The Manitoba Provincial Politics Discussion

[bomberjet]

Overall Pallister is rolling back a bunch of things. "Consolidating" services.

Example from last year. Consolidating neurology department to HSC. Closing St. B. So a bunch of neurologists quit. So you basically end up with the closure of St. B and the same or less services at HSC. Cameron Friesen says "oh ya we're hiring though." Cause a bunch of highly skilled neurologists are just sitting around waiting...

Rinse and repeat. Childcare is the latest.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Brian P is going to propose legislation requiring major projects pass a public referendum. Not just Hydro, but other projects as well. Nothing will get done. What an ass.

Brian P has run amock during the last year. I still doubt he'll lose next election. Unfortunately a very sad state of affairs in Manitoba politics.

I'd like to see Referendums on rapid transit projects.

[Hecate]

The only thing there should be referendums on are wage increases for all government employees. Do you get to decide your wage? Unless you own your own business, probably not, and neither should they. The stats for incomes in Manitoba are absolutely mind boggling at how low paid the majority of our population is. I would also block government unions from advertising to the masses. Little propaganda machine at the liquor marts has been going pretty strong lately and it’s sickening listening to the bullshit they spew.

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by Hecate

The only thing there should be referendums on are wage increases for all government employees. Do you get to decide your wage? Unless you own your own business, probably not, and neither should they. The stats for incomes in Manitoba are absolutely mind boggling at how low paid the majority of our population is. I would also block government unions from advertising to the masses. Little propaganda machine at the liquor marts has been going pretty strong lately and it’s sickening listening to the bullshit they spew.

lol "Incomes here are too low, better knock those liquor mart employees down to minimum wage that'll help!"

Also it's new to me that gov't employees decide their own wage. All this time I've been getting paid what's in the CA like a sucker. I'll be promptly informing my superiors that my new pay is $10,000,000 / year, thanks Hecate!!

[Curmudgeon]

The civil service should be paid reasonably well and I don't begrudge a MLCC clerk making $25/hr but they should earn their wage. The level of customer service at the liquor stores is appalling, they don't even bag the purchases and some cop an attitude if you choose to pay cash. Cash is cleaner than the terminals. Those plus the insulting security checkpoint entrance make the whole shopping experience unenjoyable, esp. as Manitobans are overcharged for liquor (and esp. beer) to begin with.

[esquire]

^ Are you kidding? The security checkpoint is far preferable to the free-for-all that was going on before they put those in.

Kind of nice to go to the LC now and not be concerned about robberies.

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

lol "Incomes here are too low, better knock those liquor mart employees down to minimum wage that'll help!"

Also it's new to me that gov't employees decide their own wage. All this time I've been getting paid what's in the CA like a sucker. I'll be promptly informing my superiors that my new pay is $10,000,000 / year, thanks Hecate!!

Lol, I was referring to mla’s, and I would say school boards fall into this category too. Anyway, as for the liquor marts I have no problem with what they earn or their benefits, I just think it should be comparable to others in similar industries. If $20 bucks an hour and benefits is good for the liquor mart employee... why isn’t it good enough for the Walmart cashier, the cannabis store employee, or the gas jockey. I wish the government would look out for everyone instead of just their own.

[LilZebra]

I'm not an alcoholic or drinker, but recently was craving something different than my usual milk , water, or raspberry juice.

And something funky about me drinking orange juice recently. It makes me get diarrhea.

So I thought, hey, they have online ordering at MLCC. Found Cointreau orange liqueur.

Go to the e-checkout, and found that you need a "real" credit card to order online. I just have a debit card.

So then I say, OK, Ill go over my nearest LC and purchase the item in-store.

Can't do that either, because my provincial photo ID is "expired". They expire every 3 years and mine is at least last done in 2013,

So I ended up having to go to that TD outside on Portage, withdraw $80, bring that back home, call my sister, and have her purchase my liquor..

SAD

[bomberjet]

^Pretty standard stuff.

I presume you don't have a valid drivers license? Need new pictures regularly. Every 3 or 5 years or something. If your license is cancelled for any reason, such as non payment, new photo required.


Referendums. Let's have referendums on local street repairs, funding for the arts, salaries for workers. Let's just vote on everything. I will vote no on everything except for a freeway to my front door. Everything else be damned. When I move, yep new freeway required.


Paying with cash vs terminals. There's no need to touch the terminal most of the time. Tap you don't need to touch the terminal. Tap is up to $200 now. Cash is disgusting. People stick those bills up there nose doing coke. You'd be surprised what's on those bills. Nasty shit. Strippers asses for example. Unless you get brand new bills, they're gross.

[esquire]

^ I use cards all the way, but a surprising number of stores still have the annoying terminals that don't support tap payments so you have to insert card, touch the various buttons, etc.

[bomberjet]

That's true. I try not to frequent Walmart. But i noticed recently tap is available. Which is nice because I find Walmarts especially disgusting.

Even before COVID, my family has been using hand sanitizer, wiping down carts, etc. And we noticed sickness has been down. Goes back to my son in the NICU. Hyper-sensitive to germs.

[bomberjet]

https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archive=&item=51000

PROVINCE DISTRIBUTES NEW LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROTECT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE


We'll wait for the actual legislation. But this sounds like something that can be used to bypass numerous things, like regulatory reviews, for construction of 'critical' infrastructure.

This would also seem like a good way to remove protestors from railways.

[bomberjet]

The Province has also announced an overhaul to school boards and divisions. The Government will appoint the school board now. Which isn't the greatest IMO.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

The Province has also announced an overhaul to school boards and divisions. The Government will appoint the school board now. Which isn't the greatest IMO.

^ More control. Seems to be the hallmark of this government.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

I'm not an alcoholic or drinker, but recently was craving something different than my usual milk , water, or raspberry juice.

And something funky about me drinking orange juice recently. It makes me get diarrhea.

So I thought, hey, they have online ordering at MLCC. Found Cointreau orange liqueur.

Go to the e-checkout, and found that you need a "real" credit card to order online. I just have a debit card.

So then I say, OK, Ill go over my nearest LC and purchase the item in-store.

Can't do that either, because my provincial photo ID is "expired". They expire every 3 years and mine is at least last done in 2013,

So I ended up having to go to that TD outside on Portage, withdraw $80, bring that back home, call my sister, and have her purchase my liquor..

SAD

Thanks for sharing.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

The Province has also announced an overhaul to school boards and divisions. The Government will appoint the school board now. Which isn't the greatest IMO.

It seems to me that schools have a bit too much overhead... so many school divisions, so many administrators. Then you have school trustees and boards who like to get into the political bunfights with the province.

I get that you can't run the entire provincial school system on the existing WSD 1 staff complement, but surely there must be some efficiencies to be had?

[bomberjet]

It's been talked about for awhile, reducing school divisions , thus reducing school boards etc. Going to 1 school board for the province, I don't know. A lot of control, which the province already has I suppose. They dictate curriculums and such already.

They talk about cutting school divisions in half or something. So does that mean Winnipeg goes down to 1 school div?

Provincial presser starting at 3:30pm today.

I guess my fear is Pallister's main ministers are bible belters. People in league with Ted Cruz for example... Bad news.

[bomberjet]

In other Provincial news today, they will balance the budget in 8 years from now, due to the pandemic.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by esquire

It seems to me that schools have a bit too much overhead... so many school divisions, so many administrators. Then you have school trustees and boards who like to get into the political bunfights with the province.

I get that you can't run the entire provincial school system on the existing WSD 1 staff complement, but surely there must be some efficiencies to be had?

The "inside" stories (from ex-trustees/ teachers etc.) I've heard abut some school board trustees make you shake your head. I couldn't say the numbers across the province, but school boards seem to have their share of entrenched lifers who have little concern other than maintaining a nice little paycheque and what they see as their "status" in the community. Of course I'm sure there are a number who genuinely want to improve schools, but from what I've heard it can be almost impossible at times. the school board system definitely needs a re-vamp, but are the PC's the people to do it..??

[cheswick]

Winnipeg down to 1 region is about bloody time. Six divisions is so unnecessary. I couldn't care less about the school trustee nonsense. I'm guessing 99% of people vote on them without any research whatsoever and 99% never contact them at all. Enough paid beaurocrats doing nothing.