The Scope recently released this great article to help people figure out what ward they are in and who is running in their ward.
From The Scope: What ward am I in?
Anyone can get emotional when they talk about politics, but when you are a public figure you have to be especially careful not to say anything nsensitive, offensive, and unfounded.
Glenn Beck joined the crew of those who have crossed the line a couple weeks ago when he announced Obama as a “racist” who has “a deep-seated hatred for white people.”
Wow.
That’s not what I found impressive about this situation. Word on the street is that many of Fox News’ major advertisers like Geico Insurance, Walmart, Best Buy and more are pulling their ads from The Glenn Beck Program.
Other ads which have run during that slot in error have sent PR departments scrambling to announce those ads were a mistake and never meant to be aired with that show.
The Consumist is asking if these companies pulling these ads affects your perception of them. Personally I feel that any companies that make business decision based less on projected revenues and more on principles are ones that have shown their human side making them a favorable place to do business, even if thier motive was only ever to appear as such. I think one can’t help but have their perception altered by such a story.
From The Huffington Post: Walmart, CVS, Best Buy, GMAC Among 8 Major Companies To Pull Ads From Glenn Beck Show
From Reuters: Fox News’ “Glenn Beck” loses advertisers
The decision-makers at Tim Horton’s have decided to establish their popular donut organization as a homophobic one.
According to online sources, Tim Horton’s is co-sponsoring a rally on Rhode Island for the National Organization for Marriage. The NOM is an organization that is fighting for the preservation of traditional marriages.
It’s especially notable because it is a direct violation of their own policies:
Tim Hortons does not sponsor individuals, those representing religious groups, political affiliates, book endorsements or traveling sports teams. Tim Hortons does not provide cash donations.
Is this a strategic move or an accident for Tim Horton’s? Either way I hope the message spreads the this donut shop supports anti-gay rallies on marriage.
UPDATE: Tim Horton’s has pulled funding for this event. It was the result of a franchisee ower violating their policy.
From Truth Wins Out: Doughnut Chain Tim Hortons Violates Its Own Policy, Sponsors NOM Antigay Fund-Raiser
Normally I am a pretty blind follower of Danny Williams. I generally feel that when he says something or defends a governmental move I believe him. But I am capable of thinking for myself.
In an interview with Randy Simms on his Open Line show, Danny Williams is challenged about the effects of oil revenue for generations to come. He is asked about what is being done to keep Newfoundland and Labrador in the black for the future beyond this era of rich oil on the Grand Banks.
Rather than give a reasonable answer to a reasonable question, he deflects, calls Randy Simms a pessimist for questioning his work, and hangs up the phone.
Additional information: Williams slams radio host for ‘crap’
The minority Conservative government in Nova Scotia has been toppled.
Darrell Dexter has led his team of New Democrats to a historic win landing his party a solid majority government. His party earned 31 seats of a possible 52.
Loraine Micheal, the leader of the NDP for Newfoundland and Labrador is happy to see the NDP come into power and says she looks forward to collaborating with the Nova Scotia NDPs. She says “the NDP ideals of social justice, equality, and economic progress are ideas that resonate with the average Atlantic Canadian.”
What does this mean for voter support for Conservatives on the federal level?
From CBC: N.S. voters elect 1st NDP government
Fom CBC: Michael tips hat to Dexter on NDP win in N.S.
It was just announced today that AbitibiBowater, the forestry company whose assests were confiscated by the provincial government when they pulled their operations out of the province, has been granted bankruptcy protection.
I was reading an article in Canadian Business recently when they were rated as one of the biggest losers in the country and it was unlikely that they would be eligible for bankruptcy protection. At the time I laughed joyfully to myself, but sure enough, here we are.
AbitibiBowater was a terrible company and deserves nothing of the sort.
They were a desctructive forestry company that, when they weren’t clear cutting the beautiful forests in Newfoundland or introducing coyotes to the province who fearlessly poached small game here to the brink of extinction, they were laying off dependant local workings with little to no severance.
This company has taken advantage of Newfoundland for almost 100 years. They hardly deserve to be protected against any debt collectors.
After years of digging through receipts and paperwork and endless hearings and press Ed Byrne has finally been found guilty and given a sentence.
For stealing more than $117,000 from the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and misrepresenting his colleagues and in fact all Newfoundland politicians, Byrne has been handed a jail sentence of two years less one day.
Can you believe that? The maximum sentence the judge would give him was two years. I feel like commiting a crime in Canada is no big deal.
Now that Obama is president and the States should be experiencing health car reform any day now, I think this old post has some new value.
Welcome to the new GregPike.ca weblog. I know before writing this entry that this could be controversial depending on my wording, so I will try and be as delicate as possible. Not a bad way to start for a new weblog, eh?
Privatize healthcare. Please! I can already feel the backlash. I don’t mean “Americanize” our health care system. I don’t believe in Insurance companies making a fortune for a service they barely offer. I am a firm believer that health care should be provided by the government and that it is a fundamental right. It is owed to the people. But I am sure I will hear no arguments when I say that our current health care system is not perfect. (The World Health Organization placed Canada’s health care system 30th overall (the United States placed 37th)).
I think the solution is privatization of health care. Introduce competition to improve quality and wait times. Have health care companies that compete for your patronage. The more successful treatments a hospital (or company) provides, the more they earn. Then hospitals would be concerned with efficiency and quality. Then patients would be empowered. If someone is not happy with the way a hostpital is treating them, they can simply go to the next one. In this manner, the patient becomes viewed as a source of revenue for the hospital rather than a cost. Essentially what would end up happening, according to Brett Skinner, director of health and pharmaceutical policy research at the Fraser Institute, is that the government will say, “We’ll fund it, but we want the best service at the lowest price.”
In France, Switzerland, and Germany, such a system already exists. And for anyone who has seen Michael Moore’s documentary-esque movie Sicko, you can see the French’s system is working well. There is a company there called SOS Médecins which does personal house-calls. You can call them 24 hours and one of their 1000+ doctors will come to your house, diagnose you, treat you if possible and leave withing 30 minutes. The associated cost is about $80 which is mostly paid for by the government (the rest covered by insurance if you have it). A doctor at your house!
That does not sound terrible to me. Certainly would beat the half hour drive from my house to the nearest hospital and then six hour wait in the waiting room.
As of right now Canada is one of only a handful of counties under the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that is so strict on having a monopoly on health care. Unfortunately I do not think that will change any time soon. This kind of change would be a little too progressive for our current administration (or any minority goverment for that matter).
But that doesn’t mean we can squirm about it.
