So tonight we reported: “The federal government handed out yet another cheque Monday to a Quebec snowmobiling club, the latest in more than $6 million of federal funding announcements that have gone to snowmobile clubs in that province since the last federal election.”
That set off Maclean's national editor Andrew Coyne but it set him off on Twitter which means that unless you were there in real-time it might have been a bit difficult to see his jeremiad being written in real-time. I must say I agree with much of his complaint. So: I've copied and pasted and, voila, Mr. Coyne as he appeared, in full throat, beginning at about 9 pm this evening:
- Q: Will any federal party protest at the distribution of $6 million of federal money to Quebec snowmobile clubs? A: Not on your life.
- They didn't object to rest of the “stimulus” porkapalooza. Only complaint was 1 it wasn't enough & 2 more should've gone to Grit ridings. 34 minutes ago
- We have a govt that doesn't care the first thing for the taxpayer, has no clue of the proper role of govt or any intent of living within it. 32 minutes ago
- And we have four parties to the left of them. 32 minutes ago
- Nothing has changed by substituting the Tories for the Liberals. And nothing would change by substituting the Liberals for the Tories. 31 minutes ago
- Opportunism, expedience, power for its own sake, ever-expanding & ever-more-politicized government: that is the common theme of all. 30 minutes ago
- Mulroney came to power vowing to clean up the mess left by Trudeau; Chretien was going to clean up after Mulroney & Martin after Chretien… 28 minutes ago
- And Harper was going to clean up after all of them. Each, faced with the skepticism left by their predecessor's broken promises, went to … 28 minutes ago
- … ever more extravagant lengths to stress that this time they meant it, this time would be different. And each discarded their promises… 27 minutes ago
- … just as soon as they had outlived their usefulness, ie the day after they were elected. 26 minutes ago
- And yet… each has *legions* of faithful partisans to sing its praises. Not professionals, who might rationalize their compromises in the.. 23 minutes ago
- … usual way – I have a family to support, this is what I do, it's the life I've chosen – but people who do it for free. 23 minutes ago
- And the BEST part? The mandate that entitles them to spend billions of $ on pork & 10s of millions on partisan govt ads & millions more on.. 16 minutes ago
- … attack ads, as all of them do, was won with, oh, 37, 38% of the vote. 14 minutes ago
- So: tell just enough lies to sucker 3 in 8 voters – or about a *fifth* of eligible voters, turnout being what it is – to vote for you… 12 minutes ago
- … generally in the hope that you will steer other Cdns' money in their direction. Then spend what's left on a propaganda barrage… 9 minutes ago
- … in hopes of repeating the exercise. 9 minutes ago
A comment on this Andrew Coyne tweet:
“… attack ads, as all of them do, was won with, oh, 37, 38% of the vote.”
In 1997, Chretien got a majority with a mere 38.46% of the vote (4,994,277 out of 12,985,974 votes cast)
In 2008, Harper got a stronger minority than in 2006 with 37.65% of the vote (5,208,796 out of 13,834,294 votes cast)
With a mere 0.81% more than Harper, Chretien was able to boast about getting three consecutive majorities, yet Harper was limited to a minority even though he received 214,519 more votes than Chretien.
So, Coyne, by scoffing at Harper’s results and his ability to govern, is disinforming the small % of people who care about what he says.
IMO, Coyne is the embodiment of this George Meredith quote:
“Cynics are only happy in making the world as barren to others as they have made it for themselves.”
Yes, I am a “legionnaire” and proud of it.
Federal money went to lots of snowmobile clubs, and quad clubs and biking clubs,
infact $25 million is ear marked for trails across Canada.
It's part of the Economic Action Plan.
See the detailed list of recipients on this link
http://www.bivouac.com/DsxPg.asp?DsxId=2148
Also, that $90,000 to the Quebec club last year was a REPAYABLE grant.
From your article:
“We'd love to see some dollars come into our province,” said Donnie O'Keefe, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation
A quick google and I found this
Feb 22, 2011
The federal government is providing $155,000 for this year’s Cain’s Quest snowmobile race. …
The federal funding will go to the White Wolf Snowmobile Club of Newfoundland Labrador…
The federal government has invested more than $500,000 to date in support of the annual event
The Government of Canada’s $25 million investment in recreational trails, part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2011-02-22/article-2266241/Federal-funding-for-Cain%26rsquo%3Bs-Quest/1
Gabby and Wilson: You're kinda missing the forest for the trees: Is it appropriate for taxpayers to fund the purchase of snowmobile grooming machines? As Conservatives, are you prepared to defend that use of the public purse?
As to Wilson's points: The article we reported focuses on the purchase of snowmobile grooming machines — not the construction of new trails or the funding of “sporting events” like Cain's quest.
I can find no evidence that the federal government has spent millions buying this specific piece of equipment in any other province. Snowmobile federations in other provinces say they buy their grooming machines out of the funds generated by trail user fees.
“Is it appropriate for taxpayers to fund the purchase of snowmobile grooming machines?”
Is it appropriate for taxpayers to fund this?
http://ipolitics.ca/2011/03/14/ignatieff-commits-to-quebec-city-arena/
“… “One day they say one thing, another day another,” he [Ignatieff] told them. “I said the same thing for 15 months with Mayor Régis Labeaume. If there’s a business plan and participation of all levels of government and private sectors, we’ll be stakeholders for active participation in this matter.”
But if those conditions made the support appear tenuous, there wasn’t any ambiguity when he stated: “If you want a federal involvement, you have to vote Liberal.” …”
Look, what is the point of the Economic Action Plan? It’s a make-work project, designed to put people to work, be it at full or part-time jobs, be it in manufacturing cars, in building bridges and roads, in renovating people's homes, or in grooming snowmobile trails.
And if we’re talking trees, what about Maclean's, for example, which apparently received almost $2.6-million through the Publications Assistance Program in 2008-2009, plus $393,000 in editorial assistance via the Canadian Magazine Fund? [from Globe and Mail article New rules ‘a big, big hit' to Canadian magazines]
Even with the changes to funding announced last year by Heritage Minister James Moore, Maclean’s, published by Rogers Media, still receives funding to the tune of $1.5M.
Yeah, I suppose we could have a discussion about what governments at ANY level should be funding, but let’s face it, Canadians have grown accustomed to government presence in most areas of their lives, and NO government will be able to remove itself from those areas. Be they snowmobilers or journalists, everybody has his hand out.
Oh, did I mention the CBC receives $1B from taxpayers too?
For the 4,891st time: I am opposed to both magazines and the CBC receiving subsidies. Always have been. Have written and spoken of it often, as a matter of the public recird, including in the pages of Macleans and on the CBC. The slightest bit of research would confirm. But in this, as in the 4,890 previous cases, that is apparently too much to ask.
Really? Did you really think you were making a new point?
Oh, I guess I hit a nerve there.
You said you oppose subsidies 4,891 times, so it shouldn't be news to me? OK, but that presupposes I read and/or watched you those 4,891 times. Sorry to say I'm not a follower of yours, either on Twitter or anywhere else.
It's funny how those who love to criticize others seem unable to take a little criticism themselves.