madmax

DITTO, add that to your oppositional counterpart argument. We are getting there. Soon we can all be economics majors. Speaking of which... Wheres Geoffrey?

DITTO, that is a great analysis of the choice available. Currently it is the latter.

Nafta is designed to serve the US with oil. Not the Global Economy. There is nothing in the Global economy in NAFTA. NAFTA does not allow for an Export Tax on Oil. We could tax others, but then you get into the all the WTO, GATT and similar issues.

1) Government doesn't want to build refineries 2) Public doesn't want them because it is a NIMBY issue. 3) The US doesn't want us refining oil

oh, the connundrum. People want lower gas. And many political parties are looking to increase gas taxes for their coffers, erm, the environment?.... There is no political partie that represents everything you have said above. Maybe need to start the "GAS PARTY" And tell me.. Why is Diesel more then Reg gas?

If we were to believe such a statement, you would see more Mom And Pop and Indepent suppliers. This is considerably different then in the US. If you look at other countries that controlled their oil supply, like Iraq, when under Bath rule, oil was similarly priced with Venezuala. After Freedom, they pay fair market value, after the US takes their fair share 1st. I have little reason to believe that we are paying "fair" market value at anytime. Fair and oil is an oxymoron.

How many times do we hear about "Black Gold". There is nothing new about it, or market speculation driving the price up higher then realistic. We have been here before with every oil scare since the early 70s. Often proved false after a huge bust in market speculation and cartels unable to contain their message. Remember the same was done with Hydro in the US and all that was achieved was Blackouts in California, and investments in Enron.... Gas prices have been artificially low, and artifically high, because of all the political variable that get involved. Often driven by the US more then anything ever done here, including the NEP, which was more or less overwith before it ever got off the ground. Losses during this period occurred in every oil producing country, but the NEP was an excellent scapegoat and great political tool for Brian Mulroney to secure the West and Drive the Libs out for good. The NEP represents hostillity more then anything else, so any other of its kind would be DOA.

We are not allow to tax exports on oil, because that was what the Americans wanted in FTA. It is one of the reasons why Carbon Tax Proposals by various advocates will do little in Canada to solve their environmental concerns. If we ship 99% of our oil to the US Example 100 Barrells, and Import 99% of our oil say 9 Barrells We have 10 Barrells of oil that will have the consumption (Carbon) tax. If Export oil was to be taxed, then 99 barrells exported, plus 10 barrells Domestic would be taxed. Not that I am an advocate of this.... But if you want to take back our oil.... Tax the highest user and consumer of Oil, who pay LESS then we do. Those revenues could be applied to our own environmental concerns. But this is not going to happen. Changes FTA, is Not going to happen. Ironically Mexico Protected their Oil in the NAFTA agreement. Go Figure.

Perhaps you will get vision in right eye in the future. But if only your left eye works, then you have pretty good vision EYEBALL. There is something being celebrated by government every day of the week. Earth Day received lots of publicity. And while I agree with your sentiment, I do cherish rememberance day. I find that people with the bumper stickers haven't a clue why they put one on or who the organization is that just pocketed the money for a ribbon. I can see Earth Day, taking off, becoming commercialized, much like Christmas has in the last 100years. Christmas was about the Earth, Faith and a time to reflect upon ourselves. It is now Mass Consumption with worship attached as the tagline, although that has been removed in many stores to the point it is just about Consumption. So can you see it, Earth Day, BUY OUR EARTH FRIENDLY CONSUMER GOODS. 2 for the Price of 1, 50% off on all store items after Earth Day ends. Then you have EARTH DAY followed by RECYCLE (OH WAIT, ISN'T that what BOXING DAY was?) DAY. Recycle all of your last earth day gifts to others, or come out this recycle day and receive 20% off all Earth Day Products. So.... Lets see where we were. Ah yes, Christmas. Jesus Christ, someone to worship and reflect about our place on Earth on a day associated with his birth. 1800s consumerism is already part and parcel to Dickens "A Christmas Carol". Boxing Day, the Rich People would hand down their unwanted consumption (consumer goods) to the less fortuneate. Anyone see this going around in circles?

Is there any truth to the Urban Myth that recycled products put in Blue Boxes end up in the landfill site mixed with the regular refuse? Also, I recall back in the 80s, it was common for Televisions to be dumped into the landfill. Where do they go today? I read John Snobelin in the Toronto Sun, and he said that the Blue Box waste ends up in the same landfill, (article is about 1 week old), and that the program is costly. He also stated in his column that no government wants to do away with the Blue Box, because the public loves their blue boxes. Any thoughts on these comments?

Hello Bill You seem very knowledgeable on this subject. Not like just a recent commentator, or latest flavour of the week. You have knowledge, which I just researched to double check and I verified your facts. 1) Are you in the industry? 1a) or are you with the city or something related like that.

And you can take em back if they break......

Hello FTA Lawyer. You live in a wealthy area with established consumption rate. In the meantime, their are churches and other religious establishments with excellent outreach programs that would be happy to "recycle" some of those toys, I would be surprised if one church has room for 100 of them, but hey, who knows. I know that when toys are donated and the people can get a meal and take one for their kids, it is often the toys that go first.... once that is when you let the kids know that it is ok for them to have. If you wish to embark on such an endeavour, you will feel better then just the feel good recycling program. Somebody will actually get a net benefit from your gesture.

Harleys and Gold Wings aren't cheap. But you can find used GoldWings of any era for a reasonable price. Harleys have fallen roughly $5,000 less in the used market from a high a few years back when the demand was outstripping supply. But there are all other forms of two motorcycles that aren't either of those. Be it other Japanese, bikes or European bikes. Stay away from the Chinese stuff, as it is hard to believe that these clone bikes, which look like their parts are completely interchangeable with earlier Japanese models, are of such poor quality, they are completely disposable. Better to buy a 20 year old bike then one of those grenades. Yes, few people ride year round, very few. But Man vacationing in Canada on a Motorcycle is such a pleasure, be it east coast or west and all the parts in between. ANd riding to work, makes going there and coming back all the better.

Do you mean the 13th in Port Dover? Or is there something I am missing in Burwell I have been a biker all my life. I started riding because they were more affordable, for insurance and gas when I was young. Would ride virtually all year, if possible. Looks like at $1.24ltr I may be going back to my youth, and park the 4 wheeler unless it snows

Bob Rae was not a socialist but a Liberal in a Socialist Party. He did an excellent job of making himself electable. Keynesian Economic policy is not socialism. It also will have limited to little effect in an open economy. Bob Rae did not react well to the structural change of the economy. Keynesian Economic Policy is to combat Deflation, something that was problematic in the 30s. Hasn't really showed its head since. Rae used the wrong approach, one in not identifying the problem, and two in adopting Public/Private models, many of which are still being created today, but Liberal and Conservative Governments. The FTA and NAFTA created the Jobs Exodus and 1st Wave of Manufacturing Fallout in Ontario as companies left to take advantage of the new economy. It did not provide the Jobs the Conservatives were promising, and it had a devastating effect as Ontario was in a recession. Compounded on top of the structural changes, the new jobs were not ready to arrive nor where there trained people to do the new jobs should they come. Jobs Ontario was created but nobody new what they were doing and these services were all private, but government funded. Not a Socialist Program. The Social Contract was in name only, and while providing some relief to the government, overriding traditional collective bargaining wasn't the problem. It was opening already negotiated contracts and having no bargaining. Could someone do more things wrong at the same time, affecting non supporters and supporters alike? Bob Rae had neither the courage or conviction of a Tommy Douglas, Roy Romanov. But he did have leadership and overuled his elected Socialist counter parts. People such as Peter Kormos had to eat crow. No, Bob Rae is quite possibly, the only NDP premier to have no lasting policy of anykind. The weakest and only thing he speaks of is creating affordable housing. Had he had economic reasoning, he would have realized that industry was in transition and relocation, vs a slowdown waiting for an upturn. He should have been seeking out new jobs, not spending money on Capital Projects. The only way for him to seek new jobs is to locate or create markets. Only markets create jobs. Bob Rae is the black mark in NDP/CCF leadership. However, he makes a good fit for other Provincial Losers, including Grant Devine, who destroyed the Conservative party so badly they had to change their name. Every now and then an economic Turkey is the leader. Trudeau, Mulroney, Devine, Rae, The is evidence to suggest that Provincial NDP governments have been more responsible fiscal managers then their counterparts. The cost for fiscal Mismanagement is often a term or generation in the wilderness, or the disappearance of your parties BRAND name from the electoral ballots of most voters minds. Such as the Provincial Conservatives in BC. Now, there was no Provincial Surplus in Ontario when Rae took power. Peterson didn't inherit one after 40 years of Conservative rule under the Big Blue Machine. Bob Nixon said it was balanced, but it was not. In any circumstances their was never any claim of surplus. Had Bob Rae performed as a Socialist in a Depression, he may have made out like those Socialists who brought their provinces out of oblivion. Ideas that then became part and parcel to every party platform. But that would require coming up with new solutions for a new problem. Not using an economic solution from the 30s to combat the problem of Deflation. He would be like the Premiers of Alberta and Sask who first had to deal with the depression who had no solutions of their own, and believed that the economy would sort itself out. Rae Believed in Capital Spending as a solution to Industrial Relocation. All parties then started adopting Socialist models. Many of these models were already implemented in the US and the UK. Bob Rae was not of this kind. He was a silver spooned elitist who wanted to be a big fish in a little pond. In getting elected he was successful. As an Economic and Provincial Premier. A complete and utter failure. To think that so many Liberals would even consider him as leader....... Choices were so bad, that they choose Dion. Their is little reason to believe that Dion would be a good economic Prime Minister. He probably wouldn't , which means you have to go down the bench to see who would perform like P Martin as the Economic Minister. Certainly NOT a post for BOB RAE. Could you see it..... Dion as Prime Minister and Bob Rae as Finance Minister. And I thought Flaherty was a little loose. I have no idea how Jack Layton would handle the economy. He has a record in T.O. but that is alot of people involved in the process. Then you have to go down the list to see who if elected would be finance minister? But no matter who I see on the list, I know it couldn't be Bob Rae, because he is a Liberal. Now..... If I were to dream..... I would have Preston Manning and Ed Broadbent in the same room running the country. Why? Because both men respect Parliment, and it is clear that Parliment is no longer respected by either the Liberals or the Conservatives. Both men believed in Debate and Solutions, even though they are ideologically opposed, and work hard to form positional papers on their ideology, I still see both men as able to be rational and reasonable. Today I see lots of hype, phony outrage, phoney debate and posturing. I don't see any strong leadership running the country. I don't see RAE running the country either. Unless you mean running it bankrupt, because, while he is a great speaker, and successful at getting elected. Even successful in saying he has learned his lesson, he only says this because he is a politician. He wouldn't behave any differently, then when he ran Ontario into the ground. If he had accomplished anything in his career, we would be able to point at it.

Take back our oil And put it back in the ground where it came from? OIL is up to .12cents a gallon. I was there when it was .05cents a gallon. I recall that if the price of oil went up their could be a revolution.... Ours has doubled in price about the same. However, I could just see some parties saying that low fuel prices are bad for us. I could see the government freaking at not getting its fair share of tax revenue off of the GST. I could see Alberta and its foreign owned and purchased government crying to no end about not letting the oilcompanies make a fortune while they claim a pittance of the oil revenues. Venezuela is a work in progress. EIther he is onto something or it will become bankrupt. It was poor when I was there, yet one of the richest countries, full of wealth, but always having right wing corrupt puppet governments. Much like the rest of Latin America that went bankrupt under those failed neo con policies. And most of Latin AMerica has responded with left and far left and father leftwing governments. What I found interesting about Chavez is that there is a strong communist movement that he is holding back, and they don't think he is doing enough and are also considering overthrowing him, whereas the former elite, capitalists and oil union workers want to get back into power with the aid of the USA. IF we nationalized our oil, the US lobby would cry bloody murder, the money for propoganda campaigns would make each supporting Canadian Politician be as welcome as Sadam Insane and OBL. Just isn't going to happen. THe US wants the oil, and they get it first.

I don't know who should get the most of our money. Right now the government and gas companies are getting mine. But as for who gets the most of our AID should be those in need. Give it while you can give it.

How is recycling a "left" idea?

Ouch biting quote Another to bite the dust

Harper, Layton looking good as leaders. Dion failing. http://erg.environics.net/media_room/default.asp?aID=672 Similar results to our own straw poll here.

Exactly! People who do not use the roads, receive all the services and benefits of the road. People pay taxes, and then there are all sorts of extra taxes people already pay to drive. The gas taxes. License Plates etc.

Maybe we don't need streetlights in the 21st century? I grew up in the country without it. Got along ok. Later I lived in the city on a high traffic road. There weren't streetlights there in the 24 years of occupancy. Then the city decided to put them in for the people who wanted to use the new Bicycle trail at night. Really is the environment the first thing on peoples minds? Or luxury.

I call bread chicken and meat food. I do not pay tax on this food. I do not call it a tax. It is not a tax. I pay tax. Tax is money collected by the government. The Government already collects huge amounts of tax and has been reducing services. The government has lots of money, they are giving lots back to the oil companies and banks. Why don't they keep that money, and use it to fund environmentally friendly endeavours? Or they could fund the services they have collected the taxes for.

Can you find this information?