Jim Stanford of the Globe & Mail, reporting on the Canadian economy, has come to the same conclusion The Mayor reached over a year ago: our economy is screwed:

Tepid GDP numbers released Tuesday by Statistics Canada confirm that Canada’s economic recovery, such as it was, is sliding completely into the ditch. We’re clearly heading for stagnation at best, and quite possibly another “double dip” downturn.

The headline number was disappointing, to say the least. Real GDP grew only 2 per cent (annualized) in the spring quarter. That’s just a hair faster than the U.S. economy (which everyone knows is still deeply in the soup). Two per cent doesn’t keep up with population and productivity – implying higher unemployment ahead, not lower. Typically, at this stage of recovery, the economy should be growing three times faster.

Dig a little deeper, and the picture looks even worse. Half the growth reported Tuesday was a statistical “shadow” of the faster expansion experienced in the first quarter – earlier growth that automatically boosted the second-quarter numbers, whether the GDP kept growing or not. From March through June, actual growth was weaker, about 1 per cent annualized.

Moreover, the growth that did occur was due solely to inventory accumulation, as businesses began restocking the shelves in hopes of stronger market conditions. Strip out new inventories, and real GDP actually declined. But consumer spending is already slowing, and now those inventories will drag down future growth.

There is no growth. The only reason there was any growth the last year and a half was because of our *Conservative* government flushing $60 billion down the toilet on an idiotic stimulus program. Now the stimulus is gone and there is no cash left. The *Conservative* government shot their bolt, and all that is left is to watch businesses close down, the housing bubble explode, and unemployment soar. The Conservatives should pack a really big box lunch, because come spring they will be shipped off to the political desert for another 20 years. But that’s what happens when you govern like a bunch of liberals.

Also, consumers have stopped spending. That’s because they have no cash left. Like our American brothers and sisters, Canadians got credit card fever in the 90’s and haven’t stopped spending since. Now it’s time to pay the piper, and Canadians from BC to Newfie are looking for a place on the piper to swipe their maxed-out Visa card (that was pretty funny):

The average Canadian family’s household debt rose to $96,000 last year, a new study says.

Debt-to-income levels rose to 145 per cent – the highest level ever recorded in the study, which has run annually for 11 years.

The Vanier Institute of the Family study found a dramatic rise in late debt payments.

Mortgage payments that were at least 90 days late were up 50 per cent over 2008.

Additionally, there was a rise of 40 per cent in credit card payments that were three months behind.

If you care to look up the statistics, the average Canadian household has  far more debt right now than the average American household did when everything crashed in 2007-2008. Our debt-to-income ratio? Yup, we’re #1 again. Yippee!

Multiply that with the housing bubble that is already here and you have a recipe for disaster.

Jim Stanford of the Globe ends his piece in typical msm pump-monkey fashion:

Governments clearly need to keep stimulating through budget deficits and low interest rates (rather than choking off recovery with premature tightening). But in the absence of business leadership, they’ll also have to take on a bigger task: finding ways to directly expand output and create work, filling the vacuum left by the private sector’s continuing failure to borrow and spend.

Of course, spend more money on more idiotic stimulus projects. Why didn’t our government think of that before? Oh, they did? Well then, maybe the idiotic stimulus wasn’t idiotic enough. Maybe if the “Conservative” government can find something more idioticer to waste money on, our economy will shape up quick-smart.

I have another idea that may help. I know, it has never been tried before and is probably pretty dumb, but you never know, maybe, just maybe it could make a teenie-weenie bit of difference. Here goes: maybe if the government, on ALL levels, cut their spending and got the flying fuck out of the way of the business person – the wealth creators – maybe then we would be on our way to economic growth.

Keraaaazy, eh?

But what kind of government cheese can be cut out on all three levels of government?

I’m glad you asked.

Firstly – get rid of the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs. What the hell purpose does it serve? Oh, to “provide advice to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Cabinet on federal-provincial-territorial relations, the evolution of our Federation and Canadian unity.”

That’s dumb and useless. Get rid of it and everyone associated with it.

Next – get rid the Ministry of Western Economic Diversification and combine that department with Natural Resources. It’s overlap, it’s expensive and ridiculous.

Next – get rid of the Ministry of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Stop apologizing and start living. We are broke. We have no money. The Indians have to realize it and move on starting 25 years ago. We are all equal under our constitution (I think), let’s stop degrading the Indians by treating them like welfare cases.

Next – combine the Ministry of the Environment with the Ministry of WED and Natural Resource into one smallish ministry. It’s all the same thing. It’s like having a Ministry of Knives, a Ministry of Forks and a Ministry of Spoons. Combine them and make a Ministry of Cutlery. Think outside the box, Jeeves.

Citizenship and Immigration? Cut the budget by 2/3. Why? Because we’re cutting immigration from 300,000 a year to 100,000. Again, we are broke. We have no money. There is no gravy left. Yes, I know, immigrants contribute to the tapestry of diversity which is our strength. Sorry, we don’t need any more tapestry. Someone peed on our carpet. To repeat: we are broke. We have no money.

Ministry of Canadian Heritage? Gone. No one gives a rats ass about such trivial and wasteful things like Canadian Heritage. If I want more Canadian Heritage I’ll YouTube up the Beechcombers and eat a pound of poutine.

Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans? Again – combine it with the Min of Nat Res. Done.

Ministry of Agriculture and Agrifood? See above.

That’s a start. I’m sure we can work on Ministry of Human Resources and Ministry of Public Works, but my fingers are getting tired saving our country billions and billions and billions and billions and billions of dollars.

As for the province and the municipal governments (as well as the feds) – ANY program, agency, board, offices, councils, tribunals, centers, commissions, services, etc; ANY and ALL of those that encompass any group – racial, sexual, religious, environmental, or anything with the word *wheat* in it, is to be disbanded and never talked about again.

Think about it: if the Ministry of Canadian Heritage was gone tomorrow, would you miss it?

Can we live without the Human Rights Tribunal?

Is the National Film Board really necessary?

Is the CBC worth a cool billion a year?

What’s the name of the chap that runs Defence Construction Canada?

Our governments’ need to stop spending. They are out of control spendaholics. They need to cut. They need to cut government ministries and ministry jobs. The need to streamline immediately. If they don’t, we need to get rid of them right away. There are no second chances.

Folks, we are seriously fucked in this country and no one gives a shit. Our governments’ (that’s plural) are all bankrupt, yet they continue to spend recklessly and we actually let them. Hell, we re-elect them. Imagine, we keep re-electing those that have screwed us without kissing us, all the while believing that even though they have shown not one iota of common sense in the past, they are sure to be better stewards with our money next time.

That is insanity.

Classic insanity.

I’m not sure where to go with this, it’s tiring and frustrating. I got way off topic, but it was fun.

Yet another foot has washed up on a West Coast beach, and once again there is not a sole that has any idea whose it is or how it got there:

The right foot was found by a tourist on Whidbey Island, about 50 kilometres north of Seattle, on Friday morning.

“Based on the size, we’re estimating it belongs to either a female or a juvenile,” Island County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Det. Ed Wallace said in an interview. “Based on the condition, we’re estimating it’s been in the water less than two months.”

He said the foot was found without a shoe or a sock, and the tourist was quite startled by the discovery.

Wallace said based on the information police have gathered, they don’t believe the foot matches any missing persons cases in the area.

Officers plan to reach out to surrounding jurisdictions, including B.C., to see if any of their cases might fit.

Seven feet have been found on B.C. shores since August 2007.

Since the police can’t figure this out for the life of them, and detectives from Washington to BC are out of ideas and clues, I believe now is the right time to bring in the only person that can solve the mystery of the beached foot: the Prince that was boning Cinderella.

Even if the Prince showed up to the house where the woman with the one foot lived, and say she had a few ugly sisters that dug the Prince, even if they tried the shoe on, it’ll never fit. There is only one person whose foot will fit perfectly inside that sneaker, and only the Prince that was boning Cinderella can find this out.

Canadian retail sales were flat in June, indicating our economy is going back into the tank:

Meager growth in June Canadian retail sales disappointed markets, but sales surged in volume terms on consumer demand for cars and other goods, leaving expectations intact for a September interest rate hike.

Sales for big ticket items went up in June because consumers’ in BC and Ontario tried to beat the 13% HST that was introduced July 1. In other words, they pushed forward demand.

The value of retail sales edged up just 0.1 percent after two months of declines as falling gasoline prices partly offset strong demand for vehicles, household goods and building materials, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday. Markets had expected sales to rise 0.4 percent.

Statscan revised downward its May figures to show a decline of 0.4 percent versus a decline of 0.2 percent initially.

Sales in June were flatter than Saskatchewan, while May was revised from the garbage disposal to the toilet.

The silver lining in the report was sales volume, which jumped 0.9 percent. While little comfort to retailers and not necessarily a sign of underlying economic strength, some analysts were heartened at the willingness to spend on nonessentials such as new cars, sporting goods and computers.

This is pump-monkey talk, nothing more. As The Mayor mentioned earlier in this piece, consumers’ bought in June to save themselves 13% in July. What is shocking is how little they bought in June, and May, and April. What will be “shocking”, although not to The Mayor, is how bad retail figures will be from here on in.

Everything from here on in is simple economics. Canada exports about 80% of its goods to the US. How is the US economy right now, pretty good? Exactly.

“Oh no, Mr Mayor, Canada won’t go into the crapper, we have oil and natural resources!”

“Oh ya, and what position do you hold at Esso? Or are you a VP at a Potash corporation?”

You see, the wells have already been dug, and we have these things called “pipelines” which deliver the gas and oil. So, unless you are a pipeline or a gas pump, you are not going to profit from the oil/gas or mineral conglomerates.

Retail sales are garbage because the bright among us aren’t spending cash right now, we’re circling the wagons. We see the writing on the wall. We know what is going to happen in the next year and we are preparing for it.

The BOC raised interest rates at the dumbest possible time, idiot liberal governments in BC and Ontario hit 60% of the country with a 13% tax in the middle of a recession, housing prices are WAAAAY over-valued, and we have hooked our economy onto the American horse; a horse that has four broken legs and should have been shot and made into glue years and years ago.

If you started to prepare, do so yesterday. How many more warnings do you really need?

A boatload of 200 Tamil refugees has been spotted just 200 miles off the BC Coast and is expected to arrive in Canada any day now. To make things even better, the boat is stocked with Tamil Tigers, a group deemed a terrorist organization by the Canadian Government:

The ship will likely be intercepted by the Canada Border Services Agency and escorted to CFB Comox near Victoria, B.C., similar to what happened last October when 76 Tamil asylum-seekers arrived in B.C. waters onboard the Ocean Lady.

Selvarajah said all 76 from the first landing have been released, pending the refugee claim process, and most are living in Toronto.

Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism in Singapore, said there were Tamil Tiger leaders among the group that arrived on the Ocean Ladyand even more onboard the M.V. Sun Sea.

“The ship carries not just refugees, but is staffed by a Tamil Tiger crew,” said Gunaratna, who has studied the Tamil Tigers and their 40-year war since 1984. The Tamils lost their fight for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka’s north in May, 2009.

“Canadian laws are exceptionally weak when it comes to terrorism. Canada’s response to the Ocean Lady determined the Sun Sea’s voyage because it was a weak response,” said Gunaratna, adding sources have told him there are two more ships carrying a mix of Tamil Tigers and refugees coming to B.C.

He labelled the Tamil Tigers human smugglers, claiming they are making money bringing the refugees to Canada in a bid to re-form the group from a Canadian base.

The M.V. Sun Sea set sail from Thailand in May and has since been tracked by various authorities.

In July, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed it had been tracking the vessel as it made its way up the west coast.

On Sunday, the Canadian government confirmed it is aware of the vessel off the U.S. northwest coast and was making preparations for its arrival in Canadian waters.

Selvarajah said the Tamil congress will arrange legal aid and other support for the arrivals.

Terrorists? You mean *freedom fighters*, of course.

The Mayor welcomes the Tamil Tigers with open arms. We trust your stay in Canada will be a happy one. Just because many of the refugees that are coming here were ruthless killers back home in Sri Lanka, and just because many of these people that will now be our neighbours and co-workers were once bomb-makers, snipers and baby killers back in their third-world home, does NOT mean they won’t be model citizens in Canada. I, for one, welcome the fact that these folk now get to go straight to the front of the immigration line, and get to go ahead of those that are here legally trying to enter Canada. I, for one, am glad my tax dollars will go to fund welfare for people that were deemed “terrorists” by the Canadian government, so they can take a portion of that money every month and funnel it back to the commandos and killers back home in their native land. I, for one, am happy to offer these folks welfare, health care, dental care, paid pension, subsidized housing, clothing allowances, food vouchers, daycare, etc, all because they hopped a boat and came here illegally, butting in front of others for a chance at becoming a citizen of a country that the only reason they chose is because we have WEAK IMMIGRATION LAWS.

Welcome to Canada. I am glad you are here to weave a stitch into the giant diversity quilt that is us.

As you arise from your bed, citizens, delight in the racist shithole that is Canada, the country whose icon is the Beachcombers * *, savor the white guilt that is served up with your burger,  fresh from the testicles of the fringe left.

(more…)

From Lettes of Note:

Hot on the heels of Steve Martin’s personal letter comes another fan mail response – again with a similarly humorous post-script – but this time courtesy of Martin’s sorely missed Planes, Trains and Automobiles co-star: the late, great, John Candy. It was sent in December of 1984, just months after Candy’s breakout role in Splash had hit the screens and three years before his fantastically funny performance opposite Martin caused millions to sob with laughter.

John Candy was a whole bunch of great. He was a mountain of a man, but one of those truly gentle souls. The Mayor had the privilege of running into John Candy a few times in my life, and I have to say the guy was just like any ordinary Joe. Except he was 6″5 ish and about 300lbs. I say he was ordinary, but in the sense where he treated everyone well and didn’t have a swelled head in the least. He grew up in Newmarket, Ontario, attended Neil McNeil high school, made his Canadian fame through SCTV. It’s been over 16 years since John passed away, can you believe it?

John Candy was one of a kind, as you can tell by the letter above. I can hardly imagine any *star* writing anything resembling what John, and Steve Martin a few weeks ago, wrote. Honest to goodness “characters” are hard to come by nowadays.

There’s been far too many icky-related posts like this one lately. I’m going to have to switch things up and put on a few posts about bacon and punching people in the face, that should even out the icky posts. Anyway, Canada is on top, just like the title says. And titles never lie. You can look that up in the book of Ezekiel.

“The man who called the Holocaust a lie spoke at this podium. To those who refused to come and to those who left in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries. But to those who gave this Holocaust denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere — have you no shame? Have you no decency?”

The countries that walked out on Ahmadinejad’s puppet show included: Canada, US, Britain, France, Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand.

**Thanks to Infidels Are Cool where I took over 90% of the material that comprised this post

Out of respect for the dead, it’s not in my nature to slam the dead. Senator Kennedy is no longer a factor in the political world anymore, and any naming of any health bill would be just as disrespectful.

As the US government looks to do health insurance reform, not health care reform, their solution is to add an option that is not burdened by performance evaluations (like private companies need for their stockholders), taxes (like the private companies will have to pay to their main competitor, the government), or even maintaining a profit (while the federal government can run a deficit and still use the excuse that they’re doing it for “the people”). This is what the government considers “increasing competition.” Most private insurance companies as it stands are already so heavily regulated that they practically run as monopolies. (Read more here.)

Regardless, the agonizing process that Sen. Kennedy went through in his diagnosis and treatment of his brain tumour needs to be contrasted with how he might have done in a place like Canada. How well is Canada doing with its own diagnosis of cancer? According to the report card put out by the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada has a condemnation of the system:

Can employers and citizens absorb the offloading by our governments? The answer is, it depends. Your eligibility for private insurance, the type of plan you have and how your insurer feels about paying for clinic infusions will directly impact your finances after a cancer diagnosis. Canadians might wonder if this is fair. Where did medicare go? The rules are set out in the Canada Health Act, but lacking a definition of “medically necessary”, the provinces seem free to offload “out-patient” drug costs as they choose.

Suddenly the costs of the drugs used to treat cancer is being either picked up by private companies or citizens. Why are the provinces doing this to us? Luckily enough for them, the Canada Health Act is just ambiguous enough that the provincial governments have full leisure to decide what is a “medically necessary” treatment. The increased burden is passed onto the patient and has been on the rise. The CBC article states that a majority of the cancer drugs available on the market are not made available to the public. So we don’t allow competition with private clinics, but all the drugs you can somehow get your hands on are yours.

When Sen. Kennedy was suffering from his brain seizure, he was rushed nearly immediately to a hospital for an MRI. A June 2006 study of median wait times and right on page 2 they outline the median wait time as 75 days, three times the recommended wait time of 25 days. According to thsi article on the Peace Arch Hospital, the number of MRIs in all of British Columbia, a population of over 4.4 million people, is 22. Meanwhile, in 2004, all of Massachusetts with its 6.4 million population has 145 MRI scanners, and the article points out that is the same number as in all of Canada. Canada now appears to be up to 222 MRI machines as of 2008, but we are still lagging far behind the United States for per capita MRIs. (Have a look at wait times for each province, as well as private vs. public wait times, here. Many thanks to Captain Capitalism.)

With such a huge wait time, as well as a dearth of MRI machiens available, how confident are you that Senator Kennedy could have had his tumour diagnosed in time?

Forget the major job-killing provisions in the bill, which tax certain-sized businesses a penalty unless they provide health care (“8 percent of the average wages paid by the employer”), which will either cost the company huge profits or force them to lay people off to get just under the limit of employees. Forget that unless “the government does not find that ‘Federal health reform savings’ have saved at least $150 billion per year by the end of 2012, the first two surtaxes increase to 2 percent for families making over $350,000 and 3 percent for families making over $500,000.” (Got that? if the program didn’t work, they get to place a surtax on the rich to make sure it DID work.) Forget that it imposes a “tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage” of 2.5 percent of income in excess of the filer’s exemptions (essentially $3,300 for a spouse and for each dependent).” (All can be found here.) All you need to remember is that Canadians are in this situation now, and our only alternative for access to proper health care is south of the border, our one haven from this mess known as public health care. The Democrats are looking to dismantle our haven.

If that is enraging enough, we should be a little more enraged at the purely awful health care here at home.

I’m not sure what I’m looking at here, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been called one a few hundred times. Kids can be so mean.

It’s still Canada Day, and instead of sitting in the rain watching taxpayer funded firework displays, I’m here on my computer trying to make the world a better place, one stinking post at a time.

I should be given a medal, at the very least.

Happy Dominion Day to all.

As part of my celebration this Dominion Day, I’m going to download the forms from the provincial government and apply for welfare. A little later I’m going to a drop-in clinic to get some *free* medical advice, and for dinner I’m going to my favourite soup kitchen for a bowl of bean & bacon and a grilled cheese sandwich. I have a pretty big day ahead of me, I’m tired just thinking about it. Maybe I’ll just go back to bed for a few hours.

I know this has nothing to do with nothing, but you know that Chinese people would never eat the shit they serve in Chinese/Canadian restaurants, don’t you? Anyway, The Mardarin is a Class-A operation, and even when you have to pay full price, it’s still well worth it.

FREE Buffet for Canada Day!
July 1, 2009

To celebrate Canada Day at Mandarin, we’re making fireworks of our own by offering our All-You-Can-Eat Buffet for FREE to Canadian citizens! We want to say THANK YOU CANADA, for welcoming us into this great country. Visit any of our 21 locations on July 1, 2009 and enjoy tasty Chinese cuisine alongside tried and true Canadian dishes, all for FREE. The celebration begins at 12:00pm and ends with our last seating at 8:30pm. Reservations will not be taken on Canada Day – guests will be seated on a first come first serve basis. Come join in on the festivities!

Don’t fill up on rice and chicken balls, go for the delicious shrimp on a stick and the excellent steak they have at the bbq section. Steak is a very popular food back in Nanjing, it’s very Chinese. Like hot dogs or pizza slices.

This offer is only available only in Ontario, so for you Western Canadians, you’ll have to settle with eating regional delicacies, like sewer rats, perogies, or pot. For my American friends, cap & trade is going to suck all your money dry, so chew on a toothpick and drink a glass of water.