Mexican Cover Up Redux

Stephen Harper and Vincente Fox met and did not discuss the fate of the Canadian Couple who were murdered in Cancun.

When asked a direct question by Robert Fife of CTV, who insisted that Fox anwser in English, about why he said it was Canadians who murdered the Canadian couple, Fox deftly avoided speaking English or answering the question. Leaving slack jawed Harper to say that the two governments were coordinating their efforts. To further mess up the evidence, the Mexican authorities right on cue released evidentiary photos, forensic photos of the murder scene. This was done within hours of the end of the tripartite NAFTA confernce in Cancun. Tipster points to Canadians in Mexican murder

Which begs the question why the Mexicans are trying to foist this murder as being done by Canadians when we know full well that Cancun has had a spate of tourist murders as part of an ongoing drug/gang war in the region. One that netted the chief prosecutor last year as one of the conspirators in the drug/gang war. See my original post on this; Mexican Murder Cover Up?

Of course the drug cartels have expanded under the free market ideology of Vincente Fox. No wonder he wants to divert attention away from the possibility that the Canadian couple who were murdered were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Simple as that.




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If Wishes Were horses

Beggars would ride, as my mother would say.

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft hopes the vote not only signals the demise of Mr. Klein, but of the Tory party. "Clearly it's the end of an era, not just for Ralph Klein but for conformity in Alberta politics and the end of the PC party as we have known it for so many years." Klein set to declare leadership decision

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Return of the Socreds

Presto Manning is contemplating a run for the leadership of the Party of Calgary. Somethings never change. Preston Manning Expresses Interest In Replacing Klein

That would mean 35 years of Socred power that ended with his father, Ernest, being replaced with a lame duck Premier, then 33 years of PC power starting with Peter Lougheed and ending with a lame duck Premier, and then the possibility of that strange beast the Reformed PC Socreds under Presto.....noooooooo.

Preston Manning, who was once the second-most-powerful leader in Canada as leader of the opposition, is apparently now considering his chances of becoming the second-most-powerful leader in Canada as premier of Alberta.

King Ralph is dead
The Alberta Tories' regicide of Ralph Klein was big news for 12 hours. Then Preston Manning trumped it, telling reporters he was considering running for Klein's job.

Daddy Ernest Manning gave up party power to Peter Lougheed, thus assuring a Liberal Conservative Socred Alliance that was Seventies PC's. That alliance was shattered as neo-cons took over under Klein, the fiscal right was far less powerful than the social conservatives. The social conservatives align behind Oberg, the Reform types around Morton, and the liberal wing under Dinning. Alberta Tories in disarray

Dining did the dirty deed of balancing the budget on the backs of the working class, with wage and benefit cuts to the public sector. Then with victory in his back pocket he left the government.

The neo-cons in the party then went on to shape the Ralph Revolution, using the the debt and deficit hysteria of the ninties to impose their Republican Lite vision on Alberta, while promoting it for the rest of Canada with Prestos Reform Party.

Government that governs least is best — or not

When Mr. Klein became premier, the province had a $3.4-billion deficit and a $23-billion debt. He argued these burdens arose, in part, from governments having involved themselves too much in the economy. There were bad investments. The government taxed too much. Government regulations were too onerous. The free market, he asserted, would be encouraged if the government got out of the way.

This contrasted with the approach of Peter Lougheed, who led the Conservatives to power in 1971. Mr. Lougheed was no socialist, but he did believe the government should try to direct, cajole and even force the market in directions he believed Alberta needed. Only that way, he reasoned, could Alberta's economy be diversified and energy revenues used not just for today's needs, but for the future.

Mr. Lougheed's dirigiste preferences evaporated under Mr. Klein, but now some Albertans want that kind of guiding hand back, at least in a modified form. In a free-enterprise province, the critics are now demanding a “plan” for using the revenues that would be more than driving up spending on ongoing programs.

Presto would be an interesting add to the mix but his chances of winning are less than none. Unless he has something up his sleeve, oh like say Medicare Reform. If anyone could enunciate and promote the Third Way in Medicare it would be Presto.

“Where I think we're headed is a system of universal care, where everybody is covered ... with two tracks for delivery, and two tracks for payment. It's not a question of private versus public, but what mix of the two is appropriate.”

Mr. Manning left what he likes to call "active partisan politics" in 2002 to become more involved in the public-policy debate. He quickly got on board with the Fraser Institute and the Canada West Foundation, and he set up the Manning Centre for Building Democracy.

He and Mike Harris authored the Fraser Institute Report on exactly the musings that King Ralph has been tossing about for the past decade. And perhaps that would be the reason for him to run, otherwise Third Way Medicare Reform is dead in the water.

Third Way predicted to meet Klein's fate

Dead-end way Tories mull future of health-care reform if Ralph exits scene



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Ralph Says Ompph

This is a tragic comic classic for April Fools day. But this is no joke. So befiting the man who would be King forever. Now humbled on this famous day that makes fun of all rulers and their pomposity. Poetic justice indeed.

It's all over but the whailing. King Ralph's tragic tumble in slow motion from his throne began with his ill called 2004 election, is peek aboo healthcare reform, his threatening and challenging over how long he can retain power.

Klein takes devastating blow to leadership

And now his own party shows a massive 45% vote opposed to his continuing to linger in office. Ouch.



His big mouth has gotten him into trouble again. He announced he would be quiting if he wasn't supported at this convention. Well it has instantly come back to haunt him.

Klein dealt a crushing blow in leadership review

The press will badger him mercilessly about it, like a murder of crows after the battle.

So I ask is he more Hamlet or is he more Richard the III?

We shall see this afternoon when and if he meets the crows, err, press.

Will he retreat and hasten his retirement? When a leader gets only 55% support, he has lost the confidence of his party and his Volk. Ironic. Like his 'defeat' in the 2004 provinical election. His loss of seats, but left with an overwhelming majority the envy of every dictator in the world, left him rudderless, and the party adrift.

The PC's want, and need, a leader who swill steer their good ship of State somewhere, anywhere. The last thing they need is a lame duck leader who gooses the party while leading from the stern.

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has received support from just 55 per cent of his fellow Conservatives at the party's annual convention in Calgary. It was not immediately clear what action Klein would take, though the numbers could only be seen as a crushing blow. Many observers had suggested Klein needed at least 75 per cent to avoid a serious challenge to his departure plans. Klein has traditionally enjoyed an approval rating of more than 90 per cent.

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Bush Liberation

King Georgie II announced at Freedom House that, shock of shocks, Womens Liberation is a key component of human rights struggles. It is the new face of American Humanitarian War. No wait it is the same old face. Yep they used Womens Liberation, that is the liberation of women from Islamiscist tyranny, as an excuse to invade Afghanistan. Sharia law being replaced with pluralistic modernist parliamentary representative democracy. Whew that was a mouthful.

And we have the photographic evidence of the success of the Bush war for Womens Liberation in Afghanistan.


Before Libertation After Liberation

Afghanistan; Americas Shame Canada's Tragedy

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Is Delphi the Oracle of things to come?

Delphi not only halts production, breaks its union contract and lays-off workers, but it also bails on its underfunded pension liabilities. Awash in money GM seperated out Delphi for exactly those liablities. Now they come back to bite both companies in the ass. And they come back and hits workers twice as hard, first as workers losing their pension benefits and then as taxpayers asked to pay for the company outsanding debt on those benefits.

The pension funds themselves? Well those not locked into payments become a source of liquid capital for Delphi in bankruptcy.

Pensions will also be replaced with defined-contribution plans for hourly employees who are more than seven years from retirement and not covered by the GM benefit guarantee and salaried workers. The company said it will also need to obtain relief from the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., Internal Revenue Service, and Department of Labor in order to amortize funding contributions over a longer period than may have previously occurred. Congressional action may also be necessary, Delphi said.

Proving once again that labour is the source of all capital, Delphi is stripping itself of its 'costs' that is variable labour; workers and commodities and holding on to its fixed assets as assurance.


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Pensions

GM

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Eine Klein Nachtmusik

I read this Tories pressed into display of support

and thought of this guy

Supporters of Premier Ralph Klein are planning an orchestrated show of caucus support before Friday's crucial leadership review vote.

Caucus whip Denis Ducharme sent copies of a letter to the 61 government MLAs calling on caucus members to join the premier on the stage in a show of solidarity and support for the premier.

Ducharme's letter leaves little doubt that all MLAs are expected to show their loyalty to Klein.

Ducharme told Tory MLAs that Klein's speech, being touted by some as the most important in his 25-year political career, "will outline how he plans to work with our caucus during the remainder of his term.

"I would like to ask, as a demonstration of our support for the premier, and as a show of party unity, that our entire caucus move up onto the stage to stand briefly with our leader immediately following his speech," the letter says. "A cue from the stage will signal that we should move from our seats and file up via the closest stairs to join Premier and Mrs. Klein."

And I thought of the big mass rally that this weekend is to be for our Great Leader and thought of this.

Dont know why for the life of me.

After all I cannont conceive of what Alberta has in common with these other democratically elected one party states.

Just a thought. Since Daveberta gets all verklempt about this kind of comparison.

Hello, wakey, wakey, we live in a One Party State. We have a Great Leader who wants mass public support. Hmm could it be a metaphor? Meta For what? The Marxist in me wants to say.

Of course Daveberta being the politcal straight edge guy he is, will not find this funny either. Since he thought so little of the comparison of our Dear Leader with This Guy.

As for the headline here's the link, and correct spelling, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

by a more enlightened German,Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, than our King Ralph.

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High Tech Keyensians

Once again the harsh reality of capitalism and its state once again debunk the fantasy world of the anarcho-capitalists and their lazzie faire comrades. Here again capitalism cannot function without some kind of prime the pump state intrusion into the marketplace. Because the market place is disfunctional. Unfortunately unlike my friends in the Libertarian Left I do not believe that the market place of capitalism can ever be anything but what it is; a Harsh Mistress. And here again we see it in it's neo-coservative version of Keyensian economics.

This is the same ideology of neo-conservative statist economics, as those who would have the state promote venture capital schemes as Alberta did and then sold off.

High-tech firms need government help, executive says

Last updated Mar 29 2006 11:19 AM MST CBC News

An Edmonton entrepreneur says the Alberta government has to do more to encourage investment in the province's small but burgeoning high-tech sector. Adrian Banica owns Synodon Inc., a small high-tech company that specializes in gas detection technology. He said without government help, the high-tech sector will disappear from the Alberta landscape because it can't compete for investment with the oil and gas industry. Banica added that he has had trouble for years raising money to develop his product and expand his business. He said for an economy to be strong, it has to be diverse, so the province should provide more incentive for investment in high-tech. "The government has to put some dollars forward and then demand that private investors match it at least. But one thing that could make a big difference is to have some sort of tax credit that's issued on certain investments." A recent survey of 128 high-tech firms by Ernst & Young discovered that 49 per cent of high-tech companies are thinking of moving to other provinces that offer tax credits and financial considerations for technology businesses. ERNST & YOUNG: Alberta Technology Report 2006 High-tech companies are also concerned about finding new customers in what they consider to be a limited marketplace. In the Ernst & Young report, 91 per cent cited that as their greatest challenge.

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Dildo Residents Given the Shaft

I know I know I just coudn't resist the great headline, however this is a case of a company that is just this side of a Ponzi scheme. The result is still the same; screwing investors.

Don't blame us, Edmonton company tells Newfoundlanders

Last summer, the company came to Newfoundland and Labrador communities to find people willing to buy the products and work as independent distributors. Organizer Tracey Piercey said about 200 people signed up with the company last summer. She and others who attended a meeting Sunday night in the community of Dildo said they were promised high rates of returns within months of becoming involved.

As they say Cavet Emptor, or perhaps Invest Emptor, while the folks fleecing those gullible would say Carpe Diem.

Piercey said participants were told that when houses were sold, they would earn back their money – and a profit. Company president Dexter Dombro said the plan was never supposed to be about easy money.



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What's The Rush

Despite a declared amnesty for underground workers, those sans papiers as they are known in Europe, those without papers, now the Conservative government is deporting these foreign workers, giving them the bums rush, as they try and figure out how to run the department.

So the new Minister in charge, Monte Solberg, instead of declaring an amnesty on any further deportations till he actually knows what is going on, instead says steady as she goes.

And off goes the border guard to deport not criminals, not gunrunners or drug smugglers, nope just hard working construction workers. So much for securing the border in Canada against illegal guns, all the Tories have done is sicked the border cops on taxpaying foreign workers. The New Multitdue

And wanting to show they are tough on immigration; like Lou Dobbs, and tougher than George Bush, the Conservatives make an example of hard working folks kicking them out of Canada and telling them to reapply. A real fine example of compassionate conservativism. Ottawa rejects US model on workers

The past three Liberal immigration ministers all announced plans to regularize the status of illegal immigrants who toil in the vast underground economy -- 10,000 to 15,000 in Ontario alone and an estimated 200,000 nationally. Past promises of an amnesty gave false hope to these underground workers, some of whom came forward to file refugee claims and/or humanitarian applications in an attempt to stay -- only to be ordered deported.Foreign labourers shown the door

Ironically this will come to bite them on the ass as the big Tar Sands companies need and want temporary workers to come to work in Alberta which is going through a labour shortage. Lack of Planning Created Skills Shortage in Alberta

They're Alberta bound

So which is it going to be welcome temporary workers or deport workers already here. The mind boggles but at least we know that the labour crisis in Canada is a low priority for the newly appointed Minister.

Solberg says the numbers of Portuguese the Conservative government has removed pale in comparison to the roughly 700 the former Liberal government had deported in the past three years. Last week, he said that dealing with this issue is a "low priority" for the government -- although he denies Ottawa is stepping up deportations or singling out Portuguese. The Canadian Border Services Agency is on track to deport about 10,000 people this year.

Also See: No Place At Home


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