By Greg Hluska
The Canadian Press ran a doozy yesterday…
Saskatchewan is projecting a $1.3 billion drop in potash revenues this fiscal year but still hopes to post an overall budget surplus.To deal with the shortfall the government says it will take a $185 million dividend from the Crown Investments Corporation and delay funding the Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon and some schools.
Compare and contrast that to the LeaderPost’s coverage of the potash shortfall…
Then there’s unexpectedly higher revenue of $668 million from oil, taxes and federal transfers, which covers half the potash revenue shortfall. Gantefoer will make up the rest through accounting measures like taking a $185 million dividend from the Crown corporations and by deferring $132 million in capital projects still in the planning stages. That doesn’t mean the Saskatoon Children’s Hospital has been cancelled, as some critics suggest; the money will be there once construction begins.
Read more »
By stacey
So here’s the question: does social media influence political policy? Over the last few years, the rise of social media as a medium in which to interact with people locally and around the world has created a dramatically different landscape for those hoping to be elected as well as for those in power. Social media exemplified by Twitter, Facebook, and a whole host of blogs, has produced an entire generation of people that can not only get their viewpoints out to the public vis a vie the internet, but also be contacted by politicians in a new way.
For instance, let’s say that you’re sitting at your computer when you hear a knock at your door. You get up, open the door and see a politician running in a local election. Now let’s say you’re sitting at your computer and you see that the same politician is following your twitter account, or has added you as a friend on Facebook; or maybe they made a comment on your blog. To which are you more receptive? Read more »
Filed under:
Canadian Politics,
Charter of Rights,
Cool Technology,
DIY,
Liberal Party,
Media and Politics,
N.D.P.,
Open Source Activism,
Regina Municipal Election 2009,
Regina Politics,
Regina Streets,
Saskatchewan Party,
Saskatchewan Politics,
Social Media,
Social Media and Politics,
Twitter
By Greg Hluska
Other bloggers have written some great looks at how social media is becoming an important player in the current unrest in Iran. Western media cannot report on the situation in Iran, so tools like Twitter have emerged to raise awareness of the bloodshed that is resulting in that country. Just this morning, I was saddened to read (and retweet) this message:
Amir Javadifar, a student protester arrested on Jul 9th, died in prison. #iranelection http://bit.ly/XqsqH #Iran #g88
Messages like this are source material in the history of one of the most important fights of my generation. They also speak to the power of social media. The western world would not know that Amir Javadifar died in prison if not for social media. And then there is the organizational power of the social sphere. Read more »
By stacey
Why are there so many barriers to justice? Of course there are several definitions of justice, with different meaning for different people even. The question I have is why justice is so often difficult to seek.
I would argue that our legal system is designed to serve certain people and not others. Take the most basic of facts – if you are going to enter into a court case, you need time and you need money. Competent lawyers cost a lot of money; hell even incompetent lawyers cost a lot of money! Planning a court case and then going to court takes an incomprehensible amount of time – most of which is spent being apprehensive and stressed out. Most people simply can’t afford the time and money it takes to see a court case through – which can take years.
The very succinct point that I’m trying to make is that when rights are violated, some people have more recourse than others do. The impoverished are only one of those demographics that feel the intolerable sting of injustice. It leads to less dignity and recognition of the inherent humanity in the person/people to which the infamous scales of the law do not tilt toward. It’s just a thought… ; D
By Greg Hluska
If you enjoy Monty Python, I suggest you watch – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSqkdcT25ss and then follow reginastreets on Twitter. And, if you don’t like Monty Python, you should follow us anyways.