There was some discussion here in the last few hours about MP mailings, after I published the negative campaign literature being circulated in the riding of my colleague, Mark Holland. The circular is a direct appeal to riding residents, asking them why they would want to vote for Holland. That makes it a piece of election material, not an informational mailer on federal issues.
That also breaks the rules. But that fact does not stop Mr. Harper’s party from burning through millions of public dollars, printing and distributing such partisan stuff. In fact, many Conservative MPs have distributed far more copies of material than they rules allow, and I have recently submitted proof of that abuse to the House of Commons committee which oversees this.
Some people ask if all parties and all MPs send out “householders” and “ten percenters” (the former goes to each home in a member’s riding four times a year, the latter can go to 10% of the homes as often as three times a week. Additionally, 10%ers can be sent into other MPs’ ridings, with a modest charge going against the sponsoring MP’s office budget).
The answer: All Conservative MPs send these out in the maximum allowable quantities, since they are not given a choice by their party. A majority of MPs from other parties also create and mail ten percenters, but the effectiveness varies greatly by caucus. The Bloc and NDP are religious about blanketing ridings they want to win. The Libs are not.
In fact, in order to counter the Conservative assault (estimated to be about 30,000,000 pieces of mail this year), I’ve actually been trying to get more of my colleagues engaged in informational mailings in their own ridings. As a caucus, we have no automatic program which requires all MPs to churn this stuff out. Many of the Liberal MPs simply refuse to issue anything to voters that they have not personally written, or approved or checked for truthfulness. That differs from the Harper MPs, whose name is slapped on material they actually never see.
As I said, this whole program is now costing more than $10 million, just to print the leaflets alone – the kind that Dean Del Mastro sent out three times this week in his Peterborough riding. This is in addition to free mail which MPs can have delivered to all homes, and those four householders, which can be up to 12 pages in length.
So, while I use this material within Halton, and while most MPs also send it to their constituents, I’m convinced it’s time the program ended. I’m sure 90% of this junk ends up in blue boxes or, worse, landfills. Whole forests are being felled just to make the paper to print partisan poop-o-grams. Canada Post is obligated to deliver tens of millions of copies. And what was intended for informational purposes to connect MPs and voters is now being used – by the governing party most particularly – as pure election campaign material.
Surely in this age of the Internet, when MPs can blog, send emails and post whatever they want on their web sites; when over 70% of the Canadian population is on high-speed; surely the time has come to stop this polluting perversion of political communications. As a minimum step, the House of Commons should disallow the ability of any MP to blanket other ridings with printed material paid for by the public.
Canadians make better use of this cash, than spend it on politicians trashing each other.
Dion event update:
Glad you asked. A big whack of bloggers have indicated to me they’ll be coming to meet Stephane Dion in Oakville, the evening of August 20th. As I promised, I will make the guy available to chat with you in an informal setting before he and I go on stage for an open Town Hall meeting, at the SVCC Hall (1280 Dundas, west of Trafalgar). There is probably still room for a few more, so email me directly if you wish to be a part of that reception: garth@garth.ca.
Many other people have asked me if they can come for the main event (7:30 pm), the Turner-Dion Flaming Hoops Economic Environmental Green Shift Patriotic Extravaganza. Of course. In fact, word of the event has not even been whispered to the community at large, so there are still lots of seats. Just send me a note, telling me how many spaces you need.
One night only. History, dudes. Be there.
Mark Holland 10%er Update:
Conservatives misuse taxpayer-funded resources for campaign literature – Holland
OTTAWA – Liberal MP Mark Holland today filed a formal complaint with the House of Commons Speaker expressing concern about the Conservative Party’s misuse of taxpayer-funded resources.
“The Conservatives have no regard for electoral rules,” said Mr. Holland, MP for Ajax-Pickering, Ontario. “This is the same party that is under investigation by Elections Canada for allegedly cheating on campaign expenses in the 2006 election in order to pocket rebates from taxpayers and exceed spending limits.”
Mr. Holland complained to Speaker Peter Milliken about campaign literature sent by Conservative MPs to his constituents using House of Commons free printing and mailing privileges. He is also asking the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy to require the Conservatives to reimburse taxpayers for printing and mailing costs of this literature.
Bylaws of the House of Commons allow MPs to print and mail leaflets called “ten percenters” to the public about their parliamentary activities, but they expressly prohibit MPs from making direct or indirect appeals to constituents to vote in a certain way. The literature says: “Why vote for Mark, when Mark won’t vote for you?” It contains a mock ballot naming the party leaders.
Mr. Holland attached with his letter to Speaker Milliken a legal opinion from the non-partisan Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, which concludes that the Conservative literature “in our view [is] a document with an electoral intent or objective… [and] seems to contravene the bylaws…” Flyers received by Mr. Holland’s constituents were mailed by Conservative MPs Dean Allison, Dave Mackenzie, Andrew Scheer, Dean Del Mastro, Jacques Gourde and Gary Goodyear.
Office MP Mark Holland
613-995-8614
199 comments ↓
Garth,
I am trying to sell my cottage. The Conservatives said in the 2006 Campaign that they would get rid of capital gains on cottages with stipulations as shown below.
I am waiting for this. many retired persons are caught between a rock and a hard place. Between the income trust fiasco and this non cottage capital gain event, what are older retiring person to do?
The Conservatives send out their campaign 20%ers and the rest of us watch as our capital and other assets diminish by the day.
Frustrated with a vote!
_______________________________________
Real tax relief
for Canadians
With all the waste and corruption in Ottawa, Canadians deserve to keep more of their own money.
A Conservative government will deliver real, visible, and immediate tax relief to all Canadians.
The plan
A Conservative government will:
• Reduce the GST by one point right away, to six percent. And we will reduce the GST by another point,
to five percent, over five years. The GST affects everyone – families, seniors, and young people just
getting started in life. Cutting the GST will help everyone deal with the rising cost of living, put money in
people’s pockets, and spur the economy immediately.
• Maintain the GST/HST credit in the federal personal income tax.
• Eliminate the capital gains tax for individuals on the sale of assets when the proceeds are reinvested
within six months. Canadians who invest, or inherit cottages or family heirlooms, should be able to sell
those assets and plough their profits back into the economy without taking a tax hit. It is time government
rewarded Canadians who reinvest their money and create jobs.
Garth
Just sent this off. I agree time to end franking privileges. This is bad politics for all Canadians.
Dear Mr. Strahl
Thank you for the keeper “Conservative franking” advertisement to add to my vast collection of inane householders sent by Lee Richardson and your leader Stephen Harper.
Gosh, what a thrill to pay for a message from a Conservative Member of Parliament actually in my province. Not in my riding, but let’s not split hairs.
I should be impressed Mr. Strahl, being a Minister and all, but I kind of got used to those ridiculous Dion bashing attack ads from the P.M. no less.
Just so you know, Steve already sent me the same content two weeks ago. Maybe you should try and coordinate the ads so we don’t tire of your referendum on “everything” pre-dating the Clarity Act.
Mr. Strahl, a family member of mine will attend one of your all candidates meetings in Chilliwack at the next election just over the horizon.
He will ask you sir, if you support partisan advertising at taxpayer expense using M.P. franking privileges. Obviously, the answer is self evident but I would like you to go on record in front of your constituents.
I look forward to your response in a public forum as like the P.M. and Mr. Richardson I do not expect a response to my email. Heaven forbid, you would respond to a voter that is livid with the “free partisan advertising” on my tax dollar. I do understand. Why respond to anyone who would question the Conservative government?
Best Regards,
Jeepers Garth
You know I wnat to come but all the way from the Sunshine Coast? Think of the cost, even worse think of my carbon footprint.
So have you given any thought to liveblogging aka Kady O Malley???
Amen to ending the waste! BTW – I can hardly wait for a fall election. Time for PMSH and his reformers to go back home. Just think of the fun we’ll have with the “blogging tory’s” here and on their site.
Could be the last time we see Dion as leaders of the Liberal party … history indeed ..!!!
Long live our MP Garth ..!!!!!!!!!
Frankly I agree with no more Franking by MPs along with a whole lot of other “kings”!
signed:
Frankingsteinless
in Appoplexyville,
East Kanuckistan
Come on Garth, only a one night stand?
Ya gotta go with a good thing when you find it! We need you guys to hold a town hall meeting in every second or third riding every second week until the election writ is dropped. To only have a one off in Halton is ELITEISM! We can’t have that now. If you insist, then for crying out loud, tape the event and post it on the net for all the Wee People to see unedited. Harper would never do that, and will cringe at the thought of the direct access to the voters! Lets get with the program and do what is better than any 10%er could ever be.
One night only. History, dudes. Be there.-Garth
Same night,Dylan at Copps.
That’s history dude.
He’s still alive? — Garth
BY BONNIE N BC 07.29.08 11:33 PM
Bonnie N.,
I LOVED your post and the letter you described! You are brilliant and too FUNNY! I am humbled and inspired.
I usually just return my MP Lee Richardson’s 20%ers
and his gigantic 3 square foot “householders”… accompanied by disses, incorrect info, and mustaches.
From now on, I aspire to send Lee a letter that is at least “10 percent” as skewering as you have achieved above.
Everytime I get one of these useless mailings, I send an email to every conservative member. Now, I know they don’t read it, but someone in their office has to spend the time to handle it, so it helps make useless conservative work.
As I live in a condo, I also take mine and the discards of these useless propaganda pages, make some useless comment like they do and send them back. More work for some conservative lacky.
Don’t throw them out. Tell them what a bunch of jerks they are and if enough people do that, then they may get the hint, which is tough since most of the conservative if not all are mindless puppets.
Good thing I don’t have a conservative MP in my riding.
“That also breaks the rules. . . .”
If it clearly DOES break written laws, applicable to all MPs, then it’s time to call their bluff, and have the RCMP investigate their dirty dealings.
“Canadians make better use of this cash, . . .”
Damn right they can, especially if mortgage payments have to be met, along with CC debts being paid off. More cash in one’s pocket goes toward paying these things down, if not finished altogether.
About time all politicians were bought into the 21st century.
****************************************
This is due to either (1) global warming, or (2) undersea volcanic activity. Take your pick, because it’s one or the other.
http://tinyurl.com/6ywu4h
****************************************
A very effective way to solve fiscal troubles. Could harpo or dimdumb use this on the deficit?
http://tinyurl.com/565t94
****************************************
Wonder if this has anything to do with the ‘quake yesterday in California? Things are getting turbulent on this side of the planet.
http://tinyurl.com/6obhrl
Just reading yesterday’s comments, I noted some trolls swooped in to attack Garth’s blog.
Obvious, but they come here only to disrupt, like a drive-by shooting… cowards. They are afraid of how forthright Garth is. They act like the gangs on the news in Calgary yesterday. Full of spit. Full of ignorance.
As part of their tricks, the conservative’s paid trolls “vandalize” Garth’s blog each day.
They also fein complaints about disruptive comments on Garth’s blog, after having left their own disruptive comments…. hello?!?? they, alone, are the disruptors.
Classic neocon tactic.. no two ways about it.
Canada deserves better. Garth deserves better. I grew up in a different world. Do I have to change?
· · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · ·
I am re-reading the book my father wrote about his experiences as a young pilot and POW in WWII. He gave up 5+ years of his life for our country and nearly lost his life in service.
My 90-year-old dad.. whom I am so proud of.. is disgusted with Stephen Harper.. for what it’s worth.
Garth,
I am trying to sell my cottage. The Conservatives said in the 2006 Campaign that they would get rid of capital gains on cottages with stipulations as shown below.
I am waiting for this. many retired persons are caught between a rock and a hard place. Between the income trust fiasco and this non cottage capital gain event, what are older retiring person to do?
The Conservatives send out their campaign 20%ers and the rest of us watch as our capital and other assets diminish by the day.
Frustrated with a vote!
_______________________________________
Real tax relief
for Canadians
With all the waste and corruption in Ottawa, Canadians deserve to keep more of their own money.
A Conservative government will deliver real, visible, and immediate tax relief to all Canadians.
The plan
A Conservative government will:
• Reduce the GST by one point right away, to six percent. And we will reduce the GST by another point,
to five percent, over five years. The GST affects everyone – families, seniors, and young people just
getting started in life. Cutting the GST will help everyone deal with the rising cost of living, put money in
people’s pockets, and spur the economy immediately.
• Maintain the GST/HST credit in the federal personal income tax.
• Eliminate the capital gains tax for individuals on the sale of assets when the proceeds are reinvested
within six months. Canadians who invest, or inherit cottages or family heirlooms, should be able to sell
those assets and plough their profits back into the economy without taking a tax hit. It is time government
rewarded Canadians who reinvest their money and create jobs.
By AToryNoMore on 07.29.08 11:24 pm
Well AToryNoMore…You can park that broken promise right beside the Betrayal on the promise to protect investments in Income Trusts.
Harper basically pees on Canadians with his high-lying-flyers, turning Canadians off, with his slimy tactics and insincerity. I don’t see the Conservatives getting elected again, for many decades to come, until there’s no chance of Harper rearing his weird head again.
Good.
Keep it up “Conservative Party Headquarters”. Keep it up Conservative War Room trolls… yes you boys, and keep it up Conservative Research Group. You are dead wrong about Canadians. We don’t want your bigoted, mean-spirited, narrow-minded, dictatorial, slimy style, nor your misguided, outmoded economics. So keep showing your true colours Hr. Harper, and you shall be defeated by the goodness, honesty and intelligence of Canadians.
Independent Economists Discredit Conservative Gov’t Tax Leakage Claims
OTTAWA, Feb. 1, 2007 /CNW Telbec/ – In remarks delivered to the House of Commons Finance Committee Thursday, Dennis Bruce, Vice President of HLB Decision Economics Inc., provided data and supporting documentation to discredit the Department of Finance’s tax leakage claims. “The department is sharply overstating tax leakage,” said Mr. Bruce.
HLB Decision Economics, an Ottawa-based independent consulting firm that provides analytical consulting services to industry and governments worldwide, has been working on behalf of the income trust sector to develop a comparative analysis of taxes generated under the income trust structure versus the corporate structure.
Mr. Bruce told committee members that his firm worked with the Department of Finance as it prepared the federal government’s 2005 consultation paper on the tax effects of income trusts. Specifically, HLB was asked by the department to develop a common methodology and assumptions for deriving tax leakage estimates.
Mr. Bruce said that HLB and the Finance Department achieved consensus on the methodology with one exception – they disagreed on whether to include deferred taxes. Deferred taxes are derived from distributions, capital gains, and dividends received in tax exempt accounts. While they are not immediately taxable, they are taxable upon withdrawal from such accounts.
“The discussions that you are hearing about deferred taxes reflect confusion about budgeting convention versus policy analysis,” said Mr. Bruce.”While federal budgeting is done on a current basis, federal policy analysis is done on a life-cycle basis. Accounting for the life-cycle effects of tax changes, namely deferred taxes, is appropriate in the consideration of tax policy.”
Mr. Bruce went on to outline the factors that resulted in the differences between HLB’s tax leakage estimates and the tax leakage figures put forward by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. These factors include:
1) The Department’s assumed effective corporate tax rate for energy trusts fails to reflect the reductions in the tax rates for resource corporations from 2004 through 2006, from 27.12% to 24.12%. This results in an overstatement of tax leakage of $84 million;
2) The Department’s figure for income trust units held in tax exempt accounts is overstated. Derived from data from surveys, Statistics Canada, interviews and Scotia Capital Markets data, the percentage of units held in tax exempt accounts is 31 percent, less than the Department’s 38 percent estimate. This results in an overstatement of tax leakage of $125 million;
3) The value of deferred taxes is excluded from the Department of Finance analysis. This results in an overstatement of tax leakage of $80 million; and,
4) The Finance Department’s atypical inclusion of the impact of limited partnerships, which reduces the tax leakage to $45 million.
5) The impact of future legislated tax changes post 2010 has not been accounted for. Doing so reduces the ongoing federal tax leakage after 2010 by $232 million.
Mr. Bruce stressed that the discrepancies between HLB and the Finance Department led his firm to conclude that the Finance Department is “sharply overstating tax leakage.”
Specifically, HLB concluded that:
- Federal tax leakage for 2006 was $164 million, not the half billion dollars stated by the Department; and,
- Ongoing tax leakage, post 2010, after taking into account legislated tax changes, is $32 million per year, about five percent of the Department’s figures.
For further information: Dennis Bruce, Vice President, HDR – HLB Decision Economics Inc. (613) 234-0080; Cell: (709) 632-1708
What about that bottom, right-hand corner in the image above? Shouldn’t that say “compliments of Jane Taxpayer”?
Another LBO Of A Canadian Income Trust Due To Harper’s & Flaherty’s Income Trust Policy
Fording Canadian Coal Trust To Be Bought By Teck Cominco
Brenda Bouw, THE CANADIAN PRESS
July 29, 2008 (EDIT)
VANCOUVER – Teck Cominco Ltd. pulled the trigger on a deal to buy the assets of Fording Canadian Coal Trust for about US$14 billion.
Tuesday’s bid is for US$12.4 billion in cash and shares worth about C$1.5 billion.
Don Lindsay, president and CEO of Teck Cominco said the structure of the deal is key because of the tax advantages, and the fact the company already owns 20 per cent of Fording.
Teck expects to reap more than US$3 billion in tax benefits from the transaction based on established rules covering the acquisition of Canadian resource properties. It will fund the cash portion largely from a US$9.8-billion loan facility it has arranged with a syndicate of banks.
The deal follows what Fording described as an extensive review of strategic alternatives, particularly in light of the need to address our income trust structure before 2011.
Good luck trying to force CON members from abusing rules and privileges.
Conservatives “playing by the rules”, my arse!
REAL LIES.
REAL DEVASTATION.
REAL WANKERS.
I’m with you on this Garth. What a waste of trees! In this time of climate change and global warming, these MPs should be ashamed. Then again, when did these clowns ever care about the environment?
“Surely in this age of the Internet, when MPs can blog, send emails and post whatever they want on their web sites; when over 70% of the Canadian population is on high-speed; surely the time has come to stop this polluting perversion of political communications.”
- good point, except you are making the assumption that some of the Connies actually READ… lol…
Way to go Bonnie! You probably won’t get a reply but it is important for all of us to voice our displeasure with these wasteful, partisan mailings. Unfortunately we have a Conservative MP in our riding. He’s not worth the cost of a postage stamp, but I will write him a similar message and send a copy to my local newspapers. I doubt that one of them will reprint it since it is clearly a Conservative rag….but it’s worth the effort to try.
Trees–1913–A. J. Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Epilogue:
I think that I shall never write
A tree-themed poem quite this trite.
[TSTT] THE SAVE THE TREES FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO FIRING ALL THE C.R.A.P./S.H.I.T.’S
Will LEASA be leading us in the fertility dance?
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3935227043530234495&q=fat+woman+exercising&total=11&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5
Garth I am so glad that Liberal MPs are so full of virtue. They refuse to use this free to them service unless they can read it and check all the facts? So they don’t send them, because it takes too long to read it and check the facts?
Why is ‘okay’ to send them out with things like jokes about killing the PM and his wife, yet you get so offended when CPC MPs use theirs to send political messages?
I think you’ve got your ying-yang in a knot.
Leasa
You are a liar, once again. The ‘joke’ was not sent by an MP and was not in a riding mailer. But you knew that. — Garth
Agreed! Time to end it.
So, how do you go about doing that? What will it take?
By Bonnie N BC on 07.29.08 11:33 pm
Wow! Talk about Mastery of Vivi-section by pen? That was brilliantly written. Thanks for sharing. It started my day off with a real smile!
The Liberals should be making use of this option to help spread their message. I live in a riding held by the Bloc. I think the MP’s name is Thierry St. Cyr or something like that. We get flyers from him maybe four times a year. They generally point out the more obvious failings of the Harper regime, so I find them entertaining. The CONs don’t seem to bother with us. I guess they don’t consider this a winnable riding. But it IS winnable for the Liberals. In fact it is what could be considered a swing riding, so for the life of me, I can’t understand why they don’t make their presence known here. I don’t even know the candidate’s name. I know I could look it up, but I can’t see the point right now.
Garth, caught your interview yesterday afternoon on CFRA. Well done!
Seriously, I am confused by this talk about the housing and asset markets crashing. My home is still increasing in value and construction in my area is still going full blast. My investments, though conservative, are still increasing.
Now, I know that the economy is cyclical – I remember the devastation in Canada during the 1980s (Trudeau) and I also remember the recession during the Mulroney years. Nothing, since the Trudeau era, has come close to the widespread devastation that I saw then. The American housing crash was a disaster waiting to happen – too many huge and expensive homes going up and too many people getting themselves into hot water.
In my own area, I saw young couples purchasing huge homes, SUVs, skis, snowmobiles, ATVs and then having to sell it all when reality set in. I know people who earn three times my salary and are in debt up to their eyeballs. It’s their own fault for being lousy money managers and for wanting instant gratification. I fail to see how this can be attributed solely to the current government.
I am careful with my money and save up for any big ticket item I need. I buy almost nothing at full retail and I make sure that my wants are in keeping with my budget. I contributed to my RRSP (maximum allowable), I put money in my savings every payday and I make sure that I time my purchases to minimize running out of paycheque between paydays.
Yes, the 40-year, zero down mortgage was a bad idea but nobody forced people to sign up. I waited an extra year before purchasing my home just so I could put down 25% and to pay for all of my upgrades in cash (and receive a 3% discount from the builder for paying cash). The bank wanted me to put the upgrades into the purchase price but I refused. The bank also wanted me to put down less than 25% and add the mortgage insurance cost to the purchase price. Again, I refused.
My car was purchased with cash – I kept my Volvo for 24 years in order to save enough to pay cash.
So, I managed my finances with no influence from any level of government. My only problem financially? High taxes on everything – it makes it difficult even though I am a good manager of my finances. If governments could get their acts together, perhaps my taxes would go down and I’d have more discretionary income to help keep the economy afloat.
Surely in this age of the Internet, when MPs can blog, send emails and post whatever they want on their web sites; when over 70% of the Canadian population is on high-speed; surely the time has come to stop this polluting perversion of political communications. – Garth
Oh, that’s just great! More electronic spam blocking up the electronic highway.
Maybe the ISP can restrict bandwidth on this junk.
But I guess you can put said MP’s on the spam list for automatic deletion.
Which is why Harper likes to chop down trees (that would make a good election piece, show his lack of regard for the environment, but he’ll just say he’s supporting the lumber and paper industry!) You at least have to look at it before you dump it.
I would suggest mailing it back, without answering the question. More work for Canada Post, but maybe the PMO would get swamped and quit sending them.
The Rush song “The Trees” keeps going through my head.
“There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the Maples want more sunlight
and the Oaks ignore their pleas!”
Could this be used as an analogy to our current situation; are the Oaks, the Cons, and the Maples those who see Harper’s government for what it is?
The next verse is quite telling,
“The trouble with the maples,
(And they’re quite convinced they’re right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can’t help their feelings
If they like the way they’re made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can’t be happy in their shade.”
Ah well, look up the last verse for yourself…… the Oaks get their come upance!
Thanks Neil!
Take a good look at the arrow and Check One.
Yes, the CRAP want you to vote for Jack Layton.
Back to another problem –
Read carefully, with special attention to the second last word.
“The main reason we are losing in Afghanistan is not because there are too few American soldiers, but because there are not enough Afghans ready to fight and die for the kind of government we want.”
- Thomas L. Friedman, NYT (republished in Moby Media Updates 31 July, http://www.mobycapital.com)
MARKET PRICE FOR OIL ONLY TEMPORARY
GET READY FOR THE NEXT LEG UP IN OIL
SEAN BRODRICK—MONEY MARKETS—07-30-08
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/Issues.aspx?NewsletterEntryId=2032
ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES THAT WORK
SEAN BRODRICK—MONEY MARKETS—07-23-08
http://moneyandmarkets.com/Issues.aspx?Alternative-Energies-That-Work-2005
BEEP BEEP BEEP I’M OFF IN MY TATA NANO
I know people who earn three times my salary and are in debt up to their eyeballs. It’s their own fault for being lousy money managers and for wanting instant gratification. I fail to see how this can be attributed solely to the current government.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 7:52 am
NOBODY HERE HAS EVER BLAMED GOV’T FOR CREDIT PROBLEMS … LACK OF PERSONAL ‘DUE DILIGENCE’ OR SUCHLIKE. JOB LOSS, WHEN ADDED TO CREDIT PROBLEMS, MERELY ADDS TO AN ALREADY BAD SCENE. IDIOTS LIKE FLAHERTY AND POILIEVRE ARE GOING TO PAY FOR BAD-MOUTHING ONTARIO.
I AM ON THE WARPATH OVER INCOME TRUSTS.
Well, well – I just received another one, by my own MP at least. I am keeping them and they are stacking up. I haven’t received one for a couple of weeks because he’s on vacation.
I am going to write him and I hope this time he will respond to my questions instead of sending me a letter in response to my last email talking about senate reform….my questions weren’t answered.
Enough is enough is enough!
I’ve had it.
Garth – if, as a taxpayer and voter, you ask your local MP how many fliers he’s sent out in one year, what the cost was, etc. – is he required to give you that info?
No. And, sadly, the MP does not even know the cost of the printing and mail distribution, since it is buried in subsidies. — Garth
By Barb the proof-reader
on 07.30.08 1:17 am
You are a perfect illustration of the principle of reasoned communication in matters of dissent.
Yesterday, acting on The Hon. Garth’s advice, I complained to The Hon. Peter Milliken. Early this morning I received a request from his office for more information.
By Herb on 07.30.08 8:21 am
I’m sure you will recall Karzai at the public meeting podium in Kabul when an assassination attempt was made. The Afghan Nation Police had no ammunition for their weapons, nor did they have any ammunition available.
To me that represents P/P co-ordination.
Yes, the CRAP want you to vote for Jack Layton.
By Captain George on 07.30.08 8:08 am
WhoHe? Is he important? Do he be a leader or do he rush madly forward with his own agenda?
I’d be interested in hearing comments from others on this. Is this just incremental step to divide this nation even more?
Ottawa drafts new deal for provinces
Tories willing to extend greater economic autonomy – such as allowing Quebec to negotiate unilateral labour deal with France
DANIEL LEBLANC
From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail
July 30, 2008 at 4:00 AM EDT
QUEBEC — The Harper government is prepared to let Quebec negotiate a unilateral labour-mobility deal with France, and is willing to provide each province with similar autonomy on economic issues, the Prime Minister’s Quebec lieutenant, Lawrence Cannon, has announced.
In the clearest indication to date that the Conservatives are willing to offer exclusive arrangements for each province, Mr. Cannon signalled the Harper government is prepared to shift the way the national government works with its provincial counterparts.
Quebec offers potent political benefits for the minority government and with economic volatility affecting all provinces differently, Mr. Cannon said in an interview that it is time to deal individually with each province’s needs.
While he declines to use the word “asymmetrical,” Mr. Cannon concedes the effect of his proposed framework creates precisely such a landscape.
See http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080730.wautonomy30/BNStory/National/home
EVERYONE IMORTANT TO REMEMBER THIS!!!
and be prepard to take action, speak up
with much force if the peoples voices are being suppressed at public all candidates meetings!
(Hi Bonnie N BC on 07.29.08 11:33 pm,)
Make sure that at the all candidates meetings, that the person chairing it, does not become the only filter of the questions.
That is, don’t let them only allow written question that they then filtered/BLOCK!!!
It’s still a free country (for now) and I want to be able to hear what my fellow citizens questions and concerns are!
Are the people in/running Government really prepared to be accountable to the people?
As they so often like to tell us!
When/if the chair says that all questions must be submitted in writing stand up and object will much force!!! If the meeting announcement said that all question must be in writing also stand up and object with force, at the public meeting, were it is happens!!! All the other smart people/voters in the audience will support you with there strong voices, you can be sure!!!
Do you really want the peoples questions to be filtered/blocked
by a few?
(Have you been paying attention? Stand up for your rights or loose them!)
Maybe go for a compromise, one question that they filter, then the next from a person/voter on the floor, unfiltered.
The election is for the people, you and me, not just a few special interest people/corporations.
I want to know what the people running for office have to say, to question the people they want to represent, have to ask them.
Put to them by the people/Voters in my own area and the country!!!
So be prepared to stand up to object to ‘only pre-written question’ that are then filtered/blocked by the chair of a public all candidates meetings!
Also be sure that there are question allowed at the all candidates meetings!
Not just feel good speeches from the people running for office!
You may need to be forceful if they don’t want to take any question from the floor!
Also if your at the meeting be prepared too support question asked from the floor, at least 50% from the floor if not 100%, by the people/voters that cared enough to get out to the public meeting!!!
If you’d like to ask a question, remember to site strategically near any microphones that maybe set up at the meeting, so your question can be heard! Hopefully.
Herb – thanks for reminding me. I have no idea why we have people in Afghanistan – the citizens of that country are not participating in righting their country so why should we be in there, losing lives nad spending a fortune. I would like to see a complete withdrawal from the country. It’s a waste of money, time and above all, lives.
I have about 75 flyers and silly handouts that I received in our mailbox over the past few weeks. What should I do with them? It seems strange that Harper puts out such low class flyers.They say absolutely nothing about our country, our accomplishments or our state of affairs. How can I get them back to the poor cons so they can recycle and reuse this valuable media?
Right, sure; MPs can blog. (rolls eyes) Whatever you say, crazy-guy.
Those mailouts tick me right off. I support a full ban of the mail outs. There are other more appropriate means of communication then spam in the mail.
Re Post by Leasa on 07.30.08 7:33 am
Leasa, you come yet another step closer to Harry S. in the category of zero credability. Try to defend the CON’s in this well documented practice rather than use the rather sad tactic of “well you do it too!”, backing it up by lies.
Pathetic really.
As for this practice as a whole, the Harper government are masters at manipulating the system to broadcast their message of propoganda while narrowly staying one foot inside the line of the law. Sometimes they go too far and venture outside the law, and thats where we need watchdogs like Garth to not only keep them in check, but defend us as Canadians from being taken advantage of.
I hope the criminal activities such as the financing of election advertising, the alleged bribery, and now this blatant overuse of advertisement at taxpayer expense comes back to bite them big time. The conservative party should be forced to pay back every red cent. It’ll never happen, but it would certianly be justified.
My 90-year-old dad.. whom I am so proud of.. is disgusted with Stephen Harper.. for what it’s worth.By Barb the proof-reader
on 07.30.08 1:17 am
Barb, your post struck a chord with me, as I just lost my Dad in December. He was 91. He and my Mom were true blue PCs, and she was politically active locally during the “Dief” years.
Both of them were disgusted by Harper and the new Conservative party. My Dad laughed when that party first called itself the Conservative Reform Alliance Party, that had CRAP as its acronym. He thought they should have kept that name, as it was so apropos.
It was nice to read about how proud you are of your Dad. I know exactly what you mean. At one time, my Dad had 3 jobs, and my Mom worked as well, so they could provide their 5 children with decent housing and a chance for a better life than they had. Anyway, “thanks for the memories”.
You know, other than the periodic newsletter from my MP, I have never received a 10% or one from Stephen Harper.
QUEBEC — The Harper government is prepared to let Quebec negotiate a unilateral labour-mobility deal with France, and is willing to provide each province with similar autonomy on economic issues, the Prime Minister’s Quebec lieutenant, Lawrence Cannon, has announced.
SNIP
By kpn on 07.30.08 9:01 am
This is an obvious way of setting precedent so that Alberta can make their own special deals for bringing in low cost labour for the oilfields. Also, possibly provinces with farm economies to import cheap Mexican or Dominican labour for the fields. Gee, now can any province import cheap programmers from India or the Ukraine on their own special immigration policy??
This is a VERY dangerous precedent to set, unless the goal is to completely decapitate unified Canadian immigration policy.
Anyone who believes Harpo is a “true Canadian sticking up for national unity” is a total ass when they support the CPC pulling off a stunt like this one.
Another attempt at buying votes by catering to the Separatist LOSERS. The sub-prime minister Stephen Harper is stupid anti-Canadian bastard!
Hey there IBIC, that was not Mr. Harper that said he would not live in Stornoway. Please check your facts.
By Ron p on 07.29.08 10:03 pm
Ron, I haven’t a clue as to what you are talking about.
Leasa
By Leasa on 07.30.08 7:24 am
That makes two of us.
THIS ISN’T MY POST.
Up to 10% three times per week? That’s absurd. It only takes 3-1/3 weeks to blanket a whole riding…what’s the point of the 10% limit at all, then?
I agree. End the program. Any program using taxpayer funds to send mailings to ridings other than your own is ridiculous. Householders are a little bit different, but they should still have some strict rules about what kind of stuff can be put into it. Too partisan (or any use of party logos, IMO) should not be funded by taxpayers. Of course, then there’d have to be a non-political rubber stamp office to approve taxpayer funded mailings, but that’s hardly unreasonable. It’s definitely been proven that partisan committees can’t be trusted to police themselves.
“He who knocks his competition validates his competition.”
Secrets of the Great Rainmakers, Jeffrey J Fox
Harper’s scared and it’s quite flattering.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080730/ap_on_sc/canada_arctic_ice_shelf
No truth to this just a rumour but I hear the Conservatives are going to discuss making this a new riding and flooding it with junk mail.
Everyone in my riding got a similar one yesterday…I sure hope you pull the plug on these guys !
Garth you tell folks to write to Milliken but you’ve seen the letter he sends to the complaint.
Q. How can we actually get our complaint taken seriously to stop the killing of trees with these inane repetititive partisan flyers…and get some actual action taken QUICKLY?
If Milliken gets a dozen letters, he can/will ignore then. If her receives 10,000 letters, this will change. — Garth
Garth,
Give Harper and edge, loophole and he’ll find a way to exploit it.
Can’t say I blame him. But it does say something about his character and principles.
He’ll do anything for power.
Daryn
Denis – do you know for a fact that Stephen Harper is scared? If I use your logic, anybody who posts to this blog with derisive words about Harper or Conservatives is actually validating them and is scared that the Conservatives will win? Anybody who refers to Harper as Harpo, or a neo-con, or any other derogatory name would, using your logic, be scared and is flattering Harper. Hey, the pendulum swings both ways.
He’s still alive? — Garth
Alive and more relevant than ever.
I have only ever rec’d 2 – one from my Lib MP & one from the NDP. I guess the cons don’t think they’d win in my riding. I do receive quarterly newsletters but don’t recall anything negative in them. They’re usually about events and parliamentary work.
BTW, should also mention I agree with banning these 10%ers but I don’t mind reading the newsletters, as long as they are not negative. By the way,, the 10%er that I rec’d from the NDP was all negative against, you guessed it, the Libs. Nary a mention about the cons.
I got 2 of those junk mail fliers yesterday. Never even heard of the M.P. who sent them. What politician wants to go door to door in a few neighbourhoods during an election to tell all the voters and taxpayers, that their hard earned dollars were used wisely to send out political crap to 10% or Canadian households. Perhaps Stephen Harper would want to go in his riding and let his constituents know how their tax dollars are being spent.
Garth you have to give the conservatives credit on now cheaply they make those mailers. I bet the fancy literture I get from my liberal MP costs 50 times more. You also need to get out on your harley and see all the trees out there even in the cities there is so many trees. You dont sound very intelligent talking about shortage of trees.
(a) If any MP sends you something in colour, then they were charged for printing that (by an external, private printer) against their existing, fixed operating budget. The MP’s party affiliation has no bearing. (b) Where did I say “shortage of trees?” (c) Do you agree with this use of public funds? — Garth
30,000,000 pieces? Man, the more I read about this the more steamed and offended I get.
At least you can click email spam away and it doesn’t require trees, blue boxes, landfills, etc.
Like the Carbon tax, people will make better choices if there is a cost attached. If M.P.s were reguired to personally pay either through their own money or through their office budget to pay for a precentage of these 10%ers, then maybe they would be more informative and less frequent. Our tax dollars are being abused for this junkmail being sent out. I even put a sign out in front of the house saying no non addressed mail, and I still get the political fliers. I asked the letter carrier and he told me that they have to be delivered even though they are non addressed and unwanted. Must be some sort of legislation in there to gaurentee delivery?
I’m with Barb and Lana my old soldier dad is almost 95 and he also thinks the Harperite party is a disgrace
Got a question for Warren Buffet’s Town hall meeting?
It’s being broadcast in theatres in HD with surround sound.
I’ll wait for the book. — Garth
“Garth you tell folks to write to Milliken but you’ve seen the letter he sends to the complaint.
Q. How can we actually get our complaint taken seriously to stop the killing of trees with these inane repetititive partisan flyers…and get some actual action taken QUICKLY?
If Milliken gets a dozen letters, he can/will ignore then. If her receives 10,000 letters, this will change. — Garth
By dj on 07.30.08 11:02 am ”
Cooooool, l’ll send him 10,000 then and give him your regards!
Garth, I just started reading your blog a couple months ago, having stumbled upon it while researching some financial info, and finding the commentary resonates with my own thoughts these days. So, can you help me with a couple political questions? You seem to speak highly of the Liberal party in general, yet, for most of your political years I understand you were a P.Conservative. Do you believe the Liberal party changed somehow from the days when you were a Conservative??
I was an Alliance party supporter from S-W Ontario, in a riding that is actually Conservative right now,(Lambton-Kent). I voted for Harper as leader, but am completely disappointed and disgusted by the “new” Conservative party’s arrogance. And I had always considered the LIBERALS to be the arrogant ones! Now I am entertaining the thought of voting Liberal! (I’m sold on the ideals and values of the “Green Shift”.) Even so, I’m still not so sure I really want to *trust* the Liberals either.
Could you give some explanation as to why we disillusioned ones who care about the future, and those around us, shouldn’t just vote Green and be done with the old school politicians altogether…?
Thanks. You’re doing a good thing.
Answered here. — Garth
- good point, except you are making the assumption that some of the Connies actually READ… lol…
By WesternGrit on 07.30.08 5:52 am
??????????????????????????????????????
Well we know they do look at pictures of bikini clad babes on their laptops!
Ha ha ha
Anybody who refers to Harper as Harpo, or a neo-con, or any other derogatory name would, using your logic, be scared and is flattering Harper. Hey, the pendulum swings both ways.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 11:19 am
Since Harper described himself as a “neo-con” how can you make such a statement? All the term means is neo or new Conservative something that a large number of Conservatives use in order to distinguish themselves from Progressive Conservatives. The term neo-conservative describes the ideological positioning of the new party.
What purpose would you have in trying to deny what the party you support really is and what it stands for?
I’m sure you will recall Karzai at the public meeting podium in Kabul when an assassination attempt was made. The Afghan Nation Police had no ammunition for their weapons, nor did they have any ammunition available.
To me that represents P/P co-ordination.
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 07.30.08 8:57 am
??????????????????????????????????????
Correction mon Frere, These buggers can’t be trusted with ammo! They are just window dressing!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back to another problem -
Read carefully, with special attention to the second last word.
“The main reason we are losing in Afghanistan is not because there are too few American soldiers, but because there are not enough Afghans ready to fight and die for the kind of government we want.”
- Thomas L. Friedman, NYT (republished in Moby Media Updates 31 July, http://www.mobycapital.com)
By Herb on 07.30.08 8:21 am
???????????????????????????????????
Correction Herb, Afgans and a whole lot more in that part of the World do not understand DEMOCRACY period! Until they realize what this is all about and are willing to fight to the last man standing for freedom we should not waste our blood, sweat, and taxes on them. BURN THE OPIUM POPPY FIELDS NOW with Cobalt60, and come on home boys and girls.
If a citizen send a letter to an MP or the Prime Minister no postage is required – it is paid by the government. Is this an abuse of taxpayer dollars? Just want to give another side to the equation given all the ranting about MPs abusing taxpayers’ dollars with mailers. Maybe not the same magnitude, but the principle is the same – what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
One MP can send, easily, 750,000 pieces of unaddressed mail a per year (householders and 10%ers), plus addressed constituent correspondence. Every constituent would have to mail five letters to government annually to equal that. I doubt if one in 100 voters sends one letter per year. Do you? — Garth
Those mailouts tick me right off. I support a full ban of the mail outs. There are other more appropriate means of communication then spam in the mail.
By Frank on 07.30.08 9:27 am
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Frank, I must vehemently disagree with you on the ban. It contravenes freedom of speech and other charter rights.
What I do agree with is that there should be no free lunch! Make all publications by parliamentarians paid for at the going rates including postage. Such payments would be deductible from their income on their tax filings anyway as a legitimate business expense.
So where is the big problem with doing business in the normal acceptable way?
More lies from Leprechaun One
“Our fiscal planning is on track for this year. I’m comfortable with where we are,” Flaherty told Canada AM earlier on Wednesday.
Canada’s economy is slowing. But Flaherty said the economic fundamentals here are still much better than the United States.
“We have a good housing market in this country, unlike the United States. Our car sales are good, unlike the United States,” he said from Levis, where the Tories are holding their summer caucus meetings.
Canadian banks and households are both in better fiscal shape than their U.S. counterparts, he added. However, Flaherty admitted “there are challenges — and we saw the challenges coming.”
CIBC World Markets said Wednesday that it expects inflation in the U.S. to hit six per cent within the next six months, and that the U.S. Federal Reserve Board will react by raising interest rates by at least two percentage points.
Last week, Canada’s inflation rate was reported to have hit 3.1 per cent in June, something driven largely by gas and food prices.
U.S. housing prices continue to fall, but economists there took some small comfort Tuesday in the fact that the rate of decline appears to be slowing.
But a glut of housing on the market in the U.S. means less construction and less demand for Canadian forest products such as lumber. The high dollar also hurts forestry, along with other export-oriented sectors such as manufacturing.
“We’re not an island, we’re not immune to those effects,” said Flaherty, who represents the Whitby-Oshawa riding east of Toronto. General Motors, located in Oshawa, announced Tuesday it would drop auto leasing incentives in Canada.
Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 6.2 per cent in June, but there is a regional story in those numbers. The West is doing much better than Central Canada, which is bearing the brunt of job losses in the manufacturing sector.
Flaherty said the Conservative government acted properly in cutting taxes in its previous budgets to provide a stimulus to the Canadian economy. Tax rebates average about $200, and many families have saved $1,000 on their tax bill, he said.
The frightening part in all of this is Flaherty,Harpo et al believe this bull shit they are shovelling .
Our fundamentals are better than the US?
Highly unlikely .
Nope these are lies and damned lies from aman who is clueless on how an world wide economy functions .
This is nothing more than shoddy propaganda .
I doubt if one in 100 voters sends one letter per year. Do you? — Garth
I wasn’t talking about quantity, Garth, and I made that clear. It’s the principle. Your fans are ranting about abuse of taxpayers’ dollars like it’s the end of the world. You countered with numbers and a question. Free postage is free postage, no matter who is sending to whom.
And, as I said earlier today, I have never received a mailer from the PMO – and I am in a Conservative riding.
I should point out that when the Libs were in power, I received all sorts of stuff but I didn’t hear anybody ranting about “hating” and “getting steamed” over it. Why is this such a big deal? Your party and the other parties could just as easily send out lots of spam mail. If the Conservative party is within the accepted limits then there is no violation. You are just stirring up the pot, Garth. I think you should focus on your original idea of flat tax instead of this nonsense.
Why you abandoned the flat tax, I cannot imagine unless it’s because your new leader told you to cease and desist or you’d get the boot. Get back on the flat tax wagon, Garth (it was your baby, remember) and then I’ll back you all the way.
One MP can send, easily, 750,000 pieces of unaddressed mail a per year (householders and 10%ers), plus addressed constituent correspondence. Every constituent would have to mail five letters to government annually to equal that. I doubt if one in 100 voters sends one letter per year. Do you? — Garth
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Garth, Sir: If a citizen presumably taxpayer has a piece of business worthy of mailing to his/her MP, it should also be worth the 52cent stamp to mail it first class. Now if there is something that contains documents and of parcel post in size that maybe a different matter. I resent the postal price increases and this is one of the ways to reduce the need for increasing the tariffs. The free franking is akin to payola, and slush funds, all of which brings disrepute to the institution!
So, buy a stamp. — Garth
OT but still important.
Canada not in Afghanistan over pipeline: Mackay
“…[W]e are not there specifically to protect a pipeline across Afghanistan.”
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080730/mackay_afghan_080730/20080730?hub=Canada
I like the “specifically”. Sort of “Well, if we’re there and a pipeline just HAPPENS to be passing by, we’ll protect it.”
Some of us are just not that stupid, Mr. MacKay.
I’ll go with Eric Margolis on this one.
From an article by Gordon Prather, who quotes Mr. Margolis:
“Meanwhile, according to Pakistani and Indian sources, Afghanistan just signed a major deal to launch a long-planned, 1680 km long pipeline project expected to cost $ 8 billion. If completed, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline (TAPI) will export gas and, later, oil from the Caspian Basin to Pakistan’s coast where tankers will transport it to the west.
“In 1998, the Afghan anti-Communist movement Taliban and a western oil consortium led by the US firm UNOCAL signed a major pipeline deal. UNOCAL lavished money and attention on Taliban, flew a senior delegation to Texas, and also hired a minor Afghan official, one Hamid Karzai.
“Enter Osama bin Laden. He advised the unworldly Taliban leaders to reject the U.S. deal and got them to accept a better offer from an Argentine consortium, Bridas.
“Washington was furious and, according to some accounts, threatened Taliban with war.
“In early 2001, six or seven months before 9/11, Washington made the decision to invade Afghanistan, overthrow Taliban, and install a client regime that would build the energy pipelines.”
http://www.antiwar.com/prather/?articleid=13202
Sorry, Mr. MacKay. Your pipeline story just doesn’t hold water.
As these so-called mailers are nothing more than a Government propaganda tool (weapon of mass deception )they should be paid for out of party coffers as party advertisements .
Perhaps someone should total the amount the Con-bots have spent and send them an invoice for the service and mailing costs .
Living in Con-bot central I receive no mailers from our alleged MP Leon Benoit who sends out a one pager at election time reminding us of all the wonderful things he and his government (?) have done for us .
You know what? I just remembered something. At one time, 100% of my RRSP contribution was deductible. At one time, I could make a once-in-a-lifetime lump sum contribution without penalty.
Okay, since the Martin era, my RRSP contributions are only partially deductible. And, the year I made my lump sum contribution, Paul Martin recinded the privilege retroactively – a very sneaky move, let me tell you. So much for Liberals wanting to help Canadians.
At one time, eye exams were covered by OHIP. Along came Dalton (Liberal) who delisted eye exams AND added a tax between 600 and 900 per year to supposedly contribute to our health care system (the money goes into general revenue). Paul Martin continued Mulroney’s deficit cutting work by dessimating our national health care system and other programs. So, wait times soared, doctors fled the country, nurses were let go, cities and provinces had to pick up the slack and our taxes skyrocketed.
Gee, I sure am looking forward to Dion’s new tax. And, please Garth, don’t hit me with the “don’t you want an income tax reduction” argument – my net will be a huge deficit once I factor in the added taxes which, oddly enough, are never mentioned. Only the income tax back is mentioned. Funny thing, that.
Oh, and Chrétien never, ever lied, did he?
You are allowed to make a catch-up RRSP contribution equal to 100% of your allowable room, including missed years. I think your assessment of the impact of the Green Shift is equal to your knowledge of investment rules. Henceforth, I shall therefore ignore you. — Garth
Oh, and I used to send letters to my MP and to Ministers until Chrétien got in. Ever read a reply from a Minister? What a joke.
Most interesting, this blog. I have just come across Garth’s work and must say haven woken up quite a bit after reading 2020. I just found this blog because I did a search to see what your thoughts and opinions are now, Garth. You did call the dot-com bubble correctly and so far you’re right in line with all the other research I’ve done on the US economy. I’ll be a regular reader, here, for sure.
Harper is due to make an important speech to the Conservative meeting in Levis, PQ tonight at 7 PM EDT, which will be broadcast on CBC and CTV.
Speculation is that Harper will tell Canadians that the country needs a federal election this Fall to determine in which direction they want the country to go in the face of the looming world economic crisis.
He may say that Canadians need to be decisive and elect a strong majority federal government so it can properly deal with our economic situation, currently being compromised by the opposition parties with their smearmongering tactics that makes Parliament not fully productive.
Accordingly he may indicate that he will offer the HoCs early Opposition days so that they can table non-confidence motions to defeat the minority government and force an election for late October or early November.
Now wouldn’t that piss off Iggy & Bobo ..LOL
Waddaya think …???!!!!
I would suggest this money that goes in 10% ers could be much better spent for the benefit of Canadians. Would it not be possible to provide access to each party’s website and if Canadians are interested in finding out the issues, they could do so in that manner, or via the T.V. or even e-mailing.
My proposal would be to allow as many mailings as each party wants as long as the tab is picked up by the party and not the taxpayer.
As I said last week, so far I have sent about 300 10%’s back after removing the non-mailer part for recycling, adding comments and suggestions but no personal information. Besides the many I personally received in my mailbox from an MP a few ridings away and an MP from another province, I take what others in my building throw in the junk-mail box and the recycling bin.
I am stopping this practice since I read a commenter here write that returning them was only adding to the tax burden on Canadians. I will continue to collect them though and hopefully can send them en masse to Mr. Milliken or whoever winds up investigating this abuse of taxpayer funds.
James Moore, MP for Port Coquitlam, seems to have blown his budget since his mailers have slowed to a trickle. Oddly, his own constituents haven’t been blanketed with his information. Friends in Coquitlam and PoCo have been collecting what they receive as well.
Friends in Libby Davies riding are reporting that they receive quite a few mailers from Con MPs and are collecting them for me as well. Seems that the Con MPs are targeting NDP ridings. So much for the enemy of my enemy is my friend, eh Jack Layton?
Thank you Mr. Turner for keeping this issue front and center! Today we are hearing some noise about Harper wanting an election all of a sudden. Until the court cases between the Cons and Elections Canada are settled how can Canadians trust that any new election is fair? If Dion has to abstain and deprive Harper again so be it. No election until the EC cases and the Cadman case are heard and judged!
There is no point spending millions of dollars when there is a possibility that the Cons harbour criminals and may have cheated Canadians out of their rightful choice and made a mockery of Canadian democracy.
Fragmenting Arctic Ice Shelf A Sign Of Warming Temperatures: Scientist
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 | 3:17 PM ET
CBC News
The fracture of a four-square-kilometre chunk of ice from the largest remaining ice shelf in the Arctic last week is a one-way change brought on by warming temperatures, says a scientist who has studied the process.
Derek Mueller, a polar scientist and research fellow at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ont., said the ice breaking off from the Ward Hunt Island Ice Shelf, just north of Ellesmere Island, marks the continuation of a process that has been years in the making.
“Ice shelves don’t just break up. There’s no karate chop,” he said. “This is the result of a gradual weakening over time as a result of warming temperatures.”
Mueller said the changes in the shelf, which surrounds Ward Hunt Island off the north coast of Ellesmere, provide further evidence the planet, and in particular the North, is warming due to climate change.
An expedition by U.S. explorer Robert Peary in 1906 put the size of the Ellesmere Island Ice Shelf at just under 9,000 square kilometres. The ice shelf has since broken up into smaller pieces, the largest of which is the Ward Hunt Island Shelf. The total area of all of these pieces is now less than 900 square kilometres.
No winter renewal of ice shelf
Mueller said if year-to-year warming wasn’t occurring, Arctic researchers would have been able to detect some renewal of ice during the winter months, either through thickening of the ice or the spread of the shelves. But researchers haven’t seen any sign of renewal, he said.
“This is a one-way change,” he said.
Mueller was part of the team of polar researchers that first discovered in 2002 a large central crack in the ice shelf, which had occurred between 2000 and 2002. An expedition alongside Canadian Rangers on a patrol around Ellesmere Island in April 2008 found an 18-kilometre crack along the shelf, a further sign that fragmentation was likely.
“Ice shelf integrity was lost in 2002,” said Mueller.
The 2002 fissure was blamed for the draining of an epishelf lake in Disraeli Fjord. Epishelf lakes are a unique ecosystem with both lighter freshwater and denser saltwater, with the freshwater component kept away from the ocean by the ice shelf while the bottom layer of seawater can mix with ocean water. The ecosystem is home to a unique mix of zooplankton and other tiny life forms.
Mueller said the next major epishelf lake potentially under threat in the region is the Milne epishelf lake, which is bound in the Milne fjord by the Milne Ice Shelf, the second-largest remnant of the Ellesmere Island Ice Shelf.
The ice island that formed last week is the largest to form off Canada’s northern coast since the 2005 collapse of the Ayles Ice Shelf, which lay between the Milne and Ward Hunt Island shelves. The ice island that subsequently formed had a surface area of about 66 square kilometres.
Naturally Harpo wants to go to the polls so as to forestall all the court judgements that will go against his government (?)
Cadman,In-Out fiasco, Bernier , Income Trusts , lieing about the tax savings,no wait time guarantees
et cetera .
Whatever he is going to suffer a massive defeat at the hands of the proletariat .
The opposition has until October 09′ to decide when to defeat the cretins .
He made it law .
Garth, I ran into ChickenLitlle’slittlestbrother yesterday. He was squawking something about the “Managed Collapse” that you mention frequently in your “Greater Fool” book. Providing further detail on this collapse would be a great Blog topic. Is the collapse being managed or are there powers that are managing the collapse?
Read the book — Garth
You are allowed to make a catch-up RRSP contribution equal to 100% of your allowable room, including missed years. I think your assessment of the impact of the Green Shift is equal to your knowledge of investment rules. Henceforth, I shall therefore ignore you. — Garth
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 1:35 pm
Brainsofaspaniel outed as an idiot !
EOTFLMAO
Mr. Garth TurnerMP and Everyone,
Have you been paying attention?
Are you well informed?
Do you a critical-thinker?
It’s time for you to get really MAD and get the fact for yourself and your family!!!
(before PMSH shuts down free access to the web in 2010!!!)
PMSH and his hand picked people don’t care about you and your family’s health or IQ. That’s not what he’s paying them to do!
I hope the mass media is going to interview the real scientists and medical Doctors and toxicologists at the Fluoride conference next week (see below) to here the other fact based side.
Since the Ontario dental association will not debate the facts!
This is because if you are informed, the dental association has no clothes, just like PMSH and his gang of mindless thugs!
I just heard 12:45pm today, on CBC TV news,
Dr. Larry Levin(dentics not medical) of the Ontario Dental Association.
He is an unethical ignorant liar is all I can conclude based on what he said.
I now know about fluorides effects on the body! He need to get up to speed with the resent science facts on the TOXIC effect of drinking fluoridated water on the human body, before he goes on tv and tells people it’s ok to drink it, because it’s NOT!
If he already know, I don’t know how he looks himself in the mirror? Perhaps the same way PMSH does when he is lying! ‘Dr’. Dentist is NOT ‘Dr’. Medical Doctors, internists or toxicologist!!!
The Dentists have been used as puppets to get people to think adding toxic fluoride to our drinking water is ok. I’m sure their lawyers are telling then to stick to the lie.
Would you drink sunscreen to protect your skin? Then why do you still think drinking fluoride will stop a very small % or cavities?
The original study was ‘COCKED’ that clamed so.
They didn’t even bother testing fluordes effect on people before starting to add it to the drinking water because it was already in a product we could buy, and that was rat poison. (I’m not kidding).
Adding toxic fluoride waste to our drinking water is truly ‘insane’ quit MAD.
The syuf they put into our water even has ‘arsenic’ and ‘lead’ in it, because it’s toxic waste from the phosphate industry.
The uninformed liars at the dental association are only perpetuating the deception that drinking fluoride is ok.
Why are the CBC and other MASS MEDIA perpetuating this lie, by adding to the confusion? Is it because the corporate run mass media is only paid to manufacture consent for their masters?
Is the whole thing a conspiracy, to keep the people from being ‘to’ smart? If we don’t get sick who will by the corporation drugs?
Isn’t someone in the MASS MEDIA ethical and informed enough to get the newest best good science out to the people about the toxic effects of adding any fluoride to our drinking water???
YOU can get the good fact/science on the effects of drinking fluoride on your and your families bodies!
http://www.fluoridealert.org/
You say, ‘what I’m I taking about?’
Only have 4 min to find out.
See 4 min video,
Dr. Vyvyan Howard on Fluoride in Drinking Water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqMmoQgnXnA
What to know the; who, how, why?
see 29min video, with the author of the book,
‘THE FLUORIDE DECEPTION’: An Interview with Christopher Bryson – Produced by Fluoride Action Network; 29 minutes; September 2004 — Updated April 2006.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/bryson.htm
Are YOU MASS MEDIA PEOPLE WITH FAMILIES going to cover this international science Conferences next week in Mississauga at the University of Toronto campus to get the fact yourselves and help tell everyone? Maybe even tell people it’s happening next week so they to can get the facts for them selves at the conferance?
The ISFR & FAN Conferences on Fluoride
August 7-11, 2008 | Toronto, Canada (Mississauga campus).
The ISFR & FAN Conferences on Fluoride
August 7-11, 2008 | Toronto, Canada
http://www.fluoridealert.org/conference2008/
To find all the good up to date science of Fluoride and the human body effects
Go to,
http://www.fluoridealert.org/
Don’t we want all people and your family to be Smart and Healthy, cancer and tumor free as much as possible???
PMSH does NOT care about you and your family’s best long-term interests!!!!
Are you well informed?
Have you been paying attention?
Do you care about the kind of world you and your family will be trying to survive in, in the near future???
Now that you have found out the newest fact about fluoridated water, YOU need to act in your own best interest!
Tell everyone, write/e-mail your local government and tell ‘them’ to stop this unethical insane practice of adding toxic fluoride to our drinking water NOW!!!
The new good science speaks for it’s self!
So,
Stop adding fluoride to our drinking water NOW!!!
Don’t just site there and think someone else is going to do it for you! You need to take action in your families own best long term interests!
I am re-reading the book my father wrote about his experiences as a young pilot and POW in WWII. He gave up 5+ years of his life for our country and nearly lost his life in service.
My 90-year-old dad.. whom I am so proud of.. is disgusted with Stephen Harper.. for what it’s worth.
By Barb the proof-reader
on 07.30.08 1:17 am
Barb:
Thank your dad for me and tell him that most in this country consider him a hero.
Never met him but I am sure he has a ton of hair raising stories to tell .
Garth I am so glad that Liberal MPs are so full of virtue. They refuse to use this free to them service unless they can read it and check all the facts? So they don’t send them, because it takes too long to read it and check the facts?
Why is ‘okay’ to send them out with things like jokes about killing the PM and his wife, yet you get so offended when CPC MPs use theirs to send political messages?
I think you’ve got your ying-yang in a knot.
Leasa
You are a liar, once again. The ‘joke’ was not sent by an MP and was not in a riding mailer. But you knew that. — Garth
By Leasa on 07.30.08 7:33 am
Lyin’ Leasa,
Once again you are caught flat out in a lie.
If you are not a compulsive liar you are the next thing to it.!
Harper is due to make an important speech to the Conservative meeting in Levis, PQ tonight at 7 PM EDT, which will be broadcast on CBC and CTV.
Waddaya think …???!!!!
By HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39 pm
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Harry, most likely there will be more of us watching how well young Hamilton pitches tonight for the Blue Jays! We will see the summary of the Harper HoHum
on the late news before Letterman! I wish they would bring back “open Mic” with Mike what’s his name for some Canadian content humor!He wasn’t that bad!
Mike what’s his name for some Canadian content humor!He wasn’t that bad!
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 2:05 pm
Mike Bullard .
You know, other than the periodic newsletter from my MP, I have never received a 10% or one from Stephen Harper.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 10:13 am
I have news for you Nathaniel. I have received several 10%ers in the past year with Harpers face & an arrow pointing to his name. But, to be fair, I received one just yesterday, 1 last week & those are the only two that did not have Harper’s face on it. I guess he’s been warned you think? I am really sorry I did throw several away though because I could have contributed a lot more to send to Milliken.
Up to this point from the ones I’ve starting keeping; they indicate that they come from Ron Mills, Ron Cadman & James Lunney. As far as I know, the Southern Okanogan which is my riding, does not yet have Liberal candidate so their 10% are a waste of that riding’s money. I do periodically receive a newsletter from the NDP MP though if anybody cares to know.
********
Denis – do you know for a fact that Stephen Harper is scared? If I use your logic, anybody who posts to this blog with derisive words about Harper or Conservatives is actually validating them and is scared that the Conservatives will win? Anybody who refers to Harper as Harpo, or a neo-con, or any other derogatory name would, using your logic, be scared and is flattering Harper. Hey, the pendulum swings both ways.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 11:19 am
“He who knocks his competition validates his competition.”
Secrets of the Great Rainmakers, Jeffrey J Fox
Harper’s scared and it’s quite flattering.
By Denis on 07.30.08 10:26 am
********
Ditto Denis. That’s probably why Harper has been on a never ending campaign mode spending millions on attack ads ever since Dion was elected. If wasn’t worried about him, he would have kept his money for the real campaign me thinks.
Cheers
Greenhouse Gases – 37% Increase From Pre-Industrial Times
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases present in the earth’s atmosphere which reduce the loss of heat into space and therefore contribute to global temperatures through the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gases are essential to maintaining the temperature of the Earth; without them the planet would be so cold as to be uninhabitable.
However, an excess of greenhouse gases can raise the temperature of a planet to lethal levels, as on Venus where the 90 bar partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) contributes to a surface temperature of about 467 °C (872 °F).
Greenhouse gases are produced by many natural and industrial processes, which currently result in CO2 levels of 380 ppmv in the atmosphere.
Based on ice-core samples and records,
current levels of CO2 are approximately 100 ppmv HIGHER than during immediately pre-industrial times, when direct human influence was negligible.
Natural and Anthropogenic
Most greenhouse gases have both natural and anthropogenic sources.
During the pre-industrial holocene, concentrations of these gases were roughly constant.
Since the industrial revolution, concentrations of all the long-lived greenhouse gases have increased due to human actions.
Source: Wikipedia
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 2:05 pm
Mike Bullard
I wasn’t talking about catch-up, Garth. It was an 8,000 lump sum contribution.
And, I figured out the tax on my natural gas consumption and it will put me into a deficit position because I not only heat my home and hot water with gas, but I cook with natural gas, barbecue with natural gas, and dry my clothes (when necessary) with natural gas. My hydro bill is low but my natural gas bill is higher than the average homeowner’s bill.
Ignore me all you want, Garth, but I am not quite as uninformed as your fans – I can read and I can figure out things. No tax is revenue neutral and Dion does not guarantee that the tax will be revenue neutral for everybody. There is no way it can be. Sorry, Garth, I’m just not as stupid as men with hats.
Brainsofaspaniel outed as an idiot !
EOTFLMAO
By Men With Hats on 07.30.08 1:58 pm
So, men with hats – have you always been the type to stand behind your mommy and stick your tongue out at the other girls?
Waddaya think …???!!!!
By HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39
I think PMSH is making a speech to tell the country we need a strong leader because he isn’t one just by the very fact that he’s making a speech to tell people that.
Now if he were to tell people he was lowering personal income taxes, that would be a leader. Somehow I doubt it.
Hi Liz on 07.30.08 1:41 pm,
Do not forget that PMSH as ordered electronic voting machines, the ones that the USA uses and you can’t tell if the true vote is realy taken. You have heard of hackers!!! There isn’t even a paper trail. I smell BIG BROTHER.
Be very carefull what you ask for!
Never vote on a machine or have your vote counted by a machine, or we will all be screwed permamently!!!
I know some local electiona use counting machines but they are just trying to condition us into thinking it’s ok. It is NOT!
Help count the paper votes by hand so we can have the true results of the people. I don’t need to know instantly what the results are. Paper ballots and hand counting has always worked in the past. Doing be fooled into being complacent about the people will and have the vote subverted to the wims of a few secrative people in power that tell you using machine to vote or count the vote is ok, it is NOT ok.
Are you well informed?
are you a critical-thinker?
Do you care about your collective freedoms, and the right to a far VOTE count?
Well we know they do look at pictures of bikini clad babes on their laptops!
Ha ha ha
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 12:35 pm
The Liberals prefer Sharpes collection
ha ha
It is like an abused spouse who continues to go back, time after time, to the same abusive spouse based on the promise they have changed!!!!
By C. B. on 07.29.08 5:20 pm
Actually quite profound CB.
Mulroney promised change but instead broke the rules of confederation and confirmed the feds have no use or need for the rule of law. We were promised change in 93 and went through 13 more years of abuse. Dion has promised the Liberals have changed so Garth is encouraging his readers to move back in with those abusers.
In politics you`re bang right on. Fortunately in politics no one need go back, we can seek refuge with the none of the above crowd.
When it comes to criminality just sew your ideologies all together and throw it over the whole works.
————
———-
Since Harper described himself as a “neo-con” how can you make such a statement? All the term means is neo or new Conservative something that a large number of Conservatives use in order to distinguish themselves from Progressive Conservatives. The term neo-conservative describes the ideological positioning of the new party.
By C. B. on 07.30.08 12:49 pm
lol, What a bunch of used hay.
neo-con was coined by Democrats to describe the liberals that moved away from the far left towards the center which is where the Cons are. To the right of liberals but to the left of the radical right.
“He’s still alive?”
trick question?
. . . crisis. . . . Waddaya think …???!!!!
honeyduckyhopelesshairy, 1:39 pm
Angeldrawers! Cutiekins! Nice to see you still thoroughly stink from the stench of the Bovine Excrement Meter, a.k.a. CRAP!
As for “crisis”, dimdumb is having a crisis: “. . . Flaherty said the economic fundamentals here are still much better . . .”
Better than what? Pluto? Read on and weep . . .
“. . . and we saw the challenges coming.”
Obviously — CRAP placed the problem there in the first place, on orders from DC, dictated to carney and handed on down. “By the fruits of their labors shall ye know them.”
CRAP spent $24 Bln. ($14 bln. inherited from Mr. Dithers’ previous govt.), plus a $10 bln. surplus later. Now Canada is in a $500 mln. deficit hole.
Out here, builders are still building homes and condos, with not too many selling. Why? ‘Owzabout 12,000 forestry workers whose jobs are gone, all thanks to a high loonie which keeps us uncompetitive?
What happens after the 2010 Winter Olympics, which is costing a bloody fortune paid by taxpayers, when building slows to a crawl?
Perhaps, hunkyhorny . . . no, that would be too much for you to figure out where all the unemployed workers get E.I. from.
Bring on the election, and for once and for all, we can say “Bon Voyage!” to CRAP.
Joy. That day is coming, and it will be full of joy!
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 2:05 pm
Unfortunately the Jay’s lost. The game was this afternoon. Now you can watch Hizz Honour the PM tell us what we are supposed to think.
These mailings must be going everywhere but my riding. Truthfully, the first time I saw one was on this blog. I used to get them all the time when I was in a different riding and out MP was Liberal – even though I am a Conservative through and through, I had the utmost respect for her – a great lady. I used to get tons of these things then.
But, since the Conservatives came into power, nothing except my MP’s newsletter which I do appreciate receiving.
Off Topic but well worth the read.
JEFFREY SIMPSON
July 30, 2008 Corn-based ethanol: The negatives outweigh the positives
Canada’s governments have done something really stupid in subsidizing corn-based ethanol, and requiring its increased use, but apparently cannot correct their mistake.
As a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, corn-based ethanol is a poor option; as a farm subsidy program, it’s also a poor bet. Making matters worse, corn-based ethanol takes corn-for-food out of production, and moves land from other kinds of production into corn, thereby adding to what are already rising food prices.
Governments, here and in the U.S., thought they were doing great things for the environment and helping farmers, too. Ethanol policy was, to quote the Harper government, a “win-win.” Actually, it was a lose-lose policy for all but corn producers, who, naturally enough, have rallied furiously to protect their good fortune.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080730.COSIMP30/TPStory/National/columnists
Regards,
He may say that Canadians need to be decisive and elect a strong majority federal government so it can properly deal with our economic situation
By HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39 pm
“properly deal with our economic situation” ??????
So Harper is admitting that he’s really screwed up the economy.
Can’t wait to hear the details of his plan to properly deal with our economic situation. Of course the man has lied so many times no one will believe a word he says unless you’re some kind of fool.
Irene – you are logical and I cannot argue with anything you have written. May I respectfully remind you that during the election campaign which put Harper into power, the Liberals were saying that Harper was “scary”. So, the Libs did the same thing. Does this mean that the Libs were scared of their competition at the time?
When Garth knocked Harper over an over again in last year’s blog, does that mean that he was scared of him?
Your logic is impeccable and it can be applied all across the board. I can’t argue with that. And, besides, our political system has become one of dissing, anyway, on the part of all parties, not just the Conservatives.
Another attempt at buying votes by catering to the Separatist LOSERS. The sub-prime minister Stephen Harper is stupid anti-Canadian bastard!
BY MAYBE RHINO? ON 07.30.08 10:20 AM
You are so eloquent.
Never vote on a machine or have your vote counted by a machine, or we will all be screwed permamently!!!
I know some local electiona use counting machines but they are just trying to condition us into thinking it’s ok. It is NOT!
Help count the paper votes by hand so we can have the true results of the people. I don’t need to know instantly what the results are. Paper ballots and hand counting has always worked in the past. Doing be fooled into being complacent about the people will and have the vote subverted to the wims of a few secrative people in power that tell you using machine to vote or count the vote is ok, it is NOT ok.
Are you well informed?
are you a critical-thinker?
Do you care about your collective freedoms, and the right to a far VOTE count?
By Greg W., Oakville on 07.30.08 2:52 pm
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greg, truer words were never spoken. I recall that after the first election eventually won by GW Bush, there were some investigations into those electronic voting machines. Later on a compuiter programmer formerly employed by Exxon and then the NSA admitted under oath he was hired by the Republican National Committee to reprogram the machines in about three states where it was known that the vote would be close. He put in a 2% bias into the coding and that was about the difference needed to steal that election along with the “hanging chads” rejected in Florida.
Their voting methods and rules vary state to state where as ours come under national federal scrutiny. The bottom line is that for security and surety we need a paper ballot that is kept available for recounts and judicial recounts where necessary. Hard copy is hard to replace!
“had 3 jobs, and my Mom worked as well, so they could provide their 5 children with decent housing and a chance for a better life than they had. Anyway, “thanks for the memories”
~ LANA 9:49AM
Lana,
I’m so sorry to hear about your dad. I guess we have similar backgrounds, five kids to feed, my late mom worked too. It was all good times though.. a great era to grow up in. And many good memories.
^ ^
>’ ‘<
—
“I am sure he has a ton of hair raising stories to tell”
~ MEN WITH HATS 2:02PM
Men,
He does have amazing war stories, some are even fun. The vets really bonded during those times. It may sound odd to the casual observer, but he says it was the best times of his life, despite the terror and years as a prisoner of war.
Because he wrote about it, it was always easy for me to know that our generation was all very lucky. I’ll pass along your kind words.
—
BY JUDY ROBERTS 12:00PM
Wow Judy, 95!
Well, it’s dad’s like yours, Lana’s late father, and my Dad, who are a really good reason to get us out there to see if we can make a difference. It’s the least we can do for ‘em.
Say hi to your father for me, and thank him too.
Hi Liz on 07.30.08 1:41 pm,
Do not forget that PMSH as ordered electronic voting machines, the ones that the USA uses and you can’t tell if the true vote is realy taken. You have heard of hackers!!! There isn’t even a paper trail. I smell BIG BROTHER.
Be very carefull what you ask for!
Never vote on a machine or have your vote counted by a machine, or we will all be screwed permamently!!!
I know some local electiona use counting machines but they are just trying to condition us into thinking it’s ok. It is NOT!
Help count the paper votes by hand so we can have the true results of the people. I don’t need to know instantly what the results are. Paper ballots and hand counting has always worked in the past. Doing be fooled into being complacent about the people will and have the vote subverted to the wims of a few secrative people in power that tell you using machine to vote or count the vote is ok, it is NOT ok.
Are you well informed?
are you a critical-thinker?
Do you care about your collective freedoms, and the right to a far VOTE count?
BY GREG W., OAKVILLE ON 07.30.08 2:52 PM
WTF? When did he do this? What models are they? Do you know how easy it is to rewrite the code on those? Do you know how easy it is to Hack into one of those?
After a lot of Americans envied our counting system during the last election he goes and does this?
So instead of the graveyard vote he can just have a line or two of code changed. Well, isn’t that special?
Everybody calm down. Harper did no such thing, nor can he. Votes in this country are run 100% by Elections Canada, the same agency the Cons voted non-cofidence in. — Garth
Ignore me all you want, Garth, but I am not quite as uninformed as your fans – I can read and I can figure out things. No tax is revenue neutral and Dion does not guarantee that the tax will be revenue neutral for everybody. There is no way it can be. Sorry, Garth, I’m just not as stupid as men with hats.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 2:24 pm
I certainly hope you are not uninformed, you sure have had a lot to say today…
heartofnathaniel your daily pretense as persona naive bystander isn’t bought by anyone… go fish.
Ah Barb – another nonsensical comment. I am not pretending to be naive, by any stretch of the imagination. Where you got that is beyond me. As for fishing? Nah, I can have all the guppies and clownfish I want just on this blog.
Whew! Thank you for clearing up that piece of misinformation.
WJP – yup, a slow day so I figured I might as well spend some time among the fish in this little pond. I do feel badly to have sunk to the average level of the posters on this blog – although nowhere nearly as low as men with hats.
Waddaya think … ???!!!!
By HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39 pm
I AM THINK YOU SHOULD ARRANGE FOR AN ELECTION IN THE COOL OF, SAY, 3RD. WEEK OF SEPTEMBER. AS TO YOUR SPECULATION OF WHAT THE REJECT FROM DIVINITY SCHOOL IS GOING TO SAY;
You find it at the bottom of the stall in a cattle barn. Thass why your eyes are heavily tinted to a brownish green …. highly acidic and definitely harmful to plant life. As Schwartzkopf would observe, “you’re probably the luckiest guy who’s trying to cross that bridge BEFORE you come to it.”
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 2:05 pm
Mike Bullard
By Marc on 07.30.08 2:23 pm
………………………
Roight Mate, now that I have had some lunch and lost the “Sometimers not Alzheimers”, I recall I used to call him Mike Bullyard! He was a former Metro Toronto cop! Told some great stories!
I also listened to the final innings of the loss to the “Devil Rays”. none of you are real baseball fans or you would have caught the other slip up, it was called up pither Richmond not Hamilton!
Now if there are no must watch reruns of CSI or what ever I just might lower my standards to watch Stevie Double Talk.
Everybody calm down. Harper did no such thing, nor can he. Votes in this country are run 100% by Elections Canada, the same agency the Cons voted non-cofidence in. — Garth.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Agreed. Good advice for the time being. If Harper does some how get a majority, that is when to get excited as numerous Federal Officials are in jeopardy from the Auditor General, Elections Canada, all down the alphabet to the Wheat Board and beyond. Harper is not like Bush in that he does not stand by his men or women that help him get there. He would fire his own Grandmother and find a way to sue her! Some ethical Christian he is with his track record on truth, accountability, and morality! Just wait for the inside true story to surface about the Bernier/Couillard affair and see who has the moral high ground then!
Are you a Liberal, a Conservative, or a Southerner?
Here is a little test that will help you decide.
The answer can be found by posing the following question:
You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife
and two small children.
Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife
comes around the corner, locks eyes with you,
screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the
knife, and charges at you.
You are carrying a Kimber 1911 cal 45 ACP, and you are an expert shot.
You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What
do you do?
…………………………. ….. ………………..
THINK CAREFULLY AND THEN SCROLL DOWN:
Liberal Democrat’s Answer:
Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire
him to attack?
Could we run away?
What does my wife think?
What about the kids?
Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock
the knife out of his hand?
What does the law say about this situation?
Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does
this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he’d be20happy with just killing me?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be
content just to wound me?
If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my
family get away while he was stabbing me?
Should I call 9-1-1?
Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have paint and weed day and
make this happier, healthier street that would
discourage such behavior.
This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with
some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.
………………………………………………………………
Republican’s Answer:
BANG!
………………………………………………………………
.
……………………….
Southerner’s Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! Click….. (Sounds of reloading)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! Click
Daughter: ‘Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the
Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?’
Son: ‘Can I shoot the next one?”
Wife: ‘You ain’t taking that to the Taxidermist!
Nice story, but you could have dropped the “Islamic.” I am a Lib, after all. — Garth
Sorry. OT again, but wasn’t Yushchenko in Canada recently, being lauded by Harper and given the full visiting head-of-state treatment and hailed as a saint?
Maybe the “poison” wasn’t dioxin after all (I THOUGHT that was weird) but plain old ethanol in large quantities and the whole poison story was manufactured to get publicity and sympathy for him and help install another “pro-western” (read U.S. there) government to use as a stick to poke Putin in the eye with?
Whatever happened to the Yushchenko “poisoning” investigation?
by Justin Raimondo
“…[T]here were all sort of indications, however, including testimony from Dr. Lothar Wicke – at the time chief medical doctor at the Rudolfinerhaus clinic, where Yushcenko was treated – that pointed to a rather more complicated if less dramatic diagnosis [than dioxin poisoning]: pancreatitis, brought on by alcohol abuse.”
“…[Z]hvania cast doubt over the validity of dioxin-poisoning tests done years ago that suggested Yushchenko was poisoned. Zhvania insisted that Yushchenko was first diagnosed as suffering the effects of pancreatitis, herpes and facial nerve inflammation.. ”
“…[t]he candidate [Yushchenko] “had partaken in an earlier meal just before the Smeshko visit, and before that had stopped off at the home of a completely unknown tinkerer where the president downed no small quantity of moonshine.”
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=13192
the citizens of that country are not participating in righting their country time and above all, lives.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 9:12 am
“righting” according to Bush? or Harper?
While I would not want to live in their system, it is their system and We really do not have the right to dictate what their system must be. We are very lucky to live here ( even with a harper minority Gov.) But the years of culture and tradition cannot be changed in 3 or 5 or 25 years. If we can improve the security for the citizens of Afghanistan then we may concider our efforts successful
Want to tell the conservatives what you think of them, send me an email and I’ll send you my email list (as vcards) so you can email them as I do.
Tell all those useless conservatives what you think. I just did and I even attached a reference to this series of comments.
My email is bill@pixelar.com.
BY GREG W., OAKVILLE ON 07.30.08 2:52 PM
WTF? When did he do this? What models are they? Do you know how easy it is to rewrite the code on those? Do you know how easy it is to Hack into one of those?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Greg, This goes back to the first Bush election win in year 2000. The facts about that programmer and his testimony before a Congressional Committee, I believe it was, dates back at least 2 or more years. How and why he was not charged with something and in court I don’t know!
If you need details, I would check with some of the web sites like democracy watch or even “The Guerrilla News Net” may have some threads on it, too!
The American MSM seems to have stayed away from much coverage of this but so have they on much of the darker side of Dubya’s Administration record. That may change drastically once he is out of office and power. The best source to watch is the American Bar Assoc. who are gathering their evidence until after the inauguration. We need to do the same here in Canada. Once Harper is out of office and control there needs to be a thorough investigation of violations of the laws. It remains to be seen who has the constitutional fortitude and stamina to do it. Pun intended.
Who do you visualize being able to coordinate and complete the clean up our politics so desperately needs? Dion, Rae, Ignatieff? Layton? (Not likely)
Comartin, Mulcair, Dosanjh, Jennings, Serge Menard, and a couple more have the talent but may never get to use it depending on the circumstances. The future is never predictable and often presents strange twists!
Remember that the Sponsorship Scandal investigation was severely hampered by the lack of documentation, especially Bank Records that were destroyed after the 3 year retention requirement. Had most or all of those been available I am sure that there would have been more charged and convicted. It happened on Cretien’s watch and he should have been far more contrite. He would not be wearing that “Snow Flake Medal” now, IMO
HARPER POLICY – “MOST-FAVOURED FLUNKY?”
Investigator: Political Bias a Factor in US Justice Department Hiring
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-07-30-voa53.cfm
For White House, Hiring Is Political
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/washington/31capital.html?hp
I live in a small town in Perth Wellington riding.
Gary Schellenberger is our Conservative M.P.
His mailings, though infrequent, can be found littering the post office lobby because the post ofice employees removed the blue recycling box. ( I think they must be Conservatives and want us to take the M.P.’s brochures home).
Do we have to take possession of material dumped in our post office boxes that is NOT addressed to us?
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 4:20 pm
You were listening to a baseball game? Is that not like listening to paint dry?
You realize, of course, Holland just finished dragging the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel onto the short list for ‘democratic reform’, no?
DELETED
Barb,
“heartofnathaniel” has been fishing here since he joined us. Just think of all the chum he has spread to engage others in dialogue he then can steer towards CPC conclusions.
Consider him to be the “assofhairy”, and let him talk to himself.
I actually receive very, very little printed material but still agree that it is a monumental waste of money, resources and manpower and is of little value.
Voters support who they support – in my experience, there aren’t that many ’swing’ voters – and these (most aptly described) ‘partisan poop-o-grams’ will not do anything to change the hearts and minds of committed voters (whether that commitment is to the party, the leader or the candidate). You are right that they have devolved from being informational to just ‘politicians trashing one another’ and the vast majority of it is likely not read, and most definitely does end up in the blue box. I support you in your efforts to see the program ended (although I am not keen on seeing my email inbox fill up instead!).
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 4:20 pm
You were listening to a baseball game? Is that not like listening to paint dry?
By Marc on 07.30.08 5:19 pm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You are not a baseball fan, you would not understand! I started “listening” to baseball when Mel Allen was the voice of the Yankees during WW2. That predates TV broadcasting, eh! What are you? A paint fumes sniffer, can’t afford the glue?
……………………………
I asked the letter carrier and he told me that they have to be delivered even though they are non addressed and unwanted. Must be some sort of legislation in there to gaurentee delivery?
By Marc on 07.30.08 11:57 am
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I think if you check with the Postal Supervisors, it has a lot more to do with the fact that the Post Office is paid to and contracted to deliver, and if a carrier is assigned to deliver it, it is his sworn duty to perform or be disciplined! It is a union job and management will enforce the rules!
Candid Reflections,
you raise an interesting problem in your 12:51 pm. Why would democracy be understandable in non-Western parts of the world? How would they get to understand it? Why would they prefer it to what they have, unless they had it, saw it work, and approved of what they saw?
Why would you expect any Afghan to fight and die for a democracy he has never experienced, for “the kind of government WE want?” We may have imposed democracy on Afghanistan at the point of a gun, but what have we done except replace an oligarchy of religious fundamentalists with an oligarchy of pro-Western “politicians” who know which side their bread is buttered on? Only after destroying a lot of infrastructure, inflicting a lot of collateral damage, and running broadside into the tribal culture that has made the country work so far, of course.
When a Western politician talks about spreading democracy in other parts of the world, assume that you are listening to a crook disguising more prosaic aims under the sweet talk of democracy.
Want to tell the conservatives what you think of them, send me an email and I’ll send you my email list (as vcards) so you can email them as I do.
Tell all those useless conservatives what you think. I just did and I even attached a reference to this series of comments.
My email is bill@pixelar.com.
By Bill R on 07.30.08 5:08 pm
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Why bother? I can get a brick wall to listen up better than these halucinating hypnotized copouts. Just save your breath and deposit the only surprise that counts in the ballot box!
I just saw a Honda Goldwing fleeing down the four nothing one towards the meeting in Quebec but the operator wearing the black full helmet was not Garthvader!
DELETED
Brainsofaspaniel. Not to worry as you sit in mommies basement, wearing your sisters panties , eating five day old Chinese food from card boad cartons ,typing your stupid drivel thinking you are so clever.
Wearing your ass for a hat.You will be ignored by all .
We have better things to do than joust with a mental half-wit .
I have more brains in my little finger than you have in your entire cranium .
Want to tackle me twerp . You are out manned,out gunned,and out witted .
Now be a good lad and take off to “Small Deaf Assholes” where you belong .
In & Out~
by Liz: “Until the court cases between the Cons and Elections Canada are settled how can Canadians trust that any new election is fair? If Dion has to abstain and deprive Harper again so be it. No election until the EC cases and the Cadman case are heard and judged!
There is no point spending millions of dollars when there is a possibility that the Cons harbour criminals and may have cheated Canadians out of their rightful choice and made a mockery of Canadian democracy.” ~LIZ 1:41PM
Liz,
I agree. No elections until we fully know if and how many crimes have been committed by the Cons.
I found this old quote by Dube:
“The election rules say that if a party’s local riding has raised excess funds that it has not used, it can transfer them to the national level for their use. In the case of the Conservatives, they selected ridings that had unused capacity at the local level, transferred funds in the amount of that unused capacity, then turned around and transferred the money right back out again. The distinction here is that no matter how the Conservatives try to twist it, those funds were not raised at the local level for local use. It was premeditated, orchestrated subversion of the rules. And that is fraud. For their criminal case, Elections Canada has recognized this distinction and intent: fraud is crime. To make things worse, in this case highly organized.”
~ BY DUBE 05.05.08 5:57 AM
If Dube is correct Canadians deserve to know the results of Harper’s In & Out Fraud Scheme court case before an election.
Electronic Voting Machines
Garth, I’ll paraphrase Bon’s comment from a couple of months ago, they are attached to the senate Bill C 20 due to the complexity of STV. To count the votes they need electronic machines to process the ballots, so poor Elections Canada is asked to implement this process within 2-3 years. As everyone now knows, voting machines are very susceptible to tampering.
I think this link won’t work but I’ll try
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?SourceId=235557&Lang=1&PARLSES=392&JNT=0&COM=13493
39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION
Legislative Committee on Bill C-20
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
“A third matter I wish to raise today is the operational feasibility of the coming into force provisions, as provided in the bill. The requirement to prepare for Senate consultations will be a substantial undertaking which we will need to accomplish in addition to our ordinary activities, which include always being prepared for a general election.
New tools and systems will need to be developed to conduct the consultations and to support an electronic method for counting the ballots under the STV system. In addition, we will be developing training materials and an information and education campaign for parties, other participants and, especially, the voting public.
I anticipate that these problems can be dealt with and that the appropriate systems can be designed. However, I have concerns about the feasibility of doing so within the two-year period. We asked IBM Canada to conduct an external review of the technological developments required, given the implementation timeline provided for in Bill C-20. The firm concluded that a two-year timeline has an extreme risk of failure. On the other hand, it found that a three-year timeline for implementation appears achievable. A three-year coming into force period is therefore essential to Elections Canada to ensure the success of this endeavour.”
WJP – yup, a slow day so I figured I might as well spend some time among the fish in this little pond. I do feel badly to have sunk to the average level of the posters on this blog – although nowhere nearly as low as men with hats.
By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 4:18 pm
Me thinks you flatter yourself, from what I read today you have pulled the average down significantly…but go for it…it gives us all a good sense of the thinking process of a CPC supporter.
Did the Liberal Party not use ten percenters to advertise your cross canada tour Garth?
But now you are opposed to it?
My opinion…I feel all parties abuse the ten percenters (I did not agree with you using them to promote your tour)…If the CPC are violating the rules, backcharge them for the mailings that violated the rules.
If they are within the rules, everybody needs to take a deep breath and relax. Then change the rules to abolish this practice.
BTW, what ever happened with that point of priveledge (I think) with regards to Holland violating privacy laws with respect to the CPC documents found in LPC offices? Never did hear if that was settled. That guy has always rubbed me the wrong way.
Of course I used 10%ers to publicize my series of Town Hall meetings. What does that have to do with Stephen Harper using them to tell voters in a specific riding their MP should be dumped? One is information, the other is vote influencing. One is allowed. One is not. — Garth
(although I am not keen on seeing my email inbox fill up instead!).
By Seachange on 07.30.08 5:44 pm
**********************************
Just mark it as spam and click, no problem. Next email from that source goes directly to spam. Once a day delete all spam. The electronic sewer never overflows! Then you can change you handle to Shortchange!
I’ll be a regular reader, here, for sure.
By MoneyEnergy on 07.30.08 1:37 pm
Welcome, Money Energy. There are some really fine people on this blog, and I’ve learned a lot from most of them. I have certainly learned a lot from Garth.
Basically what the next election campaign boils down to is who can mount the most credible public relations blitz. Immediately after the Green Shift Plan is announced and detailed, PMSH starts talking about Canadians getting “screwed”.
Is he hard of hearing, dyslexic or what?
Stevie the word is PUBLIC not PUBIC!
“Washington was furious and, according to some accounts, threatened Taliban with war.
“In early 2001, six or seven months before 9/11, Washington made the decision to invade Afghanistan, overthrow Taliban, and install a client regime that would build the energy pipelines.”
http://www.antiwar.com/prather/?articleid=13202
Sorry, Mr. MacKay. Your pipeline story just doesn’t hold water.
By CM on 07.30.08 1:30 pm
Very revealing, and supports what my daughter (a conspiracy theorist) has been saying for years. Should she be wearing a foil hat too? I somehow don’t think so.
. . . and this is . . .
****************************************
THE CANADIAN WAY
A Newfie, a little man, was sitting at a bar in Toronto when a huge, burly American guy walks in.
As he passes the Newfie, he hits him on the neck knocking him to the floor. The Yank says, ‘That’s a karate chop from Korea.’
Well, the little Newfie gets back on his barstool and resumes drinking his beer.
The American then gets up to go to the bathroom and, as he walks by the Newfie, he hits him on the other side of the neck and knocks him to the floor.
‘That’s a judo chop from Japan’, he says.
The Newfie decides he’s had enough and leaves. A half hour later he comes back and sees the Yank sitting at the bar.
He walks up behind him and whacks him on the head, knocking him out cold.
The Newfie says to the bartender, ‘When he wakes up, eh!, tell him that was a f*#$%n’ hockey stick from Canadian Tire’.
****************************************
Seems to be a new twist at health food stores.
http://naturesfare.com/
The above store has printed up a bunch of cards, close to triple the size of a reg. postcard, addressed directly to Ron Cannan, CRAP MP for Kelowna / Lake Country — in Ottawa.
The front of the card, in full color, says VOTE NO to Bills C-51 and C-52, along with other stuff.
I don’t recall seeing Bill C-61 on it, but it is a very good idea to take support away from CRAP and switch voters to Libs. and Greens — more than anything, to expose what CRAP is doing while it holds the reins of power.
No stamp req’d — pre-paid and addressed. On the flip side, there is more info. on what those bills are, and a place to sign one’s own name and address.
Could be they obtained the idea from other parts of the country, but it doesn’t matter. The sooner CRAP and these bills are tossed, the better.
****************************************
WW from the KDC:
“To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep.” — Joan Klempner
Does that mean I’m going to win the $24 mln. (or a part of it)?
I don’t buy lottery tickets, but it would be great if someone handed me a cheque next week!
****************************************
Looking up, and in ascending order, there is the atmosphere, troposphere, hairysphere(?!), stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.
The ionosphere and hairysphere could be one and the same, but no one is quite sure!
Simple fact is that the Valley has had below normal temps. over the past few days; in fact, downright cold.
Call a surprise election — that will warm things up, especially if everyone votes for ‘None of the above!’
Mecheng has a good question. “What ever happened with that point of priveledge (I think) with regards to Holland violating privacy laws with respect to the CPC documents found in LPC offices? Never did hear if that was settled.” That guy has always rubbed me the wrong way as well.
Harper Fails To Meet Own Deadline Rules For Disclosing Gifts
The Canadian Press
July 30, 2008 at 6:21 PM EDT
OTTAWA — It seems Prime Minister Stephen Harper has failed to meet his own conflict-of-interest deadline for declaring gifts he received.
Mr. Harper has not publicly declared gifts received since last fall despite being required to do so under new conflict guidelines introduced by his government.
But an official [falsely] insisted Mr. Harper is in compliance with the rules because all gifts are in the process of being disclosed or still being appraised to establish their value.
Under the new conflict rules in the Conservatives’ public accountability legislation of 2006, all gifts cabinet ministers receive valued over $200 must be reported within 30 days.
Mr. Harper hasn’t reported anything since a present he received during an official visit in October of 2007.
May I suggest that if Speaker Peter Milliken does not “STOP” this illegal tax grab by Stephen Harper post haste that the Liberal Party copy each and everyone one of these specific 10% ers and stamp in Red Ink “Not True” and send them out by the truck load (s)….fighting fire with fire so to speak and when the MSM and taxpayers get the message or crying from Harper M. Dion and yourself can tell all Canadians the truth complete with the dozens of complaints that have falling on deaf Conservative ears! Heck he just might even to sue again which will bring it to front page news for free!
Do we have to take possession of material dumped in our post office boxes that is NOT addressed to us?
BY JUDY ON 07.30.08 5:13 PM
Judy,
You can just refold them so the MP’s name is delivered to and then just drop them back in a post box. You can do this with any junk mail you receive.
By Herb
Barb,
“heartofnathaniel” has been fishing here since he joined us. Just think of all the chum he has spread to engage others in dialogue he then can steer towards CPC conclusions.
Consider him to be the “assofhairy”, and let him talk to himself.
By Herb on 07.30.08 5:36 pm
Heartofgnat best watch his pesky butt around this fish pond
A few months old (May ‘08), but quite relevant — money talk.
http://tinyurl.com/5tubsj
*******************************************
Restaurant bankruptcies in an economic downturn will happen, but no one has reported on the “ripple effect” — food, utensil and napkin suppliers, lost property taxes to municipalities, etc.
http://tinyurl.com/62bwjk
****************************************
America is being bought out by foreigners, and as harpo emulates dubya, I suppose Canada will follow shortly.
http://tinyurl.com/6porpf
“I do feel badly to have sunk to the average level of the posters on this blog”
BY HEARTOFNATHANIEL 4:18PM
Nat,
You pretend to cuddle up to the posters here, you pretend naivete, you pretend a lot of false pretenses, and you dis.. you attack the entire blog with comments like that. So far, you’re the only sunker. Many will be saving your above post, to ensure we always know that’s your intentions here. Your portfolio has spilled on the floor.
Don’t know how accurate this is, but apparently the SPP is dead. Maybe.
http://tinyurl.com/6ahjrb
*******************************************
A novel way for home- and condo-owners. Walk away from it.
http://tinyurl.com/6kqygl
****************************************
Two short videos. Terms such as billions and trillions have made the rounds, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen quadrillions spoken of.
http://tinyurl.com/6ry62g
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 5:53 pm
I’ll never forget the year of the strike.
Both the Jays and Expos were on track to end up first in the American and national leagues .
Imagine an all Canadian world series ?
Would have driven the Americans crazy .
I would like to re-iterate an observation that Barb the proof reader made about the bottom right hand corner of the flier which says “Compliments of Stephen Harper, MP”.
I think it is particularly insulting for a politician to spend your tax dollars and then tell you that they are picking up the tab, and that they are somehow doing you a favour in the process.
DELETED
Harper is due to make an important speech to the Conservative meeting in Levis, PQ tonight at 7 PM EDT
Waddaya think …???!!!!
By HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39 pm
Important speech? NOT.
I was really hoping to get Harper’s details of his plans to deal with the economic situation.
It appears he has NO PLAN.
If that is your definition of important then you ought to get out more often.
As in get a life.
Hi Lana on 07.30.08 6:43 pm
and
Hi CM on 07.30.08 1:30 pm,
If you haven’t seen this, this guy has an interesting take on history and the cause of some wars.
YouTube – Robert Newman’s History of Oil ( 1 of 9) . It’s about 45min total.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhhrzHKMhI
seven months before 9/11 Washington made the decision to invade Afghanistan
http://www.antiwar.com/prather/?articleid=13202
Sorry, Mr. MacKay. Your pipeline story just doesn’t hold water
~ CM 1:30 pm
CM,
When I read the link I see something else too..
If Canada had somehow been able to nationalize our oil to keep the money in Canada, making all Albertans very, very wealthy as well as the rest of our great nation, Canada and all Canadians would have been as well off as Norway with what they did. Individual Albertans would be far better off, with enough money to shield us all and the province when the oil is gone. Did we have any chance of doing that? Not when bigger powers could take us over without us even knowing it. Until now.
With the crazy influence of the major western oil companies, and their bully backer/puppets, we obviously underwent something comparable to a silent coup, and the timeline and ghosts are hauntingly similar. All “they” had to create was some well-placed political pandering and obfuscation to push division within Canada. Just peddle east vs west barbs and suspicion, and keep it up. Nudge it along. The spoils would then always belong to foreigners, multi-nationals, not Canadians, because Alberta politicians were to make sure, that Albertans and Canadians were too busy bickering amongst themselves, believing the Conservative hype. Canadians, moreover Albertans who trusted the Alberta Cons, do show how uninformed they are every time they let Harper lie about the NEP and divide Canada with misinformation about that era.
Alberta was subverted and Harper knows it, and he keeps the lie going for Conservative political gain.
Hi Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 6:37 pm,
PMSH called it ‘insane’ the day before the plan was even released! PMSH couldn’t have even read it, it wasn’t even out yet! PMSH seem to know allot about being insane and screwing everyone!
Hi MoneyEnergy on 07.30.08 1:37 pm,
Welcome, Feel free to add your two cents any time. You might even have a few ideas to contribute to help make this a better place for us all to live in. Or maybe just an option. It’s all good.
Hi HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39 pm
or anyone else,
I mist PMSH speech tonight.
Does anyone know if there is a link to somewere, so I and others can see the whole speech PMSH gave tonight? So we don’t just see the filtered stuff, through the corporate mass media.
Thanks in advance.
Hi heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 11:19 am,
The term Neo-conn is a political tital and it fits. See this explanation as to what a neo-conn is and how they operate.
And they neo-conns do lie! Sound like PMSH and his gang, and PMSH buddy Bush.
YouTube – Neo-CONNED! by Congressman Ron Paul – Part 1 of 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aewpvcxAwTk
Speculation is that Harper will tell Canadians that the country needs a federal election this Fall to determine in which direction they want the country to go in the face of the looming world economic crisis.
HARRY S on 07.30.08 1:39 pm
Hilarious Harry at it again.
Do you think maybe he should talk about the rampant corruption in this country that touches every ministry? Rofl, International investors won`t touch this country with a ten foot pole and Harper is worried about which direction he should take the country??? It`s going down Harry and Harper needs a mandate to turn around 40 years of corruption,,, ROFLMAO Harry, Harper is not a leader.
I get a lot of laughs from the regular posters showing off their talent in making everyone look worse than them no matter how bad they are but the idea Harper needs a mandate to fix the biggest and most obvious problem, lol he`s not a leader.
Hello fellow bloggers,
Thank you Bill from Muskoka, Barb the Proof Reader, KPN and Liz to name a few.
As Garth knows, this 10% mailer thing is what lead me to his blog and has caused me to rant in the past.
In this day and age, it seems past strange that the Conservatives think this is not noticed by voters.
You know I quite liked Chuck Strahl before he was a Minister. I thought he had some reason and brought intelligence to the foray.
Stephen Harper made my skin crawl from his humble MP beginnings but I thought maybe this Strahl guy will shine some light. Boy was I wrong…
Boy, was I really wrong…
It doesn’t matter what riding you represent or even the Party. What counts, is the integrity of the individual.
You always wonder with these Conservative guys if they believe in Harper or are afraid of Harper and do what they are told.
What a frightening prospect is Stephen Harper’s world!
There is never a better time to fix a big hole in taxpayer waste fixing a technicality on 10# er’s and the franking privilege used by the Conservative Party at will.
Thanks for the support, BTW Chuck is not likely to answer my email but he WILL answer my question at an all candidates meeting.
No one from the Conservative Party ever answers an email so why not hit them with biting sarcasm?
Hey if you don’t laugh it will make you cry.
Hi Robert Gibbs on 07.30.08 2:21 pm,
Thanks for that.
Have you seen this yet?
You don’t even need to belive in global climate change to conclude we should act to stop it, instead of doing nothing.
‘How It All Ends’ only 10minute.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42
Also crowl down and watch, same link as above.
The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever See
‘Arithmatic, Population, and Energy’
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42
Hi heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 2:24 pm,
Did you know that PMSH Non-plan means that Canada will be ALL OUT of natural gas in 2028. How old will you be?
Are you ready??? Have you really thought about it?
DELETED
Hi Irene on 07.30.08 3:45 pm,
The author of this book, also has writen about Corn-based ethanol: The negatives outweigh the positives.
Corn ethanol is a climate change looser.
His book is a good read, but not about ethanol, even if you know nothing about Global climate change.
Kicking the Carbon Habit: Global Warming and the Case for Renewable and Nuclear Energy
by William Sweet
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-0231137109-1
This is another good book to read if you no nothing about or are not quit sure about nuclear power.
Also watch the video for more info.
http://www.cravenspowertosavetheworld.com/
For info on world class CANDU power
http://www.aecl.ca/
and
http://www.cna.ca/
How can I get them back to the poor cons so they can recycle and reuse this valuable media?
By Sandy Canchuk on 07.30.08 9:20 am
Hi Sandy
I’ve been saving them to embarass Conservative candidates in a public forum at a All Candidates Meeting.
My collection grows every week – imagine a Conservative candidate confronted with evidence of taxpayer waste which we pay for in spades.
My collection will go in the recycle bin when the Conservatuves are defeated at the polls. It’s my watershed…
Everybody calm down. Harper did no such thing, nor can he. Votes in this country are run 100% by Elections Canada, the same agency the Cons voted non-cofidence in. — Garth
By Dee on 07.30.08 3:58 pm
Thanks Mr. Garth TurnerMP for the clarification on this.
I was just going on the information that a past blogger wrote here a while back.
Keeping paper ballots votes and hand counting them is still the only way to keep it ownest. I hope it never changes.
Got one of those trash talkin’ mailer today, so I X’d Dion’s circle and it’s going back to the CON caucus. Oh and I wrote Liar beside da leader of this deprived buncha wanna be decent government.
I mist PMSH speech tonight.
Does anyone know if there is a link to somewere, so I and others can see the whole speech PMSH gave tonight? So we don’t just see the filtered stuff, through the corporate mass media.
Thanks in advance.
By Greg W., Oakville on 07.30.08 8:44 pm
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Greg, It was carried in total on CBC Newsworld. I saw most of it you did not miss anything of importance. It likely will be carried later tonight again on CBC Newsworld as they usually repeat that type of coverage for viewers who were at work. Their commentators afterward were not anyone I’ve seen before so I think that the regulars are away on holidays. In short it was a none event and standard convention rah rah hype typr talk. The basic theme is daring Dion to call and election or shut up. Harper also accuses Dion and the Liberals of disrupting Parliament and obstructing the normal legislative flow in the House.
For the record, I have never seen or heard of a Liberal manual on how to stop a HoC Committee from doing it job, but the Conservatives have and use one. It has been quite effective, too, from what we see on CPAC and Question Period!
Harper told Dion to “Fish or Cut Bait”!
Well, we just maybe need to examine the bait to see what species he will be fishing for. Rotten meat is for Sturgeon (caviar), mullet(sucker) for sharks, or if you are a Texan fishing for a 24# Blue Gill then you use a 3# grasshopper!
I get a lot of laughs from the regular posters showing off their talent in making everyone look worse than them no matter how bad they are but the idea Harper needs a mandate to fix the biggest and most obvious problem, lol he`s not a leader.
By got rope? on 07.30.08 8:56 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thash right, hic, Bubba. Gish git me sum kinda mangate fur mah fish hooks an I kin git er dun, yup!
Seriously now, have you seen or heard one of these political types even breath or hint about fixing the most obvious problem in the House of Commons? They are all illegitimate, because they do not represent the true desires of the majority of Canadians. Even Israeli politicians have to be elected to their nominations by a general election of their peers. Until we have a Primary Election System where EVERYBODY is allowed to register for a party of their choice and choose from the presented delegates or “WRITE IN” a candidate of their choice we are short changed.
No one from the Conservative Party ever answers an email so why not hit them with biting sarcasm?
By Bonnie N BC on 07.30.08 8:59 pm
Not true Bonnie Here`s a signature of a letter I received only a week ago.
It was on behalf of tens of thousands of Cdns I am in league with on matters that concern justice and the rule of law that the average Cdn deals with.
Not only did he answer but was quite polite in telling us we`re on own.
————-
Thank you again for writing.
Yours truly,
The Honourable Rob Nicholson
Jesse Ventura says it well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFIZwC6z4Kk
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xUKPVMVblE
If Mr. Dion cannot bring down the government soon, then the Liberal party will be needing Bob Rae or anyone else as a leader sooner then later.
They are all illegitimate, because they do not represent the true desires of the majority of Canadians.
Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 9:56 pm
lol well i guess we could spend the day fishing and jawing about the reasons the`re illegitimate or corrupt or disfunctional although I`m quite willing to leave it at `they don`t represent Cdns`.
I honestly think the whole system from the top down is so corrupt a Primary Election System won`t change anything. Canada is not the same Canada as was signed under Confederation, it`s not even the same Canada we had 40 years ago. This downward trend as forecast by current economic conditions needs a bit more than a little smoke and mirrors side show to get investors to look back this way. Until the rule of law applies fairly and to all it`s just another distraction while we fill the pockets and bellies of the elite, entitled, corrupt or freeloading waste of air.
I predicted where Ontario is now 5 years ago, in 5 years the rest of Canada will be there and Ontario will be so far down it won`t be worth putting on a map of Canada.
Ok lets do some more bashing the others into losing, it`s such a great plan for our childrens future.
Hi Barb the proof-reader
on 07.30.08 6:21 pm, Thanks for that.
Were all F****D if PMSH and others gets there way!
PMSH is closing down the free web in 2010! Have you been paying attention?
Have you seen,
America: Freedom to Fascism – Director’s Authorized Version – 111 min – May 5, 2007
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173
AMERICA: Freedom To Fascism. Aaron Russo Interview. – 37 min – Jun 8, 2006
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3254488777215293198&q=&hl=en
Remember hearing these warning from past presidents? few min.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/main.html
and
The speech that got John F. Kennedy Killed. 1min 45sec.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WSGwnz7XpY&feature=related
Dont watch this video…if you’re happy living a lie. 9min.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYyzzTXHRSc
Zeitgeist – The Movie
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
Harper and the conservatives have no vision, no plan, no direction and clearly are moving into an unknown future. They have a vacantness in their faces.
Not exactly the crowd I want running the store.
Don’t know how accurate this is, but apparently the SPP is dead. Maybe.
By Charles Oxley on 07.30.08 7:44 pm.
Don’t drop your gaurd!
Heartofgnat best watch his pesky butt around this fish pond
By Liz on 07.30.08 7:08 pm
ROTFLMAO . Well said Liz .
You were listening to a baseball game? Is that not like listening to paint dry?
By Marc on 07.30.08 5:19 pm
Or, as Robin Williams suggested, what they need at baseball games are vendors going up and down the stands yelling ‘Qualiuds! Qualiuds! Get your Qualiuds! Make a slow game go slower!’ LOL
“No tax is revenue neutral and Dion does not guarantee that the tax will be revenue neutral for everybody. By heartofnathaniel on 07.30.08 2:24 pm”
Dion has never said, nor does it say in The Green Shift plan, that that putting a price on carbon will be revenue neutral for all consumers. The Green Shift plan states that putting a price on carbon will be revenue neutral for the Federal government, and that the Auditor General will act as the impartial third party to ensure that it is, in fact, revenue neutral.
You are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill by inventing something that was never said or promised.
If you are burning too much carbon you may end up paying more in overall taxes. So, you have the option of changing your habits…that is the intent of putting a price on carbon…encouraging Canadians to change their habits that due damage to the environment.
Well, we just maybe need to examine the bait to see what species he will be fishing for. Rotten meat is for Sturgeon (caviar), mullet(sucker) for sharks, or if you are a Texan fishing for a 24# Blue Gill then you use a 3# grasshopper!
By Candid Reflections on 07.30.08 9:44 pm
Or, like the guy out fishing with the Game Warden who lights a stick of Dynamite, tosses it in the water ‘KABOOM’, scoops up the fish, and the GW says ‘You can’t do that! it’s illegal’
The guy lights another stick, hands it to the Game Warden and asks ‘Now, are you going to talk or fish?’
Oh no! Del Mastro’s latest mailer is going over like a lead balloon in his hometown.
Brought to you by the department of Like We Didn’t See This Coming:
http://www.peterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1136013
“In this day and age, it seems past strange that the Conservatives think this is not noticed by voters – - Hey if you don’t laugh it will make you cry”
BY BONNIE N BC 07.30.08 8:59 PM
Hi Bonnie,
I paraphrased your great comment from the early May explaining the poison pill bill C20. I sure hope people get with it. Canadians need to understand Harper’s back door methods of legislating.
I also wondered if Garth could do a liveblogging for the 20th.
Bonnie, I’m still chuckling over your morning post.
Did you know that PMSH Non-plan means that Canada will be ALL OUT of natural gas in 2028. How old will you be?
Are you ready??? Have you really thought about it?
By Greg W., Oakville on 07.30.08 9:03 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Greg, how many times and ways do you have to be told? There is a 300 to 500 year supply of natural gas in the Arctic Islands. Remember, P.E.Trudeau wanted to build compress gas tanker airliners, and the nimbys said we don’t want them ;anding in our back yards! On top of that there is Methane Hydrates in the deep Oceans depths, ie. frozen slush methane under pressure. It is in quantities that exceed all of the known and used reserves of natural gas from on land sources! WE HAVE LOTS OF GAS BUT IT WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE TO BRING TO MARKET, capeche? I know because I grew up in the oil patch, and one of my cousins died helping find it on Melyville Island, comprenez vous?
yet! PMSH seem to know allot about being insane and screwing everyone!
By Greg W., Oakville on 07.30.08 8:35 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Greg, the common vernacular is f**king crazy, not insane screwing! Just to keep it in focus (fok us)
Garth .. if Dion is strong enough to rally the Liberal party to vote non-confidence in the Conservative government, when will the earliest opportunity arise to do so??
In September?..October??..November???
Now don’t be your usual cowardly self, Garth … give us your considered opinion, because we all know you were pushing for an election long time ago and you told us so here on your fine blog .. but the Liberal party wouldn’t accept your position.
Btw … I hear that Dion is an avid fisherman, but does he have enough bait to go fishing for votes in Canada???
By Bill-Muskoka on 07.30.08 10:51 pm
That joke reminded me of this one
This Department of Water Resources Representative stops at a Texas ranch and talks with an old rancher.
He tells the rancher, I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation. The old rancher says, Okay, but
don’t go in that field over there. The Water Representative says, “Mister, I have the authority of the Federal
Government with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any
agricultural land . No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand??”
The old rancher nods politely and goes about his chores.
Later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the Water Rep running for his life and close behind
is the rancher’s huge Brahma bull. The bull is gaining with every step. The Rep is clearly terrified, so the
old rancher immediately throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs…..
‘YOUR CARD, SHOW HIM YOUR CARD!!!
Not true Bonnie Here`s a signature of a letter I received only a week ago.
It was on behalf of tens of thousands of Cdns I am in league with on matters that concern justice and the rule of law that the average Cdn deals with.
Not only did he answer but was quite polite in telling us we`re on own.
————-
Thank you again for writing.
Yours truly,
The Honourable Rob Nicholson
By got rope? on 07.30.08 10:15 pm
Psst Rope. You forgot to include THE LETTER. Anyone can sign the signature.
For example;
Thank you for writing.
Yours truly,
The Un- Honorable pesty Harry
Not only did he answer but was quite polite in telling us we`re on own.
————-
Thank you again for writing.
Yours truly,
The Honourable Rob Nicholson
By got rope? on 07.30.08 10:15 pm
Me no unnerstan! Wuzzit mean, own? You have title? deed? own?
How they get the caramel in the Caramilk bar? You find, omit “l” from b[l]og, you stuck?
http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/divorce_was_his.jpg
http://i.blog.empas.com/shuu3000/31706113_1100×1630.jpg
Warning, do not read if reality causes an allergic reaction of partisanship.
It seems very few Cdns trust our elected officials in charge of operating the country. I`m one of them but it`s not because I distrust them as politicians, it`s because of the system the knowingly take part in. It`s really the system and not the politicians that have little or no influence to affect change that is broken. Perhaps I`m just a giddy patriot but I refuse to believe that less than a majority of MP`s would like to see this country stand up like it should. I would not believe anyone that would say most of our MP`s would not like to see this country hit the ground running but head first.
True some would like it to hit the ground running to put that feather in a partisan cap but the underlying intent to serve the country takes precedence over feather or even winning. Ok I might have stretched the winning part, I blame it on political science 101. It was the part where up get in the back of the boat and move up to the front, seat by seat, as long as you kiss the `seat` in front of you you move up one more. I`m really going to be truthful here, I can`t blame it on poly 101, I just plain failed to even move up one seat, flunked out.
Can we expect honest political change if one of the political parties changed? The majority of MP`s would like to see Canada change so because it`s one whole political party it would hardly seem any different than the majority of MP`s> Many already harbouring secret thoughts of how Canada could stand tall.
Has it occurred to anybody here that the bashing of each others plans only means a; the plans are easy to bash, b; there are no better plans, by anyone so bash is the plan.
Not having any type of plan even resembling a starting point or worst a plan not able to withstanding the simplest dissection by the other side is compounded by the aforementioned broken system.
It would be hard to imagine even the most partisan to not notice. This no plan bashing has been going on for a year on this site and the only thing it`s accomplished is to solidify the none of the above vote. I`m sure few of the political hacks here, if any, will admit the`re only here because that`s what they get paid for. They know they have no plan to put up here so they pick a few things and get a good bash fest going. In politics distraction works better than denial. Oh come on what else has come out of Ottawa in the last 40 years, lol yes distraction, denial.
Perhaps the nostalgic loving romantics have strong enough feeling that the cry will go out to save our elected federal government. I would like to see that, I believe it would at least stimulate a few politicians into formulating something not only believable but actually workable.
I said a few months ago that the timing of a decision was limited to the credit card crunch. Today CNN announced a slowdown in credit card use as debt begins to outpace the ability to pay.
Economic conditions will for the changes required but that is a very harsh way of bring change.
Perhaps I`m just talking to myself and Canada will sink as politicians bash each other in a much similar fashion as Rome burning inspired the fiddler.
One final notion, On the way down Cdns could blame the elected party but as the rocks at the bottom emerge from the fog Cdns will blame government, all the MP`s. I would think faced with the prospect of doing nothing and then facing 30 million severely pissed off Cdns they would do some serious communal brain storming. It goes without saying before the trillions in credit card debt deals the final blow to the global economy and of course our no longer in demand resource based economy someone might gasp.
Am I wrong about how many MP`s want Canada to stand tall? I guess we`ll see or we`ll see you at the bottom.
Hi Candid Reflections on 07.31.08 12:16 am,
‘PMSH seem to know allot about being insane and screwing everyone!’
I was just trying to us PMSH own words.
Also in general I try to not us the F word. Only very occasionally as enfaces.
I person try to not us the f word, so it doesn’t become habitual and then get used in inappropriate places by accident.
And I’ve never found the English language an easy thing to master. Still working on it. As Bill-Muskoka has pointed out in a past post the English language has many words will very different meanings but the same spelling, etch.
I for one don’t get upset if a person is not a great speller here, hopefully the thought there are trying to communicate with others is understood.
I have found that the spell check on my computer does help a bit, but I still miss stuff, and so does spell-check.
Sometimes I just wig it without spell-check, do/dew (sp?) to time constants.
(One friend I know has a client named Marry Jane, and his spell-check changes it to marijuana.)
If your writing for a living, I hope you have the spelling correct. As my wife sometimes points out mistakes in advertising she finds.
Einstein couldn’t do basic mathematics, but people still think he had some great thoughts.
And ideas.
It seems many political and public planners don’t understand the basic compound equation, and they should!!!
See ‘The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever’ See show,
‘Arithmetic, Population, and Energy’
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6A1FD147A45EF50D
Hi Candid Reflections on 07.31.08 12:08 am, we have different sources if info.
‘Methane Hydrates in the deep Oceans depths, ie. frozen slush methane under pressure.’
They haven’t figured out how to get it in large quantities and at low cost.
Have you heard this talk yet?
David Hughes on Canada’s Oil and Natural Gas – updated with audio 33min.
http://globalpublicmedia.com/node/823
As fare as oil in the Artic they are still guessing it’s there. But do we really want to find more with the Global climate change issue and it’s brutal implications?
Even is we do find some, how much long do you think it will last?
Last year the oil used 1 cubic mile of oil for the first time! Do you think it will last forever?
Wouldn’t it be better to use some of the energy in the remaining oil and gas to make the changes to get of carbon fuels, why’ll there is still some around to help make the changes?
You should rent this show and watch the extra stuff on the DVD.
The movie has won many film awards also.
‘A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash’
http://www.oilcrashmovie.com/
links to Documents/articles for you might like to read.
Powering the Future: Does the Fuel Gage Read Empty?
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=f148daacee988110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
Powering the Future: Natural Gas — Challenges and Solutions.
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=d3dcdaacee988110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
Powering the Future: Advanced Coal Combustion Technologies.
(Still isn’t proven technology)
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=e573ba3d8e988110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
Powering the Future: Photovoltaics — Power From Sunlight
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=31e4ba3d8e988110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
Powering the Future: Methane Hydrates — Clean Energy From The Sea.
(It still releases Green house gases!)
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=0205ba3d8e988110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
Powering the Future: Advanced Nuclear Power Systems.
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=ad74ba3d8e988110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
Advances in Fuel Cell Technology.
temporarily unavailable
But there is a short description about it.
Tremendous growth in the technology and use of fuel cells, specifically, recent developments in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells, show that now is an ideal time to pursue the technology for hydrogen fuel based vehicles….
http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=e73558a20cb5b110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD
If we don’t stop adding to the Global Heating problem and very soon, we’ll all be F****D!!!
See ‘How It All Ends’ 10min
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderingmind42
Scroll down and also watch,
The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever See.
Tim Flannery the author of a book recommended by David Suzuki. Tim Flannery, says we need to go much more nuclear now to stop climate change and keep the light on, or it’s going to get very bad for mankind to survive on our only planet.
His book,
The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change.
By: Tim Flannery
http://www.theweathermakers.org/
This is an excellent book,
‘Power to Save the World: The Truth About Nuclear Energy’
By: Gwyneth Cravens
*Her site is, and have a video that worth watching about the book.
http://www.cravenspowertosavetheworld.com/
For more on Canadian CANDU and the next generation ACR-1000 go to,
http://www.aecl.ca/
and try
http://www.cna.ca/
Here’s one more good book to read,
‘Kicking the Carbon Habit: Global Warming and the Case for Renewable and Nuclear Energy’ By: William Sweet Columbia University Press: 2006.
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-0231137109-1
At the projected rate of growth of the tar sands, Canada will be all out of its natural gas by 2028. That’s PMSH no-plan!
The fact that we are into the tar sands
at all is telling about the remaining supply of easily gotten oil that is left!
You might find this interesting?
YouTube – Robert Newman’s History of Oil ( 1 of 9 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhhrzHKMhI
Psst Rope. You forgot to include THE LETTER.
By Irene on 07.31.08 1:22 am
I didn`t forget, there isn`t anyone on this page that would have the slightest interest in it other than to use it to bash and I wouldn`t want to see the subject matter used so callously.
There`s still lots to bash the Cs with, no restoration of investor confidence is a big one for Ontario.
‘YOUR CARD, SHOW HIM YOUR CARD!!!
By Marc on 07.31.08 12:38 am
ROFLMAO! Oh yeah! That is the truth! Funny how only people allow government jerks to intimidate them? Are we really that intelligent? The bastards work for US!
Admittedly, however, I must say that I have found Canada’s government officials to be very professional, courteous, and straight forward. I cannot say the same about those in the U.S. who think they are Wild West Sheriffs without accountability to the people.
By HARRY S on 07.31.08 12:31 am
Garth .. if Dion is strong enough to rally the Liberal party to vote non-confidence in the Conservative government, when will the earliest opportunity arise to do so??
In September?..October??..November???
Now don’t be your usual cowardly self, Garth … give us your considered opinion, because we all know you were pushing for an election long time ago and you told us so here on your fine blog .. but the Liberal party wouldn’t accept your position.
Btw … I hear that Dion is an avid fisherman, but does he have enough bait to go fishing for votes in Canada???
…………………………………
Just heard from CTV Robert Fife saying that the government has scheduled many Opposition Days for September … thus giving Dion the opportunity to table a non-confidence motion in the government.
Is Dion prepared to fish for an election or will he again cut bait and abstain???
September-October election, Garth …???!!!!!
“Everybody calm down. Harper did no such thing, nor can he. Votes in this country are run 100% by Elections Canada, the same agency the Cons voted non-cofidence in. — Garth”
Looks like that was the right decision:
Election Canada’s double standard
National Post
Published: Thursday, July 31, 2008
The federal Conservatives are accused of having shuffled $1-million between national headquarters and local candidates in the last federal election, allegedly as part of a plan to boost the amount of TV advertising the party could buy. It’s a story that has gotten plenty of play, especially in Ottawa.
Meanwhile, however, candidates in the federal Liberal party’s 2006 leadership race still owe as much as $2.3-million in campaign expenses to banks and large donors –despite the fact that the 18-month deadline allowed by law for clearing such debts has passed. The Conservatives are subject to a criminal investigation by Elections Canada, complete with RCMP raids of their party offices, while the same agency gives the Liberals up to two more years to pay off outstanding bills and loans without any penalty.
That certainly looks like a double standard to us.
Of the 11 people who sought the top Liberal job in December, 2006, just two — Carolyn Bennett and Bob Rae — have paid off all their expenses. The remaining nine — including Liberal leader
Stephane Dion and runner-up Michael Ignatieff — owe nearly $2.3-million collectively. Mr. Dion himself is said to owe nearly $600,000, although the exact figure is not likely to be known until Elections Canada releases it later this week, after working out a repayment plan with the opposition leader.
Under the Elections Act, these obligations should have been paid in full by June 3 of this year — 18 months after the leadership vote. Yet, for some reason, Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand has given most of the candidates until the end of 2009 to make good. Ken Dryden has been given until the end of June, 2010.
The continued indebtedness of the campaigns is yet another sign of the Liberals’ fiscal desperation. The party Web site now includes a page with the sappy plea “Contribute to a former Liberal leadership candidate.” (Which one? Your choice. Pick a candidate, any candidate.)
“By contributing to this valuable member of the Liberal family, you are helping to ensure that we are moving in the right direction,” the plea continues. “We are growing more united every day and as a team we are working together to help each other succeed.”
The sad truth, though, is that the $2.3-million still owing is nearly half the sum outstanding when the leadership race concluded — despite the passage of a year and half of direct appeals, fundraisers and Web site entreaties. If party supporters were enthusiastic about getting the Liberals in shape for the upcoming election, there is little doubt they would have donated the needed amounts by now.
There is also little chance the remaining millions will be paid by the end of Elections Canada’s grace period. The $2.3-million figure is almost three times what the entire Liberal party raised for all its operations and campaigns in the first quarter of 2008. From January to April of this year, the Liberals managed to raise less than $850,000 from private donors — the same private donors they will be relying on to contribute to a possible federal election. It is unlikely that between now and the end of next year, the same few thousand party donors can give enough to keep the doors open and the lights on at Liberal HQ, underwrite the party’s national election efforts and pay back the debts of former leadership contenders.
Some would argue that the Liberals’ leadership debts are not as serious an infringement as the Tories’ alleged ad spending irregularities. According to this view, Elections Canada’s lenience with the Liberals does not amount to favouritism. The Tories, after, all are accused of unethically influencing the outcome of a general election, while the Liberals’ alleged violations affect only their own party’s leadership selection process.
But the point of the two rules is the same: to regulate the effect of private money on politics. Most of the money owed by Mr. Dion and Mr. Ignatieff was lent by banks, corporations and wealthy entrepreneurs, all of whom may have public-policy issues pending before Parliament. The longer that leadership candidates have outstanding debts to such creditors, the greater the risk that voters will perceive them to be beholden to special interests.
We see the Liberals’ and Tories’ alleged infractions as similarly significant. So the question presents itself:Why has Elections Canada chosen to treat them so differently? Mr. Mayrand, we’re waiting for your answer.
Dion has a debt dilemma
By GERRY NICHOLLS
Liberal leader Stephane Dion wants to fight the next federal election on the environment. And for good reason.
Better Canadians focus on his green plan, than on his red ink. The fact is Dion faces a personal debt — left over from his leadership campaign — of about $600,000. Being debt-ridden isn’t exactly a selling point for a guy who wants to run the country’s finances.
To make matters worse, Dion has more operating costs than other party leaders; other leaders, for instance, don’t require language experts to translate their English speeches into English.
Eliminating Dion’s debt, however, won’t be easy for one simple reason: The Liberals are bad fundraisers. Consider in the first quarter of this year the Liberals raised just $850,000 compared with the $5 million the Conservatives raised and the $1.1 million the NDP raked in.
Finishing behind the Tories is bad enough, but to place second to the NDP in fundraising is really embarrassing; it’s like losing a congeniality contest to Simon Cowell. Of course, it wasn’t always hard for the Liberals to raise money. In fact, back in the days when Jean Chretien was running the Liberal party, fundraising was an easy three-step process:
Step 1. Have Chretien contact key Liberal supporters — “key” in the sense that they are CEOs of massive corporate conglomerates.
Step 2. Have Chretien ask the CEOs for a contribution.
Step 3. Have Chretien and the Liberals cash cheques worth about a gazillion dollars.
NEW CAMPAIGN LAWS
This money then was used to buy TV ads warning voters about how the Conservatives were “the party of the rich.” However, thanks to new campaign finance laws, corporations can no longer give donations to political parties and individual political contributions are limited to about $1,000 a year. Consequently, political parties must now rely on smaller, grassroots donations.
This is bad news for the Liberals since the only grassroots they know about are the kind you find on the golf course. Hence their lack of fundraising success.
A typical Liberal fundraising letter might look a little like this:
“Dear Canadian: As you know, the Liberal party is out of power. That’s unacceptable. We Liberals must rule. It’s our right. So send us your cash now! We know you can afford it. Just buy less popcorn and beer. Signed Stephane Dion.” Needless to say no one would respond to a letter like that. Well, OK nobody except maybe the CBC.
Still to their credit, the Liberals are said to be trying new and innovative fundraising techniques. Indeed here are some of the ideas they are reportedly considering:
- Turning Stornoway, Dion’s official residence, into a bed and breakfast.
Guests will get guided tours of famous Liberal landmarks, such as the restaurant where the first Adscam scheme was hatched.
- Broadcasting a special cable pay-per-view “mixed martial arts” bout, pitting Michael “The Professor” Ignatieff against Bob “The Economy Killer” Rae.
- Negotiating “product placement” sponsorship deals wherein Dion would sip a Coke or bite into a Big Mac before he asks a question in the House of Commons.
Maybe these money-raising concepts will work. Or maybe not.
Perhaps during the next federal election a cash-strapped Dion will be forced to cancel his campaign jet and rely instead on hitchhiking and public transit.
At least he could say he’s doing it for the environment.
By Bocanut on 07.31.08 6:43 pm
Hey Bo. I believe there are CON’s that have outstanding debt as well so why would you conveniently leave that little tidbit out? And BOCANUT, it is perfectly legal to request an extension on loans incurred during an election campaign & granted by Election Canada. But you already knew that don’t you?
When are you fibbers ever going to learn “To tell the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH & nothing but the TRUTH so help you god? Never? That figures.
Cheers