Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

To repeat. Are you satisfied with the health care you are receiving?

A surgeon who isn't seeing patients and doing surgery isn't generally getting paid. So why would they kill time discussing in what order to treat people?

Also, I don't think you're up to date on permission for surgery. The surgeon I saw about a month ago handed me the permission sheet after he told me what I needed done. Part of the office visit.

Is the health care system in Ottawa really that awful? I can only imagine the doctors must be MP's or Senators. ;)

Sorry, I forgot about your question.

I haven't needed anything such as surgery that requires waiting on a list. However one time I did get taken to a different Ottawa Hospital for some sort of scan back in 1990, when I was in the Queensway Carleton for a health crisis. That was well before Dalton and the gang took power. Hence nothing for me to complain about personally regarding waiting, yet, since my disability (thought to be schizophrenia) is not physical.

The legendary Lowell Green, a long time Ottawa radio host and former reporter, had his own testimonal commercial occasionally on CFRA a while back. It was for some private clinic he used outside of Ontario, rather than wait in pain for (hip?!) surgery. In any case, he occasionally rails on his show about long wait times in Ontario.

[edit: I seem to recall now that Lowell would have otherwise needed to wait for an MRI BEFORE he could have his surgery]

[here's a link to a summary of Lowell's career:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell_Green

]

Here's a link regarding the life of the unsuccessful Ottawa mayoral candidate I refered to in my last post, who was not too unrecently appointed to a LHIN, before soon moving on to CHEO (the famous children's hospital in Eastern Ontario):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Munter

[edit: Overweight people in Ontario, at least, have only longer wait times to look forward to, it seems:

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2010/12...ait-times.html

]

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

Kevin, it's an easy yes or no question.

Are you satisfied with the health care you are receiving?

I don't much care what for what you get treatment only if you're satisfied with what you are getting.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

On the whole, so far Yes. Of course, I am only one person, who may not be average.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

On the whole, so far Yes. Of course, I am only one person, who may not be average.

You're satisfied. I'm satisfied. So simple is being a patient.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

I went back and made a minor edit to my post #196, and a major addition to my reply to Tom (post #190).

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

I went back and made a minor edit to my post #196, and a major addition to my reply to Tom (post #190).

I use hybrid mode so the message numbers are meaningless. If you're referring to a post to which I replied, my replies were to what you originally posted. I might not even be able to pick out changes you made even if I knew which posts.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

I think my post #196 was my third last post (on page 10 of this thread). In that I noted that I seem to recall now that Lowell Green would have otherwise needed to wait for an MRI (before he could have his surgery), which I think was why he used an out of province clinic (for the MRI).

My post #190 addition (in my reply to Tom) was rather long, but the gist of it was that I accept that something resembling austerity measures for Ontario beyond some cuts may be required eventually, but that eliminating many of Dalton's policies/corruption would at least put a big dent in the defiicit, if not the debt.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

I think my post #196 was my second last post (on page 10 of this thread). In that I noted that I seem to recall now that Lowell Green would have otherwise needed to wait for an MRI (before he could have his surgery), which I think was why he used an out of province clinic (for the MRI).

I never heard of Green before you mentioned him here.

What's out of province from Ottawa? Quebec?

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

Quebec is where I seem to recall the place he went was (not sure though). If I do a websearch I may be able to come up with something eventually.

[edit: Here's link to CFRA podcasts of Lowell Green shows that would include those that discuss wait times - most recent was September 17, 2012, another was in 2011.

http://www.autopod.ca/rss/chum/43/

]

[edit: I need to correct my memory: Lowell stated he used an Ottawa Valley private clinic for his MRI. Part of the September 17, 2012 podcast also has Lowell stating that the wait times for MRIs in Eastern Ontario are something over 200 days on average, double the provincial average, according the Ontario gov'ts own stats]

Lowell Green is well known in Ottawa, at least, for his controversial views and often abrasive manner. He's also written quite a few best selling (to Canadians) books - there's a number listed in the link I gave about him earlier, though I don't recall him being credited for being the author.

[edit: CFRA radio station's description of Lowell Green:

http://www.cfra.com/Shows/Hosts/Lowell-Green

]

[edit: books by Lowell Green included in following link:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...FckRMwodIScApA

]

He claims that his and CFRAs efforts to galvanize people back during the referendum in Chretien's period as PM, especially some sort of a rally in Montreal, I seem to recall, were what saved the Federal side. Lowell's latest book (not listed on the link I gave in my earlier post) is about his rethinking of the Quebec issue and coming to the conclusion that there are so many differences now that it is time to let the province leave if it wishes.

[edit: Referendum rally

http://books.google.ca/books?id=JHoo...0rally&f=false

]

Fwiw, I haven't read any of Lowell's books.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

I just added some links to my previous post. [Just edited again.]

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

Some further links that may be of interest to chesstalk viewers:


Link that discusses how Ontario electicity prices went up under Liberals (mentions rise in unemployment stat incidentally too):

http://opinion.financialpost.com/201...prices-up-100/

Six scandals that hurt the Ontario Liberals:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10...n_1968899.html




One report concerning (known) corruption of Federal Liberals and other parties (includes Conservatives):

http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/corruptio...ties-1.1442752


[edit: maybe someone can dig up that quote from some old movie where the wise old town sheriff says that 'some corruption is inevitable, but this has gotten way out of hand...']

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls

Just the Stimulus alone seemed to work better for Obama and the US than austerity has for Greece so far, for example:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhart...est-president/

[edit: like I wrote to Garland, some cuts may be fine, but all out austerity sure hasn't worked well, e.g. for Greece, so far, though they were forced to do it because of being in the EU. In Ontario we may not get all the ensuing riots and deaths the Greeks have suffered, but Dalton sure set things up so that any subsequent PC gov't that gets tough on the debt through mainly austerity would quickly get booted out of office. However just reversing many of the Liberal policies/corruption would put a big dent in the deficit, if not the debt. Hopefully if the PCs get a majority they won't download much of the debt onto municipalities, the way Chretien and Martin did to the provinces (who then scrooched the municipalities, at least in the case of Ontario).

I grant you that something at least resembling serious austerity may be necessary at some point. The US is so hosed by their debt alone that the sequester seems a necessary evil to me - at least thanks to the gridlock down there.]

Looks like the House in the US Congress is going to vote soon on a deal that the Senate has just cooked up. My guess is that the deal will be passed, thus kicking the can down the road yet again. A considerable minority of people are convinced it'd be good for the US to not raise the debt ceiling and go ahead and default, intending to start paying their bills. Maybe default and austerity are inevitable when the US debt is so large.

At least Ontario can get help from have-provinces, though Ontario can't print money like the US.

[edit: link including Canada's debt clock, comparison of Canada & US debt:

http://www.davemanuel.com/canada-debt-clock.php

]

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Here's a link to an article on Ontario's debt clock:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/08/28...king-time-bomb

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

I wouldn't worry about the debt. I expect the Americans and Canadians to inflate their way out of the problem. Like around 1980.

The idea is to borrow money in today's hard dollars and pay it back in tomorrow's soft dollars.

In any case, Ontario will have a larger share of power as compared to Quebec. Here's the riding allocations for the next election. Ontario gets 15 new ridings and Quebec a mere 3. Looks like they are losing their influence.


http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx...t=index&lang=e

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

I wouldn't worry about the debt. I expect the Americans and Canadians to inflate their way out of the problem. Like around 1980.

The idea is to borrow money in today's hard dollars and pay it back in tomorrow's soft dollars.

In any case, Ontario will have a larger share of power as compared to Quebec. Here's the riding allocations for the next election. Ontario gets 15 new ridings and Quebec a mere 3. Looks like they are losing their influence.


http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx...t=index&lang=e

There's debate among the 'experts' whether the US, for example, can inflate it's way out of debt. A link to a doubter, followed by a link to a believer follow:

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/91845...t-of-debt.html

http://uneasymoney.com/2011/08/21/ye...-out-of-debet/