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Welcome to Ontario – where ‘Stupid’ rules

Posted by Joanne on 21 July 2010, 10:36 am

Lorrie Goldstein has some good advice for the ROC – When it comes to environmental policy,  do the opposite of Dalton McGuinty:

Indeed, a good rule of (green) thumb for Canadians is if Ontario is doing something to “help the environment,” you should run screaming from the idea as if Frankenstein had suddenly been unleashed on your community.

Should you one day catch any of your politicians starting to babble like our premier does about all things green, the appropriate response would be to hunt them down with pitch forks and burning torches, before they do something really stupid.

In Ontario, alas, it’s too late. Stupid already rules.

Yes but maybe not so much stupid as cunning.

Dalton knows how to fleece us and still stay popular.

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Update

Stupid also seems to rule south of the border – Kerry Lynch: Green dream – meet reality - Orange County Register (via The Record)

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Walkom: The painful stupidity of Dalton McGuinty’s eco fees – Yikes! He said it too!! And from the Star!!!

Eco tax likely to be back in some form – Walter Robinson, Sun

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Thursday Update

Green energy problems continue to plague Ontario’s Liberal government – Keith Leslie (Record)

MUST READ:

Those solar-power pay scales never did make much sense - Peter Shawn Taylor (Record):

...Selling to the government at 80.2¢ or 58.8¢ what the government then turns around and sells to the public for 6.5¢ is clearly too good to be true. This huge gap must ultimately be borne by consumers and taxpayers. And it is clearly unsustainable over the long run.

No solar investor can therefore defend this business model on its own merits. Rather, it’s about taking advantage of temporary government stupidity. The new rates simply limit this stupidity somewhat.

There was also plenty of international evidence that the rich tariffs couldn’t last, if anyone had bothered to look. Spain, in many ways the inspiration for Ontario’s solar regime, cut its feed-in tariffs sharply in 2008 because they were too rich, and is now discussing a 30 per cent retroactive reduction in contracts already signed. Germany and Italy are also cutting their rates. In the interests of sanity, Ontario should cut its solar rates even further…

Temporary government stupidity? That’s being generous.

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, Culture of Conceit, Dalton McGuinty, Flicking politicians, Follow the money, Global Warming, Goldstein, Lemmings love Fiberals, Lemmings love taxes, Let's ban CFLs, Shifty Green, Voter cynicism, Wind farms, Your tax-dollars, environment, environmentalists, scandals.
39 Comments

“I have some bad news for you”

Posted by Joanne on 17 July 2010, 8:11 am

Dalton McGuinty fully expects his sneaky Liberal government to be reelected without the loss of one seat – according some Nervous Nellies interviewed by the Star’s Robert Benzie.

Yes Dalton expects the Ontario Lemmings to overlook all of the following and more:

-  Solar power rates slashed affecting rural voters (only)

- “Special diet allowances” slashed affecting welfare recipients with medical conditions.

- Secret G20 law and subsequent confusion affecting both protesters and police.

- HST affecting all Ontario consumers and now hurting many businesses as we all tighten our belts yet another notch.

- SuperCorp fiasco which according to Benzie had sparked “an outcry from public-sector unions, opposition parties and many Liberals.”

- Eco tax/fees which have now caught the attention of the Auditor General and are causing headaches for both retailers and customers.  Meanwhile Dalton is MIA when it comes to accountability as usual.

- Energy prices skyrocketing through heavy subsidies to “green” power, which affects all Ontario citizens and businesses.

And now McGuinty is telling government ministries to “pursue new cost-recovery fees to stay on budget and to pay for additional programs” according to the Sun’s Antonella Artuso.

But wait! There’s more!!

Maz2 alerts us to a Star report that the OPP’s anti-rackets branch have “executed search warrants and raided government ministries in the Macdonald Block near the Ontario Legislature on Thursday.”

Innocent until proven guilty of course.

But where exactly is the tipping point when the majority of Ontario voters will finally decide they’ve had enough?

If anyone out there voted Liberal in the last Ontario election, I’d love to hear from you.

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Twitter feeds to keep an eye on:

- #ecotax
- #mcguinty
- @McGuintyhas2go
- #justpaidmore

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UPDATE

Looks like we got us a PROTEST!!!

ATTN Residents of OTTAWA: Protest McGuinty’s Eco Tax Julty 17th – Big Blue Wave

Protest against Onario’s illegal eco-tax: Saturday, 17. July 2010 - Xanthippa’s Chamberpot

Canadian Tire admits to overcharging on eco fees [and check out who's on the Board!] - CTV:

Residents in Ottawa plan to protest the fee outside Premier Dalton McGuinty’s office on Saturday.

Alright!!!

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Bonus! Photos of the demonstration in front of Dalton McGuinty’s riding office!

Filed under Accountability, Arrogance, Big Environment, Big Green, Dalton McGuinty, HST, Lemmings love Fiberals, Lemmings love taxes, Liberal arrogance, Liberal entitlement, Liberal machine, OPP, Ontario Politics, Ontario economy, Ontario election, Ontario government, Ours to Recover, Premier Hudak in 2011, Protests, Twitter, Unions, Wind farms, Your tax-dollars, grassroots power.
76 Comments

The Scary Duo

Posted by Joanne on 16 June 2010, 7:31 am

Everytime I see Dalton McGuinty and Jean Charest getting together I cringe with fear.  Their latest mission is a renewed push for cap and trade because the feds just aren’t moving fast enough – especially now that “they have dug themselves out of the recession.” (Who knew? Does that mean that Alberta can quit sending equalization payments?)

Coincidentally Lorrie Goldstein has addressed the recent inclusion of climate change into the G8-G20 agenda, (Summit will deliver more hot air) with a note of warning regarding the possible economic ramifications:

Indeed in the real world, getting the global economy moving again, presumably the main concern of the G8/G20 leaders, will cause greenhouse gas emissions to rise.

Unless, of course, they were to establish a global cap-and-trade market by putting a world price on industrial carbon dioxide emissions, thereby allowing the same giant U.S. investment banks that just finished crashing the global economy by trading in highly speculative and ultimately worthless subprime mortgage bonds, to do the same thing all over again with carbon credits.

My own suspicion is that the Green Scheme Twins see this as a golden opportunity to not only appease a very powerful environmental lobby, but also push for a new speculative industry that might cause some serious economic backlash if handled improperly (not to mention the potential for fraud.)

Lorrie Goldstein has addressed this issue many times before, for example in his March 27 column – Inconvenient Questions:

Does the fact the earliest corporate boosters of Kyoto and carbon trading were the fraudsters at Enron never cause you to wake up in a cold sweat?

How about the fact your “allies” on cap-and-trade are the giant U.S. money houses that just finished wrecking the global economy, now looking to make another quick killing by brokering trading in highly speculative carbon credits, the European market for which, aside from doing nothing to cool the planet, is awash in multi-billion-dollar frauds?

Largely ineffective

What about the 2002 report by Statistics Norway that Norway’s 1991 carbon tax has been largely ineffective in reducing emissions?

Or last week’s story in the Times of London that the U.K.’s energy regulator has found many of Britain’s wind farms are a bust when it comes to delivering electricity?

That, in the words of Michael Jefferson, professor of international business and sustainability and a former lead author of the IPCC: “Too many developments are underperforming. It’s because developers grossly exaggerate the potential. The subsidies make it viable for developers to put turbines on sites they would not touch if the money was not available.”

Gee. Hard to see that one coming, eh? Who knew that when governments insanely guarantee to pay grossly inflated prices for “green” electricity for 20-25 years, thus handing developers windfall profits from the hides of electricity consumers, many don’t deliver the goods?

Not you, obviously. Or Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.

One thing for sure. Whenever you see Premiers McGuinty and Charest put their heads together, you’d better hang on tight to your wallet – until they pry it away by force.

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Related

Scan of Arctic ice dispels melting gloom, scientist says – Citizen (H/T NNW)

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, Dalton McGuinty, Energy, Flicking politicians, Follow the money, Global Warming, Goldstein, Jean Charest, Just trust Dalton, Kyoto, Liberal entitlement, Liberal machine, Ontario economy, Ours to Recover, Peter Principle, Premier Hudak in 2011, Quebec politics, Science/tech, Shifty Green, Too many pigs at the trough, UN, Wind farms, Your tax-dollars, climate change, environment, environmentalists, pesticides, scandals.
25 Comments

Rob Ford slightly ahead: Nanos

Posted by Joanne on 14 June 2010, 7:48 am

It seems that Torontonians are finally realizing that sound fiscal management is vital to the future of a healthy, world class city.

On the other hand I find myself cheering for George Smitherman because I’m afraid he’d go back to Ontario politics if he lost the mayoralty race.

And we sure don’t need that.

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Update

Kelly McParland: David Miller’s legacy could be Rob Ford - Full Comment

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, David Miller, Flicking politicians, Follow the money, Ontario Politics, Ours to Recover, Too many pigs at the trough, Toronto, Wind farms, Your tax-dollars.
67 Comments

Strategic voting for 2011?

Posted by Joanne on 19 May 2010, 8:47 am

(H/T to a friend of the family)

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I’m just throwing this out there but I really thing our only hope of ejecting Dalton McGuinty from the Premier’s office in 2011 is by using some strategic planning.

Are the Ontario Progressive Conservatives and the NDP in agreement that two successive Liberal governments have been a huge disaster for this province?  Can we also agree that a third one might irrevocably damage our economy and our spirit?

Then why don’t we consider strategic voting in 2011?  The McGuinty Liberals will obviously count on splitting the opposition vote. Can we work together to increase the chances that it doesn’t happen?

I know it sounds desperate, but these are desperate times.

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Related

Dalton McGuinty tries to have it both ways in André Marin controversy – Jim Coyle, Star

Keeping Ontario ugly – Peter Shawn Taylor (Post)

Fitness protest fails to move McGuinty on HST – CTV

Liberals play good cop, bad cop with pharmacists – CTV

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Thursday Update

Suspicious Liberal Links – Christina Blizzard (H/T Richco):

…One of the leading lights of the Working Families Coalition is Patrick Dillon, the business manager and secretary treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

He is quoted extensively on a website, Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, denouncing PC Leader Tim Hudak as “yesterday’s man” and MPP Randy Hillier as being part of a “right wing faction.”

He then goes on to denounce their policies, which seems a curiously partisan thing for someone in his position to do.

In question period this week, Hudak asked about several appointments Dillon has received.

He’s already on the WSIB (per diem; $275) and on the board of the Ontario Infrastructure Projects Corporation (per diem; $500).

This week, Dillon was before the standing committee on government agencies. He’s up for appointment to yet another government body, this time to the College of Trades Appointments Council, (per diem so far unknown)...


Liberal or Tory, Ontario’s screwed – Lorrie Goldstein

Media Advisory: Ontario’s Community Pharmacies Question Government Tactics - CNW:

Premier McGuinty and Minister Deb Matthews say they want to save Ontarian’s money while fairly compensating pharmacists for the valuable role they play in the healthcare system yet they recklessly spend taxpayer money to disparage trusted front-line health professionals who are only trying to preserve their ability to care for their patients and protect their livelihoods and their profession.

Premier McGuinty and Minister Deb Matthews appear to be violating the government’s commitment not to fund political advertising with taxpayer’s dollars.

“We have a question: who is funding these ads against pharmacy?” said Mr. Shenouda.

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Saturday Update

Dalton McGuinty wants André Marin again: sources – Star:

...One Liberal MPP complained that the government’s bungling – which another backbencher called “ham-fisted”—has effectively turned the ombudsman into a “martyr” and made it virtually impossible to replace him.

“This has been badly handled.” Declared a fifth MPP: “This isn’t a battle we’re going to win.”

Filed under Dalton McGuinty, Follow the money, Goldstein, HST, Health care, Lemmings love Fiberals, Lemmings love taxes, Liberal arrogance, Liberal entitlement, Liberal machine, Nanny State, Ontario Politics, Ontario economy, Ontario government, Ours to Recover, Premier Hudak in 2011, Socialism, Spineless Ontario, Tim Hudak, Unions, Voter cynicism, Wind farms, Your tax-dollars, elections, grassroots power, pesticides, scandals.
67 Comments

As Dalton gambles away our future

Posted by Joanne on 17 April 2010, 10:14 pm

Can anyone please explain to me how Dalton McGuinty’s antics are not going to result in a further recession in Ontario?

And a sobering note from Rick Conroy, Wellington Times (H/T SDA):

…Worse still, we are propelling massive hikes in energy costs. This will have direct impact on low- and middleincome Ontarians. It will be yet another blow to manufacturers and processors—another reason to move jobs out of the province to low-cost jurisdictions. Smelters, miners, pulp and paper mills and auto manufacturers are all large consumers of electricity. As their margins get squeezed they get closer to putting their raw materials on a ship and processing them elsewhere—taking these jobs with them.

In desperation McGuinty is doubling down and digging our hole deeper. So far this year the province has spent on average a little over 3 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. Last week McGuinty offered to pay 2225054 Ontario and dozens of other such outfits 44.3 cents per kilowatt hour—14 times more than the going rate. Does this sound like a rational man?

Please tell me this is all just a bad dream.

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Related

Ontario green power plan sparks cost concerns – Globe:

Erco Worldwide shut down its chemical plant in Thunder Bay four years ago after blaming rising power costs for making the factory uneconomic, and now president Paul Timmons worries a similar fate may be in store for his customers in the pulp and paper industry.

While Premier Dalton McGuinty touts the “green jobs” that will result from unprecedented investments in renewable energy, Mr. Timmons echoes critics who are more focused on the rising price of electricity, which they fear is eroding the competitiveness of Ontario’s industrial power customers…

Ontario’s power trip: Priced out of the market – Parker Gallant, Financial Post:

As a former banker I have no direct expertise in the electrical sector. I was simply curious as to why my electricity bill in Ontario went up when my consumption went down. What I found as I researched is a bewildering story of a province whose electrical sector is in trouble. Ontario is a high-price energy province and, under current policy, it is poised for a further escalation in prices. In short, Ontario is pricing itself out of the market and will not have the ability to attract any manufacturers or service sector companies that require significant energy in their daily processing...

Bye-bye factory and manufacturing jobs in Ontario.

We’ll all be green – and broke.

And from D.G. Smith in Welland, who is a disgruntled member of a significant voting block – Hydro bills batter seniors:

...In 2011 consumers will pay $3.04 cents a kilowatt hour which when adding distribution will total 14.54 cents a kilowatt hour based on consumption of 800 kilowatt hours per month.

To add salt to this wound the dreaded McGuinty HST of 8% will be added to all hydro bills starting July 1, meaning $98 more a year. One must not forget the Smart Meter program when all meters are installed at the fixed rates for peak periods and off peak periods will result in an increase of $50 a years for a typical residential consumer.

Seniors on fixed incomes will not be able to handle these whopping increases when they are subjected to annual rent increases, not exceeding 2%, when they receive a pittance cost of living increase in the Canada Pension Plan, and when they receive nothing in cost of living increases in their Old Age Security cheques…

BTW, about those ‘Smart’ Meters – Official slams hydro price surge (Gazette):

…Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, says millions of so-called smart meters will be useless unless the government changes course and sets a sufficiently low hydro rate to convince people to do their laundry and dishes at night and on weekends.

Rate increases announced this week show a “disturbing” move in the opposite direction, says Miller.

Off-peak power rates jumped 20 per cent, disproportionately high compared to peak daytime rates. The increase means peak rates are now only 1.9 times greater than off-peak rates (which run from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and throughout weekends).

To successfully persuade people to change their behaviour, Miller says, off-peak should be three to five times less expensive...

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Update

You can join this Facebook group – Stop the Unfair Tax Grab.   Looks like an NDP group but I won’t hold that against them.

Any other relevant Facebook groups out there?

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Tuesday Update

I missed this one in yesterday’s Post – Dalton McGuinty’s pretend economics:

…One would think the government would have realized that introducing the HST would mean more costs for everyone, but under the rules of pretend economics you’re allowed to make believe it’s easier for landlords to come up with the extra money than it is for their tenants. And when landlords stop cutting the grass or painting the halls, everyone can pretend that the building isn’t going to pot…

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, Dalton McGuinty, Energy, Facebook, Flicking politicians, HST, Lemmings love taxes, Nanny State, Ontario economy, Ontario government, Premier Hudak in 2011, Too many pigs at the trough, Voter cynicism, Wind farms, Your tax-dollars, environmentalists.
48 Comments

Province of Toronto?

Posted by Joanne on 17 March 2010, 8:19 am

Maverick Conservative MP Bill Murdoch has caused quite a stir with his recent suggestion that Toronto part ways with the Rest Of Ontario (ROO) and become its own province.  Adrian MacNair touched on this yesterday.

As Lorrie Goldstein notes, “With 2.5 million people, Toronto is larger than six provinces — Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.”

Goldstein is one of many on the Toronto side that seem quite happy with the idea.  They are tired of Toronto having to go begging to Queen’s Park for permission to make changes in areas such as bylaws, taxation and transportation and feel that Toronto needs more power given the size of the population.

And the rural side is just plain fed up with Toronto, and with  Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty who seems to pander to the large urban perspective on issues that directly impact the farmers and folks in smaller cities who have to deal with wind turbines, coyotes, and closed schools and hospitals.

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak doesn’t agree with Murdock that Toronto should separate but he acknowledges the frustration among those living in the ROO.

Bill Murdoch’s initiative is unlikely to be successful but it sure does have people talking.

Ultimately the challenge will be how to  reconcile these two Ontario solitudes.  It could even become an election issue.

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Update

Don Martin: Toronto — the province Canada loves to hate? – National Post. (The comments are better than the column.)

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Thursday Update:

MPP happy to have sparked discussion – Sun Times:

...Murdoch has recently taken issue with Queen’s Park’s lack of understanding on dealing with coyotes, a rural nuisance.

Murdoch also cited the Liberal-created Green Energy Act, along with the Endangered Species Act and Ontario Water Resources Act as causing hardship for rural Ontarians. He said his latest criticism of Toronto speaks to bigger concerns with democracy at Queen’s Park. Murdoch said the premier of Ontario’s office holds too much power. Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary assistants should be selected by caucus, he said, and MPPs should not be forced to vote as the party dictates.

Murdoch admits his desire for a Toronto-free Ontario is a “long shot,” but said he hopes his comments will lead to some positive change for rural Ontario.

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, Dalton McGuinty, David Miller, Goldstein, Green Shaft, Liberal Party of Toronto, Nanny State, Ontario Politics, Ontario government, Premier Hudak in 2011, Tim Hudak, Toronto, Wind farms.
69 Comments
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