How Much is Your Vote Really Worth?
How much is your vote worth?
Don’t answer too quickly. It’s a seller’s market these days.
If it wasn’t such a sleazy spectacle watching the Conservative’s latest cross-country vote buying tour might almost be funny. There’s nothing like the sight of a politician desperately trying to buy off the great unwashed, and increasingly vocal, masses.
Harper is bad enough but the worst one has to be our own Loyola Hearn.
While Adolph Harper wings his way from coast to coast, (Halifax to Vancouver), passing out billions in navy contracts, environmental funding and other shiny baubles, little Loyola has the job of buying off voters here at home, one paving contract, education announcement and sewer upgrade at a time.
I’ve witnessed many such schemes in the past but I honestly can’t recall the last time Ottawa paid to pave a local parking lot. All I can say is, “More power to the Chamber of Commerce in Gander for pulling that one off.” Leave it to the business community to figure out the exact value of a hot commodity in an overheated market.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and right now nobody is more desperate than the Conservative/Reform/Alliance/PC party of Canada, or as they’re otherwise known, the CRAP party.
This summer Loyola is hitting the BBQ circuit like a man on a mission with a pocket full of shiny new pennies to dole out.
By the way Loyola, once the crew is finished paving that parking lot in Gander maybe you can ask your boss when he plans to send them up to Labrador.
Of course not being anybody’s fool Loyola knows that after just screwing the province on the Accord a little blacktop won’t be enough win an election. Not to mention for the voters to cancel their mail order’s of tar and feathers. Like any seasoned politician Loyola has a plan B.
It doesn’t include doing his job though, heaven’s no. The Minister of Fisheries has decided it’s far easier to go on the attack here at home than actually show some results for his time in Ottawa.
After blasting anyone who dared challenge him over the Atlantic Accord Hearn decided that, when not passing out federal cheques, he should focus his attention on fisheries matters. Not by fixing the problems offshore but by verbally assaulting long time fisheries activist, Gus Etchegary.
When Hearn ran in the last federal election he convinced poor gullible Gus to back his election campaign and even act as a shill for him. He did that by claiming the Conservatives would make the dream of custodial management a reality. How many broken promised does that make for these guys anyway? I’ve lost count.
It seems old Gus wasn’t too happy when Loyola broke that promise. With any pretence of effective fisheries reform cast aside, like the voters who marked their X for him, Hearn is now fulfilling his Ministerial duties by running from tickle to bay attacking the credibility of the man whose shoulders he climbed atop on his way to an election win.
Real nice Loyola, who’s next on your hit list, the clergy, orphans how about an arthritic widow or two?
Like I said folks, votes are at a premium these days and it’s a seller’s market so don’t sell yours unless you get an offer you can’t refuse.
By the way Loyola, before I forget, I’ve got a pothole in my driveway that needs patching. If you wouldn’t mind taking care of that for me I solemnly promise to vote for you the next time around. You can depend on it. A man’s word is his bond. Isn’t it?
34 comments:
no Doubt Harper and his hand puppet Loyola Hearn think the people of the province are a
"cheap date" with the few loonies they are sprinkling around. It remains to be seen if we rise for the bait.
With regards to Gus Etchegary, well Gus had a piece written in the guest column last week http://www.theindependent.ca/article.asp?AID=1474&ATID=2 Independent .
There also was a pice written by an individual tearing a piece off gus's hide which I found interesting. Basically and in so many words, the chap has taken issue with Gus's stance on the fisheries when it was Gus who was involved in a wreckless fishery way back when. Incidentally, I believe Gus is one of the cheerleaders for the way Iceland deals with it's fishery. Unfortunately, it seems Iceland has issues with cod stocks presently and has had to cut it's quota by 30 percent.
I saw that letter in the INdependent too. I agree he's off base with complaining about the food fishery when so much is being caught commercialy every year.
I don't agree with Gus but I don't like Loyola shitting on the guy he used to get elected. He had gus going around promoting him in the election and he promised custodial management. Like the story says, how many broken promises is that now?
Well that is all that can be expected from a CAREER politian such as Hearn.
With respect to Etchegary, Gus's heart may be in the right place, unfortunately his credibility is not stellar when you consider past history. Taking a swipe at the recreational/food fishery is in my opinion merely grandstanding to the fishers in rural N&L. We hear the same nonsense from Earl McCurdy on that topic. There is more cod taken with the black back fishery than recreationally for cod's sake.
Godwin!
Another broken promise... This is the force that was promised to CFB Goose Bay in the last election.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/07/20/qc-bagotville0720.html
And it's going to Quebec of all places... stop buying votes and keep a promise for once!
I must say, I'm dissappointed but not really surprised. It seems the conservatives are hedging their bets in Quebec for the next election. Hearn comes to this province and announces funding to pave a parking lot and we all have to applaud like a bunch of trained seals.
It is crystal clear that this province is on the outside looking in as far as confederation is concerned.
More of the same, simply more of the same!
I keep telling you folks - force our provincial politicans to call a referendum. The time is right. There's an election this fall, and if enough of you get on board you can make Danny Williams and Gerry Reid come out and commit to holding a referendum. Make it THE election issue.
Or are you just going to sit in your mothers' basements and whine on your blogs?
Do something. Or quit complaining.
People who sit on their arse stand for nothing.
time for a change is calling for a referendum and said:"are you just going to sit in your mothers' basements and whine on your blogs?
Do something. Or quit complaining.
People who sit on their arse stand for nothing."
Sounds good and since you are so up for A referendum perhaps you should lead the charge. Afterall, people who sit on their arse stand for nothing right?
I would gladly fight a referendum with all of you. But you'd probably see me on the other side.
Why won't you guys put your money where your mouth is?
(a) Chickenshit?
(b) Incapable?
(c) Depending on Ottawa for a cheque ever few weeks?
(d) All of the above
(c) would be especially funny, given your rants against that Ottawawally character. Maybe you're all "bought", too.
I would like to see a referendum. What is the best way to force pressure on the politicians. I email Danny Williams weekly about it, but I never hear anything.
Most common people in NL want out of Canada, but can't seem to get the politicians to listen. I asked the Telegram to run a poll to ask people would they like to see the provincial govt hold a referendum?
53% said yes. To me, that says something. How do I get the ball rolling on this -- my emails are doing nothing.
When did the Telegram run that poll?
Time For A Change, I think you are getting a little nervous as these lazy sit on your arse bloggers are starting to slowly but surely make sense to a lot of people.
I also think you would be surprised as to what sort of people would support independence. We are not all lazy sit on your arse bloggers.
some of us are just lazy sit on your arse kalvinovitches
Submit a petition to the House of Assembly. If you have 25,000 names they can't ignore it.
That would be too late to have an impact before the election, but it might help draw attention.
On the day the election starts, have a bunch of like-minded people canvass their neighbourhoods across the province getting signatures on the petition. Stack the open line shows encouraging people to sign when it comes to their door, etc.
Surely between the lot of you you can raise a few hundred bucks to buy a full page ad in some of the papers.
Haper and Williams must have had the same mentor. Williams has stepped up the vote buying a notch by not only touring with existing members, but has been reported to be parading candidates for office at the announcement. It's amusing how a blind eye is turned towards the same sleeze going on by our provincial government.
If you have to calculate what your vote is worth, then that means you are a political whore, with nothing left to negotiate by the price of your services. By the way good point, anonymous, maybe Danny and Harper didn't get along because they are too much alike.
Williams has taken arrogance to a new level.
Williams will be insufferable if he takes all seats or dam near all seats next time around and we will mostly have an impotent liberal party led (or not led) by Gerry (whine me a river) Reid to blame for that train wreck.
www.NLFirst.com - Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for a real change in our Governement.
Sorry Kalvinovich, I haven't visited the blog in a few days. The Telegram ran that poll a few weeks back. You can visit their site and look at archived polls.
I wish a referendum would be presented to NL. Maybe it is a bad thing -- I am not sure, but at least gauge what people are feeling. I personally can't see how separation could be worse.
So - if a politican were to run for office in Newfoundland promising to have a referendum within his or her mandate, would you vote for that politician?
PS - if you ever do get off your arses and start a petition you might have to use your real names. I realize that's pretty fightening for the lot of you, but don't worry, the HRDC and GST people can't cut you off for having an opinion. You'll be safe. The feds don't operate like Dannystan.
I would vote for a politician that promises a referendum. I support Danny Williams wholeheartedly, but even if the moron of morons, Gerry Reid, promised a referendum, then he would get my vote.
Thanks anonymous for the information on the referendum question. 55% is a good figure, however the online poll is not very scientific. It would be interesting to see a scientific poll in the future.
A poll would not be inetresting. A referendum would be.
Let's get this over with.
Anonymous, I agree that an actual referendum would be much more interesting. But when you say"lets get this over with" are you optimistic for the yes separate side or the no stay side? It seems to me that the vast majority of the provinces population for some reason still feel a certain loyalty to Canada. I don't think the 'why leave' argument has been fully articulated across our province to all parts of society. That must be fully articulated and argued for before a referendum.
if the "why leave" side should be articulated, why not the "why stay" side too? That's the beauty of a referendum. No nmore pussyfooting around.
You separatists are all yellow. Cowardly ilk who can't shoot straightm don't know your facts, and blame everything from market principles to the state of the weather on the federal government. At the end of the day, you have nothing sensible to argue, and that's why a referendum scares you.
If you truly believed half the crap you spout, you'd be on the hustings demanding one now, But you don't, because you are weak, afraid and pathetic. If you had one quarter of a gonad between the lot of you, we'd be off to the races. But you don't.
Weak. Pathetic.
Losers.
Let's go. Get your buddies to call a referendum.
Or else shut up and quit whining.
Dole boy, I agree that both sides should be articulated.
hmmmmm Dole Boy sounds an awful lot like Simple Simon .....
Well said, starrigan. Let's keep protecting our precious bodily fluids from the Canadian conspiracy.
I want a banana.
Jack Ripper, Did you really have to make it so easy to figure you out?? Bodily fluids ( as you put it!!)= you know what!! and bananas/monkey---you get the picture. My God what next from you lot??!! Pitiful!!!
Aren't our resources, both human and natural, the bodily fluids or life blood of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador? The bodily fluids of any area, if they are used properly to keep an area's economy running, could be referred to as its bodily fluids. Without those fluids in most places, places like Haiti where there are no resources, well then there is no substantial economy. As we can plainly see as in the case of Newfoundland and Labrador being part of once the most coveted nation on earth, an ANOMALY occurred, because the MOTHER GOVERNMENT, OTTAWA saw to it that her other precious children would drink the wine and eat the cake of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and as a result that child has floundered.
Now that is a loving mother for you, isn't it?
In this case I made of Mother Government and it Provinces I made an analogy between a Mother and Child, I am sorry I did that, but I am trying to make an important point here, and that is Ottawa should not be treating one province any better than the other. But as we see in the instance of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, which Ottawa craved for 80 years before it received the territory, it has treated Newfoundland and Labrador, a place with many resources, both human and natural, in a deplorable manner. n Ibn other words it has run it into the ground. I would call that type of Mother, a sick Mother! A Mother who needs to sit back, take a long look, and overhual the whole order of things.
Aug.02.2007. 1:19 p.m., Whoa there!!, Powerful attempt at a cover-up for your lack of intellect and/or common sense! God you're simple! Bet thats not the first time you've been told that eh?
It is true and I bet you are part of the process that made it true or else you wouldn't think that I am simple.
I rather be simple and honest than being corrupt.
It is so easy to dismiss things when one's salary comes from what makes the masses poor. I suspect you are one of them or you wouldn't be against what really is the truth. It seems to me you are one who wants to see the status quo remain that is keep Newfoundlanders and Labradorians down while raising your own group up into the stratosphere on the resources that otherwise should be giving Newfoundland and Labrador the economy that other provinces have. Simple but True!
Your intellect is that of a crook to think other than the way I am thinking. And I am still wondering about your intellect?
and bananas/monkey---you get the picture.
And Dole/bananas is the picture you didn't get
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