Turner Should Resign

Like many Halton residents, I feel betrayed today. Betrayed because MP Garth Turner defected to the Liberal party. I give kudos to the man's political skills, he had even the best of us fooled.
I wrote in my blog several months back chastising Prime Minister Harper for removing Tuner from the Conservative party caucus. His reasonings for doing so have become quite clear in the past couple of days. I'll go so far as to apologize for calling him a lier after Turner was evicted. We all know who the real lier is now. The one good thing about this is that it has restored my faith in the Conservatives.

A year ago, Halton residents went to the polls. They ticked their vote next to the Conservatives and a conservative MP won. Now we wake up to find we have a Liberal MP. Was there an election? No. Were Halton residents asked if this was ok? No. In fact, Halton residents voted for him to stay independent during one of his (now obviously phony) "town hall meetings." This from a man who claimed to be standing up for his constituents. A man who jeered people like Belinda Stronach for doing the same thing. This is precisely why voters have become more cynical and turnouts have dropped. People cannot count on their MPs anymore to represent them. As the Toronto Sun put it, it's all about me me me. All I can do is speculate, but it's likely Mr Dion has offered the dishonorable MP Mr Turner a cabinet position should the Liberals win the next election. The same was done with Belinda Stronach under Paul Martin.

Say what you want about US politics, but these games aren't played down there. At least constituents and lobby groups are given priority, rather than corrupt political parties. Parliament should not be a game of pong where the people just bounce back and fourth from one side to the other. If Mr Turner wants to be a Liberal now, that's his decision. However, if he has any shred of dignity left, he will immediately resign his position as an MP so a byelection can be called. This sort of action cannot be tolerated by Canadian citizens anymore. It's time were send a strong message to those in parliament. In the next federal election, please throw your support behind either the Conservatives, NDP, or Green. Do not vote Liberal else you condemn your country to more corruption.

I will be sending a strong letter to Turner demanding his resignation. I urge all Halton residents to form petitions and write similar letters.

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Toronto Falling Apart

Yesterday, a chunk of concrete fell of the Gardener Expressway in Toronto, nearly missing a car. This chunk was said to be the size of a basketball. Many citizens who use the highway and nearby roads fear that what happened in Montreal a few months ago with a bridge collapse could happen to the Gardener. My Dad is a professional engineer who specializes in bridges. I asked him if he thought the Gardener was safe. His answer came in one word: "no". Even to the untrained eye, the stripped concrete and exposed rusty rebar is enough to start asking questions.

Most highways in the GTA are owned and operated by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO). Three notable exceptions are the 407, the Gardener Expressway, and the Don Valley Parkway. The 407, as most people know, is privately owned. The Gardener and DVP are owned by the city of Toronto. These two roads have become infamous in GTA commuter lore. The DVP is often referred to as the Don Valley Parking-lot for its jammed, slow commutes. The Gardener is not much better when it comes to traffic, and its downright frightening when taking its structural state into consideration. Construction of the raised causeway section began in 1955. I don't know its exact history, but I can tell by the architectural design that the highway today is the original. The highway cost $110 million to build in 1955 dollars, about $700 million today. The road itself receives patchwork repairs every so often but its getting to the point of being too dangerous to drive on, or under. The collapse of the Gardener is not a matter of if, but when.

Toronto in recent history has not been taking its crumbling infrastructure seriously. Once thought to be a clean city, Toronto's core areas are no better known by dilapidated roads, sidewalks, buildings, and a mysterious open sewer smell in the financial district. Old water pipes are constantly bursting, garbage is everywhere. Once proud buildings such as Maple Leaf Gardens have fallen into such a horrible state of disrepair. In an expose on CFTO News, it was found that there are still unwashed dishes from 1999 still in the arena. (Though to be fair, it's owned by Loblaws, but it's still a historical building)
Toronto's Mayor David Miller promised, broom in hand, that he'd clean up city hall in the 2003 election. Perhaps now he should take that broom and use it to clean up the rest of the city. The city has become a disgraceful mess, and it's no wonder tourists don't want to go there. Would you want to vacation in some place dirty with roads at third world country standards?
What's Mr Miller's argument about this? Well, he likes to scapegoat the McGuinty Liberals and Harris Conservatives for downloading costs onto the city and not giving them enough money to deal with the problems. It's quite clear that Big D is becoming irritated with Miller. The new City of Toronto Act gives Toronto huge amounts of revenue powers. Toronto does indeed collect vast amounts of money. Most of it gets wasted on hair brained, socialist schemes to help the homeless bums and Toronto's other human garbage, rather than tackling the city's most pressing issues. The Gardener needs to be torn down and rebuilt. There are no other options for Mr Miller. Take the highway away and make traffic worse, or let it collapse and kill possibly hundreds of innocent people. Think of the law suit there.
Unfortunately, transportation is not on the mind of Miller. He'd have us all riding our bikes to work, like people do in Bejing. Unfortunately for Miller, we are not in the People's Republic of China. Bicycles are not practical in Canada's harsh winter climate. Roads are needed to get goods, services, and people into and out of the city. Without the expressway, Toronto's economy would halt. Mr Miller better find some money soon, or Bay St could become a ghost town. Businesses and people won't want to stay in a city where transportation is a nightmare.

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Not Fair for US To Pick on Canada

Today, the US now requires passports for Canadians flying into the country. Is there a legitimate security risk or is this simply the result of mass hysteria? I argue the latter is true. Arguably, the United States poses the bigger security risk to Canada than the other way around. After all, Canada is the new Mexico for America's criminals. That's mostly the result of our rather lax immigration laws and frightened, unarmed boarder guards than anything else. However, Canada still has the lowest crime rate in North America. Canada is also the leading nation in the war on terror. We've been left with an overwhelming burden in Afghanistan while the US fights their increasingly pointless war in Iraq.

So why has Canada been targeted as a possible security threat? There is simply no logical answer. Big business in the US, which relies heavily on trade with Canada, has been opposed to the idea since day one. So much for them being the driving force in American politics. Much of these decisions have been made unilaterally from the White House. George W Bush is somewhat of an enigma in US politics. They have never elected a leader quite like him. I have remained neutral on Bush politically. Analytically he's a bad leader and a bad politicians.
Canada seems to be an easy target in vain attempts to make it look like the government is improving national security. The problem with us is we are too nice, at least on the international scene. The US must be kept as a close friend and ally, but we must be firm with them. Canada therefore needs to institute strict laws for Americans coming north. After all, the US cannot punish us. It's generally thought that the US can do what it wants in regards to Canada but that's simply not the case. Canada and the US have an economically symbiotic relationship with each other. In other words, one country cannot survive, at least at its current standard of living, without the other. It's time we started letting them know that. I believe most Americans do realize this situation but their executive leadership still does not. Pressure from big business regarding the issue also needs to increase vastly if things are going to change.

In the mean time, the US needs to start concentrating on its southern neighbour. While hundreds of thousands of Mexicans stream across the border every year, taking American jobs and ghettoizing cities, you'd think they'd be the major security concern. It would be significantly easier for terror organizations to enter the US through Mexico than through Canada. We catch our terror suspects.

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Science, Pseudoscience, and the Politics of Fear

Fear. It's driving our world. Not so much in Canada but its there none the less. This fear does not come in the form of Osama Bin Laden and the gaggle of other terrorists, though he's part of the equation.

This entry follows on the heels of my last one. My scathing expose of the world of academics and intellectuals in the realm of politics. Fear perpetrated by academics in the form of junk science. Global warming, for example, I believe to fall under this category. That along with all the other apocalyptic predictions today's academics are making in order to scare people. Whether or not there is truth to these claims is not as important. What is important is that this "science" is being done through partisan eyes. This is dangerous because it scares people out of their wits. Some 33% of Americans think the end of the world will come soon. That's one in every three people. People proclaiming the end of the world is nothing new. If you look back at the history of apocalyptic thinking, the world should have ended hundreds of times over. (I seem to remember the world was supposed to end on New Years Eve, seven years ago. The next possible date is 2012.) What sets today's thinkers apart from those in the past is that these people are scientists, supposedly employed by prestigious think tanks and universities. They spout total crap out of their mouths and people gobble it up like it's fillet minion.

Today, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved their Doomsday Clock to five minutes to midnight. Midnight being the doomsday. Obviously this does not represent real time, in fact, nobody knows what this means. Curiously, they ranked 1963 as being the second furthest point we were from nuclear disaster. The same year of the Cuban Missile Crisis where nuclear war was narrowly averted. Fidel Castro reportedly wished the Soviets to launch an attack but clearer heads prevailed. It does show how off base they are in their estimates. The Bulletin's "clock" is a perfect example of junk science.

Fear is a powerful political strategy. However, playing with fear is like playing with fire. Fear is being used by both the left and right wings. However, the left wing is presenting the the apocalyptic version. The fire part is that it starts a panic. It's similar to the riots you get in the wake of natural disasters. The worst part is that academics are using claims that cannot be verified to boost this fear. They simply lie through their teeth while in the employ of left wing political and special interest groups. Never take what the academics say as a given just because of their credentials. Always second guess them. You'll find their "facts" are often pseudoscience.

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Academics Out of Touch With Today's Society

The university atmosphere is suffering a serious problem. This is a problem that has always been around, but it seems to be getting somewhat worse. It is that academics are out of touch with today's society. I consider myself a black sheep in this world. Not necessarily shunned but an outsider none the less. I've tried to write this blog in a simple language so everyday people can understand it, but are not being patronized. This doesn't come out of any comments directed at me, but is rather a critical examination of what is seriously wrong with education today, using the political science field as an example.

Drooling Idiot Syndrome: Academics (including students) tend to classify people into two camps. Those who attend/have attended university and those who have not. They tend to view those who have not attended as being very simple people digging in the manure pile. That belief is about as true as saying Liberache was strait. I think everyday people aren't given enough credit for what they actually know. Many academics in the political field think they won't understand politics unless its given to them in a watered down format like the Daily Show. My conversations with many people ranging from labourers to business people shows that this belief is simply not true. People are listening and they do know the issues well enough to have an engaging debate. Stop treating them as if they have downs syndrome.

"I'm Better than You" Disorder: One of the greatest delusions with academics is their elitist ego. They view themselves as society's upper crust. You must pay attention to them because they are the future and they know EVERYTHING. Simply put, it's impossible to argue with an academic because they view you as the drooling idiot while they consider themselves god's gift to mankind. Even if you know they're speaking complete rubbish, they'll keep insisting that they know more than you. After all, they've studied it. We all know how valuable studies are. Of course, them being the elites, they naturally view themselves as the world's future leaders and the only logical choice for those positions. Never mind the fact that some of the greatest men and women in history were not university educated. In this sense, academics amount to nothing more than snobs and busy-bodies. All they do is look down their noses at others. This whole notion started way back in high school while those who were not good with intellectual work were treated differently. Unfortunately, the real world does not function that way. Many of these academics, if they do leave the ivory towers of universities, may find themselves working for these shunned students. Then what will they do?

Libraganda: Libraganda (pronounced Lib-rah-gan-duh) is a word I made up to describe all the liberal, left wing propaganda being constantly directed at us by these people. Universities have been dominated by left thinkers since the 1960s. That's nothing new. However, combined with the two above states of mind, this makes things particularly irritating. Anyone who holds different views is thought of as a drooling idiot. Since the academics are the elite and they are left wing, then their ideology must be the only ideology. For a group of people who pretend to be tolerant to any and all, they are surprisingly intolerant of those who think differently. They like to group people based on labels, rather than the kind of person they are. This doesn't seem quite right to me, and is certainly counter to their own supposed belief system. I suppose though when you're safely protected within the walls of your ivory tower, you don't have to think about these things.

Keeping Knowledge from the Masses: My favorite website has to be Wikipedia. Why? Well I can get all the news and information on any subject I want for free. It's completely written by unpaid volunteers who want to share their knowledge. However, the site has become controversial in one circle. Yep, you guessed it. Academics hate Wikipedia. Why? Well, they cite plagiarism and inaccuracies. One news clipping that's been posted on a bulletin board at the University of Toronto since November claims that there are 150 articles containing plagiarism on the English version of the online encyclopedia. That's roughly 0.009% of the 1,585,000 articles on the site. Wikipedia maintains strict quality standards so it's likely these articles didn't stay that way for long. However, the academics make this sound like a huge issue. I have found that Wikipedia lives up to its claims as being just as good as any commercially available print encyclopedia. In many cases, its better since it can provide more information and web links.
So why all the fuss? Academics don't hate Wikipedia because they think it's providing false information, they hate it because they think people should be paying them (the academics) for the same information. If academics truly do have a problem with inaccuracies on the site, they could always edit articles to fix them. They purposely want to keep this stuff out of reach of ordinary people, since if people could learn online, this would make the academics obsolete. Indeed its already starting to.

So what to do? Well you can't stop this. For students in or going to go to university, I recommend do your best not to fall into this trap. You will catch yourself falling into this mindset. I know I have, but I've resisted. You must do the same. Trust me. You'll be more successful in the real world.

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Is Mexico Safe?

Three Canadian tourists have died in Mexico. Both in the heart of the popular resort towns of Cancun and Acapulco. This has left some scratching their heads as to whether or not Mexico is a safe place to visit.

I have been to Mexico and studied its history. I went there in 1995. I was only 10 and that was my first vacation outside the US and Canada. I don't remember ever feeling threatened there. I do remember heavily armed police officers guarding the streets. It was during a festival week leading up to Christmas at the time. It was also just under two years after the EZLN's rebellion in Chiapas. This was while the group was still an armed rebel organization. They've since become a political organization.
We were always told that to stay safe in Mexico, one should not venture outside of the hotel area. Sound advice. However, both recent crimes did happen in resort areas. So is Mexico dangerous? In my opinion, Mexico is a dangerous country. Mexicans are xenophobic. Although they like the tourist dollars, they strongly dislike foreigners being in their country. Foreigners in these countries should always watch their back. Though there are many friendly people, when in any strange place, you should treat everybody as though they're about to stab you. People who become too trusting are the ones who get targeted. Mexico is not like Toronto. It has a tradition of violence and has a very high crime rate, even in supposedly safe tourist areas.

Would I advise my fellow Canadians not to travel to Mexico? Depends. Those who are quick to let their guard down should stick to traveling in Canada and the US. Mexico is a very beautiful, rich, and diverse country, but it has a lot of social problems. It's a nice place to visit, but you have to be careful.

Tips for safe traveling:
-Always travel in groups, never go alone.
-Keep all valuables locked in a hotel safe. I recommend taking only costume jewelery and a minimum amount of cash. Use credit cards and insured traveler's cheques whenever possible. Don't bring debit cards with you. If you run out of cash, use your credit card. Carry some sort of photo id on your person at all times.
-Take tours offered by your hotel or travel provider. Don't go out on your own.
-The legal and health systems are nothing like those in Canada. The law is often corrupt and abusive to foreigners. Familiarize yourself with the country's laws and stay out of trouble. There is little the Canadian government can do in these situations.
-Travel only in licensed taxis that are clearly marked.
-Stay in resort areas unless going out on a travel provider's tour.
-If you are unfamiliar with the language, purchase a phrase book before you go and become familiar with it.
-If there is a Canadian embassy in the country, make an effort to find its location and phone number. If you run into trouble, contact the embassy before anybody else.
-Don't get too friendly with the locals. In places like Mexico, many people strongly dislike foreigners.

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Climate Porn?

Toronto Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstine wrote an interesting article about the over-hype of the global warming "crisis". A good read.

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Mom and Mom and Dad

A rather interesting court ruling this week. Apparently, it is now legal for a child to have three parents. No, not in the sense of a step parent, but three full fledged legal parents. That's odd.

An Ottawa area lesbian couple had been fighting for this for a number of years. The biological mother's lesbian partner wanted to become the adopted mother of the child. The father is still alive and heavily active in the child's life. The reasoning behind this is that if something were to happen to both biological parents, the child would still have a mom. That does make sense in a way. The father was married to the biological mother and they are divorced. (I don't know why, two women is every man's dream, right?)

Well, this other woman has finally been granted the right to be the child's full fledged adoptive mother. This opens an interesting can of worms. It's interesting to note that this trial happened with a homosexual couple, rather than a heterosexual relationship. It leads me to believe that judges are being a bit too "pro-active" on the whole gay rights agenda. Something that is not their job. Why do we elect MPs anyway? Secondly, it creates a few legal problems. Does this new ruling apply to strait couples as well? Was it right to do so? I personally found the ruling unnecessary. There are already laws in place that would give the child to a step-parent provided this be noted in the will. Both biological parents did want this women to be the mother if something were to happen.
It's more pushing the whole gay agenda than anything else, with the legal consequences not even being considered. The judge should be disbarred for that in my opinion. This ruling has one major flaw. That is, what happens if the relationship between the two women were broken off. The other woman would still be the child's legal parent. That likely means back to the courts to decide who gets custody, and then the child ends up getting bounced back and forth between three people. That is hardly fair to the child, who has already had to deal with such adult issues at such a young age. Though I think it's possible for a child to have caregivers outside of their two biological parents, it's wrong to start making these caregivers the legal status of biological or adoptive parents, it goes against nature as well. In the human species, it's only possible to have two parents.
Speaking of which, what about adoptions. Something else that wasn't considered that definitely should have been. If say a woman gives up her child for adoption, does she still remain a legal parent? This case opens the door for something like that. Take the US women who recently kidnapped her kids she gave up for adoption and fled to Canada.

I definitely question the Judge's motives on this ruling as it is highly irresponsible. It is always wrong to use children as a pawn to push political agendas.

These sorts of decisions should be left up to the legislature to decide. It's alright for judges to bring up these issues but its wrong in a democratic society for them to have the final say.

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Death of a Tyrant

As I'm sure most know by now, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain has been executed. Stick a fork in him, he's done. Too bad the debate over his death is still as fresh as my Christmas tree, still going but stale.

I for one think Saddam being executed is the first positive thing in Iraq since the war started. It finally closes a chapter on the nation's violent past. Saddam was born a thug, he was already a killer by his teens. He ruled his country like a mafia don. The loyal were well treated, those he doubted were murdered en mass. Definitely not a very nice man. He's finally hung for his crimes. If anything, Iraqis can be safe in knowing he'll never be coming back.

However, the debate as to whether or not he should have been killed still continues. Many claim that executing him is in itself a human rights violation, committed by the imperialist United States. Never mind Saddam was tried and executed by his own people, and not the Americans. I suppose mass murdering Kurds and pitting Shiite against Sunni in a brutal civil war is not enough justification. As I hinted at earlier, the Iraqi people would not have accepted anything less than death in order to make sure he wouldn't return to power.

To those who still rant against him being killed, Saddam is dead. Nothing can bring him back to life so you're just beating this issue like a dead horse. Where were you before they were going to hang him?

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Spewing Hot Air

I wish I had the ability to lie and keep a strait face. Too bad I can't so I can't be a politician, or a "scientist". Yes, it was warm today. January 5th and it got up to 11 degrees today. Of course you know what this means? We can't ski! Oh well, I hate skiing. No wait, that's not it. Oh yes, the apocalypse. Yes, this might be my last post on Martin's Mill News. I might be dead tomorrow, and so will you. The world is ending! It's all over people, we don't have a prayer!

Am I crazy? Probably. Does the above statement sound crazy, definitely. Coming for me, it's no different from the homeless guy on the street corner who hasn't taken his meds today. Coming from psudo-scientists, it makes perfect sense. Yes, it's warm today so the world is going to end. Global Warming. A convenient issue. A convenient lie. Especially if you're considering running for the democratic presidential nomination in 2008...*cough*. Global warming is an issue that is really starting to bother me. What bothers me is that it shouldn't be an issue at all. It's all a lot of hot air. I've talked about this before but its dominating the news again. Why won't people just come out and admit it doesn't exist! Why, because they're making too much money and getting too much attention over it. If you read my October 2006 article about it, you'd know my position. Of course reducing pollution is important but telling people we'll all die tomorrow if we don't is pure insanity, and people don't even see it.

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Reflections on 2006, Thoughts for 2007

The world greets 2007 today. One year over and another begins. 2006 was certainly an interesting year to be alive in. We saw the Conservatives rise to power for the first time in 13 years. The Democratic party took control of congress in the US. Saddam Hussain was finally executed for his crimes. War in Lebanon, natural disasters, the deaths of many big names in recent history. It's amazing how much we can cram into 365 days, whether for good or bad.

I think we should look at 2007 on a positive outlook. Recent polls done in the United States show Americans fear an approaching dooms day. For some reason though, I highly doubt the second coming of Jesus is in the cards for the next year. I predict we've still got a solid 5 billion years before we have to worry about the end of the world. So what are my predictions?
-Weather will return to normal with the end of the El Nino cycle, ending global warming fears.
-No chance for peace in the Middle-East but with Saddam Hussain out of the picture in Iraq, at least there will still be hope for that country.
-There will be no terror attacks on US soil this year. Terrorism world-wide will be below normal this year.
-Fidel Castro will die. Cuba will either become democratic or adopt post-Mao Chinese style "communism". US Embargo against Cuba will end.
-Canada will not go to the polls for another Federal election as predicted by some political scientists. With Canada's two biggest provinces already going to the polls for provincial elections, opposition parties will likely hold off until early 2008, or face voter backlash. Dalton McGuinty will (unfortunately) win the Ontario provincial election but will only hold a minority government.
-Caledonia will not be resolved. The OPP will be sued over it.
-Milton will fall further into the sinkhole it dug itself.

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OPP Has Failed: Military Action Needed

The Ontario Provincial Police have failed at Caledonia. This comes on the heels of the arrest of Gary McHale, who organized a protest against the native occupiers. Not only is this grossly unconstitutional, it proves who the police are really supporting in this issue.

The Federal Government really needs to get involved and to take a stand against the aboriginal protesters. How long can we let this go on? Another year, five years, ten years of squatting on land that does not belong to them? The RCMP or the military should be called in immediately to resolve the dispute. Obviously the OPP is not there anymore to protect the rights of Ontarians. It's bad when it gets to the point where an external body must get involved. Constitutionally the natives are a federal duty so they should be resolving it anyway.

Further more, OPP chief Julian Fantino should resign his post and the officers involved should be reprimanded for their failure in the issue. What are we? Mexico? The natives have no legitimate claim over land they sold. Why bring up stuff from 200 years ago? Only to cause trouble most likely. Most of those on the Six Nations reserve are on welfare (I've had natives tell me that), simple wards of the state. Their free ride has gone on long enough.

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Political Correctness is Dying a Cold Death

It's been a slow news week so this Christmas Tree thing has been dominating the airwaves for the past few days. The tree issue itself is rather trivial on the outside. It does however scratch the surface of a very important issue in Canadian society. That is political correctness.

The PC movement began in the 1980s. The idea was to eliminate racism and intolerance. Since it first started, it's done quite the opposite. If anything, it's made people more intolerant. The anti-Christmas movement that came out of PC was started by a small minority of Jews, though some atheists in the US have joined. As an atheist, I celebrate Christmas. It's a western tradition and is just as much secular as religious. I couldn't care less where they have a baby Jesus. He is a historic figure after all.
The vast majority of Jewish people do not support this anti-Christmas crap. Frank Dimant, vice president of the B'nai Brith has denounced Justice Cohen's decision. Based on her last name, Cohen is obviously Jewish. It seems she doesn't have the support of her people though, far from it. This whole thing about the Christmas tree has seemed to unite Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews in the Toronto area. I'm sure this is not what Cohen was expecting. Current government policy allows for the celebration of all holidays in order to promote multiculturalism. This move by Cohen is anti-multicultural. She still refuses to back down though. The government needs to redefine policy to prevent overzealous people from taking things into their own hands.

As for political correctness, it's dying a cold death. People are sick of having to tiptoe around issues for fear of offending someone. It seems that Canada's four major religions are in agreement on this. Attacking Christmas displays is not political correctness, it's just bigotry desguised as it.

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Is Iran Falling to Nazism?

Iran is a curious state that is certainly full of controversy. Earlier this year, the National Post posted a false article regarding arm bands for Jews. Fortunately this was not true but one begins to question how long will it be before it is the case.

Iran is holding what it calls a Holocaust Conference. It claims it is to discus the reality of the holocaust in an open and free environment. In reality, it seems to be more of a convention for anti-semitics than anything else. Notably, a former leader of the US based Ku Klux Klan was invited to be a keynote speaker. (For those who don't know, the KKK is a radical and violent white supremacy group that hates Jews, who are ironically white) The conference's main goal is to question whether the holocaust actually happened. If the holocaust was fabricated, it must be the greatest conspiracy in history. Certainly, it would be impossible to pull off. I find it insulting that there are people who would deny the crimes of Nazi Germany, since I had family members die fighting them. Curiously, anti-zionist Jews were invited to the conference and are attending. It begs the question of whether Iran's government is anti-Jewish or just anti-Israel. That question is difficult to answer. It's not one I can answer, though I'm leaning towards the latter.

I think Iran's theocratic regime is treading on very thin ice. The world has turned against them, with almost every foreign leader denouncing the conference. Public opinion in Iran itself has been very negative. Both Arab and Jewish Iranians are denouncing the conference and the government for letting racists and Nazis in their country. Iran is certainly on a path for a second revolution.

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Tis the PC Season

I was reading in the Sun today about a judge who forced staff at a particular Ontario court house to remove a Christmas Tree from the front lobby and move it to the back of the building where it goes unseen. I find this to be a curious decision to say the least, and certainly illegal in my opinion. Despite outrage by staff, Justice Marion Cohen has defended her decision on the grounds that it is a Christian symbol.

Was this judge right to make this decision. In my opinion, the decision is unconstitutional. Under section 2, you cannot discriminate on the basis of religion but it seems to me that's exactly what Cohen is doing. Historically, Christmas Trees are not a religious symbol. People used to decorate trees for winter festivals long before they became associated with Christmas. A proposal to rename it a unity tree with symbols from all religions was turned down.

The tree has been a tradition at this particular court house, which is what upset people the most. Each court administrator, as Cohen is, has the right to do as they please. There is no universal policy.

This begs the question if political correctness is going to far. Do we abandon traditions just for the sake of not offending someone. I'm not Christian and I put up a Christmas Tree, and I call it so. It's not a holiday tree or unity tree. If that's the case, I'm going to start calling Menorahs "festive Middle-Eastern candelabres". I guarantee that won't go over well with the civil servants.

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At It Agian New Milton

I loath the new people to Milton with every fiber of my body. I would like nothing than to round them all up and toss them back to the garbage heap known as Toronto from which they came. They push and shove, whine and winge, they bitch about everything; problems they created.

The latest involves construction in a housing development. I grew up around construction sites and I know the hazards associated with them. The new people to Milton in the Hawthorn Village subdivision are complaining about their children getting to school. In order to get to a new school in the area, many children have to walk past construction sites. The parents are fretting because of how dangerous these sites are. Their kid could get killed walking near them. Now they want a bus service.

This actually made CFTO's 6pm news. (just goes to show the sorry state of the news media, but I'll save that for another day) One dad said he drives his kid to school because of this "danger", even though the kid is less than a five minute walk away. He is one screaming for a school bus service in order to protect their kids from the danger of the construction. Get real. You really want the Halton taxpayer to have your kid take a one minute bus ride to school? Fortunately, the Halton District School Board agrees with me. They said no to the bus idea. How dumb are people getting in this town. I say if you want that kind of service, drag your slimy hides back to T.O. and put the kids back on the safe embrace of the TTC to school. Milton is not Toronto, for those who haven't noticed. Nor should it become like it, despite what some want. The danger is just not there as long as the kids have common sense and are taught to stay away from the men while they're working. When I was growing up, that was a "well duh" thing to most children.

What bugs me most about the noobies is that they complain the loudest but don't vote. Plus, Milton didn't have these problems before they came. They created them so now they have to live with them, or else get out. I think the latter option is the best one since they're making the old folk suffer unjustly from the problems they caused. *sigh* A man can dream. (I guess the Native Canadians must be having a "now you know how it feels" moment when they look at us.)

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No Use Crying Over Raw Milk

This is a story I've been following off and on. It's not a particularly important story but I thought I'd comment on it. A great deal of people have been questioning the food supply recently.

The story is of an Ontario farmer who wants to sell raw milk. Raw milk comes right from the cow and is untreated. It is illegal to sell raw milk in Ontario. This farmer thinks that law is unfair because people should be able to eat what they wish. Unfortunately things are not this easy.

It's been illegal to sell raw milk for some 70 years. The reason dates back to the turn of the 20th century. Infant mortality rates in Toronto's poor districts were at an all time high. Causes of death were bacterial and viral infections. These infections were traced to raw milk. At the time, only the wealthy could afford the pasteurized product. The boards of health at the time decided to act. Areas were setup where low income families could obtain clean, pasteurized milk for free. Infant mortality rates dropped dramatically after this. Not long after, the sale of raw milk was banned.

The organic food trend has boosted demand for the product. There is a difference between organic milk and raw milk though. Organic milk is still pasteurized but comes from grain fed cows who haven't been given antibiotics. Pasteurization is a process of heating a liquid above a temperature in which harmful microbes cannot survive. There are no chemicals involved in the process, despite what proponents of raw milk claim. Raw milk is dangerous because it contains living diseases that can cause food poisoning. Humans are not really meant to drink cow's milk, which is what separates it from human milk. Human milk contains special antibodies that protects us from these illnesses, cow's milk does not.

I rarely agree with the Liberals but in this case I do. It's insane to put a potentially harmful food product on the market. You wouldn't sell, say carrot juice that's potentially contaminated. Why would milk be any different. Sometimes "rights" cannot trump public safety. If raw milk was legalized, I'd be willing to bet a few years down the road, someone would get sick from it and the government would get sued for allowing its sale.

There is no difference between raw milk and pasteurized milk, except for the latter being safe to drink. I don't see what the problem is here. I guess somebody will always be there to complain about something, no matter how trivial. Unfortunately, I doubt we'll be hearing the last from this.

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Short On Cash? No Wonder!

The CEO of Hydro One has been fired this week. The same week in which Ontario's auditor general released a report that revealed mass corruption within the ranks of Ontario's public service. Millions of dollars have gone missing from Ontario coffers, spent on items that cannot be accounted for. These items include lavish vacations to the Caribbean by Childrens' Aid workers, luxury cars, fine dining, and $44,000 spent by the Hydro One boss. The Ontario Government under Dalton McGuinty is always complaining to the feds and citizens that it's always strapped for cash. That's why our taxes are so high, according to the finance minister. Now we're starting to see where all this extra tax money is going. To keep civil servants living in the lap of luxury. They're off laughing all the way to the bank while we toil in our jobs, giving half of our hard earned pay to them. People should certainly be more outraged than they are. Unfortunately, Canadians only seem to get outraged when a certain doughnut shop chain raises the price of coffee by 10 cents. The government takes thousands off them, criminally wastes it, and they don't even bat an eyelash. It's no wonder the Americans view Canadians as being so dumb, its because we are.

So what's our solution? There's a couple of long and short term ones we could try. First off all, there needs to be tighter accounting and tighter budgets within government departments and crown corporations. Every single penny should have to be accounted for. The second is to begin laying off civil servants en mass. The bureaucracy has simply gotten too big. A great deal of civil servants are under worked and overpaid. Take Hydro One's boss who resigned but ran away with three million dollars. Three million dollars can get a surprising amount done. Several bridges could be repaired and hundreds of hospital beds could be opened.

Of course we cannot do either of these options. The problem? OPSU. The Ontario Public Service Union. They prevent layoffs and basically allow government workers to get away with anything. Even those who get caught don't get punished. As David Dingwall infamously said "I'm entitled to my entitlement". Same works for Ontario's public service, and Hydro One's boss is an excellent example. In my opinion, government workers should not be allowed to unionize. I feel that this is a reasonable limit on the rights to freedom of association. Under a democratic system, it essentially puts one massive, unelected organization in total control of government. It is a oligarchy that only supports the needs of the few in a system that is supposed to be the voice of the many in the interest of all. I doubt that government employees are would be "exploited" without the protection of their union. It's not like they do backbreaking labour in mines and factories. The more we do the eliminate unelected, self-interested oligarchies from our government, the better our democracy will be. More importantly, we will finally be able to freely check the abuses within the bureaucracy.

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1 In 18,000,000

The lottery. Your chances of winning are incredibly small. Apparently they've gotten even smaller in Ontario. Apparently lottery retailers have been collection prizes more often than the the odds would suggest. They've been defrauding people by saying winning tickets are losers and claiming the prizes themselves.

The Ontario Ombudsman has called an investigation into OLG retailers. A great waste of tax payer dollars in my opinion. There's an easy answer to this problem, and it comes right out of the Well Duh file. When a private corporation holds a customer contest, employees aren't allowed to enter. So, why not do the same with OLG employees. Duh.

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Milton Election Rigged?

Democracy died in Milton today with incumbents sweeping the election. My friends, I believe the Milton municipal election was rigged. Based on people I've talked to, the incumbents were highly unpopular. Voter turn out was only 10,000 yet poll stations were packed. The numbers simply do not add up.

Milton residents, stand up for your rights. Fight the results of this illegitimate election. Contact your MPP to force the province to review the results. We cannot allow this corruption to continue.

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Milton: Who Ever Wins, We Lose

It's been a long time since I posted a Milton article. The municipal elections are coming up. What is has been presented is a sad story of our local affairs. I witnessed local corruption first hand at the meeting dealing with the proposed mall to be built at Derry and Bronte back in October. A highly inappropriate location for such a facility. Both local residents and developer Field Gate Homes are strongly opposed to its construction. Mayor Krantz seems to have made up his mind, making a passing comment that we would have to appeal it to the OMB. Let us remember that this was not a meeting to vote on the proposed zoning change that would allow the mall, only for information and to voice opposition. I thus found the mayor's comment very odd. This leads me to believe that there is a lot of back door politics and kickbacks going on behind closed doors at Town Hall.

We now have less than one week before the election. Of the myriad of candidates, little information about them has been given. I place a great deal of blame on the local Canadian Champion newspaper about this. I feel they have not devoted enough on election coverage and have failed journalistically by not criticizing the local officials. Most of the information coming out is about the incumbents, which further adds fuel to my corruption theory. The local news has become nothing more than Mayor Krantz's personal photo album. Nobody knows what the other candidates stand for.

Personally, I will not be voting for anybody who is currently on council. I feel they've destroyed our town by selling us out to the developers. Shame. Unfortunately, I'm predicting landslide victories for the incumbents simply due to lack of voter information, and the disgustingly small turn out for municipal elections. Remember Miltonians, municipal elections effect you the most. Don't let these people back in office!

The Milton municipal election will result in an illegitimate government. The long time residents of Milton have lost our town forever. Welcome to New Brampton.

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US and Them

I'm often asked for my opinion about the United States. I usually don't have one, as we have enough problems here to worry about what they do. However, there are times that pop up that effect us a lot. A lot of Canadians dislike Americans. This has been a complete mystery to me as the vast majority I've met are polite, nice people. A far cry from the coldness of Torontonians.

The US has just wrapped up their mid-term elections. The Democratic party has taken control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994. The results for the Senate have yet to be released. It's hard to tell exactly what it means for Canada though.
Many Democrats have moved up to Canada in recent years. These people tend to be the most hard-core liberals who strongly oppose the Bush administration. A lot of these people have come up here with false beliefs about what Canada is and what it means to be Canada. The most common fallacy is that Canada is the United States without the problems. Of course that's not true, since we just wrapped the most important elections in recent history, which saw the Liberal party ousted for corruption. The ones interviewed on Global News last night think we're some sort of socialist paradise. It's amazing how people who have actually been living here know so little, like how the health care system they praise is no better than theirs. Studies have shown that. Our system is like stacking bricks on top of a wine glass. You know it will break, the question is when. It's funny how the most ignorant Americans are actually the ones who stare north with envy.

This election has been important for these people because it does switch the balance of power. However, I doubt our humble little country is going to see much gain out of it. Democrats are a more labour oriented party so we'll likely see a more protectionist economy, where production is domestically focused. Since Canada's economy hinges heavily on export to the US, this does not bode well for us. However, they will give into the powerful business lobby eventually. Border rules are not likely subject to change. Canada has become a convenient target for increased border security post-9/11 despite the thousands of illegal Mexican immigrants sneaking past their southern border on a daily basis. The Democrats will not want to appear weak on terrorism, especially homeland security, so we won't get any help from them on that issue. In fact, the Democrats have been calling for more limits of what we can bring across, trash in particular. Much of the key strategy will be to focus on America's war on terror on the other side of the globe, not at home. Iraq is going to dominate congress for the next while. My prediction is that relations between the US and Canada are not subject to undergo any change.

Finally, I'd like to wrap up with my view on George W Bush. Analytically, he sits outside of the conventional political spectrum. He is neither economically conservative or liberal. Socially, he sits far right about issues. He's a member of what's referred to as the Religious Right. A dangerous class of politically active people because they bring god into the picture. As far as I know, god has no vote, but his followers do. As a leader, Bush has done a poor job. He goes off in every direction with no focus. As a strategist, he is a genius. An expert on damage control and getting people to go along with him. The US unfortunately suffers from the same problems as Canada does. Poor leadership. There is nobody in either the Republican or Democratic party that stands out amongst the others. It's going to take a long while to bring the American ship of state back on course.

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University Students: More for Less

Once again, my fellow university students are fighting to get their tuition fees reduced. I do feel that we pay too much at the universities, but I'm starting to see the reasons why. University students are an interesting bunch. The South Park guys would say they like to smell their own farts. They're very smug. They think they're progressive and attentive to the issues. They're not. The issue of tuition fees has become all too black and white. These students should know better than to treat it like that.

The tuition debate has been raging for the past several years. In some fields, such as law, tuition has been increasing nearly exponentially. On average though, tuition increases this year were roughly between 1-6%. Dalton McGuinty followed through on an election promise to freeze fees for two years only. When the freeze was lifted, many students felt he had broken a promise. Though I do not like the man, he did not lie or break any promises in this case. The freeze was clearly stated to be for two years only, with caps of up to 6% after. Students still feel cheated.

Now here's the kicker. While students have been protesting the huge increases in tuition, they have also been demanding more on campus services. Services that cost money. Where I go, demands include 24 hour quiet study space, a more advanced gym, more money for clubs, and even child care services. In other words, they want to pay less money in tuition, but they want more money for other things. Often these demands are non-academic, related to what they call "campus life".
As an example, $5 is added to tuition for a dedicated fund to help purchase new books for the library. A poll of the student population held by the student council asked whether or not this money should be moved to fund clubs instead. I cannot remember the results of the vote, but I believe the student council's plan was voted in favour of transferring the funds. However, this was only a plebiscite, not a referendum. Only the university's administrators can make the final decision. I think this does show where the priorities are.
The more recent issue of child care at the universities has become a hot topic. The vast majority of students are aged 18-24. Staff members tend to range from 40-60. Most of the staff and students are outside of average child bearing age, which now is probably 25-35. The children of staff members tend to be old enough to look after themselves for short periods of time. So this begs the question, is child care really necessary. I think not. In four years, I've only met one student who had a young child. Universities should not be in the business of running such programs because they are such a financial drain. You have to hire day care workers and designate a room, buy toys and educational material. All that for a very small number of people. Likely, all students would be forced to share the burden of these services, rather than just those using them.

So who do these students want to pay for their new services? Ironically, themselves. Not in the form of tuition but in the form of higher taxes. They want tax payers to fork up the bill for their education. That would be a huge burden when government coffers are already stretched thin trying to pay for health care and primary & secondary educational services. There simply isn't enough money to have a "free" university system without having huge tax increases. I'm sorry my fellow students, but you're just going to have to buckle down, start saving, and stop wasting so much money on beer and parties. That's life, get used to it.
Besides, if university were "free", you can't honestly tell me you wouldn't take it for granted.

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The Trouble With Belinda

I'm glad I don't live in Newmarket/Aurora. Liberal MP Belinda Stronach controls this riding. She certainly is an interesting character in Canadian politics. She replaces Sheila Copps and Caroline Parish as the most controversial female in parliament. So who is Belinda Stronach? She's a business woman and heiress, her father owns auto parts giant Magna International. She was ran for the Conservative party leadership in 2003, loosing to Steven Harper. In 2004, she was elected as a Conservative MP for the Newmarket/Aurora riding in Ontario. Shortly there after, she engaged in a whirlwind romance with Conservative deputy leader Peter Mackay. She later dumped him, and the Conservatives and crossed the floor to the Liberals. She was re-elected as an MP in the same riding under the Liberal banner in early 2006 and continues to serve as an MP.

This week, she's back in the news after Mackay allegedly called her a dog in parliament. This was after a Liberal in opposition made a comment about Makay's actual dog. Stronach was not sitting in parliament at the time. No evidence of the infamous dog remark has been found on the record. Only Liberals claimed to have heard it. Somewhat disgustingly, it has dominated the news. Sometimes I wish Canada was more like the Republic of China, where they have first fights in their parliament. Issues with other MPs would certainly be solved faster that way.
This is not the first time Stronach has been in the news. She allegedly had a sexual relationship with hockey tough guy Tie Domi. She flatly denies this despite photographic proof existing to the contrary. Stronach had demanded an apology from MacKay over the dog comment.

Stronach herself is a political pawn. She knows this and plays it well. Her favorite defense is sexism. She only gets treated poorly simply because she is a woman. In reality, she is simply a poor little rich girl who knows how to manipulate people to get what she wants. The dog comment and the Domi incident only testify to her pawn role. However, this makes her a very ineffective leader. She simply does nothing other than play political games, and in reality stands nowhere on the issues. She would probably have joined the communist party without second thought if they offered her the same sweet deal that the Liberals did. The Liberals have carefully crafted the dog issue around her in order to make it appear that the Conservatives are anti-woman. They are in fact succeeding as female support has dropped sharply over the comment that many people in parliament weren't even sure was made. The Conservatives just the same played her in the Domi issue, attempting to destroy here credibility. When the next election comes, I highly recommend that Newmarket residents vote Stronach out on her backside, if only to put an end to the nonsense political games.

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Garbage Now at Our Borders

Mexico is no longer the place for American criminals to pay a visit. Canada is now the new hot travel destination for those who are less than law-abiding. This week however has presented us with one of the strangest court rulings in US history. A Buffalo man charged with sex offenses convicted. In lieu of jail time, he proposed he spend his three year sentence in Canada with his family. The judge agreed.

Woah! Back the truck up here. A US judge actually banished a man and is putting their garbage on our doorstep? Well, it wouldn't be the first time since we get tons of pre-caught felons coming up here. However, can this Buffalo judge even legally do this?

The simple answer is black and white. No they cannot. Canada has full rights to refuse entry or remove anyone of another nationality who has committed criminal acts. I'm also pretty sure that even though this person was convicted of a crime, it's unconstitutional to kick an American citizen out of their own country. Unfortunately, this issue is not black and white. The judge made his ruling and it stands unless a higher court rules the decision to be irresponsible. So now the US and Canada are debating what to do with this man. The man is now stuck living it up in legal limbo with his family in St Cathrines. The Canadian government is deciding whether or not to deport him. They likely will deport the man because they don't want to create a legal precedent that would allow US judges to use Canada as a giant penal colony. The US is also stuck between a rock and a legal hard place because they would have to appeal the decision, which takes time.

The ideal thing to do would be to detain this man for deportation while the US goes through the process. However, we would need to seek assurance that the US would pay for his detainment. We also need an agreement that ensures that this mess will never happen again.

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Don't Turf Turner, Turf Harper

I was very upset and disturbed by Halton MP Garth Turner being kicked out of the Conservative caucus. As I understood it, the Conservatives were going to give us a more US style government in which individual MPs were allowed to speak their minds. However, what we are getting is more Chrétien style attitude from the man in power. In other words, strong arming their MPs into line. Comments on Turuner's blog were cited for his removal from caucus. Turner is one of the only MPs who uses an electronic medium to talk to his constituents.

Former Hamilton MP Sheila Copps brought up an interesting point in this weeks Sun. She says that this move will backfire in Harper's face. Indeed it will for I will no longer be voting Conservative unless they apologize to Turner and reinstate his seat in caucus, and remove Harper as party leader. So far, Harper has been a disappointing leader, particularly to Progressive Conservative supporters like myself. He has given us a rather poor foreign policy coupled with more typical Liberal style antics on the home front.

The turfing of Turner however is just as much an institutional issue as it is a Conservative Party one. The fact that this would even be legal in a modern, western democracy is appalling. The Westminster system is simply too archaic to function effectively. Many people cite history as a reason not to change. However, history is a dialogue of change and change is what is needed. Canada must adopt a US style republic in which all sitting members in parliament are free to speak and vote as they choose. This system may be slower and has its flaws, but it is still more fair and balanced than the one Canada currently uses.

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Pony Up The Dough Tonto

Wow, a lot to cover this week.

Well, it's been nearly a year since the start of the Caledonia land dispute, and it shows no sign of ending. A recent report has found that the province of Ontario has found that total cost of policing the dispute and buying the land could cost up to $55 million before the protest ends. Ontario wants at least $25 million from the feds to pay for it, since police don't work cheap. However, why should the Canadian tax payer even be on the hook for this at all?

This farce in Caledonia makes you question who is really running the country. A group of natives sell a plot of land to a housing developer, then decide they want it back but refuse to return the money. They claim they didn't understand the deal. Sure, and I'm the queen. They know exactly what they're getting into because the white man will bend over backwards for the Indian and even hand them the bottle of lube. They know how to play off the white guilt felt in todays PC age.

I propose that the Iroquois First Nation should be made to pay for the protest. Their scam backfired and they started this dispute. They are the ones harassing the people living in Caledonia. Canadians should not be forced to pay for their temper tantrum.
As I have already said, the whole way we deal with the country's native people needs to change. It is archaic, places a huge burden on Canadians, and keeps the native people backwards. I cite the huge success of many who have left the reserves to join the rest of the world, yet without giving up their roots. They obviously are not inferior. The first step to brining them out of the hole they've been buried in is make them responsible for their actions against the greater society. It's time to stop treating Canada's First Nations like children.

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Unfab Five

Today, I'd thought I would look at the five leaders that are, or are claimed to be threatening world peace. Lets investigate the their threat to our country.

Osama Bin Laden
The Saltan of Terror, the king of Jihad. Osama (aka Usama) is a religious zealot bent on wreaking havoc where ever he goes. A typical spoiled rich kid, he has corrupted Islam to suit his own perverse hatred of the Western world. It is unclear why he does this.
Osama is directly responsible or inspired dozens of deadly terrorist attacks in the United States, United Kingdom, Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and several other countries. He has legions of followers who hold onto his every word. He and his followers do not fear god and they are not afraid to harm innocent people in order to achieve their goal of a fundamentalist Islamic world. In the process, he has put Islam against the rest of the world. Canada is on his hit list.

Threat to Canada: High
Likely Actions: Small to mid scale terror attack
Canadian Casualties: Up to 10000

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is driven by hatred and racism more than religion. Has stated he wants to wipe Israel off the map. His regime is fascist and Nazi-like. Current work if focused on developing a nuclear program. It is unknown whether or not this is for peaceful purposes or for war. Canada recognizes Israel's right to exist, and therefore puts us in opposition to Iran. Canada, however, is too far away and our military is busy elsewhere.

Threat to Canada: Low
Likely Actions: Nuclear attack on Israel, war with United States
Canadian Casualties: Likely none

Kim Jong Il:
Leader of the North Korean communist party and de facto ruler of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong Il is viewed as a cartoonish super villain and mad man. He is in fact a smart politician who knows how to manipulate the world. He lives in a great palace while his people starve. His regime is Stalinist and almost Orwellian. North Koreans have little or no freedom. Kim Jong Il is still living in the world of 50 years ago, and is still fighting the capitalist vs communist Cold War. North Korea is still technically at war with NATO, of which Canada is a member. He has recently developed nuclear weapons technology and has missiles that can reach North America.

Threat to Canada: Moderate
Likely Actions: Nuclear attack.
Canadian Casualties: Zero up to the millions if a nuclear weapon struck the west coast.

Hugo Chavez Frias:
President of Venezuela and leader of the bloodless Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chavez is a colourful character. He is a borderline communist, though hasn't made the move to go that far yet. He is a close ally of several dangerous nations including Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. Chavez is strongly anti-American and anti-western. He has encouraged revolutions and has called the US president the devil. He gained power democratically in 1998 after he lead two failed military coup attempts. Chavez was a middle ranking military officer and knows about tactics. Venezuela sits on a huge oil deposit, which the government has total control of. An oil trade embargo could cause economic havoc.
Chavez and Venezuela like to cheer and egg on America's enemies.

Threat to Canada: Low
Likely Actions: Oil trade embargo
Canadian Casualties: None

George W Bush:
Bush is the somewhat comical president of the US. Some would argue he is the biggest threat to the world, but he is in fact more of a threat to his own people. His poorly planned defense measures are full of weak spots. He likes to blame others for America's problems. Doesn't get his facts straight. He tends to point the finger at Canada's weak border, while thousands of Mexicans stream into the US in the south.

Threat to Canada: None
Likely Actions: Tighter border security
Canadian Casualties: None.

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Scapegoat

It's been some time since Michael Jackson sang "it doesn't matter if you're black or white". Society has made significant improvements since the civil rights movements of the 1960s, or has it? A lot of people would have you believe the reverse. Apparently, our society is slipping towards the levels of Nazi Germany with a credo fit for the KKK. What a curious world we live in.

Of course, I'm going to talk abour Air India. When Stephen Harper was elected Prime Minister, he promised that an inquiry to the 1985 Air India bombing would be held. It was thought that the criminal trial didn't really bring justice so it's hoped that this civil inquiry would help bring some answers and closure.
The inquiry itself is now underway, but is already seriously flawed. Former Ontario premier Bob Ray had done an indepth report on the disaster and trial about a year ago. His conclusion was that although the investigation had its problems, there was no racial bias. The head judge of the inquiry disagrees. He feels that racism indeed played a part in corrupting the investigation.

Racism seems to be the universal scapegoat for society's problems. Apparently, all white people do is try and keep brown people down. Plato called this a true lie. A lie that so corrupts people's souls that it destroys society. Indeed, white people do not focus soley on trying to bring others down. Sure, there are racist people, but they are a very small minority. However, percieved racism is the most dangerous type. It's what cases the problems in our society. Most often, you'll hear anti-immigrant blurbs from people of all stripes, but I have never witnessed anybody be treated differently due to their colour or ethnicity. Unfortunately, a lot of visible minorities enjoy using the term when ever they feel they've been wronged. In my opinion, calling someone in our society a racist when they clearly are not is a high insult.

So where am I going with this? Well, first of all, this inquiry should be stopped immediately. It's an enormous waste of tax payer money. It truly is tragic for the families who lost loved ones. I'm getting the feeling though that no matter what the ruling, they will be unsatisfied. I'd rather see my money spent on more important things.
The judge in the inquiry should be ashamed of himself as well for even making such comments. Judges are not supposed to express their opinions at trials. They are supposed to listen to arguments from both sides and when the trial finishes, they then make an unbiased decision based on the evidence. This truly proves what a three ring circus our justice system is. Justice John Major, who is making the accusations, is a Supreme Court Judge to boot. I think this sheds a lot of light on the system. Perhaps the money would be better spend on holding a public inquiry about an incompetent justice system. Let the judges face the jury for a change.

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Teach, Teach, Bang, Bang

The past month has been truly horrible. After the incident in Montreal, there seems to be a rash of copycat school shootings across Canada and the United States. Most recently was the execution style murders of five girls at an Amish school house in rural Pennsylvania.
School shootings seem to be becoming a disturbing trend again. They pop up about every five to ten years or so. Fortuantely, the most serious crime on the campus I attend is highway robbery, but these events have got me thinking. Are we really safe in our places of education?

It seems our youth in general are becoming increasingly violent. I'm not quite exactly sure why this is, but it's likely bad parenting plays a role. Parents not loving their kids enough and turning a blind eye to what they're doing. Not teaching them good values, such as how to resolve disputes without resorting to violence. Some of these people though are just nuts though. Then there's the whole thing about the games and TV watch; if you've read this blog long enough, you know where I stand on that.

So, are schools safe? Well, that depends. Inner city schools typically suffer higher rates of crime than suburban ones. Still, schools for the most part are safe places and parents need not worry. The truth is, the number of shootings of that magnitude, where people are targeted randomly, is very small. Your child is probably more likely to get hit by lightning than they are getting killed in that manor.

Even so, is there any way to prevent these horrible acts from happening? Unfortunately no. If someone wants to do it bad enough, they're going to do it. Gun controls won't work as they'll just obtain them illegally. Police on campus might work but don't act as a deterrant. The killer will still try to do his deed. All we can do is pray these disturbed people seek help before they act on their fantasies.

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How About this Heat?

Climate change is a common buzz word heard around the halls of parliaments these days. We aren't doing enough to stop global warming, so says Ontario Environmental Comissioner Miller. There seems to be a lot of attention put into pollution controls and environmentalism these days, almost too much, but it's still apparently not enough.
Controlling pollution is important. We know that breathing dirty air is bad for our health. Much of it is caused by people driving cars too big for their needs, and inefficient methods of transporting goods (ie transport trucks). However, is this really destroying out planet?

First of all, I am going to make a very controversial statement. Global warming is a fear tactic. It is simply fear mongering by environmental groups to force people to cut pollution. Is it a hoax? possibly. We have had hot summers over the past few years, but we've had some pretty fridged winters too. Looking at records from weather offices, this is not out of the ordinary. In fact, the kind of weather we get hasn't changed much at all. Heat waves were normal in the 60s and 70s. Some of the most violent storms, including hurricanes, date back to 50 or more years ago.
Another, more likely answer is that yes, our climate is changing but not because of us. Earth's atmosphere is very volitile and climate change happens very frequently. Since the time of the dinosaurs, Canada went from being tropical paradise, to grasslands, to frozen wastland, to it's present form several times over. On a global scale, humans are a pretty insignificant. If the planet wanted to, it could just bat us as if we were mosquitos. Recent bouts of harsh weather have become a convinient way to "prove" the end of the world is coming. However, hurricanes and storms tend to be cyclical in nature. 2005 was a terrible year for hurricanes. After Katrina, "scientists" started saying that we'd most likely see the same amount of storms in the coming years, but they'd be far more powerful. The 2006 hurrican season has now passed it's peak and has been quiet. No storms have caused significant damage. Weather is an inexact science and I think it's wrong that environmentalists keep telling people it is.

Global warming in recent years has become something like US president Johnson's infamous Daisy commercial from the 1960s. Getting people to side with groups and politicians by putting out visions of an impending apocolypse, unless we do what they say. While I believe we should do what ever we can to reduce pollution. It's our home, keep it clean. Pollution levels are slowly dropping and the hole in the ozone layer has even begun to close. The world is not going to end anytime soon so lets cool it on global warming.

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Air Sickness

I've been an aviation enthusiast for years. I'm officially declaring war on NDP MP Olivia Chow. Once again, it's over Toronto City Centre Airport (aka the island airport) and Porter airlines.

Three years ago, Toronto mayor David Miller made a campaign promise to end construction of a bridge to the island airport, a promise he made good on. Unfortunately for Toronto tax payers, the contracts had already been awarded and singed. The contractor threatened to sue the city for breaking contract. The fight has again been reignited over Porter Airlines. This new airline will fly deHavilland Dash-8s, twin engine turbo-prop airliners on a route to Ottawa, with other Canadian and American cities possible in the future.

You may be asking what's the big deal? Numorous reasons have been given. The most commonly cited problems are air and noise pollution. Other claims made are runways being too short. For those who don't know, a turbo-prop is basically a jet engine that uses a gear driven propeller. Unlike conventional jets, it's a closed, low power system. They are quieter and more energy efficient than big jets and piston engine planes. The planes themselves are no louder and do not pollute more than any other vehicle that operates in the area. Turbo-props also do not need long runways as jet airliners do, so the island airport's are more than long enough.

So what's the real reason to close this aiport? To find the anwer, we must travel three kilometers east across the harbour, to The Docks. The Docks are a massive entertainment complex along the waterfront. A couple months ago, the nightclub there had it's alcohol licence temporarily revoked due to noise complaints. Where did those complaints come from? The Toronto Islands, more specifically, the people who live on the eastern half of the islands.

Recent polls have shown that the vast majority of Torontonians feel the airport issue is dead. Even those who live in the downtown don't care. Many feel the airline is a good idea. Even at the best of times, it's a long drive to Pearson Airport from the downtown. A lot of people travel frequently to Ottawa and Montreal and have welcomed Porter. People like the idea of an airport in walking or transit distance. However, Island residence are not like most people. I believe "crunchy granola" has been used to describe them. They are in general quite socialist. Right up David Miller and Olivia Chow's ally. Much of the fight over the waterfront has been started by them. Though I do not oppose revitalizing the waterfront (as long as only Toronto pays for it), I do not believe a small minority of people should be dictating what should be done. First of all, the islands were meant as a park. The people living there are squatters. The city has tried for years, with mayors as recently as Mel Lastman trying to get them to leave. They are living there illegally. The airport is crown land. Both the recent Liberal and Conservative governments have refused to listen to complaints. Only the NDP seems to want to make this an issue.

So what should be done about the airport? Leave it, build that bridge, and let the issue die. Simple as that. It's time to end the dithering by Toronto's mayor and the NDP and focus on the real issues in the city such as crime and a crumbling transit system.

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Bridge It

The big story this week has been the collapse of an over pass in Montreal. Several people were killed. It's raised some questions about the safety of our roads and bridges in Canada. My family has operated a small civil engineering firm that builds bridges around Ontario for the past 12 years. Are our bridges safe? For the most part they are. I can at least say the ones we've built are with a spotless MTO record to back that up.
However, there are some inherant flaws in our infrastructive. They come in the form of poor work by government engineers, shoddy construction by shiftless companies, and a lack of funding for road repair.

Canada's roads are simply a disgrace. I've been to second and third world countries in the Caribbean and Latin America that have better roads then we do. I'm not making that up. Are highways are crumbling. They are maintained by simple patchwork and shotcrete that simply holds them together for just a little longer. Governments will do anything to put off work. I've seen some bridges that look like they've been through a war zone. Harsh Canadian winters, heavy vehicles, and overuse of road salt take their toll on steel, concrete, and asphalt. Government engineers just seem to turn a blind eye to these problems. When bridges are slated to be worked on, they often do not know what needs to be done or how to go about it. They rely on contractors to do that. Unfortunately, some contractors are shiftless. They cut corners and bid work too cheap. Governments just do not seem to view roadwork as important, or any form of transit for that matter.

This is the kind of topic I could write a book about, but lets cut to the chase. How do we solve it.
Well first, we need to send %100 of the gas tax into road work. Not the 10% that governments are currently offering. The biggest mistake governments made was putting gas taxes into general revenue. Once they did that, little of the money went to where it was supposed to go.
Bridges also need more frequent, more thorough inspections. MTO engineers claim they inspect them at least once a month, but they do not. In reality, inspections are probably carried out once a year, if that. Number three, competant contractors should be rewarded and shiftless ones should be kept a closer eye on. Governments should only rely on contractors to do the work, not to figure out how to do it. Better engineers need to be hired and there must be better communication in engineering departments and with contractors.

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Green Party Platform Interging

It seems that the Green Party is beginning to make itself as a possible fourth contender at the federal level. Today they issued a peak at their platform under new leader Elizabeth May. The platform of course is focused on environmental issues but also offers a carrot to fiscal conservatives. Lets take a look at what I like and what I don't.

There are many tax cuts in the program. On the chopping block are income and payroll taxes. It also introduces tax breaks for fuel efficient small cars and extra fees on gas guzzlers and SUVs. They also plan to provide rebates for those who purchase energy efficient appliances and upgrades for their homes. They will also end government subsidizing to the Alberta oil sands. As an advocate of the free market economy, a lot of this makes sense, especially ending subsidizing. Tax breaks are always welcome. The national parks system is also planned to be expanded, which is good for tourism.

What I don't like is the over focus on environmental issues. Particularly a so called "carbon tax" that would tax fossil fuels more. There is enough tax on these as it is. Fossile fuels tend to be an inelastic item that sells no matter what the price so this wouldn't work. Discouraging fossil fuel use is also not a good idea. Much of Canada is rural and small town so peddle power is hugely impractical. There are no working alternatives to petrolium on the market yet. Taxing chemicals is also harmful to business. They call it tax shifting by reducing income and corporate taxes but transfering them to goods they consider dangerous.

The biggest problem with the Greens is their narrow focus. Just when they seem to come up with some good ideas, they bunggle it. They build an entire platform on environmental issues but leave out everything else. There was no mention of health care, education, immigration, or the military in their platform. Their environmental plans themselves sound good on paper, but in practice are either impractical or cannot work period. This is why they will never receive a seat in parliament, at least not in the forseeable future.

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Thoughts for the Week

I have not had the time to post any full articles so here's some quick thoughts on this week's news.

Belinda Stronach's alledged affair with Tie Domi is the big story. Stronach cannot understand why it's attracted so much media attention. She believes the harsh critisism she's received is a result of sexism stating it would not get the same reaction if she were a man. Try telling that to Bill Clinton.

The federal Conservatives have cut $1 billion in programs. Liberals are outraged saying the cuts harm the most vulnerable. In other words, pot smokers.

Travel restrictions have been relaxed. You can no bring liquids and gels in containers no bigger than 90ml. You can still bring drinks on the plane provided you bought them at the terminal, for $3 a bottle.

The Ontario Liberals have offered voters a carrot on a stick in the form of banning expiry dates on gift cards. It's about time, but this is something that's only going to win over the stupid. Unfortunately, there's a lot of them.

President of Venezuela George Lopez, er, Hugo Chavez called George W Bush the devil. Yes, it's the gringo's fault his country is in the trash, rather than it's own corrupt, dictatorial government. This from a man calling Bush violent and undemocratic who just happened to lead a military coup in his own country, twice, before being elected president. I don't even think his best buddy Fidel Castro hates America that much.

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MMN Blog News

Here's what's going on with the MMN blog.

Unfortunately, I did not get around to our anniversary year in review. Due to time constraints, I didn't get an opportunity to write such a large series of articles.

On the plus side, we now have a new interactive web forum. It allows those interested in politics to discuss and debate issues found here on MMN. It's more flexible to the blog style, which users can only post comments in regards to my articles. Registration is free so give it a try. I will get the link posted on the directory bar ASAP, in the mean time, you can click the link below to get there.
http://martinsmillnews.proboards102.com/index.cgi

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"Two Rs Come September"

The kids have finally gone back to school. Summer seems like it could go on forever, then BAM, it's September already. At least Christmas and Thanksgiving are around the corner.

Now, down to business. It looks like the 2006/2007 school year is not going to be without conflict, which is nothing new. This time we have school boards whining for a change. They must alternate with the teachers every other year.
The Toronto District School Board has been leading the complaints this year. I don't have the exact data in front of me, but I believe they are $80 million in the red. The TDSB has refused to balance its budget forcing the province to investigate them. The TDSB claims the old 1998 funding formula is no longer enough for a 2006 education system, due to rising energy costs, and other unforseen expenses. The people in Toronto are only a case study for the growing problem of fiscal mismanagement in today's education system. They are guilty of the sort of things that would get somebody working in the private sector fired. Of course, it's always easier to spend someone else's money.

The TDSB now needs to find a way to cut $80 million from it's budget. However, they don't want to cut anything. Too bad as running up huge debts only makes things worse for students in the long run. Throwing more money at the problem isn't the answer either. The province already tried that by giving them some $200 million, which apparently wasn't enough. What people choose to ignore is that the TDSB's operating costs should indeed be going down as enrollment is declining. They also sit on a huge pool of assets that are being underused, if used at all.

A few years back, the TDSB closed several schools. The problem is, they are still holding onto them, and still paying expenses on them. These schools will continue to go unused for the forseeable future due to the province's aging population. Why then, do they insist on keeping them. Many of these schools have degraded into eyesores with weeds so tall in the playground they resemble wild jungles. With a lack of commercial space in the GTA, the properties would likely sell very quickly. Schools can easily be converted to office space and the playgrounds in the back could add some much needed greenery. It's seems insane for an organization to hang onto something so useless, that's costing so much to upkeep. (yep, there's a teacher joke in there too) The TDSB also has assets that it has no business owning, such as pools. These should be sold to the city. School boards are not in the business of parks and rec either. Though the board claims assets can only be sold once, they forget about the money they're saving by not having to pay upkeep expenses.

Then there is the issue of over-employment. The schools have more teachers, lunchrooms supervisors, and assistants than you can shake a yard stick at, even though they like to tell people otherwise. All this hiring was done to keep class sizes under 30 kids. Studies have shown that lower student/teacher ratios do not necessarily mean a better education, only less work for teachers. In post secondary education, classes can be 10 times (or more) bigger than those in public schools, with student/teacher ratios usually being 100:1. People who attended school from about 1950-1970 typically had classes of 40 or more students due to the baby boom, yet did not suffer. Much of the focus on education recently has been in fact lowering workload for teachers, rather than improving the quality of education for students. Teachers typically work only 30-40 hours a week, including marking time, which is no more than anybody else does. Not to mention they only work about 42 weeks a year. Their pay rate is roughly between $40-60/hour, which is equivilant to that of a skilled tradesperson or small business owner. My estimates on teacher pay are actually four years out of date, under the Conservative government. Teachers make about 5-10% more annually today. I conservatively estimate 70-80% of current education funding goes to pay for teacher salaries and benefits.
Class sizes should be capped at a more practical 40 students. There should be a teacher hiring freeze, and any wage increases should equal the rate of inflation except in the case of promotions.
Then there is the large number of unionized support staff, such as teaching assistants and lunchroom supervisions that demand premium cash for what should be a minimum wage job. Quite frankly, these people serve little use. Back when I was little, they had hall monitors, older students or parent volunteers who did what these supervisors are getting paid for today. Schools also do not need to hire these so called Teachers' Aids. They can get these as volunteers or co-op students from teacher's colleges. It's sad to lay any working person off, but you can't keep somebody on when you simply can't afford to keep them. Lunch room supervirsors and Teacher's Aids need to go.

There are also several programs that can also go. Breakfast and lunch clubs are a total waste of tax payer cash. I find if difficult to believe that there are that many kids in Toronto that go hungry because they are too poor to afford a slice of toast in the morning. Some of these programs even exist in afluent areas! Parenting courses should also be given the boot. If you don't have the instincts necessary to raise a child, wear a condom. If these problems are so rampant, they should be taken over by the city instead, or be administered by the Ministry of Health.

Now for the board itself. The TDSB recently voted to give trustees a $20,000 raise. Most corporate CEOs are lucky to get that much in one go. This raise added over $400,000 to the $80 million deficit. Trustee wages should be equal to the rate of inflation and for cost of living only. Being an elected official is not a job for life anyway. Trustees should be limited to a maximum of two or three terms in office. This gives them plenty of time to achieve goals. Parents also need more say at school board meetings. After all, they should have a say on what's to be done with their money. People also need to start voting in municipal elections.
I'm sure we can also find ways to cut a lot of bureaucratic waste within the TDSB as well. Government offices also suffer from over-staffing and uncessessary expenses.

It's not impossible for school boards to balance budgets. In fact, even with this "dreadful" Mike Harris funding formula, there is plenty of money to go around. It all boils down to gross mismanagement at the hands of school board trustees and administrators. Only parents can take action against them. Watch this issue closely and send a strong message to these trustees come November. Anybody who doesn't vote in municipal elections is a moron, as they will have the most direct effect on you and your family.

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Troll Under the Bridge

Remember the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff you were told as a kid? It was about a troll under a bridge. Toronto has its own troll under the bride, his name is Chris Gardener.

Chris Gardener has taken the spotlight recently. You see, he lives under the Gardener expressway at Spadina. He has done so for the past 8 years. He built a makeshift house under the highway in which he stole electricity and payed no tax on. He even has his "property" fenced in. Gardener's career choice to support his "house" is drug dealer. Gardener (as he has named himself, after his place or residence) hasn't been a major problem until recently. The city of Toronto needs to make repairs to the highway. He needed to be moved as his choice of residence would pose a safety hazzard to himself and construction workers.

The political fallout has been over Gardener being moved. Gardener recounted the story that eight years ago, while he was in Montreal, God came to him and told him that landlords have no right to charge rent. Thus Gardener travelled to Toronto and set up his shack under the highway. Judging by this statement alone, we can safely assume that Gardener is a frosty chocolate nut bar with a brain turned to nouget. The city has repeatedly offered him welfare, affordable housing, and treatment for his mental issues. All of which he has refused. Gardener simply does not want to be a part of our society, though he won't go as far as moving to a cabin in the woods, which would be a far more appropriate place if he wants to drop out.

Of course, OCAP has to get involved in all of this. The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, a radical Toronto based anachist group, was attracted to his story like flies on cow pies. More alarming is that they tend to agree with Mr Gardener and "God" that people should be allowed to live for free. OCAP is simply getting more comical as the days go on. Perhaps they should host their protests at Second City and get some money out of making people laugh at them. This is a group that has failed to attract the attention of political parties due to their beyond communist, extreme far left tactics. Today, they attempted to block Mr Gardener's eviction. Fortunately, they were peaceful, but not without giving people a hard time. Mr Gardener's shack was rightly demolished and work can now proceed on the highway safely.

The story doesn't end there though. It brings about some questions about the true nature of poverty in the city of Toronto. The question is, should we allow this type of behaviour? More low income housing seems to be the magical cure-all that OCAP is proposing. The fact is, there are already tons of low income housing projects in Toronto. One must be making an income first though. Homeless do not. They simply choose to live on the streets even though there are plenty of safe alternatives. I don't buy the mental issue argument either Despite what OCAP wants, nobody can, nor should live for free. That's the nature of most societies. If everybody is going to get things handed out to them, well, who is going to produce and manage those things? Even in communist countries, that type of behaviour is unacceptable. Sorry Mr Gardener and OCAP, you loose and you always will.

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Time To End Air Travel Restrictions

This is getting more silly by the day. Since last week, it is now illegal to carry liquids and gels onto a plane. Seniors and children even are not allowed to bring water or juice with them.

Restrictions on what can be carried aboard a plane is simply a sign of how flawed the security at airports is. It has long be known that explosives can be made in liquid for, yet they have just been banned. The big question is if this ban is really justified. I say it isn't. We are punishing an entire population of innocent people. We are not protecting them, but are simply taking away their civil liberties due to the incompetance of security officials. It won't be long before we won't be able to fly with anything in the cabin, including our clothes. Yep, we'll all be nakid.

El Al Israel airline doesn't have these bans. You'd think they'd be terrorism target #1 but they don't suffer from these problems. Why? They are carful of who they let on board. Yes, they profile. That seems to be a dirty word, profiling. However, it is a step we must take. We cannot keep punishing those who have done nothing as a few would choose to turn airplanes into weapons of murder. It is unlikely a 90 year old grandma from Saskatoon is going to strap a bomb to herself in the name of Mohammed and Allah. The odds of being involved in a terrorist attack are less than that of being hit by lightning.
The least disruptive way is to monitor those who get on board the plane, not by what they have on them, but rather who they are. More hightech security is also needed at airports such as chemical sniffers. Rather than ban stuff, just check for things that could be used by someone who might be a terrorist, and leave the rest alone.
Perhaps we should also redesign the planes while we are at it. Buses in Britain in the mid 20th century had a separate driver cab. We should do this with planes. Have cockpit and cabin separated by a solid bulkhead with separate doors. Make it so the cockpit can only be accessed from outside the plane. This would most certainly prevent hijackings. Systems such as gas could also incapacitate attackers in the cabin without harming them. This would be far more effective than simply taking away each and every right we have when we fly.

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Big Problems

This is a BIG day for MMN. It's a BIG milestone, the 100th post. Today I'd thought I'd tackle a BIG issue. That being, how BIG a problem our kids are getting, because they are so BIG!

That's right, 26% of children are considered obese. Roughly 1 in 2 are overweight. That's a huge number of huge kids. Off these kids, only 8% of their parents consider then to have a weight problem. This has created a health care crisis. It is estimated that this current generation of children will not live longer than their parents, the first time in over a century. This problem will likely end up costing the health system billions.

Kids are inactive. That's the problem. I don't see many kids playing outside as I did when I was a kid, which wasn't that long ago. The government and the entertainment industry usually get most of the blame. The government is targeted because they supposedly are not providing healthy lunches in cafeterias, physED, and nutritional programs. The entertainment industry is accused of feeding an inactive lifestyle due to television and video games. It's all well and good to play the blame game. Though cafeterias in schools should provide healthier food, physED programs are adequate as they are and nutritional classes are unnecessary. Healthy active living is something that needs to begin at home. The majority of parents of overweight kids are overweight themselves. They also pack so much into their scheduels that they have no time or don't even know how to make healthy meals. Many children these days are brought up on frozen, pre-cooked food. This food is loaded with saturated and transfat, as well as unhealthy doses of salt. Parents simply let their kids sit around the house or are so afraid that a pervert is going to snatch them if they go outside. Quit worring, statistics show that's no more likely than it was years ago. Kids need unstructured play to stay healthy. Peewee sports can also be a good idea but not all kids like sports. They need to be encouraged to be active in other ways. If we get our kids outside, we will eliminate this preventable disease.

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Halton MP Makes National News: A Rouge

Back in January, the people of Halton region voted Conservative party member Garth Turner into office as their representative. He is one MP that has not been without controversy. Particularly his refusal to tow the party line. While I don't agree with some of his decisions, I find that Mr Turner has finally brought a voice to Halton region after Liberal MP Gary Carr was voted out. Mr Carr being the ever silent and loyal back bencher, a sleeze, just what Paul Martin wanted. The Liberal MP before Carr also showed dignity by leaving the party after the sponsorship scandle.

This debate over Mr Turner has sprung a vote within the conservative party that will ultimately decide who gets to represent Halton. Turner has frequently been at odds with Steven Harper who can best be described as Bush Light. Though his leadership on the home front has been good, foreign policy has been questionable. What Turner is trying to do is hold his own party leader acountable, as was promised in the 2006 election. People don't like this because they fear an ununified US based system. Surprisingly this would actually work better, though democracy would be slower. A republic is still better than our antiquated system steeped in useless pomp and pagentry. Canadians however fear change. We need more MPs to speak out on citizens behalf rather than simply towing this silly party line concept. That's what democracy is supposed to be about. Halton citizens should support Mr Turner.

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Harper No-Show at AIDS Conference: Who Cares?

The big thing in the media this week was why Prime Minister Steven Harper did not show up for the AIDS conference currently being held in Toronto. I guess it's been a slow news week. There's only so much one can talk about petty issues such as wars between Hezbolla and Isreal, and terror in the UK.

Socialists like to try to find every single fault in their right of center buddies. Fortunatley for us on the right side, we don't have to look for the faults of those on the left because they are so obvious, even blind people can see them plain as day.
Federal health minister Tony Clements has attended to conference to my knowledge. He is in charge of the portfolio that administers treatment for the disease. Does the Prime Minister really need to attend as well. According to non-Canadian Richard Gere, he does. Mr Gere probably had to consult Buddah, or more likely Google Maps to even find where Canada is so I hardly think he's in a possition to criticise our government. Typical Hollywood smug but unfortunately this demi-gods of tinsle town carry a lot of pull amoung the idiotic socialist proles. Now everybody has jumped on the bash Steve bandwagon, including, I believe, former US president and non-Canadian Bill Clinton. I'm sure if his wife wasn't running for president in 2008, he wouldn't be there.

The last time the AIDS conference was held in Canada was 1996. Apparently, then Prime Minister Jean Chretien did not attend either, yet he didn't receive the same amount of criticism. There is a huge double standard in the way we treat our politicians in this country. We should hold all government officials accountable yet it is simply not fair to criticise one leader for not attending, but not to criticise another.

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