anyone work for Lowe's or Home Depot?

I can recall very few times I ever heard a fellow canadian differentiate between "life" and "court". In all those cases, as far as I can recall, it was that a defendant would be expected to lie in court, as after all the whole point of pleading not guilty is to keep your ass out of trouble. Note that I am not saying they felt that all people lie in court, just that you can't believe what a defendant says. And that you would be a moron for not lying if you can get away with it. Beating "the man" (especially taxes) is somewhat of a sport in Canada, particularly in some areas like the province I was brought up in (Newfoundland).

People in Canada (or at least an awful lot of them) really did think that it was just sex. And it is still at least somewhat taboo to probe politicians private lives too closely here, unless the politician makes a point of it. Most keep their private lives, including religion, family, etc, very private and that is respected for the most part.

Pretty funny. One of our politician hopefuls, Stockwell Day (party leader who couldn't shut his mouth when he should and got the boot from his own party) was, by Canadian standards, extreme right wing. He went the the US of A to meet Newt and hopefully swap notes and get some synergy. He talked in management speak a lot when he wasn't sounding like an idiot. Anyway, when he returned he looked somewhat in shock and didn't say much at all. I expect Newt thought this "right-wing" canuck was a pinko-commie.

This might give you some idea of why Dubya's "approval" rating in canada approaches zero. The mouse often measures such things when he lives by an elephant. The party in power (Liberal, but actually centrist in position currently) had to threaten its members to keep them from bad mouthing dubya (they kept calling him a moron amongst other things) cause it was making weak relations even worse.

Reply to
Paul Kierstead
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The reason taxpayers don't get the same is because taxpayers have to live in the real world. Businesses can't afford to spend money left and right, they have to make a profit and they have to offer comparable benefits and pay to their competitors. In cases like the bus drivers or the dock workers from the strike last year in California, these are government jobs and the unions see government jobs as bottomless money pits. Unions want their employees to have superior income and benefits (mostly so more people will be come union members).

It just doesn't work that way. Everyone has to compete and a company can only afford to pay what they can pay.

Reply to
Brian Henderson

That's rubbish. There are many industries that get free healthcare benefits.

That's exactly the point that I was making. Society has decided who makes what and that a lot of the pay rates are way out of whack with so-called professionals. You personally seem to think that they are worth almost nothing whereas I think politicians, lawyers, and many other "professions" should be worth a lot less than they are paid. That's my personal opinion.

They're already at the bottom. I also think that education is highly overrated as a criterion for determining pay levels. I am sorry that you seem to see something intrinsically wrong with people who have very little wanting more from a society that rewards some others obscenely.

Corporations, big business executives, and politicians who control society with their bottom-line mentality all have a vested interest in keeping poor people poor. They don't have much buying power or political savvy. Witness the widening gap in North America between the working poor and the wealthy especially in the last thirty years or so.

The people at the bottom end are not your enemy. Don't let TPTB propagandise you into thinking that they are.

Gerry

Reply to
G.E.R.R.Y.

Really? Name one that provides 100% health coverage for not only the employee but the employees entire family. That means the employee doesn't pay one penny in health co-pay or insurance costs.

We'll wait.

Reply to
Brian Henderson

Sorry, you had some problem with the 100% figure. While I'm sure there are people who do have 100% coverage, I can't name any off the top of my head but there are MANY who come *very* close. So, I guess you *can* piss farther than me.

Some get 80% or 90% paid by the employer and the insured employees pay the difference, but the WHOLE families are also covered. There is usually a $50 or a $75 deductible on the first medical event of the year. Certain levels of dentist, orthodontist, and optical coverage are included. Teachers and civil servants are some that come easily to mind. Auto workers among others have first-rate benefits as well. All of the above also have good retirement benefits packages.

There, you didn't have to wait too long.

Gerry

Reply to
G.E.R.R.Y.

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