Ontario’s Impending Austerity Budget
Reading my morning Star, I learned that there is wide-spread support among the public for austerity measures to reduce Ontario’s deficit. I suspect that there will be a particular appetite…
Lorne
Agitation At The Globe and Mail Continues
In the throes of some form of political delirium tremens since Thomas Mulcair’s election as leader of the NDP, the Globe and Mail has apparently lost its lexicographical grasp, describing…
Rob Ford Continues to Embarrass Himself
‘Mayoral ineptitude’ is probably only one of the many terms that could be used to characterize Toronto’s Chief magistrate, Rob Ford. Not only has he regularly demonstrated his unfitness for…
Harper Inc. Continues To Deform Our National Ethos
While it is probably impossible to define the soul of a nation, one aspect of the Canadian psyche must surely be a generosity of spirit and a concern for the…
The Globe and Mail Pronounces on the NDP
Well, I guess the rest of us can stop thinking, now that John Stackhouse and the lads over at the Globe and Mail have done it for us. NDP: still…
From The Bottom Of The Swamp: Conservative Reaction to Mulcair’s Victory
Why does the Conservative Party’s classlessness never really surprise me? On Saturday, before Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a chance to congratulate the new leader of the Official Opposition, the…
Rob Ford and Subways
While I know that the selection of Thomas Mulcair is the major topic of discussion today, I shall defer to those more knowledgeable than I and return to a topic…
Shelagh Gordon’s Influence Lives On
Shelagh Gordon, the woman recently profiled in The Star after her sudden death at the age of 55, continues to exert a pull on the thousands of readers who were…
Jack Layton vs. Stephen Harper
I’ve just spent about the last 45 minutes watching the tribute to Jack Layton at the NDP leadership convention. The heartfelt praise about Jack’s humanity, his real love of and…
A Video Rebuke of Rob Ford
Thanks to sol chom for posting this. I couldn’t resist passing it on: Recommend this Post
Rick Salutin Today
While the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge may often pronounce ponderously and authoritatively on issues, there is another source of information that should, in many ways, be taken more seriously, says Rick…
The Consequences of Expressing An Opinion In HarperWorld
Just a brief post here. Apparently airport groundworkers in Toronto and Montreal are out on a wildcat strike as a result of three members expressing an opinion of Labour Minister…
Police Chief Bill Blair Well-Rebuked
Oh, there is much in the news today to report and comment on, but I’ll start with something close to my heart: Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, whom I regard…
Discouragements to Democratic Participation
The litany of abuses, even crimes, against democracy committed by the Harper regime is indeed long. Probably the gravest damage done by this regime, and I believe the damage is…
A New Call For a Return to Progressive Taxation
I suppose one has to be of a certain age to remember that progressive taxation has been a mainstay, until fairly recently, of our taxation system. Little by little over…
Are Police Too Sensitive Or Simply Arrogant?
For some time now I have been closely following abuses of power, with special interest in instances involving our politicians and our police. Because both groups wield so much power,…
The Scourge of Rogue Elements
Following Canadian Tire’s conviction for gasoline price-fixing in Kingston and Brockville, a spokesperson for the company, Liz Hamilton, had this to say: “… the company’s participation in the price-fixing ring…
Toronto Library Strike
As a lifelong user of public libraries (I can still remember the very first book I took out as a child) and one who aspires to practise critical thinking on…
Rob Ford’s Absolutism
In a report carried on CBC, Toronto’s monomaniacal mayor issued the following pronouncement regarding support for subways: You are either with us or against us. There is no middle ground.…
Are You Afraid of Clowns?
The only ones who frighten me are the ones holding political office. But, just to show you that I have a sense of humour and don’t spend my entire life…