Adam Johnston: Moderate Green Centrist

Earth Day 2.0: A Day to Recycle and Build Something Better

2011-04-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today is April 22, 2011. Today is in case you did not know Earth Day. Yet despite being around since its inception 1970, as an awareness raising day about the problems concerning planet earth by then former United States senator Gaylord Nelson, the idea given the circumstances today have run its course.

Back then, the point of the day was to raise concern of the plight of Mother Nature. It was to voice concern about polluted rivers, torn down forests and man kind and the globalized economic model going to war against natural resources all in the name of financial greed. It was environmental activists condemning businesses as the villains every time when it came to environmental issues. It was always government the good guy protecting mother nature. While this was fine in the 1970's and early 1980's a few weird things happen on the way to now to 2011.

First thing that happen is many of the same, peace loving hippie protesters got burned out and became in the 1980's as they started to have families and began working in the real world became jaded and became corporate shills that often supported some of the most conservative pro Wall and Bay Street economic policies that lined their pockets. This created a afluenza lifestyle, the exact opposite of what many of those from the hippie generation opposed.

The second thing that incurred was the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the rise of the globalized economic system. This help paved the way to not only opening up countries borders economically, but also allowed to make issues more global in nature like the environment. Now environmental issues, were starting to be considered a much more global issue then before. Fields like energy, environmental economics, and sustainability politics started to take shape.

The last thing that has had perhaps the most significant change to Earth Day and is closely related to the second one, is the rise of the World Wide Web (WWW) and Information Technology. The WWW has allowed people the opportunity to access more information on environmental issues, while engaging on debate on what needs to be done to solve such crisis's. At the same time, Information Technology and technology in general has made it possible to develop new and exciting opportunities in clean technologies that can lower societies carbon footprint. They include wind turbines, biofuels, solar panels, hybrid cars, Electric Volt (EV) vehicles and bio plastics. The IT age has made it a lot more affordable to dispense many of these technologies to take shape at the size, scope, and scale needed to create a environmentally sustainability economy if the will was their.

Now flash forward to now in 2011. The same Earth Day still is here. However, it seems stuck in the 1970's raising awareness about the same dark green issues. Case in point. Tonight, I will be attending an event being put on by the Boreal Forest Network, the Council of Canadians (COC) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) featuring the COC national chair person Maude Barlow. The subject: take a guess. Could it be: Green economy? Could it be, green jobs training? Wrong again. Could it be the energy crisis and the need to provide sufficient clean energy amounts to those who need it the most? Wrong again. It is about a talk about the Boreal Forest and water issues. Most of all it is being held at the Fort Garry Hotel? Kind of afluenza and hypocritical, isn't it?

While I have a lot of respect for her and her knowledge, on these issues an event like this represents on Earth Day what is exactly wrong with the usual environmental issues being played out amongst the converted activist base here in Winnipeg. This is the best, in a city of 750,000 could to to engage rank and file citizens on environmental issues? While it will be good to listen to her pitch about Boreal forests, and Lake Winnipeg for the 20th billionth time, couldn't we try something new?

I am done with Earth Day and raising awareness about the same stuff day in and day out. A new set of mind thinking needs to be set in. Lessons could be learned. As Thomas Friedman said in his 2009 book Hot, Flat and Crowded 2.0, that “We do not need our consciousness raised anymore by rock bands whose electricity usage is erased by carbon offsets.” (465). We don't need an Earth Day, that the one that comes every April.

We need to re-think our strategy as environmental thinkers. We need to advocate for change and real issues that effect citizens and their economic well being. We need heroes that have proven that linking environmental issues and tying it in with a market economy is best. We need to have more Van Jones's and Muhammad Yunus' who have advocated for real change and given us real examples of what can be done through their work in Green For all and the Grameen Bank respectively in Canada. We need to engage youth like the Briefcase Brigades in the United States who are dressing up in business attire demanding that their needs to be more done to help the millennium generation (born between 1980-2000) find work in this high tech world. And lastly we need to find ways to provide enough energy to the 9 billion people of this world by 2050 that won't cook our planet. The energy demanded by everyone in 2100 will be around 1400 Kila Joules (KJ), from what I learned in my Energy Economics class last term, compared to around 400 KJ in 2000. All of the data was based on Jaccard from a 2005 book.

Yes I am done with Earth Day, and the rag tag speeches by activists who talk about the same stuff every year. Lets put this in the recycling bin, and build a new Earth Day stronger we all can engage in. Call it Earth Day 2.0.

The musings of a Green Manitoba Liberal and Former New Democrat

2010-12-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

In recent years, I have made quite a few changes. For starters, I am in the midst of finishing my 3 year BA with a combined major in Economics and Rhetoric and Communications at the University of Winnipeg, I am now going out with a very smart and lovely girl (thank you and bless you Jess) and I write quite frequently on environmental economic policy in various community local papers to promote myself.

However, I think perhaps the biggest change I have noticed in the past 4 years since my melt down, is how much my politics have changed of sorts. Now while I considered myself always centre left and often disagreed with much of my left counterparts, this transformation really took off when I started university and my time there (more for a later date). That and dating a hard core centrist had made me realized that while I may be centre left, I have teetered more to the centre in the past few years.

Besides that, issues that I have had some issues in my time with the Manitoba NDP. These included in quite an extensive list: Quashing the one member one vote back in the 2007 convention in favor of an archaic system waaaaaaaaaaaay back when then Premier Doer was elected as MB NDP leader, The delegate system (oh boy, when I was like 7 or 8 years old) which damaged partially the reputation of themselves being a democratic party and attracting rank and file members; A leadership race through the delegate system that was more like a popularity contest just so you get to vote for the leader ( I was at the time a Selinger supporter at the time).

But perhaps the kicker was my second time chairing the Manitoba NDP environmental committee and trying to engage them on the issues of green jobs, green technology and green jobs training. Most could not grasp the size scope and scale needed on this issue, in which experts like Tom Friedman and Van Jones have written extensively is needed to address poverty and environmental concerns. Rather we would get into insipid debates about wilderness, and when I would try to bring up bold ideas like alternative energy co-operatives to run side by side with Manitoba Hydro in which areas where Hydro does not do a good job in (wind, solar and some parts of rural Manitoba), most members on the committee thought it was privatization. Ummm, small scale co-operatives and small private community businesses providing green energy services that Hydro is too slow, called privatization. I think that is crazy. This isn't like Hugh McFayden selling off Hydro to BP or Exxon. Give me a break.

That and then when I suggested creating a committee website and then two of the members from the committee went to provincial council in September, acted like 60's activists, thus making the party establishment mad, and once again punishing an idea I had and punishing me, when rather these two should have had a talking to by the provincial secretary. Not me. I had to talk to them in the next meeting.

Well, that basically set the stage for my adieu from the Manitoba NDP, December 8, 2010. Nearly almost ten years since I became a member in 2001. Well I guess a lot has changed since then. Now I have no problem with the people in general. In fact I have the highest regards to many of them who do work on many of the social issues I care about. But I can't at this time reconcile my ideas on solving poverty and environmental issues with the party's at this time.

I think we need more innovative ideas given such fiscal constraint we have now. We need more foundations in Winnipeg. We need more innovation. We need more green jobs training programs. We need more environmental think tanks that can do independent research. The Manitoba Eco Network, while it may do a good job in raising awareness, it just does not do enough. We need our own Sierra Club of Canada, Pembina Institute.

I cant see the current MB NDP supporting these above ideas. If you think that I am all of a sudden a Hugh fan, you are dead wrong, I cant support the Progressive Conservatives. After all, the Progressive Conservatives would do a horrible job on environmental issues. I wouldn't trust them at all. In fact, a Uniter opinion piece, I said that neither of the three major political parties here in the province, completely fully grasp the idea of the size and scope needed to support green technology in reaching our Kyoto limits. After all, this province, despite being committed is not even close.

Despite this, I believe that the Liberal Party of Manitoba had some interesting ideas last election like PST rebates on purchasing fuel efficient vehicles and converting vehicles for biodiesel. I think that while they may not be perfect, and likely will not win, they offer an opportunity for progressive Manitobans who have lost faith with the Manitoba NDP on the lack of innovation in recent years and fiscal goofs (look no further then the last provincial budget), while fearing what a Hugh McFayden Progressive Conservative majority government may do on environmental issues.

It would be weird to see that Jon Gerrard, the Liberal Party of Manitoba leader, who has been mocked sometimes by both the Manitoba NDP and Progressive Conservatives, may actually be the king maker potentially in the fall of 2011 if there is a minority government in the keystone province.

While I will support the Liberals provincially, The Green Party of Canada, an ecologically centrist party, gets my Federal vote. Elizabeth May, compared to all the other leaders in Ottawa, shows the most integrity, while at the same time, there is much to like about the Green Party platform and they continue to get 10% in the polls. I think we will a Green MP in the next few years. It will happen.

And as for me personally, I will continue to work on environmental economic, poverty and technology issues. I want to work on policies that promote co-operatives and small scale private businesses, while having some connections outside of the political arena. I think I will be as less active with the Manitoba Liberals as I want a little freedom. I would like to do TED type talks on green economic and poverty issues. I think I owe that to all those who have been good to me.

Good night and good luck to you all.

The Environmental Movements Catch 22

2010-07-27T17:48:00.001-07:00

With the 2010 summer being the hottest on record globally, this year on track to being the warmest ever, and the BP oil crisis, it is astounding that with all the momentum with these three circumstances, environmental issues can not seem to find the light of day.

The United States senate failed to bring in a climate bill that brought a price on carbon and real change, while here in Canada, federal officials continue to dither on green issues. In Manitoba, the government, to its credit has done some good things to address such topics, namely like promote its clean energy advantage through Manitoba Hydro, and wilderness protection, albeit very piecemeal in approach, while failing to provide strong bright green leadership, as noted in publications like Corporate Knights.

So why is it in a time, when it should be a slam dunk for environmentalists to get the issues front and centre and get some serious policy done, that nothing gets dramatically solved here in Winnipeg, Ottawa, or even in Washington?

All three scenarios (The U.S.A., Canada, and in Manitoba) have some differences, (i.e. political framework in how policy gets done) the environmental movements in these three areas of the world continue to trip up on the following tactics, which eventually do more harm then good in an ironic twist of fate.

1. "101 Ways You Can Help Save the Earth" is not going to save the earth

It is amazing what kind of stuff you can find with Google in terms of saving the earth. When doing a search, I found a article on Canada.com, which mentioned 101 ways, you yourself can save the Earth. These ranged from buying Tupperware, driving slower, eating local, and not allowing balloons to fly away. Sure driving slower and eating organic foods locally are great, but this is only part of the solution and a big problem. Promoting a green lifestyle is great and grand, but how can people live a greener life, if the policy, nor the tools are there. Many environmentalists love the values of toting a greener lifestyle, but in reaching that lifestyle come short in vein in how to get there (i.e. providing policy solutions to encourage people to eat locally, through creation of more green small businesses).

As Thomas Friedman said in various speeches promoting his 2008 book Hot, Flat and Crowded, "We don't have green policy, we have a green party". Serious policy discussion, needs to occur. Town halls can pop up where citizens, can engage on how we can get a serious green energy policy that will cut our carbon emission level back to the acceptable level of 350 parts per million, while at the same time, talking about what kind of policy is needed to promote local green entrepreneurship, in a globalized environment. A party may be fun, but sometimes, fun will not solve the crisis.

2. Elitism, awareness raising, protesting and de-linking environmental and economic issues, hurts more then helps

In all of my time dealing with environmental issues, whether it is currently as chair of the Manitoba NDP Environmental Committee, my dealings with Eco-Pia at the University of Winnipeg, or reading about reading about stunts like what Greenpeace did last year, breaching security on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, is how to this day in 2010, when environmental issues need a broader range of support, continue to use the same old tactics that worked in the 1960's and 70's? Granted credit must be given to some environmental groups like the Sierra Club of Canada, National Resources Defense Council in the United States, provide excellent places of environmental discussion in a moderate context, increased discussion on environmental economics in the media and personalities like Van Jones who hammer the point home about building a broader environmental tent, with unlikely allies like business (specifically non-corporate), union and faith groups, the fact is, many of the stereo types that the environmental movement has are still well in place.

One can point to the G20 protests in Toronto Ontario this past June, where likely many of the activists there where were causing damage come from well off households. We can also tie this to the green lifestyle, which I mentioned in point number one, where many of the green products can not be afforded by those who are making minimum wage. This provides somewhat of a elitism to the environmental movement that some have critical. When you are working constantly to pay your bills, try to save for the future, surviving and go to school, in some cases, you really do not have a lot of empathy for activists and protesters, who have more free time then others, and can afford to do this.

What the environmental movement needs is to get beyond the elitism perception and build a broader tent. As Thomas Friedman says in his book The World is Flat, "You don't help the world's poor by dressing up in a turtle outfit and throwing a stone through McDonald's window. You help them by getting them the tools and institutions to help themselves. It may not be as sexy as protesting against world leaders in the streets of Washington and Genoa, and getting lots of attention on CNN, but it is a lot more important", (P. 553). Van Jones even goes further to strengthen this point in the book The Green Collar Economy, noting that "In this day and age, our main job is to seek out friends wherever we can, not just to defeat enemies", (P. 115).

These two quotes from two of the most respectful people on environmental issues exemplify the problems within the environmental movement, as mentioned with the protesters at the G20 conference, the activists who run up Parliament Hill, those in Eco-Pia, who do not like to tackle the hard issue of linking environmental issues, with job creation, but rather say that environmental issues and economic must be mutual exclusive. They instead rather focus on the nice fluffy pancake issues of raising awareness about Caribou in the forest, which is a slam dunk issue that most people will go for.

With mindsets like that, will in the end only hurt Mother Earth rather then help. It's those like the caribou in the forest, or the ocean fish who will be hurt the most.

That is ultimately the irony and the catch 22 of the current environmental movement. All the pot banging, awareness raising, and lifestyle showcases in the world will not help, unless, a strong economic case is made clearly to poor people, working class, and government policy is backed up to give investment incentives to lower and middle income people to invest in green entrepreneurship and green energy opportunities.

My virtual think tank offers excellent policy prescriptions on how us as Manitobans, and Canadians can do a better job in engaging people on environmental issues.

The creation of Modern Economics and thank yous

2010-04-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am honestly tired, but yet feel a sense of relief and somewhat joy. I have just finished, perhaps one of the most intense projects ever in my 29 year old life. Yet it may be my finest work ever, although I have not been marked yet. I am talking about my project for Reading and Writing On-Line Class. For those who do not know, I decided to to a market based, centrist virtual think tank, devoted to poverty, environment and technology issues. Two reports help me came up with this.

I was reading both the critical expose of the Manitoba environmental record in the 2009 Free Press article Pale Green, and the 2009 Corporate Knights report card for Manitoba, which got a failing grade. I thought after reading this that there must be better and newer ideas that can help solve some of which the province faces with regards to a lack of vision for environmental policy. This was the catalyst that help me spurn me idea forward.

I also got inspiration as well to create a portfolio that I can show to potential employers when I graduate in a year or just over, which can showcase my knowledge on environmental policy, poverty & technology issues. This is kind of what Creative Communications students do at Red River College with the Independent Professional Project, which is required for them to graduate.

I began working on this project during the Olympics, which was about seven weeks ago, by writing a proposal to my Reading and Writing On-Line professor about using my project for the creation of a market based socially just think tank that will promote environmentalism, fight poverty and promote technology. It was approved. The professors only concern was that it might have been to much to chew. But I knew I could do this. It also helped I was forced to drop professional style and editing class, because I could get anything concrete from the professor teaching that class. Oh well, I will take it next year.

It was a long gruelling process. Long, late nights, after getting home from H&R Block, working on documents, to about midnight or 1 am, some nights, as well as getting up early every Sunday morning to work on this or my natural resource economics paper. But I managed to do it. Some times, especially early on in March, I honestly thought I could have broken down. Even the odd time later on, I thought I could. But I did not. I plowed through it. I knew I had something special with this. Combining this, along with my Strategies for Professional & Technical Communication class, where I created a pretend policy centre, that promoted ideas on fighting poverty, cleaning up the environment and promoting technology was amazing.

At the end of the day, it was worth it all. Sure, I will likely not get any awards, compared to creative communications, where they reward amazing work with ceremonies, nor will I land a nice plum Manitoba government job at the legislature working for an MLA, but considering, I did not have a big budget, the fanciest recording equipment, legislature experience, I used all of the experience, from taxes, accounting, finance, as well as my worth ethic in this. I guess you can say this was the first part in my own Shawshank Redemption. But like with every good work that I do, I would like to thank some people and places, who although may not directly have contributed to this, gave me hope, when I was down.

First, I would like to thank Cabelas Canada, my other part time job. Without Cabelas, I guess I could say that maybe, I would not have been able to work as much as I have.

Secondly, I would like to thank everyone at H&R Block, especially the 232 Henderson location. Without the likes of Larry, Brenda, Lone, Judy, Robin,Shaunda, I don't know how sane I would be. You guys kept my spirits up, and took my mind off of school work, and looking for summer work. It is also H&R Block, the experience that I have gotten since tax season 2005, and training, which gave me the base to explore and explain environmental tax issues clearly. You guys are like a family to me.

Third, My best friend, James. You and I have been best friends since grade 1 and that is not going to change. We have lots of fun, with all those food festivals and it is always a calming feeling to play video games, talk about light hearted things. Your understanding means so much to me.

Fourth, my mom, stepdad, my brothers, Paul, Tommy. Thanks for being there and supportive, during such a nutty season I go through every year with tax season, especially this year with this project, thanks.

Fifth, The MB NDP government for giving me the inspiration, because of the lack of inspiration and vision, which the government currently has on environmental, poverty and technology issues. I hope my project becomes your platform in 2011, or 2015, because honestly, the MB NDP brass could use some of these ideas Now and not fifty years when I am six feet under and it is thunder storming with 100mm of rain on Christmas Day in 2059.

Sixth, Burbs and Deeps, for pouring on all those, whoos. Where would I be, without those. Whoos.

And of course, lastly, the love of my life, Jess. I appreciate all of the support you have given me. When I was done, you given your nutty creative communications schedule, had time to support me. Thanks for giving me advice, on editing, as well as even some good ideas for my project. I do not know where I would be with out you. You are a life saver, in many ways. I love you so much. I appreciate everything you have done for me since we met 11 months ago. You have always kept my hopes up. I hope that next year in creative communications, I can be assistance with your free lance management class, giving you tax advice. :)

Go to http://moderneconomicstechnologyenvironment.wordpress.com to see my project.

The moderate green centrist guide to protesting

2010-02-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

If you have not been paying attention lately, the 2010 Winter Olympic games, have taken off in Vancouver since Friday with the opening ceremony. Along with the normal sporting events, another type of event that is competing with the Olympic sports is the (non) sport of protesting. Yes, protesting.

Unlike the the sports of the 2010 Winter Olympics that involve athletic prowess, protesting involves not who can score the most goals, who has the best triple axle, or jumping into the air, protesting, involves reacting against something. This can range from corporatism, corporate greed (Wall Street), environmental destruction (Alberta tar sands), human rights abuses and so forth.

While I am a social justice guy, and I agree with many concerns on the Olympics (namely corporatism) and some issues (environmental problems), I cant really understand why people would protest against the Vancouver Olympics. Sure, the Olympic games are slightly over budget, yes Canada has a brutal environmental policy, thanks to Harper, and yes, the Olympics have turned into a corporate showpiece, thanks to Corporate America and millionaire athletes competing in a sporting event originally for amateurs. But for protesters to complain about the Alberta Tar sands in Vancouver, smash windows of Hudson's Bay stores will not solve many of today's world ills.

When reading about the protests Friday and Saturday on the Internet at work, and reading the viewer comments, I got a sense, that the protesters (especially the anarchist) where really painting a black eye for the city of Vancouver and Canada. I got a sense after reading many comments from viewers on many news sites like CTV and CBC a sense of irony.

The irony was that despite the concern for many social justice issues, the protesters were only adding to social problems. Whether it may be some travelling via air planes to protest (adding to the carbon foot print), smashing windows(violence), one wonders if anything was achieved.

I attest, I feel sorry for the peaceful protesters. They really were not the instigators in this. In fact, some people within the social justice movement did not like many anarchists particpating in the protests. Yet, despite some calls, within the social justic movement on the anarchists, a majority still believe likely that protesting the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics by peaceful, different ways is still something to believe in.

However, after seeing these incidents in Vancouver, last weekend, along with the usual activist left and hipster elements who would rather march on a issue, provide vauge solutions that don't solve the problem (along with soaking in no name bands that 99.99999% of people do not care about at the Lo-Pub and Folk Fest, sorry most of my NDP friends), I am convinced that something better can occur besides squaking.

So here is my recipe for non protesting social justice.

1. Donate to a charity of your choice which is close to your beliefs: Yes, folks, why not save your money on that trip to Vancouver British Columbia, cut your carbon footprint and have a direct impact on the issues within your area. If you believe in poverty and education, donate to the United Way, which often goes after the root causes of poverty, rather then band aid solutions (examples include contributions to SEED Winnipeg, a micro credit organization) If environmental issues are your cup of tea, why not consider a contribution to the Sierra Club of Canada. Donating a charity is a great idea if you do not have enough time to volunteer.

2. Volunteer: If you lack the financial resources, or have free time, why not consider volunteering. Winnipeg Harvest is always looking for volunteers as they fight to make sure every Winnipeger does not go hungry.

3. Put your money in a credit union: If you hate the big banks, why not pull your account out and put your hard earned money into a local credit union. Assiniboine Credit Union, is an excellent credit union that works toward social justice, while maintaining economic efficiency. Assiniboine has partnered with other organizations like SEED Winnipeg in providing loans for inner city and lower income citizens to create small businesses, while fighting poverty.

4. Have Town Halls: Perhaps maybe, instead of marching, protesting and having art exhibits, maybe politicians and citizens need to go back to the good old town hall. Former Liberal MP, Garth Turner, was well known for having town hall meetings with his constituents. Town hall meetings to explain policy like why we need green technology to save the environment and create jobs would engage citizens in the environmental movement, rather then protests against government.

5. Write papers proposing solutions: If your a University student, and do not really care for the usual Saturday afternoon protest at the leg, why not write a policy paper? It can be more productive and you will be a hero to your peers. You can put all that energies from throwing rocks and bottles into something more useful.

6. Put your money into a Socially Responsible RRSP: Socially responsible investing is hitting it's stride. Many good socially responsible RRSP's are out there, including, Ethical Funds and the Investors Group Summa Fund. Studies have shown that they consistently do well, despite some of its critics.

7. Work, Work, Work and put some of your hard earned money into either 1, 3, 6: Enough said. Instead of whining against the system, work within it, make some money then do either 1,3,6.

8. Vote, Vote Vote: Engage yourself during election time, ask the right questions and vote for the party that represents the values closet to your beliefs.

So there you have it. My eight point plan to protesting against the protesters. While it may not be glamorous compared to smashing windows and smelling tear gas, but you will be contributing to the social justice movement then protesting against every cotton picken thing in this world.

Now if you excuse me, I think I am going to go enjoy the hard work of athletes from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on CTV, while looking for a summer job to pay for my last year of school.

P.S., no hipster music here.

Strategies For Tehnical and Professional Communication Panel Presentation: Communications Technology

2010-02-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

I, along with three other people today in Strategies for Technical and Professional Communication class, did a panel presentation on communications technology, which is one of my favorite subjects.

I analyzed, three articles. One on the problems with PowerPoint presentations. The other two were how the Internet can be a double edged sword to serve both good and evil purposes. Lastly, a some quick notes on how the Internet is effecting professional careers (re: health care industry, in particular).

The Perils of PowerPoint, Chapter 48, Readings for Technical Communication

Written by Thomas R. McDaniel and Kathryn N. McDaniel

Thomas and Kathryn McDaniel in this article discuss even though PowerPoint can be a great tool for a teacher, there are some issues with regards to its use. Some of these issues include:

Inflexibility:

The authors mention that PowerPoint the content that can be presented, but also how fast the presenter can go. An example is if a question is asked by a student about a concept, the flow of a presentation may be lost if a presenter has to skip slides within the presentation. This will leave the viewer in frustration, and confused.

Riskiness

Often the presenter will depend on the PowerPoint, like it was it was blood. This is risky because, should a technological malfunction occur or if the machine is not working, then the presenter will have to abandon the PP. If the presenter does not have a clear grasp of the presentation without using PowerPoint, then it becomes a potential hazard, leaving the crowd disappointed and a lack of trust may occur with the audience

Crutch:

Often people in the academic universe rely on PowerPoint as a crutch to get by, in order to compensate for a lack of interpersonal communication skills, with using the PP as a way of creating a multimedia academic journal where they load to much jaronic info, where students may have a hard time in understanding. This can cause a break down in communication between the presenter and the audience.

Boring:

Presentations done on PowerPoint can disengage the audience when the presenter comes in and flips on the PP. This can zone out the audience and not get them to focus on a presenters message. Also at times the presenter may print out the slides, causing the audience to wonder why does he/she have to sit through the presenter running off billeted points. The audience may not have to wonder what key concepts are being explained and think them out. If there is no relationship between the material and the presentation, the audience will be getting a pillow very fast.

Style but where is the Substance

Too much style will subtract from the the core subject of the presentation, causing the audience to be disengaged. Do not try to make too many flying bullets.

Globe and Mail July 2, 2009

Why the Internet is a double-edged sword

By Abraham Cooper and Harold Brackman

The whole article discusses that even though the Internet has been around and has done some good stuff in promoting democracy, evil is still ever present now more then ever as various tyrannical governments and hate groups use communications technology for there own devices. As the saying goes, “The more things change the more the stay the same” is the motto for this piece.

While the article explains, as mentioned, the Internet has done a lot of social good( twittering the Iranian protests, Barack Obama), there has been some examples of tyranny and evil, including:

The article noted that in the year 1995, only 1 hate website was on the World Wide Web. In 2009, there was 10,000, a 10,000% increase.
The Chinese government is making Internet cafes in the country switch to government run software called “Red Flag:, because the government says it “protects them against viruses”
Nokia Siemens, a Finnish-German Telecommunications equipment maker, has been accused of selling technology to Iran, which has allowed the government to eavesdrop and track on-line dissident from the protests.

The following quote summarizes the more things change, more they stay the same mentality by the authors:

“ Let's face it: From the invention of the printing press to the telegraph, to radio and television and to the Internet, innovation has always been a double edged sword. Contrary to the technological utopians, there is not such thing as an invention whose potential fore good cannot be perverted for evil.”

The Impact of the Internet on professional relationship: The case of Health Care

Professional services lack reaction to the Internet revolution. Known as the gatekeepers of knowledge. (IE. Accountants may be hesitant on being more interactive)
With low acquisition costs and interactivity, along with the buying public, can change how professional services are delivered
Internet can force a remodelling of how these services are provided (IE Internet pharmacies is a great example)
Effect the product or service (i.e. Prescription drugs, or medical information from on line doctors.
The Internet has changed the professional consumer relationship. Now it is interactive. Producers/or the professional industries can not go it alone. Professional industries need to work along with consumers with regards to the knowledge of information, because sometimes consumers may no better in some circumstances
Global communities, where consumers have a specific interest (example is the Internet pharmacy boom in the 2000's where people from the United States would order medication on line)
This will influence the health care encounter between patient and the professional. Internet pharmacy is a great example where while there is no doctor, the person would fax, email prescription, on site pharmacist would look at the Rx, pack the medication and send it out to the patient.
Professionals will have to use consumer knowledge.

Bringing Copenhagen Home: Analysis and A challenge to Manitoba's Elite

2010-02-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

Climate Change Connection, along with the University of Winnipeg presented a day long teach in about the recent Copenhagen UN environmental talks. There was a variety of sessions, including a Climate Diagnosis, Alternatives to Consumption and the failures of Copenhagen.

There was as well Elizabeth May, who did a phone speech on politics and the environment. May noted that virtual organizations along with civil society will have to put the pressure on our governments. She also noted that there is always an ongoing battle with the fossil fuel industry and the media with regards to presenting the case for climate change and the environmental issues.

I attended the Climate Diagnosis seminar by Danny Blair, the Geography chair at the University of Winnipeg. Blair, who is probably one of the best in explaining the science of climate change in Winnipeg, mentioned that 2 C is the tipping point for temperature. If that is not scary enough, in the presentation, he noted that in the worst case scenario, according to research done, that the arctic temperatures may rise by double digits by the end of this century.

What was maybe the most striking thing in this teach in was not his telling of the stats on climate change, but rather what can scientists do make the public become more understanding on climate issues. This is something, as an Economics and Rhetoric & Communications student, know a lot why perhaps many in the general public are, sadly skeptical on this issue. Many good points where made in the room, especially on how the media perpetrates for their own cause against climate change, and do not necessarily report the facts straight.

I made also many points within this session. I particularly mentioned the need that scientists who work on climate change issues, must need to start making better links with economic issues, and how if nothing is done, that everyone will be hurt in the pocket book. The Stern Report
argues that Gross Domestic Product (GDP), may decline as much as 10% if nothing is solved.

I also made the point that we have to talk about creating green jobs in Manitoba. I argued that small business must lead the way, and that the Manitoba government (and Federal) do not do enough in this.

Why is it that this province solely relies on Manitoba Hydro, and not too much on small scale, local grass roots entrepreneurship for green jobs. Maybe it is time the province diversifies it sole reliance on Hydro and maybe have local consumers and producers create alternative energy utilities like small scale hydro and wind. Why not use the provinces tax code, and have tax credits? Why not have a green tax and use that revenue to alleviate lower income peoples tax burden and get them involved in this new green entrepreneurship that a "green" province, like ours should be at the fore front. Why not have more environmental think tanks in "Friendly Manitoba" that will spur engagement on green issues? Is it me, or is this why Manitoba stays stuck? It pains me to see that the recent University of Winnipeg job/career fair held on January 21, 2010, not a single environmental or green company, outside of Manitoba Hydro or a government agency was there. This is the year 2010, the last time I checked. This is sad.

So today, I am making this challenge....

To the Province of Manitoba, I challenge you to seriously re-consider much of your green policy. Yes congrats you have done a lot, but your lack of vision is seriously hampering what could be done. Yes, continue to pat yourself on the back for the Business Week Environmental award you won five years ago. That is old news. New leadership is needed. A carbon tax needs to be implemented, via recommendations from a panel of environmentalists, economists citizens and business people.

Point number two for Greg Selinger and company, DO NOT ONLY RELY ON HYDRO AS YOUR MAIN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PLAN!!! Small scale, community oriented green entrepreneurship can be the middle ground between complete corporate ownership and complete government ownership. Why not. What does this province have to lose. Do this now, because what if Manitoba Hydro was ever privatized and sold to the likes of people in the oil industry. Then, this province will HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY POLICY!!!

Also lets encourage environmental think tanks . More grants need to be given out to those who want to do this.

For the University of Winnipeg and even Manitoba, more collaboration needs to be done between various faculties and student groups. The Geography, Economics and Business students associations could work on some projects in the future on creating solid environmental policy. Why not? What does everyone have to lose. It would allow those students who have a passion and knowledge on these issues to rise above it all.

To the career services people at the U of W. You failed miserably in engaging in trying to bring green businesses to the career fair. Why not do surveys amongst the student population on what students want at the career fair, in particular, environmental organizations. Remember, every year, this is a CAREER FAIR. I am sorry, the last time I checked, not every graduate wants to work at Blockbuster, nor work at a call centre for the rest of their lives.

There you go. A simple starting point. So I suggest, every one check their egos at the door. Anything is possible. Look at the Internet almost twenty years ago and how it revolutionized almost everything we do as a society today. I just don't want to grow in my 50's and 60's seeing outside in a late January or early February day a massive rain storm that cripples the City of Winnipeg, causing flooding. That is a horrible potential scene to make people think. I know I would want change, rather then the status quo.

My Technology Autobiography

2010-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my Technology Autobiography, from my Reading and Writing On-Line class in Rhetoric and Communications class.

Adam Johnston and the Technology Redemption

It is January 2010. I am sitting here writing a personal narrative on my Compaq laptop that has about 250 GB with a DVD burner. I also get most of my information from the Internet now. Pretty high tech compared to those Commodore computers in the early 1980’s. I sit here in amazement sometimes to think that it wasn't this way, 30, 20, or heck, even 10 years ago. I am definitely not a 60 year old grandpa. At the old age of 29, I have a lot to share in how technology has deeply impacted my life, and even to an extent, redeemed me. Let’s take a trip down memory lane shall we?

1980's

I was born in 1980. The 1980's were not an exciting time for technology, compared to now. However, our house at 359 Bowman Avenue in East Kildonan had a colour television. We had a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR); you know that machine that played very clunky tapes. You could even record stuff on them. Yes, the VCR, when it was hungry for a snack would always eat those tapes. It gave me hissy fits sometimes. I remember my mom cleaning the machine by putting some liquid into a tape cleaner. That and the days of Cablevision offering about 25-30 channels including your usual CBC, CTV, as well later on that decade finally offering TSN to regular cable instead of pay television. By viewing the world from coloured television, I saw not only learned how to become technologically efficient by learning to change the channel in the house by myself, but witnessed some historical events that decade.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and Canada's ONLY FIFA men's World Cup qualification back in 1986, while I was in Kindergarten stick in my mind in how vivid and powerful television (albeit a passive form of technology, which I hate being passive) was to me back that day. Those were the days. I sometimes miss my VCR eating my tapes as well as that 25 channel universe. I miss them because although a VCR and the 25 channel universe are outdated, they make me think about how simple and slow things were, when comparing the fast past and challenging times now. But I can't get that back now. They are six feet under the ground.

My elementary days at Polson School from 1985-1992 didn't allow me to experience a lot of high tech gadgets. The technology for most of my elementary life involved crayons, pencils, paper, and scissors. Heck, many times I always battled trying to colour within the lines. I could not colour within the lines if the world depended on it. By Grade 6, I did learn a bit about computers. I got to use these things called “Apple”. These are not things you eat, but process information from a “keyboard” into a hard drive that showed that information on a black and white screen like a television. This was the greatest thing in the world I thought. I got to play games like Oregon Trail and Number Munchers. They allowed me to learn new things and process information better. How I miss those lovely Number Munchers.

1990's

By the time 1992 rolled around, I had finished elementary and was heading to Munroe Junior High, just down the street. How much fun would it be? By the time I had started junior high in September 1992, the decade was in full swing, the Cold War was over, the Gulf War ended and the start of what I did not think of at the time would occur: The technological revolution.

In my school days that decade, I got to use a coloured Apple Computer in Junior High. I got to play my favourites in colour. I got to do some school work for the first time on a computer and saved it on a floppy disk. I thought I was maturing. To actually do school work on a computer made me feel almost “grownup” at the time.

All those warm fuzzy moments of feeling special, of using a computer to do simple school work would pale in comparison when I was in high school in 1995-1998. I remember using the Internet in my Senior 2 keyboarding class in 1996.Going “on-line” for the first time and learning what a website was an experience. It was slow. I recall dialling up the Internet on a Netscape Browser. Nothing spectacular. Accessing the really cheesy-looking River East School Division home page, this had a production value equalling to a bunch of, what could be considered now Kindergarten quality. I would consider it Kindergarten quality because the graphics and text could have been done by a five year old. Maybe I could have done the River East site 10 years earlier if the Internet existed back in 1986. I guess not bad in 1996.

I didn't really think too much of the Internet when I first saw it. I thought, maybe, as a fifteen year old kid at the time this, MAY have potential of having a dramatic impact in our lives. I thought this because, the potential to access information, interactivity, see video, hear audio and video. But I thought because it was slow and tedious to start, I wasn't completely sold. But eventually I would. It would take time, just like how things have in my life for opportunity lately.

The 1990's as a game changing decade for technology. However it would be the first decade of the 21^st century, on how I would finally get sold on how technology, the Internet and the on-line world would dramatically impact not society but me.

2000's

At the start of this decade, I did some accounting work for various places including working as an accounts payable clerk, accounting technician and bookkeeper to name a few. I brought the Internet for the first time into my home, due to it being compulsory with the Certified General Accountant program. However that turned out to be a disaster. I never finished the program (hence why I am here at the U of W). But I did get the Internet out of it. I loved going on Napster and downloading music and watching streaming video on high speed. I was starting to slowly become sold on the Internet because of the possibilities.

I also expanded further technological knowledge, in large part to starting to gain new skills in new tax software (Profile), as I started to work at H&R Block in 2005 for every tax season since. I learned comfortably how to use my tax knowledge from their classes and applied it for my own economic gain. I loved the fact I could enter someone's T4 into a software program and it spits out whether a client gets a refund or owes to the government. I felt like I had power to help people and advise them on the finances directly! It made me feel smarter then most other people at tax time. This was the start of my redemption, compared to the failure of the CGA program in 2001 and 2001.

It was about a few years later, in 2007, largely in part to my passion for taxes at working at H&R Block, that I wanted to go back to University and try my luck at Economics and my other passion: writing in rhetoric. I wanted something new so I did that in 2008. I started my combined major that year.

That was the time; I realized the impact technology has had on me. If it wasn't for technology, by learning new tax software and applying that tax knowledge for economic gain, I may not be working on my degree. I love the fact; you can Google information that can help guide your paper, rather then sifting through 20 hours of books. This is especially helpful for a guy like me who works a lot while going to school. I just don't have the time to sift through a gazillion books for a paper.

While I wish I could go back sometimes to my early childhood and play with crayons, I would not trade my Internet and Compaq laptop for a shot of being a child again. As Martha Stewart would say, “that is a good thing”.

Responding to a dumb Shine column about deal breakers in relationships

2010-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my response to a recent Shine Column written by Yahoo! Shine. This was not going to be my normal column this week. In fact, likely that will be put back to Tuesday. This is too important to not say anything.

Dear Shine:

I have to say, this is the most pathetic excuse ever for advice for deal breakers on dating. I am a 29 year old male, living with my parents, going to school full time, working on average two jobs throughout the year to improve my career prospects.

I work hard to pay for my school, pay my bills and tuition. Not only do I go to University full time, I in the fall also usually taking an Income Tax course for H&R Block so I can prepare income taxes for them in tax season. I am going out with my sweet girlfriend, who admires me for working as hard as I do. I do not have any kids, nor I have the time. I also live with my parents because of the above, but I care for them as they are getting older. My mom did a lot for me when I was young, and I want to take care of her as much as I can now.

I do not have a lot of time to myself. I value all the time that I can between my loving 20 year old girlfriend, my family and my friends. In fact I get on average 5-6 hours a sleep a night balancing work, school, friends and love.

I would suggest that your person who wrote this column, take a few reality check pills, time warp herself to the year 2010 and realize that life is not a bed full of roses.

Perhaps we are not all Sex and the City, shop a holics go to the bar and get drunk and arrive at home at 4 am every weekend. Some of us, like myself have to honor of going to be at 11 pm/midnight, getting up the next morning at 5:30 am or 6 am, going to work and school. I would like to see the person who wrote this column try that for a year. The author would be yelling for her mommy and daddy faster then Usain Bolt running the 100m in 9.76 seconds.

By the way, here are my deal breakers:

The Party a holic: A girl who constantly is going out until 4 am in the morning every night getting drunk. Screw you.

The one with baggage: Yep. Those who have excess baggage like not telling you they have 4 kids instead of three or still is romantically involved with their ex. Check mate.

The Shop a holic: Those who spend every day for two hours at Le Chateau. Check mate.

Those are my deal breakers.

P.S. by the way, maybe your columnists at Shine should be all fired and put on the Unemployment line. Then maybe they can go live with mommy and daddy and beg them for money for designer shoes and fancy $500 dress. Maybe they will learn that Savers (United States) or Value Village in Canada for clothing is not so bad afterall.

Yours Truly,

Your Favorite Deal breaking 29 year old work a holic University student living at home trying to improve his career prospects while caring for everyone.

A Johnston

PPS. Please, instead of calling yourself Shine, Call yourself a Disgrace or even better yet, Garbage.

Customer Service= Solid Gold

2010-01-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

While many consider formal education plays an important role in a career, one skill, also is very important for not only the lifeline of any business, but as well as any enhancing a career: Customer Service.

Yes, while your degree might get you a great job, it is the art of handling customers (both internal and external) will win you success and make sure that you thrive.

For those who do not know what customer service is, it can be defined as quite simply as improving the well-being of a customer.

Customer service is everywhere and every front. It can range from simply serving a customer a burger at McDonald's, to preparing someones taxes at H&R Block to dealing with fellow employees internally on payroll issues.

There are two types of customer service: External (outside of the organization, i.e., selling a product) to Internal (dealing with people inside the organization, i.e., revising schedules with employees). Both are vital for a healthy and productive organization, whether it is for profit or non profit.

Bad customer service is never good. Studies have showed that people rarely talk about good customer service. However, if someones has a bad customer service story, it is likely their friend will pass it to the next friend to the next. To the point where ten people will hear that same story and likely not go to purchase that organization. This can be applied to as well with regards to looking for employment with an organization. One bad story about an employer will likely get passed on, and thus may leave a bad mark on the potential employer, who may be looking for very bright employees. This may also effect a company's bottom line, as that same company will have to spend a few thousand dollars in the process of hiring a new employee (creating the ad, interviews, training, etc).

So, here are some simple customer service tips that can improve customer service externally and internally, based on experience that I have from working at places like Cabela's, H&R Block (including notes from a hand book from 2006 Skills for Success training on Quality Client Care) and Universal Drugstore to name a few

1. Whenever you can, introduce yourself. Very important, especially if you want to build trust amongst the customer.

2. Clear communication on the product, service or policy. Bad communication is a no no. It is never a good thing not to be clear on something. Why? Quite frankly, it confuses the customer, and the will begin to question your product knowledge, while lacking faith on you. Always if you do not know the answer, ask a fellow worker, supervisor, or research company materials (handbooks, catalogs) to get the best information for your customer.

3. Be patient and understanding with the customer. A biggie. I know sometimes, it can be particularly frustrating if customers babble on all day long, or gallivant on the phone flipping through the catalog for 30 minutes looking for a pair of boots (believe I have had this happen to me a few times). In most cases, as painstaking as it is, these are likely the nicest customers you will have. So as much as you want to say "Please hurry the heck up, I do not have all day", be patient. Instead, perhaps say something like "Is there anything else that you would like?" This is a lot more effective.

4. Engage the customer in the process. A more engaged customer in ordering their item is a lot more easier to deal with then one who is not. Ask them questions about small things, like the weather, etc. Also, ask what specifically are they looking for. Engaging them will make the customer happier, but will also save time.

5. Educate the Customer. Educate the customer on various processes or product knowledge. One example from personal experience is explaining the H&R Block Advantage, and the Cash Back process (H&R Block's Refund Anticipated Loan when clients come to do their taxes, pending if they want this as their option). Educating the customer will not only ensure that they are a lot more informed about company policies or product the next time they come back, but it may ensure a bond with that customer.

6. Apologize to the Customer if you screw up: Admit your mistakes or the companies mistake if something goes wrong. Honesty is the best policy. While the customer may not be happy, they are more likely to forgive you then if you do not apologize for the mistake.

7. Listen to a customer concern without interrupting. This is very important. If you interrupt a customer, the chances of that customer being more angry increase dramatically. Listen to the customer. Decipher everything and feel empathetic towards that person. The more information you can get from that customer, a resolution will be come much quicker.

8. Ask Questions. Similar to number seven. Ask those vital open ended questions to get more information out of your customer. The more information you have, the better you can help that person out.

9. Create a resolution. Offer choices to that customer. Tell what you can do for that customer to make up for the mistake that occurred. Clearly tell the customer what steps will be taken to solve the issue.

10. Thank the customer for the problem that was brought up. Thanking the customer is a winner that only shows that they feel important. While it may not change the past problem, this will at least let them know that they value your input in improving a company's product.

In a customer driven, 24/7 world we live in now, one can not expect to not have good customer service skills and survive. It is impossible to do so now.

A young person, who while may not have thirty years of work experience, if they can take the ten suggestions for good customer service and apply that to their formal education from University as well as other training and other work experience, will not only survive the first few years at their new job. They will also show that they can be a major impact player for that organization in the long run because they can both handle the demands of external customers, as well their fellow employees in difficult situations. Those are the people that will be champions of the future.

The importance of Training

2010-01-10T10:10:00.001-08:00

With H&R Block income tax season coming along, before I actually hit the office at 232 Henderson in February, I will be going through a lot of pre-work training in what the company is calling it "Skills to Win" training, which starts for me with the Welcome and Orientation at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on January 16th.

During in roughly about two weeks, all income tax preparers who work for the company get trained on various important aspects including: Cash Back, the Tax Interview, Client Service, Tax Update on new changes to the Canadian income tax system, and every one's favorite, Manitoba Tax Credits.

Now being in my sixth season for H&R Block, as mentioned previously, I have valued their importance of training in how it can make a person successful on a job. This is especially true for this job, where, while it is important to know tax laws and preparing them, it is equally important for an income tax preparer to communicate with their clients about various issues pertaining to their income tax return.

So what is training you ask? And why is it important in economic terms?

Simply, training is where, you gain new skills from teachings of vocational practices to expands one's job potential, while they are working.

Many companies, have extensive training programs for new employees. H&R Block is a great personal example that I have mentioned above. Also banks and credit unions have been known to have great training programs to expand new employees, knowledge and skills from what they may have gained from formal education (high school, University, community college).

There are two types of training that are often used. They are On the Job Training and Off the Job Training.

On the Job Training consists of using various tools, documents in a normal work environment that employees use until the time they have gained full training.

Off the Job Training is where it takes away from a normal work environment. Often the employee during Off the Job Training will not be productive during work, because that employee is away at training. Example of this could be the H&R Block Skills to win training that occurs in a classroom setting where we as employees are learning various aspects of company policy or going through tax updates in preparing for the income tax season.

So how is training paid for by employers?

So how do employers pay for training exactly? How much do employees get paid? That is one question that many people wonder in terms why they are paid little then what they should be, or none at all while in training. While it may seem unfair that at times this does occur, explaining how this occurs will I hope, while not make people 100% happy, will hope clear a few things up.

Lets Take a few scenarios:

1. Company pays for all of the training

In the first example, lets say the company pays for all of the training. One example I could give from personal experience is the H&R Block Tax Training school I am in every fall to upgrade my tax knowledge and tax software skills. Because I am a prior employee, the company pays for the instruction, software, and marking of the tests. I only have to pay for the H&R Block textbook, which costs about $34.00. Since H&R Block has paid for my class and I do not start doing taxes until January/February, I receive a wage of W0, as seen on the above graph at the top. I am at on Off the Job training, where, the company is paying for my tax class (what ever level it is), thus, I do not receive a wage until I start in January. The reason why this is done, is so that it gives the employer incentive for the employee to work for that company.

2. Company pays partially and employee pays partially

In the second scenario, if a company and employee pay for half of it, as per the graph, the person's wage will be between Wt (Wage training) and W* (The company wage after training). In between W* and Wt, that employee will finally start to get a wage of W* when the employer has received their training investment back. An example could be from my own personal experience at H&R Block. During the "Skills to Win" training, we are not paid our full tax season wage, until we are doing tax returns at an H&R Block office. Hence, employees are in a sense, backwards paying for the "Skills to Win" training, along with the employer. Then when the training is done, and preparing income tax returns, I would start to receive my normal wage rate of W*. Again this is done, as it gives the employer a much needed incentive for the employee to come back to work for them.

3. Employee pays for all the training

In the third example, lets say the employee pays for all the work related training or education. A real life example would be if I pay for all of my University education, by myself without any help from a company. Once done, I can choose to leave that company, and instead of take a wage that of W* in the above diagram, I can get a wage of WG, which is Wage general, who would pay me for the knowledge I gain. Lets say, in a few years from now as a fictional example, that when I am done University and I want to work as a policy analyst and no employer has directly paid for my education, I can take the training and education I have and apply at a policy organization who would hire me at a wage of WG, instead of taking W*.

The Importance of Work Training

As mentioned above, training plays a very important role. As mentioned above, it gives employees the tools and skill set to do a job efficiently for a company. I have mentioned that without the pre-work training that H&R Block does for it's employees heading into tax season, it would make it a lot harder to be knowledgeable on company product, tax changes, as well as communicate with clients about their tax returns and tax finances.

But also, another important reason why training within a company is important, as it is not only the the employer that benefits, but it as well may give the employee greater experience in fields of specialized work, where they may not have a University degree in right now, but may do later. Example could be a person who works as a teller in a bank who only has a high school diploma, but eventually gains experience in a bank, to a point that person may go back to University and work on an economics/business administration degree.

I could also use my personal example from H&R Block to this. While I was a graduate of the Computer Accounting Technician program from Red River College in 1999, partially it was my work experience and training from H&R Block that led me to try an economics as part of my combined major (which I am working on right now) at the University of Winnipeg. Without that experience and training from H&R Block, I don't know if I would be doing economics right now.

Why we need to encourage more training within the private sector?

Studies have shown that not enough companies in the private sector do enough private training. This is especially sad if companies are wanting to increase their market share, yet do not have employees that are knowledgeable about the companies product, experienced with software, or dealing with customers in a professional manner.

As shown with Information Technology their is a lot of potential for a lot of in house training. Google has been known to provide effective in house training to its employees. Studies have mentioned that those employees who are trained properly and effectively are more happier then their counterparts.

With the potential of Green Technology (GT) to get society off of non renewable resources and create new jobs in these sectors along to create new small businesses, one can surely guarantee the potential of in house training for companies and its employees.

If costs is one of the reasons as to why more private sector employers do not do more in-house training, then they need to consider it an investment in not only your employees, but your bottom line.

Also, maybe governments at both Federal and Provincial levels maybe need to look at the idea of in-house training as a way, besides University and college settings of gaining a strong and bright work force for the 21st century. Tax credits could be one example of doing this.

While training may not be perfect, it still has a lot of potential as a force to help Canada become a competitive economy this decade.

Don't put print media six feet under the ground, yet

2010-01-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

Recently, McNally Robinson closed down their Polo Park location on January 3, 2010. The independent book chain, according to a cbc.ca article, noted that the chain filed for bankruptcy, as during the 2009 fiscal period it brought in greater then $2.5 million in losses. The losses were that big that the Don Mills location near Toronto, closed it's doors on December 28, 2009.

Some of the reasons the bookstore cited in a media release that was quoted in the cbc.ca article was for the store closures were that "Booksellers in Canada are currently working against serious headwinds: recession, stagnant book prices, steep discounting and increasing competition from Internet sales and electronic-text formats."

Independent bookstores like McNally Robinson have not had an easy time due to the recession and yes I would say that even advancements like technology like e-readers, and of course the Internet do put a squeeze on bookstores. However, unlike those who say the sky is falling on print media, I offer a different view then those who say that it is the end of the world for print media and book retailers in general.

In a recent question in a discussion for my Reading and Writing Online class for my combined major for Rhetoric and Communications/Economics, the following question was asked...

"Do you believe that print literacy is being threatened by electronic literacy. Why/Why not?"

So here was my response to that question...

"Print literacy, in the year 2010 is being revised to compliment electronic literacy, rather then being under threat. One can point out to the how people get their news nowadays. A local example could be how the Winnipeg Free Press decided to change it's Sunday print format from a regular Sunday newspaper where home delivery was available to a new tabloid format, where if you wanted to read it you would have to go down to your local corner store and buy it. The new Sunday Winnipeg Free Press, happily titled “On 7” has more entertainment and sports and less news for a Sunday paper. If you still wanted local news on a Sunday morning and you have an Internet connection, you could go to the Winnipeg Free Press website to check it out.

We can also see that often print literacy often compliments digital literacy through often new magazines that have came out over the past twenty years, in large parts to new technologies that relate to the Internet.

These magazines often will promote websites or products focusing on digital literacy. Examples of this are magazines related to the Internet, video games (Xbox 360, Playstation 3), Iphones, MP3 players and so forth. While new products like e-readers, mini digital video cameras where you can put videos on your blog and YouTube have come out in recent years, thus defining what digital literacy is, People still are to this day wanting hard print copies of things like newspapers, books and so forth. I don't think at this current time that print literacy based on the above paragraphs is under threat, but rather it is a complimentary media to the digital format."

Yes, you heard it right. Rather then the death of print literacy and media, what we are seeing is it being a compliment, yes a compliment to the digital media and literacy we are seeing flourishing before its very eyes. And you know what I think that is a good thing. It challenges current business models and a re-evaluation of everything in the media. From major media companies, like the New York Times, Globe and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press. It is also challenging authors and those future journalists and writers on how they will make a living, especially those in journalism.

Here is some advice people, those who do not understand and grasp the power of digital literacy, namely the Internet will get blown out of the water. Those who only continue to use print media as a one way showcase to make a living will be on the unemployment line in the future. However, those who understand the power of both digital literacy, and yes print media, and can combine those two to compliment each other, rather then fight, will be successful beyond belief. Those who can change the standard media business model will be a genius, rather then those some typical media barons who want to charge every time you click on a newspaper website (attention the owner of the Winnipeg Free Press).

So for those who think the sky is falling and that print media is deader then a dead horse, you still have a long way to go. Print media is not going any time soon. Look at all the various types of magazines that have been created in the past 10-15 years namely around Internet or high tech industries like iphones, video games and Internet culture together, to compliment digital literacy.

The role of print media however is being revised to compliment digital media. And that as Martha Stewart says.... "is a good thing."

Video games become Mainstream form of Entertainment

2010-01-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

My first video from YouTube, dealing with how video games have become mainstream in the 21st century.

Some notes with regarding the video:

-According to an MSNBC/Associated Press article, from January 15, 2009, the video game industry made roughly about $21.33 billion from the sale of consoles, software and accessories in 2008.

- In the first week of Grand Theft Auto IV's release in late April/Early May 2008, the game sold 3.6 units, totalling in $310 million in sales world wide from a Boston.com/Associated Press article.

- According to a Yahoo! Video Games article, the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on November 10, 2009 set an all time entertainment sales record in North America and the United Kingdom combined with total sales of $310 million alone. This likely, since this does not include other areas of the world would be a world wide entertainment record as well for one day sales.

-Games like Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3, GTA IV, Metal Gear Solid 4 show how much video games have matured in the past 25 years.

- Even movie studios, since movies are potentially under the gun in the entertainment industry due to video games becoming mainstream are joining the fun. A good example of this is Warner Brothers which started Warner Interactive with its games department in 2005. The department has created games like F.E.A.R 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum, which was written and voiced by the same people who created the dark action adventure cartoon from 1992-1995 called, Batman: The Animated Series.

-Grown Up Digital Author Don Tapscott notes that the Net generation (those born after 1979) prefer interactive entertainment like video games compared to passive entertainment like movies, television and radio. Hence, perhaps it is one of the reasons why video games have even become more popular during the first decade of the 21st century and why they pose a potential threat to passive forms of entertainment, namely movies as we head into 2010 and the second decade of the 21st century.

Solutions to the End of the Internet crisis

2010-01-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, on New Years eve, there as a editorial in the Winnipeg Sun discussed the idea that the year 2010 could be the start of the end of the "Free web", meaning that you would have to pay to see websites, etc. One point that the author of the comment piece, Micheal Dan Tandt predicts that websites like Facebook, MySpace or or newspaper websites will start charging you every time you go on to your website. Their has even been some rumors that cable companies may start in the future either charging you to see a certain websites, or offer a package of websites for a certain price, a la tiered cable television service.

So what has caused this crisis of the Internet? Well one can point out that more people download, or see streaming video on-line, thus using more Internet highway.

Another point that adds to the Internet crisis is that the Internet is not just what it used to be, with regards to simple hypertext, audio and video. Besides the above point, the Internet can include online console video gaming (XBox Live for Xbox 360, Playstation Network for the Playstation 3), as well the Internet can be accessed on various smart phones like the BlackBerry and iPhone. This also too adds to the mix.

A third reason is that because of all of this overload from things like on-line console video gaming, accessing the Internet on cell phones and watching streaming video, it has stressed out the information super highway, thus requiring faster information lanes for information

The fourth reason is that artist groups like ACTRA, have been long complaining that the Internet, because of its free access is hurting the livelihood of its members and threatening their jobs. In fact ACTRA had made a big appeal at the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Internet regulation hearings in February 2009 to have the Internet regulated. This fell on deaf ears as for once the CRTC listened to consumers and said that the Internet should not be regulated to protect Canadian content.

So all of these four above points leads us to what I call "The end of the free Internet" Crisis. With capacity running out, infrastructure needed and producers of content like those in ACTRA looking for compensation for their work, it could possibly lead to the end of the glory days of the Internet as a bastion of a great source of content and information, to a restricted lame high speed Can Con television or radio based station.

However, one can argue if it was not for the Internet being free many things would have not developed. This includes, the growth of social networking, the mass collaboration of sites like Wikipedia, the turning of video games in the last decade as a main stream source of entertainment (alongside movies, television and music) the growth of on-line console video gaming are just some of the beneficiaries of the Internet (outside of cable companies just charging for the pipes to consumers) being free.

So perhaps, as a student, doing a combined major in Economics and Rhetoric and Communications at the University of Winnipeg, and who is taking a course called Reading and Writing Online within the Rhetoric department, I will offer some prescriptions to the problem. This may not go down well with everyone, but rest assured, I think these solutions will save everyone the biggest headache of potentially of all time: A massive revolt from the consumer public who will NOT put up with the large cable companies, nor arts groups on what they can see on-line.

1. Mandate a massive amount of federal resources into finalizing a national broadband program from Nunavut (North) to Emerson Manitoba (South), from Vancouver (West) to St. John's (East) in Canada.

This would allow everyone to have fair and cheap access to the on-line world, which would help not only develop northern communities with their economies, but also in poorer neighborhoods as well. We owe ourselves as Canadians to due this now, and not even 10 years from now.

2. Create a highly develop a 3G system like in Europe

Unlike Europe, Canada is lagging in 3G development. One could only hope that our federal government has the fortitude to say that we will develop a strong high speed 3G system for our country which will allow greater capacity for Canadians to have better access to smart phones like the BlackBerry, then they do now.

3. Reinvest in high tech Research and Development

I know, you can only beat this to a dead horse numerous times, but I will say this again, Your economy and Internet capacity can only be as good as your countries willingness to develop into research and development. One of the reasons why technology costs went down was the supply of technology, in large part thanks to newer technology due to research and development. While Harper and company on Parliament Hill in Ottawa may think that "Shovel ready" programs like the Home Renovation Tax Credit, will spur the economy in the short term, the fact is that it does little to make Canada a major player in the high tech world, outside of Research In Motion. Rather perhaps it is time that the federal government look at providing more extensive tax credits at both at the corporate tax level and the small unincorporated business tax level for research and development into higher technology, like developing a faster super information highway for the Internet, web companies, smart phone companies etc, so Canadians can compete against its European and United States counterparts on the world stage in hi-tech.

4. Offer credits for Green Research and Development and link hi-tech with green technology

One of the biggest opportunities that we as Canadians can do is link the new wave of super information technology with the green technology revolution. Both the Federal and Provincial governments need to do this, by offering bigger incentives for green research and development into technologies like wind, solar and small scale hydro. We can also change our income tax system to do this by placing a carbon tax and using that revenue to compensate people by lowering their income taxes (lower income people would be the primary recipients of this) while also giving incentives for investment by people into green technology companies and creating new jobs in the Canadian economy that will last longer then the tar sands.

5. Say no to the Cable companies charging Internet site packages or charging per website

This is one time, if the CRTC had any brains they would do this. A CRTC decision to say the cable companies can not charge for packages for certain websites or for companies to charge people every time they click on a website would benefit everyone, not just consumers. Consumers are already tapped out and can not afford to be tapped any more from cable companies. It is time for cable and telecommunication companies to start swallowing their pride and go back to the drawing board with their business model. When people are already paying $200/month for Cable/Phone/Internet, another $30-$40 a month extra is the last thing people need and would cause a revolt.

6. Continue to say NO and I mean NO to arts groups to get create federal funds for their work

While telecommunications companies are guilty of potentially ruining the greatness of the Internet, arts groups, like I mentioned above with ACTRA are as guilty as sin as well. The CRTC should continue to say not to these groups in their request to create federal funds for their works in new media. Rather it is time for them to go back to the drawing board as well (See suggestion 7).

7. Create new tax credits for new media works

Instead of arts groups wanting hand outs from the federal levels for a new media fund, I say perhaps maybe BOTH the Federal and Provincial governments could easily start creating tax credits for those involved in creating new media works (web sites, video games, etc) to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in creating Canadian new media content, rather then the typical way of doing it by asking the federal government for another hand out. Requirements for this would be that the company has either a strong business plan and or has consistently made a profit or will within a certain amount of years. These tax credits would differentiate from handouts because these tax credits would be tied to performance, rather then the idea it is coming from Canada. These new credits can be in the form of either corporate or unincorporated small business as well.

So, if you are an MP, MLA, someone at a large cable company or an arts group like ACTRA, I hope you take this advice seriously and wish you all a wonderful safe and happy 2010.

Of high school reunions and lunch pail bucket (alumni) students

2010-01-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

One of today's entries is actually inspired by a conversation which I had with Jim Smith, who is playing a key part in helping to form the Miles Macdonell Collegiate 60th Anniversary reunion on June 30, 2012-July 1, 2012.

I was getting on the 11 Kildonan bus heading back from the University of Winnipeg back to my house. On the way back, Jim got back and we had started to discuss the next meeting for the MMC Alumni on January 11, 2009 at 7 pm at Miles Mac, with regards to the next reunion in 2012.

I had told Jim, that due to a Monday night Professional Style and Editing class in Rhetoric at the U of W on Monday nights, I will not be attending any meetings for the reunion until at least May. The most likely scenario would be not until September. However, I had told Jim that I would like to be kept informed on the meeting with regards to the minutes and possibly a Bud Spud and Steak fundraiser that is possibly in the works in hopefully March or April (Not confirmed yet, but if and when it is, you will all hear first) as I want to help out as much as I can for this event given the limited time that I have.

Then we started to talk about a little bit about the 50th reunion in 2002 and how it was organized and how even though the next one is not until June 2012, why things have to start being prepared, in terms of booking venues, etc. Jim had mentioned that it takes a lot of work to put on a reunion and this one, will not be as easy as reading a baby book either.

For example you have to book the venues, well and I mean well in advance, put deposits on those venues, decide what type of events you are going to do for those events. You also have to as well decide the costs for the events, get people to come and so forth. This is were I come in.

Last time when preparing for the last reunion back for 2002, I started actually helping out in September 2000, a good year and nine months before the actual event. I had spent lots of time attempting people who attended MMC and informing them about the 50th anniversary reunion. Some contacts were made, others not. I had recalled it took some hours here and their in at least getting through that list. It was not easy. In fact it took some of my time from my Certified General Accountant program (CGA) work at the time (which I decided to toss by the waste side after I realized it was not for me and do not regret to this day). Only 1 other person from 1998 class showed up besides me. However, after talking to Jim Smith and other alumni a few years later this was expected, as it was to short a time span in terms of time difference.

Jim and I also, perhaps this is the most important part of the discussion on the bus was that their was people who complained about either a) not getting invited b) the cost of the event or c) something else. Jim said to me on the bus, and I agree with him here: Those same people that complained, where for the most part DID NOT attend meetings leading up to the 50th anniversary reunion. My attitude is if you don't help out on something, you should not have the opportunity to whine about if something is wrong with it. Help out then.

Another point which is valuable and probably struck the biggest chord with me in our discussion was the fact he pointed out it the majority of people helping out on the last reunion, were not in athletics, student presidents (Sorry Rachelle from class of 2003, I know how much you have been involved this time) and other cliques. But it is the average alumni, or what I call the "lunch pail bucket" alumni or students who went there. It is the lunch pail bucket alumni who pound the phones, set up the decade rooms last time back in 2002. It will be those same lunch pail bucket alumni that will continue to do the same this time for 2012.

I unfortunately, myself have admitted, I will be a lot more limited for time this time around. I am working on finishing my combined major in Economics and Rhetoric and Communication at the University of Winnipeg by hopefully 2011 to make up for the horrible Certified General Accountant attempt 10 years ago and get my career finally kick started after feeling like I have been in the wilderness for this long. Outside of that, I am usually doing tax class at H&R Block as well as I would like to teach the public H&R Block tax course (level 1) in the fall of 2010 to gain some more public speaking experience, as well as explaining tax theory and use some of my economic knowledge into the class. I also want to be supportive of my loving girlfriend who is working on her four year combined Communications degree at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College. So hence these reasons why I wont be as active as I was 10 years ago, but nether less, I will help out my school for it's 60th anniversary in 2012.

After all, its all about community and average lunch pail bucket alumni playing the part in making this thing a success.

For more information go to www.mmcalumni.ca

A Matter of Fairness and Equity: The Canadian Income tax system

2010-01-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

After doing accounting work in early last decade, as well as taking various levels of income tax courses and preparing income taxes at H&R Block for the past five seasons (this upcoming income tax season will be my sixth), It gave me not only an excellent understanding of how the income tax system works in Canada, but as well laid a great foundation of how economics does work.

Now entering my third and final year (hopefully graduating by April 2011) of my three year B.A. in a combined major of Economics and Rhetoric and Communication, I took last term Economics of Taxation with S. Abizadeh, where his brilliant knowledge of the economics of the Canadian tax system, only added to the broad depth of how I understand what the Canadian Income tax system should be like, in terms of how it operates.

To give you a better understanding of how the Canadian works, a bit of a historical brief is necessary to give you clarity.

According to the H&R Block 2005 Level 1 Income Tax text, before confederation came into effect, "most government revenue came from customs and excise taxes". These taxes would often be around 50% for customs and 10% for excise taxes (P1.1)

This was in a time when a) pre-Canada did not have a lot of developed industry and b) Canada was not a country where a national government could levy their own taxes for their own well being

Then in 1867, the British North American Act came into effect. This gave the new Canadian government to have "unlimited power of taxation" (H&R Block, 2005). While they did collect simple excise custom and created a new beer tax, the fact that these new powers for the Canadian government were not really used.

For the purpose of provinces, the Federal Government gave direct taxation power as well to the provinces for their own jurisdictions. Some examples of taxes that were imposed early on by provinces included: poolrooms, dogs, cars, horses, circuses, foxes, canaries and bowling alleys.

Income taxes were not levied early on in Canadian history as industries were just starting to develop in Canada's young history. It was not until 1914, when World War I began and Canada had declared war on Germany, the Federal Government needed to raise funds to fight the war. So it was in 1916 that the Canadian Government put a corporate tax on corporate profits (known as the Business Profits War Tax). In 1917, the Income Tax War Act came into effect, to raise extra funds for the government, via taxing people's incomes.

While the Canadian government at the time said that this was only going to be a temporary measure to raise funds, it turned out that both corporate and personal taxes eventually stayed to raise necessary funds for government revenue. This was especially true for times like the 1930's depression era and World War II.

There are three types of tax systems, of one, which Canadian citizens are taxed. They are Progressive, Regressive and Proportional.

A progressive tax system, is where, your tax rate goes up the more you earn and declines the less you earn.

A regressive tax system is where your tax rate goes up the less you earn and down the more you earn.

A proportional tax system is where the rate is proportional to what you earn (flat tax like in Alberta).

Out of these three systems, Canada follows the progressive income tax system. The reason that Canada follows the progressive tax system is in the honor of fairness in equity. It is the belief that lower income people spend a much higher percentage of their income on the necessities for life, while at the same time higher income people will pay a lower percentage of their income on life necessity items like food, shelter and clothing.

This is in line with the ability to pay principle, a key component of economics of taxation.

The ability to pay principle is when if you're making more money then another person, you should have to pay more because of your income.

Another view of this is the benefit principle. This principle is based on the notion you only should have to pay for the goods and services you use (hence benefits).

In order to achieve to achieve equity in Canadian tax system, the ability to pay principle is more equitable then the benefits principle because it is bases on how much you can afford to pay when compared to the benefit principle, where you only pay for the benefits used.

The benefits principle is not equitable because those services under the Canadian system would be only used by the higher income people, who could afford them, while lower income people would cost more of their budget for those goods and services.

You can also apply this to the theory of Political Equilibrium, which represents a mixture of government provided goods and services and those depend on the distribution of tax shares per units of the goods and services provided.

This whole idea of political equilibrium is noted because people know what tax share or tax price would be for each publicly provided goods and services, and vote during an election with how much it will cost a citizen in taxes if a certain candidate gets elected. A person reveals, their preference for public goods and services (price and quantity) based on how they vote. For example, if your preference for public goods is low (like the environment, medicare) you would likely vote for the Conservative Party of Canada. If your preference for public goods are high, then you are likely to vote, based on this theory for either the Liberal Party or the New Democratic Party and possibly the Green Party.

Does this explains as to why, maybe that the Conservatives, are leading the polls? Is it because Canadians have less of a preference for public goods? One can see through all of the Conservative budgets since they have been in power in 2006 that except for the odd thing or two, their preferences is for tax deductions and credits and not public goods. Are Canadians starting lay off the notion of fairness and equity? Do Canadians value the environment, education and health care, over a few percentage points knocked off their personal income taxes? Only time will tell, but one can only hope that a debate can occur on how much Canadians are willing to pay for cherished public goods. One can only hope that maybe, instead of giving insipid tax credits in home renovation, the Canadian Government instead put that money to R&D for green technology or faster Internet and make Canada economically competitive and more environmentally friendly.

I know where my tax shares will be going for when I vote. Hint it is not Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada.

References

Income Tax I Text Book. H&R Block. 2005. H&R Block Canada. Calgary, Alberta Canada.

Environmental Economics and key concepts

2010-01-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

Many people ask exactly what environmental economics is. This is a very interesting question considering that environmental issues are starting to become a factor in how businesses, governments and non governmental organizations interact with each other. While I will not go into complete detail about every little crook and cranny about environmental economics, I will explain some basic concepts and theories that will, hopefully engage many people to seriously consider that environmental issues do not just effect the oil barons nor granola munching hipsters but effect everyone. So here is a run down:

What is Environmental Economics?

Economics is often considered by many within the economics community as the study of the scarcity of resources and how to allocate those scarce resources. So this term, based on environmental issues fits the bill to a tee.

It is a simple notion of how the economy interacts between the inputs of production (Land, Labour, Capital, Natural Resources) those inputs turning into outputs (Goods and Services consumed by consumers while maximizing their utility) and the byproducts of those outputs (waste residual & energy from those outputs) going into the environment.

Their are two roles for the environment, which closely relate to environmental economics. They are:

1. Supply of inputs (Natural Resources Economics)

2. Provides a waste disposal services system (Environmental Economics)

What is the difference between Environmental and Natural Resources Economics?

Natural Resources economics often deals with the quantitative depletion of natural resources. It deals with the optimum depletion of Natural Resources. Environmental economics on the other hand, deals with the optimum rate of which polluted should be generated. This is more of a qualitative analysis.

Calculation of pollution, market failure, pigouvian tax

Pollutions is calculated on the marginal damage curve, which is similar to the supply curve seen in normal economics graphs. However, pollution has an external cost that often deviates from the actual marginal damage cost and thus has a bigger social cost then the actual private marginal damage cost. This often created market failure, which is considered the inability of an market that's not regulated to provide the efficient level of a service or good.

A market that is competitive will create the efficient level of output of a private good, so long as there is no external cost or benefit.

If there is a tax that is implemented on a good that does not have an external cost nor benefit, the consumer, producer and social surplus will decline, while the government gets tax revenue and a dead weight loss will occur (a loss of quantity of a good that is taxed when there is no external cost or benefit).

However, if their is an externally in play (when the social costs of pollution deviates from the private cost) a tax on pollution, the pigouvian tax will bring in tax revenue for the government, but as well decrease marginal damage, and increase social surplus.

How are an efficient emissions calculated, and what are Total Abatement Costs?

Efficient Emission standards are decided by the intersection of the Marginal Damage and Marginal Abatement Cost Curves. Emissions maximum, otherwise known as Emax is the maximum amount of emissions that can be let out into the atmosphere. While E* is the point of where an efficient about of emissions that is socially and environmentally acceptable can be allowed.

Marginal Abatement costs are the costs of reducing pollution. These are cleaner inputs that use various different technologies. These can include scrubbers in chimneys, hydro, wind energy etc.

Abatement costs are often considered not the cheapest to convert.

What are some solutions to Environmental problems of pollution?

There are various ways in which the problems of pollution can be solved. They can be solved via channels not involving public policy and those using public policy.

Those methods that do not involve using include Liability Laws and Property Rights.

Liability Laws are a decentralized solution that have very little government role, but go through the rule of the courts. The compensation can create the polluters to intermediate the external cost that polluters get imposed on.

Some problems that come into existence with liability laws are:

1. The burden of proof is an issues (namely with the victims). Courts will need to have evidence without a shadow of a doubt that polluters are responsible for the damage suffered by the victim.

2. The very high costs of transactions. Litigation investigation, lawyer costs are some examples.

Another non public policy channel in which pollution problems can be solved is through the notion of property rights (Coase Theorem). Often a property right that is not defined properly can cause externalities. In order to better to define that property right sometimes, negotiation occurs between the polluter and pollutee to reach an efficient outcome for emissions. When property rights to either the polluter or pollutee occur, both parties will account for the costs.

However their are problems with the Coase Theorem. This includes:

1. When their are high transaction costs between a large number of polluters and pollutees, it will not work.

2. Very hard to create property rights to various environmental resources like air and oceans.

3. A decrease in Marginal damage only benefits those who are negotiating, and not the rest of society.

In terms of public policy options to reduce pollution there are three of them. These include: emission standards, emission tax and tradeable emission permits (TEP, otherwise known as cap and trade)

Emission standards are a non market idea set out by the government to reduce pollution. It is a legal limit set on the amount the flow of emissions that can be emitted by polluters.

The advantage of a emission standard is that the government chooses the legal emissions, not the polluter.

The problems with an emission standard include:

1. Uniform emission standard does not lead to an efficient level of emissions when the Marginal Abatement Costs differ across regions nor polluters, thus this does not reach the equimarginal principle.

2. Emission standards do not provide a lot of incentive, nor lower cost savings compared to the emission tax or Tradeable Emission Permits to improve their abatement technology costs.

3. The enforcement and monitoring of an emission standard as part of the government makes it the environmental policy have less teeth, compared to an emission tax and Tradeable Emission Permits.

There are two market based solutions for public policy consideration when solving environmental problems. They are an Emission Tax and Tradeable Emission Permits.

An emissions tax occurs when the government puts a tax per unit of emission on the polluters. A current example is British Columbia's Carbon tax.

Advantages of the emission tax are:

1. The tax gives revenue to the government. The revenue the government gets can be used to do various other things including

- Decrease other taxes (personal, sales, corporate)
- Subsidize polluters/pay the victim. Also to develop research in cleaner technologies.

2. When there is different Marginal Abatement Costs amongst polluters, and they face the same tax, they abate at different amounts. This will cause the equimarginal principle to be satisfied, while at the same time that Total Abatement Costs are minimized.

3. Cost savings are greater under an emission tax compared to emission standards.

There are some issues with the emission tax. These include when the Marginal Damage is different from a uniform standard, the tax will not be efficient. The creation of an emission tax will increase cost of the polluting good, and that cost could get passed on to the consumer.

Tradeable Emission Permits are when governments issue permits. The permits allow the polluter to emit a unit of pollution over a year. They can sell or buy these permits amongst themselves, thus creating a property right. What separates this from the emission standard is that permits can be traded, unlike the emission standard. Without any trading, the TEP, would almost be exactly like the emission standard.

Advantages of Tradeable Emission Permits are:

1. It combines the best of the emission standard (cap on upper limit of pollution) and the emission tax (Satisfies the equimarginal principle and create revenue for the government if they are not given away and traded).

2. Non Governmental Organizations can get involved and buy permits, unlike the emission tax.

3. Creates cost saving to polluters. TEP the government chooses the quantity and the market creates the price.

However the biggest (and I do mean big) is that Large polluters can strategically behave in the permits market and create an inefficiency in the market. This would cause the government to make sure that their is a competitive market for permits as close as perfect competition as it can be.

The power of Videos and why I am adding them to my blog

2010-01-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

In recent weeks, with the conclusion of exams and the stress that I have felt, I have been debating how to get my name out their more in the media, population, as well as government and business circles. I have felt in recent weeks right before exams that my hard work was well, not exactly paying off for the effort that I have put in. This was partially to add to why December 2009 was perhaps on of the most annoyingly worst months (the first two thirds anyway) I had in recent memory.

After me and my girlfriend, Jess Chapman, (whose doing the four year Joint Communications degree between the University of Winnipeg and Red River College and the star author of her blog The Future American) on how to get more publicity for myself considering my insanely nutty schedule. She suggested that I try to write at least once a week (which as part of new years resolution I am going to try to) to keep it regular for readers).

Considering that I am doing a combined major in Economics and Rhetoric & Communication, alongside taking the Reading and Writing Online course this term, made me to decide to buy a miniature digital video camera which I will be adding videos to my blog. Not only will I be making video additions to my blog, but I will be putting those same videos via my Facebook account and my new YouTube Account, titled, moderategreencentrist. I think this is a very important step in enhancing and showcasing my skills to people for various reasons:

1. I will be able to present on video some of my papers that are in particular importance to some of the work that I have done in school (for example, potentially in a few weeks from now, look for a video presentation on my Environmental Economics paper on carbon taxation in Manitoba) to give it a richness that perhaps a long winded entry can not.

2. Video presentations, if done properly may often engage more people in serious and lively debate on policy, which I would like to do. When I do plan to do video entries on my blog, I will give a written overview and summary of my video presentations, just so if people do not want to sit down and watch them they can get an overview of what the the presentations are exactly are.

3. Video presentations can be, if done properly, have a very professional feel to them ,which would give a lot of credibility to this blog. That is one of my main goals this year is to provide a sense of the professional knowledge I have gained over the years on various issues like income taxes, economics and politics to show how well capable I am of providing policy solutions to today's complex issues.

I plan to do, like I said at least one blog entry a week (probably written) and if I have time, one video one a week. So here is hoping 2010 is the start of something good.

You can reach me at my new email address at moderategreencentrist@gmail.com

Cheers and all the best to everyone in 2010.

Adam Johnston

Author, Moderate Green Centrist

www.adamjohnston.blogspot.com

January 2, 2010.

Adam and the Shawshank Redemption

2009-12-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ShawshankRedemptionMoviePoster.jpg

In a series of year end blog entries, I review various things about 2009, the 2000's and other reflective things. The first discusses the relationship between some of the things in my life and the 1994 movie "The Shawshank Redemption.

Back last week, while in the middle of studying for my Environmental economics, where I did not feel very great and was quite honestly was not in a happy mood, I could not think straight. Perhaps because of stress, or other things on my mind I don't know. I cant say for sure anything. I needed inspiration. I honestly at some points was lacking it. By Saturday night when I went to bed, I was whipped and defeated.

While studying on Sunday in the middle of the day, I was running out of music ideas. So I had remember how great the soundtrack to the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption was. So I decided to YouTube some songs from the movie. So I had found this piece entitled "Brooks was here". It began to hit me their in the study carol at the University of Winnipeg. Does movie with not such a sexy name have something in common with me? Does the impact of a low key mid 1990's film with a budget of $ 25 million that only made enough to cover its budget and salary costs and garnered seven Academy Award nominations (which did not win anything), that with word of mouth got a second chance through the modern marvels of technology like VHS, DVD and cable television to show what a great film it was is similar to how I go about my daily business. Then after much inner debate and feeling like myself again after seeing various clips and listening to the soundtrack that day, I had came to the stark conclusion that this movie, as lame a title it may seem at first, which may have turned people off when the movie hit theatres in October 1994, is strikingly similar to my own personal life in a lot of ways. Here is how:

1. The main character Andy Dufrense (played by Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover. While in the movie at the start when Andy talks to Red (Played by Morgan Freeman) when asked by him what is he in for. Dufrense proclaims he is innocent. Red goes (sarcastically) we all are. As Dufrense becomes custom to the general principles to survival of prison life, he goes about his business, not being arrogant, but keeping a low key profile. He does this, while working hard to maintain the respect of his fellow inmates and even prison guards in some aspects.

This is in a lot of ways similar to how I have gone about my business. Hard working, earning respect (for the most parts but the odd time recently I have wondered) amongst people, while going about it in a quiet way that does not garner a lot of attention. A personal example is the consistent work I have had to put in each summer by working two jobs to pay for school, plus working part time on average 18 hours a week during the Fall terms each of the past two years, while taking H&R Block class outside of University and increasing the amount of hours worked in a week to almost 24 during income tax season from January to April while maintaining a full University load. These characteristics, while not 100% with what Andy has are the bread and butter of how I go about myself.

2. The movies setting is in a prison in North Eastern United States of America from about 1947- about two to five years after Andy escapes Shawshank (1967), so around 1969-1972. The movies setting is a grim, reality with prison beatings, lots of grey and hardly any bright colors. The setting of a prison, metaphorically can easily be applied to the characteristics of pain, frustration, sadness, disapointment one person feels currently in their life or at a point in their life. Thus the prison surroundings of Shawshank in the movie, have honestly in my opinion come very close to how I have felt on many occasions for a long time (maybe at times past 15 years) but in context 2002 and 2006 (see many 2006 entries) where I really felt I had hit my lowest points. I wont go further into detail, but lets just say they were not a bed full of roses. Personally at times, it has felt like a prison.

3. The main character, Andy, never gives up in his dream and is determined to realize his dream of living the rest of his life in a small Mexican town on the Pacific Ocean. In one scene Andy, after getting out of the holes says, "their are places that are not made out of stone. That theirs something inside that they can't get to, that they cant touch, its yours...... Hope". While Red says it is a dangerous thing, Andy keeps going and never stops believing. In the end, he does reach his goal. Now compare to Andy Dufrense's message with how, I have never have given up hope. I have, never despite the frustrations have never given up hope. This is also mentioned by Tim Robbins in one of the extra documentaries as part of the 10th year anniversary edition of the movie where he says "What this movie was saying to them was, it might take them a while, it might take some time, but their is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you have the patience, and the belief, you can make it their". Like Andy says in the movie, "Get busy living, or get busy dying".

4. The movie when it first came out in October 1994, as mention did not rip roar through the box office. It was just a modest movie, that covered its bills. In February 1995, it was nominated for seven Academy Awards for that year, including best picture. While the film, never won any Academy Awards, thanks to the modern marvels of technology and home entertainment, The Shawshank Redemption became a massive hit outside of theatres. It became the top renting movie in 1995. That word of mouth and second chance of life of getting noticed has allowed it to be the number one movie on the IMDB list of 250 movies. This unique aspect of the film, in terms of how it got noticed by the public is similar of how I try to get noticed. I usually do not set the world on its ears. I don't go about protesting things like activists. I am just a modest guy, through work ethic, determination and a unique mix of educational background and work experience show that perhaps, maybe that while I may not be a big political draw within the NDP, kind of like a big box office hit (Forrest Gump that year in 1994), perhaps, maybe, just maybe, through the marvels of modern day high technology, and word of mouth, I will finally eventually have a place were I can get my cake, just like The Shawshank Redemption got its cake.

While a movie can not explain everyone's life, it certainly can provide a map to where a person is or has gone and give that person hope. That is the conclusion that I had came to when analyzing this movie. The Shawshank Redemption provides a metaphoric framework for not just me, but as well as those people who may be stuck in a rut, those who feel down or not well, or those who perhaps wonder if their day will come that it will come. You will feel better, their is a light at the end of the tunnel. It may not come today, next week, a month, or even a year, it will come. It may be the most low key thing, but if you believe in yourself (as hard as it may seem, as I have known) it will come.

I will leave you with this quote from the movie poster to think about. "Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free". Maybe that is what people need.

The Degree gets you the gold, but the Work experience is your shovel to the gold

2009-11-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

While I am waiting for my H&R Block Level 4 income tax class here at the University of Winnipeg (which starts at 6 pm at the Kennedy Street location), I figure I would throw my two quick cents into the importance of work training with regards to how people will look at your resume and your chances of improving your pay scale.

I will admit, that when I hope to be done my combined major in Economics and Rhetoric and Communication from the University of Winnipeg by June 2011, I will be doing something in financial journalism or environmental policy in terms of green tech. While no doubt that my degree will be the key thing that will put me into contention for a policy job or maybe financial journalism, my backbone comes from not only this, but my work training from H&R Block and general accounting experience from my previous work, which I will hope separate me from other candidates who have higher degrees like MPA's, or honors in Economics or politics.

So why do I value my work training from H&R Block and previous work experience from other accounting jobs? It is simple:

1: Working in previous accounting jobs and even H&R Block (even though accounting, would eventually not be my cup of tea for a career), gave me a better grasp of numerical concepts, and thus allowed me to have a better understanding with numerical problems in many of my economic classes and understanding of theoretical scenarios that occur in economics, like calculating consumer surplus.

2: Working for H&R Block on a seasonal income tax basis has allowed me to take higher level tax courses at cheap rate, which builds my resume and worth. Ever since I took the public H&R Block course in the fall of 2004, I have worked for H&R Block since every tax season. This has allowed me, because I have been an employee of H&R Block to upgrade with higher level income tax courses. These included: Rental, Employment expenses Business1 & Capital Gains 1, Capital Gains 2, Business 2, Deceased to name them. This not only has allowed me to increase pay (only slightly) but as well allowed me to do more complicated returns and understand tax theory a lot better. This has especially been a boon to my economics classes because I can grasp the theories of when a tax occurs what will the economic consequences will be. This is the main reason why I decided to do Economics partly as my major and has been a boon to my Economics of Taxation class which has allowed me to easily pick out concepts at much ease. It gives me an advantage, considering about 14 -15 years ago, I wasn't the most numerically inclined person in the world.

3. The combination of getting work training from H&R Block will allow me to understand a lot of the policy concepts that occur when doing budgets for governments or fiscal policy in general. My work training and experience at H&R Block has laid the foundation for what I mentioned above, but proves that I have dealt with real world concepts of taxation with day to day people and can explain to them various taxation scenarios at ease.

I am not going for honors after I complete my three year BA. I don't have the time, money, nor my age will allow me too, as I will be 31 when I am done. However, I think that my work training that I have recieved from H&R Block, only enriches my University education that I have received so far, and reccomend to you that work training is vital, to compliment a University or post secondary degree (like my instance). My girlfriend Jess, appreciates the strong skill set that I have from my experience and I hope to help her out with any work she has to do at her Creative Communications program at RRC, that may involve analyzing economics or the Canadian income tax system.

My labour economics professor last year, Hugh Grant mentioned that if a company does general work training with a person to upgrade their skills, they have to pay them below the training wage, until the company recoups that money. If that person leaves that company and goes somewhere else, that rival company or other vocation will pay you more for that skill you have been trained on. So if this is true and I apply to be a policy analyst somewhere, my H&R Block time, will compliment my U of W Economics/Rhetoric & Communications degree as an extra skill set, which will make my human capital worth more, then it would have before my degree, or without H&R Block.

Bottom line: A University degree will probably get you the gold, but the work training and experience is the tool and backbone that will help you get it.

I am endorsing.......... One Member One Vote for how to decide a NDP leadership race

2009-09-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today, as the moderate green centrist, I am giving two endorsements for the Manitoba NDP leadership race. The first one is that of Greg Selinger for the next Manitoba NDP leader and premier of the province. It kind of makes sense that I am supporting Greg Selinger for Manitoba NDP leader because:

a) He had ten consecutive balanced budgets.

b) He was the finance minster of Manitoba from 1999 until now.

c) Because Mr. Selinger was finance minister and has some decent moderate economics/business background. His candidacy comes close out of the three major candidates (the others being e Ashton and Andrew Swan) to a centrist. Ironically Ashton is the most leftist candidate, but he would be my second choice, because he is anti-establishment. Selinger is somewhat anti-establishment because labor less Paul Moist is not backing him, but Andrew Swan. Swan is the candidate that is backed by most of the NDP establishment.

However, rather, today, MY REAL ENDORSEMENT, is for the Manitoba NDP, to re-consider the decision to go to a delegate convention back at the 2007 policy convention, and choose a one-member one vote system, the utter most democratic way of choosing a political party leader.

As many of you know, I am not really found of a delegate system. I spoke vocally at the 2007 convention, as to why the delegate system, if they implemented would be a horrible way to choose our party's leader.

To give you a bit of a historical context to this as to why the MB NDP chose to go back to the ancient Rome way of choosing a leader, it began with the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership race to replace the outgoing Ralph Klein in late 2006.

The Alberta Conservative party has a One Member One vote system. Controversy occurred in how Ed Stelmach was elected leader, because the Alberta Conservatives allowed for memberships to be signed RIGHT UP to voting day (which is as cartoony as Bugs Bunny itself). This frightened the sweet Texas Toast out of the labour unions and movement in Manitoba. Thus, they were responsible for writing up the successful resolution, in 2007. The resolution also allowed a weighted system were labour unions would get an extra 20% of the leadership votes for the delegated convention.

Now, fast forward two and a half years later, in September 2009. Gary Doer decides to take a cabinet post in Washington and the race begins with three declared candidates (Selinger, Swan and Ashton). The Manitoba NDP, for the first time would see a leadership race since the mid 80's with the same old archaic delegate system that elected Gary Doer back in around 1986.

At my Concordia/ River East delegate meeting, I honestly witnessed first hand the damage that the delegate system does, and some of my worst nightmares came true. Here are some examples:

1) In River East, all of Steve Ashton's delegate candidates showed up, and SWEPT all the credentials from there. About 99% of all the delegates going from River East, have never ever been to an NDP meeting nor been members for a more then a month, will be deciding for the River East constituency WHO will be the NEXT PREMIER and NDP leader. At the same time, those long time, rank and file members who went, were shut and will have to sit on the sidelines. They will get no say.

2) Although I was apart of the Concordia slate, I was not voted to be a delegate. I have attended meetings over the past eight or so years, on a frequent basis, even with the nutty University/H&R Block tax class and work schedule I have. I have consistently lended to policy debates and was chair of the Environmental committe for two years. I have also dropped leaflets for two straight elections for my Concordia However, the Premier's daughter, who in my time as a member of this party, has NEVER, EVER, EVER gone to a consituency meeting, let alone a resolution meeting or canvas during elections was elected to be a delegate. What is worse..... She was not even at the meeting. I guess in a delegate system if your last name is that of the premier, you get to go. I am sorry, but the premier`s daughter does not represent me views on who should be my next party leader.

While the two above examples above why a delegate system is not a very bright idea to elect a leader, other ones include the fact of lots of hostility between members who are going and who are not. The biggest one not mentioned is the fact that organized labour is going to get an extra 20% of votes in this system. So if, my estimates are right, with 2000 delegates voting for the leader, an extra twenty percent means labour will get an extra 400 votes on who is going to be leader. So, let me get this straight, if it comes down then less then this amount, the NDP leader will be decided by phantom votes. It is a lot like an empty chair voting for a political candidate. While I admire, and respect labour for helping to build the NDP, the party of social justice, of which I believe in, I do not support the extra weighted system of labour having an extra 20% of the delegate votes.

This is why the Manitoba NDP needs to go back to OMOV. It is the best and just way to do this. Sure, there is problems with OMOV, just ask how the Alberta Progressive Conservatives made OMOV the bad guy, when it really is their system of OMOV that blows goats. Rather, a OMOV system where you have a six month deadline before the leadership vote, would be the best way of deciding a party leader.

A OMOV system would allow everyone in the NDP to have a say on the next leader. It would allow, the poor, student, rank and file members, environmentalists, progressive small business people, moderates, centre leftists to get a chance to decide. After all, the NDP, is the party of social justice for all. Not just an elect few. Best of all, it would allow an outside, maverick candidate to actually put up a fight for leader. A candidate who would promote small businesses and co-operatives supplying alternative energy, other then Manitoba Hydro. A leader who can promote micro credit for the creation of small businesses to help eliminate poverty. A leader who can turn Manitoba into the Bologna Italy of North America, and one who can say that government should lend a hand but people need to get off their butts if they want to be apart of social change. That is what may be the Manitoba NDP needs now, more then ever.

Bake more bread and create less circuses: The left in Canada.

2009-07-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

With the current recession that Canada, is facing, the left has a glorious opportunity to capture some of the angst that many Canadians feel against of how large banks and corporations in general have put this country and world in. However, despite this, the lefts lack of appetite for baking bread and focusing more, at times creating circuses has somewhat squandered their opportunity for real, effective change that Canada drastically needs, if it wants to compete in the 21st century, with one decade already in the books.

For those who do not know, bread and circus is a term that is often floated around in left-wing political circles. Bread is often defined as basics, straight forward, offer what is needed to survive and be very budget orientated. Circus is on the other hand, focuses on extravagance, lavishness and things that are not necessary for survival.

Another interesting term that defines this, is found under the Wikipedia entry, "Bread and Circuses". According to the Wikipedia one, it is defined as...

"is a metaphor for handouts and petty amusements that politicians use to gain popular support, instead of gaining it through sound policy. The phrase is invoked not only to criticize politicians, but also to criticize their supporters for giving up their civic duty".

Both definitions can easily define why the left in Canada has failed to capture the imagination of the general public, unlike the United States.

One example that rings up to mind recently is the debate about the Manitoba post-secondary tuition freeze, which as been cancelled for this past year and the circuses that went on with it, prior to and around the last Manitoba NDP convention held in Brandon.

Last year in November, the Student Day of Action occurred, sponsored by the Canadian Federation of Students (which I admire for the idea of the tuition freeze). I debated about participating in or going to a Uniter workshop on lede writing. I did and still do supported the tuition freeze, however, I decided not to go to the protest to the legislature and went to the workshop instead. I instead signed a postcard supporting it that would be taken to the provincial government. I just did not think that protesting and waving signs would be an effective way of getting the government to continue the freeze. I came to get the most learning possible in my University years.

I learned the appreciation of supporting funding for post secondary education and making it affordable from my labour economics class, in the Fall 2008 term, which was taught by Hugh Grant. I learned that there was a strong economic case for this on many aspects. For one, it creates positive externalities for society (hence, spill over benefits). This includes revenue for Universities, keeping people out of potential crime are two examples. It also creates a strong well, skilled base of workers for the knowledge economy. Factor that, with my own personal observation that many green technology jobs require a very high set of knowledge based workers, weaving our way apart from the brown to the green economy. This partially leads to my case later on why the the activist tuition freeze crowd lost the battle to keep it.

The other part came at the 2009 Manitoba NDP convention, which, was held in Brandon Manitoba. During the tuition freeze debate, many CFS pro tuition freeze people took both the pro (in favour of tuition freeze) and con (against the tuition freeze) microphones. Basically, the activists at the pro, said why the government should keep the freeze. Then at the con, the person their would give their spot to another pro, which really aggravated a lot of people. This was perhaps, along with accusations of ageism, help defeat the motion. Outside of the hall, many CFS advocates, continued some of the circus antics holding up music records, saying stuff like "Manitoba's greatest hits", in support of the freeze.

One wonders, if the circuses, had actually instead of just promoting about the "I can't afford to go to school" bleeding hart debate" but focused on making a very strong labour economics case for this. I know there was one good friend of mine who took labour economics who participated in the protests, may likely agree with this. Why didn't the head people at CFS, seriously, advocate the idea, that a tuition freeze is vital for a strong set of knowledge base workers. Why didn't they advocate that for a strong transition to a green economy it was important to link that large base of knowledge workers for an effective transition? If the CFS, had taken their time, and not just focusing on marching down to the Manitoba legislature with their place cards in tow, but focused on writing strong papers on the need for the tuition freeze for a strong knowledge base economy, discussing those with the public in town hall type meetings and editorials to papers on the economic case, the public would be a lot more receptive to their ideas. If the CFS, were not involved in creating circuses but baking bread instead, perhaps, students would still benefit from the tuition freeze today .

This is one classic example of how the left really needs to consider some changes on how they look at things and get away at times from the circus mentality that hurts us as a movement.

While I do not consider myself left wing anymore. I do consider myself as a centre left person, who is concerned, with how Canada is doing. The progressive movement really needs to gain the public's trust, especially at opportune times like these. The following ideas, may not please everyone in the left, but rest assured, I think it is vital for centre left politics to thrive in Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg.

1. Prioritize things that are important to people: We all say this, but this is especially true amongst the left. We want to save everything and be hero for everyone. However, at times, this may not be possible and to do this and thus, may require some tightening of the belt. Right now, many people would consider either the environment and economy as the two top concerning issues for them, along with health care. Funding arts, and yes, even sports would be considered low priority for people right now. If the left wants to be successful a prioritization of these three things, as well as supporting new media and green technology would be very vital. Arts, may have to loose out in tough times like these, if we want to see success.

2. Stop pandering to everything and everyone: The left, at times, is too good and trying to pander and cater to everything, like arts groups, who are wanting more money, even though times are tough. While I have mentioned on a previous blog entry in May about I see how governments should fund arts and culture, my plan involved certain conditions. If the left, stopped pandering to special interest groups like the arts, some unions (not talking about UFCW, but others, like CUPE in Toronto), then the left would be taken more seriously in the general public.

3. Working with unions on creating employee ownership policy, namely with small business owners: One thing I strongly advocate for as a centre left person who believes in baking bread, is the idea that unions should work with some businesses and governments on employee ownership policy, where employees, own a stake in the business, for which they would work. This would increase more incentives for employees to work harder, while at the same time, employers would be more accountable to their employees in returning their share of the companies profit.

4. Working with small business groups, governments, environmentalists and poverty activists on a coherant working entrepreneurship small business class: Why not!! It is about time. If we are going to get serious about eliminating poverty and climate change in this province, and country, then it is time that we work on this. It is not just good enough to sell fair trade products, just because it is fair trade, but an effecitve policy is needed, because many poor people can not afford fair trade products. Perhaps tax incentives for those selling fair trade products is needed. At the same time tax incentives could be offered for small scale environmental industries. Lastly have the government work with small business groups like, ironically the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and anti poverty groups in creating more money for Mico loans like SEED Winnipeg. One of the main reasons why lower income people can not start small businesses, is because of the lack of credit rating they have. If more micro loan money was created for organizations like SEED Winnipeg to give in loans, more low income people in areas like the Point Douglas area in Winnipeg could start their own business, thus at least have a real shot of getting out of poverty.

5. Policy, Policy, Policy, not signs, movie nights and marches: The left, perhaps, needs to talk, strong innovative policy amongst people. More town hall meetings to discuss issues amongst the general public would be a great, rather then have movie nights and marches with big signs down to the legislature. With just over one year to go before the Winnipeg civic election, the Winnipeg Citizens Coalition will need to start hammering on a lot of this, in order to capture the public of Winnipeg's interest, considering that, according to a recent Winnipeg Free Press poll, three out of five Winnipeggers like centre-right mayor Sam Katz's job so far. The centre left WCC is going to need to start doing this soon, if they want to help knock off the big cheese in the mayors chair.

These ideas of baking bread, may not be attractive and glamorous like creating circuses. These ideas could make some hard core activists cringe. However, if the left in Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg, want to capture the imagination of the public, these ideas are something that should be taken seriously.

Yeast, flour and eggs, anyone???

References:

"Bread and Circuses. Retrieved July 12, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses

Ole, Ole Ole, Canada, Canada: Why it is important for a vital Canadian men's national soccer team for this country

2009-07-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Canada winning the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, February 28, 2000 in final against Columbia

(Photo Courtesy of Concacaf.com)

With Canada (currently ranked 92nd in the world according to FIFA) clinching first place in Group A of of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and playing second place group B opposition Honduras on July 18th in one of the four quarter finals, their performance, has surprised some, who suggested Canada would not make it out of the Group of death at the Gold Cup. This has started again some debate about not only how possibly Canada is underrated in world play but the importance of a strong national soccer team on the world stage.

The Canadian men's national soccer team, whose only FIFA World Cup trip was back at 1986 Mexico, has literally fallen off the soccer map since then. The team in the 1990's was not very successful, with the closet success in that decade, in terms of World Cup qualifying campaigns was a playoff loss to Australia to go against the South American playoff winner (Argentina) for a World Cup spot.

This decade, has perhaps at best seen very mixed results for the national team. While none of the World Cup qualifying campaigns has our teams gotten out of the Semi final group stage rounds (2002, 2006, 2010) to make it to the final hexagonal round, Canada has been very competitive at the regional competition level, the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Canucks won the 2000 tournament, bronze in the 2002 version. As well the team also was 2007 semi-finalists and have booked themselves a spot for the 2009 edition, on July 18th, as mentioned above. The only times this decade Canada has not gotten out of the group stages of the Gold Cup was both the 2003 and 2005 editions.

This begs the question: what is wrong with Canada's men's national soccer team? Why can't they get out of semi final round CONCACAF World Cup qualifying every time, yet perform amazingly well at the regional stage. But the million dollar question begs to be asked: why should people care about Canadian soccer?

The first question is perhaps a really tough question to answer. Many in the Canadian soccer community who I have talked to and debates I have followed on the Voyageurs forum say that a massive restructuring is in order for the Canadian Soccer Association, which has been accused of being an "old boys club". A classic case of this would be, by some in the Canadian soccer community, the dismal hiring of Dale Mitchell as the head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. The campaign turned out to be a momentous disaster, with Canada, only getting two points out of six games, thus finishing dead last. Mitchell, was eventually fired and replaced by current interim head coach Stephen Hart, who has taken the team past the group stages like last tournament in 2007. One wonders if had Hart coached the team during the qualifying campaign, that they might still be in the qualifying campaign, which starts up again next month.

The second question, why can the team not get out of the semi final round of World Cup qualifying, yet play amazingly well, we partially answered in the previous column, with that the Canadian Soccer Association, not doing enough to go beyond their friends, like Dale Mitchell and hire risk takers like Stephen Hart. Another possible answer, may have to do with the fact that The CONCACAF Gold Cup is being played in the USA, and not somewhere like Mexico or the Central American countries, where their fans, are a little more edgier and passionate. Canada, unfortunately does not have the best road record in Latin American countries. Lastly another reason, is that other powers, like Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica, sometimes do not send their "A" list of stars, thus giving supposed minnows like Canada a better chance of success at the regional tournament level.

So what does this all mean as I get to the million dollar question: Why should Canadians care about the Canadian soccer and in particular our men's national soccer team.

There are many answers as to why, Canadians should care. First off, the popularity of the sport has grown in our nation, in the past 15 years. This is due to the Internet, globalization, and more media coverage (albeit not has much as Latin America and Europe, where we should be). The game has become more competitive, as minnows have pulled off more surprising results this decade (look no further the our nations 2000 Gold Cup win) thanks to the globalization of the game. With the Internet, you can see, thanks to Justin.tv, Copa Libertadores games, featuring some of South America's top clubs. With more media coverage in this country, thanks to three related soccer channels in on digital cable (Fox Sports World Canada, Gol Tv Canada and Setanta Sports), you can see most major European leagues like Spain's La Liga and regional soccer championships like the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is on Gol TV Canada.

But perhaps the best reason, why Canadians should care, is perhaps, it brings national pride to our country and to those, who are not as passionate about ice hockey, or arts. This is especially true with those people who immigrate to Canada from soccer mad countries like in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Correlate this with the fact that soccer is the most participated registered sport in Canada, even more then ice hockey, shows the fact that this country, if the CSA can be reformed drastically to kick out it's own establishment for this nation to be not necessarily a powerhouse in CONCACAF overnight, but within a period of 10 years.

With the success of the Montreal Impact at last year's CONCACAF Champions League, Toronto FC, the only Canadian outfit in MLS now to win the 2009 Nutralite Canadian Championship and participate against the Puerto Rico Islanders for a spot in this year's Champions League and our men's national soccer team doing well at this year's Gold Cup, perhaps, citizens and politicians should take notice of what Canada could do in soccer.

If Sweden, a hockey power, can be successful in soccer as well, why not Canada. Ole, ole, ole, Canada, Canada and onward to 2014 in Brazil.

Campus Media and its role in developing future journalists

2009-06-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

With the future of the newspaper industry and maybe perhaps journalism's role in society at limbo perhaps, thanks to many dramatic changes in the past fifteen to twenty years, one topic that sorely lacks debate is the role of campus media from Colleges and Universities, in particular its role in preparing future journalists for the industry.

While I could not specifically find a clear cut definition on what exactly campus media is, the closet thing perhaps I found was on Wikipedia in terms of what a student newspaper is. According to Wikipedia, a student news paper is defined as:

"... a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news. Working for one's high school newspaper is sometimes an extracurricular activity, but often, journalism classes are offered. Journalism students learn about the journalistic profession and also produce the paper. Some schools have a basic class in which students only learn about newspapers, and a class that produces the newspaper."

So based on the definition that Wikipedia provides on student newspapers, a student newspaper is a place where "journalism students learn about the journalistic profession and also produce the newspaper". So, if we also apply this definition to campus radio, we can say as well, student radio is a place where radio and or journalism students "learn " to create and produce radio programming, as well as learn the profession of radio production and radio journalism.

In a time, when both the newspaper and journalism professions are at a crossroads, campus media, is perhaps also at a crossroads in some Universities and colleges, in how to not only adapt to the rapid changes that have occurred but also preparing aspiring future journalists in coping the brave new world the profession faces.

One example in which University student based media is trying to face and cope with the challenges that have been going on in journalism right now is at the Uniter.

The Uniter, is Winnipeg's Urban journal (aka, the University of Winnipeg student newspaper). This past year, I had the wonderful opportunity to share my time, writing for then the sports section for the Uniter. This past year, I had a great opportunity to meet many new friends from the what was the sports section, as well learn how sports journalism works. I gained a lot of new skills that I never had before, namely interviewing coaches, players and other people for various articles, as well as researching and asking questions based on the research I did. It was very valuable experience that, as potentially an aspiring financial journalist, like myself, taught me the basics of what is needed for good articles that people want to read on.

However, in March it was learned that the Uniter's format was going to be dramatically re-structured. The way sports was going to be covered in the Uniter was going to be dramatically different if, well in honest terms, deleted, despite what the managing editor said. The new structure, that I understood of what the Uniter will look like for this upcoming school year is as follows:

a) replace the sports editor position with that of a "culture beat reporter";
b) place coverage of Wesmen games in a new campus section;
c) expand the Arts & Culture section, then divide it in two (Arts and "Culture & Lifestyle"); and
d) place all sports-related, non-Wesmen articles in the latter of these two sections, as in the view of the board of directors, sports falls under the umbrella of lifestyle.

When I heard of this, myself and the other sports writers had two meetings with the managing editor about this changes, and why they were occurring. From what was said in the meetings, the changes were made because, the board wanted to try something different and entice people who do not normally read sports articles, actually read them in a "culture and lifestyle section", as a way of broadening the appeal of the Uniter.

One other thing that came up in the meetings was that the Uniter was shifting towards being more of what the Uptown magazine was about 10-12 years ago, as an alternative paper for the local scene, otherwise a paper for the arts and culture community. Uptown, in case you people did not know was Winnipeg's most well known independent newspaper in about 10-15 years ago, but since has been bought out by the company who creates the Winnipeg Free Press. The Uptown magazine is still produced today, although many critize it for being too corporate.

The changing landscape in media, has had it's effect in our local campus media scene directly with this shift the Uniter will be taking for the up coming school year as a "filler" for, Uptown, which, according to many, has turned out to be a corporate sell out.

As the above change in format shows in the Uniter, there will be winners and losers here. The winners, thanks to the changing landscape in the world of media, which have trickled down to campus media at the University of Winnipeg, will be the arts and culture community and local underground news scene.

As Winnipeg, is perhaps one of Winnipeg's most under appreciated arts communities in Canada, by some, more emphasis will now be placed on local bands, musicians and local literature, thus filling the void that the Uptown, the Winnipeg Free Press and the Winnipeg Sun, neglect in the community. The current managing editor of the Uniter, should be congratulated for such a bold decision, in her understanding of trying something new in this changing media landscape, in particular Canadian campus media. When asked during one of the meetings with the sports staff about this format change, the question was asked if any other Canadian University newspaper have attempted to dramatically alter a newspaper format like the Uniter has with a revamped culture and lifestyle section, the answer was no. It is something that perhaps in this constantly changing world that the Uniter's managing editor who knows a lot about the media game and understands the risks that needs to be taken in order to survive.

However, just like there are winners, there are potential losers in this Uniter shakeup. That is the sports section. Since it was decided that the sports section (outside of Wesmen coverage in the new campus section) would either go into the editorial section (if it is an editorial) or the new campus and lifestyle section, the overall coverage of sports in general may dramatically go down. While there was no sports stories in the first edition of the Uniter after these changes (the May 2009 edition), the real story could be painted in the fall, when students come back to school and read the Uniter. Many, who love sports, could very well see, outside of Wesmen coverage, will likely see a dramatic fall in sports coverage. This is all in the attempt to make the Uniter more appealing to non sports fans and make the Uniter thrive.

The majority of sports writers at the Uniter, where not happy with this decision. While a decision like this maybe in the best attempts to appeal to non sports fans, it does not bode well, for those who wrote sports for the paper, who were looking for an outlet to gain experience in journalism, which could be a potential branch into other areas of the game (like me for example who wants to do financial journalism. As former sports writer for the Uniter and current CBC journalist Leighton Klassen said on the Save Our Sports Section Uniter Facebook Group board:

"In short, you’re still exercising the basics of reporting: gathering facts, conducting interviews, and writing. But in sports writing, you don’t have to have a rich knowledge in politics/business/industry to write the stories. And, in the event that you do make a mistake (which at the university level is quite common) coaches, fans and athletes are more forgiving than politicians and corporate bigwigs. Some of the writers like myself have been successful from first starting out in the sports section".

It is not easy being the managing editor of a University student newspaper (or now called an Urban journal) like the person who is doing the job right now at the Uniter. It is hard to balance the changing dynamics of the constantly changing industry thanks to the Internet, while training potential future journalists. While the the change in the format of the Uniter is for sure a ground breaking attempt in Canadian University student newspaper formats in trying to please one section of society, it's re precautions may not bode out well for those who wanted to use the former sports section of the Uniter as a stepping stone for getting their feet wet in the game in journalism. While this format change is a dry test run, one wonders, if it can be successful. It begs to be seen if it will be. But for sure, this has certainly caused great debate in part of the aspect of campus media's role in the changing landscape of media: Whether to represent the uncovered, underrepresented non main stream scene like most of the arts and culture community, or train potentially future exciting new journalists who are passionate about what they write about.

Another aspect of campus media is that sadly has not been discussed is how it is handling new media, in specifically the Internet and how it has changed how media works.

Both the Uniter and CKUW (the University of Winnipeg's radio station), have respectfully websites. The Uniter has blogs for their feature writers, while CKUW, has pod casts of archived shows (like for example the weekly CKUW sports show the Ultra Mega Sports show and recently done centrist show, Midpoints). While both somewhat are attempting to understand the game of new media, both campus media outlets are still somewhat slow to understand the power of what new media can do for society in general.

However, the benefits of new media production can easily be seen with the University of Winnipeg's Wesmen sports teams. Through the progressive thinking of the Wesmen, all of their sports teams home games, can be seen via streaming video through the Wesmen website. All that was needed was a cam corder and a laptop to produce live streaming video of home Wesmen games on the web that can be seen all around the world in such countries like Brazil, should someone wanted to see a Wesmen game. This is a win win situation. For starters, the costs of production for the Wesmen are very low to produce Wesmen games for people to watch, as well, the Wesmen, can by-pass the conventional media outlet of television for people to see their home games.

What we, as a society are currently seeing is a dramatic earthquake in how media will look like in the future. The two examples with the Uniter changing it's format and the Wesmen showing their home games live via streaming video on the Internet, show both the pitfalls and benefits of what the media landscape can look like. I would encourage the Uniter, CKUW, UMFM, the Manitoban, the Projector and Kick FM have a one to two day conference on the future of journalism and media within the next two years, as their are some fundamentally dramatic changes going on right now that need to be disscussed amongst journalism and media production students.

References:

Student newspaper. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_newspaper. Retrieved June 14, 2009.

The art of the Joystick: Video games and modern day art

2009-05-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Perhaps, one of the most interesting debates that comes up at the odd time is with regards to video games and if now, given with how hi tech and realistic all video games are nowadays (specifically those on Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Playstation Portable, Nintendo DS and PC games) should they be considered an art form.

According to the Microsoft Encarta dictionary, Art is defined under a noun as "The creation of beautiful or thoughtprovoking things", or under the noun plural as "creative activities such as painting, music and literature".

Video games, perhaps in it's earlier heyday, so 15-30 years ago, back in the Coleco vision, 8 bit nintendo and 16 bit days would definately not be considered an artistic form for display. However, with the advancements in technology that saw video game consoles use from the cartridge to CD Rom to DVD and Blu Ray. This allowed for not only better processing power, but as well as better graphics and for the video game developers to tell better, crisper and realistic stories that in some ways could rival movies. In fact, Don Tapscott, in his most recent book called "Grown up Digital", mentions the important role of how video game developers like Jade Raymond, who was one of the developers of the hit video game Assassins Creed for Playstation 3 and XBox 360 use video games as a form of interactive art in terms of new media context.

While Don Tapscott and Jade Raymond may be a lot more supportive of the notion of video games being considered an art form, many staunch supporters of conventional media are not quite willing as of yet to give video games it's due as art.

Film critic Roger Ebert in November 2005, was critical of video games, saying that it is quite inferior to conventional media art forms like books and of course, Eberts status of expertise, movies.

The text of Ebert's argument against video games as an artistic art form as follows, according to a piece on the Ars Technia website from November 2005:

"I am prepared to believe that video games can be elegant, subtle, sophisticated, challenging and visually wonderful. But I believe the nature of the medium prevents it from moving beyond craftsmanship to the stature of art. To my knowledge, no one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great dramatists, poets, filmmakers, novelists and composers. That a game can aspire to artistic importance as a visual experience, I accept. But for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic."

This caused such outrage amongst gamers that his inbox was lit up with very nasty emails against him. This was perhaps, as Ebert mentions on his website as one of the most "civil" emails he got against his views on video games.

" Q. I was saddened to read that you consider video games an inherently inferior medium to film and literature, despite your admitted lack of familiarity with the great works of the medium. This strikes me as especially perplexing, given how receptive you have been in the past to other oft-maligned media such as comic books and animation. Was not film itself once a new field of art? Did it not also take decades for its academic respectability to be recognized?

There are already countless serious studies on game theory and criticism available, including Mark S. Meadows' Pause & Effect: The Art of Interactive Narrative, Nick Montfort's Twisty Little Passages: An Approach to Interactive Fiction, Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Pat Harrigan's First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game, and Mark J.P. Wolf's The Medium of the Video Game, to name a few.

I hold out hope that you will take the time to broaden your experience with games beyond the trashy, artless "adaptations" that pollute our movie theaters, and let you discover the true wonder of this emerging medium, just as you have so passionately helped me to appreciate the greatness of many wonderful films.

Andrew Davis, St. Cloud, Minn.

A. Yours is the most civil of countless messages I have received after writing that I did indeed consider video games inherently inferior to film and literature. There is a structural reason for that: Video games by their nature require player choices, which is the opposite of the strategy of serious film and literature, which requires authorial control.

I am prepared to believe that video games can be elegant, subtle, sophisticated, challenging and visually wonderful. But I believe the nature of the medium prevents it from moving beyond craftsmanship to the stature of art. To my knowledge, no one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great dramatists, poets, filmmakers, novelists and composers. That a game can aspire to artistic importance as a visual experience, I accept. But for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic.".

While Ebert's view may definately be true in terms of conventional media, it is definately not true, when looked through the view of new media.

When defining New Media, perhaps the best definition could be found on Webopedia as:

"A generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. The term is in relation to “old” media forms, such as print newspapers and magazines, that are static representations of text and graphics."

When looking at this definition, you could easily see that video games, just based on the notion of new media is an art form. It is an art form for quite simply that it involves computerized technology to create a form of expression of a beautiful or thoughtprovking product.

Many video games within the past 10-15 years, especially since the first Playstation system in 1995 begin to push the realism of how video games can create realistic and thoughprovking expressions. Games like the Metal Gear Solid, Gears of War, Resistance, Halo series are great examples of combining great storytelling, interactive involvement with the player as well as great graphics. This is what the hallmark of what forms a base for a good, artistic new media form. Video games do provide this. The current technology has allowed for designers of video games to push the envelopes of realism and create such beautiful forms of new media art. And guess what it is only going to get better and better as the video game technology will continue to evolve, thus pushing not only new media, but our notions of as art in our society.

When you hear such stories that video games sales in the year 2007, was the only major industry in the entertainment market, according to data from the NPD group in a Ars Technia article in January 2008, perhaps maybe it is time for us as a society to recognize the fact that video games deserve, at least for the most part as an art form in the context of new media. Sure they might not be considered art like movies and literature in the context of old and conventional media, however, the fact this is the year 2009, not 1989 I checked and a lot of things have changed.

Just like Roger Ebert, which I have a lot of respect for him as a film critic, does not think much of video games as an art form, I am not totally convinced that reading Shakespeare's Hamlet, nor reading Ernest Hemmingway's Hills Like White Elephants, which I read in my English 1A University class in the Fall 2008 term is going to give me such excellent insight in today's modern day landscape and expand my mind.

Give me my Joystick anyday and allow me to experience such new and awe inspiring worlds that 15-30 years ago, would literally be impossible to explore anyday.

References

"Grown up Digital". Tapscott, Don. 2009. McGraw Hill. New York.

"Roger Ebert says games will never be as worthy as movies". Reimer, Jeremy. November 30, 2005. http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2005/11/5657.ars. Retrived May 24, 2009.

"Rogert Ebert, Question and Answers". http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=ANSWERMAN&date=20051127. Retrived May 24, 2009.

"New Media". http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/new_media.html. Retrieved May 24, 2009.

"Growth of gaming in 2007 far outpaces movies, music". Bangeman, E. January 24, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/default.stm. Retrived May 24, 2009.

Stuck in the Middle with you: My Interview with a Centrist

2009-05-24T11:47:00.001-07:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Jess Chapman, the host of the CKUW show Midpoints, a weekly centrist radio show on Monday afternoons. She is currently working on a joint communications degree at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College. Her political views are centrist. Our interviewed discussed many political issues, including: What is a centrist, the provincial and federal NDP, and what is wrong with the Canadian political system.

Adam Johnston: The first question is what is a centrist? I kind of know what it is, but for those who don’t know what a centrist is, can you explain it to the public?

Jess Chapman: Essentially a centrist is a person who acknowledges that the left and the right have good ideas and seek to come up with bi-partisan solutions to most or all problems unless there is the rare occasion that one side has it exactly right. And what I have observed over the years is that while politicians may act like the opposite of a centrist which I call a winger, which could be liberal or conservative. When they actually get elected and have to start governing, they become centrists again because they realize that their long held beliefs and campaign promises as viable, according to specific circumstances.

AJ: Very interesting. Here in Canada, though, we have the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Quebecois (which is a separatist party) as well, the Green Party. When you say liberal and conservative, don’t you, my question there is also the NDP, so technically, wouldn’t the Liberal Party be the “centrist” party in Canada?

JC: I think we can definitely call the Liberal Party the centrist party very, ironically. You look at the NDP, and they have espoused a lot of traditionally left wing causes and that often does not work in their favor, because their stuck in the mentality of pro labour, all the way, pro wildlife all the way, pro socialized medicine all the way, etc., etc.. They are unwilling to accept policies that might be considered as either conservative or at times pro business. And I think that’s going to contribute to their downfall eventually, because an anti business mentality is not what the system requires. It requires someone who can work with businesses to achieve a common end.

AJ: Ok, what would you say about the Manitoba NDP?

JC: The Manitoba NDP, I think is less staunchly liberal then the federal NDP, but they don’t seem to have many set principles of their own, and that is one advantage the federal NDP has. The Manitoba NDP, and other provincial parties really don’t have much of a clear cut agenda, and that’s not going to serve them well come next provincial election when voters are unable to distinguish between them.

AJ: In terms of, I guess, I could talk about the Manitoba NDP, provincially, what sort of policy, if you were like me a centrist NDPer ,what type of policies should they adapt, maybe not necessarily for the next election, but let’s say they lose the next election, if they get creamed by the Conservatives.
JC: Which they will

AJ: Ok, is it time for them to start thinking, I know is it perhaps policy changes are needed for them in the next election and what would you like to see them do?

JC: I definitely would like to see some policy changes. I would like to see them adopt a more modern policy on that is focused on technology and small business. They do have a very good focus on the environment and I will give them that, but it’s still very basic sort of environmental policy like save the trees, save the animals, clean water, blah, blah blah. And nobody opposes any of those things. What the NDP should do in order to be seen as a viable party of leadership is to adopt a green technology agenda.

AJ: Exactly. One of the criticisms, as a centrist, I like Manitoba Hydro, I think it is great, but do you think one of the biggest problems with the Manitoba NDP is that they rely too much on Hydro as a key of their alternative energy platform? If so what would you like to see, what would you in terms of that?

JC: I think that they are investing too much in Manitoba Hydro. The fact is that you can’t put all you’re focus on this one publicly owned organization, when there is so much opportunity for small businesses to thrive on developing new forms of energy and specifically hydro electricity. So I think they ought to shift their focus away from government run agencies and remind Canadians that it’s not unfair for energy to be partially developed in the hands of the private sector, especially when it could contribute to a major economic boom in the near future.

AJ: So you would say small businesses and consumer co-ops should definitely play a larger stake in the alternative energy sector?

JC: Yes, I do. I would like to see more development of small businesses and worker co-ops, especially in low income areas, which have all but been abandoned, if you just drive through the Point Douglas area. Nothing happens, and I think if more businesses were willing to set up shop their, jobs in these areas would be created and everyone would be better off to an extent.

AJ: It’s one of the things I do kind of agree with is there is just too much of an emphasis of government run programs (re: crown corporations to solve every problem). I think there is a necessity (government run programs as a public good), like public funded health care, I do agree with. But stuff like alternative energy, where small business and people can actually own this stuff, rather then the government sector, which might bring in a lot of money it’s your vulnerable to corruption.

JC: Um, hmm. That’s one thing I can say about government run agencies, is that they are subject to a lot more regulation. On the other hand, they are controlled by the government, and the government it’s self can be corrupt and I think of speaking of the NDP, they should trust business owners more. They are not all “Evil corporate swine”. They seem to have perfectly capable of being honest people who both like to make a profit and like to do some good for their country and their country’s labor force.

AJ: I would like to go see them go back in some ways, to go back basically to be more of a consumer co-op, small business and even give credit unions more involved to finance the green technology boom which is going to eventually come, I think in Manitoba.

JC: Yes, I will agree with you their. I don’t know too much about credit unions, but I think the party that survives just like the car companies that survives that jump on the green technology band wagon first.

AJ: I am going to go back to the Federal NDP. We know that Jack Layton, has the highest approval rating within their own party amongst the leaders in terms within their own party. Now they next federal election, like, when you look at the polls, they are trailing badly and there is a good chance that the Liberals could win a small majority, which might mean that the NDP federally are going to possibly go through another leadership race and probably look at policy again. My question is what do you think they should do in terms of that?

JC: If they do have another leadership race, I think they should definitely drop Jack Layton. He has done nothing good for the NDP.

AJ: Give me an example.

JC: Well the only good thing, I remember hearing about Jack Layton is that most Canadians would like to have a beer with him, instead of Stephen Harper. But that doesn’t help the country, sitting down and having a beer. Jack Layton is a total opportunist. You just have to look at the federal budget debacle to see that trying to vote against it before what was in it. To me, that just says you are not willing to be bi-partisan and I know that is difficult to do in the parliamentary system, but they should at least have put in some sort of effort. If they do appoint a leader, it would have to be someone else essentially the opposite of Jack Layton. They would have to be more pro business.

AJ: Like a Lorne Nystrom, who attempted in 2003, but got his butt waxed by Bill Blaikie and Jack Layton?

JC: Lorne Nystrom I like. I would like to see another Lorne Nystrom, maybe somebody, younger, someone more in touch with youth, because the NDP pretty much has a lock on the youth vote.

AJ: The Activist vote. But in terms of policy, what types of policy changes, do you think the NDP need to make to become a major player in politics, because, as an NDPer, I find it frustrating that stuff like anti-trust, that they could grab it, as well, as consumer politics, but are afraid do to unions and that. But even stuff like the Internet, but they could oppose ACTRA’s stance on proposal at the CRTC hearings. But give me a sense of what policy changes you would like to see if you were them.

JC: I would like to see them be less in the pocket of unions and special interest groups, who are calling for unreasonable regulations. That’s the major problem with the NDP has, they are I would hesitate to say, there socialists, since usually that word is a pejorative, and I don’t like it when people use it, but they are definitely not libertarians and I think at heart, a majority of the Canadian people are to a point libertarians.

AJ: Some other big things I think they could do is stuff like anti-trust and actually break up Air Canada, which would be nice, but they would have such a fight with unions and stuff like that. In terms of centrist politicians in Canada, what do you think the problem is there any centrist politicians in Canada? Can you find any?

JC: I can’t either. The problem is that so many of our Canadian politicians is that they haven’t come up with anything new. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t tell who believes in what. And when they finally do say in what they believe in, we’ve heard it all before. And it’s never come. And you look at the United States, you look at Barack Obama. He was able to woo a lot of voters by talking about the modern economy and modern society. And he really got people to believe in that some sort of change was going to come. Some sort of miraculous shift.

AJ: Hallelujah.

JC: Yes, it wasn’t going to be a hallelujah moment.

AJ: You know kind of me and my own personal situation rather then pray to God for a hallelujah it’s kind of get off your butt and believe in your self type of deal.

JC: Absolutely. That’s another thing our politicians do. They never say, you need to be apart of this change. We just say “There evil, but it’s ok, we will take care of you”. And they are never going to take care of you. And they never have.

AJ: Is that part of your complaint about Canadian politics? You say it’s boring and I guess is that a legitimate complaint, when you talk to you’re other political friends?

JC: Yea, I think that’s what contributes to the boredom. When you turn on CPAC, and you watch some Question Period, you don’t see them crafting new legislation, and trying to get bi-partisan support, because that’s what they do in the United States. In the Canadian system, they just hurl accusations, and pass them back.

AJ: Whine that the coalition did not work (reference to the December 2008 Liberal NDP coalition that failed).

JC: Yes. I really don’t think that’s the way to get Canadians engaged in the political process. They have to give them something to believe in, something positive.

AJ: I put the Green Party as an “interesting” party. They have a lot of potential, but they can’t seem to get a person elected. Why is that and what is good about the Green Party, and that is different from the other parties, if there is anything good about them?

JC: I think a lot of people are still stuck in the days when the Green Party was just a throw back, like “throw your vote away party”. But the fact is they are emerging as a viable election contender is something of a sad reflection on the state of our political scene. But the Greens do have a reasonably clear agenda. They have a leader that is much more charismatic, then any of the others.

AJ: They talk a lot about green technology.

JC: They do talk a lot about green technology. There not stuck in the 1960’s “Save the Whales” mentality, which you wouldn’t expect from the Green Party. So I think they could definitely be a force to be recon with if they just remind people that they no longer are stuck on the fringes.

AJ: So what do you think that politicians need to do in Canada to replicate some Barack Obama “Yes we Can” mentality, because right now, no party seems to do it. Do they need to talk more modern high technology?

JC: What it could come down to is try to rise above all the pettiness and the cynicism and becoming the party of positive reinforcement. That’s what Obama did more then anything.

AJ: Thank you very much for your time.

The Internet: The best thing about Globalization and closest thing to free market economics that worked

2009-05-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

When looking at some of the positives of globalization, one could look at the Internet as perhaps the shining light in terms of one of the best things to come of globalization in the past twenty years. At the same time, the Internet, left for the most part untouched is an example of free market competition that actually for once benefited society.

The Internet was basically born out of the United States military to keep military computers connected underground to transmit information, which was called ARPANET.

The Internet really began to take off in the 1990's with the creation of the World Wide Web, which was created by Britain's Tim Berners Lee. Couple that with massive expansion of telecommunication companies getting into the Internet business, providing Internet service, thus exlpoded the World Wide Web, which created massive spillover benefits for society in terms of commerce, education and a better understanding of the world.

While it there has been no real studies done on the economic boom in the early 1990's to around 2007-2008, one reason, according to many economists is due to the growth of the Internet and Information Technology. This growth allowed the creation of new jobs, because of infrastucture had to be built in place for faster and more accessible points for people to hook up to the World Wide Web.

This Information Technology/Internet boom created or increased sales in related items such as computers, video game systems, CD/DVD burners, on-line video games on consoles (PS3 XBox 360 are current examples). It also allowed for decreased cost in the production of conventional media content, but as well created new forms of new media content like streaming video, podcasts to name a few.

Which brings me back to my original points. The expansion of the Internet in the 1990's was probably one of the best things to happen from globalizaton for many reasons.

1. It allowed more people to access more information like never before.

Before the Internet and World Wide Web, if you wanted to do research for a University class paper, your best bet was the Library and sifting through oodles and oodles of dull outdated books that had little relevency to your paper. Now with the Internet, there is more current and relevent content for students to do a paper now, then lets say 15-30 years ago.

2. Younger people are a lot more critical thinkers then their predecessors.

Technology guru Don Tapscott, in his two books about the Net Generation (Growing up Digital and Grown up digital) has argued that because of the Internet, younger people are a lot more critical thinkers and better multitaskers because of the information that they have to sift through, compared to a baby boomers response to dealing with information from conventional forms of media like television, which is more passive. This is important in terms of competing in the globalized age we live in.

3. The Internet has cut cost of production of content.

The advancements in technology have allowed for decreased costs of production in terms of audio and video. This has allowed for people to put out content at a much more cost efficient rate, then lets say 30 years ago with conventional media like television and radio where the costs were through the roof. Because of these decrease in costs in content production, newer content has been able to flourish like streaming live video, podcasts, etc, thus spinning off into increased sales in products like portable audio and video players (MP3 players).

4. People are a lot more aware of the world around them... in quicker time

The Internet has allowed people to be a lot more aware of more pressing issues more quickly then the pre Internet day. People can access more information about environmental issues with a click of a button, and know how serious the problem is faster. While it is uncertain that if there was no Internet the environmental problem may be better or worse, the fact of the matter is, the Internet has at least allowed information to be addressed quickly on this issue as an example, at a much quicker rate and put pressure on governments more quickly to act on something like this.

5. Created Spinoff products and jobs (see earlier in the piece)

In terms of market and pure competition of sorts, the Internet is the closet thing to pure competition outside of agriculture in terms of economics. The reason is for this is, the Internet, has made commerce more elastic for people to buy produts and goods. For example, You can buy video games from either at a Toys R Us store in the city, same thing with Superstore etc. But with the Internet, you can also shop at amazon.ca, ebay, etc, to buy a certain video game you are looking for. You could not do that 20 to 30 years ago.

While it is still a farily young media, the Internet, is challenging the way we, as a society think of media. It is also challenging conventional business structures to re-think their current business models.

Current business models in media are under threat. So much so, that both large telecommunication companies and special interest groups from the arts and culture community are threatening the free and open space the Internet provides for every day people to dialog. Large telecommunication companies in Canada have been charged with throttling (or puropsely slowly) consumers Internet access to downloading. At the same time the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission in February of 2009 held hearings to debate whether to keep the hands off approach in regulating content on the Internet for Candian content. Many arts and culture groups put proposals that would threaten the free and open space the Internet provides for citizens to see, debate and think about issues, namely if Canadian websites are put infront of other websites around the world would almost certainly breach Net Neutrality rules. According to Google's page on Net Neutrality it states....

"Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. The Internet has operated according to this neutrality principle since its earliest days. Indeed, it is this neutrality that has allowed many companies, including Google, to launch, grow, and innovate. Fundamentally, net neutrality is about equal access to the Internet. In our view, the broadband carriers should not be permitted to use their market power to discriminate against competing applications or content. Just as telephone companies are not permitted to tell consumers who they can call or what they can say, broadband carriers should not be allowed to use their market power to control activity online. Today, the neutrality of the Internet is at stake as the broadband carriers want Congress's permission to determine what content gets to you first and fastest. Put simply, this would fundamentally alter the openness of the Internet".

The Internet has been one of the best things to come out of globalization, and it would be a shame if it were to die a slow and painful death in Canada, to the greed of corporate and special interest groups. Tim Berners Lee and Internet pioneers must be wondering what planet Canada is on? The 1960's or now with regards to the Internet. I would choose the earlier.

2009 vs. 1998 vs. 1989

2009-05-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately the notion of going back in time if I could and doing one of the following:

- Fixing up the mistakes of my past.

- Revisiting my younger childhood and high school years

- Had I had change a few scenarios if things might be different for me in a better way.

I do not know why I have kind of felt like this as of late. I guess beacause my paretns are getting older, partly and maybe I have had lots on my mind as ususal about my future and concern for a good old friend of mine who maybe going through some tough problems at his home ( I hope not).

The first part I guess would be the idea of fixing up really stupid mistakes that costed me dearly to this day, whether it was in elementary, junior high, high school and even up to 2006.

Yes I honestly wish there was times I could have left better the way I did at the end of high school. I left frustated, thus I was angry at a lot of people of which I did not want to talk to for awhile. Boy did I act childish. I unfortunately had some grudges, that now that I think of made me look stupid. I was inmature. I reget this. However, I am glad that in the past few years I have seen many of my former high school collegues and know that they are doing well and just wanted nothing the best for them as they are building careers and I am rebuilding the dismal results for a brighter future in the past few years.

I have learned that to build your future you must must look at the past and see where mistakes you made. If I could I wish I could have gone back to the year 1998 and corrected some of my childish idiocy on how I acted towards people For that I am really sorry. I believe in the saying that "You can't change the past, but you can change the future". This has been so true on many aspects for me in the past two or so years. A lot of that has to do with Facebook and the power of the Internet. I have been fortunate to get a chance to do this. Not that many people do. So thank you.

If there was a few things I could change in my past that I wasn't fat when I was very young. It was only about 1997 where I was not terribly fat. It even somewhat haunts me to this day. At times it was so brutal it was not even funny. But you can't change your past, but you can change your future. That is one thing that I have tried to do here.

Another thing I wish that perhaps maybe I could go back and change is in the year 2002, where, even though I was busy working at an accounting firm, I wish I could have seen more of both of my grandma who died in March of that year, and one of my better friends in that time of my life, who died early due to cancer. Even though I hung around with him lots when I learned that he had cancer back two years prior, I just sometimes wish maybe that in the last few months before that I should have seen him more often. It pains me the occassional time and quite frankly I miss him.

There is times I honestly wished I could go back to being eight or nine years old again twenty years ago. Being in elementary, with only a select few television channels and NES. Life was well, quite frankly much more simpler back then. However , this is not a science fiction movie and you just can not time portal back. If I honestly could I would even go back to when Canada qualfied for the 1986 World Cup of Soccer. But I can not.

I am here in reality. The truth is we are all living in turbulent times. But that is the way it is, I guess. And you know you what, I probably would not want to have it any other way. I am learning a lot about myself on how far I can literally push myself to get things done, given the time frame and issues that face me. I have gained some new friends in recent years through H&R Block and University, and am thankful for that. I have even reconnected with old ones. Which I am glad for. I do not think any one should be alone or feel lonely to deal with a friends or family's death. It is just not right.

I hope this explains a lot of what I am about, why I work so hard, and perhaps maybe why I am cynically hopeful about this world.

Anti-Trust, Small Business, Internet and Consumer politics, the way forward for the Federal New Democrats after 2010

2009-05-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

When looking at recent polling, the Liberals have gained the edge over the Conservative Party of Canada. Some polls show, that if an election where held today, the Liberals could either win a small majority or win yet another minority. Should the Liberals win a small majority, it could likely take seats away from the New Democratic Party, thus leading into another sole searching time again.

Should this occcur, many will argue within the party that they should merge with the Liberal Party of Canada, and thus create a quasi duopoloy in Canada, that could be almost near United States politics, with only two major parties.

I for one would oppose a merger between the two, for the simple fact that the Liberal Party is squishy of a middle party. It can't decide if it wants to be the Conservatives one day, nor the NDP the next.

However, as a centrist card carrying member of the New Democratic Party, perhaps, it may be time to seriously consider some drastic policy changes, if it seriously wants to take a shot at Canadian government.

1. Encourage tougher anti-trust laws, not more crown corporations.

Perhaps one thing that could differentiate the NDP, from the Liberals, while keeping a social democratic feel, yet be centrist in policy is the strenghthening of anti-trust laws and not create a new crown corporation, just for the sake that their is a large private corporation that is ripping off consumers. Could you imagine the NDP supporting the notion of tougher Anti-trust laws in breaking up large private companies that are too big for their own good, like Air Canada let's say. Tougher Anti-trust law policy supported by the NDP would get large support from the every day Joe Blow Lunchbucket out their, rather then creating another crown corporation.

2. Support new incentives for employee and consumer ownership.

A true core mandate of NDP policy is supporting the means of production via consumer and worker ownership. NDP policy that supports tax incentives like credits for worker owned co-ops, Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOP) and Consumer Share Ownership Plans (CSOP) are ways for consumers and employees to have a say in the means of production, while at the same time encouraging increased productivity in our 21st century economy. A policy like this that shares and creates wealth is a win-win situation for all.

3. Linking small business and the environment.

Perhaps one better way to get more people involved in the environmental movement is the encouragement for the creation of environmentally friendly small businesses in various sectors, especially alternative energy. An NDP policy that flatly supports this, via tax incentives for consumer owned alternative energy companies, eco-tourism, research and development in green technology, and support for legislation for Municipal Registered Retirement Savings Plan (MRRSP), would go along way for the average citizen to get excited about environmental issues that normally would not have cared, as new jobs would be created in various environmental sectors.

4. Support Consumer politics. One way the NDP could dramatically gain votes is support for consumer politics.

Consumer politics is basically the notion that consumers put pressure on companies to create better products that do not harm the environment, hurt human rights abuses, etc. This could include the notion for party support for it's members to get involved in increased share holder activism or get more involved with their local credit unions or consumer co-operatives. The NDP has done somewhat of a decent job in recent years in supporting consumer protection ideas like the No ATM fee campaign, but much more has to be done, if the party wants to garner more votes.

5. Support the TRUE principles of a free and open Internet.

Another area, which the party could garner a dramatic increase in votes amongst young people is keeping the Internet free from both corporate and special interests. The debate of a free and open Internet has come up to play here in recent months, thanks to both to a CRTC ruling that supported Bell to throttle Internet speeds, slowing customers Internet service. At the same time, the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had hearings on the future of if Internet content should be regulated in support of Canadian culture and content, thus putting the notion of a free and open Internet in danger.

The hearings had presentations both from the large telecommunication companies and the special interest groups from the arts and culture community. The telecos argued that the CRTC should not regulate the Internet for content and keep the hands off approach, while a majority of arts and culture groups argued for the CRTC to consider regulating the Internet like television.

While the NDP has flat out said they support net neutrality, in terms of telecos not throttling Internet speed they have not said that they do or do not support the notion of a CRTC regulating the Internet for the name sake of Canadian content. An NDP policy that goes and flat out says that they will support a free and open Internet that is not tainted by the large telecommunication companies, nor the special interest groups from the arts and culture communities would gain wild and I do mean wild applause from the net generation and customers around Canada.

6. Support reforming the CRTC to protect consumers and not certain special interest groups.

This is one of the biggest problems that many Canadians believe that the CRTC has become so mundane in the 21st Century is that it does not look out for the best interests of consumers, in terms of choice, nor protection. Forward NDP policy that supports drastically reforming the CRTC, to allow more access to international television channels into Canada, with less red tape, while at the same time tightening the fact that cable and telephone companies should not ge screwing customers over with stupid monthly cable and cell phone bill charges would get estatic applause amongst Canadians.

These are just some of the proposals that may make the NDP a serious threat in Canadian politics in the future. The above proposals, while may frieghten the hardcore far left base of the party, new, attractive centre-left policies will gain dramatic acceptance in amongst more moderate members and attract new people to the party. Policies like these, might actually get the average young person to care about Canadian politics again, and not think that Canadian politics as one young commentator said that the "Ottawa scene is boring" (thank you Jess) compared to the United States.

If Canada could win a soccer championship in 2000 (CONCACAF Gold Cup), then definately the federal NDP may think it is time to change some of their attitudes about policy and make Canadian politics more sexy for young, moderate people like myself who are not far left, right nor Liberal.

The Tit for Tat deal: A new approach to save Canadian culture in the 21st Century digital age

2009-05-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

One of the issues that has been up for debate in recent memory is Canadian culture in the digital age here in the 21st century. Many Canadians, in particular have a deep concern with regards to how Canadian culutre and talent will flourish in the context of the global age that we now live in.

Canadian culture is playing a very important part in the world stage and we would like to see it that way. However, advancements in information technology, in large part to the innovation of the Internet have not only made it more challenging for our culture to be recognized, but as well gives us as Canadians to see various other cultures around the world, without living the comfort of our houses or schools.

The advancements in technology have not only allowed consumers more choice but as well put established, Canadian culture authority under threat like the CANCON, ACTRA and the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission under threat. So much so, that the CRTC held hearings in February and March of this year on the potential idea of regulating the Internet for Canadian content ( I have disscussed this at nauseum and will write a seperate piece on my take on trying to save the real notion of the Internet later this week), because of the rapid growth of the Internet since the early 1990's.

20-30 years ago, when we lived in a 10 channel universe, computers with yellow screens and playing Donkey Kong on Atari, was not a threat to Canadian culture and culture authorities could lay down the law on how much Canadians could see and listen to on television and radio. The technology was not their at the time to pose such a serious threat.

Now that the Internet is here, along with more digital channels on high definition, and high tech video games, because of the advancemens in such technology, many arts groups, are crying foul saying the can not compete on the world stage and now want the same type of cultural regulations that worked 20-30 years ago to now. The addage "The more things change, the more they stay the same" is definately true with Canadian culture and content.

However, while their maybe new challenges that are brought on by technologies like the Internet on Canadian culture, it provides a greater opportunity, that if you are talented enough and work hard for it your chances of being discovered are greatly increased now on the world stage then lets say in 1985 (when I was five years old).

Unlike some, who want to cut arts funding in Canada, I propose a plan that will not only encourage Canadian content to thrive, but realize that we must recognize that Canadians are global citizens in the context of the new globalized community that we live in and we must encourage more consumer choice that is apart of this global, high tech age us Canadians live in. I call it the "Tit for tat" deal.

1. Drastically encourage massive funding increases to the CBC, and arts programs in Canada.

Last election, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper was accoused of planning to cut drastically arts programs and perhaps CBC funding. What Harper does not realize that arts do actually provide economic spin off benefits for Canadians, like creation of jobs in different sectors outside the arts (re: carpenters to build sets), thus a multiplier effect is created. The CBC is world renowned for it's excellent journalist programs it delivers and is a vital aspect of Canadian culture that everyone knows on the world stage.

Instead of cutting arts funding, lets first, restore funding cuts that were made to the CBC and arts to 1990 levels. Then, lets increase those amounts by 20 percent more then 1990 levels for in order to make us competitive. However, with these increases, careful checks and balances MUST be made so that the money is used for prodcutive uses and have some either economic, historical meaning to Canadian culture.

2. Harmonize all current New Media funds, not create new ones.

Technology expert, Jesse Hirsch, in a February 2009 CBC morning interview said that for new media to flourish, one key aspect was not to create another new fund, for new media, by taxing ISP's which thus get passed down to the consumer, but rather harmonize all current and exsisting new media funds (re: Bell New media fund) to get the maximum bang for the buck.

3. Create a new New Media tax credit.

If new media culture is going to thrive in Canada, then the federal and provincial governments should seriously consider creating new media tax credits as incentives for new media companies to create content. There are some successful examples of Canadian new media companies that are thriving on the world stage like Ubisoft, who created the successul next generation video game shooter last year Far Cry 2 and EA Sports Canada, who has created successful sports video games like the NHL and FIFA series. This would allow the cream of the crop in new media production to rise.

4. Encourage provinces to create PBS style broadcasters.

Crazy idea, perhaps, but provinces could encourage the creation of PBS style public broadcasters. How funding comes for stations like PBS is through viewer donations. Provincial governments could give some funding, but most of it would have to come from viewers. Canadian examples include the Knowledge Network in British Columbia. If provinces had PBS, style public broadcasters, then this would create economic spinoffs in each community, while creating outlets to showcase regional news and other information.

5. Reform the CRTC to be more of a consumer watchdog, rather then protector of Canadian Content.

A controversial part of this "Tit for tat" deal is that for increased funding to the arts and the CBC, is a newly reformed CRTC that would look at it being more of a consumer watchdog, rather then regulator for Canadian content. Less red tape would be needed to start up a station here in Canada or get a new channel from another country. A newly reformed CRTC would not even dare touch the Internet for Canadian content and keep the "hands off approach" that it decided back in the summer of 1999 on Canadian content.

Instead, a newly minted Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission, would look at being the guardian of consumers, not large telecommnication companies and special interest groups like some of the arts groups who have vigoursly complained on such issues like the hands off ruling on Internet content. The reformed CRTC, would make sure that consumers do not get drilled on their monthly cable, telephone, internet or cellular phone bills from telco companies like Shaw, Rogers and Bell. They would also see fit to make sure that Internet traffic is not throttled by these telecommunication companies. The reformed Commission would make sure that a greater input is taken in by consumers, rather then the corporate and special interest groups that go to Ottawa hand in feet begging for them to rule in their favour all the time.

6. Lower CanCon requirements.

Just as controversial as number 5. As the Internet and the digital television 500 channel universe have shown, that the Canadian Content system is not as relevant as it was perhaps maybe 20 years ago. As technology have lowered the production costs of everything to produce content, more Canadians have a better chance to be discovered at the world stage (re: you can watch live University of Winnipeg Wesmen sports on the Wesmen website, thanks to the Internet and lower costs in producing video content). An example of lowering a Cancon requirement may include lowering the percentage a sports channel has to show a Canadian sporting event. There are many other examples, that I could go into, but this is perhaps a clear one I can give you.

While not everyone maybe happy with the "Tit for Tat" proposal that I have laid out in the beggining, this I believe is perhaps the best chance for not only in the long term for Canadian conent to not only survive, but thrive as well, in the age of the new millenium that is almost a decade old.

Vision for progressive centrist campus politics at the U of W

2009-04-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, I could not help but notice a blog post by University of Winnipeg Centrist blogger, Jess Chapman, who hosts the CKUW political show, Midpoints. In her post entitled "The left, the far left and the left behind", Chapman goes on to argue that the University of Winnipeg has become a bastian for the left. She points out that groups like The Womyn's Club, Rights and Democracy and Students for the promotion of Ethically Produced Clothing, only fuel this.

Perhaps what strikes me as interesting is what she says in the last two paragraphs:

"Am I opposed to human rights, democracy, or schools in Ghana? Am I a supporter of genocide or unethical clothing production? Absolutely not on all counts. But these are all topics that I can’t get as passionate about as I am about everything I write about here. There is no group available at the U of W for a pro-business, pro-gun, pro-military, socially libertarian, U.S.-focused, feminist, centrist carnivore. Nor does this school hold any events for people with my views (not that they’d have one here, anyway). My exact line on the show was: “There’s never been a victim who couldn’t be pandered to around here.”

And it’s true. Almost every group, every event, every article in the student newspaper, even every food item makes the exact same points: War is bad. Capitalism is evil. Baby seals are cute and should thus be saved from hunters at all costs. Meat is murder. Human rights are awesome. Fair trade coffee with soy milk and raw sugar is delicious, especially when served in the eco-friendly compostible cups that make us more environmentally friendly than you. There’s no point in sitting down and talking about mutually beneficial solutions when we can just make signs and scream. Yes. We get it. Let’s move on and stop being so goddamn pessimistic.

Sadly, I was once young enough to enjoy the prospect of that kind of imbalance."

Chapman, quite frankly puts a lot of this into elequant perspective in a lot of ways, saying that we should not be all negative and protest about everything.

As a centrist NDP member, I could attest to a lot of what she mentions in this post. So many groups at the University of Winnipeg do cater to the far left or left in general, but not moderates like myself. If I want to discuss environmental issues for example, it is suggested that I get involved with Ecopia. Ecopia's goals, according to the University of Winnipeg sustainability website is as follows:

"EcoPIA is a student service group, and is a part of (and funded by) the UWSA - University of Winnipeg Student’s Association. The EcoPIA offices supply students with a library of movies, books, journals, course textbooks, and magazines on environmental issues and topics, as well as a fully functioning vermicompost. The activities of EcoPIA are decided amongst its members each year; in the past EcoPIA has hosted events such as workshops, speaker series, movie nights, stuff swaps (free stores), protests and rallies, and its annual fundraising concert, EcoEclectica. Membership is open to all interested individuals."

While Ecopia, does serve an excellent puropse in educating University students on environmental issues, not everyone may be comfortable with the notion of protests and rallies as one may seem to think it is counter productive and thus fits in with much of the left to far left's rhetoric that Chapman disscusses in her piece. Some moderate environmentalists really want to disscuss about putting out a vision for a high tech green society that involves small scale alternative energy companies that are owned by consumers, creating tax policy that would spur green collar jobs. From my experience as being on the Manitoba NDP environmental committe for over six years, two where I was chair attests, you can only disscuss so much about wildlife, while it is important before you bore people. You simply have to engage every day Joe Blow Lunch Bucket out there.

When I chaired the MB NDP Environmental committee between 2004 and 2006, I put forward a strong vision for green collar jobs that disscussed about how consumers and workers could grab a bigger piece of the green wealth pie, with disscussions on creating consumer co-ops for alternative energy companies and worker owned businesses in environmental sectors. So much so I got a resolution passed at the 2006 Manitoba NDP convention for the creation of a small business/co-operative committee. It was, sadly, a failure as no one in the Manitoba NDP cared. However, outside, I am sure people would be engaged in things like this.

However, what Chapman does not disscuss is a vision of what a vibrant centrist campus politics would look like at the U of W. She only briefly disscusses that she would like (i.e. pro military, pro gun, socially liberarian campus) not go into detail on how this would be accomplished.

While I can not totally agree with her on everything (i.e. I may be pro military to an extent, but I am not a social libertarian), a vibrant progressive centrist political campus scene at the University of Winnipeg can be obtained. Here is how I see it:

We need to encourage perhaps new groups at the University of Winnipeg by better promotion of tables during orientation week in September 2009. This would encourage people to see what is available at the U of W.

Second, is we need to encourage people to create new groups that are variances of the current groups and mix them with new ideas or ideology. For example, new student groups at the U of W that focus on promoting green collar jobs through green technology and alternative energy would engage even more people in the environmental movement. Or how about small business groups that disscuss the importance of worker and consumer ownership in the means of production, rather then complaining about it. Or how about a pro democratic globalization groups that engage students on the positive benefits of globalization (leaders are held more accountable, faster flow of information, more people are aware of human rights abuses, environmental destruction, The Internet) would engage more people who did not give a hoot about world issues, to actually care about what is going on in the world.

Chapman's agnst is a fairly accurate diagnosis of the situation. But a vision needs to be put out there, with a prescription. Here is one vision from a centrist New Democrat that will engage those at the University of Winnipeg to think of what a vibrant progressive centrist campus may look like in the future.

References:

Chapman, Jess. "The left, the far left and the left behind". (2009). Retrieved April 29, 2009. http://thefutureamerican.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/university-student-liberalism/

Ecopia. University of Winnipeg Sustainability office. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/sus-student-initiatives

Right down the middle way to solve the environmental crisis

2009-04-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

While Manitoba has been boasting it's self as a lean mean green province, the lead up into the Earth Day and Earth Week celebrations have said otherwise. Corporate Knights, a corporate social responsibilty magazine, gave the province of Manitoba a grade of F for environmental responsibility. Despite the magazine giving the province an A for energy, it only got a 2/10 ranking on food diversity and only 2.3 % of the Manitoban workforce works in the environmental industry.

In an April 5, 2009 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press in a story called "Pale Green", Mary Agnes Welch and Lindsey Wiebe note there are many problems that need to be addressed, including: an aging transit system in Winnipeg, lagging in organic food production, abysmal trash to recycling rate and Manitoba's scattered brain structure of environmental government organizations (re: Manitoba Hydro employees work on majority of the incentive programs, while issues pertaining to climate change as well as energy are taken care of the Science, Technology, Energy and Mines department).

While the province has done reasonably well to address climate change issues recent concerns as addressed in the two above paragrpahs, shows a sense that perhaps the Manitoban government has become somewhat stale on environmental issues as of late.

If Manitoba, is once going to lead Canada again in terms of being a "lean green fighting machine", perhaps it is time to infuse fresh ideas to stimulate Manitoba's environmental fight.

1. The implementation of a carbon tax system.

While some may argue that a carbon tax system is regressive and may afect poor people, one can argue that if properly implemented, a carbon tax system can benefit everyone. Most environmental economists and a many environmental groups like the David Suzuki foundation agree this is the easiest and effective way of implementing some form of a full cost accounting system that addresses carbon. A cap and trade system has been argued that it is too complicated for many people to understand.

How a carbon tax system can implemented in Manitoba would be to drastically reduce the income tax rate for every income level and increase the base amount before a person is taxed drastically to offset the increase on the price of carbon. Special incentives and subsidies would be considered for low to middle income people who could feel the potential sting.

Both the right (The Conservative party) and the left (The New Democratic Party) have slammed the carbon tax idea, with the Conservative Party saying it is another tax grab, while the NDP saying it will hit poor people. The carbon tax solution is the ultimate in a centrist policy, because it does not pander to an ideological background and can be effective in addressing the issue of carbon emmissions.

2. Tax credits for small scale local green businesses, worker co-ops, consumer co-operatives( utility, small scale alternative energy companies), etc.

Which leads to the second point. A green tax shift, as I have mentioned in the first part, needs to give a reason for people to invest and become wealthy in the new environmental economy. One way that can address this is to seriously consider the creation of tax incentives for the new green economy. David Korten, who has written, The Post Corporate World and When Corporations Rule the World, writes extensively the need for dynamic, small market economies in the environmental movement through small businesses and co-operatives. New tax credits, given to people to invest in these types of enterprises will create new wealth as the investment pool will increase and these new types of enterprises will create green collar jobs.

3. Use credit unions as a lender of choice for investments in small scale alternative energy companies.

One of the things that I am impressed with is the vital role the credit union movement can play in the Manitoba Economy. One example is Assiniboine Credit Union, whose membership is over 100,000 members. Assiniboine's strong commitment to environmental sustainability as well as them being the lender for Sequoia Energy, a wind energy company in Winnipeg, shows what a credit union can do. Encouragement of Credit Unions as a lender of choice for small scale green enterprises, will be vital, as large amounts of capital will be needed to get these types of enterprises up and running.

4. Incentives for Eco-Tourism.

The provincial government could give incentives, via through the tax system or subsidies to start off then tax credits later on for the expansion of eco-tourism enterprises and tours in Manitoba. This would get Manitobans to see our vast wilderness, while at the same time protecting vast aspects of our provinces land.

5. Encourage competition with Manitoba Hydro through Alternative Energy consumer co-operatives.

One way to encourage the expansion of the environmental workforce is through the notion of more compeition, via through promoting consumer alternative energy co-ops. Currently, now, Manitoba Hydro has had a strangle hold on most alternative energy sources outside of hydro. If the province was to encourage competition of alternative energy in Manitoba, then by promoting consumer co-operative wind, solar and small scale hydro enterprises, you would be promoting a policy that would have both the right and left happy: Market competition (the right) and consumer politics (the left). This would also get Manitobans to understand conserve less energy if they were allowed to own in some form a piece of an alternative energy company and realize the costs of inefficient energy use.

6. Incentives for organic farming.

If one issue that the province falls behind on is the notion of organic farming. We lag far behind other provinces and it is time the province catches up. Whether it is through tax incentives, cutting the red tape to be a certified organic farmer, or government purchasing of organic foods, these are just some of the ideas that just might kickstart the organic farming industry in Manitoba, while making the small family farm cool again and give it a fighting chance.

7. Working with the federal government in investing in rail transportation.
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In a province like Manitoba that is as far north as Churchill,and as far south as Emerson, rail travel would drastically cut down on the need for driving and flying. Reports have shown that using train travel compared to air travel is more environmentally friendly because less green house gases are used down on ground level then in the atomosphere, where planes fly. A temporary influx in restoring a rail system at a provincial level would be a good start. Eventually the goal would be to have a rail system that does not run on fossil fuels and is powered by hydro electric grid or wind power. Grants in high tech research and development will be vital in creating a carbon neutral rail system in Manitoba that can address the issue of long distance travel for the 21st century.

8. Municipal Registered Retirement Savings Plan (MRRSP).

An interesting concept that has been floated around by various groups. Basically what this would be is a tax incentive, that can go to your RRSP. This would fund municipal projects that would be environmentally sustainable (re: rapid transit, bicycle paths, etc). This concept could be a winner. The RRSP rules at the federal level would have to be changed in order for this to occur.

9. Encourage Universities to bring environmentally friendly companies to job fairs.

Perhaps if we are going to get serious about saving the planet, then we have to boil it down to one solution: Jobs. If we are going to get people excited about the environmental movement, we need to encourage environmental/green companies from a wide variety of sectors to come to various job fairs or universities. For example, the University of Winnipeg could try to entice next job fair to have Assiniboine Credit Union, Sequoia Energy to come and promote their products while encouraging students to apply for summer jobs. This would be a win-win situation for all, as students learn more about the environment and sustainability, while green companies can vie for talented, knowledgeable students for summer work at their companies.

All these solutions are really practical and do not involve dramatic cutting of government resources or dramatic government expansion. Manitoba could easily go from a F to a C plus or better if they were to adapt all or a combination of some of these ideas.

ACTRA 's CRTC proposal and the potential effects on the Internet in Canada

2009-03-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am posting a paper that I did for my Academic Writing: Social Sciences class on ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian, Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) proposal to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission hearings on New Media regulation, specifically the Internet.

ACTRA’s New media proposal and the potential effects on the Internet in Canada

The issue of Canadian content in the context of the Internet age has created much debate recently, thanks to the recent Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunication’s (CRTC) new media hearings on regulation. The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) proposal recognizes that something needs to be done to promote Canadian new media and Internet content. However, the rigidity and lack of flexibility of their business model hurt it for being a credible solution to promoting Canadian new media content in the Internet age.

ACTRA’s membership consists of 21,000 members, mainly as actors, comedians and performers in conventional media outlets like radio and television. Colin Mochrie, a Canadian television actor, said that Canadian content on-line is getting lost, thanks to the CRTC’s exemption rule not to regulate “new media” and Internet content made in 1999 (Mochrie, C., 2009).

In its submission, ACTRA suggests getting rid of the 1999 exemption rule. ACTRA says that this ruling has allowed for cable companies and broadcasters to ‘compete’ amongst themselves in an unregulated environment. The organization argues that the marginalization of Canadian music and programs have occurred, in favor of more commercially viable foreign content, due to the unregulated environment that has been created through this 1999 decision (“CRTC hearings on New Media”, 2009).

The proposal also suggests appropriate funding and regulatory measures, which are in the production of new media broadcasting, namely service providers, broadcasters and producers. These would be similar to those that television and radio is currently under the CRTC.

ACTRA, suggests that all audio visual content, including games on the Internet be put under the Canadian Broadcasting Act. Any user generated content would be exempt. The proposal also includes that any live video programming streamed from Canada, via wireless devices or the Internet, be under the same rules that conventional broadcasters are under the current CRTC, as well as licensing of these live streaming programs.

The organization encourages that any programming that is made available on-line for people in Canada at any given time by viewers, be placed under the same licensing and regulation that other “on-demand” outlets are currently under (i.e. Shaw or MTS TV on Demand).

The final aspect of the proposal recommends a levy of 3.0% on Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) and 0.6% on Wireless Service Providers (WSP’s) to fund a new media fund for Canadian content.

In analyzing the proposal, the most positive thing is the proposal tries to address the issue of Canadian content in the context of the Internet age. The organizations expertise on conventional broadcasting and Canadian content is used extensively throughout this proposal.

For example their proposed new media fun is similar to the Canadian Television Fund, created in 1995. According to the CTF website, the fund has contributed over $2.7 billion to the industry and Canada and has created over 5400 productions since it is inception (“About the CTF”, 2009).

It makes clear sense as to why ACTRA would want the CRTC to apply the same format of regulating the Internet like in conventional media: The creation of content that has allowed its members to have good jobs in these industries. Without that fund, who knows if many of ACTRA’s members would have steady jobs in the television industry? From the organization’s point of view, as most of them come from those sectors in conventional media like television, regulating the Internet for content, would not only be good to protect their jobs, but continue to have a slice of their market share in the high tech media age.

While their proposal may benefit their membership of over 21,000, many flaws exist.

For instance is the issue of Net Neutrality. According to the Google website, Net neutrality is defined as:

“Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. The Internet has operated according to this neutrality principle since its earliest days. Indeed, it is this neutrality that has allowed many companies, including Google, to launch, grow, and innovate” (“What is Net Neutrality?”, 2009).

The proposal, would almost put the idea of Net Neutrality into question because of some of proposed ideas go against this principle. For example, if the CRTC, were to lift the exemption clause and create the same regulatory measures that are currently placed on conventional media, like television, by forcing providers to carry a certain amount of Canadian content on the Internet, net neutrality would not exist as Internet users would not control what they view or use on the World Wide web, but rather the CRTC would say how much Canadian content can be viewed and used.

Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the World Wide Web, said in an interview that it is vital for the Internet to be a free and open medium for a vital democratic market economy (Markoff, J., 2006). Thus if the CRTC chose ACTRA’s solution to regulate the Internet for Canadian content, it would defy what Tim Berners-Lee vision of what the Internet should be: A free and open medium for people.

Another concern that comes out of this proposal is the creation of a new media fund for Canadian content, through a levy from both Internet and cell phone carriers. The flaw with this idea is from a consumer standpoint. Internet Service Providers have argued against this idea and have suggested they would pass the cost down to the consumer, if implemented.

Consumers, who are already going through some difficult times through this recession, will not be happy to pay an extra fee to fund Canadian Internet content. In fact, consumers are already paying a blank media tax on the purchase of blank CD’s and DVD’s to compensate artists for their work, because of Internet downloading. A recent poll done by Angus Reid Strategies stated that 79% of people said that a levy on Internet Service Providers to fund Canadian Internet content would not be appropriate (“Online Canadians Reject ISP Levy to Support Canadian TV production”, 2009).

Perhaps the biggest criticism of the proposal is this could harm new media and Internet innovation. In an April 2007, Toronto Star article, University of Ottawa law and E-Commerce professor Michael Geist argues that because of the hands off regulatory approach that the CRTC took on new media content in 1999, new innovative productions in the context of new media occurred, including: podcasts, on-line video and streaming sites. He goes even further in the article to argue that the Internet and new media offer incentives for producers, because the success of the content will depend on the contents originality that can be showcased in all platforms, new media and conventional. Geist believes that the decision was the best made at the time and has allowed new media to thrive while, threatening the old models of business in the media (Geist, M., 2007).

If Geist is correct then, the potential of the regulation of Internet content here in Canada, may have serious economic concerns that affect the public. The ruling that the CRTC put in effect on new media in 1999, allowed for such innovation in new media. This created economic spinoffs through new products (MP3 players, DVD burners, expansion of on-line video gaming into the console market) to the general public, which spills into the creation of jobs in these sectors.

If ACTRA’s proposal went into effect, a decline in innovative products to consumers would occur, as well as a decline in jobs through the new regulatory measures. As Canada is currently in a recession, a proposal like the one that ACTRA put forward may not benefit the general Canadian public, because the public would not be willing to pay more for Canadian content, as the Angus Reid Strategies survey above stated.

ACTRA’s proposal raises the awareness that something needs to be done on the issue of Canadian culture in the context of the age of the Internet. Its proposal is largely drawn from previous experience in solutions to Canadian content in conventional media like radio and television, thanks to examples like the current regulations that television is under the CRTC, and the Canadian Television Fund.

However, concerns about breaching of Internet neutrality, consumers wariness to pay extra for a new media fund for Canadian Internet content, and the potential for stifling innovation, that has occurred in Internet and new media content thanks to the CRTC new media exemption rule in 1999, hamper this for being a credible solution to a problem that needs to be flexible and adjust quickly because of the constant change the Internet represents today.

References

About the CTF. (2009). Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.ctf-fct.ca/ctf_home_en.html

CRTC Hearings on new media. (2009). Retrieved February 21, 2009, from http://www.actra.ca/actra/control/hotnews1?category=hn&id=10725.

Online Canadians Reject ISP Levy to Support Canadian TV Production. (2009, March 12). Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.angusreidstrategies.com/uploads/pages/pdfs/2009.03.12_CRTC.pdf

What is Net Neutrality? (2009). Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html.

Geist, M. (2007, April 2). More Web regulation doesn’t make sense. Toronto Star. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/198334.

Markoff, J. (2006, September 29). Berners-Lee Speaks out on Net Neutrality, Dark Net. The Tech. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://tech.mit.edu/V126/N42/42netneutrality.html.

Mochrie, C. (2009, February 17). Canadian Content is getting lost online. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Canadian+content+getting+lost+online/1298144/story.html

The Consciousness of a moderate green centrist

2009-03-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Manitoba NDP, will be having their annual convention in Brandon, Manitoba, March 6-8, 2009 at the Keystone Centre. This is the first in a series of previews, leading up to the convention. The first installment takes a look at my view, as a moderate green centrist.

One wonders in times of great trial and tribulation where great ideas come from. When we see things continue to crumble on the economic front, we see political parties bring up old ideas that, while may have worked 20 to thirty years ago, or even longer (re: The Great Depression in the late 1920's and 1930's) , will not work in today's globalized world.

The environmental crisis, global trade, rapid advancements in technology, have put many challenges and opportunities in front of governments, besides the usual economic challenges that governments a long time ago faced, even when I was a little kid 15 to 25 years ago.

As a moderate green centrist, I view the world in a unique perspective that really does not fit ideology. I do no not view the world in far leftist rhetoric that would set Canada back in terms of economic progress that we did see for a while in the early 1990's untill last year. However I do not prescribe to the dogmatic conservative thought, that plauged the politics of the United States for most of this decade, and which has seeped into Parliament Hill in Ottawa. I am no liberal either though, as they are quite frankly too wishy washy for my liking. One second they say something and then the next minute they do the opposite. You do not have to go too far to understand this point, as you saw with the implodement of the coalition about six weeks ago.

A moderate green centrist like myself, does not fit nicely into a political ideological box with a bow tie around it. According to the Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, Centrism is "the holding of moderate views". My experience in my twenty eight years of life from school, volunteer, work and community have given me the knowledge, power and expertise that even most people working in politics do now have: That is a wholesome world view that is vital for a truly progressive, global vision of the world while, at the same time holding local roots. I have worked the spectrum in places, ranging from: working for a city councillor, an accounting firm, Cabela's and H&R Block.

I undertand the challenges that face low income people, because of working at H&R Block in a low income neighborhood and hearing the hopes, fears and ambitions every tax season. They deserve a chance to succeed. I undertand the importance of protecting wetlands from hearing about the great work, of Duck's Unlimited, which ironically is supported by Cabela's a outdoor sports (hunting) place, where I work.

Now, more then ever, green centrists can be the leaders in such troubling times we face. Centrists, like myself, have the vital solutions needed, not only to pull oursleves out of the trouble the world faces, but put our world farther into the 21st century and not back into the 20th century. Let me list how.

First, centrists, believe that we need to work with all citizens at the table for a brighter economic future. Green centrists believe that we need to work with all groups, especially business, unions, environmental and various others to put forward a truly, sustainable vision for 21st century economics, that harnesses the greatness that we saw in advancements in technology in the past 15 years. We need to stop bickering as to what is a better pricing system in terms of carbon (cap and trade vs. green tax shift) and start hammering out a compromise between the two systems. Both the Conservative party and the NDP hammered last federal election that green taxes was not friendly to industry, nor it benefited the poor. But in fact, a majority of economists, as well as many environmental groups like the David Suzuki Foundation prefer a green tax because it is easier for people to understand and is more efficient in pricing carbon. While I am not the greatest champion of cap and trade, the fact that it forces industry to pay in some respects is worthwhile to incorporate a truly green pricing system, along with a green tax shift, in order to solve the environmental crisis.

A centrist green view also respects that solving the environmental crisis will also need to solve the issues of poverty and economic issues. Without solving either the environmental, nor the poverty crisis, one will continue to feed off of each other to the point of oblivion. While a centrist green view does not believe in creating new massive government crown corporations, centrism also believes that the corporations should not run amok. That is what got us into the current economic mess in the first place. A centrist believes that small business and individual innovation will guide the green economy. Tax credits for small green business, the creation of a Municipal Registered Retirement Savings Plan, that would fund green projects at the municipal level, are vital for kickstarting investment in the new green economy.

Going hand in hand in hand with the green economy, the importance of higher education has taken the stage like never before. This maybe one thing that sets me apart from a lot of centrist thinking. Governments need to seriously take the notion that funding into post secondary education is an investment, not a cost to be eaten up. Investments in university and college education will spur massive spillover benefits from positive externalities that will benefit society. This is one of the most important correlations between the new green economy and the old brown economy is higher education. Without education, those who choose to play this game will continue to be stuck in a unsustainable economy that is stuck in the previous century. Those who put massive investments into post secondary education, via lowering tuition, increasing university capital grants, will thrive in this new high-tech, green economic road.

Lastly, no green economy can succeed without technological innovation. A moderate centrist, like myself believe that technological innovation is key for economic growth. It has been well documented that one of the longest periods of economic growth, between the early 1990's and 2008, was because of the massive investments made into information technology, namely cellular phones, personal computers and the Internet.

Case in point, the stories of India and China saw a leapfrogging of technologies. This was with regards to the telephone versus the cellular phone. The cellular phone, in many parts of both countries leapfrogged over the technologies of the regular telephone. More people in remote areas of these countries had cellular phones, when compared to telephones. What is interesting to note, that Lester B. Brown's 2001 book, Eco-Economy, mentions that building cell towers are less damaging to the environment, then building telephone poles. This is because telephone poles use massive amounts of copper wire. Copper is a metal from the earth. If more cell towers were built instead of telephone poles, less copper would be taken out of the earth, less trees needed to build these massive poles and more people in remote communities like northern Canada, would be communicating with other people. A green centrist view would take into account the pristine beauty that northern Canada provides, while linking those remote communities with cell phone access the north that does not damage such beautiful lands.

Technological innovation has provided such creativity, like we have never seen in society. Fifteen years ago, it would have been unimaginable to play a console video game online against another person, shop or watch a remote Copa Libertadores soccer game from South America. Yet now here we are in 2009 and names like Wikipedia, Google and justin.tv, are all because of allowing the Internet to be a free and open space from goverment, corporate and special interest groups in terms of content. The Internet has put many new challenges, in terms of getting Canadian content out there.

While, it is important for Canadian content to thrive in the new media economy, the fact is that groups like ACTRA, at the current CRTC new media hearings with it's proposal to regulate the Internet like conventional media, would turn new media innovation back 25 to 30 years. The telecommunication companies like Bell and Shaw are no friends of centrists like myself on technological issues as well. These above companies have been accused of throttling people's Internet service. A centrist view believes that rather then the CRTC regulating the Internet for content, they can play a vital role in terms that consumers are not being ripped off by the large telecommunication companies (re: throttling, large cell phone bills). At the same time a new ministry of the Internet could be created, that rather then regulating Internet for Canadian content, this ministry would take a bottom to top approach, that would promote the Internet and new media, via new tax incentives. This new ministry would take the hands off approach of Internet content that the CRTC took in July 1999, while listening, primarily from citizens in creating an even better Internet for everyone.

While centrists have been often been accoused of being "mushy", centrist thinking in times like this, with the ideas that I have mention above, will make sure that the world will be a vibrant place to be.

The potential political remmifications of the CRTC "New Media" Hearings

2009-02-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

My last entry dealt with a preview of the two hearings the CRTC is doing this year on both regulating the Internet and Net Neutrality. Today I take a look at the political impact that the Internet regulation hearings may play on some of the political parties positioning on the Internet as well as potentially the Canadian Broadcasting Act.

The Conservative Party, may actually be the one party that does not have anything really to lose in these hearings taking place in Gatineau Quebec until early March with any decision that the CRTC takes. Thanks to R.B. Bennett in the early 1930's, the creation of the Canadian Broadcasting Act in 1934, helped create the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It also created a guidline on regulation on Canadian broadcasting. Bennett's reasoning behind the creation of the Canadian Broadcasting Act was for Canadians to have their own voice amongst other media out there. However, today's Conservative's pale in comparison with Bennett's vision of the Candian Broadcasting Act. Today's Conservatives have drastically cut funding to the arts and the CBC. Today's Conservatives have been known to be backed by the families of large telecommunication companies like the Rogers family.

A CRTC ruling that takes a "hands off" approach to the Internet, would be the best thing for the Conservatives as it basically it would confirm a lot of the free market oriented approach that a majority of Conservative ideology supports. It would also re-confirm to many that regulation of the Internet is an ideological debate that is supported by "pinko socialists" and Liberals. A CRTC ruling for regulation of the Internet would also confirm this "pinko-socialist" theory" amongst the Conservative base. However, from what I have seen from people posting comments on articles on the hearings on both the CBC and Globe and Mail websites, it is far from a ideological issue, as both sides of the political spectrum have legitmate concerns over the CRTC hearings on the potential regulation of the Internet.

The Liberal Party does not really have a clear notion of Internet policy and is waiting for the "New Media" hearings to conclude, as per the results of a survey that was done by Campaign for Democratic Media. The Liberal Party, while it says it supports arts groups does not really have a clear idea of new media policy or the Internet, just by telling how they answered this survey for Campaign for Media during the 2008 Federal election. At this time it really is hard to judge the Liberal Party as to how they would handle the potential outcome of these hearings as they do not really have a position at this time.

Perhaps the most interesting scenario for a political party that may come out of the outcome from these hearings is the New Democratic Party. The NDP, has always stood up for arts and culture and has had the support of many acting unions and various culture groups. However, at the same time, the party has began to take a stand on supporting Internet and new media. This is especially true with NDP MP Charlie Angus and his constant questioning of the federal government pertaining to Net Neutrality issues.

The NDP may be walking a slippery slope. At one end, they want to support Canadian arts and culture, yet on the other, they want to protect the Internet to be free and neutral. You may see some solid debate between younger members who would support a free and neutral Internet (thus the CRTC's "hand's off" approach") against older members who would support the regulation of the Internet all in the name of protecting Canadian culture. With the federal parties convention, being held this summer, in the east coast of Canada, this maybe one issue that the party may have to re-evaluate on is how relevent the CRTC is. I think some members, particulary, younger ones may support the idea of drastically wanting the party to take a postion of reforming the CRTC to be an organization that protects consumers from large telecommunication companies gauging them, rather then the CRTC enforcing the regulation of the Internet.

However, if the NDP goes along at it's next convention to take a position more so in favour of regulating the Internet, like what a lot of arts and culture groups want from these hearings, you may keep older members happy, because it would "protect" Canadian culture, according to some. However, if the party did go this route, it may hurt them in trying to attract younger people, as a lot of young people think that the Internet should be free from any sort of regulation or tampering. The NDP, although in the short term may hurt because older members maybe upset, should not support the regulation of the Internet, but rather ask for drastic changes in the CRTC. The party should have a policy where the CRTC looks after consumers, rather then the various arts and culture groups.

Another way you could look at this is that the Internet is the greatest leveller in providing a democratic means of expressing information, that one of the main values of the NDP is democracy, then why would they go against a free and open Internet, to protect certain groups?

The Green Party, would probably gain the most if they were smart and support a "hands off" approach of the Internet, in terms of supporting a democractic form of media, which is one of the core principles of the Green Party.

What ever happens, it should be interesting to see how each of the major Canadian political parties react to these hearings, as the Conservatives have nothing to lose, the NDP perhaps the most to lose and the Green's potentially, if smart have the most to gain.

Correction

2009-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

I just want to clarify that I was mistaken on my previous article. The CRTC Net Neutrality hearings will take place later this year. I will look when they take place and post the information. I apologize for any problems this may have caused people.

Adam J

The CRTC Internet hearings: Move the clock forward or back 20 years?

2009-02-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

On February 17th, 2009, the Canadian Radio-Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), will start hearings on the future of the Internet. The hearings will take place in Gatineau Quebec, and thus set the stage as to what the Internet landscape will look like for years to come in Canada.

The CRTC decided to form these hearings as a response to the incredible growth and transformation of the internet in the past 10 years, since they took a "hands off" approach to the Internet back in 1999.

Why the change? Simply the Internet in 1999, was still in it's infancy stages as the majority of sites where basically consisted of pictures and text. While, yes, you could watch video clips and download music, the notion was the majority of the Internet websites were text based that you could surf via through your computer.

The idea of surfing the Internet via your cell phone, downloading movies, watching live sporting events, playing console video games on-line (re: Playstation 3) did not exsist back ten years ago.

Flash forward to now in 2009 and now the Internet has evolved to a point, it's current form looks like a body builder on steroids compared to it's puny distant cousin. You can play console video games on-line, watch live sporting events from around the world, download television shows from your computer onto your iPod, and yes... surf the web on your iPhone or Blackberry cellular phone.

What will be the heart of these CRTC hearings will be in fact two hard questions: 1) Should Canadian content be forced upon the Internet (a la television, radio) and, 2) What role will the CRTC play in Net Neutrality, in this high technology world, where large telecommunication companies have been known to meddle in customer's Internet service.

The first question, concerned culture and arts groups like Friends of Canadian Broadcasting have argued that the CRTC needs to start protecting Canadian content on the Internet, via through regulation or an internet tax. In a February 16, 2009 Canadian Press article that appears in the February 16th, 2009 edition of the Winnipeg Sun entitled "CRTC to Weigh Internet Controls: Canadian Content to be at the heart of regulator's review", Friends of Canadian Broadcasting spokesperson Keith Morrison confirms many of the culture communties concerns by saying "If Canadians don't encourage Canadian content on the Internet, who will?"

However in that same article, lawyer Jacob Glick, a part of Google Canada's policy council argues a different take. Glick was quoted of saying in the article that "When you look at the amount of Canadian content online, when you look at the diversity of that content and when you look at the ease with which Canadians now access, promote and distribute content, you can see that the online world has opened up amazing possibilities".

While Morrison does make a good point, Glick's case of a free and open Internet that allows average people to showcase their talents to a world wide audience that would have never, ever been possible 15-20 years ago, is what makes the internet so great. In a globalized, high technologically driven age that we as Canadians live in the 21st century, the idea of having the CRTC regulate the Internet and have them tax Internet Service Providers (ISP's) for them to enforce Canadian content, thus passing on that cost to us as consumers would not be efficient.

Ideally ISP's oppose this idea of an "Internet tax" to support Canadian content (one of the few times I agree with the teleco's), which if the CRTC decided after the hearings to do, would seriously hamper the Internet. Any notion of regulating the Internet would hamper new innovation and creativity in Canada.

Unlike television and radio, which are a lot more easier to regulate, the Internet is the ultimate in merging of the three big medias: radio, television and print. This makes it harder to regulate. Never in the history of human kind have we had such access to so much information, creativity and innovation that the Internet has provided. You can read a newspaper from different part of the world, watch a hard to find CONCACAF Champions League game on justin.tv or battle someone else on-line in Resistance 2. Imagine the CRTC trying to promote Being Erica or Sophie while you are watching some obscure Copa Libertadores game on justin.tv, or playing a Gears of War 2 hoarde death match online on XBox 360? I don't think so.

While not totally conclusive, many economists believe that part of the reason for such a long period of economic growth was in partly due to the high tech infrastructure built because of the emergence of the Internet. Broadband systems were needed to be built, web designers needed to build to sites, technical people to assist average people when they are having problems with their connection. The idea of the CRTC regulating the Internet in the name of Canadian content, though a nice notion, would hamper creative productivity, which is desperately needed in Canada right now.

This perfectly leads into the second question in terms of these hearings. In recent years, many cases have been popping up of large ISP's throttling customers Internet connection during peak traffic hours. In a nut shell, what throttling is when a company can slow down your Internet connection, if they know you are doing something. This is especially true of people who have been known to download large files like movies or games. Throttling is considered a violation of Net neutrality.

In November 2008, the CRTC ruled in favor of Bell that they had the right to throttle people's Internet service. This had gotten the ire of many people, including NDP MP Charlie Angus, who has been vocal in his support on Net neutrality.

The CRTC will be looking into the idea of Net neutrality and whether the Internet should be free from the influence of large telecommunication companies like Bell, Telus and Rogers.

These Net neutrality principles conflict with not only what the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting want in regulating the Internet, but as well as the throttling practices of the telecommunication companies. Both in their certain aspects believe that the Internet needs to be tied down. However, a tied down Internet by both the teleco's and groups that want to enforce Canadian content on the 'net will send us back twenty years.

The net has been the best thing to come out of late 20th century/early 21st century globalization. It is considered the great leveler in allowing average citizens to publish works that would never gotten published. Surely Canadian content can thrive in unregulated Internet world, thus allowing a bigger global audience for Canadian artists to showcase their works.

The CRTC needs to continue to take a "hands off" approach with regards to regulating Canadian content on the Internet, while making sure that they enforce Net neutrality principles to protect that same wild and free Internet that has allowed for such creative innovation that the world has never seen.

These hearings will give the CRTC a chance to move forward as a progressive 21st Century customer oriented governing body. If these hearings, the CRTC concludes that a "hands off" approach on Canadian content on the Internet, while enforcing Net neutrality, they will have killed two birds with one stone. They will have become a governing body that respects and encourages consumer choice in a globalized media age, while at the same time respects and honors consumer rights by protecting Net Neutrality via not allowing large telecommunication companies not to tamper the Internet.

Will the CRTC move this country forward twenty years? Or will it move it back twenty years? These questions will be played our right in front of us for the next few months. Stay tuned for all the drama that these hearings will provide.

The Death of Mr Populist and the re-birth of a Green Centrist

2009-02-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

I am back, well sort of. I figure I would change around a few things to my blog, since it is reading week. First and foremost, I changed the name of my blog from Adam Johnston: Mr. Populist to Adam Johnston: Moderate Green Centrist, because simply the "Mr. Populist" gig was lame and stupid. Secondly, I have become more centrist and more green as of late with regards to issues pertaining to the environment, economics and taxation. Quite frankly, I have always been more of a centrist and will continue to be.

Society can't just keep ignoring issues pertaining the environment anymore. I believe that Canada must and should go on a very R&D, high technology based economic platform for not only to keep Canada competitive in the global economy, but as well save our planet. I am tired of people trying to convince me that cap and trade is a better system then a green tax system. You can argue to you are blue in the face but the fact of the matter is, a majority of economists from both sides of the political spectrum prefer the notion of a carbon tax, compared to cap and trade because it is a lot more effective and easier to put a tag on carbon. The Suzuki Foundation has also put their weight behind the carbon tax

While I think for the time being a carbon tax may not be as popular, the fact of the matter is, it is only a matter of time before Canada, Manitoba will see this. The public understands it much easier then cap and trade.

Perhaps a compromise between the two system could be worked out, during this economic crisis. Both offer positives and both have their negatives. I could live with a combination. However, when this economic crisis ends, we are going to be faced with a serious debate about environmental fiscal reform that Canadians have never seen before. Unfortunately extreme ideology on both sides of the political spectrum is not allowing us to offer serious concrete measures in environmental fiscal reform that can boost our economy in Canada.

One last thing. Rest in Peace, Mr. Populist. Long live the re-incarnation of the Green Centrist.

Net Neutrality: Why you all should be concerned

2008-05-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

I figure that my first article after my little hiatus would focus on the issue on the issue of Net Neutrality and why you as a citizen should be concerned about this issue.

For those of you who do not know what the idea of Net Neutrality, let's briefly discus the history of the World Wide Web to get you a better understanding.

In 1989, the World Wide Web was created by Tim Berners Lee, who was working for the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The WWW was released to the public in 1992.

What the World Wide Web is when it was created was documents that are hypertext that could be viewed via the Internet.

The WWW revolutionized the internet and communications in general in the mid to late 1990's because of it's potential for multimedia presentations that included, audio, video and text. This meant that you could potentially view video clips of television shows, listen to songs from artists and read newspapers from around the world.

At the time, unlike television, the internet was not controlled by telecommunication and cable companies in terms of providing service. It was companies like Netscape, Universities (for University students who needed to internet access to work on their respective class work) and small companies that either were providing internet access to the public, rather then the large telecommunication companies. Telephone companies were also very involved with regards to being early providers of the internet.

However these small Internet Service Providers (ISP's) where for the most part only providing only dial up access to the internet. In the late 1990's as the WWW continued to grow and demanded more resources to provide higher quality video (the start of streaming live video) audio (MP3's), broadband internet was needed to meet this demand. The smaller ISP's did not have the financial or technical resources for broadband. The large cable companies like Shaw, Rogers and Telus who did have the financial and technical resources with the fiber optic cables could meet the demand for broadband internet, which allowed for higher quality of websites on the web. The telephone companies eventually in the early to mid 2000's ditched dial up and went broadband to provide internet services.

As the web grew, companies, saw the web as a potential commercial bonanza to push their products, although it did not start out that well in the early 2000's with the dot com bust. However that eventually past.

Which all leads me back to Net Neutrality. The concept of Net Neutrality could be best defined as what Google's definition is as follows from their website:

"Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. The Internet has operated according to this neutrality principle since its earliest days. Indeed, it is this neutrality that has allowed many companies, including Google, to launch, grow, and innovate. Fundamentally, net neutrality is about equal access to the Internet. In our view, the broadband carriers should not be permitted to use their market power to discriminate against competing applications or content. Just as telephone companies are not permitted to tell consumers who they can call or what they can say, broadband carriers should not be allowed to use their market power to control activity online. Today, the neutrality of the Internet is at stake as the broadband carriers want Congress's permission to determine what content gets to you first and fastest. Put simply, this would fundamentally alter the openness of the Internet."1

What the above definition means is that people who have access to the internet (paid or not) should have complete control on what they see and what type of programs they use on the internet.

So let me give you an example of a breach of Net Neutrality. Let's say I citizen Q pays $35.00 a month for internet access from Shaw Cable for example. I for example download large files (i.e. movies, music, video games on my Playstation 3 hard drive) and use x amount of broadband space for on-line video gaming with my Playstation 3 (Sony does not charge for their on-line gaming as a note of interest). Shaw decides (fictionally to illustrate my point as I don't believe they are doing this at this time of writing) to start charging for the amount of things I download for my own personal pleasure ON TOP of my $35.00/month internet charge (lets say in this example $7.00 for downloading x amount of Gigabytes) and starts charging me in a tier for the amount of broadband space I use to play on-line with my Playstation 3 (let's say $3.00 every time I exceed broadband width). That at a minimum would be $47.00/month and maybe even more. The internet almost becomes almost very pricey, which almost is the exact opposite of it's original intentions. The above example would breach a lot of privacy agreements.

Another example of a breach of Net Neutrality could be if a union has a website. That union was on strike with lets say Shaw Cable for example. Then let's say Shaw cable, blocked public access to the striking union's website during the strike. This scenario creates two problems. One it defines internet democracy in terms of free speech and two, breeches once again privacy agreements.

The idea of Net Neutrality has picked up steam, especially in the United States in recent years with various groups and websites like Save the Internet who have lobbied the United States Congress on this issue and have gone toe to toe with large Telecommunications companies like AT&T and Comcast because of accusations of them breaching Net Neutrality, with typical examples that I have mentioned above.

In Canada, however this issue is not really a hot topic like down south. Attention to the issue of Net Neutrality as been at best shoddy in the Canadian media, with only a few articles here in there. However there has been some interest picking up. In the past few years in Canada, identical examples of large telecommunication companies like Telus blocking public access to union websites who were on strike against Telus. Rogers and Bell have also been in the spotlight, namely in a Globe and Mail article earlier this year that talked about how both companies where charging respective customers for downloading files to their own private computers and tiered broadband width, beyond the normal monthly internet fees consumers pay.

So who does net neutrality effect. Well many people, including video gamers, university students, citizens groups, church groups, non-governmental organizations, internet companies, political groups, independent journalists, democracy advocates and environmentalists to name a few, along with the average citizen.

I encourage you to check out the following websites for more information on how this could effect us all. I also would encourage you to contact your local M.P. on what their stance is and encourage them to promote net neutrality.

www.savetheinternet.com

www.neutrality.ca

http://www.theeca.com/gamers_net_neutrality

Check out the Facebook Group as well Canadians for Net Neutrality and get more information on the issue.

Sources

1. http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html

I am back

2008-05-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

After about a nine month hiatus with work and starting University, I am back. I will be honest and say, I wont be as blogging as frequently as my previous days. However I look forward to continue to bring the hard hitting issues that I as a populist deserve to bring to attention to the public.

Some issues that I will be advocating are:

- Freedom for the internet
- Freedom for the creativity in video games
- carbon taxes, green entrepreneurship, worker ownership, consumer co-ops, etc.

As well I will maybe if time permits look at where Winnipeg needs to head in terms of the future, in particular on environmental and professional minor sports.

Euro 2008 is three weeks away and your truly will try to keep up with the tournament, despite my potentially really busy schedule.

Cheers.

Mr Populist

As Summer turns to Fall

2007-08-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here, outside in the backyard on a mid to late August Friday evening and it is really wonderful out here. I am writing an entry here on my new Acer 3050-1092 laptop, of which, I bought for University starting in January. It really is soo nice to be writing on a laptop, with no cords to ruin it for you, mind you writing on a laptop keyboard is really awkward.

Anyways, as August begins to wind down, that means Summer will almost be over and that Fall will soon be on the way. The pool will be closed soon and the rakes will be out in full force. Labour Day long weekend is in two weeks and is the "unofficial" close of Summer for many (including myself), even though the real Summer doesn't end for like another three weeks.

As I sit here and reflect on what the summer has brought me, it has been ok, slightly better then last summer, although mind you, I am kind of stressing out about my data entry job (it is draining) as well as H&R Block not calling me yet about tax class (hopefully this week upcoming I will hear from them), but maybe (and probably) they have been really busy, trying to incorporate all the new income tax changes that have been going on in large part thanks to the Conservative Federal government mini tax revolution, that sounds like it will continue with the 2008 Federal budget.

I was actually invited next week to the Western New Democractic Youth Canada caucas next week, even though I am aged out technically because I am 27. They have a cap for this conference at age 30. I don't think that I will be able to go to it, just because I have other commitments next weekend.

Once I hear from H&R Block, I am sure I will be back to my normal self. I am pumped about hopefully taking another income tax class with them and working for them as a tax associate (re: income tax preparer) for a fourth income tax season.

With the few weeks, I will be reviewing the UEFA Champions League 3rd round qualifying, as well as preview the group stage and all the futbol action from all the across the Americas and Europe.

Once and a while, I will chime in with more then just soccer and perhaps talk about business and economic news as well.

By the way, the stock market went up by 200 points after it fell a lot lately. No wonder why the stock market by some is called the "Russian Roulette" of finance.

Anyways, Just wanted to say something as I know that I have not posted often on this thing.

You can reach me via email at either adamj44@shaw.ca, mrpopulist@yahoo.ca or realmadridcfwpg@yahoo.ca

I can also be contacted by Facebook. Just search for my name, under Winnipeg, I should be their.

Cheers.

Adam Johnston

One Day

2007-08-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

One Day by anonomous

One day I will wake up to wonder what happened....

Was it a dream, or was it a nuclear bomb that went off?

Has me seen my time slip away through the tips of my fingers?

Has time really flown like a World War 2 bomber that was going after it's enemy?, Or

Has time gone slower then a dead watch?

Where am I wonder. Where am I?

Am I alive, am I dead or am I just in a long coma?

Is this heaven?, Is this hell?, or is this just purgatory?

Is this the Richardson Building?, the Legislature?, or Main and Selkirk?

Am I rich?, Am I middle class?, Or am I poor?

Am I in a relationship with an excellent lover?, Am I a single person who has never had a date in a lifetime?

Is this where I shake the hand of a person I knew a while back or not?

Do I go feed the poor downtown on either a hot humid day or a freezing cold night downtown because it is a way of showing true love or is it because I have nothing to to with my boring pathetic life? Or is it both?

Will I get to see me build a masterpiece?, Or will it fall faster the a house of cards?

To all these questions that need to be resolved.....

One day I will wake up, One day I will find out..............

The Economist magazine's view on John Edwards, U.S. Democratic Party Presidential candidate

2007-07-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here is an article I found from the Economist magazine on John Edwards, the 2008 United States of America Democratic Party presidential candidate. Admire him (like I do) or hate him, you have to admit he is the "X-factor" in the race, and you have to think that Edwards might knock either Clinton or Obama off their perch.

From The Economist magazine, July 21-27th edition

Source: http://www.economist.com/world/na

/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9514336

Food For Thought 6: Top Non Financial Co-Ops

2007-07-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the top Non-financial co-ops, according to the ROB 1000.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/tp1000-2007/
index.php?view=non_financial_cooperatives

2007 Edition

The Top 15 Non-Financial Co-Operatives

RANK

COMPANY (Year-End)

REVENUE
($000's)

PROFIT
($000's)

La coop fédérée (Oc06)

3,179,195

-10,191

Agropur Co-operative (Oc06)

2,288,219

22,644

United Farmers of Alta. Co-op. (De06)

1,624,879

40,365

Calgary Co-operative Assoc. (Oc06)

928,895

7,431

Proxim (De06)

850,000

85,000

Nutrinor (Oc06)

267,235

2,108

Interprovincial Cooperative (Oc06)

242,426

7,023

Exceldor Cooperative (Ja06)

238,800

n/a

Mountain Equipment Co-op (De06) 3

224,637

189

Saskatoon Co-op. Assoc. (Ja06)

170,123

1,650

Groupe Dynaco (De06)

163,973

2,724

Comax, coopérative agricole (No06)

105,000

n/a

Footnotes

1: Company reports in U.S. dollars.
2: Company reports in U.K. pounds.
3: Figures have been annualized in latest year.
4: Figures have been annualized in previous year.
5: Figures have been annualized in previous three through five years.
8: Company reports in euros.
*: Dividend yield based on indicated rate because trust has less than one year of current distribution history.
n/a: Not available
n/d: No debt
n/m: Not meaningful
n/r: Not ranked

Figures for fiscal periods other than 12 months are annualized for rankings and calculating returns. Foreign currencies are converted into Canadian dollars at the end of the relevant period for balance sheet items and at the average exchange rate for the relevant period for earnings items.

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Food For Thought 5: Top Financial Co-Operatives

2007-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the top financial cooperatives from ROB 1000. If we as populist's are going to change the mindset that co-operatives are not profitable, perhaps maybe populists should show this list. Amazing indeed. Not 1 Manitoban Credit Union was in this top 15 list. Now that Assiniboine has grown big time with some M&A action, perhaps it will not be too long before we see the likes of an Assiniboine Credit Union, breaking unchartered terrritory. It would be a truly fantastic story for the future. But for now, here is the list.

You will note that Desjardins Group from Quebec leads the way.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/tp1000-2007
/index.php?view=financial_cooperatives

2007 Edition

The Top 15 Financial Co-Operatives

RANK

COMPANY (Year-End)

REVENUE
($000's)

PROFIT
($000's)

Desjardins Group (De06)

11,674,000

653,000

Co-operators Group (De06)

2,899,761

133,420

Vancouver City Savings C.U. (De06)

721,469

45,300

Coast Capital Savings C.U. (De06)

518,010

53,084

Groupe Promutuel (De06)

474,000

20,000

Credit Union Central of Sask. (De06)

343,894

17,611

Credit Union Central of B.C. (De06)

239,193

16,603

Meridian Credit Union (De06)

239,013

8,454

Concentra Financial Services (De06)

234,918

13,674

Conexus Credit Union (De06)

180,744

19,311

Servus Credit Union (Oc06)

174,719

18,769

Envision Credit Union (De06)

168,573

15,638

Community Credit Union (Oc06)

145,527

21,223

Credit Union Central of Alberta (De06)

118,046

14,079

Prospera C.U. (Se06)

114,906

2,328

Footnotes

1: Company reports in U.S. dollars.
2: Company reports in U.K. pounds.
3: Figures have been annualized in latest year.
4: Figures have been annualized in previous year.
5: Figures have been annualized in previous three through five years.
8: Company reports in euros.
*: Dividend yield based on indicated rate because trust has less than one year of current distribution history.
n/a: Not available
n/d: No debt
n/m: Not meaningful
n/r: Not ranked

Food For Thought 4: Top Provincial Crown Corporations

2007-07-21T20:34:00.001-07:00

Here are the top Provincial Crown Corporations, according to The ROB 1000.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/
tp1000-2007/index.php?view=provincial_corporations

2007 Edition

The Top 15 Provincial Crown Corporations

RANK

COMPANY (Year-End)

REVENUE
($000's)

PROFIT
($000's)

DETAILS

Caisse de dépôt et placement de Québec (De06)

11,604,000

17,768,000

Hydro-Québec (De06)

11,261,000

3,741,000

Ontario Power Generation (De06)

5,935,000

490,000

Hydro One (De06)

4,549,000

455,000

B.C. Hydro & Power (Ma06)

4,368,000

266,000

Insurance Corp. of B.C. (De06)

4,309,000

350,000

Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (Ma06)

2,465,000

415,000

Societé de l'assuraunce auto. du Québec (De05)

1,798,488

218,980

Saskatchewan Power (De06)

1,471,000

93,000

Alberta Heritage Savings (Ma06)

1,399,713

1,397,413

SGF du Québec (De05)

1,395,553

70,101

Saskatchewan Telecommunications (De06)

1,014,362

72,503

ATB Financial (Ma06)

970,290

198,721

Manitoba Public Insurance (Fe06)

965,976

47,809

Saskatchewan Auto Fund (De06)

641,223

57,041

Footnotes

1: Company reports in U.S. dollars.
2: Company reports in U.K. pounds.
3: Figures have been annualized in latest year.
4: Figures have been annualized in previous year.
5: Figures have been annualized in previous three through five years.
8: Company reports in euros.
*: Dividend yield based on indicated rate because trust has less than one year of current distribution history.
n/a: Not available
n/d: No debt
n/m: Not meaningful
n/r: Not ranked

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Interesting to note that ONLY two Manitoba Crown Corporations, Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Public Insurance finished in this list at 7th and 15th respectively.