Sask Party Political Attack Ad Tells the TRUTH (Can you handle it?)

The Sask Party have released a new attack ad focusing on Lingenfelter (For those of you out of the loop, Lingenfelter is not some new type of stinky cheese - it is the name of the current leader of the New Democratic Party in SK).

The ad is a real doozy that Saskies will get to watch on their TV screens over the next few months while it runs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPGRMk0h0vg

Let me be clear that I am no fan of either the Sask Party or "house band" NDP in Saskatchewan. I have a strict policy of equal opportunity scorn when it comes to SK political parties. Furthermore, I have stated here before my dislike of Brad Wall’s Fred Durst wannabe sideburns and Lorne Calvert’s heinous mug as the face of government for all those years. Heck, I still sometimes wake up from the occasional nightmare involving the ex-premier’s face chasing me around in a wheat field… although the fright may just as well come from the thought of having to live in Saskatchewan again.

The Sask Party attack ad is a real gem. It starts by saying:

“Ever since he moved back from Alberta, Dwain Lingenfelter has been running down Saskatchewan.”

The next part lists a series of ostensibly damning quotes from Lingenfelter.

“These [Saskatchewan] people are grumpy.”
“Our economy is in free fall”
“We have gone from boom to bust”
The Premier is a “loser”

The ad ends with the statement:

“Dwain Lingenfelter. No new ideas... down on Saskatchewan.”

So these are not new ideas? Grumpy people, a bombing economy, and a loser for a Premier are old hat in Saskatchewan? Actually, now that I think about it, Lingenfelter's comments provide very true descriptions of what it is like in SK, the place I call the “rectangle of regression.” Could this be the most accurate political attack ad ever made? Maybe it is not an attack ad at all, but a documentary on Sask culture, as told by a person who I am sure they will indeed name a cheese after one day.

A few other truisms can also be gleaned from the ad:
-Moving away to live in Alberta (or any other province) is what many people have done (including myself) since life is too unpleasant in Saskatchewan for anything other than gophers and crazy Rider fans. But to Sask people, moving away is akin to an act of treason.

-“Running down Saskatchewan” is something voters can relate to since no-one ever walks anywhere in the province – they only drive (a Sunfire, of course).
-Also, being “down on Saskatchewan” is frowned upon on the ad because it really is a terrible sin to say anything but specious niceties about the province when living in SK. It actually is the 11th commandment in SK: “Thou shalt not be down on Saskatchewan,” followed by the 12th commandment: “Thou shalt not crack jokes about Saskatchewan, ever, never, wherever.”

Oh, Father, I have sinned….

R.I.P Garbage Dump Ski Hill

Well, it saddens me to see read last week that the infamous Blackstrap Ski Hill -- a giant mound of garbage converted into a ski hill -- is being permanently closed.



(to non-Saskies: no, this is not a joke post. There really is such a thing there.)

According to the story, the government failed to find a private owner and is thus closing the facility and selling off the assets.

Who knows the real story behind this all, and whether a real attempt was made to keep the "Whistler of the Prairies" afloat. I personally think this ski hill should have been privatized long ago, and if this was not possible to achieve (which I am suspsect was the case as the story suggests) it should have been closed many years earlier.

There is hope though - as long as the city is opposed to the adoption of a recycling program, the garbage dump will continue to grow. Don't think of it as wasteful dumping ina landfill - think of it as a ski hill development opportunity!

Oh well. Polish off those cross country skis!

R.I.P. Blackstrap and wasteful govt subsidization!

Why Saskatooners say NO to recycling: It's GARBAGE!

Below are ccomments written in response to the Star Phoenix story noted in my previous post on local resistance to the adoption of a curbside recycling pickup program in Saskatoon. As you can see, at least some locals are still opposed to the creation of a recycling program, including the mayor himself.

For those of you not from the rectangle of regression, these comments give you insight into the mindset that exists there (all typos and idiocy are original).

You can't make this stuff up!


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td

How is recycling any good?
You drive a car to the drop off bins.
Before you tree huugers types told me not to use a car. Now you say go to recycle bins. Make up your mind.
I will not pay to have some body pick up recyles.
I'll just put them in the garbage and save money and gas

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Monty

It is still unsightly, I do not want to see garbage on the front curbs. I like the idea of bins located around the city. Drop off your recycles, then go shopping. Best example is the green bin behind the grocery store on Main and Broadway. Before you shove something else down my mouth like River Landing, give me some options. Recycling is a good thing, but also keep in mind the company that does this produces materials they sell. So why does the recycle company get to double dip? Maybe if these goods were as valuable as we are lead to believe then the recycle company should pay us for our garbage. Last, we all ready have taxes imposed on us at point of purchase to cover the garbage cost from deposits to flat out garbage tax like the new one on computers. Why is this money not re directed back to recycling pick up? Governments are fast to take money from us and we are fast to forget about it untill the day we wake up broke. It isn't that an extra $12 will kill me, but I have lived here for all my life and have just made enough to get by. That $12 should be going into an RRSP or it will be your children paying for me as an old timer.

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Anonymous

Blue boxes; where I get to pay some one to take my garbage, to in turn obtain raw materials to make a profit while I pay the city to pick up my garbage.

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Mark

Instead of this why not have bins at designated drop off depots in numerous spots where we can take our recycle goods? This works fine in other cities.
I also dislike looking at peoples garbage sitting on the curb.

Just say NO to recycling

Most Canadians would agree that recycling is an accepted practice, a part of our daily way of life. We reuse what we can to minimize what we put into landfills and impact our landscape. In the age of global warming, most would agree that we are obligated to do what we can to limit our environmental impact. Alas, not so in Saskatoon. There, the raging debate of the day is whether to start curbside recycling pickup.

*sound of a record needle screeching*

Yep. In the ever-proud "Paris of the Prairies," the current hot municipal topic of the day is whether or not City Hall will start curb side recycling pick up. You see, Saskatoon does not have any form of recycling pickup service currently. If you want to recycle your glass, tin, or paper items, you have two options:

1- drive your car (creating emissions) to depots (mostly located on the outskirts of town) to drop off these goods.
2-pay an annual fee for a private company (~$120 a year) to come by your house to pick up your recyclables.

Right now, the mayoral race is debating whether to start curbside pickup. http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/City+eyes+recycling+plan+mayor/2095341/story.html And incumbent Don Atcheson is opposed to the plan. Isnt that lovely. Am I ever glad to not live in 'Toontown' any more. What a joke! What is this 1980? Nope, it's Saskatoon, where unfortunately, yes, it's still 1980.

Only in SK is recycling seen as a bad thing. Might as well say that global warming is a fiction. Then again, Saskies likely dont even know what global warming is. Those people might as well make an impassioned argument about how recycling is an impediment to the development of local ski hill development (for those of you not from SK, the local ski hill in Saskatoon is a former garbage dump. Imagine: a frozen pile of garbage....... then wake up screaming).

When I lived in Saskatoon, I remember throwing away countless glass jars, tin cans, bottles, and all sorts of recyclable items in the trash. I felt bad about it until I got used to it. After a while I didnt even bother crushing the cans. Stores that sell containers dont even accept them back for deposit. Instead you have to drive to Sarcan to wait in a horrbile line in a stinky hellhole full of bums and rusty shopping carts... and in the end you get less deposit that what you even paid! What, am I supposed to look upon it as a stupidity tax?

When in Rome anyone? Every house in Stoon gets a giant garbage container for trash (I now see apartments here in BC with the same size container for several suites) so why the hell not. It encourages people to throw away things that might be diverted from landfills and who know, converted into maybe useful things again! What a novel thought!

Good luck, Don - this rivals the time to delivered a racist rant at the First Nations University about "Indians" as part of your campaign strategy. You got elected then so I expect you to get re-elected by the masses with your anti-recycling policies. Saskatchewan looks like it is not quite ready to give up its title as one of Canada's worst poluuters. Long live the 1980s!

Grant Devine to Receive Order of Merit? WTF???

During all my years I thought that the Order of Merit was something special, something given to people of.... well.... merit. Not in Saskatchewan.

Enter disgraced former premier Grant Devine:

This is the man who:

-presided over one of the largest scandals perpetrated by a Canadian government
-racked up the provincial debt like no other and nothing to show for it
-ruined the Conservative Party in SK
-liked to make anti-gay slurs

Today, it was announced that he is going to receive the Order of Merit. I know it's hard to believe so read the official news release yourself: http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=aadc9fa0-c095-4f9e-a066-9c2ac59d255f

I never had much respect for Saskatchewan Party leader and now Premier Brad Wall, an opinion shaped solely by his decision to keep his Fred Durst wanna-be sideburns after becoming premier. Now I have none.

This just goes to show where the Saskatchewan Party's loyalties lie..... Political patronage at it's worst. What next - give Brian Mulroney the Order of Canada??? DOH!

What an embarrassment!