Politics-Provincial

Ask For Bacon, Or You Only Get A Cheeseburger

Mulder

My wife teases me a lot with the phrase “You think you can change anything with a bit of money.” because if I can’t find something specifically the way I like it, I wonder how much money it would take to customize to my needs.

I know this makes me sound like some overpaid ass, but in reality, it comes from the fact that I work in the fast paced high tech industry and if a customer comes to me asking for something out of the ordinary, I never say no unless it is completely impossible. The conversation usually ends up with an explanation of the time and effort involved to make it happen and the opportunity cost is assessed and a surcharge is brought in, because my industry understands customization.

It was this same philosophy that created the “Add Bacon 50 cents” option on cash registers. It was people like me who grew up with banquet burgers asking Wendy’s and McDonalds for bacon on our cheeseburgers and offering to pay more for it that revolutionized restaurant cash register operation and, more importantly, gave us more options as consumers.

Life truly is better.

Where am I going with this? Well Yahoo news has an article about how a BC clinic is charging customers $30 for appointments and the NDP (go figure) is bitching about how this is a violation of the Canada Health Act and that the clinic needs to be stopped.

I thought this was the usual private clinic argument until I read this:

“Without the benefits offered under the plan, beginning March 1, 2007, there will be a $30 reservation fee in order to schedule an appointment to see one of the doctors at a specific time,” the letter states.

Drop-in patients or patients without scheduled appointments will not be charged the appointment fee.

*emphasis mine

So the patients are not being charged if they are willing to accept regularly scheduled appointments or drop in and wait for a gap in the doctor’s time. The ONLY people getting charged are those who ask for a specific time. i.e. that person out there with a busy schedule because they are being productive to society and not willing to stop being productive without a bit of guarantee that when they arrive they will be seen right away so they can go back to being productive to society. Hell, I bet if I had this service my boss would be glad to pay it to get me back on the job quickly and efficiently.

The kicker is that the patient is NOT paying for healthcare at all. The price for the treatment is the same if you wait or if you take the appointment they give you or if they charge you to be flexible to your time requirement. The patient is paying for expediency. They are paying for time saved. They are paying for a customized treatment “time”.

i.e. They are paying for a bacon cheeseburger.

Wait Times Indirectly Longer Due To Provincial Government Waste

Mulder

Let’s put two and two together.

The Auditor General for Ontario just released a scathing report which goes so far as to say they have no idea what the level of waste is when they have millions in expenses without receipts and millions more listed as miscellaneous expenses. This outrageous spending was nickelling and diming Ontario Taxpayers to the poorhouse by buying things like 40 leather jackets for one provincial power entity and one teacher who sent flowers to her own wedding.

We should already all be aware of the overspending by MHA’s from Newfoundland which has been turned over to the Department of Justice. Some of the money, apparently, went towards gold rings that many people claim they never got. I am sorry but even if they did get the gold rings, why the heck are taxpayers paying for jewellery?

Another report in the news indicates that for the tenth year in a row the money spent on health care in Canada went up but that we STILL only spend half the money per capita that the United States spends

Let’s do the math. The Americans are taxed at a lower tax rate than Canadians. The Americans have the money to spend on an awesome military. The Americans spend twice what we do per capita on healthcare yet we are supposed to have one of the best healthcare systems in the world. I emphasize the word supposed.

Considering my mom was in intensive care for five days last week after a triple bypass, I can assure you, our healthcare system needs help.

I am grateful and thankful for the high quality education and skills our doctors and nurses are equipped with, but when an intensive care unit (ICU) has a broken ice chip machine for five days something is wrong with the system.

When a patient is left in an expensive (one to one nurse to patient ratio) ICU for two days longer than needed because there are no beds or rooms available in the cardiac care ward then something is wrong with the system. The nurses themselves told us that there were at least 5 people and as many as 7 who were ready to go to regular care but there weren’t any open beds.

Wait times can easily be cut shorter by putting more beds into the picture because the bottom line is this. If the ICU is packed with people waiting for beds, then the surgeries are not happening because there is no ICU space to put post-op patients. Hence, wait times are directly affected.

For those who care, mom is doing great and recovering nicely.

And The Chess Strategy Becomes More Clear

Mulder

In support of my post on the “nation” issue being but a single small move by a chess grandmaster, I have found Mr. Plonka translating some French for me. The translation comes from La Sphére des idées J.H.

I’ve just learned from a reliable source today that Prime Minister Harper will announce, on this coming December 19th in Quebec City, his proposal to limit the spending power of the federal government in provincial jurisdictions. There’s exactly one year between that and last year when, at the same place, the Tory chief promised Quebecers a new and open federalism during his electoral campaign. Many political analysts considered this announcement to be the key to the Conservative breakthrough in Quebec.

Harper plans to execute his promise by way of a Constitutional amendment which would limit the spending power of the federal government in provincial fields of jurisdiction, and would demand the approval of the provinces when creating a national program within a provincial field. Aside from these two conditions, in the event in which a federal program is created, a province will have the ability of opting out from the program with full financial compensation. To do this, the Conservative government will need the signiature[sic] of at least 7 provinces representing at least 50% of the population.

How could any province say no to these two items?

Continuing on further into the post.

We’re witnessing, at this moment, a renaissance of the Canadian federation, to the slow agony of the sovereigntist movement

…

Decentralization is the key to the survival of Canadian federalism and to inflicting slow, painful agony on the separatist movement, the latter finding its essence chiefly in the anger of nationalists towards an unrepentant federal government.

This is quite indicative of what I see coming and alluded to in my last post. A stronger Canada via stronger provinces, and not a centralized powerhouse. The downscaling will drop taxation dramatically at a federal level which will in turn put pressure on provinces to raise taxes to compensate for programs they are supposed to run and the amount of hands on the feds provide will be minimal and there to provide some equalization for the poorer provinces.

The feds can in one fell swoop drop taxes, give the provinces (including Quebec) more control of their own destiny, remove the fear of separation, alleviate the west’s feelings that Quebec is appeased and fix, or dramatically reduce, the fiscal imbalance.

And the chess game continues. Stay tuned.

Bob Runciman Rips Yellow Bellied McShifty A New One

Mulder

I really don’t have much to add other than to put a few words down from Bob Runciman’s article in today’s National Post.

Public sources and documents show the Six Nations council agreed to surrender the land on Jan. 18, 1841, on the agreement the government would sell it and invest the money for them. On May 15, 1848, the land currently occupied was sold to George Ryckman, and a crown deed was issued to him. The same land was purchased by Henco Industries in 1992 and registered on title in July, 2005.

…

Apart from buying the occupied land for $22-million, the McGuinty Liberals are also paying the hydro and water bills for the occupiers. When asked about the costs of the occupation, Mr. Ramsay [David Ramsay, Mr. McGuinty’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister] declared, “It’ll cost what it costs.” That’s the kind of approach to fiscal responsibility that the McGuinty Liberals believe someone else should now pay for.

Under our Constitution, the administration of justice is clearly a provincial responsibility. Dalton McGuinty’s approach to fulfilling this responsibility has been to handcuff the Ontario Provincial Police by encouraging what could be construed as “hands-off” policing in Caledonia — thereby damaging the once-stellar reputation of the OPP.

…

And now, Dalton McGuinty wants Stephen Harper to foot the bill for policing in Caledonia, the $22-million cost of the land, the $1.5-million compensation package for local businesses and who knows what else. Perhaps Dalton McGuinty will add the cost of compensation promised to local homeowners on June 16 of this year, or better yet, he will ask Stephen Harper to keep this promise for him — since Mr. McGuinty’s record in the promise-keeping department leaves too much to be desired.

OUCH!!!

Hey, Dalton! Do you need to use twice as much toilet paper now?

H/T to Jack’s Newswatch

Yellow Belly McShifty Hides Behind Federal Skirts

Mulder

Today I am appauled appalled. I am disgusted. I am angry. I am upset.

Dalton Yellow Bellied McShifty is passing the Caledonia buck to the feds. DustMyBroom has the whole scoop and I wouldn’t do this justice other than to say that this shows poor judgement, poor leadership and poor representation on behalf of the citizens of Ontario by Mr. McGuinty.

An ongoing aboriginal occupation in southern Ontario has worn out the patience of the province’s taxpayers, Premier Dalton McGuinty says — and he’s urging Ottawa to pick up its fair share of the cost and settle the eight-month dispute with Six Nations protesters.

Although McGuinty has consistently called for patience in the aboriginal standoff in Caledonia, south of Hamilton, his own forbearance appeared at an end as he reminded the Conservatives in Ottawa that aboriginal land claims are a federal responsibility.

“It is costing the people of Ontario a lot of money,” McGuinty said after a weekend speech in Niagara Falls.

“We intend to claim for compensation from the federal government and we would encourage the federal government to fully assume its proper responsibility and begin to bring some real vigour to the negotiations and to bring them to some conclusion.”

Go Read It All!!!

ADDENDUM:I added the words “by Mr. McGuinty” to the second paragraph to clarify that it is his actions I am disgusted with. The way it read before may have been misconstrued as me being disgusted with Lisa’s post at DustMyBroom, which is not the case. DustMyBroom is a GREAT blog I urge you all to bookmark and read regularly.

Premier McShifty Shows Two Faces Again

Mulder

In today’s Toronto Sun, Yellow Bellied McShifty is asking protesters expecting to be at the Caledonia rally this weekend to show up at Queen’s Park instead:

Premier Dalton McGuinty is encouraging the organizers of a controversial Caledonia rally to protest on the front lawn of Queen’s Park rather than on land occupied by Six Nations protesters.

McGuinty is concerned about public safety if this Sunday’s “March for Freedom” rally goes ahead as planned on the disputed land.

So let’s get this straight. When Natives want to protest the lack of response in the land claim settlement they can protest by taking the land in question hostage, destroying roads, burning bridges, beating up citizens and media, tossing cops around and they won’t have a problem with OPP harassing them or stopping them from breaking the law in order to protest.

But when the taxpaying citizens whose tax dollars have purchased the disputed land decide they want to protest at the same site, the Premier asks them to come to Queen’s Park and protest instead. I don’t remember hearing McShifty asking the Natives to come protest at Queen’s Park. Do You?

Liberal double standards at work again.

Hey Dalton….get stuffed.

The Pencil Commies Get Bitchslapped In BC – Is Ontario Next?

Mulder

I took a bit of a beating from the moonbats on my view of forced pencil sharing in public schools, but thanks to Sara from Choice For Childcare, the story about the lawsuit in BC forcing schools to pay for all items related to the curriculum and graduation of students has been resurrected in the Toronto Star today.

The ruling is a welcome one. And while applicable only in B.C., it should serve as a strong reminder to schools, boards and education ministry officials in Ontario that fees have no place in public education.

Officially, Ontario schools cannot charge fees for anything, including basic supplies, that is required for courses under the provincial curriculum.

But after years of budget cuts, many schools appear to be quietly and unofficially skirting the rules. A 2005 study by People for Education, a parent advocacy group, suggested nearly 75 per cent of Ontario’s high schools levied lab and material fees. According to the group, those charges ranged from $5 to $100 and included science supplies, musical instruments, woodworking materials, photocopying and workbooks.

…

To rectify the situation, Queen’s Park should remind school administrators that fees are not allowed for basic courses or class materials. At the same time, it should ban the practice of levying student activity fees and give schools the funds they need to offer full programs for all without cost.

Wow!! It looks to me like schools in Ontario should provide that box of pencils, not to mention art supplies, that compass for math, and even musical instruments. Considering we rent T-bone’s trombone annually, I am starting to wonder just how much money we are paying directly for our children’s education for items that the school should be providing.

I wonder if Afghani children pay for their pencils?

March For Freedom In Caledonia

Mulder

When is a protest not a protest? When the Liberal government aims to shut it down via an injunction, despite the right to peaceful protest being guaranteed by our Charter.

The Ontario Provincial Police has apparently chosen a side of the fence that allows natives to protest by hijacking a housing development in Caledonia, protest by burning down a bridge without repurcussions, protest by harassing local residents who point cameras at them, protest by beating up news crews without penalty, yet when the non natives plan a peaceful march/rally in protest of the natives squatting on the disputed land, they seek an injunction to block the protest.

How two faced is this?

Apparently they have also asked local media to not support the march. SOOOoooooo…….I think if you live within a one or two hour drive of Caledonia and are not happy with the way the government is handling this particular legal morash of a land claim, you should head on down to Caledonia, help out the local shop owners by buying some local goods, food, perhaps stay in a local hotel for the night, and take part in the march for freedom.

Swingers Can Swing, And Eastern Ontario Bar Says Smokers Can Smoke

Mulder

This is going to be a fun one to watch legally. After the Supreme Court of Moonbattery okayed sex in “swingers clubs” because they were private, a bar in eastern Ontario is looking to cause similar waves by opening a “smokers club” to get around the laws in Ontario.

As 20 people smoked cigarettes and cigars while being served drinks by contract workers, club spokesman Mike Kennedy said he will continue operating until he’s “taken out in handcuffs.”

The club, Doolittles, has already been charged for violating the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Kennedy said the club is private because only paying members are allowed inside.

He said the Supreme Court of Canada recently upheld the rights of private swinger’s clubs in Quebec to allow sexual activity on the premises and questioned why smokers shouldn’t have the same freedom.

I think we all know the downside to smoking and second hand smoke, but I think this one will be especially interesting as the Supreme Court has ruled on a similarly run facility in favour of the facility.

I’ll keep an eye on the case and let you all know how it goes.

Caledonia Natives Hurt In Fire, Medicine Man Invisible As They Get Taken To Tax Payers Hospital

Mulder

There was a fire in one of the partially built homes on the disputed land in Caledonia. You can read about this in the Hamilton Spectator

In an effort to further piss off those supporting this land claim I would like to ask “Where is the medicine man?”

Six Nations Fire Chief Michael Seth said the blaze in the unfinished home had been extinguished by the time his firefighters arrived at the Argyle Street South property. He said the injured were people on the site, “that were fighting the fire prior to our arrival.”

They suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital.

In my opinion, our health care system is a co-op. We all pay taxes into it, and we all get a certain amount of free healthcare. Yet natives are tax exempt.

I am expecting some major backlash in my comments on this one but I really couldn’t care less. I think we are all here in Canada as equals, only some are treated more equal than others. My goal is to expose the inequalities and this is a big one.