Conservative candidate Derek Zeisman is a long way from becoming prime minister. But he's already figured out what he's going to do if he gets there. As has already been reported on Babble, Mr. Zeisman's essay "We Stand on Guard for Thee: A Canadian Blueprint for the Twenty-first Century" was published in the 1998 edition of As Prime Minister I Would... Among the plans in that blueprint: abolishing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which "has fractured our once unified nation into warring groups of special-interest advocates with narrow-minded goals and no sense of individual responsibility or accountability," and examining "the possibility of a North American monetary union." Other delights include ensuring all new infrastructure will be "based on the 'user pay' concept of revenue generation. Examples of this include road tolls, water and utility development fees, and user access charges for new communication services."
Of course, Mr. Zeisman's future prime ministerial hopes might be dashed by the country's immigrant community when they find out he thinks they should "speak one of two official languages" before coming to Canada "because we're spening huge amounts of money on education (for them)." This, according to a September report from the Trail Daily Times's Kate Sky covering the Conservative nomination battle in British Columbia Southern Interior. Mr. Zeisman later clarified in a letter to the editor that he only "raised the concept" during that battle. A version of this article was originally published in today's edition of 24 hours.
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I am afraid, like it or not, his view of things will come to pass. Decades of corrupt federal pol;itics will drive the Canadian voter to the right and demand such nonsence. Sane societies smetimes go insane at the voting booth!
But I do agree with the user-toll stuff for highways and water and things like that. Encourages conservation, is efficient and is fair. Lets spend public money on real public goods like health care and education. Really, roads are private goods that, when underpriced, are provided inefficiently and are wasteful...the lack of tolls can explain some of urban sprawl, and our overdependence on automobiles.
I can already tell that he and recent Liberal Deputy Prime Minister John Manley would get along famously.
Abolish the Charter? North Amercian monetary union?...and now it is clear to all why the Harper Conservatives will be wiped out in the lower mainland and south Island. These views are way out of touch with main stream views of urban/suburban Canada. Voters in these ridings don't/won't go for these sort of extreme right wing shenanigans.
Abolish the Charter? North Amercian monetary union?...and now it is clear to all why the Harper Conservatives will be wiped out in the lower mainland and south Island. These views are way out of touch with main stream views of urban/suburban Canada. Voters in these ridings don't/won't go for these sort of extreme right wing shenanigans.
Abolish the Charter? North Amercian monetary union?...and now it is clear to all why the Harper Conservatives will be wiped out in the lower mainland and south Island. These views are way out of touch with main stream views of urban/suburban Canada. Voters in these ridings don't/won't go for these sort of extreme right wing shenanigans.
So, the CPC has some candidates denying constitutional rights for some groups and other candidates wanting to abolish constitutional rights altogether.
Like I've been saying for two years now... being conservative should not mean being anti-people...nor radical... nor anti-establishment.
In contast, being conservative should mean being pro-Canada and pro-people. Until the CPC gets this point, they simply are not ready to hold power over people’s lives.
So, the CPC has some candidates denying constitutional rights for some groups and other candidates wanting to abolish constitutional rights altogether.
Like I've been saying for two years now... being conservative should not mean being anti-people...nor radical... nor anti-establishment.
In contast, being conservative should mean being pro-Canada and pro-people. Until the CPC gets this point, they simply are not ready to hold power over people’s lives.
So, the CPC has some candidates denying constitutional rights for some groups and other candidates wanting to abolish constitutional rights altogether.
Like I've been saying for two years now... being conservative should not mean being anti-people...nor radical... nor anti-establishment. In contast, being conservative should mean being pro-Canada and pro-people. Until the CPC gets this point, they simply are not ready to hold power over people’s lives.
C Black said:
"But I do agree with the user-toll stuff for highways and water and things like that. Encourages conservation, is efficient and is fair. Lets spend public money on real public goods like health care and education. Really, roads are private goods that, when underpriced, are provided inefficiently and are wasteful...the lack of tolls can explain some of urban sprawl, and our overdependence on automobiles."
Well, we've had tolls in the Interior for many years, most noticably the Coquihalla Highway. Remember when that toll was introduced, it was supposed to be to pay for "the Coca-Cola Highway"? Well, it's been paid off for a long time now, yet the toll remains... Wonder why the Lion's Gate Bridge doesn't have a toll on it, instead of sucking money out of the provincial coffers whenever it needs a fix up? *I* certainly never use that bridge, so why the hell should *I* pay for it? For that matter, why should *I* have to pay cent *one* toward something I won't use or benefit from in the Southern Interior, the massive screwing being planned for 2010 that will only serve to enrich the same people who bankrolled Gordon Campbell?
If we're gonna talk "user pay", I say we go whole hog!
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