Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Income Gap: Unfair, Or Are We Just Jealous? : NPR

Most people agree - there is nothing wrong with being rich. It's the way government policy and the economy are changing to increase the rate that the rich become richer while blocking the path for everyone else that makes people angry.

The Income Gap: Unfair, Or Are We Just Jealous? : NPR

Monday, January 9, 2012

Radicals working against oilsands, Ottawa says - Politics - CBC News

Why don't we consider upgrading the bitumen in Canada (thereby creating thousands of quality jobs for Canadians), shipping the refined product to the USA (we can use existing pipelines and Canada gets $100/bbl rather than $60/bbl for the refined product) and then we can build a pipeline to Ontario (which removes Canada's reliance on foreign oil imported using supertankers from the Middle East and provides fellow Canadians with a secure source of energy)?

OH NO!! I'm a radical!!

At least according to the current wisdom of Joe Oliver and the Conservative party of Canada.

Radicals working against oilsands, Ottawa says - Politics - CBC News

Enbridge pipeline review - Just who is getting hijacked? - Opinion 250 - News for Northern and Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada

Enbridge pipeline review - Just who is getting hijacked? - Opinion 250 - News for Northern and Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada

An Open Letter to Joe Oliver | Green Party of Canada

An Open Letter to Joe Oliver | Green Party of Canada

Protests, Occupy could lead to full-blown Canadian youth movement: experts - Winnipeg Free Press

Protests, Occupy could lead to full-blown Canadian youth movement: experts - Winnipeg Free Press

Friday, January 6, 2012

An open letter to PM Harper about the Enbridge pipeline

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

I am very discouraged by your unreasonable and poorly informed support for the Enbridge pipeline.

If your government really cared about Canadians, you would support a pipeline from Alberta to Ontario. This would remove Eastern Canada's dependence on imported oil, create Canadian refining jobs in either Alberta or Ontario, retain more economic value from the bitumen and remove the danger of destroying BC's coastal waters.

The Enbridge pipeline is very bad policy for Canadians. It is bad for Canada's energy security, economy and environment and it unfairly benefits Albertans, who get the vast majority of the reward at the expense of BC and First Nation communities who take all the risk.

I have written several letters on this topic in the past which details each of these contentions and you refuse to answer these concerns.

I am deeply disappointed in your lack of concern for the well being of the vast majority of Canadians.

Sincerely,

Keith Hirsche
1161 Chapman Rd.
Cobble Hill, BC


Harper warns pipeline hearings could be 'hijacked' - Business - CBC News

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Why do I Occupy: Richest CEOs earn 189 times average Canadian - Business - CBC News

This simple illustration provides an insight into the energy behind the Occupy Movement. Even in Canada, the top 100 CEOs earn the equivalent of the average Canadian salary before the end of January 3rd.

Is there any way to justify this level of compensation? If you take these numbers over the course of an average working lifetime, what is the market saying about the worth of individual human beings?

Richest CEOs earn 189 times average Canadian - Business - CBC News

Northern Gateway: Alberta gets the rewards and BC gets all the risk.

Latest report shows that the Northern Gateway pipeline means $72Billion to Alberta tar sands producers - and BC takes all the risk for free!

With friends like this, who needs enemies?

Oilsands firms would lose without Gateway, study says - Business - CBC News