I caught a bit of news today as I was having my lunch. Because I have a blog, I get to vent my opinions as they arise.
First, a bit of tragicomedy. There is a minor Chicken Flu outbreak in India right now and the video clip showed a worker in full bio-safety gear disposing of a few dead chickens into an open pit a few feet deep, with what looked like lime at the bottom. So far, so good. But he was completely surrounded by curious onlookers. They were right next to him, and leaning over the hole as the lime fluffed up. They were poor peasant farmers and not one of them was wearing more that a piece of cloth wrapped around their middle.
And the Canadian Conservative Government has just avoided a meltdown. They have backed down on their controversial plan to partially end taxpayer funded subsidies to the political parties. ( Each party gets $1.95 for each vote they got in the last election). However, they have made their point. The opposition parties were willing to either send the public to its second general election in two months or form a coalition government of all the parties that were soundly defeated in the last election. I hope the average Canadian sees what is going on here.
Five years ago, the Liberal Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, enacted legislation that curtailed business donations to the parties and since then the parties have had to adjust and refine their fund raising strategies. The Conservatives have done the best job and are flush with money. The other parties are behind the times and are very poor at raising donations. I have theories about this too. But now, in spite of Gov't spending restraints and setting an example by leading, the Conservatives are made out to be the bad guys. It is back firing as most of us can see that the opposition parties only want to save their own hides on the backs of the tax payers in tough economic times. We remember these things at election time. Shame on Gilles, Jack, and Stephane for being so self-serving.
First, a bit of tragicomedy. There is a minor Chicken Flu outbreak in India right now and the video clip showed a worker in full bio-safety gear disposing of a few dead chickens into an open pit a few feet deep, with what looked like lime at the bottom. So far, so good. But he was completely surrounded by curious onlookers. They were right next to him, and leaning over the hole as the lime fluffed up. They were poor peasant farmers and not one of them was wearing more that a piece of cloth wrapped around their middle.
And the Canadian Conservative Government has just avoided a meltdown. They have backed down on their controversial plan to partially end taxpayer funded subsidies to the political parties. ( Each party gets $1.95 for each vote they got in the last election). However, they have made their point. The opposition parties were willing to either send the public to its second general election in two months or form a coalition government of all the parties that were soundly defeated in the last election. I hope the average Canadian sees what is going on here.
Five years ago, the Liberal Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, enacted legislation that curtailed business donations to the parties and since then the parties have had to adjust and refine their fund raising strategies. The Conservatives have done the best job and are flush with money. The other parties are behind the times and are very poor at raising donations. I have theories about this too. But now, in spite of Gov't spending restraints and setting an example by leading, the Conservatives are made out to be the bad guys. It is back firing as most of us can see that the opposition parties only want to save their own hides on the backs of the tax payers in tough economic times. We remember these things at election time. Shame on Gilles, Jack, and Stephane for being so self-serving.
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