Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Balls in Micheal's Court.

I see the Conservatives are maintaining a denial of women to fight for equal pay, a carryover from the poisonous December fiscal update. On top of that the budget completely fails those who have lost jobs and about to lose them.

An extension of five weeks for EI is useless because there is a group of people who decide what you get. I was given only 20 weeks after paying into EI for the past 9 years. So should I expect to now get 25 weeks? Of course not that's up to the group to decide. All they have now is an extension of the max a person can receive when considering their application. Nothing more.

As a Liberal, I cannot support this budget because of the women's pay equity issue. As a recently unemployed person I can no longer support my party if they choose to support this budget for political reasons instead of doing whats right.

Balls in your court Micheal, am I still a Liberal or just a liberal?

Shit or get off the pot. Recommend this Post

Monday, January 26, 2009

What I need in this budget

In the last 12 month period I have lost two jobs. The first position was one which I held for 7 years. After 2006, with a Conservative government, EcoAction funding was slashed. I lost two co-workers immediately, Over the course of the next two years funding continually dwindled to the point that I was notified I would also have to go in order for the organization to stay belly up. To avoid lay-off I managed to get another job and avoided having to apply for Employment Insurance. Failure on the Conservatives part to be truthful and actually do something to head of the worst of the recession resulted in a second job loss.

After 6 weeks I finally was approved for EI for only 20 weeks. A coworker with less hours than I and after only working 6 months received 30 weeks. Make sense? Not to me. After 8 years of paying EI I get diddly squat after 6 weeks of surviving on my own. EI covers my rent and student loans only. Yet I hear Harper is extending benefits to self employed women, a group who don't even qualify. Buying votes again, I see.

I know I will be recalled back to my previous job in March/April but the problem is that the EI program will not get me that far. All gains I have made since graduating will be wiped at that point. I will have exhausted my savings and may have to default on student loans.

What I expect to see from the government is that they treat the program as it should be, not as if it is being administered by Manulife Insurance. I paid in, so pay out. Give me the max coverage or from here on in stop deducting it from payroll. I'll bank it myself. Give an actual 55% of wages and do not cap it. Get rid of the waiting period and stop clawing back money should someone unfortunately luck into a part time service job. I don't want free money, I want to get from point A to point B without losing everything I have. I paid premiums for a reason. Its the least I am owed after the mess the current government has allowed to happen. I don't care about tax cuts because currently I and other unemployed people have NO INCOME!

I expect nothing from the current government, a continuation of what they haven't been doing is no surprise. My expectations fall squarely on Michael Ignatieff. He's talked a great deal about what he wants in the budget but hasn't said exactly what he will do if it doesn't contain what he wants. I expect Mr. Ignatieff to vote it down and go to an election or a coalition. I expect nothing else. This, to me, is a test of his leadership and whether I can support him as a leader of the Liberal Party. This time my party leader's choice will definitely affect my life immediately.

I hope I am not let down but I'm not holding my breath. Recommend this Post

Monday, January 19, 2009

"There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."


This may be a slogan you see very soon in Toronto. The ad campaign spawned in England is spreading, surprisingly this is occuring because of the large amounts of donations coming in. I donated myself this morning.

I cannot wait for the outrage. There should be none. Religious conservatives have been saying what they want about others beliefs, lives, ethnic groups etc under the guise of "free speech. Lets see if they have a double standard. Actually I will bet they do. Recommend this Post

Monday, January 12, 2009

I hope this is not true.

Human rights groups say Israel is indiscriminately using white phosphorus in Gaza's densely populated areas. When ignited, the chemical can burn the flesh off of a person, down to the bone.



If this is true I guess we can through out the notion that we learn from our mistakes. Seems no one learned anything from WWII. Especially those who were treated most horrifically. Recommend this Post

Friday, January 09, 2009

We have a Winner...

...for the most idiotic opinion piece ever. Tom Flanagan says Canada is NOT a constitutional monarchy.

Here's a tidbit:

Canada changed from a constitutional monarchy to a constitutional democracy as the franchise was extended to all adults and political parties became national in scope. That evolution was recognized in 1982 in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.


Whats concerning is the revisionism seen in this piece, he completely reinvents Canada and its institutions. Not to mention the contradictions such as Harper using the means provided by our constitutional monarchy to prorogue parliament yet Flanagan would have us believe that we are not even a constitutional monarchy. Even worse, he doesn't even understand/refuses to acknowledge how our system even works.

I would say that the attempt to whitewash our understanding of our own government borders on treason in its attempt to change how our system works without actually changing it and trying to make us believe we have a system similar to the US. Misinform and take advantage of it to suit your needs.

We don't need any Anti-Canadian neo-con trash telling us what our country is or how it works.

I took democracy in high school Mr. Flanagan, you might want to try the course because your American super expensive education misleads you. Where did you go anyway, Liberty College?

Sheesh. Recommend this Post