Stopping drug grow ops

The news the last couple days about a marijuana grow operation running out of multiple units in three apartment buildings in Hamilton really makes me mad. Personally, I have never experimented with THC nor would I want to; and I think people who possess only a few joints should not carry criminal records.

It's bad enough these dregs of humanity bypass the power so they can grown their plants for free -- there's enough there to charge them with grand theft electricity. Ever wonder why we pay a 4.25% uplift charge on our power bills? It's to cover their thievery. But manufacturing the stuff within smell-shot of where kids can breathe in the stuff -- often within the same apartment building? I think that crosses the line even for most progressives. If the buildings have to be condemned or renovated to a major degree then it's the operators of the grow ops who should pick up the full tab. Not the insurance companies, not the landlord, not the city.

I also find the protestations of the owner, that he didn't know what was going on just a bit hard to believe. Even presuming he really didn't, some of the law-abiding apartment dwellers were noticing more power spikes than usual and people coming and leaving other units on a fairly frequent basis. This can't be explained by the usual excuses for "leakage of power" such as poorly insulated buildings or people bringing in their own dishwashers or washing machines.

In the last couple of years, we've seen people set up grow ops across from a Catholic high school and inside a former brewery. Heck, I learned from my old neighbours that even my former home was turned into a grow op too!

So what can be done to stop this plague? Well, unfortunately, there will always be a market for people who want to smoke pot. Maybe it's time to talk about legalizing it for people who truly need it for palliative care (based on a doctor's prescription) and have the government tax or regulate it like they do alcohol and tobacco and gambling. If there are strict controls then there's no need for "underground" operations which endanger public health and safety.

We also need to cut off the demand from those who really don't need it, though -- and the current kinds of education campaigns have proven totally inept. Since the gateway into the illicit drug trade are kids and teenagers, perhaps it's time to create ad campaigns from their perspective and not that of adults. If we can get to the why of the demand, then we can figure out the how to stop it. As a bridge, I support the funding of safe injection and use sites.

We must not however tolerate the importation of illegal drugs, nor the unsafe manufacture of it. It's for those that do engage in those activities that there should be harsher punishment.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Cricket murder

I've never understood the game of cricket, or the passions involved where the sport is popular -- but for the most part it's been seen as a way of easing tensions between sometimes bitter rivals. To hear the breaking news on the BBC as I was driving tonight that Bob Woolmer, the coach of Team Pakistan, did not die of natural causes but was in fact murdered is nonetheless a huge shock, especially during the sport's World Cup. Even CNN -- the US service, not just its international arm -- has this on their front page tonight which tells you how big this is.

One can only hope that CSI Kingston doesn't turn into CSI Cancun and bungle the investigation.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Critiquing Ontario Budget 2007: B+

I was going to highlight the points of the provincial budget like I did for the federal one earlier this week. Actually, there's not too much to complain about. I would have liked to have seen the health tax eliminated, but overall it is a very progressive document even if it is with the fall election in mind. For the record, I am not shilling for anyone -- I am calling this the way I see it personally.

I want to focus on two of the key areas that are closest to my personal struggle for a more just Canada -- dignity for children and for seniors. First, kids.

The really good news is that the clawback of the National Child Benefit is being abolished, although it is being phased out over four years -- conveniently, just in time for the 2011 election. For the average low income family, that means an extra $122 per month, per child. The new Ontario Child Benefit or OCB, which replaces the problematic Child Care Supplement for Working Families, is in my opinion very innovative. It will help more families because it will not be means tested but income tested and one will not have to put their kids in day care to qualify for it. When fully implemented, it will mean an extra $1100 per child per year for families with incomes under $20k, with a clawback rate of 8% above that.

I am concerned about how it is going to be paid out -- I think it should be topped up of the federal child benefits in the same way provincial supplements are added in most other provinces. The McGuinty government has chosen to integrate the OCB into the welfare system for most, and one can only presume cheques will be sent out for those who qualify but are not on social assistance. I wish they would follow the KISS formula and save on postage but mo' money's better than no money. In short, child benefits are being doubled and four times as many kids will benefit. Very good news indeed.

As well the new federal working income supplement will flow through without any clawbacks -- so in a sense, the principle of robbing Peter to pay Paul is finally out the window. Seeing someone get benefits from the feds only to have it stolen by the province defeated the purpose of income support which is to get people off welfare and onto work. The best social program always has been and always will be A JOB. After all, a working person pays taxes and it's those taxes that pay for health, education and welfare.

Now, about seniors.

One interesting thing the government is doing is they're easing up the rules about "locked in" retirement funds. Under the new rules, a retiree will be able to "unlock" a quarter of his or her slush fund and can start withdrawing the money as early as age 55. Many people are taking early retirement -- as my father did during the 1990s -- so it will certainly help them, but I do worry about people spending their life savings before they truly need it.

Other changes involve enhancements to the property tax credit and harmonizing "income splitting" for seniors with federal rules. The most significant change deals with property taxes. This issues goes way beyond seniors, of course, but for the 65+ crowd more than other groups, wildly fluctuating property values can often mean the difference between staying in one's own home or going into a long-term facility.

So the semi-private assessment board will now rate home values every four years instead of every year, and cities would be required to phase in increases based on assessment changes over the four year cycle. This will no doubt be a relief to a lot of homeowners, and it will help cities have more predictable budgets as they propose expenditures over the cycle and not just year to year.

What would I have done differently? Not too much -- other than implement the phase-out of the NCB clawback immediately, and figure out a way to better tax this province's vast natural resources, as the Western provinces have done with their royalty structures. Overall, not bad. Ontario's Finance Minister, Greg Sorbara, gets a B+.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Trouble at Ave Maria University

HT to Amy Welborn:

From the moment Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza and a very conservative Roman Catholic, announced he was building a whole new town east of Naples, Florida called Ave Maria -- complete with an oratory and its own university, Ave Maria University -- people were wondering what his real agenda was. (Monaghan, some may recall, wanted a town where sales of birth control and erotic materials would be banned but was forced to back down when the ACLU threatened to sue.) I'm still trying to figure it out and a number of Catholic bloggers who are more to the right than I am are wondering what's the real story. (There's also an unrelated side business called "Ave Maria Mutual Funds" -- I'll let you figure that one out.)

Especially with today's news that the Rev. Joseph Fessio, the provost of AMU was suddenly "asked" to resign today -- by whom was he fired, no one knows for sure. Fessio, it should be pointed out, was once a student of Joe Ratzinger (a.k.a. Pope Benedict XVI). AMU's curriculum is focused on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and all students there are required to take courses in such subjects as Latin, political science, history, and theology -- in addition to their major. Nothing to complain about there, to be frank. According to one insider, however, Fessio may have had a beef with the executives about very modernistic Masses, including Masses that smacked of faith healing "services," the exact opposite of what was sold to investors as a traditional Catholic university.

The president of the university, one Nick Healy, is described as a "praise and worship" Catholic. Now I don't necessarily have an issue with that -- many Catholics have an evangelical bent, after all. The problem is that the Mass is supposed to be the most sacred and solemn time of the week. Using Gospel music is one thing -- if the music fits in with Scriptures and brings one closer to God that's fine. Showboating or deviating from carefully formulated prayers is something completely different. And faith healings? Come on. I'm not that gullible. I believe in miracles, but by their nature they're rare -- otherwise they wouldn't be miracles anymore.

The manner in which communion is given out is rather unorthodox to say the least. What I find the most repulsive, if the accusations of the students are correct, is how the healing services make a mockery of the Sacrament of the Sick (formerly known as the Last Rites). This anointing is no longer reserved for those who are literally at death's door but it is nonetheless limited to those who are dangerously ill. Under the purview of AMU, an invitation was given to everyone attending to receive it, including the perfectly healthy (as if it's supposed to protect someone from getting sick!) I take this personally, as my father received it not just once but twice while he was in intensive care. (He's now awake and has been for a couple of weeks, thank God, although long term his prognosis is still very iffy.)

To be clear, I would not want a return to a compulsory Latin Mass, although if any Catholic wishes to worship at one where it is available he or she should be able to without question. Nor do I want a regression to the "Last Rites." What is called for here is clarity. If a university has a conservative philosophy (or is supposed to) it should stick to that and if it is a liberal one (and there are liberal Catholic universities out there) it should pursue that. In that vein, Fessio is in the right here. I would never send my kids to AMU but parents who have forked out thousands or even tens of thousands to send their kids must be wondering what they bought themselves into. When one has a President that wants to go in one direction and a Provost in the other, one's bound to have a mess on their hands.

Which is exactly what Monaghan has now.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Raising the minimum wage isn't enough

If the reports this morning are true, the McGuinty government in Ontario is set to raise the minimum wage to $10.25 per hour over the next three years from the current level of $8. It's not the immediate increase some social activists have been demanding, but it's certainly a positive step.

Eight bucks an hour isn't that much. Presuming a 40 hour work week, 50 weeks per year (with a two week vacation) that works out to $16,000. Hiking that to $10.25 will raise the annual income to $20,500 -- barely above the poverty line for a single person but certainly adequate. There is also direct link between higher incomes and improved mental and physical health so some of the strain on Medicare should be alleviated.

There are some other things Ontario could do in tomorrow's budget. Not the least of these are raising the exemption, eliminating the marriage penalty and fully integrating the provincial child care supplement into the federal benefits. It's also my hope that the increased federal transfers to Ontario -- about a billion per year over the next two years -- goes towards fixing health care and opening more day care spaces, not to irresponsible tax cuts.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

The HPV Vaccine

If 500 Canadians were to die from bird flu, the scandal would be enormous. When 400 to 500 women die each year in Canada from cervical cancer and thousands more are left infertile, no one gives a shit. When the Asian tsunami killed 230,000 the outpouring of relief was unprecedented. Yet worldwide, nearly a quarter of a million women die from cervical cancer each year and no one cares.

I'm not one to root for the Conservative Party of Canada ... but there is one item in yesterday's budget that's a huge win for women. The government will spend $300 million to fund the vaccination of females against 4 types of the HPV or human pappilomavirus, the lead cause of cervical cancer.

It's been interesting to see the debate in the United States recently; as the FDA approved the vaccine but social conservative groups are trying to block their states from immunizing teenage females, claiming it promotes promiscuity without any real evidence to back it up. In fact, I heard a talk show on satellite radio a couple weeks back where one caller -- an "outraged mother," I presume -- said the vaccine should be banned and it was going against the will of God.

If we're trying to promote a "culture of life," why would someone be in favour of infertility? Because cervical cancer can cause precisely that, even death. Is that the will of God? And while I do have a big problem with promiscuity (as I hope most people do), what of women who are raped or otherwise abused by their partners who may pass on the virus to their victims? What of molestation within families? I don't think the opposition to the vaccine by groups such as the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family has anything to do with promiscuity, quite frankly. It's about "parental rights," which is code for abusive parents and partners who are afraid of getting caught and want to do everything to make sure they won't be.

Don't young females have the right to be healthy? To grow up healthy? We think of nothing about protecting our most vulnerable from measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria. I'm one of the last of the generation that had to be vaccinated against smallpox and no one had a problem with that, certainly not my parents. Why anyone would be against something that threatens the reproducing population is beyond me.

If we're to progress as a society, we need to reproduce and we need as many women as possible who can get pregnant. If the vaccine helps at least some women avoid the risk of infertility, then I'm all for it.

Vote for this article at Progressive Bloggers.

Flaherty gets a "C"

There is no question there is a lot to like in the 2007 budget, and some of the tax relief measures will certainly be welcome to families. I am annoyed Jim Flaherty still uses the expression "Canada's New Government," the newness has worn off after thirteen months. I'll go through what I like, then what I don't.

Likes:

1. The marriage penalty is being eliminated, finally. It simply made no sense that a sole breadwinner or a single parent should pay more in income tax than two parents making the same amount of money. For many families, it will be substantially more than the $209 the Finance Department is quoting.
2. After nearly two decades, the child credit on income taxes is being restored. $2000 per child may sound like a lot but in reality this works out to $310. I suspect though, as with many other tax measures, that most parents will wait till tax time to get a bigger refund, rather than filling in a TD-1 (tax withholding form) so they can get the money in their paycheque. It might have been better just to add $30 a month to the monthly Child Tax Benefit -- the net result would have been the same.
3. The capital gains exemption for farmers and fishermen goes up 50%, from $500k to $750k. This will help a lot of people who might otherwise go bankrupt even if they sold their family business. The $500k threshold has also been left unchanged for quite some time so this is merely playing catch-up.
4. The transit pass credit will also apply to e-passes and weekly pass holders, not just monthly.
5. Eliminating interest detectability on foreign affiliates. Wonder if this will also apply to the banks, who have substantial holdings in the Caribbean.
6. Moving towards a single securities exchange and regulator. This is good if for no other reasons than it will ensure someone banned from the markets will be banned nationwide; and that securities fraud will be a criminal matter and not merely a civil one.
7. Equalization goes to a ten-province average over three years with a 50% exclusion rate. This may tick off Alberta, but they're getting more in transfer payments anyway.

Dislikes:

1. The tax incentives for oil sands will end ... eventually, as in 2015. This gives the energy companies plenty of time to poison what's left of Alberta's ground water.
2. The exemption for 48 hour trips out of Canada goes from $200 to $400. Yes, it's good it's going up. But it's nowhere near enough to address border lineups. I'd make it $1000 every 30 days, with the ability for families to pool (eg. a family of four could bring back $4000). The focus should be on intercepting terrorists and illegal immigrants -- not scofflaws who would rip off the feds for, say, 10 bucks.
3. Some gas tax money for cities, but not the one cent solution (one cent out of every six from the GST).
4. One interesting item, from page 323, says that nearly a quarter of the national debt is up for refinancing this year. Interest rates have been generally low and if some of the higher interest bonds can be redeemed for lower that isn't so bad -- it will help accelerate debt retirement even more. Who will hold our debt? Trustworthy countries like the US, Australia and the EU states? Or dictatorships like Mainland China, Singapore and Saudi Arabia? No guarantees are even proposed on this count.
5. Nothing for a day care strategy. Just more tax incentives. Where did that get us the last year?
6. People in the territories, Labrador and other remote areas, as well as in work camps continue to get shafted. The northern deduction is still a measly $15 a day. It's been at that level since -- well, I can't remember the last time it was increased. We're trying to protect Arctic sovereignty as we exploit our resources there. Shouldn't there be an incentive to move?

This is overall an election budget. The Bloc will support it so it will pass. While there are tax relief measures for most, the fact remains the trough goes to the fat cats. I'll give credit to Flaherty for at least trying this time instead of last year -- so he's gone from a D+ to a C. Not just satisfactory but adequate. There's still more that could be done, though.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Low expectations

I'm not really expecting anything spectacular from today's federal budget in Canada. It's Jim Flaherty, after all (and yes, for my American readers he is the brother of actor Joe Flaherty). Child care and fixing the child tax credit (in particular to weed out fraud) would be at the top of my list. One can also argue about how to reform equalization (the extra transfer payments to poorer provinces). I think a 50% inclusion rate for natural resources and power would be fair, but there might be a better way to do it. As for the surplus, I would split it three ways.

One third would go towards tax reductions for the lower and middle classes (whether this is a working income supplement or an increase in the exemption, either would be fine). One third would go towards debt retirement (with further tax reductions from interest savings). The remaining third would go towards fixing health and education, conditional that transfers in future years would be pegged to measurable performance increases in those fields (i.e. shorter wait times for elective surgery and higher test scores).

I hope to review the documents when they come out (shortly after 4 PM EDT, 2000 GMT) and give a critique later tonight.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

The Bible and military families

I have felt since he first ran for US President that George W. Bush wears his faith on his sleeve and not in his heart. On this weekend, the fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, I stumbled upon a verse in the Bible that makes me wonder if Mr. Bush has even bothered to read the Good Book lately.

This is something I wasn't expecting, when I randomly flipped through the Bible this morning. But here it is, from the 24th chapter of Deuteronomy, verse 5: "If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married." [NIV] Think about that one. For one year, an armed service person -- male or female -- would be given leave to take care of his or her spouse and presumably take that time to try to start a family. As well, they would not have to pay any taxes whatsoever.

What's happened in Iraq? Soldiers, sailors, Marines, air persons -- sent on their second, third or even fourth tours of duty. People getting into shotgun marriages just for the military benefits -- and even if the relationship is based on sincerity and not fraud families are being ripped apart. (Not to mention the IRS must still be respected. Consider, how families can possibly expect to stay together if one is redeployed over and over again.) It's becoming a problem with the Canadian military too, as some units are getting ready for or have completed a second round in Afghanistan.

There may be a so-called "War against terror" going on, and we do need our best and brightest fighting it, but the general rule should be that a deployment of a unit happens once every three to four years; and at most a tour of duty would last six months. Even if there is a shortage of available troops, there is simply no excuse to rip apart families like this. Not to mention post-traumatic distress disorder which also can lead to the break-up of marriages. Or home bound spouses who commit adultery because they just can't stand being lonely anymore.

This is yet another case of someone claiming to have family values without valuing families. Even the most conscious commander-in-chief should appreciate when his or her troops are overextended; having a depleted force invites attack. The tax policy in Canada of exempting military members and police officers from income tax during their tours of duty is a good first step; but a one year rule for new military couples would also be helpful. It's not just Biblical. It's just plain common sense.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Include Elizabeth May in debates

There may be a spring election, or there may not be. One has to suppose it will depend on what is in Monday's budget. Whenever it is, however, I believe that Elizabeth May should be included in the leaders' debates.

I'm not giving up my Liberal affiliation any time soon, even if I did vote for the Greens as a matter of principle last time. However, I believe in a diversity of voices. And if as expected the Green Party will run a full slate of candidates or very close to it, and May's poll numbers continue to hold above 10%, people will legitimately ask why May is being excluded by the networks. It's in the MSM's vested interests to keep alternate voices out -- after all, it makes life easier for them.

One only has to remember the 1991 British Columbia election which was supposed to be a two way race between the Social Credit and the NDP (the latter ended up winning). The BC Liberals (not affiliated with the federal party) had to fight in court to get its slot in the debate and wound up impressing British Columbians when the then leader called out the incompetence and sniping of his opponents. They became the opposition. Today, they're the government there. Had the networks had their way, BC would still be stuck with the Socreds (really the antecedent of the Reform Party).

Two years later, Preston Manning was allowed to be involved in the debates even though his party only had one seat in the Commons and Lucien Bouchard was also in the English debate even though he wasn't running outside Québec. Bouchard slam-dunked Kim Campbell with his famous question, "What is the real deficit, ma'am? What is the real deficit?"

Of course, the networks will say, "That's just the point. Bouchard had eight seats before the 1993 election. Reform had one. The Greens had none then nor do they have any now."

My answer to that is, "13% of Canadians say their first choice is the Green Party. Shouldn't they be allowed to see May question the other leaders herself so people can decide whether she's cut out to be a Prime Minister -- or at least a viable coalition partner?" The fact is, people may be tempted to vote their second choice to ensure another minority government. They need to know if May could very well be their first. It's the chicken and egg: It can't hatch unless it has the chance, but some don't even want the egg to be laid at all. That's just plain dumb. (No, I am not calling any politician a chicken here. I'm calling the networks chickens.)

While my hope is for a Liberal majority come the next election, I would not mind a Red-Green coalition or alliance. It would be a progressive government and it would serve to isolate the NDP which as of late has thrown its lot (peculiarly in my opinion) with PMS. This possibility will only happen, however, if people get to hear what May has to say. She should be included in the debates -- period.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

"Name a gift that's hard to return"

This was an actual question a few months ago on the Australian version of Family Feud. Guess what one contestant said ...



Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Boisclair's "ethnic vote" moment

André Boisclair made some rather indelicate remarks on Wednesday night. Describing the influx of Asian students on campuses across North America, Boisclair used the expression les yeux bridés -- slant eyes -- a derogatory term for people of Asian origin. This has obviously made even PQ insiders upset. But Boisclair refuses to apologize.

I was under the impression that we had moved beyond this kind of insensitivity and the rank and file PQ members were a lot more careful in choosing who they wanted to lead them. Guess not. But the bigger issue is this: To eventually win independence for Québec, the PQ will have to persuade the ethnic community that it's in their best interest. During the last referendum, 97% of non-francophones voted "no." Guess that just went up to 99% with this foot in the mouth remark.

Vote for this article at Progressive Bloggers.

Preachers behaving badly -- again

Looks like another televangelist might be in trouble. This time, it's Morris Cerullo who's going on trial for tax evasion.

It's too bad these false teachers can't be tried for blasphemy in the U.S. of A. Instead, the district attorneys have to go after their finances to bring them down. Interestingly, the allegations of the IRS involve the Inspiration Network, the remnants of Jim and Tammy Bakker's PTL ministry which eventually wound up in Cerullo's hands. Namely, he is accused of not reporting about a half million dollars of income. If convicted, Cerullo faces nine years in the slammer.

In a somewhat related matter, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the current chief exponents of "positive confession" (the heresy that Jesus died spiritually as well as physically on the cross) have been flying around in a corporate jet thanks to the generosity of their followers. Despite their promises the plane would never be used for personal purposes, the Copelands pulled a Benny Hinn recently and took a "layover" in Maui and Fiji on the way to Australia, then stopped in Honolulu on the way home. Funny no "crusades" happened where they were taking r and r -- or the other places where they just decided to visit a ranch or go skiing.

Look, even preachers are entitled to take a break every now and then. But not on their parishoner's dime and certainly not first class when all the government will allow a deduction for is business class at the lowest available rate (not the rack rate).

The ironic thing is that Jim Bakker eventually renounced the prosperity gospel. His current association with Rick Joyner and the concept of Dominionism is very troubling but at least Bakker was willing to admit he was wrong. Getting these others to admit the error of their ways would be like asking a brick wall to disappear. Given they have friends in high places (namely, Dubya and Karl Rove) expect a very quick pardon if even one conviction is registered.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

Harper silent about Tsvangirai

Edmund Burke once said something to the effect that "all it takes for evil to take hold, is for good men to sit by and do nothing."

So will someone please explain why PMS has still not said a single word about the events of this past weekend in Zimbabwe -- the ZANU-PF government sponsored assassination attempt (and there is no other way to describe it) on Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the increasingly repressed opposition Movement for Democratic Change in what has become the basket case of Africa. Any claims by ZANU-PF that it was the opposition that started the violence is simply not credible -- it's crap.

The European Union and its leaders have spoken strongly about Robert Mugabe's latest attempts to crush his chief rival and anyone else who might be tempted to try an overthrow of him. So too has the United States, Australia and a number of other leading democracies. So why not Canada? Yes, Peter Mackay has said something, but that's not good enough -- we need a response from our Prime Minister. Could the silence be because there isn't as great a diaspora of people from the former Rhodesia as, say, South Africa? Or perhaps it's because Zimbabwe doesn't have that much oil?

All this on top of the fact that Mugabe's policies of consolidation have been a miserable failure, to the point the inflation rate now runs at 1,730% per year. Consider that Canada's CPI runs at only 1.2%. Many of us are young enough to remember inflation of 15% a year and punitive wage and price controls. Now imagine living in a country where one can't even afford a loaf of bread even on a week's wages.

It's important to remember that the comprehensive sanctions against Zimbabwe only apply to the country's top officials -- and even then there are loopholes; such as when Mugabe was able to go to the Vatican for Pope John Paul's funeral a couple of years ago despite an EU travel ban (because Italy is required to grant free passage to the Vatican even though the latter is not an EU member). So the crisis is entirely Mugabe's making.

Some say the solution will only come when ZANU-PF gets its senses and dumps its leader. Frankly, I think there's a much easier way. I support regime change in those limited circumstances where human rights abuses are so cumulative that no other option is available. This is the case with places like Burma and Libya. The same applies to Zimbabwe. If the rumour is true that every Prime Minister gets three secret assassinations, Harper should use one of them on Mugabe. Short of that, he should recall our Ambassador there, Roxanne Dubé, and say that she will not be back until Mugabe either throws in the towel or releases Tsvangirai unconditionally. There is no middle road here.

One cannot claim to push for human rights in China while saying nothing about them in Zimbabwe. To say nothing is to support the oppression.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.

NETFILE back

Good news, folks ... the folks at Canada Revenue Agency fixed their "bug" and the server that handles electronic and telephone income tax filing is back online. It took long enough. Very interesting they got it back online a day before those who pay by installments have to make their first payment -- which is tomorrow the 15th.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.