Graeme Decarie
Well-Known Member
Correction - 80% of the teachers in those schools are part-timers. That's impossible for an education system.
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Let's not forget that the history of tolls in this province is not a good one. The two toll highways we have (407 and 412) are profit generators for private companies with huge admin fees. Yes, some of that goes back to the government and to maintain the highways but, once again, they are being run for profit and that's a big problem for me. A short trip on 407 without a transponder results in more admin fees than mileage fees and even a transponder comes with an annual fee. I have never seen this happen on a US toll highway and I do not hesitate to use toll highways down there. However, I avoid 407 like the plague unless there's a clear justification for doing so or it's a business trip so that I can expense it.
Given that history, is it any wonder people in the GTA are opposed to more tolls? Personally, if it is done purely on a per km basis with no admin or statement fees and all profits are sunk back into the highways, I have no problem with tolls. However, that is not how our current toll highways are being run and if Wynne wants to get support for more toll highways, she is going to have to make sure that new toll highways are run sanely.
Worth noting is that Highway 412 and Highway 407 east of Brock Road in Pickering are owned by the province
There's the great crisis that nobody seems eager to look at. The wealthy of our world don't pay taxes - and they are increasingly hoarding away larger junks of whatever money is available. We are looking at a new rule by billionaires, just as dukes and earls used to do.
My first question as well. It all sounds good but how will they finance it?I haven't looked at the platform in detail but I did see the news reports on it. I have to admit that my first thought - knowing how the PCs have attacked Wynn's Liberals for the level of the Ontario deficit, was "How are they going to pay for all this without running the deficit even higher?"
But a party still chock full of social conservatives. No thanks. Brown pandered to and campaigned with social conservatives to win the nomination. Now he is not a social conservative in an attempt to win the election. If he wins the election, who's to say he won't revert to idiotic evangelical Christian positions again when there is nothing left to win and his party is still populated by them?Well, the PC platform came out this weekend (early to say the least). Lots of economics, no so-con hot buttons.
Maybe that's where the money will come from. We'll attract billionaires to invest into the province through some kind of venture capital hedge fund. Or maybe the PCs will wish it into existence.
Anyhow, Brown's initial response to criticisms of the platform:
PC leader Patrick Brown defends platform spending | Globalnews.ca
No thanks.
As it is now you still need it but it's now free, BUT the cost is added into your sticker renewal and as such I believe it now actually costs more this way?I think emission testing is on its way out, anyway; I think a mechanic told me that a while ago.
As it is now you still need it but it's now free, BUT the cost is added into your sticker renewal and as such I believe it now actually costs more this way?
I agree and the really old vehicles get a pass anyway and they're more than likely to be the ones that wouldn't pass.In the end, it is wasting our money whether directly or indirectly. I won't weep to see it go. As I understand it, only a tiny percentage of vehicles fail to pass, not enough to make much difference in emissions compared to things like reducing the number of emitting vehicles on the road (by moving to electric, fuel cell, etc.) and making sure our hydro comes from non-emitting sources so that all plug-in electrics become "emission free" (they are if your electricity comes from renewables, nukes, or hydro, but not if it comes from natural gas). Even replacing diesel and petrol with natural gas helps a little, though isn't ideal.