The Simpsons Have His Number
Those whose memories extend beyond last night’s hockey scores may recall that in 2011, while he was a Toronto city councillor, Doug Ford proposed an ‘exciting’ vision for that city’s…
Letters to the Editor
Seeking Sanctuary
Sometimes, living in Canada’s most populous province is embarrassing. Anyone know a remote mountain top I can retreat to? These letter-writers define my problem: In light of the recent PC…
Globe and Mail Letter
In today’s Globe and Mail, you will find a letter from me (fourth from the top, under the heading “In the national interest”) relating the present interprovincial pipeline kerfuffle to…
Will It Be Vision Or Political Expedience?
In yesterday’s post, I wondered whether Jagmeet Singh and the NDP will embrace a form of radical progressivism as it prepares for the 2019 federal election or instead hew to…
Be Careful What You Wish For
As you likely know, Jeff Bezos is currently searching for a second headquarters for his company, Amazon. And much to the delight of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John…
Double Double, Toil And Trouble: Star Readers On Tim Hortons And The Minimum Wage Hike
As always, the letters from Star readers do not disappoint: I am really finding it difficult to empathize with businesses like Tim Hortons crying over the minimum-wage increase. The fact…
Despite The Hysteria The Sky Will Not Fall
In an op-ed piece the other day, Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, wrote of the economic Armageddon awaiting Ontario businesses thanks to the recently-hiked Ontario…
Responding To The Outrage
Yesterday, I posted about the outrageous treatment graduate student Lindsay Shepherd experienced at the hands of the Wilfrid Laurier University thought police. As usual, Toronto Star readers had much to…
Canadians React To The Paradise Papers
If you aren’t yet outraged over recent revelations, check your pulse to make sure you are still amongst the living. Happily, signs of life are plentiful among Toronto Star readers:…
Behind The Curtain
Ah, Star letter writers rarely disappoint. Truth, rather than political spin, always improves my mood. Liberal Party fundraisers held family millions in offshore trust, Nov. 6 From Panama to Paradise,…
Not A Dirty Word
In his column the other day, Rick Salutin wrote a stout defence of taxes, making it very clear that for him and many others, the word and the concept are…
Seeing With Clear Vision
H/t Toronto Star Those who believe analysis must trump hyper-partisanship will enjoy this backgrounder provided in today’s Star as part of its transparency series. The piece makes the point that…
On The Petering Out Of Pipelines
While Andrew Sheer’s Conservatives will undoubtedly wring as much political capital as they can out of the cancellation of the Energy East pipeline, less partisan people will see it as…
A Low-Risk Takedown
If you read my post from yesterday, you will know who Nick Shcherban is. Watch the following brief video, and ask yourself this: Have you ever heard of a noise…
Bill Morneau’s Tax Reforms
I have been following with interest the current discussion, sometimes waxing into hysteria, over Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s plan to close small-business loopholes that allow such ‘mom and pop’ operators…
They Never Disappoint Me
‘They’ would be Star readers who write letters to the editor. The following demonstrate that, like many others, they have taken the full measure of Donald Trump and found him…
Parsing Conservative Lies
Recently, newly-selected Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer wrote a column condemning the compensation awarded to Omar Khadr for the violation of his rights as a Canadian citizen. Not only did…
Well-Said!
Sometimes, when I wake up in the middle of the night, I find myself thinking about the sad state of the world today, a state infinitely exacerbated by the current…