Letters to the Editor, Mar. 22
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FISCAL DISASTER
Re: “Preem babying debt”, Mar. 21: The Teflon Man does a masterful job of comparing apples and oranges as if it means anything. It sounds like he’s either trying to sugarcoat the imminent budget or whitewash the fiscal disaster he has placed the province in or both. The relevant points begin with the fact that Ontario with its current deficit and debt trajectories, if they are not modified substantially, will have its debt downgraded by Moody’s. That will mean more money paid on interest on the debt at the expense of social programs in the future. Next, comparing Ontario’s current debt/GDP ratio to Canada’s of 20 years ago is irrelevant. The global economic environment is much different. Also, Canada’s debt is sovereign in nature. Ontario’s is not. It simply does not have the same backing including a central bank and is therefore of lower quality and requiring fiscal action sooner than federal debt or deficit of the same relative size. The facts are, using some of the most recently reported data, Ontario’s debt at $252 billion is 46% the size of the federal debt at $551 billion. The federal debt/GDP based on a $1.58 trillion GDP number, is 35%, slightly less than Ontario’s at 36%. Finally, the per capita federal debt load is about $16.6 thousand while the per capita Ontario debt load is about $18.4 thousand. For a resident of Ontario, add the two to get the total per capita debt load. Thus, on all counts, Ontario is in worse shape than the country as a whole. If the Feds are taking the federal fiscal situation seriously with significant cuts, then the Teflon Man had better don some armour and get down to business.
Ian Nunn
Ottawa
(Simply put - we need to cut the spending spree. Dalton is in denial)
GRAHAM JAMES
Re: “National travesty,” Mar. 21: Surprise, surprise... NOT! The most vulnerable, the weakest are the least protected in society, nice, eh? That’s right, children, seniors and animals are abused, neglected, raped daily in this country and what do the lawmakers, the judges, the politicians do about it? Well nothing all as usual. Graham James raped and molested children for years and all this sick twisted pedophile gets is 2 years in jail, and he will probably get out earlier for good “behaviour”. Just sickening! It’s pretty simple. The law does not protect children, seniors and animals properly and the people responsible for changing the laws to send these criminals to jail for longer periods of time have done nothing to change the laws. The politicians, the lawmakers of the land, are responsible for protecting its citizens from deviants, from twisted, demented rapists, so a lot of blame should be spread around for this type of behaviour to be allowed to continue. Lay the blame on politicians and on judges, they make and enforce the law. These people are not locking up these predators for long periods of time. They are not protecting the public, period. We should be the laughing stock of the world. This is a national and international embarrassment. Shame on Canada for not protecting its children!
Anthony Silvestro
Ottawa
(A lot of readers share your anger)
WIPE OUT
Re: Letters, Mar. 21: It’s not Harper who is “wiping out” the Liberal Party. it’s themselves...
Tim Roberts
Via Ottawasun.com
(Rae doesn’t need anyone’s help)
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