Feb. 27 - Paul angry. Paul mad. Don't f*** with Paul when he's expressing concerns about Canada's ability to defend herself and her borders.

And, well said, Paul.

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Feb. 27 - It's only libel if it's untrue, right?

Parrish, in turn, is threatening to sue Mahoney and some of his supporters for libel over an advertisement tells local Liberals they must choose between "a rude, careless, vulgar Carolyn Parrish or a reasonable, professional and strong MP, Steve Mahoney."

UPDATE: Guess who was the parliamentary secretary for Alfonso Gagliano of Adscam fame? As Paul so aptly puts it, I love Karma and we deserve answers!

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Feb. 27 - The evidence for the Adscam who knew and when they knew it continues to morph into who knew and pretended not to know it: Early audit saw flaws which flatly contradicts early suggestions that a rogue band of civil servants are the culprits and Cabinet really, really didn't know there were signs of wrongdoing in the awarding of sponsorship grants. more...

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Feb. 27 - Yet another ethics issue in Ontario, this time with the current Liberal government and Finance Minister Greg Sorbara. Royal Group Technologies, for which Sorbara served as a director until he was appointed to the provincial Cabinet, is under criminal investigation, and despite calls for his resignation from the Oppostion, Sorbara is staying as Finance Minister.

The OSC [Ontario Securities Commission], the RCMP and Canada Customs and Revenue Agency are conducting various investigations into the finances of the Woodbridge-based building parts maker. more...

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1 So where's our $ gone Greg ? see USA labour news story http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/pwba/PWBA2002533.htm

Posted by: Jozsef Fanscali in Aurora at May 10, 2004 03:30 AM (eFc/2)

2 US Congress Republicans Reach Deal On Pension Bill Wednesday, March 31, 2004 10:46 PM ET WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Republicans will present to Congressional negotiators Thursday morning proposed pension legislation that lawmakers & aides say teeters between pushing the White House too far and alienating Democrats. "We've made a good deal of progress on the pension bill today, & tomorrow we'll present what we think is a fair and responsible proposal," House Education & Workforce Chairman John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Wednesday night. Democrats were dubious. "This appears to be a serious step backward from what was discussed just last Friday, " said Jim Manley, spokesman for Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. "It is difficult to imagine anything like this getting through the Senate," Manley said. One Senate Republican aide agreed, guessing that the deal reached among Republicans did too little for Democrats. Still, Boehner said he hoped the deal "can be the basis for a bipartisan conference agreement that all parties could accept." Congress could then turn its attention to long-term efforts to strengthen the nation's pension system, Boehner said. The legislation would allow businesses to use a more generous benchmark when calculating their pension liabilities and could save them $80 billion in pension contributions over the next two years. But the proposal also includes a White House opposed proposal to give a temporary reprieve from pension contributions to some union-sponsored pension plans. It is the fight over this provision that threatens to derail the entire bill. These plans, also called multiemployer plans, typically cover union workers who don't work for the same employer on a day-to-day basis - truckers and carpenters, for example. The pensions' terms are collectively bargained, employers make contributions on the employee's behalf, & the fund is jointly managed by the union & the employer. Democrats estimate the proposal as written by Boehner would help fewer than 4% of multiemployer plans. Republicans & lobbyists say the White House has said unequivocally they could go no further. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., accused the White House of stonewalling. Kennedy said negotiators should keep working to ensure that the bill "helps pension plans at risk in all companies - not just those most favored by this White House." Under Boehner's proposal the break in contributions would go to multiemployer pension plans that had suffered at least a 10% market loss in 2002 & which were projected to fall into funding deficiency in the next three years. The break from contributions would be denied to plans that had failed to timely pay any excise tax imposed by the IRS or that had previously received a pension funding waiver from the IRS. Boehner said the proposal resolves "the multiemployer issue specifically by targeting relief to those plans that are most in need." Democrats say the proposal should be less short-sighted & apply to plans that are projected to fall into funding deficiency in the next five years. Kennedy & other proponents - including some Republicans - argue that the payments necessary to make up funding deficiencies will drive some contributing employers into bankruptcy. That will leave remaining employers to take up the slack. The White House argues that these multiemployer plans are underfunded & already subject to more generous funding requirements than pension plans sponsored by a single employer. Ten union-sponsored plans covering more than 2.2 million workers are underfunded by at least $27.9 billion, according to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The Central States Teamsters plan has the single largest deficiency, $11.3 billion for a plan covering 459,947 participants. Also in the top 10 are the Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund, the New England Teamsters, the Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund, & the Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers. A provision giving all multiemployer plans a break in their funding requirements passed the Senate. With the White House and House GOP leaders opposed, most staff and lobyists had assumed that the provision would be killed quietly in House-Senate negotiations. But the decision by United Parcel Service (UPS, news) to endorse the proposal gave it new life. UPS is a large contributor to the Teamster pension plans. Deal Sets New Pension Funding Benchmark The underlying bill enjoys broad bipartisan support & would allow businesses to use the more generous index of long-term corporate bond rates, instead of the 30-year Treasury bond, as a benchmark in making pension funding calculations. A temporary replacement of the 30-year Treasury bond - which the government stopped issuing in 2001 - expired in December & business will have to start making pension contributions based upon the now depressed 30-year bond rate on April 15. With the U.S. House leaving Washington for a two-week recess Friday, negotiators had to reach a deal on the bill Wednesday to get it passed in time. The bill already includes a break in the pension contributions required of the underfunded pension plans sponsored by airline & steel companies. Under the agreement announced by Boehner, airline & steel companies would pay just 20% of the required accelerated pension contributions in 2004 & 2005. The steel provision is expected to benefit Inland Steel, AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS, news), & iron ore miner Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (CLF, news) . The airline provision will benefit UAL Corp. (UALAQ, news), parent of United Airlines (UALAQ, news), American Airlines' parent AMR Corp. (AMR, news), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL, news), Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWAC, news), & Continental Airlines Inc. (CAL, news) . Negotiators also agreed to give Greyhound Lines Inc. - a wholly owned subsidiary of Laidlaw International Inc. (LI, news) - a reprieve on pension contributions to the Amalgamated Transit Union Plan. -By John Godfrey, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6601; John.Godfrey@dowjones.com Dow Jones Newswires 03-31-04 2246ET Copyright 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by: Jozsef Fanscali in Aurora at May 10, 2004 03:33 AM (eFc/2)

3 Subject: Open Letter to Greg Sorbara re USA & Canada water for rural needs etc. Date: Fri 07/30/04 09:41 AM Hi Everyone, For those who have not had a chance to read Mike McMahon excellent letter in the King Sentinel to Greg Sorbara please see below : The Honourable Greg Sorbara Minister of Finance, 7 Queens Park Crescent, 7th Floor Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1Y7 July 27, 2004 RE: YOUR COMMENTS ? GREAT LAKES UNITED & `BIG PIPE? Dear Minister, Last week you made a number of statements to York Region reporters Bill Rea (King Township Sentinel) and Mike Adler (Markham Economist Sun) concerning Great Lakes United, an international environmental group of which I am a member. The tenor of your remarks, along with those that follow from Margaret Black, the self-proclaimed Liberal Mayor of King Township, do not sit easily with me. For just as your intemperate comment regarding Great Lakes United?s record of research on the big-pipe issue misses key evidence within your government?s files, so too does your reported ?facetiousness? belie a defensiveness that is all too understandable, in light of the various pressures you are no doubt under. With respect to the so-called ?lobbying work? (your phrase) of Great Lakes United, it began with a public letter to Premier McGuinty that was more than fair. Great Lakes United simply asked your government to live up to its promise and promises where the internationally known Oak Ridges Moraine is concerned. What the York Region press picked up on, however, was a truth of some note. ?McGuinty government put in a tough spot,? (Era Banner ? July ran one of the many related stories in the York Region News Groups Metroland papers. And what kind of place is this ?spot?? Your recent comments lead me to believe that it is a place which, on the one hand, echoes with some of the environmental promises on which your government was recently elected. On the other, it is also a tough spot of real countervailing pressures? pressures which represent a test of your metal. And one element of these pressures is base. The developers and their high-priced lawyers are now filling large rooms in York Region, lobbying for the further expansion of the York Durham Sewer, even as they position themselves to fight for the scraps of its limited capacity. This situation is all too reminiscent of the one that unfolded during the late 1980s, under the reign of another Liberal government. Recall that in 1989 even Mike Harris?somewhat opportunistically to be sure--- spoke of corruption where the allocation of sewage capacity in York Region was concerned. And as to the real, high paid ?lobbying work? (your phrase) of our time, the Warren Kinsella?s with their Navigator PPG?s have been put to work to see the big pipe through, even as you and your Federal counterparts fill the headlines with news of the end to business as usual, at least where the environmental and economic costs of suburban and exurban sprawl are concerned. The Great Lakes United letter of June 17 to our Premier was based on a resolution that was passed on June 6 at the Great Lakes United Annual General Meeting in NorthEast Pennsylvania. And what was the evidence that gave Great Lakes United the confidence to pass this resolution? One element of it has been in Minister Dombrowsky's files since early May, when I hand delivered it to her office on St. Clair Avenue. This is the Call to Action of April 7 (RE: King City, the Oak Ridges Moraine & Pipe-Driven Sprawl), signed by myself, elected officials from King City, Humber heritage activists, Toronto?s Safe Sewage Committee, and others. It can be seen on the home page of the Great Lakes United web site at www.glu.org. You may want to pay a visit to the lower right corner of that international site, and take a look at citizen views of this matter of local and more global, Great Lakes environmental concern. As to further ?homework? (your phrase) and back up research regarding the King City/Humber River situation, the facts on the ground (if not in the water) have been known to a great number of us for some time. Recently, they were marshaled further, being attachment #2 (attached here) to the July 14 letter from Great Lakes United to our federal government. Long-standing reports of ?devastating? impacts of declines in base-flows to the Humber River are noted, as is evidence suggesting that these impacts will grow if the build out necessitated by the proposed big pipe to King City is simply accepted as a fait accompli. Great Lakes United members such as I understand that the pressures of the big pipe situation in York Region are many. And they come loaded with environmental concerns. As you may be aware, the York Durham Sewer has been known to dump raw sewage into area rivers and streams, sometimes in massive quantities. And talk has it that these incidents will only grow, along with back ups into the basements of your constituents, given the poor environmental planning of York Region. This planning takes the form of subdivision plan approvals in advance of infrastructure. Furthermore, it apparently entails York Region?s belief that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Fisheries Act does not apply to the headwaters of Toronto-area rivers. The outcome of this matter will now be determined in the courts, as you well know. As to the facts on the ground, we say that the best that can be done at the Rouge headwaters in Markham is mitigation of the environmental damages. And hopefully it is the best mitigation possible, under the circumstances. In King City, by contrast, there is an opportunity to avoid further shocks (short term and otherwise) to our urban environment. We hope that you will run with this opportunity, adding your voice to those of citizens and environmental organizations, and calling for a full environmental assessment of the big pipe situation there and elsewhere. Back of this, the conditional certificates of approval for the extension of the big pipe to King City need to be cancelled. Your Minister Dombrowsky has the power to do just that, under the Ontario Water Resources Act. Yours sincerely, Michael McMahon c. Reg Gilbert Senior Coordinator, Great Lakes United The Editor, The King Township Sentinel (Others stretching beyond limits of this page)

Posted by: Great Lakes United friends at August 02, 2004 10:15 AM (AaBEz)

4 PRESS RELEASE KING ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS JULY 30, 2004 Another Day, More Broken Promises King Environmental Groups (KEG) announced their shock that a Certificate of Approval for the York Durham Sewer System (YDSS) extension to King City has been granted today by Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, with the full support and knowledge of local MPP Greg Sorbara, Minister of Finance. King City, a small village of 5,000 people 40 kilometres northwest of downtown Toronto sits squarely 100% on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and local residents groups have been fighting the YDSS for over 10 years; stating their preference for a local communal treatment system should one prove necessary. KEG Chairman Jeff Laidlaw, states, "Approving the extension of the YDSS to King City is in complete contradiction of Section 43 of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, out of sync with the intent of the Greenbelt Protection Act, completely contrary to Minister Dombrowsky's stated goals for the Source Water Protection Act, and will most likely lead to rampant development and urban sprawl well beyond anyone's control." Said King City Councillor Jane Underhill, "It's shocking that the McGuinty government claimed they were going to stop the building on the Oak Ridges Moraine and broke that promise almost immediately after taking office, and now, with the tools in place that would allow them to stop the building on the Moraine from spreading further they (the Ontario government) are taking no action to stop it." Section 43 of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act speaks to the issue of maintaining quantity and quality of water, the Greenbelt Protection Act speaks to the issue of controlling urban sprawl, and the Source Water Protection Act speaks to the issue of watershed and aquifer maintenance. Estimates show that the extension of the YDSS to King City will effectively increase the water draw of 2 million litres per day from the local aquifer up to as much as 20 million litres per day (design capacity of the system) potentially draining the aquifer, and will remove all that water from the watershed. History of the YDSS shows that wherever it goes one sees sprawl. The case that has traditionally been used to support the YDSS by York Region is an alleged health concern. Peer review prepared in 2001 would suggest that the health concern is vastly overstated. KEG executive member, Nancy Hopkinson, President of Nobleton Alert Residents' Association, says, "When will this government live up to their promises ? Minister of the Environment Leona Dombrowsky, said on July 20 that she did not approve of moving water from one watershed to another" -30- Media Contacts: Jane Underhill (905) 833 5678 , Nancy Hopkinson (905) 859 0761, Jeff Laidlaw (905) 833 2249

Posted by: Michael McMahon at August 02, 2004 10:46 AM (Bl/RN)

5 Sewer foes short on options Environmentalists last week won the right to take York Region to court, where it may punished for harming fish with trunk sewer construction. [more at] http://www.yorkregion.com/yr/newscentre/markhameconomistandsun/story/2097299p-2428075c.html Sewer foes short on options Mike Adler, Staff Writer - Jul 27, 2004 Environmentalists last week won the right to take York Region to court, where it may punished for harming fish with trunk sewer construction. But chances to keep stalling the sewer in Markham and stop it from reaching King City and other communities may be drying up. The region last week received five permits for the sewer in Markham and two for King, a signal federal and provincial agencies are close to giving overall approval to both extensions of the so-called Big Pipe. Big Pipe opponents held a Queen's Park news conference to say governments could find alternatives to York's sewer expansion plans. Large-scale water extractions during sewer construction and leaks in the pipe afterwards will drain the provincially protected water resources of the Oak Ridges Moraine -- on which tens of thousands of local homes depend -- and lower rivers until fish are harmed, they said. But Greg Sorbara, Vaughan-King-Aurora MPP and Ontario Liberal party president, said he's confident the moraine and its water won't be harmed. "I think all the science is to the contrary," he said Friday, arguing people who bought homes in subdivisions delayed by lack of sewer capacity have been "really hurt". On Wednesday, a Newmarket justice of the peace allowed Scarborough resident Jim Robb to charge the region with violating federal law by harming fish habitat in Robinson Creek, a Rouge River tributary where the region has dumped extracted groundwater from its sewer tunnel under 16th Avenue. At the news conference, Mr. Robb's lawyer, Tim Gilbert of Gilberts LLP, said evidence against the region is strong. "There's alteration in temperature, there's alteration in flow rates and siltation. There's a change in even the chemistry of the water." All last week, Mr. Robb, an environmentalist working in the Rouge watershed, fought the impression the sewer is a "done deal", warning Ontario Environment Minister Leona Dombrowsky the region's 16th Avenue sewer plans require "one of the largest and most destructive water taking permits in Ontario's history", putting in motion "an environmental train wreck". ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE Alternatives -- different depths, different construction methods -- could still be found, he said. "York Region doesn't want to look at them. They have to be forced to look at them." Despite the region's elaborate plans to deal with problems, things could go wrong with the second phase of the 16th Avenue sewer, Mr. Sorbara acknowledged but added, "If we used that test, we wouldn't build anything." Big Pipe opponents may not have backing from governments, but they do have support from scores of groups, including those in Great Lakes United, a bi-national coalition that wants all the region's sewer plans re-examined and the King City pipe stopped. ---------------------------------- Date: Thu 07/22/04 06:45 AM Jul. 22, 2004. 01:00 AM Environmentalists win round York Region charged over draining of Oak Ridges Moraine Millions of litres of water allegedly pumped into creek STAN JOSEY STAFF REPORTER Environmentalists have won the first round in their legal fight to block a massive draining of water from the Oak Ridges Moraine to make way for an estimated $85 billion worth of new housing in York Region. A justice of the peace in Newmarket yesterday approved the laying of a private charge against the region for the harming of fish habitat during the construction of a giant sewer pipe. "This is an important victory in that we have satisfied the court there is reasonable grounds that an offence has been committed," said Jim Robb, of the Duffins Rouge Greenspace Coalition, who launched the prosecution on behalf of several environmental groups. Justice of the Peace Grainne Forrest ruled, after a private 90-minute pre-hearing, that a summons would be issued to the regional municipality of York on charges that it violated the Federal Fisheries Act by discharging contaminated water into Robinson Creek, a trout stream that is a tributary of the Rouge River. "This is just the first step," Robb said outside of the Newmarket courtroom. "We have to establish to a higher standard in the future, but we believe we have a strong case." The charge alleges that during the construction of Phase One of a giant sewer along 16th Ave. in Markham over the last two years, millions of litres of water, loaded with minerals and at the wrong temperature, have been pumped out of the ground and into the creek, posing a danger to trout and more than a dozen other fish species. The region has been ordered to appear in Newmarket court Sept. 24 to answer the charge. Robb said it is alleged that the creek damage took place during the construction of the first phase of the new sewer line, which eventually is designed to propel wastewater to a large sewage treatment plant in Pickering. A conviction under the Fisheries Act could get the region a fine of up to $300,000 a day for damaging fish habitat. A conviction is not expected to cancel the remainder of the $800 million sewer project, but could delay it and cause the province and the region to implement stricter environmental measures to conserve ground water and protect vital water resources on and near the Oak Ridges Moraine, Robb said. York Region environmentalist Robert Heaton, of Preston Lake in Whitchurch-Stouffville, said the real issue here is the threat to the ground water at the headwaters of Rouge, Don and Humber Rivers. "People in Toronto just don't realize that what we are talking about here affects the water they now find on their beaches in Toronto — there could be a lot less of it. "York Region had a lawyer at yesterday's hearing but Forrest ruled that the region could not have status at the hearing that was only designed to decide if there were sufficient grounds to proceed with a charge under the Fisheries Act. The lawyer then left the courthouse and could not be reached for comment after the decision. ------------------------------------------------- Anti-Big Pipe group challenges Liberals to live up to promise Jul 8, 2004 An environmental group called Great Lakes United has placed Premier Dalton McGuinty in a tough spot. The group, comprised of members from Canada and the United States, wants the premier to cancel plans to extend the Big Pipe, York Region's massive sewer system, in to King City. Great Lakes United is putting pressure on Mr. McGuinty, pointing to his government's proposals to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine from urban sprawl. The group applauds the Liberals for freezing development on some parts of the moraine as it prepares plans for a huge greenbelt. But, it suggests, the province can't have it both ways. By allowing an extension of the Big Pipe, there will be increased development in King City, which sits atop the environmentally sensitive moraine. It seems like an obvious decision. After all, York Region hardly needs to put a rush on more housing, especially in King City. But it isn't that simple. The province can't have it both ways. Mr. McGuinty also has to pay attention to Helena Jaczek, the region's medical officer of health. Ms Jaczek's argument the Big Pipe is needed to protect residents from deteriorating private septic systems in King City is convincing. After all, human health must come before the longterm health of the moraine and the Humber River, which runs through it. Few would argue with that. But Great Lakes United, as have local groups before them, urges alternative approaches. It believes the Big Pipe need not go near King City if York Region upgrades existing private septic systems and builds a communal treatment plant in King. That way, water won't be diverted from the Humber through the Big Pipe, to be transported three watersheds away. This scenario, Great Lakes United suggests, does a severe disservice to the Humber and the health of the moraine. The group has called on Premier McGuinty to deny a certificate of approval for the Big Pipe in to King. That demand shouldn't be agreed to automatically. But the province should tread carefully here. After all, it has already been nine years since King Township council first approved the Big Pipe. A little more time can't hurt. King City's Big Pipe scenario has been studied inside and out by York Region officials. And they say the sewer system is still the best way to go. But as a new government, with a mission to thwart urban sprawl, the provincial Liberals should weigh the options again. --------------------------- Jul. 23, 2004. 01:00 AM York defends environmental policy Draining water from the Oak Ridges Moraine is only a temporary measure, By Bill Fisch In recent weeks, there's been much discussion about York region's big pipe, as it's been called. At the same time, there's been a certain amount of heat stirred up by environmental lobbyists about the region's planned state-of-the-art sewage system. Some of the resulting coverage has been skewed — but a fair question has been raised, along the way: Is York region's infrastructure investment good for the environment or not? We who live in York region — among the 870,000 who are proud to call it home — say the answer is, yes. And we can prove it. (York region has been ordered to appear in court Sept. 24 to answer a private charge by environmentalists that it is endangering a fish habitat by discharging contaminated water into a creek during the construction of the big pipe.) Here are the facts: For many years, York region has championed a safe and energy efficient sewage system — and we have worked closely with federal and provincial regulatory agencies in efforts to secure a short-term, water-taking permit. We feel it's important, given recent media coverage, to tell people the real story. The gravity-based local sewage collection system, designed for the 16th Ave. Trunk sewer in Markham between 9th Line and Woodbine Ave., relies upon the same proven technology used in the majority of Ontario municipal sewage systems and is the most technically sound and cost efficient solution that complements the existing York Durham Sewage System. The pipe will provide a route for sewage to move toward the region's treatment facility using gravity. Given the depth at which the pipe will be laid, there is a need to remove water temporarily to alleviate pressure while the tunnel is being built and the pipe is being installed. Once the construction is complete, water removal stops. The application process for a permit to temporarily remove water started two years ago and hasn't been without opposition, to be sure. Some groups remain displeased and we recognize that there are those who may never be happy with any type of large-scale infrastructure project — however carefully we safeguard the environment in the community we call home. It's also true that these kinds of investments can be daunting; however, it is a shame to see some put cheap publicity ahead of sound environmental and public health policy. The system was designed many years ago by the Ontario government itself. It was a response to growing concerns about small local treatment plants discharging treated wastewater into watersheds. The success of the system has made it the preference for many municipalities. Once a gravity-based sewer system is in place, it is virtually foolproof. There are no mechanical parts that could break, there is no need to use energy to run pumps; therefore, there is no risk of spills due to pump failure. This isn't a new technology, but it's a proven and, frankly, preferred technology. It's a passive system. It works. The proposed system has long been part of York region's official plan supported by all levels of government of all political stripes. With a gravity system, the effects on the environment are short term, and mitigable, as we have consistently demonstrated to federal and provincial regulatory agencies. Over the long term, the benefits to the environment are less energy use, lower risk of spills, and higher reliability. We've worked hard to get this right and we invite any group, any person, to take a close look at the public filings we have made in support of this project. In doing so, it will be clear that York region planners and engineers have gone beyond government requirements. It will be clear we have protected our environment. We're proud of our approach — an environmentally safe system that will serve generations to come. The minister of the environment recently introduced new regulatory proposals for better water source protection. York region supports the government initiative. That's not all. We are leading the way in developing comprehensive strategies for managing and protecting our water resources in partnerships with conservation authorities and other area municipalities. We take our responsibilities to the environment seriously. To suggest otherwise is just plain wrong. York region's job is to ensure human and environmental health is protected for the benefit of our residents. We're doing that job. We live here. We work here. We are determined and committed to do nothing that harms the place we've all chosen to call home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Fisch is regional chair and CEO of The Regional Municipality of York. --------------------------------

Posted by: STAN JOSEY www.thestar.com STAFF REPORTER at August 02, 2004 11:25 AM (KOvYZ)

6 Canada & Ont Gov'ts capable of making themselves look more foolish than the Tory crew : Dear Premier McGuinty Open Letter Subject: Certifiicate of Approval - YDSS expansion to King City : Greater Toronto Area GTA Date: Mon 08/02/04 06:55 AM Dear Premier McGuinty: It's hard to believe that when we voted for change, we would end up with a government that was capable of making themselves look more foolish than the Eves crew. I am writing today about the York Durham Sewer System (YDSS) expansion to King City. With the granting by the MOE (July 30) of a Certificate of Approval, your government has made a sham of no less than 3 ministries and you, all at the same time. This is a special skill. In your election campaign you promised to stop the building on the Oak Ridges Moraine. As we are all aware you failed on delivery of that promise. King City, sits squarely 100% on the Oak Ridges Moraine. Until July 30, no land had been stripped, and no infrastructure put in the ground, that would create the potential for urban sprawl on the Moraine. The approval granted will "pave the way" (pardon the pun) for yet more new homes on the Moraine. Minister John Gerretsen, with the introduction of the Greenbelt Protection Act, is attempting to control urban sprawl; or at least that's one of the many underlying goals of the proposed legislation. History has shown repeatedly, especially in York Region over the last 10 years, that wherever the YDSS goes urban sprawl follows; witness Vaughan. King City has now been opened to that potential. Minister David Caplan, with introduction of the "Places to Grow" discussion paper, is attempting to redirect growth to selected locations across the province. King Township is not included as a place to grow within that document; although for some reason which we don't understand King Township is considered urban: This despite the fact that over 70% of the land mass of the township is Oak Ridges Moraine land. One might suggest that the placement of "urban-style" infrastructure, combined with the apparent historical relationship between sprawl and the pipe, and the definition of King Township as urban will lead to growth outside of the intent of the document "Places to Grow". Minister Leona Dombrowsky, with the introduction of the Source Water Protection Act, is attempting to control the flow of water, and maintain watersheds and aquifers. The introduction of the YDSS to King City will effectively deplete the aquifer servicing King City and will transfer massive quantities of water away from the Humber watershed. The action of your government, in approving the Certificate of Approval for the YDSS extension to King City, in short, makes a complete mockery of the efforts being put forward by the mentioned ministries, while at the same time, does nothing to save your political credibility with respect to the Oak Ridges Moraine debacle. With the foregoing in mind, I would request that you personally review this situation with an eye to cancelling the Certificate of Approval for the extension of the YDSS to King City. Thank you for your attention. Jeff Laidlaw, 4285 Fifteenth Sideroad, King City, Ontario L7B 1K4, (905) 833 2249 From: "Ribbit" To: "Dalton McGuinty" Cc: "Swainson, Gail" , , "Bill Rea" , ,, ,, , , ,, , ,, "Newsroom" , , "Mike Adler" , "Barber, John" ,"Peter Gorrie" , ,, , , ,, "Churley - QP, Marilyn"

Posted by: Jeff Laidlaw at August 02, 2004 02:31 PM (PcgQk)

7 Sept 30th 2004 Aurora : York Region GTA Ontario Canada Subject : Who's in Charge ? Abuse of Priveledge without Consciousness Suffering Continues & continues to grow even though 2 World Wars I'm so discusted & SICK when be4 Ex Premier Mike Harris left, he used YOUR taxpayers $ to SUE the Globe & Mail for what took place under HIS control against Dudley George, his family & HIS people. This has been clarified by his relatives that these types of Gustapo actions REALLY STILL continue here in Canada over 50 years after World War II even though most Canadians can't believe what's going on RIGHT under their NOSES, Just like what is going on with their KIDS in the school yard where there are Federal programs being funded to try & prevent these types of things going on but as we've seen with the Auditor General's report in Ottawa that Chetien does the same thing. When information like this comes up for discussion on our local streets with others, they appear lost with what to do to try & REGAIN Democracy in Canada & they encourage me to CARRY ON like this. I can tell these stories of comparison because I've lived under Nazi rule when I was a kid & my Mother was bullied by these same types. I'm sure you wouldn't like this to happen to YOU & this may happen to You & Your Parents, if it hasn't already. Just see YOUR Health Care. I do this for my fellow Canadians & when I FAX them &/or email them. The result is SILENCE... HOW Long will this be allowed to Continue ? When & if the a Depression happens or we can't afford to HEAT your homes or we can't get GAS because of the NAFTA accord by Brian Mullroney because the USA can't get OIL from the Arab states ? etc. From Jozsef Fancsali 156 Milestone Crescent Aurora ON L4G 3M2 P.S. My MPP attempting to hide under the LEGAL term/definition of Your Ontario Finance Minister must be getting nervous as I did get a Response covering details of WHY he couldn't HELP. MUST be SOMETHING VERY WRONG if he CAN't HELP US eh ?

Posted by: Jozsef Fancsali Aurora GTA at October 22, 2004 01:10 AM (xqMYw)

8 Oct 6th 2004 Aurora GTA York Region Ontario Canada To my New MP Ms. Belinda Stronich & MPP Greg Sorbara This is further to my other Communications now also available to the Public on the internet since it appears U are hiding info I am send informations now just coming out in the Public Domain when they actually transpired MANY years AGO. It appears that your friends & families are attemping to PROFIT more from the POOR. It must be a relief for those now being investigated to think that they can attempt to continue to hide behind Publically funded retirement Pension Plans vs mine which is being investigated by the USA Justice Dept. & like U Greg pretend to HIDE behind the Queen's Crown by saying U can't represent the people of your riding & clarified & CONFIRMED by the http:// www.yrng.com etc. Becasue of the above & more I'm sending U 3 other hiding cases A Native Killing ; r a p e Victim ; a Son of a Holocast Victim etc. no, I've NOT LOST faith in Canada just yet EVEN friends & family of YOURS acting like U have attempted MANY things AGAINST me. Others like me have LOST Everthing & there will be MANY more... These events have affected my HEALTH & MANY others will DIE because of the Billions of Dollars that have left Canada already & are being held for Your friends & family as we sure can't even attempt to try & cover the Debt Loads that Ontario Auditor Peters pretends to let us know about & the Ottawa Scandals & yesterday another DEATH of 1 of OUR Canadian Armed Forces. Recovery of the missing monies buried in Swiss Bank Accounts etc may prove impossible to tarce & recover in the future when investigations are held to find out why & HOW the Public Purse was found EMPTY. Some of us in Canada still have a few posessions left, I've LOST ALL To pay for the Debt Bills coming, Canadians will loose a LOT more. GOD in me has allowed me to survive, while others haved DIED. Money or Power that U believe U have NOW will NOT replace what I & others have already LOST, so remember that when U get OLDER. I consider it a GREAT Honour that GOD has allowed me to continue to so that I can continue to expose the Likes of U & Yours & serve Canadians to prevent what has already happened to my Father & Mother & SIX Million Brothers & Sisters. If it wasn't for my Parents Outlook to save my Life with my present name from the Nazi's, I wold NOT be ABLE to carry on here working for GOD in North America & with him Saving me, everthing is POSSIBLE, even correcting most above. All the Best for Canada From Jozsef Fancsali 156 Milestone Crescent Aurora ON L4G 3M2

Posted by: Jozsef Fancsali Aurora GTA at October 22, 2004 01:17 AM (xqMYw)

9 Oct 2004 at Ryerson GTA Ontario Canada From Jozsef Fancsali 156 Milestone Crescent Aurora GTA -> Greater Toronto Area Ontario Canada L4G 3M2 This will serve as an introduction to others who can read my story & maybe have it repeated on the airwaves so that others in the World will know that they're NOT alone & things aren't necessarily better in Canada. Ladies & Gentlemen might hear my stories as a carbon copy of what happened to the NHL Hocket players who NEVER had their story get out from the borders of Canada for reasons we still don't know. There are MANY others that would FILL MANY ROOMS of this School. The NHL players had to go to the USA to get their Criminal story out. The " higher powers " have hoped that I would've given up years ago but with the BackGround of my Youth experiences with the Nazi's & with our Canadian < British Colonial Justice > System, we have to carry on for years sharing Evidence of what is attached here & to continue having it shared among many as we drop into the earth, & hopefully can be used by future generations to learn what shouldn't happen again, here or ANYONE or to ANYONE on this GREAT planet. In Canada we have many Organizations that appear to have NO Teeth as when they do spread the TRUTH, their Public Funding gets erased < eg. Trillium Funding > in Ontario & they die as well. Thank You

Posted by: Jozsef Fancsali Aurora GTA at October 22, 2004 01:19 AM (xqMYw)

10 From Jozsef Fancsali 156 Milestone Crescent Aurora ON L4G 3M2 Friday Oct 8th Aurora Ontario 2004 GTA York Region Ontario Canada To my new MP Belinda Stronich & my MPP Greg Sorbara After I sacrifice myself many years in Canada for Canadians For many years this Countries Leaders & Politicians are aware of what I stand for & have done NOTHING about it, like the street people say, Let's get it ALL OUT in the OPEN via FAXes & Internet. Just 2 remind everybody I tried MANY MANY times to get this info into the News Media but YOU are Lucky my English isn't so good. Now Greg U are cutting back on the Ombudsman's Office to HELP perpetuate this problem for us immigrants to Keep the TRUTH away from Public Eyes. Wel we have News for U, the info is out there now & it will only be a matter of time before others connect the dots & find out what else is missing from the Public Purses. Is it in the Public Interest that we will WIN OUT ? SURE WILL A year ago when the Liberals won in Ontario, they hired EX Auditor Eric Peters to see supposedly how much deficit the Tories left behind but as we know, friends of yours were complicite in the monies that have disappeared as this same supposed Auditor chased me & others OUT of his office when we attempted to present him with more details than your Civil Servants had given him, like what has just been uncovered in Ottawa investigations. Wait until the Ontario Hydro customers find out about the game " Hide & Seek " for over a thousand dollars a week that's been going on & the debt charges that will have to be paid by them. I also have supplied past & present MP & MPP's about the BABY Boomers Pensions that shouldn't have ever happened in Canada. How about you " friend " MPP Frank Klees who has been & is VERY AWARE of past Tory Scandals & he went on TV with us in 1995. I live at my MP's Ms Belinda Stronich's doorstep where her team is housed & it might considered a shock to Canadians, that I'm still in the TRUTH business because I'm sure some of yours friends don't like the REAL truths getting out so can see the Lies like Dick Cheney put out & were confirmed on the Daily Show With Jon Stewart With their money & their supposed power, U & your friends can attempt to deny everything I'm stating that my info isn't the TRUTH Just remember that ANY government be4 1945 didn't want to know what was taking place with Hitler & the Jews which we now know If OUR Ottawa & Queens Park Leaders keep on ignoring my story that will mean to the Public that U don't care less for their welfare This will confirm that I do this for Canadians that might NOT be able to do something about it or don't know what's WRONG yet. P.S. my MPP Greg Sorbara's boss Premier Dalton McGuinty did the SAME thing to the Tories when he was Opposition Leader. So the Ontario Liberal party CANNOT deny what I do isn't TRUE

Posted by: Jozsef Fancsali Aurora GTA at October 22, 2004 01:22 AM (xqMYw)

11 greg sorbara i am an ansestor of yours my fathers name is robert sorbara(italian)please if you have the time call 98815996 western australia. from your cousin simon.

Posted by: simon sorbara at December 10, 2004 12:24 AM (HCRps)

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Feb. 27 - France calls for Aristide to quit. Opposition leaders in Haiti have made it clear that Artistede's removal is the only condition under which they will negotiate a settlement.

France had already called for the international community to assemble a force to restore order and urged Aristide consider stepping down.

[...]

The Security Council later adopted a statement expressing its deep concern in regard to the deterioration of the political, security and humanitarian environment in Haiti.

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Feb. 26 - One of the startling side-benefits of a scandal is how much more evidence tends to come to light about other instances of wrongdoing, even in (gasp!) Ontario (Hydro deals anger Tories - but let us be perfectly clear: the Tories are angry at . . . the Tories, or in particular, Mike Harris, for awarding the untendered contracts to political operatives.)

Freedom of Information documents released this week reveal that publicly owned Hydro One paid out $5.6 million to the companies of key Tory strategists Paul Rhodes, Leslie Noble, Michael Gourley and Tom Long, all influential players in the governments of Mike Harris and Eves.

[...]

And sources told Sun Media that many Tory MPPs are seething behind the scenes, distraught that the revelations are damaging their hard-won reputation as good fiscal managers.

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Feb. 25 - Use of the word Adscam is popping up in unexpected places, including this story about the Conservative Party leadership campaign in today's Toronto Sun, Belinda cash hurts party, rival beefs:

OTTAWA -- Conservative leadership frontrunner Stephen Harper says the financial muscle rival Belinda Stronach is flexing in Quebec could tarnish the party's image in a province already rocked by the Adscam sponsorship scandal. The Stronach campaign has repeatedly said it's bound by the same rules as the other leadership candidates and it's playing by them. (My emphasis)

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Feb. 26 - Anyone else find the wording in this article downright weird? Canuck 'suicide bomber' alive:

A Canadian accused by the Taliban of being the suicide bomber who killed a Canadian corporal in Afghanistan last month denies he was behind the attack, CBC-TV's The National reported last night. Abdullah Khadr met with the CBC at a secret location in Pakistan to prove he was not the suicide bomber who killed Cpl. Jamie Murphy.

"If I was the suicide bomber, I wouldn't have been doing this interview with you right now," Khadr told CBC in Islamabad.

The CBC story and interview are here.

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Feb. 25 - A column by Chantal Hebert of the Toronto Star, I got $50K from Liberal 'slush fund', reveals something that I think we all suspected: the federal Liberal party in Quebec were not the only ones who fed from the slush fund we call Adscam - the federal sponsorship program.

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Feb. 25 - Liberals break ranks during missile defence vote

According to the above, 30 out of 71 votes in support of a Bloc Quebecois motion against participating with the USA in talks about a missile defense program were from the Liberal Party caucus (155 MPs voted against the motion.)

Allowing more free votes in Parliament should prove extremely interesting for constituencies as well as giving Canadians as a whole a closer look at the different political viewpoints within the Liberal caucus.

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Feb. 23 - Auditor General Sheila Fraser is naming some names: Who got what.

Not surprisingly, Groupaction is involved:

Groupaction got $6.7 million in two uncompetitive ad contracts.

One, for $5.4 million with Justice Canada, was given despite protests from Justice officials, who twice informed Public Works "they were not satisfied with Groupaction's work." The other, a $1.3-million deal with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, was given months after Public Works canceled a competitive process to pick an agency.

Groupaction was paid $795,000 for two contracts for which there is no evidence services were actually provided - one to promote the federal gun registry and another to sponsor, among other events, car races and horse shows.

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RECAP: Jaeger wrote Nous sommes en direct de la Rue des Pussies.

Laurent wrote We're All Catholics Now in response and Jaeger wrote We're All Catholics Now?. I'm putting them up at the top here because these posts have been a fascinating analysis of political and social changes in Quebec and thus Canada over the past 50 years.

Colby Cosh pointed out when the extent of outrage over Adscam became apparent that, in a twisted way, the aims of the Communication Canada program had been achieved: the country seems quite united--against the Liberals-- and we've seen the true nature of the government. more...

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Feb. 21 - Jaeger has written about the "Francization" of Canada in Nous sommes en direct de la Rue des Pussies that needs to be read more than once.

... Up until 1968 the British model of decentralized free institutions suited Canada fine, even when the Prime Minister was a French Canadian. Until then if there was a conflict between French and Anglo ideas it tended to be the Anglo majority that would triumph. That only changed when we elected a megalomaniac who decided to remodel the federal government into something more amenable to the French intellectuals on the left bank of the Seine. The French intellectuals and their fellow travelers may sneer at McDonald's fast food, but when it comes to government they insist on SuperSizing and centralizing it. ..

[...]

And when it comes to governing philosophy, size matters. It is not entirely incorrect to generalize that Quebec politicians will lean toward the interventionist, dirigiste, l'tat c'est moi philosophy as is fashionable in France, and Albertans won't. That wasn't true in Laurier's time, but it is in ours. And it is certainly true that bloated, interventionist governments attract charlatans, hucksters and crooks like moths to a flame. So if that's the type of Quebec-bashing people want to engage in, I say bring it on. ..

Laurent has replied to Jaeger's post and argues that Canada has undergone Catholicization in We're All Catholics Now:

... I think the key to understanding the last decades of change in Canadian politics is not French vs. Anglo but Catholic vs. Protestant. Quebec and Canada may now be quite secular, but the cultural habits of thought and action shaped by centuries of religious belief and practices simply don't go away overnight.

UPDATE: And Jaeger responds.

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Feb. 20 - Margaret Wente's column If Chretien was Teflon, Martin is Velcro gets an instalaunch.

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Feb. 20 - Fascinating post at Le blog de Polyscopique which jabs the NDP over-eagerness to form a minority government with the federal Liberal Party but makes a point that is, in retrospect, perfectly obvious (which is probably why it has been overlooked):

Maybe a Conservative-Bloc coalition (which would be vaguely reminescent of the Conservative-Nationaliste alliance which formed the Borden government in 1911) could endure as long as the Bloc did not have emotive social-democrat reactions and realized that an agenda of reducing the size, budget and influence of the federal government is perfectly compatible with an agenda of greater provincial autonomy.

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Feb. 20 - Anthony wants Mayor Miller to realize he's not in the Shire anymore. Excellent post.

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Feb. 18 - A 2000 Audit alleged fraud changes the current answer to that all-important question: what PM PM knew and when he knew it:

OTTAWA -- A 2000 public works internal audit that Prime Minister Paul Martin says only highlights the sponsorship program's "administrative failures," in fact details double-billing by ad agencies and alleges fraud. The 1,180-page audit points out specific instances in which ad agencies billed for items they didn't produce or expensed travel that wasn't linked to the sponsored event.

Martin has insisted it wasn't until a 2002 auditor general's report, which found that public servants broke the rules when they handed Groupaction $1.6 million for three almost identical reports, that he realized how serious the problems were in the $250-million sponsorship program. But the internal audit is filled with examples of questionable billing practices by ad agencies and secret deals between those firms and public servants.

According to the probe, taxpayers paid the Gosselin ad firm to produce different signs for the 1999 Toronto and Vancouver Molson Indies. Auditors found that the same sign was used twice.

At least some government types in Ontario are alert:

Ontario bureaucrats are rushing to reform a $1-billion research fund -- modelled after a similar federal program -- after the provincial auditor exposed its nearly complete lack of government oversight. Economic Development and Trade Deputy Minister Don Black said yesterday the Ontario Innovation Trust and other research grant-giving agencies will be opened to greater public oversight before the March 2005 deadline.

"A year from now is far too long," Black said. "Obviously what we had in place was not working."

New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson complained that changes come far too late. "I think the horse left the barn already."

Black and other ministry officials were before a legislative committee explaining how the five-year-old innovation fund could pay out hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars with no cabinet or ministerial scrutiny.

Instead, an arms-length, non-profit subsidiary called Innovation Institute Ontario administers the $1-billion fund.

That same subsidiary was later awarded a $1.35-million contract to administer Ontario's $750-million Research and Development Challenge Fund without the normal public process of a request for proposals.

Not only did the auditor find apparent conflicts of interest within that organization's board, the office found miscalculated grant payments of up to $277,000. The auditor also reported a lack of proof that grants were being awarded in a fair, open way.

We vet our appointees at the Congressional level, including our Supreme Court judges. We also elect our Senate. The pork-barrellers up here don't even have to steal, they just have to bide their time to get life-long appointments and cushy pensions.

How do they get away with it, you ask? François Beaudoin knows what they can do to whistle-blowers. M. Beaudoin was recently vindicated, but how many have his resources to fight it all the way up to Quebec Superior Court?

There is no protection for whistle-blowers here, you see, but for the inquiry into this scandel, they are being guaranteed protection if they come forward. What about the scandels that have yet to be uncovered? Up. The. Creek.

Still wonder why taxes in the US are considerably less than in Canada? It's not about the free health care system, it's about the extravagent patronage system.

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Feb. 17 - NBC's Conan O'Brien Issues 'Apology' to Quebec. Read it and laugh.

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Feb. 17 - Some extremely news-worthy items lately have been hard for me to post about. I never started this blog with the intention of ridiculing Canadians because I have a great deal of respect for them, and I recognize that vicious, mean-spirited criticism of the leaders of this country implicitly criticizes the people who elected them.

Although I chose not to become a Canadian citizen, I am a member of the tax-paying public up here so there are issues in which I consider the Federal government to be fair game.

The recent corruption scandels and what Stockwell Day has termed the government's nonchalant approach for cost over-runs have given rise to a different kind of discussion up here, though, and as I believe that there are some issues that are best handled and discussed between Canadians I've steered somewhat clear of it.

My kids travel under a Canadian passport, so the failure of the Canadian government to protect their citizens abroad is also one that comes under my list of concerns.

I didn't comment about the hype before the Conan O'Brien visit to Toronto. I found the whole affair sordid, bewildering, and depressing.

I was surprised to read (courtesy of Smug Canadian) that Polyscopique thought I was cheering. He's wrong. The whole reaction - including the discussing of it in Parliament, of all things - to the brand of humour expressed by a puppet served only to make me more bewildered and more depressed.

But the post does mean that I maybe I should set the record straight by clearly explaining my attitude.

So here it is: I feel disgust for the Canadian government. I feel that they insulted Americans by pitching and spending money on the notion that bringing Conan up here would mean that all was forgiven and hey! we like you (and your money) again. If that is equal to cheering, with then we need to come with up some new definitions for feeling contained anger and resentment when one is treated like a cheap whore.

The Feds believed that Americans would respond to excessive fawning and drooling over an American!Entertainer and that indicates how shallow and superficial they really believe we are, and the bandwagon that the media hopped aboard means that they too share that evaluation.

Americans have their feelings hurt and that's why they're staying away. Let's just lavish insincere flattery on them, pretend that our PM and their President are, you know, friendly, and for extra measure we'll pretend we like their humour and they'll be so happy they'll rush up here and spend lots and lots of money.

Hmm, as I write this I'm suddenly realizing just who the real whore is.

Fuck. Off. And. Die. Yeah, I think that pretty much sums up how much I cheer this latest innovation to lure American tourists to Toronto as well as cheer the rantings of some stupid plastic puppet. It's going to take a lot more to fix this one, and your government has actually made it worse.

Canadians don't get Americans. In fact, many refuse to do so, because we've told you a million different times and in a million different ways that if you want to be our friends, you can do so by disagreeing without being disagreeable. And I'm not referring to your entertainers, like say Rick Mercer, but to your media and your government spokespersons. They are your public face, Canada. Cope with it.

For the record, I think that the FCC investigating a Wardrobe Malfunction was also absurd.

I don't know enough about Conan or Triumph's uh, voice to know to what extent they realized what the Feds were trying to achieve. I don't even know if he believed the cover story that it's all about SARS.

Members of the Canadian federal government insults Americans and a doggie puppet insults Qubeckers. Is there a difference?

I wonder how Quebeckers feel that the federal government believed that, if enough money was spread around, Quebeckers would quickly drop their separatist aspirations and if I'm the only one who wonders at the irony that Quebeckers and Americans have something in common. (Please note I used the word wonder, not asked.)

I don't comment on the unique relationship Quebec has with the rest of Canada nor do I comment on aboriginal issues because my instincts are American and I recognize that they render me incapable of truly understanding, commenting on or representing Canadian views on those issues.

The relationship Canada - and Canadians - have with the United States - and Americans - is of a different category. When some people in Quebec boo my national anthem at a hockey game, I shrug off-line. When some people in Quebec throw rocks at a kids minor hockey team bus or hurl anti-American insults at kids while they're playing a hockey game, however, I will speak out. The targets were kids, and such behaviour is over the line by anyone anywhere.

When a Muslim hijacks a Montreal memorial service for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to spew his hatred for Jews, I will speak out. There are insults and transgressions that I will not overlook and I don't really care if Canadians understand how we feel about Dr. King but I do care if I fail to rise to challenge and condemn those insults as well as defend Dr. King's memory. I can't stop you from revising your own history, but keep your hands off mine.

I ignore trolls, flames and cross-posted blog wars. I spent too many years on Usenet to fall for those tired old tricks.

I might add that when I find posts that may have a different view than I but are thoughtful and based in facts I'll also link it because I still think it important for Americans to know that what they read in the papers or on this blog about Canada and Canadians isn't the entire story.

Other Yanks living abroad know fully, as do I, that sticks and stones do hurt, but we also know we'll survive. If you need some wanker who will crumble when you toss accusations (!) like "right-winger" or "conservative" my way, you picked the wrong person because, like most of my countrypeople, I don't care.

Dinner's ready so I retain my right to fix the massive spelling, contextual and malapropisms I'll find later!

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Feb. 17 - Of course it's not a war, but there are some cute baby pictures up these days!

Smug Canadian is a new daddy and the photo looks as though Ada is growing weary of the flash going off (just hang in there, darling, it will cease when you're about, oh, 10-years old) but Max and Talia, Bruce's recently turned 1-year old twins are old enough to pose and get into the spirit of things.

Yes, bloggers do indeed have real lives.

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