September 2010
Hello Neighbours,
I hope you had a great July and August with family and friends. September, for those of you with children, means back to school.
When it comes to the weather here in Calgary, we know anything can happen and probably will. It seems when good weather is needed most, you may not get it. In life there are those things you can and cannot control. For instance, you can plan a family reunion for the 4th of September at the Calgary South Glenmore Park, but you cannot guarantee a beautiful day. This summer’s weather has been chaotic and unpredictable. The government’s education budget has been more unreliable than Calgary’s weather.
Our education system needs predictable funding. The school boards of Alberta have found themselves in the midst of an economic storm. There are areas that can be controlled and others that cannot. In the governments’ spring budget they announced there would be no money for the school boards to honour the negotiated teacher salary increase. The school boards were told to balance their budgets with the money they had. Here in Calgary, the Board of Education announced the elimination of 192 Full-time teachers, 79 school based support staff, and 7 custodial staff. Education Minister, Dave Hancock, saw how devastating the cutbacks would be and advised Alberta’s school boards that they should run a deficit; however, many boards across Alberta were not willing to do this.
Once the budget cuts and layoffs had been made the minister announced, after they lost through arbitration to the teacher’s association, he would give the boards the $63 Million they needed to balance this years’ budget. While it is a good news story to be able to hire those teachers and support staff back, we must look at the bigger picture and realize this government continues to plan and prioritize poorly. The government fails to realize the chaos and uncertainty caused by not keeping their contracts. The government claimed they had to keep their golden contracts with top health care bureaucrats and give out unwarranted bonuses, yet they would not honour their contracts with the teachers.
I agree with having a sustainability fund for Alberta’s priority core services, education and healthcare being the two most important ones. The sustainability fund was supposed to prevent this current yo-yo effect within the budget. It was supposed to allow us to have predictability in core services regardless of resource revenues. Instead, when times were good we saw this government give themselves and top appointed bureaucrats big raises and bonuses, sign on to unproven projects like the $2 Billion carbon capture scheme, and grow government far beyond what we need. The governments’ choice to cut core departments like education first was wrong. Our future is our children’s future and we know their education will have a major impact on the quality of life here in Alberta. We can control the priority of our spending; the first cuts should not be on core services.
Please call my office at 403-216-5421 or drop us a letter or email at Calgary.Glenmore@assembly.ab.ca with your thoughts and concerns. I look forward to hearing from you and anticipate many great discussions.
Together we will do better.
Your MLA,
Paul Hinman
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June 2010
Hello Neighbours,
I believe it is always better to start off by identifying what our goals are and what we have in common. I know as a community, two of our common goals are to have safe communities and safe roads.
I would like to go back a few years when I was off to Kindergarten at the St Andrews United Church. My Mother was very concerned about me crossing Elbow Drive and Heritage and tells me she walked me across Elbow for a long time. I remember how indignant I was, thinking that I and did not need her supervision!
My parents were always stressing to me the importance of being responsible and defensive when crossing the road. They taught me not to assume the right of way just because I was in the crosswalk. All of these lessons were reinforced when I started to drive. Defensive driving was critical and I was never to assume everyone else was watching and had control of their vehicle.
There are many things I would like to talk about when it comes to our roads – congestion, merge lanes, synchronized lights, overpasses, proper signage to name a few but for today I will talk about Bill 16 and distracted driving.
I am all for safer roads and will speak out and vote your wishes on this bill. I believe if we want better drivers and safer roads we have to hold the bad drivers accountable. I believe tickets should be handed out to those people who are driving poorly or erratically – but not to someone simply because they have a phone or food in their hand.
It is unfortunate, but human nature is such that we are easily distracted and distraction comes in many forms. It is also human nature to pass the buck, responsibility or fault to someone else whenever possible. We do not need to pass another law like Bill 16 in its current state just so we can say we have banned hand held cell phones. Research shows there is very little difference between hand held and hands free. Instead, before bringing in a new feel good law, we need to look at other areas that have the law and see if accidents have truly been reduced and the law is effective. We need to ensure that this bill is targeted at poor drivers.
If we are serious about cell phones perhaps we should treat them and their use more like drinking and driving. If you are in an accident and have been texting or talking perhaps we should allow insurance companies to hold the drivers financially responsible and allow them to go after the reckless drivers causing accidents and recover their payouts.
I have sent out a mailer to you and am looking forward to your informative response. I will be meeting many of you at the doors this summer, and I am anticipating many great discussions. Please call my office or drop us a letter or email with your thoughts and concerns. www.paulhinman.ca
Together we will do better.
Your MLA Paul Hinman
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May 2010
Hello Neighbour,
When it comes to making a budget for our family or our business, we can look at it as an opportunity or an obstacle. I look at it as an opportunity and feel it is important that we use budgets as a tool to balance wants and needs. Typically we spend our own money better than when someone else spends our money for us. We are better able to judge best for ourselves our own priorities.
Whether I’m meeting you at your homes, in my office or out in our community, whether with business owners or the good folks at the various Seniors homes, I hear about the lack of priorities of the present government and how they spend our money.
We are abundantly blessed in Alberta – it has been estimated that Alberta will receive over 32 billion dollars in revenue this year alone. What I have been hearing from many of you however, is your concern with the governments estimated 7 billion dollar cash deficit.
Government often times seems to take a “buy now pay later” approach with our hard-earned tax dollars. Instead of sitting down and making priorities of the most important things, and budgeting accordingly, government often tries to be everything for everyone and spends your hard-earned dollars wastefully in the process.
When it comes to making priorities with tax-payers money government must budget responsibly – this involves proper discussion of the budget which the present government doesn’t allow. As an example last month the opposition parties were only allotted three hours to discuss a 15 billion dollar Health Care budget – no way for the taxpayers of Alberta to know what they’re getting for their money. The government, after all, should be open, responsible and accountable to you as the tax-payers of Alberta.
Albertans understand responsibilities, priorities and budgets, but government fails to inform Albertans with the details they need to make proper budgetary decisions.
Successful businesses and financially stable families look at budgeting as an important tool to prioritize their wants and needs. Balancing a budget is critical for long-term success. This is something that Alberta’s government must do if we’re to bring back the Alberta advantage.
Government must set priorities as we do for our own family or business. We need to assess what we can afford and what must wait, we save, we invest, we budget and we balance wants and needs.
I appreciate the time many of you have made to meet with me and I encourage each and every one of you to take the time to share your priorities with me. As your elected representative your priorities, are my number one priority. Whether you have a concern or some advice you’d like to share – my door is always open.
As always, I would love to attend any upcoming events you may have, so drop me a line or pay me a visit.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Paul Hinman
MLA Calgary Glenmore
#A210, 1600 – 90th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2V5A8
Phone: 403-216-5421
Fax: 403-216-5423
Email: Calgary.Glenmore@assembly.ab.ca
PS: Speaking of upcoming events, I invite you to join me this May 5th between 12 noon and one o’clock at the McDonald’s in Glenmore Landing to help celebrate McHappy Day 2010. Come join us and help support the Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta and other local charities across Canada.
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April 2010
Hello Neighbour,
Though I did not get to go to the Olympic games myself, like many of you, I was able to watch them on TV. Many of the conversations I had with friends and neighbours involved the Olympic games in some form or another. Constituents would come to my office and inevitably the Games would come up in conversation.
Some of them would talk about what the games meant to us as Canadians, and what the games meant to Alberta during the Calgary 1988 Olympics.
What do the games tell us about Alberta now? And what is the lesson we can learn, as Albertans, from the Olympics?
The games, aside from everything else they teach us, convey to us the importance of competition.
In all walks of life – whether in sport, education, in health, or business – competition means the opportunity to excel and better our position – locally, provincially, nationally – competition enables us to better ourselves to the mutual benefit of all.
Just as “Own the Podium” had a vision “For Canada to be a world leader in high-performance sport” Alberta should “Own the Podium” to be a world leader in opportunity for achievement and availability of services. Legislation and taxes have to be balanced in order to be competitive. We must not be afraid to compete.
Competition in its various forms has lead to some of the greatest accomplishments of our age. Canada’s place as all-time gold medal record holder (14 in fact) is an accomplishment that without the desire to compete as never before, would likely not have been achieved.
Now, let’s do for Alberta what “Own the Podium” did for Canada in the Olympics and foster an atmosphere of success.
I appreciate the time many of you have made to meet with me and I encourage each and every one of you to take the time to share your thoughts and ideas with me as your elected representative. Whether you have a concern or some advice you’d like to share (or the Olympics!) – my door is always open.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Together we will do better.
Paul Hinman
MLA Calgary Glenmore
#A210, 1600 – 90th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2V5A8
Phone: 403-216-5421
Fax: 403-216-5423
Email: Calgary.Glenmore@assembly.ab.ca
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March 2010
Hello all,
Last month the government of Alberta laid out its year long plan in the Throne Speech. For those listening, the Throne Speech gave an idea as to just what exactly the government had made in the way of priorities and what government initiatives it considered the most important.
It was refreshing to hear an acknowledgement of the difficulty government red-tape has been in the way of attracting new business and that steps would be made to reduce this hindrance. It was also encouraging to hear that the government will carefully manage spending – a priority I hear time and time again at the doors here in Calgary-Glenmore – let’s hope we see real results.
Part of achieving those real results will be holding the government to account.
As I’m sure you’ve heard the Wildrose Alliance Party now has three elected representatives speaking up for the interests of their constituents – that’s at least three MLA’s that will be reigning in spending and taking the government to task should it fail to follow through on its Throne Speech promises.
I appreciate the time many of you have made to meet with me and I encourage each and every one of you to take the time to share your thoughts and ideas with me as your elected representative.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Together we will do better.
Paul Hinman
MLA Calgary Glenmore
#A210, 1600 – 90th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2V5A8
Phone: 403-216-5421
Fax: 403-216-5423
Email: Calgary.Glenmore@assembly.ab.ca
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February 2010
Here we are in the second month of a new year in a new decade. I always feel like the start of a new year is a good time to look back to review ones progress and goals and to set new ones going forward. Sometimes I have to look in the mirror and admit, that as one ages fewer things are easier to do than putting on weight and increasing ones girth!
While there are some things we all like to see grow such as our savings or our economy, we cannot allow the government in its’ complacency of rule, to put on unnecessary growth
Here in Alberta I feel this is critical, and we have some tough choices to make as we realize that our current spending and priorities are not sustainable.
This last year has been been difficult times for many Albertans and we must be prudent in going forward.
As I’m sure you’ve heard the Wildrose Alliance Party now has three elected representatives speaking for the interests of their constituents.
Former PC caucus members Heather Forsyth from Calgary Fish-Creek and Rob Anderson from Airdrie-Chestermere, officially joined our caucus on Monday January 4th.
During the Calgary-Glenmore by-election many of you expressed your concerns asking “what difference can a lone MLA make?” It always starts with one and now we have three MLA’s working to bring back the Alberta advantage for all of us. It all started here with you the good people of Calgary-Glenmore.
The growth of the Wildrose Alliance caucus enables us to ask more of the questions that matter to you – questions concerning the state of our economy, health and SW ring road. And enables us to propose the innovative ideas and solutions you have shared with me. Ideas and solutions that otherwise go unaddressed.
Coming up this month in the Legislature are the Throne Speech and the Budget. This is the governments blue print for the coming year. The Throne speech gives a glimpse into what programs and services the government will be doing for the coming year. The budget will go into the specifics of these programs. For example what services will be available, the costs of these services and what types of programs will be offered, etc.
I look forward to the opportunity the New Year presents to us to hold the government accountable.
I appreciate and encourage each and every one of you to take the time to share your thoughts and ideas with me as your elected representative.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Together we will do better.
Paul Hinman
MLA Calgary Glenmore
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January 2010
Happy Belated New Year!
I hope your Holidays were blessed with family, friends and good cheer.
With the Fall session of the Legislature ending, I have lots of time to spend in the community;
and as we begin this new year, I would like to invite you to drop by the office with any questions,
concerns or plain old advice.
There are several ways our office would be happy to help you and your family:
- Commission legal documents free of charge as a Notary Public, or Commissioner for Oaths.
- Provide official Legislature commemorative certificates for special occasions such as significant wedding anniversaries, birthdays and facility openings
- Help you resolve issue with any Government Department, or help you access assistance regarding social services, student loans etc.
- Provide you with information or material on Provincial issues, including copies of Hansard, Bills, Motions and News Releases.
- Have petitions presented to the Legislative Assembly on Provincial issues that are important to you
- Meet with you, your family, your co-workers, your organization, or your community league to listen to and act on your concerns and ideas.
- Assist organizations with provincial grant applications such as the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) OR Community Initiatives Program (CIP)
- Arrange for you to attend Question Period session, or any Legislature debates as well as tours of the Legislature
- Visit your School or organization to explain how the Government works and answer your questions
These are just a few areas we can offer assistance. Please make sure to contact our office if you feel there is something we can help out with.
I am looking forward to bringing the concerns of the community to the new session of the Legislature beginning mid February.
Paul Hinman
MLA
Calgary Glenmore
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December 2009
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Seasons Greetings to you and your family.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks for electing me as your MLA in the Calgary Glenmore by-election. I am honored to be representing the good people of Calgary Glenmore in the Alberta Legislature, and I pledge to work hard to do justice to the trust you have placed in me.
On my first day back in the Legislature I explained to Premier Stelmach the message that the people of Calgary – Glenmore sent him in the by-election.
“I have heard their concerns about Albertans’ economic situation and the lack of fiscal accountability from the Premier and his government. I have heard their concerns about government accountability and their muzzling of MLAs. I have heard their concerns that health care decisions should be returned to Local Boards in our Communities rather than Big Government Superboards. Indeed, I have heard from people all across this province, and they feel that their concerns are not being addressed by this government. I have listened, and it is their concerns that I bring to Edmonton. Their concerns are my priority.”
I hope to see many of you at some of the seasonal community events in the next months. I am planning to have an open house for the constituency sometime in December; and I look forward to the pleasure of getting to know you better.
If you have any advice, comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact me by email at calgary.glenmore@assembly.ab.ca or call me at (403) 216-5421 or just drop by the constituency office in Glenmore Landing, my door is always open.
Wishing each and every one of you a safe and prosperous New Year.
Paul Hinman
MLA
Calgary Glenmore