godzilla

gald to hear that everyone agrees that _something_ needs to be done... now we just need to vote with that desire and see _actual_ reductions in carbon emissions as the _only_ proof that government is doing something. i'd like anyone to point out that i'm wrong, but the current recent feds have done nothing. its either the liberals who said that we were meeting kyoto but did nothing to actually attempt to meet it or the conservatives who say they will do nothing till 2050! i don't expect anything better from any other party until people start voting representatives out of office because they haven't met the desires of their constituents.

i'll state what i believe to be the most important point in this matter again one more time and everyone can ponder it at length.... why are 'low speed' vechicles mandated by government to cap their speed at 40kmph!? isn't it just a little fishy that that is the speed at which people will refrain from purchasing one? so say, if speeds were capped at 60kmph then wouldn't the possible market expand tremendously?

its seems pretty straight forward to me... do we want to be a society that has the power to be inovative in our choices regarding personal transportation? do we want to take advantage of high technology and be cool!? or do we want to be a society of tank drivers?! how about the trex? (http://www.go-t-rex.com/) fastest thing on three wheels... with fuel economy! again, we get 'golf carts' and 'tanks' because we aren't demanding better!

well, i'm here! and i want one! my commutes are typcially less that 4 kms! and if your're driving a 1 tonne pickup through my neighborhood behind me then 40kmph is fine!! as an avid bicyclist, i know that it does not require a lot of energy to get from point A to point B. again, the prius is an awesome vehicle, a friend of mine just got an electric scooter thats also awsome... he removed the speed capping device. freedom of choice on our roads i say! if we're moving in the wrong direction (with bigger and bigger vehicles) then lets change the direction... now! it just really doesn't make sense to me when people support what i see on the roads today... at any cost. gridlock of huge vehicles, with one driver in each (about 2 tonnes per user), sitting there going nowhere burning fuel in 4 litre engines! heck, even if we don't go electric... i've really wanted one of the imported kei trucks from japan. 660 cc pick up trucks (http://www.allamericanminitrucks.com/gallery). people have to face the facts that 'consumer demand' is predominantly a bunch of garbage. its the big auto makers who decide what the market is going to offer! but i could go on for hours about that in another post... the fact is that the automobile has done more harm to us than good. in other countries where the full size automobile has not defined our living spaces then shopping and services are within walking distance... if you've gone and bought a house in the suburbs thats miles away from the closest box store then... have fun!

find out the REAL reason this car only does 40kmph! most 'low speed' vehicles have on board means to cap speed available... the reason? as i indicated in my previous post, its the only way to get these light vehicles past grueling saftey standards that are designed to help protect drivers from getting driven into by a frickin hummer! they are doing the same with electric scooters... and the auto industry at present will push to keep it status quo!

unfortunately, so predictable… in any ‘pay to play’ political environment. ‘status quo’ will always push for ‘status quo’. no competition please… the whole internal combustion automobile thing is a complete dinosaur and a farce designed to squeeze as much money out of the system as possible… we have no idea how much capital oil companies have invested in auto manufacturers or vise versa but I expect its big or its simply that they profit wildly by scratching each others backs. it’s a basic fact that its going to be tough to sell electric automobiles for $60,000 when consumers look under the hood to find something as uncomplicated as an electric motor! why government is not showing some leadership and mandating things like auto engine shut off while not moving is grave. lets face it, the current system is based on increasing profits by selling consumers larger and more expensive vehicles! these vehicles inherently increase the safety requirements of all vehicles and thus ensure that small light weight transportation will never see our roadways! throughout history one is able to find examples of societies who, bogged down in an infrastructure resistant to change, have suffered economic catastrophe due to their inability to change… how about an entire society so heavily dependent on a diminishing resource like oil!? personally, i’m itching for a toyota prius. everyone should try one of these! that car is progress!

while this appears to be an attack on the conservatives... its little matter what government is doing it. its just that the coservatives are currently doing it. canadians need more detail regarding any changes to the tax system!

not sure why the 'car deaths' even comes into the discussion... NO ONE SHOULD BE OPERATING A VEHICLE IMPAIRED WHETHER IT BE LEGAL OR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE. there, now the question is... why cannot a relatively benign recreational drug be introduced legally into our society? because there is a limit to the number that our society can tolerate? or because... that would eat in to the profits of the current legal recreational drugs? thats the only answer i can come up with... a trip to the netherlands is a real eye opener. people smoking weed responsibly as acceptably as having a pint of beer (just like vancouver). freedom of choice!

dancer... you just continue to be a good boy and believe what you are told is a 'good' drug and what is a bad 'drug' by pharmaceutical companies, tobacco companies and alcohol companies. keep towing the line, man! the fact that most of us know plenty of regular marijuana users who are far more successful than most people will ever be is... well, besides the point!

well, thanks for these facts! not much worse then coffee then... and much less worse then alchohol. i'll stop drinking!

do a search on my previous posts re 'corproate canadian'. i know these people... because i am one! all of my income is generated as a shareholder. again, read my posts... if you are a t4'd canadian then you are getting shafted! your answer is far too simplistic for me to believe! yeah, and the republicans are supported by little grandmothers too!

wow, this is news to me.... "The options open to Mr. Flaherty include reductions in the four bands of personal income tax, including the lowest band that was actually increased to 15.5% from 15% in the 2006 budget in order to pay for the first GST cut." http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...f36&k=45232 this is like a frickin head tax (because all income earners have earnings in this band)! at first i was really quite amazed that the conservatives where all crazy on the gst... it being a regressive tax and all. but of course, we've found out that the rich hate it the most because they are the ones who are paying such high premiums on those fancy items. its much easier to loophole personal income tax then it is the gst... a rise in the lowest band of income tax for the wealthy measured against their savings in gst is a huge benefit to them... on the backs of all canadians!

there are some other posts recently where people are asking how harper can appeal to more canadains... well, he's obviously trying very hard here! the fact that people respect the dalai lama as someone representing his own people who were invaded and have been subsequently raped in every manner is something that _most_ canadians repsect.

because your desires are being represented! as opposed to... not. its up to the next riding to select someone who represents _their_ desires... not for you to impose your desires on them. you are donating to democracy. you are placing your trust in democracy and not into a system thats more like fuedalism (pay to play) on top of democracy...

great post! you've negelected to mention that the conservative party is also supported by corporate canadians. i'd like to see a similar one that discusses how the conservative party is so good at raising money compared to other parties and exactly _where_ that money comes from.

no, no.... we know who our local candidates are and we listen to _them_. not some pr agency. _they_ tell us what they are hearing from _us_ and then make a promise to promote those desires in their political positions. when one donates money they would be donating to a party that supports local desires. period. sound crazy? isn't that what's always supposed to be happening?

the gentle fact is that it will take federal control (the US is a good example) to further criminalize marijuana... because in local environments its practically legal. here in beautiful 'bud' bc, possession of small amounts of marijuana will see it confiscated without charge. there simply is too much use of it by otherwise completely law abiding people. and people who are high pose no threat to society whatsoever. the other side of it is that this is one of bc's biggest cash crops and a staple of our economy! money talks! it is quite alarming to see stockwell day on tv talking about how strong marijuana is these days... there would appear to be no listening to experts on this matter. marijuana does not affect dopamine centers of the brain like the opiates (heroine, crack, cocaine, crystal meth etc) and nicotine. according to the dean of medicine at harvard it is about as addictive as coffee. so my question is for those people who oppose it... what the heck is the problem? is it simply a fear of something one doesn't understand?

i've been thinking about this lately too... because its obvious that democracy is hijacked by party politics and the pay to play scheme. i think an 'independents party' would be ideal. an entire party structure with finances to support a party that is in all ways a political party with one major difference... that all elected members would be expected to vote in a manner that supports the desires of their local constituents! not a radical idea by any stretch... what democracy is supposed to be about.

i apologize if my words implied that i agreed with current immigration policy... lets keep that to another thread. my point was that implementation of _any_ policy takes money... tax money.

dosen't this whole thread prove just that! well said! my premise was that while the idea of 'liberty' may be a wash at the moment that it _is_ a desire of both of our cultures!? "Libertarianism is a political philosophy that upholds the principle of individual liberty. Libertarians maintain that all persons are the absolute owners of their own lives, and should be free to do whatever they wish with their persons or property, provided they allow others the same liberty." "Liberal democracy is a form of government. It is a representative democracy in which the ability of the elected representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and usually moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, and which places constraints on the leaders and on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities (see civil liberties)."

that democracy is constantly being hijacked by the richest! that the electorate need to stop treating politics like a frikin sporting event ("i'm a life long conservative!", "go senators!"), tell anybody who trys to sell political parties or personages ("dion is a leader you can trust!") and start focusing on the details of specific issues that collectively affect ones quality of life and vote for people (not parties) who pledge specific actions. and while i am completely off topic. ALL POLITICAL PARTIES SHOULD BE BANNED! they are the instrument used to hijack the democratic process.

because hatred for cultural, racial and religious diversity is the cornerstone of the reform party voting block (aka conservative base). of course, conservative politicians are not financed by these yahoos... they are financed by culturally, racially and religiously diverse rich people who only want more concentration of wealth.

"Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violence." and it is a conerstone of our libertarian democracy. it should be respected at all times because the next government may want something _you_ don't want to do and you'll want people to respect _you_! i think what is important here is that someones ability (and most of us consider it a 'right') to travel has been hampered because of their opinions! and put on a secret list that those persons probably were unaware of and have no recourse over!

oh yeah... and one more thing. as far as 'corrupt' politicians are concerned. who puts them there!? they don't get there without MONEY! its a pay to play game and the big money makes the rules.

i've never seen such a load of crap that avoids the obvious in such a thread (ok, maybe i have). READ MY EARLIER POST ON THIS THREAD! any chat about anybody making $250,000 as T4'd income is boulderdash. how many people in canada do you think really have this income from a T4'd job?! those with this kinda income are making it from shareholders income and have their assests protected behind a corporation. again, last year i grossed $200k and paid less than a 10% effective combined tax rate. and its all legal. now, how fair is that compared to someone who is taxed at source? and i'm a little guy! its hilarious to see posts about immigration by people who don't want anyone to pay tax. who the heck will guard the borders then? people seem to think that clean drinking water, electricity, roadways, telephone lines, law enforcement, fire services, military protection, democracy, border services, environmental protection, health care, central banks etc etc etc would somehow happen if no one were paying taxes! and who wins? well, if i pay my taxes and i get all of the services above (because believe me, if you are taxed at source then you _are_ paying for it) then i get this lifestyle and i should be happy. and one of the richest canadians in the country who draws upon a workforce of hundreds of thousands of well fed, healthy, educated people that are able to get to work reliably and are prevented from taking company stuff home etc etc... then should the rich guy be paying the same _amount_ as the taxed at source guy or the same _percentage_? isn't the rich guy actually using tremendously more of whatever services are provided? what do you think the wealthy would say if there was no more taxation?! and they would be responsible for the roads to their businesses, and educating their workers, and providing for their health care etc etc?! they much prefer the current system!! wake up out there!