Wilber

My point is, todays suburb is tomorrows city. Actually they probably wouldn't work without those people driving in every morning. They have to be given a practical alternative to not driving. Great cities need people coming in on a daily basis to remain great cities. Vancouver is the country's biggest port yet there are people who believe that road access to the city shouldn't be improved beyond freeways that were built in the late fifties. Movement of goods has become a real problem, never mind commutors. You can't build a wall around the place and expect it to remain great. Business will look for other places and pass it by. Seattle will fill that role quite willingly.

Why does everyone have to live in existing cities? I live about 80K from Vancouver and the population here is up over 70% since I moved here 17 years ago and it is not all residential. Businesses are coming here for the same reason. Vancouver has become so expensive it is hard for them to remain competitive and stay there.

Unfortunately it is a characteristic of our political system. The party leader has too much power over the peoples representatives.

Enjoy

One thing about the American model. You pay capital gains on what you make on your house when you sell unless you buy another of equal or greater value.

Thought you were buying a BMW.

Good, I was starting to wonder if you aren't as smart as you seem to be when it comes to other things.

True, but carrying a lot of debt leaves you vulnerable to the vagaries of the world economy whether an individual or a country. Perhaps I am different from many on this forum because when I was carrying most of my debt, interest rates were in or near double digits. I saw people loose their houses because they couldn't afford to renew mortgages when rates went sky high. I was lucky enough to escape that but haven't forgotten it.

Why are you paying 17.5% interest? Can't you get a line of credit at your bank to pay off your credit card debt?

Alot lower interest than any debt you may have. Hence why it's pointless to pay it off. I don't have any debt, I always made a point of paying off what I did have as fast as I could.

Who is going to pay the interest? The country's debt is not interest free.

You're right Betsy, like Parliament I've wasted far too much time on this subject.

As far as questioning Pete's QUALIFICATIONS because of his comment about Stronach. Bull. I think you forgot to click on QUALIFICATIONS? Nope. It was just a link to another of your opinions. I take it you think he is not a good enough liar to do his job. Does that mean Liberals make better liars? Like I said, I'm not an apologist for Mackay.

I'm not excusing Mackay for anything. I think the whole pack of them are acting like immature twits. If you think you are getting good value for money from this bunch in Parliament then I guess you are getting what you deserve. As far as questioning Pete's QUALIFICATIONS because of his comment about Stronach. Bull. If you question a politician's qualifications every time they put their foot in their mouth on any issue, good luck finding one that's qualified for anything. If Trudeau was judged on the number of people he insulted, he wouldn't have been qualified to clean toilets. I've known plenty of assholes that were very good at their jobs.

I was just refering to Provincial income tax but I never said the tax system is simple. You explain it quite well.

I believe the Federal Government just collects Provincial income tax for the provinces and returns it to them to avoid the expense of running two collection agencies. Transfer payments are a separate issue. For some reason Quebec has decided to do it on its own.

If you keep thinking like a child you'll never find them. These are the people who are supposed to be making the policy that determines the future of this country. These are the people responsible for collecting and spending two thirds of this country's tax revenue. Because I object having to pay big bucks maintaining 306 of these worthies, their flunky's and facilities in Ottawa so they can waste their time engaging in this kind of crap, I'm the one thinking like a child? How much time and resources are being spent outside of Parliament trying to spin this thing for political advantage? How long will this Parliament last and how much of it will this juvenile exercise take up? Will any of them volunteer to give up even one day of their Christmas break to deal with the country's business after spending so much time on their own petty squabbles? If that is thinking like a child in your mind, it tells me something about you. This story has little legs other than reinforcing people's disgust or sadness at watching grown adults drive another nail into the coffin of their own institution's integrity I say a pox on all their houses. Whenever they indulge themselves in one of these sand box exercises, I have to wonder if this country wouldn't be better off if Ottawa was hit by a 9.5 earthquake and the whole of Parliament Hill disappeared into the river. These people are so engrossed in their little Ottawa game they have no clue what kind of fools they have made themselves look. That's how I think.

Interesting story but we all know America bashing has never been part of a Canadian election campaign don't we.

I do. As far as I am concerned, looking for political advantage by claiming to be sticking up for someone is as big a lie as they are accusing Mackay of making. Accusing? Clearly he did infer that Stronach was a dog. How many times does it have to be reiterated? Clearly he denied calling her a dog. Which he didn't. He INFERRED it by pointing out her chair when asked about a dog. Had he been asked about his kitten, would his response have been to point at Belinda's chair? Clearly he lied by denying the fact that he INFERRED it. He is denying the fact that he pointed at her chair when asked. That is lying. Yes, folks this has gone beyond a dog comment, it's about a minister lying in Parliament and we can't have that now (Mr. Honest Open Accountable Transparent Goverment Harper), now can we? OK, lets just say he did say it, I still say looking for political advantage by claiming to be sticking up for someone is as big a lie. It is about as ingenuous as you can get.

I do. As far as I am concerned, looking for political advantage by claiming to be sticking up for someone is as big a lie as they are accusing Mackay of making.

Stephen Harper cannot have a man-child holding Canadian diplomacy in his hands !!! I'm still looking for an adult among this bunch.

Is it endemic within the rightwing this disrespect of women??? Conservatives respect women.... if if they are virgins if they are wives if they are mothers Strong, independent, single women scare the crap out of them. I think the they scare the crap out of the left. Why else would they run to defend them from any percieved slight instead of letting them act like strong independent single women?

Can nobody take the high road? If one member of the group acts like a child, does that automatically release the rest of them from their obligation to act like adults? Is acting like an adult not an obligation of a member of Canada's Parliament? That must be it.

No, the question was partisan garbage, and doesn't belong on this forum. Neither does the poster. Gerry and I don't agree on much but are you an American? Were you asked the question? I would call Dancer's comments partisan garbage. Really? What party then? The history party? I guess then you must belong to the 'I don't want to know any stinking history" party.......... The Anti American Party. When a question is asked of Americans, why is it Canadians feel they should be the first to butt in with their opinion? Like I said, Gerry and I don't agree on much and I thought the question could have been worded better but I am kind of interested in what Americans think about their government and the direction it is going.

are really nothing more than 'flamebait' and do nothing to elevate the decorum on this forum. I personally strongly dislike Bush, and 'Americanism' (if there is such a word), but I don't think such a 'leading, disingenuous question' belongs on this forum. Perhaps in a 'Hillbilly Honky-Tonk' when you're bored and looking to chuck some knuckles, but not on a forum where debate is supposed to be taken seriously. The question was asked of Americans, not Canadians.