Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The New Canada

John Baird and Vic Toews represent what seems to be the New Canada. Is it in Canada's best interests when senior ministers make statements based on fear over facts? Even more alarming is admissions that they do not know what the facts are surrounding their ministerial responsibilities. It is even more alarming if they are misleading Canadians about the facts. Former President George Bush and George Bush junior both took the US on an invasion mission into Iraq based on the unproven claim of "weapons of mass destruction." The cost of this mission in lives and money now questions that decision.

Then there was Canada's 10-year stint in Afghanistan now essentially taken over by the US. According to regular news reports coming out of Afghanistan.  We have to question what we gained and at what cost.

Back to Baird and Toews. It seems Baird is using fear over facts abroad and Toews is using fear over facts at home. We are a big country with an economy based on our natural resources that we must market on the world stage. As we have found with pipelines for oil as in the Keystone Pipeline and now a proposed pipeline to the west coast, there is conflict both at home and abroad. Ottawa we have a problem!

Balancing our conflicts and our trade with countries around the world is no small feat. I am not saying it is easy, but some reason and facts need to be the basis for the governments approach. The Baird/Toews approach is fraught with danger, but it may well be the face of The New Canada. Read more...

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Prime Minister in China

The Prime Minister's visit to China is one of the most successful visits by any Canadian Prime Minister to China.  Over 20 agreements or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) have been signed.  One of the agreements, that especially benefits Saskatchewan, will expand Saskatchewan's export of uranium products to China.  The Prime Minister's visit will benefit the entire economy of Canada in one way or another long into the future.  Check out the Prime Minister's website for expanded information on his achievements.

Monday, February 06, 2012

The Harper Government

Stephen Harper once stated he would not run deficit budgets. Well, where are the balanced budgets? The Harper Government reports that they will not balance their budget until 2014. It will likely be later. What happened to fiscal responsibility? What happened to transparency? What happened to honesty? The Conservative Party violated Canadian election laws during their 2006 campaign and finally pleaded guilty in court paid a small fine and no one went to jail.

Stephen Harper has failed to reform the Senate. He once held the position that he would never appoint anyone to the Senate not first elected in some form. He also once held the position he would not appoint anyone from the Senate to Cabinet. Stephen Harper, in his first Cabinet in 2006, appointed a liberal in the name of David Emerson to the Senate and into Cabinet in one move. Where is the elected Senate he once supported? Where is Senate reform?

The Harper Government’s tax cuts have come in the form of tax credits that fail to assist low income Canadians who pay no taxes. Consider how this affects fire fighters and kids in sport or arts. It is lower income Canadians who need tax relief. 10 million Canadians will not benefit from a tax credit. Now expect a 1.2 billion-tax increase on the Employment Insurance payroll the Harper Government plans to introduce on January 1, 2012.

Rail Service plays an important role regarding Canadian transportation. Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) are failing to meet expectations of shippers. The Harper government completed a Rail Freight Service Review in 2010 that was three years in the making. The Review identified deficiencies in how CN and CP fail to meet reasonable shipper expectations. Is The Harper Government acting to address identified deficiencies in how the two railways move freight in Canada?

The Harper Government is now embroiled in a hotly debated discussion on pension reform. Where did that come from? Was that in the Conservative Party campaign at the last election? Stephen Harper waded into the debate with remarks he made while in Switzerland. If he knew his intentions regarding his remarks then he should come clear with Canadians and let the rest of us in on his intentions. For now, the Harper Government seems to be in full retreat in the House of Commons. The Harper Government will need to attain the moral high ground before they proceed with any pension reforms. That will mean addressing the matter of MP pensions that are currently outrageous, as you will find in the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Report. This would have to come first before attacking pensions like the Old Age Security and the linked Guaranteed Income Supplement. An even greater concern is the Harper Government’s intentions regarding the Public Service pensions.

Canadians handed the Harper Government a majority government at the last election. We are now beginning to see what Prime Minister; Stephen Harper intends to do with his majority government.

Enjoy your government and Have a Great Day!

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Bill Cosby

"I'm 76 and I'm Tired"



I'm 76. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly 40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand, UK, America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 76.. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and her children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in.