It's official: Ontario is completely broke

[taxme]

1 hour ago, Truth Detector said:

The worst part of the Wynne legacy is the lowering of our Ontario's credit rating.  That alone costs the government significantly in interest payments on the debt each year.   

But I will bet you dollars to donuts that the banksters had no problems lending as much money to Wynne as she wanted. Wynne should be arrested and charged with abuse of taxpayer's tax dollars. If only it were possible to do so. Lucky Wynne. 

[taxme]

17 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/08/02/hamilton-paramedics-face-criminal-charges-in-al-hasnawi-case.html

This good Samaritan died, and ambulance drivers were charged with neglect.  Witnesses said:

“For more than 20 minutes we asked the paramedics to take him to hospital and they said, ‘No, he was just fine. When he saw you coming he started acting out,’” Amin Al-Tahir, a director at the mosque, said after the shooting.  “[Paramedics] started to laugh with each other. We told them, ‘Please, take him to the hospital. He has difficulty breathing.’ They decided to take him because people came more and more.”"

"Mario Posteraro, president of OPSEU Local 256, said the union will be defending the paramedics and called the called the charges an attack on the paramedic profession."

Forever coming to the rescue of a minority. If the paramedica felt that there was nothing that serious to for them to be concerned about than what is yopur problem? 

 

17 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/08/02/hamilton-paramedics-face-criminal-charges-in-al-hasnawi-case.html

This good Samaritan died, and ambulance drivers were charged with neglect.  Witnesses said:

“For more than 20 minutes we asked the paramedics to take him to hospital and they said, ‘No, he was just fine. When he saw you coming he started acting out,’” Amin Al-Tahir, a director at the mosque, said after the shooting.  “[Paramedics] started to laugh with each other. We told them, ‘Please, take him to the hospital. He has difficulty breathing.’ They decided to take him because people came more and more.”"

"Mario Posteraro, president of OPSEU Local 256, said the union will be defending the paramedics and called the called the charges an attack on the paramedic profession."

Why don't you wait first before you try to be judge and jury here and try to make this out to be a criminal act. As the story goes, the paramedics believed that the dead person was joking because of the size of the wound. I see nothing wrong with their belief. If blood were pouring out of his body onto the street than I do not believe that the paramedics would have laughed about it. They would have done what needed to be done. Save his life.   I am beginning to believe that you posted this for other reasons, right? 

[taxme]

23 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Right.  So lots of OPP fire and ambulance cuts right ?

If there is anyone needed here to help protect and help save lives and who should never have to face cuts are those people you mentioned above. What the taxpayer's do not need is more leftist politicians and leftist teachers and leftist unions who have done nothing for Ontario except give them nothing but grief and stupid politically correct leftist liberal bull chit politics. 

[Zeitgeist]

11 minutes ago, taxme said:

It was blacks that started all the problems in American schools because they were the ones that started bringing guns too and selling drugs in American schools back in the 70's and 80's. White students never started the gun and drug revolutions in American schools. Whites went to school to get an education, not commit violence, and not to carry guns or sell drugs in schools. It was the black students that started it all up. Before those years mentioned there was peace in schools until the leftists liberals gained a great influence in politics and the education system. Sure the blacks were disadvantaged at one time but not anymore. The black students have now become the advantaged ones while the white students are fast becoming the disadvantaged ones. And that ain't no exaggeration, pardner. 

Sorry but I disagree.  Who was buying all these drugs?  Who ran the mafias, biker gangs, and foreign drug cartels?  Blacks were usually the people who got caught because police targeted them.  They’re also the ones mostly who ended up in jail because they couldn’t afford to defend themselves.  There were more low level, street level pushers who were black than big fish who were black. Also, how much educational stimulation outside of school do poor people get?  Can you blame these kids for  having a harder time at school?There was much black inner city poverty.  It’s just more punishment of the vulnerable.  Don’t get me wrong, crime is crime, but I think it’s wise to look at causes, not just symptoms. 

[taxme]

10 minutes ago, Zeitgeist said:

Sorry but I disagree.  Who was buying all these drugs?  Who ran the mafias, biker gangs, and foreign drug cartels?  Blacks were usually the people who got caught because police targeted them.  They’re also the ones mostly who ended up in jail because they couldn’t afford to defend themselves.  There were more low level, street level pushers who were black than big fish who were black. Also, how much educational stimulation outside of school do poor people get?  Can you blame these kids for  having a harder time at school?There was much black inner city poverty.  It’s just more punishment of the vulnerable.  Don’t get me wrong, crime is crime, but I think it’s wise to look at causes, not just symptoms. 

I have to disagree with you. I guess then that we must both agree to disagree.  Aw well. 

[Michael Hardner]

19 hours ago, Argus said:

I can't imagine what relevance this has to a discussion on the salaries of public servants...

Why does the media still paint 'first responders' as valiant heroes is my question ?  Why doesn't the right question all media tropes instead of just certain ones ?

[taxme]

4 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Why does the media still paint 'first responders' as valiant heroes is my question ?  Why doesn't the right question all media tropes instead of just certain ones ?

How would you like to have to deal with blood and guts and maybe even your life everyday on your job? I would not call a government clerk a valiant hero. I would call most of those non valiant clerks as people who are over paid and under worked. Maybe that is why the media does not consider clerks to be valiant heroes but first responders are considered valiant heroes. 

[Shady]

On 9/23/2018 at 9:24 PM, Zeitgeist said:

You can't blame only the Liberals for deficits.  The Conservatives drove up the debt with tax cuts and the Liberals drove it up with public spending. 

That's completely false.  When the conservatives were in power in Ontario, the debt was paid down, the budget was balanced almost every year, and the credit rating was upgraded. 

[Shady]

On 9/23/2018 at 6:23 PM, Argus said:

I would expect and hope for pay freezes for police and firefighters, at the last. They are paid WAY too much for blue collar jobs which require little education. I don't know about ambulances or paramedics as I haven't looked into that.

I mostly don't mind their salaries, it's their pensions and post-retirement benefits that are a HUGE drain.

[turningrite]

23 hours ago, taxme said:

Forever coming to the rescue of a minority. If the paramedica felt that there was nothing that serious to for them to be concerned about than what is yopur problem? 

Why don't you wait first before you try to be judge and jury here and try to make this out to be a criminal act. As the story goes, the paramedics believed that the dead person was joking because of the size of the wound. I see nothing wrong with their belief. If blood were pouring out of his body onto the street than I do not believe that the paramedics would have laughed about it. They would have done what needed to be done. Save his life.   I am beginning to believe that you posted this for other reasons, right? 

I don't think this incident reflects a broad cultural problem, as some have apparently tried to argue to be the case, so much as it points to a problem with the training of paramedics as all emergency calls should be treated with equal urgency. Unfortunately, not all first responders seem to act on this basis. Perhaps many first responders have become desensitized to what they see on a daily basis and therefore lose compassion for those they are supposed to be helping. If this is the case, we need to examine the roots of this particular issue. In the area in which I live, in which the problems of homeless and open drug use are both prevalent and quite visible, I suspect it's easy for some emergency personnel to become jaded.

[turningrite]

10 minutes ago, Truth Detector said:

That's completely false.  When the conservatives were in power in Ontario, the debt was paid down, the budget was balanced almost every year, and the credit rating was upgraded. 

Actually, the Liberals effectively reversed the Harris tax cuts soon after taking power by implementing the health tax, which I believe was the biggest single income tax increase on ordinary Ontario workers in the province's post-WW2 history. And they still couldn't balance the books. They just kept on finding new ways to give other people's money away.

[turningrite]

11 minutes ago, Truth Detector said:

I mostly don't mind their salaries, it's their pensions and post-retirement benefits that are a HUGE drain.

Actually, the salaries are the problem as the pensions are based on them. I believe that most provincial and municipal pensions in this province are fairly soundly funded so are not therefore a drain on tax dollars. Other provincial post-retirement benefits, however, are a tax drain as I believe retirees don't come anywhere close to paying premiums to sustain these benefits.

[Argus]

9 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Why does the media still paint 'first responders' as valiant heroes is my question ? 

Because it makes for good dramatic television? Because an hour long show about a cop filling out forms or a firefighter washing his fire truck wouldn't get very high ratings?

9 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Why doesn't the right question all media tropes instead of just certain ones ?

I question all of them.

[h102]

No, Ford is just exaggerating the amount so he can ram through omnibus spending bills.

[Hates politicians]

On 9/23/2018 at 6:01 PM, dialamah said:

Education isn't and shouldn't be the only determination of wages.  If you devalue the work the policemen, firefighters and paramedics do, then who do you suppose will be doing them?   

Cut politicians wages to minimum wage and no benefits

[Michael Hardner]

42 minutes ago, Hates politicians said:

Cut politicians wages to minimum wage and no benefits

More practical nonsense from you.  Do you think Doug is going to pay himself nothing ?  The notorious Ford crime family didn't get rich by being fair and prudent...

[dialamah]

1 hour ago, Hates politicians said:

Cut politicians wages to minimum wage and no benefits

Its a plan; if you think corruption is bad now in politics, try giving politicians an actual reason to pad their own pockets. 

[turningrite]

19 hours ago, h102 said:

No, Ford is just exaggerating the amount so he can ram through omnibus spending bills.

Spending bills? Or cuts? Let's hope it's the latter.

[taxme]

On 9/25/2018 at 11:18 AM, turningrite said:

I don't think this incident reflects a broad cultural problem, as some have apparently tried to argue to be the case, so much as it points to a problem with the training of paramedics as all emergency calls should be treated with equal urgency. Unfortunately, not all first responders seem to act on this basis. Perhaps many first responders have become desensitized to what they see on a daily basis and therefore lose compassion for those they are supposed to be helping. If this is the case, we need to examine the roots of this particular issue. In the area in which I live, in which the problems of homeless and open drug use are both prevalent and quite visible, I suspect it's easy for some emergency personnel to become jaded.

When anyone starts on a new job with whomever all is happy and great. They are just raring to go. But after a decade or so the job becomes just an oh-hum job. Paramedics are no different and neither were you or me. They will do their job but not get all that excited as they once were on their first day. When it comes to police, fire or ambulance laughing on the job helps relieve the tension and pressure that their jobs can put on them. I am pretty sure that they were not standing over the guy and pointing at him and are laughing in his face. At the time they just did not see the seriousness of the situation. 

[turningrite]

2 minutes ago, taxme said:

When anyone starts on a new job with whomever all is happy and great. They are just raring to go. But after a decade or so the job becomes just an oh-hum job. Paramedics are no different and neither were you or me. They will do their job but not get all that excited as they once were on their first day. When it comes to police, fire or ambulance laughing on the job helps relieve the tension and pressure that their jobs can put on them. I am pretty sure that they were not standing over the guy and pointing at him and are laughing in his face. At the time they just did not see the seriousness of the situation. 

I largely agree with you but given the nature of their jobs they really have no choice but to take victim complaints seriously. I come at this issue from a different angle as I too once had to deal with paramedics who didn't take me seriously when I was experiencing medical difficulties. They challenged the seriousness of my situation and didn't provide adequate details of my circumstances to hospital staff when I arrived at the hospital. After a nurse, who was startled that I'd been relegated to a non-priority area, realized the seriousness of my symptoms, I was quickly shifted to critical care and immediately treated. My assumption is that listening to patients and taking them seriously is a vital part of a paramedic's job. If this expectation has been weakened or abandoned, officials need to take a serious and clear look at what's going on. 

[Hates politicians]

On 9/24/2018 at 1:52 PM, taxme said:

But I will bet you dollars to donuts that the banksters had no problems lending as much money to Wynne as she wanted. Wynne should be arrested and charged with abuse of taxpayer's tax dollars. If only it were possible to do so. Lucky Wynne. 

The dyke and mcgoofy and all the liberal party members should have all there assets seized, including any pension money they're going to get. And the money used to pay down the debt they created.

[Hates politicians]

23 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

More practical nonsense from you.  Do you think Doug is going to pay himself nothing ?  The notorious Ford crime family didn't get rich by being fair and prudent...

The people should be controlling politicians wages. Not politicians.

[taxme]

16 hours ago, Hates politicians said:

The dyke and mcgoofy and all the liberal party members should have all there assets seized, including any pension money they're going to get. And the money used to pay down the debt they created.

All politicians need to be made accountable for the billions of tax dollars that they keep spending and where in most case they keep blowing those tax dollars on silly and ridiculous liberal/socialist communist programs and agendas that do nothing for Canada or Canadians and their well being. These politicians pretty much get away with a huge and big crime here. 

[Michael Hardner]

23 hours ago, Hates politicians said:

The people should be controlling politicians wages. Not politicians.

That's another empty slogan, though. HOW ?  Do you want an open market, or do you want government involvement.  If so, how ?  And why have you not thought about this before ?

[h102]

On 9/26/2018 at 2:45 PM, turningrite said:

Spending bills? Or cuts? Let's hope it's the latter.

Spending