madmax

Bravo

My error.

that was the point....It wasn't my quote or link.

The people who are chronically unemployed are University Graduates with decades of experience. I am watching them go from Job to job to job with significant amounts of time "Between Assignments". This has been a trend for the last 3 to 5 years, but has been very much apparent in the past 2 years. Some suggest they have consulting businesses to save face. Yeah, go and shit on these people too. Best you have a look at EI and recognise that your comments are decades out of date. The reality is that those who have stable secure jobs are often the ones telling those on the outside looking in that you will have 3 to 7 careers in your lifetime. To change careers, which in fields I associate with, tend to last 3 to 5 years, requires people to move onto new careers that require a new direction in education. I do not take alot of satisfaction in that I heard many of my coworkers express similar values as you, and its would appear right to do so when you think your hot shit. But when they discover the reality, it is a real shock to their system. Jaw dropping, gob smacked, and wondering where have the jobs gone, why are there no seats available in the training and education systems. The people facing the most stress are the managers. The people getting shafted are the general labourers working in the new precarious environments, where EI is already denied. THe people who have been in one place for 25 years, are being address because many of them have never collected, and thought they were hot shit, and had no problems supporting cuts that other people had to suffer through. Now they are loud, many are in Finleys own riding, and they are PISSED, that EI is a pitance, and the Federal Government has been clawing back on anything positive. That is about to change for this small group. The rest are still screwed. However, in my area, the people affected are mainly non union, only 2 of the 12 closures this year have been union shops. Many of these people have never collected EI before, or not since their early 20s. The people not covered are those actually caught in the beginning of the Federal Governments abandonment of Industry. People currently finishing out their claim, will not be eligible, or if they were in a place for 20 years, got laid off, worked in another facility for a year and then it closed, they are SOL. Its easy for those people riding the cushion to point fingers and have opinions. I used to share those opinions, and like I said, too many, way way way too many people I know are looking for work. Currently 900,000 unemployed, and 30,000 jobs on offer. Last month. Good Hunting.

After the recession of late 1990 early 1992, EI found itself fully balanced by 1993.

GST, PST, and HST are regressive not progressive.method of taxations. No it is far from the best or fairest tax there is. It is not a fair tax because it is regressive. Essentials are taxed. Not necessarily. That kind of thinking will come to bite you in the ass. However, the interesting thing is..... The Federal LPC and Provincial Liberals are ALL for the HST. The Federal CPC and Their Provincial Counterparts are SPLIT on the matter with one foot in and out. The Federal NDP and their PRovincial Counterparts are opposed to the HST. Whats the position of the BQ and PQ, or has Quebec adopted the HST and allow the Federal Government control?

Yes, its too bad its a mishmash of quotes from various sources, some in context and some out of context.

Exactly the reason expressed. It made them look like they were doing something. The NDP swept Northern Ontario, and its about as rural and firearm friendly as a region gets. The Conservatives have on Seat, and that is ironically shared by a NDP Provincial MPP. Look at this Map, and the Colour Orange is very dominant in Rural Hunting Regions. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/map/2008/# When I go hunting, its Northern Ontario. When I am farting around, its in Southern Ontario with the dogs and ducks. For the record. Urban Jack, has managed to land more seats in Ontario then Ed Broadbent, and the vast amount of that is rural. Nothing in TO for the NDP, the even lost seats there when the LPC were weak. So, regardless of Stereo Type, voters in these rural communities are not that concerned about Jacks positions on Bears. I am hearing (now) that Sarah Palin really didn't shoot firearms from a helicopter...

The membership and executives of Conservative and Progressive Conservative Riding associations are often the very same group of 10. It has always been a problem for Provincial Parties and their Federal Cousins with regards to policy and that is no different with the NDP, PQ/BQ, PC/CONs, or LPC/Libs or as Ernest Manning figured out, a burden. That is one reason why Preston Manning wanted no Provincial Reform Parties. I don't believe that the Federal NDP has any control over the Provincial NDP. However, unless Manitoba accepts the Conservative Bribe, the Federal and Provincial NDP stars remain aligned with regards to opposing the HST. Seriously, the Provincial PCs are not putting enough pressure on their Federal to stop greasing the Provinces and forcing something that wouldn't occur naturally if the Provinces truly wanted the HST. Idle Hypocrisy in the Conservative Ranks. No doubt.

I think I have heard only one head of the police force speak against the Registry and that was Julian Fantino.

The war on drugs can be stopped, the money wasted on the Registry cannot come back. Its still a pitence compared to what the LPC and CPC took from the EI fund. The Registry isn't a ban. And quite frankly we already have a ban on many firearms. I enjoy firing a howitzer, but I don't believe everyone needs one in their backyard. When you suggest regulation. We have regulations, and the registery is part of that regulation. I was not a fan of the Gun Registery when it first came out. It was less a fan of the waste in implementing the system. Gun owners are in the minority in Canada. The registery is here to stay even if the CPC cut the funds to the registery, they would have to introduce a similar program, because the Police force want a registery. As for banning of weapons. If you don't have a bann on certain weapons then it is LEGAL to have them. Many weapons throughout history have been banned. Some with success and others not so much. Quite Frankly I am of the opinion that local communities are more in touch with firearms policies then the federal government. If a local community wants to ban firearms, then they should have the right to do so and see how successful that program is. This allows small rural communities the right to maintain firearms for pest control, hunting and fun, whereas communities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, etc can ban firearms if they believe this can lead to a better community. People with guns need to wake up and realize that the City population is significantly larger then the rural population and quite frankly, few people in Canada have firearms. If you want to end up with the Cities making the decisions for you, keep bashing the registry and defend assinine actions of the minority offenders and you will be successful.

Its between the facial expressions of Count Chocula and that picture of Harper from the Calgary Stampede a few years back. Its a tough call.

The Conservatives must campaign against the gun registery and they must support their based supporters. The Police who use the Gun registery on a daily basis and catch the bad guys.

The CPC pulled the plug on their own government and went to the electorate without a platform. By the end of the campaign they produced a platform so vague, it became apparent they had no plan and were unfit to govern as they lacked anykind of direction. A platform is not a necessity in a campaign, other then perhaps something to campaign upon and then ignore, and then campaign again upon the same issue. Works everytime, and the CPC use the gun registery the same way the LPC used national childcare. Just keep promising.... and they will keep coming. BTW.. as of today, the CPC still don't have an economic plan

Wow.... What a load of horse manure. I have yet to speak with a local manufacturer who suggests this is going to make a hill of beans difference to their operations. The savings in their industry would be virtually insignificant, as any major savings occurred when the GST was implemented and removed the "hidden" tax of the MST. Kiss your manufacturing goodbye, meanwhile watch the federal and provincial governments increase your taxes.

The massive structural change of going from the MST to the GST did not lower prices, however, many more items and services were taxed. There was no overall fall in price, unfortuneately. The issue is not with the % rate. It is with the increased catchment area. People will be paying significantly more in taxes, just as they did when the GST came into effect. Meanwhile... That sounds fair...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...Iwtxh9QOUBfCTKw On Wednesday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty called on federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to clarify his position on what Ignatieff has publicly called the "Harper Sales Tax." McGuinty said on Tuesday that Ignatieff had agreed to support the blended sales tax should he become prime minister, then, after pressure from Ignatieff's office, McGuinty said there was "no formal agreement." When asked to clarify his position Friday on the harmonized sales tax and whether he was contradicting McGuinty, Ignatieff in Ottawa said "No, we're not." "Our position from the beginning has been that this is a matter between the Harper government and the provincial governments concerned. Period," said Ignatieff. "I'm the leader of the Opposition. I've got no position to clarify. It's between those two governments. And when I become prime minister I'll have other decisions to take," he said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...Iwtxh9QOUBfCTKw Conservatives... you have some splaining to do....

Only if there is an election in the short term. Sure enough. I figured an election was coming ASAP. However, the NDP had SFA to show as an accomplishment since the last election. Its' hard to campaign on "Opposing Everything and getting results for no one"The Liberals have nothing to show for supporting the Government. The LPC claim to fame is that they didn't call an unnecessary election and supported the Harper Government in full. Campaign Slogan. "Now its our turn" Obviously the Harper Government is moving tediously slow on EI, even to the point of making it a summer election game with the Liberals. Lets play "Blue Ribbon". Probably would have achieved more with a few cases of Pabst. The CPC/LPC could have returned the empty bottles and put the money in the EI fund. I don't see Harper in that light. I agree more with jdobbins analysis of the Harper government and opposition party cooperation. The LPC has a good insight in attempting to work with the Harper government. Harper isn't a cooperator. He has a take it or leave it style. I am still betting on an Election before the end of the year.

The Liberals never even looked at the program. Its been in effect since May. The Liberals failed to do a 3 second search on service Canada, from June to September. Ignatieff turned away on EI reform in June, then in August. Few people take his words with conviction, however, what he is saying is true with regards to EI. Call it due diligence, or posturing because this is one small program change in a system that needs major reform. The Liberals turned their back on the CLC in June and the NDP EI Bill is virtually a mimick of the CLC petition. Many Liberal MPs would not support those changes to EI, including Ignatieff and that was after voting for them on 1st and 2nd reading.Ignatieff rejected the CLC proposals after he agreed with them. The CAW, the CLC and the NDP all share the same concerns about eligibility. The media has taken the CAW analogy and applied it to one group, when infact there are many many people who will not benefit from this program and are long tenured, but caught in a Layoff preceding and during the peak of the Layoffs. The Liberals and the BQ could join to improve EI measures in committee if they wished. The Liberals do not appear interested in putting forth improvements to the current bill. Essentially the Liberals do not want any responsibility on the EI file heading into an election. However, the Liberals would like some credit. That is not unusual in politics.

Ban condoms and birth control pills....

There was another poll, in which the contest went heavily toward the NDP (which actually won too). Sometimes the punters are right, sometimes wrong and sometimes its wishful thinking. I believe this to be the case with the ST Paul election. The people here are political, a bit in tune with whats happening, and yes some are extreme partisans and some are great pundits who can pick em.

Thought I would bump this up....

I was at a business function last night and met an old aquaintance. Comes from your neck of the woods. Had recently resigned from his company and now running his own consulting business. He had hit his limit on being a hatchet man and realized the sever damage to the economy that was occuring by following corporate decisions that didn't take into account the productivity and profits of the workplaces he was forced to shutdown. He literally said, he could no longer look anyone in the face. It became too much. There is a significant level of false optimism that is based upon weak numbers and a glimmer of hope. A minute bounce is not a recovery. Infact, it looks like we are heading for another wave of downturn.

What is telling from the quote in the paper is the Liberal lack of concern about the hundreds of thousands tossed out of work. The comments to support the bill aren't that it helps people, they want to speed up the bill to get at those nasty socialists. What is interesting in my area, is that the NDP is getting a bounce, the CPC is getting a bounce, and the LPC are getting a bounce. Perhaps this is good for parliment.