gdp's Comments

Macleans.ca : The Harper majority

Tue, 3 May 2011 15:15:51 +0000

Well; I gave it my best shot. That much at least I can be satisfied with. I find it sad however where Canadians seem to be so afraid of a recognizable change they jump headlong and without reservation into the Conservatives who guarantee them change; extreme change without telling them what the changes are. I'm sure there are a number of addiges to cover the situation but, it leaves me heart broken never the less.

Macleans.ca : Tories and NDP neck and neck on election eve

Mon, 2 May 2011 14:20:13 +0000

A few loons? I would say that is not a bad average. Where would you place Stockwell Day -on the sidelines now, in your loony meter?

Macleans.ca : Tories and NDP neck and neck on election eve

Mon, 2 May 2011 02:06:24 +0000

Sounds great to me! At least we are assured no Conservative Majority; that is what counts this time around. These are scary times however; the Conservatives have the organization and contacts to turn out the vote. This is usually in the form of Employers after their their few points of tax break telling their staff to they have to vote today and vote Conservative or face some dire strate, usually invented. The NDs on the other hand don't have the high paid organization. Only one day to wait and as I have said before, momentum being what it is-------

Macleans.ca : A war on two fronts

Sun, 1 May 2011 00:44:13 +0000

Harper's one man dog and pony show is targeted to a very narrow strip of Canadians and he is quite ready to shred the majority for his Conservative dreams. He has demonstrated on so many occasions he does not give a dam about the walk along Canadian. His interests lay in the corporate boardrooms as much to garner favor as support. The people who live in the castles do not rule; it is the people in the houses who are getting shafted that will be heard. Harper can beg votes from the NDP and the Liberals as much as he wants but his "economics stupid" arguments are empty and his business tax reductions are strictly a payback to the corporate body. His way of saying thanks to them. Anyone that stands up in the public media and tells the world he is going to Change Canada so none of us will recognize it and continues to push his conservative agenda without telling the people of this country what he is about certainly is a danger to this country and an extreme danger to those things that make Canada, Canada.

Macleans.ca : The Commons: Questions of character

Sun, 1 May 2011 00:33:21 +0000

Jack Layton has a life, and he is animated even though he is hurting; he is not a plastic character like Harper! Layton has given honest answers to a broad field of open questions many times being at a disadvantage. He is a brave person who occasionally needs a massage.

Macleans.ca : Harper willing to water his wine

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:46:14 +0000

This turkey has gone on public television telling the world he will change Canada to a point none of us will recognize it. It think I will wait for the votes to be counted. Momentum being what it is may just push Harper into the Official Opposition. His plans on health care are killing him. To fix health care by knocking half of Canadians off their health care coverage will certainly do something for lineups but dam little for the way of life for Canadians.

Macleans.ca : 'Some day my prince will come'

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:44:18 +0000

Yes Loraine and it saddens me greatly. That's why I continue to fight the good old political fight. The decision to do away with Canada's public health system originated between Harper and Martin and has been carried forward to Iggy. They are facing an aging population by cutting them off from Government support just as the Republicans in the US did and are continuing doing. Their Medicaid is under attack as being the first choice for cuts. There are lots of things to be discussed on medical, expenses and coverages. I have made an effort at doing just that See: Health Care Costs: http://albertathedetails.blogspot.com/2011/04/can... The Conservatives across the country (including the Liberals in BC) have an easy place to charge expenses in their health care. The higher they can push health care costs the easier it will be to do away with the public system. After we get the costs and the accounts beat out we can start comparing and fixing things. Without this basic costing in place it will degenerate into a name calling forum . I think there is a way to allow physicians to bill outside of our public system. I don't think our system has to be trashed to do it.

Macleans.ca : 'Some day my prince will come'

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:35:08 +0000

Iggy has betrayed his rank and file membership by endorsing Harper's legislation turning bulk water export over to the provinces with no tethers! That is a betrayal of the first order! Then,, going out of his way to to usher in private insurance health care is another betrayal of the rank and file Liberal like myself. I think he would be much happier back in the states running as a republican.

Macleans.ca : 'Some day my prince will come'

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:31:05 +0000

Government figures put the energy sector at 60% of the provincial employers. While it is significant it is hardly the ruling class.

Macleans.ca : 'Some day my prince will come'

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:28:47 +0000

Economists Like Stephen? Am I off track or was it not the Economists who pulled down our financial house last time?

Macleans.ca : Putting the NDP in power would be “devastating,” Harper says

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:23:40 +0000

The NDP in their very worst day could not do the damage to individuals in this country as the Conservatives do if they get elected! The Conservatives (And Liberals) are targeting work-a-day individuals with hard hits to their monthly incomes. (Health care 150.00 to 400.00 per month for only a partial coverage through private insurance; Water when put under NAFTA will routinely run to 150.00 or more per month to meet the prices in the US. On top of this the way the Conservatives work, the pipelines will be charged to the taxpayers and the profits go to the corporations) Just look to Alberta for the scenario; it is already in place! I would prefer a straight out Carbon line tax. Having said that there is nothing at all to support his 20 billion dollar figure on Carbon in that time frame but, there sure as hell is hard figures to support how much to support he is going to pull much more than that out of individual's wallets in that same period! Think low numbers as in 200.00 per family per month. 20 million Canadians estimate 15 million separate bills at 200.00 per month Per year? And, over 10 years? At the end of that time corporations will be paying no tax in Canada and we will still be in a deficit position.

Macleans.ca : 'Smiles and snake oil'

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:45:55 +0000

Smiles and Snake Oil? I suspect we have just got a peek into Harper's personality which to date has been one made of plastic! His whole campaign has been one of lies, innuendo snake oil and smiles. For the family living in Canada there can be only one choice this election and people are going to have to climb that mountain if they want to protect their life style. For the first time in my life I am going to vote NDP.

Macleans.ca : The Commons: The daring Mr. Harper

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:36:51 +0000

Personally I think Harper is in a case of denial. He has put up a one man dog and pony show through out his tenure and his elected MLA's are simply warming chairs. It is a Conservative play book effort. Think here Alberta where Conservatives don't even show up for debates. Harper is saying if you are 50 feet away and don't have a real question I will talk with you.

Macleans.ca : Harper and Ignatieff offer a study in contrasts

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:29:02 +0000

Iggy is heads above Harper who approaches the media like a wind up monkey. If the choices were between Iggy and Harper I would solidly be behind Iggy. Unfortunately the politics get in the way and there are other ideals and candidates.

Macleans.ca : Stephen Harper is winning (UPDATED with late-breaking uncertainty)

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:53:34 +0000

The levels of deceit have never been deeper in an election! Iggy has sold the Liberal soul when he endorsed the privatization of health care relinquishing most of the federal controls. He is prepared to open the Canada Health Act take out those parts which prevent billing outside of the Canada Health Act eliminate the rules which prevent foreigners from coming to Canada for medical treatment. This switch of faith is going to cost Canadian families between 150.00 and 400.00 per month for just a partial health care coverage. Most of us are not movie starts who can afford the elite insurance packages. If Harper gets back in, supported again by Iggy NAFTA will be re opened and bulk water exports (including our ground water) will be included. The NAFTA framework will force the price of Canadian utilities up massively (1000% depending on what is now paid) A Conservatives vote at this point in time in my mind is irresponsible.

Macleans.ca : The Bull Meter: Michael Ignatieff on the Conservatives' investments in health care

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:16:24 +0000

A lot to do about nothing! The first thing that has to be nailed down is heath care costs! Iggy and his side kick Martin both endorsed the muli payer system and he is making every attempt to deflect conversation from that fact. The political body knows health care is the third rail in politics. In playing here they have cast themselves into the obvious realm of deceit and it is not playing well. It's not too late to change but, politics being what they are I don't think we will see it. The Canada Health Act does not allow Foreign citizens to come to Canada for medical or surgical repair and Physicians in Canada so want that business. (Who can blame them). Alberta is selling our medical services to the insurers as being better and cheaper than the US. No duplicity here. If we come to a basic debate on health care it needs to be public with public access available to the costs. First, rules have to be set down on what can be charged to health care in Canada! Are junkets to Sweden okay to charge to health care? Are 600.00 plate dinners for 40 people okay to be paid by health care? Can a Government use health care money to build new hospitals (think Grand Prairie) and turn it over to a private company for 1 cent on a dollar of value and still leave the original cost attributed to health care? Are Multi Million dollar contract pay outs to US management companies (Capital Health) allowed to be charged to health care? For that matter should the manage company be a health care charge? If so, why not all charges for it be in its own account so we can actually see what health care is costing us. It is my thought that Alberta (and BC) are driving up their health care costs to get the highest possible charges in there to make their case for privatization easier. This being the case our overhaul of what goes into Health Care charges should contain agreement for a audit over the past 4 years of health care and take out all those things not agreed to put into a public list. Then we can see what our health care charges are. Laws governing Blue Cross and other private health care providers are needed if we go down that street. Providers should not be able to cut us off the plan when we hit a major cost. Health care providers should have to accept our medical coverage from employer funded health care. (Now, Blue Cross will not accept your experience in a company funded blue cross program. You have to start new with them; less coverage and more expensive. A system of charges, across the board has to be Governed. As it is, the Physicians charge what they want; The Insurers pay what they want and, you are stuck for the difference with no recourse. Remember, universal health care can mean universal nothing is covered to a level of opulence. Think here of your dental coverage. Lose your employment and you and your family don't have any. Seniors don't have any. I don't trust either Harper or Ignatieff in a First Minister Meeting now; nothing until provincial elections are fought. Our health care costs us 10.6% of the all encompassing GDP and the US system costs them close to 18% of their GDP and it is leaving 60 billion Americans without any coverage and as the Republicans cut Medicaid down there many more millions will be at risk.

Macleans.ca : What Harper has planned for Ottawa

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:41:52 +0000

If we come to a basic debate on health care it needs to be public with public access available to the costs in a uniform fashion. First, rules have to be set down on what can be charged to health care in Canada! Are junkets to Sweden okay to charge to health care? Are 600.00 plate dinners for 40 people okay to be paid by health care? Can a Government use health care money to build new hospitals (think Grande Prairie) and turn it over to a private company for 1 cent on a dollar of value and still leave the original cost attributed to health care? Are Multi Million dollar contract pay outs to US management companies (Capital Health) allowed to be charged to health care? For that matter, should the management company be a health care charge? If so, why not all charges for it be in its own account so we can actually see what health care is costing us; exclude that amount when determining the actual costs. Is multi million dollars terminations of health care officials a legitimate charge to health care where the Government has decided to change horses? Alberta (and BC) are driving up their health care costs to get the highest possible charges in there to make their case for privatization easier. This being the case our overhaul of what goes into Health Care charges should contain agreement for a audit over the past 4 years of health care and take out all those things not agreed to taken out of the costs. Then we can see what our health care charges are. Laws governing Blue Cross and other private health care providers are needed if we go down that street. Providers should not be able to cut us off the plan when we hit a major cost. (This is the experience of Blue Cross and others in the US) Health care providers should have to accept our medical coverage from employer funded health care. (Now, Blue Cross will not accept your experience in a company funded blue cross program. You have to start new with them; less coverage and more expensive, a rip off! A system of charges, across the board has to be Governed. As it is, the Physicians charge what they want; The Insurers pay what they want and, you are stuck for the difference with no recourse. Remember, universal health care can mean universal nothing is covered to a level of opulence. Think here of your dental coverage. Lose your employment and you and your family don't have any. Seniors don't have any. I don't trust either Harper or Ignatieff in a First Minister Meeting now; nothing until provincial elections are fought. Our health care costs us 10.6% of the all encompassing GDP and the US system costs them close to 18% of their GDP and it is leaving 60 billion Americans without any coverage and as the Republicans cut Medicaid down there many more billions will be at risk. The World Health Organization places Canada at 30th in the world and the US at 37th there is room for improvement. The World Health Organization also says that costs are driven up dramatically when countries try to juggle multi payer systems.

Macleans.ca : Harper won't bend for the opposition

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:04:02 +0000

Harper says; Harper says and Harper says. Harper is so full of crap he is not really worth listening to! He has done no more for the Economy than any other country or stripe on the earth and we are not finished with it yet. I suspect he has kept a foot on Carney's neck to prevent rate increases so he can look and talk cool though and election. Not many points for either effort. I cannot warm to a guy and an origination that is going to do away with everything that makes Canada, Canada. And, I do not want a Government run by the Fraser Institute and pushed by the US Republicans.

Macleans.ca : The onus is on who?

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:57:15 +0000

A Conservative majority would be the worse nightmare to hit the Canadian people since the second world war! Harper has said he is prepared to change Canada so none of us will recognize it! Take him at his word! A minority Government is just fine. Stall for time until we rid the Western Provinces (including BC) and the northern Premiers and then, have another Federal Election and get rid of the Federal Conservatives. Think positive here; the Liberals could have a chance to re write their phony red book and elect a new leader!

Macleans.ca : Harper on health care: hard to make it a vote-driving issue

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:50:43 +0000

We have never been faced with an outright choice of a privatized health care provider system! Past debates have been on too little or not enough but, no system change. Now, the Conservatives in western Canada and the North are in a position to push the Conservative agenda of years though immediately. Harper said on TV " I will change Canada so even the Liberals will not recognize it" and by default neither will the rest of us. Read the links provided and certainly you will have other things to think about.