The Globe and Mail states Ontario hydro rates are going to increase by 17% on May 1. Not only that, but Hydro One has also applied to increase delivery rates by 25%!
Thanks to the McGuinty government we also been given a lovely health tax around the same time we lost our eye exams and chiropratic coverage; yet we continue to pay for abortion on demand.
Why would anyone in their right mind live in Ontario or start a business here?
Well, I think I'll start conserving energy by turning off the T.V. every time I see Dalton's face on the screen.
UPDATE: It seems that the other premiers are as disenchanted as I am with Ontario's Dalton McWimpy, er McGuinty. Sorry.
It seems that Dalton doesn't want to hand over Ontario's share of the fiscal imbalance. He says the Ontario taxpayer can't afford it. The other premiers say that Ontario has traditionally been a big brother who looks after the others and should continue to do so.
Hey, he's right guys! We can't!! Utility costs are going up here due to government mismanagement and bungling. We are taxed to death and we may all very well die soon anyway, due to lack of family doctors and health care.
The cupboard is bare!! We are a Have-Not province!!
"Big Brother's" so-called wealth has been squandered on public union settlements and overspending. McGuinty messed up bigtime and we are paying the price. Somebody throw us a lineline here.
27 comments:
Joanne,
What amazes me is how something like the "Health Tax" paid by everyone gets lost in the General Revenue fund and did little or nothing for our health care. This tax should be recinded - but fat chance!
McGinty when in opposition claimed hydro rates in Ontario were out of control, and the Government needs to take immediate action - shoes on the other foot now Dalton, you sure made things better!!!
puck puck McGuinty you son of a pucker.... oohhh I'm mad we have our heat on hydro and I pay $300 a month all year round now... son of a puckkkkk
p.s. I need you and Vicki to join me in TO in Oct for a motherhood conference, they are not really sharing this info with stay at home mom just professional moms,, well we'll show them lol
Dalton just doesn't seem to have a clue. And now they're using the old down-loading trick. They made a big hoopla announcement about having a satellite med school here, but the catch is that the Region has to come up with a big chunk of the dough! Meanwhile our local M.P.P. is taking all the glory for this "coup" for our area.
Derik, N.B. sounds good. Maybe I'll check it out. I do love lobster.
I'm already from down east there is just no jobs down there, that is why we left in the first place. Government has treated the east coast very badly for a very long time...
I miss the ocean and the donairs
we too are getting rate hikes - like the third in two months. its insane. Charest promises tax cuts, but hands us rate hikes instead. Plus, our property taxes have shot up astronmically.
fatiguer, as we say in Quebec.
Plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme.
(Darn those accents!)
Just a quick note, I know that your probably getting sick of me by now, but I had to chime in.
The Canada Health Act was never supposed to cover all procedures, such as eye care, etc, etc. It's true intention is to protect Canadians against huge hospital bills for major operations and to protect the poor from having to pay health costs. Even Tommy Douglas would say the same.
Low-income Ontarians can access certain services such as eye care free of cost. Although Dalton has cut the services that are covered by OHIP, he has still maintained full services for our most vulnerable citizens.
Also, the health premium is going towards health. Wait times have lowered 12% since its introduction and 43 new medications that are to be used in post-surgical care have been added to the system (some of which cost up to $5000 per month per patient).
Also, the health premium is going to create more spaces at medical schools. I can personally attest to that. At my school, McMaster University, the government has provided the money to create over 100 new spaces over the next 5 years, increasing to 200 over the next 10 years. Also it has provided money to expand the McMaster Medical school into bordering areas, such as Waterloo and St. Catherines, for on-site practical training in area hospitals. Both facilities will graduate around 75 students over the next three years. All this work will lead to the introduction of more doctors into the system.
But the hydro thing, my god! I live in a student house and we're going nuts will all these bills. Its over $600 a piece, per month for this five person house. That's way too much, especially for us lowly, poverty stricken students. I already eat Kraft Dinner three times a week - what more do you want from me Dalton!
Vicki, you want me tell me about the Canada Health Act and why sex change operations are covered by it? Sure why not, I've got a few minutes.
Well on April 21st of last year, McGuinty confirmed that he would reinstate sex change surgery IF a human rights tribunal issues a ruling to do so. Walking into a hospital and asking for one will not get you one. They are on a case by case basis.
This really depends on your stance of whether you see gender reassignment as necessary. Many people can't understand the issue and I wont hold it against you if you dont either. Many people suffer from gender issues and reassignment surgery can help ease many of the psychological issues that accompany them. Gender reassignment is not like a nose job or other forms of cosmetic surgury, please keep that in mind. I don't necessarily like or promote the idea myself, but I do understant the fundamentals behind it.
You also say that you work in a hospital and haven't seen wait times decrease. I'm not sure what your capacity at the hospital is, but OHIP is reporting a 12% reduction is surgical wait times. No matter where you work in a hospital it is impossible to track every single patient who enters your facility for treatment but OHIP does and they are reporting a 12% reduction. While I appreciate your empirical observations, I still think I will stick with my statistics and facts.
I also find your assertion that Bob Rae paid U of T to reduce med school grads rather dubious. If you could provide some evidence of that I would appreciate it.
Takes more than a few questions to offend me there Vicki.
I just don't feel that your casual observations around a hospital can refute province wide studies, that's all.
I'm not saying that sex changes should be included either, I was just answering your question.
I hope you weren't offended by anything I said, that wasn't my intention.
Wow! We just had an electrical storm here (how ironic!), and we were off line for a while. In the meantime, I see that Zac and Vicki are scrapping about health care, etc.
Mmm.. I'm going to have to catch up, but Zac, just off the cuff I'd say you were a Dalton supporter. Or are you planning to apply for a position as his spokesman?
they will pay for a sex change operation yet I can't get a gst rebate hmmm...
I had actually written my M.P.P. about the health care situation (or lack thereof). This is from his office:
"To answer the question of prioritization, OHIP covers treatments that
are medically necessary and as is required by the Canada Health Act."
"Some provinces will cover additional services based on their capacity to so".
"Sex-change operations are not covered. Prior to October 1, 1998, sex
reassignment surgery was an insured service under OHIP. On October 1,
1998 however, a regulation was passed under the Health Insurance Act
which de-insured sex reassignment surgery. This decision has been
appealed to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. As the matter is now
stands before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, it would be
inappropriate for me to comment further on the issue until a decision is
released and the government has a chance to review the Tribunal's
findings." July 28/05
Does anyone know if they have finally reviewed that yet? It's certainly something to follow up on.
Not exactly that much of a supporter. McGuinty has flaws. John Tory has more though. I supported Kennedy in the last leadership race.
I support his initiatives to help Ontario out of the Mike Harris years. McGuinty doesn't support Harris's policies of spitting on the poor, ruining medicare, pillaging education, and providing tax cuts to the uber-wealthy.
Yes, McGuinty raised the hydro rates and cut eye exams from OHIP but at least he's not telling the OPP to murder natives in provincial parks, like Harris.
As far as I know, the NDP's Maryln Churley brought the issue up on April 21st of last year in Question Period and McGuinty stated that he would abide by the tribunals decision.
I believe it has been reinstated.
Yeah, that's what I figured. Not much press. Keep it quiet.
BTW, for your precious McMaster satellite campus, Waterloo Region is being asked to pony up $19 million. The province is chipping in a measly $8 million for construction costs. And now my M.P.P. has sent out a flyer saying how great his government is, bringing a med school here!
Give me a break.
McMaster is chipping in $4 million.
Is $8 million really that much?
$19 MILLION! That's what they want us to contribute!
Yeah, but your getting a medical school.
Not til we show them the money!
Zac, are you serious about your hydro bills? That's outrageous!
"$600 a piece, per month for this five person house."
What are you guys doing in there - running a grow-op?
Just a small one...thats all.
In all seriousness, we have a gas stove and things like that. The gas bills are what's been killing us, not the hydro. The gas should be going down now, since the weather is getting nicer, but the hydro will go up with the AC being on more. Plus the house is huge, lots of room to heat/cool down.
I'm as pissed at Dalton as you guys are.
Gas. O.K. That makes a bit more sense. That's still a whack of dough, though!
"I'm as pissed at Dalton as you guys are." Thanks, Zac. Misery loves company.
Happy Easter!
Dalton McGuinty lacks any imagination, creativity or innovation in dealing with the finances of this province. Again I say, may John Tory be the next premier next year. Too bad it's not sooner.
A side note, Joanne I linked your blog to my site.
Thanks, Felix. I plan to reciprocate when I can get my IHTG to help.
Glad to hear from a fellow McGuinty non-supporter. John Tory seems like a good leader for Ontario Conservatives. A bit too Liberal-lite for my liking, but way better than the present cast of characters!
If he does get into power, it's good that the neo-cons have been pruged from the ranks. I.e. Jim "lets lock up the poor" Flarhety and John Baird.
If Tory runs the province like he ran the CFL we're in trouble though.
You can read a lot more about this issue at the Ontario Hydro Electricity page.
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