Outrage over the small things spurn action
This week, Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak came out with a swift policy decision in the light of the newly imposed Stewardship Ontario "Eco Fee". Hudak announced that an Ontario Government with him as Premier would eliminate the Eco Fee; and it only took 13 days for him to decide this.
This begs the question, why has it taken so long for Tim Hudak to make a clear policy decision on the HST? The HST was announced 15 months ago, Hudak was there and aware of it. For those 15 months, as more details came out on McGuinty's deal with the Reformatories, Hudak has had ample opportunity to state what he would do different about the HST. Would he scrap it, would he lower it? Would he do nothing? As recent as last week, one of his local deputies, Nepean Carleton MPP, Lisa MacLeod responded to a posting by your's truly saying that "platform's are released closer to the election" and that I was invited to take part in the discussion at a website. Funny. 15 months to "study" one of the largest tax grabs in Ontario that hits every service we use. One that hits us on how we heat our homes and get to work. That takes "thought" and "discussion" and "time". However slap a "fee" on 9000 products that amounts to a few cents here and there and Tim Hudak has a clear action plan.
This does re-affirm something to me about politics in Ontario; we don't have real leadership in this province. Take Dalton McGuinty, if you have half a brain you cannot believe a word said by him. He signed a pledge not to raise taxes but instead of cutting money to administration and special interest groups, he raises a "fee" on health care just to ply that money into Roads and Bridges. At least we'll be able to drive to those hospital wait lines with minimal potholes, thanks Dalton.
Then look at Tim Hudak; With this leadership track record, I fear that unless some clear policies are announced while the electorate is still upset about the HST, the voting sheep of Ontario will continue to have the wool put over their eyes and vote Liberal.
Eco-Fee = Carbon Tax
In the quiet of the night, the McGuinty Liberal Gov't passed another dasterdly piece of legislation. No, not the ability for Toronto Police to go after the violent hippy-freaks who trashed the G20. Its the carbon tax, also known as the Eco-Stewardship fee. These fees have been around since 2008 on oil, paint and so on. However on July 1st, HST day, they were applied on 13 new categories of items totaling over 5000 products. Have a look at the products listed, it includes things like dish soap, household cleaner, toilet paper(ya, toilet paper). Now compare that list with the Carbon Tax out in BC... The things listed are the same. While Gordon Campbell had the good sense when implementing the HST out west by not adding it to items hit with their Carbon Tax; not Dalton McGuinty... No... We pay HST on the Eco fee.
Welcome to Ontario, where the saying "I think, therefore I am" has been changed to "I am taxed, therefore I am broke!"
Designed Obsolescence
Designed Obsolescence should be obsolete. Think about it. We have cars that were built in the 1950's that are still on the road (with proper care and maintenance); Houses built in the 1890's that are solid and true today as they were when built; Furniture that dates to the 1700's still fully functioning.
One might think, and I do think, that with this technological ability, with technology advancing as it has, we'd be able to buy a sofa that would last more than three years or a washer that would last more than two.
My wife and I bought a new Sectional Sofa from Sears three years ago. It's shot, kaput! When I was in another furniture store last week asking about a sofa they had, the salesman listened to me rail about Sears and he asked, "Did you get the extended warranty?" - WHAT? Why the hell should I spend another $200-300 for an extended warranty on something that should last at least 5 years. The sales guy was less sympathetic towards me after my rant about extended warranties.
We bought a new washer and dryer two years ago, one of those front-loading things with the Eco this and turbo-spin that. Followed all the directions from Frigidaire and from where we bought it from, Leon's. Wiped out the bottom after every wash, dried the gasket thing that keeps water from leaking out the front of it. Now two years later, the gasket is black and my wife is yelling about her towels getting ruined. Call the repair place, $450 minimum. A new washer is $900.
This leads me to designed obsolescence. For the price of these items that one has to pay, one would think you get something that would last longer than the manufacturer's warranty. Why is that these things don't. You could argue quality control, with outsourcing to places like China or India for production. That argument fails with me as the sofa was made in Ontario. Psst... Us Canadians can make crap too. One could also argue that we bought a cheap line that was meant to fail. I don't consider what we paid for the two different items cheap. Middle of the line perhaps. No excuse. A product should last more than a couple of years.
To me, just as the products could be designed today could outlast their counterparts made 10, 20, 50 or 100 years ago, most products are being designed to fail after just a couple of years so that us consumers can get sucked into spending more money on crap designed to fail even sooner. No more I say. I am tired of getting soaked by these companies for crap products that companies don't stand buy unless... I buy an extended warranty.
Friends of ours have a dishwasher and are going through this as well. It was bought at The Bay and they did get sucked into the extended warranty for their Maytag (English word for JUNK). Their dishwasher died 19 months after buying it, and when they thought they were getting a replacement, they were given a cheque PRORATED for the extended warranty. Extended warranty didn't even pay half of the replacement cost for their new dishwasher. They wont deal with the Bay anymore, and I don't blame them.
I have no solution to this problem other than making things out of concrete blocks and rant about the companies above. I haven't sold my wife on the idea of a concrete block and 2x8 sofa yet, but it will be more comfortable than the piece of crap we bought from Sears Canada.
Disclaimer: By my naming Sears, The Bay and Leon's as purveyors of crap, I am not excluding that other companies dont' sell crap, just that I have not had the misfortune of buying crap from them.
Smart Meters prove Energy Conservation costs more.
We have a smart meter. It was installed late last year and it's nice to see digital numbers instead of little dials. The problem is, our energy consumption has gone UP since receiving this, proving the point that energy conservation costs more.
I've blogged this before, but I'll restate the cliff-notes version. Bought a new fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer. About $4k in new appliances, all "ENERGY-EFFICIENT". Replaced the thermostats in our home, all "ENERGY-EFFICIENT", another $300. Another $300 on new CFL light bulbs.
When you figure out that plus the weather stripping and other things to stop air leaks to keep the warm air in, that's about $5,000.
Now lets look at my energy bills. My Electricity consumption is UP 13% from last year and the rates are up 10%.
So much for savings.
Bell Canada Sucks
Bell Canada, specifically Bell TV sucks. I called today to remove one speciality channel bundle from our package figuring, "this should only take 5 minutes right".
Right.
Change made and I hung up.
Then my kids report there is no TV. So I look and sure enough, no programming. They had managed to cancel all of our channels. Real smart.
Phone call #2.
Now I am all for cutting costs and understand outsourcing overseas is a fact of life but please, have people who speak the Queen's English or at least SOME english...
Phone call #2 lasted long enough for me to have pull and replace the smart(oxymoron?) card.
Phone call #3 was 27 minutes with someone from Canada and involved 20 minutes saying "i am not an idiot, i know how to pull out the smart card", and "the problem is that you cancelled ALL of my programming!"
Finally I convinced the Bell idgit that I did not want to stop my subscription (although tempting thanks to these blunders) and for them to just DTFJ(do their f-effing job)!
One hour and more hair off the top of my head lost.
Thanks Bell Canada, np really... thanks.
My Idiot Neighbour
Our houses here are narrow, very narrow. All of the driveways on our street are 18 feet wide and about 22 feet long before you hit the street. With 2 cars in the driveway, you really don't have a lot of snow to shovel, even with a good snow storm.
Enter my neighbour, the idiot. The guy purchased a $1200 snowblower for doing that little patch of area. He also plows out two other people (and no I am not one of them nor do I want to be) so that he can feel like a big man of the street.
I am not an environmentalist however he ran that two-stroke snow blower for a good hour, mostly shooting the breeze with others rather than plow out the snow. I went outside and in 10 minutes had my driveway, sidewalk and deck shoveled. The amount of exhaust and "carbon" that blew out of that snow-blower is a waste.
What they say is true, you can't pick your neighbours unless you own all the land around you.
2010 predictions…
Yes, New Years is just a few days away so I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and predict a few things myself. Hey, even I have the tin-foil hat to match!
In 2010 (and in no particular order)...
There will be no Election Federally. The Liberal Party will continue to languish on the sidelines while Iffy remains predictable. Expect 2010 to be the last year of Iffy's reign.
Frank McKenna will again say he's not interested in the Leadership of the Liberal Party.
Stephen Harper will remain Prime Minister. Look for a reprise behind the piano singing "Day in a Life".
Bob Rae will still be Bob Rae (Socialist in Liberal Clothing) and all that that entails.
Provincially, Dalton McLiar's Liberals will win the two by-elections because Ontario voters are sheep.
Ontario will remain a "have-not" province.
Newfie Jokes will officially be renamed Ontario Jokes.
On July 1st, 2010 we will have the BST/HST/DST whatever you want to call it, because you can tax people into prosperity no?
Tim Hortons will raise the price of their crappy coffee again.
Canadian Tire will continue to have that annoying slogan and music on all of their commercials, and yet I still cannot buy just one bolt, I have to buy a package of 20.
I will finally finish the front deck to our house.
2010 will ring forth a new swath of celebrity deaths that will make people realize how empty their lives are by following these celebrities. They will be sad at their deaths and say things like, "Wow I didn't see it coming." Then these people will find new celebs to follow and life will be good again.
Tiger Woods will be divorced. Elin Woods will be rich.
Britney Spears will have another breakdown and shave her head again.
Another Twilight movie will come out boring millions of husbands, subjecting them to hours of mind-numbing stupidity.
Johnny Cash will still be dead. So will John Wayne.
Some unknown idiot with way too much time on their hands and no job will grab a video camera and upload something so stupid onto Youtube that millions will view it and love it.
Some new web site will come on the scene that will make Facebook and MySpace obsolete and yet be so stupid that people miss the time wasting site Twitter.
2010 will be the new 1985 with every one-hit wonder from 1985 being remixed by someone in 2010 because originality in music died around 1985.
On December 30th, 2010 I will write another blog posting predicting 2011 and seeing how wrong I was about 2010. I really hope I am wrong about 2010.
Happy New Years everyone, don't forget not to talk on your cell while driving, always eat your veggies and remember your manners. - Phil
"Maybe if I am looking down, they wont notice my tax grab..."
Talk like Yoda
This is pretty cool; http://www.yodaspeak.co.uk/index.php
It takes anything you say and turns it into Yoda-speak. To test this out, I thought... Why not a song from Moxy Früvous.
King of Spain by Moxy Früvous - As spoken by Yoda
The king of spain (now I eat humble pie), once I was.
Oh... My unspeakable wife, queen lisa (now I eat humble pie).
Telling you I was the king of spain (now I eat humble pie) I am.
And now I work at the pizza pizza.
Royalty, it looked good on me lord.
Buried in silk in the royal boudoir or going nuclear free.
Or with the princess of monaco playing crokinole.
To the opec leaders telling my jokes, it all on video getting.
The king of spain (now I eat humble pie) I once was.
Palatial palace, my home (now I eat humble pie), that was.
Telling you I was the king of spain (now I eat humble pie), am I.
And now I vacuum the turf at skydome (once, the king of spain), was he.
Wait, I cannot wait, lowering interest rates, am I, my people say:
"King, how such a genius are you, hmm?
Roof overhead and food on our plates, there is!"
Laisez-faire, it is laisez-faire, give a care I even not.
Make friday part of the weekend, let us.
And give every new baby a chocolate eclair.
The king of spain (now I eat humble pie), once I was.
Hey clinton! Hey yeltsin! Got problems, hmm? Me (now I eat humble pie) you phone.
Telling you I was the king of spain (now I eat humble pie), I am.
The king of spain), now the leafs call me up to drive the zamboni (once he was.
Probably wondering how I cam to be living in canada, now some of you are.
After being royalty in spain. Should I tell them, guys, hmm?
Tell us, king! Hmmmmmm.
You see late one night when the palace was asleep.
Of my royal chambers and into the garden I creep out.
And I wait till the appointed time, when lighting the pitch, the moon is.
At which point my peasant friend, like me who looks just.
Arrives and, a switch, make we.
Prince and pauper, junior and whopper.
Of silver and copper world made up.
Of my own volition out, of position I took a change.
So you drool in the pizza line next time.
Remember, slower pizza's more luscious.
Of spain never rushes the king!!!
Once, the king of spain (now I eat humble), was I.
Looking for off-handed ways to improve us (now I eat humble pie), was I.
Telling you I was the king of spain (now I eat humble pie), am I.
And jamming with moxy frvous, now I am! The king of spain, (once he was). Yes, hmmm.