Another sleepless night for so many in Ivory Towers…a pity.

Rob Ford translates to a collapse of the Liberal stronghold in 416-Toronto including the NDP for the Federal Conservatives.

-duplicate -

Well, hallelujah! Maybe there’s hope for Toronto yet.

I’m in Toronto, and Rob Ford is a vision-less buffoon. I would have voted for John Tory in a heartbeat. Oh well… Toronto survived Mel Lastman, barely survived Mike Harris’ downloading , and we’ll survive Ford. Can Ford survive Ford?

You should be careful what you wish for, ladies. The Toronto mayor race is seldom a predictor of national trends, and the CPC has relied heavily on an anti-Toronto sentiment from rural and western voters.

You might wanna tell Harper to hold that election sooner rather than later; one year of Mayor Ford, and you won’t be able to pay a Torontonian to put up a CPC lawn sign.

“There were major cutbacks in the 1990s and we were seen as being less than generous for a country our size, but I think it’s fair to say in the last 10 years under a succession of both Liberal and Conservative governments we’ve increased our development assistance programming — and quite substantially.”
Peter Miller, VP Programs at the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, said this tells only a small part of Canada’s contribution to global peace and security, pointing to the military and police professionals deployed around the world.
“I can’t think of many countries that have a greater reputation than Canada in terms of the quality of people that we send,” he said. “We’re a country of 34 million. We don’t have a large military compared to other countries. But our reputation is right up there with the best in the world.”
http://canadiansense.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

As the defacto apologist for the Liberals and revisionist of history how many glasses of alcohol does it take to post your nonsense?
he Canadians hit hardest from the cuts of the mid 1990s were the unemployed, the ill, vulnerable children, students in the post-secondary system, immigrants and women. The burden fell heaviest on women because 1) they picked up the slack in unpaid labour for services that were cut (for example, people released from hospital earlier to recuperate at home, or people waiting at home for hospital care longer than previously because of cutbacks); 2) they increased their educational attainment so they could get paid more in the labour market, just as tuitions were de-regulated and more than doubled in cost, leading to unprecedented levels of student debt for many; and 3) they just kept working more to make ends meet as fewer services were publicly funded, and basics grew more costly – like the rising costs of housing, transit, health care, and education.
Those who were most insulated from the cuts were the rich. They were the least affected by the service cuts, and the primary beneficiaries of the era of tax cuts.
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/commentary/message-britain-dont-follow-our-lead-austerity

Put down the crack pipe for a moment, and maybe stay on topic, just a little, mkay?

You can’t refute any point.

That left wing policy think tanks slams the heartless Federal Liberals.

Cheers.

The Federal Liberals through unilateral changes in campaign reform are responsible for giving over $ 60 million dollars of taxpayers money to the right of centre party led by Stephen Harper since 2004.
http://canadiansense.blogspot.com/2010_08_15_archive.html

Much is made of the Star’s open vendetta against Ford. But not much is said about CP24 News, which describes itself as (gasp) “Toronto’s only 24-hour ‘breaking news’ source”, which for anyone who has examined its newscasts is the broadcast version of the Star in this mayoral race.

CP24 is not reporting the poll. And any excuse it might use that the poll was done for another media outlet and that that’s the reason they aren’t reporting it quite simply doesn’t hold water because a couple of weeks ago they referenced a CBC-EKOS poll on the standings of the federal political parties.

So much for being Toronto’s only 24-hour “breaking news” source. I guess the carrier pigeon with the story has yet to arrive to their windowsill and that‘s their excuse… or maybe it strayed off course.

Oh, and when is CP24 going to go after Toronto city councillor Adam Vaughan, who’s one of Ford’s most vocal critics on city council and — this is very important — a former CP24 broadcast journalist, who was featured a few months back in a CP24 report where he mocked Ford’s mayoral bid announcement, dismissing him as a clown and, most importantly, not a serious contender. In light of recent polls, doesn’t CP24 feel a moral obligation to pursue Vaughan for comment? Or would that put their friend and former colleague in an awkward position? Awwww! There, there, Adam.

Funny how CP24 will reach into its archives to find clips of Ford from years back in blatant attempts to embarrass him but one they have from just a few months back that embarrasses one of their own … well, they can’t seem to find apparently. Just like their complete whitewashing of the Star/Wikipedia edit story, it’s another example of how they circle they wagons around one of their own.

Keep defying the odds, Rob. Don’t let these Smitherman sycophants in the MSM beat you down.

Can’t wait to see Syd Ryan’s head explode when Ford becomes mayor

Great news for Toronto, they’re coming out of their Leftist stupor into some semblance of reality and common sense, they’re finally able to identify the Big Rig that hit them.

So happy for Rob, I pushed from day one for him to run. Great news for the city. (real conservative)

Be more specific, kenn2: What do you mean that Rob Ford is “vision-less”? He seems to have my tax dollars in mind when he suggests minimizing the size of the TO Council, and I agree. I got in touch with a Councillor a few months ago and was gobsmacked to see on her Web site that she has FOUR staffers working in her office. EXCUSE ME? ON MY DIME?

Toronto’s a mess; our infrastructure is collapsing, the TTC is a disaster which I take as little as possible, traffic is RIDICULOUS, construction in the downtown core is never-ending, our police officers never seem to be in the right place at the right time to deal with our increasing crime rate, and all of this seems A-OK with Miller and his Council members.

IT’S NOT OK. IT’S A DISASTER. AND IT’S COSTING TORONTO TAXPAYERS A FORTUNE — FOR WHAT ? A BADLY RUN CITY, WHERE NO ONE SEEMS TO BE IN CHARGE.

Rob Ford seems to be the only mayoral candidate who has the average Joe and Jane in mind when proposing solutions to Toronto’s problems. He has no vision when he says that Toronto can’t accommodate 1,000,000 more immigrants in the next 10 years? I’d say he’s got that one right. I’d say it’s the other candidates who seem to have vision problems: They want to preserve the status quo in Toronto, which is a bad joke. Why would they want to do that? ‘Because they like being on the gravy train; they like their perks; they like their salaries; they like their left-lib politics — which I don’t like, and I’m not the only Torontonian who doesn’t like what they’re up to, either.

Explain how Rob Ford is lacking in vision and then tell me which of the other candidates you think worthy of being mayor and why.

Seems Rob Ford is an average Joe, he’s not perfect in every way according to the Socialist doctrine. Socialists demand perfection from their opponents and when elected screw the people six ways to Sunday. Hopefully this realization will hold and elect this ordinary,average Joe who has the best interests of the average Jane and Joe at heart will break the mold, putting an end to brain free voting in Toronto.

I’m worried about you, kiddo…

From your link that I “can’t refute” – as point #4:

Aggressive belt-tightening led to surplus budgets which released a massive wave of tax cuts. The first major round of tax cuts was the 5-year $100 billion promise by the Liberals in 2000. Harper’s Conservatives took office in January of 2006, and introduced another $220 billion in tax cuts. That’s what they did with the surplus. We were en route to a structural deficit at the federal level before the recession even hit.

Spending did increase, but not in the form of restoring social programs that had been gutted.

So the Liberals were “heartless” ($100B cuts). The CPC didn’t restore the cut services -AND- they cut another $220B. I’d say that makes the CPC $220 Billion MORE heartless than the Libs. Is that your point?

Liberal had majorities 1993-2004?

The cuts you are crying about involved which political party? The Conservative led government has had Liberals, Separatists and Democrats vote for their agenda including those tax breaks for seniors (income splitting , GST reduction etc.)

The opposition is in LOVE with Harper and have refused to put force a motion of non-confidence in the four years under this PM.

In contrast the opposition voted against the heartless Liberals in 2006 and the voters have continued to punish the uncaring Liberals.

Running Canada’s largest city is not a job for an average Joe, sorry. And, immigration policy is the responsibility of the federal government. Do I want a mayor who doesn’t know this, or whose profound ignorance of this might be mistaken for xenophobia or racism? Multiculturalism is one of Toronto’s strong suits – we do it better than any other city in North America and no dumb Joe should be targeting immigrants. That’s vision?

Toronto taxpayers pay out more (to the Feds, to the Province) than we receive back in programs, reinvestment etc. The TTC operates the third most heavily-used urban mass transit system in North America. Good ole Mikey Harris stopped provincial funding, good ole Stevie H doesn’t seem inclined, the net result is that the TTC is the largest transit operator in NorthAmerica not to receive provincial/state funding. Harper could fix this, y’know…

And we don’t have an increasing crime rate, btw. It’s been going down.

Hate on David Miller all you want; he’s been very effective at breaking loose some more money from the province and the feds. Toronto’s infrastructure and transit issues need federal/provincial FUNDING (our fair share back, actually), not some knee-jerk skinflint cutting everything.

Oh, please please please let there be a televised debate. Smitherman will have Ford gutted, stuffed and mounted before the first commercial break.

You are not that bright where is your study and links to back up your version of history?

It’s fair to say that Toronto is an acquired taste, yet many residents express deep fidelity to its neighbourhoods, its amenities, its safety and its tolerance. Lately, however, the city has grown dirtier and, in some ways, less welcoming. Homelessness is endemic, and the grounds of City Hall have become a kind of shelter of last resort. Traffic congestion is turning Toronto into a Los Angeles of the north, and the resulting smog has caused a spike in childhood asthma. Residents in affluent parts of the city complain about overdevelopment, while those in some poorer areas have grown fearful of drug crime.

In 2001, Meric Gertler, Goldring Chair in Canadian Studies and a professor of geography and planning at U of T, laid out a compelling case for a total reconsideration of the role cities play in public policy. In a report to the federal government, he argued that Canada’s national prosperity, and its transition to a knowledge-intensive high-wage economy, depended heavily on the quality of life of urban centres. “In this light,” he wrote, “all of the great social policy questions of the day – education, health, poverty, housing and immigration – become urban policy questions.”
http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/cover-story/tor…
Miller wants to have youth drop in centres and structured play.

While few question the benefit of structured recreation, research from the U.S. shows that the provision of short-term recreation, job and community programs will do little to alleviate youth crime in a sustainable way.

We learned from this research that some of the well-known North American inventions, such as zero tolerance and midnight basketball, are highly problematic,” observes Kidd, one of the conference organizers. He notes that “short-term, politically motivated interventions with a lot of publicity provide an appearance of assistance but actually denigrate the very youth they claim to serve.”

Oh, Lord, give me strength, all Toronto’s problems are the fault of Mike Harris and Stephen Harper?
Are you for real or someone from the land of Oz?

Tell us, how long has Davie Miller had to make a mess of the city of Toronto or conversely to rectify all the ills your are blaming on the provincial and federal government?

You Liberals are a scary bunch calling for violence, after the G20 fiasco you think Liberals would not brag about their love for a police state.

The former E-Health wizard? What $ 500 million between friends right?

How did he justify the 25% raise the Provincial salaries?

He is begging for a two many race after losing the lead to Ford.

RB is not arrogant to suggest it is a two person race.

G.S. will have the help of provincial, municipal, federal Liberals including the NDP because they are terrified of losing their entitlements and perks.

It is only a 10 point lead opened up yet, no worries be happy as Bobby McFerrin states.

You can always move to Cuba and China Pierre Trudeau and the current crop of Liberals brag about those regimes.

I didn’t say that. Aren’t your reading glasses still on the end of that luvly pearl chain?

We all agree that there’s tons of stuff to be fixed in Toronto, no-one disagrees about the funding situation, yet you’re both wriggling like happy puppies that some guy, pledging to cut right left and center, is going to be able to fix things. Takes munny, hunny. Who’s gonna pay for the fixin’?

You want me to debate a SIX YEAR OLD article?

You Liberals are a scary bunch calling for violence, after the G20 fiasco you think Liberals would not brag about their love for a police state.

G20 a Liberal fiasco? Someone’s spiked your Metamucil.

You must have had an attack of the vapours while reading. I’ll repeat the money shot. This time read s-l-o-w-l-y:

Harper’s Conservatives took office in January of 2006, and introduced another $220 billion in tax cuts. That’s what they did with the surplus. We were en route to a structural deficit at the federal level before the recession even hit.

Uncaring Liberals, huh?

It must be painful every morning realizing how far the Liberals have fallen since 2000.

You can’t accept the fact at least 30 Liberal MPs are not showing up to vote against the government to stop their Agenda.

The opposition in 2006 stopped the Paul Martin Liberals with a vote of non-confidence. Voters then nailed shut the coffin of the Liberal Party.

Dead man walking Martin, Dion and now Ignatieff all complaining but unwilling and unable to stop the Conservative agenda in Parliament.

Can’t you find which Liberals MPs are missing in action? They promised they would not sit on their hands anymore in May 2009 and not repeat the mistakes of Dion.

I almost feel sorry for you and your party. A 10 pt lead for Ford, a massive drop in funds for the Federal Liberals in 2010 from $4 to 1.6 million… it must be terrifying watching the slow death of the Liberal party before you very eyes.

You keep mistaking me for a Liberal. I’m not, I’m a progressive, and I support any party that truly has Canada’s best interests in mind. Harper only has Harper’s interests in mind.

I’m not too disappointed seeing the Liberals off in the weeds for a bit. They do need to regroup. They probably will, though again, they don’t really need to. They will be re-elected not through them winning the public, but from Harper losing the public, unless the CPC can find a way to shift him out.

Can you tell us why the whole section on Government Openness and Accountability has fallen out of the CPC agenda?

You are too ashamed to admit being a Federal Liberal. It is understandable. The historic lows in 2006 may be broken at this rate. I have been calling for at 1-2% drop for at least 10-30 seats.

The Democrats will be smart to not ally with the Liberals or Bloc in a bid to become the next official opposition.

The Green Energy Act took away all the discretion for municipal decision making compliments of the Provincial Liberals.

From BC -Ontario- Quebec Liberals you should NEVER post about openness or accountability. EVER again!

I will not post the numerous allegations, abuse of their majorities to avoid inquiries.

The voters in Toronto are well aware of the Ivory Towers and progressive damage to Toronto, the ten point lead may hold, grow or evaporate.

Time will tell but I am confident the voters are much smarter than the biased experts at the Till.

Last point The Internal Board of Economy all parties refused to open the books except the Bloc?

Derek Lee refused to testify in committee? Federal Liberals don’t want to extend the lobbyist act to include opposition members?

At least 143 prisoners were mistakenly allowed to walk out of Ontario correctional facilities over the last eight years — and the provincial government will not say who these prisoners were, how many of them were dangerous, and whether any of them are still at large.

Tim Hudak needs to win the next election, Dalton is proving worse than Bob Rae according to many now.

So a progressive is a swinger with no allegiance to any party? Sounds like a good cop out when you’re on the ropes in a debate.

From BC -Ontario- Quebec Liberals you should NEVER post about openness or accountability. EVER again!

Leave other parties out of this. Harper promised, he has NOT delivered on this. Not that you’d bother to notice.

Not much of a debate. But nobody’s really tried, have they?

I appreciate that rabid partisans might find it inconceivable that someone else isn’t also an unthinking adherent to a label.

If every voter was an uncritical parrot, there’d be no point in campaigns and elections, would there?

Maybe it’s because they didn’t mistakenly release any dangerous ones? (Clue – you DON’T just walk out of a maximum security institution.)

If you’re pissed about not yet hearing from Dalton on this, then maybe you are getting a clue about how we feel about Harper dodging the Afghan detainee issue.

“Hate on David Miller all you want; he’s been very effective at breaking loose some more money from the province and the feds. Toronto’s infrastructure and transit issues need federal/provincial FUNDING (our fair share back, actually),”

My God I LOVE that statement! And that’s precisely what should happen in the west – lets stop this Equalization/Transfer payments bull and start taking our share back! Perhaps then we could afford $5 day care and a Olypic sized pool in every small city like Quebec. But then, that’s where I was ten years ago – now I just want to cut them loose. But you’re right on one thing – it all takes money, so maybe the ones who are using it the services should pay for them. We either have lost or are losing the North – the Liberals don’t care becuase there are few votes up there (think of that next time you accuse Harper of working for Harper instead of Canada). Our population is aging which has already begun driving up Heath care costs. Business taxes, particuyalry in BC are utterly stupid – Municipal property taxes alone for a friends one acre business which employs 19 is $57k yearly – thats almost $6k a month before he meets Utilities, paychecks, insurance, WCB and what have you. So the money can’t come from business, particularly small business – unless you want to triple the number of unemployed. So to vote NDP or Liberal is an act of insanity. Again, Harper and Flaherty got all those accolades from the international community for a reason – by definition one can’t convince a fanatic so you won’t understand, but Harper is the best PM Canada has had since WW II. The press are too stupid to understand and the opposition are too busy making points to bother. Again why we should just say sayonara to everything east of the Ottawa river…

kenn2: “Running Canada’s largest city is not a job for an average Joe, sorry …” Well, what was David Miller? He’s definitely “an average Joe” or worse. His blond hair, blue eyes, and union sympathies got him voted in as Toronto’s mayor twice — oh, and his blue-blood, silver spoon in mouth elitism. I’m sick and tired of High Park/Baby Point/Rosedale/Forest Hill socialists selling out the little guy, pretending to care for the average citizen, but selling out to the unions while using OUR money to do so, all the while living in their lovely neighbourhoods, getting away on weekends, and leaving the rest of us to deal with the squalor on our streets.

Sorry. David Miller doesn’t make the cut as suitable to be Mayor of Toronto — poor Toronto during his tenure — and neither does Slitherman or the rest of the pack. So, Rob Ford doesn’t come up to your standards? Too bad. No doubt if he gets in, it’s going to be an uphill struggle with the unions, elites, and the media against him (‘sound like any other non-Liberal politician you know?) but at least he’s going to try and tackle some real issues, issues of importance to those of us who live in this city and are dismayed by the disarray all around us with no one seeming to lift a finger to make a change. Toronto’s a MESS. Something’s gotta give and right now, it appears that Rob Ford is the only mayoral candidate who seems to get it.

Why would the Toronto Council vote for Toronto to grow by 1,000,000 immigrants in the next 10 years if it’s a Federal responsibility, which it is? What was their motivation. And, because this is the case, why were Ford’s opponents and the media in high dudgeon when he opined that Toronto’s not in any position to bring in 1,000,000 more immigrants to an already crowded and badly managed city? And, God have mercy on us if Toronto “does” multiculturalism better than any other city in North America.

Re your contemptuous comment “good ole Stevie H doesn’t seem inclined” re funding for the TTC: That’s totally inaccurate. The feds are giving lots of funds, which posters in the TTC failed to acknowledge while lauding the McGuinty Goverment’s contribution, which it has since rescinded. Put the blame where it deserves to be: with the mismanagement of the TTC on the part of civic politicians (Adam Giambrone being a prime example) and incompetent and over-paid union hacks. “Harper could fix this, y’know.” So could Toronto politicians and McGuilty’s government, right? I’d like to see some serious stewardship of our resources, not politicians living off the fat of the land. McGuinty’s government is a disgrace and has put Ontario into the position of being a have-not province. And, David Miller was a joke, a very bad joke. His legacy is a city in deep distress.

Just watched CTV Toronto night news moments ago and saw how they have joined their subsidiary, CP24, in the spin department. Seemingly upset and unwilling to accept the latest poll results, the anchor points out that Barbara Hall was leading the polls at this point in August 2000 and lost the election. So there’s still hope for Smitherman was his underlying message.

Strange! Because I thought a more accurate and app comparison would have been to say that Smitherman worked for the failed Hall and like she, he was the favoured candidate to win going into the race but wound up losing.

Oh, and just an update, CTV-owned CP24 has decided to now report the latest poll results — a day after it was released. So we can all breathe a sigh of relief that that carrier pigeon did find his way home safely.

Apples and oranges. While the MSM plays up the detainee issue, criticism of McGuinty on the prisoner released story is muted.

And I hate to bang on this note again but when I read your comments, I just had to. CP24 is, once again, circling the wagons around all things Liberal. (Are they challenging the CBC in that dept??)

Saw Global News Toronto’s report on this story. It was responsibe, featuring both the gov’t's line as well as the oppositions’ points on the matter. In fact, Tory MPP John Yakabuski was shown blasting McGuinty from Queen’s Park before a throng of reporters.

The gov’t's point of view; the opposition’s point of view. Fair and balanced. Just the way I like my reporting. Kudos to Global’s Mark McCallister for that one.

CP24? Nothing. I guess they encoutered logistal issues getting… you know, just up the street to cover Yakabuski.

Either they didn’t cover his presser, in which case they are incompotent, or they did but chose not to file a report which featured him, in which they’re dishonet and have, once again, exposed themselves as being in the back pocket of the Liberals.

Incompotent or dishonest? Or a combination of the two? CP24 news staff is free to chose either one.

Clueless in progresso?

The Liberal in their majorities have REFUSED to be open about “x”.

The Federal Government can NOT avoid the non-confidence (loss of trust) on ANY File by the opposition including Liberal media created (terrorist prisoner treatment policy in Afghanistan).

This post was about Rob Ford and you demonstrated an EPIC FAILURE.

You can’t accept the studies I have linked from Ivory Tower elites (so called progressives) that back up R.F. claims about the Toronto.

You can’t accept the FACT Rob Ford has a ten point lead+ over EVERY progresso. As I said it is unbearable to you, voters are looking beyond the fake news, fake scandals to reality.

Sorry Kenny it sucks to be you, you should have taken the blue pill!

Cognitive dissonance explains your condition to “T”.

Are you one of the released prisoners?

…. “the provincial government will not say who these prisoners were, how many of them were dangerous, and whether any of them are still at large.”

How do you defend the lack of accountability, transparency on the release or status of the criminals?

You are not a progresso, you are a stooge. patsy for the Liberals defending a blatant cover up they have been allowed through their majority.

The Federal Opposition in the MAJORITY can and REFUSE to act removing confidence on the terrorist prisoner comfort policy in Afghanistan created by them and their media enablers.

Sorry Kenny your are NOT consistent in your outrage and call for the “truth” by government. You have different standards when Liberals are in power and are exposed pretending you are NOT a shill for the Liberal party.

Just wondering, is there a link between “Terry1″ and “kenn2″?

Sure there’s debate, problem is you have to have something legitimate to offer up, something relevant and it appears you lost, you’ve got nothing to defend so you decided to put on another hat. Defending the indefensible isn’t easy in these parts. the LPC is a train wreck,you seem to recognize that, perhaps we can add to that, a bus wreck as well judging from Iggy’s Summer Flop Tour.

You betcha! The pattern and choice of moving goalposts is similar.

This post is about Rob Ford ten point lead, he tried to dehumanize him and label him anti intellectual.

He whitewashed the reports about the problems 2001-Present that are apparent to anyone with a shred of honesty.

The Ontario Liberals in power for seven years and the Federal Liberals ignored Ontario for a long time.

The Federal Conservatives have begun a massive stimulus that G.S. himself defended against the Federal Liberals for unfair spending.

Hundreds of projects are taking place in Toronto.

Rob Ford is correct in pointing out waste in City Hall, failed priorities by David Miller since became Mayor.

Gridlock, roads, housing are serious issues, affordability and level of taxation to support existing services.

A plan to add 100k immigrants for the next ten years is a problem when the province of Ontario ran up the debt to $ 212 Billion.

The Ontario taxpayer can’t afford the Liberals.

Nothing like empty pockets to make folks start realizing they’ve been robbed. It appears they’re starting to connect the dots in Toronto.

Thanks for being you, CanadianDense.

This is why you are a Liberal Shill, pretending to be a progresso.

‘Liberal’ T.O. finally is PO’d
McGuinty, in power since 2003, is also in trouble, according to another recent Ipsos Reid poll.

It shows the Ontario Conservatives, led by Tim Hudak, with a one-point lead (36% to 35%) over McGuinty’s Liberals for the first time since McGuinty was re-elected in 2007.

More dangerous for McGuinty, says John Wright, Senior VP of Ipsos Reid, almost two-thirds (64%) think it’s “time for another provincial party to take over” the province.

Wright said what’s happening in Toronto and across Ontario isn’t a Conservative revolution. Rather, it’s a revolt against the status quo, with voters feeling those in charge of Toronto City Hall and the Ontario government are out of touch with their day-to-day concerns, including high taxes (McGuinty imposed an unpopular 13% Harmonized Sales Tax July 1) and fears of job loss in a struggling economy.

Wright says Ford’s popularity and declining support for the Ontario Liberals aren’t yet “tipping” points.

But they are “turning” points, marking a change in the political winds.

The conventional wisdom is Toronto’s mayoral race, which concludes Oct. 25, doesn’t truly start until after Labour Day.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/lorrie_goldstein/2010/08/24/15129836.html

You are out of touch, many partisan conservatives will agree the Federal spending was too big and unnecessary on many projects.

Reality check 2/3 funds are made by the Provincial/Municipal Government.

Ultimately the taxpayer is going to be asked to pay, regardless of what level is asking for the money.

You should stop pretending your are a progressive and admit to being a Liberal shill.

Gridlock, higher taxes, double digit hydro increase crosses all partisans lines.

Liberals in Queens Park and Toronto are going to pay the price for padding themselves on the back while real priorities were overlooked.

It won’t be a Tea Party but I imagine a sea change to cut waste and budgets.

History’s going to very kind to Miller. He was a breath of fresh air after the tenure of an appliance salesman, and if Ford gets in, we’ll miss Miller all the sooner. Of course you’re conditioned to ignore the actions of anyone left of Preston Manning, but the Toronto business community and other less partisan groups applaud Miller’s performance. On just about every level he outclasses Ford.

Why would the Toronto Council vote for Toronto to grow by 1,000,000 immigrants in the next 10 years if it’s a Federal responsibility, which it is? What was their motivation. And, because this is the case, why were Ford’s opponents and the media in high dudgeon when he opined that Toronto’s not in any position to bring in 1,000,000 more immigrants to an already crowded and badly managed city? And, God have mercy on us if Toronto “does” multiculturalism better than any other city in North America.

“Why would the Toronto Council vote for Toronto to grow by 1,000,000 immigrants” ….you’re making stuff up. Kindly link to something that shows this.

Based on current trends, Toronto is likely to grow by 1,000,000, and the bulk of that will be immigrants. It’s still a free country, and unless the Feds close the gates, we will have immigration and they will settle where they will. It’s only wise to anticipate this and to plan for it. And to access the immigration-earmarked funds from the other levels of governments. What’s Ford gonna do – build a fence? Quotas? Build resettlement camps in Bolton? Idiocy.

Toronto’s biggest problem is that there hasn’t been serious infrastructure planning in the last 30 years. All past city and provincial governments have to share the blame for that, but we’re here now, that infrastructure work needs to be done and it must be funded! Cutting 22 councilors isn’t exactly going to do it.

Toronto is still a great city, despite the rest of Canada loving to shit on it. Squalor – what squalor? It has far less depressed areas, per-capita, than just about any other major city in Canada. And Toronto is great because of it’s successful multiculturism and diversity, and if you don’t see it, maybe you should consider moving your tiny-minded, bigoted asses to the US and joining the rest of the cretins in the Tea Party.

Get a room, you two.

Name the important, much-needed Toronto projects that the Fed stimulus has funded.

Your mind is taking you to odd places. Is that the best you can come up with in a debate?

Can’t wait for Ford to bust a vein when he triggers a general strike and Toronto shuts down.

Apples and oranges. While the MSM plays up the detainee issue, criticism of McGuinty on the prisoner released story is muted.

It’s early days on the prisoner release thing, revelations may yet come shortly. Harper’s been stonewalling for a year.

How do you defend the lack of accountability, transparency on the release or status of the criminals?

Where have I heard those words “accountability” and “transparency” before? Hmmm.

Getting sick of the insults, btw, you sorry twisted little troll.

” … Toronto business community and other less partisan groups applaud Miller’s performance.”

Uh hum: Who would those “other less partisan groups” be? ‘Wouldn’t be the union toadies Miller caved to every time? Are you telling me that small business owners applaud Miller’s performance? I don’t think so. Maybe you’re referring to the developers who’ve turned Toronto into an ugly concrete jungle of condos — and have likely made more than a few Toronto Councilors richer than they once were.

Cutting the number of Councilors in half would be an extremely beneficial move for Toronto taxpayers and would free up huge funds to tackle the badly needed work on our infrastructure, especially in cases where Councilors have three and four staffers in their offices. Multiply 44 by 4 and Toronto taxpayers are funding the salaries and benefits of 176 workers, and that’s only for starters.

I won’t lower myself to your level of ad hominem. ‘Gotta say it amuses me that I got your goat because I don’t happen to agree with your assessment of what’s going on in Toronto. Your little temper tantrum is instructive about the leftward tilting mind, which goes ballistic when someone to the right of you expresses a contrary opinion.

I’m all for multiculturalism as long as it doesn’t become an end in itself, which is what’s happened here in Toronto. Instead of holding up as our standard law and order, good government, working hard for the benefit of all, we’ve let far too many recent, visible minority immigrants into Canada/Toronto who seem to want to plunder our system rather than contribute to it. Free rides abound and welfare for multiple wives when polygamy is, supposedly, against the law in Canada. Far too many recent immigrants have no intention of assimilating into their new country or contributing to our shared communal life and seem to want to DICTATE to us how to run our country and our city. I don’t mind sharing the abundance of our resources and our way of life with immigrants — that’s Canada — but I really object to being made a servant in my own home: I work hard, provide the welfare, and ask “how high?” when I’m told to jump through some “multicultural” hoop, while too many newcomers live off Canadian’s hard-earned tax dollars. I’ve also seen the entitled behaviour of their children in the schools, where they’ve memorized their “rights” but seem to have no sense of what their responsibilities might be.

If expressing this opinion means that you call me a tiny-minded, bigoted ass and cretin, so be it. Boo hoo. I’m really upset. I’d suggest to you, kenn2, that you grow a tougher skin, oh, and that you nurture a more reasonable approach to “diversity and multiculturalism.” When these two “wonderful” attributes threaten to suck the life out of our democracy rather than enhance and enrich it, then applauding it is just plain myopic and suicidal.

On just about every level he outclasses Ford.

Do you own research. You apparently can’t read research from 2001 prepared by Ivory Tower elites who pointed out ALL the problems Rob Ford was talking about in 2010.

You also are ignorant to facts (cognitive dissonance) when made available so more links and more evidence won’t change anything.

As a Liberal shill pretending to be a progresso.

Spotting a Liberal is easy, he begins by calling you ignorant, racist and a religious freak.

Than he grows government through regulations,taxes and enacts policies creates pushes the cultural war meme instead of treating everyone based on the content of their character.

Instead of holding up as our standard law and order, good government, working hard for the benefit of all, we’ve let far too many recent, visible minority immigrants into Canada/Toronto who seem to want to plunder our system rather than contribute to it.

Wow. I’m getting that framed.

Very misinformed about immigrants and welfare, unthinking acceptance of every urban myth about immigrants, ignorant of the fact that Canada NEEDS continued immigration to thrive, and chock-full of white resentment.

You really are Tea Party material.

He does not have anything to add to the debate of ideas or policy. He is a Liberal shrill suffering from cognitive dissonance.

How else can you explain his delusions about Toronto, ignoring the studies I linked from 2001?

He can’t stick to facts or evidence when posting and is compelled to make personal attacks.

This will explain how the Liberal Mind works

The liberal agenda’s favors seduce the people a little at a time, always playing on their regressive longings to be indulged. Favor by favor, accompanied by the constant drumbeat of entitlement propaganda, the otherwise intelligent citizen is led to an increasingly erroneous conception of the proper role of government in a free society. Like a child molester, the liberal politician grooms his constituents until their natural cautions against yielding power in exchange for favors dissolves in reassurance
http://www.libertymind.com/index.php?page_id=257
Read Page 29
http://books.google.ca/books?id=2KckDSbGnWkC&dq=The+Liberal+mind&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=IzZ1TMreHsLFswb9_M3sBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I agree calling you a Liberal is an insult.

Addendum to my post above:

From Christie Blatchford’s column today in the Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/christie-blatchford/the-logic-behind-rob-fords-bid-to-derail-the-gravy-train/article1684262/

[begin quote]

If you add in the excellent benefits (the city pays 100 per cent of dental and extended health care benefits), the mileage (52 cents a klick) and the extras or perqs some receive for extra work (TTC Chair Adam Giambrone, for instance, isn’t paid as chair, but racked up more than $100,000 in expenses), it costs taxpayers close to $400,000 a year per councillor (except for Mr. Ford and his always thrifty colleague Doug Holyday, who cost $254,000 and $291,000 a year respectively) [44 x $400,000 = $17,600,000].

So in a city where, according to the 2006 census, individuals earned a median income of $26,754 a year, and annual family median income was $75,829 and declining, councillors’ wages are nothing to sneer at.

[end quote]

And, there’s lots more about the profligate spending at City Hall which “the smart people” don’t seem to mind but which the rest of us are heartily sick and tired of, seeing as they’re raiding our pockets, piggy banks, and bank accounts.

What urban myth?

I LIVE in downtown Toronto, I take the TTC, I drive the city streets, I know what Toronto pays out in welfare — and, yes, if a man has two, three, four, wives and he’s on welfare, the Toronto City Council voted a few years ago to extend welfare to each wife (of course, the husband collects all of the welfare cheques; the women probably see only what groceries cost, as they’re doing the shopping and the toting). I’ve met a pile of immigrant children, most of whom are respectful, co-operative and hard working, but too many of whom are sullen (they don’t like taking instructions from a woman), entitled, and know their rights but have no idea of what responsibilities might be expected of them. In other words, they’re not here to become participating citizens of Canada but to happily be an ethnic ghetto whose agenda is dictated by the politics and customs of the countries from which they’ve come, using Canada only as a place whose passport they can carry when it suits them.

I’ve never said, nor has Rob Ford, that Canada doesn’t need immigrants. We do need them because we’ve aborted over 1,000,000 babies since 1969 (think of their children and grandchildren who have never been born) and we have a large population soon to be retired or, at least, aging and needing health care expenses funded, etc.

HOWEVER, the kind of immigrants we don’t need, but seem to be getting by the boatload, are immigrants who use Canada as a hotel, who become citizens of convenience, who have no intention of assimilating into what has, up to now, been our democratic way of life. We have far too many immigrants who are bringing their corrupt ways to our country (one example being Jamaican drug dealers and gangs) and who will not leave their battles in their country of origin but insist on bringing them here, disrupting our public spaces to make Canadians take on their fight, and have the temerity to demand that the Canadian government interfere in the affairs of state of a foreign country because THEY SAY SO and clog up our public roadways to make their point.

It’s time we were able to have this conversation in Canada without Lefties crying “racist!” “bigot!” “cretin!” “Tea Party material!” There are some substantial issues here, which you haven’t dealt with kenn2, and which hard-working, taxed-to-the-max, pi**ed off Canadians and Torontonians want to bring to the table. We’re paying the bills, after all.

And, BTW, I prefer coffee to tea.

Continue to spread the Liberal line that we need more immigration, that’s a myth as things are at this time, get up to speed, do some research. The Liberals have for decades been harping on that old line, even the immigrants have latched onto it for obvious reasons. They’ve been brain washed with all sorts of lies used as scare tactics by the Liberals.

If any area needs a Tea Party, it’s Toronto. We need to get a few facts out to allow people to get up to speed and realize how they’ve been taken for political purposes called votes. I’ll gladly join the Tea Party and expose the Snake Oil Salesman tactics used by the Liberals, taking people for fools.

Get this, we do not NEED immigrants at this time, our systems are stretched beyond the limits. Anyone living in areas teeming with immigrants, with more streaming in daily, will attest to that fact.
Check out our health services in those areas, check out the number of hospital beds being used for people who come here after years of no health care in the places they have been coming in from.

What urban myth?

I LIVE in downtown Toronto, I take the TTC, I drive the city streets, I know what Toronto pays out in welfare — and, yes, if a man has two, three, four, wives and he’s on welfare, the Toronto City Council voted a few years ago to extend welfare to each wife (of course, the husband collects all of the welfare cheques; the women probably see only what groceries cost, as they’re doing the shopping and the toting). I’ve met a pile of immigrant children, most of whom are respectful, co-operative and hard working, but too many of whom are sullen (they don’t like taking instructions from a woman), entitled, and know their rights but have no idea of what responsibilities might be expected of them. In other words, they’re not here to become participating citizens of Canada but to happily be an ethnic ghetto whose agenda is dictated by the politics and customs of the countries from which they’ve come, using Canada only as a place whose passport they can carry when it suits them.

I’ve never said, nor has Rob Ford, that Canada doesn’t need immigrants. We do need them because we’ve aborted over 1,000,000 babies since 1969 (think of their children and grandchildren who have never been born) and we have a large population soon to be retired or, at least, aging and needing health care expenses funded, etc.

HOWEVER, the kind of immigrants we don’t need, but seem to be getting by the boatload, are immigrants who use Canada as a hotel, who become citizens of convenience, who have no intention of assimilating into what has, up to now, been our democratic way of life. We have far too many immigrants who are bringing their corrupt ways to our country (one example being Jamaican drug dealers and gangs) and who will not leave their battles in their country of origin but insist on bringing them here, disrupting our public spaces to make Canadians take on their fight, and have the temerity to demand that the Canadian government interfere in the affairs of state of a foreign country because THEY SAY SO and clog up our public roadways to make their point.

It’s time we were able to have this conversation in Canada without Lefties crying “racist!” “bigot!” “cretin!” “Tea Party material!” There are some substantial issues here, which you haven’t dealt with kenn2, and which hard-working, taxed-to-the-max, pi**ed off Canadians and Torontonians want to bring to the table. We’re paying the bills, after all.

And, BTW, I prefer coffee to tea.

testing

I actually prefer coffee to tea, kenn2.

I’m not in the habit of “unthinking acceptance” of anything — which seems to be more up your alley. You’ve unthinkingly accepted the pitcher of leftard, politically correct Kool-Aid. Are you telling me that all of our immigrants are model citizens and that a whole pile of them aren’t taking total advantage of their immigrant/”refugee” status to live off the rest of us hard-working, tax-paying Torontonians?

The kind of immigrants we need in Canada are those who are willing to leave the battles of their countries of origin THERE and not bring them OVER HERE; are those who plan to assimilate into our Canadian way of life, and not live in ethnic ghettos whose values, BTW, they expect Canadians to accept and fund; are those who don’t import gang-related criminality; are those who are willing to work hard and not live off the largess of their new country/city of domicile, etc., etc.

‘You live in Toronto and pretend that none of these problems exist? It’s past time that Canadians are “permitted” to have a conversation about them without being called “racist!” “a bigot!” “an ass!” “a cretin” or “Tea Party material.” Unfortunately, folks with your opinions, kenn2, just don’t seem able to allow an opinion other than their own without name calling.

It’s amusing to see the leftists with their knickers in a total knot at the thought of Rob Ford and his parsimonious ways becoming the Mayor of Toronto. For the rest of us, if it would mean that our municipal politicians would be less promiscuous and profligate with OUR money, it’s a comforting thought and one that’s going to get us out to vote in droves.

testing

Welcome.

And thanks for the mindless repetition of all the immigrant myths the far right spoon-feed to each other. Just because you or someone else know of one bad apple, you think it’s ok to slam immigrants across the board. The statistics tell how well immigrants do here, especially once they get their bearings. But of course recent census attacks show how much regard the right has for statistics, or truth.

You’ll fit in just fine around here.

Again, Harper and Flaherty got all those accolades from the international community for a reason

Nice revisionist history there. CANADA (not Harper & Flaherty) received accolades for it’s resiliency in the face of the economic downturn, due primarily to laws, policies and practices put in place well before Harper. In fact Harper almost wrecked things: he opened up 40-year no-down mortgages, and he was set to strike down some of the very regulations that protected our banks.

Best PM since WWII? Not exactly. But thanks for making me smile.

Get this, we do not NEED immigrants at this time.

Well, hey, the bat disagrees with that. I’ll let you two duke that one out.

Oh for heavens sake, kenn2. I can think for myself. No one has spoon fed me. I figured this all out on my own just through OBSERVATION. It’s not one immigrant I’m talking about. It’s a trend. It’s watching our tax dollars support too many new Canadians who are taking total advantage of their new country because they refuse to become Canadian and are happy to be hyphenated Canadians, with strong ties, some illegal, with their home countries. Remember the folks from Lebanon who got the Canadian navy to rescue them, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then returned to Lebanon when the fighting stopped? Who paid for that? Was that “one bad apple”?

C’mon, kenn2. Get real. Canada has a problem with runaway immigration, not immigration per se. We need immigrants and I welcome immigrants who desire to become Canadian and to fully participate in our democratic institutions. ‘Just don’t ask me to be thrilled about immigrants who are sucking at the very generous Canadian teat, while the rest of us pay for the wet nurse.

You’re equating statistics with truth? You’re obviously unfamiliar with Samuel Clements’ great line: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

You seem to have got things upside down and inside out, sir.

We do not need immigrants, check out the stats and get back to us.

BTW, have you spoken with your kindred spirits lately, “Terry1/parnel”?

Dumber than a bag o’ hammers.

Sometimes, it’s really clear that you are sincere about your beliefs… yet you continue to embrace … bullshit, and you are often here nodding and applauding the unsubstantiated bullshit that you get from the right-wing blogosphere.

I figured this all out on my own just through OBSERVATION. It’s not one immigrant I’m talking about. It’s a trend. It’s watching our tax dollars support too many new Canadians who are taking total advantage of their new country because they refuse to become Canadian and are happy to be hyphenated Canadians, with strong ties, some illegal, with their home countries.

And how the heck would you know this, anyway? You’re doing post-grad work in current sociological trends, maybe? Get it while you can, cos your patron saint in Ottawa has nicely hobbled the long-form census so that decent data will be that much harder to come by, after the 2011 census.

Everybody has a “crooked immigrant” story or two. Anecdotes are not data, though, and you do not have the full story, and apparently you have no interest in learning the full story.

Canada, generous as she is, is far from an immigrant’s paradise, and the “immigrant” story that I’ve personally observed is about immigrants who have moved on, or even committed suicide, because they could not get recognition or credit for degrees and post-graduate degrees.

Fact is, you don’t know the overall costs and contributions of immigrants, and the right wing machine is more than happy to stoke your fears and legitimize any latent prejudice if it’ll keep you voting CPC.

You’re not normally this thick. Having a bad day?

Ever been in rural southern Ontario? Seen the busloads of Mexicans priming tobacco and picking the veggies, because globalization and Canadian laziness means that no Canadian will bother to pick veggies for the offered sub-minimum wage?

Heard about the doctor shortage? Did you know that Canadians are NOT going into the trades cos it’s too haaaaard, and they can’t make $100K+/year within 5 years? Do you know what the baby boom is, and that they will all need support and care shortly, yet Canadians won’t go into practical nursing cos of the shit wages and conditions?

You need immigrants more than you know. Soon enough, the person feeding you, and the one wiping drool off your face, and the one fixing your kid’s car will all be people who aren’t in Canada yet.

Federal Liberals created many problems.

Chalk River was to be shut down replaced in 2000, they had Maple Reactors (3) billions spent to replace the aging facility. They left this mess for the next administration to deal with.

Immigration Backlog
March 2008 Bill C-50

The federal Liberals, in combination with any other opposition party, could defeat the proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. But such a vote would trigger an election because the changes are embedded in Flaherty’s budget implementation bill.

Moreover, the Liberals’ own record on this issue is nothing to boast about. It was their ham-handed attempt to bring in stringent new entry criteria in 2002 that caused most of the backlog.

http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/350754

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” she said Sunday on CTV’s Question Period. “We have to make it easier to get more people here faster. We have a backlog right now that the previous government ballooned from 50,000 to 800,000. It has since grown to 900,000.”

Finley says the changes are necessary in order to tackle the significant number of applicants waiting to get into Canada and to fill jobs that go empty while qualified people wait in the massive line.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20080323/finley_overhaul_080323/

It is estimated over $ 2 billion per year is spent to deal with immigration, asylum seekers. We have the lawyers, media, tax funded special interest groups that are getting paid to block any significant changes to our ACT to fix the problems.

Kenn2 is your typical Liberal shrill who parrots them. He does not provide the facts or evidence to suggest there is NO serious problem. He does what cowards do, attack with emotional outbursts.

The Auditor General has made Annual Reports on our broken system, and the thousands of rejected asylum seekers that have vanished.

The Federal Government is pushing for Reform the system but as a minority they can not fix it alone and requires the opposition to put Canada ahead of the special interest groups.

This should be a bi-partisan effort to remove, track failed asylum seekers within 3 months. Today even if you fail it could take over a decade if they can find you.

On May 24, 2007, Diane Finley, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced the launch of the first phase of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) – welcome evidence that Canada’s Conservative government is not just aware, but very concerned about this country’s international reputation and equally concerned about the welfare of the immigrants who come here believing that professionals in their field are in demand and they will be able to find a good job soon after arrival.

The main goal of the FCRO is to help internationally trained professionals get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly. But, in fact, you don’t have to be a professional to take advantage of the information and the tools provided by this Office to help you hit the ground running in the Canadian job market.
(www.credentials.gc.ca).

Had a good laugh about the comment about Rob Ford not having a platform.

His platform is so weak that almost all the other ‘progressive’ candidates decided to copy it.

Funny, I don’t remember anything in Rossi’s, Smitherman, Thompson or Joe Pant’s policies about cutting taxes like the land transfer and vehicle registration until Ford proposed it.

Must have been something they deamed about while sipping latte’s while driving around Rosedale in their BMW’s..

Thanks, Canadiansense, for this info.

It’s clear to me that the CPC are trying their damndest to fix our broken system, with no help at all from the Opposition. The Opposition parties, far from trying to help the governing party make prudent decisions to benefit all Canadians, is hell bent on blocking any common-sense legislation that the CPC propose. The Lib$, Dippers, and the Bloq have been in partisan mode for so long they seem to have no concept of how NOT to serve only their special interests.

Quel pays.

Yup!!

Come again?

Maybe we read different platforms. The one I read is here:
http://www.robfordformayor.ca/issues/

First impression is that it could apply to any right-leaning candidate in ANY city.

Let’s see… we have:
- downsize
- trim budget
- budget limit
- more cops
- break unions
- ban strikes
- better service
- grand finale: cut taxes

…ooooh. What a visionary. Our problems are over. How can Toronto lose?

(At least he’s walked back that crap about immigration)

And another thing:

– insert pithy comment here -

(Thanks Mr Ford. Wish I’d thought of that.

With so many of the loopy Left having loose bowels over the prospect of Ford becoming Mayor guessing we can expect a run on Depends when he gets his chain of office. Oh, correction, the Left being heavy on the environment front, they’ll have to go for cloth diapers and rubber pants.

Sorry – where can I find the progressives talking about tax cuts prior to Mr Ford mentioning?

Do you have links or any specific articles you can share?

This was the premise of my post, which I think you missed.

His platform is solid, conservative and refelctive of a politician who’s aim is not to bankrupt his consituents for some type of new order where taxes are sky high and around the pillars of multiculturalism, the environment and human rights. This seems to be the vision of politicians like Rae, Obama, Miller and Dion, but I think we are hearing pretty clearly from Toronto voters that this isn’t working so much..

Canada’s Jim Flaherty has been named the finance minister of the year by Euromoney magazine.
The honour comes after the World Economic Forum rated Canada’s performance as the best among G8 economies in the current global crisis.
The International Monetary Fund has also forecast that Canada will be among the least affected by the global crisis and post the strongest recovery among G8 countries next year.
“Euromoney magazine said Canadian polices in response to the global economic crisis have raised its reputation globally.”

Note that they refer not to the system, but specifiy “Canadian polices in response to the global economic crisis” I.e. the Government response, not the banking system. Lessee here, the IMF, the World economic Forum and EuroMoney, to name only a few. I’d ask if you were embarassed at being caught being so clueless but we both know that to be embarrassed means you have to have some integrity to lose – so you can’t be. How much do you get paid as a propagandist anyway?

As to Harper being the best PM since WW II – Of course he is – he is taking care of Canada vice the Lieberals who destroy it to keep a hold on power. Rebuilding our position in the world, solidifying our contributions to our Allies and treaties, providing fiscal programs which have garnered international praise and getting rid of expensive and useless programs may not garner you a majority in a country used to getting bribed with their own tax money but it is certain the action of a true Canadian interested in bettering the country – the Lieberals never managed to come up with that. As to your smiling – hell, I figure on your planet everyone must be smiling – its easy to be happy when reality is so far removed.

I am impressed about how you acknowledge, that like TO, the west should be keeping our fair share rather than pissing it into Equalization and Transfer payments though, I’m all for that.

“History’s going to very kind to Miller.” And your credentials for making this ridiculous assumption? Actually, History is kind to very few socialists and I would suspect Miller to be no different. Toronto’s infrastructure is in very difficult shape, costs are out of control, the Garbage issue won’t go away, the cops are accused of having serious corruption problems, people are dying from the pollution/congestion and Miller, who took over the reins of the mega city conjoined to save everyone tons of money, hasn’t done squat on any point. If that’s what History treats well, give Mel Lastman another go. At least he was capable of getting stuff done – even if he called in the army to do it…

Canada has had the least damage, and therefore the prospect of the fastest recovery from the economic crisis, no doubt. The CPC are the sitting government, Flaherty is the Finance Minister… so it’s not unexpected that that Flaherty is in the spotlight. If the Greens were in, their finance minister would be the one getting laurels. That’s how the game works…

The feds have been somewhat proactive. They clawed back the perilous mortgage deregulation (35 and 40 year mortgages with no down) they initially released, amen. It only took the threat of a coalition government to make them release some stimulus money (little of which made it to the GTA). And, sure, I’d expect some fiscal smarts from a party with “Conservative” on the label…

Flaherty himself has acknowledged the work of previous governments, including Liberals, in creating the optimum regulatory environment for strong banks. I know you’d rather gouge your eyeballs out with a grapefruit spoon before acknowledging the contributions of Paul Martin.

To Flaherty’s credit, he’s a far classier dude than you.

Um, you won’t convince me that Torontonians wanting more of their taxes spent locally is on a par with the west resenting transfer payments, until you can also show me how those clever Albertans went about burying dinosaurs some 3 billion years ago. (You’d think if that was the case, they could have used less sand.)

I’d ask if you were embarassed at being caught being so clueless but we both know that to be embarrassed means you have to have some integrity to lose – so you can’t be. How much do you get paid as a propagandist anyway?

And a cheery UP YOURS to you as well.

(To the few who can think – I’m not against Ford cos he’s right-leaning. I’m against Ford cos he’s … Ford. Look at his record. Listen to what he has said. Yikes. I already told you I’d have supported John Tory in a heartbeat)

the mega city conjoined to save everyone tons of money

Another dumb Harris move. The amalgamation merged 6 systems, and gave us about the worst of each system. Any theoretical savings were also vacuumed up by the downloading.

Toronto’s infrastructure problems are the result of decades of inaction. If you look at his fiscal record, Miller performed as a centrist, despite your love of painting anyone left of Stalin as a socialist.

What common-sense legislation has Harper proposed on immigration, that has been opposed? CD’s quotes seem to indicate that the immigration backlog is still increasing under the CPC.

Also, if you have the time, could you please explain to CanadianDense the difference between immigrants and refugees?

I’m hoping that in the above sh!tpile, there might be a few peanuts of genuine concern. I will try to pick through the mess:

but when it comes to the rape of the West, and the economic devastation caused by your Lieberla hero’s NEP, uhhh no, that’s just fine by you. You snore about Alberta having oil and ignore that all Quebec had to do was flood a couple of thousand acres for hydro power. And all Toronto needed was a national hand out to build the Seaway so parts didn’t have to be brought in from the east. (Oh, and the Autopact)

I didn’t bring up Quebec, don’t know what hydroelectricity has to do with oil. Ok, they’re both energy… and your point is what?

Moan about the NEP all you want; it’s old history and the west seems to be doing just peachy right now. Ontario & Quebec have (had) mineral wealth which has benefited all of Canada, including the west. And I don’t see an equivalency between resource wealth and disposition of taxes, unless you can show me how hard those Albertans worked burying those dinosaurs.

You’re absolutely right about the lack of infrastructure planning, but you worked hard for it. As you say it costs munny, hunny – and everytime somebody like Ford or Mike Harris tried to wean Toronto in particular or Ontario in general off the public teat, the left wingnuts went beserk. So if you don’t/didn’t like guys like Ford and Harris, well, you made your bed, sleep tight and stop the whining.

Toronto didn’t elect Harris. Just like the CPC (and you, apparently), Harris milked an anti-urban/anti-East sentiment, and he was happy to follow through. This was someone else unmaking our bed in order to plump up theirs, sorry.

Alas, now that I’ve given up on retirement…

You are dangerously close to the truth here. Have you given a thought as to why your , and mine (and most everyone’s) retirement has dwindled? Mull this over: while the modern “conservative” viewpoint has held sway since Reagan in the US, and has spilled over into Canada, the public debate has coarsened, anti-government rants are all the fashion, and wedge issues (like abortion, same-sex marriage, long-gun registry, safe injection sites, census etc) have displaced genuine issues. While we are bickering about this small stuff, we have engaged in pointless and ill-planned wars, seen a serious erosion of our own rights and freedoms, and we allowed our manufacturing to be outsourced and the financial sector, the “engine of our economy” was free to run us off the rails. Left alone and de-regulated, the magic “invisible hand” of the market picked our pockets.

Canadian financial institutions were protected from the worst economic effects by regulations that Harper actually tried to strip away, btw.

I deliberately put “conservative” in quotes, because when you look at the real numbers over the last few decades, “conservative” governments have been more expensive and more wasteful, and more “big government” than the Democratic/Liberal spectrum you love to slander.

I have no problem with REAL conservatives; we could use a few. Why you lot would promote Ford and drive off John Tory is beyond me.

and unlike you I don’t get paid to draft spin

… It’s very interesting that you lot keep implying that I’m some sort of paid subversive. I’ve recently spent some time pondering this.

Let’s sit up and look around a bit, shall we? Where are we, for starters. Why, we’re on the blog set up by Mr Stephen Taylor.

Stephen Taylor is a scientist, political analyst and a blogger. Taylor writes here regularly and is the founder of bloggingtories.ca. Taylor has contributed to Macleans, CTV, talk radio and has been a featured speaker on new media at numerous events including the Western Standard Cruise and the Forum for Public Policy.

He’s also a member of the Manning Centre, if I recall correctly. And these are his homies.

So…. would I be out of place to point out that Mr Taylor IS a paid political operative for the CPC? It’s his job to put out and promote the CPCs message… he actually gets paid to “draft spin” as you put it, here and elsewhere.

So when you all accuse me of being some sort of paid shill for the Liberals, you are either equating my efforts with those of Mr Taylor (which I take as praise, thank you, because i believe that Stephen is a bright, thoughtful and effective communicator), or you are implying that professional political communication is beneath contempt, which is an undeserved knock on Stephen’s efforts.

Which is it?

I’m hoping that in the above sh!tpile, there might be a few peanuts of genuine concern. I will try to pick through the mess:

but when it comes to the rape of the West, and the economic devastation caused by your Lieberla hero’s NEP, uhhh no, that’s just fine by you. You snore about Alberta having oil and ignore that all Quebec had to do was flood a couple of thousand acres for hydro power. And all Toronto needed was a national hand out to build the Seaway so parts didn’t have to be brought in from the east. (Oh, and the Autopact)

I didn’t bring up Quebec, don’t know what hydroelectricity has to do with oil. Ok, they’re both energy… and your point is what?

Moan about the NEP all you want; it’s old history and the west seems to be doing just peachy right now. Ontario & Quebec have (had) mineral wealth which has benefited all of Canada, including the west. And I don’t see an equivalency between resource wealth and disposition of taxes, unless you can show me how hard those Albertans worked burying those dinosaurs.

You’re absolutely right about the lack of infrastructure planning, but you worked hard for it. As you say it costs munny, hunny – and everytime somebody like Ford or Mike Harris tried to wean Toronto in particular or Ontario in general off the public teat, the left wingnuts went beserk. So if you don’t/didn’t like guys like Ford and Harris, well, you made your bed, sleep tight and stop the whining.

Toronto didn’t elect Harris. Just like the CPC (and you, apparently), Harris milked an anti-urban/anti-East sentiment, and he was happy to follow through. This was someone else unmaking our bed in order to plump up theirs, sorry.

Alas, now that I’ve given up on retirement…

You are dangerously close to the truth here. Have you given a thought as to why your , and mine (and most everyone’s) retirement has dwindled? Mull this over: while the modern “conservative” viewpoint has held sway since Reagan in the US, and has spilled over into Canada, the public debate has coarsened, anti-government rants are all the fashion, and wedge issues (like abortion, same-sex marriage, long-gun registry, safe injection sites, census etc) have displaced genuine issues. While we are bickering about this small stuff, we have engaged in pointless and ill-planned wars, seen a serious erosion of our own rights and freedoms, and we allowed our manufacturing to be outsourced and the financial sector, the “engine of our economy” was free to run us off the rails. Left alone and de-regulated, the magic “invisible hand” of the market picked our pockets.

Canadian financial institutions were protected from the worst economic effects by regulations that Harper actually tried to strip away, btw.

I deliberately put “conservative” in quotes, because when you look at the real numbers over the last few decades, “conservative” governments have been more expensive and more wasteful, and more “big government” than the Democratic/Liberal spectrum you love to slander.

I have no problem with REAL conservatives; we could use a few. Why you lot would promote Ford and drive off John Tory is beyond me.

and unlike you I don’t get paid to draft spin

… It’s very interesting that you lot keep implying that I’m some sort of paid subversive. I’ve recently spent some time pondering this.

Let’s sit up and look around a bit, shall we? Where are we, for starters. Why, we’re on the blog set up by Mr Stephen Taylor.

Stephen Taylor is a scientist, political analyst and a blogger. Taylor writes here regularly and is the founder of bloggingtories.ca. Taylor has contributed to Macleans, CTV, talk radio and has been a featured speaker on new media at numerous events including the Western Standard Cruise and the Forum for Public Policy.

He’s also a member of the Manning Centre, if I recall correctly. And these are his homies.

So…. would I be out of place to point out that Mr Taylor IS a paid political operative for the CPC? It’s his job to put out and promote the CPCs message… he actually gets paid to “draft spin” as you put it, here and elsewhere.

So when you all accuse me of being some sort of paid shill for the Liberals, you are either equating my efforts with those of Mr Taylor (which I take as praise, thank you, because i believe that Stephen is a bright, thoughtful and effective communicator), or you are implying that professional political communication is beneath contempt, which is an undeserved knock on Stephen’s efforts.

Which is it?