Blue Like You

Archive for September, 2007

Not that the Ontario Lemmings will notice or care, but the Star(!) caught McGuinty flip-flopping again - McGuinty flip-flops on senior rebates.

I guess when a Conservative does it, it’s a gimmick.

When McGuinty does it, it’s a ’shared responsibility’.

Eat it up, Ontario!

I’m going back to my reading.

If the Liberal-Lovin’ Lemmings of Ontario want four more years of lies, obfuscation, ‘health’ taxes, hidden taxes, half-truths, cover-ups, crime and lawlessness, union-pandering, discriminatory education funding with questionable results, banning everything under the sun, long waits for medical attention, back-door funding, never-ending native stand-offs and broken promises - then go for it.

Just don’t complain. Not one of you.

You don’t have the right.

Not for the next four years.

Right in Niagara - Liberal Greg Sorbara has amnesia about Eden High School.

Update: This is a fantastic piece by Peter Woolstencroft et al from the University of Waterloo - Electoral System Change a Risky Move.

I hope to examine this more thoroughly in the days to come, but please feel free to comment here.

Ian Urquhart reminds us to pay attention to the October referendum issue - that MMP could become law if we’re not careful. (How MMP could sneak to victory).

One thing for sure - If MMP gets in, there’s no turning back.

Part 2 - Why I’m Voting against MMP (Star)

Just a quick update on the various Caledonia issues.

There was a bit of mud-slinging at the local Candidates’ debate in Brant county, as would be expected.

Meanwhile, a 15-year old was arrested in the beating of home builder Sam Gualtieri, and police are still looking for two 18-year olds.

At the same Stirling South site, Dave Van Elslander, of Venture Homes said Thursday night he and John Kragten “have been advised the deal - hailed by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) as a way for projects in disputed territory to carry on - meant handing jurisdiction over the land to HDI.”

So they (wisely) refused to sign, and the fragile peace is now in jeopardy again:

Van Elslander said when the tentative deal was struck, he and Kragten were told they would not be required to pay a development fee but could make a donation to a worthy Six Nations cause, such as literacy.

They agreed, but when the deal to allow the subdivision to go ahead was drawn up, he and Kragten decided to find out what the use of the term jurisdiction meant.

“Basically we’ve been advised it meant everything was over, that’s it and they own it,” said Van Elslander.

In his statement, MacNaughton made it clear the HDI expects Ontario municipalities to fully consult with the Haudenosaunee of Six Nations before issuing permits for any developments in “unceded territory.“

There will be a “Remember Us “ March on Oct. 8.

Please remember them Oct. 10.

Dalton McGuinty’s ludicrous campaign strategy of trying to promote John Tory as “Mike Harris: The Sequel” (where’s the beer and popcorn?) is unlikely to work, according to Ryerson marketing professor Rob Wilson - ‘Grits look to Mike Harris for Political Gain’:

He said negative attacks can be effective in an election campaign, but only if they ring true with voters.

“To cast John Tory as Mike Harris II, there’s no resonance in that,” Mr. Wilson said. “Harris cut education spending, Tory is talking about spending on religious schools. They’re radically different.”

But Liberal strategists likely think that the Ontario Lemmings can be easily fooled. And with good reason. Polls are indicating at least a Liberal minority, if not majority.

Even Dalton’s broken promises are the fault of the P.C.’s!

Blaming his decision to introduce the health tax on the Conservatives, Mr. McGuinty yesterday sought voter support nonetheless.

“So now what I’m saying to Ontarians, ‘You know what folks? Here we are, warts and all. We made a tough call. You make the decision,’ ” he said.

Within minutes, Mr. Tory had responded in kind.

“I think he’d better order in a very big shipment of that stuff you spray on a wart, because I think he’s got a lot of work to do,” he said.

Warts are stubborn though, aren’t they? You think they’re gone and they just keep coming back.

Come on, Ontario Lemmings! You know what to do. It might be painful, but it will only hurt for a few minutes.

On October 10, excise that wart once and for all!!!

For the love of Mike.

If a Premier who is rumoured to have not kept his word tells a voter that what he (the voter) says isn’t true, does that mean that he’s calling that citizen is a liar?- Globe:

Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty shifted his campaign strategy yesterday by ramping up his attack on his archrival, warning voters of a return to Mike-Harris-style health cuts if the Progressive Conservatives win the election.

But as Mr. McGuinty touted improvements his party made to health care during a campaign stop at an Ottawa hospital, he was rebuffed by a terminally ill cancer patient who accused the Liberals for not financing certain cancer drugs.

Mike Brady, 63, refused to shake Mr. McGuinty’s extended hand, telling him he has cancer and “you’re not helping any.”

“That’s not true,” Mr. McGuinty replied, before continuing his tour of the hospital.

So was the cancer patient lying, Dalton? Or were you?

More at the Star.

It is excruciating to be a (small c) conservative blogger and watch helplessly while a single issue such as Faith-based funding seems to hijack the whole election and all the other worthy issues that need to be addressed.

Mr. Tory, if I were your campaign manager, I would be advising you to declare that the Faith-based issue would be a vote of conscience based on the individual MPP and his or her constituents wishes; not unlike the federal vote on same-sex marriage. (Although some leaders did not allow a free vote for their caucus.)

This gets you off the hook, so to speak, and allows democracy to prevail.

Each MPP would be responsible to his or her constituents on the matter.

Please, John. Don’t let Dalton get another majority.

At least don’t give it to him gift-wrapped.

Thanks,
Joanne

Busy day ahead.

For a change of pace, check out Red Tory’s thread - Wake me when the election fever passes.

Red and I actually agree on something (briefly). Strange times indeed.

John Tory is looking out for seniors:

Mr. Tory announced that if elected, a Progressive Conservative government would establish a 5% annual cap on property assessment increases for as long as a person owns their home.

“Dalton McGuinty has failed seniors” who still live in their own homes, Mr. Tory said.

This is another issue of fairness. Seniors on fixed incomes should not have to worry about exorbitant property tax increases. Feeling independent for as long as possible is a crucial issue for seniors. It is a matter of pride and respect. Failing health is enough of a worry. They don’t need to be taxed to death before they actually do die.

On a tactical level, this is brilliant. Boomers are entering their retirement years now and they are looking for advocates.

Meanwhile on the election front, all three major parties seem stuck according to SES president Nik Nanos:

With only 14 days left in the campaign, the poll shows the Liberals with 41-per-cent support of committed voters, the Progressive Conservatives 33, the New Democrats 18 and the Green Party eight.

Nanos observes that with Tory at 31 per cent and McGuinty at 29 per cent, “they are in a statistical tie for best premier“and that “no one really has the upper hand on the leadership front“. This could be a problem for Tory with his slogan “leadership matters.”

Nanos suggests that the Conservative campaign has failed to attract female voters:

The campaign has focused more on issues that appeal mainly to men, such as promise- breaking, taxes, nuclear power and cracking down on what the leader has called “illegal occupations” by native protesters.

Well, I think that’s a fairly sexist comment. Keeping your word is important to women too. I’m not at all sure that the issue of integrity only matters to men.

I don’t think Toronto mom Fiona Marshall would agree with Mr. Nanos either (Lying to ‘mom’ could be costly on election day):

I’m definitely not going to vote Liberal,” said Fiona Marshall, the leader of the outdoor fitness class for new mothers, and a former teacher herself.

As her eight-month-old daughter Ailie plays on the grass, Ms. Marshall explained that while she voted for the party in 2003, she cannot do it again.

“This is a ‘mom’ thing to say, but we don’t lie in our house. You don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Ms. Marshall said the Liberals’ problem clearly went beyond the financial problems they inherited after taking office. Mr. McGuinty cannot lay the blame there for the many promises he did not keep, she went on.

“Wherever my politics lie, morally I can’t support a party that has done basically nothing that it promised to do around education,” Ms. Marshall said.

“I’m normally left of Liberal. But for the first time in our house, we’re talking about voting right.”

The Society for Quality Education appears to support Ms. Marshall’s viewpoint - McGuinty hasn’t delivered on his promises.

Former BC Liberal Education Minister Christy Clark also berated Dalton McGuinty for his broken promises and hypocritical attitude on Faith-Based funding.

John Tory can only hope that there are many more Fiona Marshalls out there; especially in Toronto.

What a radical idea! John Tory is proposing that we consider letting Mom & Pop stores sell local wine and beer!

Oh wait. Alberta and Quebec already permit that irresponsible behaviour.

Well, there are plenty of reasons to rage against this craziness. It might encourage under-age drinking.

Oh wait. They’re already selling cigarettes. What’s the difference?

“Mom and pop” stores already sell age-restricted products — such as tobacco and sexually explicit magazines — and have some of the toughest age-verification programs in North America, said (Dave) Bryans, who suggested the province could start with those 3,000 stores that have electronic-verification systems and go from there.

Well, John Tory is back-tracking. He seemed cool to the idea before!

Oh wait. He’s just saying let’s discuss it. Let’s keep an open mind.

Well, no matter what, convenience stores just can’t be trusted. Right, Dalton?

Seriously though, why do Progressives seem so resistant to change in certain situations? What is the common factor?

Could it be that the protection of union monopolies trumps everything else?