jdobbin

Here is a list of salaries. Winnipeg Police Office, top salary constable $106,000. Pols trail pack on city payroll Winnipeg has 3,780 workers making $50,000 and up Sunday, July 2nd, 2006 By Bartley Kives NEXT time you feel like whining about the way politicians are wasting your tax dollars, consider this: The average police officer, firefighter or city lawyer is making more money than your city councillor. According to the latest list of salaries disclosed by the City of Winnipeg's chief information officer, we continue to reward the politicians whose decisions impact our lives most closely with some of the least generous salaries on the public payroll. In 2005, the average salary for Winnipeg's 15 city councillors was approximately $63,000, not including a healthy tax break that increases their take-home income but effectively reduces their pension draw in the long run. Police, firefighters, city lawyers, engineers and middle managers typically make more. Sam Katz, mayor: $104,480.08 Jack Ewatski, chief of police: $157,925.86 Roman Manastersky, transit engineer: $98,074.08 Top salary for a constable, the lowest rank in the Winnipeg Police Service: $106,004.36 -Source Winnipeg Free Press.

Police in Winnipeg receive $106,000 after five years. That's less than the RCMP or Calgary or Edmonton police. What would be a fair wage?

To repeat: I do not believe a shortage of workers is that big a problem. Who is it hurting? A shortage of jobs is quite different. And also to repeat, we can direct the next 100,000 refugees straight to Alberta if you like. If you believe it is something that Ottawa is reponsible for, then you have no choice but to lobby Harper. He seems set on immigration so you should vote against him.

Ball is in Harper's court now. He seems pretty sincere on the immigration issue. If that is the case, why reward him with a majority? Vote against him.

It is farly unique in North America.

Not mentioning McCain here, just other Republicans. McCain has a good relatiionship with Clinton too. Some Republicans don't feel McCain is a real Republican.

Which one is the dove though? Clinton has a harder line on military than many Republicans.

Nations of the world begin evacuations. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13902115/

It's kind of like a one party state in Alberta. Is there room for an independent candidate?

There won't be a confidence vote on this issue. It means too little to most Canadians. And Bob Rae won't be leader. He just doesn't have the roots in the party or the right type of supporters to get the votes.

The same complaints could be made about Nader and Buchanan being spoilers. That's life. Perot took Perot votes. Those were not automatically Bush votes. If Americans don't like the system, they could ban independent candidates or other political parties. Sounds a bit like communism but whatever.

But at least you voted with your heart to the best of your abilities. There are too many people here who vehemently complain about a policy but will continue to vote for that party and say "I didn't have a choice." There is always a choice. They could run. They could put in a protest vote. I have done that many times even though I knew my candidate wouldn't win. I have run myself for office.

Not to forget Mulroney was a Quebecer. The heavy emphasis on culture (other than being White and English speaking) was pursued by the Liberals with Trudeau and multiculturalism. The only difference is Mulroney made it official with a policy. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/trud...wong_sep30.html http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/newc.../twentysix.html Stephen Harper is boxed into a cultural corner and probably will follow Paul Martin if he wants his party to stay viable. What other party in Canada will kick culture out the window??? You could run yourself. You see, it is hard to take complaints on policy seriously when people don't actually plan on voting against that policy.

We could have a windmill attached to every single power line transmission tower. The towers are ugly to begin with anyway. Oh, but think of all of the jobs that would be lost if we converted to free electricity sources! I live out in the boonies so I can get away with my plan of attack. Unfortunately for the city dwellers they can't. A little town by the name of Spruce Grove just outlawed coal boilers within city limits. Windmills need space to work, at least 500 feet between towers, so Fred could have one but if Barney put one up next door, both would suffer production losses. Solar can be slapped on just about anything, roofs that have a southern exposure would work best. But these things cost money to buy and instal. Putting turbines on transmition towers is a great idea though. It will take advantage of the height and probably work really well. I don't thing we are in danger of losing any jobs in the industry. I haven't heard of turbines on hydro towers. Are they anywhere in Canada now?

We could have a windmill attached to every single power line transmission tower. The towers are ugly to begin with anyway. Oh, but think of all of the jobs that would be lost if we converted to free electricity sources! Hydro companies across Canada are getting on board so they must believe in windmills. It means more power for export or to attract industry.

You're putting your money where your mouth is, which is good. Too mnay people here will complain and not act. Who can you vote for in your area that will be better at reflecting your views?

How will you do that? I know a lot of people are concerting to thermal heat and cooling. Quite brilliant in it's simplicity but the inititial outlay is intimidating. I know that developers are considering whole sub-disvisions that use thermal heat. Cost savings from installing it from the beginiing are tremendous and people living in such an area can expect to save possibly tens of thousands. Personally, I'd put up a windmill if my neighbors could stand a structure standing hundreds of feet at the edge of my property. <heh>

Most people in Canada have fairly straight forward reasons why they are patriotic. Sometimes, it is rallying around the national hockey team. Sometimes, it is the rallying around an idea of providing health care for everyone. Sometimes, it is just a good old cup of Tim Horton's coffee. The most nationalistic Canadians of late are the youngest Canadians if polls and census reports are to be believed. They have taken to Canada wholeheartedly. The maple leaf is their fashion, the word Canada becomes a statement. It is generally people over 40 or over who are more cynical about Canada. Some might say that is experience, others might say it is the life they grew up with. Whatever it is, there is certainly a difference between young and the old when it comes to Canada.

Where did you hear that?

Stephen Harper continues with the policy that started with Brian Mulroney and then on with Jean Chretien and Paul Martin. I suggest if people continue to have a problem with the ploicy, they trun to Harper. If he doesn't immidately shut down immigration, vote him out. Don't make excuses why you won't vote him out either. I really can't take complaints here seriously if there is a lot whining but no action. Better yet, run for office if you feel immigration is hurting Canada.

Any price manipulation is likely to backfire. It is better to seek alternative energy sources.

The U.S. and France are moving already to move their ciitizens. The Canadian government now estimates that there are 40,000 Canadians in Lebanon. Even with a dozen ships, the Canadians could not be taken out in a timely fashion.

You should see the map for B.C. or Manitoba. *All* of the land is claimed. I think that is what scares people. Will we be evicted from our homes?

No doubt. But with all governments something often goes wrong. Murphy's Law generally. They really haven't had heat on a major issue yet partly because of a weakened opposition. It is the same sort of free right Chretien had for a number of years while the Tories fought amongst themselves. They might actually govern for more time than they thought unless they engineer their own defeat, a risky proposition depending on the issue. I expect an election this fall or early next spring. I expect they will engineer a defeat (since they can't unilaterally call elections, being a minority government), seek and obtain a majority mandate. If it is in the fall, it will be before the Liberals have a leader. I guess they could do it but the issue might have to be controversial enough for the Liberals to be drawn into an election before a leader is in place.

Is it though? Tommy Douglas for one had some ideas that would have been comparable to a European system. Certainly he didn't believe healthcare should be static. As long as the five principles of healthcare are met, what difference does it make it you can get an MRI at a private clinic? In fact, insurance from companies and other health plans would probably work well with the system because the bulk of the costs would still be in the public system (private healthcare doesn't like $250,000 heart operations).