For the thirtieth time in the last two years, tonight I will stand before a collection of my constituents. The open, public Town Hall meeting is in Oakville, followed by similar events in Milton and Burlington the following evenings.
Various of my colleagues think I am nuts to do this, since anyone can show up, say anything, cause a disruption, seek to embarrass me, or worse. Now that election talk swirls, and with the daily hate emails I receive from local Halton Cons, it’s quite possible political adversaries will target open meetings to do me in.
Of course, they have already tried. The tactics range from pointed and critical questions from the local Conservatives to an Internet barrage from one twisted Tory who accused me of screaming at an 84-year-old vet during a Town Hall. Of course, it was a fabrication, but the allegation was joyfully published anyway by Harper sycophant Steve Janke.
I’ve asked the community if these three meetings can focus on child care, since Halton has more tots than DisneyWorld in August. The exploding new suburbs have created a kiddie boom which has overwhelmed available spaces. Families now have to wait at least four months to get into care, and then spend an average of $13,000 (after tax, natch) per year. This is a crippling burden, as you might well understand, and it’s rekindled the ongoing debate of how we deal with child care in an area where two-income families are a virtually necessity.
As I have said here before, I have no idea what the best answer is. The Libs have in the past proposed spending a lot of money creating new subsidized spaces in connection with the provinces and local governments. My colleagues tell me their holy grail is a national program of subsidized, universal care. The Cons have responded by sending $100 a month, per child under six, directly to all families, regardless of their income. Struggling families tell me this does little to defray that $13,000 annual costs and, worse, it’s taxable.
So I’m hoping a lot of people show up, and argue what they want government to do. Does the state have a responsibility to look after kids? How much tax money should be spent doing this? Should taxes rise to cover this added expense? Or are parents trying to slough off their responsibilities onto the taxpayers?
The meeting results will be added to those I have received from a survey I sent to thousands of homes in areas with high populations of young families. Here’s what I have heard thus far:
• 14% said yes, there are adequate child care spaces in Halton
• 78% said no
How can the federal government best help families with their child care needs?
• 56% said provide more spaces
• 48% said give them increased funding
• 70% said we need an increased child tax credit
I will, of course, tell you later this week what I heard. And I’ll let you know if any Conservative goons show up. If they’re real lucky, pictures, too!
173 comments ↓
Hi Garth
A prime reason for my visiting is your dedication to your constituents. Our local Liberal incumbent, who has been in office for I think 4 terms, had NEVER provided such an opportunity.
We get the “annual form letter” with the expected photo ops pictures, that sounds the same year after year. It strikes me as an entirely self-promoting effort. I met the fellow a couple of times as a Board member for the local Chamber, but other than that – zilch.
Perhaps your “colleagues” who think you are crazy are just too lazy to work as hard. I think they detract as they are afraid of facing the public.
As a Montrealer, the guy’s seat is pretty stable. After all, it is him or the Bloc or (YUCK!!!) some Con talking head.
I will state categorically, it is the lack of contact with the electorate by him that keeps me… “maybe Rhino”.
Garth,before you start spewing the liberal B.S.,don’t forget to tell everyone that the conservatives did increase transfers dramatically to the provinces(who are solely responsible for daycare spaces)and that the 100 dollars to families does help much more than the 13 years of unfulfilled promises.Drop the universal childcare crap.You didn’t get it done,and aren’t going to.
Perhaps this suggestion might seem over the moon but why don`t you push the Tories into creating and funding a program to put fathers back in the lives of the 2 million fatherless Cdn children.
The US brought in a few several years ago to the tune of $325M and it`s not only had a noticeable effect on youth crime but it has reduced the need for child care.
Rough calculations puts the cost of father restoration at $5M compared to the $25B to $40B, a much smaller burden for all Cdn tax payers to shoulder.
Perhaps your “colleagues” who think you are crazy are just too lazy to work as hard.
By maybe Rhino? on 02.19.08 12:27 pm
Exactly!
“Does the state have a responsibility to look after kids?” –Garth.
No. The family unit is still more foundational to Canadian society than the state. As the family goes, so goes the nation.
The only reason why the state would be involved in family matters at all is because of too many failed families, too many dead-beat Dads who sire children and then abandon them.
Yet the State will never and can never replace the family unit in the raising of children. Institutions are, by their very nature, more bureaucratic and less relational, and less personal than loving parents can be to their own children.
The answer is not in more state money, in throwing moee good money after bad, but the working towards a more relational, more loving, and more personal society whereby we know one another from the inside, and where relationships are more permanent and more committed so that trust can be restored in people’s promises to one another relationally.
Tragically, we live in a broken society, with too many broken relationships, broken promises, and broken hearts. Money alone can never address this.
During a trip to Cuba I became entrenched with the locals and witnessed a parenting culture in direct contrast to Canada. A divorced couple wouldn`t get in a fight over parenting times. They spent more time trying to free up some time by using the other parent than Cdns spend fighting over denied access. I suspect this is because the people are denied any freedom they wouldn`t deny anything further from their children, like the other parent. I don`t think a $5m program to restore Cdn fathers is expensive compared to day care, policing, or court and incarceration costs.
As a side note President Castro has declared his retirement. From South America up through Central and into Mexico statues of heroes abound. Each and every one brought freedom to the people. I see no reason why Fidel Castro would do anything other than install a democratic government in Cuba as a lasting legacy in the form of a national holiday celebrating freedom.
By Bob R. on 02.19.08 12:30 pm
And how many child care spaces have been created by these methods? None.
Doing something that doesn’t solve the problem is just as bad as doing nothing. So, if you want to be “fair” about it, both the Liberals AND the Conservatives have failed on this file.
In combination with other suggestions, can the amount paid yearly by a working couple for child-care expenses be used as a tax-deduction for the highest income-earner?
This may help alleviate some of the unnecessary expenses which parents must continually fork out for their betterment of their children.
By got rope? on 02.19.08 12:34 pm also has excellent points. If a couple has broken up, as long as there is a reasonable amount of give and take between the couple, there is no reason that one side cannot fulfill his / her responsibilities to the children, by continually being a part of their lives.
Also right is to get the provinces onside as well. The feds. can do so much, and the provinces have to be able to shoulder their part as well. These children are the future of our country.
Ike on 02.19.08 12:57 pm
From a message of hate
*too many dead-beat Dads*
To a message of love
*the working towards a more relational, more loving, and more personal society*
Although Bi-polar is treatable there`s no guarantee on what side of your fence you will land on.
It strikes me that maybe the child care issue in Halton is a case of looking at a symptom, rather than the cause. The same could also be said of the exhorbitant housing prices.
So what is the cause, a high demand for workers? Possible solution, why not give companies incentives to grow in areas like SW Ontario that aren’t as lucky. (Lower property prices across the board should be an incentive to improve the bottom line.) I find it ironic that many companies started moving their HQ staff out of London UK
in the’80s for exactly that reason. Why do they need to be close to Bay Street?
Harper, on a Canada wide basis says go to Alberta. In Ontario, the leamings seem to be flocking to the GTA.
Of course, that would mean fewer constituants for you Garth and more for those MPs down here.
BTW. Congratulations for doing what you’re supposed to be doing on your week off from Ottawa, connecting with your constituants. I wonder what Dave Van K. is doing?
Garth,
Good historical overview of Child Care in Canada:
http://tinyurl.com/24byx9 :”Childcare Fee Subsidies in Canada”; from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit
http://www.childcarecanada.org/. As usual, the provinces provide different options.
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada http://www.ccaac.ca/home.php
Good document on Code Blue for Child Care. Seems “Big-box Child Care is on the way.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/268752
Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, http://www.childcareontario.org/about/
“My colleagues tell me their holy grail is a national program of subsidized, universal care”.
Bottom line, hasn’t this topic been beaten to death over the years with the fragmented programs on offer? The costs ultimately end
up being higher (levels of bureaucracy) and families lose out. People go underground, spaces aren’t counted and standards of care aren’t well regulated.
Universal social programs work for everyone in the long run. Surely the learned folk cited in the industry ought to be your standard bearers besides just lobbyists. They’re in the trenches everyday with your constituents.
I have seen too many couples have children that they obviously cannot afford to provide for and then expect the ’state” to look after them. Is it a right to have children? I don’t think so; it is a choice. I grew up in an age where if you can’t afford something, then you don’t covet it. If you make the decision to be a parent, then you have made the decision to accept that you may have to sacrifice other things in life – it’s a choice. Stop demanding that others “pay” for your decision.
Ike on 02.19.08 12:57 pm
Ike,
Filling in the facts is getting to be a tiresome project.
There are several points you should be aware of from the statistics. There is a higher percentage of mothers in arrears with child support than fathers. Most that are in arrears are dead broke not dead beat. Child support is failing the children. In the province that has the highest sole custody rate and second most support collected also holds the highest amount of youth problems.
On fathers abandoning their children. There has only been one study done and the only ones polled were single mothers who just might be a little bias etc. The fathers were never interviewed, something about, lol, invasion of privacy. It`s not ok to single out a group, childless fathers, and falsely create hate against them.
Of the many who do pay they don`t have enough money left over to be a parent and so are accused of abandonment. The governments report that the most important thing to a child is child support. This is a lie from start to finish. There is not one piece of statistical evidence, not one study, not one scrap of evidence that shows child support is more important to a child than losing a parent, not one scrap Ike.
I`m am classified as a dead beat father that abandoned his children, none of which is true.
I went in the hospital for cancer fully paid up in support. Even though I wasn`t required to pay during my recuperation I accepted the proposition to take any missed payments out of my share of the house which was done. The reason I`m in arrears is because the recipient refuses to notify Family Maintenance Enforcement that she had been not only paid up but paid in advance for 2 more years. I explained to FMEP and offered to show the documentation. They refused to look at it saying it was the courts responsibility to view payment documents. The courts said it`s not an adjustment but up to FMEP to look at the records. Round and round and here I am tens years later with the status of an escaped convict.
My ex used to beat my kids to the ground when they asked to see me. I was forced to leave to stop the abuse so I was labeled as abandoned. My kids believed it which opened the door to PAS.
End of story.
If you want the truth stop listening to the carpet baggers that profit from abusing children.
Legalize prostitution!
Got Rope, I am not meaning to cast the blame in any one direction, as every side has their understanding of what went wrong when a relationship breaks up. The tragedy is that human relationships break up in which both sides blame the other, and the children are the innocent victim in all of this.
I am not meaning to suggest that you are not a good and responsible father, as you may well have done everything in your power, and I agree that some times (but not all the time) the judges discriminate against the men.
I was only referring to those limited number of men who sire children, and then run off to somebody else, without even attempting to take responsibility. In no way am I talking about you.
I am only suggesting that we need to find a way to heal our brokenness instead of looking to the government to be a substitute parent to make up for all of our relational problems.
I respect you, and apologize for any inference by which my remarks could be taken wrongly as if they were referring to ALL men. This is not the case.
Hey Garth, I’m tired of our opt-out society. It’s counter-productive.
I believe that the federal government should develop a national framework for early childhood learning in which trained professionals look after Canada’s children.
The provision of this type of service would play an essential role in our economy, making it possible for parents to earn a living, while giving our children a strong start in life.
-R
I believe President Casto will declare democratic elections timed to have a democratic government to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the revolution.
I wonder if he might consider a federal government nominated provincially and sincerely hope he`s not considering a Cdn parliamentary system.
Ike on 02.19.08 2:47 pm
“I was only referring to those limited number of men”
Perhaps you need to look at the larger picture and larger problem of the 2 million fatherless children and by far the much larger number of fathers that have been intentionally removed from their childrens lives and not the `limited few`.
NATIONAL POST
April 29, 2002
“Justice Minister ready to drop custody reform”
Cauchon ‘not convinced’: Government blasted as ‘incapable of making a
decision’
By Janice Tibbetts – Southam News
Mr. Collins, a divorced father of two, is suing the Saskatchewan and federal governments for ”harbouring” family laws he claims violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
”There has been a groundswell of support from people from every province.
Over 1,000 people have signed up in two weeks for a class-action.
**Over 1000 signed up in a two week period,,,, without MSM participation. Just think if it was Canada wide with MSM participation, you can extrapolate the total for yourself I`m sure.
They didn`t get it done**
no justice, no investment
Typo, should read 50 year anniversary
I believe President Casto will declare democratic elections timed to have a democratic government to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the revolution.
I wonder if he might consider a federal government nominated provincially and sincerely hope he`s not considering a Cdn parliamentary system.
I grew up in an age where if you can’t afford something, then you don’t covet it. If you make the decision to be a parent, then you have made the decision to accept that you may have to sacrifice other things in life – it’s a choice. Stop demanding that others “pay” for your decision.
By David – Ontario on 02.19.08 1:40 pm
This is exactly the same as demanding your kids and grandkids to pay for the decisions you made in the 70’s and 80’s that left them with $500 Billion+ in National Debt (not counting Provincial and municiple debt).
You don’t want to pay for child care – but you’re fine with those kids paying off YOUR (generation’s national) debt, paying for your CPP and OAS, paying for YOUR medicare when you’re too old to be paying taxes, etc…
The single BEST investment we can make as a country is in our children. They are the ones that will support you and this country when you’re old, on pension, and not paying taxes.
Ike on 02.19.08 2:47 pm
No need to apologize by repeating what you hear from government, it`s government that should apologize. The media is bought and paid for by ad money and the government is bought and paid for by the justice industry recognizing crimes committed by government `is good for the country`. This allows the justice industry to abuse children for profit with everyone on side. Meanwhile the gun registry was funding womens groups to promote the same hate messages against fathers so the justice industry had an excuse for sole custody, all men are bad etc etc. The feminist cloak is a great place for the justice industry to hide behind while they profit from all the crime they create using sole custody immorally, unconstitutionally and more often illegally.
Vancouver, crime capital of NA
Highest historical rate globally of court ordered sole custody
Dead broke dads abound even in booming economic times.
Get the picture??? it`s big bucks.
By Ike on 02.19.08 12:57 pm
Dead beat dad’s (and mum’s) are only a small part of it and are an easy target for all society’s woes.
The traditional family included extended family, aunts, uncles, grandparents.
However, changes in society, including dual earners, grandparents who are still working and mobility of the workforce (children moving away from parents for work) means these “traditional” forms of day care are not as prevalent as before.
So who is responsible for a solution, Governments, employers, employees?
All of the above. The issue all comes down to money, governments through taxes, employers additional expense on the bottom line and employees, either paying more taxes or directly for child care.
I’ll bet that those employers that provide child care, free or subsidised, get better productivity from their workers than those that don’t, probably because the workers don’t have to worry about who’s looking after the kids!
Garth … Do you really believe a Liberal government will ever fulfill it’s “child care” promises they proclaimed over the 13 year of their Chretien-Martin-Dion regimes???
Do you think Liberals can be trusted to make good on their ‘child care’ promises after failing to ‘eliminate child poverty by 2000′ .. ???
It seems to me that your “family income splitting’ would be a more effective and direct method to encourage mothers to stay at home and nurture their children rather than loading them off to some virus-infected government daycare facility.
I still remember the pictures of infant daycare warehouses in the Soviet Union after WWII that looked after the babies crib on crib, while mom went to work in the factory to help rebuild the nation. Is this what we have come to in Canada .. our economy destroyed and now the infants must suffer ..??!!
Again, your Liberals should be promoting ‘family income splitting’ and forget about costly, government bureaucracy running sterile infant warehouses .. Let’s help mom stay home with a decent tax break.
Lead the way, Garth … Canada needs your ideas …!!!!
Garth, what is your position on what the federal goverment role in childcare is and how it can directly impact it?
As a Halton resident (Milton) when I needed child care spaces back in 2004 and 2006 the wait was about 2 weeks and I even got to chose between more than one day care centre.
Prices is a different story, however I believe that the profit of private operators is not big and most of the cost is used up by the need to comply with endless federal, provincial and local regulations.
By Tim 3:14PM
Good stuff Tim.
It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to raise an idiot…fortunately, most of them find a home in the Reform/Conservative Party.
By Bob R. on 02.19.08 12:30 pm
Bob… you for some reason believe that the Liberals had a choice or ability to increase equalization payments to the provinces since Cretien formed a government in 93′. And yes, they did… if debt reduction or deficits is what you want.
Here are the numbers, and I hope everyone looks at them long and hard before they spout off about equalization and Liberals running up monsterous debt and all the rest. These numbers speak for themselves.
http://www.taxpayer.com/pdf/Federal_Program_Spending_and_Revenues_1961-2009.pdf
Mulroney’s $330 billion in deficits over 10 years forced us into a GST we should never have had needed to begin with.
Mulroney took over in June of 83? and produced a budget he could call his own in 84?, inheriting a national debt of $193.4 billion that same year. 10 years of Conservative budgets later (yeah, 2 elections in 10 years is that normal?) and our national debt is $524 billion. Again, the numbers speak for themselves.
By the time the economy picked up (mainly commodity driven) our debt was $563 billion at the peak. Thats a ton of money for a nation that had at the time, a population of less than 30 million and a GDP that is half of what it is now (thats right, HALF!). Everything was cut to the bone in terms of spending in 94′. And taxation? One of the highest taxations in the world. So, genious’s out there, tell us what you would have done to fix the national debt crisis the Liberals faced in 93 and beyond, because for some reason, some genius’s out there believe it could have been fixed in mere years.
Fact is, its going to take decades and we are by no means done. This is a chart outlining GDP growth (which, by the way, isn’t endless as Fraser insitutes and Strausian teachings say)
http://www41.statcan.ca/2007/3764/grafx/htm/ceb3764_000_1_e.htm#table
Note that in 94′, our GDP was $771 billion. In 06′, its 1.45 trillion or safe to say, its doubled since 94′ in comparision to today. We are right now, where Mulroney was when he first took office… at 40% national debt to GDP. By the time Mulroney left office, it we were at 80% national debt to GDP. If we combined provincial debt, it would have been higher and close to bankrupcy.
Please, will some bright Einstein dare tell me how any government Lib, Con or otherwise could get our currency and interest rates under control without cutting back on equalization? I’m begging Cons to debate me on this question. Note as well, how at risk our GDP growth is with a slowdown in construction that can be easily spiralled through housing devaluations and drops in commodity valuations of raw goods with the link provided below.
http://www41.statcan.ca/2007/3764/grafx/htm/ceb3764_002_5_e.htm#table
The summary of the numbers is this for all who read this. Our current fed spending is at an all time high, coupled with a highly possible U.S. recession that is created by their own national debt, weaker currency, deregulation (or lack thereof) of corporations/banking and a real estate bubble.
Canadians do 76% of our trade with the U.S.. If our GDP shrinks and I believe it will by the second half of this year, we will run deficits based on jacked spending and reduced taxation by this current government. No one wants to raise taxes or cut spending, but… one thing is for sure. We don’t need unnecessary spending on the military. We don’t need $4 billion worth of heli’s. We need spending on other areas, and its likely that the feds will have to raise taxes at some point or risk running deficits which could create higher interest rates for future and in some cases, existing loans.
Be very, very, very, wary of what you all wish for, lest we want to revisit the desperate 90’s or mirror the tanking U.S. economy we see now. Raising taxes has to be an option in future tough times! But then… the concept of “our” money is wasted on those who believe its “my” money. How many dullards think their micro environment is more important than their macro environment? Its a large minority and that in itself is disturbing. It means a large minority of us are quite dumb and that is by no means flattering because these days, all it takes is a large minority to form a majority government.
The only reason why the state would be involved in family matters at all is because of too many failed families, too many dead-beat Dads who sire children and then abandon them.
By Ike on 02.19.08 12:57 pm
Ike, what about the dead beat moms. You know the ones. Always having children by men they have one night stands with, or short term relationships of convenience, or are just drug addicts, alcoholics, psychotic, abusive nutbars, who have no sense of personal responsibility whatsoever, blame everyone else for their problems, and then steal the children away, but still demand, with the State’s assistance of course, free of charge, child support?
How about them in your comment Ike?
Perhaps you view women like the hard liner Islamics under Sharia Law that they are brainless, never responsible, etc.? Do women have the freedom of choice to prevent pregnancy, or is it all the man’s fault?
What say you Ike?
70% said increase the child tax credit, which goes directly to the parents. This ensures parental choice…
As tempting as it is would everyone try to remember what we are doing to try to encourage some of the more rabid right wing ideologues into a more reasonable frame of mind.
Let’s help mom stay home with a decent tax break.
Lead the way, Garth … Canada needs your ideas …!!!!
By Harry S on 02.19.08 3:19 pm
I`m with you on that Harry but lets not forget that University enrollment is weighted on women so there will be more stay at home dads which reminds me. In 1987 the SCoC ruled fathers have no rights, I would hope something is done about that.
What`s up with the American MSM.
All they talk about is why Huckabee is still in the race. The race between Huckabee and McCain is like the Daytona 500 (congrats Ryan) while the Clinton Obama is the standard demolition derby.
Which would you rather have a front row seat to? Let us enjoy the best of the best while it lasts, it doesn`t happen often.
Stop demanding that others “pay” for your decision.
By David – Ontario on 02.19.08 1:40 pm
Does that include not providing funding and care for those poor kids and families who’s members have died in combat in Afghanistan, or another war approved by the Government? Perhaps by street crime? How about them? Did they make an ‘informed choice’?
Unfortunately I don’t see how income splitting would help a single mom’s ability to pay for daycare. And while it may seem to be sensible not to have children if you can’t afford them, reverses in fortune and health do arise after the children are born.
What do you think happens when a plant shuts down or a store folds? Often the wife has to work while the husband is looking for a job. Everyone can’t run to Alberta, nor would that be smart necessarily, considering the lack of accommodation and high cost of living.
There are lots of people who work for minimum wage and who hold down more than one job to try to make things work but the cost of accommodation and transportation here in Ontario is so high. Some people are finding the accommodation they have had has quickly become more than they can afford, their pay not keeping up with increasing costs.
It’s good to be able to stay home with one’s kids but it isn’t always possible today and I think we should not be so quick to judge.
This is a little off topic but makes for a good read for all those that think we should have a two tier medical system.
Don’t look to Europe for health reform
Do you really believe a Liberal government will ever fulfill it’s “child care” promises they proclaimed over the 13 year of their Chretien-Martin-Dion regimes??? [... more BS ...]
By Harry S on 02.19.08 3:19 pm
Stop introducing lies, Harry, ‘Queen of B’ S. Your question is twisted since it implies that Dion was PM, when he was not, and just like PMPM changed the scene when PMJC left, the scene changed again. It’s up to Dion to make new promises and he shall be judged accordingly.
Your rhetoric filled with triple question marks and exclamation marks (and sometimes a combination thereof) leads me to believe you’d rather be living elsewhere. Since that is the case, why don’t you move to the wonderful country called the US? Is the reason that you are only 15 years old?
Also, did you know usually only the most flamboyant individuals (i.e. teenage girls) use more than one interrogative or exclamatory punctuation mark repetitively? Did you know those individuals usually reside on myspace and that the latter would be a better location for you?
Also, since you have had such a distinct insight into the justifications for the war in Iraq, can you tell us more about the upcoming attack on Iran, such as the date of the start of the invasion? And can you tell us why Iraq got invaded on the pretense of WMDs which were never found yet North Korea detonates a WMD and hasn’t been invaded?
Lead the way, Harry ‘B’, S … Canada needs your answers!
Tim N says old people don’t pay taxes or for their Pensions or for Medicare.
Hmmmm….if that’s the case, then I got one big REFUND cheque in the mail for all those taxes that I’m still paying.
Jeeze, even my Mom is still paying, and she’s beyond old.
I don’t think Tim knows too much about older people, despite that gigantic Education Tax that I pay on my Property Tax. Another refund!?
With all this concern about kids, you’d think that somebody would care that our military and their children are living in housing that has asbestos in the attic.
Support the Troops! – get the asbestos removed from their housing.
I thought social programs were the responsibility of the Provinces ?
At least that’s what Section 92 of the British North America Act says.
But besides that, this is a losing strategy for you guys in Quebec. Harper is already portraying Dion there as a “centralizer”. Why give Harper one more obvious example of that ? Not to mention that Quebec already has a daycare plan.
Jonnay! Get with the program please.
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.19.08 3:59 pm
If you have ever been off work sick and seen the Montel Williams show, your comment reminded me of one of his only shows I have seen. One woman making I think it was her 3rd appearence has had 8 men DNA tested to find the father. She must have been working her way through the phonebook, and hopefully finds the father before she gets to the page I am listed on.
Some people are finding the accommodation they have had has quickly become more than they can afford, their pay not keeping up with increasing costs.
It’s good to be able to stay home with one’s kids but it isn’t always possible today and I think we should not be so quick to judge.
By Pat. G. on 02.19.08 4:14 pm
The average Cdn owes $1.25 for every $1.00 in assets. Credit card debt combined with personal loans equal our national debt. The slowdown has started so I wonder how you think the average Cdn can afford the $25B/year minimum increase in taxes to cover the 2 million early learning/day care seats the Liberals promised? Is that anymore possible that a parent staying home or one parent taking shift work or, or, or.
btw “a single mom’s ability to pay for daycare”. A single mom doesn`t have to be a single parent, that`s a choice and not a good one from the childs perspective. Should we pay for bad choices as well?
I have a brief window of time and am trying to hunt down the roots of the “It takes a whole village to raise a child” saying. Seems fairly clear that its origins are as an African proverb, and certainly Hillary Clinton hijacked it for her book, but I can remember it coming up it the context of the creation of the School Councils in Ontario during the Harper years. There had been a Royal Commission… on learning (As the synapses start to fire.) initiated by an earlier government, really well done, hope that I can find it to link in to the discussion. May have a copy in my archives.
Back in a bit.
By got rope? on 02.19.08 3:15 pm
I have to agree with you on this one.
Hmmmmmm…Maybe we need to get these people to take over from Flim Flam Dim Jim Flatulence?
Baffinland’s Nunavut mine to cost $4.1B
They at least have a clue about savings and cash flow. They can also see 20 years into the future. Dim Jim can’t see beyond the next election, whenever that may happen?
Also, since you have had such a distinct insight into the justifications for the war in Iraq, can you tell us more about the upcoming attack on Iran, such as the date of the start of the invasion? And can you tell us why Iraq got invaded on the pretense of WMDs which were never found yet North Korea detonates a WMD and hasn’t been invaded?
Lead the way, Harry ‘B’, S … Canada needs your answers!
By Jonnay on 02.19.08 4:23 pm
Jonney,
Harry has been very clear as to why Bush invade Iraq, he did for the oil, the money and keep the USA the dominate Economic power. In short Bush waged a war for power and economic advantage, which if I’m not mistaken is considered a war crime.
The real question we should be ask Harry is why is he so soft on International War Criminals like the entire Bush Administration? Harry should also be thank his luck stars that Harper wasn’t in power then too, cause old Harpy was willing to stand side by side with George Dubya “Gump” Bush.
By Marc on 02.19.08 5:06 pm
LMAO! How true! My wife watches Dr. Phil each weekday evening and I listen. Occassionally, I get up and go watch these retards and I love the way Dr. Phil puts the reality check on them.
My approach as well having worked in counselling. Been there, done that, heard it all. I could turn the Sahara desert into Imperial Valley with the BS I have heard.
5 BILLION DOLLARS?
Dion challenges government over economy
Meagan Fitzpatrick, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Conservative government is failing to meet the country’s economic challenges and is trying to spin its way out of a state of “desperation,” Liberal Leader Stephane Dion told a Montreal audience Tuesday.
Mr. Dion referred to the latest attack on his party, which was launched by the Conservatives over the weekend when Industry Minister Jim Prentice released a 65-page report on how the Liberals would plunge the country into a deeper deficit.
“This is the epitome of desperation — to try to distract Canadians from their failure as economic managers, they point the finger at the Liberal party,” Mr. Dion said, according to the prepared text of a speech to the Association des manufacturiers et exportateurs du Quebec.
“But Canadians know it was a Liberal government that turned (former prime minister) Brian Mulroney’s $42-billion deficit into a decade of surpluses, balanced budgets, and economic prosperity.”
Mr. Dion went on to criticize the government’s economic management, and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty personally, saying Flaherty left Ontario with a $5-billion deficit when he was the province’s finance minister.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=319631
By Brammer on 02.19.08 5:16 pm
Canada comes from Kanata which means ‘village’.
As to Hillary, she has been criticizing Obama for his eloquence of speech, claiming he plaguarized a former Massechusetts Governor. The Governor said he was happy to be quoted. Hillary is the plaguarist, among other unsavory aspects of her personality..
By Pecked to Death by Ducks on 02.19.08 4:30 pm
Read my post again, and stop putting words in my mouth. I never said that.
What I said was that it is hypocrisy to say that the older generation “did it all” without any help – when the legacy left behind is $500 B in debt. You didn’t do it all yourself – your kids are paying for it.
As to not paying taxes – think about it. When you retire your income drops. When your income drops – you pay less tax. When you pay less tax, you are contributing LESS to the services that use. That means that others (i.e. those YOUNGER than you) pay HIGHER taxes.
Also, I never said anywhere in my post that it is wrong for us “younger” people to pay higher taxes in order to provide services to those that are older than us. I have no problem with that. That’s the way society works. Having said that, I don’t see ANYTHING wrong with “older people” paying taxes to support children.
We are all in this together. You need us – we need you – and we all need our kids.
And that’s the point.
Surprise, surprise. I actually expected to see one of our con trolls to be the first poster.
We get the “annual form letter” with the expected photo ops pictures, that sounds the same year after year. It strikes me as an entirely self-promoting effort. I met the fellow a couple of times as a Board member for the local Chamber, but other than that – zilch.
Well my local MP, a Lib, does sent out quarterly newsletters but, he also does THalls tho I have not attended. I have written to him and have always rec’d a response within a few days.
Garth, don’t let the bozzos get you down at the TH’s. You are far better than they. They are desparate now. Two years after they came into power and they have made no headway in the polls, even with all their smear campaigns and war room tactics.
By Zorpheous on 02.19.08 5:35 pm
Good point, Zorpheous. Why is it that Harper is so high on war profiteering, drug profiteering, weapons profiteering war mongering war criminals like GWB, Cheney, Rice, and the rest of the entire whitehouse administration? (thats meant to be rhetorical, by the way)
I’m going to turn the clock back 11 months and repeat parts of three comments in a discussion Rope and I had about child poverty etc. They outline the parameters for a realistic examination and resolution of our inter-related childcare, poverty and divorce problems. Anything short of the required realistic examination will only yield political window dressing.
Re. Daycare – (03.28.07 10:10 pm)
“Why are we even talking about daycare? Because in more and more families, both parents have to work to make ends meet. We are not talking about extra income for bennies or keeping up with the Joneses, we are talking about extra income for the bare necessities. So someone has to look after the kids during working hours.
Children are 1.) a biological fact of life, and 2.) costly to house, feed, clothe, educate – and keep happy (there ought to be a law against turning them into consumers!)
Why do mothers in two-parent families abandon the hearth and go to work? Not necessarily because they can’t stand the kids, enjoy the routine of working for a living, demand equality in drudgery, or are in the thrall of career prospects. They leave the home because they have to bring in more dough for the good of the family.
So let’s be realistic. Let’s find out why most available parents have to work, why we need daycare to make this easier, what it would cost, and what it would bring. And let’s consider whether there is another way of meeting the same need/end, say, a meaningful child/family allowance that admittedly could be turned into beer and popcorn, but also could obviate the need for mothers to leave home or make life easier for single parents.”
And (on 03.29.07 10:36 am) -
“… the daycare I mean is not the one designed to produce the all-singing-all-dancing 5 year-old elementary school grad. It’s more like a daycare that would permit one or two parents to work to support the family without abandoning the kids to themselves.
I don’t ignore economic costs. I also don’t ignore the cost of families failing under financial pressure. Maybe there wouldn’t be 2 M fatherless children if family life had been tolerable.”
On divorce – (03.29.07 10:29 pm)
“… divorce is near the end of a long and bitter process, and by the time a judge is involved, the world of the child already is unstuck. All judges can do is mitigate the disaster, not make it go away.
My interest would be in determining the pressures under which families come unstuck, and possibly reducing those. Nothing is going to end the chemistry which could induce a man or woman to leave it all for someone else. But there are social and economic pressures, such as money, health (incl. addiction), housing, etc., that will corrode a marriage and break a family. Can something be done here to get the divorce rate under that horrendous 40%?
Someone is bound to yell ‘social engineering’, to which I would respond with a resounding ‘social reality to be dealt with’.”
The real question we should be ask Harry is why is he so soft on International War Criminals like the entire Bush Administration?
By Zorpheous on 02.19.08 5:35 pm
The UN oil for food program starved a million Iraqi children.
The Bush admin put and end to that.
Who did you say you supported and who the criminals are?
I respect you, and apologize for any inference by which my remarks could be taken wrongly as if they were referring to ALL men. This is not the case.
By Ike on 02.19.08 2:47 pm
Ike, my problem with Rope is that his whole life seems to be based on what happened to him not having access to his children. In any relationship it takes 2 to tango. No one is totally innocent or guilty. We had a friend years ago who was totally down on his ex-wife but did have a certain amount of access to his daughter. The more we got to know him, the less we liked him. He is no longer in our life and I’m glad.
remember what we are doing to try to encourage some of the more rabid right wing ideologues into a more reasonable frame of mind.
By Brammer on 02.19.08 4:03 pm
Thanks to this blog I`ve got a clear picture of carbon trading. The more credits traded the more profit. The best way to improve profits is to increase pollution.
Silly me, I`m glad I`m in a reasonable frame of mind and no longer think that a carbon trading scheme would be counter-productive to reducing CO2.
I knew today would be different when I got out of bed on the left side.
LMAO! How true! My wife watches Dr. Phil each weekday evening and I listen. Occassionally, I get up and go watch these retards and I love the way Dr. Phil puts the reality check on them.
My approach as well having worked in counselling. Been there, done that, heard it all. I could turn the Sahara desert into Imperial Valley with the BS I have heard.
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.19.08 5:40 pm
…………………………………
Well well Billy-Muskrat … I think you may be a tad over-qualified to scum about on our fine forum, you being:
- an ex-Marine
- an engineer
- an ex-counselor to the lovelorn
You have quite the speckled CV .. and you hiding in the Muskoka swamps with your wifey. Life must be good .. and you gracing us with your honourable (honorable) presence .. almost like a saviour (savior) of us born and breed Canadian hicks..!!!
(BTW .. PP-boy seems to be inviting me for hand-to-hand combat in Toronto … so you might volunteer to help protect him.)
Herb on 02.19.08 6:06 pm
I remember that conversation and pointed out the size of the expenditure and the probable results. It didn`t look good then and with the ice melting under our economy it`ll be the lucky family that has both parents working. It seems a worse time now to create a huge government program now than then.
Hey did you keep the post where you said elect us now we`ll tell you the program later? Funniest post on this site and true Cdn humour, a thread of truth with all the absurd wrappings. I still chuckle over it from time to time.
Got Rope: Bush may have resolved the oil for food fiasco but he replaced one form of suffering with another. How many Iraqi’s have been killed since the invasion by the U.S.? How many children are now orphans?
It is deceitful to say you are the saviour when you are actually the devil.
Doing something that doesn’t solve the problem is just as bad as doing nothing. So, if you want to be “fair” about it, both the Liberals AND the Conservatives have failed on this file.
By Tim N on 02.19.08 1:11 pm
I wouldn’t totally lay blame on the feds. The blame goes to the parents (dual income families). Many of them, as I would suspect in Halton, don’t want to sacrifice squat when they decide to have their children.
I looked at this year’s tax return. Single income, 2 parents with 2 children are able to claim 9,600 per person as their non-refundable tax credits – that is $5,760 credit against their federal taxes. So basically one can earn 38,400$ before paying any taxes. While 38,400$ is not overly sufficient to put a roof over their heads and also to feed and cloth 4 people, it does provide 3,200$ per month.
As a society, we don’t need to provide for wealthier families’ choices and lifestyles. If they both choose to work outside the home, then they already have the ability to use their child care expenses towards lowering their taxes.
The only families that need our support and assistance are those that fall in the low income braket (be it dual or single parents).
AND, Canada could NOT afford to implement a totally universal childcare system in Canada. By most estimates, this type of program, when fully implemented and fully available to all, would cost 15 to 20 Billion PER YEAR. This represents about 10% of the federal budget!
“Various of my colleagues think I am nuts to do this, since anyone can show up, say anything, cause a disru”
Yeah we really get that Garth. Couldn’t have the citizens having any input how our big country should be run. Hell no, *they* must never be allowed to make big decisions either. Of course we might stop showing up at the polls, let alone the town halls. What a bunch of last century toads, we must have more citizen forums, that is one of the problems!
And for all you stupid toadies who haven’t got a clue about daycare, check out some history at cbc. Daycare Actually Worked Just Fine! But only when the Government needs women!
From 1942 to 1946 the Dominion-Provincial Wartime Agreement allowed for subsidized day nursery care for mothers working in essential wartime industries.
• Considered ahead of their time by child care advocates, these wartime day nurseries boasted organized play, regular outings and other features of what would soon be known as “early child education.The costs for these centres were shared 50-50 between the federal government and the participating provinces. These included Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan. Alberta opted out of the program, while Manitoba and British Columbia didn’t have enough wartime workers to qualify.
• Women who qualified paid an estimated 35 cents a day for their first child aged two to six years old and 15 to 20 cents for additional children.Each provincial government had its own standards and regulations for day nurseries. As this clip recounts, Ontario’s nurseries were considered to be among the best in the country.
• Ontario’s laws stated each centre was to include at least 10 staff members, including a full-time cook and janitor in addition to workers trained in “nursery education.The wartime day nursery experience was a signal to some that society had changed.
• In a July 2, 1943, Globe and Mail article, an MP from North Battleford, Sask., named Dorise Neilsen said “The women of Canada do not want, after the war is over, any suggestion that the only place fit for them is in the home.”
• In June 1946, with the war in Europe over, federal funding for day nurseries was pulled.While some municipal governments rushed to make up the shortfall, the majority of wartime day nurseries were soon closed.
• Protests from Ontario parents led to the continuation of day nurseries in the province. The costs were shared 50-50 between the province and the municipalities.A Toronto Daily Star editorial titled “Playing Politics With Children’s Lives” from May 25, 1946, criticized Ottawa for backing out of the wartime agreement: “Instead of relaxing after the day’s work,” it said, “Many mothers have had to spend their energies trying to save the nurseries. They are having to plead for services which should be provided for their children. What a government!In 1946 the provincial government passed the Ontario Day Nurseries Act, the first piece of government legislation to outline standards of service and training for day nurseries.
• While they were the first example of nationally funded day care, the wartime day nurseries were not without precedent. The first day nursery in Canada was established in Montreal in 1854 by Roman Catholic nuns.The Victoria Day Nursery — the first in Ontario — opened in 1890, with the West End Creche (a French word for crib) opening in 1909 in Toronto.
• According to an article in Good Day Care (1978), by 1933 there were a total of only 20 day nurseries across the country.These early day cares were charitable and meant to care for the children of poor working mothers who could not afford to stay home. Apart from the pioneering West End Creche (which still exists), the standard of care in most nurseries was primitive.
• A typical nursery in 1909 housed about 50 infants and children and was supervised by a staff of three to five employees or volunteers.Writing in 1958, Margaret Hewitt said of early child care options that “to leave a tiny baby to the care of others was a hazardous business till well into the 20th century.”
• As this clip depicts, working women without access to child care were often forced to take desperate measures. According to Good Day Care, women often resorted to tying their children to fences and bedposts in the morning.Others would place their children in orphanages, seeing them only on weekends.
• To hear what a 1948 day care was like go to the additional clip “How a nursery school is born.”
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-69-1710-11756/life_society/day_care/clip1
Harry: When was the last time you spent a day in a Canadian day care centre?
For you to compare one with a post war soviet orphanage is ludicrous.
You must be taking lessons from Prentice who also likes to stretch truths and makes idiotic comparisons.
Good read today! especially brain and got-rope.
I think this whole issue revolves around the old need versus want problem. When we moved to the Yukon 16 years ago we got many shocks in that first year. Having to buy basic school supplies along with the usual back to school stuff set us back a bit but no problem we thought we could stretch the rest over a couple of months. WELL the first two years here were the only time the first snowfall was on September 14th!! Of course the kids loved playin in al that fluffy snow in full sun in their summer clothes. Thank goodness for a freezer because most of our food budget for the next months went into winter clothing.
Anybody who has raised children will recognize this as just one of thousands of situations where “wants” become needs overnight when dealing with a young family. I read an article yesterday by some fool describing how business is drooling over the billions of descretionary income held by baby boomers. Obviously he hasn’t checked out Japan that has been dealing with this for over a decade unsuccessfully. Like most aging baby boomers I have few needs in life and a rapidly decreasing wants list. He missed one of the only solid principles of economics, CHILDREN ARE THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ANY ECONOMY! While I only need to replace a few clothes a year, young children need two complete outfittings each year as they grow out of them and as the seasons change. While I can use the same old sporting equipment I have for decades kids need replacements every season as they grow out of it.
So how do we change our society to reflect these realities? The most obvious is to raise the personal tax exemptions to $20,000 as well as the same for non-employed spouses and oldest children single parent familes. This would take care of many problems described here today. Secondly raise the deduction for children to $10,000 till age 7 and $5,000 from 7-18 years of age. Then some form of support for parents like me stuck with kids still at home after that!!!!!!
While most opposition parties would throw an idea like this at the government and expect action, GOOD opposition parties cost out the idea and discover that there are huge costs involved. To offset these costs I would suggest eliminaton of the capital gains tax as well as a new targeted green tax aimed at products at the factory level and more importently as they cross the border. This could also include taxes on unhealthy PREPARED foods including restaurant meals. All any government has to do is offset any tax losses a program like this would cost.
Final thought: A symptom of a sick society is that an entire industry is built around the simple function of filling out an annual tax form. The fact it is more than a single page is testimony to a long string of incompitent governments of all parties that only look at single issues in isolation rather than as part of the big picture.
The UN oil for food program starved a million Iraqi children.
The Bush admin put and end to that.
Who did you say you supported and who the criminals are?
By got rope? on 02.19.08 6:12 pm
Sorry Rope, if you have an issue with that position, talk to Harry as very cleared out the case that Bush Iraq for reasons of ecomonics and power. So ask Harry to explain why he feels the Bush Admin are war criminals
By got rope? on 02.19.08 6:12 pm
You do realize that what you are suggesting is that the Food for Oil program is an act of war criminals. Rather, its an act of mere thieves of which a large chunk of oil for food went to pay for the war on Kuwait (where the U.S.A got its cut.) We can only estimate that it was around half of the cost of oil sales due to the UN being tight lipped about it to this day. It appears as though less than 40% of Iraqi oil revenues went to the people of Iraq for 9 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil-for-Food_Programme
And you also realize that what you are saying is that for some reason one crooked scandal somehow justifies GWB invading and occupying Iraq illegally and without just cause… extrapolating that George W. Bush is a hero for crushing a nation and ending a crooked program for political gain (Bill Clinton engineered the Food for oil program to begin with so the scandal was used by the Republicans to smear the Democrats) close to an election year… when really, all George Bush is, is a president who took Iraq to war for its oil or more bluntly, took a nation to war because it had nationalized its oil assets… just like U.S. foreign policy has been with so many other nations who’ve nationalized their assets since the 50’s. So… right back at you, Got Rope. Who did you say you support and who are the criminals again?
Ike,
“my problem with Rope is that his whole life seems to be based on what happened to him”
kpn on 02.19.08 6:21 pm
A few like kpn, geo, judy et al like to point out the problem they have with me. What they don`t want to talk about is the 2 million fatherless children or the crime rampage the`re on, or the following as they parrot “the courts rule in the best interests of the child”. You`ll notice the following has no mention of the father headed single parent family.
From statscan
Canadian
Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cissr-ecirc/pdf/cmic_e.pdf
page 20
40% of investigated families were
female-parent families (discussed in
chapter 7 of the CIS Final Report).
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cm-vee/csca-ecve/pdf/childabuse_final_e.pdf
page 51
30% of physical abuse victims
were living in lone female-parent
families (see Table 7-1).
page 52
42% of cases of substantiated
neglect involved lone female-parent
families
Garth,
There might just be a safe, neat, and clean way to sponsor a “Universal” Daycare.
With provincial blessing.
Make it tax deductible.
Daycares can issue tax receipts.
Call it a work expense.
It would lend itself to Provincial oversight in that to get the right to issue these receipts the Daycare centre must meet the provincial standards.
Well, why not????
Oh, and my son and daughter are grown up, so I could not benefit from this plan. (it’s just an idea.)
In short Bush waged a war for power and economic advantage, which if I’m not mistaken is considered a war crime
By Zorpheous on 02.19.08 5:35 pm
Correct…but who cares…Israel is a war crime as well as a blight on humanity…but who cares?!?
Mr. Turner,
this will be my last visit to your blog until Dion’s gone. His irresponsible declaration about Kosovo’s recognition by Canada goes against my strongest beliefs.
Kosovo’s declaration of independence, actually just a step towards the creation of “Greater Albania”, will create a very dangerous precedent. Expect the wars in Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh, Sri Lanka, Ossetia, Transnistria to re-ignite in the next few months. New many wars will start in the next few years.
Think about Jammu& Kashmir and the fragmented population of India and Pakistan.
And think about Canada!
There should be a limit to stupidity in public office and Mr. Dion just crossed the line.
Goodbye and Good Luck, Mr. Turner.
This is what Germany’s role in Af’stan will be, according to Angela Merkel.
http://tinyurl.com/22b2td
“Legalize prostitution!
By wd on 02.19.08 2:44 pm ”
Done, and Harper SCREWED us all!
Income Trusts.
If the standard of daycare is simply having an adult present while my kid sits around and tries to find things to do, I can see why people would be reticent about daycare in general, and ask themselves why people bother with daycare at all.
If however, it is about providing an environment that aids in their social development and their curiosity, with caregivers who are qualified to teach, then I don’t understand what the hesitation about daycare. Not everyone has the time nor ability as parents to provide their kids with a rich environment for them to explore and learn.
The issue, I think, is what standard of care should be acceptable, so that parents don’t have to worry about their kids falling into harm because of the former scenario. Not everyone is qualified to run a daycare, and parents shouldn’t have to fall prey to issues of supply and demand when it comes to the kind of care children deserve.
Austin
BTW…Tim…you hit the nail on the head…our generation is doing mop-up for the free-for-all that the older generation benefited from…realities are different, and we should properly be thinking about helping each other out.
And Got Rope? should realize that single parents arise because of a lack of choice, or mistakes made. No one actively chooses to become a single parent, and women bear the brunt of that “choice”.
Stop demanding that others “pay” for your decision.
By David – Ontario on 02.19.08 1:40 pm
And whats goint to happen to our economy if people stop having kids? It used to be that we just didn’t educate them but prefered to import ready trained people. Industry wanted people but would not train them, they wanted the colleges to do it. Then they wanted people with experience.
So now people stop having kids because its their decision and its not in their best financial interest. So Canada will need to import more works to keep its economy going.
Go to the optician, your opinion is very myopic.
kpn on 02.19.08 6:21 pm
“my problem with Rope is that his whole life seems to be based on what happened to him not having access to his children.”
I`m sry to hear you have a problem with that but it really is no problem. In 1996 I found that my children had no rights, that they could be abused physically, mentally and punished for reporting the abuse or even asking for their rights, with no protection from the police the ministries or the courts. So in truth you`re right, not having access sent me on a mission to find out why. Besides the 2 dozen court appearances on behalf of my children and the hearings taking place I also sat in family court for an additional 3 years following other family court trials. During that time I read 5 years worth of family court decisions and since I`ve studied all the empirical data, read every study and talked/interviewed a lot of people involved. What I discovered is a sole custody for profit system.
Now that I`ve eased your mind on my personal involvement have you given any thought to the children from the highest sole custody rate in history are just now turning old enough to prowl the streets. In another 5 years it`ll be a real war zone out there or do you only have a problem with me?
no justice, no investment
This is off topic but I’d like to draw to the attention of anyone interested more references to the SPP which I heard on CNN on Lou Dobbs show, which runs between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. EST. He was saying how shocked he was that there actually was a planned Superhighway to go from Texas to Canada and that it was wrong for it to be planned by corporations and imposed on governments without any public discourse or debate in any government venue anywhere. It was called the Nafta Superhighway (maybe they think that’ll be less controversial than calling it a SPP Superhighway.
This will be discussed further on Lou Dobbs tomorrow (Wednesday) between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. if anyone wants to tune in.
There is more info. on this at this web site: http://www.canadians.org and scroll down to “Integrate this…..” Speakers at the Montebello Conference included Maude Barlow, Elizabeth May and a number of others whose talks were on video.
Garth:
When and where will you be speaking in Burlington?
Thursday, 7 pm, Tansley Woods Library. — Garth
Hi Keith, Although I have had very little time to participate in Garth’s blog, there is one paragraph that I saw when scanning this post that really irks me to no end, and that paragraph is:
“But Canadians know it was a Liberal government that turned (former prime minister) Brian Mulroney’s $42-billion deficit into a decade of surpluses, balanced budgets, and economic prosperity.”
That really gets under my skin. If Mr. Mulroney had done the things Paul Martin did as Fin. Min. he also would have been running huge surpluses instead of deficits.
*Moved the E.I. account $45 billion per year into the federal general coffers.
*gutted health care.
*gutted the military.
*cut all social programs to provinces to unbelievable low levels.
*added the GST to essentials, including children’s clothing and shoes.
Come on Keith, a monkey could have done that. Mr. Mulroney simply didn’t have the heart to do that to the average CND.
Meanwhile CSL received a whopper of a tax haven, throwing overboard all her CND workers. At the same time, Paul told the HoC that CSL only collected $37,000 in grants. Oops, Access revealed it was $163,000,000 (they didn’t lie to the HoC, it was simply a typing error). Oh don’t forget the CPP rules changes Paul implemented that also got CSL a huge cash grab in clawing back pension funds.
I can’t see in light of all that why Liberals keep proudly crowing how wonderful it was to eliminate the deficit. I also remember reading old comments from Garth, that at the time he did not feel Mr. Martin and the Liberals weren’t such good fiscal guardians of the country.
Personally I think it’s time that Liberals stuck to the future, because that past can really bite them on the butt.
Sincerely, Leasa
Off topic but important, CBC’s “The National” has started an excellent series on Afghanstan, with panelists who know what they are talking about. Two parts aired tonight and can be seen on http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_feature/inside_the_mission/the_state_of_the_war_1.html
KPN, I hear you, and your point is well taken.
The UN oil for food program starved a million Iraqi children.
The Bush admin put and end to that.
Sorry, Rope, but a program cannot starve anyone. Only people can do that. And in ending “the Oil for food” plan, Bush has given us a completely dysfunctional country with a government that is probably far more corrupt than the one that it replaced.
Plus approximately 2 million Iraqi refugees in other countries and another 2 million Iraqis displaced in Iraq. Definitely a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“Ike, what about the dead beat moms. You know the ones. Always having children by men they have one night stands with, or short term relationships of convenience, or are just drug addicts, alcoholics, psychotic, abusive nutbars, who have no sense of personal responsibility whatsoever, blame everyone else for their problems, and then steal the children away, but still demand, with the State’s assistance of course, free of charge, child support?
“How about them in your comment Ike?
“Perhaps you view women like the hard liner Islamics under Sharia Law that they are brainless, never responsible, etc.? Do women have the freedom of choice to prevent pregnancy, or is it all the man’s fault?”
“What say you Ike?” –By Bill-Muskoka on 02.19.08 3:59 pm
Well, Bill, if you have read my exchange with Got Rope? you will realize that I qualified my statement to “Deadbeat Dads” and acknowledged that it applies equally to Deadbeat Moms who are equally guilty of one-night stands, and short-term relationships of convenience.
The only difference is, that if a child does result from the one-night stand or short-term relationship, the woman has a greater responsibility to decide on either an abortion, or whether to have the baby. Unless the father comes alongside her for that process (which she cannot escape, but he can), then he is being more irresponsible than she is.
Look at my original comment again, Bill.
I was referring to Deadbeat Dads who sire children and then abandon them, not to Dads who sire children and then fight for their custody in court. Those are two very, very different things.
What I find interesting is that you refer to some women as “psychotic, abusive nutbars, who have no sense of personal responsibility” and then have the temerity to suggest that I see women as “brainless, never responsible.”
Do you not see through your own flawed logic on this one?
I realize very well that we cannot point the finger at any one gender, any more than we can at any one generation.
We have a HUMAN problem here (and that includes you and me), not a gender problem, or a problem with one social class, one political party, or one nationality.
You know it is not my intent to point the finger at any one class or gender, and that I believe that the masculine and the feminine image are equal in worth and dignity, but complementary.
You know that. Why do you raise such questions when you already know my beliefs in the equality of the masculine and the feminine?
By Rob Wiebe on 02.19.08 2:49 pm
‘Hey Garth, I’m tired of our opt-out society. It’s counter-productive.
I believe that the federal government should develop a national framework for early childhood learning in which trained professionals look after Canada’s children.’
You have some very interesting ideas on managing childcare issues in Canada.
‘Trained professionals look after Canada’s children’ hmmm.
While I am uncomfortable with aspects of your suggestion, I would like to offer you the opportunity to expound on this idea, in advance of voicing my current misgivings with the concept of state-raised children.
Kindly,
Cheryl
No one actively chooses to become a single parent, and women bear the brunt of that “choice”.
By Austin So on 02.19.08 9:57 pm
I`m glad an expert has joined in the conversation.
A study of married women reveled that 43% of them wouldn`t let the father have anything to do with the father if they divorced. They felt that way when they were still married so the numbers under divorce conditions would have to be much higher.
I`d be interested to review the material you based your assessment on. thx v
By Kevin on 02.19.08 11:02 pm
Oh Kevin, you spoil-sport. Rope is just trying to make a point that countries involved in Carbon Trading should be invade by Bush. It’s that whole democracy and freedom thang, dude
By Austin So on 02.19.08 9:57 pm
Thanks Austin – I swear, sometimes (most times) I feel like no else gets it.
Let me sum this conversation up because I`ve been through it too many times to worry about forward movement.
Here`s the deal. Replace sole custody in the divorce act with presumed joint physical custody and take the divorce act out of the justice system. This is in the best interests of the children and as parents find out they can`t defeat the rules they will quit trying and do what they have to do. Cutting back on the number of children defeated in their childhood will be a very good thing for Cdn society. It will also start the return of investor confidence in Canada.
We still have to deal with the current and upcoming crop. They need hope and a future worth striving for, something I trust we all agree is in short supply at this time. To do this we only need create programs like I`ve outlined on my blog. That should complete the restoration of investor confidence.
The other suggestion is to convert to a green economy which I like but the Cdn consumer is too broke to convert so without a market. no sale. My blog explains how the program I write about uses current consumer spending for revenue, sale.
http://poppavox.blogspot.com/
Garth and company. Considering the benefits is anyone of the opinion that I ask too much?
Sorry, Rope, but a program cannot starve anyone. Only people can do that.
Plus approximately 2 million Iraqi refugees in other countries and another 2 million Iraqis displaced in Iraq. Definitely a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
By Kevin on 02.19.08 11:02 pm
Yes, yes of course, it`s always some rogue shadowy figure that has no title that is the culprit, (adscam). The UN was in it up to their blue hats but taking down a criminal enterprise that big was just `people`. I hope you`re not one that believes government crime is good for the country. Corruption is the single most destructive man made force on the planet and corruption that permeates to the top of the UN is not good for any of the countries.
As to the rest, war is hell and there are few Iraqis that would trade a future for what they had. They have the courage to keep moving ahead even under the circumstances while people like you suggest the`re cooked. That`s as pathetic as Dion attacking our troops moral suggesting the`re in a `never ending war`.
. . . will create a very dangerous precedent. Expect the wars in Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh, Sri Lanka, Ossetia, Transnistria to re-ignite in the next few months. New many wars will start in the next few years.
By Solitario on 02.19.08 9:07 pm
Pretty much what I said a night or two ago. I guess with all the garbage-style rhetoric coming from the US — How To Win Friends And Influence People – NOT!! — the powder keg we’re sitting on is about to blow sky-high, and there ain’t nuttin’ we can do about it.
Castro is gonzo; dubya and cheney are salivating at the thought of taking pot shots at Iran, ‘coz Israel told them to, and it will be with other families’ kids, not their own.
Russia will clearly stand firm in protecting Iran, and China will back Russia and Iran all the way.
The Balkan conflict starts up again; meanwhile, America continues to sink economically, taking us with them — IF we let them.
On second thoughts, Garth is right on the mark this time. With events happening worldwide so quickly these days, the time IS right to bring CRAP down and install Dion as the new PM of Canada.
Dion may not be able to fully stop what the harpocrats have started, but he can stall, or put several CRAPpy plans out with the recycling bins. A new Lib. gov’t. will eventually clean up the damage that CRAP is doing to Canada.
Dion sure as hell can’t do any worse, and he won’t lie to anyone, then laugh about that (and other) lies after.
An Iranian look at the US’s fiscal irresponsibility.
Got to look at both sides of the story — that is fair and balanced reporting!
http://tinyurl.com/2f73vy
I will expound on the notion of “trained professionals” for Cheryl:
1. They have degrees in early childhood education.
2. Centres should be under the guidance of a Master’s graduate in ECE.
3. They are trained in CPR/first aid.
4. They are bonded and their license to practice is subject to annual review and penalty.
5. There are no more than 8 kids per ECE provider for the 3-5 year age group.
6. They teach social development skills under a play-based hands-on learning program.
7. They address the individual needs of children based on their particular learning abilities, both in conceptual as well as social skills.
8. They teach kids to become aware of their emotions, and how to deal with them in a non-destructive manner.
9. They teach kids how to interact with others in a civil manner.
This is a working system of early childcare education. Not just simply dropping off your kids to some family that decides they can make a few extra bucks by opening up their house to others without caring all that much about their welfare.
My kids were extremely lucky to go through a system like the above, and it shows when they hit K-1. They are confident and curious and civil.
Maybe this is just a personal statement of the failings on my part as a parent, but as parents, although we like to think that we are capable of providing this stimulation all by ourselves, we juggle so many different things on top of the things which our children view as extremely important and worthwhile, but which we may not necessarily have the time nor the willingness to engage in. That is what a solid ECE program can provide. Not a replacement for parenthood, but a supplement to it.
FWIW
Austin
By Leasa on 02.19.08 10:27 pm
Leasa, please read this comment (which you most obviously haven’t)
By brain on 02.19.08 3:59 pm
But if you can’t read it, Leasa, then just stay ignorant. There’s always a certain percentage that will remain so and since you comment here often, you should be able to make a good example of an ignorant voter who after many chances, continues to remain that way. (sigh)
Personally I think it’s time that Liberals stuck to the future, because that past can really bite them on the butt.
Sincerely, Leasa
By Leasa on 02.19.08 10:27 pm
Hi Leasa,
Very good advice Leasa. One little problem though, don’t you think the CPC deserve the same advice because with the Mulroney happenings right now, that past might rear its ugly head & bite them on the butt?
Cheers
During that time I read 5 years worth of family court decisions and since I`ve studied all the empirical data, read every study and talked/interviewed a lot of people involved. What I discovered is a sole custody for profit system.
By got rope? on 02.19.08 10:04 pm
Yes…quasi legalized prostitution!
Leasa’s latest post….blah blah blah…misrepresentation…misrepresentation…blah blah….blah
The rest of the readers on Garth’s blog in response to Leasa… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Off topic, but it is entirely quotable and illuminates the fine work of our Troll Patrol:
“Whatever the Prime Minister’s Office is paying for Prentice to so bravely sacrifice his self-respect, it can’t surely be enough, can it?”
Aaron Wherry, “Weekend Notes”, http://forums.macleans.ca/advansis/?mod=for&act=dis&eid=62
“
In France, children as young as 3 go to a nursery at state expense.
“The French Educational System
The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines « educational system » as the institutions, agencies and organizations of a country that transmit knowledge and cultural heritage and that influence the social and intellectual growth of the individual. Schools are certainly not the only aspect of education, but for families settling in a new country, the formal education system will definitely be one of the major vectors of integration, not only for the children but for the parents as well.
The French Educational System
The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines « educational system » as the institutions, agencies and organizations of a country that transmit knowledge and cultural heritage and that influence the social and intellectual growth of the individual. Schools are certainly not the only aspect of education, but for families settling in a new country, the formal education system will definitely be one of the major vectors of integration, not only for the children but for the parents as well.
Here are a few questions about the French educational system often asked by new comers:
What’s so different about the French educational system?
First of all, the French educational system is highly centralized. The Ministry of National Education establishes the national curriculum followed by a very large majority of the country’s schools. This “mammoth”, as the ministry was referred to by a recent Minister of Education, is France’s largest employer. Another particularity of the system is its very well developed learning program for children starting at three years of age (see grades and cycles below). Though school is not obligatory before a child turns six , 99% of the three-year-olds in France go to school at least part-time, and by four they attend school full time – from 8:30am to 4:30pm.”
http://french-school-expat-guide.com/index.php?post/2007/04/24/Questions-concerning-the-french-educational-system
Last year, while visiting my husband’s family in France, we noticed how much further advanced our 4 year old nephew (Martin) was in comparison to his 4 year old cousin (Julien) in Quebec. They both turn 5 this year. We attributed this to his having attended school part time at age 3. Martin could count to 100, knew his alphabet, and was able to write words. I would say Martin was at least a year ahead of Julien.
I don’t see why we can’t offer the same educational advantages to our children in Canada. Although not a parent, I’m willing to see my tax $$$ spent on such a worthwhile investment in Canada’s future.
Here are a few questions about the French educational system often asked by new comers:
What’s so different about the French educational system?
First of all, the French educational system is highly centralized. The Ministry of National Education establishes the national curriculum followed by a very large majority of the country’s schools. This “mammoth”, as the ministry was referred to by a recent Minister of Education, is France’s largest employer. Another particularity of the system is its very well developed learning program for children starting at three years of age (see grades and cycles below). Though school is not obligatory before a child turns six , 99% of the three-year-olds in France go to school at least part-time, and by four they attend school full time – from 8:30am to 4:30pm
Oops, sorry for repeating a para in my above post.
PM’s outdated policy will hurt Ontario, McGuinty warns
Robert Benzie and Kerry Gillespie
Toronto Star
(Feb 20, 2008)
The federal Conservatives need to abandon their “outdated” and “West-centric” economic policy or risk the wrath of Ontario voters in the next election, Premier Dalton McGuinty says.
Outlining his demands for Tuesday’s federal budget, McGuinty said Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s neo-conservative beliefs are undermining Canada.
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/327264
Well I just did my taxes and for some reason I am actually getting less this year. Is this why Harper wants his election so bad? Another broken promise and lie about to be exposed.
Loud, bold’ MP on PR offensive
Wed, February 20, 2008
‘Loud, bold’ MP on PR offensive
By DONNA CASEY, SUN MEDIA
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/02/20/4861097-sun.html
Harry S – obviously you haven’t been anywhere – swamp-Muskoka? Muskoka being one of the most beautiful places in Ontario – you really are dumb.
About Liberal gutting military, etc – duh – what is it you Conservatives don’t understand about not having any money – the country being on the verge of bankruptcy and CPP in crisis? Besides, it was Mulroney who started to gut the military – and you know it.
Lies, lies and more lies from these bimbos.
Be careful Leasa.You know the liberals don’t like reality.Judging from some of the posts here,they only watch the CBC to get their ‘unbiased’news.At least you see the true picture.Thanks for clearing it up for them.
In addition to the questions raised by:
By Cheryl on 02.19.08 11:10 pm
… would the Liberal national infant care scheme provide breast-feeding or only bottle service for infants less than 24 months old ?? Working mothers want to know …..
“Hey did you keep the post where you said elect us now we`ll tell you the program later?”
Of course I kept it, Rope. I’m sure we’ll get back to that discussion too, say, in a month or so.
Hey Garth, I personally think the solution to the childcare problem may involve some of the following:
1. Increasing paid (or unpaid, depending on the nature of the work) maternity/paternity leave benefits from the current 1 year to 5 years.
Norway has done this, and their need for state sponsored daycare dropped bigtime. Why? mothers (or fathers, seeing as 5-10% of the population are “stay-at-home dads”) were able to stay home to care for their kids, while being on paid maternity/paternity leave.
In this way, the children got the personal attention from their kids they needed, while getting the double (or single) incomes needed to support their family.
Second of all, I believe income-splitting is essential. As you so eloquently pointed out, income-splitting can save families anywhere from $200-1000 a year in taxes. That is money which can be spent on meeting the needs of their children.
Third, increasing the child tax benefit is a must.
Fourth, we need to restore funding to the non-profit organization “Campaign 2000″ (Link: http://www.campaign2000.ca/ )
as you well know in 1989, all federal parties unanimously passed a motion to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Yet in 1993, the then Chretien Liberal Gov’t cut the funding for Campaign 2000, limiting their ability to keep government accountable.
Yet thanks to non-profit groups in the Greater Toronto area, they still release reports, statistics, and recommendations on how to tackle the issue.
Either way Garth, I hope this helps you figure things out!
By the way Garth, any word back on when you’ll be doing your “Atlantic Canadian Tour” of Town Halls? My Cons MP Loyola Hearn (MP for St.John’s South-Mt.Pearl and Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans) has NEVER held a Town Hall meeting in this riding in the 8 years that he’s been an MP!
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19388.htm
And where is cowering Canada? With our touques shoved firmly up our own arses!
On the subject of our Children’s future, here is some more on the ZENN Car and LSV situation here in Canada.
Transport Canada is trying to ban the ZENN and other Low Speed Vehicles from public roads!
On December 22, 2007, only 50 days after granting the ZENN the National Safety Mark (clearing the way for ZENN to sell in the provinces that enact low-speed vehicle legislation) Transport Canada announced plans to revise the definition of low-speed vehicles.
The proposed revision to definition of Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs) is as follows:
A low-speed vehicle†means a vehicle, other than a restricted-use motorcycle or a vehicle imported temporarily for special purposes, that is designed for use primarily on streets and roads where access and the use of other classes of vehicles are controlled by law or agreement.
There are other recommendations, including the addition of small trucks to the definition and improvements for increased visibility of LSVs that ZENN Motor Company agrees are reasonable and we support.
For a detailed description of the proposed changes, please click on the following link:
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2007/20071222/html/regle4-e.html
What does this mean?
Essentially, the ZENN would be UNABLE to operate on 50 KPH and slower public roads such as in downtown Victoria , Vancouver , Montreal and Toronto . The ZENN and vehicles like it would be forced to only operate on closed, private roads such as parks, university campuses and military bases.
What are the consequences to such a revision?
Consumer choice for alternative, zero emission green vehicles will remain limited to bicycles
Those provinces who wish to promote alternative forms of transportation (such as a Low-Speed Vehicle) will have to legislate in direct opposition to Transport Canada’s revised definition of limited on road use
The following excerpt from the Canada Gazette solidifies their position:
“… During consultations, companies and associations promoting LSV noted concern with the portion of the proposed definition that clarifies the intended use of LSV. THESE COMPANIES AND ASSOCIATIONS SUGGEST THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE LSV AVAILABLE AS COMMUTER VEHICLES SHARING THE ROADS WITH OTHER CLASSES OF VEHICLES. NEITHER THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA NOR THE PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES THAT HAVE COMMENTED SHARE THIS POINT OF VIEW. GIVEN THE FACT THAT LSV HAVE NO SAFETY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS, OCCUPANT SAFETY WOULD BE COMPROMISED IF THEY WERE TO TRAVEL IN MIXED TRAFFIC WITH OTHER FULL-SIZE PASSENGER VEHICLES…”
Concerned? Here is what you can do:
All comments regarding the proposed changes must be submitted by February 20, 2008 to:
Matthew Coons, Senior Regulatory Development
Engineer, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation
Directorate, Department of Transport, Place de Ville, Tower C,
8th Floor, 330 Sparks Street , Ottawa , Ontario K1A 0N5
tel.:613-998-1961; e-mail: coonsm@tc.gc.ca
By Catherine on 02.19.08 7:31 pm
Good points. I suspect the sticking point is the word “universal,” as in 100% of child care is provided for everyone.
Maybe the support for low income families could be by means of the tax system. Declare on your tax return what day care expenses you paid, everyone is eligible but the amount you would get back would be based on income, just like the Child Tax Benefit.
More on LSV’s, Capacitors and equivalent to 150 mile per gallon vehicles that can go 80 MILES PER HOUR.
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10601407
AND, you just gotta see this one. The car that runs on AIR!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7243247.stm
What I really like about this one, is that it runs its best on HOT AIR. I would call it the PPC, Perfect Politicians’ Car. Just hook ‘em up to a tube.
When you look at the Big Picture here, and see the technology that is coming on line, doesn’t it make you want to know why Government blocks initiatives like ZENN Car?
From today’s Financial Post:
The wisdom in Dion’s debt strategy
Terence Corcoran, Financial Post
Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008
To hear the Conservatives tell the story, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has announced new budget principles that would create a new round of federal deficit spending. The Tory Web site, full of their typical putdowns of Mr. Dion, includes a visual suggesting a Liberal budget would sink Canada into “$62.5-billion in new debt.”
It’s just partisan gamesmanship. The Tories took a list of Mr. Dion’s latest pronouncements on spending and his earlier fiscal comments, added them all together, and came up with a big number. Mr. Dion, and his finance-minister-in-waiting, John McCallum, quickly branded the Tories as thieves and liars, or something like that. Actually, Mr. Dion — speaking yesterday in Montreal — used the following phrases against the Tories: deliberate miscalculations, misrepresentations, misinformation, the epitome of desperation, and distortion of the facts.
I’d check the veracity of all this if I weren’t already certain the Conservatives had done all of the above, and maybe more. What’s really fascinating isn’t the facts so much as the Dion speech last week in Ottawa that triggered the Tories’ attack on Mr. Dion’s debt strategy.
Because what Mr. Dion had to say about government spending and deficits and debt made a lot of sense. The federal government, he said, now had a debt level that was low and going lower. Even if Ottawa does not pay down any debt in the next few years, the total national debt –at about $470-billion– will decline as a percentage of gross domestic product to 25% by 2012, down from 30% today and down from 68% at its peak in the mid-1990s”
So, there you have it – more lies and distortions by the CPC/Harper and Bobblehead Company.
FYI,
some interesting ideas to change government, 10min video,
At lessig08.org, you can watch a 10 minute video explaining the launching of a Change Congress movement,
http://lessig.org/blog/
Jim Prentice: We believe you. Just like we believe Harper’s fabricated claims of tax leakage
http://caiti-online.blogspot.com/2008/02/jim-prentice-we-believe-you-just-like_20.html
Tim N, you said “when you’re old, on pension, and not paying taxes.”
Now I don’t want to belabour this,and certainly don’t want to put words in your mouth, so I’ll quote you directly again…”when you’re old, on pension, and not paying taxes.”
You are incorrect in stating this.
FYI
Don’t forget to go out and watch the lunar eclipse night.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/lunar.html
America’s economy risks the mother of all meltdowns
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ft/20080219/bs_ft/fto021920081334359078
Hi Keith, Although I have had very little time to participate in Garth’s blog, there is one paragraph that I saw when scanning this post that really irks me to no end, and that paragraph is:
…..Personally I think it’s time that Liberals stuck to the future, because that past can really bite them on the butt.Sincerely, LeasaBy Leasa on 02.19.08 10:27 pm
Drive-by shooting by Leasa….
I have to reply that the past can really bite the BIG one for your party of choice, my dear. Too bad the only time you “drop in” is to be negative, and to attack Garth. BTW, you aren’t the only busy person who comes on this blog.
Look at my original comment again, Bill.
I was referring to Deadbeat Dads who sire children
And precisely why do you think that myoptic statement is warranted, unless you harbour your well expressed gender bias against equality between men and women?
How about getting off the MSM’s mantra of labelling and assumption that men are the problem, which by excluding the other side of the coin, you are supporting. Women are the ones who choose to get pregnant by having unprotected sex, or plain old promiscuity. This is the NOT 1950’s.
I agree, it is a HUMAN problem. If you think it is merely human, watch National Geographic’s ‘Wild Sex’. we are very tame compared to nature.
Even in marriage it should be a joint decision as it becomes a lifetime of commitment. Many women assume they have the sole right to make the decision, they do NOT!
You sound like a feminist ‘It’s the MAN’s fault’ Point blank Ike, BS!
Want ‘Choice’? Then use responsible judgement. Pregnancy is a well understood reality. Women make all the choices except in the case of rape or incest. Time to own up on that responsibility. Oh, and Rope’s effort’s, now that he has explained them, are admired and considered quite worthwhile by me. I just got annoyed at his constant posting when it had no relationship to the topic at hand. He is right on the money most of the time. It was a matter of timing, not substance.
The point you focused on was ‘It’s those DEAD BEAT Dad’s. Well, Ike, reality is this. People have sex because they are hormonally driven to do so. The woman may choose to get pregnant out of her own selfishness, and without the consent of the man. That is stealing his bodily and spiritual essence, i.e., genetics and heritage. He has, in effect, been raped and had his future stolen.
I can think of not greater atrocity. All the family relations laws were pushed through by the feminists and a bunch of conservative and many liberal kooks who think we are living in the Old Days. Bottom line was they didn’t want the burden placed on society via the welfare rolls. Then they turned it into an industry where the lawyers are the only ones who prosper, never the pople involved, much less the children.
Granted, and I have personally known a few, there are men who can’t and won’t keep it in their pants and are truly irresponsible jerks and dead beats. Not just as fathers but as members of society. But if you want to raise the issue, raise it in complete light, not one side. That is called fairness.
All the rest is moot to me.
As to your beliefs. When you say I believe that the masculine and the feminine image are equal in worth and dignity, but complementary. That is NOT the impression you gave to me. You gave me the distinct impression you believe men are superior and women are inferior. Not once did you ever express the concept of ‘complimentary’ in our long exchanges. To that I totally agree, but I also do not limit career or activity choices for either men or women.
I still maintain there is no definitive line of division. Some women are better at men things than men, and vice versa. It depends on the indiviidual, not societal biases.
At least that has enlightened you intended meaning…I would like to believe.
For my own viewpoint, I grew tired of the male bashing crap a long time ago. The MSM has done more to destroy the family with their sensationalistic bias than all the bad parents. The MSM tells the masses ‘This is how we all are’ and the masses believe it. It is a LIE!
I remember my father’s advice when I came of age sexually. He didn’t do the birds and the bees BS, he looked me right in the eye and said ‘Son, if you have sex, don’t get her pregnant!’ Simple as that. he didin’t treat me like an idiot, he didn’t cast morality all over the issue, he went right to the heart of the matter. Sounder advice could not have been given, and it worked.
The issue is not sex…the issue is PREGNANCY and creating another human being when there is not hope of being able to care for that precious life. Like the Florida minister told his congregation, and I laighed when I read this one Minister to married couples: Sex every day!
Have a nice day and enjoy the sunshine. I am for sure!
Now for the morning news review. Things that actually affect us as people HERE.
Could $5 a month save the music industry? LIKE HELL THEY WILL!
I do not download music from the internet, and I will NOT pay a fee for those who do. Not $5 per month more, not $60 oer year for something I do not use.
When this Copyright legislation comes before the HoC, SQUASH IT!
Too bad for the poor little multibillion corporations amn the millionaire artists.
Getting groceries to the shelf sooner
“Certainly, the supply chain is not responsive enough to get products to store quickly,” Peter McMahon, executive vice-president in charge of supply chain and information technology, said at the company’s special investor day. “A lot of that has to do with poor forecasting.”
…
Under Loblaw’s current method, called “stock and ship,” the company takes in more tubs than it needs and stores them until they’re required, he explained. That’s necessary because Loblaw’s forecasting system can’t accurately predict how many will be needed.
At the warehouse, the tub is handled five times: unloaded from the supplier’s truck, moved to a lane, racked and stored there until needed, then picked up and reloaded onto a delivery truck headed for the stores.
Under a new model, called “Flow,” that same tub of yogurt would reach a store shelf with 26 days left to expiry, McMahon said.
Hey, call Magna or any auto manufactuer, learn about J.I.T. (Just In Time) materials delivery. They have been using it for decades. You might try buying CANADIAN produce instead of all the American, Mexican, and SOuth American stuff. That will enhance shelf life too. Buy from the provincial farmers first, cut your shipping time. What an idea, eh?
If WalMart can supply Canadian origin food, why can’t you?
Canadian companies learning how to do business in the 21st Century! HA! What’s next, a government subsidy? Probably! “Please Mr. Prime Minister/Mr. Premiere, may we have some more? Our CEO needs a vacation and a new corporate jet to take him/her there.” Whine, whine, whine!
BTW, you will reduce your GHG emissions by not sucking so much energy off the grid storing stuff for a month.
Well, maybe that’s why the veggies and spoilable dairy products go bad so soon, eh? Doesn’t happen with WalMart’s produc or dairy. Hey Loblaw’s, you have been raking in the loot for years. Stop paying your bozo Top Manglement so much and get it done. We stopped buying because most the time your shelves are out of stock. No such problem with the WalMArt Supercentre. They know how to distribute and run a business.
Here’s a key for business success..’The customer is to reason you do it right, not to pad the pockets of your insiders and stockholders. Try lowering prices, and having things in stock. At least you finally admit you have a serious problem. We have known a long time. Maybe, just maybe, this is not merely another lieing corporate announcement?
Think A&P is ‘Fresh Obsessed’? No, we ARE!
Meanwhile reality checks are in play for alberta, and with it the CPC’s main base of support.
The scary oil sands
Canadians’ concerns over Alberta oil-sands development centre largely around its impact on climate change.
And for good reason. In a list of 207 nations ranked by greenhouse gas emissions, Alberta’s oil sands come out higher than 145 of them.
And that comparison is based on 2007 emissions. Under its proposed “intensity” caps to fight global warming, the Harper government predicts a near doubling in oil-sand emissions by 2020.
But as a study released last week by the advocacy group Environmental Defence shows, the dangers posed by the tar sands go far beyond climate change. The most frightening is the leaching of toxins into the region’s water supplies, which the study terms “a giant slow-motion oil spill.”
After one study found that moose meat in the region could contain 453 times acceptable levels of arsenic, the Alberta government produced its own study showing arsenic to be “only” 17 to 33 times the acceptable levels. So tainted are fish in the area that some First Nations have reported that “fish frying in a pan smell like burning plastic.”
The study, Canada’s Toxic Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth, goes on to discuss the massive tailing ponds containing a poisonous mixture of water and oil that result from the oil extraction process. It says they constitute “a megadisaster waiting to happen to the region’s water supplies.” Already covering more than 50 square kilometres, these lakes of toxic soup are held back only by earthen dikes, one of which rivals China’s Three Gorges as the largest dam on the planet. Quoting David Schindler, one of the world’s top water scientists, the study warns: “If any of those tailing ponds were ever to breach and discharge into the river, the world would forever forget about the Exxon Valdez.”
Clearly released to stir debate in the provincial election campaign underway in Alberta, the frightening findings in this study also need to be addressed by federal parties as they gear up for a spring election.
How Canadian of them, eh? Hello? HoC? You have WORK to do!
As usual we find a Climate of apathy in Alberta, just like we have in Ontario.
quaring the circle of the province’s growing contribution to both climate change and the Canadian economy is the greatest emerging challenge on the federal-provincial horizon these days but one would be hard-pressed to tell from the dispassionate, at times disillusioned, campaign taking place in the province.
Alberta hardly has a monopoly on skirting inconvenient issues in the lead-up to a vote; last fall the inexorable erosion of Ontario’s manufacturing base played second fiddle to a debate over religious education funding throughout that province’s campaign.
Still, the oil sands are the ground zero of Canada’s failure to deal effectively with climate change. Alberta energy giants are currently contributing the bulk of the industrial increase in greenhouse gas emissions with more on the way. But the energy sector also accounts for a rare positive note in an otherwise gloomy national economic forecast.
While the politicians follow the money (campaign supporters) the people wait for actual ACTION on needed WORK.
With Fidel Castro gone, U.S. hawks will look north: Canada should resist inevitable U.S. pressure to squeeze Cuba during leadership transition
An orderly succession is taking place in Havana today, as Fidel’s younger brother Raul – who has led the country informally since July 2006 – officially takes over. We’ll likely see another orderly succession before long, when the 76-year-old Raul retires or dies.
For unlike most leaders of undemocratic countries, Fidel Castro did not hoard power; he shared it with a group of close friends and loyal technocrats, who learned to co-operate with one another – and have every incentive to continue to do so.
…
Thanks in part to Canada, Cuba is headed down the same path as China or Vietnam. With trade, investment and tourism come higher incomes, more contact with foreigners, greater individual autonomy and – one can hope – greater democratic voice.
On a ’sunny’ note do not forget it is forecast to be a Perfect night predicted for lunar eclipse in southern Ontaroio. Enjoy nature’s show coming to a sky near you tonight.
Simply put tell Bush ‘Go away! He is NOT Emperor of the World!
I am going to rant a little this A.M. Some might say, so what else is new?
The controversies over new GHG saving technologies and Carbon trading are interconnected. If you pursue the first, you needn’t worry about the second.
Analogy. Are you going to put your shoulder into moving the wheel forward or are you going to put your foot under the wheel? Ya gotta roll with it Henry!
If we put our shoulder behind the wheel of progress in developing automobiles and light trucks that are electric and or hybrid (maybe air), plus put as much heavy trucking back on the rails as we can, we will give ourselves time to breathe and pursue the alternatives for generating electricity, mass transit systems and more self sufficiency in regard to energy needs. Plus time to build a National Grid and develop a cohesive rather than divisive National Energy Plan ranging from Bio fuels to a Canada first Petroleum policy.
Some new things don’t help. They in fact hurt a great deal. The ideas surrounding divorce etc. that were brought here from the U.S. supposedly to address new age need to express one’s self and exercise one’s freedom of choice, never properly addressed responsibility. In fact, only addressed responsibility in the light of trying to band aid the effects of the first blunders. As Mr. Rope tries to say in his way, when you leave the process to lawyers and the Judicial system which is made up of lawyers and politicians whose God’s are lawyers, what do ya get? A system that benefits lawyers. Not families, and certainly not Children. It’s like giving politicians free reign in the realm of taxation. Just give the keys to the vault to Ali Baba and the forty thieves and be done with it. Sole custody has been proven to be very flawed. Paving the way to Family breakdown has been a travesty. US States and Countries that have moved to correct this by using joint custody as the norm, have made extraordinary advances as they have, largely, eliminated the financial incentives. Lawyers then can’t prey on the greed of the individual to satisfy their own. Individuals find it far more difficult to prey on others via the system.
Imagine the savings involved if Courts were not dealing with a 40% ratio of new cases being Family Court cases, and not having to finance all that legal aid. Not to mention the savings in Policing as many use the Police as tools in their quest to beat the other side. Sometimes, this results in various legal actions. Many of which are unwarranted. Such as peace bonds and criminal actions which can affect the individual and their earning power, long term.
Once the animosity has been stoked in a family break down, it rarely goes away. Even if one party overcomes it, or was not malicious to begin with. You can’t drag or force the other into being reasonable. The old saying says, time heals all wounds. I think not. Not in the case of Family breakup after lawyers and the judicial system, backed by politically correct police have finished consuming ones organs.
When will we get it in this country? Universal childcare isn’t a question of asking the state to raise your kids. Universal childcare is simply a matter of sound social policy, just as universal healthcare, and universal access to high quality education are. To those without children who state they don’t want to pay for someone else’s daycare, I have news for you, your own future and wellbeing in this country depends on the outcome for those children. Furthermore, we all pay for universal healthcare and our education system, yet I am rarely sick or in need of healthcare (thankfully), and I am not in school. Does this mean I should be upset about paying for these things?
One of our biggest problems in our society is our inability to think of something bigger than ourselves. Our society constantly encourages individuality like some sort of rigid religious dogma, and this must change. We have to begin to think in terms of the collective good. The gap between the rich and the poor is only getting wider, and as more and more children suffer in poverty, and get left behind, this country will become a haven for wealthy individuals and large transnational corporations.
Don’t take my word for it on these matters! Have a look at the Scandinavian countries! These nations (Sweden in particular) have a much smaller gap between the rich and the poor, a much lower overall poverty rate, and extremely generous social programs in comparison to Canada (including childcare). Mr. Harper’s monthly cheque of $100 per child under 6 is pathetic!
We do not need to reinvent the wheel here. Other nations have had great success with better social policy. These nations are competitive internationally, and yet they spend 2 to 3 times what we do on such things as healthcare, childcare, and social assistance programs. The end result? Most importantly, they have created an equal distribution of wealth among their citizenry which contributes to a peaceful and cohesive society.
It’s pretty dry stuff, but have a look at Dennis Raphael’s book, “Poverty and Policy in Canada”. He explains it all better than I can.
To Mr. Turner, if you are serious about what you say, then keep fighting for income splitting, and more importantly universal childcare. Our country’s very future just might depend on it!
With Hope,
Dan
P.S. I know we like to criticize our neighbour to the south, but just for fun, check out our child poverty rate vs. theirs. You might be unpleasantly surprised!
Oil Jumps Back Above $100 on a Texas Refinery Outage and Possible OPEC Production Cut
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080219/oil_prices.html?
AND, Canada could NOT afford to implement a totally universal childcare system in Canada. By most estimates, this type of program, when fully implemented and fully available to all, would cost 15 to 20 Billion PER YEAR. This represents about 10% of the federal budget!
By Catherine on 02.19.08 7:31 pm
Whoever talked about free childcare for everyone? Prentice? Come on!
Even Quebec, arguably the most progressive province still leaves the daily fee at $7, which is widely recognized as unsustainable. Why doesn’t anyone (incl. you) suggest capping the amount charged? Doesn’t $40+ a day seem high? Even Quebec parents say their actual costs with all extras is only around 13-14$. I believe the solution is a combination of these ideas (caps, funding for more spaces, funding for those who need it most).
The realities of the Western World have changed. While in the 80s I was aware of many stay-at-home moms, they don’t really exist anymore. Seems everyone works now, just like Mike Harris used to say through his sensual-voiced commercials justifying longer hours for teachers, “because everyone works a bit harder these days”. As much as I feel that having had a stay-at-home mom for a good number of years did a lot of good to me, I realize times have changed and it might not be a solution I could implement as well, and therefore I’d like the govt to do a significant minimum to help their taxpayers pay for childcare. Increased economic productivity comes at a cost.
The substitute parents in today’s society have become the TV and videos.
Despite an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at encouraging babies as young as 6 months to watch videos, there is no evidence that focusing on a screen is anything but bad for infants and toddlers. In a study released last August, University of Washington researchers found that babies between 8 and 16 months recognized an average of six to eight fewer words for every hour spent watching videos.
The inability to concentrate for long periods of time — as distinct from brief reading hits for information on the Web — would certainly seem to be intimately related to the inability of the public to remember even recent news events.
It is not surprising, for example, that less has been heard from the presidential candidates about the Iraq war in the later stages of the primary campaign than in the earlier ones, simply because there have been fewer video reports of violence in Iraq. Candidates, like voters, emphasize the latest news, not necessarily the most important news.
No wonder negative political ads work. “With text, it is even easy to keep track of differing levels of authority behind different pieces of information,” the cultural critic Caleb Crain noted recently in the New Yorker. “A comparison of two video reports, on the other hand, is cumbersome. Forced to choose between conflicting stories on television, the viewer falls back on hunches, or on what he believed before he started watching.”
As video consumers become progressively more impatient with the process of acquiring information through written language, all politicians find themselves under great pressure to deliver their messages as quickly as possible — and quickness today is much quicker than it used to be.
Harvard University’s Kiku Adatto found that between 1968 and 1988, the average sound bite on the news for a presidential candidate — featuring the candidate’s own voice — dropped from 42.3 seconds to 9.8 seconds. By 2000, according to another Harvard study, the daily candidate bite was down to just 7.8 seconds.
By Pecked to Death by Ducks on 02.20.08 9:15 am
Then please accept my apology on this incorrect statement. I should have stated “pay less in taxes (due to reduced income),” instead of “no longer pay taxes.” (and I mean this in a general sense, not in a specific sense)
The chief of the Australian Defence Force has told a parliamentary committee it is time for Australian troops to leave Iraq.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/20/2167650.htm
When you look at the Big Picture here, and see the technology that is coming on line, doesn’t it make you want to know why Government blocks initiatives like ZENN Car?
By Greg on 02.20.08 8:25 am
Business makes money from consumption. The sad part is that the cost savings from downsizing transportation infrastructure & a cleaner environment is staggering, but thats the unfortunate part of it… is because it saves money. Business is all about us spending money. There’s lots of money to be made in staying dirty, yes? Too bad the dirty energy profiteers are too dullard to find a way to profit on the clean stuff. No surprises here… greed blinds.
I’ve got a couple links for Greg and Greg from Oakville. (I like you guys
Mabye you’ve already seen this?
24 Kilowatts of power per day!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvB3PiPBozU&feature=related
Perendez magnet motor demo’d! Keep in mind that most of the magnets were removed for the demo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHh5AqQ4_xw
At first, I thought… no way! Tesla wouldn’t have missed it, I thought to myself. How could Tesla, the Serb who brought us AC power, the induction motor, wireless, TV, radio… how could Telsa have missed it? The answer I come up with is, he didn’t. A few other higher ups suppressed it… and everyone else did miss it until now.
Telsa have missed it? The answer I come up with is, he didn’t. A few other higher ups suppressed it… and everyone else did miss it until now.
By brain on 02.20.08 10:48 am
I tend to agree. Just like the the Water Engine that was suppressed to protect the oil powerful oil companies.
We all seem to forget that water is nothing but hydrogen and oxygen, and easily separated by a DC electric current.
Anyone can do it with simple apparatus. Just be very careful ebcause hydrogen is highly explosive.
Garth,before you start spewing the liberal B.S.,don’t forget to tell everyone that the conservatives did increase transfers dramatically to the provinces(who are solely responsible for daycare spaces)and that the 100 dollars to families does help much more than the 13 years of unfulfilled promises.Drop the universal childcare crap.You didn’t get it done,and aren’t going to.
By Bob R. on 02.19.08 12:30 pm
First of all I feel sorry for any children you may have.
Secondly, this article is interesting:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/daycare/
Another working Water Engine anyone with moderate mechanical skills could make.
Imagine what Chrsyler, GM, Ford, Toyoto, Nissan, Huyundai, Honda, etc. could do if they decided to?
The only barrier is poor management, greedy easy profits, and their bed partner the Oil Industry.
A little off topic but did you see Rick Mercer last night. You’ve mentioned the issue with the cons not attending the ceremony for the Nobel prize winners and Rick did a rant on it last night. It’s pretty much sixty second tailor-made ad for liberals. It’s intelligent and it attacks the cons so strongly if you don’t use it for the campaign you should copy it, style and all, word for word and make an ad of your own.
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.20.08 9:47 am
Bill, I am glad that you are enjoying the sunshine, but your reply tended to obfuscate, cloud and blur the issue rather than throw light on the true nature of your position and of what I have clearly stated to you is my position. Your memory is very selective on both counts.
I find it interesting that in one and the same post, you falsely accuse with the distorted twist that “You sound like a feminist. ‘It’s the MAN’s fault.’ Point blank Ike, BS!”
A few breaths later, you make the astonishing statement, “You gave me the distinct impression you believe men are superior and women are inferior.”
On the one hand, you see me as a “feminist,” and on the other hand, you say that I give the impression that “women are inferior.” Which is it?
You grossly misrepresent me on both counts, as I have given you frequent and repeated references on the equality of the gender, and you know it.
I challenge you to come up with one shred of evidence from any of the posts that I have ever written to you which stated that men are superior to women or that women are inferior to men. That, my friend, is pure, unadulterated BS.
Just turn once again to your blogspot, Bill, to refresh your memory:
http://bill-muskoka-thoughtsshared.blogspot.com/
There you will see it in black and white. Scroll down my statements, and you will see frequent references like these:
“In my belief, the masculine and the feminine (in equal complementarity) represent two polarities of the same reality.”
“I have given you references which are the basis of why I believe in the equality of the masculine and the feminine.”
“It would help if you could reassure me, or give references where Laurence Gardner esteems both the masculine image and the feminine image as equals.”
Bill, I am still waiting. No more obfuscating. Come out to the sunshine!
Oh WOWSERS! Don’t we all feel so much assured that our ‘mission’ in Afghanistan will be a huge suckits, er, success, now?
Ottawa
The federal government is floating the name of former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley as the United Nations’ new “super envoy” to co-ordinate aid and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Who is keeping this Has Been employed?
By Peter Bath on 02.20.08 11:18 am
I did, and agree with you 100% what a blatant and arrogant snub by Harper, all because he hates science that contradicts his pro-oil politics. Harper is NOT a leader.
I also watched THH22M and was pissed at the slight they intentionally did to Dion.
Seems the new Harper appointed head the CBC is dictating the politics for THH22M, and they have gone way down the slope into oblivion with me. Satirical political humour is expected, but never blatant lies and personal demeaning.
Besides, Daren Gavin is a BORING Pimple faced idiot.
RCAF does the CBC political humour now. Mercer’s only funny segement is ‘Rick’s Rant’, and I can see that online without sitting through the rest of his boring crap. The ‘Front Page’ would be better named ‘The Bird Cage Page!’
By Peter Bath on 02.20.08 11:18 am
I did, and agree with you 100% what a blatant and arrogant snub by Harper, all because he hates science that contradicts his pro-oil politics. Harper is NOT a leader.
I also watched THH22M and was pissed at the slight they intentionally did to Dion.
Seems the new Harper appointed head the CBC is dictating the politics for THH22M, and they have gone way down the slope into oblivion with me. Satirical political humour is expected, but never blatant lies and personal demeaning.
Besides, Gavin Crawford is a BORING pimple faced idiot.
RCAF does the CBC political humour now. Mercer’s only funny segment is ‘Rick’s Rant’, and I can see that online without sitting through the rest of his boring crap. The ‘Front Page’ would be better named ‘The Bird Cage Page!’
By Peter Bath on 02.20.08 11:18 am
Here is the full text version of Rick’s Rant
An excerpt:
So what happened this past week when these Canadian scientists came to Parliament Hill for a reception in their honour with their Nobel prize tucked up underneath their arms? The Prime Minister, the guy who’s job it is to represent us at these things refused to attend.
The Canadian cabinet refused to attend. And why? Because these scientists, who – I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this or not – won the Nobel Peace Prize, had the gall to do it by formulating a plan to fight climate change. And my guess is it doesn’t call for an increase in oil sands production. So as a result, not a single cabinet minister would cross the hall and shake their hands.
…
What I want to know is: how did we get here? Canadian scientists gave humankind the polio vaccine. We discovered insulin. We invented the Robertson screwdriver for God’s sakes. And suddenly science is the new enemy.
I understand that in politics people and parties have enemies, and destroying your enemy is the name of the game. That’s the way you win. But we cannot allow the government to declare war on knowledge, otherwise we all lose. Unless of course they start passing out Nobel Prizes for idiocy.
Well, Harper and Baird would be the Top two contenders for that, unless Bush joined in.
Increased economic productivity comes at a cost.
By Jonnay on 02.20.08 10:02 am
I cost of Cdn childrens lives defeated in childhood is too high a price to pay.
“Whoever talked about free childcare for everyone?”
Dyden promised 2 million early learning/day care spaces. I don`t think it`s a coincidence that equals the 2 million fatherless children Ottawa created with it`s unconstitutional divorce act.
Using Quebecs costs not including the user fee parents pay just day care alone is minimum $15B/year. Add another $10B minimum for early learning.
“The realities of the Western World have changed.”
Only some things have changed, the needs of the child is the same as the 80`s, even the 1880`s
Can you find one single study that shows even top quality day care is as good as parenting and then consider what a state run institution would be like.
The cost to children is far too high a price to pay for a short term economic gain derived by putting more parents to work. We currently have a very high employment rate with more women working that any other G-7 country. Where has it got us so far? Over mortgaged, under saved, over spent, over taxed and you want to add another $25B to government spending.
Like the 70`s and 80`s where one working parent could get along and now today one won`t do it, soon we`ll be in the space where two won`t do it and all at the cost of defeating the next generations future.
There sure is a lot of crazy ideas floating around.
By brain on 02.20.08 10:48 am
Had to be 10 to 15 years ago that I saw a program on TV about a Canadian who invented an engine that ran on air. They showed it working and asked him why it wasn’t being developed? Old fella said, I’ve been to just about everybody, and no one will invest in it. Some of them wanted to buy the rights though.
Probably 15 to 20 yrs ago, I saw a news program that showed interviews and video with a farmer in PEI who was running his farm equipment with ethanol that he made himself on his farm using cull potatoes. That’s junk potatoes btw. I have seen small mountains of cull potatoes sitting rotting in fields in PEI.
I saw a recent TV program about one of the World Class racing teams using 100% ethanol instead of the usual racing fuel. They were getting something like 20% more fuel economy and 20% more power. I think it was Toyota, but I’m not sure. They had to put put color in it and a small amount of poison in order to use it. That was to keep the Hillbillies like me from drinking it.
The means are there, and it’s not hard to understand unless you are totally thick.
Our use of conventional energy is determined by “HE” who has the gold.
“HE”, has got his big boot squarely under the wheel, and there are only 3 ways of getting him out of the way.
You made a good point about infrastructure. I hadn’t considered that part of the costs. Just imagine how much longer it could last!
You said, “Business makes money from consumption.”
Correct, and so do political entities via the direct relationship. You may or may not have read my post where I compared them to Ferengi’s from Star Trek. Everything is considered in terms of Bars of Latinum.
Then there’s greasing the wheels. I don’t mean that in the literal sense either.
geoffrey,don’t feel sorry for my kids,they go to a great daycare,have excellent food and clothing thanks in part to the conservative tax rebate,and have lots of tv channels to choose from so,unlike you head in the sand liberals,they don’t have to watch the crap CBC spews out on a nightly basis.My kids will be thinkers,not blind sheep like yours.
geoffrey,don’t feel sorry for my kids,they go to a great daycare,have excellent food and clothing thanks in part to the conservative tax rebate,and have lots of tv channels to choose from so,unlike you head in the sand liberals,they don’t have to watch the crap CBC spews out on a nightly basis.My kids will be thinkers,not blind sheep like yours.
By Bob R. on 02.20.08 12:31 pm
I am not sure how you make the assumptions you do about me, anymore than my assumption that I should feel sorry for your kids. You have no idea about me, except in a overgeneralized and overconceptualized sort of way. You might even like me as a person if you met me. This is the problem that I am having with political debate, everyone overgeneralizes and overconceptualizes their perceived political nemesis.
By Ike on 02.20.08 11:19 am
I am not regurgitating the subject again. You were given the freedom to read, to learn, and to choose. That was my only goal.
I do not care at all what you choose to believe, and respect your right to do so.
If it disturbs you then perhaps you need to examine your own reasons for your beliefs. I shall not.
Thank you.
By Greg on 02.20.08 12:19 pm
Thanks for the comments.
My kids will be thinkers,not blind sheep like yours. – Bob R
Lots of TV channels… wow, that must make you a real proud parent to be so able to “provide” for them. Thats eyes wide open, alright. Good luck with that…
The means are there, and it’s not hard to understand unless you are totally thick.
By Greg on 02.20.08 12:19 pm
That should have read, unless “one” is totally thick. No reference to you intended.
Bill Muskoka, it is all well and good when you say that you respect leaders who make errors and acknowledge it. Clearly you erred both in referring to me as a “feminist” on the one hand, and yet suggesting I am one who sees “women as inferior” on the other. Why not admit a clear error? Instead you back away, and refuse to talk.
I have given you the evidence. Yet you smugly suggest that I was given “the freedom to read, to learn, and to choose,” as if you know so much, and all I have to do is to read and to learn from you.
Well, I have read your reading material in Laurence Gardner, and have asked you some pertinent questions, but yet you will not answer or respond to simple questions.
Now we have yet another incident where your sources are to be questioned. I am referring to your reference that:
“‘The federal government is floating the name of former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley as the United Nations’ new “super envoy” to co-ordinate aid and reconstruction in Afghanistan.’”
Believing this to be true, you then ask,
“Who is keeping this Has Been employed?”
–By Bill-Muskoka on 02.20.08 11:22 am
Bill, it turns out that in point of fact, former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley said he is not in the running to become the UN’s new “super envoy” for Afghanistan, despite a newspaper report that says Ottawa is considering him for the post.
“All I would say is that I am not a candidate and I have not consented to my government advocating for me to take on this responsibility,” Manley said Wednesday in an interview with Reuters.
Manley’s comments follow a report in the Globe and Mail that, according to sources, he is being considered for the job of overall international co-ordinator of aid, government and economic projects in Afghanistan.
So Bill, we need to be more careful before responding so quickly to mere rumour and idle speculation.
Let’s take time to learn ourselves before we write before we know all the facts. That is highly dangerous, especially when there are people on this blog who tend to believe your words.
That doesn’t mean that you are always wrong, by any means, but you will see numerous times on here when I apologize when I need correction, as I did with Got Rope? right here on this section.
A simple acknowledgement of error when you are clearly in error would go a long ways, instead of suggesting that people like myself “read and learn” until I get this esoteric knowledge that you claim to possess.
I am impressed with a knowledge that is willing to reason and to engage, not a knowledge that remains hidden and obscure for the so-called elite to understand.
To “Got Rope”
You bet there are a lot of crazy ideas around. Like the idea started in the post war years in Saskatchewan that no one should have to pay for medical care! Tommy Douglas managed to push that one through facing strong opposition from the medical association, the drug companies, and a large percentage of the general population. And he did it, under very tough economic circumstances, with a tiny tax base. What a crazy idea that was!?!
Look where that one landed us!
Well, I have read your reading material in Laurence Gardner, and have asked you some pertinent questions, but yet you will not answer or respond to simple questions.
So Bill, we need to be more careful before responding so quickly to mere rumour and idle speculation.
Let’s take time to learn ourselves before we write before we know all the facts. That is highly dangerous, especially when there are people on this blog who tend to believe your words.
By Ike on 02.20.08 2:03 pm
Sorry to interrupt, but;
Looks to me like you should read your own words carefully, and follow your own advice. Maybe the perch you have selected is a little high for you.
You may resume now.
D Griffiths on 02.20.08 2:12 pm
Who would have though the wheel would have come so far, lol. Stop being so ridiculous. You`re comparing a need Cdns can`t fill on their own vs the damage caused replacing a parent with a building, all in the name of economic expansion.
By Ike on 02.20.08 2:03 pm
Correct yourself. I said you ’sound like a feminist’. I did not say you were. There is a difference.
As to the long prior discussion you claim “I have given you the evidence. ” No, you have offered someone else’s ‘opinion’, not evidence Ike. You may call it what ever you wish.
Sorry, but I have other things to do besides regurgitate a closed subject. BTW, did you ever actually read the book by Gardner? You said you got a copy.
As to Manley, I do not believe anything he says. He has a proven track record as a deceptive power player. He is a gun for hire, and nothing more.
No worries, Greg. Didn’t take it wrong to begin with (kinda know who’s well meaning from who isn’t, lol). Have a great day!
By Ike on 02.20.08 2:03 pm
Further to Manley’s alleged appointment. When I posted the earlier comment this was NOT online.
Now the question is raised as to why would the ‘goevrnment’ say this if Manley had not agreed? More of Harper’s Caesar Disgustus attitude showing through?
Consider that my correction. Then, after he has taken the post, if selected, you can issue yours. LOL
Seemsthe PMO has another ‘leak’, eh?
I have to reply that the past can really bite the BIG one for your party of choice, my dear. Too bad the only time you “drop in” is to be negative, and to attack Garth. BTW, you aren’t the only busy person who comes on this blog.
By Lana on 02.20.08 9:45 am
Lana, lately this blog is like watching a cat hack up a fur-ball. The same fuzzy ball over and over. What is the matter with you? Did I mention that other busy people do not post to Garth’s blog? Where did I attack Garth? Reading is one thing, comprehending what the author wrote is another. Hack, hack, hack. L
**************
Well, Harper and Baird would be the Top two contenders for that, unless Bush joined in.
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.20.08 11:48 am
Yes, Bill, Mercer is making his bias as a CBC employee very clear. Love Dion, hate Mr. Harper. We already know that Mr. Mercer absolutely hates Americans and went out of his way to embarrass as many as he could. You were an American, right? Well, Mr. Mercer thinks because of that you are stupid. Are you? I don’t think you are…but if Mr. Mercer is always right…
Mercer is missing his Liberal Government largess very much I fear.
The only beauty in his ‘work’ is proving why we need to abolish this one-party-state-run money pit.
Leasa
Got A Rope:
Who’s talking about replacing a parent with a building? And you call me ridiculous!?
You’ve missed the point. I’m discussing childcare as part of this country’s social policy. Countless studies and volumes of literature have shown access to affordable childcare to be a major determinant of health across all populations.
I compared it to Tommy Douglas and the birth of medicare, because like you, many back then thought medicare was too expensive and would chase every doctor out of the province.
Again, don’t take my word for it. Do some research. You’d be surprised at what a little knowledge will do for you!
Government does have a role to play in the lives/health of the citizenry. Otherwise, why don’t we just let big business completely run the show and dissolve parliament altogether? Everyone can fend for themselves in a completely dog eat dog situation. Let’s privatize healthcare and education, and to anyone who can’t afford either, too bad. Your kids can work in a coal mine!
Ok, that was a little over the top, but I think I’ve made my point. Government involvement is not such a bad thing. Europe is full of positive examples.
Griffiths on 02.20.08 4:34 pm
“I’m discussing childcare as part of this country’s social policy.”
From Garth;
“My colleagues tell me their holy grail is a national program of subsidized, universal care.”
I didn`t realize you`d switched topics from universal to `a part of` which we already have so I wonder why you went off topic.
Ship your kids off to be raised by a building if you want. The topic is should we, and why would we, take choice away and force all kids into an institution.
The only beauty in his ‘work’ is proving why we need to abolish this one-party-state-run money pit.
Leasa
Well, thank you Con rade Leasa for y9our input. Mercer, despoite your BIAS,presented factual analysis. Try it some time. It really doesn’t hurt!
Now, of you want to say something about THH22M’s obscene slam of Dion I am sure we will all pay rapt attention?
Lana, lately this blog is like watching a cat hack up a fur-ball.
Yes, and hopelfully the CONtrols will take their proper meds to cease doing so!
HACK! HACK! Ack! Putooee!
Got a rope:
You just don’t get it do you?
Obviously, I’m not up to the job of trying to explain it to you.
Responding to your illogical hyperbole has been rather wasteful of me. You win.
By Leasa on 02.20.08 4:24 pm
Now come the sweeping insults. Contrary to your repeated assertions, these are not “responses in kind”!
Leasa, your true colours are showing through again. Are you losing your cool now that so many of us are onto you? Whatever happened to the sweet overtures you were making to Lana not so long ago? Your unctuous pretension is really quite disgusting.
As long as you are in instrument of those who threaten democracy, decency and compasion we will be watching you and doing what we can to ensure your true colours are highly visible.
Have you apologized to the Trudeau family yet?
Leasa, you really are not a nice person!
NDP targets Dion over looming Tory budget vote
CBC News – February 20, 2008
The NDP challenged Stéphane Dion’s Liberals on Wednesday to oppose next week’s Conservative budget, accusing the party of losing the “moral right” to call itself the official opposition while refusing to bring down Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority government.
NDP finance critic Thomas Mulcair said his party had written a letter to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty detailing its concerns with the “wrong track” the Conservatives have taken over the past two years and indicated the New Democrats would vote against the Feb. 26 budget.
Mulcair also ridiculed Dion for showing “incredible weakness” in giving indications earlier this week that his party might abstain from the budget vote, despite “boasting” in a Liberal pamphlet sent around the Ottawa area this week that the party was a “strong and principled alternative” to the Tories.
“That’s what the Liberals say about themselves,” Mulcair told reporters Wednesday in Ottawa. “We’ll find out next week if they’ll actually do anything about Harper’s agenda.”
More at: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/20/ndp-budget.html
………………………………………………………………………………….
Now we have Quebecer Mulcair slagging Quebecer Dion in a full frontal attack too. Looks like the NDP are attempting to undermine the Liberals in Quebec as well as Ontario.
If Dion caves on the Budget, and Bob Rae enters the Liberal caucus on March 17th, that could signal the end of Dion and good riddance to a bad leader.
Obviously, I’m not up to the job of trying to explain it to you.
You win.
By D Griffiths on 02.20.08 11:10 pm
lol, Did I get the 50 bonus points for the win?
Don`t worry about not being up to the job. There has yet to be a rational explanation, probably because it`s an irrational plan.
Hard to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Last thing I got from my MP was a picture of him taken with Stephen Harper. He has done ‘zilch, nada, zero’ since being elected. I’ll make sure to point that out whenever I can when the date for the next federal election is announced. I sent him an e-mail about the selling of Canada’s buildings and never did a satisfactory reply. He did not participate in debates before he was elected and was elected on the basis of name recognition.
He’s an incompetent, “yes man, boob” that needs replacing. No way would he makes waves as part of the Conservative ideology that drives Harper.
Here’s an article that examines Conservative ideologies, ever wonder why people with Conservative values don’t get doctorates?
“Conservatives aspire to pursue doctorates only half as often as Liberals .”
Overall conclusions, “Liberalism is more closely associated with a desire for excitement, an interest in creative outlets and an aversion to a structured work environment.” Conservatives express greater interest in financial success and stronger desires to raise families.”
“liberal students reported valuing intellectual freedom, creativity, and the chance to write original work and make a theoretical contribution to science. They outnumbered conservative students two to one in the humanities and social sciences — which are among the fields most likely to produce interest in doctoral study. Conservative students, however, put more value on personal achievement and orderliness, and on practical professions, like accounting and computer science, that could earn them lots of money.”
Now, of you want to say something about THH22M’s obscene slam of Dion I am sure we will all pay rapt attention?
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.20.08 10:52 pm
Okay darling, I have to ask, what or who is THH22M?
On Mercer, I have disliked the man ever since the ‘talking to Americans’ stunt. He is the perfect example of defining one’s self as a Canadian only by what we feel we are not. Make the Americans look stupid, ergo; we are so much smarter. I’ll bet he had to do 1000’s of so called on the spot interviews to find the juice he was looking for. All that just to say ’see look how stupid all Americans are’…
I always found him to be arrogant and condescending and when he blatantly went on the Lib. Gov. payroll on top of his CBC job, that sealed the deal in my mind.
Have a productive, happy day. Leasa
By canuck on 02.21.08 1:57 am
Liberals are more into ’social engineering’, while conservatives prefer actual ‘engineering’.
All those ‘doctorates’ referred to are mostly in the arts and soft sciences .. and are mostly dependent of government employment where they can be parasites off the public teat while telling people how to live according to their pompous feeeelings..!!!
Have you apologized to the Trudeau family yet?
Leasa, you really are not a nice person!
By Gord on 02.20.08 11:31 pm
Okay Gordie, one last time. I know it’s hard to deal with me ignoring you. I just simply do not feel the same way you do. I know you crave my attention and affection, but that’s it Gordie, it’s just not there for me. Really, it’s not you, it’s me. There is someone out there. You deserve better.
XOXO Leasa
P.S. If I had something to apologize for I would, but I don’t.
I see the virtual idiot is salivating again. That’s bad for the circuits.
The Russian is coming! The Russian is coming! And he’s is going to play Pa rup a pum pum, on your yappy old drum.
WAAAHAAHAAW!!!!!!!
On Mercer, I have disliked the man ever since the ‘talking to Americans’ stunt.
By Leasa on 02.21.08 7:10 am
I see you are now back to phoney, sarcastic greetings. Is there a sincere bone in your body?
Your artificial outrage over Rick Mercer isn’t fooling any body. You obviously hate the man for one reason and one reason only. He apparently supports the Liberals!
Leasa the Hyper Partisan Queen rides again!
Okay darling, I have to ask, what or who is THH22M?
On Mercer, I have disliked the man ever since the ‘talking to Americans’ stunt. He is the perfect example of defining one’s self as a Canadian only by what we feel we are not. Make the Americans look stupid, ergo; we are so much smarter. I’ll bet he had to do 1000’s of so called on the spot interviews to find the juice he was looking for. All that just to say ’see look how stupid all Americans are’…
I always found him to be arrogant and condescending and when he blatantly went on the Lib. Gov. payroll on top of his CBC job, that sealed the deal in my mind.
Have a productive, happy day. Leasa
By Leasa on 02.21.08 7:10 am
In order:
This Hour Has 22…you finish the name!
My favourite segment was ‘Talkting To Americans’, and believe me, Mercer did not have to go far to find the ones he featured. Especially when he interviewed the Govenor of Michigan, Bush’s Campaign Manager, and then Bush regarding our Prime Minister Poutine!
His RMR is not funny in my opinion, and the only part I like is Rick’s Rant. The rest is stupid IMO, especially The Front Page.
I doubt he is on the Lib Gov’s payroll Leasa…there you went over the line.
You have a PHD also!
By Greg on 02.21.08 9:15 am
Just another something he will never have. So, they are bad and worthless. How typical, eh?
P.S. If I had something to apologize for I would, but I don’t.
By Leasa on 02.21.08 8:41 am
You obviously know what I am talking about. But for the benefit of those who do not, a refresher is in order to confirm just how despicable you can be.
When you implied that Pierre Trudeau was a Nazi you sank to an all time low. Your deep seated, irrational, all consuming hatred for anything and every thing liberal was clearly reaffirmed with this reprehensible act.
Your refusal to offer any kind of apology to the Trudeau family simply confirms what a horrible creature you really are.
How typical, eh?
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.21.08 9:31 am
Unless he gets one from Ebay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIKa9Eim2Q
I doubt he is on the Lib Gov’s payroll Leasa…there you went over the line.
You have a PHD also!
By Bill-Muskoka on 02.21.08 9:29 am
Hi Bill, Nope, didn’t go ‘over the line’ here at all. The last Lib. Government hired Mercer to advertise the failed ‘One Tonne Challenge’. He made a cool $85,000.
Bill, if Mercer did a segment called ‘Talking to Canadians’ he could get the same stupid results. There are people in Canada who cannot tell you who the Prime Minister is or how many states there are in the U.S. I have met some very stupid educated people from various countries, Canada included.
Liberals (Mercer included) think that the best way to define Canada is by slagging others. It’s just like the gossip monger who lives for the tragedy of others to define him/herself.
Canada is a great country. We have so many attributes that we do not need to trumpet perceived failings of the U.S. to tell us who we are. Just like I do not need the failings of others to tell me who I am.
I am sure that Mercer’s people made sure the disclaimers were signed before the so called interviews.
If I can’t properly name some politician in the U.S. or recite their various state laws, does that make me a stupid Canadian?
Those people he interviewed simply have not studied Canada at all and probably don’t give a crap who our P.M. is. Why would they think that this nice Canadian man asking them questions, leading with ‘information’ would be lying to them to make fools out of them?
I was embarrassed for Canada that such a mean spirited thing was done. Americans are no more or less stupid than Canadians.
For you Bill:
http://www.thepolitic.com/archives/2005/06/24/national-citizens-coalition-blows-whistle-on-cbcs-rick-mercer-for-ties-to-government/
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Goldstein_Lorrie/2006/10/29/2165008.html
CBC allowed Rick Mercer to boldly campaign for the Liberals during the 2000 election campaign. It was legal under the guise of ‘entertainment’. He is nothing more than a liberal pitch man planted in the CBC.
Leasa
By Leasa on 02.21.08 10:57 am
I think it really helps to be an American to fully appreciate Mercer’s TWA segments.
They think they KNOW everything, are kind hearted, but clueless about their next door neighbor, US.
As to Canadian’s, I have found most to be more knowledgeable, but there are numerous exceptions. Personally I feel a tad embarassed when I know more than they do about Canada. I had to really study to learn it, they got it from family, and schooling.
I will definitely tell you this. The K-12 education I got was better than most university education is today. We were job ready when we graduated from High School.
University is the makeup for what used to be High School.
By Leasa on 02.21.08 10:57 am
‘The One Tonne Challenge’ was a fine program. Better than anything Baird has comeup with in over two years? What has he comeup with? Oh yeah ‘We are working on it!’
At least the public was made aware of it, and Harper was an idiot to cancel it IMO. But then I repeat myself!
bout Liberal gutting military, etc – duh – what is it you Conservatives don’t understand about not having any money – the country being on the verge of bankruptcy and CPP in crisis? Besides, it was Mulroney who started to gut the military – and you know it.
By slg on 02.20.08 7:39 am
SLg you are fraud because,
Gutting the military started long before Mulroney ever came to power. In fact it started from the late 50’s and has been going down hill ever since except for the last couple of years. The hard facts is that the majority of the cuts where done when the Liberals were in power. You forget or didn’t know that the Liberals were in power for 33 of the last 50 years (66% of the time). I know that from 1960 to 83(20 years Liberal vs 3 years Conservatives) while I served that there was nothing but downsizing and cuts to the military. Of course the Liberals were in power for the majority that time (20 years vs 3 years Conservatives which equates 87% of the time that the Liberals were in power)
Your comments demonstrate your ignorance about what happened to our military during the last 5o years especially during the Trudeau years whom btw had very little use for the military while he was PM.
The One Tonne Challenge’ was a fine program. By Bill Muskoda.
Bill, do you have any data that tells us how much pollution was cut as a result of that program?
By Van on 02.21.08 7:00 pm
DATA? You want DATA Van?
Here, 18 BLACKED OUT PAGES! Enjoy!
Resistance is futile! Prepare to be assimilated!
Your comments demonstrate your ignorance about…
By Van on 02.21.08 6:57 pm
Everything, Van!
How’s your diet going BTW? Never mind we can see…No Data!