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Jared Wesley Profile picture
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30 Jul, 13 tweets, 4 min read
Plenty of people asking, "what can I do to put a halt to this COVID policy change." I understand the helplessness, but there are actually things you can do to make a difference. (Thread)
Protests have proven effective at generating solidarity and revealing to everyone that this matters to a lot of people. edmonton.citynews.ca/2021/07/30/alb…
This is particularly true if #OrdinaryAlbertans show up in large numbers. It demonstrates that the government's focus on appeasing a narrow base is out of touch with society. And it embarrasses premiers on the national stage. edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/…
Contacting your MLA does work.
See?
It's no secret that the government's caucus is divided, and that the party is bleeding voters and donors. Caucus meetings will be heated. Letting your UCP MLA know how you feel can give them some backing in these discussions.
The opposition needs to know you care, too, so that they can prioritize. Regardless of who represents you in Edmonton, it's important to let them know what matters to you.
Even if cabinet doesn't listen, there are still a few weeks left to shape Alberta's school plan in the fall. Testing, tracing, and isolation for adults have likely gone by the wayside. But there's hope that they'll come to their senses and protect kids who can't get vaxxed.
In fact, there's a pretty easy political case to be made that protecting kids helps extend the #BestSummerEver into the #BestFallEver.
Longer term, this fall is the first chance for you to register your feelings about the direction Alberta is headed. Take the time to voice your concerns to candidates for municipal office & school trustees. They will make important decisions. Get them on the record.
Also on October 18, the provincial government is holding a constitutional referendum to nowhere and a token Senatorial Nominee Election that won't send anyone to Ottawa. Might as well get your money's worth by turning out to reject their proposals.
It's easy to scream into the Twitter abyss or disengage. That's what the govt is hoping & expecting you'll do. It takes effort & courage to start mobilizing #OrdinaryAlbertans to challenge the notion that the narrow interests of a few trump those of the most vulnerable. We can.
And we need to. Our kids are watching and depending on us.

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More from @DrJaredWesley

Jared Wesley Profile picture
31 Jul
Looking ahead to Alberta this fall, it's challenging to compare other countries' experiences with COVID-19. Here's why. 🧵
Being one of the few (only?) jurisdictions to abandon most testing, tracing, & isolation (TTI) protocols -- the 3 pillars of pandemic management -- Alberta is creating an entirely new environment for COVID-19.

This makes drawing lessons from TTI countries quite tenuous.
When people say "kids in Country X are at low risk for contracting COVID-19," they're probably right.

A good follow-up question: "Did Country X have test-trace-isolate protocols in place?"

If not, it's tough to compare them with Alberta this fall.
Read 6 tweets
Jared Wesley Profile picture
29 Jul
Flash forward 5 weeks. Your kid gets the sniffles, like they do every change-of-season. Being responsible, you don’t want to send them to school if they could infect their classmates. You’d like a test to see whether it's COVID or allergies. But we’re not testing anymore. WWYD?
If last year was any indication, this scene will play out multiple times with multiple kids in thousands of households. Only this time, we won’t have the authority to isolate the sick. Not that it matters much, because we don’t know whether they’ve got COVID anyway.
Which leaves responsible parents - most often moms - to stay home with sniffly kiddos, or risk putting their classmates at risk.

Testing would bring some modicum of sanity to this system. Masking the young and unvaccinated seems a minimal sacrifice to keep more kids in school.
Read 4 tweets
Jared Wesley Profile picture
29 Jul
I've been checking in with all of our MA and PhD students this summer. (One of the perks of being grad chair.)

I'm in awe of their stamina and resilience through this pandemic. Many have suffered loss, had to give up on field research, and remained stranded overseas.
Many entered parenthood, got married, moved to new homes, and started new jobs.

Many took leave to cope with new stresses and isolation. Others slowed down their programmes to make room for life's changes.
Many of them kept publishing and contributing to important public conversations about politics and policy.

Many completed coursework and defenses without meeting their peers or committee members face-to-face.
Read 6 tweets
Jared Wesley Profile picture
27 Feb
If you don't like wormholes, keep scrolling and bypass this thread.

Let's say Kenney wins his constitutional referendum (leaving aside that he'd need a big majority and substantial turnout, ~66%, to make it "overwhelming").

Then what? #ableg #abpoli
Let's say the 'yes' vote compels other governments to the negotiating table (which would be of their own volition, because the "Secession Reference" argument is entirely invalid).

Then what?
Let's say the federal government concedes and gives Alberta more transfer dollars (which is unlikely, given the Harper-era fiscal reforms already netted AB over $1B / year extra, the Trudeau govt bought TMX, reformed stabilization...).

Then what?
Read 13 tweets
Jared Wesley Profile picture
25 Feb
It's unfortunate to see the UCP government continue to drive a wedge between public & private-sector workers. It's a timeworn tactic in Alberta & a hallmark of right-wing parties across the globe. But it comes at a particularly bad time for our province. (Thread)
Folks like Barbara have seen this show before. But, like her, many of us sense a difference this time around. The depth, speed, and tenor of the cuts make them seem more malicious than necessary.
This goes beyond perception. The Premier has made his thoughts about public servants quite clear. In this video (see 3:05 mark), he hints it's time for public servants to feel the same pain that private-sector workers have. ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1…
Read 25 tweets
Jared Wesley Profile picture
23 Feb
I just finished screening dozens of applications to join our MA programs in Political Science at #UAlberta. Here's what struck me most. (Thread)
Application numbers are up this year. Way up. Especially among people who completed their BAs over a decade ago. The pandemic and economic downturn have a lot of people seeking to return to school. Our provincial govt is slamming the door on most of them.
Some lessons for future applicants, based on the top files I reviewed:

GPA matters, but it's not everything. Meeting the minimum standard is a must. But strong, authentic, targeted letters of intent and reference can go a long way to support a strong application w/ a lower GPA.
Read 22 tweets

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