The very sudden death of Jim Flaherty evoked a sense of mortality in his colleagues that was emotionally inspiring. All of these political allies and enemies suddenly saw their own passages in Smilin' Jim's death. A man who devoted the majority of his life to politics, sometimes referred to as public service, retires and a few weeks later is gone from this earth. A whisper of time to enjoy his retirement, dying in the arms of a colleague instead of his family. As a father, I mourn his passing; as a man who has given many hours of volunteer time to high needs children, I celebrate his contributions to accessibility in sports for children of all abilities. Enlightened self-interest can bring about wonderful community centres in your riding.

Jim Flaherty was also a contributing Minister in the MIke Harris regime, the downloading to the municipalities, Walkerton, Ipperwash, and, as Finance Minister under Ernie Eves, a $6 billion dollar deficit to the Province of Ontario after having assured them that all was well. After Harris was pounded out of office in a humiltiating rejection of his far right Reform Conservative policies, Jim Flaherty fled Ontario politics with John Baird and Tony Clement to join Stephen Haper in Ottawa, clearly announcing their ideologies. Still far right Conservative Reform Alliance Party politics.

Jim Flaherty as federal Finance Minister recently supported and facilitated all of the environmental, social justice, and middle class losses that allowed the 99% poor to get poorer and the 1% rich to get much richer. He had nothing to do with Canada's ability to deal with the global economic downturn; those banking regulations had been put into effect by previous governments.  It was only due to Oppostion pressure, that stimulation spending was introduced into the mix. The upcoming "balanced budget" was balanced on the backs of the middle class, environmental science, and social justice.

Jim Flaherty presented the last two Omnibus Budget Bills that reversed decades of natural resources protection and environmental audits and gave the Prime Minister final veto or approval. The lighting on the CN Tower in honour of your passing was certainly not in celebration of your greening of Canada; rather, it celebrated the blarney Irish in you capable of spinning a great tale of deception while hiding the pot of gold away, far away, from the majority of Canadians.

My heart as a father goes out to your family; my hands as a hard working Canadian taxpayer will not be lowering my flag to half mast.

*****

Skid Crease, Caledon

First, there was the facade of Sochi and Olympic ideals. After the distraction of the medal count, the world looked elsewhere for news. Then the lens cleared and given the recent events in Crimea, the world refocused it's attention on Russia, and the global domination force that is Vladimir Putin. I know, I know, his photo ops would make even Stockwell Day blush, but it would not be the first time in the last hundred years that a megalomaniac has attempted to take over the world one country at a time. Given Putin's background in the KGB, his Russian Mafia connections, Russia's still potent nuclear arsenal, and his recent forays into the Ukraine, he is a phenomenon not to be underestimated. He can kill tigers or cuddle leopards whenever he chooses.

Barack Obama dismissed him as a "regional" player who could easily be punished by removing Russia from the Group of Eight. Putin responded by pointing out that his longest border is with China, a country of over a biliion people representing about 20% of the world's population. The Bear and The Dragon together would be an unstoppable tsunami of global domination if that were their wish. And they wouldn't check in with the G7 or NATO for permission.

Enter The Beaver, Stephen Harper, looking statesmanlike even while the Supreme Court of Canada was squashing another of his ill conceived appointments, as he announced Canada's condemnation of Putin's aggression. With what are you going to threaten Vlad? Our military? Potash? Wheat? Insults over the hockey Gold Medals? Arms sales? (Arms sales? O'Canada, the shame!) Or maybe you want to take him on mano y mano! Listen, Steve, if we put the two of you into a ring, you'd come out looking like week-old poutine that had been left out in the sun.

No Steven, The Beaver is safe behind organized photo ops in comfortable armchairs, but in the real world The Bear would maul you, The Dragon would flame broil you, and they would serve your carcass to their dogs. You are a straw man, and they know it.

*****

Skid Crease, Caledon

Well, well, the truth will out. It is no wonder that "Our Government"™ wants to gut CBC – if it were not for some of their excellent investigative reporting, we would still be in the dark about the nefarious schemes afoot in the governance of our country. The latest northern exposure comes from the revelations that "Our Government"™ and the National Energy Board buried a damning report on Trans-Canada and their pipeline safety transgressions. Shame. That wouldn't have had anything to do with the "no-brainer" over approving Keystone, would it?

No, how foolish of me. We know "Our Government"™ always has the best interests of hard-working, tax-paying Canadians at the forefront. It would be almost treasonous to suggest that they are really working for the corporate profits of big business and the upper 10% of Canadian society. Why, that kind of thinking could end you up on the CSIS watch list. Like Justin Bieber.

Forget Julian Fantino, who does not like finger pointing, and his shaftng of our Veterans; forget Pierre Poilievre and the hypocrisy of the "Fair Elections Act" which will crack down on the election fraud violations "Our Government"™ created; forget the Omnibus Bills that decimated environmental reviews; forget the millions of dollars spent on false advertising for a "Canada's Action Plan"™ job creation program that didn't exist; forget the $90,000 Senate expenses cheque and a PMO that does not have a clue (wink) about what is going on in the top office of Canada's government. 

No, we do indeed get the government we deserve, and the generations of accounting, both social and environmental, that go with their decisions. Me, I'm going to be lining up with the Veterans in Julian Fantino's riding in 2015. This one's for you, Dad.

*****

Skid Crease, Caledon