Liberals promise 8% cut to hydro bill, and 20% if you're rural!

[JBen]

And on the off chance, this go "any further"

Smokey while he deserves credit for calling spades spades during the 2014 election. OPSEU was one of the only Unions not to campaign for them, and he bluntly said to the others " you've sold your souls"...

Has this to say about the rebate
Thomas added that the overall direction of the throne speech September 12 was still one of austerity.“It's still all about austerity,” he said. “They can say they put money into services but for every dollar they put in government, they've taken a hundred out. It's all a shell game – it's all smoke and mirrors.”

scuze me?
100 out for every dollar in?
How the feck does he explain going from 70billion debt when they came into power to 330billion by 2018. Plus they've doubled revenue (taxes) from around 50 billion to 120billion.

good luck Patrick fixing things. It's going to be war and meanwhile the poor hapless peons getting hammered, who can't save ( wonder why)......

[fratri]

the unions do what they are hired to do...protect the workers and their rights......gain as much for them as possible-that is the unions job-fight for the workers....

If the government can't negotiate wisely (justly) they aren't very good or perhaps, they are just corrupt....That's not the unions fault, it is the fault of the people for allowing the government to get away with it....

The government is giving us an 8% decrease in hydro rates..... to try and buy us off.... It's not because they had to pay teachers more... it's because they overspend and waste billions of tax dollars on foolish projects (some don't even get off the ground)...If the government stopped spending our tax dollars foolishly, they wouldn't have to keep raising taxes (or find new ways to tax us)....There would be enough money in the coffers for....better healthcare, education and infrastructure resulting in more jobs and more spending (fridge-stove-cars etc)...keeping the economy (jobs) going...The more money I have in my pocket, the more likely I am going to spend it, resulting in more jobs....

Bottom line....the government is to blame for not keeping spending under control...

[JBen]

No problems with unions sticking to what they "should" do. There's a world of difference, entering politics. Do you think I'm the only person Fatri? And where did I say they are giving people rebates so they can pay teachers more? I said "lo and behold" they are hiring more teachers, just 1 year after going to war to over class sizes to try and keep cost flat........

Like seriiusly, what's it's going to take before you and many other Union drum beaters understand they are big part of the problems here in Ontario. Utter destruction? And are really, no different than the evil greedy capitalist that govts crawl into bed with to?

You and others didn't want to hear it back in 2009, when their spending habits forced them to call in Drummond. Still don't want to see or hear it. Not from Smokey, not from the auditor general, not the Cheif elections officer and certainly not from those of us with the back bone....well now we say

told u so

[fratri]

Why doesn't the government stop giving in and stop overspending... That would solve the problem.................oh ya....they just care about getting re-elected....

[fishermccann]

Yes JB I agree, no different than ' greedy capitalists'. They are both doing what they think is best for themselves and their members. If you allow business interests to donate time and money to political parties, you must allow unions and their members to do likewise.

[JBen]

Well that opens a ton. First just want to say "shouldn't have said "you" and drum beaters". But this has actually been part of the problem. Getting many people to see what this admin is about ( and that includes corruption to). It's been exasperating, and too many years too late people are finally seein/admitting it and "admitting" they made huge mistakes voting for them. Or campaigning for them. Shame it's taken so long, and so much damage.

"waste"
larger topic imo but this to can be seen. Not only here, but federally and in many areas. The trends are quite clear. Since the 60/70s govt has gone up, the middle class down. In short, the more they take in, the more they spend, and like anyone, the more $ you have, the more you waste. Wasting a few hundred million barely makes the news anymore......

at the end of the day. We get the governments we deserve and it's on us..so ultimately it's the electorate that's to blame. And people can't say the writing wasn't on the wall back in 2010.

"Unions"
still have "jobs" to do imo, but this isn't the 50s/60s anymore either. What is neededis kicking them hard, out of Queens Park, out of politics.

[fishermccann]

Sure if that applies to all 'lobbyists', and not just union ones. Do you not think Mr. Brown has business interests speaking into his right ear?

[JBen]

Yes JB I agree, no different than ' greedy capitalists'. They are both doing what they think is best for themselves and their members. If you allow business interests to donate time and money to political parties, you must allow unions and their members to do likewise.

have to reply to this.
-give me two examples of a couple corporations who spend millions taking out advertising for a party, or Demonizing another? Suspect I'll have to wait years and years before you can find say a bank, getting involved in elections.

-give me 1 example of a Cheif elections officer having things to say about corporations making a mockery of democracy.

-give me 1 example of a corporation coming down hard on their brass for becoming political as happened with the OPPs Union. who by the way are facing racketeering charges. Funny that.

-give me one example where companies "force" employees to donate their $ (tax payers $) to any party. I'm sure there are tons of teachers for example who don't want their $ being used to elect Ms Wynne

-give me one

jesus good god, you Union lovers, so ready to excuse so much, so blind to things despite so much..and that's one reason, things are the way they are.

[rick_iles]

Looks like the honeymoon may be over !!!!
http://www.citynews.ca/2016/09/14/cu...ro-one-shares/

[fishermccann]

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of lobbyists , for all kinds of industries. Those lobbyists are paid millions of dollars by big corporations to try and get the government to do things in a way that maximizes profits for their particular industry. They do not have to advertise for a party because they do all their work behind the scene where we can't see them. Those union dues dollars spent are the same as taking profits from shareholders to try and influence government and therefore increase profits, to those same shareholders. Same as using union dues to try and get a better contract for their members. If you allow donations to political parties at all, then you must allow all , to do so.