The situation up in Sudbury

I was up in Sudbury for the weekend, trying to get the skinny of what was going up there in the election. Sudbury is one of those "yellow dog" Liberal ridings - a yellow dog could run as the Liberal candidate and get elected, but it might not be so easy for incumbent Diane Marleau. The NDP candidate Gerry MacIntaggert is running a strong campaign, and it things go right for him, he might be able to pull it off. My mom, who is as much of a Tory partisan as they come, might plug her nose and vote NDP if MacIntaggert is close enough to win.

This reminds me of the 1984 election in Nickel Belt. Liberal incumbent and Trudeau cabinet minister Judy Erola was running against former NDP MP John "chi-chi" Rodriguez. I know that a lot of Tories voted for Chi-chi rather than Erola. My father's logic on this was impeccable. Rodriquez was already eligible for his lifetime MP pension, and Erola would be if she won election again, so it made more sense to vote for the commie we were already paying than the one that we were going to end up paying forever. No use in wasting taxpayer money on two MP lifetime salaries when one would do.

How long until the SEC investigates the IT scandal

Captain Ed has once again led the way in showing the depths of Goodale's Income Trust inside trading scandal. Especially noteworthy is that the head of the company that runs the TSE might be implicated as well:

Richard Nesbitt, CEO TSX Group: According to CTV, Nesbitt purchased $759,000 worth of stocks hours before the announcement and made $100,000 in profit the next day. However, he could not be reached for comment, yet his spokesman said that he was only filling up his core holdings before the calendar year end.

Since a lot of these companies trade on the NASDAQ or NYSE as well as on the TSE, it is coming imperative that the SEC investigate this matter as well, since it would not help the integrity of U.S. markets if everyone knew that any stock that was dual listed on the TSE was prone to manipulation. Sadly, I cannot trust the RCMP on this matter, as they have had a history of slacking off when it suited their political masters. The U.S. will have to do the heavy lifting, and all they will get for it will be ingratitude.

Media hand wringing and inexcusable behaviour

No Pun(dit) Intended has a great post about the media coverage of the Toronto shootings that took place a couple of days ago. The key passage:

At first they failed to say the suspects were "Black Males" so as to limit outcry that all black males are criminals and gangsters and thugs. However, as Jean Chretien would say "the proof is in the proof is in the proof, is in the proof" or something like that. Look at the statistics, of all the homicides in Toronto, the suspects are disproportionately Black. I am not suggesting all black people in Toronto are thugs or criminals. However, we must acknowledge that a certain 'gang mentality' exists within a certain subset of society that is only encouraged by gangster rap, which we are too scared to denounce.

I find it hilarious how PM Paul Martin and Toronto Mayer David Miller blame the shootings on 'poverty' and 'exclusion' in society. Paul Martin also openly blames the gang violence and shootings in Toronto on the United States terrible gun laws and how guns are leaking across the border into Canada into the hands of criminals. I find this assessment funny. Doesn't the United States have similar qualms with Canada's lax Drug laws, and how the decriminalization of Marijuana is leading to the export of cannabis to the homes of the United States? Of Course this hypocrisy is too complicated for most 'feeble minded' Liberals to understand.

Go figure. The media has once again ignored the facts - who the perpetrators are, how this is the third gun incident in the Yonge/Dundas area, and how all the handguns are illegal to begin with. All they do is bitch and moan about how Toronto has "lost its innocence" and how David Miller and socialist sycophants bemoan the lack of midnight basketball and demand more money to be thrown at the situation. To make matters worse, if that shot off-duty police officer was allowed to carry his handgun while off duty (which they are allowed to do in the U.S. since police officers are never really 'off duty' to perform their sworn duties), perhaps the carnage would have been limited. Then again, if that officer, who I hope has a speedy recovery, did stop them, he would be raked over the hot coals as an out of control racist oppressor.

Pathetic, how Toronto liberals deal with real problems. Canada needs a Rudolph Giuliani to fix this problem once and for all. For more on this too, read this post from the Other Club on gun crime in Canada - Herschblogger hits a home run on this matter too!

The Pravda on day care

I read this account on day care in Toronto, on how for some areas, if you don't register for a spot as soon as you find out you're expecting, you're SOL. While I disagree with the statistic outcome implied on this - this does exemplify a bigger problem: raising children is an exorborant cost rather than an asset in major cities. I think the biggest problem is that tax rates are so high that it is difficult to raise a family on one income, and extremely difficult in a high cost of living city like Toronto.

Oh Irony!

Stephen Taylor has a link whereby Tory operatives have found copies of future Liberal attack ads. I found this one on the left particularly funny. Obviously, the Liberals have decided to compare Stephen Harper to Mike Harris, thinking that Harris is unpopular in Ontario.

This is more indicative of the groupthink in Grit election HQ than electoral calculus. Considering Dalton McGuinty's dismal record so far, I would bet a large portion of undecided voters, whom this ad is trying to target, are waxing nostalgic for the Harris years on some level. Let's look over some key points, which I would use in a response:

• Mike Harris: Cut taxes 30%, took a massive deficit inherited from the NDP and balanced the books. Got rid of cash grabs like photo radar. Relatively clean government.
• Dalton McGuinty: Promised not to raise or cut taxes and then hit taxpayers with a huge health care premium tax. Broke dozens of campaign promises on matters like hydro, adoption, balance books to name a few. Panders to public sector unions at taxpayer expense. Does a lot of "reforms" that are symbolic in nature but are ineffective at best or harmful at worst. Soft on crime. Finance minister resigned when named in an OSC investigation.
• Paul Martin: Broke many campaign promises, both as PM and as finance minister. Panders to special interests with huge government spending promises at expense of taxpayers. Makes a lot of "reforms" that are symbolic in nature but are ineffective at best or harmful at worst. Soft on crime. Party riddled with corruption allegations. Finance minister potential target of OSC investigation.

So based on this information, my rebuttal ads would show the records of McGuinty and Martin side by side - showing some of the items above with the question: "Is Paul Martin the Dalton McGuinty of Canada or is Dalton McGuinty the Paul Martin of Ontario."

If the U.S. really wanted to show Canada that friendship isn't a one way street

With my previous posts about U.S. ambassador David Wilkin's comments about the shrill anti-American tone coming from the Liberals in this campaign, and Paul Martin's subsequent wrapping himself in the Canadian flag, it got me thinking. What would the U.S. do if it was really pissed at the Canadian government and wanted to send a real message to the Liberal about friendship being a two-way street. Of course, I'm hypothesizing, not advocating this, but this is what I came up with. Kind of a passive-aggressive response that does not violate any trade agreements or other bilateral agreements. Here is what I came up with:

1. Require all Canadians entering the U.S to present a passport. Wait, that has been done and it kicks in January 2007. The $100 I had to spend on a new passport can be called the: "Liberals George Bush bashing tax". Minor inconvenience and cash outlay, but still a poignant gesture.
2. Ban Toronto garbage from crossing the border for "national security purposes". There is a house bill that allows the states to prohibit the importation of garbage from foreign countries. Once that is passed, I know the State of Michigan will do it. I'm in favour of this regardless, as those commies in Toronto City Hall should be taught a lesson of the hypocrisy on their garbage policy. Plus I bet this gets support in Canada, as everyone knows, Toronto bashing is sporting outside of the GTA.
3. If the U.S. finds another terrorist suspect on U.S. soil that was a refugee claimant in Canada, then it gets nasty. It could get to the point where all cargo is thoroughly inspected entering the country - which grinds the economy to a halt, especially in Ontario, or requiring Canadian visitors to get a visa - which would really screw things up. This is unlikely, as the economy of a lot of states like Ohio, Michigan, New York would be severely impacted.
4. My favourite is to offer green cards to all Canadian doctors, engineers, and scientists, and turn the brain drain from a small leak to a torrent. Rob Canada of its best and brightest and allow them to 'vote with their feet' (like me) and escape Trudopia once and for all. This helps the U.S. economy by bringing in desperately needed skills and builds the economy all while sticking it to the Canadian government at the same time.

Some of these things are happening already, and some I'm just postulating for the heck of it. But the fact that I could run these off rather quickly should be a warning to the Liberals about running off their mouths, as I would bet that some in congress or the white house have thought of these on some level.

Reaping what you have sown

Looks like Paul Martin and the Librano's antics are finally getting press attention south of the border (H/T Right in Canada), but it is not good press:

The ambassador's point raises a larger question: Can Canada really be considered our "friend" anymore? As someone whose family comes from Canada, a country I grew up loving as a child, it pains me to ask the question. That said, what other question can be asked when the Canadian government not only willingly allows Islamic terrorists into their country, but does nothing to stop them from entering our nation.

Two cases in point out of many. The first being in December 1999, when al Qaeda operative Ahmed Ressam entered the United States from Canada. By luck, he was arrested with a trunk full of explosives. His mission: to blow up Los Angeles International Airport. Next were two Pakistani men on the "no fly" list, with possible terrorist connections, who were arrested in Seattle. They were caught buying one-way tickets to New York City with cash. How did these potential terrorists get into our country? From Canada. One of the men even had a driver's license from British Columbia.

For years, our intelligence services have warned and even begged Canadian officials to do something about its dangerous open immigration policies. Immigration policies
that continually allow highly suspicious people into Canada with a free shot at the United States. U.S. politicians from both sides of the aisle have joined with U.S. law enforcement personnel to ask Canada to address this growing security threat. In response, Canadian politicians from the left have basically said, "Drop dead." We may yet. And how tragic it would be if the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans came at the hands of a terrorist that Canada willingly allowed into their country....

Our once great friend is turning against us. Common sense and our national security dictate that we can no longer afford to ignore that fact.

This will probably be the first of many articles coming out on this topic in the U.S. The passport requirement for Canadian citizens travelling to the U.S is the first step of many that are going to be taken. Softwood and beef could have been resolved a lot quicker if the Canadian government decided to be helpful rather than being an irritant. Paul Martin and also make as many threats as he wants to the U.S. for 'retaliation', but the only people who will be hurt by it are Canadian workers dependent on access to the U.S. economy. If PMPM decides to wrap the flag around him and make the election a referendum on GWB, he will be risking the economic prosperity of the country as a crass political ploy.

Looks like I'm a bit behind

Based on my previous post - it looks like Stephen Harper has mused about income splitting in this McLeans article. H/T to Mark Peters for this.

Liberal Party consolidates it propaganda wing

When I read the above article (h/t to Warwick), it is not surprising at all. So now CTV and the Globe and Mail will now be controlled by the OTPP and the Toronto Star. Where are the howls from the Left decrying the consolidation of media power, like what they did some years back when Conrad Black's Hollinger had the National Post and most of the local dailies in the country. So let's get an overview of this again:

1. Global and National Post - owned by former leader of Manitoba Liberal
2. Toronto Star - owned by Liberal bagman
3. Globe and Mail, CTV - controlled by Liberal bagman
4. CBC -dependent on the ruling party for its largesse.

All of the above entities are also at the mercy of the CRTC for their livelihoods, so there is a double incentive not to offend the party there too.

And don't get me started on OTPP. Yes, it is a well run pension plan for its members, but due to Canadian content rules for it's portfolio, the plan has its fingers in way too many pies in this country, and if they ever decided to really get political, they could really mess up the economy. Look at Quebec's public sector pension plans - which is on some levels a separatist slush fund.

If one defines fascism as the intertwining of state and corporate interests as a ruling structure, Canada is starting to look more like Mussolini's Italy than a free society.

For Paul Martin's Gun Ban

I got one already - available at www.thoseshirts.com

My "daycare" solution

Simple - allow income splitting between couples so that families with a member who stays at home can split the income. In the U.S., they call it "married filing joint" where both incomes and income tax brackets are aggregated. This means that if there is one wage in the family, the higher tax brackets don't kick until twice the level for single filers. This would eliminate the 'marriage penalty' that Canadian families face when one stays at home. A colleague of mine once told me that unless he had a job making $45,000 CDN, it made more sense for him to stay at home considering the taxes and costs of day care - pretty pathetic huh? The married filing joint option makes the financial burden a lot less onerous than what previously exist. I believe that on one level, the Liberals are against this because this would ensure that all families would be forced to be dependent on government for their child rearing, and easier to indoctrinate to the ideals of the party.

Maybe I should take off my tinfoil hat soon.

The pettiness of Local Government

Good article on how Toronto City Council is screwing things up in a nutshell. I'll stick to my assertion that Toronto becomes as dysunctional as Detroit within my lifetime. Hat tip to Dissonance and Disrespect.

First week of the Canadian Election

The parties have been on the official hustings this week, and if one thing sticks out, it is how brazen and crass the Liberal are. Shameless, really. A potential insider trading scandal with finance minister Ralph Goodales announcement not to tax the snot out of income trusts hitting the markets before the after close announcement, and then making a campaign promise to ban handguns.

The insider trading thing will not go far I suppose, even though there is a lot of prima facie evidence to show market manipulation, it is a tough case to prove in court. Second, I have no faith in the OSC and the RCMP, who are both compromised. The OSC proved it with the ongoing investigation to Royal Technologies, on whose board sat Greg Sorbara, the now former Treasurer for the province of Ontario. Both bodies have illustrated a penchant for looking the other way when their political masters are in trouble.

I expect things to pick up in after the holidays, and things should get pretty nasty soon.

Howard Dean's poor sense of timing evident again

Tip of the hat to the Other Club, who found the irony of Howard Dean demanding the surrender of U.S. forces in Iraq on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour. Funny how the MSM doesn't notice that.