Vote For Your Local Fire Hydrant

We've already written a blog post comparing Phil McColeman to a fire hydrant. That's because Phil speaks for Stephen Harper, not for you.

Well the Globe & Mail cartoonist must have met Phil too!

Hey Phil Where are the Jobs?

Looks like Harper the Economist still hasn't figured out how to run a country. Despite all those blue-and-green stimulus project signs, Brantford's unemployment rate hasn't improved since the recession:

When Phil was elected in 2008, unemployment was 5.9%. Within a year unemployment in Brant was 60% higher at 9.8% [source: StatsCan]. Coincidence?

Gretzky Centre Over Cost Because of Phil!

Phil was super-happy to brag all about the pork-barrel funding of the Gretzky Centre construction (in conjunction with Dave Levac). But the Harper government made an unreasonable deadline for using the money so that they could look good before an election. The deadline was eventually moved back, but the process had already been sped up. The shortened timeframe forced costs higher, and this was coupled with a bottleneck of contractors across Canada working on pork-barrel projects in Conservative-held ridings.

Pretty bad planning from a man who brags about being a contractor. Here's a replay of the Conservatives' moronic move:

Stay Anonymous Or Get Kicked Out

If you comment on this blog you probably shouldn't leave your real name. If you do, you might one day find yourself in a similar situation as this young politico:

Joanna MacDonald, a fourth-year environmental sciences student at Guelph University, says she pre-registered for Harper's election campaign event at the school Monday.

But after arriving with a friend, MacDonald says she was directed to a desk where she was told her name had been flagged and she was asked to leave.…

She demanded to know why she was being flagged. An unidentified official eventually told her it was likely because she had participated with the Sierra youth coalition on climate change at the Cancun conference last December.

If going to a climate change conference is sufficient to get you booted onto the street, leaving your name on this blog might end you up in a dark alley with a Conservative staffer ready to rearrange your face.

At the very least you'll wind up like this citizen, who recounts his experience from the 2008 election:

He will fight ticket

The Brantford Expositor, Wed Oct 15 2008, Page: A8

On Friday, Oct. 10, I went to Patriot Forge on Henry street to see the arrival of Stephen Harper and I was directed to park my car beside about 100 other cars on the lawn in front of Patriot Forge's main entrance. I was not asked if I was on the Conservatives' registration list or if I had been invited to be there for the visit of the Prime Minister.

While waiting at the arrival area, I had the opportunity to converse with Craig Oliver, a national TV reporter whom I have met on occasion at the National Press Club in Ottawa. I mentioned to Oliver and some other people standing near me that I intended to ask Harper why we needed a $300-million election one year before an election date mandated by Harper. I then was approached by three police officers and was asked to leave the premises. I responded that I intended to ask my question to the Prime Minister and therefore intended to stay.

At that point, I was removed from the property and I was given a trespassing to property ticket ($65).

There were no signs at the entrance to Patriot Forge prohibiting or restricting access to the property if you were not invited or a member of the Conservatives.
I intend to go to trial and fight this charge.

Gord Allan, Brantford

So basically, if you have ever in your life expressed an opinion different than Stephen Harper and Phil McColeman's, don't go to the Harper event in Hamilton on Thursday.

$3.1 million > $1.2 billion: Phil McColeman

Stephen Harper has decided to take aim at the gun registry, claiming that it's too expensive. The Conservative government had no problem spending over a billion dollars on a three day summit in Toronto last summer.

Phil tried to argue that gun control is too expensive but out of control spending is okay:



Phil is the same person who had no problem spending taxpayers' money on thousands of Canadian flags with his e-mail address on them and sending them out.



Forget a calculator, Phil needs an abacus!

Harper to Visit Hamilton Behind Closed Doors

Phil tweeted today:

Phil definitely has the ear of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper gave Phil a whole 3 days' notice that he was visiting near Brant.

More disturbingly, Harper is not willing to meet with the public at large. What kind of elected official is scared to meet with the public that she or he represents? It doesn't seem too democratic. You have to pre-register to go to the event. It reminds one of the last time Harper visited Brantford, where members of the general public were turned away at the gates of Patriot Forge.

However those who do manage to get approved for the event still run the risk of being thrown out on the street, as the plight of this young student shows.

Would You Accept a Bribe for Your Vote?

Would you accept a bribe for your vote… if you knew you'd have to pay back the debt later?

If you would, Phil's your man He brought Gary Goodyear to the opening of his campaign office. Goodyear lauded Phil for bringing pork-barrel funds into Brant, while neglecting to mention the structural deficit that the Conservatives have racked up. Watch the video:



Phil is so close to his boss Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he has no idea whether Harper will visit Brant. Oh well, it's not a great loss since Harper is only holding pre-arranged meet-and-greets and accepting only 5 questions per day. Not to mention that last election when Harper visited Patriot Forge in Brant, the event was only open to card-carrying Conservative Party members. Those who couldn't show their Conservative membership were left outside the barbed-wire fence surrounding the factory. Compare that to e.g. Jack Layton who, when he came to town last week, spent time on the street with random Brantfordians.