Layton caves on corporate tax cuts
>When Jack Layton announced last week that he was no longer pressing the Harper government to cancel its next round of corporate tax cuts (cost: $6 billion) he revealed that the NDP cannot figure a way out of the trap it has been setting for itself since Stephen Harper got elected five years ago. Stuck at 15-17% […]
The real story behind Liberal leadership contributions
The release of the preliminary contributors list for BC Liberal leadership candidates makes for an interesting read, but the most intriguing part goes well beyond the totals. Naturally, most of the media highlighted who has so far taken in the most: Kevin Flacon $708,000; Christy Clark $519,000; George Abbott $427,000; and, Mike De Jong […]
City's public budget meeting draws only five people
The city of Castlegar unveiled its provisional 2011 budget and five-year financial plan last night to an audience of only five people. Councillor, chair of council’s finance committee and current acting mayor (mayor Lawrence Chernoff is recovering from knee surgery) Kirk Duff said he’s not concerned by the lack of attendance...
Egyptian man names daughter 'Facebook'
An Egyptian man in his early twenties has named his newborn daughter 'Facebook' following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution which was almost solely organized on the social-networking site Facebook. The father, Gamal Ibrahim, told the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram that he gave his child the name to "express his joy at the achievements...
LETTER: Minister responds to MLA Conroy's budget critique
Student aid programs continue to be a priority for this government. The budget for student aid remains constant from last year. It is regrettable that the opposition is suggesting that government is making cuts to student aid programs in budget 2011/2012. Not true. Suggesting that there is a cut this year will undeniably create fear […]
Female foreign correspondents’ code of silence finally broken
By Kim Barker in ProPubilca. This piece was co-published in the New York Times Thousands of men blocked the road, surrounding the S.U.V. of the chief justice of Pakistan, a national hero for standing up to military rule. As a correspondent for The Chicago Tribune, I knew I couldn’t just watch from behind a car window. I […]
Who likes Mike? NDP leadership candidate hugs the Kootenays
The BC Liberals will choose us a new premier on Saturday, but Mike Farnworth doesn’t really care. He too, is running for premier. “After ten years, people are ready for a change,” the NDP leadership candidate told the Telegraph this week during a brief Kootenay campaign tour. “We don’t live in a one-party state. This […]
ATAMANENKO: The U.S. Right on crime campaign
Two prominent US Republicans, Newt Gingrich (former Speaker of the House) and Pat Nolan, (former Republican Leader of the California State Assembly) are saying that the American style “tough on crime” approach is not working. They, along with other US Conservative leaders are spearheading the Right on Crime Campaign, a national movement urging states […]
QUNFUZ: How many martyrs?
Our thoughts and prayers are with the heroes and heroines and martyrs of Libya, and with our brave correspondent in Tripoli, now under fire. Communication is on and off, mainly off. Here is her most recent report. Since she sent it the phone lines have been cut entirely and the city’s electricity is also disconnected. […]
LETTERS: SD 20 trustee responds to MP's column
I was very pleased to read Alex Atamanenko’s letter in the Castlegar Source. Alex correctly identifies the need for the Ministry of Education to create a funding formula and community use directive to meet the educational and the community school usage needs in small B.C. communities. Instead of our local communities fighting...