In case you missed it…
Joan Tintor has a must-read response to Ralph Goodale’s pouting editorial, How Stephen Harper ruined our national balance sheet .
I love this paragraph from Joan’s If you want more money, Ralph, you’ll have to ask the voters :
...What Ralph’s beef boils down to is this: Liberals think that giving citizens more than a little taste of their own money is a really bad idea. Instead, the federal government should take that money, keep some for itself, hire consultants to research and write papers on day care or global warming (keeping some money for themselves), set up pilot projects (those need money, too), and give some money to the provinces that are going to play ball with the Liberals (there goes some more money). Then if the Liberals happen to lose power (“God d*** you Layton and Zaccardelli!”), they blame the Conservatives for destroying their brilliant, about-to-be-rolled-out program …
I love the last paragraph too, but I’m not going to spoil it for you.
Frank Hilliard takes issue with Goodale’s reference to the government as "an instrument for good":
…But the really significant phrase in the quote above is this; "an instrument for good". Good? Who’s ‘good’ would that be Ralph? Would that be the Progressive ‘good’ that brought us prohibition? Would that be the misplaced Liberal guilt trip called the Kelowna Accord? Would that be the ‘good’ that ignored the constitution and allowed the Federal government to meddle in provincial affairs?
And would that also be the ‘good’ that brought us all the joys of the Trudeaupian era?
Good stuff, guys. Keep it coming!
* * * *
Monday Update : Goodale doesn’t understand taxes - Jim Flaherty (Letter in Post)
May 4th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Every time Giggles Tabor and Craig Oliver have Ralphie on QP CTV I feel like tossing a brick through the TV screen. Then they have on dippers Nash and LPC Beer & Popcorn joker (same reaction). But I restrain myself. TV’s are expensive. Even with the GST cuts.
May 4th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Once again, Ralph Goodale and the LPC are bragging about the LPC surplus without telling people how that surplus was accumulated. Ralph Goodale and the LPC accumulated a percentage of their surplus on the backs of Canadians, Canadian Gov’t Depts and Canadian Institutions by freezing wages and cutting funding. A few examples; Our Military, RCMP, litany of Federal Gov’t Depts and the Provinces were all victim to wage freezes and funding cuts. During the wage freeze period, the LPC gave themselves a hefty raise while the employees under the wage freeze got nothing. So yes! The LPC left a surplus gathered on the backs of Canadians and Canadian Institutions.
Note to Ralph Goodale — it takes money (from the surplus) to repair the damage you and the LPC left behind?
The LPC took away from Canadians and Canadian Instutions to benefit themselves. The CPC are giving back to Canadians and Canadian Institutions. If the CPC have to use the surplus to accomplish this — more power to them!
May 4th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Then you wouldn’t of wanted to watch QP today, when Danny Millions was on. In the next election(WHENEVER), he is going to campaigne against Stephen Harper(ABC) because he isn’t good for the country. Sounded like he was running for the next Liberal leadership. He had no problem sucking up to McSquinty and Ontario. Also heard that Provinces that are NOT struggling ,are NOT from great public policy. Even heard Millions mention the Harpers In & Out. Didn’t hear any mention though of the cancer patients, from his province ,that had all the bogus cancer reports. Guess it’s called Bashing Harper to change the channel? Trashing the TV would of been worth the satisfaction of making it goooooo awaaaaaaaaay! Then we had the press on……you know the story about PENOKIO and his nose growing …..PLEASE don’t get me started on seat wiggling Goodale.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Leslie - Good point about TV’s! Especially if you lose your job.
Kathy, thanks for weighing in here. I really appreciate your perspective.
Ontario Girl - Danny Williams falls under the category - “With friends like that who needs enemies?” ie. Weaker sisters…
May 4th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Hey Leslie, I know an even better way: Don’t watch QP until CTV puts on a respectable show with respectable hosts. Owliver is a hold over from the Trudeau era and thus irrelevent while Giggles is just irrelevent so save your electricity and go for a walk. Much better for your blood pressure too.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I kept waiting for Oliver to as Danny how he ‘feels’ about Dion’s carbon tax, never happened, why is that do you suppose….
May 4th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Why did certain conservative minions demand that Harper begin a struggle with Williams in the first place? I can only guess it is about oil company dividends since Williams wanted a better deal for NFLD. Sometimes, greed trumps politics believe it or not.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Thanks for the shout out.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:11 am
My pleasure, Joan. It was excellent. I loved the two-for-the-price-of-one at the end!
May 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
The saving for the average Canadian is less than a dollar per day, but the impact on the Treasury is about $13-billion every year.
Ralph would have it that the GST cut isn’t a lot of money when it comes to tax savings, but magically becomes a lot of money when viewed as lost government revenue.
Sorry, Ralph, but you can’t have it both ways. Either it’s a lot of money or it isn’t. We’re just not that stupid.