I confess that I don’t know a hell of a lot about economics but you do have to wonder how this government, which was saying just weeks ago that they would not go into deficit could have got it so wrong. I’d have to say, so much for Stephen Harper’s skills as an Economist. Today before a penny is spent on stimulus the Department of Finance was saying we have already accumulated a $15 billion deficit.
These guys made a big deal about tax cuts although I never understood the logic in planning to bring in less money as you are substantially increasing spending. Tax cuts? I am not sure what the government gave us back in tax cuts amounts to much more than a fiddlers fart.
This budget is supposed to be all about stimulus yet I am not sure they have done the right things. So much is so complicated that most people, even the economic pundits can figure most of it out. Cities will have to go through more hoops before any money flows for infrastructure projects and really we need to get some of these projects moving as soon as we can.
Even the Saskatchewan Party is complaining about this budget and believe me that is something almost unheard of. Evidently Saskatchewan didn’t get access to nearly enough of the money they need and expected. Brad Wall has always told us his new cuddly relationship with Harper will pay off for Saskatchewan. Apparently he was wrong.
The Conservatives are boasting that they added another five weeks to the Employment Insurance payments at a cost of $1 Billion. Before they pat themselves on the back too hard, we have to remember that there is something like a $65 Billion surplus in the fund, paid for by employees and employers. They could have done a lot better.
So what have we got?
I’m not sure what it is but, I expect that we are going to be paying for it for years. Frankly, I hope I am wrong but don’t think this budget will do what this government hopes it will. I hope Canadians remember some of these last few months come Election Day, although I doubt they will.
For people looking for a silver lining however, anything that gets Andrew Coyne this riled up can’t be all bad.
I think we can say that we have safely past the stature of limitations concerning New Year’s resolutions. As of today the promises people made to lose weight, exercise or to just be a nicer person generally don’t have to be honoured any more, or at least that it what it seems.
Since November, I have been going to Regina’s Fieldhouse in an effort to get in better physical shape or in the very least get a bit more trim. I am amazed at the number of people who use the place. Frankly, I never realized how many people got up and dragged themselves to the gym before 8:30 each morning. (I say 8:30 because that is about as early as I can make it) Yet day after day I see the same people walking, jogging, playing badminton and working the torture machines.
Then, immediately after the new year started, the parking lot was suddenly packed with cars. More often than not I’d have to wait for space just to get changed in the locker room. The track was crowded with walkers and runners each one more determined that the other. It seemed that all the machines were being commandeered by driven, sweaty middle aged riders. I expected that if it got any worse, rivers of sweat would be flowing freely down the gym floors. To be honest I resented their intrusion more than just a little.
But, we are past all that now. Things are back to normal. The resolutionaries are once again staying tucked in bed or at the very least have reclaimed their spot on the couch watching Canada AM. The walk from the parking lot to the gym is much shorter which I assure you is a very big bonus when the temperature dips below -30.
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions so I never really knew at what point you could just give up on them. Apparently it is January 27. From my perspective, it’s none too soon.
The Globe & Mail’s John Doyle is certainly one of my favourite entertainment writers. I seldom miss what he has to say about the television industry, even if I don’t watch a great deal of television.
Today he writes about a small hornet’s nest stirred up by Michel Arpin, the Vice Chair of the Canadian-Radio and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC. Mr Arpin admitted in a year-end interview with Playback magazine that he pretty much only watches news and documentary programs. He said, “I’m not that interested in televised fiction or even feature films.”
Those comments, made by others might not mean much but, as John Doyle points out, Arpin has been one of the most influential people at the CRTC helping to decide how much drama and comedy has to be produced and aired on Canadian television.
Denis McGrath, a television writer, is outraged by Arpin’s statements and writes on his blog “I've see Arpin in action at CRTC hearings. All pursed lips and bristling skepticism, I saw him treat what he calls "the unions" with the air of an impatient parent hearing out the teenagers on the some newfangled trend in music or technology.”
There is no doubt that McGrath’s outrage is well placed but, from my perspective, why the surprise? Arpin is just one of a long line of CRTC board members who act much more like industry toadies than servants of the people, trying to serve the Canadian public. I have spent more time at the CRTC than I ever care to remember. The CRTC has failed Canadians year, after year, after year. At licence renewal time the television networks, time after time roll out flashy presentation, full of promise. Time after time they break those promises, once the renewal is granted.
The CRTC allowed the networks to starve their local stations for resources, drop almost all local programming, cut local news coverage back to next to nothing and reduce journalistic standards substantially. They have allowed the major networks to feed Canadians, crappy foreign programming in prime time and to pay little more than lip service to the Canadian Television production industry.
The airwaves belong to the Canadians people, not the industry. That statement should be predominant on the CRTC’s letter head. Unfortunately they forgot that fact, years ago.
I thought I'd try to move away from some of the political commentary and share this with you. After all who needs another "impressions of the inauguration" blog posting. Truth be told I didn't watch it.
When we were in London last year I first became aware of an anonymous but amazing street artist who calls himself Banksy. Most of his work is on old, abandoned buildings but some are tucked here and there in corners where you might miss them if you weren't looking carefully.
The Tate Modern bookstore had an art book featuring his work, which is hard to find. The City of London considers him a graffiti artist and covers his work up, when they become aware of it. He has nevertheless become somewhat of a cult hero and has developed a huge international following. Photos of his work are quite prevalent on the web.
While we were in London he sponsored a show featuring his own work and that of other famous street artists. It was held in an unused train tunnel attached to London's Waterloo Station. The line ups were blocks long. Thousands of people waited hours, on the street, in an unusually warm summer day to see his work.
Do yourself a favour and Google "Banksy." I hope you like his images as much as I do.
