Monday Post

A pleasant sur sdei chhnam thmei to all y'all.


Gee, who can we thank for this?

Ontario needs industry reforms, better tax policies, and needs to make better use of its natural resources before it brings down Canada's economy any further, according to a new Fraser Institute study.

"Because of Ontario's immense size and population, and because the Canadian economy is highly integrated, what happens in Ontario significantly affects Canada's national economy. An economically stronger Ontario means an economically stronger Canada," study co-author Livio Di Matteo said in a release.

The study, Can Canada Prosper without a Prosperous Ontario?, says the province's terrible record on GDP growth, employment and business investment "reflects a damaged provincial economy that's dragging down the national economy," Di Matteo said.

The province needs to improve tax and regulatory competitiveness, boost capital investment, reform energy and industry policies and make better use natural resources like mining and forestry, the study said.

"If Ontario adopts smarter policies focused on competitiveness and economic growth rather than interventionist government, it could unleash its private sector and improve Ontario's economy for the benefit of taxpayers in Ontario and across Canada," Di Matteo said.

Parents marched to the Alberta Legislature building to protest a new and ineffective math curriculum:

Parents, children and educators took to the steps of the Alberta Legislature Saturday demanding a change in math curriculum.

Protesters rallied behind Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies, a rural Alberta parent and family doctor whose petition to restore traditional math for Alberta’s K-6 students has more than 13,000 signatures. ...

The 200-plus protesters blasted changes made in the last several years that have moved away from traditional math instruction in favour of an “inquiry based” system that was outlined by the Western and Northern Canadian Protocol and touted in Alberta’s 2009 Inspiring Education initiative.

Math marks have been slipping on Provincial Achievement Tests among Grade 3 and 6 students in Alberta since 2009. Some parents blame the decline on the new teaching strategy, which they say is convoluted and confusing.

Remember when Mitt Romney declared Russia to be a "geopolitical threat" and everyone laughed at him, and when Sarah Palin rightly predicted that Obama wouldn't stand up to Putin when he invaded Ukraine?

Laugh at Harper if you wish. See how well that goes:

"I know this is of great concern to our NATO allies in the region, but it should be a great concern to all of us," Harper said.

"When a major power acts in a way that is so clearly aggressive, militaristic and imperialistic, this represents a significant threat to the peace and stability of the world and it's time we all recognized the depth and the seriousness of that threat."

While wags are far more concerned about maligning the perpetually correct, they ought to be analysing the very dictator who has had journalists jailed and killed.

Just a thought.


Why you shouldn't give kids cell phones:

Authorities have arrested the 14-year-old girl who ignited an Internet firestorm after tweeting a threat at American Airlines Sunday. ...

The girl, who identified herself as Sarah online, initially tweeted at American Airlines that she was a member of Al Qaeda and was going to “do something really big” on June 1. She later said she was joking.

The airline tweeted back at her saying they “take these threats very seriously” and said that her IP address and details would be forwarded to security and the FBI.

Pesach Sameach to all.