tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49470998631785474992024-03-05T03:07:10.504-08:00Right As RainA Canadian political blog discussing today's most interesting topics with a right-of-centre bent.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-59333535004960979542015-12-14T17:30:00.000-08:002015-12-14T17:30:01.076-08:00Leading is about prioritiesWhich is why instead of fixing the <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontarians-paid-37-billion-above-market-price-for-electricity-over-eight-years-ag/article27560753/" target="_blank">electricity situation in Ontario</a>, the<a href="http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/wynnes-losing-performance-how-ontarios-growth-killing-policies-are-sinking-the-economy" target="_blank"> failing provincial economy</a>, the <a href="http://business.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/fp-startups/why-canada-is-failing-at-tech" target="_blank">brain drain and inability</a> for Ontario firms to hire high-tech workers, healthcare, <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/04/ontarios-affordable-housing-wait-list-hits-record-high.html" target="_blank">affordable housing</a>, or any other important topic, we get our Premier talking about selling weed in government run liquor stores.<br />
<br />
Pathetic.<br />
<br />
I guess that is why <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/kathleen-wynnes-personal-approval-rating-hits-new-low-amid-teacher-troubles-and-hydro-one-sale" target="_blank">four out of five</a> Ontarians disapprove of the job the Premier is performing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-57591287892558618372015-12-10T19:06:00.000-08:002015-12-10T19:06:35.455-08:00Liberals need to funnel money though Canada Post again?Continuing my Canada Post theme tonight, I think we all really know why the Liberals are calling for the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-ask-33-harper-appointees-to-step-aside-voluntarily-1.3354941" target="_blank">resignations of the thirty-three recent appointees</a>. And it is not just because the Liberals are entitled to their entitlements. Well, not just because anyway.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As some of you may remember, crown corporations like Canada Post were found to have participated in Adscam by funneling money through <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-post-mail-volume-costs-and-other-quick-facts-1.2459693" target="_blank">questionable means</a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Could the real reason the Liberals are so bothered by the appointments be that they need to replenish their war chest for the next election? After all, it was a long and costly campaign.</div>
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What do you the readers think of this theory?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-50560012639983249652015-12-10T18:54:00.000-08:002015-12-10T18:54:16.542-08:00Another Liberal broken promise?Looks like door-to-door service will not be restored for those who already have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/12/07/liberals-door-to-door-mail-delivery_n_8745406.html" target="_blank">community mailboxes</a>. And the minister wasn't categorical about not re-starting the community mailbox roll-out program either.<br />
<br />
Though, if one was to be fair, if they re-instated the community mailbox program it would be a least the right policy decision (though another blatant example of Liberal's promising anything to get elected).<br />
<br />
Regarding the whole community mailbox program, I always thought the whole hoopla about it was overblown anyway.<br />
<br />
Here are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Post#Comparison_Shopping" target="_blank">the</a> <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-post-mail-volume-costs-and-other-quick-facts-1.2459693" target="_blank">facts</a>:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Every neighbourhood built <b style="background-color: white;">post 1985</b> had community mailboxes. That is a lot of neighbourhoods.</li>
<li>Canada Post services <span style="background-color: white;"><b>more are</b><b>a</b> then any other postal service in the world</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The phase-out of door-to-door service affected <b>less then a third</b> of the addresses in Canada</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">It costs <b>283</b> dollars per year to service each address door-to-door. This is versus <b>108</b> for a community mailbox.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The amount of items mailed (not including parcels) has <b>dropped by over a billion</b> since 2006</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A Conference Board of Canada report suggested that Canada Post was on track to l<b>ose a billion dollars a year by 2020</b>, with the switch over to community mailboxes projected more then half that yearly deficit</span></li>
</ol>
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The Conservatives are supposed to be the ones against change, and yet here are the Liberals promising more of the same.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-70207399298046007022015-12-06T13:57:00.001-08:002015-12-06T13:59:09.333-08:00Oink Oink Oink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO95EHgE8P1Goq5mT9DYdBz3cv4Kh-5-t3JkY5xNiTpCDF3HivsOUgcaBs1HNflQZWrM6yYi_GBGTVUFzgTXE1LBLjVqZWWOQ_YluEqVa8eob8iCZvfXzc3qqAHrXuhDLmbmTAh8-ckU/s1600/libs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO95EHgE8P1Goq5mT9DYdBz3cv4Kh-5-t3JkY5xNiTpCDF3HivsOUgcaBs1HNflQZWrM6yYi_GBGTVUFzgTXE1LBLjVqZWWOQ_YluEqVa8eob8iCZvfXzc3qqAHrXuhDLmbmTAh8-ckU/s400/libs.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
The Liberals have returned to the trough! Is anyone really surprised? I have to admit, I am a bit surprised. (Only at the speed of the return!)<br />
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After nearly 10 years out of power, they sure are hungry for some all you can eat taxpayer dollars!<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nearly 400 delegates at the UN Climate Conference. "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/smyth-canada-sent-383-people-to-the-u-n-climate-conference-more-than-australia-the-u-k-and-u-s-together" target="_blank">Canada has sent more people to Paris than Australia (46), the U.K. (96), the U.S. (148), Russia (313) and almost as many as host-country France (396)."</a></span></span> That is quite the carbon foot print!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/25/justin-trudeau-europe-trip_n_8647144.html" target="_blank">His entire</a> family (and their nannies of course) for a week long European vacati^@&#& jaunt! Since the "first family" has no role in Canadian government, who pays for their airfare, meals, etc? The inclusion of them on the trip is purely for Canadian political consumption. The taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill.</li>
<li>Speaking of the nannies, he hires <a href="http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/trudeau-hires-his-childrens-former-nannies-to-work-in-official-residence" target="_blank">his two former nannies</a>. The issue isn't that he has nannies, its that he has the gal to bill taxpayers for them after his attacks on the NDP and Conservatives during the election. In addition those attacks, these are the <i>very</i> same nannies he had when he was the leader of the third place party. I can only assume he paid for them out of his own pocket then, so why bill them now?</li>
</ol>
<div>
There is also scuttlebutt that the public sector can start hiring, and the taps are flowing in government to spend whatever they want, and this is all before their first official budget. Hold on to your wallets Canadians!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-66359175995654841512015-12-01T20:58:00.000-08:002015-12-01T20:58:35.222-08:00Trudeau doesn't need help with childcare............unless he is getting his nannies <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-nannies-taxpayers-1.3344533" target="_blank">paid for by the state</a>.<br />
<br />
It is completely hypocritical for Prime Minister Trudeau to have the government pay for his nannies. He campaigned on the premise of him being the rich, and not needing taxpayer help for paying for childcare.<br />
<br />
Once elected, his tune changes.<br />
<br />
To be clear, these are the same nannies he had <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/12/01/taxpayers-pay-for-trudeaus-nannies-report.html" target="_blank">before he became Prime Minister</a>,so why now does the taxpayer have to foot the bill?<br />
<br />
To juxtapose, the Harper's didn't hire a nanny, Mrs. Harper looked after the children when her husband was elected Prime Minister.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-70185172352146660092015-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:002015-12-01T20:58:24.881-08:00Time to get back on the horse.I guess it is time to get back on the old saddle around here. I have been gone way too long, and with the events of the last few months I really feel I should get back to blogging.<br />
<br />
To be honest, it was hard to be motivated to support the last Conservative Party, with the negativity, hate (barbaric cultural practices hotline??), and frankly, small-mindedness.<br />
<br />
That being said, I just cannot fathom this rock star persona around Prime Minister Trudeau, and the left's giddy behaviour with regards to him.<br />
<br />
I understand the desire to change. I understand the hope he purports to bring. I cannot understand the people posting to Facebook about his, or his wife's looks. Posting his glamour shots, being proud of having a "handsome" Prime Minster. It smacks of sexism.<br />
<br />
Nor, can I stand the free ride Prime Minister Trudeau gets from the press, examples like<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Equal gender cabinet, where nearly all the women are second-tier Cabinet Ministers, or reporting to men. And if we want to be honest, there are only a <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/tasha-kheiriddin-spare-us-the-fawning-trudeau-appointed-just-three-more-women-to-cabinet-than-harper-did" target="_blank">few more women</a> in PM Trudeau's cabinet then there were in Stephen Harper's. </li>
<li>A dubious Science Minister shilling a <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/chris-selley-a-double-standard-on-science-with-kirsty-duncan-as-exhibit-a" target="_blank">decidedly non-scientific</a> <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/canadas-new-science-minister-supports-a-widely-debunked-medical-treatment" target="_blank">MS cure</a>.</li>
<li>The free ride he is getting on explaining why we shouldn't bomb ISIS in Iraq and Syria. But have more trainers.</li>
<li>Explain how we will screen the refugees, to ensure security. Or why we should bring in twice as many as the Americans.</li>
</ol>
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That is just four, I am sure I could come up with more if I really tried.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-27576189880251800312014-06-10T05:46:00.002-07:002014-06-10T05:46:34.973-07:00Liberal Desperation?On the way into work today I heard the latest Liberal Party of Ontario attack ad on the radio. You can watch it below.<br />
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Outside of the fear mongering and outright lies (who knew that firefighters were provincial and not municipal), I was shocked by the begging and pleading for a strategic vote from the Liberals.<br />
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I don't remember any other ads from political parties asking for strategic voting before. I have heard special interest groups advocate for strategic voting, I have heard leaders and candidates imply that strategic voting was the right thing to do at campaign stops, but I do not remember anything quite so blatant as below.<br />
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Has anyone else?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-37287679542259961032014-06-08T17:06:00.001-07:002014-06-08T17:06:57.051-07:00Is Hudak Peaking too Early?I have to admit, I am having a lot of issues with the polls this election. They are all over the map!<br />
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Progressive Conservatives up. Liberals up. Liberals leading in voter intention. No, the Progressive Conservatives leading in voter intention. Its a damn bloody mess. In fact, it gives damn bloody messes a real bad name!<br />
<br />
So I (like I am sure most) are following threehundredweight.com to try and make sense of it all. The latest numbers seem like good news for the Progressive Conservatives, they are trending up in all areas at the expense (mostly) the Liberals.<br />
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However, looking at the region tracker of <a href="http://www.threehundredeight.com/" target="_blank">threehundredeight.com </a>I begin to wonder if they might be peaking a day or two too early.<br />
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See below, and tell me what you think!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAQFyA1MBibBkv-xRrN2tMkknwqFPrmU1RzJTr3K0_7TDksR3Pg7P5NPZeS76g9v-vCxh7ORjjxT6RX-fKbXKi2GsEK6ncRYfEN_Vi01HX-WzGSgV-yoYCrwOCJm-X60_059DbnQyJxk/s1600/Regions+Tracker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAQFyA1MBibBkv-xRrN2tMkknwqFPrmU1RzJTr3K0_7TDksR3Pg7P5NPZeS76g9v-vCxh7ORjjxT6RX-fKbXKi2GsEK6ncRYfEN_Vi01HX-WzGSgV-yoYCrwOCJm-X60_059DbnQyJxk/s1600/Regions+Tracker.png" height="341" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peaking too soon?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-19898694348254772242014-06-05T16:28:00.002-07:002014-06-05T16:28:41.776-07:0023 out of 26 peer reviewed taxation papers show that..........<b>tax cuts create jobs and promote growth. Period.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"<a href="http://taxfoundation.org/article/what-evidence-taxes-and-growth" target="_blank">This review of empirical studies of taxes and economic growth indicates that there are not a lot of dissenting opinions coming from peer-reviewed academic journals. More and more, the consensus among experts is that taxes on corporate and personal income are particularly harmful to economic growth, with consumption and property taxes less so. This is because economic growth ultimately comes from production, innovation, and risk-taking.</a>"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Some money quotes of particular interest in this election:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"Fiscal stimuli based upon tax cuts more likely to increase growth than those based upon spending increases. Fiscal consolidations based upon spending cuts and no tax increases are more likely to succeed at reducing deficits and debt and less likely to create recessions." -<i>Alberto Alesina & Silvia Ardagna, Large changes in fiscal policy: taxes versus spending, in Tax Policy and the Economy, Vol. 24 (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2010)</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"Taxes directed towards public investments first add then subtract from GDP."<i> - N. Bania, J. A. Gray, & J. A. Stone, Growth, taxes, and government expenditures: growth hills for U.S. states, 60 National Tax Journal 193-204 (2007).</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"Tax-financed spending reduces growth in developed countries, increases growth in developing countries." - <i>Stephen Miller & Frank Russek, Fiscal structures and economic growth: international evidence, 35 Economic Inquiry 603-613 (1997).</i></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Sure you can quibble that Tim Hudak's Million Job plan won't create a million jobs, but you cannot honestly state that the main thrusts of lower taxes, lower spending, reduced corporate and home expenses, and reduced regulation won't have a positive impact on the economy. Almost every study agrees that it will.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The Liberals, the NDP, and their union and media lapdogs are simply economic <b>deniers</b> putting their children, and their children's children at financial risk so they can continue down "me me me only about me" path.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>h / t to Jack Minz's <a href="http://business.financialpost.com/2014/05/29/jack-m-mintz-hudaks-tax-cuts-82000-jobs/" target="_blank">article</a> in the Financial Post on May 29th. I had to fix his link to get it work.</i></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-71138564242586022242014-06-03T17:24:00.000-07:002014-06-03T17:24:26.493-07:00Hudak Emerges VictoriousI believe Tim Hudak emerged victorious in the debates! And it seems the poll at <a href="http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/" target="_blank">CTV Ottawa</a> agrees. At least at the time of this blog post writing :)<br />
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Unfortunately, I don't believe it was a knockout for Mr. Hudak. He wins on points, but I am not sure he connected enough with voters to swing the electorate firmly in his camp. Andrea Horvath exceeded expectations tonight.<br />
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Tell me, what did like and dislike from the leaders debate?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-55301145701446745522014-05-27T07:32:00.000-07:002014-05-27T07:32:44.826-07:00A 'Bozo eruption"John McKay calls Justin Trudeau's pontifications on abortion a "<a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/bozo-eruption-liberal-mp-secretly-recorded-slamming-trudeau-s-abortion-stance-1.1839528" target="_blank">bozo eruption</a>". In reality, it might be more accurate to just call Justin Trudeau a bozo. Or perhaps more diplomatically, say that Justin Trudeau had yet another 'bozo eruption".Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-40088541769455618192014-05-16T06:29:00.001-07:002014-05-16T06:31:15.972-07:00Restoring my faith in humanity!Three New York teenagers purchase a couch and chair from the Salvation Army for 55 dollars and find the couch a bit lumpy. <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/16/new-york-roommates-find-40k-in-used-couch-return-cash-to-91-year-old-widow/" target="_blank">Turns out that the lumps were envelopes stuffed with cash!</a> Rather then keeping the cash for themselves (which many people would have done), they found a deposit slip in one of the envelopes and tracked down the <b>owner of the money and returned it</b>.<br />
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You have to give credit where credit is due, these three young teenagers are honest to god, good human beings.<br />
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How many of us would have done the same? I cannot say 100% for sure I would have returned the money.<br />
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Be honest in the comments below.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-59066008186636578932014-05-15T07:31:00.001-07:002014-05-15T07:31:33.792-07:00Two Surprising Facts about the Ontario Public SectorOk, so it has been many years since I last posted. I offer up the usual (lame) excuses. Work, family, leisure activities, service with the CAF, and many other (irrelevant) excuses. You know what they say about excuses....<br />
<br />
I was inspired to write this blog post after reading some posts on the National Post about the sunshine list, disclosure of public salaries, and other recent election articles. So, after reading the comments, and doing some digging on the state of the public sector in Ontario I realized just how much trouble we are in.<br />
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Yes, yes, Mr Johnny-Come-Lately over here, but I think what I found out would shock anyone. Sure, we all know there are lot of public sector workers in Ontario. And we all know there are a lot people on the sunshine list as well. But I doubt realized just how well off the public sector is in comparison to the rest of the population of Ontario.<br />
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Yes Virginia, it's more then just a defined benefits pension and great dental and health.<br />
<br />
<b>FACT: 28% of all tax filers in Ontario earning more than one hundred thousand dollars a year are employed in the public sector.</b><br />
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According to <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/labr66g-eng.htm" target="_blank">StatsCan</a>, there are 5,840,200 full time workers in Ontario (private/public sector). <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-s-sunshine-list-sees-double-digit-growth-1.1372270" target="_blank">Armine Yalnizyan</a> of Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, states only about 6% of tax filers in Ontario have an income greater then 100K.<br />
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So, let's do some math:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">5840200 * 0.06 = 350,412 </span>workers in Ontario earning more than one hundred thousand dollars a year.</li>
</ul>
According to CBC, there are <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/sunshine-list-2014-ontario-s-top-public-earners-list-released-1.2590152" target="_blank">97,796</a> works on the March 2014 sunshine list.<br />
<br />
So let's do some more math:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>97796 / 350412 * 100 = 27.908 %</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>FACT: Nearly 9% of all public sector employees are on the Sunshine list.</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If I take this to include just public sector employees in Ontario, there are 1,107,042 public sector employees working in Ontario at the provincial and municipal level according to <a href="http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26" target="_blank">StatsCan</a>. (Note, you may need to add some filters for geographic location and to filter out federal public sector).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And since math is so fun, let's do some more:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>97796 / 1107042 * 100 = 8.83 %</li>
</ul>
<div>
You are four times more likely to be earning more than one hundred thousand dollars a year if you work for the public sector vs private sector. And this is not counting benefits or pension.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's a great gig if you can get it, no wonder its a prime target for Tim Hudak to make cuts in the quest to slay the deficit and conquer the debt.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-56569708933223936612011-03-27T19:04:00.000-07:002011-03-27T19:04:43.163-07:00The Globe and Mail - Not Impartial at All?Last few months I have noticed (in my opinion) that the Globe and Mail has gone much farther left then normal. Attacking Prime Minister Stephen Harper a lot more then is warranted.<br />
<br />
But this, is, is a doozy. An out right lie. I am sorry, but Elizabeth May didn't finish a close second to Peter McKay. Not all all.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/may-sees-clear-two-way-race-with-tory-incumbent-gary-lunn/article1959044/"><i>Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has the same political philosophy and sense of humour that served her well in the past election, but she has changed ridings and swapped coasts. And she is promising a very different result in British Columbia’s Saanich-Gulf Islands than in Nova Scotia, when she finished a close second, and saw her party win a million votes nationwide but no seats. This time, she says, with the support of social networking and a new “me-first” strategy, she’s going to make history.</i></a><br />
<br />
Well, I guess this could be considered close in Canadian terms :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUQxyeYM0mWlWq2og7QQcu7gp_xGClQ1EMO2fPy7T7SDPAZqDyc9k2NlCtIrGriLH_zdU-RRmPnYnwbf4xNcaz0mgGu556SKi8xyN0baHNgFA-yX62AXwQEZwCMzA2mgjjK34YAxwiGg/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-03-27+at+10.02.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="128" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUQxyeYM0mWlWq2og7QQcu7gp_xGClQ1EMO2fPy7T7SDPAZqDyc9k2NlCtIrGriLH_zdU-RRmPnYnwbf4xNcaz0mgGu556SKi8xyN0baHNgFA-yX62AXwQEZwCMzA2mgjjK34YAxwiGg/s320/Screen+shot+2011-03-27+at+10.02.31+PM.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-70262388346088887482010-09-09T20:33:00.000-07:002010-09-09T20:33:01.052-07:00Canadian Blood Services gets it wrong<a href="http://www.cfra.com/?cat=3&nid=75520">It is discrimination</a>.<br />
<br />
A gay man is no more likely to engage in risky behaviours then any other man. It is not the bad old days of bathhouses where homosexual men had to hide their behaviour from their friends, bosses, or even spouses.<br />
<br />
Perhaps we should ban <a href="http://www.sexualityandu.ca/media-room/fact-sheets-1.aspx">young people from donating blood</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-45726377379198152412010-09-09T20:18:00.001-07:002010-09-09T20:33:28.445-07:00What does it say about Muslims....If they promised violence is response to the threat of burning copies of the Qu'ran? Remember the violence sparked by the printing of the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad? <br />
<br />
A religion of peace?<br />
<br />
I guess that freedom of expression extends to those burning the United States' flag, and shouting "Death to America", but NOT to the burning of a book.<br />
<br />
And also ponder, when was the last time the burning of a flag, or a bible, or some other symbol of the West resulted in increased terror levels and riots throughout the world?<br />
<br />
Just saying....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-34617349182254471002010-06-27T15:17:00.002-07:002010-06-27T15:34:15.533-07:00G20 Violence and MoreI started writing a comment on LibLogs blogger Blunt Objects blog about his stupid, childish, and immature post titled "<a href="http://blunt-objects.blogspot.com/2010/06/fuck-you-harper.html">Fuck you, Harper</a>".<br /><br />Since it has been months since I last posted, I decided to respond to the post here.<br /><br />Volkov, you're a blogger who tries to parlay profanities as intelligence. You bring what should be honest and passionate debate to a new low. You are one of the reasons why political discourse is so dysfunctional in Canada. Political commentators should be civilized and intelligent. We can disagree with each other without naming calling and profanities. This goes for all bloggers, including me. <br /><br />I know in my younger blogger days I said some stupid and immature things.<br /><br />And to those bloggers, analysts, and commentators that think the summit should have been held offshore, or in the remote wilderness, I have one word for you, appeaser. You do not think through your arguments. If you host summit in the wilderness, you basically say that we as country cannot guarantee security for our visitors. <br /><br />What does that say about us as a country?<br /><br />If you host your summit in the middle of the ocean, what serves as the focal point for the protesters? Instead of one big protest you will likely end up with smaller protests across the country.<br /><br />Furthermore, by hosting your summit in the Arctic you deny a protest avenue for peaceful protesters looking to be heard. People have the right to meet where they want. Protesters have the right to _peacefully_ protest and be heard. However, no one has the right to destroy anyone else's property.<br /><br />This is what happened this weekend. The so called "Black Bloc" took over the labour movements (and others) protest. Sullying their peaceful protest message with the anarchists message of violence.<br /><br />I for one want to live in a country where anarchists are dealt with quickly, and peaceful protesters get to sing and chant to their hearts content. In my Canada, peaceful protesters deserve that right, and violent protesters go to jail.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-20308740169691360402010-01-31T12:00:00.004-08:002010-01-31T12:12:05.942-08:00Stop the populism - HST is a good taxI am tired of the simplification in arguments about the HST. Seriously, let's get informed in this. This simplification, and the Ontario Progressive Conservatives (as well as the Federal NDP etc etc) intent to make this a populist revolt are simply uneducated. Stop playing on fear, uncertainty, and doubt and start educating, and having an informed debate.<br /><br />From an old TorontoStar editorial:<br /><a href="http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/587565"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sales tax harmonization is simply good for the economy as has been shown in other jurisdictions. In fact, Canada is the only one of 30 OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries to continue to use a two-tier sales tax system.</span></a><br /><br />And the <a href="http://www.vancouver-real-estate-direct.com/HST/benefits.html">top 10 benefits for the BCers</a> out there.<br /><br />Come on, get informed people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-43454045206556355422010-01-30T05:01:00.002-08:002010-01-30T05:12:00.715-08:00Thank you Flaherty - GST cut saved thousands of jobsNow, I am sure you will never here this in most media sources, but today the National Post is running a story on how a senior Liberal wants to raise the GST, and subsequently kill thousands of jobs.<br /><br />What is interesting is the last couple paragraphs, where the president of Infometrica discusses how his firms modeling data showed the GST cut created 162,000 new jobs!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberal-mp-calls-for-debate-on-increasing-gst/article1448582/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Carl Sonnen, the president of Infometrica, said his firm's economic modelling shows a two-point cut in the GST translates roughly into about 162,000 new jobs. Conversely, reversing the Conservatives' cut would mean losing those jobs.</span></a> <p style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberal-mp-calls-for-debate-on-increasing-gst/article1448582/">"You can't argue that raising the GST rate won't hurt jobs. It will," said Mr. Sonnen, who said the Conservative GST cut likely softened the recession's blow. "In our analysis, we got some positives out of that [cut] for GDP in the second quarter of last year. Otherwise we might have been in recession much earlier."</a></p>I remember back when the GST was cut, and Minister Flaherty described it as stimulus, the media and opposition attacked him for it. Seems he was right after all. A little more vindication for the Conservatives.<br /><br />It has been a good month for Conservative vindication. Winning two court cases against Elections Canada, a Liberal complaint to the Ethics Commissioner also dismissed, lots of faux scandals dismissed.<br /><br />I wonder how long it will be unit the next faux scandal?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-38489647856946144732010-01-24T21:31:00.002-08:002010-01-24T21:42:03.408-08:00Tories drop back to "normal" levels - MSM spins storyHere we go <a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2479681">again</a>. The Conservatives are back in their normal range of about 34% and the pollsters and MSM are spinning this as a massive loss for the Tories and a gain for the Liberals.<br /><br />Smart political watchers know that this see-saw affect is very normal for the Conservatives and Liberals. Liberals do/say something stupid like threaten an election or a coalition and the Liberals drop, and the Conservatives gain. This has happened many times over the past 4 years.<br /><br />If I remember correctly, pollsters and pundits used to bash the Conservatives for not having a bigger lead (when at about 34%) over the Liberals back in 2006 during the Liberal leadership race. The rational being that the Liberals were rudderless/leaderless/whatever and they should be easy pickings.<br /><br />But, the Conservatives tend to poll in the mid-thirties, and out campaign the opposition during an election.<br /><br />While I am sure that the "prorogation effect" has had an affect on their poll numbers, I don't think the Conservatives would be in the high thirties or low forties right now as the Liberals haven't threatened to bring down the Government in a few months.<br /><br />This is just the way it is.<br /><br />I would say the Conservatives are doing OK considering the full-on assault many in the MSM have launched against them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-47089174663838795412010-01-19T04:53:00.004-08:002010-01-19T04:56:21.280-08:00Totally Legal! Tories win in-and-out court battleThe Conservatives have won their court case against Election's Canada over the so call <a href="http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100118/conservatives_spending_100118/20100118?hub=Canada">"in-and-out"</a> scheme.<br /><br />I am sure the Liberals and the rest of the opposition's apologies will be coming forthwith.<br /><br />Or not.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-28939008129870960942010-01-16T20:38:00.003-08:002010-01-17T04:03:52.921-08:00Climategate, Googlegate and censoringThere has been a lot of talk in recent months about the so called "Googlegate". We all knew Google was censoring the data is sent into China on behalf of their the Chinese government, but many people had no idea about what Google was doing to the search results here.<br /><br />Some people believe Google is censoring the search results, some people think that is pure tinfoil hat stuff, after all Google has a motto of "Do no evil". I think they are censoring results. When I first looked earlier today, 1,750,000 records were returned. An hour later, 1,660,000 records returned.<br /><br />I will let you decide for yourself. Compare and contrast the search results for "climategate" for <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=climategate&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=">Google</a>, <a href="http://ca.search.yahoo.com/search?p=climategate&fr=yfp-t-501&type=&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8">Yahoo</a>, and <a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=climategate&go=&form=QBLH&filt=all&qs=SQ&pq=climateg&sp=1&sc=3-8">Bing</a>.<br /><br />Who is censoring who?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE: </span>This morning Google search returned 1,640,000 records.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-47218065912901494102010-01-16T14:16:00.005-08:002010-01-16T19:57:15.501-08:00O'Connor and the rest of the Conservatives redeemedShould I expect the lefties to apologize for their past actions? Somehow I doubt it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/haiti/800-canadian-soldiers-going-to-haiti/article1433359/">“Could we have done this 10 years ago? I don't think so. Not this fast and not to this degree,” said a military spokesman who described the total number of Canadian troops who would be deployed overseas as “historic.” </a><br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Conservatives'</span> legacy will be the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rejuvenated</span> Canadian Forces that has grown in numbers, pride, and capabilities since the Conservatives have taken office. Despite the caterwauls of those on the left.<br /><br />With the focus this government has put on the military, with new personnel and new equipment Canadians are finally aware that they do more then deliver food and shovel snow, and have a new and profound respect for what our military does. A big improvement from the Liberal sponsored decade of darkness.<br /><br />If the Liberals and the rest of the left had their way, or response to Haitian crisis would be much smaller, much later, and much less effective.<br /><br />For that we have to thank the Conservatives.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-72482306821727031292010-01-13T20:49:00.003-08:002010-01-13T21:10:58.120-08:00I can hear the crowing from Liblogs miles awayWell, a new poll came out today that should the Conservatives and Liberals in a <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/750302--shutdown-leaves-tories-liberals-nearly-tied-poll?bn=1">VIRTUAL DEAD HEAT!!!! OMG!!!</a> Let's leave aside the fact that this poll is part phone and part online, and online polls are never as accurate. And let's leave aside the Angue Reid poll that showed the Conservatives at<a href="http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/34848/conservatives_face_slight_dip_in_canada/"> 34%</a>. And of course the torqued headlines at the Red Star.<br /><br />Our <a href="http://thewfds.blogspot.com/2010/01/1566the-people-speak-on-prorogation.html">friends</a> <a href="http://muskokaliblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-poll-conservatives-and-liberals-in.html">over</a> at <a href="http://farnwide.blogspot.com/2010/01/raining-polls.html">LibLogs</a> are now salivating at these poll numbers, thinking they will soon overtake the Conservatives.<br /><br />Of course they forget that this drop in the polls happens all the time, the Conservatives lose support, drop down to about the level of the Liberals then suddenly come back up again. The Conservatives lose support when the house is sitting and gain support when the house isn't. Been like this for years.<br /><br />These polls are coming off of the Christmas break where no one was watching, after the attack by the MSM over the prorogation issue, and now we see the Liberals launching attack ads. The attack ads are well timed from the Liberals for once, even though they break a Liberal promise not to launch attack ads. I wonder if Peter Donolo paid for these ads on his credit card?<br /><br />But I am not sure I would crow over the poll results just yet. While the Conservatives have lost support, the Liberals haven't gained support. This can't possibly bold well for them.<br /><br />I predict that over the reminder of the prorogation period that the Conservatives will launch ads, take to the airwaves, cheer on Team Canada and continue handing out the stimulus money. This will in turn cause their poll numbers to go up, the Liberals to get cold feet, then abstain or vote for the budget.<br /><br />This is not to mention that the Conservatives have been out-campaigning and out fund-raising the Liberals for years. Nor does it address the fact that Conservative supports are more dedicated, and they tend to out perform their poll numbers at the ballot box.<br /><br />I am not worried yet, but if I was a Liberal I would be wondering and worried as to why we haven't picked up any support yet in the polls....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947099863178547499.post-50090253399707885242010-01-12T21:08:00.002-08:002010-01-12T21:18:10.750-08:00Ahead of the curveSeems my fellow Blogging Tories are starting to latch unto the argument I advanced on <a href="http://imrightasrain.blogspot.com/2010/01/pot-kettle-black.html">Sunday</a> -- Liberal's cannot accuse the Government of torture without implicating the troops. Following orders is not a defence of war crimes. Guess I was ahead of the curve here...<br /><br />The Liberals are indirectly attacking the troops, there is no doubt about it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4