Dalton burns his friends at the Toronto Star

[moviefan]

Ouch. The other day, Dalton's gang leaked information about the fall economic statement to the Toronto Star, trumpeting the fact people are supposed to see a 10 per cent reduction in their energy bills.

The story ran front page on Wednesday, and was followed by a Jim Coyle column this morning (Thursday morning) crowing about how McGuinty had outfoxed the Conservatives on so-called pocketbook issues.

Well, not so fast.

It turns out there was a little surprise the Star didn't know about. Once the economic statement was actually released, it became clear the government is still predicting hydro bill increases. Even when the 10 per cent rebate is factored in, bills are still going to go up:

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/11/18/16204611.html

Another communications blunder by McGuinty.

 

[blackrock13]

It's Dalton's version of a pat on the back and then a kick in the head. He's not fooling anyone.

 

[landscaper]

you are assuming it was a blunder...
I don't think even the McGuinty herd of intellectual mallet headds could consistantly screw up like they have by accident, there has to be a plan...

And yes that does in fact worry me

 

[moviefan]

you are assuming it was a blunder...

I'll stick with my assumption. A quick scan of some of the news sites tells me it's going to be ugly in tomorrow's newspapers. For example, here's the editorial from the Toronto Sun:

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/editorial/2010/11/18/16210751.html

Or there's Christina Blizzard's column, where she talks about the bungled efforts to try to spin the rate hikes, and the "whiff of panic" around McGuinty:

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/christina_blizzard/2010/11/18/16210876.html

For those who don't care for the Sun, things don't get much better over at the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...-rates-to-jump-46-per-cent-in-five-years?bn=1

Meanwhile, at the National Post, Tasha Kheiriddin is calling it the "hydro bait and switch":

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...the-lights-on/

 

[nottyboi]

I'll stick with my assumption. A quick scan of some of the news sites tells me it's going to be ugly in tomorrow's newspapers. For example, here's the editorial from the Toronto Sun:

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/editorial/2010/11/18/16210751.html

Or there's Christina Blizzard's column, where she talks about the bungled efforts to try to spin the rate hikes, and the "whiff of panic" around McGuinty:

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/christina_blizzard/2010/11/18/16210876.html

For those who don't care for the Sun, things don't get much better over at the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...-rates-to-jump-46-per-cent-in-five-years?bn=1

Meanwhile, at the National Post, Tasha Kheiriddin is calling it the "hydro bait and switch":

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...the-lights-on/

Looks like Hudaks plans is SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! lol

 

[train]

I had to laugh at Duncan trying to claim that a forecasted deficit of ONLY $18 BILLION was good news. Let me see that's the second largest provincial deficit in Candian history only outdone by the one Duncan delivered last year. That's worse than Bob Rae's by a mile.

Hard not to want to impeach a government that thinks $18 billion in the hole is good.

 

[dirk076]

McGuinty doesn't get it but he will next October.

 

[landscaper]

he gets it now but he just does not have an answer, like most socialist govts he ran out of other peoples money to slend on his way to nirvana, unfortunatly the rest of us are going to be paying his tolls......

 

[fuji]

Even when the 10 per cent rebate is factored in, bills are still going to go up

Are you saying you would prefer subsidized centrally planned hydro pricing where the general tax payers underwrite an electricity subsidy?

How communist of you.

 

[landscaper]

Are you saying you would prefer subsidized centrally planned hydro pricing where the general tax payers underwrite an electricity subsidy?

How communist of you.

You don't seem to have a problem when the issue is medical costs...

 

[fuji]

You don't seem to have a problem when the issue is medical costs...

That's true, and there are reasons why. Medical costs can spiral up so high as to bankrupt the average individual, requiring insurance, and it turns out that the economies of scale for insuring such risks mean that the lowest prices are paid when the insurance pool is as large as possible. It's not a solution easily solved by an unregulated free market. The preconditions for an efficient market solution simply do not arise.

Now while it's true that power distribution is prone to monopoly, and thus there needs to be some level of government involvement in regulating that, power generation can be fairly competitive and the price function works quite well there, given equal access to a distribution grid.

As I said on another thread I am generally in favour of market based solutions, and market pricing, whenever the conditions of a free market can be generated, or created.

 

[nottyboi]

That's true, and there are reasons why. Medical costs can spiral up so high as to bankrupt the average individual, requiring insurance, and it turns out that the economies of scale for insuring such risks mean that the lowest prices are paid when the insurance pool is as large as possible. It's not a solution easily solved by an unregulated free market. The preconditions for an efficient market solution simply do not arise.

Now while it's true that power distribution is prone to monopoly, and thus there needs to be some level of government involvement in regulating that, power generation can be fairly competitive and the price function works quite well there, given equal access to a distribution grid.

As I said on another threat I am generally in favour of market based solutions, and market pricing, whenever the conditions of a free market can be generated, or created.

Man...if you only knew what an absolute orgy of waste setting up IESO was....

 

[moviefan]

Are you saying you would prefer subsidized centrally planned hydro pricing where the general tax payers underwrite an electricity subsidy?

How communist of you.

Fuji, you might want to read this article by Tom Adams: http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Ontario+shell+game+hides+green+costs/3869789/story.html

The inconvenient truth is this -- if the government is going to push an energy policy that panders to the Al Gore crowd, it is going to have to come clean (no pun intended) and admit that people's lives will get worse. To some extent, it looks like the government has belatedly recognized this fact, at least when it comes to costs (http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario...argue-green-power-is-costly-but-worth-it?bn=1).

I disagree with the Green Energy Act. You can choose to agree or disagree with my position, but it doesn't make me a Communist.

 

[landscaper]

there will be an announcement today regarding refurbishing 10 reactors and building 2 new ones at Darlington. Along with the change in hours on peak time it appears the McGuinty govt is getting pre election jitters.

Although where the 25 to 40 billion dollars is going to come from I have no idea, and I expect neither does he.

 

[landscaper]

That's true, and there are reasons why. Medical costs can spiral up so high as to bankrupt the average individual, requiring insurance, and it turns out that the economies of scale for insuring such risks mean that the lowest prices are paid when the insurance pool is as large as possible. It's not a solution easily solved by an unregulated free market. The preconditions for an efficient market solution simply do not arise.

Now while it's true that power distribution is prone to monopoly, and thus there needs to be some level of government involvement in regulating that, power generation can be fairly competitive and the price function works quite well there, given equal access to a distribution grid.

As I said on another thread I am generally in favour of market based solutions, and market pricing, whenever the conditions of a free market can be generated, or created.

So you are in favour of market based solutions as long as it does not cost you money, ie., a private medical insurance plan. However regulating the industry for a government mandated requirement for car insurance is a socialist scheme?

Interesting .