If One Defends The Oil Sands, One Should Defend The CBC

[blueblood]

The oil industry at all levels continues to receive subsidies even when it appears it doesn't need to be propped up.

So? Are you allergic to a good economy?

And when does this money spigot stop? Tax money to ag when it is down, tax money to ag when it is up. So you are saying when things were bad, you should have been cut off?

I don't like the firehose spending. I do not like the old school dropping a couple of billion to split up between the ag sector. It does nothing to create value and ends up harming tax payers. That money would be far better suited to research/funding of value adding industries. This cash injection to the auto sector looks like firehose spending, and I know from experience that it is a fools errand.

The downsize was probably complete failure of three car manufacturers. Total unemployment: perhaps 6 million from that alone. Total cost to the economy: estimates were as Warren Buffet keeps telling people were "cataclysmic."

That's all right, Toyota is hiring, then there is the eventual rise of our energy sector. There was that same problem 50 years ago with farm employees being replaced by machinery. We found away.

So only export industries should be supported?

Is there an echo?

And GM got nothing.

And the way they do business, they should continue to get nothing

[Oleg Bach]

So? Are you allergic to a good economy?

I don't like the firehose spending. I do not like the old school dropping a couple of billion to split up between the ag sector. It does nothing to create value and ends up harming tax payers. That money would be far better suited to research/funding of value adding industries. This cash injection to the auto sector looks like firehose spending, and I know from experience that it is a fools errand.

That's all right, Toyota is hiring, then there is the eventual rise of our energy sector. There was that same problem 50 years ago with farm employees being replaced by machinery. We found away.

Is there an echo?

And the way they do business, they should continue to get nothing

Our GM did not need anything and were to proud to take or shall I say steal from the tax payer.. they were well managed and their fiscal prudence was closely tied to our banks.....that may be totally incorrent but you know me...love to talk..Toyota is hiring? Bet you it's for a lot less...30 years ago I could did a ditich for 20 dollars an hour - now I heard a young woman bragging...."I make 10 dollars an hour" as if she was right up there in some sort of high income group...crap - that rate is less then I made at her age 40 years ago...I am stunned that there are people walking around in the world surviving on 300 dollars a week! A twenty dollar bill had buying power - now 120 dollars disappears as quick as a 20 did ...so I guess we are slowly going to eventually work for a fish head and a bowl of rice...is this finacial debasement of our citizens done intentionally or is it just poor rulership?

[jdobbin]

So? Are you allergic to a good economy?

Are farmers capable of not living on the dole?

I don't like the firehose spending. I do not like the old school dropping a couple of billion to split up between the ag sector. It does nothing to create value and ends up harming tax payers. That money would be far better suited to research/funding of value adding industries. This cash injection to the auto sector looks like firehose spending, and I know from experience that it is a fools errand.

And yet farmers want that spending on them in good times and bad and say it is good for the country at every turn. It seems that if anyone else got that type of money, it would be bad.

That's all right, Toyota is hiring, then there is the eventual rise of our energy sector. There was that same problem 50 years ago with farm employees being replaced by machinery. We found away.

Toyota is not hiring. They laid off people two weeks ago.

So, it looks like they should be cut off too from money, right?

Is there an echo?

Just surprise that large domestic supply is given short shrift.

And the way they do business, they should continue to get nothing

While farmers get money good times and bad.

[blueblood]

Are farmers capable of not living on the dole?

Now your reduced to farmer bashing, hell Ignatieff knows that gets him nowhere.

Other farmers around the world are very heavily supported, hell our sector has paid for our ethanol subsidy. Or is it the Liberal hidden agenda to deep six the agriculture industry.

The Alberta gov't supports it's money making industry, and that's why it leads the country. Smart investments in profitable industries. Ontario should be taking notes.

And yet farmers want that spending on them in good times and bad and say it is good for the country at every turn. It seems that if anyone else got that type of money, it would be bad.

Maybe the broke farmers want firehose spending, you and I both know that doesn't work. Why do we want to continue a fool's errand on the auto sector.

Cripes, they threw a couple billion to deal with BSE and didn't euthanize the over 30 mo. animals. That is completely nuts and frustrating.

However investing in value added industries and research no matter what the industry is a wise investment. We have seen it in the ag sector and the oil industry and will see it with the new stem cell break through.

Toyota is not hiring. They laid off people two weeks ago.

So, it looks like they should be cut off too from money, right?

Do you think this recession will last forever?

Their fundamentals are a lot sounder than GM's, however money going to them should have strings.

While farmers get money good times and bad.

Did you not see the numbers from the receipts from the ag industry from that investment?

What did the 2 billion dollar investment result in; an increase of farm receipts by 4 billion dollars, and the shares of the ag biz companies rising dramatically, more potash mines being explored and opened up.

This is how the Alberta government runs things. Needless to say this is one of the reasons why they are the best province in Canada.

Investing in things that don't make generate wealth is just not smart. Here we have a chance with the gov't letting loose on the spigots, and we want to throw all of that into the GM dead horse instead of expanding our energy sector, it's madness.

[jdobbin]

Now your reduced to farmer bashing, hell Ignatieff knows that gets him nowhere.

If we are going to get out of deficit, everyone who receives government money will likely face cuts. Are you saying farmers will always have to get money?

Other farmers around the world are very heavily supported, hell our sector has paid for our ethanol subsidy. Or is it the Liberal hidden agenda to deep six the agriculture industry.

Ethanol is not supposed to be a farmer support system. It is not even a good environment program.

And you have already said farmers are doing great. Why should they be subsidized for it?

The Alberta gov't supports it's money making industry, and that's why it leads the country. Smart investments in profitable industries. Ontario should be taking notes.

True fiscal conservatives should be looking to cut financial support to profitable industries. One of the reasons Alberta is in a huge deficit is because of their spending problems.

Maybe the broke farmers want firehose spending, you and I both know that doesn't work. Why do we want to continue a fool's errand on the auto sector.

Why do you want to end the auto manufacturing in North America. Is this the hidden agenda of the Conservatives?

Cripes, they threw a couple billion to deal with BSE and didn't euthanize the over 30 mo. animals. That is completely nuts and frustrating.

And put $2 billion into ethanol which is losing money like crazy and could have several processors of it go bankrupt this year as a result. Nuts.

However investing in value added industries and research no matter what the industry is a wise investment. We have seen it in the ag sector and the oil industry and will see it with the new stem cell break through.

I have no problem for research money but we are seeing a spigot of cash go to some of these industries that are self sufficient.

Do you think this recession will last forever?

You said Toyota was hiring.

Their fundamentals are a lot sounder than GM's, however money going to them should have strings.

The money going to auto company does have strings. Did the money going to farmers have strings?

Did you not see the numbers from the receipts from the ag industry from that investment?

What did the 2 billion dollar investment result in; an increase of farm receipts by 4 billion dollars, and the shares of the ag biz companies rising dramatically, more potash mines being explored and opened up.

You're figures don't consider that commodity prices were going up at that time anyway.

This is how the Alberta government runs things. Needless to say this is one of the reasons why they are the best province in Canada.

Alberta now runs a massive deficit because it doesn't control its spending.

Investing in things that don't make generate wealth is just not smart. Here we have a chance with the gov't letting loose on the spigots, and we want to throw all of that into the GM dead horse instead of expanding our energy sector, it's madness.

So you believe all North Americam auto factories should shut down in Canada.

[M.Dancer]

I know Corner Gas is done now, but they are great Cdn programs.

Corner Gas is CTV. CBC has nothing to do with it.

[ToadBrother]

Corner Gas is CTV. CBC has nothing to do with it.

Which is a good thing. Only in Canada would someone try to remake Northern Exposure as a sitcom based at a gas station.

[fellowtraveller]

The Republican party and all Neo-Cons despise the CBC,

???

Why wouild Republicans hate an entity that they are completely unaware of?

So few Candians watch the CBC that I doubt many can muster any hate for them either.

[Smallc]

So few Candians watch the CBC that I doubt many can muster any hate for them either.

Depends on the program. More people watched The National on the day of Barack Obama's Inauguration than any other newscast in Canada.

[madmax]

Gov't run media is the most ridiculous thing there is.

I enjoy the CBC. I have hundreds upon hundreds of channels that are private to watch. Corporate owned media is more problematic. A newspaper in my region with 40,000 subscribers is not allowed to run its own editorial, (important to local issues), but runs editorials driven from Toronto and Quebec.

YUCK!

Global TV news has become so dumbed down its not watchable.

CHCH news is near become a catastrophy since being swallowed up by Global Media.

CTV is pretty good.

CBC is fine.

[fellowtraveller]

Depends on the program. More people watched The National on the day of Barack Obama's Inauguration than any other newscast in Canada.

Are we going to pretend that anybody watches CBC English TV now?

I have no objection to CBC TV programming, strategic direction or any of the billion per year in operating costs.

I do object to two things: 1) that the money cvomes from taxpayers. If you like it so much, pay for your entertainment yourself, or pay for my cable connection, and magazine subscritions out of public funds. and 2 ) the pretence that the network is some kind of 'unifying' force, an excercise in nation building.

That may have been the case when Don Messers Jubilee was big, but it most defintiely is not today. A strong argument could be m,ade that the CBC is a force for dissent and disharmony, some of which has been expressed in this very thread.

[noahbody]

Why not combine the two? Little Tar Sands on the Prairie could be one of CBC's best.