Alberta Green Party - Costing of Policies or Program Ideas

Alberta Green Party – Costing of Policies or Program Ideas

One thing that concerns me when a government or opposition party attempts to cost out a plan is that they use nefarious mathematics to do so.

One group will use math to prove the immediate benefits, while only including the immediate and upfront costs to a program or policy idea.

As the Alberta Green Party we have pledged to uses the Triple Bottom Line in our governing. This also must include a long range plan that looks 10 years into the future and provides that as background information to all plans, ideas, programs, or policies.

Just as in the environment, sometimes the expenditure or support of an idea through the tax system by a government has an affect that is more like dominoes, with affects felt far down the line.

An example of this might be the royalty holiday the Alberta Government gives the energy companies involved in the Oil Sands development. There is also a very good tax treatment by the federal government on the investments that the oil companies are making, and there will be money from both the Federal and Provincial governments awarded to the companies involved in the building of the MacKenzie Pipeline project.

If we take a look at the lowly pipefitter, we can see what I am talking about. A ticketed and experienced pipefitter here in Calgary can garner about $25.00 - $40.00 hour with benefits with an employer. A pipefitter works on both commercial and residential construction putting the pipes in that carry the hot water heat, natural gas, and water in and around a building. This includes homes, apartment building, commercial buildings, hospitals and schools.

Right now a pipefitter is in huge demand in the oil sands and can earn up to $80.00 per hour plus benefits over and above than what they can earn here in Calgary or Edmonton.

That means the contractor here in Calgary or Edmonton must increase their bids to the local authorities and general contractors building our homes, apartment building, commercial buildings, hospitals and schools. This increases the costs in Calgary, Edmonton, or Lethbridge not only to the private sector but to government services as well.

This means that not only do the tax payer give up revenue to the oil and gas companies involved in the oil sands development, we face increased costs on the building our infrastructure as well.

That is why we need to include what I call, ‘the domino costs,’ of public policies.

We also need to as a party establish a realistic, modern, well funded, and futuristic employment planning and development ministry that will take a world-wide view of what a policy, program, or plan that a government in Alberta might want to implement will have.

Currently we are facing an employment shortage in many of the trades, and will continue too, when the oil and gas industry comes to maturation on the east coast of Canada, and the various huge pipeline projects take shape in Northern Canada, Asia, and Russia.

Are we investing the money we need in our various post-secondary institutions to meet this demand, and are we as a province attracting the kind of immigrants we need to help fill these positions, and become real, contributing members of Alberta society, and not just visiting workers?

As a Party we need to be willing to cost a project, plan or policy both as something the private sector could provide or do, or something the public sector should do.

We need to look at what exactly are the recoverable costs of an industry being attracted or, lured to Alberta to set up.

In the incident of the Alberta Pacific (AlPac) pulp and paper mill in Athabasca, the question as to whether the company is paying the true costs of what it consumes in its taxes, and to whom they pay that.

In AlPac’s case they pay their property taxes to the province through the county. The town of Athabasca is shouldered with the costs of increasing and improving its infrastructure to accommodate the influx of people to staff the mill. Without the access to the steady income stream of the property tax of the mill. They must go cap in hand to the province for a grant. The town also has the major highway running right through it that the logging trucks take to the mill, and many trucks on their way to Fort MacMurray take.

The town of Athabasca gets little or no benefit of the gas or tire tax, or the road taxes commercial trucks pay to the provincial government. They must go to the province for an annual grant for the highway upkeep that runs with in their town borders. This includes fire and rescue, wear and tear on the local business district the trucks impose as they drive through, as well as town owned pools, libraries, and leisure centres.

It again is a domino cost imposed on the town, caused by a tax holiday and incentive package offered to the owners of the mill by the provincial government.

When the two pipeline projects that are on the horizons for Alberta and northern Canada are started, what will that do to the already hype-hot steel market in Canada and North America. The current rising costs in steel are currently contributing to the increases in the cost of public infrastructure building costs now.

Norm

FW: 100364KCMM

To: Henry Goldbeck
Subject: RE: 100364KCMM

I would like to know why you kept my information on any database without my permission? It is not legal to do that. How much of the rest of the information on your database is similar in its roots? Any and all of the information you have gained this way is tainted, and any of your clients that you use the information in order to fill their positions, should be warned.

 

You spend a lot of time putting that new popular silly disclaimer at the bottom of your e-mails, why not spend a simlar amount of time in bringing your personal information privacy procedures up to the 21st Century?

 

I guess the other question should be, with my last name being Greenfield, and I assume you have read my resume, tell me why I would be the least big qualified for the position in the newsletter?

 

I assume it is because you did not read my resume and were purely harvesting resumes so you can make your database look large to your potential clients.

 

What a sillly way to do business.

-----Original Message-----
From: Henry Goldbeck [mailto:HenryG@goldbeck.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:49 AM
Subject: RE: 100364KCMM

Dear Norman,  We have deleted your resume and all of your contact info from our database.  We have never provided your information to any person or organization.  We merely sent you a newsletter regarding positions available.  As you had been looking for employment we thought you may have been interested. I regret that this has upset you.  There is nothing else we can really do here other than promise to never contact you again. If you choose to pursue this through any of the relevant authorities then that is your prerogative and I guess we will hear from them in due course.  Good luck in your career search.

 

Regards

 

H e n r y    E.   G o l d b e c k,   CPC
President, Goldbeck Recruiting Inc.
510 - 475 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B 4M9, Canada
Phone. 604.684.1428 x 102
Toll Free. 877.684.1428
Fax. 604.684.1429

To: Karen Chan; Henry Goldbeck
Subject: FW: 100364KCMM

 

I assume by your silence to my message below that I am to file a complaint with the Priacy Commissioner?

 

-----Original Message-----

Subject: RE: 100364KCMM

I know I sent you my resume. For a specific position. Not to be put on or in any sort of database. It is illegal to do this, without asking permission. Permission is not given purely by someone sending you the information. It is also a waste of the time of the recipients to send them spam for positions that bare no resemblence to their backgrounds. Both point to your organization as being very unprofessional at the least.

 

Past of my lobbying work was with both the Federal, Alberta, and BC government on the privacy legislation.

 

You should not be accumulating person information this way.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Karen Chan 
 Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 6:33 PM

Cc: Henry Goldbeck
Subject: FW: 100364KCMM

Hi Norm.

For your information, you submitted your resume to Goldbeck Recruiting on February 12, 2006. Please see below message you sent to me.

Please kindly note that your email is now removed permanently from our database as per your request.

 

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 4:28 PM
To: Karen Chan
Subject: 100364KCMM

 

Please find attached a copy of my resume. My background covers all facets of corporate and marketing communications with a good grounding in the real estate industry.

Norm Greenfield

 K a r e n  C h a n,  CPC, MA, BComm
Senior Associate, Goldbeck Recruiting Inc
Suite 510, 475 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B 4M9, Canada
Phone. 604.684.1428 x 104
Fax. 604.684.1429
Toll Free. 877.684.1428

 

Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 10:39 PM
To: Karen Chan
Subject: ****SPAM**** Re: Goldbeck Job Alert v1025 CA

 

Karen:

 

Can you tell me where you got my e-mail address from? Can you tell me how the jobs below meet anything in the copy of my resume you illegally put on your database? Can you tell me where to address the carbon copy of my complaint to both the federal and BC privacy commission?

 

Why The Canadian Myopia on Port Deal in USA?

 

Subject: Why The Canadian Myopia on Port Deal in USA?

Here is an editorial from the Vancouver Sun, published February 28, 2006. Are we that servile to anything that Bush does we will not question this from a Canadian perspective?

' While there are serious concerns about the threat of terrorist attacks involving ports, including our own in Vancouver, they have been submerged in this case by political posturing for mid-term congressional elections and jingoistic paranoia.

The company at the centre of the storm, P&O Ports, also leases a container terminal at the Port of Vancouver through a subsidiary, P&O Ports Canada. P&O Ports is being taken over by Dubai Ports World, which is controlled by part of the government of the United Arab Emirates. '

Why are the Canadian media missing the Canadian connection in the sale of the US ports to a foreign government. The company selling the US ports to the Dubai government controlled and owned company is including container facilities in Canada in the deal.

 

Should Canada be in this discussion? 

 

Has anyone asked our new Prime Minister if he will march lock step with President Bush in this matter, or will we have a Canadian opinion on the matter?

 

Does it affect Alberta and the rest of Canada? It sure does. We saw the affect a small little illegal strike of the truck drivers can have on the economy of Canada last year. Vancouver is but one port in Canada. It is Canada's larrgest port, and its gate way to the booming Asia market.

 

Do we want to be in control of it, or do we want someone else, alone a foreign government to be in control of it or any part of it?

Thank you

Norman Greenfield

Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Media and Government Relations
Corporate, Marketing and Political Communications
New and Old Media
E-Learning/E-Democracy Business Development
Registered Federal, B.C. and N.B Government Lobbyist

 

Life Is Metaphor

How many times have you heard someone say, "Please, just give me a sign!"? Often, what follows is a subtle sign that the person misses while they're waiting for a shooting star or to be struck by lighting. Most of the time, our lives seem mundane and full of the "ordinary." What we don't realize is that some of the most seemingly ordinary occurrences in our lives are vehicles to the sacred. If we're paying attention, they can connect us deeply and profoundly to our center, to our soul. How many of us miss those little "signs" in our lives, those little psychic pushes in one direction or another, while we're waiting for something dramatic or wonderful to happen to steer us down the path of life? We're looking outward or upward, instead of inward. In college, a professor said the words: "Life is metaphor". My entire body became a tuning fork resonating with that phrase. I understood it and believed it, but it wasn't until recently that I started truly seeing and applying this idea, watching it at work not only in my life, but in the lives of others around me.

To see the world metaphorically, you have to be paying attention to both the physical world and to what's going on internally. You have to recognize that metaphor is about meaning. While you shouldn't concretize it, metaphor can make your life richer and fuller. I've often seen metaphor working in the lives of others. A co-worker of mine, Cathy, had been talking for weeks about whether or not she should move in with her boyfriend. He was very eager and insistent, but she had been debating, unsure of whether she wanted to make that kind of commitment. One day I was in an area of our workplace that was without a clock, and just casually, I asked her if she had a watch. She told me no, but then proceeded to relate an entire story about all of her watches. Apparently, every single watch she owned had stopped on the same day! Knowing her life circumstances, I was struck instantly by a metaphoric meaning in this. Curious to see if she saw it as well, I asked her, "I wonder what that's all about?" She just shrugged.

Metaphors in life are usually subtle and simple, and that's the beauty of them. It's not at all like being struck by lightning... but yet, like my entire being vibrating with the idea of life as metaphor, it can be a moving experience, a revelation, something to make your eyes widen, to make you gasp or say, "oh my gosh!" if you learn to recognize them in your life. Melissa, a friend of mine, was struggling with writing a paper for a class we had together. The more time she spent on the endeavor, the more laborious the task became. In the midst of this undertaking, a bird emerged from the chimney flue and into the house. She spent a good hour attempting to capture it without hurting it and then setting it free. Melissa, however, unlike Cathy, was able to recognize this metaphor in her life, so much so that she sat down at the computer and began her paper with her struggle, relating the story of the bird's capture to her own "capturing" of her ideas for her paper, and the ultimate freeing of her imagination.

Seeing or recognizing metaphor in your life can open your eyes to the path your life is taking. We often believe that we are traveling down the path of life toward a goal, and we are attempting to "attain" that goal. Once you recognize that being on the path itself is the goal, seeing the world through metaphor allows a deep part of the self to be reflected in the physical world. There comes a sense of truth and wholeness, and suddenly there is less separation between you and the outer world. The growth of the soul transcends the limits or concerns of the ego. You are part of a huge pattern, and seeing the world through metaphor allows you to glimpse that larger pattern and also helps show you the individual path you're standing on. There are no ego-boundaries any longer, there is a shattering of everyday assumptions, and often an awakening into some bigger and brighter universe.

This kind of seeing can cause huge transformations in your life, or in the direction you think your life is heading. My marriage was slowly falling apart for years while I wasn't paying attention, and there came a point when I came to feel very discontent and didn't understand why. It took a lot of time for me to realize what it was and work through it. Very often I would say, "I feel transitional right now," as if something were waiting to happen. One day in the middle of summer, a butterfly flew into the house and landed on the skylight a good fifteen feet up. I spent all day, off and on, attempting to get it to fly out of the house. I tried a ladder, but it wasn't tall enough. I tried nudging it with a broom, but it wouldn't budge. My husband arrived home from work, and the kids, who had watched me struggle all day to set this butterfly free, immediately told him about it. He took the broom from me and on the first try, got the butterfly to hop right onto it! Then he took it outside and set it free. Here I was, feeling transitional, struggling, just a caterpillar myself going through the long, painful, messy process of change, simply unable to free the butterfly. Eventually, she was freed, and he let her go... literally, and metaphorically.

Seeing the world this way is simply a tool, a way to get you to recognize the ordinary as sacred, a vehicle that allows you to travel down that road. It can connect you to your deeper self, your soul, in ways you never imagined possible. It often initiates change, transformation, and great personal growth. It opens the world up, and instead of walking down that path blindly, or looking upward to the sky for guidance, seeing the metaphors that occur in our lives, within ourselves, and making those connections, gives us a richer meaning to our existence on this planet. It's necessary that we pay attention, individually and collectively, to the metaphors that appear in our lives, from metaphors as strong as every single one of your watches stopping on the same day, to metaphors as seemingly benign as, "I'm hungry." They're trying to tell us something, if we don't dismiss them as mere coincidences, and if we simply allow them to exist as meaningful incidents that help us navigate our way down that path of life.

 

Norm

Opposition Party Registers, Now Twelve Legal Parties - Kazakhstan News Bulletin, March 24

Subject: Opposition Party Registers, Now Twelve Legal Parties - Kazakhstan News Bulletin, March 24

KAZAKHSTAN News Bulletin

March 24, 2006

 

Opposition Party Registers, Now Twelve Legal Parties

Opening of First Meeting of Democratization Commission Shows Wide Eagerness to Move Reforms Ahead

Next Religious Congress Will Also Include Political Leaders

Kazakhstan’s Largest Bank Considers Foreign IPO This Year

Nauryz Celebrated as Holiday of Harmony and Renewal

Honoring a Kazakh “New Year”

 

Say it in Kazakh:

Happy Nauryz! --- Nauryz qutti bolsyn!

 

Opposition Party Registers, Now Twelve Legal Parties

The Naghyz Ak Zhol (True Bright Path) Party was registered on March 17, bringing to twelve the count of political parties legally operating in Kazakhstan.

A representative of the Registration Service Committee of the Ministry of Justice announced the news at a court hearing in Astana on March 21.

The Naghyz Ak Zhol split from the Ak Zhol party in 2005 following disagreements among its cochairmen regarding how best to oppose the current government. Ak Zhol fielded its candidate, Alikhan Baimenov, in the December 2005 presidential election, while the then unregistered Naghyz Ak Zhol supported Zharmakhan Tuyakbai, a candidate of the “For a Fair Kazakhstan” movement.

The number of political parties in Kazakhstan may change further with the expected arrival of a new Green Party and possibly others.

Under Kazakh law, a party needs to have at least 50,000 members and be evenly represented in all regions to be able to register and operate legally. Kazakhstan has a population of 15 million people, and more than one million people are thought to be members of a political party.

 

Opening of First Meeting of Democratization Commission

Shows Wide Eagerness to Move Reforms Ahead

The first session of the State Commission on Democratization opened in Astana on March 24 revealing Kazakh desire for meaningful dialog about the future political life of the country.

“We fully intend to continue democratic reforms and political modernization of our country,” President Nursultan Nazarbayev said opening the meeting. “Our main goal remains the same, to strengthen the foundations of an open, democratic state with the rule of law which embraces both universal democratic customs and traditions of our multiethnic and multi-religious society.”

The commission was established by presidential decree earlier this month as the vehicle to flesh out the many ideas about how to move forward with democratization, developing a comprehensive program of political reforms.

Speaking at the session, the President noted that “the challenges of the 21^st century demand a more dynamic modernization of the entire system of political relations” and “will require enormous efforts and extraordinary approaches from the authorities, political institutions and institutions of civil society.”

The commission follows in the footsteps of previous groups exploring the path of democracy in Kazakhstan, but there are significant differences. The new group has the highest stature. President Nazarbayev now chairs the commission himself demonstrating his commitment. The commission includes Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State, deputy speakers of both houses of parliament, representatives of political parties and public associations, leaders of parliamentary caucuses, and prominent statesmen. The Government has been commissioned to provide financial resources for the commission while the presidential administration was tasked to assist its activities.

The agenda for the meeting included enhancing the role of Parliament in forming the national government and holding it to account, possible reforms of the executive and strengthening public control over all branches of power, the introduction of elections for district mayors and of local self-government, as well as promoting the development of NGOs and news media.

The Embassy will shortly run an edition of “Kazakhstan’s Echo” on the commission with in-depth coverage of the scope of proposed political reforms.

 

Next Religious Congress Will Also Include Political Leaders

The second gathering of religious leaders from across the world in Kazakhstan will take place this fall in Astana and have an added dimension as political leaders are also invited to take part.

The first gathering, called the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which took place in Astana in September 2003, led to condemnation of terrorism by all participating religions and their agreement to pursue further dialog. A total of 120 delegates attended the first Congress from 17 different religious groups, including Islam, Russian Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Invitations to attend the second Congress were sent to 36 leaders of world religions and 32 honorary guests from the political life, Nurtai Abykaev, head of the organizing committee for the Congress said.

Abykayev, who also serves as the Speaker of Kazakhstan’s Senate, said the upcoming gathering would be “devoted to the major issues of religion, society and international security” and would have three plenary sessions. The Congress is expected to result in final communiqués and resolutions, he said.

The new Palace of Peace and Harmony, now being built in the capital will be the venue for the Congress. The Palace was designed by Sir Norman Foster, a renowned British architect. It is in the form of a huge shining pyramid of steel and glass, will different sections allowing followers of different religions to follow their own ritual.

 

Kazakhstan’s Largest Bank Considers Foreign IPO This Year

Kazkommertsbank, Kazakhstan’s largest private bank is considering floating 17 percent of its stock in an initial public offering (IPO) on a foreign stock exchange later this year.

Kaznommertsbank’s Chief Executive Nina Zhusupova told reporters in Almaty on March 20 the bank, which currently has 375 million ordinary shares, plans to issue an additional 200 million shares and sell half of that amount to existing shareholders.

“As for the second half (of the 200 million issue), we will decide whether we will go ahead with an IPO and sell a small stake on the foreign markets, or it will be sold to shareholders,” she said.

One hundred million shares would be roughly 17 percent of the total stock. Russia’s Aton brokerage said in a note, “At the current share price (the bank’s) share issue, if exercised in full, would be valued at around $1.2 billion.”

Kazkommertsbank is the latest company from Kazakhstan to announce IPO plans following successful share listings by mining firms Kazakhmys and KazakhGold at the London Stock Exchange in 2005. Kazakhmys, which listed its shares in October 2005, rose to join the FTSE-100, the list of one hundred largest listed companies by value, by December of last year.

 

Nauryz Celebrated as Holiday of Harmony and Renewal

People across Kazakhstan celebrated Nauryz, the traditional holiday dating back 2,500 years, on March 22, the day of the spring equinox, as a holiday of friendship, harmony and renewal. There are many ways to celebrate Nauryz including parades, concerts, theatrical performances and discotheques in the street, traditional Kazakh sporting competitions, the best yurt or the largest baursak contests, fireworks, and lavish feasting.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the people at the celebrations in the largest square of Almaty, saying: “Nauryz has become the contemporary of our independence which gave us back this spring holiday.” Nauryz, which is a blend of two Farsi words, “nau” (new) and “yryz” (day), was restored as a holiday in Kazakhstan in 1990.

“On this day people should forgive the wrongs to all, hug each other and say we will walk together into the spring and the summer and will keep these good relations through faith, friendship and mutual understanding,” the President said.

People in the northern city of Kostanay witnessed the best yurt contest in their main square with a 100,000 tenge top prize (approximately US$600). For great celebrations, a yurt, the traditional nomadic felt house, is richly decorated with ornate rugs and chests.

People in Ust Kamenogorsk in the east enjoyed their biggest baursak (fried doughnut) contest. Baursaks usually are the size of a ping-pong ball, but sometimes people can make them huge.

Also in Ust Kamenogorsk, Nauryz turned out a great day for the Koreshkov brothers who led Team Kazakhstan in the recent Turin Olympics ice hockey competition. Each of them got a brand new white gleaming car from the local governor who is also the chairman of the Kazakhstan Hockey Federation.

Most of the feasts that day offered one unifying dish, the Naryz kozhe, a refreshing yogurt based drink with a total of seven “mystical” ingredients, including meat, barley and corn.

People celebrated Nauryz not only in Kazakhstan and other countries of Central Asia, but also in Austin, Texas. Following is an article by Lauren Kent from the March 21 edition of The Daily Texan of the University of Texas at Austin.

 

Honoring a Kazakh “New Year”

Students commemorate and feast during

the spring equinox celebration of Nauryz

On the eve of the spring equinox, students and curious spectators played games and enjoyed a feast Monday near the South Mall to commemorate Nauryz, the Kazakh "new year" holiday. The celebration originated more than 2,500 years ago in Persia. Eventually other areas of the world adopted the tradition, and today some form of Nauryz is celebrated in Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, parts of China and Russia and other Eastern European countries.

Nauryz is meant to symbolize beginnings and good luck for the coming year. Family members gather to give blessings, forgive debts and end quarrels. Events that occurred in the first 13 days after the New Year are believed to indicate how the rest of the year will go, so forgiveness and kindness are encouraged.

The feast is an important part of the celebration. A few traditional dishes were offered at the festivities, such as Plov, a rice dish with meat and vegetables. These dishes are typically made with seven ingredients representing the blessings of health, wealth, joy, luck, wisdom, speedy growth and heavenly protection. The feast commences at noon, is opened by a prayer honoring the family's forefathers and is closed by a blessing, or bata, by the eldest family member in attendance.

“Food for your mind” was also encouraged at the event. A table set up next to the food offered traditional recipes, papers about the holiday and a poster describing Abai Kunanbaev, a man known as the “father of Kazakh poetry.”

This year is the first that the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies organized a Nauryz celebration on campus. Allegra Azulay, the outreach coordinator for the center, said the goal was to make the Central Asia region “more available to students.” However, some of the gaming that is usually held on Nauryz had to be modified to fit the surroundings.

“We wanted to have falconry and camel races on the South Mall,” Azulay said. “But we couldn’t get the University to agree to that. So we decided to have a slightly modest version of the traditional races.”

The modified version included a contest to see who could toss a stuffed toy camel closest to an urn of tea.

Azulay also hosted a quiz on Kazakh sayings, which were spoken first in Kazakh by Dana Abizaid, a graduate student in Russian, East European and European studies. Those from the region had a one-up on American students when guessing the endings to sayings such as: “Do not mention birds of prey –” the end of which is “in the presence of cattle.”

Cynthia Buckley, a sociology professor who specializes in Central Asian studies, said she also hopes to generate more student interest in the region. She said the University will be trying to add Kazakh language courses to the curriculum again.

“Kazakhstan is [a] very important country to the United States,” said Buckley. “It is a land of burgeoning markets, vast oil reserves, cultural diversity and incredible natural beauty. It isn’t just of interest to ‘West Wing’ fans.”

 

Things to Watch:

• The Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht will visit Kazakhstan from March 26 to 28. Kazakhstan seeks the rotating chairmanship in the 55-member OSCE in 2009. Kazakhstan will be the first country visited by De Gucht on his tour of Central Asia.
• A new crew for the International Space Station will blast off the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in the Soyuz capsule on March 30, 2006. The crew includes U.S. astronaut Geoffrey Williams, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and Brazil’s first astronaut Marcos Pontes.

Norman Greenfield

Calgary, Alberta, Canada
403-807-1251
www.provocostatusquo.com
http://provocostatusquo.blogspot.com
Media and Government Relations
Corporate, Marketing and Political Communications
New and Old Media
Registered Federal, B.C. and N.B Government Lobbyist

URGENT: Tabling of Health Care Letter

 

Subject: FW: URGENT: Tabling of Health Care Letter

Kelly FitzGibbon

 

What is happening with this letter of mine? Is it being tabled in the Legislature or not? If it isn't, because it advocates for privatizing some of the heatlh care system such as the Calgary EMS services, I would like to know. If you don't include it, then it taints the letters you are submitting, as they do not represent the entire nature of the letters members of the Liberal Party receive on the health care issue.

 

Norm Greenfield

 

 

-----Original Message-----
Subject: RE: URGENT: Tabling of Health Care Letter

It would be interesting to see just how many people on your lists actually sent you a letter in support of the Liberal Party's position on the new health care bill. I didn't. My letter or e-mail to Laurie Blakeman was about helping the private nursing homes in Calgary to have our ambulance by-law changed that creates a monopoly for the Calgary EMS.

 

A letter that was sent to all members of the Legislature not just to Ms Blakeman.

 

A request for action that was turned down by all parties.

 

In all of the things the Ralph Klein's government has done that I don't agree with, this attempt at trying to put forth changes to the healthcare system is the only one I do agree with.

 

I would take the Klein Healthcare reform nay sayers and fear mongers more seriously, if they were not from the side of the argument that already has their noses and faces in the healthcare industry trough, and are worried their share will be cut into. It is time we look at fixing the health care system now so it serves the needs of the users, rather than keep shovelling more money into it after bad money hoping more money being spent inefficiently is going to solve the problems.

 

If you want to put my letter on record I would love it, but I do not agree on the premise that the Alberta Liberal Party has any concrete idea of plan to, 'improve health care through long-term planning and proper management,' other than making sure the doctors keep their place at the trough and their share of the money.

 

Instead of the fear mongering, why doesn't the Liberal Party of Alberta come up with some concrete plans with costing and forecasting as an option to the Health Care Reforms that Mr. Klein has put forward? Put that on record.

 

You do have permission to table my letter and comments regarding the privatization of Health Care in Alberta, even if it is about increasing the privatization in the health care field.

 

Thank you

Norm Greenfield

-----Original Message-----
From: Kelly FitzGibbon 
Importance: High

Firstly, we at the Alberta Liberal Opposition would like to thank you for taking the time to write to Laurie Blakeman, the MLA for Edmonton-Centre and Official Opposition Critic for Health and Wellness, regarding Health Care in this province.

 

We are requesting permission to table your letter and comments regarding the privatization of Health Care in Alberta.

 

When a document is tabled in the Legislature, it means that it will be incorporated into the Alberta Hansard and become public knowledge. The public will have access to this letter. As such, if you are in agreement with allowing Laurie Blakeman to table your letter, we would require written permission from you. Your agreement to this would be very much appreciated and would assist us in lobbying this government to improve health care through long-term planning and proper management.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kelly FitzGibbon

Administration

Alberta Liberal Opposition 

Parkland's new book on health insurance

Parkland Institute released its newest book, today:
The Bottom Line: The Truth Behind Private Health Insurance in Canada
By Diana Gibson and Colleen Fuller

This book is available from the Parkland ($12.65 including GST and shipping) and at a bookstore near you.

Co-author, Colleen Fuller, and Harvey Voogd, provincial coordinator for the Friends of Medicare, will be on a 7 city Alberta tour beginning this Thursday, March 23. Details below.

Book overview, order form and poster for the tour are available for download from our website at  http://www.ualberta.ca/parkland

*************************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            MARCH 20, 2006
 
Alberta’s health care system under threat
Government’s “Third Way” will cost more, and be bad for patients­ new book
 
EDMONTON­A new book warns that the Alberta Government’s proposed changes will actually make the province’s health care system more expensive, and provide less choice to the majority of Albertans. The best path to better health care for Canada is to strengthen and expand the public health care system.
 
Diana Gibson, co-author of The Bottom Line: The Truth Behind Private Health Insurance in Canada and Research Director of the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute says “Experience in Canada and other countries is clear: privatized health financing costs more, not less.”  A myriad of wasteful administrative costs afflicts the private system: marketing, higher CEO salaries, shareholder profits, and lacking economies of scale.  The book notes that private health insurance administrative costs are triple those of public systems. 
 
Ms Gibson says “If you look at the actual numbers behind the government’s spin, you will see that our public system is financially sustainable: costs have not grown as a proportion of GDP.  Where the costs have grown – sharply – is where the private sector is most involved: pharmaceuticals and private insurance.”
 
Private health insurance systems are also worse for patients.  Colleen Fuller, co-author and President of PharmaWatch, says “the majority of patients would have less choice, not more, under a private system.”  Experience with private health insurance in other countries and with supplementary private insurance in Canada shows that many people are unable to obtain adequate coverage.  Those who are elderly, or have a history of illnesses, are often rejected by private health insurers, leaving them with no health insurance.  Ms. Fuller notes that “almost half of personal bankruptcies in the United States are due to medical costs.”
 
Private health insurance is also bad for the medical profession.  American doctors routinely lose 15-30% of their billings because private insurers deny their claims.  In Canada before medicare it was not uncommon for doctors to lose tens of thousands of dollars per year in unpaid medical bills.
 
The Bottom Line also clarifies the confusion that has been deliberately created around the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent Chaoulli decision.  The Court’s decision actually does not apply outside of Quebec and does not rule against public health care insurance. The ruling in fact leaves open a wide range of avenues to reduce waiting times entirely within the public system, options the Bottom Line authors explain further. The Court’s decision also states that there is no single “European model” of health care financing, directly contradicting the Alberta government’s public relations efforts.
 
The book points out that adding a “parallel” private system of health care financing would make public system waitlists longer, not shorter.  A for-profit system would drain medical practitioners and healthier patients from the public system, while leaving the sicker and more costly patients behind.  The authors note that this would eventually result in calls to “fix” the public system by fully privatizing it.
 
The book concludes with a 7-point agenda to protect the rights of patients by strengthening and improving the public health financing system.  The book launch will be followed up by a seven-city speaking tour.  Details of the tour are in the accompanying flyer.

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SPEAKING TOUR

Parkland Institute and Friends of Medicare present a seven-city speaking tour by Colleen Fuller (co-author of the upcoming Parkland book "The Bottom Line: The truth behind private health insurance in Canada") and Harvey Voogd (Provincial coordinator of the Friends of Medicare).  Ms. Fuller and Mr. Voogd will speak on “The Third Way scheme for private health insurance.” Find out more about the Alberta government’s plan to make Albertans rely on private insurance for health care they need and what it means for the future of Medicare.
 
Tour dates and locations:
March 23, 7:30 pm, Room D208, Grande Prairie Regional College, Grande Prairie
March 24, 7:00 pm, ETLC 007, University of Alberta, on 116 Street between 91 and 92 Avenues, (use East Entrance) Edmonton
March 25, 2:00 pm, Margaret Parsons Theatre, Red Deer College, Red Deer
March 27, 7:00 pm, Sawridge Hotel, Ft. McMurray 
March 28, 7:00 pm, Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Centre, 1320-5th Ave NW., Calgary
March 29, 7:00 pm, Medicine Hat Public Library "Theatre", 414-1 St SE, Medicine Hat
March 30, 7:00 pm, Sandman Inn Hotel, 421-Mayor Magrath Drive South, Lethbridge

FW: New IRPP study / nouvelle étude de l'IRPP

Subject: New IRPP study / nouvelle étude de l'IRPP

The IRPP recently released "Strengthening Canadian Democracy: The Views of Parliamentary Candidates," which examines the views of candidates in the 2004 federal election on a range of topics related to democratic reform. These include electoral reform, the balance of power between the judiciary and Parliament, and the representation of women and visible minorities in Parliament. The authors of this wide-ranging study, Jerome H. Black (McGill University) and Bruce M. Hicks (Université de Montréal), compare the views of candidates from the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, the Bloc québécois and the Green Party with those of the general public.

Their analysis brings out the differences between the views of political parties and those of the population as a whole, but also among the parties. With respect to divergences among the parties, the authors note that "in many cases the views of Conservative candidates were in stark contrast to those of candidates from the other parties." Among other things, the authors conclude that although the candidates do not agree on the ways to reform our democratic institutions, most of them agree that change is necessary.

The study is available in .pdf format on the IRPP’s Web site (www.irpp.org). If you would like to obtain a paper copy, please contact Virginie Leduc by e-mail at vleduc@irpp.org or by telephone at 514-985-2461.

 

L’IRPP a publié récemment une étude des points de vue des candidats aux élections fédérales de 2004 sur une grande variété de sujets dont la réforme du mode de scrutin, l’équilibre des pouvoirs entre la magistrature et le Parlement, et la représentation des femmes et des minorités visibles au Parlement. Les auteurs de cette vaste étude, Jerome H. Black (Université McGill) et Bruce M. Hicks (Université de Montréal), comparent les opinions des candidats du Parti libéral, du Parti conservateur, du Parti néo-démocrate, du Bloc québécois et du Parti vert à celles de l’ensemble de la population.

Leur analyse fait ressortir les différences de points de vue qui existent entre les partis politiques et la majorité des Canadiens mais aussi entre chacun des partis. En ce qui concerne les divergences entre partis, les auteurs observent notamment que « dans plusieurs cas, les candidats conservateurs affichent un point de vue radicalement différent de celui des candidats des autres partis ». Les conclusions de l’étude démontrent également que, bien que les candidats ne s’entendent pas sur la façon de réformer nos institutions démocratiques, la plupart sont d’accord avec l’idée que des changements s’imposent.

« Strengthening Canadian Democracy : The Views of Parliamentary Candidates » est disponible en format pdf sur le site de l’IRPP (www.irpp.org). Si vous désirez une copie papier de l’étude veuillez communiquer avec Virginie Leduc par courriel vleduc@irpp.org ou par téléphone au 514-985-2461.

How to Eat an Oyster

Eating oysters in an art that dedicated enthusiasts can master with a bit of practice, perhaps some exercise and most importantly, a willing partner. First of all, given the tender delicacy of the oyster, it is understandably protected by a hard, seemingly impenetrable shell. Before you can delight in the wonderful flavor and texture of the oyster, you must open its shell. Often, this is a difficult step; however, with the correct tools the shell can be easily opened.

While some may try to force their way through the shell or try to pry into it with their tool, a more patient approach is much more amenable. Often a steaming bath will relax the resolve of the most prudish of shells. This is definitely enhanced with generous quantities of an alcoholic beverage: beer will work, but wine is so much more dignified.

When opening the shell, especially the more reticent ones, it is best to do so in a dim light, preferably candlelight. While not always withdrawn, the best oysters are served in a romantic light. Just consider the glistening elegance of eating by the flickering light of a candle, or nearby fireplace.

Once you have properly set the mood and the oyster lies delicately open before you, take a moment and savor the sensation. Breathe the gentle beachfront aroma softly rising from the elusive folds. Feel the subtle heat emanating from the moist flesh and observe the glimmering light as it reflects from the center of your attention.

Before you move, just imagine the tantalizing texture as it teases your tongue; try to picture the taste as your tongue travels the titillating length of its delightful cleft. Let the thought float in your mind as you get lost in the aura of this oyster.

This is not meant to be eaten quickly, not gulped and swallowed whole, no this delicacy must be eaten slowly. Take your tongue, run it gently through the sinewy creases and feel the wonderfully slick texture, the beautifully pliant smoothness, the sensuous daintiness of its form. Trace its length, from first the perimeter working softly inward. Notice the layers of elegant texture undulating beneath your tongue as you move toward the center.

Once you find the center, surrender to the delicate briny flavor. Search for the subtleties in the taste, the sweet curve, the tangy depth, and the salty wetness. Let these sensations envelop your tongue as you probe the intense deepness of pleasure.

Draw the folds between your moistened lips and slide along their curving length. Memorize the glistening landscape with your lips as you draw it, ever so gently into your mouth. Then slide upward with your tongue, parting each fold, upward, further upward. With your fingers, hold the folds open as your tongue moves past.

You search for the pearl, the perfect jewel of every oyster, the slightly hard, but so lusciously smooth bud that almost quivers beneath your breath. As you find it, feel it, almost imperceptibly, move to your touch. Linger on it; circle it with your tongue and then pause.

Hold your head back and notice it gleam in the faint light, watch it pulse as you breath hotly over it, and then take it again, sucking it into your lips. Feel its texture with your lips, savor its warmth, and wet it with your tongue. Feel the intensity increase as the pearl moves silently beneath you, listen for your moans of pleasure as you absorb every nuance of this delight.

Then, quickly return into the folds, downward, deeper into the morsel. Again taste the very center of existence, as the light grows strangely brighter and the waves seem to approach you. Know this liquid pleasure as it intensifies, feel the taste flow over you, wetting your tongue, your lips, your mouth. Let it flow down your chin in the intimate motion of life.

Devour the pearl, pinch it between your lips and then dive into the flavor. Swallow; swallow the wet, the moisture, the flowing light as it undulates to you. Ride each wave, its crest and valley; know the rhythm as it slows once again. Gentle, gently rise, and lick your lips, still savoring the taste. Breathe the fragrance, the humid air and watch the candlelight flicker, reflected in the wet.

Quietly catch your breath as your eyes slowly adjust to the dim light again. Pause a moment and reflect upon what you just finished. Look up lovingly from the oyster and then politely ask, “May I please have another?”

A Philosophical Treatise on Women...

"Blond, hard body, bit tits," has been a common description of the idealized woman, this example coming from American Psycho, a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, (A very intriguing book).

I don't find a strong attraction to this particular lot of the female population, they aren't unattractive, but I do find something terrifically boring about them. Fashion models don't appeal to me: angular bony, tall and thin, it makes me feel as if I might have an eye poked out by an elbow or shoulder.

This having been said, what do I like? I like women who are alive, who could very well kick some one's ass, not body building bronzed breast-less women, but not the feeble or sickly. I like women whom feel good when you hug them, whose skin and flesh are supple and tender, that have an actual warmth to them. I like women that would actually survive the idea of 'survival of the fittest,' who'd be around if it were still for cruel evolution.

Having mentioned breasts, I face the inevitable problem where one must choose between the two schools of thought concerning size: 'the bigger the better' and 'a handful is enough.' Although opposed to addressing that argument directly, I will do so in a more round about fashion: I like women that are natural, that don't seem like they are going to fall flat on their face due to the lop sided nature of their figure, I like women who don't have to complain about back pain due to breasts. Every one enjoys some cleavage, but all things in moderation, one neither wants to believe they are looking at the chest of a twelve year old boy nor feel as though they are going to be crushed by two huge, globes seems like an accurate synonym, that seem to movie independently of a woman's body or seem as though they have to catch their breathe and then follow a woman when she turns around. Several of these thoughts were brought into the foreground by the recent movie/musical, Chicago of which I felt scared for my life upon seeing Queen Latifah's breasts.

That being said, if I had to die, and had the choice between dying from some boring method or from the onslaught of two big breasts, I would choose the latter of course. It is much cheaper while at the funeral home to get rid of a hard on and smile, than a frown.

Let us move away from breasts for a moment. Never let them go completely from ones mind though. They are the meaning of life, and they can be the first thing a guy gets to see in this world, when his vision finally comes into focus after birth.

I like women that well rounded, this is a very cheesy pun in reference both the physical and intellectual aspects. I don't by any means say that I desire a woman that is approaching spherical by any means or that obesity is a turn on for myself. I want to feel flesh and not bone though when I run my hands down her sides and hips, warmth, I don't want to be able to run my hands down her glaringly visible ribs like a xylophone. Legs are something I admire, strength in them too, from ankles, to calves, to the bad of the knee, to soft warm thighs: yielding and resilient to the touch but strong below.

Plump is good. Extra padding is good. And so is a woman with more than that, if she is proud of herself.

Another part of the female anatomy that I find extremely sexy is the back, its often ignored as the other side is often preferred, but there are women whom I would kill to give a 'friendly' back rub, to please them and to knead their flesh along the largest expanse of uninterrupted skin on the human body, the muscles bellow, stretched liked cords under the skin, cool skin is something I love, not that I mind the hot and sweaty variety but the tingle both members get with the touch is wonderful, feeling the skin warm under ones hand, to replace the emptiness with one's presence, all is supremely erotic.

Like many others I find myself very similar to Ruben, the painter, whom we derive the word 'Rubenesque' from, meaning buxom used to describe supple women, although virtually all of the euphemisms fall short and carry an edge of insult under them. Ruben was also fascinated with the backs of women, not the 'baby got back' kind of back but the reverse side of the torso down the hips. He would paint these luscious women with their elongated backs, sitting coyly facing away from him. To touch a woman's back is a wonderful thing and I can still remember when I would become physically aroused at the feeling of bare or lightly covered flesh under my hands.

Now, I have called this 'A Philosophical Treatise on Women,' and I've only spoken of the physical and in vague terms. I have expressed these thoughts in measurements or other inhuman assessments of a woman's appearance, not 36DD or 34-25-32 or anything like that, because they don't mean anything really to me, it's the touch of a woman that I savor the most and not their status as Victorian mock-ups or trophies, it is the feel when one embraces that matters. I have also left out specifics: race, skin color, hair color, eye color, freckles and so forth. I don't find these details necessarily meaningless, but I don't feel that I have developed a particular taste for such in my so far short life and that it is really a one-at-a-time basis that I find to judge this, the combinations and possibilities of attractive women are infinite and not reserved to a single set of lips, of hair, of eyes, of breasts and so forth.

Now there is a difference between the back of a woman and the buttocks. The latter is something I have been researching for years. The variety of bums, their form, function, and how they relate to the mind of a woman and how she might perform in the area of carnal delights.

Unfortunately I am unable to find any research grant money for this research as when I mention that it is more of a sexual gratification thing, I get shown the door.

Probably means that the halls of academia are filled with people who are not ass men.

Most of all I have not touched upon a woman's emotions or thought, these things evade me and will always continue to do so, though their external factors give men glimpses at times.

I consider my interest in the female form, either brain or body, as a work in progress. Searching for the answers but knowing it is a work of pleasure and can lead to joy or sorrow, but nearly always a learning experience.

A Theory or Philosophy

Had an interesting little get together last night.

She was cute, blonde, smart, funny, and insightfull.

She even keeps track of what I say and is not afraid to get in my face.

Our converstation brought to mind I can sit there and talk to a woman about things other than getting into her pants, panting at the site of her cleavage, or important and deep stuff.

She did not even snicker when I told her I had been working on my homework for a course I am taking at the University on Shakespeare.

Something that was said, brought to mind something I have been working on over the years of studying people. Or maybe it is the recurring theme of metamorphisis in Shakespeare.

It is this.

Some people are reluctant to change thier lives, their habits, or themselves because of a comfort level.

It is like being lost in the woods or forest.

The rule is you sit and wait.

Most don't, since they figure that if they walk back the way they came, they will be found, find their camp or car, or be better off than sitting their waiting for the bears to come and eat them.

Doing something, anything is what they feel comfortable.

Whether it is the right thing, or whether they have thought of the path they want to take logically is something that has not entered that picture yet.

Now the person or persons will start to walk, some end up going in circles and being worse of and now are really lost or meeting up with the bear sooner then they have planned.

I figure that walking in circles becomes safe and comfortable to them, and they decide not to try different paths that might lead them to their cars, because it is a path of the unknown.

They in fact stay walking in the circle because they are comfortable.

They are comfortable, but not making progress and no better off than if they had just sat and waited.

Some people I meet are on that circle. They go along in life thinking they are going to be able to change or make an improvement in their lives, but in the end they do not have the courage to try one of those new paths that might lead them into some really new ground, past the bear who is so dangerous and into the hands of something better and more satisfying in their lives, for their the rest of their lives, and for their souls.

On Redheaded Women

The redheaded person is a rarity because the genes for red hair are recessive. This means that each person with true red hair must have received the gene from both parents, which is unlikely since this gene is rarer than almost all other genes for hair color. The only one rarer is the gene for absolutely platinum blonde hair.

Naturally, this makes the redheaded person rare, and of course rarity and being different in itself typically results in a predictable pattern of teasing and ridicule while the person is young, and as time goes becomes more accepted and even admired for their unusual features. It should be noted, however, that typically it is women who are more admired for having red hair than men. (Although certainly redheaded men have their ardent admirers as well!)

This will serve as a study of the redhead, but will focus on females, since as a heterosexual male, I am infinitely more interested in redheaded women than redheaded men. Much of what you will find here applies to redheaded men as well, but not all; and some of it necessarily must be different, since men typically do not have developed breasts or vulvae, which I will also be discussing. So, let us continue and I will convey what I have observed in my time as an admirer of the naturally redheaded woman.

To begin with, there are two major classes of redhead. Those who have unmistakably red hair, and those who do not. All too often I am told by someone who knows of my attraction to redheaded women that "there is a redhead over there, see her?" but I do not see this redhead to whom my eyes are being directed. Typically, I notice a redheaded person immediately after they come within range of my sight, so if I have not noticed them, chances are they do not fit my definition of redhead. The problem exists because there are "redheads" and there are "almost redheads". Almost redheads include auburn hair and some "strawberry blonde" types. People, for a true admirer of natural red hair such as myself, if you can't pick it out in a crowd, it's not really red! I will not be discussing "almost red"s here.

True redheads have enough red in their hair that it becomes easy to differentiate them in a crowd. These people are rare. They make up a population density of approximately 2%. That is to say, out of every one hundred people chosen at random, there will usually be two who are true redheads. Sometimes there are more, sometimes there are less, but it averages out to about 2% of the population.

Likewise, true redheads do not have to tamper with their hair color to achieve their status – although there is a rare subclass of people who have all the characteristics of a redhead, except the red hair on their heads. Dying one's hair to achieve redheadedness is a doomed effort, since there is far more to being a redhead than simply hair color. There are also temperament and a number of other physical characteristics to consider.

Of the true redheads, then, there are three major subtypes. In order of commonality, these are:

Type 1: Red hair, pale skin, no freckles. (Rare) Type I redheads are the most common. They typically have very red hair of one of three shades, sunburn with extreme ease, and produce skin flushes readily.

Type 2: Red hair, pale skin, freckles. (Very rare) The Type 2 redhead is identical to the Type 1 redhead with the exception that they have freckles. Due to the particular characteristics their freckles may have there are subtypes of this group:

Type 2a: This person has small freckles that are sprinkled over their body in places where sunlight reaches. Their freckles are almost always a pale brownish color, and may range from being almost invisible to fairly noticeable, but are not overly prominent. This type of person may appear to have no freckles at all if they spend significant time out of the sun.

Type 2b: This person has small freckles in places the sun reaches only, but their freckles are more prominent and noticeable than those of the previous classification. Type 2b people typically have freckles visible regardless of exposure to the sun. Their freckles are usually light to medium brown.

Type 2c: Identical to Type 2b except that the person has freckles that are noticeably reddish in color, instead of predominantly brownish.

Type 2d: This person has large freckles which may be from about the size of a U.S. dime to large splotches of skin that appear darker than the surrounding skin, even as large as a hand span. These are typically a reddish brown color. This person typically has freckles even where no sunlight reaches, and they do not go away or fade much regardless of exposure to the sun.

Type 3: Red hair, dark skin, no freckles. (Extremely rare) The so-called "dark skinned redhead" was thought to be a myth until one was spotted in the Western United States recently. They are also rumored to exist in the area of the Mediterranean. These people are a mixture of two races with different skin types. One parent will have lighter skin, and one will have dusky skin, usually. Combinations that might possibly produce this type of redhead include White with Hispanic, White with Middle Eastern, and White with Mediterranean. A redhead of White/Middle Eastern descendant is probably safe to classify as "mythically rare" since Middle Eastern genes typically have dominant black or dark brown hair without any chance of a red hair gene.

This type of redhead is the only known type able to achieve a tan instead of burning. Since they have darker skin, they may be challenged to prove they are natural redheads.

There is logically also a fourth category, which is:

Type 4: Red hair, dark skin, freckles.

However, to date, I have neither seen nor even heard of such a person. Thus, Type 4 redheads are classified as "Mythically rare".

At this point, I would like to address some common misconceptions about true redheads. The first is that if the eyebrows are not at least reddish, the person is not a natural redhead; and the second is that if the person does not have at least reddish pubic hair, they are not a natural redhead. Both of these ideas are false. A true and natural redhead can indeed have brown, blonde or black eyebrows and/or pubic hair, and still be a natural true redhead. It is more common to see true natural redheads with off-color eyebrows than off-color pubic hair, but it does happen. Likewise, it is possible to find people with true natural red eyebrows and pubic hair who do not have true natural red hair on their heads.

For men, it is possible to have true natural red hair in the beard without the same on their heads (I fit this classification), and vice versa, with true natural red hair on their heads without having a red beard. Also note that a beard is as likely to be all one color as it is to have two, three or even four or more hair colors in it. My own, for instance, shows red and brown, predominantly, with some dark blonde thrown in whenever I let it grow.

True natural redheads have certain features aside from hair color which mark them as being redheads. Some of these typically include the pale skin and/or freckles. However, there are others as well.

Due to the typically pale skin a true natural redhead will have, these people are easily burned by the sun and literally turn cinnamon to lobster red when they are burned. A sunburned redhead is unmistakable. They are usually the ones using the highest rated sunblock for that reason. (SPF 50,000,000 sunblock, anyone?) Likewise, pale skin makes skin flushes easier to see, and so when they are angry, embarrassed, or aroused, they will usually turn red in the face, ears and neck. This flushing is quite readily apparent. This trait makes true redheads somewhat easier to follow than other people, since body language coupled with a facial flush will usually tell you exactly what's going on, even if they will not. (Very useful for determining her level of arousal.)

The true redheaded woman typically has two specific differences to her body than most women have, not considering the color of her pubic hair. The first is the color of her aureoles; and the second is the specific "configuration" of her vulva. Most female natural redheads with red pubic hair, however, typically have a full triangle of it, and sometimes it will even extend onto the upper thighs a bit. It is rare to find a natural redheaded woman with less than a full triangle of pubic hair, and very nearly mythically rare to find one who has her pubic hair growing in any shape but a triangle.

The aureoles of a redheaded woman are almost always round (as opposed to oval), and will typically be of medium to slightly bigger than medium size. Medium sized aureoles, by the way, are about the size around tof a US quarter, and the "slightly larger" would be about equal to the size of a US half dollar. I have never seen or heard of a redheaded woman with oval aureoles to date.

The aureoles of such a woman are also distinct in their coloration. They are always ranging from reddish brown to so pale that they literally become invisible. About one third to one half of natural redheaded women, as best I can tell, have this extremely pale type. It is unusual for a redheaded woman to have distinct and solid aureoles, and very rare for them to be darker than light medium brown.

Women who have natural red hair on their heads typically have nipples that are small to medium sized, with medium sized being about the size of a typical unused number 2 pencil eraser. No other type of woman has such a tendency to have small nipples as does the natural redhead, but even among these, small nipples are unusual, as are small aureoles (smaller than the diameter of a US quarter).

The vulva of a naturally redheaded woman usually displays a pair of protruding labia minora. Her labia majora are typically not large and are almost never puffy. Usually, they are not raised above the typical level of the flesh around them, and they will be a rosy pink in color most times. Some few will be a dusky reddish brown, and a very few will be as pale as the skin surrounding them, effectively rendering the labia majora uncolored. An estimated 65% of all true redheaded women have protruding labia minora, which can in some cases protrude to a significant degree and length. Pulling this type of labia apart in the directions they naturally go produces what looks like a butterfly with pink wings.

The color of the vulva of a true redheaded woman is almost always pale to deep pink. Sometimes you will find a redheaded woman who has brown or brownish tips to the labia minora where they most protrude beyond the labia minora. Totally brown labia minora are rare.

On this kind of woman, the clitoris is typically medium sized or slightly smaller.

Redheaded women seem to fall into two distinct camps sexually. There are those who can easily achieve orgasm, and those who cannot. There is almost no in-between on this point. Those who cannot easily achieve orgasm usually require a lot of stimulation and stimulation for extended periods of time to achieve orgasm. These women are almost never interested in sex for their own enjoyment in the same sense as someone who can more easily achieve orgasm; either they will be fairly uninterested, or they will derive their pleasure from the intimacy of the act, or their partner's pleasure or both. I have never encountered the type of redhead who could easily achieve orgasm, so I cannot comment on them; but if any such woman happens to read this, I should like to interview her.

There is more I could say, but it would be more speculation and limited experiences than much of anything else if I continued, so I will put my essay to rest here. Keep in mind that this is definitely not a scientific study, but my personal experiences from having seen hundreds, possibly thousands of redheaded women naked (gotta love Internet porn) and a couple I have dated.

To those of you reading this who are natural true redheaded women, please feel free to contact me to add to this, correct me, flirt with me, propose marriage, or just flash me.