The Left: Bad at Math

In an astonishingly unslanderous article over at the Star, Flaherty’s tax cuts are called moderate.

However, nothing could be completely rosy in a piece by the Red Star on the subject of a Conservative politician.

He takes issue with 10 billion of the surplus being paid towards the debt.

“In moderation, debt reduction is useful. But given the real problems this country faces – from infrastructure, to poverty, to the environment, to the need for public transit, to housing – couldn’t Flaherty have spared just $3 or $4 billion to fix up the public space we all inhabit?”

Never mind that at 5% interest on the debt, with that one paydown Flaherty has saved Canadians a half a billions dollars PERMANENTLY that can be used for exactly what he describes: infrastructure, poverty, the environment, public transit, housing… the list goes on.  It will take only 8 years for that half billion to turn into the 4 billion he wanted spent on programs.  How many Liberal promises were made to spend 4 billion on various programs over 8 years?

But Flaherty didn’t have to raise taxes to do it.  That’s what makes him a Conservative, and that is why the Left should never be allowed to run this country again.

Trick or Treat, GST Edition

Oh man, oh man, oh man:

Leader Stephane Dion says a Liberal government would consider rescinding Tory government cuts to the goods-and-services tax.

Is there video footage of this statement? If so, it would make the “didn’t get it done” clip look tame by Tory attack ad standards.

Is partisan politics supposed to be this easy?

Meanwhile, as Stephane Dion continues his policy of unprincipled abstention, constituents of Liberal MPs are somewhat less than grateful for the privilege of paying their elected members to sit in Ottawa and drink martinis while members of the other parties vote in the House of Commons:

I am so happy that my MP is representing me by not voting in parliament. He deserves a raise.

Update: Joanne on Dion’s most recent public relations triumph:

Definitely one to sway the average voter, Stephane. Well done.

Keep going with your instincts while you sit there on your hands.

Christmas Just Keeps Getting Earlier and Earlier…

Thanks to the fall fiscal update, I might be able to afford some Christmas gifts for loved one this year…well, on top of the ones that our government gives to people who are far less deserving on my behalf, whether I like it or not!

Exercises in Atheist Paranoid Delusions

Why did Stephen Harper meet publicly with the Dalai Lama?:

Stephen Harper is trying to mobilize his demoralized religious wingnut base…by sending out coded messages that if they help him get a majority, religion will be BACK….with a vengeance [!].

And why would a Harper majority government want to bring religion BACK?:

So they can bully gay kids in our schools without mercy [!].

And no one wants that, so:

…if you love Canada and our precious Canadian values. You better be ready to fight for them…and soon [!].

Manitoba is a well spring of energy

Spirited Energy
Manitoba’s rich history of diverse cultures, varied climate, and northern location has instilled a unique energy that radiates from the hearts and minds of our people. From the birthplace of many successful artists, musicians and entrepreneurs who compete on the world stage, to the natural resources that fuel our economy, Manitoba is a wellspring of energy. This mobilizing force and enterprising spirit is as transparent as it is contagious. Manitoba’s spirited energy propels our province and its people, and drives our success. A rich past, a vibrant future – it’s ours.

 Hat Tip to the Black Rod. Read all about it.

Killing me softly

Fine, critics might say: Canadian patients don’t get as much high-tech care for cancer, but at least every Canadian, regardless of income, has equal access to health care, right? Wrong again. When it comes to this relationship, called the income/health gradient, the O’Neills found that, after taking into account America’s greater income variation, the U.S. actually did somewhat better than Canada among 18–64 year olds. In other words, income is probably a proxy for education and other social advantages that make it easier for wealthier patients to navigate any health-care system. In Canada, where care is rationed, poorer patients have fewer connections and less ability to “jump the queue” to get needed care abroad or from private (and often questionably legal) clinics.

Read The Health of Nations 

Public Schools on the Decline – Is It ALL Demographic?

Is the glass half full or half empty?

It’s half full because finally people in government are starting to notice that people are having less children.

It’s half empty because as usual, they don’t want to look at the real root causes of this phenomenon. They just throw their hands up in the air, and say, “What do you expect me to do about it?”

Of course our helpful socialists at the BCTF have a great idea: have the government blow our money keeping empty schools open. After all, we don’t really need our tax burden lowered… nah. What we need are ghost schools, so parents don’t cry.

B.C. Teachers Federation vice-president Susan Lambert called the closure of schools “unconscionable” during the current economic boom.

“The province has a $3.2-billion surplus,” she said. “Every time a school is closed, it is traumatic for parents.”

Frankly, I already cry every time I pay 7% extra on everything in PST. And every time my take-home pay from work is half of what I’ve actually earned. I’d like to spend more money on my kids, making their childhood more enjoyable and have to work less so I can spend more time with them, but empty schools I suppose will make it all better.

But the story in focus here is on public school enrolment, so forgive me for the aside. What I found particularly interesting was viewing the plummeting enrolment in light of such silliness as allowing two unaccountable gay men to rewrite the BC public school curriculum to give 6 year olds “gay heroes” to learn about.

Every niche group in this country doesn’t need to be catered to in a public school. I think the schools can focus on and teach inclusive heroes – what I mean by that are heroes for everyone, not just for this special interest group or that one. Believe me, there’s lots out there. People anyone can admire, for noble, universal ideals that need to be reinforced desperately, given the way kids are going today. People who respect others. People who are honest. People who sacrifice themselves for others. They have existed in the past – there are precious few of them celebrated today.

But beyond that, what also strikes me is that while this demographic collapse is going on, independent schools are growing. In fact, according to BC government statistics, since 2002 public school enrolment has been declining by 1% per year. During the same time independent schools have grown by 1.5% per year. Now, the shortfall in public schools is nowhere near made up for by the increase in independent schools. The decline is mostly demographic, and real. But the increase in independent schools? Not only are they growing faster than the the decline in public schools, but they are also adding so quickly as to make up for the demographic decline.

I argue that the public schools were already failing our children, even before the government started allowing unaccountable gay men to run their own social science experiments with 600 thousand of our children. People are increasingly aware of it, and as a result are taking money out of their own pockets in increasing numbers every year to pay for private education that actually educates our children, as opposed to the current “appease everyone, educate no-one” approach of the public system.

I wonder, if the government ever tied school funding to the student, how quickly the public school system would simply disappear as parents no longer held hostage by thousands of dollars in private school tuition, finally get the opportunity to choose who is capable of educating their children in the most effective, efficient manner possible?

Chablis or Bordeaux?

Blogger “Diogenes” at Catholic World News, has caught another fibograph from Associated Press Agence France-Presse that you will, no doubt, find amusing

Skulls full of mush…

All of that is true, but a more fundamental truth is this: In a society founded on political and economic liberty, government schools have no place. Free men and women do not entrust to the state the molding of their children’s minds and character. As we wouldn’t trust the state to feed our kids, or to clothe them, or to get them to bed on time, neither should we trust the state to teach them.

Both Democrats and Republicans used to believe the same thing. And then, something changed. Read the reason why at The Boston Globe

Hat tip to Carl Olson at The Insight Scoop blog at Ignatius Press.

Parallel Lives: Oral Roberts, Tom Monaghan and Fiduciary Duties

The problems that put Oral Roberts University into recent headlines pale in comparison to Tom Monaghan’s manipulation of Ave Maria enterprises for his personal, business, and banking interests. Monaghan’s management is far more repugnant given its scale, financial scope, coercive nature, and depth of self-servitude.

….

The recent suits against Roberts and Monaghan were each filed by 3 fired professors claiming whistleblower retaliation and breach of contract.

…

The Roberts and Monaghan suits each claimed that their respective institution’s nonprofit status was violated. Roberts’ case involves a political campaign while Monaghan’s involves abusing a Michigan non-profit (i.e. Ave Maria School of Law) to benefit Monaghan’s other Florida non-profits (i.e. Ave Maria University), for-profits (i.e. Nua Baile and Ave Maria Development), and personal interests (i.e. Monaghan’s private land holdings). See also “Non-profit Watchdog Aims At Ave“).

Read Catholicism’s Oral Roberts

Next Page »