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Somehow, I really don't trust these fellows in government, right now. They've done nothing to impress upon me they in any way understand taxation. Or even representation. They don't understand governing, whatsoever, to be honest.
A $1.9 billion surplus when they'd forecast a $2 billion deficit? Seems shady. Something stinks of a lie.
The most likely reason is the government is excluding something from the budget. Some thing or things totaling $3 billion in spending, not being accounted for by this Conservative government. It'd be nice if we had a budget officer who'd have already looked into the numbers to announce whether the government was being honest or not. However, the current one's a lame duck. Nothing at all like his predecessor, who was a terrier who nipped at the heels of the government.
News organizations seem to be announcing this news without any sense of skepticism. They're acting as government press agents. Should we have expected more from them, though? Probably not. Should we demand better? Yes.
You know, there aren't very many organizations left these days that consider long term planning, any more. That have big ideas that with assertive spending, create big projects that quickly become part of the national fabric.
The railway, the CBC, Air Canada, the NFB, healthcare, Canada Pension Plan, ect, and ect.
There aren't leaders of the three major parties who actually have big ideas.
Harper's not an idea man. He abhors new ideas, whether his own or other's. Were his sort the ones we'd have followed throughout human history, we'd probably still be living in trees and eating raw meat.
Trudeau and Mulcair are pretty much interchangeable. You could switch them their parties, and their platforms wouldn't be any different, whatsoever. Although, to be fair, Mulcair's probably a better economic planner than Trudeau.
Compare their pronouncements on climate change policy with the Green Party's: "Our plan is to move to the virtual elimination of fossil-fuel use in Canada by mid-century. Our short-term target is 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, while we are calling for 80 percent reductions below 1990 levels by 2050." That's bold. The Liberal's and NDP's are chicken scratch in comparison. The Green Party also campaigns to recreate a mixed economy. Get Canada away from resource extraction, and back into actually making things (well, to be honest, the NDP also campaigns on this, but the difference is in the climate change policy, which is today inextricably linked with economic planning. Or at least should be inextricably linked).
Honestly, I could give a good god damn about whether the government's budget is in surplus or deficit. Governments are not households, and government budgets shouldn't be compared with households. Nor are they businesses. The business of government is governing.
No, I really don't care much about it, at all.
However, the government's released this budget, fully intending to be judged upon it. And that's different. And what are my feelings? Suspicion. This budget bears investigation. Somebody, hint hint press and opposition parties, needs to look into these numbers, and do it quick, because they stink of fudge.
No, I don't care about the budget, but I do care if the government's being honest about it.
Somehow, I really don't trust these fellows in government, right now. They've done nothing to impress upon me they in any way understand taxation. Or even representation. They don't understand governing, whatsoever, to be honest.
A $1.9 billion surplus when they'd forecast a $2 billion deficit? Seems shady. Something stinks of a lie.
The most likely reason is the government is excluding something from the budget. Some thing or things totaling $3 billion in spending, not being accounted for by this Conservative government. It'd be nice if we had a budget officer who'd have already looked into the numbers to announce whether the government was being honest or not. However, the current one's a lame duck. Nothing at all like his predecessor, who was a terrier who nipped at the heels of the government.
News organizations seem to be announcing this news without any sense of skepticism. They're acting as government press agents. Should we have expected more from them, though? Probably not. Should we demand better? Yes.
You know, there aren't very many organizations left these days that consider long term planning, any more. That have big ideas that with assertive spending, create big projects that quickly become part of the national fabric.
The railway, the CBC, Air Canada, the NFB, healthcare, Canada Pension Plan, ect, and ect.
There aren't leaders of the three major parties who actually have big ideas.
Harper's not an idea man. He abhors new ideas, whether his own or other's. Were his sort the ones we'd have followed throughout human history, we'd probably still be living in trees and eating raw meat.
Trudeau and Mulcair are pretty much interchangeable. You could switch them their parties, and their platforms wouldn't be any different, whatsoever. Although, to be fair, Mulcair's probably a better economic planner than Trudeau.
Compare their pronouncements on climate change policy with the Green Party's: "Our plan is to move to the virtual elimination of fossil-fuel use in Canada by mid-century. Our short-term target is 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, while we are calling for 80 percent reductions below 1990 levels by 2050." That's bold. The Liberal's and NDP's are chicken scratch in comparison. The Green Party also campaigns to recreate a mixed economy. Get Canada away from resource extraction, and back into actually making things (well, to be honest, the NDP also campaigns on this, but the difference is in the climate change policy, which is today inextricably linked with economic planning. Or at least should be inextricably linked).
Honestly, I could give a good god damn about whether the government's budget is in surplus or deficit. Governments are not households, and government budgets shouldn't be compared with households. Nor are they businesses. The business of government is governing.
No, I really don't care much about it, at all.
However, the government's released this budget, fully intending to be judged upon it. And that's different. And what are my feelings? Suspicion. This budget bears investigation. Somebody, hint hint press and opposition parties, needs to look into these numbers, and do it quick, because they stink of fudge.
No, I don't care about the budget, but I do care if the government's being honest about it.
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