Shwa

Come off it Bonam, they put a man on the moon while we were still using rotary phones and calculators that weighed 3 pounds. They were watching 'Gilligan's Island' on TV for gawdsakes. Through antennas! A few bill here and there, a couple of key assassinations in the oil industry and we are good to go. Get your slide rule out dude, and engineer us a teleporter. Actually I was thinking of some sort of point-to-point nuclear hyper-subway.

The I-90 in a toll highway in the northern US and people use it to get to other places than Rochester or Chicago. It is actually reasonable priced, a well maintained and groomed road. At least on the part that I have travelled. If they had it tolled in sections like, say, the I-90, there would be an effective charge to get into Toronto. Nothing. But they wouldn't get the privledge or the ease of use of the 401. There are backroads in NY too, if that is the way you want to go.

That is all you got out of it? "workfare?" Which is not really offensive to me either, when it is implemented properly and for the right reasons. However, you asked why people thought the Harris Government had a bad rep. You can see for yourself by using critical thinking. If you are unable to see why some might have a problem with Harris' government then you are merely demonstrating one of those failings with regard to education that cut back on critical thinking as part of the curriculum. That might have been caused by the Harris government. So there you go. What is the difference between economic policies enacted on a provincial scale as opposed to a federal jurisdiction? You'll either have to get serious or be more specific.

So you are saying a little maiming and death in the workplace is OK? Why a little? Why have any safety regulations at all? Thereby reducing the surplus population? That's right - no 16 year old should be working in an unsafe kitchen environment. Are you saying it is OK because you survived accidents? Then drunk driving should be OK because, you know, people have survived drunk driving accidents. But we certainly know how those who died didn't survive, don't we? Once they got rid of the asbestos and PCB's, sure. It likely became a more comfortable place to work. Hopefully the cancer rates dropped. An excellent management strategy and common business practice wouldn't you say? Let me guess - the cost of doing business right? What Are the Odds You'll Get Struck By Lightning? National Work Injury Statistics - 939 workplace fatalities in 2009; there were 1,035 deaths in 2008. So I guess you would lose the wager wouldn't you? Not only that, you likely have no idea what you are talking about. Right. That's what it is. All those workplaces maimings and deaths are mere "media hype" or "union spin." Of course, it's so obvious.

Is there a reliable metric for that? All you can truthfully say is that "congestion will reduced" while the population is growing. Which is all beside the point. Really, with the billions upon billions needed, I think we should say 'piss off automobile infrastructure' and focus on inventing a teleportation system. Heck, even some sort of short site-to-site near-light speed transport would be good enough. We'd have those commuters back to their comfy homes in the burbs in, well, milliseconds. How could that not be worth a few bills?

Well, who was in 24 Sussex 10 years ago when the wiring was 40 years old and could have started a fire back then? And it would have been MUCH cheaper to get it done back in the day. Why wait 10 years on 40 year old wiring? WTF was Chretien spending money on???

I see what you mean. Once you get by the maiming, death and risk to the public, there is scarcely anything for anyone to worry about. No it is likely for an IT evergreening program approved by senior management to control IT costs; along with a pleasant working environment for the work force of course. Modern business practices really. Kind of like your meds. Right?

Here is an exercise that they likely didn't teach you in high school at that time, probably because of Harris' government education cutbacks, but we might not ever know. Read the Wiki article and, if you feel somewhat lessened by having to stoop to Wiki, then read some of the referenced links. Then, taking some of the policies of the time period as cited in the article (or references), some of the events like Walkerton and Ipperwash, etc., think about them. Ask yourself, could some people construe these as good policies or events? Could others construe them as bad policies and events? Why? Ponder these questions honestly and you will gain insight into what people call 'critical thinking.' Then, when you have achieved a measure of critical thinking you won't need to be told about something you can easily look up on this Internet thingy. One of the side effects of critical thinking and "politcally engaged" is that you will come to realize that policies and events are rarely in-of-themselves and have prior contributing factors and consequences afterward. Thus being "politically engaged" will come to signify something more than a perspective limited to mere 'current events.'

Really? So because of the SunTV interview, avant-garde artists are no longer being funded? Boy that was quick! Or do you really mean that you are imagining some time in the future that this will all change over to some taxpayer driven, "common sense" panacea wholly funded by the necessity of taste through the the private sector? Here is another Canadian artist of the avant-garde leanings who was partially funded by the damned National Gallery and taxpayers. Perhaps you have heard of him?

It's not ironic if no one cares. However, Oshawa & Durham Region at large is changing and amalgamated public transportation is one of those changes. So why bother with the 401 traffic, the DVP morning nightmare, etc. when there is a easy ride to be had on the GO & Rocket? And a heck of a lot cheaper too.

I thought those taxes were used for roads and highways, public service pensions and the HST is paying for the have-not provinces. I am not 100 sure of that though, so don't quote me.

LOL, quoting Wiki on a messageboard because a poster indicated they didn't have a single clue. Pretty much. Do a little research next time though.

I thought the Gas Tax was to pay for health care and social programs.

From the Shwa to midtown in an hour via Lakeshore Express Go train & the Rocket. Very efficient and rather pleasant commute. I am sure it is not typical, but not too shabby either for the week that I had to commute. The return trip was 90 minutes.

As I understand things, a congestion charge would be used to off-set the costs of maintaining and upgrading the transportation infrastructure. But I could be wrong. It could be used to get "everyone" to stop driving I suppose.

I do like this part of the report though: Here is the setup: social programs versus investments There just has to be a "but" in here if it is social programs versus investments. Health care versus everything else now. Oh-oh... Now labour is on the table. If we could only realize that the thing preventing us from having an excellent lifestyle is our damned lifestyle! In fact, the chief threat to our future lifestyle is our present lifestyle. And we know that the major roadblock (literally) to prosperity and success is our present prosperity and success. I mean, use Greece as the prime example. Look what is happening to them. It is, in the ominous words of Agent Smith, "inevitable." We're doomed! Doomed I tells ya! DOOOOOOOOMMMMED! .... Or maybe not. Perhaps we ought to shift the focus of our investments away from Toronto and into other regions of Ontario, ones that are not so far gone that they can be fixed up and pave the way to the prosperous future that is being threatened by the decline of infrastructure in Ontario the GTA. Then encourage those businesses to move to the new megacity of Barrie or something...

How on earth did you get to "if everyone stopped driving today" from a report on gridloack in the GTA? Does the report suggest that? Hyperbole much?

But what are the long term consequences? That doesn't appear to be apparent anywhere. I have to agree. The problem is, gimmick or not, what does that have to do with a Mayor refusing to provide extra services to his citizens at no cost in his budget and no agreement that when the contract ends the City will have to assume the costs. There is this assumption, but nothing substantial to back up the assumption.

Someone needs to tell you? Here, let Wikipedia tell you: Mike Harris

Poor Bell, they can't seem to win. Bell left with big bill for 'misleading advertising' Overcharging customers for years and then having to send out millions in rebates. Now this. Poor Bell, always getting caught.

HYPERBOLE ALERT! WARNING! WARNING! HYPERBOLE ALERT! Please back away from the hyperbole and do not touch this post. If you develop a (ford) fever or (act) rash, immediately report to your local emergency health services for decontamination. This has been a Public Service Announcement from the Department of Rational Introspection.

So essentially pulling a declaration out of one's ass passes as "two steps ahead of the game" now? That's problematic. Where in the article does it say that once the funding ends for the two public health nurses, that the City will be on the hook for their salary? Is Mayor Ford aware of some secret clause that wasn't passed on to the Council Budget Committee and not made available to other City staff and councillors? Are you aware of such a clause too?

Yup, it sure is "regulated." Here is how we can tell: Fines Issued for Health & Safety Violations Funny though isn't it? All those violation and fines - injuries and deaths - not prevented by the magic regulations. How do you explain this? Personal safety in regulated by laws, yet here we have employers being fined for negligence. Now how is that possible? Do you think that Labour Canada or the Ontario Ministry of Labour - or any other provincial labour body - have the resources to police health and safety in the workplace? Any union I know works with the employer to ensure a safe work place. It is in the employers best interest to collectively police health and safety in the workplace. And many private sector, non union firms don't. So what is your point again? Oh yes, marketable skills, the kind used in sweatshops, which simply don't exist in Canada because we have regulations. Kind of like how slumlords don't exist because of the magical regulations and laws against them. No, what I am saying is that unions prevent the "downtrodden working man" and exist for that reason. What unions do is manage collective bargaining, pension investments, community services and all that other good stuff that I mentioned earlier which you call "money." No shit Sherlock. Are you new? How about joint health and safety, for example - is that the same thing as money, benefits, pension? How about community services? Is that the "same thing" as money? How about representation during grievances process or drug abuse counselling. Go ahead, reduce all of that to the "same thing" as money. I am getting a sense you don't know what you are talking about and are in over your head now. Where - anywhere in this thread - do I say I "see the evil corporation." You see this is where your whole argument breaks down and instead of sticking to the issue - the topic of debate - you need to make a fallacious appeal to divert attention away from the fact that you don't know what you are talking about. Condemnation isn't the issue, but in the name of respecting reality, your perspective is a little short on it. Unions exist for a reason and are a completely legal - and beneficial - form of social organization. And they ain't going away. Get over it.

completely un-fucking-believable LOFL!