Pro Gun, Pro Business-The New Democrats

Yes, I noticed some moderate attempts on such shift.

Although the party is still controlled by the New England hard-core ideologues, it is likely to change, because, obviously, that clique is so much out of touch with mainstream that they do not have slightest chance ever getting any of the houses back, including the White one.

Take a look at how british Labour party took conservatives out of business - by stealing their own message. It is rather grotesque to watch the conservatives sweat out the spasmatic criticism of Tony Blair in the House of Commons - they toally lost it. They became laughing stock of England.

So it is possible, and it does work. However - should someone like Tony Blair run on democratic ticket four years from now, we'd have brand new game on our hands. I, for one, would be more than happy to vote for liberal like that

 

I'll show you politics in America. Here it is, right here. 'I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs.' 'I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking.' 'Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding out both puppets!'

-- Bill Hicks

 

Feel free to move to Canada. Here, the Senate is appointed by the ruling party. It appears the biggest a** kissers become Senators.

 

I'm working on it! Takes a lot of time and money though...

-m.

 

Sounds like a plan.

And if you Heaven Forbid should ever need an MRI, I'm sure you won't mind the +12 month waiting list. I suppose you could always venture to the United States for that, right?

 

Since I'll always be considered an American citizen, yes I could - especially with a sister and brother-in-law who are docs.

-m.

 

So you won't be renouncing your American citizenship?

How convenient.

Most Canadians on the +12 month MRI wait list would kill to be in your position.

It's a good thing my parents get Social Security with Medicare. Anything serious and I have to drive them into Minnesota.

 

Yeah, renouncing is a pretty drastic step, something I wouldn't be able to undo if say, I ever wanted to move back to America. Of course the side effect is having to file for taxes in America for the rest of my life, and a few other pluses and minuses.

I saw an article today that the US Dollar's value vs. the Canadian has dropped 28% in the past two years. Let's hope I can get there before I lose any more money just by having it in US Dollars!

-m.

 

My parents file every year and as far as I know, they don't pay a dime on their Social Security.

But here in Canada is an entirely different matter. They made the mistake - they assumed that Honesty Is The Best Policy - of declaring their U.S. Social Security on their *Canadian* taxes.

Consequently, they have been royally screwed by Revenue Canada each and every April 30 (Filing deadline here). Not only does Revenue Canada count their U.S. Social Security, they also calculate the exchange rate to *really* screw them. As a result, they make heft installment payments.

My parents could just move back to the United States, but they would then forfeit their Canadian Pension Plan, as ex-pats are not recognized. Right now, the SSA happily sends the SS statements to their Canadian address, as the United States recognizes ex-pats. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Last time I checked, the U.S. dollar was worth *more* than the Canadian dollar. So how would you *lose* money converting to Canadian dollars?? I suppose the "good 'ole days" of the Canadian dollar at $0.68 U.S. would have been more to your liking? The Canadian gov used Open Market Operations to keep the Canadian dollar artificially low to boost exports.

When the Canadian dollar was at 0.68, my parents came very close to moving back to the United States. Due to their general ill health, they may still have to move back. Health care in Canada is in a huge crisis.

If you would like to learn more about Canada, from *concerned* Canadians, point your browser to the following URL's:

http://www.theurc.com

http://www.canadafreepress.com

The first URL is The Underground Royal Commission, which is a public group made up of Canadians absolutely fed up with the Federal Liberal Party and their neverending bulls***. Ditto for the Canada Free Press.

I have to admit I find it very amusing an American Citizen has such a strong yearning to move to Canada. Usually, the Federal Liberal Party here bitches and moans about the "brain drain" of skilled Canadian professionals packing up and moving to the United States.

 

Well, I must say that I know things won't necessarily be better on the 'other side of the fence', where the grass usually seems greener. There will be many, many pluses and minuses to moving. One thing that will certainly be nice will be not having to worry about my partner lose his job because he's dating another man, without legal recourse such as happened to us here. I find it funny too that some of the civil union commissioners are complaining up in Canada about being 'forced' to perform same sex marriages when they become legalized. No religious place should be forced to, but I'm sorry, if you work for the government and don't like blacks, that doesn't allow you to deny them certain rights - just the same go for these people.

Meanwhile in the states they're wasting taxpayer time and money on pushing forward legislation to not only ban gay marriage as if it wasn't illegal already, but also to deny many more rights to anyone in a civil union type situation.

And personally, I'm for more taxes, as long as the government does more with it - so far, it seems at least Canada is ahead of the US in that department as well. Our new security taxes on airline travel is so they can have 20 plasma screens telling you how to file into a line at the airport in the nation's capital? The irony is enraging.

And I'll gladly wait, if need be, for medical services. It's better than the alternative here, where my partner who is 29 was denied medical coverage simply because he has high blood pressure and sleep apnea - denied coverage at 29 years old!

Of course, as I said, the grass is always greener on the other side. We'll need to give it at least 5 years I figure in Canada before deciding on moving, to be fair. So you may be right and I might be back here in that time, or maybe I'll move to Europe where there's even more progress towards a better society as a whole. Time will tell!

-m.

 

How can you get fired just because of your sexual orientation?? I'm aware there are some occupations, such as Military service or Boy Scout Troop Leader, that are exceptions. The U.S. has had Federal anti-discrimination laws for some time now.

Every job I've had in the U.S. I have always refused to fill out the part about Gender, Ethnicity, etc. I have nothing to hide as far as that goes, but I also figure it's nobody else's damn business what my Gender, Ethnicity, etc etc is.

A person should be hired *and* fired based solely on their qualifications and job performance, not to fulfill some Quota System. Actually, there is just as much discrimination and bigotry in Canada as in the United States. In that matter at least, the two countries are pretty even.

How do you figure Canada does "more" with its onerous taxes?? According to the U.N. OECD, Canada has one of the highest aggregate taxes of any Western Industrialized country. The Federal Liberal Party has been boasting for around 6 years now of these amazing and magical "surplus" budgets, but nobody can really figure out where this money actually is or where it's being spent.

http://www.taxpayer.com

As I stated earlier, the health care system in Canada is in absolute crisis. It's not uncommon at all for an Emergency Department to close for a weekend or longer as they are maxed out. Necessary diagnostic scans requiring something more advanced than an x-ray have long wait times, around +12 months for an MRI.

DMS Imaging of Fargo, ND, built a "diagnostic clinic" just south of the Manitoba Canada International border to cash in on desperate Canadians who require immediate CAT and MRI scans, especially those in Manitoba and NW Ontario. A lot of folks are taking advantage of this instead of biting their nails and waiting a year or more to see if they have a brain tumor or cancer.

The government health coverage, which is supposed to be "free," covers less and less all the time. Like a lot of Canadian workers, I pay into private coverage which has just gone up in price to $110 a month. So much for "free" health care. Here you may not be "denied" coverage because you have a pre-existing condition or are gay, you will just enter an endless line and never *receive* care.

On spending and infrastructure: I suggest you drive across Canada on the only nation-wide highway here, the Trans Canada. For over half its length, it's a two-lane affair. Drive around Winnipeg and see the condition of roads and bridges. Makes you wonder where all that Canadian taxpayer money is being spent, given the awful condition of infrastructure here.

Oh, let's not forget the biggest single boondoggle of the Federal Liberal Party, the National Gun Registry that was supposed to cost $10 million, but is quickly approaching $2 BILLION and still doesn't work. A lot of folks around here are wondering why the h*** the government just doesn't register criminals and keep a closer eye on them.

So I suggest you do a bit more research before automatically condemning the United States of America. Canada is a nice place to live, but so is the United States.

 

First I'm sorry we hijacked this thread

Second, in the US, according to Federal law, one cannot be fired or hired based on the following: race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. GLBT rights do not exist in the federal law, nor do they in nearly all state law. The Federal Government itself did have a clause stating it couldn't base firing/hiring on sexual orientation, but I'm not sure if they've removed it or not, the Bush Admin seems wishy washy on its policy.

You should try driving the roads in Washington DC, the supposed capital of the free world - the only place I've seen worse roads is Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

And I'm not automatically condemning the US - I have lived here all my life. I did say the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence, and it usually never is the case. But I've given 28 years of my life to this country, and I'm ready to try somewhere else. I know there are literally millions of worse places to live, and I was lucky enough to be someone born in a free country - but I'm also lucky enough to be born in a country that if I'm unhappy with, I can leave with relative ease - much as I'll be able to do in Canada if necessary.

-m.

 

Don't worry, there are plenty of cases of job discrimination in Canada too. It's not like China or the former USSR where they shot a dissenter, but it's no basket of roses either.

As far as the roads in DC, try driving around Canada's capital, Ottawa.

The Federal gov here had a program called "Infrastructure Works" which, as a silly layperson would think, sounded like money being spent on, well, "infrastructure." You know, bridges and roads and safer water systems, etc.

Turns out most of that money, around $6 billion worth, was put into things not even remotely related to hard "infrastructure." Some local governments complained that it was far easier to get the Works funding for a tennis court or a new theater than for roads.

Boy were they silly. Imagine, spending "Infrastructure Works" money on Infrastructure. HA!

If you really want to see crappy roads, drive through NW Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. I have relatives in Michigan and Wisconsin and the roads there are loads better.

When you say you've "given" 28 years of your life to your country, how is that? Military Service?? Just curious.

Yeah, by all means move to Canada if you think that will work. As long as you don't renounce your U.S. citizenship, you should be able to return with little difficulty as the U.S. recognizes ex-pats. Unlike Canada.