Ontario residents heading to the polls:

[Praxius]

Now there's more to this then just a typical election:



CTV.ca | Ontario residents heading to the polls

........Extra ballot on election day Voters will also get an extra ballot on election day, to be cast in the province's first referendum in more than 80 years. The referendum question is: "Which electoral system should Ontario use to elect members to the provincial legislature?'' Options will be the existing so-called "first past the post'' electoral system, or a mixed member proportional system. The proposed mixed member proportional system would give citizens two votes -- one for the political party of their choice and another for a local candidate. Advocates say electoral reform would bring a balance of power in the legislature that better reflects the popular vote. Karen Bird, a political science professor from McMaster University, said the system would mean voters would be able to choose their favourite local candidate, and the party they would like to see in power. "What we would get under this proposal is a legislature where the proportion of seats held by parties is more or less exactly reflective of the proportion of the vote for those parties among the public," Bird told CTV Newsnet. "So what this has going for it is that it is a more accurate way of translating how voters are expressing their opinion into seats." Faith-based schools Ontario's political party leaders spent the final day before the election campaigning furiously in and around Toronto, as polls showed voters could elect another Liberal majority government. McGuinty continued his attack on Tory and the faith-based schools issue. "The Conservative plan to take a half a billion dollars out of our publicly funded schools and divert that to private religious schools is a bad idea,'' McGuinty told supporters in Pickering. "It's going to hurt our kids, it's going to hurt our province." McGuinty said he supports a parent's right to send their children to the school of their choice, but he said Ontario children will get the best education in the public system. However, Tory stuck to his guns on his religious schools funding proposal while visiting 11 ridings in Toronto, where the Conservatives don't hold a single seat. Despite internal pre-election polls showing the idea wasn't popular, Tory insisted Tuesday it was still the right thing to do. He said he has demonstrated his ability to take on the toughest issues, saying "that's what leadership's really all about."].....

There's a pile more information on that link but just too much to debate about, so I picked the two main points:

#1 - Do you feel it's a good idea to change the election system where at the polls you could vote for the political party you want to rep where you live and another to vote for who you want to run the country?

#2 - Do you think it's a good idead for a provience/state to fund faith based schools with tax payer's money?

[Milton Bradley]

Political parties are the poison that brought down the US, just keep that in mind my friend.

[Chancellor]

Quote by: Praxius Now there's more to this then just a typical election: CTV.ca | Ontario residents heading to the polls There's a pile more information on that link but just too much to debate about, so I picked the two main points: #1 - Do you feel it's a good idea to change the election system where at the polls you could vote for the political party you want to rep where you live and another to vote for who you want to run the country? #2 - Do you think it's a good idead for a provience/state to fund faith based schools with tax payer's money?

I don't think such a change should be entered into lightly. If you are only voting for the political party (an institution that should be abolished) then you're leaving everything up to the party bosses. Always be wary of giving more power to political parties.

As for the second issue, I realize that Canada is a socialist country with this whole nanny state mentality that says it's the government's job to take care of its citizens from cradle to grave. With that in mind, do you really think you can trust your government to have the monopoly over most of Canada's kids? Are kids really being harmed by having the opportunity to go to schools that are more-often-than-not better than government-run schools? Or is it that you people up there in Canada are just plain evil and think that anything even remotely smacking of religion is harmful to children? We've had a similar issue here in the States with regard to school vouchers except that the private schools didn't have to be religious. The teachers' union has managed to keep school vouchers from coming to pass on a large scale and, so, the majority of America's children are stuck in these piss-poor government indoctrination centers that teach them all about exploring deviant sexualities but leave them unable to find major U. S. cities on a map or unable to read much more than the local dumbed down newspaper. I say all of that but, at the same time, if I were running a religious school I would try to stay as far away from government hand-outs as possible because with government hand-outs comes government interference.

As for that idiot McGinty who said, "It's going to hurt our kids, it's going to hurt our province," they're not his damned children and they're not the province's children: the children belong to the parents.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Chancellor I don't think such a change should be entered into lightly. If you are only voting for the political party (an institution that should be abolished) then you're leaving everything up to the party bosses. Always be wary of giving more power to political parties.

This doesn't allow more power to the parties, but more control to the people on the parties and who they represent. While you may feel one political party would be good for leading the country, they may not have your paticular area of living as a priority, which then you can vote for the local party which will do best for your area..... to me, it seems more accurate to what the people of Canada want.

As for the second issue, I realize that Canada is a socialist country with this whole nanny state mentality that says it's the government's job to take care of its citizens from cradle to grave.

Please..... go educate yourself.

Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, as head of state;[22][23] the monarch of Canada also serves as head of state of fifteen other Commonwealth countries, putting Canada in a personal union relationship with those other states. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions. Canada's constitution consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions.[24] The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act) established governance based on Parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments. The Constitution Act, 1982 added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Canadians that generally cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Canada. However, a "notwithstanding clause", allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.

We have much more democracy in our country then you're, by any stretch of the word. Just because our government isn't like yours doesn't make us Communist or Socialist..... get your act together before you spout out ignorant claims.

I imagine the rest of your post will be similar..... *sighs*

With that in mind, do you really think you can trust your government to have the monopoly over most of Canada's kids? Are kids really being harmed by having the opportunity to go to schools that are more-often-than-not better than government-run schools? Or is it that you people up there in Canada are just plain evil and think that anything even remotely smacking of religion is harmful to children?

You seem to have this feeling that our government is always out to brainwash us like your own.....

As it goes for us being evil because some oppose funding religious schools..... Have you ever heard of the seperation of Church and State? No I suppose not, considdering your current leader.

Many complications can arise when you merge the two, if you read your history you would know this.

We've had a similar issue here in the States with regard to school vouchers except that the private schools didn't have to be religious. The teachers' union has managed to keep school vouchers from coming to pass on a large scale and, so, the majority of America's children are stuck in these piss-poor government indoctrination centers that teach them all about exploring deviant sexualities but leave them unable to find major U. S. cities on a map or unable to read much more than the local dumbed down newspaper. I say all of that but, at the same time, if I were running a religious school I would try to stay as far away from government hand-outs as possible because with government hand-outs comes government interference.

Exactly..... interferrence can come from both directions, which is why it's an issue.

But our public schools are in no way similar to your own public schools, as I have gone from day one to graduation in a public school here.... my dad teaches in these public schools.... so I have a little bit of personal background and experience when it comes to teaching and education, as I also have had my own instructing experience, and I have also studied the differences between your country and mine in regards to public education.

Your teachers are not paid very well, and they really don't care too much about your education because of this for starters.

As for that idiot McGinty who said, "It's going to hurt our kids, it's going to hurt our province," they're not his damned children and they're not the province's children: the children belong to the parents.

I have seen public schools and I have seen private schools here, and the only real difference is the dress codes and the religous backgrounds... there is also the factor of smaller classes and people of the same commonalities being in one class, thereby being less stressful.... but how does that really help these kids when it comes to exposure on diversity?

The thing is, I have been through our public schools, and I got the education I required and besides the odd tool kids you get, I see no practical use for private schools unless you want to teach your kid a paticular way.

Then you can just home school or pay for a private school.

And there really isn't any difference in education between public and private here, because in order to be actually reconized as a school, there is a required level of education that needs to be taught..... in both. The only difference is the atmosphere imo.

I have no problem with private education, or religous education.... but once you start funding one, you gotta start funding them all.

[Technosoul]

just off the top of my hat I would think it is better to vote for individuals rather then organizations.

[Chancellor]

Quote by: Praxius This doesn't allow more power to the parties, but more control to the people on the parties and who they represent. While you may feel one political party would be good for leading the country, they may not have your paticular area of living as a priority, which then you can vote for the local party which will do best for your area..... to me, it seems more accurate to what the people of Canada want.

I suspect most people are more interested in the individual candidate than the party he represents.

Please..... go educate yourself. Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia We have much more democracy in our country then you're, by any stretch of the word. Just because our government isn't like yours doesn't make us Communist or Socialist..... get your act together before you spout out ignorant claims.

Big government, all kinds of social programs (including nationalized healthcare); yes, sounds socialist to me. When I and others accuse Canada of being a socialist country it is because of things like universal healthcare and your big government nanny state - not unlike what Hillary and company want for the United States.

I imagine the rest of your post will be similar..... *sighs*

Then you're not very imaginative.

You seem to have this feeling that our government is always out to brainwash us like your own.....

It is the nature of government to do exactly that - no government should ever be trusted.

As it goes for us being evil because some oppose funding religious schools..... Have you ever heard of the seperation of Church and State? No I suppose not, considdering your current leader.

Evil because it is particular animus toward religion in thinking that anything even remotely resembling religion is harmful to children. Now, I ask you: Are kids really being harmed by having the opportunity to go to schools that are more-often-than-not better than government-run schools?

Many complications can arise when you merge the two, if you read your history you would know this.

Oh, I do know it very well and I will insist that you stop reading things into my posts. Maybe you should have paid closer attention to my statement, " if I were running a religious school I would try to stay as far away from government hand-outs as possible because with government hand-outs comes government interference."

Exactly..... interferrence can come from both directions, which is why it's an issue.

Since there is no Church of the United States, there is no chance of religion interfering with government here. It's you people up there who have a national religion (the Church of England, since you still haven't cut the apron strings attached to Mother England).

But our public schools are in no way similar to your own public schools, as I have gone from day one to graduation in a public school here.... my dad teaches in these public schools.... so I have a little bit of personal background and experience when it comes to teaching and education, as I also have had my own instructing experience, and I have also studied the differences between your country and mine in regards to public education.

Your schools are still run by the government and they still indoctrinate children - there really isn't that much difference.

Your teachers are not paid very well, and they really don't care too much about your education because of this for starters.

And how much is being paid "very well"? The pay for teachers is different from school district to school district. For example, in my city's school district, the range is from 33,235 to 73,571 - and that's for the second poorest city in the nation (with populations above 250,000). There are other school districts where teachers can make over 100,000 a year (New York Teacher Salaries 2005-06).

I have seen public schools and I have seen private schools here, and the only real difference is the dress codes and the religous backgrounds... there is also the factor of smaller classes and people of the same commonalities being in one class, thereby being less stressful.... but how does that really help these kids when it comes to exposure on diversity?

I don't give a rat's behind about "diversity." Here in America I only recognize one group of people: Americans. If I were living in Canada, that group would be Canadians.

The thing is, I have been through our public schools, and I got the education I required and besides the odd tool kids you get, I see no practical use for private schools unless you want to teach your kid a paticular way.

Or you don't want the government indoctrinating your children.

Then you can just home school or pay for a private school.

Not every parent can financially afford private schools and a great many parents don't have the means to home school them (though, for Christians, I would certainly recommend either home schooling or having a group of Christians get together and establish a Christian school.

And there really isn't any difference in education between public and private here, because in order to be actually reconized as a school, there is a required level of education that needs to be taught..... in both. The only difference is the atmosphere imo.

The difference between public and private here (they all have to meet the same minimum standards) is that the private schools tend to be a whole lot better than public schools.

I have no problem with private education, or religous education.... but once you start funding one, you gotta start funding them all.

I don't have a problem with funding them all in order to create competition for the government indoctrination centers. Of course, I would much prefer that federal and state (provincial) governments get out of the education business entirely.