tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post1531712784481827767..comments2023-12-27T09:39:29.958-07:00Comments on Brian Dell: why I'm not a Wildrose memberBrian Dellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15277892651810185583noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post-66169786863842356162010-11-12T14:19:41.926-07:002010-11-12T14:19:41.926-07:00You better start watching Dr PhilYou better start watching Dr PhilAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post-19340361234027732272010-11-04T12:19:51.880-06:002010-11-04T12:19:51.880-06:00In any case I have no disagreement with you and am...In any case I have no disagreement with you and am sorry if there is one. I wasn't happy that it fell to me to nominate you to the Whitemud board a year ago because I had hoped that others would have realized what an asset you had been to the party and its predecessor over the years. The wisdom of nominating you and people like you was what I had been trying to convince Eleanor's friend to agree to prior to the founding meeting and I was unsuccessful, such that, with possibly one exception, the nomination of anyone to the board that wasn't part of the CPC clique ended up falling to me which in hindsight was a no win situation.<br /><br />Again, this is something of a side show and I was dubious about referring to my local experience here since even if one is unhappy with an organization and moves on, only an indiscreet person goes public with about the internal politics they encountered, especially when there is always another side to these stories that isn't being aired. People who are not team players act like that and it may mislead readers who don't know that the situation was actually relatively mild compared to similar organizations. I happened to be mentioning some cases where I thought people who had served on CPC local or national boards had a habit of looking out for a narrow or strictly political agenda and so threw in what I saw as another example.<br /><br />I've gone into detail in the comments here because I feel I have to respond to the charge of fabrication. If it is a fabrication that myself and the Blackburn person weren't welcome I would assume that we would both get a call or email anyday now (I indicated to the board a desire to return on August 24 but had no illusions that I would be any more desired than at the beginning of the year) saying that we have been invited to help organize a founding meeting for Edmonton South West, the first step of which I have been instructed is to rejoin the Whitemud board. I could go help out somewhere else, of course, but like I say if I am helping the enemies of Doug Griffiths I'd be working against everything I have been trying to do politically these past few years.Brian Dellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15277892651810185583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post-69374576635307654042010-11-04T11:53:28.503-06:002010-11-04T11:53:28.503-06:00The first thing I'd acknowledge, Jonathan, is ...The first thing I'd acknowledge, Jonathan, is that people who quit a political party because of fights over the control of constituency boards or because their relative was fired from the party back office or what have you are people who are typically difficult to deal with and/or have a poor sense of discretion such that people who are not directly involved shouldn't make much of it. And even here the local situation is not really a factor in my dissatisfaction with the party (that would be rather petty); it rather just made it difficult for me to contribute where I most wanted to contribute so I'd have to go work somewhere else.<br /><br />The problem in Whitemud was primarily the fact that a highly involved gentleman who lived south of the Henday was not invited on to the board. Besides being the type of non-angry non-Tea Party type I felt the party needed more of, I strongly felt that we needed more people involved from the south so that the new riding likely to be created out of the area south of the Henday did not end up a runt. The other organizer Eleanor asked us to work with wasn't much interested in advancing this objective, and partly as a result this summer when the higher-ups were anticipating a South-West board it was noted that they would be short people. <br /><br />After raising a clamour in the days after the founding meeting, it became clear that the situation wasn't going to change and the gentleman from the Blackburn neighbourhood would not be coming on to the board. I'll grant that he was likely partly responsible as well for not trying to meet in the middle. So one might as well try and make things work. When I resigned in the spring I indeed did not accuse anyone of not wanting me on the board. I had already leveled accusations about the Blackburn fellow not being wanted and that didn't seem to solve anything. Burning a bridge would have made it that much harder to work together in the future.<br /><br />In the summer, though, when it was getting closer to the time when a South-West board might be created, with the encouragement of a higher up I tried to get back on the board. I was advised that "without the board's due deliberation and ratification, your participation in our meetings could be viewed by some board members as illegitimate." Well after due deliberation it was apparently decided that no invitation to rejoin would be extended. A member of the board wanted to meet about the situation and we talked, but the political reality is that party HQ would have had to give an order to get me back on the board. In my view that would have created tension between the board and party central that was unnecessary when Whitemud seemed to be doing just fine without me. The problem was, again, South West's relative underdevelopment and I hadn't anticipated that the only way to develop the South West was to first rejoin Whitemud.<br /><br />As for residency, I didn't really have a residence since I haven't been in one place for more than a few months since coming back from Ottawa and I can give you the email of a resident who would confirm I was trying to move into the southwest last winter. When that fell through and I didn't have another near term option it did make me less comfortable about remaining on the board. I nonetheless believe I was genuinely interested in serving the party's interests in Edmonton and the party's interest meant a developed presence in every constituency. As I understand it several ridings in the city that needed some help have non-residents on their board and that that group might even include yourself.<br /><br />All this to say that I would take exception to the "our riding was fairly healthy" claim. Edmonton South West was not healthy and ready for launch according the information I had, and it was this very idea that the people who lived in the Riverbend idea "owned" the whole territory of the current Whitemud riding such that the success of the new riding was not a concern that I saw as a problem.Brian Dellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15277892651810185583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post-63297905712500820822010-11-04T10:16:20.175-06:002010-11-04T10:16:20.175-06:00I like the BC Liberals and the British Tories just...I like the BC Liberals and the British Tories just to name a couple. The former have championed business-friendly policy in the face of populists like Bill Vander Zalm and the British Tories have made the sort of spending cuts that I don't believe any North American party would come remotely close to trying to do.<br /><br />My "ideological" problem with Wildrose is not "left" vs "right" but going populist. I returned to Alberta from Ottawa's policy shops because I wanted to see the sort of informed, detailed discussion that was occurring in the halls of Finance Canada occurring here. It was like we were stuck in an ivory tower. Those discussions MAY be occurring in Alberta Finance (hence the occasional musing about a consumption tax by Morton and/or Griffiths) but they seem to be stuck there.<br /><br />There is too much emphasis on parties anyway, in my view. Like I say, I think Doug Griffiths is a good MLA. I dedicated a blogpost to praising Kevin Taft this year. And Danielle Smith is an unusual combination of both charismatic politician and policy adept.Brian Dellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15277892651810185583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post-24792995744865198282010-11-03T23:32:40.269-06:002010-11-03T23:32:40.269-06:00Brian that is a total fabrication of what happened...Brian that is a total fabrication of what happened with you and the board of Edmonton Whitemud.<br /><br />You were a director at large. You did not live in the riding and our riding was fairly healthy and able to gather strength with federal conservative and non fed ranks. <br /><br />You told me that you were leaving for a few months so you wanted to leave the board. I took that at face value and offered to keep your seat warm plenty of times.<br /><br />The fact that you bring this up and the way it is brought forward now makes me wonder if you are even telling the truth on any of this.<br /><br />Fact, yes Danielle was talking about the gun resolution because she voted against the motion while the majority voted for it.<br /><br />I am sorry you are upset about where you think the party should go is not where it is going. I am neither upset nor appalled by any actions of the party to date.<br /><br />Personally I think you are being disingenuous with readers here.<br /><br />While I do not agree with your policies I have never seen a reason to stamp you out of the party and I am sorry you feel you need to leave but my goodness get the story straight.Jonathan Williamshttp://www.jbwilliams.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897479481146623890.post-17372964433233304762010-11-03T23:21:59.323-06:002010-11-03T23:21:59.323-06:00Is there any party ideologically pure enough for y...Is there any party ideologically pure enough for you?Duncan Kinneyhttp://duncankinney.comnoreply@blogger.com