madmax

The vast number of lower end consumers that I am aware of do not file tax returns, such is the life of the marginalized and very poor. They will bear this extra tax. As you move up in security and stability the more likely you are to file a tax return and the less likely the rebate is going to cover your increased expenses because of Provincial Greed. The only "Winner" is the Red Bandits of the McGuinty Government.

Dumb certainly comes to mind. However,He is not disqualified from public office, but has resigned over the public embarrassment. This is exactly the opposite of what has happened in Nova Scotia where the Liberals ran an attack on an NDP candidate for her Nude photos and movies and it backfired on them. She became more popular and may even win the riding. I don't know what the NDP chances in this riding are, or were, but it sounds like it would be unlikely for this candidate to win. Facebook is public, not private and putting up these kinds of pictures is not unusual for a vast number of facebook users. However, few of them, ever consider running for public office. This candidate should have either eliminated these racy photos prior, or warned the riding association of these pictures and their possible repurcussions. All Candidates have the potential to be caught in embarrassing situations at a later time in their political endeavours. And it seems that while all Candidates are vulnerable to such attacks, many candidates are just as quick to throw stones and hope that they never get caught with their hands in the wrong location.

The Auto Industry and Unions can make their own case regarding wages and productivity and insolvency. However, It is rare that a day is passing that another closure is announced. Ingersol Fastener, which took wage freezes and eliminated their DB pension plan in 2005 or the company would close, announced that it is closing. Ingersol Fasteners is a mid sized company that had a very diversified product line and few ties to the Automotive Industry. Many many companies are failing. It is about 5 to 1 regular industry to auto. Auto suppliers are falling like dominoes. Even if their is some plan to save assembly production, I do not see the support mechanism in place to keep these assembly lines going. The endgame is virtually the elimination of Auto manufacturing in Ontario by 2015.

Thats better

I would never have put you down as voting for the NDP in a million years!!!

Only a chance to log your vote online through MLW. Polls come up here all the time. Often the closer it gets to crunch time the more involvement. Sometimes the polls are a pretty good reflection of peoples opinion, and other times it shows how out of touch pundits on MLW are compared to the general public. It is a straw poll, they are for fun.

Anyone idiot can bluesky.

OUCH!!! I am agreeing with Argus today.

..... automotive and office operations in the 80s. 1) Computers were not abundant or very effective in management operations. The Same numbers of White Collar workers were required until the late 80s when major restructuring occurred. 2) Toyota was the newest Automanufacturer in Ontario in 1988. They had no greater access to robotic technology and newer processes then did GM or anyone else. The original operation in the 80s at Toyota was little different in technology then GM. It was Automation that drove the reduction in manpower, just as it always has, as we continue to deskill and downgrade the workforce. 3) The only major difference in Toyota was its manufacturing processes, however the size of the workforce was still quite significant. 4) Most operations that would have shed hundreds of thousands of employees and become more automated become more productive per employee. 5) It is absurd to suggest that GM or any other company is "Bankrupt" because of a pension plan that they have failed to pay into.

You must live in a different world. Companies could be making significant monies as little as two years ago, and today are closing up. Some with underfunded pensions, only because they failed to contribute their share, as they were given pension holidays. Essentially a reign check. You'd think that only Union Shops are closing the way you speak, or only union shops have a pension plan. I am about to watch a Toyota owned operation with no union, declare itself bankrupt. Should happen before the year is done. Without orders, the profits of the past become meaningless, and they are not asking their workforce to take pay and pension cuts, because it will make no difference.

You mean only the salaried staff should receive a pension, or have one offered to them? There was a time when most companies offered pensions, union or not, those days are behind us as 40% of new enterprises don't offer pensions but they do offer shit wages. Pensions are a good thing...

If the CPC follow Flanagans advice, it will cause more harm to Harper and Layton and possibly propel Ignatieff even higher in the polls. I think Flanagans advice is dead wrong and stupid. It would be ok to good advice if things had played out differently, but as Ignatieff has become a teflon man, and distanced hisself well enough from the coalition, this strategy will only solidify a CPC base while turning everyone else off.

Hope you voted in the MLW straw poll for BC STV .... No Side leading 3 to 2, still early.

When Chrysler was purchased by Cerebus, they had no intention of running a manufacturing operation. Their intent was to flip it or liquidate it. It doesn't matter if the Autoworkers take a paycut or not as to the survival of the company. Perhaps the Federal government thinks that cutting the wages will make the product more attractive to Fiat, or somehow they think that by getting concessions, this will make an unnecessary bailout of Chrysler more palatable to the public. Fiat can buy Chrysler split 2nds after declaring bankruptcy, and that's when the deal should happen. Taking cuts entails no job security, find out what the real situation is in CCAA where "Bankrupt" companies either prove that they are incompetent in running an operation, or as had happened on many occassions, silly little $100 Million quarterly profits get in the way of the bankruptcy argument. Alot of this is posturing. At the end of the day, it won't matter what the union does or says. Everything is run from the top. Why would a company sell vehicles for less then what the market is willing to pay? Of course the price of vehicles won't go down of the "unions" are gone. However, buying power may diminish in both Union and non union operations as wages continue their 25% drops. Toyota matches union rates and if they drop the wages at Toyota will be held inline until Union rates equal that of Toyota. Toyota, should they choose to drop wages could induce Unionization (Note Irony) in order to protect their high wages. Fork Lift operators, a $10 most anywhere, have cleared $108,000 at Toyota. Vehicles made in Mexico, offshore etc, are all priced as high as the market will bear. As for these automakers, if you are making a pitch for money and claiming "bankruptcy", you better make it look horrific. I don't find this is smart business if your intent is to sell vehicles. Look at the posts here and the mindset of the people with regards to the NA manufacturers at "risk". It is a turnoff, and even if they do make a good product people don't value it. Honda, Toyota, etc are in trouble, but not nearly as bad as they have a cushion, but you never know, we may not be that far from a Hyundai incident or Daewoo failure, or a meltdown as happened in Japan some 20 years ago, that put them into the backseat of the economy. Meanwhile, 1 company just closed here this past week. It is "NOT" bankrupt and has NOT filed for bankruptcy, but has denied its Salary and Non Unionized workforce their pay, vacation, and severance. The His Buff, is correct that there are entire industries being let down by our Federal Governments incompetence, and inability to handle an industrial and manufacturing economy let alone let down hundreds and hundred and hundreds of thousands of employees. Too much focus is spent on Auto, but that is the fault of media and of the General public who confuse all manufacturing with automotive. Just as if they foolishly believe that the only factor involved in making a car is the final assembly and the wages of those employees in final assemble can turn the fortunes of $100billion enterprises. There are far to many variables and inputs, but if it makes people feel better to put the burden on the final assembly unionized workforce, you can feel better, and punish them, but it isn't going to make a hill of beans difference in the long run. However, the power that the auto has is to shut down these operations where unions such as the CAW refuse to offer up more concessions and if the government wants to play that game, they are doing no one in Canada any favours. Chrysler may well go, but I wouldn't waste time dealing with Cerebus, or put any belief into the sales pitch of the Chrysler Executives. They need to clean house. Its funny how Chryslers way out of their last round of bankruptcy was to build small cheap affordable cars with great gas mileage. And the CAW fought concessions and chrysler went on to great things, until being swallowed up by larger, bureacratic orgs with no connection to production, only to money

Green Vehicles do not have to be small. Green vehicles will have to be affordable or desired or they will sit on the lot just like every other car/truck made. People without jobs don't buy vehicles, and certainly not NEW vehicles regardless of whether they are "green".

How's George Galloway doing ... Did he enjoy his stay in the USA

Time to get rid of the two stroke

Three votes, and there is a big donut for STV? A three way split for the listed parties??? Well its still early, long ways to go..

Aren't you optimistic. Unfortuneately, you aren't in Ontario, where the harmonization results in tax increases across the board and no lower rate. I understand your position, but it just isn't happening here. More reason to be outraged. THis is likely to be part of the Liberal Plan heading into the next election, knock a point or two off the PST. That said, the Western Provinces do have alot more other taxes that we don't have in Ontario. Alberta, Sask, Manitoba and BC all seem to have these extra layers of Provincial Tax and User fees. On another note, I don't believe that the Fuel Tax, and the Carbon Tax on Fuel, will be reduced when the PST is Harmonized with the GST on Fuel. It will be another 7% on top of all the other taxes. Ouch!!!

That happens when someone speaks out of both sides of their mouth or says everything at the same time in order to cover all the bases. As long as it sounds good, it doesn't have to make sense. On the road to majority.......???

The Canada Health Act came in during the last year of the Trudea government. It is one extension of a long history of public medicine in Canada. ......." the Pearson government introduced the Medical Care Act which was passed in 1966 by a vote of 177 to two. These two Acts established a formula whereby the federal government paid approximately 50% of approved expenditures for hospital and physician services. " However if you wish to speak on the established Canada Health Act in 1984, perhaps this will highlight who did what and when.

January 129,000 February 82,000 March 61,000 Unemployment Graph..... WOW!!! This graph doesn't include the March Data, but you get the picture... http://www.canajunfinances.com/2009/03/16/The Hockey Stick

Your afraid?

You think CHCH will be around by then??? IIRC everyone jumped on the CKRZ trashing wagon because it ran into financial difficulties because of declining revenues. Everyone jumped the shark and said it was because of their reporting on Land Claims. Shortly afterwards, as I had suggested, every media outlet across Canada is bleeding revenue and jobs, including CHCH. Hamilton should be happy to receive anykind of event to boost their economy. Although I am very surprised that Hamilton would take on this event, and very surprised by the comments of the Hamilton Mayor.

UM.. without the NDP there wouldn't be a "Canada Health Act" and ever since its implementation a large segment of the Liberal Party have been frothing at the mouth to abandon the principles of it by any means necessary. Elimination of Public Health Care by Stealth, while preaching protection of the Canada Health Act. All hat and no horse.