Tories bulking up own ridings with infrastructure funds

[jdobbin]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/WBwbureaublog

The Opposition party's analysis of the $1 billion dispensed from the Building Canada fund found 21 of 26 projects receiving money are in ridings that elected Conservative MPs, Liberal infrastructure critic Gerard Kennedy said.

Kennedy told the House of Commons during Thursday's question period that it leaves the majority of Canadians living in opposition ridings "massively shortchanged."

It has generally been part of Tory strategy to only spend on areas or people that will vote for them.

The strategy has been followed pretty closely since Muttart created it.

[Chuck U. Farlie]

I guess the lesson that should be learned is next time those non-conservative ridings should vote conservative. ;-)

Edited February 6, 2009 by Chuck U. Farlie

[Topaz]

I found this view over on Yahoo about the loss in jobs and which one are suffering.http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090206/national/jobs

[Topaz]

I found this view over on Yahoo about the loss in jobs and which one are suffering.http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090206/national/jobs

Sorry, again this computer refuses to work with me. I've not done anything different from the first time.

[jdobbin]

I guess the lesson that should be learned is next time those non-conservative ridings should vote conservative next time. ;-)

I'm sure that it the lesson the Tories want people to learn. Think it will work?

[Bryan]

1) Some of those projects are in ridings that were Liberal when the funding was announced. If they want to blame the Tories for winning those ridings, they can go right ahead.

2) Some of those projects are related to the 2010 Olympics. The (Liberal) provincial government and VANOC would be the ones deciding where these things need to be done.

Liberals should really get their stories straight though. Up until last week, their complaint was that the government was NOT controlling where such spending was being used. So which is it?

[jdobbin]

1) Some of those projects are in ridings that were Liberal when the funding was announced. If they want to blame the Tories for winning those ridings, they can go right ahead.

As the municipalites have pointed out, money is expedited when the riding is Tory. Announcing money and delivering are two different things.

2) Some of those projects are related to the 2010 Olympics. The (Liberal) provincial government and VANOC would be the ones deciding where these things need to be done.

I never saw any indication of that in the report.

Liberals should really get their stories straight though. Up until last week, their complaint was that the government was NOT controlling where such spending was being used. So which is it?

Tories should get it straight: the have been sitting on money since 2007 and only expediting it for Tory ridings. Municipal governments are wondering where money that was announced long ago is for the projects they have.

[ToadBrother]

2) Some of those projects are related to the 2010 Olympics. The (Liberal) provincial government and VANOC would be the ones deciding where these things need to be done.

Putting Liberal in parentheses makes it sound like the BC Liberals are a wing of the Federal Liberals, which they are not. Any association between the two parties ended nearly twenty years ago. The BC Liberals are pretty much an ideological (though not legal) wing of the Conservatives.

[Argus]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/WBwbureaublog

It has generally been part of Tory strategy to only spend on areas or people that will vote for them.

The strategy has been followed pretty closely since Muttart created it.

What a novel idea. Why, I guess this Muttart guy must have had a real brainwave to think this up. Yes, sir, no government in the history of Canada, federally or provincially, has shown favoritism towards government ridings during huge spending sprees. Let's hope he doesn't come up with any more genius ideas, like, oh, moving govenrment offices - and jobs - from Ottawa and sending them out to the regions, to government ridings. Something like that would result in a ton of extra costs, and all sorts of communication and organizatioal problems. Fortunately, no one has ever thought about doing that, either, so maybe the idea won't occur to him.

[fellowtraveller]

It has generally been part of Tory strategy to only spend on areas or people that will vote for them.

Bullshit, though no surprise considering the source.

For example, Quebec gets 60% of the $14 billion in equalizxation with very few Tory seats, about 6% of the total.

Transfer payments are a revealing list of gravy. Here, you can verify it for yourself if you have the stones.

http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/recgen/pdf/44.pdf

Alberta has 20% of the Tory seats, and gets about 3% of the annual gravy in transfer payments.

Like to edit your nonsense?

[waldo]

and you would equate spending with equalization payments?

oh ya =>

Like to edit your nonsense?

[jdobbin]

Bullshit, though no surprise considering the source.

No? Here is the strategy.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...205?hub=QPeriod

Campaign promises were tailored to the battlers -- like the tax credit for tradesmen's tools, which might appeal to Dougie and his friends. Couples like Steve and Heather got a $500 fitness tax credit.

Then there were people like "Zoe," the granola-munching, downtown-dwelling, apartment-renting, 20-something woman. Being unlikely to ever vote Conservative, Zoe got nothing.

Muttart was then moved to the PMO after elections and infrastructure announcements and money flowed to Conservative ridings.

For example, Quebec gets 60% of the $14 billion in equalizxation with very few Tory seats, about 6% of the total.

However, the bulk of infrastructure money was rushed into the few Tory seats prior to the election. This isn't old news.

Transfer payments are a revealing list of gravy. Here, you can verify it for yourself if you have the stones.

Think we are talking about infrastructure here where the Tories had promised to make a priority. Looks at that list of gravy if you have the wherewithal to do it.

Alberta has 20% of the Tory seats, and gets about 3% of the annual gravy in transfer payments.

Once again, we are talking about infrastructure money.

Like to edit your nonsense?

Like to reconsider what you are talking about?

[jdobbin]

What a novel idea. Why, I guess this Muttart guy must have had a real brainwave to think this up. Yes, sir, no government in the history of Canada, federally or provincially, has shown favoritism towards government ridings during huge spending sprees.

Happens all the time. And it should be pointed out all the time too.

If the Tories want to spend on huge infrastructure in Flaherty's riding, I think a lot of people would like to know about it.

Let's hope he doesn't come up with any more genius ideas, like, oh, moving govenrment offices - and jobs - from Ottawa and sending them out to the regions, to government ridings. Something like that would result in a ton of extra costs, and all sorts of communication and organizatioal problems. Fortunately, no one has ever thought about doing that, either, so maybe the idea won't occur to him.

The Liberals paid a price for this type of behaviour. You don't think the Tories will at some point?

[Smallc]

Sorry, again this computer refuses to work with me. I've not done anything different from the first time.

You have to put a space between the address and the last word in the sentence.

[Progressive Tory]

You would think a good strategist would try to spend in seats they want to take away, making sure the residents know it was a Tory initiative and that they are not as partisan as their reputation suggests.

When John Baird was head of children's services in Ontario he came out with much fanfare about massive spending for the Children of Ontario. Turns out that the majority of the spending was in his own riding to assure re-election. (The rest of the spending was a myth)

The chance of the Conservatives gaining any ground right now is almost impossible. I suppose spending in their own ridings could ensure they don't lose the support they currently have.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The current plan is garbage. It costs a lot of money but gives very little in terms of net gain to the citizens. Once again a case of the government thinking political optics instead of economic impact.

[waldo]

When John Baird was head of children's services in Ontario he came out with much fanfare about massive spending for the Children of Ontario. Turns out that the majority of the spending was in his own riding to assure re-election. (The rest of the spending was a myth)

and - of course - Baird has his fingerprints all over this - conporker extraordinaire!

[Progressive Tory]

The current plan is garbage. It costs a lot of money but gives very little in terms of net gain to the citizens. Once again a case of the government thinking political optics instead of economic impact.

The Majority of Canadians agree with you.

[Progressive Tory]

and - of course - Baird has his fingerprints all over this - conporker extraordinaire!

John Baird is an idiot. When he was in the Ontario Legislature he was considered a blowhard. He rambled on an on about gov't spending then the Star printed an article when they discoverd that his department was the bigggest spenders. Posh dinners, etc. He even once submitted a receipt for .89 for Timbits. That's how cheap he is.

He has zero credibility in Ontario. (Except for his riding with an unlimited pouring of cash)

[waldo]

John Baird .... He even once submitted a receipt for .89 for Timbits. That's how cheap he is.

oh please - too funny! He's a complete buffoon - thanks for allowing me start my weekend with a genuine laugh.

[Progressive Tory]

oh please - too funny! He's a complete buffoon - thanks for allowing me start my weekend with a genuine laugh.

You must also be from Ontario. I lived under the Mike Harris gov't and when I saw that Harper had put Flaherty, Baird and Clement in his cabinet, I actually laughed out loud. I just assumed they were in jail.

If I ever even considered voting Conservative again, those three would quickly bring me to my senses.

[fellowtraveller]

Once again, we are talking about infrastructure money.

Check the transfer payments schedule linked, the real money of govt.

That is the money spent by govt every year, billions and billions.

The opposite of what you said is true, which you well know.

[Argus]

Happens all the time. And it should be pointed out all the time too.

If the Tories want to spend on huge infrastructure in Flaherty's riding, I think a lot of people would like to know about it.

The Liberals paid a price for this type of behaviour. You don't think the Tories will at some point?

The difference is, I find it more than a tad hypocritical seeing Liberals - the masters of funnelling money into their ridings and buying elections, snivelling about the Tories doing it on a lesser scale.

Why do you think one of our major tax centres is in Shawinigan, anyway? Do you know what a pain in the ass it is for our office to have to keep sending people to Shawinigan and St. Johns and Jonquiere and Sudbury and Toronto and Surrey when all the tax processors used to be located right here in Ottawa with HQ?

[jdobbin]

The difference is, I find it more than a tad hypocritical seeing Liberals - the masters of funnelling money into their ridings and buying elections, snivelling about the Tories doing it on a lesser scale.

I have no evidence that it happens on a lesser scale. Given the amount of spending going on, it seems business as usual.

Why do you think one of our major tax centres is in Shawinigan, anyway?

I think it is there for the same reason as the GST center in Atlantic Canada.

Do you know what a pain in the ass it is for our office to have to keep sending people to Shawinigan and St. Johns and Jonquiere and Sudbury and Toronto and Surrey when all the tax processors used to be located right here in Ottawa with HQ?

I'm sure it is.

However, when even the CTF notes the billions being shunted about and we see Tory MPs making huge announcements in their own ridiings, we know things have not changed all that much.

[Argus]

However, when even the CTF notes the billions being shunted about and we see Tory MPs making huge announcements in their own ridiings, we know things have not changed all that much.

No, nor will we see any changes when you guys get back in, so stop whining until you can show me you're better than they are.