Hacks & Wonks

41st Federal Election Thoughts & Predictions

2011-05-02T01:42:00.004-05:00

Always easier to find old political predictions on the blog as opposed to Twitter where they are quickly lost to the sands of internet time. I can still locate some of the Ghosts of Elections Past by using Google to find them here. E-day is upon us and I had originally planned to dig into it province-by-province, if not riding-by-riding, but events got into the way last night (you may have heard) and I lost a couple of hours to the television and Twitter.

I was not active for this federal campaign. Some other roles have kept me busy two or three weekday nights as it is, plus my wife and I are getting our house ready to put it up for sale within a few weeks. I'm not paid for politics nowadays, so I felt okay making the choice to just sit one out, but I'll admit I started to feel bad in the last week when my opinion on the local race started to soften somewhat.

So here is some basic thoughts and observations on the election in general:

- The Conservative Campaign was poorly run for the first time in three elections. Message track was lost, it felt slow to react (save for the one brief glimmer of abortion talk) and overall, gave Canadians no particular reason to think about them positively. That could cost the majority, but what it really did was prevent any chance that the weakening Liberal vote would consider moving to the Tories in any serious numbers. I hope a serious regroup and rethink will be a part of the postmortem.

- Well, well, well... Hat tip to Jack Layton. His eight-year plan to change the NDP from a Labour/Farmer party to a Downtown-Urban Canada party is finally paying off in spades. Coming off the cancer, and getting through a grueling campaign pace, I must say I am in awe of the achievement. The federal NDP finishing ahead of the Liberals in a general election will be a tremendous psychological achievement for the party. Quebec looks to give the NDP the beachhead that they gave Stephen Harper in 2004. "Official Opposition" will look good on them and bring a new swath of voters to the party.

The shame of it is that Layton is at an age (and health) where he is unlikely to enjoy this success for the long term. Even if I am disturbed by the massage parlor story, I think that political successes such as his should get to be enjoyed, because they are hard to achieve and miserable getting there.

For the record: The Layton-acknowledged facts open up more questions than they answer. The official storyline of the apologists insults my intelligence in light of the scenario that admittedly took place. I make no excuses or apologies for holding up a potential leader of the country to a higher standard than the guy I get to work on my car, be my dentist, etc. We'll see if more media come to this story in the week ahead, but the double-standard in coverage bothers me as a conservative who usually defends the media to other conservatives. I don't believe for one second that the coverage would have been the same with other politicians. Get the facts out of the table, let the public decide if it matters or not.

- I was wrong on Michael Ignatieff. He appears to be a solid campaigner and took the role on with gusto. Problem is, he and the party allowed the Conservatives to establish enough negatives against his leadership, that the best first week of the election still couldn't get his positives to budge. And then when he took the attendance killshot from Jack Layton in the debate, he was suddenly taking fire from both sides and couldn't react quickly enough. (Possibly because of his campaign inexperience. Say what you want about long-time veteran pols. they have usually seen a little bit of everything on the campaign trial and know how to recognize when course corrections must take place.)

Michael Ignatieff's brief sojourn to Canadian politics will be ending shortly. I have never made fun of his accomplishments. I have never made fun of his education. I didn't even give him a hard time about living outside Canada his entire adult life, then returning to run for Prime Minister (and it was always the top prize that appealed to him), though I considered it a major liability. I cannot imagine someone wanting to lead the complicated country that is our homeland without being here to experience some of the major formative events of the last thirty years. Anyone who travels abroad knows that Canadian news does not filter out with the depth and breadth that one gets the full picture.

The party is in major trouble and Liberals will need to pick up the pieces quickly and move on. I don't believe it can survive another dud leader, so who they chose to lead them will make or break the future of the party.

- I strongly believe that a Tory majority would be best for the country. I'm an apologist for Harper somewhat, but I believe that a lot of the gov't shortcomings have come about because of the minority situation combined with not one single natural partner amongst the opposition for cooperation. When that happens, you need to game the system to pass your agenda, and it's that gaming that I really detest about some of the choices made.

I believe that a four-year cool down from constant campaign mode that the country has been in since '03 would only be a good thing for everybody involved. A majority would allow the Prime Minister and gov't to pass their agenda as they wish, finally revealing to all exactly what they would like to implement, as opposed to some of the blocking and stalling that results in the watered down finesse required of passable bills today.

A majority would also allow the opposition to oppose without having to dance around bring down the government. The Liberals and NDP are both experiencing big shake ups. Four years of planning and preparation would make for a stronger pair of parties in 2015 when we would have our next election.

- Now a few factors I'm working into my predictions:

a) Canadian politics usually defaults to the less-interesting.

b) The NDP surge is real, but not overwhelming.

c) The Tories ran a strategy that will pay off with pockets of victories that will offset any losses.

d) The destruction of the Bloc - while something to cheer for - won't be as dire as projected.

e) Elizabeth May still won't be winning a seat.

After looking at it pretty closely for a week, asking around as many folks with knowledge I could, following expert picks on Twitter, and waiting out the last possible polls to gauge the NDP, I'm going with the following numbers for tonight:

Conservatives: 159

New Democrats: 64

Liberals: 56

Bloc Quebecois: 28

Independents: 1 (Arthur)

I think the Tories typically pull more vote than they poll and had them starting the week in the 160s, but had to dial that back, if only to be on the safer side. I see seat pick-ups in Ontario being good for most of their 15 seat gain, but also one or two here (Newfoundland, PEI) and one or two there (Vancouver Island, Yukon). I also don't see them losing a lot in any given area. Maybe one or two in BC, another three or four in Quebec. But nothing major in the form of a country-wide sweep.

People have the advanced polls wrong. Many think that advanced polls will deliver a big victory for non-incumbents, but if you look at where the advanced polling increased the most 2008 to 2011, you start to recognize that it is a lot of Tory ridings and a lot of ridings where the Tories are expected to seriously challenge the incumbent. It will not shock me if in many ridings, the advance poll has the Tories at a larger percentage than the rest of the riding.

Locally, I started out saying 14/14 Manitoba incumbents returned and that was my position as recently as last Wednesday. On Thursday, I began to waiver on Winnipeg North and now think that the NDP wave will get Kevin Lamoureux. Interesting sub-plot there will be if he then runs for his open provincial seat again. Everyone has that as a provincial NDP pick-up right now.

Interesting things could be taking place in Elmwood-Transcona, St. Boniface and Winnipeg South Centre, but again, default to the least interesting and leave them be until somebody surprises tomorrow.

And there will be surprises. Every election has them.

My various wagers at play that have been accumulated over time:

- Harper Majority (made last year) - $20

- Maxime Bernier will return to cabinet under PMSH (made before '08 Elxn) - $20 (I like this one to pay off if the Tories lose Cannon.)

- Winnipeg South Centre goes Tory (made two Christmas's ago) - Pitcher of Beer

- Winnipeg South Centre goes Tory (made last night) - $5 getting four to one which would pay $20

- Winnipeg South will remain Tory (made last year) - $20

- Elizabeth May will not get elected (made six months ago) - $10

- Elizabeth May will not get elected (made three months ago) - $10 (same guy)

- Elizabeth May will not get elected (made two weeks ago) - $20 (yep, all the same die-hard)

- Ruby Dhalla will lose (made last week) - $10

- The Tories will be declared winners (but not majority or minority) within minutes of BC going on-air (made last night) - $10

Probably have room for a few more. Any interested parties can email me to present proposal.

Not sure where I'll be tonight. Most likely landing spot will be the Winnipeg Free Press Cafe downtown. I have heard that there won't be a central CPC party this election and besides, I wouldn't feel right drinking the beer when I didn't help out.

Get out there and vote.

(Ideally for a Conservative.)

Note

2010-10-22T08:58:00.001-05:00

For those folks finding me due to today's quote in the Winnipeg Free
Press, I don't post on my blog very regularly anymore. (Though lately
I've been getting the itch and might get at least a little more active
again.)

The best way to keep up to date with my thoughts and opinions is to
follow me (and many others locally) on Twitter at @hacksandwonks.

If you are a new follower, I hope you enjoy what you read.

If you are a longtime follower (Hacks & Wonks recently passed the five-
year mark), I'm sorry I don't write as much as I used to, but we'll
see if I can't get a little bit better in the near future. We
certainly know that enough political activity is taking place to keep
things interesting. I've always appreciated my audience.

Luc

Meech

2010-06-22T00:54:00.001-05:00

I have a handful of hazy memories of the 1988 Federal Free Trade Election campaign and at least one vivid one from sitting in the kitchen watching the returns come in on election night, but it was the Meech Lake politics that kicked off a four-year period where I took my first interest in Canadian politics. I was eleven when Meech collapsed and had been dabbling in lousy attempts at fiction writing already. Mostly superhero rip-offs of Spider-man and whatever Encyclopedia Brown book I was reading at any given time.

But I did pay attention to the evening news. Three channels and nothing else to watch after all.

And I recall one night, after a particularly ominous-sounding evening's broadcast, I walked into my mother's room where she had been resting and announced I was going to begin work on my first non-fiction work:

"The title is going to be, 'Am I Losing My Country?' and it'll be a kid's view of what's going on."

Mom said something encouraging, as moms are wont to do, and I returned to the kitchen to pick up the coverage once again and plot my manuscript's structure. Of course, I never got beyond the first little bit, but you have to remember the context of why I would feel the way that I did at the time. You have to recall what we would see on the news during that period.

The Berlin Wall had fallen. The USSR was clearly experiencing wild changes. Thatcher was losing her Prime Ministership. George Bush had replaced Reagan not too long beforehand. Again, remember: I wasn't even a teenager yet and only knew "THE BIG STUFF" going on and what I knew was that things were changing, people were making big statements about Canada failing on Meech, Quebec separating, and wouldn't you know it, but it made it sound like there was a lot of turmoil going around the world and that said turmoil was coming onto Canadian soil.

Of course, we know how that turned out.

Still, if there was a period of time that brought me into the political sphere, it was Meech Lake thru 1993 Election Night when I can recall the exact conversation with my father when I told him that I thought I rather liked politics and that maybe down the line I would get into it. Seems like forever ago now.

I can't comment with any authority on Meech itself. Just too young. But had the treat to speak with a few old-school Filmon guys who were around at that time. Some fun stories. Thankful I got that chance. If there was one time period in Canadian history that I could rent the Delorean and head back towards, it would be 1988 election thru the 1993 fallout that I would want to visit. Especially knowing then what I know now.

Will Canada ever get back into the constitutional amendment business? One has to think that logically the answer is yes. But don't ask me to guess when. We're still not over the scars inflicted twenty years ago.

Though We Were Supposed To Be Looking For Root Causes

2010-05-11T01:18:00.004-05:00

Interesting blog post from Freep writer Mary Agnes Welch:

Want to lose all hope for humanity? Don’t waste your time watching The Bachelor or listening to Justin Bieber. No need to travel to Darfur or the Burmese police state. Just read the comments section of every major news website, including ours.
With only the occasional exception, it is a moral wasteland of racism, small-mindedness, ignorance and slander.

Finished with:

If you are a decent, thinking person, combat those comments by posting your own, or report them as offensive. I beg you.

Her post itself led to another active comments section and Welch's position is firmly in the minority of the thirty or so there as I write this.

What I find most interesting is how disconnected she appears to be (or chooses to be, if that's the case) between who these people are making the comments and who she makes them out to be (at one point, referencing the KKK). Welch - like many other left-wingers who have spent the previous decades espousing forgiveness and rehabilitation - doesn't realize that somewhere in the last ten years or so, we probably hit a tipping point in regards to crime and punishment.

What the left doesn't realize is that they blew their opportunity to show that their way could have meaningful impact of the actions of habitual criminals. They kept making excuses why serious crime was affecting more and more people and criminals were not "learning their lessons". They couldn't prevent the steady increase of repeat offenders, people whose actions show again and again that one must choose to rehabilitate and rejoin society. Years went by. Decades went by. They kept trying with their policies and the Canadian justice system was certainly dominated by these motivations. (For example, house arrest, pardons for almost all who apply, etc.)

And now people are getting angry. They have long ago reached the breaking point and are tired of the steady stream of failure on behalf of those who chose to promote the "civilized" way.

And they make comments when they can. People express their frustration in whatever venues appear to give them a voice for their angst.

And "high minded" people like Welch call them racists and bigots for it.

Without evening pretending to understand why so many are angry in the first place.

Ottawa

2010-04-28T00:24:00.001-05:00

Put me down for days of BIG ELECTION SPECULATION!!!, a few emails from Senators Finley and Gerstein begging for money, $100K or so in new Tory donations by Mother's Day, and Ignatieff having to back down in the end when the PM gives him the smallest of outs because that's what 2010 Michael Ignatieff does.

PS: Follow more up to the moment thoughts on Twitter.

Judy Alphabet & October 2011...

2010-04-28T00:11:00.001-05:00

(FYI...Some people on the Free Press website and other blogs are ripping on the usage of the Judy Alphabet nickname. Can I just spell out early on that I view it as a nice little nickname for Judy W. and have never heard that she takes offence to it. It's just catchy and easy to remember.)

I've been telling friends for weeks that I think Judy Alphabet beats Mayor Sam Katz in the fall.

There's underlying support for a Sam Katz alternative. 65,000 votes cast for his less than competitive opponents in a not-a-good-year-to-not-be-Sam-Katz 2006 election.

I also think that the recent Probe polling was pretty telling in that it has Judy as a non-announced candidate at 36% to start the day. Now granted that's a lot of "Looking for an option and she's the best of the given choices" vote, but it speaks to an appetite for change.

You need to also look towards the Winnipeg Citizens Coalition and while the WCC doesn't appear highly organized yet - for example, I doubt they could elect any councilor in any race on their organizational might alone - they do suggest that there's the beginnings of a decent organization that Judy could tap into. Organization matters, even in an "above the air" campaign such as mayoral elections in Winnipeg. I'm less than convinced that Mayor Katz has enough key organizational benchmarks met six months out. The new hire at city hall does suggest some "time to pull up the pants" initiative, but we'll see where that goes.

Finally, I expect that the provincial NDP, tired of getting some shots from Sam over the last few months, will decide to actively throw their machine behind Judy.

Now the safe prediction - the easy prediction - is to say that Sam wins and Judy might make it close enough to make him work for it, but that she'll fall short. It would be easy to rely on "What always happens" and just run with it.

But there's no fun in that.

So here's the thing: I am predicting that Judy wins in October (with some caveats).

They would be that Judy has no major stumbles, that some new strange issue doesn't enter the current fray, and that at some point during the campaign, Judy gets under Sam's skin and he does or says something mean and something insulting. He's got a mean streak in him and a tendency to personalize. That reads to me as a good situation where he could lose a lot of the female vote in the city should the right (or wrong) thing is said.

We'll see how the campaign goes. I'll be sitting the mayoral one out. Can't stand Mayor Katz, but can't outright support Judy either. The idea of her negotiating with city unions scares me.

So I'll pick a handful of council and school board races and get involved there. Jeff Browaty, Grant Nordman and Scott Fielding for sure. I know all three personally and try to go to bat for friends. I'm sure there'll be a couple more along the way as the situation presents itself. (BTW, any good right of centre candidates coming forward for my home ward of River Heights/Fort Garry?)

Twitter

2010-02-23T23:08:00.001-06:00

Been experimenting with Twitter for something else and nearing 100 posts in, I've decided to keep it. Not quite blogging - and not quite interesting yet - but once the true political machines start gearing up again I should be somewhat useful to follow if you are into that kinda thing.

@hacksandwonks

On "Hard Work"

2009-12-15T18:13:00.001-06:00

When a politician gets in front of a group of supporters and tells them:

"We have to be prepared to work hard if we want to be elected,"

...that politician is never talking about the hard work involved in convincing voters that sometimes a difficult policy is still a good idea.

Am I wrong in thinking that maybe that type of "hard work" is maybe a bit more important in the grand scale of electoral victories than ten extra lawn signs or another hour of phone blitzing?

Doer Thoughts

2009-08-27T14:31:00.005-05:00

More later tonight...This is just initial knee-jerk reactions for now.

1. Pretty big news. Considering his longevity as Premier and Opposition Leader, it's tough not to give him a certain amount of credit. That said, I'm not sure I see a long-term legacy here. By now, his best bet was to win the fourth majority and win a political legacy as a four-time NDP majority victor. Now that's gone as well.

2. People who think he has a long-term legacy today....Let that sit about five to ten years and then we'll see if you still think so. Remember, ten years removed, Gary Filmon's legacy comes down to two major items and talking points: 1) Balanced the budget despite governing during trying financial times, and 2) vote-splitting.

What's Gary Doer's?

3. Haven't heard the full appointment scuttlebutt, but I imagine he's headed out of province before the end of the year. Is the consulate in LA still open?

4. That said, I've been told that the Prime Minister nixed a Gary Doer appointment plan several years ago when a few Manitoba Tories approached him on it. That could have easily changed by now, but what if it hasn't...Could he really be staying in-province? I can't see it myself.

5. Dear Tories: Stop assuming this means you win in 2011. A) Many of you believe that had Premier Gary Filmon resigned in '98 and we had someone else (*cough*EricStefanson*cough*) leading us into the '99 election, so new leader doesn't automatically mean beatable leader; and B) Name me ten ridings (seven in the city) where the ground team is strong enough to challenge an incumbent NDP team right now.

Exactly.

6. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Bill Blakie won't be the next leader, but I'm also going to say that I'm probably wrong about that too. Especially if there's any truth to a pre-Christmas leadership election.

7. Feelers are out to NDP friends, but does anyone here know....Has he been thinking about this for awhile? Doesn't fit with some of the announcements and interviews over the summer, does it?

8. Guess Gary Doer really was nervous about Wednesday mornings on CJOB now that self-identifying conservative Hal Anderson takes over next month.

9. Okay, that was a joke.

10. Lots of fun stuff now begins due to this announcement. NDP leadership, further NDP resignations, Tory strategy going forward, next election fall out. Would be a good time for a bunch of smart folks to fire up a group blog to cover it all in one place, right?

Sharp Cookie

2009-08-19T22:01:00.001-05:00

A friend from Toronto is starting an advice blog. She's got skills on that front, so if you've got a problem, Miss Hazard is your answer.

Dan Needs To Read Some Vonnegut

2009-08-17T22:42:00.001-05:00

Society can never get ahead by bringing people down.

Read The Comments

2009-08-12T23:21:00.001-05:00

Keep it up gang. I'm not sure which way I fall on the topic, but I'm seeing merit to both sides.

18 Months, eh?

2009-08-11T07:59:00.001-05:00

This auditor general investigation into Manitoba Hydro is interesting in and of itself, but it is the approx. 18-month delivery timeline that AG Carol Bellringer gave herself this morning on CBC Radio that really makes for an interesting story.

2011 is the next election year. Delivery in later winter/early spring 2011 could make for trouble if some of the longtime rumoured, but never confirmed practices and political direction of the company turn out to be true (and not in the best interest of the company according to the AG).

One to watch.

Damn Fine Observation

2009-08-05T23:46:00.000-05:00

"A party of environmentalists and unionized workers trying to be the party of working families is so full of contradictions that it cannot possibly become a governing party."

- Paul Tuns on the NDP

Because If One Blogger Doesn't Care About Something, Then Clearly All People Don't Care About Something.

2009-07-14T17:36:00.004-05:00

And better yet, it means that something doesn't have any other impacts as well.

So For Those Still Loitering Around These Parts Of The Internets, Hoping I've Come Up With Something To Say....

2009-07-10T01:01:00.001-05:00

....It's going to remain pretty quiet for most of the rest of summer.

That said, something's cooking up that has potential to be really good,* and that's going to take time to germinate properly and grow into its potential. It's also not likely to start til after Labour Day at the earliest.

Now I won't likely ever return to the output I had going even a year ago, but it should get me putting some effort back into it more than I have been, and I'm confident that you'll be entertained/informed again on a daily basis.

So enjoy summer (days are getting shorter already), give Mike Kelly some time (because the player was the wrong one in this latest episode), punch some mosquitoes for me (since I have recently moved into digs with a backyard), hit the Fringe and Folklarama, and see me in September.

* - Maybe not "This thing is AWESOME!"-level good, but good nonetheless.

Interesting

2009-06-23T14:15:00.001-05:00

Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette Tory MP Inky Mark's retirement from federal politics opens up what is surely to be an interesting race back in my hometown area.

Funniest Idea I've Heard All Week

2009-06-17T13:11:00.003-05:00

A new Nintendo Wii game: Wii Seal Hunt

Opportunity Not To Be Missed

2009-05-05T10:53:00.001-05:00

Andrew Steele gives six reasons why Liz May would be foolish not to run in the by-election for Bill Casey's Nova Scotia seat:

1. Bill Casey's 60% of support running as an independent means there's a large chunk of voters open to attract;

2. Casey might even campaign for May as the Greens didn't run a candidate against him in 2008 and he might like the idea of putting the antagonistic May directly in the path of Prime Minister Harper;

3. The riding of Cumberland Colchester Musquodoboit Valley - try saying that five times fast - is exactly the type of riding that the Greens should be targeting in their quest to elect someone (rural, close knit, open to non-traditional political choices);

4. May's shown commitment to running in Nova Scotia with her foolish decision to run against Peter Mackay in Central Nova, so running in the neighbouring riding shouldn't be seen as carpet bagging;

5. A by-election is probably the best chance for a new party to win a seat (see: Reform, Deb Gray/Bloc Quebecois, Gilles Duceppe) as the government isn't being decided and "goofy" results are more likely to occur; and finally,

6. The Greens consistent polling (even the low end of 3-4%) shows that the country is likely ready to elect a Green MP. It is just that there hasn't been the right convergence of events/situations to do so. Some people in the riding will see electing "The First Green" as a noble action.

I agree on most points strongly and the others at least tentatively (Bill Casey's motivations notwithstanding), and say this: Elizabeth May must run in this riding if she wants to show herself serious about the 2010 election. Running - and winning - the race should be a referendum on her leadership in the party. The Greens do not often get opportunities this positive for their fortunes and if they wish to because a permanent player in the Canadian political debate, they have got to show themselves capable of significant gain from time to time.

Getting into the debate was nothing compared to getting into the House. If May fails to see that (or shows herself unable to translate profile and personality into victory), then it will be time for the Greens to recognize her limitations as leader and move on.

Bigger Is Not Always Better (And No, This Is Not A "That's what she said!" Joke.)

2009-05-05T09:11:00.001-05:00

Brief hit on the Winnipeg Convention Centre expansion in today's Freep:

Manitoba's hotel operators want the province to kick in some money for a proposed $200-million expansion of the Winnipeg Convention Centre.
Manitoba Hotel Association president and CEO Jim Baker said a host of other Canadian cities are expanding their convention centres in a bid to snag a bigger share of the lucrative meetings-and-conventions business.
He said Vancouver recently opened a big new convention centre, Ottawa and Fredericton are also getting one, and Calgary said it wants one, too.
Even a second-tier city like Halifax said Monday it hopes to build a new $300-million convention centre.
"So we're very much in favour of getting on with this (expansion in Winnipeg)," Baker said. "Otherwise, we're going to lose ground in terms of our competitiveness with these other cities."
He said the city and the federal government have already indicated they're willing to kick in some money for the WCC's expansion effort, which was announced late last year.
"So we, as an association, want to know what the province's position is on this," he added.
A provincial government spokesman could not be reached Monday for comment.

Place me firmly into the skeptical camp on this project. I've defended the Bomber Stadium. I've tentatively defended the Human Rights Museum. As you know, I'm on board with the port initiative.

But I just can't get behind the Convention Centre expansion. Chalk it up to hating the idea of a hotel being run by the WCC. Chalk it up to spending huge money to chase a handful of big big conventions that are rarely going to come to town anyhow. Chalk it up to Winnipeg just not being one of those convention cities that makes people say, "The annual get together is in Winnipeg? Rock!"

I just don't believe there is that much convention business out there that we are missing to justify the expansion (not the least to mention, the expansion in ongoing operating costs associated with such an aggressive grow). I've got a few friends that have sat on the WCC board and one or two that are still there. If anyone wants to drop me a line with a quick pitch, I'm all ears. But you have to win me over.

Dark Clouds On The Horizon

2009-04-29T11:34:00.001-05:00

Might be smart to follow this Twitter: http://twitter.com/motherabigail

Unless you are more inclined this way: http://twitter.com/VegasWalkinDude

Teaser

2009-04-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

Too late tonight, but hopefully tomorrow at lunch I should be able to regale you with tales of Earth Day cheer.

Government Casinos

2009-04-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

I missed this myself last week, but Dan Lett writes that McPhillips Street Station is finally getting an ATM.

Good. 'Bout time.

Dan (and Tory leader Hugh McFadyen) suggests that it's another step towards taking advantage of problem gamblers, but honestly, this is more about convenience for the majority of patrons. Dan points out that every other casino in Canada has ATMs (hell, I remember sitting at a blackjack table in Halifax no more than fifteen feet from the nearest one there) and people who visit from outside of the province are often aghast at the notion that they have to cross to a beer vendor outside in January in order to access their money.

People don't carry cash like they used to and often people won't even have $40 in their pocket. They walk in, hand over their coats to the check staff, then ask where the ATM is so that they can reload.

Only to then ask for their coats back.

It's ridiculous. The point of a regulation like this is to achieve some purpose. After all, when it comes to the ATM ban, there is a price being paid by all to help some. So the question is, does it help anyone? Does the problem gambler who uses stepping outside as an excuse to leave really exist?

I would wager they must likely don't. Certainly not in sufficient numbers to justify the ban.

The prohibition on ATMs was as ridiculous as the one placed on serving and imbibing alcohol at the gaming tables. A casino is supposed to be about fun and gaming, but preventing people from having a beer while they play takes a lot of the fun out of an evening at the casino and basically guarantees that the only people spending any real time there are those that are serious gamblers only.

One Friday night a few summers ago, I was sitting at Club Regent playing blackjack and these four guys from South Africa joined me at the table. It was the night before their Winnipeg buddy's wedding and while the groom shut down around midnight, they still wanted to go out and have some fun.

They were shocked - literally shocked - when told by the waitress that they couldn't even bring their drinks over from the bar, least of all order one or worst of all, get comped a drink despite the pile of black chips in front of them.

"Well, that's a first in two dozen countries," noted one to the group shortly before they got up and left for someplace else where they could celebrate.

Doesn't that just sum it up best? When you put restrictions on casinos that take away from their ability to actually act like a casino, you pretty much ensure that the only people who regularly use the casino are the most hard core of gamblers who don't care about the social aspect of gaming. Isn't that kind of opposite of what we're going for with the regulations in the first place?

Look, I understand the desire to weed out problem gamblers and get them help if at all possible. I've known a couple of addicts myself. People who came thisclose to losing family and their homes. If I could figure out a way to deal with the inevitable closure of the small beverage rooms & bars that would result, I would be firmly in the camp to ban VLTs outside the casinos as their effect on people really scares me at times.

And if we want to have a debate about whether we should even have casinos, that's fine too. I'd be in the pro-casino camp, but at least we'd have the discussion.

But this half-assed approach to casino management is exactly why government shouldn't always be in control of operations. If you are going to run a casino, run it how a casino should be run. Make it an enjoyable place to be for those that enjoy casinos elsewhere. Both governments (Filmon PC/Doer NDP) have bungled their way along on the file. From the whole ATM & booze issue all to way back to the very beginning, when the locations picked for them were completely wrong in the first place. (How they both didn't end up downtown, close by to each other to create a "district", I'll never know.)

But lest you think I'm completely, "Get out of their way and damn the folks who can't help themselves," one aspect of Dan's story does register with me:

Unfortunately, these efforts are mostly a farce. Staff isn't allowed to eject a problem gambler, no matter how many red flags they raise. While you can be barred from a casino for taking a swing at someone, you cannot be barred for being an addict.

That's one area I would certainly support the government getting involved in. There should be no reason that staff cannot step in from time to time if they suspect a problem gamer and ask them to have a quick discussion. I'm sure there's a checklist of signs that would suggest trouble and asking the gamer to leave or to go speak with a councillor on-site wouldn't be too restrictive. Of course it would lead to the occasional confrontation and "How dare they!" accusations, but if I was the Minister in charge, I would back my staff in that situation.

Such an intervention wouldn't eliminate Manitoba's gaming problem, but it would certainly help far more people than banning alcohol and ATMs ever did.

Let Them Build

2009-04-20T11:06:00.001-05:00

Pizzaria Gusto has become one of my favorite places to eat in the city and adding a patio would only make it more accessible to folks during the busy summer period AND heighten the Winnipeg dining experience for visitors.

Don't let the NIMBYs get you down!

Canaries?

2009-04-15T10:49:00.001-05:00

[link]

The Canadian housing market appears to be stabilizing, with sales activity up in March for the second consecutive month, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Wednesday.

Actual year-over-year transactions were down 13.7 per cent. This was the smallest year-over-year decline in six months, the association said.

"Housing markets are starting to show signs of buyer interest because of lower prices and interest rates," Regina realtor Dale Ripplinger, CREA president, said in releasing the March results.

Interesting Discovery

2009-04-15T09:29:00.001-05:00

Noticed while registering into CBC Sports in order to play their playoff pool:

Are you interested in becoming a source for CBC news? This means a CBC journalist might invite you to participate in stories that are relevant to you. We won't quote or identify you without your permission.

Excellent News

2009-04-14T16:58:00.000-05:00

[link]

Work on Winnipeg's inland port will begin early next year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said this afternoon at a news conference at Winnipeg's airport.

Harper and Premier Gary Doer announced more than $212 million to build CentrePort Canada Way, a four-lane divided expressway linking the inland port to the Perimeter Highway.

The high-speed corridor will connect Inkster Boulevard (PR 221), the James A. Richardson International Airport and the CP Weston rail intermodal facility to the Perimeter Highway near Saskatchewan Avenue.

"This will create jobs and opportunities when these jobs are most needed," Harper said, adding the investment is part of his government's Economic Action Plan.

The corridor is vital to developing the envisioned 20,000 acre inland port northwest of the airport, said Doer.

The CentrePort plan calls for a massive trucking and rail depot linked to runways and aircraft coming and going from all over the globe. A new road and cloverleaf linking the airport to the west Perimeter Highway is seen as the logical first step.

The new road would run between Oak Point Highway to the north and Saskatchewan Avenue to the south.

CentrePort Canada is a private sector-led corporation, created by provincial legislation last fall, to develop and promote the inland port and build on Manitoba's infrastructure network of air, rail, trucking and sea routes.

The $212.5-million expressway is being funded jointly by the provincial and federal governments, with the federal share coming from the Provincial Territorial Base Funding Agreement ($68.35 million) and the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative ($33.25 million). Manitoba will match the federal funds and contribute an additional $9.2 million to acquire the land.

My industry is in imports and I cannot tell you how important this initiative is to long-term economic health of Winnipeg and Manitoba. Insane amount of potential benefits awaiting if it is done right. (Think a resurgent manufacturing sector and oodles of logistics-type careers.)

Question

2009-04-09T18:51:00.001-05:00

Hands up here of those who believe that the Liberal You Tuber "Grit Girl" is some young (or young at heart) Canadian who puts together slick-looking homemade attack ads against the Tories?

Still that many? Okay, but for the sake of argument, let's suppose that "she" really is a composite of the Liberal Ad Group and that at some point between now and the next election, she'll not be revealed as some comely Liberal university poli sci major/film studies minor, but as the group of political operatives currently being assembled by Kinsella...

My Question:

The use of "Grit Girl"....Crafty or Cynical?

Because I'm not feeling that as "just a name" they choose.

Thoughts?

CAW, Pensions & The Eventual Public Support Rooster Coming Home To Roost

2009-04-09T17:38:00.001-05:00

Reading the posts at the end of this Toronto Star website posted CP article on CAW getting anrgy at Ontario for not fully backstopping the GM pension, I can't help but marvel how little public sympathy there is out there for GM and Chrysler workers and the companies as a whole.

Canadians do not want to see them given billions. They just do not. There's almost a glee in the "This is what you get!"-kinda feel of some of them.

That's unfortunate. But that said, let the company (or -ies) go. Secure the pension as much as legal required, but don't break the government bank to do it either.

There's a lesson in all this to Canadian unions. Your PR isn't where you expect it to be. Tread carefully in some sectors.

Whellams Lane

2009-04-08T13:24:00.001-05:00

If I wasn't headed to Brandon tonight to check out Round Two action of the WHL playoffs, I would be headed to the open house for the Devonshire Development. (Chief Peguis School Theatre, 1400 Rothesay Street, Wednesday, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM)

After getting their legs kicked out from under them last fall, the Vancouver developer wants to go back to the residents of the area to see if an agreement can be hammered out to allow their apartment complex to go ahead. I was choked when they were forced to pull their first proposal and I would hope that a few more folks than just the typical NIMBYs come out tonight to show support. The city badly needs apartments, especially along major transit corridors. This is private investment coming into Manitoba from out of province, which is also badly needed.

I get the sense my buddy Jeff is looking at this with more of an open mind after voting against the first one. (I gave him hell for it at the time, despite his reasons.) The people (and voters) he was surely nervous of offending are entitled to their opinions, and even their disappointment that their neighbourhood is changing, but they should not and can not be able to prevent development that is as needed as this project intends to be.

Browaty's got a good point:

North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty, who voted against the last version of the expansion, said he's keeping an open mind this time because his ward desperately needs more apartments.

"There are so many people in North Kildonan who are getting older. They want to leave their single-family, detached homes, but they want to stay in the neighbourhood, see their friends and shop in the same stores," Browaty said.

Absolutely. Bart Kives also had a good opinion piece on the issue as well. This is a project that needs to go forward.

Get it right this time buddy.

Not The Onion

2009-04-07T16:47:00.001-05:00

[link] (BEWARE: Major Spoiler from last night's House)

WASHINGTON - The White House has hired actor Kal Penn as a liaison between President Barack Obama's administration and Asian constituents.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye said Tuesday that the actor,...would join the staff as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison.

Robert Silver Gooses Peggy Wente

2009-04-06T14:21:00.001-05:00

[link]

Her main argument? That 1,606 ducks, in the grand scheme of things, just isn't that big a deal. Syncrude has actually OVERREACTED, according to Ms. Wente, because of how minor the problem really is:

"Each year, tens of thousands of birds are caught in wind turbines. Collisions with Toronto's high-rise buildings kill millions of birds every year."

Let me start with the millions of birds who die in Toronto building collisions annually.

I work in downtown Toronto. I walk by Toronto's "high-rise buildings" every day.

Let me be generous to Wente and say that by "millions of birds" she only means two million birds are killed every year in Toronto tower accidents. Two million divided by 365 days means just under 5,500 birds die tragic deaths and fall to the ground in Toronto every day. That's 228 bird collisions an hour. In the five minutes it takes you to read this blog post, 19 birds have fallen hundreds of feet to their demise.

Silver's right on the numbers being used to defend Syncrude. That said, I'm finding myself less than worked up about the 1,606 waterfowl accidentally killed when the anti-fowl measures were temporarily disabled. Probably because a thousand times that many geese could be killed and we'd still have a problem with excess ducks and geese.

Course, drowning them in industrial waste is probably not the preferred method of extermination, but you get the point Mags Wente and I are going for..

Chipacabra....He's Vote For You

2009-04-04T00:39:00.003-05:00

Chipacabra is a fan of Winnipeg Jonathan Toews....Today, you should be a fan of Chi pacabra!

Hacks & Wonks Flashback

2009-04-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

"A new stadium that will make the varsity athletes at Manitoba's largest university proud. A facility that will be used for more than 10 days a year. No need to create or build new roads or bus routes. This my two cents on the issue."

- Email from a buddy posted June 24th, 2008

when Point Douglas continued to be

the primary location for the new stadium

Pat Martin's shudders Correct

2009-04-02T10:25:00.001-05:00

Time to shut down the asbestos industry in Canada.

A Million Bucks?

2009-04-02T10:06:00.001-05:00

Warren on last night's Liberal fundraising dinner in Toronto:

"A million bucks......that's what the Liberal Party raised, tonight, at the dinner at the Royal York: more than a million bucks."

Don Martin on last night's Liberal fundraising dinner in Toronto:

"The dinner was billed by organizers as a 1,050-person sellout backed by a waiting list, although the event website seemed willing to take my credit card to purchase either the $500 dinner ticket or pay another $600 for an Iggy handshake at a private reception beforehand."

Ignoring the fact that the Liberals appear to be headed once again towards leaning on the big-dollar donors for their fundraising efforts*, my math doesn't get up to the seven-figure range.

1,050 tickets @ $500 = $525,000

Now, if you are paying $500 for dinner, you likely can spring for the reception if you have the time, so let's be extremely generous and say one in four attendees did exactly that: 263 @ $600 = $157,8000

That still leaves us a gap of $317,200 to make up just to get to the million dollar level and that's is well before expences, which aren't always pocket change on an event of this magnitude. $317,200 is one heck of a silent auction, no?

I'm not saying the Liberals didn't have fun last night. These dinners are always good fun. But Kinsella's got to be spinning everyone or there's another income stream we're not being told about.

And if this is your linchpin fundraiser event for the year (the annual leader's dinner), you still have a tremendously long way to go before you can match the Conservative fundraising machine. The money raised last night wouldn't pay for a single week of the campaign some Liberals are itchin' for.

* - And how's that been working for them?

Must See TV

2009-04-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

This article doesn't surprise me when it says that MTS-TV has managed to capture one-third of the Winnipeg marketplace. I enjoyed MTS-TV between Fall '05 and Fall '06 and have missed it during my more recent stints in Shaw buildings. Cannot wait to get my MTS-TV back sometimes soon and if they are adding a PVR aspect, all the better. (I'm not HD upgraded on television yet, so no use worrying about HD channels...)

Anyone Seen This Stat?

2009-04-01T11:01:00.001-05:00

Christina Blizzard's lament on the salary inequality between Ontario private and public sector got me wondering:

What percentage of Manitoba earners over $85,000/year are public employees?

When the top ten Winnipeg employers is dominated by the government, RHA, universities and such, I would imagine that the percentage is a little shocking when first looked upon.

March Madness

2009-03-30T11:05:00.001-05:00

My brackets are terrible. Utterly terrible. Figured I was done last weekend when three of my four brackets was a wasteland of losses. Only my bracket with UNC (my choice of champion) gave me hope and now, with three of my final four eliminated (Pitt, Memphis & the disastrous first-round elimination Wake Forest), little UNC could actually win me the tourney in the downtown law firm pool my buddy ran. No one ahead of me has a champion choice and only two have warm bodies in the Final Four round. If UNC wins out, I think that's enough to just barely leap frog everyone between me and victory.

Guess I'm watching this upcoming weekend.

Not For Nothing, But....

2009-03-26T22:45:00.001-05:00

The TSX is up for 2009 as of this afternoon's close.

Help A Friend: Chipacabra

2009-03-25T13:28:00.001-05:00

Vote early and vote often.

Symbolic

2009-03-24T12:57:00.001-05:00

So I attended a pre-budget session put on by the Tories last night and actually found it rather enjoyable. While the PCs organized, it was a fairly non-partisan event with Jim Carr, Dave Angus and Shannon Martin all sitting in as panelists and giving their organizations hopes and expectations for tomorrow's provincial budget.

The highlights were all stuff I could easily get behind: increased R&D spending, increased education spending, eliminate the payroll tax, look at overall tax competitiveness (especially vis a vie the rest of the west).

Everyone involved had an underlying-though-sometimes-specific message for the NDP government to "Present a Vision For Manitoba Twenty Years For Now And Work Towards It".

Everyone who knows me knows that I believe the number one failing of the Gary Doer NDP Government is their inability (or lack of desire) to position Manitoba on stronger economic footing and to seize control of our economic destiny during these last few years when government revenues have been strong. There has been no vision and very little legacy to show for the previous decade.

I know that some will argue that they must have been doing something right considering we're about to ride out a global recession and to a certain extent I can't really disagree. However it is false economic safety, a bubble economy built on the back of 40% of our budget coming from transfers. Gary Doer and Greg Selinger have put Manitoba into the exact situation the average debt-ridden household put themselves into over the last ten years, spending someone else's money and hoping that the bill never shows up. In the meantime, losing the safety that comes from self-sufficiency.

And maybe the transfers bill will never show up. Maybe we can sit back and applaud the Quebec politics that keeps the transfer program going strong.

But what if we can't? What if Ontario, Alberta & BC - the three provinces seeing the biggest EI recipient gains - start to blow back and demand that the program changes?

What happens then Mr. Premier? Notice how we're all of a sudden beholden to forces we can no longer control? Is Manitoba really that strong if we have the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over 40% plus of our annual budget?

Anyhow, food for thought. In regards to the title of this post, Shannon Martin of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business made an interesting statement last night that really got me thinking:

The Payroll Tax...A tax designed to directly target big business and the largest of the large economic generators in the province....When it comes to the provincial income generated by the tax, only one-third of the revenue actually comes from private enterprises in the province. The Federal and Provincial governments and all their assorted bodies (crown corporations, regional health authorities, universities) pay the rest.

Doesn't that just scream out at you as an area of concern? That over two-thirds of the payroll tax income comes from public source revenues simply swirling around some accounting ledgers?

"Frightening symbolic" was how I put it yesterday. There is an economic experiment being built in Manitoba and I am extremely concerned in that I'm not sure we're going to like the outcome of it.

I Still Think He Should Do These In The Voice Of Fozzy Bear

2009-03-23T15:31:00.001-05:00

Policy Frog name drops in his first Excuse Me.

Dear Winnipeg Free Press

2009-03-23T13:41:00.001-05:00

Please stop with the "There's Been Too Many Lately For It Not To Be A Campaign" campaign of printing back-patting and praising of the paper Letter To The Editors.

It's ridiculously transparent and just about insulting to the reader.

People who are already reading the paper know why they are reading it and it's probably not because of what someone else thought about it.

Boy Did Good

2009-03-18T10:39:00.001-05:00

I'm proud of Colin's campaign and his results last night. Over a thousand folks signed up to what he believed in* and no one would argue that Colin didn't run on issues and ideas. Way too early for him to decide, but I'm hoping he runs again in 2010 and we can work to grow that vote using that first thousand as a base.

As far as the winner...Yeah, even Colin will vouch that when I got to his place last night before results were in that I said I had a slight worry about Hildahl and that possibly I was underestimating her appeal based on the extremely low-key approach she took to the race. In the end, the old canard remained...Networks, networks, networks...to carry the day.

If Colin does decide to run again, we'll be better organized at the beginning. The campaign definitely established himself as a legitimate candidate and I think it would be safe to say that there will be people willing to come onboard next time that just weren't ready to do so in a big way this time.

As far as the city council race, not terribly surprising based on what I heard talking to people and presence on the street level. Geoff Currier's campaign was just too safe and too reliant on Currier's popularity to carry a low-turnout election when up against the Liberal/labour machine. (Oh yeah, Councillor Orlikow?...When you say that you want to remain "your own man" and "not beholden", why do you put out a brochure that has pictures of Lloyd Axworthy, Anita Neville and Jon Gerrard the day before the election and make sure that the labour guys whose endorsement you "rejected" are amongst the very first thanked after winning? Do you believe you are fooling anyone with the independent rhetoric?)

I believe Orlikow is beatable in 2010 but I'm not sure I see anyone wanting to step up to fight the election on behalf of the right. Certainly the slow burn of non-candidates in this by-election suggests there is not a great hunger for people to come forward to run. It's another example of an overall scarier trend in my opinion.

* - Or were suckered onboard by that incredibly cute picture of Cooper on Colin's literature.

There's Still Time...

2009-03-17T16:51:00.001-05:00

Go out and VOTE FOR COLIN.

Vote Fast

2009-03-17T09:47:00.001-05:00

And vote Fast. If you live from Kennaston to the Red, the Assiniboine to Taylor, you too can feel the pride of voting for someone who'll actually bring some new ideas and approaches to the board rather than get swept up with the status quo.

And for one last time, for Colin's sake.....

Colin Fast: He'd Vote For You

(Unless you are Gary Brownstone, Barbara Coombs, Carlos James,

Rita Hildahl or Shane Nestruck. No hard feelings, but you know how it is, right?)

Andrew "Test" Martin, Canadian, Former WWE Wrestler, Dead Four Days Before His 34th Birthday

2009-03-14T17:45:00.002-05:00

[link]

I link to this story not because I am a wrestling fan any longer. (Watched as a kid and then regularly from 1999-2003 but quit again when the writing stopped making sense.)

I link to the story not because I was a Test fan. (I actually hated the guy and not the good kind of wrestling hate where the character makes you want to see him get beat up. No, mine was the bad hate in that I couldn't stand him and turned the channel to avoid watching his lousy workrate and terrible interviews.)

No, I link to this story because the death of young wrestlers is a low-profile shame of the industry. Literally dozens of wrestlers have died over this decade. Some high profile (Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Chris "Mr. Perfect" Hennig), others more indy-type wrestlers that never made it to the WWE and higher profiles.

But they are still dying. Drug overdoses, health failures related to steroids, the horrible case of the Benoit concussion-related murder/suicide...It is all beginning to add up.

I snaked this list from another website and lost the link when my computer froze and I lost windows.

Famous Wrestlers That Have Died Since 1985 Before the Age of 50

Chris Von Erich - 21
Mike Von Erich - 23
Louie Spiccoli - 27
Art Barr - 28
Gino Hernandez - 29
Jay Youngblood - 30
Rick McGraw - 30
Joey Marella - 30
Ed Gatner - 31
Buzz Sawyer - 32

Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
D.J. Peterson - 33
Eddie Gilbert - 33
The Renegade - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Test - 33
Adrian Adonis - 34
Gary Albright - 34
Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34

Owen Hart - 34
Yokozuna - 34
Big Dick Dudley - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Marianna Komlos - 35
Pitbull #2 - 36
The Wall/Malice - 36
Emory Hale - 36
Leroy Brown - 38
Mark Curtis - 38

Eddie Guerrero - 38
John Kronus - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Johnny Grunge - 39
Vivian Vachon - 40
Jeep Swenson - 40
Brady Boone - 40
Terry Gordy - 40
Bertha Faye - 40
Billy Joe Travis - 40

Chris Benoit - 40
Larry Cameron - 41
Rick Rude - 41
Randy Anderson - 41
Bruiser Brody - 42
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Mike Awesome - 42
Biff Wellington - 42

Brian Adams (Crush) - 43
Ray Candy - 43
Nancy Benoit (Woman) - 43
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Jerry Blackwell - 45
Junkyard Dog - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre the Giant - 46

Big John Studd - 46
Chris Adams - 46
Mike Davis - 46
Hawk - 46
Cousin Junior - 48
Dick Murdoch - 49
Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
Rocco Rock - 49
Sherri Martel - 49

I cannot vouch for the circumstances of all these deaths. Owen Hart was killed during a stunt accident at a wrestling PPV, but is that really a "wrestling-related" death or not, I don't know. Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death in Puerto Rico. Andre The Giant was a beast of a man and his life-expectancy was never all that high due to his natural condition. Again, just cause he was a wrestler, doesn't mean it was wrestling-related.

However most on this list aren't like those two. They are on there for the reasons I stated above. There are seventy names there.

Now, we arrive at a question in general and a question to a specific person:

- To everybody: Why isn't this being talked about more by media? Because it is wrestling? If you had 70 athletes die before age 50 in any other sport, I would think that someone would start paying closer attention, don't you?

- To Councilor Grant Nordman: Are you going to raise hell the next time the WWE come to town? Please show some consistency Sir. If you are worried about the athletes in MMA, be concerned for the wrestlers who subject their bodies thru misery and drugs and all sorts of other issues, only to end up on this list.

"You've been invited to join the group '100,000,000 Against Facebook Owning Its User's Photos!'...."

2009-03-13T12:42:00.001-05:00

Using Facebook to protest Facebook User Terms.

How...lacking in self awareness.

Toronto Star Editoral: Say Yes To The Auto Bailout

2009-03-13T10:11:00.001-05:00

Toronto Star Readers Commenting On The Editorial: Screw That Noise!

Send The Calgary Grit To G20

2009-03-12T17:52:00.003-05:00

Hat tip to Paul Wells on the idea, but I can't get behind his choice of Kady O'Malley because I believe the opportunity should go to a "regular joe" blogger.

Wells:

I haven’t even told ITQ about this. Apparently some group is convening 50 bloggers to the G20 summit in London in early April, including 20 who will be nominated by the public. I’m absolutely shameless enough to ask you to send me, except in all fairness the blogger who covers the G20 shouldn’t be the one who spent four years saying a leaders’ G20 was a dumb idea, so I’m out. Besides, this will basically be a big committee meeting, and I’m told they sell Red Bull in London, so… well, the stars are aligning. You know what to do. It’s time to liveblog a G20. Godspeed.

Well, I visited the link, but here's who I nominated:

Dan Arnold (Calgary Grit) writes one of the best-read blogs in Canadian political and news circles. He's knowledgeable, observant and pretty witty to boot. While his political party of choice is opposition of mine (his Liberal, mine Conservative), he's fair in his commentary and would do Canada proud. He also isn't paid to blog, which I think is what this opportunity should be about - putting everyday bloggers into a position of access to the people we discuss and presenting that back to his/her readership as opinion/observations.

Please consider Dan for Canada's open spot.

I'd appreciate if a few of you would click this link and support Dan's nomination.

I'm Sold On It

2009-03-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

Dalton McGuinty is looking at harmonizing the Ontario PST with the GST. It's not politically easy, that's for sure, but it is absolutely-100%-without-a-doubt the right policy to put into place and I hope the Tories provincially consider it as part of our overall economic and taxation package in 2011. I wouldn't want to run on it seperately, but as a larger package, I think we should put it out there and let people decide if the benefits - tax cuts elsewhere for consumers and business, not the least to mention, higher productivity for business - don't outweigh the higher tax

Colin Fast Clarification

2009-03-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

Nick Martin on Colin's announcement yesterday:

WINNIPEG should have only one public school board for the entire city, Winnipeg School Division school board byelection candidate Colin Fast declared Wednesday.
"Even if it loses me a job, it's the right thing to do," Fast said in a news release.
Fast said there are too many school divisions in Winnipeg, and trustees and the provincial government should be working to reduce bureaucratic waste.
"Most other major Canadian cities have one public school board, so why does Winnipeg need six?" asked Fast. "We should pursue further amalgamation.
"The amount of bureaucracy in the Winnipeg model is absurd," Fast said. "There's no need for us to have more than three times as many school trustees as we have city councillors. It's also wasteful to pay six superintendents, six treasurers and 20 assistant superintendents. More money should be spent in the classroom, not in the boardroom."

It's a good hit in the Free Press in the closing days of the campaign, but Colin's release wasn't written as clear as it should have been. Because he uses comparison cities with one school board each (Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa, Calgary), the impression is left that Colin wants only one school board. I know from discussions with him that while one might be the ideal, just lowering the number from six is the primary goal of the announcement.

(Honestly not trying to be all partisan snarky, but has any of the other candidates made any pledges on real issues during this campaign? Well, other than Shane Nestruck's geo-thermal heating idea for city schools? I figure Gary Brownstone is the likeliest strongest candidate in terms of competition - by the way, brilliant move with the Fallafal House exposure Gary - but perusing his website, the promises are a little...How do I politely put this?...Light on substance but heavy on motherhood?)

IKEA Open House

2009-03-12T09:52:00.001-05:00

Nothing as much fun as being yelled at for being a customs broker, but made an appearance at the IKEA open house last night to check out the drawings and plots and machinations.

Ended up doing a quick hit for CBC Radio which resulted in a traffic-related comment making the rounds on Information Radio this morning. (FYI: It's pronounced "Lew-and-doe-ski". I know everyone says "Lew-an-dah-ski", and maybe because we don't include another W that should be the case, but the family sends two people off to Assessippi nonetheless.)

And traffic is my only problem with the project. I cannot fathom that we would put in three more light batches when we should be interchanging the ones we already have in that area. That Kennaston/Sterling Lyon isn't already being planned for an interchange is a farce of traffic planning.

Otherwise, I like the plan. Not only do we get a destination retailer, however we are doing it in a location that is about as close to the city core as is realistically possible. The sprawl argument is a straw dog. We're building this five minutes from Polo Park and twenty from downtown. I would ask what other locations critics would suggest for it. Maybe the Canada Packers site on Marion, but I doubt it is a large enough tract of land and isn't it already tied up with other project developments? No, this is about as ideal a spot you could find for such a project.

And all those people suggesting that it should be forced to be built downtown are revealing just how out of touch they are on this issue. Where? And have you ever visited an IKEA?

I made fun a little bit at the "active transportation" and "transit" plans to the development. Because someone is going to carry their bookcase with them on the bus. Or strap their new desks onto their backs before mounting their bike to depart for home. Or am I seriously underestimating the number of people who enjoy meatballs for lunch?

Actually, along that front, I was told that the number of bike rack spots for the project has been allowed to be lowered to 40 from 140. Considering I doubt that more than 20 would be filled at any one time, that sounds like a smart decision to ease back requirements for deadspace near the front of the store.

There was a group of residents from South Tuxedo worried about the noise amplification of the trains coming off the development buildings. While I understand their concerns, I don't believe them enough to prevent going ahead. They all bought besides the tracks knowing that with the intermodal yards gone that the land was now zoned industrial. Be thankful it's only retailers going into it and the echo-effect you have to worry about instead of some noise-creating factories that add to the ambiance.

Finally, whenever you read about the project, know that the residential aspect is the least defined and furthest off into the future. IKEA will go on the southeast corner of the project right along Kennaston and south of Sterling Lyon. The rest of the commercial development will be north of Sterling Lyon on the old railyards. Finally, the condo development will come in on the southwest corner directly west of the IKEA.

What A Game Changer, That Iggy...

2009-03-11T15:40:00.001-05:00

Liberal strategist and Globe & Mail blogger Robert Silver makes a point:

Between Dec. 3, 2006 (the date of the first post Dion-leadership-win poll being released) and Sept. 6, 2008 (the last poll released prior to the last writ being dropped), there were 134 national public opinion polls released publicly. The average pre-election period result over those 134 polls? With all those ups and downs, negative ads, hapless Liberal leadership?

CPC - 34.66 per cent
Liberals - 30.57 per cent
NDP - 15.39 per cent
Bloc - 8.99 per cent
Green - 9.35 per cent

The national results from today's Strategic Counsel poll?

CPC - 35 per cent
Liberals - 31 per cent
NDP - 16 per cent
Bloc - 9 per cent
Green - 10 per cent

Consider these when you read your glowing Ignatief coverage. Like many others, I don't believe him to be the risk to the Tories that some believe him to be.

Ah George, That's Kinda The Point

2009-03-11T12:37:00.001-05:00

Montreal Canadians tough guy George Laraque on the "tough" new fighting rules:

"Stupidest thing ever!...I think it's a joke. They might as well take fighting out of the NHL...This will take the one-dimensional player out of the NHL because that's who they will say starts a staged fight."

nods

2009-03-11T12:20:00.001-05:00

Hitch on 'Good' Taliban vs. 'Bad' Taliban:

However, one should be careful of the seductions of this compromise. In a wishful attempt to bring peace with the Taliban in Pakistan itself, the government has recently ceded a fertile and prosperous and modernized valley province - the former princedom of Swat - to the ultra-violent votaries of the one party and the one god. This is not some desolate tribal area where government and frontier have been poorly delineated for decades, as in Waziristan. It is a short commute from the capital city of Islamabad.

The Taliban have never won an election in the area; indeed, the last vote went exactly the other way. And refugees are pouring out of Swat as the fundamentalists take hold and begin their campaign of cultural and economic obliteration: no music, no schooling for females, no recognition of the writ of the central government.

According to this and other reports, the surrender of authority by the already crumbling Pakistani authorities has had an emboldening effect on the extremists rather than an appeasing one. The nominal interlocutor with whom the deal was signed, Maulana Sufi Muhammad, is related by clan and ideology to much fiercer and younger figures, including those suspected in the murder of Benazir Bhutto, in the burning of hundreds of girls' schools, in the killing of Pakistani soldiers and in the slaughter of local tribal leaders who have resisted Taliban rule.

Numberless witnesses attest that the militants show not the smallest intention of abiding by the terms of the so-called "truce." Instead of purchasing peace, the Pakistani government has surrendered part of its heartland without a fight to those who can and will convert it into a base for further and more exorbitant demands. This is not even a postponement of the coming nightmare, which is the utter disintegration of Pakistan as a state. It is a stage in that disintegration.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, where many very hard-line Muslims take the side of the elected governments against the nihilists, there is also a determined NATO or coalition presence that can bring firepower to bear as part of the argument. This was the necessary if not sufficient condition for the "awakening" movements on which U.S. General David Petraeus relied and still relies. But even in default of that factor, the handing over of large swaths of sovereign and strategic territory to the enemy was never a part of any such plan, and it would have been calamitous if it had been.

And another humanitarian/defence angle...

There is another symbiosis between state failure of that kind and the spread of deadly violence. A state or region taken over by jihadists will not last long before declining into extreme poverty and backwardness and savagery. There are no exceptions to this rule. We do not need to demonstrate again what happens to countries where vicious fantasists try to govern illiterates with the help of only one book.

And who will be blamed for the failure? There will not, let me assure you, be a self-criticism session mounted by the responsible mullahs. Instead, all ills will be blamed on the Crusader-Zionist conspiracy, and young men with deficiency diseases and learning disabilities will be taught how to export their frustrations to happier lands.

Thus does the failed state become the rogue state. This is why we have a duty of solidarity with all the secular forces, women's groups and other constituencies who don't want this to happen to their societies or to ours.

Three-Word Watchmen Review: Needed More Squid

2009-03-11T10:33:00.001-05:00

Two Hundred Forty-Eight Word Watchmen Review: For the most part, I liked it. Strong performances from most of the cast. She's got Canadian connections, but Malin Ackerman was terrible - extremely hot, but terrible nonethless. Jackie Earl Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan now have at least one classic character on their resumes. I liked Matt Frewer in his small role as well.

The plot is lifted almost 100% from the book with one large exception that matters. Not saying it matters in a completely bad way, just that there are ramifications of the decision which aren't sitting exactly well with me. I'm going to need a second viewing before I decide.

It's a little gruesome in places for my liking. Happened to catch the opening of Predator on TV Sunday night and here I liked how they dealt with the blood and gore in that far better than Watchmen. Lots of soilders are shot and killed. They discover skinned bodies. And yet, there's nothing in the movie that is truly stomach-turning. There's no need for some of the really nasty looking scenes in Watchmen. None whatsoever.

Final beef: There was never a feeling of dread surrounding the nucular war background of the movie. You need that sense of "Oh hell, we're screwed anyway!" going on in the background of this story to really make it work well. They just didn't get us close enough to that point to feel like it really mattered.

Beefs aside, I recommend the movie to folks. The Hackette really liked it as well, so it's not a boys-only zone. What works, works extremely well. What doesn't work is relatively excusable at first glance.

Four-Word Watchmen Review: Needed Less Blue Dong

Civil Civics

2009-03-11T10:05:00.002-05:00

Attended the River Heights by-election debate last night. Some kneejerk thoughts:

- Currier came off stronger in my opinion. Not just on policies, which obviously would appeal to me stronger than Orlikow's brand of working consensuses. Currier had the "voice", which is probably self-evident considering his years on radio, but I just found Orlikow's tone to be far too passive, almost sheepish at times. The only section where I felt Orlikow appeared truly passionate was towards the end when he was discussing traffic issues.

- Currier was unequivocal. He would raise property taxes to afford better service.

- To Marcia, my friend who runs a massage therapy place out of a home on Grant, vote Orlikow. When asked specifically about the uptick of home-based businesses along Corydon and Grant, Orlikow took the position that businesses should be licenced on a case-by-case basis, depending on how they fit the neighbourhood. Currier felt that once you had customers coming to your "shop", that flipped the home to a commercial property and should be zoned accordingly.

- Currier took a strong position that the city should focus on core services. And that if the city isn't looking for ways to provide those services in the most cost-efficient way possible, they weren't doing their jobs.

- Orlikow said he felt that the garbage service south of the river isn't as good as it was a few years ago when he knew his garbageman Jack and that Jack would help him determine what could and could not be throw away. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he knew he specific garbageman, but I know I lived on Mulvey from 2003 to 2005 (pre-privatization) and we lost garbage cans, found litter on the alley and all the other horrible things being said about the BFI service today. And it costs us significantly less today. I would wager with anyone that the vast majority of Winnipeg residents affected have not noticed one single difference in their service and that Orlikow was viewing the past union-ran city service through rose-coloured partisan glasses.

- When asked about keeping the issues the councillor deals with local (IE "Do you feel that a councillor has a responsibility to champion national or global causes), Currier was strongly no, saying that it is not a councillor's place to speak for the city on those stages, but the mayor's. Orlikow took a middle road response that actually wasn't bad either. (Yes, but within context of convincing the city to speak with one voice on the issue.)

- Being the River Heights Community Centre that put on the debate, there was a little too much focus placed on community club questions for my liking. I do not discount the value of community clubs, really I don't, however when I hear club proponents discuss their visions for clubs and how they are the focal points of the areas surrounding them, it just sounds so anachronistic. As if the habits and preferences of people haven't changed over the last thirty or forty years. Most people don't use their local community club. How many people in Winnipeg actually volunteer at least one hour a month to their club? 0.1% (That would be over six thousand Winnipeggers involved with their community club in a volunteer capacity. Could it really be that high? Anyone got numbers on this?) Anyhow, people today just don't have the time - and in many cases, the inclination - to involve themselves with the community club, so councillors have to adjust accordingly methinks. You can't be a community club's are the pinnacle of community planning kinda guy all the time, but of course, that's what community club proponents demand because to them, the clubs are the pinnacle.

- Currier was against privatizing water services. Ditto community clubs. Orlikow actually took the more pro-private direction on the latter. He suggested that if the private sector wanted to get involved in say building a new rink for a club, that was one thing. However, management of clubs should still sit with the public.

- Currier was pro-expansion of Kennaston. I can't remember if I heard Orlikow address that one specifically, though he made a good point about knowing where the cars would go once they hit the St. Jame's Bridge, which lends itself to his likely opposition to a straight ahead expansion of Route 90 south of the bridge. Expanding Sterling Lyon Parkway to Pembina was also discussed, as well as a Waverly underpass.

- Overall, I counted about 50 people including political folks like myself, Dale Smeltz, Winnipeg Citizen's Coalition frontman Liam Martin, Cindy Gilroy-Price, former councillor Donald Benham, Marianne Cerilli and school trustee candidates Gary Brownstone, Barbara Coombs (who I think is involved with the RH Community Club) & Colin Fast with little Cooper in tow. (Oh yeah, Brandi had curling, sure, sure.)

- I'm sure the trustee candidates where looking for pointers ahead of their debate tomorrow night. (That or they smartly used the debate as a good enough excuse to not be door knocking on such a miserable night.)

- Event Notice: [EDIT: TONIGHT IS THE DEBATE. I guess that is relevant information.] Grant Park school, 7:00pm start in the junior gym for those of you like me who can't get enough of this type of thing. If only 50 will come out to a councilor debate and half of them are media/political class types, just imagine how few will come out to a school trustee debate.

- Event Notice Two: The IKEA open house is tonight at J.B. Mitchell school (4:00pm to 8:00pm). It'll be a gong show and I wouldn't miss it for anything. If I'm going to get yelled at by a resident at the Route 90 forum last month, imagine what fun I could get into here!

From The Papers...

2009-02-27T10:45:00.001-06:00

Shocker! The Canadian Museum of Human Rights discovers a $5 million annual cost that wasn't originally anticipated. While I can't imagine anyone is too surprised by the development (frankly, I don't know how we can truly trust any of the numbers being thrown about considering the moving targets they have been), how does ones annual operating expence get missed by over 20% when doing due diligence?

I'm seriously skeptical about this project, but do hope it works out. I just know that for a quarter of the cost, we'd have a pretty bitching cold climate zoo with polar bears, penguins and plans to expand with beluga whales in the 2020s. I would think that project would attract as many folks to Winnipeg as the museum likely will AND do wonders for our provincial branding, which I'm just not convinced yet will come about from the museum.

* * * * * * * * * *

The was real disgust amongst my (mostly) non-political coworkers this morning in regards to MPI buying CitiPlace. We'll see how long that lasted. As the "Dollars For Universities" episode from 2001 showed, Gary Doer will absolutely get involved with MPI decision-making if it begins to affect their polling numbers. I haven't heard anyone outside of MPI themselves suggest that this purchase is a good thing.

Hey, with the Hydro tower nearing completion and the airport online next year, maybe the Premier figures that Manitoba could use another multi-million dollar project and discover that the building requires a major retrofit or something of the sorts?

* * * * * * * * * *

Paul Rutherford in the Sun acknowledges that school spending is "irresponsible", but doesn't like Colin's position that the province should be funding 100%, suggesting that the province will inevitably cut funding resulting with "children suffering".

But what's the point of the separate tax authorities if the province is going to order school divisions what to do anyhow?

"EDUCATION Minister Peter Bjornson might order rebellious school boards to freeze their education property taxes.
Bjornson said repeatedly Thursday that all options are on the table if some trustees insist on raising taxes and rejecting the provincial tax incentive grant by the March 15 budget deadline.
"The message has been loud and clear," Bjornson said. "Everything's on the table -- that's something (ordering a freeze) we'll have to think about."

Plus, as a comment in the Rutherford column says, most people do not know their trustees or follow school division politics. But they know their MLAs. I would think that the province would be loath to underfund education the way Rutherford suggests because they are a hell of a lot more accountable to the public than the school trustees are. Leaving the same status quo groups of trustees in place isn't going to change the mentality which has been shown to be, "When the decision is required on holding the line or tax more, small tax increases are the easier choices to make."

Not the least to mention that some of the provinces Rutherford cites as "horror" stories (BC, Alberta, Ontario) have school division practices repeatedly lauded by experts in the field, ones that should be applied in Manitoba. Be curious to see if Rutherford's school division cuts are the same cuts that took place in the 90s when EVERY government department was getting cut.

Betcha it is.

* * * * * * * * * *

Considering the horror stories of "lost children" we see in the news and the scuttlebutt you hear from friends that work within the child welfare system, I hope you'll forgive me if I don't exactly get all celebratory and back-patting on the fifth-year anniversary of Child & Family Services devolution.

I'd Like To Hear The Answer From A Few Folks In Manitoba

2009-02-26T18:34:00.001-06:00

David Mader comments in a Wells' post:

I'd still love to know what anyone - anyone at all - thinks the Goldilocks option is for a Canadian conservative party. When the Tories were ideologically conservative, they were lampooned and lambasted for being ideological. Now that they've abandoned ideology in favor of power-pragmatism, they're lampooned and lambasted for being power-driven/pragmatic. Is there an approach that wouldn't subject them to scorn?
It's an honest question. I freely admit that I'm among those who would rather see the Conservatives act consistently conservative, though perhaps not dogmatically so, since they're subject to scorn either way. But given that they're scorned either way, is there really much force to criticisms that their current positions are incoherent? What position could they take that wouldn't be criticized as (a) incoherent or (b) ideological? It's almost enough to make one think that the critics are simply fixated on the party label…
(Incidentally, this criticism isn't directed at Paul, who never (that I can recall) criticized the Tories for being ideologically consistent (insofar as they ever were), though he did criticize the policy consequences of some of that ideological consistency. I'd be interested in his answer, though, to the Goldilocks question.)

Good discussion follows.

Rocky Mountain News To Suspend Publishing Tomorrow

2009-02-26T14:06:00.001-06:00

One hundred years from now, this decade will be considered the last hurrah of the daily newspaper. I don't believe it to be a good thing, but it is what it is and we're all going to learn how to deal with it very soon.

[link]

~Ah we're drinking and we're dancing and the band is really happening...~ - "Closing Time" by Leonard Cohen

2009-02-26T11:14:00.001-06:00

Tickets purchased. I'm pretty jacked.

Gordon Bell And Failing Geometry Grades

2009-02-25T13:04:00.001-06:00

Winnipeg One School Division trustees appear to be nice people. I'm sure they all have the right motives.

But can someone explain to me how they cannot seem to figure out basic geometry?

As has been proven time and time again, a proper field does not fit on the old Midway Chrysler lands. Everyone watch how they'll move forward with the project for political reasons, spending the money and mostly wasting the resources, only to find out - SHOCK! GASP! AMAZEMENT! - that the field will be deemed "too confined" for most of the sporting activities the school wants to conduct.

Won't stop it from happening...It's practically a Winnipeg motto:

Good intentions are better than good policy any day.

Change the people. Change the mentality. Start with the by-election. Expand that next year in the general.

Bad Ideasville

2009-02-24T16:13:00.001-06:00

Say NO! to special city councillors. Nothing good will be able to come from it.

So Many Things Wrong With This Story...

2009-02-24T16:03:00.001-06:00

[link]

- A high-risk Winnipeg criminal who was released from prison last week -- only to be rearrested hours after a public alert was issued...

- "I absolutely believe someday I'm capable of killing a number of people," Ross told a prison psychologist...The parole board says Ross, 43, has repeatedly mocked his many victims -- including a man whose neck was slashed and then laundry detergent was poured in the wound; a man whose eye was taken out with a slingshot; and a man beaten so violently he later died from his injuries...

- "In reviewing your criminal history and violent offences, (Ross) laughed, describing same with what can only be described as maniacal glee, seeming to find them inordinately humorous."...

- ...planned to live at the Salvation Army and collect welfare...

- He admitted he was recently visited by police officers from British Columbia pertaining to an ongoing investigation. He didn't provide any further details, but a justice source told the Free Press the investigators wanted to speak with Ross as they probe the deaths and disappearance of several women in B.C. and Alberta...

- He has refused any kind of treatment while in prison...

- His convictions date back to 1987, when he sexually assaulted a 22-year-old Winnipeg man after binding his hands behind his back with electrical tape. Ross also slashed the man's neck several times with a knife and then poured detergent into the wounds. He was later convicted of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to five years in prison...

- "I should have killed him," Ross told a psychologist in a 2005 interview, according to the parole board. Ross said he cut the man "so he'll never forget what he (Ross) did."...

- Ross caused serious injury again in 1993 when he began firing BB pellets, using a slingshot, from the top of a Winnipeg hotel at random victims below. He struck one man in eye, causing permanent damage and blindness...

- Ross brutally attacked a woman in 2002 and threatened to kill her if she went to police and attacked a man in 2003 who was unknown to him. Ross and a co-accused broke into the man's home and beat him with fists and feet, causing serious injures. The victim later died, although the aggravated assault charge was never upgraded...

- Ross told prison officials "I know what is right and wrong. What I can't control is my impulsive behaviour. When I get an idea in my mind, I run with it and have no hindsight or foresight until it is too late."...

BUILD MORE JAILS AND PRISONS!

THERE'S YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM!

And Another...

2009-02-24T14:32:00.002-06:00

[From the mailbox - The Hack]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Browaty, Jeff;
Date: Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Subject: Press Release: Freeze All Taxes on Property
To: "Browaty, Jeff" ;

MEDIA RELEASE

Office of Jeff Browaty

City Councillor – North Kildonan Ward

FREEZE ALL TAXES ON PROPERTY

Send Tax Incentive Grant Money to City Hall to Freeze Property Taxes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 24, 2009

North Kildonan Councillor Jeff Browaty is frustrated that the City of Winnipeg's tireless efforts to maintain a property tax freeze for the 12^th straight year is being lost due to increases in school taxes on property.

"The City of Winnipeg has been holding the line on property taxes for 12 years," Browaty said. "By contrast, almost all of the school divisions within the City of Winnipeg are proposing significant increases."

The Province of Manitoba has offered school divisions a substantial Tax Incentive Grant to not raise taxes on property this year.

"While the Manitoba economy hasn't experienced the challenges faced by eastern Canada or the United States, many working families have seen their retirement savings decline due to market conditions," Browaty explained. "Belt-tightening is happening at the kitchen table and it's happening at City Hall. School Boards should be no different."

In the past 12 years Winnipeg property taxes have gone down an average of 6% while a property in Winnipeg School Division saw school taxes increase by approximately 38%.

"The province of Manitoba has offered an additional $53 million to school divisions to hold the line on property taxes," Browaty said. "If the school divisions won't hold the line on property taxes, perhaps the province should send it to the City that will."

- 30 -

For further information please contact Councillor Jeff Browaty at 803-4116.

(Potentially Dangerous) Open Question:

2009-02-24T13:04:00.001-06:00

Everyone in the Rest of Canada (RoC) has agreed to tip toe around Quebec for the most part. A few special circumstances here. Another one-way street of benefits there. No fair-minded observer can consider Quebec anything but "a partner in confederation in name only" considering the attitudes of far too many Quebeckers who don't view the RoC as "their" country.

So I ask, as I did in the fall, eliciting a handful of "Hell yeah!"s and at least a couple "Why are you so angry?"s, why is the serenity of some of Quebec's so-called champions considered more important than the serenity of those of us outside the province who just wish it was an equal partner to the rest of us, willing to participate in the country at large?

Anyone, I ask this as a segue to a Post editorial that sums up my feelings pretty well. Wouldn't say I agree absolutely, but there's a lot of things here that I would like to see happen.

[link]

Enough of the decades of appeasement; it's time for Ottawa to adopt a tough-love attitude toward Quebec. And who better to do that then Mr. Harper and his Tories? They've got nothing to lose.

Since October's national campaign, Conservative support in Quebec has nearly halved. Where eights months ago the Tories rivalled the Bloc Quebecois for first place in popular support, now they stand at third or even fourth in most polls. Last week, a CROP poll found the Tories with 16% support -- equal to that of the NDP -- and Mr. Harper's personal popularity below 20%.

That means the Prime Minister and Cabinet can do the right thing without risking their popularity: They have none.

They can start by reinstating the Plains of Abraham re-enactment and, if need be, providing federal security for the event. They also can end the unofficial federal policy that as near to half as possible of all federal defence spending must go to manufacturers in Quebec.

While they're at it, they should tell the truth about equalization. Quebec annually receives the most money -- nearly 50% of total equalization, despite the fact that for decades now, Quebec's per capita provincial GDP has been just 3% to 8% below the national average. There is no "fiscal imbalance," at least not between Ottawa and Quebec. Most federal leaders know the stats, they have merely been too frightened about the prospect of Quebec leaving to give it voice.

Let's also take away the Quebec chair at the Francophonie. Defend vigorously in court any challenges filed that seek to uphold the minority-language rights of English-speaking residents in Quebec. And stop jumping out of your skin every time Quebec says boo-hoo.

Such an approach won't make any friends in Quebec. But at least everyone in the rest of the country won't keep feeling like suckers.

Colin Fast, School Trustee Candidate: Take Away My Power To Tax

2009-02-24T12:30:00.001-06:00

Colin says that school trustees shouldn't be able to raise taxes. After sitting through last night's "public" budget session last night, I can't agree more. Besides the maddening lack of detail and heavy on spin, there's no sense whatsoever that the current group wishes to make difficult choices of where to ease spending, even as enrolment declines.

Provincial-direct funding makes far too much sense. School Trustees always reject this idea because it strips them of some of their power.

I think it is worth a $25.11donation to Colin to get at least one trustee on the board who feels otherwise. Please go to his website and kick in a few bucks. We need to change the people involved with the board and this is a good place to begin.

Substitute "Manitoba" For "Quebec" And The EXACT Same Argument Works

2009-02-23T12:15:00.001-06:00

Robert Silver:

Of course, if Quebec wants to be the "Alberta of Electricity", it doesn't need the Obama administration to do a thing.

Alberta doesn't sell gasoline to residents at a subsidized 20 cents per litre. Albertans pay market rates (gasoline price-fixing conspiracy theorists aside) just like everyone else in North America. The producers make a profit based on those market rates.

Doesn't That Just Say It All?

2009-02-23T11:43:00.000-06:00

I believe Paul Tuns knows why this stat says it all:

From Statistics Canada: "Public sector employment reached 3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, up by 96,000 or 2.9% over the same period in 2007."

Thought Provoking

2009-02-23T01:35:00.001-06:00

Angelo Persichilli scores a victory to the melting pot, which actually elects minorities to lead them.

Versus the multicultural mosaic, which tends to only appoint them to "window dressing" positions with no real power.

We use the institution of governor general to promote illusions. In fact, the only time Canadian media are interested in this institution is when they look at the expense reports and the travel schedule of the governor general. The conclusion is almost always the same: it is a waste of money.
On the other hand, the position that an African American citizen has been able to win, the U.S. presidency, is real. It comes from the desire of Americans to look toward the future while not wasting time debating history and ignoring events some refuse to accept.
We still don't know whether we should celebrate or mourn events such as the battle on the Plains of Abraham and some try to rewrite history. That is futile, just like trying to change the score of a game by editing the tape.
Still, it drains our economic, cultural and social resources at the expense of our future well-being.
We are obsessed with celebrating and widening our cultural differences, but we don't know how to handle them.
Looking at pictures of the meeting between Obama and Jean, I couldn't help but think about our multicultural policies and their supposedly miraculous power to keep people and cultures together in harmony.
It is such a powerful policy that we brag about exporting it around the world, even while we're still unable to find a lasting compromise between the two Canadian founding cultures. Since my arrival in Canada, I've been bombarded with praise for multiculturalism and demonization of the American melting pot.
Some time ago, a friend gave me a book whose author was talking about racial mixing in Hawaii.
"The legend was made of Hawaii," the author writes, "as the one true melting pot, an experiment in racial harmony."
The title of the book was Dreams From My Father and the author was a young African American lawyer who in January became the U.S. president.
So, while we preach about integration and multiculturalism, Canadians this week were looking at a hero who was the product of the melting pot. Why?
Well, it is said that multiculturalism promotes cultural integration, while "melting" means assimilation.
I am more and more convinced that this difference is just academic – culture is something that cannot be legislated, as it often is in Canada.

Bettman's Giddy

2009-02-23T00:36:00.001-06:00

Ever since they arrived post-lockout, I've told friends that I have felt fortunate that we were just in the early stages of what had the potential to be a fifteen-year long rivalry between Sidney Crosby and Alexandre Ovechkin. Considering that Ovechkin took the Calder (That is the Rookie of the Year award, Mom), Crosby the first Hart of the pair (season MVP), only to watch Ovechkin earn his first Hart the year after. Now Crosby has taken his team to the Stanley Cup Finals before Ovechkin has, however Alexandre the Great got the Capitals into playoffs last year with a much lesser cast of supporting players. If given the choice of only one player, most "smart" hockey people say they choose Crosby to build their team around considering his all-around talents. Others see the infectious job that is the Ovechkin game and think he's the guy other players want to follow into the breach.

It really is setting up to be an all-time epic feud. I've got Sidney Crosby on my keeper hockey draft team, however I side with Ovechkin and consider him my favorite player in the league now that Joe Sakic has finally reached his golden years.

But the only thing that could put this into real feud terms would be some actual dislike and competition between the two men. That could really kick the rivalry up a notch and make the NHL truly interesting.

So, ah, from the bottom of my heart, thanks boys:

It's official: The two biggest names in the NHL don't care for each other. Ovechkin is tired of Crosby's constant jawing, and Crosby has no love for Ovechkin's theatrics. The emotions were there for all to see Sunday as Ovechkin scored his league-leading 43rd goal and the Washington Capitals thumped the Penguins 5-2.
"What I can say about him?" Ovechkin said. "He is a good player, but he talks too much."
And what does Crosby make of Ovechkin's showmanship?

"Like it or lump it, that's what he does," Crosby said. "Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't like it."

Someone's Drinking For Free Tonight

2009-02-20T17:02:00.001-06:00

Nice marketing of the party.

Give & Take

2009-02-20T15:42:00.001-06:00

Spotted on the Winnipeg Free Press comments section:

To the moderators. In your article it talks about $120 bottle of wine and expensive groceries. However when I write maybe they spent it on alcohol and a lap dance you edit it out. Nothing was offensive. This forum is for peoples opinions and to get them involved in the community and your paper. I'm sure web visits have gone up since comments were allowed. However if you edit what you don't like what's the point? Free speech anyone? Editor's note: We're wary of baseless accusations, but in your case it was a suggestion so likely should have been allowed. We're learning as we go and appreciate your view.

Posted by: RNFlyer | February 20, 2009 at 10:19 AM

Nice to see the editors acknowledge an error. The line in the sand is always moving and sometimes people will err on the wrong side and just need to acknowledge it when it happens and move on.

There's Something You Don't See Everyday

2009-02-18T16:08:00.001-06:00

[link]

Winnipeg will ask the provincial government to create stronger conflict-of-interest guidelines in what amounts to a surprise victory for Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi on the floor of council.

On Wednesday afternoon, council voted 7-6 in favour of Gerbasi's motion to call on the province to review conflict-of-interest rules and possibly create a new office to enforce these rules for municipalities in Manitoba, including Winnipeg.

A separate plan -- authored by St. Vital Coun. Gord Steeves to create an accountability commissioner that would oversee both civic politicians and city staff -- died on the floor of council. Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz said he would have preferred that plan because he felt it had more teeth.

Both motions arose in September when council was preoccupied with the Riverside Park Management debate, which involved the renegotiation of a city lease with a non-profit organization that sublets land to the Katz-owned Winnipeg Goldeyes.

The plans were supposed to be debated in October, but were sent over to a council subcommittee for study. That committee decided not to shelve the accountability plan and made no recommendation about the conflict-of-interest call.

The narrow 7-6 vote was made possible by the absence of two city councillors, the vacant seat in River Heights and the decision of two Katz allies, St. James Couns. Scott Fielding and North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty, [emphasis added] to vote for Gerbasi's motion.

It's 2009 already. The 2010 election cycle is afoot.

Life's Just Not Fair Sometimes

2009-02-18T12:53:00.001-06:00

Milt Stegall's Hall of Fame career is over and he never got to win the Grey Cup. Seems so wrong.

I'll maybe expand on this as the season approaches, however I'll always remember Stegall as one of my all-time favorites. The defining memory - besides his joshing attitude and professional work ethic - will be the last second catch in Edmonton a few years back. As I think about #85 this afternoon, I'm hearing that call in my head.

"Gone! Stegall's gone! Milt...Stegall...for Winnipeg...Gone."

Support Colin Fast!

2009-02-18T12:29:00.002-06:00

Colin begins laying out the platform. Today's installment is on community use facilities.

And after you are done reading, click the "Donate" button and send Colin $25.11* to help the cause.

* - Proposed cost of tax increase on a $100,000 home.

A Mistress Choosing Contest That Involves A Drinking Round? I'm So There!

2009-02-17T12:17:00.001-06:00

[link]

SHANGHAI (AFP) - A married Chinese tycoon who could no longer afford to support his five mistresses during the economic slowdown held a contest to decide which one to keep, local media reported Tuesday.

****

Fan hired an instructor from a modelling agency to judge a private contest he held at a hotel in May, but he did not tell the women about his intentions.

Yu was eliminated in the first-round beauty competition and a woman surnamed Liu eventually won after dominating the drinking round, the report said.

Breakthrough!

2009-02-12T16:36:00.001-06:00

Elizabeth May is going drinking tonight.

Strategic Council Poll Results

Quebec

Green Party: 26 per cent

Bloc Quebecois: 22 per cent

Liberals: 24 per cent

Conservatives: 17 per cent (-5)

NDP: 12 per cent

Ah, but not so fast Liz...

Change From 2008 Election

Green Party: + 22 per cent

Liberals: unchanged

NDP: unchanged

Conservatives: - 5 per cent

Bloc Quebecois: - 16 per cent

Anyone else wonder what Elizabeth May and the Greens have done recently to merit a 650% increase in support?

And as a follow-up, do we think there's a chance in hell that such "support" will be even held as long as the next poll?

nods

2009-02-12T13:34:00.001-06:00

Randy Turner on Mike Kelly, used car salesman:

Again, maybe the Bombers weren't going to get anything for Glenn anyway. But I can't believe a quarterback who threw for 5,000 yards two years ago would fetch zilch today. I mean, are you telling me Glenn isn't worth anything, but Stefan LeFors, his probable heir -- with all of a handful of games in CFL experience -- is worth two high draft picks (a second-rounder this year and possibly a first-rounder next year)?

[link]

The Issue

2009-02-12T10:17:00.000-06:00

Sobering Thoughts on the Newsweek shift:

According to the New York Times, Newsweek isn't going to report on the news anymore. More opinion, less news -- which is perhaps less a significant shift than an admission. Says Newsweek editor, Jon Meacham:

"There’s a phrase in the culture, 'we need to take note of,' 'we need to weigh in on.' That’s going away. If we don’t have something original to say, we won’t. The drill of chasing the week’s news to add a couple of hard-fought new details is not sustainable."

So what are people going to have opinions on, if not the news? How will consumers of opinion news know if the views expressed are reliable if they do not have the raw information on which it is based?

Colin On The Increase (And Why We Need To Change The Faces That Make Up School Boards)

2009-02-12T00:20:00.001-06:00

From Colin Fast.com:

Opened up the Free Press website this morning to be greeted by the not-so-shocking news that the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) is proposing yet another property tax increase.

This despite the facts that:
Provincial funding to the division has increased by more than 38% in the past decade.
Enrollment in the WSD was down over 700 students (3.3%) this year alone.
School property taxes have already gone up nine out of the last ten years.

Property tax rates in the WSD are up to 70% higher than in other Manitoba divisions.
Finance Chair Kristine Barr says in order to access additional provincial funding — and keep taxes frozen at current levels — the WSD would have to "cut" $1.2 million from its budget.
Now, if I read the situation correctly, it's not really fair to call this a "cut" at all. The WSD's draft budget currently calls for a $9.1 million increase in program funding. So if Trustees simply trimmed that increase to $7.9 million, they apparently could collect the provincial funds and keep taxes frozen.
Is a 2% property tax increase on its own going to force anyone out of house and home? Probably not. But the cumulative impact of decades worth of school tax increases has certainly made it an expensive choice for people to live in our division. This is particularly the case for seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes. They want to remain in their family homes, but keep getting hit by tax increases even though their own children left school decades ago.
If $1.2 million — just 0.38% of the WSD's draft budget — is the difference between a tax increase and a tax freeze, then trustees should sharpen their pencils and hit the books. Refusing to do so, and leaving provincial money just sitting on the table, would be irresponsible.

Hack: Visit Colin Fast.com and donate $25.11* online. Let's change the positions of the trustees one trustee at a time. Who knows? Maybe there's a couple of trustees who cannot stand the ways things are now either, but they don't feel like they have the vocal support of others yet.

* - The estimated amount more a year that the school board wants on $100K assessed homes. Just curious, but I lived in a tiny little two-bedroom/unfinished basement/leaning kitchen house on Mulvey Avenue from 2003-2005 and it sold for over $110,000 just two summers ago, so I wonder out loud just what percentage of homes in the ward are assessed at ONLY $100K? 30% 20% Even that? This ward is getting hit for well over $100 per school board election cycle. And the raises come every year.

Winnipeg School Division Taxes To Rise Yet Again

2009-02-11T12:24:00.000-06:00

Winnipeg Free Press:

Winnipeg school board's finance committee is already recommending a two-per-cent tax increase, while River East Transcona trustees are pondering a 2.5-per-cent increase in school property taxes.

That would mean an increase in taxes of $25.11 on a $100,000 home in Winnipeg School Division, and $28 in River East Transcona.

I'm not going to suggest that the current group of trustees don't care about homeowners with their property tax increases, however they have certainly proven year and year out that the current eight (Orlikow was the ninth) will not make the decisions required to avoid them.

I've spent a lot of time talking with Colin about his run for school trustee and I believe he is willing to make those decisions to cap or control school property taxes in some manner. I'm already donating $100 to his cause, however as a show of support, I'm going to donate another $25.11 right now.

Go to Colin Fast.com and consider giving a donation yourselves.

Is The WRHA Seriously This Out Of Touch?!

2009-02-11T11:33:00.001-06:00

[link]

WRHA vice-chairman Allan Fineblit said the fact that Sinclair was or wasn't in the triage line "doesn't matter" and is not an important detail.

NHL Standings February 10th, 2009 (Race For Last Edition!)

2009-02-11T09:59:00.002-06:00

[NHL.com]

25. St. Louis Blues - 53 games/50pts

26. Toronto Maple Leafs - 54 games/50pts

27. Tampa Bay Lightning - 54 games/47pts

28. Ottawa Senators - 51 games/44pts

29. Atlanta Thrashers - 55 games/43pts

30. New York Islanders - 53 games/38pts

With only two "Game Changer" prospects in the draft - forward Jonathan Tavares and defenceman Victor Hedman - it looks like my Sens are going to remain firmly locked into the 3rd draft pick.

Figures.

Hopefully the ping pong balls go our way and we move up to two. The Isles are set on Tavares and I want Hedman anyhow.

That's It! Let's Call This Thing Already

2009-02-11T09:12:00.001-06:00

The Colin Fast for School Trustee scored a huge victory last night.

I'm not sure what random process was used - paper ballots, ping pong balls, cow patty bingo - but "Fast, Colin" will be the first name people read on the ballot. Considering how low voter turnout will likely be, just being at the top could be worth a percentage point or two.

Colin Fast

First On The Ballot, First In Your Hearts

Picks Their Spot

2009-02-11T09:06:00.001-06:00

Christina Blizzard absolutely shames Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Barbara Hall:

It was her response to Steyn's criticism of OHRC's silence on honour killings that shocked me.
"There are thousands of things that happen in the province of Ontario on a daily basis and we don't comment on all of them," she said.
But, I spluttered, women are being murdered.
"As I said, we are a small commission.
"There are many problematic things that happen in our community and we have to make choices because we can't respond to everything," Hall said.
So honour killings are merely "problematic"?
Here's a woman who's advocated for years on behalf of women's rights. She found time to crucify Steyn and Maclean's, but she's too busy to raise the issue of women who are being murdered over some hideous interpretation of "honour"?

I don't wade into the CHRC debate as much as other bloggers, however I've been following it and for the most part, the double standards and blatent politics coming into play bothers me. I am enjoying that some of their decisions and actions are being exposed to the light.

"We don't allow dogfighting, we don't allow cockfighting, so why should we allow this?"

2009-02-10T16:14:00.001-06:00

Maybe because dogs and roosters can't consent to their involvement in the fight, eh Councillor Nordman?

~It's The Final Countdown....~ [do do...dododo do do]

2009-02-10T11:06:00.001-06:00

Yahoo posts fifteen companies that could very well be the 2009 version of Circuit City & Linens 'N Things as far as not being around by this time next year.

A few recognizable faces in the bunch like Krispy Kreme (been in jeopardy for years), Blockbuster (business model has gone kaput) and Six Flags (Wheeeeeeee!).

Friends To Canada

2009-02-10T10:46:00.001-06:00

Paul Tuns makes a solid observation about Professor Greg Mankiw's list of Senators who oppose the "Buy American!" portions of the US stimulus bill.

Only one - Independent Joe Lieberman - isn't a Republican.

Wonder how many Canadians realize that they cheerlead a party that would hurt Canadian jobs and earnings...

It's On Like Donkey Kong

2009-02-09T15:50:00.001-06:00

http://colinfast.com/

I've known Colin for a decade-ish and got to know him a lot better in recent year as the front end of a curling team. Lots of time in between stones to talk politics and solve the problems of the world.

He's got a lot of great ideas about where the school board can be improved, be they on the tax burden of home owners all the way through the empowerment of school administration vs. division administration and opening up the decision-making processes to the public.

(Along those lines, did the computer presentation regarding Gordon Bell's "field" really require an in-camera meeting as was reported in the Freep? Hell, Rise & Sprawl did a pretty good job overlaying another track on the arial photo. Is the board really telling us that overlays were a secretive discussion point?)

Anyways, I'm helping Colin so if you would like to get involved either by donation of time or money, email me and I'll be in touch within a day or two. If you live in the area (Kenaston to the Red, Assiniboine to Taylor) and would like to do us a favour and stick a sign in your yard, I'll even get Colin to autograph it like Thomas Steen.

Okay, so Colin probably wouldn't go for that, but you would be doing us a solid just putting in a sign.

COLIN FAST

Tell your friends. He's no status quo guy and honestly, doesn't the board need a little of that?

Nordman On MMA

2009-02-09T12:46:00.001-06:00

City Councillor Grant Nordman calls for Winnipeg to ban MMA events in the aftermath of Friday's hospitalization of a participant following his fight. As usual, a politician cannot help but show how knee-jerk his actions are an issue when said issue results in a bloody picture in the paper. MMA has been growing in popularity for over a decade now, especially in the last three to four years and these events take place regularly in the city. Yet Councillor Nordman leaps into the debate within 48 hours because that's what thoughtful and considerate people do on issues of public importance.

I also found this tidbit to be interesting...

Nordman, who sits on the Winnipeg Convention Centre's board, said he is curious as to why mixed martial arts events are held in the government-funded facility.

I don't know what's funnier...That a series of events that actually appear popular, growing and most importantly, revenue-generating for the WCC is being threatened with shut down at a time when the WCC is begging for mega bucks to build an addition and chase mega conventions that are supposedly getting away from us....

Or...

Nordman supposedly sits on the WCC's board and he knows nothing about MMA at the WCC despite the fact that there's probably been MMA events at the convention centre every other month or so for the last three years that I've been paying attention. So Nordman doesn't know this, yet his judgement regarding WCC board decisions are supposed to be viewed as anything but suspect?

I'm not the biggest MMA fan, but I appreciate a good fight now and again. Spent last Saturday at a buddy's place watching the George St. Pierre and BJ Penn PPV, and let me offer you some free advice Councillor Nordman. The crowd was one-third female, crossed three common age demographics, and included a business owner, a corporate lawyer, the president of a local union and several other trade and professional sector employee. It was your typical group of friends and coworkers that gather to watch the Grey Cup or the gold medal game of the World Junior Hockey Game.

I'd be careful on throwing around the "ghoul" moniker were I you.

The Brian Sinclair Case

2009-02-09T10:48:00.001-06:00

My biggest curiosity with this horrid case is simple:

Who knew what and when did they know it?

The fact that it would be almost a half-year later before we learn about the video tapes boggles my mind. What further confounds me is how adamant the WRHA and the Doer Gov't were coming out of the gate that their facts were the facts and how it was Sinclair's fault he died from blood poisoning caused by a faulty catheter and his inability to urinate for 34 hours because Mr. Sinclair failed to "check in" or notify anyone he was there to begin with.

Those were pretty definitive statements being made during the damage control portion of this event. One would think that in order to make them, the facts would have been a little more well known.

You'd certainly think that the damned security tape would have been reviewed before claiming zero contact with staff.

I have ten questions now, and I ask them to no one in particular. However, there are a few readers of the blog who might be able to answer them:

1) Did any reporters inquire about the possible existence of security cameras/tapes at the time?

2) Who did they ask about them?

3) What response did they receive?

4) The triage staff who were contacted by Mr. Sinclair and the security guards...What happened to them?

5) When were they interviewed?

6) Does their statement of events remain the same today?

7) Who briefed the government on this file that allowed them to be so definitive with their statements?

8) Who briefed the briefer?

9) How thankful is the Premier that the House is not in session?

10) Who takes over the health portfolio? (I do not believe that Bill Blakie will be given the portfolio as bringing him up to speed on it would likely take a little longer than it would a current cabinet minister. Is now the time to see if Nancy Allan really is a possible "Next Leader"?)

Guess They Don't Like You

2009-02-06T11:08:00.001-06:00

Or did it not go out this morning? *grin*

Congrats Paul

2009-02-06T00:47:00.001-06:00

Sobering Thoughts is one of the handful of non-mainstream blogs I read everyday. Just celebrated some milestones.

No More Sleeps

2009-02-04T09:07:00.001-06:00

Only hours.

Somewhere Bill Simmons Is Giddy And Doesn't Know Why Just Yet

2009-02-04T01:00:00.001-06:00

The NBA skills competition adds H-O-R-S-E to the mix.

The First Graph Says It All

2009-02-03T13:04:00.001-06:00

[link]

Looking a little embarrassed by it all, Sam Fung stood in the middle of his restaurant yesterday and smiled uncomfortably as photographers snapped him shaking hands with Citizenship Minister Jason Kenney.

They Hired The Crack Team Behind The Palin Investigation

2009-02-03T10:04:00.001-06:00

You know something? Were I the Harper government and about to poke the political and aboriginal establishment in the eye by making one of the youngest Senate appointments ever, I might have been inclined to vet him a little more carefully.

Senator Patrick Brazeau may go on to show the promise his CV represented on appointment day, however he's very much behind the eight ball to begin and will be playing catch up for at least a couple of years to build his credibility. Sexual impropriety is nasty business to get caught up in, whether fairly or unfairly. Add in the rest and it'll take hard work to establish an image of earnest hard work.

Hacks & Wonks

41st Federal Election Thoughts & Predictions

Note

Meech

Though We Were Supposed To Be Looking For Root Causes

Ottawa

Judy Alphabet & October 2011...

Twitter

On "Hard Work"

Doer Thoughts

Sharp Cookie

Dan Needs To Read Some Vonnegut

Read The Comments

18 Months, eh?

Damn Fine Observation

Because If One Blogger Doesn't Care About Something, Then Clearly All People Don't Care About Something.

So For Those Still Loitering Around These Parts Of The Internets, Hoping I've Come Up With Something To Say....

Interesting

Funniest Idea I've Heard All Week

Opportunity Not To Be Missed

Bigger Is Not Always Better (And No, This Is Not A "That's what she said!" Joke.)

Dark Clouds On The Horizon

Teaser

Government Casinos

Let Them Build

Canaries?

Interesting Discovery

Excellent News

Question

CAW, Pensions & The Eventual Public Support Rooster Coming Home To Roost

Whellams Lane

Not The Onion

Robert Silver Gooses Peggy Wente

Chipacabra....He's Vote For You

Hacks & Wonks Flashback

Pat Martin's *shudders* Correct

A Million Bucks?

Must See TV

Anyone Seen This Stat?

March Madness

Not For Nothing, But....

Help A Friend: Chipacabra

Symbolic

I Still Think He Should Do These In The Voice Of Fozzy Bear

Dear Winnipeg Free Press

Boy Did Good

There's Still Time...

Vote Fast

Andrew "Test" Martin, Canadian, Former WWE Wrestler, Dead Four Days Before His 34th Birthday

"You've been invited to join the group '100,000,000 Against Facebook Owning Its User's Photos!'...."

Toronto Star Editoral: Say Yes To The Auto Bailout

Send The Calgary Grit To G20

I'm Sold On It

Colin Fast Clarification

IKEA Open House

What A Game Changer, That Iggy...

Ah George, That's Kinda The Point

*nods*

Three-Word Watchmen Review: Needed More Squid

Civil Civics

From The Papers...

I'd Like To Hear The Answer From A Few Folks In Manitoba

Rocky Mountain News To Suspend Publishing Tomorrow

~Ah we're drinking and we're dancing and the band is really happening...~ - "Closing Time" by Leonard Cohen

Gordon Bell And Failing Geometry Grades

Bad Ideasville

So Many Things Wrong With This Story...

And Another...

(Potentially Dangerous) Open Question:

Colin Fast, School Trustee Candidate: Take Away My Power To Tax

Substitute "Manitoba" For "Quebec" And The EXACT Same Argument Works

Doesn't That Just Say It All?

Thought Provoking

Bettman's Giddy

Someone's Drinking For Free Tonight

Give & Take

There's Something You Don't See Everyday

Life's Just Not Fair Sometimes

Support Colin Fast!

A Mistress Choosing Contest That Involves A Drinking Round? I'm So There!

Pat Martin's shudders Correct

nods

nods