You just have to wonder.
The National Union of Public and General Employees seems quite thrilled. Among their members is OPSEU. So, we the taxpayers are bankrolling that one. If anyone of them has to work on the holiday, I'm guessing there will be some overtime involved.
Then we have the Teachers' unions who would likely be quite thrilled about another day off, right? And indeed there was a huge amount of support for Dalton and his crew from the teachers. They helped work on campaigns in copious numbers, courtesy of their ability to take time off for "union work" - up to 20 days.
Oh, and don't forget those lovely ads run by "Working Families" during the election - ads with the sole purpose of glorying McGuinty and trashing John Tory. Who is part of Working Families? Well, among their illustrious crew are the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.
The irony here is that because Dalton just arrogantly declared this a stat without consultation, there is now a ripple of panic being felt throughout the province - and not just from small business.
Today's Record explains that "Family Day" is causing headaches for school boards as well ("McGuinty's new day off giving schools a headache"). Now they have to figure out whether or not to take away a professional development day, or else add another day to the school year in June:
"This has really come out of left field," said Bernie Kowalczyk, superintendent of student services at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. "We weren't prepared for it."Indeed.
And imagine how a small businessperson is trying to deal with this now, when their bottom line is so tight to begin with, and the economy suddenly looking less than rosy.
So Lemmingland, this is the first example of what you did on Oct. 10 - You handed Dalton a blank cheque, just as Howard Hampton predicted. You see, Dalton has no one to account to now for another four years. Whatever he wants will be passed by his bobble-head majority.
Howard and I warned you, but you wouldn't listen. You got your tax-and-spend government back again. Yes, sir. We lemmings love taxes!!! - Especially the Toronto Lemmings.
Yesterday, the Post's Steve Murray complained that "Family Day" is discriminatory because not everyone has a family. Well, that's hard to believe, but maybe he's got a point.
He is taking for suggestions for a better name and is asking readers to send them to smurray@nationalpost.com.
How about "McPander Day", Steve?
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Update - Great Letter in the Post today:
The minimum estimated cost of enacting a Family Day holiday in Ontario is at least $500-million. That is $100-million more than the estimated cost to end the religious discrimination against 53,000 students in the province. It would be interesting to find out how many parents of the 53,000 children will need to work on Family Day in order to afford to send them to school, after they have already paid for everyone else's kids.
No one can deny that the Ontario Liberals have their priorities straight -- spending on one extra day a year off work is surely a better use of tax money than righting bias.
Michael N.W. Baigel, Toronto.
* * * *
Christina Blizzard -Take a break on holiday idea.
26 comments:
all the health care workers already have Heritage Day in their contracts, will it be renamed to suit Dalton.
Ruth, that's interesting. Maybe you'll get an extra day off.
I don't know how many people get this off, but my sister is an RPN and they have had Heritage day as a stat for quite a few years. I'm almost certain that all the RN's and other hospital workers will have it in their union contracts too.
So Lemmingland, this is the first example of what you did on Oct. 10 - You handed Dalton a blank cheque, just as Howard Hampton predicted.
Please Joanne, stop calling the voters lemmings. I will just have to keep reminding you that a majority of us voted for parties other than the Liberals. In fact Dalton got less popular vote this time than last time, but got more seats. You can thank FPTP for this, not the voters.
Good point. Keep an eye on McGuinty's 14.7 billion with of election promises, too: with the dollar at par our exports are nowhere near as competitive in the American market as they were when the dollar was at 70 cents, and projections for our provincial growth rate have been reduced accordingly. McGuinty's probably going to face a choice between more broken or delayed promises and another tax rise. Maybe he better save the tape from that "I had a tough choice and I made it" ad.
Greg, good point. I agree that FPTP isn't perfect, and that we may need to try to consider something other than MMP in the future.
I think what happened here though is that the real conservative voters just stayed home.
Maybe he better save the tape from that "I had a tough choice and I made it" ad.
I predicted that weeks ago - The Second "most difficult decision' he ever had to make in his life. Wait for it. It won't be long now. Another reader suggested that possibly he will implement an "Education Premium".
I'd laugh if I wasn't so close to tears.
I'm sure all non-union workers will enjoy a day off.
Lighten up - this is just so petty it makes me laugh.
Boy, Joanne, you are truly a very unhappy person and look at life in the negative - I feel sorry for you, sort of.
Manitoba declared a holiday in February (Louis Riel day) and I believe Alberta has one called Family Day.
It's about time Ontario got on board - Harris wouldn't do it because big corporate Canada didn't want him to.
Boy, Joanne, you are truly a very unhappy person and look at life in the negative - I feel sorry for you, sort of.
Not negative. Just a realist. I know this is only the beginning. A new holiday is fine if done after consultation. This wasn't.
"Education Premium;" oh God, I wouldn't be surprised. Very Dalton.
and what would it have cost to cancel the Health tax instead of giving the holiday, so retired persons could benefit too. Even the dead have to pay the so-called Health tax.
"Manitoba declared a holiday in February (Louis Riel day) and I believe Alberta has one called Family Day.
It's about time Ontario got on board - Harris wouldn't do it because big corporate Canada didn't want him to."
That's just too funny. Many of the provinces fund faith-based schooling, with no "segregation" concerns. Should Ontario not get "on board".
I w0uld also point out it's not just the wages that will be paid out for the statutory holiday, it's the lost profits, production, etc.
As far as I'm concerned the #1 issue in the campaign should have been the economy, and the rapid acceleration of manufacturing jobs lost under McGuinty. Among the causes are the 45% increase in hydro costs and high taxation of corporations, something ironically Dion is now demanding be lowered.
Here's a little tip Steph. Harper is way ahead of you on that. But it will be a gradual decrease as the economy grows, thereby not affecting the governments ability to pay for social programs.
paulstuff...Tory has to take the blame for ignoring the real issues.It has been said Dalton had a target on his back and Tory did not even aim.
And that is too funny when glib statements about Harris appear out of no where. Harris was all about cutting expenses in the government(our tax money)When did he favour big business?
BBH(Bring Back Harris)
"BBH(Bring Back Harris)"
Exactly. Harris understood the economy better than any other Ontario premier. Cut business taxes and more businesses set up shop. This creates more employment, increasing the tax revenue from personal income. Lowering this amount puts more money in consumers pockets, which again goes back into the economy. Government revenues increase from corporate,personal,and sales taxes.
And before any of the anti-Harris crew pipes in, Harris increased both education and health care spending under his term. Do your research before posting the Harris cut health care and education spending leftist mantra.
and what would it have cost to cancel the Health tax instead of giving the holiday, so retired persons could benefit too.
Good point, Ruth! This holiday does nothing for seniors, the unemployed.
I'm not even sure if it would benefit part-timers.
There was another letter in the Post that mentioned the health tax:
Re: McGuinty To Enact Winter Break, Oct. 12.
The first official act of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's new government will be to cost this province's businesses tens of millions of dollars by creating another statutory holiday. No doubt those who work for someone else will be celebrating. Those of us who are employers and who will have to swallow this big government tax-and-spend gift will see it for what it is -- leftist ideology swathed in the thinly veiled guise of vote-buying. Perhaps Mr. McGuinty can explain how we can afford this holiday when he also refuses to repeal his health tax? How can me we magically afford this holiday?
Mark Erwin, Toronto.
Paul, how can we get Harris back? We do need him.
I think Harris is pretty happy in private life Joanne. But never discount him. With a softening economy, thousands of manufacturing jobs being lost in Ontario, and our whole lifestyle basically going down the crapper(crime increase for example), in four years Harris might say something needs to be done. Highly unlikely but one never knows. On the other hand there are still some in the party who hold Harris views, and with a leadership review pretty much certain, don't be surprised to see Harris in the spotlight endorsing that candidate.
wait a minute here - Harris cut taxes on "borrowed" money folks - please give your foolish heads a shake.
Not a realist Joanne - a name calling petty person is more like it.
When you can't find something to bitch about - you go on about a stupid issue like a day off - now really lighten up.
Thank you for your candor, brave Anonymous.
"It would be interesting to find out how many parents of the 53,000 children will need to work on Family Day in order to afford to send them to school"
These parents choose to send their children to religious schools. They deserve no sympathy.
Contary to the thought of anon. Lemming Ontario suits this provinces voters to a tee.
"education premium" - it's not a matter of IF it's a matter of WHEN McGuinty will lower the boom on this one. Also look for him to move toward Local Integration Education Networks....a carbon copy of healthcare LHINs. I wonder those same school board, union, teacher types who campaigned so hard for McGuinty will like it when their school board is replaced???
Agree with anon. Ontario is the poster child for the Lemming Liberal Nation.
Oh and re: Ontario Lemming Day(McGuinty's new holiday) school boards in my region will hate this. As it was last year our students had 12 snowdays between Christmas and March. You'd think McGuinty would have consulted before he made such a lemming-like decree. I'm betting he's thinking we smaller lemmings will just fall in line.
Nope.
What about folks who don't have family's? Why not call it what it is a 2nd labour day seeing as though the unions will benefit most?
True Blue , thanks for exposing the Working Families. Then there’s the One School System Network. http://www.onessn.org/about.html
Hats off to the Greens, gay paraders, atheists and anarchists and other members and supporters of the OSSN AND the newly converted PCers to the Green cause. The media are now saying “How could voters be so stupid and give Dalton a majority when he didn’t deserve a minority. We only report the news.” What an embarrassment. Next people will start believing democracy is a con job run by a central politburo. Credit goes to the OSSN for keeping the faith based funding issue front row center. Democracy has hit a new low. Touche. One for the anarchists.
expect another "premium" sooner than later. This term will be just like the last one. Dalton will come out with the bad news within 6 months and allow the anger to subside (because apethetic ontario never seems to stay angry at higher taxes for long).
Then he will crawl into the bubble and do nothing for the next two or so years, except tell us he can't afford this that and the other thing.
Finally, as the set election date comes closer, he will "magically" find a surplus and start spread the goodies (ie: buying your vote).
Any takers?
Even the dead have to pay the so-called Health tax.
I'd like to see them make me pay!
Oh, wait. I'm not quite dead yet...
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