More evidence from the Tyee on harpers abuse of power

PMO Tied to Senate Hush Money Scandal

An RCMP affidavit reported widespread involvement by PMO staff­ers in a secret payment to Senator Mike Duffy to try and make a political problem go away. The Senate expenses scandal brought on allegations of a cover-up, a breach of the public trust, and a whitewashing of a Senate report. The PMO was found to have hand in the altering of a damning Deloitte audit.

Corrupt Conservative Cronies

The Senate scandal is just the latest eruption of crony corruption in Harperite ranks. Take Bruce Carson. He was a convicted fraud­ster before Harper made him a key advisor in the PMO. There, Carson was lobbied for money for a new University of Calgary eco-think tank. He then left the PMO to run the same think tank, converting it to an oil industry booster with a $15-million grant from the Harper government. The complex saga added one more criminal charge to others Carson faces for allegedly illegally work­ing his connections with the Harper government.

Harper Found in Contempt of Parliament

For refusing to disclose information on the costing of programs to Parliament, which Parliament was entitled to receive, the Harper government became the first in Canadian history to be found in contempt of Parliament.

Against Court Order, Refusal to Share Budget Info

Even though it lost a court case and was ordered to comply, the Harper government nevertheless refused to share 170 times reasons and impacts for cuts with Canada’s independent budget watchdog, mocking Parliament’s right to control the public purse.

Conservative Cabinet Staffers Granted Immunity from Testimony

A PMO edict absolved political staffers from ever having to testify before parliamentary committees

Repeated Duplicity in Afghan Detainees Controversy

Among the abuses: Parliament was misled and denied docu­ments. An inquiry was shut down. Tories attempted to discredit diplomat Richard Colvin whose testimony diverted from the gov­ernment’s line.

Repeated Duplicity on Costing of F-35 Fighter Jets

An auditor general’s report revealed serial deceptive practices used by the Conservatives in misleading the public and Parlia­ment on the projected cost of the fighter jets.

Harper Minister Lies, Blames Statistics Canada for Killing Long Form Census

Under fire for Conservatives killing the long form census, Indus­try Minister Tony Clement falsely stated that StatsCan backed the idea and assured the voluntary substitute would yield valid statistical data. Neither was true, outraged StatsCan sources confirmed.

Conservative MP Admits He Lied to Parliament

As opposition members claimed the Harper government was out to rig election rules in its favour, Conservative MP Brad Butt rose in the House of Commons to say why the bill was needed -- all the voter fraud he had personally witnessed. Weeks later he rose again to say his statements were false. Delivering his strained apology, he failed to explain why he lied in the first place.

Conservative House Leader Admits to Mockery of Question Period

Criticized far and wide for farcical answers in question period, Paul Calandra, parliamentary secretary to Harper, made a tearful apology for abuse of the democratic process

Goal Setting

Those that take action are the ones that see results.

How do you motivate yourself to continue working toward your goals, especially when you face challenges?  I suggest that you experiment with several different ways of finding your motivation, and in a challenging situation you can depend on one of these strategies to get back on track.

Try these techniques:

1. Break your goals into smaller, attainable steps. Especially if you're working toward a bigger goal, break it up into a series of small steps that you know you can achieve. After each step,celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done. With small steps, you'll be more likely to stay on task because your rewards come often.

2. Know your limits. You know yourself best and only you can identify your personal limits. If you move too slowly, you'll know deep down that you could be taking more action. However, when you try to do too much, you risk burnout.Figure out that magic point where you can achieve success without much stress,and you'll remain motivated to keep taking action.

3. Take away your distractions. There are some things that might be more likely to distract you than others. Remove yourself from these situations when you know that you need to be taking action. For example, if you're a social person, perhaps you'll need to stay away from friends and family during the times you want to work. Also, avoid surfing the net, video games, and television when it's time to work.

4. Ask for the help you need. Don't be afraid to get help from others. There's only so much you can accomplish in one day all by yourself. It's true that sometimes you'll have to accomplish certain things on your own, but if there's any way at all that someone else can help, consider that possibility and ask them.

5. Find an activity that energizes you.Sometimes you'll find that there's a period in the day where you go into a slump. Maybe you have trouble starting your engines in the morning, or perhaps it's the afternoon that causes you to feel sluggish.

o In these times, find some activity to re-motivate and energize you. One thing that can energize you is a good exercise routine. It'll get your heart rate up and send fresh oxygen to your brain. This will refresh you, help you think more clearly, and make you feel more like doing your work.

6. Keep a tight schedule. A good schedule and organized plan will help keep you motivated and on track. In the beginning phases of planning your goals, be very specific when deciding what you need to do and when. This way, when you complete a step, you won't have to spend time figuring out what you're supposed to do next. 

If you want to succeed, you can do it through purposeful action. Just think about what you've done to accomplish goals in the past. Chances are you had a plan and followed through. It might not always be easy, but when you remain motivated, you'll reach whatever goal you set out to accomplish!

Stephen Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: THE EVIDENCE COMPILED

Stephen Harper is using race politics to win his next election. This tactic is working and is part of the shame I feel for my country that there are not enough people who are willing to stand up for the victims of his attacks. 

Back in the 70's when the Liberal government of the day imposed the War Measure's Act, which put Canada under Marshall law and suspended all rights and freedoms, I spoke against this measure. Many Canadians went to jail for their opposition to the federal government and many in BC were put under closer scrutiny by the RCMP, because they opposed the provincial government at the time. The War Measures Act was not needed (as history has shown) but at the time, it played to the fears of Canadians against French Canadians. 

This time Harper has tapped into a streak of hate and he is using Muslims as the target, which will drive a large enough block of Canadians who will react to fear, and vote for a saviour. As a result I predict harper will win the next election because of his use of this tactic.

But to remind everyone of what harper has done the Tyee has complied a great list of his abuse of power. The question is what will he do once he is re-elected.


Stephen Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: THE EVIDENCE COMPILED
By David Beers and Tyee Staff and Contributors

Stephen Harper and his Conservatives have racked up dozens of serious abuses of power since forming government in 2006. From scams to smears, monkey-wrenching opponents to intimidating public servants like an Orwellian gorilla, some offences are criminal, others just offend human decency.

We originally published 59 examples, and asked our readers to suggest any we may have missed. Among the many suggestions we gratefully received, we concluded that 11 more met the criteria for “abuses of power.” This ebook is a compilation of all 70 items into one omnibus of abuse by the Stephen Harper government. Thanks, again, to friends of The Tyee who help with this list.

The following is from SECTION III ELECTION ABUSES: SCAMS, SLIMES,
STINGS AND CROOKED SPENDING

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have made federal elections a gladiators’ arena where anything goes -- unless and until you are caught, that is. Here are 17 times his team violated election laws or ethics.

Conservatives Run Undercover Sting Operations
Conservatives secretly recorded political opponents and also used agent provocateur techniques to try and entrap them. A sting operation against Marlo Raynolds, a Liberal candidate in Alberta, was backed by then employment minister Jason Kenney.

Conservative Convicted on Robocalls Scam
Tory operative Michael Sona was given jail time for his role in the robocalls scam. The judge indicated more than one person was likely involved. In another court judgment in a case brought by the Council of Canadians, the ruling said the robocalls operation was widespread, not just limited to the Guelph riding. Donald Segretti who did dirty tricks for the Nixon White House told a Canadian reporter his skullduggery didn’t go so low as to run schemes
sending voters to the wrong polling stations.

Harper’s Ex-Parliamentary Secretary Jailed for Breaking Election
Law
Dean Del Maestro was one of Harper’s favourites. As his parliamentary
secretary,  the PM frequently used him as an attack dog to allege misdeeds by opposition members. Del Maestro was given a jail sentence in June for his own election spending violations.

Conservatives Bar Crosbie Candidacy
In a clear-cut case of the party hierarchy’s undercutting of democratic rights, Ches Crosbie, son of former Tory cabinet minister John Crosbie, was barred from running for the party in Newfoundland. 

Election Violations Prompt Resignation of Cabinet Member
Peter Penashue, another Harper Conservative was compelled to step down over election spending violations. 

Conservatives Attempt Election Campaign Frame-up
In an attempted smear in the last week of the 2011 election campaign, a senior Harper strategist planted a false story in Sun Media that Michael Ignatieff was an Iraq war planner. (Neither Conservative operatives nor Sun Media opted to make hay with the true story that Stephen Harper had, while leader of the Canadian Alliance in 2003, published a letter in The Wall Street Journal itching to get Canada into that disastrous war and slamming then PM Jean Chretien for saying no.)

Harper’s Office Deploys Interns for Dirty Tricks
In one instance that brought on allegations of Nixonian tactics, junior PMO staffers in the guise of normal citizens were sent out to disrupt a Justin Trudeau speech.

Citizens Ejected from Conservative Rallies
Tory operatives hauled out citizens from a Harper rally in the 2011 campaign because they had marginal ties to other parties. A spokesperson for the PM was compelled to apologize. Problem fixed this time around: Only fully vetted Harper supporters will be allowed, by invite only, to attend the PM’s campaign stops. If they have a ticket.

Life Expectancy, and retirement planning

Death and taxes are the only certainties in an uncertain world, according to Benjamin Franklin. However you can take the chance and not pay your taxes, there will be consequences, but you can do this, but you cannot beat death.

The sad truth is when you are likely to die has a massive effect on retirement planning. The date of death is an unknown, so everyone has to take a punt on when and do their best to make sure they have enough money to survive retirement in relative financial comfort. 

Guessing the date you are going to day is the first step of retirement planning, and a new report from financial firm Aviva gives some pointers about how long the average person will live. The first point to note is most retirement savers believe they will not live as long as estimates from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggest. 

Costly wrong decisions “The financial implications of making the wrong decision are significant,” says the study ‘Making Your Money Last In Retirement’ from Aviva. “People who estimate they need a pension of $100,000 to top up the state pension could really need $150,000 or more had they accurately predicted their life expectancy.” 

The research reveals 29% of men and 23% of women do not believe they will as long as the ONS figures say they will. Men fall short by an average 13 years in their calculations, reckoning they will die at 67 years old and women underestimate by 12 years, predicting they will die at 72 years old. 

The ONS statistics show men retiring at 65 now live until an average 80 years old and women 84 years old. The report points out these figures are averages; so many people die younger and older. 

The ONS reckons 32% of men retiring at 65 live over the 89 years old average age. “The chance of living to over 90 is one in three for a man and slightly higher for a woman,” says the report. 

Life expectancy “Savings choices are crucial decisions. Annuities can provide guaranteed income if lifestyle or health reasons mean life expectancy is shorter and flexible drawdown can help if life expectancy is longer.” The firm goes on to explain how lifestyle, health and where you live affects how long you live. Factors like smoking and obesity are key players in determining longevity. “Genetics are random but lifestyle choices can affect longevity. Suddenly moving from an area with a low longevity rate to one where people live longer will not automatically mean a longer life though,” says the report. “However, statistics show that some areas have a population which is more prone to smoking or obesity than others. With few exceptions, the local authorities with the highest number of smokers also have the worst life expectancies.” - See more at: http://www.iexpats.com/long-live-key-retirement-saving/#sthash.8y3Ic5Xc.dpuf

Dying in Debt, the new reality?

According to a new survey  almost one in five Americans in debt expects to die while still in debt, and more than a third of American consumers already are shouldering new loans during this holiday season.

The CreditCards.com survey found that 17 percent of all Americans who are 65 or older believe they will never get out of debt. When we tighten the focus to people that age who now are paying off loans, the pessimism is far more profound: 31 percent -- nearly one in three -- believe they will die as debtors.

The national survey, commissioned by CreditCards.com and conducted the first week of December as the frenzy of holiday shopping approached critical mass, found that for many Americans, debt will be a lifelong, inescapable companion.

In fact, 18 percent of those already in debt expect to take their loans to the grave. That's double the 9 percent who expressed that pessimistic view the last time CreditCards.com asked the question in May 2013. This time around, another 11 percent don't expect to get out of debt until they're at least in their 70s. The average age people expect to achieve freedom from debt is 53, the same age as in 2013.

The CreditCards.com survey of 1,001 Americans, performed Dec. 4-7 by landline telephone and cellphone, did find some people who disdain debt: About 14 percent of all respondents said they are completely debt free, at least for now, and 60 percent had not yet signed off on any new debts for this season's holiday purchases.

Respondents were asked about their expectations regarding the debt they already have -- credit card bills, car loans, student loans, mortgages, etc. -- and, separately, about the debt they already had incurred for the holidays.

Other findings
The survey also found:

• Women are half again as likely as men to believe they will not be able to pay off their loans during their lifetimes. Fifteen percent of all female respondents chose "never" in comparison to 10 percent of men.
• Only 6 percent of already-indebted millennials say they will never get out of debt, compared with 31 percent of debtors age 65 and older and 22 percent between the ages of 50 and 64. Experts admire the optimism of the young, but fear that it is not realistic.
• White, non-Hispanic consumers are considerably more likely to see themselves dying in debt (15 percent) than black Americans (9 percent) or Hispanic Americans (8 percent). "This is an intriguing set of data," Viale said. "At first glance, I would guess that the numbers reflect the fact that more of the white non-Hispanic consumers are carrying student loan debt."
• Pessimistic responses regarding eventual freedom from debt were remarkably consistent across all income levels: Those earning less than $30,000 a year are about as likely to choose "never" (14 percent) as those at all other income levels ($30,000 to $49,900 -- 12 percent; $50,000 to $74,900 -- 14 percent; more than $75,000 -- 12 percent).
• Still, households with annual incomes of at least $75,000 are most likely to incur holiday debt.

Economists and financial advisers said most consumers have not become grotesquely reckless when it comes to debt. Rather, we all have been doing what we can to deal with the aftermath of the Great Recession, officially considered to have lasted from 2007 to 2009, but which lingered long after that for many Americans.

"The reality is that we went through a really bad financial crisis, and there are consequences to that," said Angela Lyons, an associate professor at the University of Illinois and director of the school's Center for Economic and Financial Education. "Those consequences do not go away overnight, and we have to pay for them over ti

Meanwhile, more and more of the elderly are falling deeper into debt as they retire. One reason, once again: The lingering effects of the Great Recession, including much heavier mortgage burdens, caused in part by the need to raise cash during the recession. The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported earlier this year that, from 2001 to 2011, the median amount owed by people 65 or older on their mortgages increased by a startling 82 percent, from about $43,400 to $79,000.

The smartest plan now, according to the experts: Take a clear-eyed look at your debt load and at how it affects your life. Contact a certified credit counselor. Look online or at local institutions for financial literacy information and courses.

The value of financial education can't be understated, until now, most young people have adopted the financial behavior of their parents, who also never formally learned about personal finance during their school years. That's a recipe for disaster.

Financial freedom doesn't require that you make a lot of money. It simply means that you know how to live within your means and make your money work for you as you achieve your financial goals.