FW: EXPENSIVE CUPPA JOE

Subject: EXPENSIVE CUPPA JOE


I have to wonder where the mind of the letter writer in Sunday's Sun was when he penned the letter 'EXPENSIVE CUPPA JOE.'

Maisonneuve must have forgotten the entire bands, entertainment troupes, and such that were sent over to England, or stayed here on or around the bases to do nothing else but raise the morale or keep the morale high for the Canadian forces fighting in WW 1, WW2, or in Korea.

We still see our troops around the world being able to watch NHL hokcey, CFL football, communicate via sattelite tele-video methods with their families at home, as well as some of the comfort foods of home.

Maybe Maisonneuve needs to take his head out of the sand and talk to some of the men and women that have been to Afghanistan and find out that paying $2 to $5 million for coffee for the men and women fighting in the conflict is a cheap investment if it helps keep them of sound mind and body. I do believe the US Armed Forces have Burger King, and other American style food operations to go to as well.

If we ignore that part of the life of a soldier, sailor or flyboy in the theatre of operations, we will be having to spend much more in Canada when they return.

Norm Greenfield

The Afghanistan Question - Do We Pull Out or Not?

To: Wild Rose Forum
Subject: The Afghanistan Question - Do We Pull Out or Not?

Yes, Canada went into Afghanistan fighting someone elses war, using their tactics.

This is no different than the First or Second World War.

Considering we lost considerably more Canadian Soldiers, sailors, and air crew in both, and some are demanding we pull out of Afghanistan because we cannot win and 45 Canadian soldiers have been killed, when would these same people have demanded we pull out of World War 1 or 2?

Keep in mind Britain and Canada along with the Allies were losing the war, up to and around D-Day.

Keep in mind we did not know about the concentration camps, nor the other atrocities that Hitler was doing to Europeans at the time.

Is not rebuilding Afghanistan to the point where they can enjoy some sort of freedom from warriors, drug lords, and fantaticals, worth the effort?

If this is not, and we pull out, why would any other country that is being tortured and murdered by the civil war, and fanaticism of any stripe believe Canada when we say we will come to help?

Do we have to add the caviat, that we will come help out as long as we don't get hurt, dirty our hands, or die?

Yes it is time Canada take the lead and change the temper of the war in Afghanistan and use our tried and tested methods of peace keeping and making, to make and sustain a peaceful life for the Afghanistanies. Even if that means talking to and dealing face to face with the Taliban.

This is not a new idea in warfare.

Thank you

Norm Greenfield

The first critical test of Ed Stelmach's leadership as premier, is not to find a way to shrink his cabinet

The first critical test of Ed Stelmach’s leadership as premier is not to find a way to shrink his cabinet, but to bring in a new government that is open, honest, and transparent.

After all, that was number one of the items on his list of five priorities on Honest Ed’s campaign website is, ‘… to govern with integrity and transparency.’

It has obviously been taken off the agenda of Honest Eddie when he says that some of his donors deserve anonymity as far as the donations they made to his leadership campaign is a signal that he is not being honest with the voters and taxpayers of Alberta.

A big step towards the new government being open, honest, and transparent, is to have all donors to all MLA’s campaigns, leadership campaigns, and such published and open for scrutiny before appointing them to cabinet.

By doing nothing less and keeping his very own donors under wraps it shows that when and whatever Honest Ed may talk of democratic reform, opening up government, or getting the sleaze out of the government, he is lying.

How will we know that the people who Honest Ed puts on the panel of experts to study the question of oil and gas royalties, aren’t there because they were on that list of hidden donors?

How much did membership on that hidden list cost? What is the expected return?

To think that Honest Eddie, or any person running for public office, can simply make a promise to anyone who is giving him money to run for the privilege of holding the highest and most powerful political office in Alberta, is either naïve, or just play stupid.

People, who run for public office, are not running for an office in the private sector, hence the use of the word public, in the term public office. It means all those that helped him or financed his run were doing so in the glare of public light.

Doing this will not stop people from donating, if they have no ulterior motives other than to see the best person win the election. If there are other motives then not donating because they cannot stand the light of day, then the voters and taxpayers of Alberta are better served by them not being a part of the process.

If to do otherwise, Honest Eddie, must have something to hide, and that something must be something he does not want Albertan’s to know about, or it is something that cannot stand the exposure to light and is under a rock for some reason.

Honest Ed, live up to your nickname and come clean. Come clean and show Albertan’s that you are truly different. To not be honest tells Albertan’s that Honest Eddie is going to be no better than the immediate past Premier and government will still be a closed-door frat organization.

Now that Honest Ed has sold that one out to the highest bidders what is next?

Thank you

Norm Greenfield

Edmonton, Alberta