assume for a second that Miller is right, and he is only a collusion between the parties away from representing Rutherford once again. How would the citizens of Edmonton Rutherford benefit from his representation? The Liberals are in a 90-year slump from governing this Province. Considering their recent trend in steeply declining public support, we have to assume one new Liberal MLA added to a shrinking list will make no meaningful difference in securing a new future for Alberta.

All that being said, here is why I am personally against limiting choice for any Albertan, and the Alberta Party heeding the desperate calls to stop and join the Alberta Liberals in their rightful role as the voice of “Progressives”.

• The label “Progressives” is being used as some kind of mythical bucket of people who will follow a certain political brand, no matter where they propose to take them. I have been a Conservative voter, volunteer and CA executive for years. I am no more a “Progressive” than I am a “Conservative”. I go to the ideas, and the vision of the person and Party looking to represent me.
• Thousands and thousand of people like me, who have voted Progressive Conservative in the past, are looking for an alternative which can someday govern this province, and can’t live with the shallow ideas and limited vision of an even more Conservative Wildrose government.
• A healthy democracy, ironically a bedrock principle of liberalism, depends on choice.
• The Alberta Party has an opportunity to provide a real choice for Rural Albertans, who are endlessly presented with no meaningful candidate outside the one who wins the battle of “most conservative”. Like it or not, perhaps unfairly, the Alberta Liberals are wearing a brand which is despised by nearly every rural Albertan.

But, importantly for everyone in Edmonton Rutherford reading this. I want to share with you why you need not think in terms of inside baseball, and a collaboration of parties limiting your choice; I would like you to consider two reasons why Michael Walters is a phenomenal candidate, worthy of your consideration.

He’s the best candidate:

• Michael lives in and loves to serve Edmonton Rutherford
• Michael created the Big Listen Policy Process for the Alberta Party, of which a tenet is the voice of every constituent in developing policy, not just partisan members. Michael supports the Alberta Party principle of working across party lines, after respecting your choice in the ballot box.
• Michael has used real community organizing tactics to bring change to local government. As the lead behind the Greater Edmonton Alliance, Michael on one occasion put 600 citizens into City Hall to effectively change local laws and protect the communities interest. His passion for local issues like land-use, transit, local businesses and cleaning up derelict properties are all going to be transferred to Rutherford residents. He has already begun to work on improving the amenities in the community and making old strip-malls as integral community hubs for locals.
• Michael has excellent relationships and is an effective influencer with local politicians, community leagues, school board officials and church groups

Michael is running a serious contender campaign and leading the Alberta Liberals in every category:

• Michael has been door-knocking since October full-time and has reached every home at least once, and now working to visit each again for a second time. Rick Miller began in February, after quitting as Liberal Chief of Staff.
• Michael has a volunteer team over 100 strong
• Michael has raised over $50,000 and will finish the election raising more than $65,000
• Michael has more private property lawn signs and large fence signs than any other candidate
• Michael has been endorsed by a diverse and influential cross section of amazing Edmontonians. Even running against the current Minister of Health, he has garnered endorsements from a Past President of the University of Alberta Hospital Don Schurman, Local Business Advocate Jessie Radies, Entreprenuers like myself and Carole Lemire, and dozens of community leaders who live in Rutherford
• Finally… Internal PC polls show a two-horse race, between Michael and Fred Horne.

You do have a choice, and can make a meaningful difference in this election. You can help introduce the new ideas and policies of the Alberta Party to Alberta. This and only this can give Albertans a choice in elections to come.

Learn more about Michael:

Alberta will likely see it’s first change in government in 41 years. The Wildrose Party had an opportunity to lose its lead in political polls during tonight’s debate, and by most accounts, it looks like they only strengthened their grasp on the legislature.

As many of you know, this is not my first choice for the Province and especially Edmonton, which will almost certainly lose much of it’s voice in the Legislature.  But I will freely accept that the Wildrose has dramatically out campaigned the Progressive Conservatives, and in our system… that’s more than good enough.

Frankly, it’s exciting, and the World won’t end. So before you pack your backs for greener pastures, you might want to give pause and think what this means for us.

Firstly, I think we will all benefit from the effect of changing a 41 year party in power will have on a functioning democracy; which normally responds to citizens from the tension of thinking you might actually lose an election. I think that the democratic renewal components of the Wildrose platform will be healthy to increasing responsibility on elected officials.  I also don’t think the right-wing social elements of the party will show up as much as many do. Once in power, a Wildrose Government will have no choice but quiet those members, if they want to stay legitimate in the eyes of  our majority socially moderate citizens.

But I am concerned about some bigger things. Things that haven’t been talked about much in this election, and something that seems to be completely missing in the Wildrose platform.

• I am concerned about no vision for this province beyond being the lowest tax jurisdiction and a panacea of oil-industry fueled growth, all by itself.
• I am concerned about economic diversification and creating an environment for knowledge economy workers.
• I am concerned about the harried reality of an economy that is set to rage for a decade or two, which seems to rob $2 worth of quality of life, from all of us, in trade for a $1 injection into our pocket books. I am concerned about a myopic approach to oil sands development, with little focus on staging development more in line with the available labour resources available to us.
• I am concerned about a lack of focus on building communities which have the desired amenities and livability to not only attract visitors, but to hold here the new more mobile knowledge economy worker.
• I am concerned for the significant progress made on important social issues like homelessness and AISH increases. We can’t send these responsibilities back to volunteer funders.
• I am especially concerned about the lost opportunity to express to the rest of the world that Alberta is an exciting, diverse and visionary jurisdiction.

But, I am not one to sit idle, and I encourage you to consider where you fit in all of this.

I am supporting a new political alternative that clearly will not win many short-term victories, but is in my opinion the only one that can form the best next alternative to the government we elect on April 23^rd.

I hold little regard for the ability of either the Progressive Conservatives or Alberta Liberals to present a viable option. The Liberals have tried for 90 years to crack into mainstream acceptance in Alberta, and the Conservatives are on the precipice of a long-term struggle to win back our trust. More importantly, they lack a cohesive vision for what they want the best Alberta to look like, let alone their own party.

So, in my opinion, the time to start this work is right now! By voting for an Alberta Party candidate in this election, you can help put some new thought leaders into the legislature, and help in the creation of a new and dynamic centrist alternative.

Some of these races are very close, and with some help, we can elect 4-6 Alberta Party candidates. In my opinion, this is our new choice. Think hard before you place your support, because unless the Mayan’s were right, we will have reason to be concerned for years to come.

Here are some links that might be worth researching, starting with a completely different tone of leadership, from the Alberta Party Leader Glenn Taylor as he responded in real-time to tonight’s debate:

- over 1700 unique viewers followed along as we live-blogged our response to tonight.

Some brilliant new thought-leaders, who are actually in tight races, and are well worth your consideration:

- Michael Walters for Edmonton Rutherford. Michael is by far the most innovative and community minded politician I have met. He has an amazing team of young and dynamic volunteers, has raised over $60,000 in donations, knocked on thousands and thousands of doors, and is winning the sign-war. He is doing all this because he is authentic and highly credible local candidate. He is the architect of the Alberta Party Big Listen policy process, and as a tested community organizer, can make very real change happen.

- Sue Huff for Edmonton Glenora. Sue embodies the Alberta Party ethos of an improved tone and non-partisanship politics. An experienced elected official who fought a principled battle for community schools on the Edmonton Public School Board of Trustees, she is a highly trustworthy person who not only starts well, but finishes what she started. As our interim leader through our infancy, Sue held her own perfectly alongside Danielle Smith and the government.

- Danielle Klooster for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. Danielle is an experienced and highly respected community leader who has served as an elected council person for the Town of Penhold, and fights for community and business in many roles, including working for the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce. Offered an opportunity to run under the PC banner (when that was as close to a guarantee of being elected as possible), she chose to run for the Alberta Party and change the way government serves central Alberta

- Tim Osborne for St. Albert. Tim is an amazing community volunteer AND communicator, who has been punching way above his weight class in St. Albert since the start of his campaign. His volunteer work is far reaching, and somehow still finds time to raise a young family and work on his Masters of Communications. Again, another example of an Alberta Party candidate who lives in the community he wants to serve, and is surprising others (not us) with his ideas and consensus building style.

- Norm Kelly for Calgary Currie. A previously successful crown prosecutor for the government, and now in private practice to help defend those who need representation the most, Norm is passionate about community service and a positive role of government in community. Running in the only constituency to have had an Alberta Party MLA, Norm is running with significant support from his constituents. Well connected through his work with Volunteer Calgary, and as a graduate of Leadership Calgary, he has one of the strongest campaign teams of any candidate.

- Tony Jeglum for Lacombe Ponoka. Tony embodies what the future of Rural Alberta looks like. A passionate farmer who cares about the future of our Agricultural industry, Tony served as president of Future Agriculture Business Builders, which is the provincial arm of the Canadian Young Farmers Forum. He wants to see better discourse from our elected officials and increase educational and network opportunities for the next generation of Alberta farmer.

- Glenn Taylor for West Yellowhead. Glenn, as our leader, has the credentials and experience to not just lead the party today, but to continue to represent the people of West Yellowhead. As a three-time mayor for the City of Hinton, Glenn proved that even our small and mid-sized cities can make an impact on quality of life, amenity and service for it’s citizens. Glenn led initiatives that resulted in a 20-year capital plan based on sound business principles aligned with strategic community planning, matching Hinton’s development goals with its limited resources. Hinton now has a public transit system, a green building policy, and has upgraded all of its major municipal buildings and infrastructure. These goals were achieved while supporting local businesses, respecting natural resource industries, and maintaining municipal taxes at or below the average municipal tax increase for like-sized towns.

There are SO many great Alberta Party candidates and I wish I could highlight them all. Meet more of them here, and see for yourself that there is a long-list of great community minded people who are committed to building a real alternative for Alberta.

We can all dream bigger…

Thank you for reading.

“I thought the #wrp had left Conscience Rights ideas behind. Always thought this was scary policy. http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/conscience-rights-need-protection-wildrose-leader-8013/#ableg#abvote“

Although it was retweeted by a few select supporters of the Alberta Party, it really didn’t become a bonfire until Kathleen Smith wrote what was an amazingly personal and courageous blog post, where she felt so strongly against the policy, that she actually dropped what was very public support for them.

But how this came to be a big debate is frankly not as important than how big a debate it has become, and how important it should be to all Albertans who are concerned about equal access to public services without judgement from medical practitioners, marriage commissioners, heck maybe even school Councillors refusing to help children through difficult times. That’s one of the principal problems with conscience rights. It is a very slippery slope where all kinds of public servants will refuse service based on their personal beliefs.

I won’t go through the entire debate on why these types of rights are bad. I fully expect better arguments on this, for and against, and frankly I am happy that this debate is happening. But I want to talk about the politics at play here….

Here’s how I feel about the two front-running parties on this issue:

Firstly: the Wildrose. The issue started here and her refusal to get rid of the policy demonstrates what we are already learning about some of her senior party supporters and candidates; this is a party that has some serious social conservative roots, with people and policies that fit better in 1960 than 2012. Under pressure today, her response was to create a separate judicial system, which will hear the cases of individuals who think that they have been wronged by public servants claiming conscience rights to refuse service. Let’s get serious, a duplicate judicial system, from a party that abhors wasted dollars; so a woman denied birth control can’t get a prescription for the pill. Makes sense.

Second: the Progressive Conservative’s. The Premier (only after it became a hot-bed issue this week), suddenly came out and pounced on the issue. Premier Redford may be upset, conveniently now, about this issue. But we must not forget that she was also the Solicitor General Justice Minister of this Province when her government adopted Bill 44, an equally antiquated social conservative idea to put teachers in harms way of their proposed separate judicial arm, when parents didn’t like issues of religion, sexuality even evolutionary science coming up in the classroom. I get the distinct sense that they will do everything in their power to make this a wedge issue, but if they were lucky enough to form government next, I fully expect that they will be back under pressure from the right-wing opposition of the Wildrose, and capitulate on these issues again, like they did on Bill 44.

Finally: the Alberta Party. No one has come out more definitively against this type of bad policy than the Alberta Party, and it’s leader Glenn Taylor. Taylor emphasizes that in this article. His statement say it best:

“We don’t have a party policy per se because we’ve just pretty much accepted that this is the normal state of being in, hopefully, Canada and the world and Alberta,” says Taylor. “Marriage commissioners are required to provide the services without discrimination, so they should. And if a marriage commissioner objects to marrying someone on the grounds of sexual orientation, or other grounds, you know, like interracial marriage and those things, then they shouldn’t be a marriage commissioner.”

Taylor says unequivocally he would ask a public servant to resign if he or she were unable to perform their job for reasons of conscience.” (emphasis added by me).

Taylor’s statements, are sincere and reflect what this party stands for more than almost anything. Equality and a role for a responsible government that doesn’t let politics or religious beliefs get in the way of serving and protecting the public. That means when a public servant accepts such a role, they must park their beliefs at the door in the name of equality, and access to excellent public healthcare.

By the way… I am not avoiding the details of the debate as much as I think there are some excellent viewpoints out there that help explain the pitfalls of conscience rights better than I can. Particularly good are the points raised in this article by Dan Sahpiro of the Chumir Foundation.

The trust fund today stand just over $15 Billion, so to get to the magical number of $200 Billion, that means a Wildrose Government would have to save an additional $9.25 Billion per year for the next 20 years running. Complicating that, they are suggesting they would only invest HALF of a government surplus every year, so in other words a Wildrose Government would need to run a $18 BILLION SURPLUS each year to achieve this.

I LOVE a balanced budget, it’s a mainstay of the Alberta Party platform. So is adding to the Province’s savings. But to take the budget today, which is still in a deficit, and suggest that we would magically get to a $18 Billion surplus, would require a herculean, if not barbaric cost slashing exercise. Frankly, it’s ridiculous. (Not to mention how CRAZY it is to suggest we even SHOULD. What kind of “Conservative” Government wouldn’t return such a healthy surplus to it’s people instead?)

I agree with a balanced budget, I agree with padding our savings. But HOW WILL the Wildrose Alliance remove $18 Billion a year from our budget, without raising taxes?

SHE WON’T. She’s bullshitting.

Oh.. and I just did the math. Based on the 2011/12 budget assumptions, a $1.00 change in the price of oil has a $141M positive impact in the Alberta budget. So, for the Wildrose Alliance to get to their $18B surplus, they would need to see a $223 per barrel price of oil.

But I get down. I lose my faith and I question my naivete, almost daily. How can we get that type of government, when we have seemed to embrace the frantic and negative aspects of politics and campaigning.

Here is my favourite most recent US example of what I mean.

This is what President Barack Obama said to the US public about educating American children to help them compete as a nation. I believe it was from the State of the Union Address:

“And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.”

This is what Governor Rick Santorum said yesterday:

Interesting eh? See how Obama’s statements which are all-encompassing, positive and create a vision, are turned into these three themes by Santorum?

• Snobbery
• Indoctrination by Liberal college professors
• Obama wants to “Remake Americans in his image”

I don’t know all the answers to this problem in politics and neither does any one political party or politician. But rest assured that between two politicians I will always choose the one with the best ideas, vision, positivity, depth and competence.

Finally, here is an example, taken from the Wildrose Alliance of Alberta, where great new ideas and a positive message for the future are replaced with a fabricated attack on the PC’s. If you listen closely, they suggest many things the PC’s are going to do to you… use the politics of fear.. .to scare people into voting for them.

What I have always found saddening, is why my friends the “Fiscal Conservatives” get themselves tied up with the semantics of these dumb’ed down attack politics. But that’s a topic and exploration for another day.

I could blog all night about how much we loved watching baseball at Telus Field, and I would be complimentary of the Edmonton Oilers for an amazing job in running the team and making nights & days at Telus Field a great family entertainment product. If the Oilers can’t make a team in this league fly, frankly no owner can. (I DO wonder if with a first rate owner like the Oilers involved, Edmonton couldn’t take another run at a Triple A league team; but I digress).

So as I sit here, wishing for baseball, and wondering about how our great community can withstand such a hole in it’s summer schedule, I day-dream about something else we could do with the Telus Field. Here is my crazy idea:

A 100 team Slow-pitch tournament. A corporate challenge if you will.

• 100 Teams
• Played out over the May – September baseball season
• $1000 per team entry (proceeds to the United Way)
• City donates the field (less whatever they make in Beer and Hot Dog Sales)
• $1.00 per person entry ticket (proceeds to the United Way)
• A “March-Madness” style tournament where the 100 teams play down into a “City Championship”
• CRAZY uniforms, and mascots encouraged
• Throw in some local celebrity teams as wild-card games on a couple weekend evenings with concerts & fireworks
• FUN encouraged, and over $150,000 raised for the United Way

It’s crazy, would be fun and the Oilers could do the administration / logistics of the tournament. BECAUSE WE ARE LENDING THEM A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION for a new arena

Why not Edmonton? Why not Oilers?

As I drive along, holding my hands in front of the heater vent, I curse myself for not buying a car with a heated steering wheel.

I ponder what it would actually cost buy a properly engineered luxury vehicle, with heat embedded into the leather of the steering wheel; as opposed to the existing new German luxury automobile I own now.

This morning I actually super-imposed the thought of my cold hands, into a math equation. Wondering what kind of stock market movement would need to happen, for me to buy this new marvel of heat purveyance, of course without taking on any debt. The answer; if bank stocks fell by 10% this year, I could buy a new car, and warm my hands like a proper modern gentleman.

Gloves never cross my mind.

This is a true story, and a telling metaphor for my life.

Dolphins are smart, beautiful and whimsical. Humans, perhaps out of envy, perhaps deservedly, look up to dolphins. This is why the film tells of the “best” dolphins avoiding slaughter and being shipped to far-off dolphin parks, where humans can marvel at them, and for $119 USD, swim with them. Kiss them.

I watched the film this year with my family. The women cried and I beamed my manly rage of protest, my disgust in us… all of us humans. “Our social consciousness seems to be battling, and winning, against Darwin’s theories of evolution”….. I silently raged from my very comfortable, wealthy white-man pulpit, known as the leather recliner.  Certainly we humans are better than this.

I confess to you, I am not.

I’ll start with the defense, and the crime will become obvious. I am want for nothing. I have wealth, health, a beautiful and loving spouse, and two daughters whom mean as much to me as oxygen. And not oxygen in it’s basic, keep you alive form, but that rarified hospital delivered oxygen, which practically gives you life.

So, I confess, I felt no option this morning but to treat my girls to the opportunity of swimming with the beautiful and whimsical caged dolphins of the Bahia Principe Resort. The girls laughed, smiled and marveled at such a decibel, I have neither regret nor guilty conscience. Truth is, when it really comes down to it, I’d probably slaughter a truckload of dolphins for them if it were necessary, assuming dolphins were portioned by the truckload. Thankfully it isn’t and they are not.

You could argue that the only principled stand on “captive dolphin experiences” is to boycott, shame, protest and embarrass them out of existence. That is perfectly reasonable and I would respect and listen to that.

I know, and would argue with you, that my girls might have been just as happy or happier to join me in protest instead. Creating an even stronger bond between father and daughter, one based on principled ideals and the best of humanity.

But we caved.  We took the easy hit of happiness. $119 USD gave them instant gratification from the chance to experience what only a small percentage of humans get to do. $157 got the HD-DVD and 163 professionally shot images. (The dolphins are in the pool, but the sharks are trying to sell you pictures afterward).

I am no further along the evolutionary process than I was yesterday, and quite possibly I have gone backwards. But as I reflect on the big and small guilt, mistakes and missed opportunities which accumulate in one’s life… I am glad to have a family to share all of them with. Even if we are not perfect… we are not perfect together. Which I suppose is why you need a family in the first place.

Happy New Year… hug your kids, and donate to save the dolphins.

Edmonton Mayor - Stephen Mandel

Who calls the Mayor of the 4th largest City in the country to complain about the snow in front of their individual house? If you answered “Bat-Shit” crazy people, you are half right. If you answered “people who look to the Mayor when they are very frustrated, BUT are also Bat-Shit crazy”, then you would be 100% right. My point? Some people expect our elected officials to dote over their every need. I personally think it’s crazy… but it is the way that some people have used to connect to their elected official for many years.

We idolize elected officials who take these calls and solve these problems. No matter how inefficient and ridiculous these requests may be.

Now imagine with me a web-based technology where our Mayor, or any Mayor, could have that conversation with the individual citizen, in plain view of thousands of other citizens. The level of responsiveness would of course be direct, as well as provide a highly amplified/leveraged way to also send the same message to the thousands watching.

So you know, that technology exists, and it’s called Twitter,

Calgary Mayor - Naheed Nenchi

So when I read this article by Calgary Herald Journalist Karen Klassen, I laughed out loud. Her’s is a desperate attempt to suggest that “Real Mayors Don’t Tweet”. For some reason, Ms. Klassen thinks that “tweeting” is for the kid-set, perhaps those who like to play on their iPhones in-between games of Angry Birds. She was attacking Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary.

She is dead wrong.

Twitter is to many tech savvy citizens as the telephone is to disgruntled citizens who prefer that tool. The difference, which she fails to appreciate, is that Twitter is real-time and viewed by thousands. It can be the most efficient way for any public figure to engage one individual, while allowing a whole group to participate in the discussion.

When reading her article, I replaced “Tweet” with telephone, and I began to appreciate the hands-on service Mayor Nenshi of Calgary and Mayor Stephen Mandel are providing their citizens using the medium of social media. It’s efficient, responsive and transparent. Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey has become a national icon by using this medium to rally his citizens to identify potholes, exercise more, and take more personal responsibility for their communities. It’s ONE way to communicate with citizens, and should be no more dismissed than the Mayor taking a phone call to his/her office.

Ms. Klassen also misses the bigger picture about the impact of Twitter on her industry, the newspaper medium. Real stories, the REAL pulse of her community, are being discussed every day on Twitter. By rejecting the medium, she is missing many stories. She mistakenly makes the medium her story, by showing disdain for it, when the real story will always be what is being discussed in the medium.

She is a dinosaur, and she will soon be left behind by the citizen journalist, the social-media connected professional journalist and the web-savvy citizen.

Good riddance.

Grane Prairie Mayor - Bill Given

(Afterthought: Many great Mayors are active and accessible on Twitter. One who has become almost 100% accessible to his community, and by doing so has transformed the role of Mayor… is my friend Bill Given of my hometown Grande Prairie. He get’s the value as much as any politician I know.)