888...NDP At A Crossroads

Your Toronto Star has a piece from Angelo Persichilli that summarizes the dilemma that Jack Layton and the Dippers are in. One can synthesize the problem to this concise paragraph:

There is a split in the party. There are some who are tired of being in opposition and want to be in government. Others would prefer to remain in opposition and keep preaching what is right for Canadians without being bothered by the annoying question of what is possible. Going in either direction presents some problems for the NDP leader. However, the worst decision is not to make one at all and risk losing both options.

We have seen this movie before with Ed Broadbent and I am willing to wager that Mr. Layton will dilly and dally and squander whatever political capital the NDP and their 36 seats have.

WFDS

812...Elizabeth May Deathwatch

In the Toronto Star this morning Joanna Smith writes that environmentalist Briony Penn says that Elizabeth May is going to crash and burn in her chosen riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands in B.C.

Ms. Penn knows Saanich-Gulf Islands, the former Green Party card holder ran for the Liberal Party in the last election and was defeated by Tory minister the Honourable Gary Lunn. She says that as much as she would like to see the Green Party leader, Ms. May, in the House of Commons, "...it would take an extraordinary miracle for Elizabeth to win."

What the former Liberal candidate fears most is what is going to happen; Ms. May will split the non Conservative vote giving Mr. Lunn a clear path to reelection.

WFDS

802...Toronto Star Says We Want An Majority

So vote Liberal already!

In a story for TorStar this morning, Bruce Campion-Smith has a cute lead:

"Do you yearn for days when federal elections were rare events like eclipses or comets, not an annual chore like raking the leaves?"

Mr. Campion-Smith goes on to reference a Harris-Decima poll that indicates that citizens of the Great White North have a strong desire, at a ratio of two to one, to be governed by a majority government. The problem is that what the electorate wants and what it will give itself are two separate things.

Nik Nanos, another pollster, doesn't rule out a majority, stating that the results of the election are on the shoulders of Michael Ignatieff.

Time to hit it out of the park, Mikey I, time to hit it out of the park.

WFDS

673...Checking In Fro' The 'Peg, Steven Fletcher

The Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State [Democratic Reform] has been a busy man writing letter after letter to the papers that matter.

Check it out:

Montreal Gazette

Bloc not targetted [sic]

Fri Aug 14 2009

Page: A12

Section: Editorial / Op-Ed

Source: The Gazette

Re: "Duceppe: I am not a quitter" (Gazette, Aug. 13).

While others have advocated ending the per-vote subsidy only for the Bloc Québécois, that is not the position of our Conservative government.

We believe that no party should have its operations supported by this taxpayer subsidy and that all parties should be primarily funded by their supporters. In fact, the Conservative Party would lose the most money should the per-vote subsidy be ended.

To suggest, as your story does, that the government would target a specific party is wrong and a misrepresentation of our view.

Steven Fletcher

Minister of State

(Democratic Reform)

Ottawa

End taxpayer subsidy of parties

The Toronto Star

Fri Aug 14 2009

Page: A24

Section: Editorial

Rewriting the rules won't make Bloc

Go away, Column, Aug. 11

While some have advocated ending the per-vote subsidy only for the Bloc Quebecois, that is not the position of our Conservative government. We believe that no party should have its operations supported by this taxpayer subsidy and that all parties should be primarily funded by their supporters.

Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Democratic Reform), Ottawa

This, of course, is some serious bullsh't.

WFDS

613...To Stop Or Not To Stop At A Stop Sign

In Idaho the law allows those of us who ride two wheelers to treat stop signs as yield signs.

Of course more people live in my building than live in Idaho.

Closer to home a story by Dave Feschuk in Sunday's Toronto Star reports that out of 159 riders only 21 stopped for the red marker.

The question being posed is should we have an Idahoian type law for bikes in our home and native land?

WFDS

517...Is Stephen Harper Losing It?

You can tell when a letter to the editor is serious; that is when they include their initial. For some reason, including your initial, as in The World Famous Dan J. Shields, adds gravitas to my blog.

Here is a very serious letter to the Toronto Star from D. Scott Barclay, Georgetown.

D. Scott Barclay, Georgetown.

I think that the initial in front of his name indicates that he is extra, extra, extra serious about what he is writing.

Here is his very, very, very serious letter:

Is Stephen Harper losing it? The world is in the worst recession since the '30s, facing massive unemployment; basic food prices, hunger and poverty are skyrocketing. AIDS and TB are back on the rise. Tensions in the Middle East and Korea have never been higher.

Only one leader stepped up on to the world stage at the most critical G8 summit in its history and felt compelled to take the opportunity to launch yet another personal character attack on his parliamentary rival back home. It's Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.

Do any of the other world leaders digress from their crucial mission at the summit to degrade their domestic competition? Of course not, it's not the right place nor time. The fact that he employed a misquote is ironic, but secondary.

This type of grossly inappropriate judgment and repetitive behaviour is not benign. It betrays a character problem, a serious insecurity with oneself and one's role; an obsessive-compulsive personality.

A leader who is consumed with political paranoia and fixated at all times on his or her domestic opponent cannot lead effectively. It's just not possible to navigate the rocky road ahead while staring backward over one's shoulder.Perhaps it's time the Conservatives ask themselves if they need a new leader.

D. Scott Barclay, Georgetown

See, I told you he was serious.

WFDS

480..."We Take Pride..."

"...investing in Pride".

So said the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty yesterday in Windsor.

The Toronto Star report says that Queen's Park is proud of its $300,000 contribution to Toronto Pride Week - in sharp contrast to the consternation in Ottawa over a $397,500 federal donation to the popular gay and lesbian festival. The Premier was quoted as saying "I can't speak for my colleagues in Ottawa, whatever their political stripe, but I can say that we take pride in investing in Pride. It's one of the single largest tourism draws to benefit our province, it generates millions and millions of dollars, it awakens more and more of the world to the fact that we have a tolerant, accepting society here in Ontario and here in Canada."

The province understands that festivals such as Pride inject tons of money into the GTA and are a win win for all concerned.

Would someone please alert Stephen Harper to this fact.

WFDS

471...400 Large For Pride: First Time, Last Time?

Stephen Harper ponied up 400 000 shekels for Toronto Pride and this morning's Toronto Star reports that the "contribution provoked a backlash from within the ranks of MPs and Conservative supporters."

OMG.

Really?

You mean to tell me that there are rednecks, er, homophobes, in the Conservative ranks?

OMG.

Really?

Darren Cunningham, a spokesman for Industry Minister Tony Clement, yesterday said that future financial help for Toronto's Pride Week was "under review" but said that was not directly related to Conservative dissent.

I love it when they lie but seem so sincere doing so.

Mr. Cunningham says that "We're in the midst of doing a review...to ensure that the funding is providing genuine stimulus to the economy..." including reflecting federal support of the Calgary Stampede and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, support that, for example, faces the same review.

Yeah, surrrrre.

WFDS

402...Making The Playing Field Equal

The Liberal Party of Canada is.

Rocco Rossi, the national director of the party, is, in a story reported by Susan Delahunt in this morning's Toronto Star, positively over the moon with the news that, in the post Stephane Dion era, party membership has more than doubled, from 40k to 90k, and revenues for the first half of 'o9, five mil, are almost as high as they were for all of last year, 5.9 mil.

Making the playing field equal with the Tories.

WFDS

386...Jack Layton Done Like Dinner?

Now that JACK FM in Toronto is history the only Jack left in the Big Smoke is Jack Layton and if one is to believe what Richard J. Brennan wrote in this morning's Toronto Star, Jack2 is on his way out too.



By the way, you know, you know when they use an initial they mean business. If it was merely "Richard Brennan", okay, but "Richard J. Brennan" now we are talking some serious stuff.



I digress.

In a story headlined "Layton goes from kingmaker to bystander; Bubble has burst for NDP leader since coalition, and party has lost its momentum from 2008 vote" Mr. Brennan makes the point that when compared to Stephane Dion, Jack Layton was brilliant. When compared to the next Prime Minister of Canada, Michael Ignatieff, not so brilliant.

Support for the Dips was as high as 27 per cent during the fall election period; right now it is about 15 and that will translate into a lot of ex NDP MPs if it stays that way.

WFDS

325...I Am Glad There Is No Election This Summer

Bob Hepburn in this morning's Toronto Star, not so glad. He lists a half dozen reasons why Michael Ignatieff should have triggered an election this summer, an election that would have made Mikey I. the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Mr. Hepburn thinks that Prime Minister Stephen Harper must be a bus driver because he sure took Mr. Ignatieff to school.

He goes on to list the reasons that Canadians should have gone to the polls this season.

First off, the economy. Last fall the Tories were predicting rosy times and a budget surplus; 8 months later they are now forecasting the largest deficit in Canadian history. Secondly, employment insurance isn't; for example, less than 25 per cent of unemployed workers in Toronto can collect EI benefits. Point three is the claim by the PM that 80 per cent of the infrastructure initiatives promised in the spring budget are already being implemented. No, it is tied up in red tape and will take for freaking ever to hit the streets.

Point four is that the Conservative dominated Parliament is smoke and mirrors. While the country goes to hell in a handbasket the Tories are talking about sending people who grow a couple or three pot pants to jail. While the biggest companies in the country are in the ditch, MPs from all parties are spending their days yelling at each other about lost tape recorders. Mr. Hepburn reports that "...Parliament has not passed a major piece of non-budgetary legislation since the Tories took power in January 2006." That is three and a half years ago. Fifth point ties into number four and it is Stephen Harper's contempt of Parliament. He thinks so little of The House of Commons that he released his economic update last week in Guelph with a phony question-and answer session hosted by Senator Mike Duffy, the former TV hack who brown nosed his way into a cash for life job.

Final point is the attitude towards Toronto. Love it or hate it, Toronto is the centre of our country culturally and economically and has the largest most diverse population. The Tories hate this Tronna. "The most blatant example came last week when Transport Minister John Baird told his aides that Toronto officials who were complaining about Ottawa's slow handling of requests for infrastructure money 'should f--- off.'"

WFDS

306...Win/Win For Mikey I.

At least that is what Steve Travers indicates in this morning's edition of the Toronto Star. Mr. Travers opines that, after all is said and done in Ottawa this week, Michael Ignatieff will either be on his way to being elected Prime Minister of Canada or, if the Conservatives/New Democrats/Bloc Quebecois blink, "...exorcises the Stephane Dion demon."

Four elections in five years is not something to be thrilled about for certain and a summer 2009 election will not bring in a majority government that is for certain, setting The Dominion up for yet another soon-to-come election, but no matter what happens, Mikey I. is going to come out of this smelling like a rose.

His time may not have come, but it is coming.

WFDS

243,,,Tory Cabinet Discipline

Does not seem to exist.

First, at least I think this was the first f'up, Maxime Bernier, the biker chick and secret papers left lying around her flat.

Secondly is was Lisa "I think cancer is sexy" Riatt.

This morning John Baird is quoted by the Toronto Star as saying that "Toronto should f'k off."

My sentiments exactly.

Except I am not a Minister of the Crown.

Pay attention Max, Lis', Rusty, pay attention.

WFDS

214...Prime Minister Michael Ignatieff

Say it out loud.

Really sounds nice eh? A sound full of promise.

Last night at a fundraiser in Montreal the next Prime Minister of Canada said he will restore arts funding that all but sunk the Conservatives in La Belle. The Toronto Star report this morning goes on to state that Mr. Ignatieff promised to reinstate arts and culture programs savaged by the Conservatives.

Mikey Mike went on to say that "I want a government that understands that (Cirque du Soleil founder) Guy Laliberte, (playwright) Robert Lepage, and (composer) Robert Charlebois aren't just artists," he offered, "but symbols of the creative energy that we want to display in all the population." He didn't mention my personal favourite, Julie Snyder of Star Academie and Le Banquier but that was a mere oversight.

The future does look bright; the new look Liberal Party has now pulled even with the Bloc Quebecois in the polls, leaving the Tories in the dust.

WFDS

208...Statistics and Lies

I believe, working from memory here, I believe it was Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who later would be honoured by having Eric Clapton's band Cream name an album after him, that said something like "Statistics and lies are similar". And if he didn't, well, someone else did.

Point being.

In yesterday's Toronto Star which, of course, also serves the Hamilton, Ontario market, there was a statistic, a poll to be more accurate, that Jim "I want an NHL team" Mr. Balsillie paid for in both Hamilton and Phoenix, Arizona, the home of the hopefully future Hamilton Steelers of the NHL.

[Get to the point.]

Right.

Point being, what was polled was the preferences each community had for local professional sports leagues. What smelled of bulls't was that in Phoenix. Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona, USA. In the Southwest corner of the United States of America allegedly 3 per cent of the Phoenixians [?] follow the Canadian Football League.

Get out of here.

WFDS

204...What Once Was New Is Now Old

While we in my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario debate what to do with Lansdowne Park, our venerable football stadium, which was last refurbished as a Centennial Project in the mid 1960's, comes this little tidbit of information courtesy of Wednesday's Toronto Star: Roger's Centre, the former Skydome, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, Argonauts and Monster Truck Shows, is now the 9th oldest stadium in Major League Baseball.

If you recall, when the stadium, which cost about four times what basic stadiums were going for back in the day, the day being the late 1980's, it was an ohh, ah, omg kind of place what with its retractable roof and all.

Now it is venerable, bordering on dinosaurish. A bit dingy and cave like with the roof closed too.

WFDS