Betting on the F35 and Harper

A couple of friends and I have a running bet.  The bet has three parts.  I have won the first part.

The bet is:
1) when the Cons will back away from the F35;
2) when Harper will leave politics; and
3) when the Cons will announce that, after "extensive and unbiased" analysis of needs and capabilities, Canada, not the Cons, will buy the F35?

For the record my timing is as follows:
1) before end of year 2012 (I won);
2) in October 2013; and
3) three minutes to midnight on the Friday of a long weekend in September 2013.

So far my winnings amount to an "Atta boy".  If I win the second part, I am upgraded to "You da' man!"

If I get all three, I win the ultimate prize - Benevolent Dictator of Canada for four years; during which I can make all the decisions and implement all the policies I ever cared about, without regard for either Canadians or the Constitution... just like Harper does!

You note that there is no bet on when Elmer McKay's little boy gets the bump from Cabinet... that would have been too easy.

Stay tuned.

What's up with Justin?

On the heels of his latest apology Justin Trudeau is about to step in it again.  On December 22 he is addressing the Reviving the Islamic Spirit get-together in Toronto.  Sounds quite inclusive on the face of it, but when you look at the sponsors and co-speakers at the event, another word comes to mind - NUTS.

RIS is sponsored by Islamic Relief Canada, the Canadian branch of Islamic Relief, a UK-based charity.  Amongst all the good works carried out by Islamic Relief is a serious belief that they are also a front for Islamic fundamentalism and funders of Hamas, a group on Canada's terrorist list.  In November 2012 the Swiss bank UBS closed Islamic Relief accounts and blocked donations (called zakat) to IR due to "counter terrorism" concerns.

On a hidden page (and I mean you have to know that it is there to see it - www.islamicreliefcanada.org/?p=1596) on the IRC website there is a list of who benefits from Zakat.  Line item 3 refers to the people who collect and distribute it - the administrative overhead; and line item 7 refers to "Those struggling in the path of Allah."  That is what is used to describe Jihadists.

I encourage everyone to check out www.pointedebasculecanada.com, educate themselves on the IRC, then contact Trudeau's campaign to warn him off the visit.

While you are at it, ask co-speaker John Ralston Sauls, what part of Sharia Law he wants for Canadians.  Many senior members of Islamic Relief Canada tried to get it on the books in Ontario a few years back.

The Law of Unintended Consequences

Years ago I made up a term called The Law of Unintended Consequences.  In essence it means that there are consequences to every decision you make.

Let's say that you decide to use the scenic route to drive work, the consequence is that it will take longer to get where you are going.  The unintended consequence is that you will be late for work or you have to get up earlier in the day (thus losing sleep).  Your intention was not to be late for work or to lose sleep... those were unintended consequences.

A week or so ago, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was found guilty in a conflict of interest case.  The judge slapped him with the loss of his job.  True, the case did not involve huge sums of money or influence pedaling, i.e. Montreal area mayors, but he was guilty none-the-less.

Well his friends on the right side of the political spectrum went ballistic.  There was gnashing of teeth and foaming mouths and cries of left-wing political motivation on behalf of the judge.  "The punishment does not fit the crime," they screamed from their corporate board rooms.  The right wing press joined in the frey and kept the issue alive even past the time that Ford decided to be contrite in accepting his punishment (all the while saying he was innocent).

While I agree that the punishment was severe considering that Ford did not make money or break any criminal law, I have to agree that the judge was right.  After all there was no allowance in the law for discretion on behalf of the judge.  The penalty was prescribed in the law. This is an example of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing (MMS). 

Does that term ring a bell?  It should, because the same rabble that decry the penalty handed out to Ford, support the Fed-Con government's push for mandatory minimum sentences for a whole array of petty, and not-so-petty, crimes.  Non-supporters of MMS say that it abrogates judicial discretion.  Tough noogies, say the Feds.

If the right sees MMS as democratic then they have no basis to attack the penalty that was handed out to Ford... because that was MMS also.

Unintended Consequences.  You cannot have it both ways, my friends.

Provincial "squabbles"? Don't listen to me!

I would love to work for a Think Tank. 

According to a definition from McGill University: "Think tanks are organizations, institutes or groups involved in research and advocacy in a range of fields including social policy, political strategy, economy, science and technology, industry, business and national defense. Many think tanks are non-profit organizations; their funding may come from governments, businesses or private advocacy groups, or from consulting and research work they engage in. (http://www.mcgill.ca/files/caps/CanadianThinkTanks.pdf)

There are so many of them in Canada that you would think that I could find one that would hire me or at least listen to my rantings.  I thought that I found one in the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, but no.  Unless you are a lawyer, an economist or an accredited journalist they, like the rest, could care less what you think.  You would think that with people of those exalted qualifications every utterance they make would be a gem of logic.  But no.

In a recent report from the MLI entitled Sustaining the Crude Economy, authors Laura Dawson and Stefania Bartucci tackle the issue a National Energy Policy for Canada under the guise of "Global Energy Competitiveness".

What first struck me was the way MLI introduced the paper; "Provincial squabbles threaten future energy exports, study says".  The term squabble is used when a pushing argument breaks out on a playground.  The "squabble" they are talking about is the one between Alberta and B.C. over the Northern Gateway Pipeline.  Squabble?  Are you kidding me?

When papers like this (you can read it at http://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/provincial-squabbles-threaten-future-energy-exports-study-says/) tackle a complex issue such as inter-provincial disputes, it would be worthwhile if they took a stab at being more inclusive with the issue, rather than picking and choosing their study points.

The issue of the pipeline is not one of only getting Alberta raw materials to the coast to be sent to Asia to be processed.  It is a far more reaching issue of who pays when the process fails... when the pipeline springs a leak or when a tanker runs aground.  Think these things can't happen?  B.C. sits on an active fault line.  One good jolt and the rigid pipe could break.  Who's going to pay to clean that up?  And before you say that nature will take care of it over time, remember that this is not oil in the pipe... it is bitumen (upgraded or not) and bitumen does not break down in nature like oil.  Same goes for the shipping.  Unlike the pretty cartoons that the oilsands folks use to describe the shipping route, the channel from Kitimat is narrow and winding.

So let's take a minute to break down this "squabble".  The oil industry wants to ship a volatile and dangerous substance across pristine land to a port on the west coast, load it on boats the size of small countries and ship it to other countries to be refined and used (and in some cases ship it back to Canada in some finished goods, like plastics).  The Alberta government and their friends at the federal level are all for it... after all they stand to make a lot of money in royalties and excise taxes.  The government of B.C. are potentially going to be left holding the bag if any fault occurs anywhere along the process.  Is B.C.'s concern shared by the federal government?  Pigs will fly first.

So is this a squabble?  Are two kids arguing in a playground?  And what about the people?  Remember them?  They are the ones who elect the politicians (who subsidize Think Tanks) and pay their salaries.  You think, just maybe, they should ask our opinion instead of just reading yet another burp from a Think Tank?

(Bet you that just cost me a job prospect!)
 

What legacy are we leaving behind?

The birth of a new grandchild has left me thinking about the world that she will know when she grows up.

When I was born the world was between World War 2 and the Korean conflict.  When I turned 12, two seemingly intransigent foes almost came to nuclear blows.  By 20 years I was protesting Vietnam.  And on it went.  I am now 60+ and I write about our soldiers killed in Afghanistan.  Is that want I want for little Tegan?

Back in the 70's a movie was released called "Suppose they gave a war and nobody came?"  The title came from a "hippy-culture" anti-war slogan from the 60's.  The movie was a comedic drama which explored the reactions of WW2 veterans to the contemporary U.S. Army.  It might be fun to do a update to the movie exploring the reactions of former Canadian Peacekeepers, during the days that we had such a beast, to the contemporary Canadian military.

But back to the topic at hand... Tegan's world as she grows up.

Is it fair for her to live under the veil of terrorism?  Should her food have to be genetically modified in order to be plentiful?  Should her playground need to be a 5 x 5 foot green and brown space in the middle of a rapidly "densifying" city?  Should she have to witness genocide on the TV (or a super-smart phone in her case) news?  Should she have to decide her vote on which candidate will not go to war?

Nobody's grandchild should have to live that way.

Suppose we gave a peace and everybody came?

Something to think about in the CNOOC takeover

I have been closely following the proposed takeover of NEXEN by CNOOC.  In all the rhetoric and verse that has been penned in past six months there appears to be a couple of items that have been overlooked.

If the Chinese spend $15.5 billion for an oil exploration company, with holdings in the Alberta oil sands, doesn't it follow that they may want to use some of the oil in China?  Yes?  So how will they get it from Ft McMurray to Shanghai.  The Northern Gateway Pipeline?

You may notice that the Harper government has been pretty quiet on the pipeline as of late.  Is it because they are talking with the Chinese about it?

Secondly, you can't help but applaud the speech given by John Baird at the UN this week.  Since we have no trade or relations with Syria and we do not seem to care about the UN, talk is what we do best.

But... where is the resistance at the UN over Syria coming from?  Primarily the Russians, we are told, but also from the Chinese.  So what are we going to do about that?  Nothing.  We will continue to trade with Russia and China wants NEXEN. 

Trade trumps human rights yet again.

The Percent for Art program & Jan Harder

The following letter to the Editor of the Ottawa Citizen was send shortly after Councillor Jan Harder decided that the Percent for Art program in the city was not serving her ambitions at this time so it should be cut or eliminated.  It is interesting to note that Councillor Harder's own "householders" have advertised on numerous occasions that a call for submissions for Public Art was open for projects in her ward.

September 17, 2012

Letter to the Ottawa Citizen,

One fact about the City of Ottawa is that if you wait a bit you will have the opportunity to fight old battles again.  So it is with the Percent for Art program.  As a two term member of the Arts, Heritage and Culture Advisory Committee of the city (one of the few to be retained by the city), in 2003 I fought to ensure that the Percent for Art program was adhered to by city managers.  Although it was instituted before amalgamation, the program had been largely ignored by city managers.  Indeed, I remember when I asked for a copy of the directive for the program; the best the city could offer was a photocopy of a fax.  It had never even been retyped into the city policy files.

Now, in 2012, the fight begins again.  Councillor Jan Harder wants to cut the program in half or even eliminate it, all because her own project-of-the-week needs more money.

The purpose of the Percent for Art program is to spruce up facilities around the city, make the city more visually appealing and to the support the arts.  I may not agree with some of the art selected under the program but I will be the first to defend the need for it.

Let me offer Councillor Harder a bit of advice.  Instead of chopping at a program like Percent for Art, why not learn to work with it.  Why not find a way to incorporate art as an integral part of the project… let’s say a sculpture of a person on a bench, that also serves as a bench.  That would save the cost of a bench in the project.  If you need some help with that idea, check out what they did at the new City Archives building where architectural art complements what was already a stunning building.

Of course the Citizen decided not to print the letter.  I wonder why?

Having it both ways?

I am reading a book describing a conspiracy surrounding the disaster in New York on 9/11.  The critics of the book call the author, and a huge number of persons that believe it, Conspiracy Theorists.  They call the people who critically analyze such events as Pearl Harbour and the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations - Conspiracy Theorists.  This moniker is designed to tar the analysts as nuts or at least delusional, blowing them off rather than addressing the issues they raise.

Let me say right here that I am not a Conspiracy Theorist, as defined by the right-leaning pundits.  I believe in empirical research and the right to pursue the truth.  However, if I am proved wrong by facts, not innuendo, then so be it.  But you cannot prove me wrong by just lumping me into a pile labeled "Conspiracy Theorists".

But let's look at the other side of the coin.  In November, Fred Litwin and his so called Free Thinkers are showing a movie that labels the Occupy movement in the US and, I assume by association, those in Canada as conspiracies by militant groups who want to destroy democracy, or at least destroy capitalism.  I am not naive enough to think that there are no radical elements in the "Occupy" camps, but the fact that conservatives tout this as a conspiracy seems to me to be a stretch.

But regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the makers of this film, a conservative non-profit organization whose goal, strangely, is citizen-action, and those who blindly believe it must be, by their own definition, Conspiracy Theorists.

The Arrow versus the F35? Tell me it isn't so.

Lewis Mackenzie is not my favourite retired Canadian officer, that would be General Richard Rohmer; mostly, because Lew is a self-promoter, while Rohmer is a behind-the-scenes-get-er-done kind of guy.

But every so often Lew gets it right, even if his idea is pie-in-the-sky.  Take for instance the article in the Arguments section of today's Ottawa Citizen.

Lew is making a case for the Avro Arrow design to be updated into Mark 3 and Mark 4 models and built of today's materials here in Canada.  Instead of buying the F35; spend the money in Canada, reboot the Canadian aerospace industry and get a better aircraft for the effort.

For guys like me, and there are many of us, this is music to our ears.  All in the CF105 was the class act of fighter/interceptor air craft when it was designed and built in the 1950s.  The decision to scrap it was a political one made for political reasons.  These things happen.  Read my article on the Burnelli lift-body design that never flew for political reasons (http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Canada/Canada_Car/ccf_part_3_CBY3.htm).

For the same reasons that the Burnelli designs were never built, the CF105 will never be built in any Mark format.

Nice idea, Lew, but it just won't fly (sorry for the pun).

War of 1812 on Mysteries of Canada

I have begun a multipart series on the War of 1812.  I di not want to take the traditional tract of describing all the battles, so I picked out the parts of the conflict, and what lead up to it, that I find interesting.

I am also trying as much as possible to talk abot people rather than events.  I find that makes it more interesting.




www.mysteriesofcanada.com/whatsnew.htm

Learn and Enjoy.

An open letter to BC Premier Christy Clark

Premier Clark,

Congratulations for your stand at the Council of the Federation, better known as the Premier's Conference, on the Northern Gateway pipeline project.  You made a couple of minor errors but the overall message was sound.

It is true that BC will shoulder the majority of consequences and cost should that pipeline ever spring a leak. (Enbridge's track record suggests that the word is when and not if.)  However only a small percentage of the revenue for the pipeline flows to BC.  The federal government's share of the pie is 33% and to date they have not done anything for their money.  Alberta, where the high-paying jobs are and where the wealth is, is the major government winner in the project.

Premier Clark, you cannot argue that a percentage of Alberta's royalties should be given to BC anymore than Alberta can demand a percentage of your stumpage fees collected by BC for lumber shipped from BC to Alberta.  You have to get your money from Enbridge, the company that stands to make more than anyone on the project.

I suggest that you do the following:

1.  Tell Enbridge that they must use the best and most sensitive technology to detect spills along the length of the pipeline and that technology must originate in BC.

2.  Enbridge must establish monitoring stations and fully-equipped rapid response stations every 100 kilometers along the pipeline.  The stations must employ fully qualified and trained BCers and First Nations People.

3.  Enbridge must establish and maintain a minimum $5 billion fund to cover first response to any incident.

4.  Enbridge must agree that they will be 100% responsible for any and all costs for any incident.

5.  BC must be named as prime creditor status in the event of any default proceedings by Enbridge or any of its subsidiaries or partners involved in the pipeline.

What is the results of all this, Premier Clark?  First, you protect BC environments and jobs as best you can without scuttling the project.  Second, you put the costs on the right organization.  And third, you force Enbridge to price all this into its charge to carry the bitumen, and if the price gets too high then the project will not go ahead.

There is nothing wrong with being a Peacekeeping nation

In all the hullabaloo surrounding military deployment, equipment scandals and negative PR, we Canadians have been fed the line that if we talk about the problems then somehow we do not support the military.  I am here to tell you that I support the Canadian military... just not the clowns we have running it.    That includes the politicos who seem to think that the military consists of lead soldiers that they can move around the sand box.  It includes the bureaucratic mandarins who think that the military is just another government department that can be played with.  It includes the senior officers who think that sucking up to the politician-of-the-day will win them some special favours.  It includes all other ranks that seem to think that the military has some special status in Canada so they can do no wrong, even when they do wrong.  And finally it includes you and me, who keep quiet because we don't want to be accused of not supporting the military.

When did peacekeeping become a bad word in Canada?  The two words used to be synonymous.  Since the 1950s, Canadians have been involved in 34 peacekeeping missions around the world.  Since that time over 120 Canadians have lost their lives serving these missions.

Peacekeeping is not the kiddy's table of military involvement.  It is tough, dirty and honourable.  It does not deserve the rap that it has been getting recently.

It is time to rethink the role that our military plays in the world.  We cannot compete with the U.S. or Russian or China when it come to peace-making or waging war, but we can be and have always been strong peacekeepers.

Perils in the North

It has been almost two years since the Russians last threatened to invade Canada.

You remember the period, don't you?  It was July 30, 2010 when a Russian TU-95 long-range bomber flew within 56 km of Canadian air space and were intercepted by Canadian F-18 jets.  The F-18s shadowed the Russians until they, the Russians, gave up and went home.

About a month later, F-18s again intercepted, this time, two TU-95s.  "At no time did the Russian military aircraft enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace," said NORAD spokesman Lt. Desmond James, a Canadian naval officer. He went on to say... "Both Russia and NORAD routinely exercise their capability to operate in the North. These exercises are important to both NORAD and Russia and are not cause for alarm."

It is possible that the Russians and NATO talk about these "exercises" before hand but DND will not confirm that.

I think it is great that we hold these exercises even if they are focused on practicing for an invasion.  But I can't help thinking back to the 1950s when Canada was developing a Mach 2 high altitude Interceptor designated the CF-105, the AVRO ARROW, the role of which would be to intercept Russian bombers.  The military geniuses at the time were fast coming to the conclusion, based on what facts... we don't know, that future warfare would include intercontinental missiles and not piloted bombers.  Therefore our collected wise-guys talked PM Diefenbaker into cancelling the 105 program in favour of Bomarc missiles, and nuclear-tipped ones at that.

So here we are in 2012.  The Bomarcs were decommissioned years ago and never replaced as a defensive asset and Russian piloted bombers are still testing our defenses.

It is enough to make you cry.

Can this banking story be real???

I screwed up last evening when paying bills online from my bank account.  I meant to make a payment to Rogers and put the entry into the Citizen box instead.  We have not taken the Citizen for a month but I never deleted them from my pay list.  I realized the mistake this morning so I called the Citizen to ask that they send the money back to me.  They claimed that they had not yet received it.  Fair enough, it was early in the day.  So then I went to my bank who looked it up and behold, they claimed that the Citizen already received the money.  OK, the transaction took place in the hour between my Citizen call and the bank visit.

So how, I asked, do I get the money back?  Here's where it gets unreal!

The bank branch has talked with their Investigations Unit who will arrange the return from the Citizen.  But it will take TWO to THREE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Two to three flipping weeks.  Everything is apparently electronic and transparent.  Trillions of dollars travels across the world ever minute, but the bank can't find and retrieve $168.28 in less than two weeks?

Unreal.

How the stock market works

Once upon a time in a place overrun with monkeys, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, they became harder to catch, so the villagers stopped their effort.

The man then announced that he would now pay $20 for each one. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. But soon the supply diminished even further and they were ever harder to catch, so people started going back to their farms and forgot about monkey catching.

The man increased his price to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so sparse that it was an effort to even see a monkey, much less catch one.

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys for $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on his behalf.

While the man was away the assistant told the villagers. 'Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has bought. I will sell them to you at $35 each and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each.'

The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys. They never saw the man nor his assistant again and, once again, monkeys weren't worth anything.

Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.

(I do not know who first wrote this but it is wonderful.)

Changing Canada

In my 2002 book, The Provinces Must Go... An Idea to Cure the Malaise of Canada, I set out my belief that the Canadian Constitution is an archaic document that does not reflect the Canada of this new millennium.  I believed it then and I believe it now.

A modern Canada would reflect the FACT that, in the governance of Canada and Canadians, provincial governments are merely middle men/women/persons between the real parties that do the heavy lifting - the federal government that looks after the welfare of the country and the municipalities who look after the welfare of the people.

In the debate over Supply Management, people are beginning to recognize that there is a middle man/woman/person between the farmers and the consumers and while they have little effect on quality or selection, they suck up a large part of the resources.  The same goes for provincial governments.   They have little direct effect on the country and little direct effect on the people.  Oh sure, they pass laws, run departments and spend money that affects the quality of life but who actually delivers the goods to the people.  I can guess that no bureaucrat could find his/her way from the emergency room to the cafeteria in any major hospital, or tell you how many days little Johnny missed classes last week, or what the insulation (R) value is on the walls of a home in Attawapiskat - but someone can.  The knowledge lies with the teacher, the nurse or the local tradesperson, so why not let the teacher or the nurse or the local tradesperson make decisions, rather than some faceless bureaucrat in Halifax or Quebec City or Edmonton.

Bring real government closer to the people.  That is where you get your biggest bang for the buck!

And for you cheapies, I am testing out some e-book technology and you can read The Province Must Go online, free of charge, at: http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/e-books/e_books.htm.

Time to Fix Canada

"I am a Canadian. Canada is the inspiration of my life. I have had before me as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day a policy of true Canadianism, of moderation, of conciliation." - Sir Wilfred Laurier.

Boy, those were the days.  Eloquent politicians with a message of hope, of direction and commitment to the betterment of Canada and Canadians.  Let's compare that to what we have today.

We have self-serving governments who see their fiefdoms as separate from the whole.  We have opposition parties who do not see any value in separating criticism from opposition.  We have a polarized media who are sanctimonious in their editorial.  We have an electorate who is apathetic and, at the same time, ignorant of about that which they are apathetic.  We have a financial system out of control, a healthcare system in decline, a justice system that looks like Swiss cheese and an educational system that has trouble with its raison d'etre.

There are so many problems in Canada that any single and simple fix is like putting a band-aid on a grenade wound.  We have complex problems that require complex solutions.  The first solution?  Our constitution.

The Constitution Act, as amended in 1982 but still reflecting the BNA from 1867, is so far out of keeping with the 21st century Canada that it is almost laughable.  Our country has changed since confederation.  Our population has grown and moved.  We have many cities more populous than some of our provinces.  More people live in cities than in rural environments.  Health care delivery grows more complex every day.  The disparity between rich and poor is a widening gap.  Our tax system has more loopholes than a Turkish rug.  We do not know why we need a military with all the toys... we just know we need one.  Lobbyists and special interests are running our policy making.  We have governments who couldn't care less about the electorate or democracy, just so long as their brand of policy prevails.  We have governments who pontificate their purity at the time of elections then break their promises once elected - all because they have not the guts to tell us the truth.  In truth our politicians are managers... not LEADERS.

You want to change Canada for the better?  Forget tinkering with healthcare or the justice system or transfer payment to provinces.  Bite the bullet.  Change the Constitution to reflect a modern Canada.  And do it soon.

Manipulating the EI truth

I have a certain affinity to the people of the maritime provinces.  They are wonderful folks, on the whole, who live in a wonderful place with a great history.  No wonder that, when they leave to find work, they long to go back HOME.

The Harper government has made a lot of hay recently accusing maritimers, and others, of being too lazy to take jobs that are going unfilled in their regions or to move to areas of Canada that jobs are available.  They are making it rougher to collect EI benefits to force one to move away or to pump coffee at Timmy's.  If that is not social engineering, something that the Cons decrie, then I do not understand the term.

But is there anything in the political history of this country that may have contributed to the problems in the maritime provinces?  Let's take the Miramichi region as an example.  Since before confederation the Miramichi had been an economic powerhouse in Canada.  Shipping had been plying the Miramichi for decades before the Intercolonial Railway reached the region in 1875, shortly followed by the Northern and Western Railway (later the Canada Eastern Railway).  Fish plants, sawmills and pulp mills provided jobs and wealth to the area.  Until...

In the 1960s, the government of Louis Robichaud decided to build a new port at neighbouring Belledune.  Belledune took over the industries and jobs that were once in the Miramichi.  Then the federal government put the nail in the coffin by stopping regular dredging operations of the Miramichi River thus closing off the area to major shipping.  Miramichi, a jewel of Canada, was laid waste.  In June of 2011, the unemployment rate of the Campellton-Miramichi area was 16.8%... fully double that of Canada as a whole.  That means, according to Harper and his minions, that there are over 62,600 lazy people in the region... or has government had any role in the problem?

When are politicians going to learn when to shut up!

I am not a great fan of ACOA, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, so I was not too disappointed when the government announced a cut back in its funding.  My problems with ACOA is that it is excessively partisan, blind to outside help and staffed with people who can count money but can't account for it.

There is no doubt that ACOA, some of the folks anyway, can and have been a help to entrepreneurs in getting their businesses off the drawing board.  A case in point is the Ocean Nutrition Canada plant in Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, which produces high quality fish oil products which are exported across the world.  It is also true that ACOA has had some major disasters!

All that aside, let's explore how the federal Minister responsible for ACOA handles the cut back.

"A careful reading of [ACOA's] annual reports will give people a fair idea of what they do, which I don't dismiss as useless, but what I question is the bang for the buck of taxpayers' dollars."

So far, so good.  Minister Valcourt makes a valid point and justifies his decision.  So why didn't he then shut up?  As is the habit of so many holier-than-thou politicians, he just couldn't stop from making a jab in the groin.  And that jab blew the crux of his argument.

Valcourt continued, "I have yet to meet an entrepreneur or business who tells me that the reason for their start up or expansion or trading around the world is because what a regional economic development agency did. Quite to the contrary, it's fully attributable to the entrepreneurial spirit of the individual and the company and the federal or provincial programs in place."

So much for his previous statement "...I don't dismiss [ACOA] as useless...!  If a regional development agency's help is never the reason for business success, then don't just give the agencies a hair cut, chop them up and spit them out.  And that includes the agencies in western Canada, Ontario , Quebec and the Maritimes.


 

Gas prices... The Big Lie

Over the past couple of weeks the price of oil has gone down and the price of gas at the pumps has gone up.  Why?

The biggest lie told about gas prices are set based on supply and demand.

That's bullshit.

In that scenario, the increase in gas prices should be caused by a reduction in supply or an increase in demand.  But that is not the state of the matter today.,  In fact, Canadian Press, just today, led with the headline -

 

Imperial Oil eyes sale of N.S. refinery or converting it to a terminal.

A quick read of the article tells the tale... "Imperial Oil Ltd. is eyeing the sale of its refinery in Halifax, citing global competition and lower demand for gasoline- particularly in Europe."

But let's not be sidetracked by the Europe reference, the refinery also supplies eastern Canada, where demand is also down.

So the next bastard that has the balls to tell you that supply and demand determines gas prices, poke him/her right between the eyes.

 

Share-of-Wallet analytics

I have been doing some thinking recently about the past bunch of years that I have spent in sales and marketing.  One basic truth keeps coming to mind.

It is cheaper and much more efficient to get new business from an existing client...

than it is to find a new client.

Little did I know that the Higher-Ups of this world have come up with a term for that truth.  They call it Share-of-Wallet Analytics or SOW.  Forte Consultancy describes SOW as follows:

"The percentage of a customer’s spend that is with a given company over a given amount of time. For a gas retailer, for example, it’s the number of times a given customer fills up their car’s gas tank one month at their own pumps divided by the total number of times the same customer fills up their car’s gas tank that entire month. So a customer who fills up his or her car’s gas tank four times a month with three of those fills at one gas retailer is giving that gas retailer 75% share of their wallet."

It's fancy words but it means the same thing.  Who knew I was ahead of the curve?

F35... an example for ALL politicians

If politicians are smart, and the jury is out on that, they will study the whole F35 debacle and learn a few lessons from it.  And I am not just talking about the Harper government but all politicians, be they national, local, municipal governments or school boards.

The fundamental lesson for offenders?  All things will come out, so don't fudge the truth or hide the facts!  And when you are uncovered, be up front rather that digging a larger hole

The fundamental lesson for accusers?  Don't gloat if you are proved correct... acknowledge the truth and move on.  The time to gloat is the next election.

It's a game of win and lose

Recently a Wal-Mart employee was involved in an accident wherein he was hit by a truck and suffered brain damage.  Wal-Mart's insurance carrier paid out $470,000 for his treatment and care.  WIN for Wal-Mart.

The relatives of the employee sued the trucking company for pain and suffering and lost future wages and won a settlement of $417,000. WIN for employee.

On news of that settlement, Wal-Mart sued the employee for the return of the $470,000 they paid out for the treatment and care.  WIN for Wal-Mart.

On the news of suing the employee, Wal-Mart's share value dropped by millions of dollars, due to the bad publicity.  LOSE for Wal-Mart.

Seeming not to bother taking notice of Wal-Mart's mean and petty attitude towards their employees, shopper's continued to flood the store with dollars, thus shoving Wal-Marts market cap back up.  WIN for Wal-Mart and MAJOR LOSE for DECENCY.

Would you flee over $10,000?

You have to chuckle at Bozo the Clown on CBCs Lang and O'Leary Exchange.  And I am not referring to Amanda Lang.

Kevin O'Leary, a man who loves money, money and only money, burped up a big one recently that made him look silly and petty. 

O'Leary claims that corporate executives in Ontario will be bailing from the province in droves because of the 2% surtax being placed on income over $500,000.  That takes the effective rate of tax on the wealthy from 16% to 18% - a whopping $10,000 on an income of $500,000 or more.

Think about it, Kevin.  How much would it cost to make the move out of Ontario?  Would you have to give up your job and lose your benefits?  And where would you go?  Alberta has lower taxes but higher housing costs... no savings there.  How about to the US, Kevin?  How much will it cost you to replace OHIP in the US?  I bet it will be more than $10,000.

Get the picture, Kevin?  No rational executive will panic at a 2% surtax unless they are... named O'Leary?

Consequences?

Seems that our politicians can't figure out right from wrong.  Between helicopter rides out of convenience, sleepovers at fishing camps and thousand dollar hotel rooms at a conference dealing with poverty, you would think that at some point in time, someone would say, No More!  But you would be wrong.

Governments rise and fall based on three main factors: their record of success; their record of failure; or their record on ethics.

Maybe our leaders should begin to pay attention.

Is Titanic more sacred than Indian Burial Grounds?

I am growing a bit weary of hearing and reading that the relatives of victims of the Titanic are upset that the graves of their forebearers are being pillaged by treasure hunters.

Seems that they believe that the Titanic wreck is more sacred than Egyptian tombs or sacred Indian burial grounds.

Historica? All the history the government wants you to know?

 Historica-dominion Institute is the self-proclaimed preeminent Canadian history organization that has told Mysteriesofcanada.com, on any number of occasions, that we are like a flea on their back and other than the occasional itch, they do not even care if we exist.  I always wondered if their arrogance had some sort of underlying feature - and now it comes out.

Seems that the official-charity-case-known-as-Historica (Historica for short) also has an number of connections to the Harper government, which by the way provides it with $7.8 million (equivalent to 780 FTE civil service jobs) in subsidies each year.

Connection number one is the privately-owned telephone fundraising company they use,  The company, Responsive Marketing Group (RMG), not only is the company used by Harper to raise funds, but it also uses that Conservatives own fundraising database, developed by the party at taxpayers expense.  You may remember RMG was in the news in March of this year in connection to the Robocall Scandal Misunderstanding.

How deep is Historica into the pocket of RMG?  Seems that Historica raised $1.2 million and for that paid $600,000.  You think that is a good rate for a charity?

Connection number two is Micheal Levine, a senior executive at Historica, who also happens to be the lawyer who is negotiating for publishing rites, including big advance payments, for his client, Stephen Harper, who wrote a book about hockey.

Seems that Historica has a bit of a history itself when it comes to conservative fundraising.  In addition to RMG, they have also used Target Outreach, a US based company that raises money for conservative causes and the Republican Party.

Just have to wonder if Historica can claim to be an independent interpreter of Canada's past.

Why was it that we needed the F35s again?

The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem.  It is generally employed by only small children and large nations.- David Freidman

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.  The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.  We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted.  Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. - General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of European forces during WWII and former President of the United States.

Government complains about unspent funds

In the most recent copy of Frontline magazine, author Ken Pole starts off his article, Unspent Funds... Again,  by saying,

"A familiar problem continues to plague the Department of National Defence - its inability to spend its budget in any given fiscal year due to contract complications and mismanagement, delivery delays or, most disturbingly, the government policy which complicates or eliminates options for carrying forward funds."

Amazing, just amazing.  The complaint is that DND does not spend all the money it is allocated.  And this when the government is trying to focus on value over spending.  Maybe we need to revisit zero-based budgeting?

The forgotten hero in Afghanistan

If the name, Mike Frastacky, does not ring a bell with you, I am not surprised.  I came across his name while reading an American newspaper recently and I could not be more ashamed of myself, my press and my country.

Mike was a carpenter who was shot to death on July 23,2006 in Afghanistan.

Mike was a carpenter who spent four years building a school in Nahrin, north of Kabul.  He raised the money for the construction himself, he built it himself and for his effort and humanitarianism, he was shot three times by terrorists who wanted to claim the $10,000 prize offered by the Taliban.

In 2012, there are over 600 children attending the school he built and the animals who killed him are looking like they will come back to power.  What a tragedy and a waste.

Elvis says hi!

I am just back from vacation in the deep south of the USA.  Visited family in Florida, saw how they harvest and process sponge, walked on the beach and ate Stone Crab.  Good time.

Then off to Tupelo, Mississippi where Elvis Presley was born and to visit Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.  It is worth the trip!  On the way back, visited the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.  Impressive.

I encourage people to drive for their vacation and visit places that you never expected to visit.

Next trip is to the Jello Museum in Le Roy, New York.

It has been 17 years since the boys disappeared

On March 17, 1995, six teenage boys stole a boat from a marina in Pickering Ontario and presumably motored out into Lake Ontario.  They were never seen again.

After extensive searching by the local police, RCMP, Canadian Armed Forces and a multitude of ordinary citizens, nothing, and I mean - nothing, was found of the boys or the boat.

What happened that night?  Was it an unfortunate accident? Or was it foul play?

I wonder?

Tecumseh. The Real Hero of the War of 1812?

I have been doing a lot of reading on the War of 1812, not only because of the 200th anniversary but also because the subject is interesting.  As I go through the literature I am swamped with visions of British Generals like Brock and Hull and the exploits of the Red coats versus the Blue coats.  Certainly there were heroes and villains on both sides of the conflict but I find that there is not enough attention paid to real heroes... namely, the First Nation people and specifically Tecumseh.

The war started over the aggressive acts of the British, who had a habit of boarding American ships at sea looking for contraband and AWOL British sailors.  The Americans decided that since Britain was busy at war with France then the time was probably right to seek out some more land mass and smack at the British at the same time.  They decided to invade the lands to north of their borders -  the Maritime provinces and the Canadas.

The traditional way to fight these wars was to have the armies line up facing each other, then let fly with musket balls and cannon fire until one side or the other quit and ran away or died to the last man.  The aboriginal warriors, who were allied with the British (because of the way they were treated by the Americans) thought that was a stupid way to fight, so they introduced the combatants to fight and flight - a technique of lightening quick actions that they used quite effectively against the Americans.

Tecumseh also introduced the Americans to the old "circle-of-savages" at the fight for the fort at Detroit.  He showed up with 400 warriors and then proceeded to have them walk into an opening near the fort and then back into the forest.  He had the warriors loop around and actually walk out three times each thus making American General Hull believe that there was over 1,200 warriors.  Hull actually surrendered the fort without firing a shot because he feared that the warriors would massacre his soldiers and the women and children inside the fort.  But it was not to Tecumseh that he surrendered, it was to General Issac Brock, who got the credit for the victory.

And on it went, Tecumseh and his warriors played the pivotal role in the British victory in 1812 but we ended up with Brockville and Brock University... not Tecumseh University.

I am tired of the manipulation!

There is an old story about a woman who goes to see her son marching in a parade at the local airbase.  It was quite obvious that when they said right step, he put out his left.  The mother, proud of her son, turned to another mother and stated, "Seems that my son is the only one in step."

Well that is the way I am starting to feel.

Am I the only person who sees that the government of Canada has decided to play the divide and conquer card on old folks in this country?

I see this as the latest cynical ploy to take the heat of one issue by placing it on another issue.  The polarization of the debate results in Canadians losing sight of real problems for supposed ones. What am I talking about? Let me draw you a picture.

You do not have to remember too far back when PM Harper told Canadians that Canada's economy was strong and there was not chance of a recession in this fair country.  Shortly thereafter the shit hit the fan and Harper was forced to eat his words; which, of course, he could never do.  So rather than explaining his failure, he changed the discussion channel - he started to talk about stimulus programs... oops, I mean economic action plans.  As the action plans percolated across Canada, up went Canada's debt and deficit.  And it was just in time, because it took the heat of the fact that the government had already driven the country from surplus to deficit before the recession and now they has a bogey man to blame.  Classic misdirection.

But as the deficit grew, Harper needed a new bogey man, so up comes the F35 procurement plan.  We can not afford to maintain our infrastructure across Canada, so let's spend on bloody jets instead.  Then up pops McKay and the helicopter taxi service to take the heat off jets, and on it goes until now.  Now it is the turn for seniors to take the heat and get the attention.

Now I am going to tell you that some changes to the pension system are needed, but I will scream from the highest mountain that the Old Age Security is not the way to fix it.  Here is a few facts to bear in mind as we go through this diversion from reality.  The Baby-Boom generation, of which I am one, is said to cover the period from 1945 to 1957 or so.  A quick calculation tells us that every Boomer will be 65 or over by 2022.  Another quick calculation suggests that 13 years thereafter (average age for Boomers is 78), the majority of them will be dead. The crisis will be over.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I focus on the consequences of action, not just the action.

Unless the government finds a way to fight rampant age discrimination that exists in the work force in Canada, there is no way that a 60+ year old can find a meaningful job in Canada.  By 60 you are either too old, too frail, over-qualified or not youthful looking enough for most companies.  They don't want to hire and train someone that they know will either retire soon or fall over dead on the assembly line.  They want the young guns who have the dedication of a tsetse fly to their employers.

This whole degenerative piece-of-crap policy frosts my balls!

Having it both ways!

I was astounded this morning when I read an article about our prison system.  Seems that all the hulla-baloo surrounding the new and expanded jail facilities and tough-on-crime justice system might have been a bit of overblown BS.  Just when the feds are building new warehouses for hard-core criminals, the crime rate has dropped... yet again.

Seems to me that was what the critics were telling the government a couple of years ago.  The crime rate is dropping in Canada so new prisons are a waste of money.  The government told the critics that statistics were misleading and that Canada had entered a new crime-ridden period akin the the Wild West.  Seems that the government might have been wrong?

So let's hear from the Vic Toews.  According to Postmedia, "Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said he never believed predictions that the prison population would grow significantly when the government passed legislation that increased mandatory minimum sentences and repealed the two-for-one time-served provisions."

So why, then Vic, did you build more prison space?

However, Corrections Canada Commissioner Don Head, had this to say:  "If you look back over the last 24 months, the federal inmate population has grown by about 1,500.  That is the equivalent of about three large, medium-security institutions."

Let's make sure we understand this statistic.  In January 2010 there were about 13,300 federal cons.  24 months later there were 14,800.  That is a 10% increase.  Is that insignificant, Vic?

Correctional Investigator of Canada, Howard Sapers, said "It is difficult to determine why the inmate population has not grown as much as expected, but suggested the provincial inmate populations may be growing, or there could simply be fewer crimes occurring. In any case, he said, the growth is less than most experts had feared."

Fewer crimes might be occurring?  Isn't that what Vic poo-pooed not so long ago?

Sapers comment also gives more credence to the Provinces who claim that the tough-on-crime policy of the feds would come at their expense.


So what is the bottom line?  Once again, Canadian taxes are being used to fund the far-out orthodoxy of the Conservative government.  And the silent masses just go on being silent!

Next up is the Old Age Security, wherein the government will probably raise the age for OAS from 65 to 67.  And this at a time when jobs are scarce and age discrimination in the workplace is rampant.  I wonder if that will wake up Canadians?

 

In the defense of Canada

I was very surprised that the Liberal policy convention this weekend was so light on defense issues.  It is obvious, at least to me, that the lack of any conversation in that area was a sign of Liberals-on-the-run.  Liberals are so scared of being called traitors by the Cons that they run away from issues that matter to Canadians.

I was not at the convention for reasons known to, but ignored by, the Liberal brass.  But this is not sour grapes... it is common sense.

Over the next week or so, I want to put forward some ideas that will protect Canada, both militarily and fiscally.  After all, you can have both at the same time, if you give it some thought and produce a plan to speaks for Canada and Canadians - instead of the egos of some of our leaders.

Quebec into the fold? Not too likely!

Jean Charest visited with the Alberta premier and came away with policy religion?

Quebec has recently been warming up to the idea of a national energy program... with a few caveats.

Caveat number one is that the feds are not involved in the discussions of the program.   Hard to believe that you can have a national program without the involvement of the national government, but then again, this is Quebec we are talking about.

Caveat number two is that the feds, who are not to be involved in the discussions, must not give a loan guarantee to Newfoundland and Labrador, to create an electricity gateway, from the Lower Churchill Falls to Newfoundland, the other Atlantic provinces and the Northern United States, that bypasses Quebec.

Caveat number three will be that the program has to be named the Quebec and Not-Quebec Energy Program.  OK, I made that up but it is just as absurd as the other caveats.

When, oh when, will Quebec recognize that the current Churchill Falls agreement negotiated in the 1950's is extremely unfair to Newfoundland and agree to renegotiate it.  Then, and only then, should Non-Quebec discuss any agreements with Quebec.

It is as good as any other method.

Whither the CBC

I wonder about the rabid right these days.  It seems that they hate the CBC, as it is left-tilted and subsidized, but they routinely reference CBC reports exposing things like GM foods, medical malpractice and other wrongs on society.  They seldom reference the other media. 

Is it because the CBC is doing a better job than the "free-enterprise" outlets?