Cuz It's Always Better To Rent

Long after Michael Fortier has retired from the Senate, this boneheaded scheme to sell off prime real estate will be seen as Harper's true legacy. The government is essentially giving the buildings away by promising to stay in the buildings and paying rent. Sure we are getting some cash up front but by the time we have paid rent (and taxes and improvements!) for 25 years, how much of that cash will be left over? I suspect not much. So, we lose control of the buildings and pay the landlords back the purchase price in rent and other costs. Pretty sweet if you are the landlord. Pretty crappy if you are the taxpayers of Canada. Can you say "Canada's new 407"?

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Iraqi Wonderland

An interesting article in the NY Times today, by ground-level grunts. It is an antidote to all the happy talk coming out of the Republican blogosphere. In a nut shell they say that the Bush Administration has taken sides in a civil war and that side is not the Iraqi government's side. It does not paint a very rosy picture of what is going on over there, so expect the Republicans (and their yapping little dogs up here) to question their patriotism.

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Hypocricy Alert

Is it just me or do others find it ironic that the same people who are campaigning against MMP and post things like this:

MMP is a system that decreases the number of ridings and adds new MPPs who are not directly elected by citizens. These new MPPs will be chosen from lists that are organized by the political parties. This will allow political leaders to stack their caucuses with blind loyalists who have no direct responsibility to the people. (emphasis mine)

Are also posting congratulations to candidates in safe ridings, who circumvent the nomination process?

For the record, I support what Dion is trying to do and have no problem with him appointing a candidate if he wants to (although MMP is a much more efficient way to get more women into the legislature). What I do object to is Liberals talking out of both sides of their mouths about electoral reform.

Update: Thanks to Ben for the spelling help. :)

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Sorry Warren

You must remember that criticizing the policies of the government of Israel is not the same thing as a "Jewish blood libel". I will never accept that. That kind debate ending sledgehammer is beneath someone of your obvious intelligence. The NDP may be many things but it is not a nest of anti-Semites.

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Cherniak Laughs At " Ignorant" Voters

I have had a suspicion from the start that the attitude expressed by Jason Cherniak below typifies the attitude of those running the NOMMP campaign. It is good that Jason has come out and said publicly, what the others no doubt have been sniggering about in private. In response to Dr. Dawg's comment about he and other back room Liberals fighting to scuttle the process, Jason replied:

"Lol. While I reject your foolish accusation, I wonder whether you think it is right to have a referendum of the population on electoral reform, when at least 90% of them know even less about political systems than me."

Of course, the fact that this McGuinty government is low-balling the referendum process and not adequately educating the public about their choices is a joke to the likes of Jason. If the public are not educated in their options it makes the distortions and fear tactics of the no campaign all that much more effective. The truth is, the no forces are counting on voter ignorance. It is the only chance they have. The public can and will have the last laugh. Let's wipe that arrogant smile off the no campaigner's faces.

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Cabinet Shuffle Quote Of The Week

I am really starting to love the Star Phoenix. Here is the paragraph of the week. It sums up, in two sentences, the "character" of the Harper regime:

It's difficult to assess the performance of ministers in the Harper cabinet because the Prime Minister's Office is a one-man show. Ministers merely end up doing Harper's bidding, as they nod like horses in the fly season.

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On Fake Consultations With The People

Michael Den Tandt, the editor of the Owen Sound Sun Times gets it exactly right. The government wants to look like it's doing the right thing by consulting about electoral reform and yet is doing its best to sink the initiative. Here is the money quote from Mr. Den Tandt:

But if you don't have Internet access, or the time to go hunting for specifics, as I did? Two months before referendum day, you're likely still in the dark. Here's the magic trick: The government has decided that at least 50 per cent of voters in 64 Ontario ridings, and 60 per cent of voters provincewide, must choose reform, or it dies. For the reform side to reach anywhere near that margin of victory will require a highly informed and motivated populace. But that would require a high-profile debate, which we haven't had.

Why not? Perhaps it's because neither the Liberal Party, nor the Conservative Party, has the slightest interest in electoral reform. The status quo suits them just fine. Conservative John Tory has his nose to the wind and can almost smell a majority in October. Dalton McGuinty has tasted the almost absolute power granted any leader with a majority mandate in our present system and doesn't want to give it up. A poorly funded, low-key referendum campaign suits both these gentlemen just fine. But they'll pay homage to "public consultation" until the cows come home.

Indeed, I can already see McGuinty on election night, doing his best bleeding heart conservative routine. "I had hoped for more, but the people have spoken." We as a people cannot let that happen. We have to avoid that McGuinty money shot at all costs.

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