OurSask: Staying Calm and Carrying On

July - and 2023 - are half over, but we're just getting started.

After a bit of a break, it feels good to get back to the work of bringing you what you need to know about life in Saskatchewan and how the province is (or is not) being governed.

It’s taken a lot of years (almost 20!) working with political and government stakeholders and a wide variety of issues to get to a point where I can be confident in publishing my often contentious work. It involves wading through copious amounts of public documentation and verbatim transcripts and then applying whole bunch of critical thinking and analysis. I vex powerful people constantly and get blowback for it, big time.

Thanks to you I’m still here and I’m still doing what those powerful people have been trying to stop anyone from doing… but it hasn’t been easy.

Trust me, you don’t do this work to get rich or win popularity contests.

I’m doing this because factual, honest information brought to you by an independent source (or “journalism” as we used to call it) is essential to a sound democracy. Sound democracy is vital to sustaining peaceful and thriving communities. While Saskatchewan is still a beautiful place to raise your family, its peacefulness is becoming increasingly debatable, as is who gets to thrive in the province and why.

Sadly, I don’t need all my fingers to count the “real” journalists in Saskatchewan left - those with a useful memory of historical, political and governmental issues and who aren’t wholly beholden to their media tribe. CBC Saskatchewan’s Stefani Langenegger and Adam Hunter come to mind, as does Prince Albert Herald’s Michael Oleksyn, CTV Saskatoon’s Matt Young or CTV Regina’s Nelson Bird.

Since 2007 the Sask Party government has turned hiding and obscuring crucial information about what they’re doing with your province and your tax dollars into a freakin’ art form.

Through years of research, preparing reports and briefings and simple trial and error I’ve developed my own catalog of data that I draw from regularly, as well as my own memory. At any given point I am researching and writing three or four pieces at a time, with another one or two bouncing around my brain.

SaskPower

All our Crown Corporations need intense scrutiny, but SaskPower is one where we must dive deeper and soon. The reality is that the Sask Party was “phasing out” coal-fueled power at least five years ago, yet seems to have conveniently forgotten about all that time and effort. Billions of dollars into carbon capture later, where is the vision for the future of powering this province? And what is the truth about that brutally expensive, questionably-efficient technology and how it is serving Saskatchewan today?

Organized Religion & the Govt of Sask

We’ve only scratched the surface of the heavy and damaging influence of organized and politicized religious groups and some of its more rabid zealots, specifically the Plymouth Brethren, on premier Scott Moe and the Sask Party. I’ve been inundated with leads and requests to cover this information and I will.

Jetsetting Sask Party Cabinet Ministers

Foreign influence is not just something you need to be concerned about at the federal level. Everytime we turn around, the Sask Party government has entered into another sketchy business arrangement with powerful individuals in countries that do not have a reputation for fair dealings or even respect for basic human rights.

Pillaging the Public Purse

The rumours about kickbacks and corruption involving Sask Party Cabinet Ministers and influencers are flying faster than we have ever experienced. The sheer volume of tips I receive is overwhelming, but all must be looked at. When combined with the ongoing personal enrichment efforts of some Sask Party MLAs, you have a recipe for misconduct - even criminality - embedded in our provincial government that will negatively impact Saskatchewan for generations.

It’s not like this hasn’t happened before.

Credibility is everything.

As many of you know, I’ve written a book about Saskatchewan in the 90s. After years of hearing the Sask Party spin a narrative about what happened (to the point that they’ve rewritten history), I set out to set the record straight. It’s not about vindicating the NDP or vilifying anyone else - it’s about the truth. It’s simply about the unfiltered reality of what really happened after Roy Romanow inherited the unmitigated, unequivocal dumpster fire that was the Government of Saskatchewan left behind by Grant Devine and his nightmare caucus.

I was prevented from releasing the book for years because a certain radio host launching constant and fraudulent public attacks on my name and my character. I just didn’t see the point in trying. I endured years of that, but as with all things there was a tipping point, even for him, and today he will never smear my name publicly again.

I’m finally almost ready to release that book into the wild and there will be a special subscribers deal to have a sneak peek.

I keep track of my private financial donors to my efforts, regardless of amount. Every dollar counts and I am exceedingly grateful for all of them. To thank everyone who has shown me this support, my promise today to every single one of my private donors is that they will receive exclusive digital access to my book in its entirety. You will also have exclusive access to the virtual book club I’ll be hosting, once a month, so I can hear your thoughts and feedback on what you’re learning about that legendary and historic period of time in Saskatchewan.

More details on how I’m releasing it, where and when, in the coming weeks.

I am asking for your support so I can keep doing this important work. The research and writing leaves me little time to invest in marketing efforts or growing my subscription base (which is getting there, but is still not sufficient to support my work professionally).

The only way I am able to keep moving forward has been through your private, personal donations, for which I have been so incredibly grateful.

To support me and my work I accept etransfers, gratefully, at tammyrobert0123@gmail.com.

For certain security reasons I do not have auto-deposit enabled on my account, so feel free just to simply use my surname or the name of our province as your security question - no need to be complicated. I do receive your email address, however, of which I keep track.

July is half over, unbelievably. We’re now in the writ period for three important byelections. There’s lots going on, so watch for a new piece from me next week. Enjoy your July weekend in Saskatchewan, there’s only two more after this one.

Talk soon and thank you all so much, again, for being the best audience in Canada,