The Inside Agenda

My Stint in the Service Industry

Fri, 13 Nov 09 20:29:01 GMT

I think for a living.

It’s my job here at the Agenda to come with ideas that our viewers want to know more about and to think about how we can discuss issues in a critical and balanced manner. I enjoy my job and getting to use my brain at work. But, it hasn’t always been that way.

I have been pretty lucky in the job department for the most part. I haven’t had to work at a fast food restaurant, no heavy manual labour and I haven’t had to clean in order to earn some cash (my childhood allowance aside).

But, I have worked at some pretty unchallenging service jobs. I worked at a Leather goods retailer in high school. It didn’t take any serious outlay of brainpower to sell leather jackets, but showing some personality helped. I didn’t have to develop my cerebral cortex to do the job, but I did learn how to hone my interpersonal skills. That’s as important in my job today as it was in the store. Especially when I am interviewing possible guests and getting them ready for an appearance on television.

I encountered less stimulating phone work at a call centre for a couple of years during university. I sat alone in a little office on weekends and evenings, waiting for the phone to ring. (At least I didn’t have to make cold calls, I guess.)

I didn’t really mind the job mindlessness though. If nothing else, it was a break from class and study groups, even a chance to catch up on my homework and reading. It was a win-win for me. I was basically paid to do my homework.

It’s jobs like these that make me wonder if there is a place for routine-oriented jobs in our economy. Is it possible that not everyone wants to have to do heavy thinking on the job? Maybe some people want to put in their time, get their pay cheque at the end of the week and that’s it. In order for an economy to flourish does everyone have to think and be creative?

I talked to a couple of life coaches when I was researching for this program. This is what they had to say:

Michael Palmer:
“Feeling valued is a core human element. We all want to belong. I think we all want to be creative and contribute in some way."

But, does that mean we have to contribute when we are at work or can we do it in another venue of our lives?

Kimberly Moffit: “We all enjoy our jobs for different reasons. It could be creative stimulation or it could be physical stimulation or the meaning of a job could be in their pay cheques. It depends on the person."

Perhaps some people have other talents they would rather use at work other than brain power. Using strength on the job for example might be very meaningful to some people.

What do you think. Does every job need to be creative or thinking-oriented or is there a place for mindless routine oriented jobs?

Livechat: Copyfight, and local broadcasting

Thu, 12 Nov 09 17:12:21 GMT

Tonight's show kicks off with Cory Doctorow on why copyright is worth fighting about, then moves on to discuss who should pay for "local" programming. Joining us for that discussion are:

Michael Geist: the Canada research chair of internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. Visit michaelgeist.ca.

Norm Bolen: president and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association.

Ian Morrison: spokesperson for FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting.

Grant Robertson: media reporter for Report on Business at The Globe and Mail.

Copyfight, and cable companies vs. the broadcasters

From TV Heaven to TV Hell

Thu, 12 Nov 09 15:57:23 GMT

I used to love watching TV. If you lived at my parents’ house, you would have loved watching TV, too. You see, my parents subscribe to every possible channel that is offered by the fine folks at Rogers Cable. Sports? You’re covered. HBO and The Movie Network? Just bring the popcorn. Quality South Asian programming is what you’re into? Asian Television Network and Zee TV, at your service. I’m not sure what the total charges amounted to every month and, frankly, I don’t want to know.

If that was TV heaven, I currently find myself in TV hell: basic cable. Let’s just say, living alone, I’m not dealing with the same budget as my parents.

Basic cable is what it is: basic. As a sports junkie, Rogers Sportsnet is now all I'm able to watch, and a life without TSN and The Score has been a difficult one to adjust to.

And you know what else? I miss CNN. Terribly. I miss Anderson Cooper. And Campbell Brown. And Fareed Zakaria. And Kiran Chetry. Dare I say it, even Jack Cafferty. (Only sometimes.) I now get my fix thanks to CBC News Network, but I don’t react well to change.

Anyway, after years of television bliss at the parents’ place, I became woefully ignorant of how the service actually operates. One evening after work a few weeks ago, excited about that night’s Toronto Maple Leafs game (on TSN), I called in to Rogers and asked them to add TSN to my cable package. No matter the price, I was willing to pay it. A year without TSN was more than enough time apart.

“Sorry sir, but it doesn’t work that way. You can’t add single channels to your account.”

I pleaded with him. I don’t even remember his name. But I’m quite certain he’ll always remember the grown man who begged him to break the rules and somehow, someway get me TSN.

In the end, I settled for the Rogers Super Sports Pak. All the baseball, hockey, football and basketball games I could ever ask for. Happiness.

Until about a week later. That’s when a minor fact was revealed: games involving Toronto clubs – the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, and Raptors – aren’t available for Rogers Super Sports Pak customers who happen to live in Toronto.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

Remembering Afghanistan

Wed, 11 Nov 09 20:01:27 GMT

As we pause to remember our veterans today, it makes sense to take stock of the situation our troops face in Afghanistan.

Canada is set to end its military mission in the troubled Afghan province of Kandahar in July, 2011. But while the Canadian Armed Forces have already started planning a pullout, much remains unclear: While the combat mission will officially end, will some troops stay behind? Will the US put pressure on Canada to keep some military presence despite our decision to leave? Will we limit our involvement in Afghanistan to civilian aid? If so, how will that work?

The uncertainty over what strategy U.S. President Barack Obama will adopt in Afghanistan makes determining Canada's future role there even more difficult. Once the president settles on a course of action, something some predict will happen soon, things might be made slightly more clear.

With two Canadian soldiers killed in October, the death toll for our armed forces in Afghanistan now stands at 133. As it has been for years, our country remains divided on the mission, with some calling for our soldiers to actually stay in Kandahar while others say it's time to leave.

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the Afghan mission. With that in mind, I'd like you to take a look at part of a program TVO produced in 2005 featuring then-Major General Andrew Leslie of the Canadian Armed Forces. Now a Lieutenant General, Leslie talked about the importance of the Afghanistan mission and the need for Canada to show commitment to that country:

What do you think of Lt.-Gen.'s Leslie's views? Do they resonate with you? Do they make sense, even with the passage of time? Do you support the mission in Kandahar or do you think we should leave? Please share your thoughts by adding a comment to this blog. Also, I welcome any thoughts you have on tonight's program: We talk with German journalist Josef Joffe on the state of his country, and we debate whether we are witnessing a major change in the global power structure.

YOUR AGENDA - TV Timeout

Tue, 10 Nov 09 22:04:47 GMT

The battle between television broadcasters and television distributors has been raging, in public, for weeks. I'm sure you've seen the advertisements on television and YouTube, and the public relations campaign being waged on Twitter and Facebook.

Do you understand the fight? I've had some trouble wrapping my head around it all. Basically, broadcasters like CBC and CTV want cable companies like Rogers and Shaw to pay them a fee for the right to carry their signal. The cable companies have told the CRTC that if they have to start paying a "fee-for-carriage," they're passing the cost on to consumers.

And so begins the "Stop The TV Tax" vs. "Local TV Matters" fight.

With CRTC hearings set for Monday, November 16, here's my question: do you understand the fight? What side of the battle, if any, are you coming in on? Are you willing to pay a few extra bucks on your cable bill for more Canadian content? With the evolution of the internet, especially online news, is television as important as it used to be?

Thursday night's discussion will also touch on competition in the television industry. Or the lack of it. Is this an issue that needs to be looked at? Or are you happy with the Canadian television landscape?

We're also looking for your thoughts on the future of the Canadian media landscape. With broadcasters saying that their economic model is no longer sustainable, what do you think the future holds for television? Has the internet taken over? Does television need to reinvent itself?

As always, I'd love to read your thoughts. And if you've got any guest suggestions, please post them below in the comments.

Sesame Street at 40: Sunny Day Sweepin’ the Clouds Away…

Tue, 10 Nov 09 21:30:47 GMT

I was two and a half the day Sesame Street premiered, part of the first-generation of viewers. I was also a first-generation Canadian, a child of immigrant parents who lived in Greektown on the Danforth. That was before gentrification, when Greektown was really Greek and no English was necessary in the immigrant ghetto.

Sesame Street intended to narrow the gap between inner-city American kids and their middle-class counterparts, who would have had access to formal preschooling -- kids much like me. Until kindergarten, I spoke no English. But I had TV. And I had Sesame Street.

Sesame Street was my connection to this language that would eventually become my primary tongue. It brought me the alphabet and numbers. It also brought me colours, emotions, and all sorts of knowledge that would help me to fit in with my kindergarten peers, regardless of their ethnicity. I was speaking English perfectly within two months of starting school.

As important as language, Sesame Street also gave me beloved friends like Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, and my beloved Oscar, who was never grouchy to me. Here’s an old favourite, Oscar the Grouch singing I Love Trash.

Sesame Street didn't have that up on their YouTube stream, but check out what they did have:

This song tugs at the heartstrings of children and adults alike:

So to commemorate the show’s 40th anniversary, I invite you all, parents and former children, to share your favourite Sesame Street memories…

The Greatness of a Loser

Tue, 10 Nov 09 00:41:34 GMT

20 years ago, the new leadership of the GDR (German Democratic Republic), no longer confident about its reasons for maintaining total control over its population, decided to issue passports to all its citizens. The confusion around the surprising announcement resulted in the unintended opening of the wall.

The system that prided itself on rational planning fell apart in the most unplanned of ways.

A great deal of the debate about who should be given credit for the crack-up of the Eastern European communist system echoed the cold-war divide. There was the Solidarity/Pope/Reagan faction vs. the Gorbachev faction. The former argued that Solidarity, emboldened by the election of the Polish Pope John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła), coupled with the economic and military pressure exerted by the Reagan administration, robbed the Soviets of their ideological confidence. The Gorbachev faction claims that the liberal-minded Soviet leader initiated a transformation of the communist system which resulted in the world-historical transformation of 1989.

As much as it is true that the latter would not have taken place had the former conditions not obtained, the question of how to gauge the historical standing of Mikhail Gorbachev as a great leader remains an intriguing one.

For the most part, great leaders are seen as those who undertake historically weighty tasks by galvanizing public support (to the point of sacrifice) in support of a common goal, such as maintaining the union or defeating the Nazis.

When it comes to Gorbachev the question of his greatness lies in answering whether he recognized the deep irrationality of communism, and whether that knowledge possessed him with an unwillingness to defend it at all costs.

Adam Michnik, a former Polish dissident and one of Eastern Europe’s leading democrats, took a very unpopular stand when he defended the last Communist president of Poland, Wojciech Jaruzelski. He did so on the grounds that it is was far more challenging for the Communist elite to declare defeat without resorting to violence than for the democratic opposition to purse its just cause.

The same applies to Gorbachev. Never intending to dissolve the hold of Communist parties over their East European dominions, Gorbachev may have realized the futility of trying to shore up a crumbling system.

There is greatness in acting upon reality. Even if it makes you look like a loser.

Inside Ontario: Smitherman Leaves Cabinet, Toronto wins the Pan Am Games and H1N1 Vaccinations on Aboriginal Reserves

Sun, 08 Nov 09 21:52:18 GMT

Welcome back to the Inside Ontario blog, where every Monday we recap the top stories from around Ontario.

This week’s top stories: George Smitherman leaves cabinet at Queen's Park for the Toronto mayoral race; Toronto wins the 2015 Pan Am Games; the provincial government rejects a proposed municipal sales tax in Toronto; more tension at the Canada/US border near Cornwall; vaccination efforts in Northern Ontario’s aboriginal reserves; and public transit planning in the Region of Waterloo.

* * *

“Smitherman resigns, will run for mayor of Toronto”

The Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, George Smitherman, announced last night that he will leave the McGuinty cabinet to run for Mayor of Toronto. This will further weaken a Liberal cabinet that has already lost Michael Bryant and David Caplan this year. Some speculated that Smitherman (a former health minister) would not enter the mayoral race, because of the eHealth scandal.

Smitherman was working with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure to fund many new alternative energy projects. This sudden departure raises concerns that these projects will suffer while the Ministry is in transition.

In January, The Agenda interviewed George Smitherman about Ontario’s infrastructure deficit.

* * *

“We won the Pan Ams. Now we have to be spectacular”

On Friday, Toronto won the 2015 Pan Am Games, beating out bids from Bogotá, Columbia and Lima, Peru. The Toronto Star admitted that while the Pam Am Games are not a top-tier international event, the Games still have a higher profile than many other international competitions. Therefore, Toronto should use the 2015 Pan Am Games as a way to show the International Olympic Committee “what they've been missing.”

However, the Globe and Mail noted that Toronto’s $1.4-billion Pam Am bid comes when all levels of government are facing tight budgets. The Globe and Mail did grant that the Pam Am Games will result in new sporting facilities, new affordable housing after the Games are over (repurposing the athletes village), and the possibility of new public transit projects.

Interestingly, the Pan Am win did not make all Torontonians swell with pride. The National Post titled a special podcast on the Pan Am Games, “The Pan-Am win means we're no longer a city of losers” (certainly a back-handed compliment). Similarly, the Toronto Sun argued that the Pam Am win shows Toronto is “second best, at best, and will now be grouped in with places like Winnipeg, Indianapolis and Guadalajara.”

The Agenda explored if Toronto is a world-class city last season at the Munk Centre. With Toronto’s Pan Am win, it is a good time to re-watch that discussion.

* * *

“Toronto needs to levy its own sales tax, city budget chief says”

Shelly Carroll, Toronto’s Budget Chief, is arguing that Toronto should be able to levy its own sales tax. According to Carroll, Toronto is the only North American city of its size without a sales tax—in fact, she states that a sales tax kept New York City from going bankrupt in the 1960s. Some cities in the United States levy sales taxes on tourists’ purchases (which could be a boon for Toronto during the 2015 Pam Am Games).

The Government of Ontario promptly rejected the municipal sales tax concept, but some think this should be an election issue in the race to replace Toronto Mayor David Miller. However, George Smitherman, who is a leading candidate in the mayoral race opposes a Toronto sales tax, so it seems unlikely that the issue will actually be debated during the municipal election.

* * *

“YouTube video shows removal of U.S. - Canada land marker”

There was a dramatic escalation in the Canada/U.S. border dispute involving the Akwesasne First Nations last week.

In this most recent incident, a YouTube video (posted through Akwesasne Womens Fire) shows First Nations residents of the St. Regis, Quebec (near Cornwall, Ontario) dig up a historic Canada/U.S. border marker, which they view as a sign of oppression. The aboriginal protesters were later stopped by American tribal police ~~who confiscated the marker~~.

UPDATE: According to cbc.ca, a group called the Mohawk Warrior Society took the marker “to their longhouse headquarters.”

View Larger Map

The Akwesasne Mohawk Nation stretches across Ontario, Quebec, and New York State. These protesters object to the Canada/U.S. border being drawn through their traditional land and the Canadian Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) methods of enforcing that border.

This is not the first the first dispute between the CBSA and the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. As described in a previous Inside Ontario blog post, protests by members of the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve on Cornwall Island, Ontario over CBSA officers beginning to carry firearms forced the CBSA to move their checkpoint off of the island. The CBSA has since been fining residents of the Akwesasne Reserve for failing to report to their new checkpoint (which is further into Canadian territory than the Akwesasne Reserve) when crossing the border.

Liberal MPs blamed this latest incident on local Conservative MP Guy Lauzon and Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan for failing to resolve the dispute surrounding the border crossing.

* * *

“H1N1 hits remote First Nations”

The H1N1 virus presents special concerns for residents of Ontario’s aboriginal reserves. Local leaders believe it is necessary to vaccinate 100 per cent of the population living on reserves, because the commonly overcrowded living conditions allow the flu to spread quickly. The Timmins Daily Press wrote that if a resident of a Northern Ontario reserve contracts a serious case of H1N1, they must be airlifted to a distant city with adequate medical facilities (and during the winter this may become impossible due to poor weather conditions).

Last week, The Agenda discussed the severity of the recent H1N1 outbreak and the response by governments, the media, and the public.

* * *

“Rail plans gets bumpy ride at public forum”

The proposed light-rail line interconnecting the Region of Waterloo was poorly received at a public forum last week. An ambitious $800-million plan to link Kitchener and Waterloo was criticized by some as being inappropriate for the population density in Kitchener-Waterloo Area. The transit plan’s proponents argue that in the next 25 years an effective public transit system will be needed in the Region of Waterloo, as the area’s population increases to almost 730,000 people.

* * *

Fans of provincial politics should be sure to watch Queen’s Park This Week, a 30-minute digest of last week’s Question Period sessions at Queen’s Park. And to watch past Queen's Park Question Period sessions in full, go to the Question Period Archive on TVO’s Civics 101 microsite.

The HST Debate

Fri, 06 Nov 09 20:54:21 GMT

We’re revisiting an Agenda episode on the Harmonized Sales Tax tonight. The HST has been a hot topic in Ontario politics this fall, one that has come up a few times online and on air on the Agenda.

Take a look at the collected blog posts and videos below for an Agenda HST primer:

In this blog post, featuring a web-exclusive video interview , Steve Paikin examined Revenue Minister John Wilkinson’s role in the HST pitch. Minister Wilkinson has the tough job of travelling the province and pitching the HST to Ontarians:

Producer Mark Brosens wrote a blog back on October 14th about aboriginals and the HST. Read his post to find out how the aboriginal community will be affected by this tax change.

Brosens first looked at the HST, including the question of aboriginal treaty rights, in the Inside Ontario blog on September 27th. The Hamilton Spectator reported that Ontario is locked into the HST at a rate of 13% for 5 years. Check out his post for more details:

Some thought the HST would be an issue in the St Paul’s bi-election to replace Michael Bryant. As Steve Paikin wrote in his blog on September 17th, that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan also weighed in on the HST:

Our original program HST program turned out to be a great primer on the Sales Tax Harmonization. Check out the video for all the information you need to make an informed decision on the HST.

Online, one viewer commented:

"Finally I understand the 'what/how/why of this HST. And I now agree we must do it if Ontario is to recover.”

Another viewer said:

“I am watching your show on the HST and I am baffled by the ones that think this will be good. They keep saying that the tax reform is good and the HST is a job creator. I doubt this.”

And another comment:

“How can I be confident that the extra tax revenues I am generating will be spent wisely, I have lost faith in our governments and their spending habits. I am angered by the new tax only because I am disturbed to think that in a couple years another scandal will break and I will hear about “yet” another weakness in our governments’ ability to manage our money.”

Tonight’s debate includes 6 experts on Tax Harmonization. Three are for harmonization and the rest are against it. Watch it tonight and tell us what you think about the HST.

Livechat: Early Childhood Politics

Thu, 05 Nov 09 18:56:15 GMT

Tonight for your Agenda, we're going to examine Ontario’s early education program.

What it is: Full-day kindergarten for all Ontario four- and five-year-olds.

Cost: $1.5 billion per year when fully implemented.

Who’s in charge: unionized teachers will take the lead, working with early childhood educators.

Class size: classes will have 26 students, an increase from Ontario’s class size cap of 23 students.

Who gets it: 35,000 children next year, all children by 2015.

Now tell us what you think:

McGuinty's early education plan