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As In The Power Of These So-Called Environmentalists To Block Pipeline Construction In Canada.
I was beginning to think that I would never see the day when the whining of the anti-pipeline lobby would begin to fall out of favour with the regular folks, as well as with the elites, but with Kinder Morgan's halt to its Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMP) Project this past week, it now appears that the Canadian Public has finally had enough. Thank Heavens.
I will not bore you with the background but as citizens wherever you may live, you are well aware of their predictions of doom and ability to, in many cases, paralyze growth especially in left leaning countries like our own Canada.
In fact, it has been over a decade since our last pipeline was constructed and today we see existing lines maxed out. Our Trains ...one of the worst possible ways to transport oil and gas, have been dragooned into use while our agricultural products, especially grain, remain in their bins. It is costing our Prairie Provinces in the Billions of Dollars.
As a result of the Trans Mountain stoppage, two of our Provinces are now in a vicious battle of wills...Alberta which wants to transport its oil and gas to the Pacific via British Columbia and B.C. which wants Alberta's oil and gas kept in the ground..forever. As of this writing the Province of Saskatchewan has joined the fray on the side of Alberta.
Alberta and Saskatchewan are so incensed that they are threatening to cut-off existing oil and gas shipments to BC needed by that Province for domestic use. If that were to happen, the latter's gas prices at the pumps double. A similar threat is being made to central Canada which too will result in steep increases at the pump and with respect to home heating costs.
But on the positive side, this feud has resulted in the Canadian Public finally coming to its senses on the need to find reliable ways (aka pipelines) to effectively get the major product of Western Canada to market. The lack of pipeline capacity has resulted in a 50% drop in investment in the oil sands and their oil being sold at a discount. The reason for this is that 99% of our oil and gas is exported to the United States and as that country moves closer to self-sufficiency they can and do depress greatly the price they are willing to a foreign country like ours.
And let's not pretend that this is the result of the current progressive Liberal Government we have in Ottawa since its predecessor, the pro-business Conservative Governments under Stephen Harper too was rendered helpless in the face of the vocal Enviros who were often funded by outsiders such as the Saudis and the Soros Open Society Foundations.
With Public Support turning, our Federal Government is finally getting the courage to get actively involved in seeing the Trans Mountain Route built to conclusion. In the face of this, British Columbia and the Enviros wrongly claim that the Feds do not have the constitutional power to force the TMP through... but of course it does...The British North America Act of 1867, Canada's Constitution, makes that abundantly clear.
Despite this, there are still many citizens out there who believe the dispute should be left at the Provincial Level but that would only ensure nothing would change and of course that would be the ideal outcome for them. One of those is a reader of mine ...Gerry. Here is what he recently wrote:
It feels like most Canadians would love to see BC and Alberta come up with their own solution to this environmental degradation that will occur to one province while another profits financially. We know from past experiences that if an accident can, then it will happen like the Exxon Valdez crashing or pipelines leaking and they will in the volatile Canadian Rockies. Can we as Canadians live with that? Can the people of B.C. or Alberta live with that? This is why the Federal Government should not get involved.
If the Federal Government does involve itself in favour of cross-provincial energy transmission, it will be one of the first times ever. Its usual position is to stay neutral and to keep its head buried in the sand ...so to speak.
The worst example of this occurred in the late 1940s when Newfoundland tried to run hydro electric power from its Churchill Falls Generating Station to the United States. To do that, the power lines first had to cross Quebec. Quebec's reaction was to say we'd gladly help out but want to be compensated for doing so.
Compensated!!!
The contract runs until 2041 and by its terms Quebec pays Newfoundland $2 per Unit and resells it for $85 per Unit... a pretty good return in anybody's books.
Before signing this entirely one ended agreement, Newfoundland appealed to the Federal Government to intervene and force a decent, fair agreement. The Feds refused even though it was generally accepted that they had all the jurisdiction needed to do so.
To add insult to injury, the profits Quebec receives from its hydro electric sales are not even counted when determining how much Quebec is entitled to under the national financial redistribution program for have-not provinces.
And to add even more insult, Quebec has been receiving consistently $10 Billion Dollars per year under that program while the Province of Alberta has been paying out that exact same sum. To date Alberta's payments exceed $100 Billion.
So no wonder why readers such as Gerry think the Federal Government should stay neutral...this has always been their mode of operation.
And one last example involving Quebec and Ontario. This past year, the West tried to run a new pipeline through those two provinces to refineries in New Brunswick. It was called the Eastern Pipeline and the above two Provinces scuddled the initiative. How Quebec had the nerve to do so given the annual largess it receives from Alberta...but it did.
The purpose of this pipeline was two-fold, first, to sell Western Canadian oil to the folks in Eastern Canada and to replace the current oil and gas coming into Eastern Canada from Saudia Arabia.
And, guess what... Canada's Federal Government stayed mute.
Let's hope that this time, with the TMP, things will be different.
But as I often say, the Proof Is In The Pudding.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
A small lamp off the table.
Otherwise, the House of Assad stood in tact.
In the lead-up to today's attack, on a few alleged chemical weapons buildings, President Donald Trump had drawn his Red Line in the Sand and just like his immediate predecessor, it turned out to be imaginary.
It did not impress the Syrians, nor the Iranians nor more importantly the Russians and life in that desolate part of the world continues as is.
And all this means that Bashar al-Assad will continue with his ruthless killing ways.
Just prior to Assad's recent chemical weapons attack on his innocent citizens, Trump had been speculating on the need to pull all of America's troops out of Syria.
And if today's lackluster effort by the States is any indication, Trump might just as well proceed with the withdrawal.
And just next month, Trump is scheduled to sit down face to face with the murderous Young-un of North Korea.
I still do not believe such a meeting will take place since I think sanity will prevail but if it does go ahead, it will have even less value for the West than this morning's inept fireworks.
You be the Young-un for a minute...(I know that is not very nice of me but it is solely in the interest of proving my point).
Communism came to North Korea in 1948 and by happenstance it is the year I was born.
Its first Leader was the Young-un's Grandfather; to be followed by his Father, and now the mantle of power has devolved to the Young-un himself.
They fought a war against the UN ...primarily the United states in the early 1950s and were roundly defeated being saved from oblivion by the last minute entry of Red China. A Truce...not a Peace Treaty, was signed in 1953 meaning that the War technically continues despite a 65 year ceasefire.
From the time of Kim the Grandfather, North Korea has worked feverishly to acquire the Nuclear Bomb. Under the Young-un they have succeeded to the point where they can now send nuclear warheads to the mainland of the United States. A note of thanks to Obama, Clinton, Bush and so on down that road.
When The Donald campaigned he promised to end these useless negotiations with the North and rightfully said, you cannot trust a thing the Young-un promises. He only understands force. Full stop.
So at first Trump huffed and puffed about all the bad things he would do to the Young-un and his plans to nuclearize.
And now, and now... he plans to sit down with him and ....negotiate!!
So back to you dear reader, you are the Young-un for the moment and you are thinking ahead to next month's alleged meeting. Are you seriously going to begin to scrap your missile program that three generations of your family worked so hard to attain?
I can hear you loud and clear...Hell Will Freeze Over First you say.
And you'd be right.
And add to that the fact that for the first time, North Korea's petty little tyrants are the receiving the attention so they so richly relish and so richly do not deserve.
The best that can come out of such a meeting is nothing.
Kinda like what came out of this morning's bombings.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
News out this past weekend that the Mueller investigation obtained numerous search warrants to seize documents from President Donald Trump's personal lawyer.
As a lawyer myself, I have to ask whatever happened to Solicitor-Client privilege heretofore the cornerstone of criminal law?
And dear reader, the need for these warrants relate to an alleged sexual dalliance Trump had with a prostitute.
Regardless of how you and I might feel about his and her rendezvous it has nothing whatsoever to do with Trump conspiring with the Russians to effect the outcome of the 2016 Election.
Rather, all this does is to confirm Trump's claim that he is the victim of a Witch Hunt.
And regardless of what the leftist media has to say, there has never been one iota of proof that Trump conspired with the Ruskies...even though there is lots of evidence that Hillary Clinton and her Campaign did that very thing.
It all comes down to the fact that the Left could not accept the outcome of the Election and have been doing everything in their power to see it undone.
Whatever happened to Democracy?
The foundation of civilized democratic societies is that they accept the will of the people even though they may not personally agree with the outcome. To do otherwise is to invite chaos and anarchy.
I have mentioned before a similar case close to home here in Ottawa. A businessman ran for the Mayorship and won. This came about after years and years of double digit tax increases and he promised to put a stop to it.
The Unions here had other ideas and through false charges were able to effectively neuter the Mayor's platform. He was finished from politics.
The only difference between the two examples is the size.
So if I was Trump here is what I would do:
First I would fire Mueller since by his actions he has shown that he is the problem and not the answer;
Second I would then fire Attourney General Jeff Sessions since by his inaction, he has shown that he has lost control.
Would the Progressive Left Howl?
As Sarah Palin would say 'You Betcha'.
But know ...they brought it upon themselves.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
Two items in the news lately caused me to LOL; one literally and the other figuratively.
Let's deal with the literal one first.
Ontario's New Budget and our Finance Minister Charles Souza:
Souza was quoted in this weekend's newspapers as saying that the United States is playing catch-up with Ontario's Economy.
I nearly choked, I certainly convulsed in laughter as my wife can well attest.
"Playing Catch-up" ?? Indeed.
Fifteen Years ago when Souza's Liberals first came on the scene, Ontario was the Economic Engine for our Country. Today, it is broke...has been lowered to 'have-not status' and is dependent on our fellow provinces for handouts. Rating agencies are continually downgrading our credit, the most recent occurring right after this week's Budget was released.
So what Planet has our Finance Minister been living on for the past decade and a half?
Can't wait for the June 7th General Election.
Okay now for the second laugh and a half which you will see is more sad than funny:
Our country went through a useless inquiry into the sorry state of our Indian Reserves. Its report came out in late 2015 and contained 94 Recommendations few if any will ever be acted upon in our time ...many deservedly.
Inexplicably, Prime Minister accepted all 94.
One in particular stands out for me a Roman Catholic. The Report Recommended that Pope Francis apologize for its part in Canada's Native Residential School System. This system provided housing / education for native children who were in many cases forcefully taken off the reserves and it ran from the 1870's well into the 1960s.
Some students claim today that this School System enabled them to escape poverty and led to them having productive lives off the reserve. Many others though claim that the system stole from them their Indian Heritage* and allege many types of abuses including sexual abuse. I have no doubt as to the veracity of these claims but am suspicious that in a number of cases it is motivated more by their interest in obtaining monetary compensation.
But all that aside, the Catholic Church was not the only Church engaged in the operation of these residential schools. Nor do I doubt for a minute that they believed they were doing God's work in helping these young kids escape total hopelessness.
*Don't forget that by the time these Schools were established, the Indian Heritage existed no more.
The other thing lost in this effort to embarrass the Catholic Church is the fact that these Residential Schools were the Policy of the Governments in power during those times.
Whether you believe they were rightfully established or not, the blame or the credit goes to those Governments.
That is the background ...sorry for its length.
So now flash ahead to today. Canada's Prime Minister in his naivete accepted all 94 Recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
But the one that got me was his acceptance of its request that the Pope apologize for his Church's role in those Residential Schools.
To me it was totally inconceivable that this arrogant pup thought himself sufficiently powerful that he could make such a demand of the Leader of well over 1 Billion Catholics.
This past week the Pope answered Trudeau's pompous request with a well placed N'yet.
Let me play the Pope for a minute:
"Please bring the Young Prime Minister in. Have a seat Mr. Trudeau. I understand that you have a request of me".
"Yes I do your Grace, I would like you to apologize to Canada's Aboriginals for the damage done to them by the Residential Schools some of which were operated by the Catholic Church"
"I would indeed be happy to do that Mr. Trudeau on condition that you apologize for the millions of babies who have been prematurely killed in the womb as a result of Canada having no law whatsoever that prevents such deaths."
Trudeau, goes red, tugs at his collar, nervously coughs and then ...
"I simply cannot do that your Grace. I have told my whole caucus that they cannot even voice their concerns for the unborn so how can I now say otherwise?"
"And Mr. Trudeau in that case I simply cannot apologize for being involved in a System promoted and endorsed by Canada's Governments of the Day".
Trudeau with his tail between his legs heads for the door.
The Pope speaks up one more time.
"Oh, Mr. Trudeau on the way out would you please pick up the letter awaiting you just outside."
Trudeau - "What is it."
"It is your Notice of Excommunication"
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
AS IN A CAT'S STANDARD NINE (9).
INDEED, LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK DONALD TRUMP HAS FAR AND EXCEEDED THAT STANDARD...BUT...
THINGS NOW APPEAR TO BE CLOSING IN ON HIS INCREDIBLE RUN:
The First is the tragedy of the Parkland School Shooting. It has exposed Trump and the Republicans on their irrational support of the National Rifle Association. As I said in a recent Blog, he had an opportunity to establish himself as a proponent of real gun control which polling shows the majority of Americans favour.
Unfortunately, Mr. Trump let this opportunity go and by so doing, lost the chance to see his popularity bump up.
The Second major hit to his popularity was caused by his pig-headed move to isolate the United States economically, via the imposition of tariffs, to the point where they are on the brink of a world tariff war. It is a war the United States cannot win.
The Third and last major hit that I will deal with today is in regard to the Debt & Deficit. The current Debt has gone well beyond $21 Trillion Dollars ...larger than the annual GDP. The Budget the President signed into law this past week will in and of itself add an additional $1.5 Trillion to the annual Deficit. These levels surpass even those frivolously racked up by Barack Obama.
A pundit the other day opinioned that these were still early days for Trump and that there was lots of time for him to set things straight.
He is wrong of course; the clock is ticking down toward the November Congressional Elections and from my perspective the outlook is not looking very good...see above. At this point, the Republicans will not be able to hold the Senate and even the House of Representatives is in danger.
And once the Democrats regain even one those Chambers, it will be over for Trump and Republican legislative agenda.
And I would be remiss to not comment on the chaos that the President is causing through his revolving door dismissal and replacement of his top Administration Personnel. I said before if I worked for The Donald and thought my job at risk, I`d be out of there quicker than you could say...
As I see it...
`K.D. Galagher`
In the Liberal Government's Speech from the Throne yesterday, Premier Kathleen Wynne promised the people of Ontario Billions of new spending if they unwisely (the italics are mine) re-elect her Government in the coming June 2018 Election.
You will notice that I did not quantified the Billions to be spent since I could not find any estimates by financial experts at the time of this writing. But they will come and they will be in the multi-billions.
What I can tell you though is that under the 15 years of Liberal Government Rule, the Province's Debt has risen from $132.6 Billion in financial year 2002-03 to an astounding $301.00 Billion Dollars for f.y. 2017-18. In fact, during that time our Province has gone from Have Status...the engine of the Country ...to Have-Not Status and forced to beg from our neighbours.
And of course those dreadful numbers do not even include yesterday's announced spending spree.
Wynne will often talk about her grandchildren and how she does not want them to suffer from Global Cooling, Global Warming, Climate Change (you can pick one or all 3) as tears come to her glassy eyes.
So you might well ask the dear Premier if she is so concerned about their welfare when it comes to climate, why is she so insensitive when it comes to accumulated debt since it will be those self same grandchildren who in the end will have to pitch in and pay off debt they did not contribute to?
And with the Debt and endless Deficits have come loss of millions of good paying jobs, hydro electric rates once the envy of North America have tripled and more to the point where poorer folks can no longer properly heat their homes and both the health and education systems are grossly underfunded.
And all this in the face of scandal after scandal and wasted billions on pet self-serving projects.
The title of this blog again is Ontario's Premier Is Acting Like She Is Insane.
For you progressives out there note that I did not say she is Insane, rather that she is acting like she is insane.
How else can you account for her determined drive to bankrupt our Province.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
In my most recent Blog, I rightfully trashed President Trump for many of his recent antics, but now find that I must come to his aid.
In a recent tweet, Trump had this to say about his firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe:
Andrew McCabe Fired, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - a great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was is boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!
As per my last Blog, I view McCabe's firing as wrong and it brought to mind today's Heading.
This of course being the famous quote of the late Ronald Reagan which was one of the few quips in a Presidential Debate that really had an affect on an Election's ultimate outcome:
"There you go again" was a phrase spoken by Ronald Reagan during the 1980 Presidential Election Debate to his Democratic opponent, Jimmy Carter. The context for Reagan's statement does not matter at this late date, what is important was its outcome which in Carter's case sealed his fate in that Election.
So with that, back to Trump's Tweet.
Initially, I thought 'oh no, Donald you are simply pouring more fuel on the fire'.
Then I had second thoughts.
From the time of the Election Trump has ...in his own words...been the subject of a "Witch Hunt'.
As I have said countless times, I do not know of any other person who could have survived the sustained vicious attacks on him over the course of his first year in Office.
And when he says the top echelon of the FBI has gone rogue he again has much reason for his opinion. One that I share.
And when it comes to the Mueller Inquiry, the only proof of collusion with the Russians is on the part of both Clinton and Obama. And yet the Mueller Inquiry plods along on trying to find any dirt on Trump when it now knows full well there never was never any collusion involved on his part.
And dear reader, bear in mind that the only reason the Mueller Investigation got off the ground is because the top folks of the FBI colluded to see that it did.
Why Mueller does not do the honourable thing and pack up his Witch Hunt is beyond me? At the very least, why does he not start to follow-up on the real proof that has been uncovered especially against Hillary and her Campaign?
It stinks to high heaven and in that regard, I fully understand Trump's frustration via his above-noted Tweet.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
