Carolyn Parrish

This lady should be dealt with. I agree with her freedom of speech and when she speaks I have the freedom to change the channel. The problem is that she is not only speaking for herself, but for her constituents. Some of those constituents would work for such employers as Microsoft, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, Federal Express and Hewlett Packard. These are companies with roots in the home of those "Bastards" as she would say. Do her remarks and actions speak for those people?

What should the PM do? Kick her out of caucus. What other party would want her? Let her sit and stew as an independent MP and see how she helps her constituents in that manner.

Just in: according to 650 NTR Paul Martin did just that.

The Face in the Mirror

I have been reading a great deal of blogs, opinion columns, almost anything that I can get my hands on over the past few days concerning the US Election. What I have read is at best a sore loser tirade and at best a look at what each side thinks that it must do for the next election. Slate, from MSN, has an article written from a Democrat point of view (here) which outlines why things won't change. Rather than acknowledge that people have different viewpoints, it is easier to call them ignorant. This point of view is rampant on the blogs that I have read.

I know that blogs are colored from perspectives of the authors who have created them. I accept that and also expect it. However for all the acceptance and liberalism that the Dem's preach, when it comes to political and religious viewpoints, there is intolerance. It is easier to label someone than to attempt to convince them.

What I would like to do is recognize the points that the sides have in common. Both sides feel the media is against them. Both do not trust the other's actions and think that there are dirty tricks going on behind the scenes. Both are right in that belief. Both have strong supporters and detractors.

At least here we have three federal political parties here where it does not end up a see-saw.

On My Mind

In local news, there has been an issue with the school division in which I reside concerning the transfer of tuition to the school division in which my child attends school. The school board's position is that they will save money by having the parents pay a tuition fee for the child or children to attend school in the city of Saskatoon. Many of the parents and children who are affected attend school in the public system in Saskatoon as the school they attend is closer than the school they would attend in the rural division. This is not the case for my children who attend the Catholic school system in Saskatoon for the religious aspect that is available.

In the local paper the figure of $300,000 was mentioned as the cost of the students attending school in the city. What was not mentioned is that the majority of the cost quoted to the paper is for the students who will continue to attend school in the city for special educational services or for French Immersion.

At the Annual meeting for the school division in which I live there were distinctions made between "your kids" and "our kids". This distinciton is false as the children who attend the public and separate school system in the city are still the children of the division. I as a taxpayer have a vote and a voice in selecting the trustees in the division. What I did not have was an indication of the process that was used to make the decision (which was made) or an indication of how or when the process of a review of that decision would take place.

A remark was made that there were only a handful in attendance at the annual meeting the previous year. This year there were not enough chairs for all of the people who attended this year. I would suggest that beginning a process of consultation with taxpaying residents would have eliminated the confrontational nature that was in place at the meeting. If those citizens whose children attend the schools in the rural division do not attend the meeting ...

Tonight there is a meeting to discuss the formation of Catholic School Divisions which would amalgamate with the Saskatoon Catholic School division. I am interested in finding out what will be the process and the options that are open to me.