Roseth's Blog

I would not wish to be police in today’s Toronto. You are there to catch the “bad guys”, but the criminals have all the advantage. They can carry illegal guns or drugs in their cars with impunity; unless they make a traffic violation of some kind, they are safe from search and seizure.

Police officers patrolling a known hotbed for illegal drugs and such, must not stop anyone, no matter how suspicious looking they might appear. And as in the case of Det. Aikman, an award-wining policeman, if you decide to stop the suspicious vehicle anyhow, and you find a driver with a criminal record and a gun and/or drugs in the car; he walks free because you stopped him on a hunch, or because he was black and you are “profiling”.

O.K. I can see the need to discipline an officer for giving false testimony. So, discipline him; but don’t let the criminals go free. That is absurd, and can only lead to criminals becoming even more brazen and fearless.

Innocent people have nothing to fear from a traffic stop. Yes, I know; it’s the law. Then, in this case, the law is an ass.

I recall being a young man in Saskatchewan in the early sixties. The RCMP patrolled the highways, and had a perfect way of keeping us young bucks in line. They could to stop vehicles at random to check for “purple gas.” Farmers were able to buy tax-free gasoline for their farms, but were not allowed to use it in private vehicles. However, we city folks were also subject to the spot checks, even if we never went near the farms. I don’t know how many farmers they caught, but they sure kept us in line –at least on the road.

To me –correct me if I am wrong –the “fairness tax” is anything but fair, it is just plain stupid. The 2 per cent surtax on 23,000 high-income earners will raise $470 million in 2013-14 with all proceeds going toward paying down the deficit. In a 638,169 million dollar economy, the extra $470 million in not a lot, and will not improve the lives of one Ontarian; but it makes for good press and will no doubt play well in Andrea Horwath’s home court.

The unfairness of this is the cut-off line of 500,000. It will encourage people approaching the limit, or just above it, to go through all kinds of contortions to avoid it; and what, pray tell is the difference between 500,000 net incomes and, say 499,000.00? It is about -$ 25,000.00.

A fairer way would have been to change the whole tax scale, so that the surcharge would be progressive, and starting at a lower lever; say 300,000; progressing to the two percent somewhere at or above the $ 500,000.00. That is called “progressive taxation” and is the basis of our democratic taxation system. The NDP “fairness tax” is neither fair nor sensible, it is “window dressing” and only serves the purpose hoodwinking voters and maintaining the political status quo.

No doubt, we are going to hear a chorus of lament from the bleeding hearts and special interests groups everywhere. Failed asylum seekers from safe countries –yes, like Mexico and Hungary –in addition to staying on the pubic dole, now will not be able to milk the system for Medicare and dental services. What shame.

No one asked these people to land uninvited on our doorsteps. Let’s save our empathy for those whom really need and deserve it, and send the freeloaders home.

Orthodoxy, in particular the rabid ultra-Orthodox kind, is a problem in Israel almost as much as is fanatical Islam. It is decay at the root of Israeli society and democracy.
I found your the book The Unmaking of Israel interesting and evocative of my travel through Israel some ten years ago.

One thing that struck me as incongruous was the pervasive presence of the Orthodox, particularly in Jerusalem. In addition to the native kind, there was an influx of Russian ultra-Orthodox Jews parading around in their huge fur hats, not seeming to have much to do other than talking on their cell phones. In the Jerusalem Hotel where I stayed, on the Sabbath, there were young orthodox men watching that no hot food was served; or food that required any labour. They were leeches that got free food for their “services”.

While most young Israelis were required to serve in the military, and –even women –were seen in uniforms all over, these young parasites were exempt and maintained by the state. They were deeply resented by the ordinary Israeli citizens, but their protected religious status gave them immunity from censure.

On the flight home, we were entertained by a group of abut twenty Orthodox Jews who were going to Toronto for a wedding. They were loud and boisterous, talking other passenger’s heads with impunity, as it seemed the airline personnel were reluctant to interfere.When I asked one young man to sit down, his answer was that he did not speak English, and he happily continued boisterous conversation with his fellow travellers up and down the aisles.

In my experience, these radicals are a bane to the ordinary citizen of Israel and no ambassadors for their country’s cause.

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2012/04/20/immigration-reform-for-canadas-recruitment-needs-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction/

I am in total agreement with Ms. Frances as delineated in her column this Saturday. Gone are the days when an immigrant with a strong back and positive work habits could make a living for himself and his family. I was speaking with a retired Italian immigrant, who after working a lifetime here could not read English. He told me that when he arrived here in the late fifties, he had little education and found work within the Italian community. He said he was busy raising a family and working all the time, thus he didn’t have time to learn to read. He sounded quite apologetic for this, but sang the praises for this country that had taken him in and given him a good life and a future for his children.

That was then. No longer can we afford to let in unskilled immigrants en masse, keeping them in perpetual servitude and poverty and creating an “underclass” of new citizens who can never aspire to a better life for themselves. Some will come regardless. As one Asian immigrant told me, “for the children’s sake;” but it is no way to run an immigration policy. Meanwhile, able-bodied Canadian unskilled workers are turning up their noses at such work, preferring their unemployment cheques.

The “investor immigrant” system is perhaps the most abused of all the immigration “loopholes”. These “immigrants” often do not reside here, but their wife and children do, and benefit from our Medicare system and our schools, while paying little or no Canadian taxes. Furthermore, these investors seldom invest in productive enterprises, but sock their money into real estate, often parking their children there while they are attending Canadian universities. I recall one young Chinese girl selling her high-rise condominium downtown after finishing her studies here. She had almost no furniture in her three-bedroom condo, purchased as an investment by her father, because, she told me, it was better than paying rent or staying in a dormitory, since she could now sell it at a profit. Thus, these so-called “investors” drive up condominium prices in Toronto and Vancouver to beyond what native citizens can afford.

I applaud Jason Kenny for his efforts on the immigration file. He is doing what his predecessors never had the guts to do.

Steyn.http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/21/interview-happy-warrior-mark-steyn-dives-gleefully-into-darkness/

When I opened your paper to page A4 this Saturday, I got a shock. Wow! I thought; has Mark Steyn also migrated from Maclean’s to the National Post? After a second look, I breathed a sigh of relief. No, it was not Mr. Steyn’s writing after all, but some fellow named Joseph Brean. As if Mr. Steyn needs help promoting himself. Just in case you are setting us up for regular Steyn diatribes in the future, to complement Conrad Black’s column, I wish to tell you, don’t do it. Even your recent addition of Andrew Coyne cannot compensate for the witches brew of a Steyn and Black.

For years, I tolerated Steyn in Maclean’s because of Coyne. Now they are both gone from Macleans’ and I am waiting for the next shoe to drop. So now that I have finally reconciled with the National Post, in spite of Black, I cannot abide two rightwing grande gueule in one paper. Or prima donnas.

I’m sure the National Posts editorial board will have a positive reaction to my rant and act accordingly. Oh, yeah.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/04/18/andrew-coyne-liberals-fail-to-grasp-direness-of-their-situation-nearly-a-year-after-collapse/

Mr. Coyne has hit the nail on the head again; nay, he has hammered it right down. The Conservatives are moving toward the middle, into Liberal territory, while the NDP is also moving toward the centre, leaving little manoeuvring space for the Liberals. Short of a merger with the NDP, I see little hope for any kind of “renewal” or resurgence.

As a Liberal, I feel like I am on the Titanic, just about ready to jump ship! There is no saviour in the wings. Not Justin Trudeau. Not even Bob Rae can put humpty dumpty together again, and I do not think he even wants to run for the Liberal leadership. He is no Captain Edward Smith. He is a brilliant intellectual and public speaker, but he is, sad to say, “yesterday’s man”; and I say that pensively, as he is younger than I am. The time for Ray would have been when the Liberals chose Dion, but that opportunity has passed. Putting a new leader on top of a scrap heap will not do it. They need to build from the bottom. First the basement. The roof comes last.

I agree that the Liberal leadership still doesn’t get it, and that they are rooted in past glory. I watched the Liberal convention January 15th this year, and was frankly amused at the “old boy” atmosphere mixed in with talk of “renewal.” The star Old Boy” himself, John Turner, jabbered about past glory and went into contortions patting himself on the back. And they clapped. And clapped. Liberals are good at clapping. Clenched fists –not so much.

The conundrum for Liberals is that Thomas Mulcair is showing himself capable, intelligent, and eloquent; and he is the Leader of the Opposition. That presents a real dilemma. In spite of the numerous “scandals” plaguing the Conservatives recently, they are likely to hold on to their base, and any gains the Liberals make will have to come from the NDP. That is looking less and less likely. I lament the real possibility that Peter Newman’s dirge to the Death of Liberal Canada may come to fruition.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/18/conservatives-want-unemployed-to-fill-jobs-going-to-temporary-foreign-workers-jason-kenney/

How often have I heard the mantra “these immigrants are taking our jobs! ”

Often the speaker is referring to jobs he would never do, even if unemployed and receiving employment insurance.

Jason Kenney is doing what his predecessors never had the guts to do.

I think the Charter has been a positive thing for Canadian citizens. Some of the criticisms might be that it has moved us toward a more legalistic society in the area of personal rights; that the Canadian Supreme Court has usurping some of the lawmaking prerogatives of Parliament and moved closer to the US senior court in its ability to, if not make law, certainly to strike down laws it deems unconstitutional. In addition, our Supreme Court judges are political appointees, and do not have to go through the rather arduous vetting as does US appointees.

While the Charter has no doubt been positive for our citizens, it certainly has been a boon to constitutional lawyers.

My concern is that the emphasis on citizen rights to the possible detriment to duties, as well as the proclivity to see every issue through the lens of rights, leads to unnecessary litigation at the cost of compromise and negotiation, and to the elevation of rights over duties. Rights without duties would leave us with a rather anemic society.

One could argue that in a polity, it is more important to safeguard rights, as duties are generally voluntary (except those prescribed by rules of law), while rights can be arbitrarily taken away unless safeguarded constitutionally.

So far, whether by luck of design, we seem to have found a middle ground.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/04/16/andrew-coyne-canadas-charter-of-rights-imposes-vital-limits-on-the-discretion-of-government/

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1162611--more-Canadians-than-ever-are-living-alone

Richard Gwyn makes some interesting and pointed observations in his column. We might not be undergoing a social revolution, but certainly, our way of interacting is changing.

We are less and less dependent on friends and neighbours for our needs and interactions. We have all our entertainment at our fingertip, or a short trip to the gym or other “extracurricular” needs. We can choose with whom or with whom not to interact. We can communicate on our own schedule and inclination via the internet, social media and other communicating methods, on our own time and venue. Seniors and shut-ins can be less “shut-out”. We can choose to meet, or not to meet; we can join book clubs, churches or other associations –or not. We can reach out –or not. We can order in –or go out.

The modern communication devices have given us infinite choices with little or no trade-offs. And yes, it can and will be abused and misused, as anything else is in our cornucopia of choices. I, however, am old enough to remember the –not so good –old days, when an overseas telephone call cost three dollars a minute. Today it is practically free.

This’ a revolution? Bring it on.

Watching on TV the memorial service in Halifax today, and the various odes to God in both Christian and Muslim versions, I could appreciate the attempt at inclusiveness in an interfaith service. There were references to other Halifax-area disasters such as the huge explosion 95 years ago, and the Swissair Flight 111 of recent times.

Yet, discordant thoughts fluttered through my mind. Here we were, memorializing a disaster at sea one hundred years ago. What is it about this disaster, albeit a terrible and avoidable one that took 1,512 lives, that captures our imagination and reverence to this extent, a hundred years thereafter? Was it the large numbers who died? Did these people more deserve our sympathy than the many others that have perished in other disasters? The sinking of the Empress of Ireland i the St.Lawrence River on may 29,1914 took the lives of more than 1000 passengers.The sinking of the Lusitania during WWll took 1,198 lives, and untold other civilian lives were lost in that conflict; as well as the many lost in the First World War. Were they lesser souls? What is this morbid fascination with death and disaster?

The other thing that caught my attention during the ceremony was the many references to God. Everyone’s God. All three monotheistic, Abrahamic religions were included. They sang, “How Great Thou Art” and other songs of praise, and thanksgiving for saved souls.

The most common phrase heard among Christians in particular, when disaster strikes, either personal or plural, is the phrase “it is, or it was, God’s will. This, and its corollary, “saved by the grace of God, or just “God saved me.”

I guess we are all children in need of comfort in difficult times, even though it means cleaving to fairytales. Yet, some of us must ask hard questions: why should God save me and not you? Why should he let you die but not me? Why does he let horrible crimes happen; terrible sufferings go on, people dying horrible deaths? Are they less worthy?

The glib answer most religious will give is that these terrible things are the Devils works, our father’s sins, our sins, our failure to worship our God properly, or some such nonsense. Prayers will be answered, though not the way we expect, but in God’s own time and place, if rather in a roundabout way. You never blame God for all the shit that happens to you or the many innocent children and adults in the world. Why, it would be no fun for God if he made everything simple and easy. Of course, if we draw the lucky straw, if something great happens to us, we must thank God. After all, we should be in hell, and he just gave us a break.

Religion is not to be blamed for the Crusades; of the killing and murdering in God’s name by both Christians and Muslims; for the Inquisition; for burning and killing by Catholics of Protestant and vice versa. Why, that is just the human evil way, and God –though almighty, can do nothing about it; or he just does not want interfere. He just sits back and let us heave to it. You could say it is God’s hockey games, or reality TV.

So, back to the initial question. Was the Titanic disaster God’s will? Was he trying to teach us a lesson? To punish us for our arrogance and hubris? Was it our tower of Babel?

It was whatever you want it to be. Whatever makes you feel comforted. For heaven sake, it is the greatest fairytale on earth.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1161309--royson-jamaican-roots-run-deep-and-strong

“Punches above its weight”? I doubt it. I guess it is human to cleave to ones roots and tribe; but it is less edifying when one use ones position as a newspaper scribe to push ones social or religious identity, as does Mr. James on his island in the sun, and your Mr. Haroon Siddiqui on his Muslim religion. The Star seems happy to provide the “soapbox” for both men.

I have expounded on Mr. Siddiqui and his column in the past, in letters to The Star, and I have, unsurprisingly, been pointedly ignored. I will now wade into similar waters, by commenting on Mr. James recent column. I am sure Mr. James is a fine person, and I have not taken umbrage to any of his earlier writings. However, he is here expounding on the merits of people who, no doubt fine folks all, just happen to be from Jamaican extractions. So what?

Every nation, culture or ethnic groups have their great and not so great. For example, Jews represents .02 percent of humanity, and about 20 percent of all intellectual prizes, Nobel Prizes and others, while, say Muslims, account for less than one percent of such international recognition, while representing 20 percent of humanity. I do not remember seeing an Israeli or Jew singing their own praise in your columns, or in any other newspapers for that matter. Oh, and yes, I’m not Jewish. I am a Norwegian immigrant who resist any crass promotion of my ancestry and their achievements, though I must admit that it makes me vicariously proud when others praise them, in a purlieu way. I am equally proud of my adoptive country, Canada.

Mr. James should take notice of more recent and salient issues of Jamaica and Jamaican immigrants. Jamaica is one of the countries with the highest rate of crime in the world, in particular violent crime, and it also has, after China and Iran, the highest per capita rate of executions. Moving to Canadian expatriates, the Jamaican community has the highest crime rate of any ethnic community, particularly amongst the young. It has the highest rate of single parent families and of people on welfare. It has an incredibly loose family structure, with the men hopping around like bees on a flower, donating seeds but taking little responsibility for the offspring. This is, of course, not endemic to the Jamaican community alone, but to many black people both here and in the US; a problem that even President Obama, of whom I am a fan, made note of in one of his campaign speeches. Many of the women are willing participants in this merry-go-round. Witness the recent sad case of the “suitcase murder.” The mother sent her daughter and son to live with her estranged husband and his partner in Toronto. According to her own statement, she inquired only once as to the status of her daughter, and was satisfied with the answer that she was in the US. Now, of course, she is blaming Canada for her own indifference and lack of concern for her own daughter. Go figure.

Until these things can be changed, there is little need or justification to singing the praise of Jamaica, or indeed any other diasporas with major social problems.

Yes, we are a “multi-cultural” country, and I accept that; but I think it would behoove us to spend at least an equal amount of time and efforts remembering and honouring the achievement of Canadians; not the country we chose to leave.

The personal story by Heather O’Neil, On Growing Up White Trash, touched me. It brought my thoughts back to when I was running my company and had a number of “white trash;” mostly young men, in my employ as labourers. They were from fragmented families and uneducated. Of the many that came through our doors over twenty years or so, only one made it to anything moderately successful. The difference was that he was intelligent and had a caring mother.

I do not think that they saw themselves as losers. Theirs were a life of just existing, and the worst that could happen to them was not having enough money for a pack of cigarettes, tobacco and Marijuana, and they just resented anyone who did not cleave to their ways.

I recall one young man, whom I tried to give some advice. “Easy for you to say”, was his comment, “you have an expensive house and a nice car.” I didn’t bother to tell him that once I did not have anything more then had he –in fact less., and that houses and cars did not grow on trees, but it required determination, much hard work and the ability to forego pleasures today for a better tomorrow; what the economist call “deferred gratification.” They would not understand that concept anyway.

Ms. O’Neil was intelligent, and that is a minimum, and intelligence is not an acquired trait. However, many of these young people were not unintelligent. They were just unmotivated. O’Neill managed to escape the orbit of her environment and social group; the vicious circle of peer pressure, lack of goal orientation and satisfaction with the status quo. She was one of the lucky ones. Her article should be compulsory reading in public schools.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1159803--hebert-liberals-looking-for-a-saviour-and-a-miracle
Tomas Mulcair’s leadership victory was indeed “the worst possible outcome for the struggling liberals.” As a card carrying Liberal, I lament the real possibility that Peter Newman’s dirge to the Death of Liberal Canada may come to fruition. The conundrum for Rae and Liberals is now that Thomas Mulcair is also showing himself capable, intelligent, and eloquent; and he is the Leader of the Opposition. I do believe Bob Rae is serious when he says he will not run for the Liberal leadership. He is no Edward Smith, and is not likely to relish the role as captain of the Liberal Titanic. He is a brilliant intellectual and public speaker; yet, he is, sad to say, “yesterday’s man. I say that pensively, as he is younger than I am. The time for Ray would have been when the Liberals chose Dion, but that opportunity has passed.

Many Liberals might still be “looking for an elusive saviour”, but Justin Trudeau, though bright, is still young and untried, and though his name might have some currency in the nostalgia camp, it is baggage in the west.

The silver lining in this otherwise gloomy picture is that as long as the NDP stays strong in Québec, the BQ or its equivalent will be a non-starter. That, however, presents a real dilemma for Rae and the Liberal Party. In spite of the numerous “scandals” plaguing the Conservatives recently, they are likely to hold on to their base, and any gains the Liberals make will have to come from the NDP. It is a Hobson’s choice, with few horses left in the stable.

I have read Steven Pinker’s book The Better Angles of Our Nature, and it was, indeed, and excellent book. Though rather counterintuitive, it is well researched and argued. It is true that, but for lack of modern weapons, ancient wars would have been much more lethal, and even so, they were, on a per capita basis, worse than recent ones, including the two world wars. Even in my relatively short lifespan of seventy years, I can see, beyond the fluff and superficiality of modern life, a real effort to make our world better, on both a national and a world scale. Today’s communication technology serves up a cornucopia of mayhem and strife, which in the past we would barely be aware. That, however, does not negate the fact that, overall, the world is making progress, albeit slowly and hesitantly. We have now been without a world war for sixty-seven years.

There is another very interesting and thought-provoking book on this general subject by Jeremy Rifkin, The Emphatic Civilization (Penguin 2009). It is a bit ponderous, and deals more with socioeconomic change than violence and wars, but is, nevertheless, fascinating read.

The inclination to see the past in rose-colored glasses is as old as humanity itself. It is a myopic affliction of old age, or even ages.

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.
- Attributed to Socrates by Plato

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/11/immigrants-seeking-low-skilled-jobs-to-face-mandatory-language-testing-jason-kenney/

Kudos to Jason Kennedy for his courageous and persistent efforts to streamline and align Canadian immigration policy to accord with Canadian needs and values.

The abuses by absentee “landed immigrants"; aided and abetted by fraudulent “immigration consultants”, has long been a burr in the saddle for Canadians and legitimate immigrants. Other areas of abuse are the “marriage of convenience” immigrants, and elderly parents coming here via the “family reunification program” on order to use and abuse our generous medical system. Absentee “landed immigrants” are also a problem of many ethnic communities. In some cases, the husband works in their native country, while the wife and stays here enjoying our free Medicare and public schools.

Undoubtedly, second and third generation immigrants are quite successful Canadians. However, the issue is who to avoid an “underclass” of underemployed or unemployable immigrants, the proverbial “taxi-driving professionals.” This problem is larger than it appears at first blush. Furthermore, it is not going away anytime soon, unless the immigration rules are changed to restrict the “professional class” of immigrants to ones whose qualification can be assessed before they are accepted as landed immigrants. Many of the purported higher education diplomas and certificates are hardly worth the paper on which it is written.

Easy for me to say; I immigrated under the “quota system” in effect in those days; and my acceptance, though I was young without much education and minimal English skills, was a mere formality. I had no problem finding menial jobs –and yes, sometimes a taxi driver.

However, this is another age, with greater educational and language requirements for survival in today’s work environment. We had better take heed before we are inundated with unemployable or underemployed immigrants –at least the first generation. For the first time in our history, the immigrant class will not provide a positive contribution to the economy, while we are in dire need of skilled people.

I wish Jason Kenny luck and a good tailwind.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/1157603--ottawa-needs-to-balance-common-sense-and-compassion-in-immigration-reform

In general, I am in favour of Kenney’s effort on the immigration file. However, your point about the substitution of Canadian job seekers on employment insurance for temporary foreign workers –or indeed, new immigrants –is right on the mark.

First, the numbers of locally available workers will not amount to anywhere near what is required, and any wholesale transfer of workers from other location is out of the question in a liberal democracy like ours.

Second, employers will not willingly substitute low-wage (and often better motivated) foreign workers for higher cost domestic ones, who would likely just take the work because they must, or lose their insurance money.

“Pragmatism” and “compassion” is akin to oil and water. Good luck with that.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1157912--bob-rae-not-running-for-leader-of-liberal-party

I think Bob Rae is serious when he says he will not run for the Liberal leadership. He is no Edward Smith (Captain of the Titanic). He is a brilliant intellectual and public speaker, but he is, sad to say, “yesterday’s man”; and I say that pensively, as he is younger than I am.

The time for Ray would have been when the Liberals chose Dion, but that opportunity has passed. The conundrum for Rae and Liberals is now that Thomas Mulcair is also showing himself capable, intelligent, and eloquent; and he is the Leader of the Opposition. That presents a real dilemma for Rae and the Liberal Party. In spite of the numerous “scandals” plaguing the Conservatives recently, they are likely to hold on to their base, and any gains the Liberals make will have to come from the NDP. It is a Hobson’s choice, though the horse has left the stable. As a card carrying Liberal, I lament the real possibility that Peter Newman’s dirge to the Death of Liberal Canada may come to fruition.

Just perhaps, Justin Trudeau could pull the Liberals out of their hole, though he is still too young and untried. He might be able to trade on his father’s reputation –to an extent –at least in Quebec. In Western Canada, that would not carry him far. However, he just (in) could be the shot of adrenaline that would awaken the Canadian liberal spirit.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1157975--f-35-jet-still-popular-with-aerospace-industry

I was somewhat surprised to see the Star taking a rather “defensive” view of the F-35 fighter aircraft imbroglio.

While in no way excusing the inexcusable behaviour of the government questionable behaviour in their apparent cover-up of cost excesses, the fact remains that if we are to have new jets that meet our future requirements, there are little alternatives to the F-35, regardless of costs; except perhaps buying fewer jets. We should also bear in mind that we are likely to be fighting future conflicts with the Americans, not against them; and having compatible equipment is surely a worthwhile consideration.

The economic spinoffs in manufacturing support and servicing is substantial –some 12 billion in total. This will support & maintain Canadian technology firms and technology-related jobs.

The twelve million is the actual expenditures over the life of the contract; but this is not the whole story. Via the economic multiplier, the jobs and concomitant wages spent in the economy will benefit a large portion of the Canadian economy, as the many workers and their families working directly or indirectly on the project spend their paycheques.

If the government have deceived us or acted improperly, let us deal with that at the future ballot boxes; but let not the F-35 become another Avro Arrow.

THIS LETTER IS IN TODAY'S NATIONAL POST,LTE:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/04/11/todays-letters-vimy-ridge-some-fun-but-largely-a-world-of-unremitting-horror/

This editorial makes some valid points about the Obama administration’s politically informed but short-sighted decision to delay the Keystone pipeline project to southern US refineries and export terminals. With the turmoil in the middle-eastern oil producing nations, the US can ill afford delaying a project that will help them become less dependent on such volatile producing countries. While Obama now seems to be backtracking on this issue, Canada should take the opportunity to push through a line to the Canadian West Coast. This would finally end the “captive supplier” problem, and enable us to obtain world prices for our oil and gas resources. No industrial development is without some negative side effects, and a pipeline is no exception. However, we should not be held captive by a few “eco-warriors” when the benefit to the nations far outweighs potential problems.

Prime Minister Harper’s recent conversion to a “world trader”, with emphasis on Asia and developing countries, is a welcome and timely change from his rather myopic American-centric focus. As far back as I can remember; various Canadian governments, from Pierre Trudeau to recent, have touted the need to extract our economy from the confining embrace of the Americans. The Euro-centric focus came to naught width the European Union and our loss of Favourite Nation status with Britain. Our economic trade dependency with the US in now greater than ever.

This, then, is our opportunity, at least in the area of oil & gas resources, to escape the tight orbit of the US behemoth and in a small first step, develop our own trajectory.

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Obama+lessons+ethical/6413591/story.html

As a onetime immigrant, I have some interest –though detached – in the issue of immigration.

Undoubtedly, second and third generation immigrants are quite successful Canadians. However, the issue is who to avoid an “underclass” of underemployed or unemployable immigrants, the proverbial “taxi-driving professionals.” This problem is larger than it appears at first blush. Furthermore, it is not going away anytime soon, unless the immigration rules are changed to restrict the “professional class” of immigrants to ones whose qualification can be assessed before they are accepted as landed immigrants.

Easy for me to say. I immigrated under the “quota system” in effect in those days; and my acceptance, though I was young without much education and minimal English skills, was a mere formality. I had no problem finding menial jobs –and yes, sometimes a taxi driver.

However, this is another age, with greater educational requirements for survival in today’s work environment. We had better take heed or we will be inundated with unemployable or underemployed immigrants –at least the first generation. For the first time in our history, the immigrant class will not provide a positive contribution to the economy, while we are in dire need of skilled people.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1156183--ottawa-s-insistence-on-high-immigration-levels-during-downturns-questioned-in-report

Letter writer James Bissett makes some good and valid points in his LTE April 4th.

The problem of “cab-driving immigrant professionals” is not new, and it is larger than it appears at first blush. Furthermore, it is not going away anytime soon; unless the immigration rules are changed to restrict the “professional class” of immigrants to ones whose qualification can be assessed before they are accepted as landed immigrants.

As far back as 1972, I was hiring for a new department in a major Canadian firm. I got dozens of fancy applications with photocopies of elaborate impressive looking diplomas and degrees from questionable quality universities in such countries as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh; none of which could be properly evaluated or even authenticated, and I eventually just put those aside.

Not much has changed since. Just a few years ago, a Chinese acquaintance of mine who had been a medical doctor in Beijing applied for advanced standing here. She acquired her education during Mao’s “cultural revolution”, and her University of Beijing abstracts showed no actual scores, and there was no proper course outlines. Even though she had been a practicing doctor there since, she was rejected here, and understandably so. Yet, she was accepted as a “professional” immigrant.

I am also a former immigrant –much former. In those days, immigration was based on a quota system; and my acceptance, though I was young without much education and minimal English skills, was a mere formality. I had no problem finding menial jobs –and yes, sometimes a taxi driver. I certainly would not be accepted or acceptable today.

However, this is another age, with greater educational requirements for survival in today’s work environment. We had better take heed or we will have an “underclass” of unemployable or underemployed immigrants –at least the first generation. For the first time in our history, the immigrant class will not provide a positive contribution to the economy, while we are in dire need of skilled people.

“The ‘suitcase murder’ victim’s mom says her daughter might still be alive if Canadian authorities had heeded warnings she and others gave them in the early 1990s.”

Of course, it is Canada’s fault. The mother, in effect, abandoned her kids to the father and his new wife in Canada. Only once did she enquire about her daughter, and was told she was in the US, which apparently satisfied her curiosity about her daughter.

Now she has her five minutes of fame –blaming everyone else. I would call them “animals”, but that would insult fauna everywhere.
http://www.thestar.com/