#CDNpoli Polarization

A CBC headline trumpeted, “Political advocacy group North99 uses misleading petitions to gather voter data

But one of the two founders of north99 wrote an angry Facebook post denying misleading anyone, insisting CBC had made a mistake

This morning CBC published a misleading and factually incorrect piece about North99. We have already filed an official complaint with the CBC and asked for a correction to be issued.
If you’ve read the piece and are wondering what’s true and what’s not, here’s the facts: people sign up to our email list through issue campaigns, surveys, petitions, and our newsletter. We always make it clear up front what issue or campaign people are joining when they sign up. 

The CBC claimed we were not being clear with people about this, and that we were signing them up for campaigns they didn’t want to be a part of. Let me be clear: this is 100% untrue. It’s as untrue as saying the sky is green.  Their so-called “analysis” of the forms on our website was wrong, and this led them to report a falsehood. That’s unfortunate, and we hope they will correct this embrassing error. Canadians deserve the unvarnished truth from our public broadcaster.

But you know who doesn’t give a damn about the truth? The Conservatives.  And they have already seized on the mistakes made by the CBC to attack us and the North99 community. 
This morning Lisa Raitt — a former Harper Cabinet Minister and the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party — took to Twitter to attack North99.  She made wild allegations about us — the sort of stuff you’d expect from The Rebel, not someone trying to lead the country. 

Look, none of this is surprising. Our community is disrupting politics in this country, and we have to expect the forces of the right and the status-quo to come after us with everyone they’ve got. Now that we are growing in size and our community is having an impact, people are going to try to tear us down.  Lisa Raitt won’t be the last politician to smear and slander us. They hate what we stand for. But you know what: we aren’t going to back down from a fight.

Here’s my commitment to you: 
1) We take your trust seriously, and we take accuracy seriously. We won’t always be perfect, and sometimes — like the CBC! — we’ll make mistakes. But we’ll always correct them and be honest with you. 
2) We will never stop fighting for a Canada that works for the many, not just the richest few — even when we’re attacked by powerful politicians like Lisa Raitt. As long as you’re with us, we’ll keep on working. 

If you ever want to get in touch with questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to send an email to priority@north99.org. 
Thanks for your support,
Taylor 
Co-Founder, North99
https://www.facebook.com/OntarioVotesToStopDougFord/posts/514137532666333

Perhaps most interesting is how deftly Mr Scollon this message of righteous indignation was transformed into a Conservative attack piece.

While I don’t know the truth of the misleading petition allegation, it is nonetheless clear that the two gentlemen who are behind North99 are indeed Liberals.

A quick internet search revealed that Taylor Scollon had been the U of T Liberals’ communications director
https://www.facebook.com/uoftliberal/posts/taylor-scollon-uoft-liberals-communications-director-reminds-us-its-the-economy-/396372270425866/

and cofounder Geoff Sharpe had been the President of the BC Young Liberals
https://web.archive.org/web/20170728231036/http://abacusinsider.com/canadian-millennials/interview-geoff-sharpe-consultant-navigator-canadian-millennial-watch/

But are they operating with the blessing of theLiberal Party of Canada or are they acting alone in support of it.  Presumably North 99 is a third party advertiser in this, the new “Pre-Election Period” devised by the latter, else they’ll fall afoul of the LPC’s own new law which lays down rules about third party advertisers and possible collusion with political parties.

The WRONG KIND OF GREEN writes:

“While it shouldn’t be surprising that online partisan front groups stir the pot, what is remarkable is how effective they have been with so little accountability. All of these groups are scooping up massive amounts of data, often directly collecting information through their own cynical petitions on hot issues. These groups show how empty much of the political landscape has become. Digital media strategists are running a shell game that treats ordinary working people as something to be manipulated and toyed with. Forget about all that nonsense about Russians on distorting democracy through social media. We need to look no further than the communication specialists and political parties in this country to see who the true manipulators are.”

The WRONG KIND OF GREEN article  NAVIGATING ONTARIO’S ONLINE POLITICAL FRONT GROUPS looks at North99 and Ontario Proud, and who is behind them.  Yet the closest WRONG KIND OF GREEN gets to revealing who is behind *it* is characterizing itsellf as “a 100% volunteer, critical-thinking collective.

Whoever WRONG KIND OF GREEN is, I share their concern about who is driving our politics.  Both North99 and Ontario Proud are working to build an us against them political culture that polarizes Canadians, and certainly seems to impose undue influence on our electoral process by demonizing the other side’s politicians.

This is, of course, why we still have the atrocious First Past The Post voting system.  Attacking the enemy is a time honoured strategy that often leads to winning elections and becoming the winner who takes all in our majoritan political system.

The Liberals and Conservatives take turns getting elected by convincing their base and any swing voters they can woo that only they will save us from the other.

But what is it doing to our country?

drawing of gladiators fighting

Today is Louis Riel DayLouis David Riel (English: /ˈluːiː…



Today is Louis Riel Day

Louis David Riel (English: /ˈluːiː riːˈɛl/, French pronunciation: ​[lwi ʁjɛl]; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people of the Canadian Prairies.[1] He led two rebellions against the government of Canada and its first post-Confederation prime minister, John A. Macdonald. Riel sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. Over the decades, he has been made a folk hero by the Francophones, the Catholic nationalists, the native rights movement, and the New Left student movement. Riel has received more scholarly attention than practically any other figure in Canadian history.
Wikipedia

Ontario’s Minimum Wage is Now $14 an Hour – Ontario Government News

Ontario's Minimum Wage is Now $14 an Hour - Ontario Government News:

allthecanadianpolitics:

minty-fangs:

allthecanadianpolitics:

jaksandrow:

allthecanadianpolitics:

melianandthingol:

allthecanadianpolitics:

January 1, 2018 10:00 A.M. Ministry of Labour

Starting today, people across Ontario will see their wages rise $14 an hour as the new general minimum wage takes effect. This change will help workers and their families who are struggling to get ahead in a changing economy.  

As part of Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, the minimum wage will increase again to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019, to be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation.

Continue Reading.

Cant wait to lose all my hours and make even less than I did before!!!

You should read this:

The evidence is clear: increasing the minimum wage doesn’t cost jobs

And this:

Seattle proves a $13 minimum wage doesn’t necessarily kill jobs

And this:

Minimum wage hike does not kill jobs: report

And this:

RAISE WAGES, KILL JOBS? SEVEN DECADES OF HISTORICAL DATA FIND NO CORRELATION BETWEEN MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES AND EMPLOYMENT LEVELS

And this:

Conservatives Say Raising the Minimum Wage Kills Jobs. New Research Says They’re Wrong.

And:

More than 50 Canadian economists sign open letter backing $15 minimum wage

It may not kill jobs, but it’s raising prices in just about every business I’m aware of. Corporations - including big ones like Little Caesars or Pizza Hut - don’t want to lose a single cent to their workers, and the consumer suffers for it.

Also wrong:

Walmart Prices Would Rise By Pennies If It Paid Workers More Than Poverty Wages

A $15 minimum wage for fast food workers would raise the price of a Big Mac by 17 cents

Debunking: “If You Raise The Minimum Wage, It Will Cause Inflation”

Early analysis of Seattle’s $15 wage law: Effect on prices minimal one year after implementation

New UW Study: Raising the Minimum Wage Doesn’t Raise the Price of Groceries

Also, all of the price increases are largely just CEOs that aren’t willing to give up their Christmas bonuses even though its thousands of dollars. That’s it. If they cut it down just a bit and spread the goddammit wealth like decent people, we wouldn’t be in this situation where people are worried about this. I’ve already noticed the price increase when it was announced. My over all groceries have increased by a solid $20. And I absolutely blame corporate greed for it, not minimum wage jobs wanting a decent pay.

THIS.

Take Loblaws for example:

Galen Weston Knows Paying a Living Wage is Bad for Capitalism

Galen Weston Jr., the mild-mannered, bespectacled grocery-store magnate you may recognize from President’s Choice commercials, is a thoroughly Canadian one-percenter. He is thoroughly Canadian in the sense that he isn’t flashy or grandiose like Richard Branson, and he doesn’t tout the benefits of vampirism or plot to destroy the free press, à la real-life super villain Peter Thiel. He is thoroughly of the one percent in the sense that his family is worth somewhere in the ballpark of $9 billion, he himself earned at least $5 million last year, and, despite that generous—one might even say obscene—level of wealth, he remains staunchly opposed to paying his employees enough money to live on.

[…]

“We are flagging a significant set of financial headwinds,” Weston said in reference to the long-overdue wage increases set to come into effect over the next few years. He predicted the company’s labour costs will jump by about $190 million next year. Rather than address the fact that such a huge jump means his company is paying many of its employees below $15 right now—which equals to, in most Canadian cities, poverty-level wages. He’s chosen to portray his nearly $14 billion company as the victim of unfavourable legislation.

It’s true that a modest hike to the minimum wage is unfavourable to a profit-seeking entity, but it beggars belief that Weston or his company are the ones holding the short end of any stick. After all, the company reported a second-quarter profit $200 million higher this year than last, up to $358 million from $158 million.

LICO: Low Income Cut Off = Enough To Live On

LICO varies, but here in Waterloo Region where I live, LICO is around $18 per hour, which means that while $14 is a start, it is still too far too little.  

I imagine this is one of Ms Wynne’s “re-elect me” carrots.  

We all know if we replace her Liberals with Mr Brown’s Conservatives, there will be no $15 next year.  

Do you know that in nearly 15 years of McGuinty-Wynne Liberal government,  Ontarians are still worse off than we were before Mr Harris began chopping away at our social safety net?  Since the 2008 recession, while big business and banks have resumed profitability, Ontario’s increase in jobs has been largely driven by an explosion precarious work.  

In this year’s  Ontario Election it is time to stop voting for the usual suspects.

Which is not to say I want an NDP majority government… far from it!  Ontario needs minority government and Electoral Reform to #Proportional Representation if we’re going to turn this around.  Which means anyone who wants to elect an NDP MPP needs to vote NDP; anyone who wants to elect a Green MPP needs to vote Green.  

Since our winner-take-all system is stacked against us, we can increase our chances by:

  • volunteering in the party you like,  or 
  • volunteering for the Candidate you want, or
  • if there isn’t a candidate you like in your riding, maybe running yourself!
  • If you can’t manage to get directly involved, donating to the party/candidate you want
  • Vote for the candidate or party that will best represent you.
  • Possibly the single most important thing we can do to amplify our votes for real alternatives is to encourage everyone you know who doesn’t vote to get out and vote!

Make Sure you are Registered to vote at Elections Ontario.

If you aren’t sure which riding you’re in, you can find your riding on this map.  
[Note: in Ontario at this point our federal and provincial ridings are aligned.]

Ontario’s Minimum Wage is Now $14 an Hour – Ontario Government News

Ontario's Minimum Wage is Now $14 an Hour - Ontario Government News:

allthecanadianpolitics:

minty-fangs:

allthecanadianpolitics:

jaksandrow:

allthecanadianpolitics:

melianandthingol:

allthecanadianpolitics:

January 1, 2018 10:00 A.M. Ministry of Labour

Starting today, people across Ontario will see their wages rise $14 an hour as the new general minimum wage takes effect. This change will help workers and their families who are struggling to get ahead in a changing economy.  

As part of Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, the minimum wage will increase again to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019, to be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation.

Continue Reading.

Cant wait to lose all my hours and make even less than I did before!!!

You should read this:

The evidence is clear: increasing the minimum wage doesn’t cost jobs

And this:

Seattle proves a $13 minimum wage doesn’t necessarily kill jobs

And this:

Minimum wage hike does not kill jobs: report

And this:

RAISE WAGES, KILL JOBS? SEVEN DECADES OF HISTORICAL DATA FIND NO CORRELATION BETWEEN MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES AND EMPLOYMENT LEVELS

And this:

Conservatives Say Raising the Minimum Wage Kills Jobs. New Research Says They’re Wrong.

And:

More than 50 Canadian economists sign open letter backing $15 minimum wage

It may not kill jobs, but it’s raising prices in just about every business I’m aware of. Corporations - including big ones like Little Caesars or Pizza Hut - don’t want to lose a single cent to their workers, and the consumer suffers for it.

Also wrong:

Walmart Prices Would Rise By Pennies If It Paid Workers More Than Poverty Wages

A $15 minimum wage for fast food workers would raise the price of a Big Mac by 17 cents

Debunking: “If You Raise The Minimum Wage, It Will Cause Inflation”

Early analysis of Seattle’s $15 wage law: Effect on prices minimal one year after implementation

New UW Study: Raising the Minimum Wage Doesn’t Raise the Price of Groceries

Also, all of the price increases are largely just CEOs that aren’t willing to give up their Christmas bonuses even though its thousands of dollars. That’s it. If they cut it down just a bit and spread the goddammit wealth like decent people, we wouldn’t be in this situation where people are worried about this. I’ve already noticed the price increase when it was announced. My over all groceries have increased by a solid $20. And I absolutely blame corporate greed for it, not minimum wage jobs wanting a decent pay.

THIS.

Take Loblaws for example:

Galen Weston Knows Paying a Living Wage is Bad for Capitalism

Galen Weston Jr., the mild-mannered, bespectacled grocery-store magnate you may recognize from President’s Choice commercials, is a thoroughly Canadian one-percenter. He is thoroughly Canadian in the sense that he isn’t flashy or grandiose like Richard Branson, and he doesn’t tout the benefits of vampirism or plot to destroy the free press, à la real-life super villain Peter Thiel. He is thoroughly of the one percent in the sense that his family is worth somewhere in the ballpark of $9 billion, he himself earned at least $5 million last year, and, despite that generous—one might even say obscene—level of wealth, he remains staunchly opposed to paying his employees enough money to live on.

[…]

“We are flagging a significant set of financial headwinds,” Weston said in reference to the long-overdue wage increases set to come into effect over the next few years. He predicted the company’s labour costs will jump by about $190 million next year. Rather than address the fact that such a huge jump means his company is paying many of its employees below $15 right now—which equals to, in most Canadian cities, poverty-level wages. He’s chosen to portray his nearly $14 billion company as the victim of unfavourable legislation.

It’s true that a modest hike to the minimum wage is unfavourable to a profit-seeking entity, but it beggars belief that Weston or his company are the ones holding the short end of any stick. After all, the company reported a second-quarter profit $200 million higher this year than last, up to $358 million from $158 million.

LICO: Low Income Cut Off = Enough To Live On

LICO varies, but here in Waterloo Region where I live, LICO is around $18 per hour, which means that while $14 is a start, it is still too far too little.  

I imagine this is one of Ms Wynne’s “re-elect me” carrots.  

We all know if we replace her Liberals with Mr Brown’s Conservatives, there will be no $15 next year.  

Do you know that in nearly 15 years of McGuinty-Wynne Liberal government,  Ontarians are still worse off than we were before Mr Harris began chopping away at our social safety net?  Since the 2008 recession, while big business and banks have resumed profitability, Ontario’s increase in jobs has been largely driven by an explosion precarious work.  

In this year’s  Ontario Election it is time to stop voting for the usual suspects.

Which is not to say I want an NDP majority government… far from it!  Ontario needs minority government and Electoral Reform to #Proportional Representation if we’re going to turn this around.  Which means anyone who wants to elect an NDP MPP needs to vote NDP; anyone who wants to elect a Green MPP needs to vote Green.  

Since our winner-take-all system is stacked against us, we can increase our chances by:

  • volunteering in the party you like,  or 
  • volunteering for the Candidate you want, or
  • if there isn’t a candidate you like in your riding, maybe running yourself!
  • If you can’t manage to get directly involved, donating to the party/candidate you want
  • Vote for the candidate or party that will best represent you.
  • Possibly the single most important thing we can do to amplify our votes for real alternatives is to encourage everyone you know who doesn’t vote to get out and vote!

Make Sure you are Registered to vote at Elections Ontario.

If you aren’t sure which riding you’re in, you can find your riding on this map.  
[Note: in Ontario at this point our federal and provincial ridings are aligned.]

exigetspersonal: ruffboijuliaburnsides: dealanexmachina: black-…





















exigetspersonal:

ruffboijuliaburnsides:

dealanexmachina:

black-to-the-bones:

The war on drugs is rooted in racist policies . The failure of the war and drugs is obvious. We need to find a better solution, because people of color should never be the victims of racist policies. White Americans are more likely than black Americans to have used most kinds of illegal drugs, including cocaine and LSD. Yet blacks are far more likely to go to prison for marijuana, which is not a hard drug. Moreover , even when white people get caught , they get less time in prison. 

…is that Rachael Leigh Cook, the same actress who did the original anti-drug ad when she was a teenager?

It is indeed.

She grew up, realized she’d been exploited to further a racist government agenda, and turned around to bite the hand that feeds. Awesome.

THIS

It is so frustrating that Canada’s supposed legalization of cannabis is such a sham.  

“2015 will be the last election using First Past The…



“2015 will be the last election using First Past The Post.”

—Justin Trudeau, 2015

A Liberal friend assured me that, since the Liberals believe in evidence based policy, this *had* to mean we would end up with Proportional Representation.

And she was right: even though the ERRE Consultation was woefully underfunded and the lions share of the outreach was left up to ordinary Canadians DIY community dialogue and information sharing, even though the ERRE Committee recommended Proportional Representation… and then Prime Minister Trudeau pulled the plug.  

Every issue Canadians have will benefit from Proportional Representation, which is why we need it back on the table.  On May 31st Parliament will vote on whether it will accept the ERRE Committee Recommendation.  

Canada: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARDDuring the 2015 Federal Election,…



Canada: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

During the 2015 Federal Election, Mr. Trudeau invited Canadians to vote on the Liberal Policy…

CANADA INFRASTRUCTURE BANK
997 people have voted
Average Rating 4.18

https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/canada-infrastructure-bank/

ELECTORAL REFORM
26,129 people have voted
Average Rating 4.69

https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/electoral-reform/

More than 25,000 Canadians voted on Electoral Reform.
Fewer than 1,000 voted on the Infrastructure Bank idea.

But Mr. Trudeau decided not to do Electoral Reform ~ in spite of the fact 26,129 Canadians were interested in it.  Now we hear that Mr. Trudeau is going to push ahead on the Infrastructure Bank that only 997 Canadians even bothered to vote on!

What gives?