In its many years of bringing investigative reports to Canadians, the fifth estate has had its share of alarming stories. This season debuts with startling and disturbing allegations about the people we depend on to ensure our safety when we fly. The story begins with an urgent e-mail to the fifth estate.
The writer says she has “come across interesting, internal information from Transport Canada.” The sender: a journalism student who has found a USB key/computer memory stick in a coffee shop. The student’s discovery contains interesting information indeed. There are warnings from a security inspector at Canada’s biggest airport alleging public safety is being compromised because security and safety regulations are being circumvented in favour of profit and convenience.
In Riding on Risk, airing Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT), on CBC-TV, reporter Hana Gartner talks to whistle blowers who have risked their livelihoods to try to change a system that they believe is putting passengers and airline employees in grave and needless danger—at the airports and in the air. We’ll also meet Kirsten Stevens of British Columbia, a woman whose logger husband boarded a routine flight one day, promising to be home in time for dinner with her and their three children. But, the small floatplane carrying him crashed and all aboard were killed. Stevens assumed Transport Canada would investigate. She was shocked when she realized they had closed their file on the crash. She did her own meticulous investigation and pinpointed a mechanical failure that may have led to her husband’s death. Since then, she has become a crusader, and a magnet, for whistle blowers inside the industry desperate to share their concerns about aviation security and safety.
Finally, the fifth estate takes the investigation to federal Minister of Transport, John Baird. Hana Gartner gives the Minister the opportunity to respond to the allegations and asks the question that should be on the minds of anyone in Canada who flies: should industry, concerned about saving money and cutting corners, be the same people to worry about safety?
Acting executive producer of the fifth estate is Sally Reardon. CBC Newsworld rebroadcasts the fifth estate on Sundays, at 7 p.m. ET, and Tuesdays, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
For more information on the fifth estate, visit their website at www.cbc.ca/fifth.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The devil is in the details
In 2007 the Cons passed a law to fix election dates. At the time, Rob Nicholson, then-Minister of Democratic Reform and now the Minister of Justice, declared that the measures restricted the prime minister from calling an election unless a vote of no-confidence occurred before October 19, 2009.
Then in 2008, Harper called an election based on the excuse that parliament wasn't working. There was no confidence vote involved, just Harper's imagination at work.
So in 2009, Democracy Watch takes the government to court over the issue and a judge rules that:
That, but the way is legal speak for the government can do whatever to hell it wants and we have nothing to say about it.
Another nail in the coffin of true democracy brought to you by the Ministry of Democratic Reform?
War is Peace and Freedom is Slavery
Then in 2008, Harper called an election based on the excuse that parliament wasn't working. There was no confidence vote involved, just Harper's imagination at work.
So in 2009, Democracy Watch takes the government to court over the issue and a judge rules that:
"The matter of convention in this set of circumstances is political in nature and is outside the jurisdiction of the court, bearing in mind the separation of powers under constitutional supremacy."
That, but the way is legal speak for the government can do whatever to hell it wants and we have nothing to say about it.
Another nail in the coffin of true democracy brought to you by the Ministry of Democratic Reform?
War is Peace and Freedom is Slavery
One or two of their own?
I wonder if the Ontario Cons are feeling a little sheepish these days. When former MPP and cabinet minister Michael Bryant got involved in an incident in which a cyclist died in Toronto, the Cons went overboard to heap blame on McGuinty and his government.
Now that Jaffer has been charges with DUI and cocaine possession, the Cons are mute. Three questions arise:
Inquiring minds just want to know.
Now that Jaffer has been charges with DUI and cocaine possession, the Cons are mute. Three questions arise:
1) Why did it take 5 days before the news of the arrest got out?
2) Will Jaffer go to jail for this alleged crime or will be be bailed out by the Tough-on-people-not-like-them Cons?
3) What did Helena know about the drugs and when did she find out?
Inquiring minds just want to know.
Con mouthpiece Tim Powers steps in it -- yet again
In a piece defending the fact that Harper was not met at the White House door by Obama, Powers says this,
Have to agree with Tim on one account. The President was probably working on domestic affair, as he should.
However Tim also raises the question of; Why was Harper in Washington when we have our own war, economic and health care issues up here in Canada? Not to mention body bags, drunk pot-head former MPs, etc. etc.
"The “nothing better to do society” has contrived that Canada has been snubbed because the President didn’t answer the door at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Yup, gotta be that. God forbid the President was actually working on, oh say, fighting a war in Afghanistan, plotting economic recovery or maybe trying to sell health care. Damn it, he should have answered the door!"
Have to agree with Tim on one account. The President was probably working on domestic affair, as he should.
However Tim also raises the question of; Why was Harper in Washington when we have our own war, economic and health care issues up here in Canada? Not to mention body bags, drunk pot-head former MPs, etc. etc.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Mr. Harper goes to Washington
Obama flew into Ottawa in January. He was met at the airport by the Governor General and a guard of RCMP. He them moved on to Parliament Hill and was met by Harper behind a wall of bullet proof glass.
Harper flies into Washington in September and is met at the airport by a Hertz Car Rental representative and a guard of baggage handlers. He then drives to the White House where he is greeted by the the Assistant-Person for Making-sure-that-you-use-right-fork-for-the-salad, or something, behind a wall of rose bushes.
I am all a tingle for Steve.
Harper flies into Washington in September and is met at the airport by a Hertz Car Rental representative and a guard of baggage handlers. He then drives to the White House where he is greeted by the the Assistant-Person for Making-sure-that-you-use-right-fork-for-the-salad, or something, behind a wall of rose bushes.
I am all a tingle for Steve.
Thinking people recognize the deceipt
So here's the thing -- Harper and Iggy agree, before the summer recess, to strike a committee to see if there was some kind of compromise over Employment Insurance.
The committee meets a few times with the Liberal members submitting ideas and suggestions. What did the Cons do? They submitted not even one shred of paper. They drank the coffee and ate the donuts but did not do the work.
Why? Did they not have any ideas? Were they just wasting time? Did the donuts put them to sleep?
The answer is that they were being deceitful. Two weeks after the Liberals gave up trying to engage the Cons, the Cons release a position on EI that has bought off the "Socialists and the Separatists" (Harper's term). Did they not have any idea about their proposal during the summer? Was it dreamed up after the committee last met?
Or were they just thumbing their nose at Canadians?
Oh, and by the way, Nepean-Carleton's, "Results for Himself", MP was on that committee.
The committee meets a few times with the Liberal members submitting ideas and suggestions. What did the Cons do? They submitted not even one shred of paper. They drank the coffee and ate the donuts but did not do the work.
Why? Did they not have any ideas? Were they just wasting time? Did the donuts put them to sleep?
The answer is that they were being deceitful. Two weeks after the Liberals gave up trying to engage the Cons, the Cons release a position on EI that has bought off the "Socialists and the Separatists" (Harper's term). Did they not have any idea about their proposal during the summer? Was it dreamed up after the committee last met?
Or were they just thumbing their nose at Canadians?
Oh, and by the way, Nepean-Carleton's, "Results for Himself", MP was on that committee.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Cons buy off Socialists?
Has Harper bought Layton with a billion dollars plan to help the unemployed in NDP ridings? Shame, shame.It is odd, however, that Harper would even offer the bribe. Only a few months ago the Cons were saying the cost to bring equity to the EI program by eliminating the 58 EI qualification regions would cost a billion dollars and they could not afford it. Shame, shame.
An update to a previous HST post
I made mention a couple of days back that a story on the Internet that was being promoted by the rabid right was an analysis of the cost of the planned HST in Ontario by someone called a Boomer Wealth Coach.
I suggested that the Coach and I have a debate. No acceptance at this time.
In my response to the post, I mentioned that the provision for HST applying to RRSP/RRIF was speculative because lobbyists are fighting the provision and that lobbyists usually win their arguments.
What I missed in my response was the gross exaggeration of the HST that could be charged on investment. The Coach stated that the increase with the Federal/Provincial HST would be $1040 per year on $400,000 in the plan. IN reality the HST would apply to the management fees paid on RRSP/RRIFs. So let's calculate that backwards. The increase through the HST would be 8% of the fee, therefore the fee would be $13,000 per year or 2.6%. With interest rates on savings at less than 1% you would have been better off putting the money in the bank thus saving the 2.6% cost plus getting the 1% interest. Don't worry about capital gains, folks. RRSP/RRIFs have been walloped so bad that they will take some time to create gains!
As the Orange guy would say... "Save your money!"
I suggested that the Coach and I have a debate. No acceptance at this time.
In my response to the post, I mentioned that the provision for HST applying to RRSP/RRIF was speculative because lobbyists are fighting the provision and that lobbyists usually win their arguments.
What I missed in my response was the gross exaggeration of the HST that could be charged on investment. The Coach stated that the increase with the Federal/Provincial HST would be $1040 per year on $400,000 in the plan. IN reality the HST would apply to the management fees paid on RRSP/RRIFs. So let's calculate that backwards. The increase through the HST would be 8% of the fee, therefore the fee would be $13,000 per year or 2.6%. With interest rates on savings at less than 1% you would have been better off putting the money in the bank thus saving the 2.6% cost plus getting the 1% interest. Don't worry about capital gains, folks. RRSP/RRIFs have been walloped so bad that they will take some time to create gains!
As the Orange guy would say... "Save your money!"
For those who keep score
There is a Canadian being held in jail in Egypt. The claim was that he confessed that he was a spy for Israel. The counter-claim was that he was tortured into make that confession. The Canadian government offered no consular assistance to Mohammed El-Attar during the time that he was allegedly tortured and the government has washed its hands of the affair since. El-Attar is gay.
At a time when the incidence of HIV/AIDS is growing in Canada by 8-10% per year, the government of Canada has cut research and treatment funding. The largest group of sufferers are gay.
In 2009, Diane Ablonzy, a junior Harper minister, was stripped of her responsibility to dole out tourism funding after she gave $400,000 to the Gay Rights Parade in Toronto. Then the government overturned their own officials to deny funding to a gay event in Montreal, Cite-divers.
In 2008, our local golden-boy MP, Pierre Whatever, criticized the Ontario government for funding sex change operations through OHIP. The recipients of the operations, all 10 of them in any given year, are gay.
See any trend here?
At a time when the incidence of HIV/AIDS is growing in Canada by 8-10% per year, the government of Canada has cut research and treatment funding. The largest group of sufferers are gay.
In 2009, Diane Ablonzy, a junior Harper minister, was stripped of her responsibility to dole out tourism funding after she gave $400,000 to the Gay Rights Parade in Toronto. Then the government overturned their own officials to deny funding to a gay event in Montreal, Cite-divers.
In 2008, our local golden-boy MP, Pierre Whatever, criticized the Ontario government for funding sex change operations through OHIP. The recipients of the operations, all 10 of them in any given year, are gay.
See any trend here?
Time for some common decency
I recently had a bit of an electronic dust-up over a post that I had planned. The issue was that I am seeing growing parallels between Germany in the 1930s and Canada in 2009. I quoted a speech given by Hitler and compared that with one given recently by Harper.
Well the veritable fecal material hit the rotating device. You might be able to guess the venom spit in my direction.
Let me tell a story that is overdue to be told.
My father was a big man -- big in heart and big in stature. He did not talk much about his life during WWII. He joined the Canadian army shortly after marrying my mother, then went off to “walk from Sicily to Holland.” He was one of the so-called D-Day dodgers, so called because by the time the allies were ready to launch D-Day, the dodgers were a bit occupied fighting Nazis and Italians a little further east. One story that I drew out of my father before he died was that his best friend in the world, a guy he had grown up with, got drunk with and chased girls with, was burned alive in a flaming tank during a battle. My father watched the conflagration without being able to do anything to save his friend (the tank was hit by a round and erupted immediately into flames). My father, that big, powerful and self-confident man, was moved to tears on telling the story.
Here is the point of my story. No one group has an exclusive ownership of the horrors of the Second World War. There were 6 million Jews killed in camps but there were also between 18 and 25 million Russians who died. Nearly 50,000 Canadians died, including my father’s best friend. It is estimated that as many as 78 million persons, civilian and military lost their lives during the six official years of the war. No group escaped a gruesome war, including the over 7 million Germans, that some say could have been avoided if the signals in the 1930s had been heeded.
If I see parallels between Germany in 1935 and Canada in 2009, those observations should be acknowledged and analyzed on their own merit -- not washed through the morass of what was a grossly inhumane period and then dismissed on that basis.
Well the veritable fecal material hit the rotating device. You might be able to guess the venom spit in my direction.
Let me tell a story that is overdue to be told.
My father was a big man -- big in heart and big in stature. He did not talk much about his life during WWII. He joined the Canadian army shortly after marrying my mother, then went off to “walk from Sicily to Holland.” He was one of the so-called D-Day dodgers, so called because by the time the allies were ready to launch D-Day, the dodgers were a bit occupied fighting Nazis and Italians a little further east. One story that I drew out of my father before he died was that his best friend in the world, a guy he had grown up with, got drunk with and chased girls with, was burned alive in a flaming tank during a battle. My father watched the conflagration without being able to do anything to save his friend (the tank was hit by a round and erupted immediately into flames). My father, that big, powerful and self-confident man, was moved to tears on telling the story.
Here is the point of my story. No one group has an exclusive ownership of the horrors of the Second World War. There were 6 million Jews killed in camps but there were also between 18 and 25 million Russians who died. Nearly 50,000 Canadians died, including my father’s best friend. It is estimated that as many as 78 million persons, civilian and military lost their lives during the six official years of the war. No group escaped a gruesome war, including the over 7 million Germans, that some say could have been avoided if the signals in the 1930s had been heeded.
If I see parallels between Germany in 1935 and Canada in 2009, those observations should be acknowledged and analyzed on their own merit -- not washed through the morass of what was a grossly inhumane period and then dismissed on that basis.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
When is a tax increase not a tax increase?
So let's get this straight. All though out 2007 and 2008, the federal and provincial Cons chided the government of Ontario to reduce corporate taxes because without the reduction, business would move out of, or not locate in Ontario. "Lower corporate taxes are essential," spewed Flaherty. He being a former Ontario Minister of Finance made his word ring with truth (chuckle).
So lowering taxes on profit is a good thing. As a small business guy I like paying lower taxes... if now I could only make a profit!
So here we are in 2009, the Cons finally figured out that the economy is in the toilet and after 3 years of seven percent program spending growth, maybe, just maybe, they have to do something about the deficit which will be $50b-75b in 2009 depending on who does the math.
One of the problems for the government is that they are collecting a lower tax rate on less profit. The perfect storm! So what to do?
Raise the EI premiums paid by business! According to Cons it is not a tax increase. Tell that to the people who have to pay it!
The reality is that they gave tax breaks to big corporations making huge profits (read: banks and investment firms) and now they want to ding the smaller guys with a higher bill for EI. These are the same small firms that are not making a profit to take advantage of the tax-rate reduction. Will they have to lay of people to pay the EI... um... tax increase? Or will they just have to do without new employees?
Either way it is dumb.
So lowering taxes on profit is a good thing. As a small business guy I like paying lower taxes... if now I could only make a profit!
So here we are in 2009, the Cons finally figured out that the economy is in the toilet and after 3 years of seven percent program spending growth, maybe, just maybe, they have to do something about the deficit which will be $50b-75b in 2009 depending on who does the math.
One of the problems for the government is that they are collecting a lower tax rate on less profit. The perfect storm! So what to do?
Raise the EI premiums paid by business! According to Cons it is not a tax increase. Tell that to the people who have to pay it!
The reality is that they gave tax breaks to big corporations making huge profits (read: banks and investment firms) and now they want to ding the smaller guys with a higher bill for EI. These are the same small firms that are not making a profit to take advantage of the tax-rate reduction. Will they have to lay of people to pay the EI... um... tax increase? Or will they just have to do without new employees?
Either way it is dumb.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Pros and Cons of the Ontario HST
There is a message floating around on the World Wide Wait that has an unnamed Financial Coach telling a fictitious Ontario retired couple that the government is about to screw them for $2,100 per year.
That, of course, is crap and I can prove it!
First let's look at the analysis done by the Coach:
Wow, does he/she have you on the edge of you seat, contemplating moving to Arizona or maybe suicide?
I would love to meet the so-called Boomer Wealth Coach. In fact I would love to oppose him/her in debate so that I might clean the floor with she/he.
To start, I should say that I like the analysis that the Coach did. The retired couple is not doing too badly. Their income is $41,400 and their expenses are around $13,066. Leaving out, for now, the RRSP/RRIF tax increase, they will pay approximately $1,045.26 in increased tax with the HST implemented. The reason I left out the RRSP/RRIF is that it is under review at the province and subject to intense lobbying by the industry (and we all know that lobbyists run most governments). But for sake of our analysis let's put the RRSP/RRIF tax back in, making the total tax increase with the HST in place $2,100/year, as the Coach states.
Let's start with a couple of minor points. You pay $900 per year for haircuts? That is more than you pay to heat your home. Find a new barber, maybe one in Canada?. You pay $400 per year (each and every year) for legal advice? Are you a criminal? You pay $340 per year for magazines and newspaper, plus you pay $780 per year for Internet. You can get all the news and articles from the web for free! Finally, get rid of Fido and save $400 per year.
Now let's get to some meaty items that the Coach missed.
Your total income is $41,400 per year. 1) Your current tax rate is 6.05% for Ontario. In 2010 that rate drops to 5.05%. You save $414 per year. 2) I assume you own you own home. In 2010 the property tax credit for seniors will rise to $1025 each which will save you another $400 per year. 3) The sales tax credit for families in your circumstance will be $260 per person or $520 per year. And 4) let's not forget the $1000 non-taxable adjustment payment that you get in year one.
So let's do the math. Your increase in the tax load with the HST is $1050 per year for sake of argument ($2,100 per year if the RRSP/RRIF provision sticks).
Your reduction would total $1334 per year plus $1000 in year one for a total of... wait for it... $2334 in year one and $1334 per year.
Your savings would be $1284 in year one ($284, assuming the RRSP/RRIF provision sticks) and $284 per year thereafter.
No. It can't be. The Coach is wrong? The government is telling the truth? This will never wash at Conservative headquarters!
That, of course, is crap and I can prove it!
First let's look at the analysis done by the Coach:
_________________________________________________________Our staff did something different. We read the Budget document, called the Ministry Office for details, and added up the numbers. Then, we looked at the results as to how these proposals would affect the retired, or soon to be retired. It tired us out!
Consider a retired couple, receiving total retirement income of $41,400 after tax per year*, healthy enough to enjoy some comfort in retirement.
Many of those items used on a daily basis will now be subject to an 8% cost increase, because of the new harmonized sales tax introduced by the Liberal government in this Budget.
Look at just a few of those items that will cost more, without getting more.
* Cable TV: if $60 monthly, yearly increase is $57.60 more.* Golf Fees: if $1,500 yearly X 2, yearly increase is $240.00 more* Gym Membership: if $35 month X 2, yearly increase is $67.20 more.* Hydro: if $85 monthly, yearly increase is $81.60 more.* Haircuts: if $450 X 2 annually, yearly increase is $72.00 more.* Heating Fuel: if $800 annually, yearly increase is $64.00 more.* Internet: If $65 monthly, yearly increase is $62.40 more.* Income Tax Prep. If cost is $150 X 2, yearly increase is $24.00 more.* Legal Fees: for wills, P.Of A., advice, etc. add 8%, $32 more.* London Knights tickets: 4 games X 2, yrly incr. is $11.52 more.* Magazine Subscription: $25 annually X 4, increase is $8.00 more* Movie Tickets: one per month X 2, yearly increase is $16.32 more* Newspapers Subscription: $20 monthly, yrly incr. is $18.91 more* RRIF/RRSP**: $400,000 family savings, yrly incr. $1,040.00 more.
**This is a NEW HIDDEN TAX OF $52 per $20,000 on deposit, annually
* Telephone: if $48 monthly, yearly increase is $46.08 more* Tim Hortons Coffee: 3 per week X 2, yrly increase is $41.18.* Toronto Theatre: 2 X $150 ticket, yrly increase $24.00* Vacation Travel: $450 airline ticket X 2, yrly increase $76.00 more* Veterinarian: Beagle is Family! add $32.00 more.* Vitamins: $60 monthly X 2, yrly increase $115.20 more
Are you ready for the TAX KICK coming? THIS TAX IS COMING IN 2010.NEW TAXES OVER $2,100.00 MORE every year
Wow, does he/she have you on the edge of you seat, contemplating moving to Arizona or maybe suicide?
I would love to meet the so-called Boomer Wealth Coach. In fact I would love to oppose him/her in debate so that I might clean the floor with she/he. To start, I should say that I like the analysis that the Coach did. The retired couple is not doing too badly. Their income is $41,400 and their expenses are around $13,066. Leaving out, for now, the RRSP/RRIF tax increase, they will pay approximately $1,045.26 in increased tax with the HST implemented. The reason I left out the RRSP/RRIF is that it is under review at the province and subject to intense lobbying by the industry (and we all know that lobbyists run most governments). But for sake of our analysis let's put the RRSP/RRIF tax back in, making the total tax increase with the HST in place $2,100/year, as the Coach states.
Let's start with a couple of minor points. You pay $900 per year for haircuts? That is more than you pay to heat your home. Find a new barber, maybe one in Canada?. You pay $400 per year (each and every year) for legal advice? Are you a criminal? You pay $340 per year for magazines and newspaper, plus you pay $780 per year for Internet. You can get all the news and articles from the web for free! Finally, get rid of Fido and save $400 per year.
Now let's get to some meaty items that the Coach missed.
Your total income is $41,400 per year. 1) Your current tax rate is 6.05% for Ontario. In 2010 that rate drops to 5.05%. You save $414 per year. 2) I assume you own you own home. In 2010 the property tax credit for seniors will rise to $1025 each which will save you another $400 per year. 3) The sales tax credit for families in your circumstance will be $260 per person or $520 per year. And 4) let's not forget the $1000 non-taxable adjustment payment that you get in year one.
So let's do the math. Your increase in the tax load with the HST is $1050 per year for sake of argument ($2,100 per year if the RRSP/RRIF provision sticks).
Your reduction would total $1334 per year plus $1000 in year one for a total of... wait for it... $2334 in year one and $1334 per year.
Your savings would be $1284 in year one ($284, assuming the RRSP/RRIF provision sticks) and $284 per year thereafter.
No. It can't be. The Coach is wrong? The government is telling the truth? This will never wash at Conservative headquarters!
It is all so stupid
Don Martin's blurb in the Nat Post is a real pisser for anyone who follows Canadian politics. It is obvious that Don doesn't. Maybe he has been out of the country for the last couple of years -- which would make him less a Canadian, apparently, that other Canadians, according to his Prime Minister.
In his latest slag, he, again, rants on Liberals for calling the third election in three years. Three problems with that, Don. The first is that the Liberals can neither call an election (that is up to the Governor-General, or did you not know that?) nor force an election by themselves because it takes all three Opposition parties to do that (plain math skill, Don!). The second problem is that you seem to have not noticed (maybe you were at Harvard or Cambridge or something?) that it was Harper who forced the last TWO elections, even breaking HIS OWN election timing law! The third is that the country should have an election when its government does not reflect its values and priorities or when the government is corruptly running the country.
Take your pick, Don.
PS. Don't forget that you need your passport to get back in the country.
In his latest slag, he, again, rants on Liberals for calling the third election in three years. Three problems with that, Don. The first is that the Liberals can neither call an election (that is up to the Governor-General, or did you not know that?) nor force an election by themselves because it takes all three Opposition parties to do that (plain math skill, Don!). The second problem is that you seem to have not noticed (maybe you were at Harvard or Cambridge or something?) that it was Harper who forced the last TWO elections, even breaking HIS OWN election timing law! The third is that the country should have an election when its government does not reflect its values and priorities or when the government is corruptly running the country.Take your pick, Don.
PS. Don't forget that you need your passport to get back in the country.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
So much for "guess who"
With these latest court rulings that demand that anonymous bloggers be named, one has to wonder what goes next?
Will callers to CFRA have to identify themselves and swear an oath to that identity? That may not be a bad thing as many of the loyal Green callers would never dare call in on that basis.
What about the editorials in the newspaper? We never know who actually writes the editorials. We know who writes the letters to the editor but not the editorials. Hmmm.
In the Ottawa Citizen, some person writes about government under the fictitious name Mr. X. I wonder how his/her colleagues will feel when he/she is outed?
What about letters to Santa Claus? How does Saint Nick really know if Bobby's signature is real or if his Mom wrote the letter for him? Maybe Bobby does not really want the puppy and a pearl necklace.
Will callers to CFRA have to identify themselves and swear an oath to that identity? That may not be a bad thing as many of the loyal Green callers would never dare call in on that basis.What about the editorials in the newspaper? We never know who actually writes the editorials. We know who writes the letters to the editor but not the editorials. Hmmm.
In the Ottawa Citizen, some person writes about government under the fictitious name Mr. X. I wonder how his/her colleagues will feel when he/she is outed?
What about letters to Santa Claus? How does Saint Nick really know if Bobby's signature is real or if his Mom wrote the letter for him? Maybe Bobby does not really want the puppy and a pearl necklace.
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