Poking the beast – “P” word missing from reform talk
The problem with discussing health care sustainability is there is no definition of what that means. Data would suggest that our health care spending is not out of control –…
Privatization
What a Free Market Municipal Transit "System" Looks Like
Former Rob Ford chief of Staff Mark Towhey gained some notoriety in the 2010 mayor’s race for a blog post he wrote prior to joining Ford’s team where he advocated…
What a Free Market Municipal Transit "System" Looks Like
Former Rob Ford chief of Staff Mark Towhey gained some notoriety in the 2010 mayor’s race for a blog post he wrote prior to joining Ford’s team where he advocated…
What a Free Market Municipal Transit "System" Looks Like
Former Rob Ford chief of Staff Mark Towhey gained some notoriety in the 2010 mayor's race for a blog post he wrote prior to joining Ford's team where he advocated…
What a Free Market Municipal Transit "System" Looks Like
Former Rob Ford chief of Staff Mark Towhey gained some notoriety in the 2010 mayor's race for a blog post he wrote prior to joining Ford's team where he advocated…
New column day
Here, on the tendency of both the Saskatchewan Party and the federal Cons to pretend a problem doesn’t exist for years on end, then suddenly proclaim there’s no time to…
Privatization: The “big bad mistake” Ontario is intent on repeating
“The stealth privatization of Ontario’s gas plants over the past decade set the stage for the inevitable payouts that we now face for decades to come.” – Martin Regg Cohn,…
New column day
Here, following up on Alex Himelfarb and Jordan Himelfarb’s observations about the need to talk about the good we can do with tax revenue by noting the importance of making…
Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content for your Sunday reading. – Alex Himelfarb and Jordan Himelfarb comment on Canada’s dangerously distorted conversation about public revenue and the purposes it can serve: As we argue…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Glen Hodgson and Brenda Lafleur explain how Canada’s lower and middle classes alike have been left out of any economic growth as a…
Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Matt Taibbi discusses how public pension funds are being looted for the benefit of a few well-connected banksters: Hedge funds have good…
On democratic exercises
The results are in from Regina’s wastewater treatment referendum. And unfortunately, the combined forces of the City and the corporate sector (with an assist from far too much of the…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Today is of course voting day in Regina’s wastewater treatment plant referendum – and you can get voting information here. And Paul Dechene…
On sucker’s bets
As the old saying goes, if you sit down at a poker table and can’t spot the sucker, you’re it. And there shouldn’t be much doubt that when the City…
#wwtp Referendum Roundup
A few links and notes as Regina’s wastewater referendum approaches tomorrow. – Jason Hammond explains that his Yes vote will be based largely on concerns about the City’s dishonesty and…
On questions of trust
I’ll give Deputy City Manager Brent Sjoberg credit for at least partially answering one of my long-standing questions about a privatized water treatment plant: namely, who’s going to be left…
New column day
Here, on how the real question in Regina’s P3 referendum vote is that of how to operate the City’s vital infrastructure – and why we should vote “yes” to maintain…
Juxtaposition
The Fouge sez: have no fear about corporate abuses or contract manipulation in a privatized wastewater system because…public procurement process! Hamilton Wastewater System – A sewage operation and maintenance contract…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Frances Russell laments the state of Canada’s Potemkin Parliament (and the resulting harm the Cons are inflicting on our political system and our…
New column day
Here, on the dangers of accepting advice from self-interested advisers – and the obvious conflict of interest of the consultants hired to push a wastewater P3 on Regina’s citizens. For…