A recent poll suggests the SaskParty is at its lowest level of support in a decade. While, many pro-NDP voters will tell you it’s because of recent policy announcements; I feel it goes a lot deeper than that. I’ve talked to a number of folks who share similar views that I have. The tough decisions are not what has caused Brad Wall to be unpopular. But, rather it’s the lack of communication and perceived arrogance of it all. For example, don’t go on a nationwide media tour denouncing carbon tax and say that now is not the time for Saskatchewan people to be taxed and then turn around and do it yourself weeks later. Don’t run yourself into financial trouble and cut a bunch of funding to the municipalities and then tell the municipalities how to manage their own budgets and dip into a rainy day fund in order to deal with the shortfalls. That’s not your job. And, don’t negotiate contracts with unions just before the election, only to threaten lay-offs later on if they don’t slash wages. Government would have gotten a lot more respect from me had they been straight forward last year on the financial state of the province and put citizens, municipalities, and unions on notice that major pain is on the way. Instead, I think they took the opinion that most of us wouldn’t understand and hold them accountable at the ballot box. And, judging by the way I see Canadians vote lately, I guess I can’t blame them to some degree. But, really, what has the NDP presented that would make anyone change their mind?
One of the things cut by the Saskatchewan government in the recent budget was the providing of funeral services for the poor. This is a step in the right direction towards citizens relying less on the state to look after them. It’s important to note that government will still provide basic preparation of a body, transfers, a standard casket or urn, and regulatory fees. In my opinion, anything beyond that is what churches are for. Let them provide the service or if there are no friends or family who are able to organize an informal low cost gathering to remember a loved one, then I’d argue there simply isn’t a need for one. I get that’s an unemotional take for some of you, but it’s not government’s job to make sure a deceased person has a funeral.
Last week’s news about an alleged human smuggling operation based in Regina should start to open some eyes of people in this country. You don’t think all these migrants crossing borders on foot walked thousands of miles before reaching Canada do you? I realize I’m a cynic, but it’s very likely that there are a number of illegal money making operations that provide transportation. So, while we have every right to be upset about people cutting corners or trying to find short cuts into Canada, we should be just as upset at long time citizens enabling such activity and those people need to penalized harshly and we shouldn’t fall for any sort of a humanitarian defense. By the way, Saskatchewan is one of four provinces that does not provide legal help for those claiming refugee status. You have to pay for that out of pocket. Manitoba does provide legal assistance. Therefore, the numbers shouldn’t surprise you: 331 asylum claims in Manitoba from January-March 2017. 5 in Saskatchewan during that same time period.
The Toronto Blue Jays are floundering away in the basement of the American League East, but the reasons aren’t anything that anyone could have predicted no matter what some baseball armchair General Managers will tell you. After Sunday’s game, Devon Travis was hitting .136, Jose Bautista .132, and Russell Martin .149. That is beyond any form of poor that any so-called expert could have predicted. Couple that with some key injuries and you have a last place team. This is not the fault of the previous General Manager, who mortgaged some future pieces in exchange for two years of playoff appearances. I don’t think you can call it the fault of anybody really. It’s just too bad a number of players are struggling mightily. Even if Travis, Bautista, and Martin play poorly over the course of the season; there is still a very good chance all of them hit better than .220. Which is bad, but it amplifies just how unexplainably bad all three of them have been through the first month.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders released defensive back Justin Cox last week. The guy just couldn’t keep his nose clean. This current Rider regime hasn’t been afraid to take chances on questionable characters and they’ve been burned by a number of them. I also wonder if the image of their team is starting to become tarnished a bit. When Scott Schultz, Jeremy O’Day, Weston Dressler, Chris Szarka, Chris Getzlaf, and John Chick (and others) were active players with the team; they were very easy to find at local charity gatherings and community functions. I’m not sure I could name a single current player who devotes the kind of time like those players did.
Nice person mentions this week: Brent Desrochers, Laura Buckwold, Karen Lang, Carol Yaholnitsky, and Brian Trollope.
