Letter to the Editor – John E. Milnes of South Stormont on Mark A MacDonald and the McGuinty Liberal Government of Ontario – August 2, 2011

Mark McDonald of SDSG has commenced his campaign demonstrating the hard work ethic that won him the Liberal nomination for this riding. Should Mark win the election, as seems most likely, then we can count on having a superb replacement for the hard working Jim Brownell.

I acknowledge the local media is somewhat blue. However, I do believe the Liberals will win this riding and the province for, despite some errors, the Liberals have demonstrated overall good government. They have made mistakes, as does everyone; surely we learn from making mistakes.

The Liberal achievements are many but just looking at the two significant areas of health care and green energy paints a promising picture for the province. Under the Liberal government the provincial health care system has risen from its lowly Tory position of worst in the country to the best in the country and one of the outstanding systems in the world. This was achieved with the unpopular health tax.

The Ontario Liberals are leading the provinces in demanding a long term federal commitment to the provincial health care strategies. The Ontario Liberals are demonstrating they are the party that can and will look after the interests of this province.

With foresight, born of doing the job, the Liberals can see the upcoming problems confronting any health care system when all the baby boomers reach retirement age – in the very near future. All the promises of the opposition parties are simply rhetoric since they have neither costed nor even acknowledged the emerging problems of increased senior numbers or their impact on the health system.

Ontario, today, is the leading Canadian jurisdiction in Green Energy development despite the total lack of federal support. Of course, there have been difficulties, where to put the energy creating plants, for no one wants them in their backyard. But, at least, the Liberals are moving the Green Energy portfolio forward.

A change in government is not a good thing for we can benefit from having an experienced political party at the helm of our affairs. The McGuinty Liberals are poised to bring us secure and safe government for many years despite the adverse claims of the weak opposition parties.


John E. Milnes – South Stormont

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10 Comments

  1. Absolutely, John. Well said!

  2. Healthcare costs are soon to be unmanagable. Have we risen to best healthcare in the country the way our students now achieve higher grades for less work in school? More tax is not the answer!

    Outside of Cornwall, electricty rates are soon to be unmanagable and a few hundred short term jobs assembling solar and windmill parts produced from other countries does little to help us here.
    We are the leading Canadian jurisdiction because no one else wants the debt and have seen how some countries and even California are getting out of the expensive relm. Telling us proudly that solar has a new high efficiency of 17.3% does little for me.

  3. Eric: Why not look at the upside in life for the downside you project is most depressing. The fact that California is ready to abandon something is no criteria – the Americans should abandon their attempts to dominate the world since they cannot take care of their own. No, it was the UN that decreed the standard of our health care was tops. Did you hear another positive piece of news? The health service stand on drug companies is to bring in two billion dollars to the province – where is the downside to that? I know it will not give you electricity free of cost but we do have to start paying for what we use. No one wants nuclear power, no one wants wind power, no one want solar power, no one wants coal generated power. Where do we get the energy from and how can we get it without cost?

  4. I am a positive guy with perfect blood pressure numbers, I was only offering the other side, which has not been proven false.

    Ontario can get much electricity from hydro, only it would mean giving money to Quebec and Manitoba while perserving the hydro we have in the province. Criteria such as another entity trying and not continuing something can be valuable, so as not to reinvent the wheel or make similar mistakes.

    There was other Ontario good news this week as well, the Samsung deal was reworked. Now we will give them 110 million a year in grants instead of the original 432 million. This is a 20 year deal by the way. Although to stay negative, solar and wind can or does account for under 5% of our needs.

  5. Sure do not know where you get the positive thought from, who fooled you into believing that? You certainly offered the other side that, by my book, was the negative side – there can only be two sides.
    On the up side it has now been determined that if we abandon the green energy plans there will be a net 150,000 jobs lost. Jobs are very important and the federal government does NOT create all job growth – the provinces have their input. As an example Ontario created more jobs than the rest of Canada and the USA combined for the month of June. Not shabby for a government that is decried. I would pose a question. What would either of the opposition parties do that might improve the economy and the stability of our provincial affairs? Believe me they would change very little the present government is doing as they learn, at our expense, how to govern. I have no clue what you are talking about with “perserving the hydro we have in the province. Where on earth did you get that gobble-de-gook from? Remember the grey outs and black outs under the Tory regime? Even with one of the hottest summers on record, when the air-conditioners were on full chat, we have had no shortage of electricity. It costs to produce and manage any kind of service and someone has to pay – would you put the cost to the taxpayers or the users? So there can be no misunderstanding we are the taxpayers and the public constantly bleats about paying for what they are getting.

  6. Our “constant bleating” about paying for what we are getting is about the rising prices introduced by your pal Dalton McFibber. We pay now the highest price for electricity. Even with brownouts and blackouts the price of electricity under the Conservatives was much more palatable. We dont have them now as they have priced prime-time electricity out of the ballpark! We can’t wait for the elections to get get rid of that morass of deadbeat Fiberals.

  7. Concerned Citizen is right down the wrong track. Wait until you see if anything changes under any new government you decide to vote for – if they succeed]. Where does the McFibber thing come from? [Copying others is not too nice – much better to be original] Are you deaf, blind or unable to accept the truth? Dalton McGuinty was FORCED to create the Health Tax [and break a promise] in order to recover an Ontario Health Insurance Plan the Conservatives had allowed to sink to bottom of all the provinces. Now it is top of the pile, despite its many downsides. Imagine what it would be like if McGuinty had not taken that action?

    The biggest cripe you whiners have about the cost of electricity is, you are forced to pay for what you need. Tough, because the costs keep rising, or did you not notice that fact? We are only being charged for what it costs. Again the costs are related to bringing the electrical service up to date after others had taken it down. WE WILL SEE, IF THE LIBERALS DO NOT ACHIEVE SUCCESS, However, I do believe there are far more intelligent people who will be able to rationalize what we are getting than those who do not agree with the Liberal {see I can spell] position.

    Do you know what? The cost of bread is higher than it used to be. The cost of most things is higher simply because we must pay for the higher wages the workers deserve and increased transportation costs, etc. Few items we need in order to live can be seen as costing less than in days gone by, or had you not noticed?

  8. ROFLMAO, Yeah Right! McGuinty was forced to create the health tax. Why are our electricity costs to the consumer the highest in the land? And they will go higher! You state ” I do believe there are far more intelligent people who will be able to rationalize what we are getting than those who do not agree with the Liberal {see I can spell] position.” Yes John there are. In the coming election you will see them all voting Conservative in order to get McGuinty OUT!
    And yes John, the cost of living has gone up drastically. Bread around $3, Milk (4L) around $6 and Chicken (skinless/boneless) around $7 /lb. Here in Cornwall we cross the bridge and buy the same bread about 90c per loaf, milk $2.29, chicken $2 /lb. In Canada and certainly in Ontario it’s becoming hard to afford the high food prices brought on by higher wages, etc. Thank you to the unions!

  9. One thing I enjoy about this site is how people can post different opinions, sometimes even just to play devils advocat.

    Many corporation, business or government entities have ineffective programs or employees that may be in need of elimination or updating. I do not believe the Ontario government with over 65,000 employees are running that lean. A look at the Sunshine list has over 500 people from the Attorney General office alone. Over 1,800 locations in the large geography of Ontario, should also be looked at, some districts may be able to combine the OPP detachment with Service Ontario allowing a more streamlined building operation.

    I also doubt that with the current financial health climate of taxpayers, union contracts are being looked at with a fine tooth comb. 65,000 employees going without a raise for a year is not the end of the world.

  10. My hat goes off to anyone who cares enough and invests time for the greater good, best of luck to you.

    Unfortunatly, statements like this will not get my vote – “The Ontario Liberals are demonstrating they are the party that can and will look after the interests of this province.”

    Setting up a 30 million dollar fund for scholarships to people not from Canada is not in our best interests.
    It shows the thinking of some that our tax dollars are just play money.

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