Harper Doing a Good Job At Handling The Economy

[bush_cheney2004]

Not true of Canada, since all the chartered banks here offer large pools of capital since there are so few of them. On the other hand, rates are not as good when there is less competition. However, we have seen closeup in our neighbours what unregulated - and still unregulated- corporate subprime greed/insanity results in.

Sorry, your time horizon is way too short. Canada openly and aggressively pursued foreign investment for many years as it lacked domestic capitalization....the "well run" banks were just too small. The "unregulated" Americans came to Canada to fill the void:

Although US-owned firms initiated the production here of many novel products and services and provided welcome job opportunities, there have been - and still are - problems caused by their presence. Huge and increasing amounts of money have to be remitted to US owners in the form of dividends on their investment and contributions by branch plants toward head office costs of administration, research, product development and advertising. A large proportion of these payments must be made in US dollars; where payment in US dollars is not required by contract, the investors, receiving payment in Canadian dollars, wish to exchange them for US currency.

http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002895

[Shakeyhands]

Sure you did. The main conservative claim is that they'll slash and burn government budgets "because we just can't afford it." The only government in the past 30 years to actually meaningfully cut government budgets and lower taxes have been the Chrietien and Martin Liberals.

The fact that you decry the very thing you want your own party to do shows the "conservative" ideal to be what it actually is: a partisan lie. Either that or it's a form of very idiotic, ignorant hypocrisy.

Here's most likely a more honest assessment of the current climate. Of course, because it's from "THE RED STAR" it can and will be discounted by the Booster Club.

Travers

Harper and sidekick Jim Flaherty blew enough smoke to obscure looming deficits during the last election. Now they are counting on voters to suspend disbelief long enough to carry Conservatives safely through the next.

[Keepitsimple]

Here's most likely a more honest assessment of the current climate. Of course, because it's from "THE RED STAR" it can and will be discounted by the Booster Club.

Travers

Yes, the Red Star is virulently anti-Conservative......but Jim Travers has gone completely over the top over the past 6 months. I believe the Star senses that the last bastion of Liberal seats (Toronto) is showing clear signs of erosion....and then you have the Rob Ford phenomenom. There is a strong undercurrent of distaste for experts and elites in Toronto. You can feel the palpable fear in the Star boardroom.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Keepitsimple

[scribblet]

What are you talking about? The Liberals were the ones who indexed federal income tax to inflation. They're the ones who make CPP sustainable. EI...is a different matter. The Liberals slashed everything, from the civil service to transfers to the provinces.

I said de-indexing, as in the income tax system which after years resulted in both levels of gov'ts netting around $90-billion in new revenue.

[Smallc]

I said de-indexing, as in the income tax system which after years resulted in both levels of gov'ts netting around $90-billion in new revenue.

And again, I'm telling you, the Liberals indexed income tax to inflation, not the other way around. They also gave the largest tax cut in Canadian history, which involved lowering business taxes by 7%.

http://www.riteteam.bc.ca/TaxReduction.htm

Edited October 19, 2010 by Smallc

[nicky10013]

Here's most likely a more honest assessment of the current climate. Of course, because it's from "THE RED STAR" it can and will be discounted by the Booster Club.

Travers

What's the problem? Let me guess, you read the National Post. Which does exactly the same thing but from the right. I disagree with what both do, then again, I have to remind them that these pieces are editorials and not news.

[nicky10013]

And again, I'm telling you, the Liberals indexed income tax to inflation, not the other way around. They also gave the largest tax cut in Canadian history, which involved lowering business taxes by 7%.

http://www.riteteam.bc.ca/TaxReduction.htm

I guess we shouldn't let facts get in the way of their nominal ideology.

[nicky10013]

Yes, the Red Star is virulently anti-Conservative......but Jim Travers has gone completely over the top over the past 6 months. I believe the Star senses that the last bastion of Liberal seats (Toronto) is showing clear signs of erosion....and then you have the Rob Ford phenomenom. There is a strong undercurrent of distaste for experts and elites in Toronto. You can feel the palpable fear in the Star boardroom.

So, you're so delusional as to think that even with the Conservatives losing 10 points Toronto is going to go blue? Whatever you're smoking, I'd like some.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Politics is news because it effects us all. Whether or not Fred, Barney or Joe think that Harper is doing well or not is just another opinion. They are real questions to ask and get answers to, like what is going on with government programs and services? What is going on with our debt repayment situation? What are we doing with public health care and public education?

I tire of the crying over the economy. Business got themselves into this crap and have dragged the governments of the world kicking and screaming into a hand holding session based on citizens tax dollars and that is just wrong. Wake up to the new world order folks, it aint what you thought is it? Yet this is the way that it is, suck it up. This is where NAFTA, the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank all come to sit on our porch, and eyeball us.

[nicky10013]

Politics is news because it effects us all. Whether or not Fred, Barney or Joe think that Harper is doing well or not is just another opinion. They are real questions to ask and get answers to, like what is going on with government programs and services? What is going on with our debt repayment situation? What are we doing with public health care and public education?

I tire of the crying over the economy. Business got themselves into this crap and have dragged the governments of the world kicking and screaming into a hand holding session based on citizens tax dollars and that is just wrong. Wake up to the new world order folks, it aint what you thought is it? Yet this is the way that it is, suck it up. This is where NAFTA, the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank all come to sit on our porch, and eyeball us.

New World Order? Seriously? NAFTA, the WTO and the IMF haven't caused this situation. Greedy bankers on wallstreet did.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

New World Order? Seriously? NAFTA, the WTO and the IMF haven't caused this situation. Greedy bankers on wallstreet did.

Very seriously. The system did it to itself, its a business effort. Those efforts have risks, that is where the concept of limited liability and incorporation came from. So how is it that now the tables have been turned once again against the interests of citizens, to the point that we now are responsible for subsidizing for profit private ventures with public tax dollars? All of those systems I mentioned are based on a financial model designed long ago with long term goals and agendas. Its all about money, period.

What happened in 2008 is a long ways from over for us in the western world. In the east there is a thriving economic expansion going on using western technologies and financial systems that is blowing the doors off our economies. Much of that development and expansion was done by western companies seeking market access. That is where our jobs have gone, we cannot compete with their labour force and their standards of living. However here in the west things are a little different. In the long term Canada will be okay, because we are a lot bigger on resource exports than most nations and we can become prime suppliers for the economic expansion over there. But the US and Mexico are screwed. That is a reality we need to get our heads around.

[Shakeyhands]

What's the problem? Let me guess, you read the National Post. Which does exactly the same thing but from the right. I disagree with what both do, then again, I have to remind them that these pieces are editorials and not news.

Here you go Nicky. Consider it a public service from a fellow card carrier.

http://www.readingsoft.com/quiz.html

[nicky10013]

Here you go Nicky. Consider it a public service from a fellow card carrier.

http://www.readingsoft.com/quiz.html

Aha whoops. My mistake. Replied to the wrong post. Read through a bunch, saw the red star one, and picked it out. Test was helpful .

[Saipan]

Business got themselves into this crap and have dragged the governments of the world

How did the business do it?

Pay their employees too much?

Too little?

Produce too much?

Too little?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

How did the business do it?

Pay their employees too much?

Too little?

Produce too much?

Too little?

We are all to blame, its just greed and the quest for money. The banking crisis was there own fault. The auto industry, their problem as was every other industry that got into trouble. The only innocent was the tax paying citizen. They got stuck with the tab.

[Keepitsimple]

So, you're so delusional as to think that even with the Conservatives losing 10 points Toronto is going to go blue? Whatever you're smoking, I'd like some.

What I'm saying is that there is a good chance that Toronto will not stay completely RED. Things are changing in Toronto.....how much remains to be seen....but I wouldn't be surprised to see 3 or 4 "traditional" Liberal seats turn colour.