I think desperation is really starting to set in with soon to be former Premier Kathleen Wynne. She can't even keep her story straight with her finance minister. While she jumps in front of cameras saying she won't cut any public sector jobs, Sousa admits it's going to happen. She tries to turn another Liberal scandal, this one being the MaRs building fiasco, into a positive. I'm still trying to figure out why, if we GAVE the developer $68 million, and loaned another $240+ million, why taxpayers would pay that same $68 million we already gave to buy a building we already own, as allegations are they have already defaulted on the loan.
Here's the thing. Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne were so desperate to win the last election, they through the taxpayers under the bus to the tune of $1.1 billion by cancelling the gas plants. So with all the scrutiny on the gas plant scandal, ORNGE, and now the MaRS Attack, Wynne needs to be creative in ways to try and buy votes again with our money. And if I was a betting man, I'd bet she's already thinking of that photo-op she can pull off with Madi Vanstone where she announces because of her Madi will now get her life-saving drugs paid for. Of course anyone whose followed the absolute disgrace that Wynne has been handling Madi and her families situation, most would treat it with the disdain it so truly deserves. And Wynne knows that. What she'll be hoping by having that photo-op is that low-information voters, and from what I've seen includes most Liberals, will either be unaware of the Liberal governments incompetent, uncompassionate, carefree attitude towards Madi's plight.
Now there is some saving grace, that being the fact Madi and her family will finally have that financial burden of the drug costs removed from their shoulders. But the fact is this should have been a no-brainer right from the start. But it wasn't a concern, especially for Kathleen Wynne. While Wynne's been out criss-crossing the province promising millions here, billions there, Madi has been waiting. And waiting, and waiting.
Now I would hope Kathleen Wynne isn't pathetic enough to try and use Madi's health issues for political gain, but the gas plant scandal clearly show the complete and utter lack of ethics and integrity the Ontario Liberal Party and it's leader Kathleen Wynne have. So ya, I'll make that wager. I'm gonna bet $100 that Wynne is willing to go that low. If I'm right, and Madi gets her deserved medication, I'll donate that $100 to Sick Kids Hospital. If I'm wrong, I'll gladly send that to Madi personally and ask all my followers to do the same.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Some Free Friendly Advice For Tim Hudak
Hey Tim. How are you? It's been a rough couple of days given the mathematical errors in the million jobs plan. Now I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is I think you are sitting at a solid 33%-35% of decided voters. The bad news is that isn't enough to win you the election. Of the 3 big parties, your party is the only party that actually would give Ontario hope moving into the future. Getting the job numbers wrong is a big mistake. It's what you do moving forward that will ensure that, to quote a famous Monty Python skit, 'it's only a flesh wound.
The million jobs plan has received media airplay since day 1. Despite the errors, it still is a great plan. Now absolutely keep mentioning it. But it's time to start focusing on the pocketbook issues. A million jobs is a great promise. Unfortunately promises made by politicians no longer carry much weight with the public, especially in Ontario where Dalton McGuinty broke pretty much every promise he made. So here's where I would focus my efforts for the next few weeks.
The million jobs plan has received media airplay since day 1. Despite the errors, it still is a great plan. Now absolutely keep mentioning it. But it's time to start focusing on the pocketbook issues. A million jobs is a great promise. Unfortunately promises made by politicians no longer carry much weight with the public, especially in Ontario where Dalton McGuinty broke pretty much every promise he made. So here's where I would focus my efforts for the next few weeks.
- Electricity costs. This will win you the election. Hammer home the moratorium on green energy you will put in place to stop Wynne's upcoming electricity increase.
- At the same time remind voters of companies like Magna who have publicly stated there will be no new jobs nor investment due to electricity costs.
- Every day, in whichever city or town you are in, whenever the news cameras are on you, mention you will cancel Drive Clean if elected. The response from this at the doors is 100% positive.
- Healthcare. Point out the fact the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals are the champions of health care cuts. Delisting eye exams, chiropractic, physio.
- Mention the outrage that a government handing out contracts to Liberal insiders worth $66,000 per day refuse to pay $60,000 for medication that would help Madi Vanstone for 1 year.
- Mention cutbacks in cleaning in hospitals, as they try to balance their budgets due to bloated hospital boards.
- Mention OPG as an example of incompetence and the reason for high energy costs. OPG has reduced manpower 8.5% and increased management 60%
- Remind voters that roughly 10 cents per liter of gas is directly from Liberals adding hst to the price of gas.
These are just a handful of things to use during the campaign. The campaign had great momentum at the start, much the result of getting a different message or policy out every day. Return to that, switching between the points made above, and any you feel can help. As for those errors in the jobs plan, it's important to reaffirm to voters that the plan can work. Here are a few things worthy of mention.
- A leader of a party desperate to win an election by attacking her opponent rather than campaigning on her own governments record should be enough to convince voters it's time for change.
- The original release of the million jobs plan stated the figures were conservative.
- The Ontario economy has averaged 85,000 jobs created since 1977. Using that average for 8 years you get 680,000. The jobs plan listed 523,000, which looks to be, yes, a conservative estimate
- Despite the conflict with the CBoC report, the report does still confirm job creation and economic growth resulting from both personal and corporate income tax cuts.
- The number of jobs (4400) from developing the Ring of Fire is lower than estimates from both the Liberals and NDP.
- The McGuinty/Wynne Liberals have been wrong with their budget estimates and job numbers every year since taking office.
- If spending money creates jobs, how is it the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals have increased the provinces debt by close to $160 billion, while at the same time Ontario lags behind the rest of Canada in job growth?
- Under Mike Harris Ontario created 1,175,00 (h/t Sandy:0) jobs in 8 years, some of the best growth ever seen not just in Ontario, but in the entire country through history.
The chart below really validates which party and which parties policies are best for the people of Ontario. Given the history of both the Harris years and the McGuinty/Wynne years, there really is nothing to think about.
So Tim, feel free to call me, email me, send me a tweet. This election is winnable, it's just a matter of the right campaign using the right strategy.
Email: paulsblues45@hotmail.com
on twitter: @PaulinAjax
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Liberal Finance Minister Sousa Gets Hudak's Job Numbers 100% Wrong
Well, we all knew it was coming. Desperate actions by a corrupt and fiscally incompetent government, headed by an unelected premier who is running her entire campaign on misrepresentations and outright lies. Newest, and most damning case in point, Liberal finance minister Charles Sousa stating Hudak's job creation numbers are 95% wrong. In my opinion, that would still make Hudak far more accurate, as Sousa, and by extension Wynne's credibility should take a substantial hit if anyone takes even a cursory look at Sousa's claims, and the references he uses to make his claim.
Let's start with EXHIBIT A. That would be the Conference Board of Canada report Sousa says shows Hudak's numbers to be 95% wrong? Interesting. Sousa claims that CBoC report states only 35,000 jobs would be created. According to the report, which I've read several times, the number is actually 64,523. So in percentages, Sousa's way off. Not as far off as the $40 million gas plant costs becoming $1.1 billion, but off by nearly double his estimate and the actual CBoC report. Now what amazes me is Sousa actually brought up the fact the million jobs plan includes expected normal job growth of 523,000 jobs created. That's what Hudak stated from day 1. So already Hudak's ahead of the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals by 64,523 jobs. Pretty impressive in itself, no? In fact CBoC report actually states the reduction in corporate and personal income taxes would result in a -0.003 reduction in Ontario's unemployment rate, which at 7.4% is above the national average and more than a full percentage point above Mike Harris last day in office. A FULL PERCENTAGE POINT!
For me next point, let's look at another claim by Sousa, whose credibility already appears to be on shaky ground. Sousa claims Hudak's cuts amount to $8.7 billion and will result in another recession. There are two major problems with this claim. Hudak's platform calls for a reduction in spending and public sector job reductions via attrition and contracting to offset the cuts, which would balance the budget in two years. Sousa/Wynne have made no announcements of spending or public sector reductions, and in fact the budget with which Liberals are campaigning on actually increases the yearly deficit by $3.1 billion. Hudak's tax reductions are spread out over time. In fact, the personal income tax cuts do not cut in until the budget is balanced. Now here's the thing about Sousa, when you repeatedly cite a report to make your case, perhaps you might want to actually read it. And if you have, then don't lie! While the CBoC report does indeed say provincial revenues through corporate tax reductions will be decreased, it also states "if we add the boost to provincial indirect and personal income taxes, total revenues are up by a cumulative $574 million" . If cutting taxes leads to increased revenues sounds familiar, it might be because that's exactly what happened under Mike Harris, where tax reductions increased government revenues from $48 billion to $62 billion.
So it's becoming clearer that Sousa really doesn't have a clue. Ontario's dire fiscal situation being glaring proof. Now I should point out Hudak has never claimed the corporate and personal income taxes will create 1 million jobs in and by themselves. In fact, what he has always maintained is those tax cuts would "help" create those jobs. Hudak has mentioned electricity costs as another way of creating jobs and investment. Just weeks ago, the head of Magna, one of the largest automotive parts manufacturers globally, which provides parts to every major auto manufacturer in the world publically stated there will be no more investment or new jobs in Ontario due to electricity costs. Other companies are now stating the same thing publically. Hudak's plan to put a moratorium on green energy and instead focus on making rates affordable for business will create jobs. To put it in an easy to see perspective, adding one shift at one of Ontario's auto assembly plants would create roughly 1000 jobs. The multiplier used in the auto sector is 7 more spin-off jobs for every job in the assembly plant. That's 8 thousand jobs by just adding one shift at one plant. Which again takes us back to that CBoC multiplier.
Hudak has also mentioned cutting bureacracy and costs as another way that he will use to create jobs, things such as WSIB premiums. Will Hudak create one million jobs? I don't know. But using Sousa's own numbers and that Conference Board of Canada report it definitely looks possible over the 8 year period has mentioned. But there's another issue at play here, and it's Kathleen Wynne and Charles Sousa's own plan for the economy. That CBoC report? It mentions numerous times the multiplier effect of job creation, government revenues and GDP growth. And it's all positive! Putting more money into business and taxpayers hands is good for the economy. Growth in every sector of the economy. And the report also mentions growth unaccounted for, such as housing as the population increases by a strong job market, which would again result in further growth.
And now for the most damning fact of Kathleen Wynne and Charles Sousa's attack on Tim Hudak's jobs platform throw aside the fact that CBoC study is actually quite favorable to Tim Hudak, and by extension the people of Ontario. That CBoC study is based on a 1% reduction in both corporate and personal income revenues. Sousa in his news conference called it a 1% corporate tax cut reduction. It's 1% of revenues, not 1% of the rate. And the most telling part of the Liberal party and what you can expect if Wynne is re-elected? That Ontario Retirement Pension Plan will take $2.8 billion OUT OF THE ECONOMY. Just as Hudak's tax reductions have a positive multiplier effect, confirmed by the Conference Board of Canada, so to will taking $2.8 billion out of the economy. Only rather than being a positive multiplier, it will in fact be a negative. It will actually cost jobs, reduce income and increase costs for business, most notably small business.
Sorry for being long winded, but given the facts Hudak's economic platform far outpaces the Liberal plan. In fact the studies Liberals like Sousa refer to actually backs up the claim.
UPDATE: Mike Moffat on twitter (thanks Mike) informed me the CBoC report is a little confusing. States study is based on 1% reduction in revenues but chart actually shows 1% reduction in rate. All in all study does show an increase of jobs directly resulting from tax reductions.
Let's start with EXHIBIT A. That would be the Conference Board of Canada report Sousa says shows Hudak's numbers to be 95% wrong? Interesting. Sousa claims that CBoC report states only 35,000 jobs would be created. According to the report, which I've read several times, the number is actually 64,523. So in percentages, Sousa's way off. Not as far off as the $40 million gas plant costs becoming $1.1 billion, but off by nearly double his estimate and the actual CBoC report. Now what amazes me is Sousa actually brought up the fact the million jobs plan includes expected normal job growth of 523,000 jobs created. That's what Hudak stated from day 1. So already Hudak's ahead of the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals by 64,523 jobs. Pretty impressive in itself, no? In fact CBoC report actually states the reduction in corporate and personal income taxes would result in a -0.003 reduction in Ontario's unemployment rate, which at 7.4% is above the national average and more than a full percentage point above Mike Harris last day in office. A FULL PERCENTAGE POINT!
For me next point, let's look at another claim by Sousa, whose credibility already appears to be on shaky ground. Sousa claims Hudak's cuts amount to $8.7 billion and will result in another recession. There are two major problems with this claim. Hudak's platform calls for a reduction in spending and public sector job reductions via attrition and contracting to offset the cuts, which would balance the budget in two years. Sousa/Wynne have made no announcements of spending or public sector reductions, and in fact the budget with which Liberals are campaigning on actually increases the yearly deficit by $3.1 billion. Hudak's tax reductions are spread out over time. In fact, the personal income tax cuts do not cut in until the budget is balanced. Now here's the thing about Sousa, when you repeatedly cite a report to make your case, perhaps you might want to actually read it. And if you have, then don't lie! While the CBoC report does indeed say provincial revenues through corporate tax reductions will be decreased, it also states "if we add the boost to provincial indirect and personal income taxes, total revenues are up by a cumulative $574 million" . If cutting taxes leads to increased revenues sounds familiar, it might be because that's exactly what happened under Mike Harris, where tax reductions increased government revenues from $48 billion to $62 billion.
So it's becoming clearer that Sousa really doesn't have a clue. Ontario's dire fiscal situation being glaring proof. Now I should point out Hudak has never claimed the corporate and personal income taxes will create 1 million jobs in and by themselves. In fact, what he has always maintained is those tax cuts would "help" create those jobs. Hudak has mentioned electricity costs as another way of creating jobs and investment. Just weeks ago, the head of Magna, one of the largest automotive parts manufacturers globally, which provides parts to every major auto manufacturer in the world publically stated there will be no more investment or new jobs in Ontario due to electricity costs. Other companies are now stating the same thing publically. Hudak's plan to put a moratorium on green energy and instead focus on making rates affordable for business will create jobs. To put it in an easy to see perspective, adding one shift at one of Ontario's auto assembly plants would create roughly 1000 jobs. The multiplier used in the auto sector is 7 more spin-off jobs for every job in the assembly plant. That's 8 thousand jobs by just adding one shift at one plant. Which again takes us back to that CBoC multiplier.
Hudak has also mentioned cutting bureacracy and costs as another way that he will use to create jobs, things such as WSIB premiums. Will Hudak create one million jobs? I don't know. But using Sousa's own numbers and that Conference Board of Canada report it definitely looks possible over the 8 year period has mentioned. But there's another issue at play here, and it's Kathleen Wynne and Charles Sousa's own plan for the economy. That CBoC report? It mentions numerous times the multiplier effect of job creation, government revenues and GDP growth. And it's all positive! Putting more money into business and taxpayers hands is good for the economy. Growth in every sector of the economy. And the report also mentions growth unaccounted for, such as housing as the population increases by a strong job market, which would again result in further growth.
And now for the most damning fact of Kathleen Wynne and Charles Sousa's attack on Tim Hudak's jobs platform throw aside the fact that CBoC study is actually quite favorable to Tim Hudak, and by extension the people of Ontario. That CBoC study is based on a 1% reduction in both corporate and personal income revenues. Sousa in his news conference called it a 1% corporate tax cut reduction. It's 1% of revenues, not 1% of the rate. And the most telling part of the Liberal party and what you can expect if Wynne is re-elected? That Ontario Retirement Pension Plan will take $2.8 billion OUT OF THE ECONOMY. Just as Hudak's tax reductions have a positive multiplier effect, confirmed by the Conference Board of Canada, so to will taking $2.8 billion out of the economy. Only rather than being a positive multiplier, it will in fact be a negative. It will actually cost jobs, reduce income and increase costs for business, most notably small business.
Sorry for being long winded, but given the facts Hudak's economic platform far outpaces the Liberal plan. In fact the studies Liberals like Sousa refer to actually backs up the claim.
UPDATE: Mike Moffat on twitter (thanks Mike) informed me the CBoC report is a little confusing. States study is based on 1% reduction in revenues but chart actually shows 1% reduction in rate. All in all study does show an increase of jobs directly resulting from tax reductions.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Unifor Ecoconomist Jim Stanfords Critiques PC Million Jobs Plan, Pot Meet Kettle
Seems Unifor economist Jim Stanford has a REPORT refuting PC leader Tim Hudak's million jobs plan. Of course this is the same Jim Stanford who put out a previous report claiming a1999 federal government STUDY (table A1.1) showed spending on social programs boosted the economy more than corporate tax cuts, something repeated by a recent editorial by failed NDP candidate Linda McQuaig. What he never mentioned was that federal financial document actually says the exact opposite, that corporate tax cuts have one of the largest multipliers over the longer term on job growth and the overall economy. While that federal study showed a better multiplier over a 2-year period , that was largely based on fiscal stimulus funding due to the recession.
Now I myself have a little trouble taking someone serious when they seem to have trouble getting simple numbers straight. For example, for example, take a look at this PRESS RELEASE from Unifor on why they support the Wynne budget, notably the key point:
" the establishment of a $2.5-million Jobs and Prosperity Fund, including the development of a strategy to support advanced manufacturing"
Anyone else catch that? That $2.5 million Jobs and Prosperity fund? Uh, it's actually $2.5 billion Jimbo! You are only off by what? Well, almost $2.5 billion. But I digress. Getting back to Stanford's latest, shall we call it, twisting of selective points from the Conference Board of Canada's report and willingly ignoring significant numbers and facts relating to the million jobs plan. The CBoC study only deals with the impact of tax cuts proposed by Hudak and their effects on job growth. I know this because after McQuaig's regurgitating of Stanford's obvious twisting of that 2009 federal study I contacted the CBoC directly.
Here's the thing. When Stanford mentioned that 2009 federal study and twisted it to make progressive policies he endorses work better than policies put forth by those on the right, in my opinion he did so hoping and knowing people would take him at his word and not bother to actually look at the chart he quoted. And he's done so again. I invite everyone to actually read the CONFERENCE BOARD REPORT and make your own decisions about the PC Party platform I would also invite you to keep some key points in mind:
Whaddya say Jimbo?
Now I myself have a little trouble taking someone serious when they seem to have trouble getting simple numbers straight. For example, for example, take a look at this PRESS RELEASE from Unifor on why they support the Wynne budget, notably the key point:
" the establishment of a $2.5-million Jobs and Prosperity Fund, including the development of a strategy to support advanced manufacturing"
Anyone else catch that? That $2.5 million Jobs and Prosperity fund? Uh, it's actually $2.5 billion Jimbo! You are only off by what? Well, almost $2.5 billion. But I digress. Getting back to Stanford's latest, shall we call it, twisting of selective points from the Conference Board of Canada's report and willingly ignoring significant numbers and facts relating to the million jobs plan. The CBoC study only deals with the impact of tax cuts proposed by Hudak and their effects on job growth. I know this because after McQuaig's regurgitating of Stanford's obvious twisting of that 2009 federal study I contacted the CBoC directly.
Here's the thing. When Stanford mentioned that 2009 federal study and twisted it to make progressive policies he endorses work better than policies put forth by those on the right, in my opinion he did so hoping and knowing people would take him at his word and not bother to actually look at the chart he quoted. And he's done so again. I invite everyone to actually read the CONFERENCE BOARD REPORT and make your own decisions about the PC Party platform I would also invite you to keep some key points in mind:
- Wynne's Liberals own estimates are for 523,000 new jobs over the time period of Hudak's plan.
- The 100,000 jobs being eliminated are to be done through attrition, not firing as Stanford continues to shamelessly claim.
- Those leaving through attrition will be receiving generous government pensions and benefits, continuing to contribute to the economy.
- Jobs eliminated through attrition allows junior employees and their families to continue working, earning good wages and working towards their own retirement. (something I would think unions are in favor)
- The CBoC study actually shows decreased corporate and personal income tax rates will lead to INCREASED government revenues, something Stanford will never admit.
- Ontario has a higher average unemployment rate than the rest of Canada. Apparently under McGuinty/Wynne, the economic engine of Canada has blown a piston, as it's obvious to most economists the province is struggling from massive debt and policies driving business and jobs away.
- If Hudak's million jobs plan is overly optimistic, at least he has a plan to get the province back on track
Whaddya say Jimbo?
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Unions No Longer Act Like Champions Of Democracy, More Like Dictators Of The Ontario Liberal Party
But the union as I know, it, or should say knew it, has undergone a transformation that makes me ill. Through the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's unions political activities have been directed at what's best for the membership, the brothers and sisters, the ones doing the hard labour on the lines. But that's all changed. The upper echelons of the unions are now infested with people willing to give away their ethics and integrity fighting right-wing political parties for reasons far-away from reality or fact. They embrace parties embroiled in scandal, corruption, and cronyism never seen before. They damage the reputation of every dues paying member, not on facts, but on hate and misleading talking points.
Unions used to be the embodiment of democracy. Majority votes used to make decisions, but everyones views were accepted and respected. No more. Big unions have become beholden to corrupt governments, corrupt politicians, and corrupt policies, and have done so without a passing glance to democracy they once championed. The perfect example of this is the Unifor (formerly CAW) facilities in Port Elgin. Despite widespread opposition to construction of a wind turbine, the union plowed ahead, ignoring the voices of residents, the fact property values would decrease for many longtime residents. They went ahead knowing the government they worshipped had removed any environmental protections away from property, wildlife, and most importantly, the men, women and children who live in the area. They did so knowing a democratically elected municipal council had voted against a wind turbine.
Sadly, the union that I always hailed as a fighter for democracy as sold it's soul, giving into it's own greed and thirst for power. Who cares if facts get in the way? Not dictators, which sadly is now the reality of what most union leaders have become in the province of Ontario.
Full story HERE
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/2652178046001
email: paulsblues45@hotmail.com
on twitter: @PaulinAjax
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Toronto Star Earns My Respect, Exposes ANOTHER LIBERAL SCANDAL
and during the election campaign. I think tommorrow Ill say yes to that paper in the drive-thru. Full story HERE.
"When patients undergo something as serious as a cancer test, they want to be assured they are getting the best care possible.
So why is the Ontario government seemingly ignoring repeated warnings that a Toronto-based medical laboratory has failed to meet quality standards for a critical cancer screening test?
That’s the question being asked by members of an influential committee mandated by the government itself to ensure the quality of lab testing for a province-wide colorectal cancer screening program.
The committee formally notified Health Minister Deb Matthews and senior Ontario health ministry officials earlier this year that Alpha Laboratories Inc. had not met quality standards for three consecutive months, starting last November.
In bluntly worded letters and emails obtained by the Star, the committee urged the government to order Alpha to immediately stop its fecal occult blood testing program and to inform doctors that their patients should be retested by labs that do meet prescribed quality standards.
Specifically, the committee is concerned about the under-reporting of patients who may test positive and should be referred for a colonoscopy.
Alpha is the only Ontario lab that has failed to pass three months in a row.
Despite the warnings, though, neither Matthews nor senior health ministry bureaucrats have yet responded formally to the committee."
The McGuinty/Wynne Record On The Auto Sector, Don't think Hudak's The One We Need To Worry About!
I was going to do a list of all the auto assembly and parts plants that have closed since 2003. Due to the sheer volume of closures and layoffs that's physically impossible. Let's look at the current situation in Ontario. When elected leader and Premier by 1100 Liberals at their convention, Wynne promised to carry on Dalton McGuinty's legacy, and she sure has. GM has already announced Camaro production, now being done in Oshawa, is moving to Michigan. That's the U.S. state that undercuts us using far cheaper electricity rates, not by their own generation, but by getting ours for 2.5 cents per kwh, due to the McGuinty/Wynne Green Energy Act, the decimation of the manufacturing industry by McGuinty/Wynne, and the fact Ontario ratepayers lost $1 billion in 2013 alone getting rid of excess power on the grid. If hearing the name McGuinty and Camaro in the same sentence wrings a bell, it might be because it was one of those famous Liberal photo-ops, your tax dollar$ being spent to try and make them look good. This one cost you $235 million. Now keep in mind that this is 2006, two years before the GM and Chrysler bailout.
Pointing out the fact GM is slated to kill off more jobs from both the flex line and consolidated line with more production heading south in the next two years is a direct reflection of what the policies of McGuinty/ Wynne have done. It's not the union's fault, and it sure as hell isn't the fault of Ontario taxpayers. The most telling comment on the state of Ontario's auto sector can be traced back to mcGuinty himself, with this quote from the GM Oshawa announcement in 2006.
"General Motors of Canada's decision to manufacture its new Camaro in Oshawa is a resounding vote of confidence in the province and its workers, said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"General Motors of Canada's decision to manufacture its new Camaro in Oshawa is a resounding vote of confidence in the province and its workers, said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"This decision is great news for families and businesses in Oshawa who depend on a strong and vibrant auto sector," said Premier McGuinty. "Oshawa's workers are among the most highly skilled and dedicated in the world and we're pleased that GM continues to demonstrate its confidence in our people and our province."
So if a decision to manufacture in the province is a resounding vote of confidence, what does it say about the Liberals when GM decides those jobs are going to Michigan? Pretty self explanatory, no? The bigger problem is the lost Camaro production isn't the exception, it's the norm under the Liberals.
"It shows Ontario's share of Canada's employees has been slipping the past decade to 38 per cent today, from 39.2 per cent in 2003. As of September, there were 5.8 million payroll workers in Ontario.
All of the relative decline can be explained by what has happened in the factory sector.
Statistics Canada puts the manufacturing job losses in Ontario at 255,000 over the past decade, dropping the number of factory employees from 908,900 in January 2003 to 654,200 in September 2012. (source)
So despite Wynne's fearmongering over Tim Hudak "destroying the auto sector", sorry Ms. Wynne, that ship has already sailed. Just recently, Magna's CEO, among others, stated their would be no more investment or jobs in Ontario due to the Liberals energy policy farce. I will say you were right about one thing though Ms. Wynne. You certainly have carried on Dalton McGuinty's legacy. The continuation of auto sector jobs leaving Ontario is the proof in the pudding.
email: paulsblues45@hotmail.com
on twitter:@PaulinAjax
on twitter:@PaulinAjax
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
If Kathleen Wynne's Campaign Was Named After A Movie,What Would It Be Called?
A Union Leader Who Embraces A Political Party In Scandal, Becomes Part Of The Scandal Themselves
By placing a CAW jacket on the back of Liberal PM Paul Martin, whose government was found and admitted to being the recipient of illegal kickback funds via sponsorship scandal, he forever tarnished his reputation and that of the CAW logo. So badly did Buzz misread the anger and outrage by those same workers he represented, he is now the brunt of jokes by the membership, rather than admired for the good things he did for the union membership, and he did a lot. The Conservative Party won the riding of Oshawa, with the help of Buzz's poorly thought out photo-op with the leader of a party most normal Canadians had come to despise.
Flash forward to the 2014 Ontario election. The heads of most major unions are endorsing Kathleen Wynne, the premier of Ontario and leader of a party embroiled in so many scandals I've lost count. Imagine your union head, the one that supposedly represents you and your co-workers, endorsing a premier whose party is the subject of not one, but two OPP criminal investigations. A premier who refuses to pay $60,000 once per year for a young girls medication to prevent her lungs being scarred from cystic fibrosis, while at the same time awarding a contract just under $500,000,000 to a party insider. To put it in perspective, this is a premier who has no issue paying $66,000 per day for an Liberal insider, but cannot find it in herself to cut a one-time cheque, with our money no less, to at least get this girl get by another year.
Imagine the head of a union endorsing a premier whose government has driven the members electricity bills up 43%, increased taxes, user fees, cut OHIP services, and been in office throughout the loss of 330,000 jobs. That, sadly, has become the norm here in Ontario. There once was a time when union members admired and respected their leaders. That time, as they say, is history.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Why Would Any Ontario Voter Want Even One More Minute Of This?
Let alone 4 more years: (originally penned by Lorrie Goldstein)
The Liberal record:
1. “We will hold the line on taxes”
— McGuinty’s signature promise in the 2003 election campaign,
which he shredded with a $2.6 billion tax grab, the largest in Ontario history.
The HST, which massively extended the reach of the province’s 8% sales tax
to such necessities as gasoline, electricity and home heating fuels, soon followed.
— McGuinty’s signature promise in the 2003 election campaign,
which he shredded with a $2.6 billion tax grab, the largest in Ontario history.
The HST, which massively extended the reach of the province’s 8% sales tax
to such necessities as gasoline, electricity and home heating fuels, soon followed.
2. “We will not raise the debt”
— The Liberals have doubled Ontario’s debt to $281 billion since taking office.
Paying interest on debt, at $10.6 billion annually, is now our third-largest expenditure,
after health and education.
— The Liberals have doubled Ontario’s debt to $281 billion since taking office.
Paying interest on debt, at $10.6 billion annually, is now our third-largest expenditure,
after health and education.
3. “We will make sure the debt goes in only one direction, down” — See above.
4. “We will stop the waste of taxpayers’ dollars”
— The Ornge, eHealth and gas plant scandals alone,
in which billions of tax dollars were wasted, put the lie to this Liberal promise.
— The Ornge, eHealth and gas plant scandals alone,
in which billions of tax dollars were wasted, put the lie to this Liberal promise.
5. “We will respect your hard-earned tax dollars” — See above.
6. “We will balance the budget” — See above.
7. “We will live by the balanced budget law”
— In 2003, McGuinty pledged, in writing:
“I ... promise if my party is elected as the next government, that I will:
Not raise taxes or implement any new taxes without the explicit consent of Ontario voters.
And not run deficits.” After the election, he broke all three promises.
— In 2003, McGuinty pledged, in writing:
“I ... promise if my party is elected as the next government, that I will:
Not raise taxes or implement any new taxes without the explicit consent of Ontario voters.
And not run deficits.” After the election, he broke all three promises.
8. “We will measure every investment against results.” If the Liberals had kept this promise,
the eHealth, Ornge and gas plant scandals would never have happened.
the eHealth, Ornge and gas plant scandals would never have happened.
9. “We will make sure your health care dollars are invested wisely” — See Ornge and eHealth, above.
10. “We will bring peace and stability to our schools”
— Ontario students have just lived through a year of teacher unrest,
including the shutdown of extra-curricular activities, over the Liberals’ belated
attempt to rein in teacher salaries and benefits, after nine years
of throwing our money at them.
— Ontario students have just lived through a year of teacher unrest,
including the shutdown of extra-curricular activities, over the Liberals’ belated
attempt to rein in teacher salaries and benefits, after nine years
of throwing our money at them.
11. “We will ensure there is transparency in public education”
— Instead, the Liberals unleashed a controversial sex education curriculum
with no warning to ordinary parents. Now we’ve learned
Education Minister Liz Sandals doesn’t even read the curriculum documents she signs.
— Instead, the Liberals unleashed a controversial sex education curriculum
with no warning to ordinary parents. Now we’ve learned
Education Minister Liz Sandals doesn’t even read the curriculum documents she signs.
12. “We will ease gridlock with a seamless transportation network across the Greater Toronto Area”
— After 10 years in power, gridlock across the GTA is worse than ever and
the Liberals are making exactly the same broken promise again.
— After 10 years in power, gridlock across the GTA is worse than ever and
the Liberals are making exactly the same broken promise again.
13. “We will shut down Ontario’s coal-burning plants by 2007”
— The Liberals still haven’t closed them, now promising to do so in 2014.
— The Liberals still haven’t closed them, now promising to do so in 2014.
14. “We will bring clean, renewable energy to Ontario”
— Under the Liberals, wind and solar power are producing minuscule amounts of
unneeded, unreliable, inefficient and expensive electricity,
which has to be backed up by fossil fuels. This will, according to the Auditor General,
cost Ontarians billions of dollars extra on their hydro bills, for decades to come.
— Under the Liberals, wind and solar power are producing minuscule amounts of
unneeded, unreliable, inefficient and expensive electricity,
which has to be backed up by fossil fuels. This will, according to the Auditor General,
cost Ontarians billions of dollars extra on their hydro bills, for decades to come.
15. “We will bring stability to Ontario’s electricity market” — See above.
16. “We will respect the views of rural constituents by giving their MPPs free votes”
— If that was true, Liberal MPPs wouldn’t be responding to furious complaints
from their constituents about having industrial wind turbines rammed down their throats
with form letters.
— If that was true, Liberal MPPs wouldn’t be responding to furious complaints
from their constituents about having industrial wind turbines rammed down their throats
with form letters.
17. “We will ensure that all developers play by the rules”
— Unless they’re wind developers, where the Liberals took away the rights of local citizens
to oppose wind projects.
— Unless they’re wind developers, where the Liberals took away the rights of local citizens
to oppose wind projects.
18. “We will give real legal rights to victims of crime”
— In 2007, Ombudsman Andre Marin described Ontario’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
as “unreasonable, oppressive, unjust (and) wrong,” stooping so low as to
humiliate a grieving father when he asked for funds to help bury his five-year-old daughter,
who had been raped and murdered.
— In 2007, Ombudsman Andre Marin described Ontario’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
as “unreasonable, oppressive, unjust (and) wrong,” stooping so low as to
humiliate a grieving father when he asked for funds to help bury his five-year-old daughter,
who had been raped and murdered.
19. “We will lift the veil of secrecy on government agencies and appointments”
— In fact, the Liberals routinely resort to obfuscation, stonewalling, misdirection and
deceit when answering even basic questions about who does what in their government.
Think of their farrago of lies in the gas plants scandal.
— In fact, the Liberals routinely resort to obfuscation, stonewalling, misdirection and
deceit when answering even basic questions about who does what in their government.
Think of their farrago of lies in the gas plants scandal.
20. “We will help create jobs and spur economic growth”
— According to the Auditor General, Ontario is losing two to four jobs for every
“green” job the Liberals create, due to skyrocketing electricity costs.
— According to the Auditor General, Ontario is losing two to four jobs for every
“green” job the Liberals create, due to skyrocketing electricity costs.
- The EHealth scandal
- The slush fund scandal
- The lottery corp scandals
- The CancerCare scandal
- The MPAC scandal
- The Children’s Aid scandal
- The hospital consultants scandal
- The Niagara Parks Commission scandal
- The tire tax
- The electronics tax
- The cheap beer surtax
- The hidden hydro tax
- The planned hidden gas tax
- The ‘smart meter’ tax
- The ‘Eco’ tax
- The auto pension bailouts
- The Nortel pension bailouts
- No reduction in HST despite $4.3 Billion from the feds
- The forcing of WSIB on all construction owners
- The staggering increase in the Sunshine List
- The failure at Caledonia
- Selling out to the teachers & civic unions
- The blatant Nanticoke lie
- The squandering of record revenues
- The nanny-state banning of nearly everything
- The public funding of sex-changes while de-listing eye exams phsyio & chiro <<<======
- The billion-dollar-per-year burden of Family Day
- The billion-dollar flip-flop on The Oakville gas plant
- Saddling rate-payers with billions in subsidies to Samsung & Ikea
- The various Ombudsman/Auditor-General condemnations
- Turning Hydro into a luxury for the rich
- The by-election bribery's
- The refusal to correct foreign ownership of our beer market
- The outrageous property assessments
- The stifling of private health services
- The illegal and unconstitutional secret G20 law
- The acceptance of garbage-striker extortion
- The harassing labour inspectors
- The idiotic preoccupation with homosexuality lessons for third-graders
- Dumping the blue box program onto small businesses
- Imposing blood alcohol rules that punish the innocent
- The $58 Million ‘severance’ to tax-collectors who didn’t miss a single day’s work
- Socialized daycare
- Canceling the ‘mandatory’ LHIN review & giving their CEO’s $15000 raises
- Sneaking tax-dollars into Liberals campaign team coffers
- Raising tuition & auto insurance to highest in Canada
- Sinking Ontario into Have-Not status.
-And just in time for the election: cleaner kickback scandals
-The Centre of Forensic Services cutbacks
-The Ontario Health Premium
-The Introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax
-Wynne's brother-in-law appointed as $210,000/year interim eHealth CEO
-The London CAS charged $1.4M for false accusation and deleting documents
-David Peterson, brother-in-law of Deb Matthews,
appointed Pan American Games organizing committee chair
appointed Pan American Games organizing committee chair
-Health Minister Deb Matthews blames doctors for nursing homes drugging residents at an alarming rate
-The Ring of Fire fiasco
-The 500+ deaths in hospitals with c. difficile and then all reports on the quality of care
made subject to privacy legislation
made subject to privacy legislation
-Wynne's wife owns 50% of a consulting company that gets government business - including Ministry of Health
-The numerous CAS problems identified by Provincial Auditor General include luxury vehicles,
resort vacations, etc.
resort vacations, etc.
-The lack of oversight regarding how often babies die in unregulated child care
-The lack of enforcement of education law by the Ministry of Education
-The billions in subsidies to Samsung and Ikea
-The Northlands fiasco - more costly to shut down than to operate
-The huge severance packages and bonuses paid out by taxpayer dollars
-The creation of the Ontario College of Trades
-The Solid Gold scandal
-The AGCO decision disallows contract brewers like left field brewery at events that are
licensed with a Special Occasion Permit (SOP)
licensed with a Special Occasion Permit (SOP)
-The Full Day Early Learning - Kindergarten Program
-The Drive Clean Program changed to cost more
-The 21,000+ adults and children with developmental disabilities on wait lists
-The proposed hospital and winery grant to to win another by-election (fails)
-The minimum wage increase concerns
-The $1.4B Windsor Parkway's serious safety flaws from substandard materials
-Mike Crawley awarded $456M wind contract while Liberal Party president
-The $2.5B lawsuit from cancellation of turbines of Scarborough shore which
saved 2 Liberal seats and led to WTO ruling
saved 2 Liberal seats and led to WTO ruling
-The mishandling of the outlaw of pit bulls
-The $10 tax on tax increase on license plate stickers every year for the past 3 years
-The introduction of a “modest” 70% increase on the heavy truck licensing sticker fees.
-The lack of provincial action regarding the Law Society of Upper Canada that
does not protect the public from lawyers who steal from their clients.
does not protect the public from lawyers who steal from their clients.
-Millions spent to remove the "C" from OLGC - to redesign our Provincial logo
while at the same time telling us that $5 was more than enough to feed seniors
in a nursing home every day
while at the same time telling us that $5 was more than enough to feed seniors
in a nursing home every day
- $4 billion dollars taken from the debt retirement charge fund, thereby adding 5 more years
to the payoff time
to the payoff time
-The whole new division of civil servants when McGuinty hired people all over Ontario to plan
bus routes for school kids - before that it was done FREE by the school bus companies
and school management - a mess because McGuinty's people sit in a room with a map and school
bus companies drive the route to make sure it's safe for kids but McGuinty's people don't know
what side of the road the sidewalk is on - total chaos and we now pay more people for a terrible job.
bus routes for school kids - before that it was done FREE by the school bus companies
and school management - a mess because McGuinty's people sit in a room with a map and school
bus companies drive the route to make sure it's safe for kids but McGuinty's people don't know
what side of the road the sidewalk is on - total chaos and we now pay more people for a terrible job.
-The Liberal's clean air reports over the years. They change the data from year to year,
and explain that away as "updated information". So for example, if you superimpose the
new data over the old, what they claim as a reduction in emissions, is actually stagnant
straight line. Nothing but a constant barrage of lies, lies and more lies.
and explain that away as "updated information". So for example, if you superimpose the
new data over the old, what they claim as a reduction in emissions, is actually stagnant
straight line. Nothing but a constant barrage of lies, lies and more lies.
Kathleen Wynne: A Picture Really is Worth 1000 Words
When Kathleen Wynne repeatedly stands in front of the media and knowingly lies? Well, that really shows she's unfit to be Ontario Premier. She's not lying to the media, she's lying to every voter in Ontario!
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Join The New Facebook Page: Blue Crayon
Just wanted to announce the launch of a brand new Facebook page called BLUE CRAYON. This page is similar to news aggregators, and will feature news and editorials from media, bloggers, and members of political parties. Please hit Like and pass it around to family and friends. Cheers, Paul.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Photo Of Bridge With Gas Plant Scandal Water Under It Referred To By Hazel McCallion Discovered
McCallion endorses Wynne, calls gas plant scandal ‘water under the bridge’
Oddly Enough, the Toronto Star failed to mention that quote, instead boasting of McCallion endorsing scandal plagued former McGuinty cabinet minister and current premier Kathleen Wynne. Now about that water under the bridge. $1.1 billion is a lot of money Hazel, so there's going to need to be a lot of water. I think this seems appropriate, no?
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest overwater highway bridge (28 miles or 38 KM) in the world (the Guinness World Record).
Failed NDP Candidate Linda McQuaig Accuses Tim Hudak Of Misleading Ontario Voters, By Misleading Voters Herself
Failed NDP MP candidate Linda McQuaig has an editorial on iPolitics today where she mocks PC leader Tim Hudak's million jobs pledge as "imaginary" and tries to insinuate Hudak is misleading Ontario voters with his plan. The title of her op-ed says it all, "A million jobs? Heck, why not a zillion? She calls his plan nutty. Apparently nobody ever explained to her that Hudak was part of the Mike Harris government that created 1,175,000 jobs during it's two terms, which is similar to the timeline of Hudak's job strategy.
But McQuaigs not done there. She takes issue with Hudak mentioning the Conference Board of Canada's review of the jobs plan. Check this out:
"But let’s look at how truly dishonest this is.
But McQuaigs not done there. She takes issue with Hudak mentioning the Conference Board of Canada's review of the jobs plan. Check this out:
"But let’s look at how truly dishonest this is.
Yes, the PCs did pay the Conference Board to do an analysis. But Pedro Antunes, deputy chief economist at the Conference Board, told me in an interview that the Conference Board is not endorsing the Million Jobs plan — nor did it even see the plan.
Antunes also acknowledged that data produced by the federal Finance department shows that far more jobs are created by government spending than by corporate tax reductions.
For instance, a 2009 Finance department chart estimates that if Ottawa spent $1 billion on support for unemployed and low-income individuals, it would generate 18,755 jobs. The same chart shows that if Ottawa gave up $1 billion in revenue in corporate income tax reductions, this would create only 3,310 jobs.
In other words, the federal Finance department — not known for progressive economics, particularly in the Harper era — concluded that government spending on the poor and unemployed creates substantially more jobs than cutting corporate taxes."
I've always found that when you accuse someone of being dishonest, it might not be a good idea to be dishonest yourself. Questioning Hudak's integrity while misleading and deceiving herself ? Can you say HYPOCRITE? McQuaig also quotes Antunes. "He also agreed that big spending cuts — such as slashing 100,000 public sector jobs — could more than offset the economic benefits of lowering taxes"
I'd be willing to bet McQuaig never told Antunes the majority of those eliminated jobs would be through attrition, rather than firings and layoffs. Obviously someone leaving the workplace with a comfortable pension and benefits has a completely different economic effect than someone going on EI or social assistance. Now for the most damaging part for McQuaig though. Remember that 2009 Finance Department chart that she claims shows Hudak's platform will fail. I wonder if she's actually even seen it. I knew which chart it was right away. It's the same one CAW economist Jim Stanford used to make all the same claims as McQuig did today back in 2009. Problem is if you look at that chart, or rather look at the full REPORT McQuiag quotes you will see this at the bottom of the chart:
" Corporate income tax measures have limited impact on aggregate demand over the periods displayed in the table but have among the highest multiplier effects in the long run. This is because they increase the incentive to invest and accumulate capital, which leads to a higher permanent capacity to produce goods and services."
You see that chart represented a period of 2 years, and was based on stimulus spending by the federal government. Only a fool would believe spending billions more on social programs would have a better effect than actually creating jobs for people to pay taxes rather than getting a cheque from the government.. A dishonest fool at that!
paulsblues45@hotmail.com
paulsblues45@hotmail.com
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Kathleen Wynne Won't Cut 100,000 Jobs To Balance The Budget
What she will do is add $160 billion to Ontario's debt (and counting), losing 330,000 good paying jobs in the process. Do you think Tim Hudak's plan to cut 100,000 jobs, mostly through attrition, makes a lot more sense? Nuff said.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Cancer Treatment, CF Medication Unaffordable For Kathleen Wynne, But Hosting An NBA Game Is Worth $500,000
Cancer drug crusader Kimm Fletcher, the Milton, Ont., mom came to Queen's Park seeking funding for the drug Avastin, She was denied. This woman was a wife, mother, daughter. She was a friend to many. Avastin would not cure Kimm's cancer, but it would have extended her life. Fletcher got a one-on-one meeting with the provincial health minister Deb Matthews who could not offer her any help, saying only that the drug is funded for other cancers and that decisions such as these are made on the best medical evidence.
Madi Vanstone is a12 year old girl with a rare form of cystic fibrosis who travelled to Queen's Park for the Ontario government to pay for the expensive drug to treat her disease The drug, Kalydeco, costs $350,000 per year. Madi's fathers benefit plan covers half, and the drug company pays 20%, leaving Madi's family to find a way to pay the difference.Then Madi got to meet Premier Kathleen Wynne in person. But Madi was turned away empty handed. Wynne gave some vague answer about wanting to pay for the drug, but wasn't going to. She states the province is in negotiations. Sorry Kathleen, that's been going on for more than a year. The drug has been approved in 15 other countries. So Madi and her family have to hope and rely on family, friends, and the good-hearted public to help pay for the drug, which by the way, has shown incredible results not just in Madi, but in others around the world suffering from the same affliction.
Despite pleading poor for medications and treatments, not just for Kimm and Madi, but others across the province, Wynne still finds a way to waste those taxpayer dollars. The Wynne Liberal government gave MLSE $500,000 to host the NBA All-Star game. Oddly enough, the minister in charge never sent out a press release announcing the $500,000, which is strange because he attended the event announcing the game.MLSE by the way is valued at $2.5 billion. And how does Kathleen Wynne explain this away?
"This is part of what we do as a government to enhance tourism and bring people to the province,” Wynne said at an unrelated event in Ajax, Ont. “There are other large events that we support, hockey events, soccer events, that bring tourism to the province, and the (NBA) all-star game is part of that.”
When questioned in the legislature about denying Madi's drug costs, Wynne responded with "of course we don't put a price on a human beings life". The sad part is Wynne was wrong. She did exactly that. Kimm Fletcher passed away April 27th. Had she received the treatment she couldn't afford herself, the one the province should have covered, she would have survived longer, giving her daughter and husband more time with their wife and daughter. So it goes With Kathleen Wynne. She gets to pick the winners and losers, regardless of whose needs should come first.
Madi Vanstone is a12 year old girl with a rare form of cystic fibrosis who travelled to Queen's Park for the Ontario government to pay for the expensive drug to treat her disease The drug, Kalydeco, costs $350,000 per year. Madi's fathers benefit plan covers half, and the drug company pays 20%, leaving Madi's family to find a way to pay the difference.Then Madi got to meet Premier Kathleen Wynne in person. But Madi was turned away empty handed. Wynne gave some vague answer about wanting to pay for the drug, but wasn't going to. She states the province is in negotiations. Sorry Kathleen, that's been going on for more than a year. The drug has been approved in 15 other countries. So Madi and her family have to hope and rely on family, friends, and the good-hearted public to help pay for the drug, which by the way, has shown incredible results not just in Madi, but in others around the world suffering from the same affliction.
Despite pleading poor for medications and treatments, not just for Kimm and Madi, but others across the province, Wynne still finds a way to waste those taxpayer dollars. The Wynne Liberal government gave MLSE $500,000 to host the NBA All-Star game. Oddly enough, the minister in charge never sent out a press release announcing the $500,000, which is strange because he attended the event announcing the game.MLSE by the way is valued at $2.5 billion. And how does Kathleen Wynne explain this away?
"This is part of what we do as a government to enhance tourism and bring people to the province,” Wynne said at an unrelated event in Ajax, Ont. “There are other large events that we support, hockey events, soccer events, that bring tourism to the province, and the (NBA) all-star game is part of that.”
When questioned in the legislature about denying Madi's drug costs, Wynne responded with "of course we don't put a price on a human beings life". The sad part is Wynne was wrong. She did exactly that. Kimm Fletcher passed away April 27th. Had she received the treatment she couldn't afford herself, the one the province should have covered, she would have survived longer, giving her daughter and husband more time with their wife and daughter. So it goes With Kathleen Wynne. She gets to pick the winners and losers, regardless of whose needs should come first.
Kathleen Wynne Smirks And Lies To Ontario Voters
Seems Kathleen Wynne has a new slogan, Pink Slip Pledge, even though she has trouble saying it. Politicians are known to stretch the limits of what is actually the truth, but in this case, Wynne, just like Dalton McGuinty has no trouble telling lies. Hudak's plan to cut 100,000 public service jobs will be attained through attrition. Admittedly, Hudak needs to do a better job of getting this out. He needs to hammer home these jobs are being eliminated, not with a pink slip, but with a nice comfortable government pension and benefits for life. Think of it as the golden handshake.
Now this is where Hudak can actually use these job cuts to turn the tables on the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals. Hudak has stated, and most Ontario voters realize, there has to be cuts. There has to be spending cuts. Just a half a percent increase and we can add roughly another billion a year just to interest costs. Hudak knows why he has to eliminate jobs. Kathleen Wynne therefore needs to explain why these jobs were created. Thousands of jobs were added to the Ontario public sector since 2008 under McGuinty/Wynne. Remember 2008? That's when the effects of the global economic downturn hit. The Ontario coffers were hit with a massive decrease in revenues, while at the same time spending billions in stimulus.
And that's where the next line of attack is. McGuinty/Wynne's reaction to the economic downturn was to implement the policies of Ontario's second worst ever premier Bob Rae (McGuinty being #1). Increased spending, increased government hiring, lucrative contracts for public sector unions, most notably teachers. At the same time McGuinty/Wynne spent billions more on failed green energy. McGuinty/Wynne blew billions on scandals that were a direct result of Liberal incompetence. ORNGE, E-Health and the Gas Plant scandals add up to $3 billion by themselves in lost taxpayer money. At the same time the people of Ontario, suffering the financial effects of the recession, were rewarded with sky-rocketing electricity bills, HST added to home heating, electricity and gas.
McGuinty/Wynne have learned nothing. They have repeated the failed policies of Bob Rae in the early 90's with even worse results They continue to drive business away with energy and taxation that makes other jurisdictions far more appealing for new investments and jobs. And she does it all to the Ontario voters, with a smirk on her face.
Now this is where Hudak can actually use these job cuts to turn the tables on the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals. Hudak has stated, and most Ontario voters realize, there has to be cuts. There has to be spending cuts. Just a half a percent increase and we can add roughly another billion a year just to interest costs. Hudak knows why he has to eliminate jobs. Kathleen Wynne therefore needs to explain why these jobs were created. Thousands of jobs were added to the Ontario public sector since 2008 under McGuinty/Wynne. Remember 2008? That's when the effects of the global economic downturn hit. The Ontario coffers were hit with a massive decrease in revenues, while at the same time spending billions in stimulus.
And that's where the next line of attack is. McGuinty/Wynne's reaction to the economic downturn was to implement the policies of Ontario's second worst ever premier Bob Rae (McGuinty being #1). Increased spending, increased government hiring, lucrative contracts for public sector unions, most notably teachers. At the same time McGuinty/Wynne spent billions more on failed green energy. McGuinty/Wynne blew billions on scandals that were a direct result of Liberal incompetence. ORNGE, E-Health and the Gas Plant scandals add up to $3 billion by themselves in lost taxpayer money. At the same time the people of Ontario, suffering the financial effects of the recession, were rewarded with sky-rocketing electricity bills, HST added to home heating, electricity and gas.
McGuinty/Wynne have learned nothing. They have repeated the failed policies of Bob Rae in the early 90's with even worse results They continue to drive business away with energy and taxation that makes other jurisdictions far more appealing for new investments and jobs. And she does it all to the Ontario voters, with a smirk on her face.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Putting Hudak's Policies In Easy To Explain Sound Bytes
One of the most fundamental issues facing politicians is being able to easily explain their policies in a way that is easily understandable by the audience, and do so in a quick sound byte that will work in the media. Case in point, Tim Hudak's plans to both lower the deficit and business taxes at the same time, and add 1 million jobs to the economy. Cutting taxes and lowering the deficit can confuse voters, as they see a reduction in the tax rate as a reduction in revenues.
So here is how I explain it to people. Let's say Ontario has 100 businesses paying $1 in taxes each year for tax revenues of $100. Lowering the tax rate 25% brings in 50 more businesses to the province, with each business paying .75 cents in taxes, meaning tax revenues of $112.50.
Now factor in each business employs 10 people, paying $1 a year in taxes as well. This gives employee tax revenues of $1000 under the old business tax rate. Under the 25% reduced tax rate you now have 500 more employees paying that $1 a year in tax, resulting in employee tax revenues of $1500. So you've gone from $1100 in tax revenues to $1612.50. And that doesn't factor in the boost to the economy by increased spending via consumer demand for products and services.
Keeping it simple gets the message across.
So here is how I explain it to people. Let's say Ontario has 100 businesses paying $1 in taxes each year for tax revenues of $100. Lowering the tax rate 25% brings in 50 more businesses to the province, with each business paying .75 cents in taxes, meaning tax revenues of $112.50.
Now factor in each business employs 10 people, paying $1 a year in taxes as well. This gives employee tax revenues of $1000 under the old business tax rate. Under the 25% reduced tax rate you now have 500 more employees paying that $1 a year in tax, resulting in employee tax revenues of $1500. So you've gone from $1100 in tax revenues to $1612.50. And that doesn't factor in the boost to the economy by increased spending via consumer demand for products and services.
Keeping it simple gets the message across.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Hudak Hitting His Stride, Needs To Hammer Home Electricity Costs
I've gotta say, I'm feeling better about Tim Hudak everyday. On CTV with Robert Fife today followed up by CP24 where he discussed his transit plan, this is a guy who looks confident, especially in his policies. And while his focus on jobs is a good one, especially among younger voters, in many ridings skyrocketing electricity costs are the first thing out of most peoples mouths. And where I feel the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals are most vulnerable.
The fact is most Ontario voters, who are furious their electricity bills have risen over 40% don't realize that they are in fact paying millions more to have the U.S. take our excess capacity yearly. That's a pretty big albatross for Wynne to carry around her neck. She keeps bragging how wonderful her energy plan is, willingly ignoring the damage inflicted on the economy, business, jobs, and most importantly the low-income and retired seniors, many of whom have had to cut their spending on essentials like food to keep the lights on.
So here are what I think are the key points both Hudal and all PC candidates should be putting front and center.
1. Your electricity bill has risen in excess of 40%, and re-electing Kathleen Wynne will get you another 43% increase.
2. The taxpayers of Ontario have paid millions for the U.S. states and other provinces to take excess electricity from us, while at the same time have we been crushed with a 43% increase on our own bills.
3. Despite a cut in electricity output at OPG, there has been an increase in managers? Most are on the Sunshine List making in excess of $100,000 plus bonuses.
4. McGuinty/Wynne have allowed electricity providers like Veridian to add on new service charges like the delivery fee, and further allowed increases to those fees.
5. McGuinty/Wynne have tried to mitigate the political damage to themselves by having electricity providers like Veridian switch from 3-month billing to 2-month billing cycles. In my case I was paying roughly $200 every 3 months in 1996. I now pay $225 every 2 months, while at the same time I'm using less electricity.
6.McGuinty/Wynne also have repeatedly tried to cover themselves with questionable statements. For example when Wynne talks about the increased cost of electricity under the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals, she tends to just talk about the actual percentage increase per kwh, never including the increased service fees and charges imposed under Liberal rule.
7. And most importantly, Hudak needs to make it obvious to everyone he will put a moratorium on any further expansion of Wynnemills and FIT tariffs. He also needs to bring home the connection of those connected with the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals who are raping millions, if not billions at the expense of the average Ontarian.
So keep it up Tim. Keep hammering that job plan, which I think is a winner. Just make sure to give electricity costs the major issue of this election, something which is pretty indefensible for Wynne to sweep away.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Today's Strategy Advice To Make Tim Hudak Premier of Ontario
First off, Tim Hudak deserves credit. he has improved every day so far on the campaign trail and shows his conviction by announcing public sector job cuts, something he knows the opposition will use to attack him. And for some reason Kathleen Wynne seems more focused on Stephen Harper than Hudak or NDP leader Andrea Horwath. Of course anyone even remotely aware of politics knows this is meant as nothing more than deflection from her record as Premier of Ontario and the horrendous financial situation this province finds itself in after 11 years of her Liberal party in power.
Now we all know how hard it is to win an election with promises of spending and employment cuts to the public sector. And Liberals are always quick to bring up Mike Harris to demonize Hudak. The thing is Harris record as premier is head and shoulders better than McGuinty/Wynne. So with Wynne bringing PM Harper into the election and resurrecting the Harris years, even though he hasn't been in power for 13 years, it's urgent for Hudak to get Ontario voters to accept the fact cuts are needed, and tough love now pays off with rewards down the road. But how?
The answer? Former Liberal PM Jean Chretien and former federal finance minister Paul Martin. While most Conservative voters hold both Chretien and Martin in high disdain, the fact is their record on cutting spending and laying off thousands of federal public sector workers to balance the budget is grudgingly admired. So here is what Hudak needs to do. Whenever asked about cuts, point out Chretien and Martin are widely praised for the way the slayed the federal deficit. And whenever doing so point out the reason it has become necessary to do the same thing in Ontario is a direct result of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. Did you catch that? Like I've stated before, always mention McGuinty and Wynne in the same sentence.
This strategy serves a few purposes. If Wynne wants to attack the cuts proposed by Hudak, then she needs to explain why they were acceptable federally, particularly because Ontario took the brunt of $30 billion in transfer payment cuts by Chretien/Martin. Does Wynne dare question Chretien and Martins fiscal record? Will she diss the federal Liberal Party of current leader Justin Trudeau.? I doubt it. It also blunts the attacks on the Harris years. Hudak can rightly point out Ontario found itself in a similar disastrous fiscal cliff in 1995 when Bob Rae left an $11 billion deficit. He can also point out McGuinty/Wynne now have the province in an even deeper financial abyss, caused by out of control spending, out of control public sector hiring, and the huge loss to Ontario's manufacturing sectordue to Liberal policies inncluding electricity costs and big increases in fees and more government bureaucracy.
This strategy is just my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong. But conjuring up the two supposed iconic Liberal figures always mentioned as great fiscal managers seems to be a great way to make the necessary cuts palpable to more Ontario voters.
Comments always welcome here or via email: paulsblues45@hotmail.com
Now we all know how hard it is to win an election with promises of spending and employment cuts to the public sector. And Liberals are always quick to bring up Mike Harris to demonize Hudak. The thing is Harris record as premier is head and shoulders better than McGuinty/Wynne. So with Wynne bringing PM Harper into the election and resurrecting the Harris years, even though he hasn't been in power for 13 years, it's urgent for Hudak to get Ontario voters to accept the fact cuts are needed, and tough love now pays off with rewards down the road. But how?
The answer? Former Liberal PM Jean Chretien and former federal finance minister Paul Martin. While most Conservative voters hold both Chretien and Martin in high disdain, the fact is their record on cutting spending and laying off thousands of federal public sector workers to balance the budget is grudgingly admired. So here is what Hudak needs to do. Whenever asked about cuts, point out Chretien and Martin are widely praised for the way the slayed the federal deficit. And whenever doing so point out the reason it has become necessary to do the same thing in Ontario is a direct result of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. Did you catch that? Like I've stated before, always mention McGuinty and Wynne in the same sentence.
This strategy serves a few purposes. If Wynne wants to attack the cuts proposed by Hudak, then she needs to explain why they were acceptable federally, particularly because Ontario took the brunt of $30 billion in transfer payment cuts by Chretien/Martin. Does Wynne dare question Chretien and Martins fiscal record? Will she diss the federal Liberal Party of current leader Justin Trudeau.? I doubt it. It also blunts the attacks on the Harris years. Hudak can rightly point out Ontario found itself in a similar disastrous fiscal cliff in 1995 when Bob Rae left an $11 billion deficit. He can also point out McGuinty/Wynne now have the province in an even deeper financial abyss, caused by out of control spending, out of control public sector hiring, and the huge loss to Ontario's manufacturing sectordue to Liberal policies inncluding electricity costs and big increases in fees and more government bureaucracy.
This strategy is just my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong. But conjuring up the two supposed iconic Liberal figures always mentioned as great fiscal managers seems to be a great way to make the necessary cuts palpable to more Ontario voters.
Comments always welcome here or via email: paulsblues45@hotmail.com
Friday, May 9, 2014
Global News Does Staged Surprise Kathleen Wynne Interview?
(HT FHL previous post) The first few days of the Ontario election campaign have seen PC leader Tim Hudak face tough questions and stories about campaign stop flubs. Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne's campaign stops have received glowing remarks from the media. Upon watching Wynne's photo-ops I can't help but get the impression those supposed off-the-cuff questions from the media might have been scripted with Wynne knowing what questions are coming before even being asked. Of course Wynne and the media most undoubtedly deny this.
Which brings us to Global News reporter Alan Carter "intruding on Wynne's morning jog". Listen to the questions and Wynne's answers. Sure seems planned and rehearsed to me.. Now before we get to that let's look at the most obvious issue first. Wynne, as premier, has a security detail with her. You can usually see them trailing behind whenever she's shown doing her morning jog. They are nowhere to be found, the first indication this was a planned video.The video starts with the reporter looking down the path at Wynne coming over the bridge and up the path. Take a close look. Wynne's to the left of her partner. Yet at the 6 second mark, Wynne suddenly manages to jog directly in front of her campaign bus, just feet from the road and is on the right side of her partner. And then at the 12 second mark Wynne miraculously reappears on the path just feet from Carter, again to the left of her partner, and some distance from the road.. And that campaign bus is nowhere to be seen.So you can see how special Kathleen Wynne is. She just made a bus disappear in under 4 seconds. Even Houdini couldn't pull that off.Those are some pretty special running shoes. Funny that!
Also, at the 1:20 mark, you see camera angles change. Listen to the audio closely. It's not fluid. Sounds like it's skipped or been edited. And does it not seem rather odd how deserted that park is/?Few joggers, no dog walkers? And Carter is intruding on Wynne's jog, yet we have multi-camera angles? Another thing interesting is at the 1:30 mark you see a row of cameras on tripods. I thought this was supposed to be some spontaneous interview.. Supposedly Carter is surprising Wynne, yet there is a row of cameras set up? And that camera angle showing Wynne running towards it. Just lucky placement I guess eh? If you look closely you will also see the guy on the bike at the 5 second mark. He's not there when Wynne jogs past her bus, yet reappears near the end of the video.
What's written here is my own opinion of that video. I don't think it's much of a leap to say this thing was staged. If it wasn't, can someone explain that magical campaign bus or the fact Wynne can be running on two different paths at the same time. Should this "reporting" county as an election expense. Perhaps it's time to call Scooby Doo.
UPDATE: I've sent Global an email asking for an explanation on why parts of this video were staged. Here is my email sent : "In a news report featuring reporter Alan Carter supposedly surprising Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne jogging, it is quite obvious part of this video was staged, particularly the part showing Wynne jogging by her campaign bus. Does Global News feel this is ethical reporting? If so can the leaders of the PC Party and NDP expect to be accomodated in the same way. THe fact this was done makes me question the entire video, and whether it was in fact something coordinated in unison between Global and Kathleen Wynne."
Which brings us to Global News reporter Alan Carter "intruding on Wynne's morning jog". Listen to the questions and Wynne's answers. Sure seems planned and rehearsed to me.. Now before we get to that let's look at the most obvious issue first. Wynne, as premier, has a security detail with her. You can usually see them trailing behind whenever she's shown doing her morning jog. They are nowhere to be found, the first indication this was a planned video.The video starts with the reporter looking down the path at Wynne coming over the bridge and up the path. Take a close look. Wynne's to the left of her partner. Yet at the 6 second mark, Wynne suddenly manages to jog directly in front of her campaign bus, just feet from the road and is on the right side of her partner. And then at the 12 second mark Wynne miraculously reappears on the path just feet from Carter, again to the left of her partner, and some distance from the road.. And that campaign bus is nowhere to be seen.So you can see how special Kathleen Wynne is. She just made a bus disappear in under 4 seconds. Even Houdini couldn't pull that off.Those are some pretty special running shoes. Funny that!
Also, at the 1:20 mark, you see camera angles change. Listen to the audio closely. It's not fluid. Sounds like it's skipped or been edited. And does it not seem rather odd how deserted that park is/?Few joggers, no dog walkers? And Carter is intruding on Wynne's jog, yet we have multi-camera angles? Another thing interesting is at the 1:30 mark you see a row of cameras on tripods. I thought this was supposed to be some spontaneous interview.. Supposedly Carter is surprising Wynne, yet there is a row of cameras set up? And that camera angle showing Wynne running towards it. Just lucky placement I guess eh? If you look closely you will also see the guy on the bike at the 5 second mark. He's not there when Wynne jogs past her bus, yet reappears near the end of the video.
What's written here is my own opinion of that video. I don't think it's much of a leap to say this thing was staged. If it wasn't, can someone explain that magical campaign bus or the fact Wynne can be running on two different paths at the same time. Should this "reporting" county as an election expense. Perhaps it's time to call Scooby Doo.
UPDATE: I've sent Global an email asking for an explanation on why parts of this video were staged. Here is my email sent : "In a news report featuring reporter Alan Carter supposedly surprising Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne jogging, it is quite obvious part of this video was staged, particularly the part showing Wynne jogging by her campaign bus. Does Global News feel this is ethical reporting? If so can the leaders of the PC Party and NDP expect to be accomodated in the same way. THe fact this was done makes me question the entire video, and whether it was in fact something coordinated in unison between Global and Kathleen Wynne."
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Kathleen Wynne And Dalton McGuinty's College Of Trades Cash Grab
Let's start with Courtney first. Courtney renewed his license back in May 2011. The cost was $60 for three years. The College of Trades issued card shows an expiry date of May, 2014. So you would think that Courtney would not be subjected to the McGuinty/Wynne tax increase until May 2014, right? Wrong. Not that long ago, Courtney received a letter stating he owed $120 to remain licensed with the College of Trades. Now Courtney knows his current certificate does not expire until May/2014. He carries the card in his wallet, as do almost all trades persons with certification. So Courtney's not really impressed with the fact that he was paying $60 for three years has abruptly changed to $120 for one year. Think about that. An increase from $60 to $360 for a three year period. But it gets worse. Courtney gets a letter telling him his license is suspended because he didn't send in the $120, even though the card issued to him shows his license is valid for 5 more months. So now they want $130 to reinstate his license, plus the $120 for the year for renewal. Yep, Wynne thinks this guy should fork over $250 to reinstate his license, which according to the government issued card is still valid. Brilliant, right?
Next, let's get to Riad. He's the youngest of the 3. Riad worked hard throughout his apprenticeship and became certified last year after writing his final test. That test carried a price of over $100. Riad passed the test, and paid his $60 for his trade certification. That $60 was to cover the following three year period. So what happens? Riad gets an invoice in the mail demanding the $120 to keep his license valid just months after paying the $60. Like Courtney, his card shows an expiry date, only his is 2016.
And finally Vic. I fine hard working family man with young children at home. Like Courtney and Riad, Vic had paid his $60 to keep his certification for the following three year period, and just months after received the invoice demanding the new fee of $120. Now to put this in perspective, imagine going down to the Ministry of Transport and plunking down the money for your license plate sticker renewal, which by the way has risen around 40% under McGuinty/Wynne's government. So you've paid your renewal fee and think you are good to go. A month down the road, the MOT sends you and invoice demanding payment for the new fee, which has doubled while only covering you for 33% of the renewal time your previous sticker did. Failure to pay the new amount, even though your receipt shows you paid up until the following year, will result in your license being suspended.
Pretty outrageous right? And not something the McGuinty/Wynne government could get away with. So why is it acceptable to screw trades people? And why, oh why, does the cost suddenly need to rise from $60 for three years to $360 for three years? Could it be that the provinces finances, which appear to be in very dire straights are actually far worse than Wynne is telling us? There's a new rumor circulating in political circles regarding Wynne's proposed Ontario retirement plan. That rumor is the province faces another credit rating downgrade, which would be damaging to McGuinty/Wynne's Liberals re-election chances.
Whether discussing the College of Trades ridiculous increase in fees, or Ontarios proposed retirement plan, there is a distinct bad odour, and it's only going to get worse.