Today’s politicians could learn a thing or two from the movies.

Christopher Walken (actor) played the part of an owner of a gold mine in the move “The Rundown”. In this role he demanded to know “what is wrong with those people” who worked in his mine. He paid them, built them a town, put shirts on their backs.

Never mind the low wages, the hard labor, and the brutality of life, what is wrong with them?

“Total Recall” involved a mine owner with the same problem.

These are extreme cases of fiction but it is only the location and the exaggeration of the issue that is fiction.

Today under the guise of fiscal stewardship we suffer many the same maladies depicted (albeit exaggerated), in these movies.

Political leaders maintain too small a circle of influence, and begin to believe that, what is right for their circle, is right for everyone. If they do well, everyone will do well. Like the mine owner in the movie, today’s politicians believe it.

Current Prime Minister Trudeau, actually, in my opinion, believed it when he tried to fix the boondoggle an international Canadian based, business got into by seeking a special prosecution agreement. Later he realized he was wrong.

When cities handed off development to large developers, they became subservient to the developers, many believe, and start to preach, what is good for the developers are good for their cities.

Locally we have spent many tens of millions, of tax-payers money, on roads and services, fire halls, police stations, transit, public meetings, studies and planning to accommodate the developers.

In Red Deer, our population increased by 195 people, since 2015, while we built 1299 new homes, our house assessments depreciated 2 % eliminating any new tax base. Did we learn anything? No we are still accommodating the desires of large developers.

Premier Jason Kenney has the same problem as Christopher Walken’s character. “What is wrong with those people?” As the mine owner, lining his pockets or those of his investors was paramount. He controlled everything, if you needed food you bought from his store at his prices. Education was only for young people too young to work in the mine. He ripped them off by underpaying, because he intimidated “those people”.

Premier Kenney has owners of big businesses,coal mines and oil and gas companies with eyes on profits, demanding more and easier access to money. Like the fictional mine owner controlling his town, Kenney thinks he owns the province.

He went after “those people”, our pension, “What’s wrong with those people?” He cut their minimum wages. “What’s wrong with those people?” He is bringing in Bills that will allow longer hours (12 hour work days) without overtime pay. He is cutting public education so private enterprise can make profit. He is privatising more segments of health care so private enterprise can make profit. “What’s wrong with those people?” He is restricting free speech, the right to protest, and the right to assemble.

In the movies the characters are 2 dimensional and it appears that in politics the characters are also only 2 dimensional. But “those people” are 3 dimensional and will eventually rise up and take control back.

Politicians like actors are not the only 2D characters in these scenarios, they need supporting underlings. In the movies they are directed and led, told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. It seems in politics it is very much the same.

In the movies, The Rundown and in Total Recall, the owners were done in by greed, in the political arena many politicians went too far.

Today’s politicians should watch a few movies they might learn a thing or two.

Garfield Marks

Political editor/writer and retired oilfield supervisor

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Today’s politicians could learn a thing or two from the movies.

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Attention City of Red Deer; “It is best to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”

Alberta

“…(Alberta’s) been booming so long that people think it’s our time to suffer…”

Published on August 7, 2020

Heidi McKillop

Producer Notes:

What an emotional piece of video here shared by Heidi, and the links between layoffs and suicide in Alberta. The data is very clear that there’s a direct correlation and an increase in suicide rates and what’s going on in our world gasps History and dad’s especially fathers can be under tremendous pressure if they’re the solo income earner for their family. Not only are you at high risk of financial collapse if you lose your job, but the emotional toll that that can take and the impact on your mental health, confidence. My heart goes out to families that are suffering…”

The following is a transcript of the above video interview with Heidi McKillop, Director, Producer “A Stranded Nation”.

“… The interesting thing about when you see this issue in the news about oil and gas and that we don’t need it, for instance, or that it’s dirty oil and then it’s getting displaced to another jurisdiction around the world is quite literally the impact it has had directly in this province.

I mean, you can see in downtown Calgary especially, but definitely in the rural communities as well, like Grande Prairie, you name it. There has been an unbelievable shift in terms of what communities are up against with layoffs, and there’s a part of a documentary — I don’t know if you know this, but there was an article, and it was the suicide rates going up 30 percent in Alberta that year.

I mean, it’s a debate of if that was directly related related to the recession or not, that was part of it. But there was certainly a connection between economic downturn and mental health issues on the rise.

And that article was actually about a little girl that had killed herself because her dad had lost his job. And it was a really, really sad article, and I just said to myself, I was like, if people can’t have compassion about the fact that people are drastically getting affected in their family lives, then that’s probably not the messaging that we’re trying to reach to those people, because they are obviously showing a lack of compassion in that area. And that, to me, is very sad to see because it happens quite often.

Especially when I go home, you know, Alberta’s been booming for so many years and so many decades, people just think we’ve been booming for so long and long enough that it’s our time to suffer. But that’s just not the way that we should start thinking. It’s very dangerous. Yeah, it makes me so angry actually. Yeah, it’s pretty rough.

Heidi McKillop, Director, Producer “A Stranded Nation”

https://twitter.com/heidimckillop?lang=en

Alberta

What’s on Tap? – Rediscover Moonshine with Skunkworks Distillery

Published on August 7, 2020

Meghanne Uptigrove

An exciting new addition to the Calgary Barley Belt might look a little bit different than what regular patrons are used to seeing, or drinking. Skunkworks Distillery, a locally owned and operated micro-distillery, is bringing premium engineered moonshine to the craft beer party!

Originating in 2015 as an after-work-over-drinks project idea, the concept of Skunkworks Distillery was in the works for a few years before it began to take shape with Faye Warrington and Marty Lastiwka at the helm. Skunk Works is an engineering term coined at Lockheed Martin, referring to the Advanced Development Department, which focuses on innovative and unconventional approaches to new science and technology. “Skunk Works is a department that operates outside the mainstream of their company working on weird little side science projects or on new tech stuff,” says Faye, “for Marty and I, this is our Skunk Works. This is our science project.”

Located on the Barley Belt, southeast Calgary’s signature walking distance collection of craft breweries, Skunkworks distills smooth, small batch premium engineered moonshine that is as good over ice as it is in one of their many cocktails. Made from sugar beets refined in Taber, Alberta, Skunkworks offers three unique products: the original Skunkworks Moonshine, Hypersonic and Moonwater. With Skunkworks, Faye and Marty are committed to challenging the mason jar mentality that associates moonshine with a bootleg burn.

“Moonshine is a good way to bring people together. We all have a moonshine story,” Marty laughs, “It’s something people can always talk about, for better or for worse.”

The tasting room, much of which Faye and Marty built themselves, combines industrial space race vibes with a Mad Max steampunk flare that can’t be found anywhere else. Sip your Skunktail (Skunkworks cocktail) from a science lab beaker and enjoy some light snacks on a replica plane wing turned coffee table, while listening to live music from the in-house studio.

After countless hours of planning, searching and building, the taproom officially opened in November of 2019. Launching amidst the upheaval of a global pandemic and ensuing economic crash has made Skunkworks an operation well versed in thinking on their feet. “None of the normal rules for growing a business apply right now,” says Marty, “So we’re just adapting, we’re pivoting every day.”

Like a number of other breweries and distilleries around the city, Skunkworks transitioned to the production of hand sanitizer to help fill the gap during the height of the pandemic. The public response, according to Marty, was far more than they ever could have anticipated. “Everyone was just so desperate for it,” he says, “we were making it just to give away, and suddenly people were lined up around the block for it.”

While this wasn’t how they exactly envisioned their first few months in operation, it turned out to be a great way for the distillery to begin connecting with the community while helping out people in need. Given the uncertain circumstances and difficulties of the last several months, Faye says the support of the community and other local distilleries has been invaluable.

As things settle down, Faye and Marty are looking forward to being able to host live music again and are even exploring the idea of an outdoor concert on their (dog-friendly!) patio. Above all, the two are excited for the upcoming release of their latest product, a seasonal feature that is like “nothing you’ve ever tasted!” coming very soon.

To learn more about Skunkworks Distillery and what the Calgary Barley Belt has to offer, visit https://www.skunkworksdistillery.com

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