Confessions of a Proud and Unapologetic Ex-Winnipegger

Comparing Apples to (NDP) Oranges

2008-06-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

It’s comparison time again. I would like to contrast the discussion of tax reform in New Brunswick with the push to allow for deficit spending in Manitoba. While New Brunswick’s government is moving the province forward with the gradual shift to consumption taxes and a clear signal that economic prosperity is important, Manitoba seems intent on a regressive economic mindset that is destined to move Manitoba further behind the other provinces.

Another interesting difference is the attitude of those who stand before the courts. Contrast the remorse of the accused in Nova Scotia with the remorse of those in Manitoba.

I look at the amazing province that I grew up in and wonder if I will recognize it in a few short years. Just over a year ago, it was my heartfelt desire to move Manitoba in the proper strategic direction. If the above links are any indication, it makes ones wonder if this what Manitobans really wanted for themselves and their children all along.

Update to A Tale of Cities, Part 2

2008-03-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I contrasted Halifax’s convention facilities with Winnipeg’s. Yesterday brought exciting news that Halifax may be getting new digs after all.

PolicyFrog is right that all cities are chasing the convention-centre-as-tourism-development strategy. This irrational exuberance may be causing some municipalities to overbuild. However, every major urban centre should have adequate facilities to fulfill convention needs. While Winnipeg’s are ample enough, a new multipurpose facility for Halifax is long overdue. Halifax is the logical focal point for any Eastern Canadian trade show. The city can also draw visitors from Moncton, PEI, Cape Breton and other centres that are a relatively short drive away.

Nova Scotia also manages to squeeze out 36.25% more tourist revenue than Manitoba even though the province only has 8.98% more people coming to visit. This proven talent at successfully executing a tourism strategy can only be further enhanced by better convention facilities. The weather is also much more moderate which means that there is a greater likelihood of year-round appeal.

While shows like this may still not come around, there is no reason that a scaled-down version would be out of the realm of possibility. Count me in for four tickets!

Compact or Compaction?

2008-03-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

My recent trip to New York made me revisit a question that’s been lingering in the back of my mind ever since I lived in Toronto. I raised this question in the comments section of Policy Frog’s most recent blog entry:

“…to what degree should we seek compact urban living for cities such as Winnipeg or Halifax? Right now there is a sense of community that simply does not exist in a city such as New York. I get the feeling that there is a “tipping point” where if too many humans live together, we artificially create distance by being emotionally removed from our fellow humans.”

When I lived in Toronto, I became accustomed to the antics of my neighbours – I referred to said antics as the “Elevator Game”. The goal of the game was simple – close the elevator doors as fast as you could to preclude anyone else from coming on and causing you great delays of 30 seconds or more. Getting the better of seniors and people laden with groceries (I unfortunately sometimes fell into the latter category) must have given these boors an elevated (pardon the pun) sense of achievement in saving those precious few seconds.

Manhattan and Downtown/Midtown Toronto are arguably perfect examples of compact urban living. Spending time in such urban centres when you have had the luck of living in Winnipeg and/or Halifax requires quite a cultural adjustment to acclimatize yourself to the ways in which people can be packed so closely together and yet remain so emotionally distant from one another.

Human beings have spent hundreds of thousands of years living in small, tight-knit communities. Major urban centres and the compact urban living associated with same are a relatively new phenomenon for our species. In short, we’ve spent much more time evolving under a certain societal organization only to fairly recently change the way in which we live. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if we put disparate packs of wolves, prides of lions, troops of gorillas or even atoms together in overly close quarters. Are humans any different or does our thin veneer of civility fade when we get too close to one another?

Staunch proponents of compact urban living sometimes make the value judgment that urban sprawl is inherently bad. I think too much of either alternative has adverse effects on an urban centre. In the blind pursuit of compact urban living, do we run the risk of creating a type of compaction where the human soul and our senses of community and civility are left to wither on the vine? If so, give me some land in the ‘burbs instead where I can share a cold beer with my neighbours after our yardwork is done – and if there was one nearby, I would promise to hold the elevator door open…

To Bully or Not to Bully

2008-03-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

This story came to my attention via Spirited Kenny. The Manitoba Teachers Society is apparently up in arms about the game Bully.

Perhaps MTS President Pat Isaak should actually play the game before she chooses to ante up an opinion on it. I would hope she expects students to read a book prior to doing a book report on it - procedural fairness dicates she should therefore do a little homework herself.

Were she to play the game, she would find that the preferable course of action is to DEFEND students from other bullies and ATTEND classes. Gameplay difficulty is actually harder when you skip class or beat up students. Besides, attending class in the game is actually fun - it is part and parcel of the gameplay missions. And giving a bully a wedgie to stop a bullying in progress is so much more fun than beating up on a helpless kid. In real life, kids must make choices – the game shows them that if they make the wrong ones, their “missions” become infinitely more difficult.

Rockstar’s games have always contained a level of social satire – Grand Theft Auto constantly pokes fun at our fascination with mindless violence – just listen to the AmmuNation ads in the games. In Bully, things are no different. It mocks the cliques that made getting through high school so tedious.

Perhaps the Manitoba Teachers Society should be teaching our teens the critical thinking that will enable them to see the bigger message video game companies sometimes impart. Instead, it is unfortunate that Ms. Isaak sets such a poor example to students by opining on something she obviously knows nothing about.

For that, I give Ms. Isaak’s “book report” on the game Bully an F. Never judge a book solely by its cover, Ms. Isaak.

A Tale of Two Provinces

2008-03-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Would this ever happen in Manitoba? A solution should be judged on its outcomes (hopefully shorter wait times and lower costs) rather than just through some blind adherence to a misguided ideology (all private involvement in healthcare is bad).

A Tale of Two Cities, Part 2

2008-03-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

The last time I did a “tale of the tape” between Winnipeg and Halifax, Michael of Life’s a Journey asked me if Winnipeg outdid Halifax on any front. With Sam Katz’s recent budget in mind, I would have to say Winnipeg has far better convention facilities than Halifax. One need only compare this to this or this, although this is quite nice (but they don’t hold the boat, car or home shows there).

When I was in Winnipeg, I absolutely loved attending the boat shows, Home Expressions and all of the other events that let us know spring was on its way. However, as I asked in Policy Frog’s blog entry, is there a real need to expand the Winnipeg Convention Centre? Are any shows being turned away? Is the current building running anywhere near full capacity? Does burdening Winnipeg hotels with a tax to subsidize bigger convention facilities make sense?

If anyone needs updated convention facilities, it is Halifax. Tourism spending in Nova Scotia totals $1.3 billion and 2.1 million people visit the province annually – contrast that with just under 500,000 visitors to Manitoba in 2006. When you look at those numbers, is there really a need to build a convention centre Taj Mahal in Winnipeg? Or should the city make better use of the excellent facilities it already has?

If I were trying to attract more people to Manitoba, I would focus on the spring and summer months when the weather is excellent. Trying to lure tourists to a vibrant city, fabulous lakes and easy access to nature would be far easier than trying to convince convention goers that they should stage their next corporate gathering in January or February in -30 (-60 with the windchill) weather.

UPDATE - I stand corrected on the tourism numbers - please refer to the Comments. Thanks for pointing it out, D!

Commons Conundrums

2008-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

An article showed up in today’s Chronicle Herald about Halifax’s Mayor Peter Kelly enlisting the help of a New York promoter to seek concerts for the Halifax Commons. Events Halifax is complaining that they have been usurped. One of the promoter’s representatives stated:

The president of Creative Entertainment Group confirmed Wednesday that she has a "written contract" with Halifax to pursue acts on the city’s behalf. But Sharon Kim-Dion, speaking from New York, was tight-lipped about what concerts she is trying to land.

"It’s a written agreement but only for very specific artists," she said. "And those artists are the kind that can fill the Commons space," that is, those that can attract more than 40,000 people.

"There’s only about half a dozen artists in the world that can fill that kind of venue."

It’s a "very informal" agreement, Ms. Kim-Dion said.

Only half a dozen artists in the world could attract more than 40,000 people? Off the top of my head, here are some biggies from the entertainment world:

1) David Bowie

2) U2

3) Madonna

4) Rolling Stones

5) The Eagles

6) Pink Floyd

7) Bruce Springsteen

8) The Police

9) Paul McCartney

10) Faith Hill/Tim McGraw

11) Billy Joel

12) Spice Girls

13) Garth Brooks

14) Neil Diamond

15) Led Zeppelin when they finally kick off a reunion tour

16) Bon Jovi

17) Hillary Duff

18) Hanna Montana

19) Gwen Stefani

20) Tragically Hip

21) Van Halen

22) An East Coast-themed extravaganza featuring artists such as Great Big Sea, Signal Hill, Sons of Maxwell with the Dropkick Murphys thrown in for good measure

23) Iron Maiden – ok maybe this is more of a personal bias – but they could at least hit around 20,000 seats

Any artists I missed? Please add them in the comments section.

Harry is Hip-Hop’s Last Hoorah?

2008-02-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

Being of a certain age, I have seen numerous musical trends come and go. Hair metal died when record labels started signing anyone with big hair. Grunge died when plaid started showing up on the runways of Milan, New York and Japan.

If the past is any indication of the future, the world of hip-hop may now be on its last legs as well. The kids’ show Hip Hop Harry takes the notion of musical oversaturation to dizzying new heights, no doubt making even Gene Simmons insanely jealous. There’s even a brewing battle between Barney and Harry, a la Kanye and Fiddy. Thankfully, I don’t ever recall a Hair Metal Harvey or Grungy Garry.

Even the trash talk in rap has gone commercial. The latest battle between 50 Cent and Kanye West was not about who had the greater talent or artistic merit but who would sell the most albums. Could competing tours sponsored by Target and Wal-Mart be far behind?

Perhaps the next step in the mass commercialization of hip-hop includes sponsorship by the big cereal companies. I’m hoping for Kanye Krisps and Fiddy Flakes – that way when they continue to cram the mass consumption of hip-hop down my throat, it at least will have a sweet sugary aftertaste.

A Tale of Two Cities

2008-02-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

Having now spent a few months in Halifax, one can’t help but notice the contrasts between Winnipeg and my new home. Some of my initial impressions are as follows:

1) Halifax has a stronger cultural identity. The Maritimes have a greater sense of history and embrace a common culture. Even my East Indian friends out here know and play East Coast ditties. Winnipeggers seem quicker to embrace their multicultural background at the expense of embracing the fact they are all Manitobans. Maybe that’s why Spirited Energy was the best the NDP could do – is there anything that uniformly defines being a Winnipegger or Manitoban?

2) Which city was supposed to be the transport hub? Winnipeg’s only roadway that could be considered a freeway (albeit with red lights at numerous locations) is the 101 Perimeter Highway. Halifax has many more – 102, 103, 107, 118 to name just a few. With a fraction of Winnipeg’s population, how is it that Halifax can outmuscle the ‘Peg when it comes to the efficient movement of people and goods?

3) And Justice for All – a Nova Scotia judge recently sentenced some teenage girls for LONGER than recommended by the defence AND the prosecution. Contrast that with the constant attempts to encourage judges to make anything but laughable sentences in Manitoba.

4) Haligonians love their home town. We have met so many people that are happy to be here and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I personally know individuals that left higher paying jobs in Toronto so they could live in Nova Scotia. Winnipeggers seem to make a sport of dumping on their home city.

I love my home town and it has presented me with boundless opportunity. That’s why it pains me to see it slowly and steadfastly slip into decline. Did the NDP really do anything to actually merit the overwhelming show of support that voters gave them? Or are Manitobans like frogs in a slowly boiling pot of water not realizing that the more they tolerate petty and serious crime, infrastructure deficiencies, debacles such as Crocus, the Floodway and now the Bipole 3 issue (not to mention other such problems), the more they move away from making Manitoba the beautiful and great province it once was and still deserves to be?

Nova Scotia has never elected an NDP government to power and it shows. The Schreyer, Pawley and now Doer dynasties have had an indelible effect on Manitoba – if the differences between Manitoba and Nova Scotia are any indication, this wasn’t necessarily for the better.

Boxed In

2008-02-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

My first thought after reading Dan Lett’s February 4, 2008 article was that Doug Schweitzer has just been boxed in. Lett ponders whether or not Doug is in the game for the long haul or whether this is just a “career-boosting stop on the way to greater fortune in the private sector.” This article would inadvertently seem to give ammo to the NDP should Doug leave anytime before the next election. After all, it would reaffirm the stereotypes that Tories are all career opportunists hellbent on laying waste to anything if it is in their own interests to do so.

Doug’s performance in his new position should be evaluated on what he delivers for the party, not the timeframe he chooses to deliver it in. Results are far more important than the tired notion of seniority ever will be. So let’s put down the stopwatch and see what Doug actually achieves before judging him.

Lett coins the term “pit-stop professional” to describe someone whose employment isn’t predicated on perpetuity. Would he also use this term to depict the endless litany of personalities that have come and gone from his very own paper? Nicholas Hirst, Murdoch Davis & Andrew Ritchie are but a few that have come and gone in the past few years. Are the "new faces" of the paper little more than lipstick and rouge if they aren’t around for the long haul, to use some of Lett’s own verbiage? I would like to think Winnipeggers are getting the best quality newspaper the Free Press can deliver – should there be any reasons to think otherwise?

Reversal of Misfortune

2008-01-30T21:34:00.000-08:00

A few short years ago, Nintendo was considered way behind the mighty Sony and Microsoft. A product called the DS helped to change all of that. The Manitoba Tories have enlisted their own DS, Doug Schweitzer, to reverse many years of their own anemic fortunes.

Having shared many strategic discussions with Doug, it is my heartfelt belief the party is finally well on its way to showing the NDP the door in the next election. Many of the operational deficiencies plaguing the party are about to become a painful distant memory.

While NDP bloggers such as Just Damn Stupid, Tooxs and others have been ever so gracious in victory (I am aware I lost the election but thank you for the persistent reminders as part of your diatribes), I long for the day where we see the true test of their mettle – in defeat. With Doug at the helm at 23 Kennedy, those days are likely only an election away.

Congrats on the new gig Doug!

If These Walls Could Talk

2007-09-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I have spent a large chunk of my life studying business theory and all of its underpinnings. One of the key assumptions is that investors should be rational when handling their investments. As anyone versed in behavioural finance will tell you, this is often easier said than done.

And so it goes with my own house. For those who don’t already know, my wife and I have decided to move our family to Halifax. Now that I am “in between” jobs, we decided to move somewhere we have always wanted to retire to. We might as well enjoy it while we can. The kids are also young enough to handle a cross country move without worrying about school friendships and all of the issues associated with them.

The last walkthrough in my Winnipeg home was a pretty overwhelming experience. After seven years, the house became more than an equity investment. It was the place both my children came home to after coming into the world. It was where they learned to walk. It was where they both learned to say “Dada”.

I have no doubt that living in Nova Scotia will be an amazing experience. The kids have taken to their new home and are already quite enamoured with it. But part of my heart will always stay in Winnipeg. It’s not only where I grew up but it’s where my two little guys made some of their most amazing developmental leaps. So as I am about to leave, part of my heart will always stay here.

In the upcoming weeks, the blog will be renamed Confessions of a Proud and Unapologetic Ex-Winnipegger. I don’t know what I’ll be writing about but I do plan on sticking around the blog scene. After all, I think the next four years will be some of the most important and defining years for Manitoba – I accordingly will be following the NDP’s newest mandate with great interest. Hundreds of years from now, I am convinced that this upcoming term will be the one that Gary Doer’s administration will be most remembered for. It is my sincere hope that the NDP govern themselves (and Manitobans) accordingly…

Reblanding Lessons

2007-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." – John Wanamaker

If the father of modern advertising were alive right now, I’m sure he would have even choicer words for the Spirited Energy campaign. It was interesting to hear Jim Rondeau on the air yesterday attempting in vain to defend the NDP’s pet project by asserting that venerable names such as Coca-Cola also have branding initiatives.

The better analogy would be the New Coke fiasco. To Coca-Cola’s credit, at least THEY had market research SHOWING that people actually preferred the taste of New Coke to Pepsi. What they missed was the psychological attachment people had to the Classic Coke brand. When terms such as “nauseating” are volleyed about during the Spirited Energy focus group sessions, it would seem that our provincial government had no impetus to go forward with this initiative at all without some semblance of a major overhaul.

Are we perhaps as sentimentally attached to “Friendly Manitoba” as we are to Classic Coke? At least the Manitobans participating in the market research process had the courtesy to give the branding mandarins their take on Spirited Energy campaign from the get-go. If only someone would have listened…

Silent Lucidity

2007-05-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

Songs are a funny thing. While music oftentimes has a way of becoming a diary for your life, sometimes a song will mean different things to you as your circumstances in life change. Case in point – Silent Lucidity by Queensryche. Back in the early 90’s, I thought it was merely a Pink Floyd-esque treatise on the whole notion of dreams and the subconscious.

Now that I am a parent, Silent Lucidity takes on a whole new meaning (it also helps that Geoff Tate elaborated on the inspiration for the song the last time he was in The ‘Peg). How many times have I personally looked over my little ones and made the silent vow that I will be the one watching over them? As they sleep, one can’t help but wonder what dreamscapes they are exploring. And when those dreams turn restless, Mama and Dada are the ones that do their best to protect them in the night.

Is there a better role in the entire universe? Not a chance. I just wish time wasn’t going by so quickly. Which brings me to Time Stand Still by Rush and how THAT song has taken on a whole new meaning since high school…

The Home Stretch, Part 2

2007-05-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

On this, the eve of the provincial election, I thought I would share some of my thoughts going into tomorrow’s festivities. I will keep the format of my pre-nomination post, because I am a bit superstitious:

1) You can move mountains in relatively short order. Seine River was a late bloomer for the Tory camp. The nomination meeting was held a mere two days prior to Gary Doer’s election call. Regardless of all of the bravado that is coming from some people posting anonymous comments, they know just as well as we do how close this race will be. This speaks volumes about our volunteers that have managed to make Seine River a riding to watch.

2) A wise person told us that Mrs. P&UW and I would be amazed how many people step up to the plate once you win a nomination race. Were they ever right. The realization that so many individuals were helping out when they could be doing a plethora of other things put wind into my sails. They were out pounding signs and walking with me in the hottest (and sometimes cold & wet) weather. I owed it to each and every one of them to give 120% each and every day. Words alone cannot express my gratitude for the chance to meet some of the most fantastic and inspirational people around.

3) My respect for Hugh has increased exponentially. Even the MSM themselves have admitted Hugh got the roughest ride over the course of this campaign. While Mia Rabson indicated Hugh “muddled” through CFS taunts at the U of M, my impression was that he soldiered through it - I challenge anyone to maintain their composure the way Hugh did during that press release. I personally saw him field many tough questions at the door deftly and expertly. Heck, I was oftentimes the one asking some of the tough questions. As an ex-banker, rest assured I had many people fake their way through a barrage of my questioning. Not Hugh. He was articulate and well versed in every issue & concern I raised with him. There is no doubt in my mind we need a leader like him if we really hope to restore our province to its former glory.

How do I feel right now? Eerily calm, all things considered. The closest comparable I can come up with is the feeling you have just before a final exam. You have done everything you can to prepare and it all comes down to what happens the next day. Instead of making sure I am using the same type of pen and having my trusty HP financial calculator that successfully got me through many prior exams, I am blogging the night before. After all, it did work the last time I faced an electoral race…

Chinese Democracy?

2007-05-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

One of the great joys of living in our magnificent country is having the ability to articulate our political beliefs without the threat of recrimination or reprisal from parties with differing views. Unfortunately, there are some voters that feel the need to belligerently impose their views on others without using tact or decorum. One of my volunteers wound up meeting one of these unfortunate individuals yesterday.

I would like to congratulate this individual for their effective use of bully tactics. Instead of simply letting this volunteer know you support another candidate and sending her on her merry way, you saw fit to use her as a verbal punching bag. It may interest you to know that this individual comes from a country that had an oppressive regime that used violence during the electoral process. Just as we were in the midst of convincing her that our democracy was predicated on mutual respect, you saw fit to show her otherwise.

I’m just glad you are rooting for the other team….

Gary, Gary, Quite Contrary

2007-05-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today’s headlines declare that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are supporting the Asper proposal for the stadium. A few days ago, we heard that Gary Doer was in support of the Polo Park location. Eugene Kostyra, one of Doer’s closest confidantes also sits on the Bomber’s board.

To be honest, I have not evaluated the stadium proposals enough to decide which of the two would be better for all of us. My sole question on this matter is why Gary Doer continues to talk about the privatization of MTS as evil while he simultaneously champions selling off an institution that has been a venerated public holding for almost 80 years. The NDP path of logic seems to have a curious fork in the road…

Super Hugh-Ro

2007-04-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

You may have seen that I was in attendance at the PC Party press event this afternoon at St. Vital Park. I would like to share a story with you that likely won’t make the daily news or tomorrow’s paper.

My wife and oldest son Sebastien were also in attendance at the time. While all the candidates were lined up by Hugh, my wife pointed at the PC vehicle with his picture on it. She then pointed to Hugh and told Sabs that Hugh was “that man” on the vehicle. As my son has many The Batman DVD’s (a show that comes with a great Winnipeg/Sisler/Red River College connection, no less), he was quick to think Mama meant “Batman”. He spent the rest of the event calling Hugh “Batman” and proudly declared “Dada wook with Batman”.

So if Hugh McFadyen is indeed The Batman, what does that make his nemesis Gary Doer? I guess that depends on the issue in question. If it is the promise to end hallway medicine in six months, he is The Joker. If you are trying to get a straight answer on Crocus, he is The Riddler. And if you want to talk about long term economic viability, he is Mr. Freeze.

Thanks to Hugh, my son thinks I’m the coolest Dada ever. After all, I know Batman…

Compassionate Conservatism, Part 2

2007-04-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

The most heartwarming part of being in politics is when people come to you with the honest conviction that you will hear their concerns and/or act as an agent of change on their behalf. I received such a phone call yesterday and spoke with the concerned constituent at some length over the course of last night. You could hear this person’s sense of frustration in the face of the adversity that they confronted.

This individual’s biggest complaint was that their concerns seemed to be falling on unreceptive ears. They contacted Theresa Oswald numerous times to no avail. When they actually managed to get some face time with Ms. Oswald (having gone to great pains to do so), the MLA for Seine River told this person to speak to her assistant. If a constituent goes to such lengths to seek answers from their MLA, the least their MLA owes them is to hear their story.

Are the answers to all of society’s woes at my ready disposal? Probably not – after all, Gary Doer and Theresa Oswald haven’t solved hallway medicine in 96 months, let alone within the 6 months they promised. It is my belief that the important first step in trying is to offer voters the courtesy of listening to their concerns. You can’t solve problems if you are unwilling to face them.

Do you also have any tales of what the NDP’s “Moving Forward not Backward” actually means to you? Please share them with me at proudwpgr@hotmail.com . In the words of a fellow blogger, “the lines are open.” I’ll be listening. If there are enough stories and the participants are willing, perhaps we could even air YOUR concerns publicly over the airwaves and in print. After all, these wouldn’t be attack ads, they would be ACCOUNTABILITY ADS. Holding your government accountable is not only a reasonable expectation, it’s your right.

We’ll leave the Who is Hugh? and Tory Translator to the NDP, who seem reticent to trade on their time in office. Perhaps your tales of woe over the past eight years will tell me and the rest of the PC Party why the NDP doesn’t feel their administrative record alone is enough to keep them in office…

The Home Stretch

2007-04-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

As the Seine River nomination meeting for the PC Party of Manitoba is tomorrow night, I thought I’d write down a few of my thoughts going in to tomorrow’s race:

1) Politics is the world’s longest job interview. Prior to engaging in the political process, I had no idea how much went into getting a candidate lined up for a riding. The nomination leg of this journey requires an amazing amount of effort – phone calls, one-on-one meetings followed by phone calls and more door knocking.

2) There are amazing people out there. All too often, we are cynical of those that engage themselves in the political process. The people I have had the good fortune of meeting are involved in the PC Party because it is their heartfelt belief that the core values of the Tories are the ones that will give them and their families the opportunity to achieve their life’s ambitions when government provides the requisite strategic framework. You will not read about most of these people in the papers or on the blogs but without them, democracy would suffer. It’s the people toiling away behind the scenes that make the magic of the electoral process happen – the riding executives, volunteers and members.

3) Those who grumble about a lack of choice in candidates only have themselves to blame. A wise person told me that they are astounded at how reluctant some people are to participate in the nomination process even when they are dues-paying members of a party. The nomination meeting is a perfect opportunity to support someone that you feel best represents your views and who will give the opposing political camps a run for their money. Seine River Tories have three very capable candidates to choose from tomorrow night. This is the perfect time to throw your support behind the person you feel will best take on what is sure to be one of the ridings to watch during the upcoming provincial election.

The meeting will be held tomorrow night (Wednesday April 18, 2007) at the Dakota Community Centre – 1188 Dakota Street. Registration starts at 6:00 pm and speeches will start at 7:00 pm. People from outside the riding are welcome to attend. I hope to see you there!

From Humble Beginnings

2007-04-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

“Dear Sir: please be informed that two of your executives from the Caracas office are trading with inside information. A copie with description of ther trades so far has been submitet to the S.E.C. by separate mail. As is mantion on that letter if us customers do not benefit from their knoleg, we wonder who surveils the trades done by account executives. Upon you investigating to the last consequencies we will provide with the names of the insider on their owne hand writing.”

Ask yourself how much credence you would give the letter I just quoted if this landed in YOUR inbox. Would you have given it a cursory review and then thrown it out? It would be tempting to dismiss this as a poorly written note worthy of only the recycle bin or shredder.

Having answered my first question, I now ask you to identify this letter. This document (sent to Merrill Lynch compliance officials) was the catalyst for the S.E.C.’s investigation into the insider trading scandal of the late 1980’s. It started the chain of events that led to the prosecution of such Wall Street titans as Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

The Black Rod once again unearths another juicy Crocus morsel. While the spate of recently leaked Crocus documents have been dismissed by many, as shown above, we ignore even the most seemingly innocuous correspondence at our peril.

Another lesson to be drawn from the novel Den of Thieves (a brilliant tome on the aforementioned insider trading scandal) is that the first mover advantage goes to those who cut deals before anyone else. If anything untoward did indeed go on at Crocus, I would recommend all potentially implicated individuals read about what fate befell the ones who held out instead of jumping ship post haste.

For the sake of all Manitobans, I sincerely hope that there is nothing to the Crocus story. Until a public inquiry is called, however, a black cloud looms large over our capital markets, much to the detriment of any entrepreneur who wishes to make his or her fortunes in Manitoba. Manitoba Means Business? Not until Today’s NDP restores faith in our markets…

Compassionate Conservatism

2007-04-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

As someone who has followed politics since elementary school, I find the relatively recent state of “right vs. left” discourse rather disconcerting. While most moderate right-leaning individuals view their left-leaning counterparts as idealistic but naïve, the left feels compelled to label us as evil neo-conservatives. These assertions are made by certain columnists, bloggers and now Today’s NDP:

Doer also accused the Tories of campaigning like American politicians.
"The Conservative party has been trained by the Republicans and they're pretty ... the negative ads were out in November, and we're merely protecting ourselves," said Doer.

If the NDP’s latest website is any indication, Doer et al have no intention of trading on their administrative record. Given that my decision to seek office is based in large part on their two terms, I can hardly blame them.

While the free market economy may not be perfect, there is no other system that has managed to make as many people so well off. As third world countries continue to join the developed world, I am sure that millions of additional people in future generations will continue to experience better living conditions. One only need look at the dichotomous experiences of North and South Korea to see that change can happen for the better if economies are developed via market mechanisms instead of being led solely by government decree.

Does this mean that I believe that government has no part to play in our own back yard? Absolutely not. Government’s job is to enable the strategic framework for an efficient society. Citizens that attempt to cheat the system through theft, murder or corporate malfeasance should be punished. Honest individuals should have faith that these systems are there to protect them and not the aforementioned criminals. Government should also deliver other goods that the private sector cannot deliver as efficiently such as highway systems, healthcare, public education and our very own Manitoba Hydro.

Another contention from the NDP seems to be that only people in support of left-leaning politicians are allowed to articulate their views. The Who Is Hugh? website offers a link to Hugh’s supporters, many of whom are some of Winnipeg’s best and brightest. Perhaps their Conservative leanings are what enabled them to be successful. If so, wouldn’t you want to support the same party that successful people do? I doubt that the folks behind the Who is Hugh? site would express the same dismay over the fact that the UFCW’s April publication has a well-timed feature story on how the Tories hurt the Worker’s Compensation Board. By virtue of living in a democracy, every person should be entitled to articulate their views, be they union, business interests or non-partisan.

It would seem that my banter with Brian over at Just Damn Stupid has led to my being delisted from his blogroll. If one truly has faith in their own convictions, are anyone else’s beliefs really threatening? Why is it that in the Manitoba blogosphere, those of us on the right have no qualms about linking to left-leaning blogs while we are not beneficiaries of a reciprocal courtesy? I encourage everyone to visit the Blackberry Addicts and Just Damn Stupid and then come back and sample more of what is posted on my own blog. After all, I’m of the persuasion that my brand is better than theirs so I heartily encourage you to comparison shop. Compassionate Conservatism is a limited time offer that will expire if the NDP wins the next election – act now to ensure maximal customer satisfaction! ;)

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants?

2007-04-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

What do John F. Kennedy, George Soros, Mick Jagger and Greg Selinger all have in common? They are all alumni of the London School of Economics, one of the most prestigious educational institutions on the planet.

Great thinkers from this institution have spread the mantra of trade liberalization. This philosophy has enabled one-time moribund economies such as South Korea to prosper faster than ever before. It is my personal hope to see many more economies follow suit. The LSE’s George Akerlof articulated one of my favourite economic tenets – Informational Asymmetry.

Knowing of Mr. Selinger’s educational pedigree, I am all the more perplexed at his lack of leadership in the terms of prudent fiscal management. The most recent budget seems to be a stinker in the eyes of many. Our finance minister should have been well versed in the economic incentives that would inevitably lead to cost overruns when the NDP decided to pursue their forced unionization on the Floodway expansion. Surely someone from the LSE can appreciate the gravity of the stewards of our capital markets being unwilling to call the public inquiry into Crocus that would restore investor faith in said markets.

The great Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of Giants.” Having studied in the hallowed halls of an institution which housed 14 Nobel Prize winners and countless heads of state, surely Mr. Selinger himself should be able to see just as far. Unfortunately for Manitobans, the administration of which he is an integral part sees fit to persistently spend faster than the rate of inflation, a no-no in the mind of most economists. In the face of record revenues and federal transfer payments, even now he must use remove another $37 million from the rainy day fund. Why hasn’t he been able to see far if he himself is standing on the shoulders of giants?

I see trouble on the horizon if Mr. Selinger doesn’t start reversing many trends he helped create. Of course the LSE does offer many fields of study other than economics. Surely, however, someone in charge of an entity with over NINE BILLION dollars in revenue would have SOME sort of solid economic background or training, right? He did after all, go to the right institution for it…

Today’s NDP - Six Years Too Late

2007-03-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, The Winnipeg Sun had an “informational” ad from the government about the Province’s increased infrastructure expenditures. When I moved back home from Toronto in 2000 I was astounded at the realization that my daily commute of 17 kilometres along Route 90 often took LONGER than my previous daily 35 kilometre commute from Toronto to Mississauga along Canada’s busiest highway, the 401.

While Gary Doer was in Texas back then trying to sell Winnipeg as a transport hub, he was simultaneously telling the citizens of Winnipeg that the Kenaston underpass was “not a strategic priority.” I present to you a Letter to the Editor that I sent to both daily papers six years ago. After six long years, apparently infrastructure is FINALLY a strategic priority for the NDP. Although we did get catchy billboards saying “Train make you late? Thank Gary for the wait!” from the Tories of the time to help add some levity to Doer et al’s oversights.

Keep in mind Constant Reader (the Hack should know who I borrowed this moniker from) that my musings on NDP fiscal management were BEFORE the floodway cost overruns, pension electioneering and the Crocus fiasco. Looking back, my rhetoric was decidedly heated. Waiting at countless train crossings (my record was three LONG trains in one day!) has a tendency of doing that to someone.

Thanks for the infrastructure ad complete with resplendent bar graphs, Premier Doer. If your government truly thought Manitoba Means Business, you would have addressed many of our critical infrastructure deficiencies earlier in the course of your administrative tenure. Everything you said and did for your past two terms is a signal to voters about what truly is and ISN’T important to you and your party. The election goodies coming on April 4, 2007 coupled with the recent glut of public advertising won’t change that fact…

Without further ado let me take you back to a time that shows exactly how serious the NDP is about infrastructure:

February 24, 2001

The provincial NDP government has once again proven their ineptitude in the management of the Province of Manitoba’s affairs in their stance on the proposed Kenaston St. bridge. One of the City’s precious few North-South arteries remains clogged and Gary Doer will have nothing to do with the possible alleviation of this problem. This is a shameful lack of support for a city that is trying to position itself as a major transportation hub in the eyes of the global marketplace.

The proposed infrastructure improvement is more than just a convenience to the citizens of Linden Woods and Whyte Ridge, two communities not known as staunch NDP supporters in the first place. Manitoba is home to and the head office of many trucking companies. While their trucks remain stopped at the Kenaston rail crossing burning the gasoline that fills the provincial coffers with tax revenue, Premier Doer refuses to support one of the few industries that has elected to retain their vital presence in the province.

The NDP government has proven frivolous and petulant with the province’s purse strings. While they refuse to have intelligent discourse to help an already beleaguered trucking industry, they pander to their usual special interest groups. Throwing all the money in the world into health care and downtown Winnipeg will not solve the underlying systemic problems of these two issues. It only scores the NDP brownie points with some of their constituents. Unfortunately, these political points come at the expense of making Winnipeg a more efficient place to do business.

Winnipeg once had the proud moniker of “Chicago of the North,” complete with all the promise inherent in that comparison. In the early part of the 20th century, industry and people flourished. The NDP government seems determined to move us as far from this part of our past as possible. If they continue to pander to special interest groups instead of nurturing the infrastructure for industries that add jobs and relevance to our City’s business community, Winnipeg is sure to be relegated to nothing more than a backwater community while cities such as Calgary continue to profit at our expense. Is this how Mr. Doer would have himself written into the annals of provincial history?

Conversely, I feel Mayor Glen Murray deserves to be lauded for his attempts to find solutions to this critical infrastructure weakness. It is my belief that the civic history books will depict him as an individual who strove to make this City a better place to be for both people and industry even if people did not agree with him 100% of the time.

Name Withheld
Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Peter Bjornson Principle, Part II

2007-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone’s favourite Education Minister is at it again. From CJOB:

The Doer government has decided to borrow 1.5 billion dollars to pay down the liability of teacher's pensions.
The province is taking out the loan to cover off 75-percent of the outstanding amount of the teacher's retirement fund.
Education Minister Peter Bjornson tells CJOB, the move will have no impact on Manitoba's net summary debt because the fund has been a liability on the books.The province says it is also looking at a similar solution to deal with civil servants' pension liability.

No impact on net summary debt? Then no harm done, right? Our esteemed Minister conveniently ignores the interest payments that would now have to be made on these bonds. Let’s use a rate of 4.62% for the bond that Today’s NDP would have to issue to honour their promise. Annual interest payments would be 69.3 MILLION DOLLARS. How many schools a year would you be able to build for that money?

Remember dear reader that a pension liability is usually a commitment to pay someone IN THE FUTURE. It is NOT necessarily cash that must be fronted right away. As such, there is no pressing financial need to borrow money to pay into the pension plan, only a political one. If Mr. Bjornson were instead to give the $69.3 MILLION directly to the teachers instead of lining the pockets of bondholders and they were able to earn a 4.62% return on the money, this would translate into $4.315 BILLION DOLLARS for teachers at the end of 30 years.

But then again, that’s not so much of a pre-election goodie, right Peter? Today’s NDP continues to spend away the legacy we are trying to leave our children. Do you appreciate their willingness to pay $69.3 MILLION in interest PER YEAR in their efforts to curry political favour?

007% in The Politician Who Loved Me and Left Me

2007-03-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Our latest Agent 007% adventure has our suave and debonair man of intrigue wooing the sultry Ollie Weste with promises of economic development incentives. When an angry contingent sets out to eradicate Ms. Weste, our hero decides to save his own bacon by leaving her to her own devices. With quick thinking worthy of any double agent, 007% uses a well timed hog plant moratorium bomb to escape the dangerous predicament of vocal public opinion. Stealthy maneuvers with the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) further ensure our hero’s survival, to the detriment of the public interest.

When not involved in action adventures, our premier can be seen in such heartwearming stories such as Mr. Doer Goes to Washington (while his costar Greg Selinger stars in the Crocus-inspired version of “Heat”), Mr. Doer Goes to Texas and everyone’s favorite, Mr. Doer Meets the Terminator. The worthy effort of a trade mission is all for naught if the only signals the NDP are sending to the business community is an unwillingness to make a public inquiry into Crocus (the only way to restore faith in our capital markets), the forced unionization of Floodway workers and playing shell games with firms such as OlyWest that are willing to put millions of dollars into our economy and hire many Manitobans.

Hugh McFadyen recently expressed his desire to move the OlyWest plant out of Winnipeg. As most readers may know, my family business was ready to undertake heavy litigation on the OlyWest issue. After all, we had hundreds of thousands of square feet invested in the St. Boniface Industrial Park, making us one of the project’s largest stakeholders. Our concerns were expressed to OlyWest and they agreed to move the inbound traffic (containing live hogs) further south, away from the residential and industrial park areas. We also went to great lengths to seek out the opinions of impartial third parties. It would have been much easier to dig our heels in and continue to be part of the “No” contingent. We took it upon ourselves to look at the issue from the view of the community at large instead of from the perspective of our own self interest.

I still offer qualified support for the OlyWest project being located in Winnipeg. Many tough questions should continue to be asked of the project. If Doer would stop playing games with the CEC, perhaps we could have enough faith in our regulatory systems to answer them. While I may not share Hugh’s opinions on this matter, were I to become MLA for Seine River, I am sure he would offer me the courtesy of letting me articulate my beliefs on this or any other issue which may not strictly follow the party line. The efficient and respectful flow of ideas is the cornerstone of any successful organization, be it a company, family, governmental agency or political party. I wonder if Today’s NDP is equally receptive to differing ideas within their own party. The unwillingness of ANYONE within the NDP to speak up for ALL Manitobans on Crocus seems to suggest otherwise, much to the detriment of anyone holding Crocus shares, RRSPs, pensions or any other financial instrument…

A Toast to Manitoba

2007-03-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

The MLCC has an ad in today’s Winnipeg Free Press touting Manitoba-made beverages. I for one think it is a great idea. If we are to have our liquor sales run by a provincial agency, part of their mandate should be to actively promote locally produced items. There are many great beverages made right in our own backyard that deserve to be proudly displayed and recognized in the Liquor Marts.

So as we raise a glass or two over the next few months, let’s support some of our local entrepreneurs at the same time. Our economy will thank you for it…

007% in Gold-digger

2007-03-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Our latest Agent 007% adventure has our intrepid hero using his team at MI6 headquarters on Broadway to crunch the “numbers to see how many of the federal promises for Manitoba equal new money.”

This is a most unfortunate turn for the Bond series. A proud province has been relegated to pandering for federal goodies as a fundamental pillar of our economic development strategy. I wish MI6 Broadway spent as much time concerned about how Manitobans could get a leg up without worrying about having their hands out. Barring that, perhaps they could be equally as aggressive in remedying the Crocus fiasco as they are on haranguing Mr. Harper.

The Bond series always had its fair share of ups and downs. Perhaps the upcoming Conservative Royale will reinvigorate the franchise…

?

2007-03-17T22:40:00.001-07:00

As I was driving home tonight from seeing the movie 300, I was pondering that as ugly as politics might get nowadays, it was infinitely worse many years ago. While I acknowledge that the movie is a highly fictionalized rendition of actual events, there can be no denying that generations past paid a much dearer price for their political convictions than the odd jab from another party, columnist or blogger.

Upon arriving home, Mrs. P&UW informed me that I received an e-mail that had to be read IMMEDIATELY. She was so moved by its contents that she almost responded on her own. Without divulging the identity of the writer, it is enough to say that I am not the only one in Winnipeg concerned about the bearing our actions are having on future generations.

Whatever happened to Chicago of the North? Our can-do attitude of the early 20^th century that ushered in a period of prosperity has been replaced with a reluctant acceptance of mediocrity and even decline. If our population growth or economic indicators lag behind the national average, we shrug it off and accept the NDP’s dismissal of the data. I have already shown how marginal differences make a BIG difference over time. We nonetheless resign ourselves that political promises were made to be broken. When a scandal as serious as Crocus comes around, we simply deem it to be business as usual.

My grandparents on both my mother and father’s side came to Canada to escape oppressive regimes. My maternal grandmother worked three jobs at once. Did she do it for herself? Her modest existence would suggest otherwise. Every other Manitoban has someone in a previous generation that made greater sacrifices than we ever will. Is it too much to ask of ourselves to rid ourselves of the apathy that seems to have gripped our collective consciousness? Lest we be judged by the generations that preceded us and do irreparable harm to the ones that follow, I hope not.

There is no snappy title for this entry – I hope you don’t mind.

?

2007-03-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

My grandparents on both my mother and father’s side came to Canada to escape oppressive regimes. My maternal grandmother worked three jobs at once. Did she do it for herself? Her modest existence would suggest otherwise. Every Manitoban has someone in a previous generation that made greater sacrifices than we ever will. Is it too much to ask of ourselves to rid ourselves of the apathy that seems to have gripped our collective consciousness? Lest we be judged by the generations that preceded us and do irreparable harm to the ones that follow, I hope not.

There is no snappy title for this entry – I hope you don’t mind.

The Peter Bjornson Principle

2007-03-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

In today’s Free Press, Education Minister Peter Bjornson's “staff gave school boards verbal orders last Friday to keep surpluses to four per cent of revenues or less, or else face having education property taxes capped at 3.3 per cent -- the same amount by which Bjornson has increased the province's share of education funding.“

A paltry 3.3% increase is fair to taxpayers and school divisions, right? Let’s look at the mathematics first before we answer this question.

Assume an individual is earning $50,000 gross income and that the educational component of his/her property tax bill is $1,500. This person’s wage increases are indexed to inflation so their purchasing power follows the Consumer Price Index. The CPI will be assumed to be 1.4%, the average of 1.2% for January, 2007 and 1.6% for December, 2006.

Right now, the education component of the property tax bill is 3% of gross income. Next year, this number goes to 3.06% of income. No big deal, right? WRONG. In 100 years, the education portion of the property tax bill becomes 19.2% of our poor taxpayer’s GROSS income. 1/5 of their income must be allocated to pay ONE FORM OF TAX. How much is left for income taxes, EI, CPP, mortgage, food, car or gas payments?

Is a 100 year time horizon too far away to worry about? Our grandchildren might beg to differ. While Today’s NDP might not be concerned about how their actions affect our collective future, perhaps we should be worrying for them…

Dada Wook

2007-03-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

Our family business has signs throughout Winnipeg. Whenever we drive by one, my oldest son points excitedly and exclaims “DADA WOOK!”. The business my father worked so hard to build has had an indelible effect on four generations.

As the business was in the process of being sold, I found myself pondering what to do with the rest of my life. Our actions and achievements echo through the generations that follow us. It is our sincere hope to leave each successive generation a little better off than the previous one.

This blog was started as my attempt to voice opinions and concerns that had previously gone unspoken. It gave me the opportunity to engage in banter with like-minded individuals and polar opposites. I relished both with unbridled exuberance. Now that I am at a crossroads, I find myself in a position to indulge a passion that I never thought I would be able to explore.

My name is Steven Andjelic and I am seeking the nomination to represent the PC Party of Manitoba in Seine River. I hope that one day in the not too distant future, my son will look at the Legislative Building and proclaim with the same amount of pride “DADA WOOK.”

007% - Ridiculing Her Majesty’s Official Opposition

2007-03-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

The latest 007% adventure has our intrepid hero addressing all of our concerns about Crocus by calling Hugh McFadyen an ‘inexperienced amateur.’

The USA has been working diligently to enhance investor faith in the capital markets via legislation such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Contrast that with our own capital market champions, the NDP, who have the audacity to tell current and prospective capital market participants that their OWN board appointee kept the provincial government in the dark on Crocus.

As an international man of mystery, surely Agent 007% knows that pension and investment money is just as mobile as he is. With the relaxing of foreign content rules in Canadian RRSP’s, this is truer now more than ever. Are you going to put YOUR money where people have your back (USA’s SEC) or where people are covering their backsides (Today’s NDP)?

Blunderball

2007-03-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

The NDP accumulated quite a track record over their past two terms in office. Notable achievements include the Hydra House scandal, the unauthorized Seven Oaks School Division development, the Floodway cost overruns, an unfulfilled promise to end hallway medicine in six months, and of course the topic du jour, Crocus.

Agent 007%’s role in Blunderball is 7 years (and counting) in the making. If a company were to spend all of this money on social, economic & infrastructure initiatives only to have little or nothing to show for it, its efforts would be rewarded with a credit downgrade. Given record provincial expenditures with the above-noted results, is a provincial downgrade coming in a few years?

I could just see Gary introducing himself to analysts if he wins another term:

Bond.

Junk Bond.

The Information Asymmetry Age?

2007-03-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

If you have not heard of the term Information Asymmetry, I would like to introduce it to you:

In economics, information asymmetry occurs when one party to a transaction has more or better information than the other party. (It has also been called asymmetrical information). Typically it is the seller that knows more about the product than the buyer, however, it is possible for the reverse to be true: for the buyer to know more than the seller.

Jim Cotton has already touched on one of the issues information asymmetry raises. I would like to go one step further and ask if ANY Crocus insiders acted on the information they had about the fund’s poor performance. I am not accusing anyone in particular of profiting from an opportune dumping of shares prior to the public being aware of the many problems facing Crocus. However, insider activity prior to the fund’s decline it is one of the matters that a public inquiry should address.

I know of at least 30,000 people that deserve to know if we should have faith in the integrity of our capital markets. If anyone has called said integrity into question they merit the appropriate sanctions.

The Life of Brian

2007-03-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

When this blog was started out quite a few months ago, a cluster of us came to be known as the “Baby Bloggers”. Inspired by the likes of The Black Rod and Hacks and Wonks, we decided to try to add our voices to the political, economic and social banter happening on the local scene. With the advent of a new crop of bloggers, it seems we noobs of yesterday are moving into the adolescent phase. One brand new blogger in particular, Brian of Just Damn Stupid seems to be lighting up the comments section over at The Andy Fletcher Show.

Brian seems to make some interesting points in favour of the NDP status quo. Let’s check some of his assertions:

12). Greg Selinger has delivered seven consecutive balanced budgets, with tax breaks.

These budgets were balanced in part due to raids on Manitoba Hydro and thanks to transfer payment windfalls from the federal government. If a young family solves their spending problems by taking money from their children AND their parents to pay their bills, they can lay no claim to being fiscally responsible. Neither can the NDP.

2) Venture Capital Funds do not always make money. They are “risk” investments. Investors are made aware of this when they purchase shares.

Brian, I agree 100%. However, the fact that Crocus had a holding period of 7 years is an important consideration vis-à-vis a prospective purchaser’s investment strategy. As such, why would it make sense for some pensioners to invest in a high risk, long term instrument with a generous tax deduction as its most compelling feature? Crocus would ordinarily be best suited OUTSIDE of a pension context, unless it formed a small percentage in the pension portfolio as “risk capital”. The issue of whether or not TRAF was embroiled with Crocus representatives in the name of a sincere effort at portfolio diversification and not merely for political purposes is also one of the questions a public inquiry into Crocus should answer. While investors should ACCEPT the risky nature of Crocus, no one should be expected to tolerate the antics of the NDP in the mismanagement of the Crocus file.

My favourite part reads as follows:

Gary. My house is actually worth something today. I can get into the hospital, not just the hallway. I can find a job. I’m paying less in taxes. I'm getting another Autopac rebate. We have a new arena. We have cranes in downtown Winnipeg. We have Hydro and we have some hope. Go. Go now. Drop the writs and have at’em.

I have already explained the role of Agent 007%’s PST sleight-of-hand in adding to homeowner’s equity.

Getting into a hospital is great and thanks for the new plush chairs. How’s about getting us to an actual doctor or nurse instead?

The papers recently featured stats on Manitoba’s sluggish employment growth rate.

Which cranes in downtown Winnipeg are for PRIVATE SECTOR initiatives? The Manitoba Hydro building? The HSC building on William? Moving away from downtown, what about the floodway project that has experienced cost overruns to the point where the scope of same has been scaled back to the detriment of some future generation? I acknowledge the need for public sector expenditures. However, BOTH the public AND private sectors should be stoking our economic engine. The public sector going it alone is not a sustainable economic strategy.

Hydro, unlike the telecom industry is still a natural monopoly. Fearmongering about Hugh’s evil plan may play well to people clinging to a 19th century paradigm about the delivery of telecom services. The rest of us are not too worried. Perhaps there may be a time where the sale of Manitoba Hydro might make sense. That time is not now.

The NDP are great as the social conscience of our fair province. They are unfortunately far less adept as actual managers…

Mamma Mia!

2007-02-28T07:11:00.000-08:00

Mia Rabson gets into the political mud flinging surrounding Crocus in today’s Free Press. She lays out the positions held by the various parties and then goes on to consult with Paul Thomas, a University of Manitoba politics professor who asserts:
And an endless delay in government business will upset voters, who are already disengaged and distrustful of politicians. "Up to a point the public will tolerate these tactics," said Thomas. "People are turned off by the negative theatrics of it all and they don't want to see it."

The article does a great disservice to its readers by going to the wrong talking head. The issue at hand is not what political party is doing what but rather how the NDP being “asleep at the switch” affects Manitobans who are investing their hard-earned money in the capital markets.

From the CFA Institute website:
Directors are representatives of shareowners and are charged with overseeing management — whose role it is to oversee relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and neighbors — and, as stewards of corporate assets, are responsible for overseeing the investment of those assets in a manner that maximizes shareowner value.

The fact that the NDP were made well aware of the liquidity problems with the fund coupled with the fact the Province had A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD does not bode well for investors’ confidence in our markets. The question we should be asking is whether or not the NDP owed a fiduciary duty to Crocus shareholders AND all Manitoba investors. If so, did they do everything in their power to ensure that they held themselves to this standard of care? I think there is only one way to find out.

Introducing the New 007

2007-02-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Although Daniel Craig received critical acclaim for his performance in Casino Royale, there’s an even better person for the role. He is suave. He is charismatic. He is handsome. He is also the master of stealth taxation. He is none other than our very own Gary Doer.

So before the year is over be sure to watch for Gary in the upcoming 007% - Taxes Are Forever. Judging by the bags of shwag the NDP has planned for voters, the marketing budget for this one is HUGE – it’s sure to be a bankbuster err blockbuster.

Thankfully, we have already seen the script. Our intrepid hero sneaks past the defences of the wary taxpayer and expands the PST. In a red-hot housing market, he then tells these taxpayers that under his leadership, they have seen their home equity values soar. If you must pay more in sales taxes, costs tend to increase – these costs expertly slip under the radar of a bull market. Just when the public starts questioning the accountability of school boards and increasing school taxes, he professes to have no control over the educational tax component of the public’s property tax bill and vanishes.

Release date for this action adventure? Spring or Fall, 2007. Watch for it – the legacy we are bestowing upon our children depends upon you the viewer following this complicated plot and seeing past the Hollywood magic…

The Perpetually Blooming Crocus

2007-02-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

Once again, I find myself watching the NDP handle business matters with a level of trepidation usually reserved for watching my children trying to be all grown up by using “big people” glasses or dishes. While you want to support their efforts, you can’t help but wonder what is going to get broken in the process. Unfortunately for Manitobans, our capital markets can’t be fixed or replaced as easily as smashed kitchenware.

From Sunday’s Free Press:

On Saturday, Selinger several times cautioned reporters there are two distinct issues that should not be confused -- the possibility Crocus foresaw in 2000 of future cash flow problems, and, as a separate issue, the value of the fund's investments, which Selinger emphasized were not under discussion in 2000.

The Blackberry Addicts, quick to vilify Hugh, added:

That the opposition is happy to confuse the liquidity and pacing issue with the actual problems with the value of Crocus's investments that led to shares stopping trading in 2004 is not at all surprising.
They want the confusion.
But that Manitoba news outlets are happily following along, confusing the issues is doing their public a great disservice.
In effect, they are lying to Manitobans.

Confusion? Lies? Unfortunately for Today’s NDP, liquidity is inextricably linked to valuation no matter how much our esteemed orange-scarfed investment gurus may argue otherwise. If investors were extended the courtesy of being made aware of liquidity concerns with Crocus, same would have eroded their confidence in the fund. This in turn would affect the price they would be willing to pay, regardless of “valuation” gamesmanship. For an illustration of just how important liquidity is in any business, click here.

The NDP are supposed to be the stewards of our capital markets. What do they think is happening to investor confidence in said markets if they keep making a mockery of them? While shell games belong on street corners, they don’t belong on the corner of Broadway and Osborne…

Book ‘Em, Danno? Not in Winnipeg

2007-02-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dan Lett’s most recent post touches on the crime debate facing our fair city. Apparently, Winnipeg fares no worse than any other urban centre. The debate is being fueled by “diatribists” (I hope this won’t require any “diaspora”-esque clarifications at a later date) who are merely engaging in histrionic political posturing.

Lett elects to critique the diatribists on their use of anecdotes. His critique is itself unfortunately devoid of any hard data that would effectively refute those apparently embroiled in political gamesmanship (an irony doubtlessly duly noted by a smarty pants wife). I would personally have used per capita auto theft statistics if I were to accuse someone else of posturing. After all, if there truly is no problem then this could surely be corroborated with some effortless number crunching.

Another contention is that those of us concerned with crime suffer from a distinct lack of cosmopolitan experience:
“It’s just immature, and evidence that you haven’t received many stamps in your passport, to try and make anyone believe Winnipeg has a bigger problem than other cities.”
Believe it or not Dan, some of us unwashed masses HAVE traveled and lived outside of the confines of the Perimeter. I felt much safer walking the streets of downtown Toronto in the wee hours of the morning than I do walking the streets of Winnipeg on a warm summer afternoon. The most colourful homeless person I frequently met in Toronto sang a cheery song of “If you’re happy and you know it, spare some change.” Here, the most colourful street people I have encountered were urinating on a luxury car in an Impark lot, urinating on Main Street, accosting my wife on multiple occasions and throwing each other into a plate glass window. The plural of anecdote may not be data but at least my anecdotes are predicated on first-hand experience.

The next major plank in Lett’s argument is that other urban centres have bigger concerns than petty crimes such as auto theft:
“Try and look at this debate through the eyes of residents in other cities. You think anyone in British Columbia watching the Willie Pickton murder trial is worried about the violent crime rate in Winnipeg? You think Torontonians are shocked by the pellet-gun shooting last week in Winnipeg as they watch the trial of a gang of youths responsible for the Boxing Day drive-by shooting murder of teenage girl? And what of Edmontonians — you wonder how much sleep they are losing over the state of our mean streets as they track a serial murderer who could be responsible for as many as a dozen vicious attacks on prostitutes?”
This clever assertion neglects to mention that Dan’s very own Winnipeg Free Press recently featured a story on the unsolved murders of many local sex-trade workers. Does that not constitute a “vicious attack”?

A local radio show (and likely subject of Lett’s post) sought the monetary costs from MPI for car theft and vandalism. If I remember correctly, the total tally came to $59 million. That would be the equivalent of 590 homes for the homeless. It could also pay the annual tuition for the ALL OF the full-time undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba with money to spare. This $59 million does not even include the deductibles paid by the victims or the losses from acts that go unreported.

Dan, maybe we would be able to solve poverty and dysfunction if we weren’t so busy paying for auto repairs. Money is a finite resource – once it is spent, you can’t use it somewhere else. $59 million and counting is one heck of a societal opportunity cost – one well worth acknowledging and eradicating…

Captain Green Caught Red Handed

2007-02-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Tom Brodbeck exposes a chink in David Suzuki’s environmental armour in today’s Winnipeg Sun. Apparently Captain Green is using a luxury tour bus (albeit diesel) to spread the environmental gospel.

Apparently there is a hierarchy in the environmental new world order. At the apex we have the Cadillac Escalade-driving Al Gore and the Luxo-bus-riding David Suzuki. The rest of us plebs are the ones that are expected to jam ourselves onto subways and spend hours waiting for buses.

I believe that we all should be concerned about global warming. Oil that took millions of years to produce is being consumed at much quicker rates. If the message is being spread by bourgeois environmentalists, however, responsible consumption becomes a tough sell.

Brodbeck also touches on Suzuki’s puzzling “carbon neutral” exercise in justifying use of his vehicular Taj Mahal. Apparently the environmental havoc being wreaked by a luxury coach can be negated by donating to green technologies. Can a murderer absolve themselves of guilt by donating to a family charity? Can a molester elude prosecution by donating to an orphanage?

WestJet flies planes on a regular schedule. If Suzuki and his entourage elected to fly on one of said planes, they would only marginally be adding to the fuel that is already being consumed. This could be rendered “carbon neutral” by staying in a hotel. The hotel is ALREADY consuming a fuel like natural gas to maintain room temperature. An extra 8 bodies in the hotel would lessen the work needed from the heating equipment. That would be TRUE carbon neutrality. Maybe even carbon negative…

Thanks for Nothing Anita

2007-02-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Liberal MP Anita Neville was on Marty Gold’s radio show last week. During same, she feigned righteous indignation that a Conservative MP dare suggest that our city has a problem with crime. We are, after all, an artistic and cultural centre.

Anita, I would just like you to know that TWO members of my family were victims of attempted car thefts/break-ins this weekend. The incidents occurred within HOURS of each other on the SAME day. The only member of my family that HASN’T fallen victim to this type of crime is the one that resides in another province. Some of us, myself included, have had this happen on more than one occasion.

While I appreciate our city’s great arts scene, I would appreciate it more if I didn’t have to deal with the broken windshield and smashed locks that occur while I am taking in the performance.

Will This Ever Enter the Debate?

2007-02-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

I am currently making my way through Tim Harford’s The Undercover Economist. A section that will be near and dear to the heart of every Canadian is the one analyzing public vs. private health care. Harford states that Britain’s public system has a 25% satisfaction rate while America’s private system has a 17% rate. I challenge anyone to find another industry with such low levels of customer satisfaction.

The book then goes on to expand the debate beyond the tiresome “all or nothing” 100% private vs. 100% public rhetoric that seems to mire the dialogue here in Canada. Singapore uses “forced saving and catastrophic insurance to make sure costs were manageable but keeping the power of patient choice at the heart of the system.” Imagine a system that operates sort of like a pension plan for most procedures except for extraordinary (i.e. “catastrophic”) circumstances.

And what are the outcomes?

“The typical Singaporean lives to the age of eighty, and the cost of the system (both public and private) is a thousand dollars per person – less than the cost of the bureaucracy alone in the United States. Each year, the typical Singaporean pays about seven hundred dollars privately (the average American pays about twenty-five hundred dollars privately) and the government spends three hundred dollars per person (five times less than the British government and seven times less than the American government).”

Perhaps it’s time for our “experts” to broaden the debate?

Motivational Tunes:

Blue Man Group – I Feel Love

Dio – Rainbow in the Dark

Morrissey – We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful

She Just Ain’t That Into You, Pal

2007-01-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

Once again, the rumours are starting to circulate that IKEA is going to bless us with a store. Maybe it’s the fact that most of their furniture reminds me of the morgue gurney being wheeled about in the intro to Six Feet Under but I for one do not care whether or not IKEA deems us worthy.

Some other Winnipeggers seem to have a dysfunctional relationship with IKEA. They lament that their home town doesn’t have this big box outlet while frenetically ordering from their catalogue. This conjures up images of some pathetic single fellow buying fancy dinners and bouquets for a woman who obviously does not share the same feelings. Said female has no qualms about stringing him along for the endless litany of shwag.

Perhaps those Winnipeggers, much like our single friend, must come to the realization that reeking of desperation coupled with a blind willingness to pay does not make for a compelling suitor. Once the steady stream of Winnipeg catalogue revenues stops, maybe our great city will seem far more attractive.

I personally will like IKEA a whole lot better once they start hiring Winnipeggers and paying property taxes. Just don’t expect me to buy any of their gurneys…

Rap Videos Must Be Lying

2007-01-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Stanley Ross beating incident reminded me of an interesting chapter in the Freakonomics book. The chapter is called “Why do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Moms?” Once the authors delved into the numbers, they found that most drug dealers earned only US$3.30 an hour. Yes, most dealers would actually be better off working a minimum wage job! It would also reduce their 1 in 4 chance of being killed.

Mr. Ross is not only a Level 4 car thief but a gang member as well. Aren’t all of the gangstas in rap videos driving $100,000 automobiles decked out in bling and spinners? It would seem that Mr. Ross’ need to steal someone else’s “ride” is decidedly less glamourous than the antics of his poseur MTV contemporaries.

If the MSM and politicians are to do anything productive on the gang front, perhaps the most important first step would be to deglamourize the gangsta lifestyle. There seems to be a wide enough discrepancy between the grim reality most gangbangers face and the P. Diddy lifestyle they aspire to. If the gritty truth were more prevalent than the MTV illusion perhaps prospective gang members would be more hesitant to make this unfortunate career choice…

Parental Guidance

2007-01-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

In suburbia, big box outlets and gyms aren’t the only place you will meet colourful characters. Having kids means meeting other parents and let me tell you, some of them are doozies. Among the more interesting:

1) The Admissions Officer is convinced that every mundane aspect of their child’s development is proof positive that said child is on the fast track to an ivy league college. They have Harvard, Princeton and Yale on speed-dial. Harvard, Princeton and Yale in turn have restraining orders against said parent.

2) The Absentee Landlord is usually found at a McDonald’s Playland, public park or any other similar sort of environment. They drop their child off and scurry away to read the paper or else engage in high volume cellphone banter so that other parents can hear just how important their personal lives are. Apparently, a play structure is a close enough proxy for actual parenting. The other parents might beg to differ - they are running defence as the Absentee Landlord’s monsters errr little darlings are conducting themselves with all the restraint of an inebriated Andy Dick at a black tie gala. The Absentee Landlord firmly believes it takes a village to raise their child and has no problems making you part of their village.

3) The Solo Artist is married to someone (usually the Absentee Landlord) who wasn’t keen on becoming a parent in the first place. The Solo Artist is thus forced to do double parental duty while their significant (sic) other is either at the salon or on the golf course. Telltale signs of a Solo Artist include disheveled hair and a nervous tic.

4) The Social Coordinator is hellbent on cramming every waking second of their child’s life with either play dates or extracurricular activities. Even a Cray supercomputer lacks the processing power to schedule a single day of a Social Coordinator’s child. They usually only succeed in creating an individual who is so lacking in independence that the child winds up carrying a security blanket well past their 30th birthday.

5) The Party Planner takes out a second mortgage on their house to finance their child’s extravagant birthday parties. While all the kids want burgers and hotdogs, the maitre d’ is serving Kobe beef and beluga caviar. The kids leave with Fendi goodie bags filled with vouchers to all of the top salons. All they wanted was a noisemaker and a plastic toy…

Motivational Tunes:
Saga – No Stranger (Chapter VIII)
Saga – Mind Over Matter
Saga – On The Loose

Christmas Must Really Suck for the Kids of Subway Executives

2007-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

The P&UW family bought a meal from Subway for the first time in a while. Our oldest loves kid’s meals for the toys that they bring. As I was the exact same way growing up (heck, I STILL am), I can hardly blame the little guy.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the “prize” for my toddler was a Burton snowboard poster. That’s the kid’s meal equivalent of getting a polka dot tie or flannel socks for Christmas. Daddy had to explain how the toy with this week’s dinner sucked and promised it will be a better one next time.

If anyone at Subway is reading this post I would just like to let you know that by the time my kids are old enough to appreciate your “toy”, they will be scarfing down foot-long subs by the dozen.

I guess I owe the little guy something from Burger King or McDonald’s. Is it any wonder why one of the first brands he recognized was the Golden Arches? At this rate he’s quickly being conditioned to hate the Subway logo and Jon Lovitz…

Motivational Tunes:
Saga – Amnesia
Buster Poindexter – Hot, Hot, Hot
Black Sabbath – Neon Knights

The Perils of Free Association

2007-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like the whole Canadian Wheat Board affair played nicely into Doer’s hands. Hugh himself offered up a tepid response, even in light of the shortcomings of the plebiscite. From the Winnipeg Sun:

Wowchuk said Strahl and Prime Minister Stephen Harper are acting like “ideological dictators” when it comes to the wheat board.
“They should let producers have say,” said Wowchuk.
Opposition Leader Hugh McFadyen agreed with the NDP minister.
“We certainly encourage the federal government to pay attention,” said McFadyen.
However, McFadyen was not in favour of the symbolic referendum, calling it a political ploy to divert attention from the NDP’s overall mismanagement of rural Manitoba.

Some random thoughts:

1) Harper should reward Doer’s concern about the CWB by returning the favour. In the middle of the provincial election, the Conservatives should demand income taxes from the unauthorized Seven Oaks School Division development project. The last time I checked, the financials indicated a provision for property tax (Income Statement & Schedule of Expenditures) and payment of GST (Note 6) but none for income tax (which is usually a pretty important line item on any other income statement). If the Province is going to get into the development game, it is time for Today’s NDP to pay their fair share of taxes on the profits. As an aside, does the fact that Seven Oaks gets to do a financial statement spanning 2 years and 4 months entitle us hardworking business owners to skip OUR required annual statement preparation? I wish governments held taxpayers to the same standards they hold themselves to. Do(er) as I say, not as I do(er).

2) It looks like Doer managed to spend $80,000.00 of taxpayer money to win the hearts of a few farmers. The general city dwelling public will also be fawning over Doer’s championing the rights of the downtrodden farmer – 70% of farmers are oppressed are they not? Shrewd politics on the public dime keeps me in perpetual awe of Gary’s political prowess.

3) I hope McFadyen was agreeing with Wowchuk’s “letting producers have a say” quote and not the “ideological dictators” assertion. Otherwise, Hugh’s going to have a tough time cozying up to Harper should McFadyen get the keys to the Leg. Of course, poking a finger in the eyes of the parent doling out the allowance could be part of the provincial Tory strategy to get us off of transfer payments.

4) Speaking of public money, a note to the Blackberry Addicts – there is a difference between the Conservatives using PARTY money to pay for election shenanigans and the Dippers using PUBLIC money (via a plum posting) to pay for their election shenanigans. Of course, the allegations against the NDP have yet to be proven so I’ll reserve my own moral indignation for a while longer.

And now on to Rorschach inkblots…

Show ME the Money, Gary

2007-01-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

The NDP released their results for the plebiscite on the Canadian Wheat Board today. Is anyone surprised to find that 70% of farmers voted to keep the single desk for wheat and that 62% decided to keep the single desk for barley? I expect our BBA friends to be posting shortly, gloating with all manners of “I told you so!” being volleyed about. Here is my response to the blog entry they haven’t written but are no doubt typing right now.

The most important number to look at in this analysis is the participation rate. Everyone knew going in that this was a symbolic vote meant to embarrass Harper & McFadyen on the cusp of a provincial vote, I mean, garner the opinion of farmers. Of all the farmers that could have voted on this matter, only 65% elected to do so.

If I were to hazard a guess as to who would be most likely to fully participate in the poll, I would assume it would be those farmers in support of the single desk. After all, the ones in favour of marketing choice are getting what they want so what is their incentive to participate in an essentially meaningless survey? That means 70% of 65% of farmers support the Wheat Board. This in turn represents only 45.5% of farmers overall, i.e. a minority.

We already knew that there was roughly 46% support for a status quo CWB going into this plebiscite. It is heartening to find that the NDP saw fit to waste $80,000.00 (let’s add this to the running tab on Spirited Energy and Manitoba Means Business) on the obvious conclusion. Why didn’t they just give the money to me? I gave the same numbers here a little while back. Next time, just give me the money and read my blog – I promise to spend the money in-province. Well, most of it anyways – Mrs. P&UW has been wanting a Vegas vacation lately…

Hugh-cy, You Got Some ‘Splaining To Do

2007-01-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

A little while back, the Black Rod had a post that made mention of Shae Greenfield’s dual political allegiances. Given the relative unease of some of the redder Tories vis-à-vis how much pull social conservatives have within the federal Tory party, this was not a totally shocking phenomenon. As an avowed social Liberal and fiscal Conservative, I myself am guilty of straddling the Liberal and Conservative divide.

It seems that in his travels, Shae has caught a strain of Trudeaumania that seems to afflict a certain percentage of diehard Liberals:
“As you may have gleaned from my photo with the man on my homepage, I am a supporter of Justin Trudeau’s (dare I say it) intentions to run for a seat in Parliament in the Montreal riding of Outrement.”

A rundown of his father’s legacy shows that Justin has big shoes to fill:
1) Increasing Canada’s national debt from $18 billion to $200 billion.
2) Rampant inflation during his administrative tenure.
3) The National Energy Program – mention these magic words to any Calgarian and they still clutch their hearts with all the fervour of Fred Sanford.

The Liberal Party at the tail end of the Trudeau era was also against free trade, an economic tenet that even our own Gary Doer now recognizes as a mechanism for global prosperity. My impression was that the Trudeau brand was anathema to people motivated enough to join the Progressive Conservative party here in Manitoba. If the former president of the PC Youth can see fit to support the potential second coming of P.E.T., just how virulent could Trudeaumania be elsewhere in the provincial Tory camp? Will Doer actually be the bigger fiscal conservative in the next election? Is that why there are all of those Manitoba Means Business billboards dotting the landscape?

Shae, although I am still one degree away from my doctorate, I would like to prescribe the following for your bout of Trudeaumania: take two Peter C. Newmans (I recommend Here Be Dragons and The Secret Mulroney Tapes) and call me in the morning.

Motivational Tunes:
Motorhead – Eat The Rich
Jane’s Addiction – Just BecausePeter Murphy – Cuts You Up
Catherine Wheel - Waydown

Calling all Eight Ball Award Recipients

2007-01-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

At first glance, Jeffrey Giles’ obituary in yesterday’s Freep seems like every other In Memorium in the paper. The heart-wrenching pain felt by the Giles family becomes readily apparent once you actually read it:

Jeffrey Giles
Died January 4, 1998
Jeff, though you live in our hearts and souls we miss you so much. The vermin who took your life will soon be free. Who will be next?
Mom and Dad

I hope the judges who let our criminals coast through the justice system got to read this tribute to Mr. Giles. The pain that society’s monsters create seems to EXPONENTIALLY outlast the actual penance they pay to those they have hurt.

I know that the talking heads for the Manitoba Bar Association think us laypeople don’t understand the nuances of the law. How many times have their talking heads told us as much in the editorial pages of the papers? What we do understand is that as parents and contributing members of society (and yes we are just as educated as the lawyers and/or judges, if not more so), sanctions for negative actions are the fine line that separates order from chaos. Without penal or economic disincentives, the world would be a scary place indeed. The sense of responsibility we try to instill in our own children is increasingly undermined by the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the judges that seem to be cozily removed from the crimes that affect the rest of us.

Perhaps we should be sending these individuals Thank You cards every time their rulings fly in the face of logic. If the Eight Ball Award isn’t enough for our judicial community to give their collective heads a shake, perhaps an avalanche of disdain from us unwashed masses might remind them about who they should truly be looking out for.

To the Giles family – as a father, I cannot even begin to imagine what you must go through, even 8 years after your tragic loss. The law is the mechanism by which the precious fabric of society is held together – we can only hope that the light sentences which allow increasingly emboldened criminals to unravel this fabric and make a mockery of this system comes to an end…

Fairness and Farewell

2007-01-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

The Free Press had an editorial yesterday on the issue of property taxes which advocated higher payment rates for businesses than for homeowners. What the editors fail to see is that a tax on business is ultimately a tax on consumers anyways. The costs associated with taxation are simply passed on to the end consumer under the guise of higher prices. If the Free Press was as interested in the notion of fairness as they purport to be, perhaps they should call for the eradication of all property tax in favour of allowing the City of Winnipeg to levy a consumption tax. In that way, people consuming goods (thereby using finite resources) are the ones paying the taxes. Should you elect to buy a Mercedes instead of a Cavalier, the City gets more tax revenue.

As an aside, does the Free Press’ altruistic stance means that they have NEVER appealed their property tax bill for 1355 Mountain Avenue? One would hope that given their staunch convictions on this matter, they are not displaying intellectual dishonesty by trying to cheat the taxman they seem to so vociferously support on their editorial pages. Remember dear editors that property tax appeals are a matter of public record – if the folks at the Black Rod made their way downtown would they be able to call shenanigans on your “principled” stance?
___________________________________________

A fond farewell to Curtis at Endless Spin. As the voice of reason when the blog rhetoric heated up, his insights will truly be missed. He was also one of the few bloggers that managed to raise the ire of supporters of ALL the political parties. You know you are doing a good job when you are simultaneously labeled an NDP, Liberal AND Tory apologist. Curtis, I hope you will still see fit to come by the Blogger sandbox and give us your non-partisan take on matters.

And welcome back to the Hack – I never took down the link on the hopes you would someday return. Now if only we could get Rasky back too!

Motivational Tunes:
Def Leppard – Tear it Down
David Bowie – Diamond Dogs (an Orwellian reference for the Manimal, wherever they may be)
Sons of Maxwell – Farewell to Nova Scotia (Curtis, I hope you got to see them on the Halifax Waterfront – maybe at The Lower Deck or the pub from which their name is derived?)

Big Box Belligerence, Part II

2006-12-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Apparently, my initial rundown of the many characters you may be unfortunate enough to meet during a sejour at one of the many big box outlets was incomplete. Since my last post, our family has also managed to meet:

1) The Stall Hoarder – This fine individual sees fit to double or triple-park their car even though its value ranks somewhere between a 1986 Lada and a 1987 Chevy Acadian. Their vehicle usually has stickers saying “Super Coupe” even though said automobile actually has four doors.

2) The Playa – Straight outta Compton, this person sees fit to share the wonderful world of Hip Hop with the rest of his (women tend to have more dignity than this character) fellow shoppers. If you wonder what Spinners were on sale at Canadian Tire last weekend, check out his rims. The Playa would likely have a fear-induced pee stain running down his leg if he were within a 300 metre radius of a true Gangsta. You usually see this person two or three times because he is circling the lot waiting for his other hardcore buddies to get out of the big box store. Since “bad a*s” and “big box” have the same number of letters and both start with “B” the Playa and his entourage’s confusion is understandable.

3) The Magician – You will meet this person at the checkout line. They think they have the talent to sneak in front of you without you noticing. The Magician becomes emboldened in his/her craft when people are too polite to call them on their shenanigans.

4) The General – This person deliberates over whether or not to purchase each of the 100 items in their cart at the actual point of purchase, much to the delight of everyone else in line. Time seems to actually move backwards while this amazing strategist decides whether or not this is the week they will finally spring for the deodorant.

5) The You-Haul – How else can you aptly describe someone who can’t see fit to return a cart to the Cart Return aisle of the parking lot even though IT IS ONLY ONE STALL AWAY from their own car?!?!? A particularly odious member of this clan will even push the cart so that it causes damage to a nearby vehicle. (Mrs. P&UW actually had to stop one of these projectiles while the “pusher” gave her a vacuous stare usually reserved for when we ask our toddler to explain first year calculus)

Motivational Tunes:

Econoline Crush – Home

Front 242 – Skin

Fishbone – Sunless Saturday

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2006-12-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday’s Free Press seems to be full of holiday cheer. On top of all of the articles on Christmas, Paul Samyn and Gordon Sinclair Jr.’s pieces cap off Christmas Eve on a high note.

While I have been critical of some of Samyn’s writings in the past, he wrote a really good article on Stephen Harper’s willingness to mention the word “Christmas” in holiday greetings. Yes, even as an agnostic, I do say “Merry Christmas” and no, it does not offend me when others wish me the same. I take offence when people try to turn the holidays into some politically correct mess. While our household may not celebrate Christmas in an overtly religious sense, we do see it as an opportunity to surround ourselves with cherished family and friends. As such, Christmas is a special day regardless of one’s religious leanings.

Gordon Sinclair Jr. does a great job making the case for renaming Winnipeg International Airport by showing the storied history of the remarkable James A. Richardson. After reading it, the only question one must wrestle with is why this wasn’t done sooner. While many know the gist of the Richardson family’s involvement in both Winnipeg and aviation history, it was nice to see a well researched piece elaborating on same. The Richardsons have done so much for our great city, sometimes I think they are taken for granted by their fellow citizens.

Merry Christmas everyone – may you spend the next few days surrounded by those who make the occasion special.

Beating Peter to Punish Paul

2006-12-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

A little while back, I had a few musings on the increasingly political undertakings of the Winnipeg Humane Society. It would seem the WHS isn’t the only chapter engaged in such antics. Apparently, the Humane Society of the United States has called for a boycott of Canadian seafood in protest of the seal hunt. They have even managed to get everyone’s favourite alcoholic, Jimmy Buffett on board.

While the HSUS has the right to call attention to the seal hunt, I don’t understand why they feel the need to punish other seafood fishermen in the process. What say does a crab or lobster fisherman have in all this? Hasn’t our cherished East Coast suffered enough?

So this weekend, if you find yourself dining out (in between Christmas visits), do our beleaguered East and West coast neighbours a favour and throw some seafood into your dietary regimen. And if Vicki Burns is seated next to you, ask her to do the same…

KICKing A

2006-12-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you meld the best of the Manitoba blogosphere with the MSM? The Great Canadian Talk Show hosted by Marty Gold, natch. This show is free of the rampant political correctness that has effectively neutered most of the local MSM’s analysis. You won’t find quaint city of Winnipeg pictorials that are launched in an effort to combat negative public perceptions of downtown. You will, however, find someone willing to honestly say that people are scared to frequent the core area and something needs to be done. Three muggings at the HSC are a problem and a “feel good” Freep photo spread won’t abate these concerns. Unlike the Freep, whose photo campaign lasted all of one day, Marty actually goes to the pains of revisiting issues with follow-ups and updates.

I must admit that an anonymous post on Andy’s blog piqued my curiosity and compelled me to tune in. Now I find myself planning my work day around the best hour on radio.

To top it off, the program also got me listening to the playlist for 92.9 FM. Many local stations play Radar Love (a song I have heard about three times a day for the past few decades – somebody needs to tell programming directors that Golden Earring has more than ONE single) but KICK FM is not one of them. Placebo, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction and the brainy yet ballsy Why (Brian Cook has easily bested many of his influences) are only some of the artists that you will find on this section of the dial.

The breath of fresh airwaves is a pleasant thing indeed...

Motivational Tunes:
Revolting Cocks – Cattle Grind
Dream Theater – The Big Medley
Monaco - Shine
Golden Earring – The Devil Made Me Do It (there’s more to this band than Radar Love!)

True Christmas Cheer

2006-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

The holiday season has a way of becoming more festive when children come into your life. They have a way of worming themselves into your cynical heart and giving you a fresh perspective on what is truly important.

Today Mrs. P&UW and I were at a store doing our holiday shopping. We saw a mother shopping with her children, one of whom was in a wheelchair. When she asked the grandmother to take her other children up the escalator, the child in the wheelchair exclaimed that they wanted to go up the escalator too. The sadness and utter dismay in their voice was heartbreaking.

Suffice it to say, a new & unwrapped toy seems so materialistic when compared to a child’s simple wish of being able to enjoy some of the most basic things we take for granted. This year our family’s charity will go to the Children’s Hospital Foundation instead of The Christmas Cheer Board. Here’s hoping that one day, medical science will find a way to get that little tyke on the escalator. That is worth more than any new & unwrapped toy…

You are More Charitable Than You Think

2006-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday’s post by the Black Rod raises a lot of great issues. The folks over at the Rod spend some time mulling over just how much the “private” sector actually contributed to the Spirited Energy campaign. An interesting little tidbit popped up:
“Manitoba Public Insurance gave $60,000 for this summer's travelling Spirited Energy street teams.”

Why is MPI giving ANY money to this campaign? Does Spirited Energy have anything to do with road safety or auto theft prevention?

It seems that the society pages of both the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Sun always have a large crown corporation contingent attending rubber chicken circuit events. In the free market, if you don’t agree with company A’s charitable initiatives, you can buy the products of company B. As the ones picking up the tab for Manitoban crown corporations, we can only hope that the vast expanse of charitable shindigs doesn’t mean higher rates the next time they appear before the Public Utilities Board.

If charity is the end goal of buying a table for 10 or 12, why not conduct yourself in a charitable manner? The bitter irony of having a banquet to raise money for hunger should be alleviated by having most of the seats filled by hungry families. Would you rather see the smiling mugs of a table of Manitoba Lotteries, Manitoba Hydro or Manitoba Public Insurance employees or 2 of their employees photographed with 8 to 10 people that actually use a food bank? If the dinner is to fight cancer, how’s about filling the tables with people that are in from out of town getting chemotherapy sessions for their children?

As the ones paying for all this fundraising, we should expect them to maximize the benefits of OUR generosity…

Motivational Tunes:
Megadeth – Paranoid
Motorhead – It’s a Long Way to the Top
Porno for Pyros - Pets

A Nation or an Island Unto Itself?

2006-11-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

Every corner of our glorious nation is spectacular. From the breathtaking view along the Cabot Trail to the amazing skies on a cold Prairie night to watching a pod of killer whales navigate the waters along the West Coast. And yes, Quebec is one of the many jewels in Canada’s great crown. However, are the Acadians, pioneers and cowboys any less special or distinct than the Quebec people?

Montreal should still be the financial nerve centre of Canada. Unfortunately, separatist sentiment caused capital investment to move west to Toronto. Instead of learning from this experience, politicians and pundits still insist on fanning separatist flames. Perhaps instead of discussing whether Quebec is a nation or a distinct society, the discourse should revolve around the true costs to Quebec of separating from Canada. I would include:

1) Canadian money would be withdrawn from circulation in Quebec. The new nation would have to establish its own monetary system and a method for circulating currency.

2) A new central bank – in line with number 1, Quebec would have to set up a central bank that sets monetary policy and deals with Quebec’s currency fluctuations in the international markets. If you think Canada has a tough time fighting currency speculators, imagine how much fun a nation with a fractional percentage of Canada’s population will have dealing with its “sovereign” currency in the international money markets.

3) New embassies, diplomats and foreign relationships. As an independent nation, Quebec would not be allowed to use Canadian embassies for foreign relations. They would have to construct their own from scratch.

4) New customs initiatives. It would now be incumbent on Quebec to monitor its own borders and waterways. This would include Hudson’s Bay and the Arctic.

5) Quebec would be required to negotiate its own air transport agreements with other nations. Imagine the difficulties of air travel if Canada did not grant Quebec even First Freedom privileges.

6) Quebec would require its own military. The new nation would also be required to develop its military technology without the help of Canada.

Naturally, this is only the beginning of the problems Quebec would face were the province to separate from Canada. Where would they even BEGIN to come up with the money and expertise to address these issues faced by every other nation on the planet? After all, when a teenager decides to run away from home, the parents don’t usually provide that teen with their chequebook. The streets of the Global Village can get pretty mean…

Only in America You Say? Pity

2006-11-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

An anonymous commenter on one of my older posts left an interesting link. I can honestly say that up to this point I had never heard of the Libertarian Party in the United States.

From their website:
Unlike liberals or conservatives, Libertarians advocate a high degree of both personal and economic liberty. For example, Libertarians agree with conservatives about freedom in economic matters, so we're in favor of lowering taxes, slashing bureaucratic regulation of business, and charitable -- rather than government -- welfare. But Libertarians also agree with liberals on personal tolerance, so we're in favor of people’s right to choose their own personal habits and lifestyles.

With so many of our political parties vying for the coveted “middle of the road”, it would be interesting to see how well a Libertarian Party would do up here in Canada. Just how many Red Tories and Blue Liberals are out there? Could we amount to more than just a faction of the Conservative or Liberal parties?

A Tough Week

2006-11-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

First the Reverend Harry Lehotsky and now Milton Friedman.

The world is a better place because for a fleeting moment, these two outstanding individuals were in it.

Rest In Peace…

The PPG Believes in Empowerment

2006-11-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

Paul Samyn’s blog entry today features the tale of the tape on the latest “war” between the Parliamentary Press Gallery and Harper. Thankfully, Lemon Chicken’s post of a few days ago also helps us understand what went on.

While I hope the real aggressor gets pilloried in the court of public opinion be they a PPG goon or Conservative lackey, I do have a question for the indignant Samyn and Lemon Chicken - is the PPG so bereft of pointed questions for Prime Minister Harper that a camera operator is now empowered to ante up questions in the PPG journalists’ stead? And what an amazing question to ask:
He tried to ask Stephen Harper a question about whether he would accept the challenge of 18-year-old Dawson College shooting victim Hayder Kadhim to debate the Tory promise to abolish the long-gun registry.

So the camera operator wants to broker a debate between the Prime Minister and an unfortunate victim who is so traumatized that he can’t tell the difference between an assault rifle and some Western Canadian duck hunter’s gun? How very Michael Moore. If a PPG member ran up to the podium and gave Prime Minister Harper a wedgie, I bet the look on Harper’s face would be one for the ages – is this Robin Samyn and His Merry Men’s next move in their self-imposed role as “official opposition”? If you are going to paint Harper as the next Idi Amin, what better way to do it than with a picture of Harper making a funny face.

The PPG would go a long way in establishing credibility if they were to beat Harper at his own game instead of just keeping Amnesty International on speed dial. Go on the dreaded list and SHOW your readers that the Conservatives are playing favourites. Getting camera operators to act like belligerent frat boys paints PPG journalists in a light that straddles the great intellectual divide somewhere between Michael Moore and a real-life Borat. I for one expect more from our press than Gotcha! journalism…

Motivational Tunes:
Motorhead – Killed by Death
Crush – Jellyhead
Public Image Ltd. – Seattle
Loudness – We Could Be Together

Our Own Private Kyoto

2006-11-14T11:07:00.000-08:00

The Conservatives have taken a lot of heat lately over their Clean Air Act. Some have gone so far as to call for reinstatement of our obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. To all of the detractors I ask the following questions:

1) Have YOU cut your dependence on fossil fuels by making better use of public transit and by using a programmable thermostat? Public transit ridership data seems to show otherwise. I’m also sure significantly less than 100% of Manitoba homes have programmable thermostats.

2) Do YOU make a conscious effort to buy 100% recycled paper towels and toilet paper? It’s out there – it may not be the Quicker Picker Upper but it still works. In a similar vein, do you make a conscious effort to buy detergents with lower levels of phosphorous? Do you buy products that have higher recycled content than competing products or that use 100% recycled paper and/or plastics in their packaging materials?

3) Are YOU using low wattage ballasted bulbs and recyclable batteries? (Incidentally, we did manage to find the toy in question a week later – in the dryer, right where one would expect it to be. If it wasn’t for the weekly ritual of laundry day, said toy would be lost forever.)

4) If you are a journalist or employee of a newspaper, WHAT PERCENTAGE of your paper uses recycled newsprint? What are the targets to get this number to 100%? Do your advertisers have the same goals for the three tonnes of flyers they include in your daily deliveries to subscribers? Is that bag your sister publication comes in made out of 100% recycled plastic as well?

It is commendable that some expect our government to commit to radical changes. Perhaps we can all start by making micro-level changes in the way we run our OWN households prior to expecting government to solve all of our problems for us. After all, as consumers, we have the power to vote with our wallets. And that is far better than ANY government-led initiative. I’ll be the first to admit that there’s a lot of changes I need to make before I can hold Harper & Ambrose to account for the environment…

If I Worked for the CSA

2006-11-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

If I were an employee of the Canadian Standards Association, I would make car seat manufacturers take a simple test prior to granting them permission to sell their car seats in Canada:
In my presence they would have to take a 70-80 pound RABID Doberman and attempt to properly secure it in their own creation. I would have the utmost confidence that should any manufacturer pass this test, parents would have somewhere between a 33-47% chance of being able to put their own children into the same seat. Cujo pales in comparison to a toddler who hasn’t had his/her nap.

Trying to get my kids safely secured before we hit the road is reminiscent of those episodes of COPS where the redneck just won’t cooperate by getting into the back seat of the squad car. Swap the wifebeater shirt for a winter snowsuit and you have a parental rite of passage anytime you want to travel between the months of November to March.

Motivational Tunes:
Dangerous Toys – Scared
Kylie Minogue – Love at First Sight
Enuff Z’nuff – Fly High Michelle
Madonna – Deeper and Deeper
(divas and hair bands!)

The Throes of Addiction

2006-11-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I got my first glimpse into what it must be like being a crack addict looking for the next hit. All I can say is that it wasn’t pretty. What was I trying to score? Batteries for my kids, naturally.

It all started innocently enough. Our oldest is now obsessed with robots. We accordingly bought him a battery operated robot toy. The batteries lasted about as long as Kevin Federline’s tenure on the Billboard charts. As we had bought AAA rechargables, we thought it fiscally prudent to use them in this new toy lest we otherwise be forced to give our mortal souls and title to our house to the Energizer bunny.

You would be astounded how many children’s toys these days take batteries. The precision screwdriver is like the crack pipe of the parent – my wife and I spent the better part of the day trying to figure out which toy we last put the rechargeable AAA’s into. Since most of the toys are powered by AA batteries, this is trickier than it sounds – the toys mention 1.5 volts of power but NOT whether it needs AA’s or AAA’s – one must actually go to the pains of opening the battery compartment, which has anywhere between 1 to 4 screws that are arc welded to the battery compartment.

It is now a day later and we STILL have no idea where those ****ing AAA rechargables are. We have many AA’s kicking around – maybe a visit to the pawn shop is in order. Such is the life of an addict…

Motivational Tunes:
Days of the New – Enemy
Moby – We Are All Made of Stars
Nine Inch Nails – Dead Souls
Boz Scaggs – Lido Shuffle

Oh No Dave!

2006-11-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

A little while back, I posted an entry complimenting Dave Angus. Today, I am here to do the opposite.

In yesterday’s Free Press, Angus and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce critique the CWB task force report because it “doesn't address the impact its recommendations would have on Winnipeg's economy.”

Forgive me for thinking that the only important issue in this matter is the farmers themselves. While it would be nice if the farmers decided that the CWB remains intact and gainfully generating economic spin-offs for Winnipeg, the benefits to the ‘Peg should NOT be a deciding factor in the CWB’s future.

I prefer that the economy of my beloved city be predicated on viable corporations, government agencies that serve a useful purpose and citizens that push themselves to the best of their abilities. Keeping a government entity just because it creates “spinoffs” strikes me as anything but a sound business decision. If the farmers decide that the CWB (or some version thereof) is the best way to represent their interests THEN we should go on to make a compelling case for why the CWB belongs right here at home.

Surely the Chamber of Commerce sees Winnipeg as more than just a Potemkin village of government agencies that are kept with a view to maintaining jobs and economic benefits without actually having a mandate to address the needs of people said agencies are supposed to represent...

I’m #1123

2006-11-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Rick Mercer has asked Canadians to weigh in on the Michael Fortier issue. While I have been supportive of most of Harper’s initiatives thus far, I think Fortier SHOULD run in the Repentigny by-election. So you can find me as petitioner #1123.

Is running in the by-election a suicide mission? Perhaps. On the other hand, should Fortier get a simple & cushy pass in the next general election by safely running in a Tory stronghold?

Prime Minister Harper has taken a lot of heat over giving Fortier the Public Works portfolio. I for one thought it was a clever move to extend an olive branch to Montreal voters. Let’s see how they repay Harper’s generosity. If they elect another Bloc-head (I still marvel at how a party with a separatist agenda can engender so many federal votes), it is the Repentigny voters that will look bad, not the Conservatives.

After all, Harper tried to give Montreal a seat at the table. If Repentigny wants to sit this one out, it is their loss…

Motivational Tunes:
Marc Anthony – I’ve Got You
KISS – Shock Me
L.A. Guns – Rip and Tear
The KLF – Last Train to Transcentral

BS in the Wheatfields?

2006-10-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

In his blog entry today Paul Samyn expresses his dismay that the Tories “leaked” their plans for the Canadian Wheat Board to those ugly Americans. Oddly enough, Mr. Samyn’s post on October 12, 2006 analyzes the Quebec ramifications of Harper’s plans to overhaul the CWB. So we knew for quite some time changes are coming. And what are these dastardly and decidedly diabolical leaks?

Midgie indicated the task force will make recommendations on the length of a transition period after which the CWB would fully lose its monopoly powers.

The task force report is also expected to offer recommendations on how the
CWB could acquire capital to make up for capital it expects to lose when
all wheat, barley and durum growers in western Canadian provinces do not
have to sell their grain through the CWB.

How deliciously evil. In other news, I am leaking info on the new Nine Inch Nails album. Prior to reading on, remember that you read it here first:

1) The album will have the words Nine, Inch and Nails somewhere on it.

2) There will be songs on the album.

3) Videos should also be forthcoming, probably based on a few of the album’s stronger songs.

4) Expect Trent Reznor to sing on it and play a few instruments as well.

I am now bracing myself for the inevitable lawsuit from the defunct Nothing Records as well as Samyn’s fury for my scoop. Paul – I could understand your indignation if the ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS THEMSELVES were leaked.

It looks like Harper isn’t as cozy with Bush as some would have us believe. All our largest trading partner gets as a preamble to an issue dramatically affecting US/Canada trade are some pithy hints that recommendations are coming. I wonder if all of Reg Alcock’s leaks to Paul Samyn were this innocuous or predictable.

It is interesting to note that one of the contentions of the U.S. as posted by Mr. Samyn himself is:

The U.S. government for years through the WTO has tried to eliminate the monopoly powers of the CWB, which it argues gives Canadian wheat growers the ability to underprice U.S. growers.

From the CWB Web site:

CWB is able to provide marketing clout As the sole marketer of the high quality wheat and barley grown in western Canada, the to individual farmers who benefit from higher returns. By selling together, western Canadian farmers are able to exert more power in the marketplace than they could if they were competing against each other.

So as champion of the farmers, the cartel known as the CWB uses a monopoly position for dumping? Either the US government or the CWB is making a flat-out erroneous claim. I hope that farmers get to the bottom of this to ensure that their needs are truly being addressed. Judging by all of the silly rhetoric, aided and abetted by the MSM, perhaps 54% of farmers are right to question who is looking out for their best interests.

Oh Those Cheeky BBA Monkeys, Part 4

2006-10-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Blackberry Addicts’ latest post is rife with commentary on yesterday’s election results. Judging by the tone of the article, it is safe to assume that Today’s NDP are more than a little sore that their slate of candidates didn’t fare better. The BBA folks are so stricken, they went so far as to bemoan the loss of the ever-sensationalistic Benham. Apparently, it is difficult in times of great sorrow to see the subtle nuance between opportunism and opposition. This is understandable since both words start with the same first three letters.

While the BBA weave their frightful tales of right-leaning yes-men & women just in time for Halloween, they neglected to mention the NDP’s own rabid involvement in the civic electoral process. As I recall, the NDP was the only party that actually had THEIR NAME on the signs of civic candidates they were endorsing. Forgive me for not buying into their Orwellian (that one’s for you, H.O.G.) references to the “much moneyed Katz” or the “River Heights rubber stamp.” Do the BBA folks honestly expect us to believe that their own slate of candidates would not espouse the wisdom inherent in the Great Orange Way?

So without getting as abrasive as the militants in the orange fatigues (I can’t say I’m going to miss Benham as I don’t believe in acting as opposition solely for opportunity’s sake), let me say welcome back Sammy! I hope you and Dan Vandal play nice together. Dan will be a great addition to the fray provided that he doesn’t act solely as the NDP yes-man certain bloggers might expect him to be.

After all, the BBA’s cries of righteous indignation over right-wing gamesmanship ring a little hollow when they were engaged in the same antics at the other end of the political spectrum…

Gym-Boor-Ee

2006-10-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Big box stores apparently aren’t the only place where people abrogate social decorum. After meeting a fine (albeit profusely sweaty) fellow who fell in to category #1 of the following, I was compelled to make a list of the many personalities you will sometimes find at your local gym. Without further ado I present to you:

1) The Prince/Princess of Perspiration – This individual is above cleaning up gym equipment after they use it. There is usually a compelling statistical correlation between how much said person perspires and how unwilling they are to clean up after themselves. The POP thinks their liquid greatness should be bottled and sold at Dior counters around the world. The rest of us must hold back the urge to vomit when we have to use 2 or 3 towels and a gallon of disinfectant spray to wipe down after them.

2) The Shotputter – This person feels a manic urge to throw the equipment after every set. Instead of putting a dumbbell or barbell down in a careful and controlled manner, they cast it aside with enough force to damage both the equipment in question and the floor. Apparently, the only way to show the other gym members that you have worked out to exertion is by making a sonic boom. Thankfully the exercise bikes and elliptical trainers are heavy otherwise they too would likely be tossed around after this moron moved on to their cardio regimen.

3) The Monopolist – This person must do 30 sets without interruption. When you ask after the 14th set (and an hour of waiting) if you can “work in”, this person regards you with such disdain you immediately wonder if you accidentally asked The Monopolist if you could engage in physical discourse with his mother and a circus monkey. Apparently this gronk failed the sharing lessons in kindergarten but still managed to pass the trickiest and only year of his/her academic life.

4) The Gumby – This person exhibits dangerous form while lifting 20-50 pounds more than they should. The Gumby manages body twists that most people couldn’t achieve even when hit by a moving vehicle. You usually only see this member once because their next visit is usually to the hospital. As with #2 on our list, it is best to keep a safe distance away lest a stray weight come your way.

5) The Town Crier – This person can only heave their weights if they utter a bestial and guttural cry first. Everyone else stops their own respective exercises because they think The Town Crier has just seriously hurt him/herself. Anyone within a three mile radius of T.C. must go to an audiologist right after their workout.

6) The Playa – This man (I have yet to meet his female counterpart) is under the misguided impression that all of the females are there for his pleasure. I mean, why else would a female come to the gym in shorts or sweat pants? The Playa cruises the gym in his crushed velvet track suit chatting up and scaring away scores of female patrons.

If you are tired of the antics of some big box shoppers, maybe it's time to hit the gym…

A Short Term Solution for the Clean Air Act

2006-10-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

One of the persistent criticisms of the new Clean Air Act is that there are no short term benefits. In the spirit of addressing this critique, I propose the following: a ban on mobile sign trucks.

As someone who has taken more than my fair share of marketing courses, I understand and appreciate the difficulties inherent in reaching consumers. Putting your message on a vehicle going into rush hour traffic that has no real productive use just doesn’t strike me as an intuitive way to do it. I would understand if the vehicle was also used to transport goods or people like a bus or delivery truck but taking up road space just to shill a company’s wares only serves to aggravate your potential consumers. Not to mention how bad running said truck is for the environment.

So to potential advertisers, be ye warned that I will NOT buy your product if I see it advertised on a mobile sign truck – it wastes energy and takes up extra space, especially during rush hour. To the companies that came up with this commercial brain-fart (I couldn’t resist a cheeky noxious odour reference) - how’s about moving some people or goods at the same time? Otherwise, get off of the road!

Motivational Tunes:
Steve Winwood – Night Train
Emma Bunton – Maybe
Ratt – I Want a Woman
Racer X – Detroit Rock City

Northbound Betty Suarez

2006-10-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make – I am a big fan of the new show Ugly Betty. I am not a Prada junkie nor a Hugo Boss-man – my interest in the show lies in the fact that it depicts a subsection of the business and political types that one must interact with on a daily basis.

While most people (95-99% thankfully) I have the pleasure of dealing with over the course of my day are nose to the grindstone salt of the earth types, there are also the Mode Magazine types. These people go through life with the honest belief that the rest of the world is there to serve their every whim and fancy.

If they are a business person, they treat employees as chattel. Bank loans and their own businesses are a slush fund to finance their lifestyle of luxury cars, clothes, vacations and fine dining. When it comes time to pay their suppliers, they plead poverty while wearing a watch worth more than most people’s first home down payment. Front line employees are treated with a level of contempt usually reserved for serial murderers or rapists. While these people have a sociopathic disregard for charities and the people/creatures said charities are supposed to help, they are all too quick to make the rounds on the rubber chicken circuit in order to be seen.

The irony here is that while these folks conduct themselves in such a boorish manner, they are oblivious to the fact that others can see through their patently phony demeanour. You may be married to a high powered local lawyer but that doesn’t give you carte blanche to abuse your server at a restaurant. You see, your server is paying his/her way through college. And like the one you saw fit to use as a punching bag 10-15 years ago, he/she will come to deal with your husband’s firm while ensuring your “power broker” mate NEVER touches any one of his/her files. (This true story brought to you in part by Mrs. P&UW)

A subset of politicians and union leaders also fall into this trap. While the avenue of exploitation may be different – union dues or public money instead of bank loans and supplier carry/abuse, their conduct is still the same. And yes, we see through them too.

For those folks who think they are putting one over everyone else in our fair city – guess again. We are just too polite to say anything. Plus, we get a kick out of you parading around in such a laughably haughty manner…

(Bonus points to anyone who can guess where the other half of my title came from – any 92 Citi fan should be able to get the reference)

Making Political Hay out of Wheat

2006-10-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Both Dan Lett and Paul Samyn have weighed in on Harper & Strahl’s decision to “gag” the Canadian Wheat Board. Suffice it to say, they are not in favour of the Conservative Party’s decision.

I sincerely hope that this is a true farmer’s referendum on the efficacy of the CWB. As such, the only people whose voices should be heard on this matter are the actual CUSTOMERS of the CWB and not the CWB itself. Think of this as a rather expensive and expansive customer satisfaction survey – should the CWB be allowed to spend money filling out their own evaluation forms or goading farmers into filling out the forms “properly”? I personally don’t think so.

Both raise the issue that perhaps the Conservatives have already come to the conclusion that the CWB needs to be eradicated. Should this be true, I hope Samyn and/or Lett ferret out this nugget and expose it to all Canadians over the course of the purportedly “impartial” hearings to be conducted. Barring that, I hope Harper and Strahl are mindful of the scrutiny afforded them and go about this matter with the open mind required on this file.

If the CWB is such a great institution, I hope farmers come to the CWB’s defence. If not, I hope the customers have the final say in either eradicating or overhauling this monopoly. The customer should be king – not the CWB, Samyn, Lett, Harper or Strahl. The only people that should be allowed to make hay out of the Canadian Wheat Board review should be the farmers themselves…

Oh Those Cheeky BBA Monkeys, Part 3

2006-10-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

The folks over at BBA are feigning righteous indignation over the Conservatives’ new environmental plan. Note to the BBA: where is your post bemoaning Gary Doer’s inaction in regulating temporary asphalt plants?

From the CBC Website:
A loophole in provincial conservation laws allows the plant at the corner of Highway 6 and the Perimeter Highway to operate without any pollution controls.
The plant is operated by a private company under contract to the provincial infrastructure department. Residents and commuters say they worry about the health and environmental effects of the smoke.
CBC News had reported that a loophole in provincial laws has exempted the plant from any pollution controls, since it does not run year-round and it is located outside the city. But Struthers said Friday that should not be an excuse.

If the NDP is adamant about protecting the environment, how’s about focusing on the things THEY can change without waiting for the press to expose it first? Right now, the NDP environmental mantra seems to be “fix things only when cornered like rats.”

I must admit that although I do not tend to agree with the BBA folks on many issues, they are extremely adept at coming up with names and titles. Rona – The How Not-To Person? Hugh McFading? These are too clever. When the NDP finally does leave office in the next election (or the one after that - who says Gary can't bat another one out of the park?) any ad company would be foolish not to enlist the aid of the Orange Blogging Brigade.

Motivational Tunes:
Sisters of Mercy – Marian (version)
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Tower of Song
Electronic – Get the Message
Soundgarden – Hands All Over

Big-Box Belligerence

2006-10-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Statisticians (at least the ones not doing political polls) are so modest that they assert causality is implied and never actually proven. I’m pretty sure I can prove rather than simply imply that the arrival of my children has caused me to visit big box-stores more often. For some inexplicable reason, big-box stores turn the nicest people into sociopathic boors. Some of the big-box personality types I have had the pleasure of meeting:

1) The Friendly Neighbour – on the rare day when the available parking stalls are actually numerous, you may elect to park a few hundred yards away from everyone else. This enables you to get the kids out of their car seats and get them into a shopping cart and/or stroller with ample maneuvering room. You also have enough time to safely chase down a baby bottle that has been thrown farther than one of Troy Westwood’s kicks without actually becoming roadkill. The Friendly Neighbour knows that what you are missing most on your shopping excursion is human contact. They take it upon themselves to sociably park RIGHT NEXT to you although there isn’t another car around for miles. If they are feeling exceptionally charitable, they will park on the side your oldest (and biggest) child is on and actually traverse the yellow line, encroaching on your stall. They then have the courtesy to glare at you while you are doing your best to extricate your children to make sure you don’t ding their door. When you have proven to them that you are a contortionist worthy of Cirque du Soleil, they still leave in a huff.

2) The Shopping Cart Copperfield – this person has the unique talent of making the only shopping cart with child seats disappear. You later encounter this nattily dressed female at the checkout counter buying one bottle of nail polish or hairspray. While your kids have been flopping around in the front of your cart and making a mess of your purchases by opening boxes and spilling its contents, you are grateful that the Shopping Cart Copperfield made better use of the cart than you would have. I mean baskets are just so heavy and they crease supple hands!

3) The Cartstuffer – this is the one person you never get to have the good fortune of meeting face to face. Our mystery shopper feels that the next person to use their cart will have a better shopping experience if they fill the only cart left with used cups and tissues laden with some of their bodily fluids. If they could, they would probably throw in a used rectal thermometer for good measure. The terms “pockets” and “garbage cans” are missing from their vernacular. My theory is that they are actually employees of the store because you invariably buy barbecue tongs to handle the cart contents and lighters to burn the biohazardous materials.

4) The Crosswalk Andretti – this person honestly believes the “Pedestrian Crosswalk” sign entitles them to step on the accelerator. If the Crosswalk Andretti is particularly diligent, they will actually take note of how many pedestrians they almost mowed down on their latest tear through the front of the store. (I actually believe NO TRAFFIC should be allowed at the entrance of a big box outlet but I’ll save my “traffic should be routed to the parking lot periphery” rant for another day)

5) The Aisleway Cholesterol – this person clogs the arteries of the store like a daily meal of 5 Big Macs. While perusing the store’s wares, they see fit to park their cart in the MIDDLE of the aisle lest anyone dare pass them when they are caught in the passionate throes of deliberating between Pepsi or Coke. If you are having a really good day, this person will be unable to do the requisite math to ascertain whether 3 for $4.00 is cheaper than 2 for $3.00. This has the benefit of prolonging the joyous experience of your big-box shopping excursion.

6) The Time Machine – this person signifies that the end of your shopping trip is near, relatively speaking. They will bring in a sale flyer from three months ago and argue ad nauseum with the cashier that the same price should still apply. You can see the exit but the fitful outbursts of your children by this point in your shopping experience make it seem light years away. With luck, Mr. or Mrs. Time Machine will give up within another 15 to 20 minutes.

7) The Spawner – this individual lacks the reading comprehension skills to differentiate between “Entrance” and “Exit”. It may be an honest mistake – I mean they both start with the letter “E” and in this harried era, who has the time to read anything more than the first letter? This person will enter the store through the exit and give you a stern look because you can’t stop the 300 pound cart of diapers and wipes you are pushing (on an incline) to avoid the inevitable collision.

With any luck you too shall come to meet these bastions of social grace and decorum….

Humanely Throwing Rocks at Glass Houses

2006-10-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

My last post gave me reason to ponder the Winnipeg Humane Society’s newest shelter. All of the press surrounding the project thus far has been positive. What could be better than a home for downtrodden puppies and kittens?

Thus far, I have heard no mention of a Clean Environment Commission report for THEIR new building. Was an ARM’S LENGTH study by the Commission even undertaken? The WHS currently cares for 9,000 animals per year. I would assume that the new facility will allow for growth in this number.

How will the waste for these animals be handled? Will it be dumped into municipal sewers without any form of treatment? The shelter takes in a lot of stray animals. Many of these animals will likely have kennel cough, Parvo (my dog bias is showing) and other unsavoury diseases arising from owner neglect and/or time on the streets. If the waste of these animals makes it into the Red River during a sewage spill, does this mean a dog going into the Red River by Kildonan Park during his/her nightly walk runs the risk of inadvertently catching one of these diseases?

How will the waste of the animals on the shelter grounds be treated? One would hope that these animals will spend at least part of their time outside frolicking about. Will their feces and urine leach onto adjoining properties? Should the folks at the nearby Tim Horton’s and Cora’s be worried when they step into a food handling establishment? Will the employees be tracking in traces of urine, excrement and e. coli when they walk in through the back door? While solid waste will likely be picked up with some frequency, I can’t see the powers that be picking up urine, even in winter. When all of the snow melts, will the urine of 9,000 animals be running onto the streets, into the stormwater systems and onto adjoining properties?

It looks like OlyWest shouldn’t be the only entity subject to closer scrutiny by the Clean Environment Commission. Perhaps the WHS should expend spend more of its energy on some serious introspection. The fact that puppies and kittens are cuter than pigs on their way to the slaughterhouse shouldn’t affect our critical evaluation of BOTH projects and the pressing need for adjudication by an objective third party…

Political Lobbying on Taxpayers’ Dimes

2006-10-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

Bartley Kives’ article in Saturday’s Free Press featured a Motley Crew of organizations banding together to form the OlyOpp Alliance. The usual suspects are all present – OllyOpp Group, Marianne Cerilli, etc. The inclusion of the provincial Liberals caught my eye. As Kevin Lamoureux holds his Thursday meetings at McDonald’s (a corporate entity ironically blasted for mass beef production), I can only surmise that he isn’t a big fan of the McRib.

The most interesting participant in this whole affair is the Winnipeg Humane Society. I guess they are now more than just advocates for homeless cute puppies and cuddly kittens. My only contention with their increasingly political role is the fact that they are using taxpayer money via the Canada Manitoba Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF). If private donors see fit to fund the WHS’s political initiatives, that is their prerogative. However, it isn’t incumbent on governments to fund lobby groups, no matter how seemingly benign they may be. I wonder how pork industry employees feel about a portion of their tax money going towards efforts to thwart their livelihoods.

It is also curious that the WHS’s efforts are targeted directly at OlyWest. If the Humane Society has a bone of contention, it should be directed towards the appropriate legislative body governing pork production. A company abiding by current laws should not have its business affected by a lobby group. This is also is procedurally unfair in that existing pork producers are left untouched. I would assume that environmental regulations dealing with pork producers become more stringent over time. Thus, these older producers are free to carry on their antiquated (and less environmentally sound) business practices while the new entrants are victims of politics at the hands of Vicki Burns and her ilk.

While the WHS’s proposed new shelter is a sight to behold, it does also present some interesting questions, especially for someone who is keen on the notion of leveraging finite resources. For starters, it is being built on some of the most valuable land in the city of Winnipeg. Personally, I would have moved the building somewhere else (i.e. cheaper land costs) and used the excess money to fund ongoing operations. Construction costs are estimate to be $275.00 per square foot. I wonder how much lower these costs would be if the building was a bit more utilitarian in nature. After all, as much money as possible should be going to the actual care of the animals the WHS is tasked with looking after…

From the Folks Who Brought Us Spirited Energy

2006-10-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Curtis Brown’s recent post made me simultaneously laugh and shake my head in utter disbelief. Yes, Today’s NDP is at it again – this time with their in motion program:

“A new trial initiative that allowed rural libraries to loan pedometers and information on physical activity to Manitobans will now be offered to all libraries throughout the province, Healthy Living Minister Kerry Irvin-Ross announced here today at the launch of Brandon in motion.”

My favourite quote in the press release comes from Minister Eric Robinson:
“This program is a simple and cost-effective way to provide pedometers to Manitobans, helping reduce barriers to physical activity and encouraging people to make healthy choices.”

People have been walking for tens of thousands of years, most of them sans pedometer. Now the absence of a pedometer during one’s exercise regimen is a barrier to physical activity? I feel so marginalized!

Perhaps the next logical step is to involve our various police forces – tickets will be issued to people that do not exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day, three days per week. All Manitobans will be required to keep an exercise log sheet with actual time spent exercised verified by a Notary Public or Commissioner for Oaths. Failure to comply with this edict will result in a stern letter of reprimand from the Minister of Justice and a suspended sentence with double credit for any time served watching Spirited Energy advertisements.

Today’s NDP – putting the “Social” in the time honoured science of Engineering…

Motivational Tunes:
David Bowie – It Ain’t Easy
Eddie Rabbitt – Driving my Life Away
Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta
(a decidedly weird list brought to you without hallucinogens OR pedometers)

What’s Not On Winnipeg

2006-09-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Winnipeg Free Press is proudly trumpeting its newest web site – What’s On Winnipeg. Having perused it, I am having difficulty establishing what the site is attempting to achieve. The ads would suggest that this is the ‘Peg’s hottest new social calendar – one can quickly and conveniently find all of the city’s happenings and goings-on.

There is a disconnect between what the ads purport the site to be about and what content actually can be found online. For example, one would erroneously assume that the Food & Drink section is about the plethora of amazing restaurants that grace our city and outlying areas. The lead story in this section oddly features suggestions on how to fill out your spice rack. How this helps me come up with new restaurant ideas is beyond me.

What’s On also reads more like a newspaper than a website. The movies section does give you a list of the week’s top films but only if you go to the pains of scrolling down to find it. Forest Whitaker fans, however, will rejoice in the fact that his picture currently takes up almost the whole initial load screen. The lazier surfers among us will think they happened upon a pictorial gallery.

With all of the fanfare surrounding Winnipeg’s newest social website, I was expecting the second coming of My Winnipeg (before MTS meddling effectively killed its appeal). What we have instead is a newspaper’s version of the social calendar – long on content, short on convenience. What’s On is essentially the Winnipeg Free Press’ online site with prettier pictures and slower loading times.

While the folks at Where Winnipeg must have been a bit worried pre-launch, I can’t help but think they are breathing a little easier these days…

Motivational Tunes:
David Bowie – Look Back in Anger
Blue Man Group – Opening Mandelbrot
Nine Inch Nails – Ruiner (rejected trance mix)

An OllyOopps Straight Into the Lunatic Fringe

2006-09-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

A political candidate has no better ally than single-issue voters. These people will cast their ballots not on the candidate’s overall platform but solely on one issue. The single issue voter tends to be a bit irrational – usually a right-winger voting on some moral question or some leftie voting on a societal problem. I guess we now can add OlyOpps voting on the Olywest project - OlyOpps has decided to throw their support behind Marianne Cerilli in the upcoming civic election.

While proponents on both sides have made their fair share of suboptimal choices (let’s not forget Olywest’s stacking the deck in the visitor’s gallery at City Hall), I can’t help but think that OlyOpps has taken the rabid rhetoric to dizzying new heights. As a fellow businessperson, I cannot even begin to comprehend their latest missive. OlyOpps is throwing their support behind a decidedly anti-business candidate instead of rationally pleading their case to the Clean Environment Commission.

Should Olywest simply get a red-carpet welcome prior to setting up shop in our fair city? Absolutely not – tough questions should be asked and answered to everyone’s satisfaction, although the tone of the discourse thus far suggests that perhaps addressing the majority’s concerns is the best we can hope for. Let’s make use of the appropriate channels for raising those tough questions. I’m sure the businesses flying the OlyOpps flag would conversely appreciate the courtesy of due process the next time THEY take on a contentious business endeavour.

When pondering OlyOpps latest antics, somehow a cliché about cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face readily comes to mind…

And Now for Something Completely Different

2006-09-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

I feel sorry for today’s kids that are fans of the hard rock genre. The 60’s ushered in the likes of the Beatles, The Who and the Stones. The 70’s were heady days for Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Kiss and Black Sabbath. The 80’s saw the rise of Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Van Halen and Ozzy’s best solo work. The 90’s brought us Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails.

The decades-long continuity of formidable talent has been broken. If there was indeed a Y2K problem, it is that it brought about the likes of Good Charlotte. For the blessedly uninitiated, Good Charlotte are a bunch of “snot rockers” that are a dystopian mix of the look of Trent Reznor and the sound of Sesame Street’s Elmo. Not to be outdone, CanCon A&R folks jumped into the fray with Simple Plan. With an album title like “No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls”, their emasculated sound is a curious dichotomy when paired with their tough “punk guy” imagery. The lead guitarist’s last name of Stinco aptly manages to simultaneously describe both him and his band.

So to all those young rockers, I feel for you. It’s no wonder nobody wants to buy CD’s when all they have is some dastardly fusion of heavy metal/punk and the boy band. Maybe that’s why rap is so popular nowadays…

Motivational Tunes:
Die Krupps – Who Made Who
Bruce Dickinson – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
W.A.S.P. – Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta

Deconstructing Neville

2006-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I have spent the past few posts on the offensive, I thought I would mix things up by raving about Allen Mills’ piece in yesterday’s Free Press. Mills brilliantly refutes some of William Neville’s fear-mongering (once again trotting out the tired anyone-who-respects-America-is-an-evil-Bush-puppet rhetoric) opinion piece on Michael Ignatieff. This includes:

‘Above all, Bill, what I see in particular in Ignatieff and what you overlook is someone who believes that the dilemmas confronting the world will not be resolved without the United States. The Americans were crucial to winning the war against fascism and the Cold War as well. This view is not about his "enthrallment" to the United States but is an important element in a multi-faceted approach to global affairs. It is at least a sensible deduction about Canada's and the West's strategic position at this moment in history.
So Ignatieff, rightly, refuses to align with the visceral anti-Americanism in Canada that masquerades as Canadian values and which, I think, now informs so much of your own worldview. As he puts it: "Anti-Americanism is the patriotism of fools."
He is correct in this.’

While the prospect of Ignatieff leading the Liberals no doubt would cause the federal Conservatives untold amounts of consternation, I think it would ameliorate the checks and balances in the current Parliament. Iggy’s “tell it like I see it” approach is refreshing reprieve from the banal banter of the Dions and Brisons, great stock tips aside.

I think the fervour with which some Canadians engage in the sport of America bashing reflects poorly on us all. The USA is our largest trading partner and we have enjoyed countless decades of good working relations. While we may not agree with every action of George Bush (I for one bemoan the protectionists that seem to have his ear), the more outspoken detractors best be reminded of Bush’s current approval ratings when decrying all things American.

To the Nevilles and all that espouse his brand of rabid anti-Americanism – what brand of jeans are you wearing, what TV station did you watch last night, what movie are you planning on seeing this weekend, which CD did you just buy, which operating software powers your computer, and which fast food outlet did you eat at in the past two weeks? Way to assert your Canadian identity by taking cheap shots at our neighbours!

___________________________________________________

Although I think Stephen Harper has done a good job thus far, I couldn’t help but mention the following. As any reader of Krista’s blog knows, the P&UW household is one of those thieving beer and popcorn cheats that receives the Canada Child Tax Benefit. We just received a request to participate in a survey and we elected to do so. The only problem is the 1-800 number they give you should actually be a 1-866 number. It is also inordinately difficult to get information on the correct number – you get a Not In Service message from a 240 area code – i.e. NOT FROM CANADA – which forced us to try ALL of the permutations of the toll free numbers until we were successful. Mr. Harper – let’s lose the “Canada’s New Government” sloganeering and focus on getting the important things right in any correspondence to Canadians - like a proper phone number. You’ll be one step closer to a guaranteed majority that way…

Taking a ‘Principled’ Stance by Supporting All Sides of an Issue

2006-09-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Seeing as Andy Fletcher has been doing a bang-up job critiquing our current governing regime, I didn’t ante up a post commenting on the NDP’s handling of the smoking ban as it pertains to native reserves. Many pundits saw this as a pitiful attempt to appease all parties involved without seeking active resolution of the issue. Unfortunately, Mr. Doer is loathe to realize that being in government sometimes means you must, well, govern.

Judging from the Blackberry Addicts’ latest post, playing to everyone and taking a stance on nothing seems to be the new NDP norm in the runup to the forthcoming provincial election. You see, the BBA’s support the mission in Afghanistan but draw scary Harper-as-Bush-war-monger analogies at the same time. They are trying to portray themselves as moderates to the more Liberal minded Manitobans while simultaneously trying to save face with the more “grassroots” NDP crowd:

‘O'Connor's statement shows how much affinity the Conservatives may really have for wacko Republican agendas, like foreign policy.And besides the disgusting suggestion that anyone who questions our Afghan mission is enabling terrorism (or indeed, perhaps is some sort of closet terrorist), O'Connor should read the polls.’

Given that line of reasoning, the BBA folks must be aghast that our own beloved Rick Mercer, Canada’s master of moderation, has turned into a Republican of Rush Limbaugh proportions:

‘Speaking of the short bus I see that Jack Layton has distinguished himself on the international front by coming up with a solution for the Afghanistan situation. Jack is calling for peace talks with the Taliban. About time the NDP get back to their more loony roots. For a while there they were coming off all semi-sensible.’

In closing, the BBA’s sign off with this piece of advice for Gordon O’Connor:

‘Take care, sir.’

If the NDP are going to make a habit out of playing to everyone and appeasing no one, I suggest they heed their own words of wisdom. Even the most malleable of objects, including swing voters whose lack of political convictions allow them to change their votes with the efficacy of changing clothes, have their breaking point…

Motivational Tunes:
Alcatrazz – God Blessed Video
Ministry – Revenge
China Crisis – Working With Fire & Steel
(a decidedly 80’s vibe)

The Quest for Apolitical Political Journalism

2006-09-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Reading Paul Samyn’s blog increases my respect for…. Curtis Brown. While I get the sense that Curtis has Liberal leanings, he is always quick to point out the follies of any political party. He conversely has no qualms about congratulating the opposing team on a game well played.

I just don’t derive that same sense of apolitical insight out of Samyn’s musings. When reading his articles or blog, I envision a person that gets every bit as excited at the mere utterance of the word “Liberal” as my dog does when my wife or I mention the word “W-A-L-K” (even in print, I am loathe to string those letters too close together for fear of the havoc it may well create). When he occasionally concedes that Harper has the upper hand, it strikes me as more of a lament than an observation.

Perhaps my impression is tainted by the likes of comments from posters like IMHO who assert on The Paper Boy blog:
'1. Steven Harper once again proves he’s an idiot by stating “the gun registry would not prevent this kind of occurrence”.
Exactly WHAT would “prevent” this kind of occurence 100% of the time Mr. Harper? I’m sure everyone would like to know so we can stop all the murders in the world.
The fact that Bill Graham didn’t clue in and challenge Harper on this idiotic statement is almost as disappointing as having this embarrassment as PM.
Unfortunately we’re stuck with this Bush-puppet until the other viable party gets its act together and stops floundering around.'

As an agnostic social Liberal and fiscal Conservative, rest assured I do not see eye to eye with Harper on every issue. However, calling Harper a Bush-puppet and/or an idiot is a bit simplistic and extreme. I’m not suggesting that Samyn is frothing at the mouth like IMHO but it does give you some indication of the audience that is receptive to Samyn’s work and feels emboldened to debase the conversation after perusing his underlying article.

In his Free Press article today, Samyn states:
‘The Afghanistan question is a tricky one for the Liberals, who committed Canadians to the mission when they were in power and are now are in the midst of a leadership race that has revealed a deep divide within the party.
But interim Liberal leader Bill Graham left no doubt that the mission today is far different than the one he envisaged when he was defence minister.
"It is a much more challenging mission than originally thought," Graham said.’

If Graham is indeed truly surprised at the mission, then he must be oblivious and/or inept. Prior to Canada assuming the reigns of the Afghan mission, one of the members of Canada’s finest indicated to me that the upcoming months would lead to increased casualties and negative public perception. If this was the view at a grassroots level, were the top brass (with Graham at the apex) so oblivious as not to see what lower level soldiers knew prior to Harper getting the top spot? Samyn by transitivity either happily tows the Liberal party line or else blindingly accepts whatever Graham spoonfeeds him. Either option is unbecoming of a political reporter.

Reading Samyn leaves me less with an inkling of what’s going on Ottawa and more with the impression that Paul is counting down the days until the Liberal machinery is reinstated in its rightful place as stewards of our country. As Samyn is articulate and intelligent, I hold out hope that my opinions change as he continues down his path on the blogosphere. After all, he did eventually soften his stance on the PPG/Harper row….

Class Warfare – the Grocery Store Front?

2006-09-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Can anyone explain why the Sobey’s “School is Cool” program is available at grocery stores in the south end of the city but not in the north end?

One of the north end stores I visit used to have the program but it has unceremoniously disappeared…

Putting the ‘C’ Back Into the CBC

2006-09-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

Today’s National Post article on the CBC raises some interesting questions that all Canadians should be asking and attempting to answer. In this digital age of information glut, what is the role of our venerated and simultaneously derided public broadcaster?

I for one would support a radical overhaul of the CBC. If the mandate of a public channel is to broadcast Canadian culture, the current lineup of American movies and syndicated TV shows is a poor way to go about it. The People’s Network costs each and every Canadian approximately $33.33 per year. This may be a small price to pay for Canadian content but this money could be better spent than by buying NBC, ABC, or CBS’s used programming. Putting Canadian tax revenues into American bank accounts strikes me as an intuitively flawed strategy vis-à-vis promulgating Canadian culture.

The current crop of American content should be scrapped in favour of Canadian movies, music videos and short films. I’m sure there are lots of Canadian artists that would give the network broadcast rights for the mere opportunity to showcase their wares.

Judging by the bidding war expected to surface for Hockey Night In Canada, the CBC should focus on grassroots level sports not given adequate coverage in other media. This could include university-level hockey, football, volleyball, etc. Local channels could broadcast high school sports championships. I am always amazed at how vociferously the Americans support their grassroots-level athletes as compared to their Canadian counterparts. One need only look at the attendance of a Notre Dame vs. University of Manitoba football game - population disparities alone do not explain the attendance differentials.

News reporting is the cornerstone of the CBC. I would accordingly adopt a zero tolerance policy on the antics of such ‘reporters’ as Christina Lawand. Although some bias may be the inevitable consequence of human involvement in the journalistic field, every attempt should be made to be as politically impartial as possible. Whatever Rick Mercer’s leanings may be, he is always adept at blasting all parties of all political stripes. The National would be well advised to learn from his talent.

Funding for the CBC should be split between government funding and pledge drives. The latter would make the network accountable to viewers for the quality of their programming.

When I look back on the decades of memories provided to me via the CBC, it is the shows like Mr. Dressup, Wayne & Shuster, Hockey Night In Canada, This Hour Has 22 Minutes (during their Mercer heyday), Just for Laughs and Kids in the Hall that come to mind. Let’s not make Hollywood movies and American reruns our cultural gift to our children in helping them to assert their Canadian identities…

Motivational Tunes:
KMFDM – Megalomaniac
The Panic Channel – Teahouse of the Spirits
Sloan – Money City Maniacs

Winnipeg Through the Eyes of a Tourist

2006-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

The ability to view the world with a fresh perspective is the rarest of opportunities. Over the past few days, a visit from an out of town friend has given me a glimpse into a newcomer’s view of our fair city.

Here are some of the impressions of the Proud and Unapologetic Non-Winnipegger:

1) Winnipeg has a veritable treasure trove of turn of the century buildings. These buildings capture a nostalgic moment in time not readily found in other Canadian cities. Notable locations include the Paris Building, the Legislature, and many other downtown locales.

2) The Canad Inns Stadium is a fun place to be, especially during the Banjo Bowl. Given the countless decades of Blue Bomber history lingering from every yellow rafter, why the rush for a new stadium?

3) Winnipeg is a big city that doesn’t have the harried big city feel. The city’s abundant green spaces further instill the sense of serenity one feels while visiting here.

4) There are a lot of traffic lights on Winnipeg’s streets. Street lights aren’t bad things but not having them timed to allow for the efficient flow of traffic is.

Today being the fifth anniversary of 9/11, one can’t help but reflect on this solemn occasion. Visiting the World Trade Center in 1998 was like a pilgrimage for me. After all it was the financial nerve centre of North America, if not the world. If you would have told me, a starry-eyed recent business school grad that thousands of people would later die on the very spot I was standing, I would have called you a lunatic. Along with those who lost family, friends or colleagues in the attack, those of us idealistic enough to hope global commerce is the key to the eradication of worldwide poverty were dealt a body blow five years ago today. While Americans may have suffered more than any other nation, in this era of globalization, we all felt a profound sense of loss.

I hope all who attempt to usurp the global village suffer the same fate as those who attempted to thwart the power of the written word by destroying Gutenberg’s printing presses. May progress continue to empower, enrich and free people with the advance of time, and may those who attempt to impede it toil away in vain.

Tread Carefully Trudy

2006-09-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

My previous post on land taxation brought on interesting dialogue in the comments section. While I concede that the anonymous poster may have valid points when it comes to economic disincentives to putting up a deck or fence, this logic does not apply in a commercial context where taxation is predicated on the earning power of the asset in question.

Using the anonymous poster’s comparison of a 40 storey building ‘unfairly’ shouldering a greater tax burden than a vacant land parcel, I asked (to no current reply just yet) whether it would be fair to redistribute the tax burden using the following scenario – if the office tower was paying $3 million in taxes and the vacant land parcel paid $100,000, would the equitable pecuniary outcome be assessing BOTH parties a tax bill of $1.55 million?

As we are mulling this over, I would like to raise a few points:

1) At the risk of belabouring this point to death – why is vacant downtown land not a problem in New York, London, or Hong Kong? Should we not be striving to foster similar economic prosperity instead of expending our intellectual resources on taxation shell games?

2) A land value tax would INCREASE the risk profile of any new construction developments. Instead of waiting for development conditions to be right prior to development, developers would now also have to bear in mind that carrying any new land acquisitions could theoretically increase bankruptcy risk via prohibitive carrying costs. I ask readers to don their finest banker’s hats and ask themselves if they would be more or less willing to finance a project under this scenario.

3) Barriers to entry will increase. Many smaller (and LOCAL) investors are able, with a bit of stretching, to carry a property based on a lower tax burden for unimproved land. Increase the tax burden and the effect will be to increase Big Business’ presence in the market. Deep pockets are not the norm for small investors. So Mary Agnes, suburban soccer moms are not the only one who may experience a downside – surely your political leanings wouldn’t include encouraging and abetting the proliferation of multinationals into the Winnipeg real estate market.

These musings by no means indicate my support for property taxes. I still maintain that a municipal sales tax would be a far better revenue source for cities. However, if we are to be saddled with property taxes, I would much rather see them based on the current earning power of an asset than on a non-income/earning based measure such as land value. I do agree that the downtown vacant land issue must be addressed. The focus should be on making development of said lots an economically viable option.

On the residential side, I think property taxes should be based solely on the purchase price of the property plus any improvements. In order to appease our anonymous poster, I would even allow for improvements in the name of upkeep to be undertaken without additional taxes being assessed. If you bought a house 30 years ago and are now on a fixed income, you should not be subjugated to the vagaries of market movements just because everyone else is embroiled in a feeding frenzy.

Many years ago, a Turner by the name of John hitched his wagon to an anti free-trade campaign. Now even NDP stalwarts like Gary Doer recognize the boon free trade is to the Canadian economy. I question one of the platforms another Turner by the name of Trudy is hitching to her wagon. As she apparently has the support of the mayor’s office, I hope the Sam Katz I have come to ardently defend and support is not complicit in Trudy Turner’s unabashed support of a land value tax…

Motivational Tunes:

Seal – Heavenly (Good Feeling)

The Cure – Just Like Heaven

Nine Inch Nails – Heresy

(whoa – I just noticed a common theological theme here – purely accidental!)

Architeconometrics

2006-09-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

When they are at their best, consultants can be indispensable purveyors of great advice. Their narrow range of expertise far exceeds that of any generalist businessperson. But some consulting professionals fall victim to the false assumption that their wealth of knowledge in said narrow area makes them experts in issues beyond their field of training.

This segue brings me to Steve Cohlmeyer’s editorial in Sunday’s Free Press. His fundamental premise is that the glut of downtown parking lots are the reason for the downtown’s moribund state. Methinks the celebrated local architect has erroneously attributed the effect as the cause. That’s what happens when you mistake your architectural prowess for strategic business thinking.

My. Cohlmeyer laments the fact that in Winnipeg:

“Landowners are able to operate surface parking lots at a reasonable level of profit, and pay taxes based on low use of their lands. The framework is ideal for sitting still until some far-off day when real profits can be made.”

This is a primary example of the ‘limousine liberal’s’ fundamental misunderstanding of the businessperson. If a rational person has the choice between making a larger profit now or a future profit that may or may not materialize, what do you think the choice would be? If it was possible, I’m sure these landowners would have already built skyscrapers that make First Canadian Place on Bay & King look like 359 McDermot Avenue.

His solution to the problem is higher taxes on vacant land:

“In a land-tax system, building owners must still pay significant taxes. The difference is that vacant-land owners must pay taxes based on the real value of their lands, and they quickly find that "sitting" on vacant land is not such an attractive proposition. They are forced to sell their lands to those who are prepared to build and truly use their lands, or they are forced to build and become real participants in the economic life of downtown.”

Does he honestly believe that if the same vacant downtown land was available in Hong Kong, New York or even Toronto, that there would be nothing more than a parking lot on the site? In order to discourage the “sitting” our learned friend mentions, I would suggest that fostering the economic conditions conducive to downtown development is far more important than draconian taxation measures levied in the name of economic incentives or disincentives.

I propose an alternate solution. I hereby decree that all Winnipeg architects donate 50% of their billable time to helping the parking lot owners come up with alternate uses for their sites. This policy should be in effect until such time that the downtown is developed to a reasonable degree. There Mr. Cohlmeyer – it’s not so fun when a third party so charitably spends your money and time on your behalf, is it? If you have all the answers, why not take some of your OWN equity, sign some personal guarantees inextricably linking you to your lenders should things go awry, buy some vacant property and show the downtown landowners how it’s done? I didn’t think so…

10 Things I Love About Winnipeg & Manitoba

2006-09-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

10) There is an active Over the Counter market for coupons.

9) We all have at least one embarrassing story to tell about the time we imbibed too much at a Canad Inns watering hole.

8) We think the Right to Bear Arms is the ability to finally wear a t-shirt after a long winter.

7) Everyone knows who Dancing Gabe is.

6) Two words: Garlic Sausage.

5) The guy driving the 15 year old Volvo station wagon next to you is richer than 75% of the finance whizzes toiling away on Bay and/or Wall Street. Unless you are his banker or accountant, you will never know.

4) We understand the sheer genius of The Phantom of the Paradise.

3) We get to our cabins and campsites in the same time it takes a Torontonian to get to the 401.

2) Your high school reunion is always just one social away.

1) No matter how drunk you are, you can always order a pizza provided that you have the motor skills required to a) pick up a phone and b) press the same button 7 times.

What’s Mine is Mine (aka On Fiefdoms…)

2006-08-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

My kids are getting to the age where they are prone to fits of jealousy. I am now faced with a perplexing dilemma. When the family goes to McDonald’s, do I get them all the EXACT same toy to avert a turf war or do I buy different ones and explain that if they rise above the petty squabbles, they will be marginally ahead by having different toys they all can play with and enjoy?

Come to think of it, some ADULTS never come to learn this lesson. I guess this goes a long way in explaining bureaucratic overlap….

Time is Not On Our Side

2006-08-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

As I eagerly await Andy Fletcher’s newest analysis of the NDP and their economic track record, I thought I would give everyone some food for thought. While I have gone on at length in Andy’s comments section about the perils of the public sector growing faster than the private sector, I also would like to crunch the numbers on the NDP’s inaction on the ever increasing spending of the school boards.

For starters, let’s assume that our fictitious taxpayer makes $70,000 per year, leaving annual net take home pay at $48,420.25 to cover everything but income taxes, CPP and EI. We shall also assume that the educational levy on the property tax bill is $1,400.00.

Now comes the growth rate – let’s assume an average annual inflation rate of 2.1% over the last three years covers our taxpayer’s growth in wages for the future. For the growth rate in school taxes, I have used the three year average of 3.274% based on my own property tax bill.

In the first year, the school tax burden growth is no big deal. However, in years 10, 50 and 100 the numbers grow as follows:
Year Net Income School Tax School Tax as % of Net Income
1 $49,437.08 $1,445.78 2.924
10 $59,605.24 $1,931.39 3.240
50 $136,871.80 $6,995.79 5.111
100 $386,902.20 $34,957.93 9.035

So Mr. Doer, I can understand your politically astute reluctance to reign in the school boards as no one will notice in the short term. Unfortunately, some of us like to think about what kind of legacy we are bestowing upon our grandchildren - surely we can leave them something better than a school tax burden that TRIPLES. And now, about those ever-increasing health care costs…

On a lighter note, motivational tunes:
Skee Lo – I Wish
David Bowie – Cracked Actor
1000 Homo DJs – Supernaut
Delerium - Aria

A Right Hook and Left Jab

2006-08-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

My dialogue with Manimal Farm vis-à-vis my last posting got me pondering what parts of my personal convictions would raise the hackles of those on the left and on the right of the political spectrum. An unfortunate consequence of trying to stake out middle ground is that you invoke the ire of TWO factions. So without further ado, I bring you:

Beliefs to Annoy the Right

I am an agnostic. There - I said it. I believe in a higher power but I don’t profess to know what shape this higher power takes. I respect and encourage the beliefs of others as long as they come from a good place. I don’t think God, Allah, Ganesha or any other deity would want followers to kill in His/Her name. More people in the world don’t believe in your religion than do - does this mean that the non-believers are going to hell? I think that as long as they live honest and productive lives, they’ll get into whatever pearly gates are open in the afterlife. I am proof positive that not all Harper supporters are religious zealots.

I believe in helping the less fortunate. Charity is the noblest of human undertakings. Without it, we are as opportunistic as vultures. One day I hope humanity eradicates poverty. Not all people are downtrodden out of sheer laziness – it can happen out of circumstance or bad luck.

Prostitution should be legalized. They don’t call this the world’s oldest profession for nothing. Making prostitution illegal drives it underground. This only benefits the criminals and the spread of disease. As long as any sexual undertakings are consensual and between adults, I don’t believe it’s government’s place to get involved.

I am ok with abortion. If you are not willing to ensure that you will provide the proper emotional and financial care of a child you will be bringing into this world, that child might be better off not being born. I refer any reader to Freakonomics Chapter 4. They make a much more compelling case than I ever could.

Beliefs to Annoy the Left

I am a fiscal conservative. I firmly believe that all resources are finite. As such, we must make tough choices to optimize and leverage these finite resources. This means that education, poverty, homelessness, animal shelters, etc. will never get all the money they may need or ask for.

All people are not equal. While it would be nice if the former were false, the statistical bell curve proves otherwise. Some people are taller, smarter or faster and some develop quicker than others. Any politically correct attempts to “mercy pass” students who are not ready for the next grade may make them feel good about themselves in the short run but is setting them up for dismal failure when they eventually hit the real world.

Not all people are worthy of charity. A small contingent of people that rely on welfare, etc. cheat the system. This steals resources from families that actually merit these payments. If there was a system that weeded these cheats out, I would be all for it. I also believe that if you are on some form of government support, you should not be entitled to own a pet. There is something wrong about a ward of the state having wards of their own, be they children or pets.

Bringing children into the world that you cannot provide for financially OR emotionally is child cruelty. Poverty activists love to break out the number of adults and children living in poverty. Why do these activists always forgive the adults for bringing a child into the world that they cannot care for? I would have loved to have children earlier in my life but I elected to wait until I was emotionally and financially ready. Why are others immune from doing this too? There is a plethora of free birth control at medical clinics so the costs of same cannot be an excuse. If you cannot afford children (or pets) with your own means, don’t have them.

So Let Me Get This Straight

2006-08-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

I normally attempt to avoid the tabloid style fascination with the goings-on in Hollywood. It is my personal conviction that if everyone focused more on their stock portfolio or their children and less on the endless litany of self-indulgent celebrity freaks, society would be much better off. It would seem that a majority of people pay these idiots to live a lavish lifestyle on their behalf.

The L.A. Times editorial Shun Mel Gibson managed, however, to catch my attention. They are calling for Hollywood to relegate Margarita Mel to celebrity z-list status:
“The stages of Gibson's well-scripted redemption — rehab, repentance, a newfound appreciation for the horrors of the Holocaust — are painfully predictable. We only wish its supporting cast would refuse to do their part, and allow Gibson to continue ranting, or make his peace with the world, off camera.”

I’m not here to defend Mel Gibson’s actions. What he did was stupid and reprehensible. My problem lies with the Champagne Socialists that make up the L.A. Times. You can never predict what is going to get them so worked up that their half-cap double milk lattes wind up getting spilled all over their beloved 7 series Bimmers. These folks are willing to send Mel Gibson, a reported alcoholic, to the woodchipper without any calls for redemption. However, Tookie Williams, one of the top guns of L.A.’s notorious Crips gets doted on by the Times with all of the accolades befitting Mother Theresa.

Notable verse from the Times on Mr. Williams include:
“Stanley Tookie Williams, whose self-described evolution from gang thug to antiviolence crusader won him an international following and nominations for a Nobel Peace Prize, was executed by lethal injection early today, hours after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to spare his life.”

A fawning opening paragraph with no mention of the four people he murdered or his vehement refusal right up to his execution to help the police make inroads against the Crips. Headings around the time of Tookie’s execution also include such gems as:
Austria Feels Sense of Betrayal by Native Son

When the L.A. Times takes a harder line on you than on a convicted murderer who is also one of gangland’s founding fathers, you know you are up chocolate creek without a popsicle stick.

Sometimes It’s the Little Things

2006-08-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

The AIDS conference in Toronto has now come and gone. Stephen Harper took a lot of heat for not participating.

I wonder what percentage of participants in the conference currently have the FIGHT AIDS @ HOME screen saver running on their computers at work and/or at home. My guess is the number is somewhere far from 100%.

Those that were berating Harper and who can’t even make this effortless contribution should hang their heads in shame. Instead of scoring cheap political points, perhaps the activists should have focused their efforts in showing the public how they can do their part to eradicate this scourge.

Helping Hand or Enablers?

2006-08-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

There is a reason the Black Rod is the undisputed heavyweight champ of the Manitoba blogopshere. Once again, he/she/they come up with a post that makes one ponder life’s big issues. I’m not going to get into the pros or cons of safe injection sites, but BR’s posting makes me wonder about how everyone lays claim to being right or wrong on any given matter.

The BR mentions that the Toronto AIDS conference participants lauded the B.C. safe injection sites. He/she/they then go on to provide articles that cast a pall over any reason for joyous celebration.

How is it that we allow talking heads to make claims without any semblance of numerical data to back them up? How has the site been a resounding success? Has it lowered crime statistics? Are fewer people using hard drugs? Has this centre set up a target of getting 5% of “guests” off of junk and managed to achieve this target? If you have no tangible way to make an assertion then a case could be made that you are actually making things worse by facilitating suboptimal societal conduct.

Some social activists paint us business folk as callous wretches preoccupied solely with acquiring wealth. Perhaps they would best be served by adopting some of the principles we abide by. We identify needs that have yet to be fulfilled and allocate our budgets accordingly. The vitriolic left may call this heartless but I like to call this leveraging finite resources.

How can you begin to solve a problem when you can’t even articulate measurable ways to decree the problem eradicated or at the very least on the path to progress? Poverty, homelessness and addiction are serious societal issues. One day I hope my kids or grandkids can grow up in a world without them. Unsubstantiated flowery and self-congratulatory rhetoric won’t help make this a reality…

Motivational Tunes:

Porno for Pyros – Tahitian Moon

The Alan Parsons Project – Standing on Higher Ground

W.A.S.P. – The Heretic (The Lost Child) – blame Andy Fletcher’s Manimal reference for that one…

On Free Association

2006-08-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Since I am nothing more than one of the Hack’s incarnations, I thought I would keep this brief (Hack – if you write a clever posting like that, you have to expect the rest of us to flog it to death). I have spent the last night doing nothing but voting for Ryan, Toby, Dilana and Lukas. Patrice should have done Message in a Bottle less a la Up With People and more akin to Marilyn Manson’s cover of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Perhaps not so much in an industrial vein, but definitely with darker overtones. It’s rock music, not a gospel revival.

I have added the Freakonomics blog to my blogroll. The book itself is one of the most amazing pieces of literature I have ever read. It forces you to rethink the whole notion of right vs. left rhetoric and the holes in each of their belief systems that negate their ability to solve the world’s pressing issues. Thanks to the Manitoba Liberal for letting me know the blog existed. Like some Pavlovian canine, I keep going back to ML’s blog waiting for an entry – ML’s contributions to other bloggers’ comments sections are pretty interesting.

Speaking of Liberals, I have been accused of being an angry Tory who rails against those with more pressing social engagements than my nightly stints watching CPAC from the confines of my parents’ basement. CC – I just want the public to know you were wrong. I am an angry fiscal Conservative and social Liberal who rails against those with more pressing social engagements than my nightly stints watching CPAC from the confines of my parents’ basement. I must admit your cheeky jab gave me a few laughs and made me reconsider changing my name. Kudos on an entertainingly executed retort. While I still may not agree with your conduct, you are at least taking the ensuing heat in stride.

Motivational Tunes:
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult – Sex on Wheels
Abba – The Visitors (thanks to anonymous blogging, I can reveal this to the world and still keep my public dignity intact)
Seal – My Vision
Megadeth - Breadline

Another Day, Another Dagger (Et Tu, Gordon? – Part 2)

2006-08-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Can anyone please tell me why Gordon Sinclair Jr. is so vociferously opposed to Sam Katz? His column today berates the Mayor for publicly condemning the stabbing of a 16 year old at the Forks. Apparently, Sinclair and a “newsroom colleague” view this as crass political opportunism. Sinclair states:

“If he wants to show he really cares, he should be as concerned at least as much about the places Winnipeggers live as the sites tourists visit.
But he's not.
If he was, he could have issued a statement about Sunday's other victim of a random act of violence. The 25-year-old woman was driving down Route 90 when someone standing on the Portage Avenue overpass dropped a rock through her windshield. “

If by your own admission the overpass rock thrower was just as important a story, how do you explain the fact that on page B1 (aka front page of the City & Business section) of today’s paper ALL of the articles pertain to the Forks stabbing, your column included? I had to get the follow-up on the overpass story from your competitor.

To those that would label me a rabid Sinclair detractor, I submit the following (sent June 15, 2006) in my defense:

“Hello Gordon.

If I go to the pains of berating you when I disagree with you it is only fair that I commend your column when I wholeheartedly agree with you.
In two succinct sentences you managed to encapsulate what many of us "nose to the grindstone" Manitobans feel about the whole Stuart Smalley-esque daily affirmation campaign code-named Spirited Energy -
"As I was saying, we got branded yesterday. What I forgot to mention is how much it hurt."

Our businesses and undertakings are on par or superior to anything coming out of Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver. Many of us simply lack the garish audacity to flaunt our achievements unlike the self-congratulatory folks in our bigger urban centres. We go about our business knowing that our effort feeds our families and gives us a sense of self-actualization. Even in the face of a punitive provincial tax structure or questionable provincial fiscal management, we frenetically toil away.

I would much rather have seen the $2 million broken into 20 pieces of $100,000.00 and then used to buy 20 deserving impoverished Manitoba families homes. Imagine the ripple effect created when 20 families break a cycle of dependence on housing agencies and become home owners. Instead, as you rightfully pointed out, millions of dollars went out the back door to suited individuals in other urban centres.

To the non-believers, this campaign only serves to reaffirm their convictions - a province so desperate that we need, a la Stuart Smalley, to engage the services of outside "professionals" to tell ourselves we are good enough and that people like us. To the rest of us (who frankly find the doubters misinformed and/or authors of their own misfortune by not taking charge and making the changes they want to see in Manitoba) this is money and effort that could have been put to a multitude of better uses.

Bravo on an insightful and astute article!

Sincerely,
Proud to be a Winnipegger & Unapologetic for Being One”

Way to Go Dave!

2006-08-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thus far, the few businesses that have opted to embrace the Spirited Energy campaign have done so rather reticently unless they had a hand in its creation. My eyes naturally started rolling when I first saw Dave Angus’ latest editorial in today’s Winnipeg Sun.

The first few paragraphs start predictably enough with the “it’s here like it or not so let’s just accept it” rhetoric. As the piece progresses, it becomes more compelling. Angus proceeds to put a reverse onus back on the provincial government to make us believers in the campaign:

‘"Spirited Energy" is more about our future than our past, and the province must take aggressive action to ensure they are creating an environment consistent with the brand.’

Instead of mindlessly asking us to buy into Spirited Energy, he asks the NDP to show us the money. If we are to buy into the branding strategy, the provincial government must reciprocate by fostering the requisite economic conditions. Dave Angus is to be commended for treating Winnipeggers and Manitobans with more respect than others before him. Now, if we could only get other special interest groups to follow his lead…

On Anonymity, Part 2

2006-08-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ordinarily, I like to think I am above the personal attack. Once in a while people come along and make such an indelibly negative impression on you that you are forced to reconsider your principled stance on civility and decorum.

In college, it was that fellow who would come to a kegger without having chipped in for the beer. After drinking himself into a stupor on everyone else’s dime, said person would then proceed to either vomit all over the host’s house or engage in a destructive rampage.

At a wedding, it is the gentleman who thinks that all of the bridesmaids are there solely for his personal gratification. Everyone is reluctant to set him straight because he is a close relative, if not a sibling, of the bride or groom. As such, he proceeds with reckless abandon to make the ladies in the dyed satin pumps as uncomfortable as humanly possible.

In sports, it is the guy who insists on tackling everyone during a game of flag football. Smaller people than our brave friend make exceptionally likely targets.

In the Manitoba blogosphere, it is the person who takes it upon himself to out a fellow anonymous blogger. To be sure, Manitoba’s blogging “enfant terrible’s” latest posting was a bit strong. There are, however, more dignified ways to refute his/her/their musings.

The stunt CC pulled on his blog today has to be the pettiest, classless and most self-aggrandizing posting I have ever seen. I hope CC’s pathetic attempt to defend Hugh McFadyen from the Black Rod is more a reflection of the blogger than of the person he was trying to defend. Otherwise my tepid support of McFadyen has just been flushed down CC’s sewer…