Martin Regg Cohn has zeroed in on the dilemma of the Ontario Liberal leadership hopefuls: The well is dry. Actually it’s emptier than dry. It’s parched and fissured:
It’s hard to promise the moon when the sun is setting on Ontario’s financial horizon. Tempting as it is for the candidates to cast themselves as progressives who can tackle poverty with passion or sound earnest on the environment, their margin of manoeuvre is limited by a battered balance sheet.
(Although that’s an understatement those are pretty harsh words for the Star!)
And that’s what’s wrong with Progressives right there. They only know how to throw your money at problems - until they run out,
Dwight Duncan has warned the leadership candidates that they’d better not deviate from his fiscal plan “because the credit rating agencies are watching”.
So the McGuinty government has even stuck it to its own successors.
I guess I’ll have to learn console myself with that tiny morsel of Schadenfreude.
* * * *
Update
In case you missed this – Op-Ed: Ontario’s fiscal crisis looms as federal deficit under control (Cross and Joffe):
...Ontario cut spending sharply in the mid-1990s to avoid falling over its fiscal cliff. Future fiscal austerity will be more challenging, however, because it is rooted in structural changes as the population ages and economic growth slows. As spelled out in Don Drummond’s report on Ontario’s finances, this will require a fundamental re-think of how the government delivers services.
So, if bondholders are convinced they are not going to get stuck holding the short end of the stick, who is?
Here is a hint about the answer to that question: look in a mirror. The public will bear the burden of the spending cuts and tax increases that inevitably accompany the onset of every fiscal crisis, and there is no reason to think that will change anytime in the coming decades.
TDSB’s $143 school pencil sharpener just the beginning – Star (!)
Scott Stinson: Ontario Liberal leadership candidates lack answers on how to end teacher dispute – Post:
…Sandra Pupatello, a former education minister, said the bargaining process used with earlier teachers’ contracts “worked well when we had lots of money to give,” a statement that says a lot about how the party approached budgeting…
Tim Hudak setting Ontario’s agenda not Liberal hopefuls – Sun
And, in the last election 65% of voters voted for 2 partys that wanted to spend more, tax more, and borrow more, and, to be honest, I think 65% will do the same in the next election.
Well good point. If the voters don’t want to face reality how can we expect the politicians to do so?
And it’s not just us, look at the US. I think way too many voters are just not aware. The media is mostly to blame. Where was Torstar before the last election? This did not happen suddenly. (Torstar sucks by the way)
i have been saying the same thing for years using 60% as my base number. i would like to see one honest politican tell voters that if he/she is elected they will not borrow money or increase the debt no matter how many unions strike or how many welfare people scream. we are reaching the end of socialist foolishness.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, McGuinty toots his horn about his “legacy”.
He’s looking back with rose-coloured glasses and hopes everyone else will too.
Link here.
How can voters face reality when reality is not reported. Both the Star and the Globe have written editorials and columns praising McGuinty on his record, they were both critical of prorogueing but both papers praised his record. Now, how you gonna fight that? Its ironic and a bit of poetic justice, the federal Liberals main stumbling block in the next election will be the economic record of the Ontario Liberals.
Its ironic and a bit of poetic justice, the federal Liberals main stumbling block in the next election will be the economic record of the Ontario Liberals.
Exactly.
Remember when the media thought the province was about to go under and we’d all have to live on cat food when Ernie Eves was projected to have a 5 or 6 billion deficit (if he did nothing to correct it)
interesting article taken from WUWT blog more evidence to prove carbon tax useless
in changing climate ( global warming )
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/12/03/a-carbon-tax-is-climatically-useless/#more-75238
Edward Gibbon sums it (and Ontario) up quite nicely:
“In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.”
interesting because the greeks continue to howl for more of other peoples wealth.
I love that picture, but the lack of vegetation implies that plant life was killed off. Dandelions sure grow well here, because of the retarded pesticide ban that McSquinty and company enacted. There is no grass on city owned property in Kingston, because the Dandelions have choke it out.
Ah, Kingston, where the vista across the water from the park is polluted with Dalty’s wind turbines/bird killers.
And more to come with 30 plus more turbines for Amherst Island sometime in the near future.
What a tragedy. Why are the people of that region so out of the loop to allow it to happen. Property values will go pftttt….
what makes you think any community had a choice on allowing it to happen LizJ? No community had a choice in McGuinty’s Ontario.
That’s why in most cases the Liberals got the boot in those communities.
Sadly, that’s true, they had no choice against the King of Green Energy including when he was reduced to Minority status.
yes, and those turbines seem to be idle as much as they are active.
O/T, Noticed how the media can remember everything of what PM Harper said and did over 20+years ago to repeat it over and over yet for some lapse memory the same media can’t remember a certain period of time when the LPOC were in Gov. ODD EH. Never fear, here’s what I found thanks to another blogger for his diligent work:
Bungled gun registry focus of Fraser’s report
The former Liberal government hid more than $60 million in unexpected costs from Parliament, left no written record of important decisions taken by officials, and may have broken numerous contracting rules in its handling of the controversial gun registry, Auditor General Sheila Fraser has found.
BY CANWEST NEWS SERVICE MAY 17, 2006
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=7f744959-cd1a-4746-af84-53957b01a6a0&k=188
O/T dust up in House of Commons apparently Joe Coumartin the replacement Deputy Speaker failed in his duty to recognize the proceedings but his error was corrected by the journals
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=1&DocId=5909567&File=0
just scroll to bottom last vote you will see Mr Van Loan for Minister Flaherty seconded by Mr.O’Connor all correctly executed
where was Nathan Cullen he cast a vote so I guess he was present but not very observant Nathen Cullen needs to be careful before smearing and accusing the Government of Canada
I, too, wonder if the age of entitlement is part of the problem when it comes to how people vote in this day and age. It seems many of the younger generation have been brought up to expect to be taken care of by others, that society owes them, that it’s what the country can do for them, etc.. The nanny state fits their needs perfectly. The something for nothing crowd can be bought off easily, can be manipulated easily and taken to the cleaners with little effort. It seems that our changing ways of parenting may have killed off initiative, character development, and personal responsibility. As usual, the younger generation pays the price but, in the end, we all lose. Just thinking out loud here.
Thucydides says:
December 5, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Thucydides, great point!!
Hey, Joanne… Remember me?
The BTs are looking rather anemic these days, (the downside of incumbency, I guess) but it’s nice to see you’re carrying on the fight.
Hey good to hear from you!
I’m not sure I’m ‘carrying on the fight’ so much as just using this forum as a place to vent – as do many of my fellow-travelers here.
But I do still try to call up MSM on their never-ending bias.
Great another old white dude passing judgement.
Really REALLY good to hear Jo your memory fails you I think
Don’t worry dear readers. This will continue to be a safe refuge for you.
Dwight Duncan has warned the leadership candidates that they’d better not deviate from his fiscal plan “because the credit rating agencies are watching”.
So the McGuinty government has even stuck it to its own successors.
I don’t think Duncan has “stuck it” to McGuinty’s successor at all, no matter who he/she ends up being. His comments are calculated and pre-planned in advance with the candidates themselves aware of the strategy — that being to have the new leader sell themselves to Ontario voters as wanting to be fiscally prudent in advance of the next election. Duncan and McGuinty would have no motivation whatsoever to want to hurt the new leader in any way as was done by Chretien to Martin, who would rather have seen his successor damaged even at the risk of hurting the party he was leaving behind. Duncan’s “warning” was anything but. As always with everything the Ontario LP does, everything is pre-planned in advance.
Good point Jon.
Here is a Sun article regarding a Fraser Institute ranking of the premiers for economic performance. McGuinty came in 8th, ahead of only PEI and Manitoba. http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2012/12/20121206-065846.html
O/T – well it’s official the first round of elementary teachers’ strike starts with our board here in Huron-Perth on Monday. No school for students or child care for those parents who opted for school based daycare rather than a private or municipal provider. Check out the column below for a perspective that is too often missed….that of parents.
http://huron.bulletnewscanada.ca/2012/12/05/column-what-every-parent-needs-to-know-about-teacher-job-action/
I’m suspecting this whole battle with the teachers is a plan by McGuinty to take heat away from his horrible record and specifically the gas plant scandals.
Great column BTW!
Yeah, he wants to be remembered as the Education Premier rather than incompetent management and scandals. He can do it, the media are happy to feature him in their newscasts being all smarmy shooting the BS.
I wonder why Huron Perth – why not McGuinty’s riding in Ottawa? Or Laurel Broten the education minister in Etobicoke?
Apparently Broten’s ok with the one-day strikes. Why not? Saves the government money doesn’t it?
We don’t even have Liberal MPPs in either of those ridings.
All I know that this is proving to be another major public relations disaster for teachers, executed by their union leaders.
Here’s another really good column. Read right down to the bottom few paragraphs and tell me how ANY teacher can support a union that does THIS to them and with their union dues http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/05/teachers-union-biggest-union-on-the-block?utm_source=addThis&utm_medium=addthis_button_facebook&utm_campaign=Teacher%27s+union+biggest+union+on+the+block+|+Toronto+&+GTA+|+News+|+Toronto+Sun#.UMCeVU8vPuU.facebook
Time for teachers to have some choices of their own….like in who represents them and whether they even want to be part of a union that bullies them like this.
I should add – the TDSB would give them more media impact than your area Richco, no offense.
Maybe it’s to give the impression that even outside the centre of the universe the union is all for one?
Another board is with us on Monday. I think another small one although I’m not sure which one.
See @PeggyatHome twitter feed. Since the clown McGuinty took over Ontario has lost 300,000 private sector jobs while adding 300,000 public service jobs. Then they blame Greece or high oil prices for our bad economy. Math is obviously way beyond their comprehension.
I follow Peggy at Home. Great twitter feed.
great comment.
Good morning ! As the world turns everything old is new again.
When the “Gimme-dats” the takers outnumber the givers the slippery slope is well and truely greased.
Some very good points being made here by Thucdides, Ed and others.
Now completly O.T. cause we all need a laugh.
The must have gift for Christmas, a little capsule which when ingested turns your poop into “Gold,” tour over to bears rant.http://abearsrant.com/2012/12/if-this-isnt-the-dark-side-of-all-that-glitters-i-dont-know-what-is.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ABearsRant+%28A+Bear%27s+Rant%29
Twigged my memory of old Bill’s Merchant of Venice.
O hell! what have we here?
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scroll! I’ll read the writing.
All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll’d:
Fare you well; your suit is cold
Surprisingly, Michigan is voting on ‘Right to Work’ legislation today. Good news for all if it passes, and media coverage may help Hudak with his labour proposals as well.
Yes! I can see Michigan from my house:-)
Not really but let’s hope for a ripple effect in Ontario.
Really glad to be hearing some tough talk from Hudak and his MPPs on the union vs. gov’t dust-up. Lisa McLeod’s been rocking the comments IMO.
Oh yeah. Lisa MacLeod is awesome! I follow her too.
I miss Mike Harris at times like this. Never EVER a question of where he stood.
Call me crazy.
I’m rooting for you Ontario! I hope that folks get nuts with their child-care issues and quit listening to these union ads/cry-baby, poor us antics!
We need you Ontario to get back in the game because we have our very own ‘Dalton’, burn the grass out here in AB setting up.
What is happening in MICH is hopefully our revolution against these unions. Initially, they had a purpose, meant well and were the champions…..until they became the bullies and mafia. (imho of course):)
I hear you Bec.
Me too Bec.
One thing for sure Bec, Dave Rutherford is not letting Alison off the hook. Day after day he talks about the provincial issues and not only that , he allows callers to give their point of view on the matter. Whereas Ontario imo had no media to take Dalton to task on a daily basis. Had they, most probably Dalton would have been forced to resign many years ago.
Thanks very much for the insightful comments from an array of resourceful contributors. Bubba, your Bear’s Rant is a great gift anytime of year, and is your own, poetic or otherwise. This “age of entitlement” which ed, yourself, and others have referred to is certainly a cultural phenomenon among our younger crowd, fostered over the years through personal spoiling in the home (ie. the fundamental family unit) as well as wrong emphases with wayward fiscal policies, primarily by the administrative stooges in the States. (It’s great therapy to get that laugh we all need, but it’s no fun being too closely involved with the entertainment…) We Canadians are in an enviable economic position comparatively, but continue to be anything but impervious to the dangerous tides which can wash away at our resources and our resolve. Stupidity reigns supreme because it has been allowed to do so. This generation of glorified panhandling comes with a price, and has been noted, we shall all pay, all the way to an economic abyss unless the U.S. gets its house in order in a responsible, non-patronizing way. Too many moths have infiltrated and turned Uncle Sam’s pinstripes into unholy tatters… Their our big brother neighbour, and we’d better be cheering for them in tangible ways, because it’s getting closer to the 2 minute warning. That downslope grease accelerating good folks to the cliff is an unprofitable relationship between greed and laziness on one side, and apathy and naivety on the other. If opposites attract, then takers hook up with givers, but there’s not much symbiosis involved…just one-sided until it runs dry…In the true spirit of Christmas, we would like to think ourselves willing to help those truly in need, as there are escalating cases of sincere, hard-working people falling on hard times. Watch out for the kind of taker who’ll steal the Sally-Ann jar… Also, we have a spirit of “anti” throughout the maddening crowd, as people have the capability to systematically act out the dictates of their indoctrination as routinely as brushing their teeth. Watch your back, wherever you are, and don’t get too close to other dangerous precipices, like the drop near a subway rail…http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/
“The budget should be balanced,
The treasury refilled,
Public debt should be reduced,
The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered, and controlled,
The assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt,
People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
Cicero 55 B.C.
What we are seeing is not anything new, there is not anything new under the sun.
America now has more takers than givers, free s**t from the Gubbamint now trumps common sense.
In Canada we have been on a Journey from the dark (Liberal) past to the light Conservative future.
It has taken many years, rebirth of political parties, a size 13 wedgie to those who blinded by their own smallness of spirit would not join or help.
Joe Who take a bow.
This does not mean we are in the clear or safe from those who would wreck our country just to appease a stupid wrong headed assumption that the Earth is on fire, the sky is falling crowd.
Liberals will tell you just how much they respect your beliefs as they tax the breath out of you to pay for theirs.
This article telling of our journey to a Majority is a very good one , succinct and well worth reading.
http://canadiancincinnatus.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/12/a-history-lesson-from-canada.html
Every day folks give the pendulum a nudge.
Cheera Bubba
Ottawa’s turn Wednesday – https://twitter.com/nparnessCTV/status/277139513212542976
PM Harper will be on Sun News live at 5:15 pm……
Of course if anyone wants to hear “reporting” from T.Mew’lesky CBC will cover it too.
Liquor lesson for Ontario supports Tim Hudak
http://fildebrandt.ca/2012/12/alberta-liquor-lessons-for-ontario/
Hi Joanne — I finally got motivated to write something condemning the Ontario teachers’ unions actions. http://cruxofthematterblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/striking-teachers-etfo-onpc-messaging-a-disappointment/