Politics-Federal

Autistic Children Left In The Cold With CUPE Doll Wannabe

Mulder

Yellow Bellied McShifty is getting his wish. Autistic children will not get IBI treatment beyond the age of 6, which will save the province quite a wad of cash.

In my fourth blog post ever (back in the early days), I posted how Ontario was “robbing autistic Paul to pay for Mary’s Peter”.

The gender reassignment surgery issue was closed last November with the tribunal stating that three of the four who were fighting to have their surgery paid for by tax payers got their wish, but the fourth (a CUPE employee) did not as he was not enrolled in the program before October 1, 1998. It also closed the door to any others entering the clinic after the 1998 date when the Harris government shut the door on paying for a pump-a-penus.

But the autistic cut being upheld will stand. Now many of the parents are either moving to Alberta and/or petitioning for a national level autism plan. I wish them, and their children well.

Garth May Sound Right, But He Is Wrong On Per Diems

Mulder

I have seen quite a few Blogging Tories praise Garth Turner for his view on some of the perks being given to MPs and Cabinet Ministers with regards to per diem expenses and having them applied to mortgages.

I hate to go against my BT friends, but I have worked in jobs that have worked on per diem expenses and I have worked on jobs that let you write off specific expenses with the appropriate explanation.

And in the private sector if you have a per diem food expense (let’s say for example $40 per day), then you get that money whether you spend $30 on food or if you spend $60 on food. What a frugal person saves and puts away to spend on whatever they want, be it a mortgage or saving for baby’s new pair of shoes is irrelevant. The per diem expenditure companies make is not something they follow up on.

The whole purpose of per diems was to minimize expense reports and follow up or verification that the expenses submitted were valid.
Many of you know I am quite frugal when it comes to spending tax dollars and that I am quite a fiscal conservative but their is a clear division here.

When a per diem guidelines is set up the only two primary issues should be a) what days should an MP receive a per diem? and b) how much that per diem should be.

How the MP chooses to spend that per diem is up to them. Just as a per diem dining expense rewards the guy who eats McDonalds vs. the guy who eats at Hy’s, a lodging per diem can reward the guy who pays part of his mortgage with it vs. staying in a hotel. Remember, that MP’s do not (or SHOULD not) get the per diem when parliament is not sitting, so if they choose to invest in a home, they still have plenty of time throughout the year to pay their mortgage without a per diem out of their own pockets.

Comments?

Softwood Lumber Deal Gives GDub Potential To Bitchslap Liberals

Mulder

There is much talk about the 23 month lock in period for the softwood deal and the option for the Americans to pull out after this time. Try to follow along.

Month 0 – July 2006 – softwood deal struck

Month 5 – December 2006 – $995 Liberal Party Leadership convention (I have to put that $995 in ‘cuz it’s so damn expensive)

Months 11 to 17 – June 2007 to December 2007 – Liberals set a bit of policy (estimated as 6 months to a year following leadership convention)

Month 18 – 21 – January 2008 to April 2008 – Tories drop 2008 budget in early 2008 which might be looked at as a good time for left wing parties to take down the government on the money bill.

Month 23 – June 2008 – Softwood deal option can be excercised

Month 19 to 23 – February 2008 to June 2008 – Potential Canadian election timeframe if the Liberals feel comfy. (Note it could always happen sooner but this might be the first reasonable attempt for taking down the Tories)

Month 29 – November 2008 – American Elections (which Republicans stand a decent chance of losing unless they find Osama bin Laden)

Month 31 – January 2009 – New President of USA sworn in.

Did you see that? Let’s look closer at 2008.

The option to cancel the softwood deal happens after the Liberals elect a new leader and at a time many pundits think the Tory minority may be taken down but BEFORE George W. is gone. This gives him a nice chance to bitchslap Canada if we put Liberals back in power.

Sweet!!! That would make my Smackdown list for sure!!

A Clearer Picture Of Urinator Number 3

Mulder

I snagged this off of the local Ottawa News tonight.  I missed their frontal view of Urinator Number 2 below, but I will get it online when I get tomorrow mornings repeat taped.

urinator number 3

I have seen a lot of people online commenting on this.  I do think my “string em up by the eyelids and kick them in the balls until they blink” comment may have been a tad (yes just a tad) harsh, but I do like the idea of making them scrub the monument from top to bottom with a toothbrush or making them clean the toilets of every Legion’s bathrooms for a year once a week might just make them, and anyone else thinking of defiling this monument, think twice before doing so.

In any case, I saw an interview tonight with a WWII vet who said they should be shamed for months.  I couldn’t agree more.

I am glad to see that an official investigation is taking place.  I think if they come forward, like men, they will probably get off a lot easier than if they have to be hunted down like the dogs they acted like.

Liberals, Kingsley And That Little Boy Who Cries Wolf

Mulder

I have been surfing both Tory and Liberal blogs regarding whether or not convention fees count as donations and I have noticed the following.

1) Phantom Observer (a blogging tory) has some of the most valid arguments out there and has done his homework on the elections act. Nice job my friend. When are you coming back to Ottawa? P.O. has some links and assessments of the current elections act and the only thing clear in the elections act about this issue is the ambiguity.

2) In Phantom Observer’s comments someone named Eugene Parks. You all remember Eugene Parks don’t you? Kate already destroyed his credibility. You can read about this loser here, here and here. In any case, I didn’t see any emails or screenshots at his site. Just links to other blogs harping about this issue. Eugene is the same guy who tried to get the blogging tories shut down based on exceeding the donation laws. Some people just don’t know when to quit. to add to this point the guy is posting the same post all over the web promoting his site which points to a site that displays his emails. The same post has been spotted on other sites as well.

3) There there is sonemamedia. Again, emails which quote our friend Eugene, above which are the emails which Eugene claims help prove his case. Ironically, when someone is so hell bent on carving up the tories, his lack of credibility destroys sonemamedia’s blog posts. It looks like a which came first the sonemamedia posts using Eugene’s emails or Eugene pointing everyone to sonemamedia’s website … errr … sort of like the chicken and the egg(head).

4) Then we have Elections Canada head honcho, J.P. Kingsley. This is the man who can’t even keep non Canadian citizens from voting in our elections. How is he supposed to be able to sort out a mess that pertains to an ambiguous Elections Act. If it would mean revamping elections canada and the elections act, I would almost beg the tories to open the books and expose the flaws that let an American student at U of T get a ballot in the last election.

5) No one seems to be mentioning much about the Liberal leadership convention or past policy conventions except the Tories. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander so if the Tories have to open their books, the Liberals will have to as well.

6) What I find especially heinous here is that the Liberals are asking that the Tories put $1.7 Million into an account should their be any improper handling of the convention fees. I would like to ask the Liberals to put $100 Million (the amount that might have gone missing to Liberal friendly ad firms and was potentially kicked back to the Liberal Party) into a similar account until we find out where the Adscam money went. Oh wait … the Liberal Party of Canada doesn’t have any money. Maybe they should just declare bankruptcy and all go join the NDP. I bet Bob Rae would love that!

City Of Ottawa Join Ranks Of Thieving Cities And Misdirects Anger To Cabbies

Mulder

The City Of Ottawa has joined Toronto and Edmonton in stealing our GST cut.

From CFRA Radio website:

Ottawa taxi patrons will not benefit from a one per cent cut in the GST on Canada Day.

The Conservatives will reduce the GST to six per cent on July 1st, but the savings will not show up on the meter for the price of a cab ride.

The City of Ottawa includes all taxes in the fare.

CFRA News has learned the savings from any GST cut will go into the pockets of cab drivers.

Bylaw Services Manager Susan Jones says the GST cut will offset any increased costs to operate a taxi in the City of Ottawa.

The Canada Revenue Agency says businesses don’t have to lower their prices. As of July 1, businesses must remit six per cent of the GST but what you pay may not change.

You notice the City tries to play the GST into cab drivers pockets. The truth of the matter is the City is taking our money and they are choosing to give the exact same amount to the cabbies. The choice to take it and the choice in how to spend it is the City of Ottawa’s.

And they have chosen to take it and give it to cabbies. I am not upset with cabbies. But I am ticked off with the City.

They have Officially Screwed us again.

I Should Buy Myself A Lottery Ticket

Mulder

Saturday the wife and I made it through handling the sleepover birthday party of our (now) 10 year old daughter and 7 of her friends. (My ears haven’t heard this much squeaking and squealing since a Hillary Duff concert a couple of years back)

Sunday morning I managed french toast and bacon breakfast for them all and we got our son to his band trip to Kingston on time.

I managed to help pick up all the food/soft drinks and ice (along with setting up all the chairs) for a very large BBQ at the Carp Fair grounds.

With the help of my friend Craig I managed to get my fathers day gift of a roll out Basketball net together (and only had to undo something once which is amazing unto itself).

I managed to get my first podcast working. (give it a listen here).

And this morning I wake up to find out I am the BBS Blogging Tories Site of the Week!!BT Site of week logo

Now, if I can win the Tri-Riding Golf Tournament today, I KNOW I will be buying myself a few lottery tickets for Wednesday’s draw in the 6/49. I think the only downside was finding out our Minister of Defence, Gordon O’Connor won’t be giving a speech tonight at the post golf dinner as he was slated to. But in light of the fact that he and our Prime Minister will be in Halifax to kick off a week of spending announcements to bolster our much needed military refit, I think I can live with that. Especially since I ran into him yesterday.

Gordon OConnor and Me

Thanks for the honour BBS. It means a lot to me!!

Liberals Should Take A Lesson From The Green Party

Mulder

Today I had the luxury of watching some of the Green Party leadership debate in Calgary (this is the second of two leadership debates).

The tale of the tape. (with a tongue in my cheek)

Green Party – 3 Candidates

Liberal Party – 24593 Candidates and one fiddle player (can you just see Joe Volpe tugging at everyone’s heartstrings with a rendition of Whitney’s Greatest Love of All on a Strad?)

Green Party – 2 hours, strict on time

Liberal Party – Months and months (and months) of pleading for national support?

Green Party – Numerous questions addressed in the debate with several diverse views but primarily it was a chance to see how people handle the public, and a chance to spotlight strengths and views on how they would lead. Which is in essence what a leadership debate really is.

Liberal Party – very few questions due to number of candidates, very few answers and all the answers were the same. “I agree with the Liberal philosophy and evil Harperites are evil evil evil” or something to that effect.

On the diversity front, the Liberals score more because they have about 10 people from each riding running for their leadership. But only one from Quebec.

The Green Party has an Ottawa political scientist (David Chernushenko), An American ex-patriot daughter of flower children turned environmental lawyer (Elizabeth May) and a real estate agent from St. Catherines who helped found a company bent on selling hemp products. (Jim Fannon).

I actually enjoyed watching these three both praise themselves but also the party and each other. There were no gutless attacks like Dion’s on Kennedy. There was no lopsided bullying the way the Libs all ganged up on Iggy. The Liberals should pay attention.