- The Equality Trust highlights the perpetual concentration of wealth among an extremely privileged few in the UK. LOLGOP points out how U.S. Republicans would rather let people die than see them adequately sustained by a fair minimum wage and secure social supports. And Paul Solman writes about the effects of poverty on cognitive function in light of research showing how a lack of income consumes mental resources.
- Tom Parkin warns that both Doug Ford and Jason Kenney similarly want to similarly take away from nearly everybody to further enrich the wealthy, while holding out hope that Ontarians will instead vote for change for the better:
About 10 days ago, Jason Kenney, Alberta’s United Conservative Party Leader, pledged a $900 million tax cut for Albertans earning over $129,000 — the top 10%.- Meanwhile, Chris York reports on a growing activist movement demanding a new deal for UK workers.
Yes, that’s $900 million for people who already have the most, taken from everyone else. It’s $900 million in cuts to health care and education and other services Canadians rely on.
And last week, in Ontario, PC Leader Doug Ford joined this exclusive club of Canadian politicians who help those in exclusive clubs. Not to be outdone by Kenney, Ford promised to give away $2.3 billion in public money, with the maximum benefit going to those in the top tax bracket.
...
Ford won’t say what he’d cut and privatize. He just waves it away with one word — “efficiencies.” Just a $20 billion cut — it won’t hurt a bit. Believe me, folks.
Canadians have been on this cut and privatize journey for a couple of decades now. But maybe something is changing.
...
Canadians are on a treadmill. The Conservatives cut — so we throw them out and put in the Liberals. Then the Liberals cut — so we toss them out and vote the Conservative back in. And nothing changes.
[Andrea] Horwath’s early success suggests Canadians may want off the treadmill. I’ll wager even many people who get these tax cuts would rather have it invested in a better society.
Cynical politicians have been crushing Canadians’ hopes by turning politics into a competition between bad and worse, selfishness and greed. But maybe they underestimate Canadians.
- Bethany Lindsey discusses the dangers of trying to base a province's standard of living on constantly increasing real estate values rather than actual economic development. And Sean McElwee and Henry Kraemer write about the need for housing policy based on making rent more affordable.
- Kevin Taft points out a few key facts about the oil industry's domination of Alberta politics. And Christopher Guly comments on the collective insanity driving the push for the Trans Mountain expansion.
- Finally, Murray Mandryk notes that a continued refusal to be honest about the Global Transportation Hub scandal represents just one more way in which nothing has changed for the Saskatchewan Party under Scott Moe.
No comments:
Post a Comment