Comments on: Pork barrelling – deuxième partie – spas and schools…

By: Contest! Post the best example of pork barrel politics! | Trashy's World

Contest! Post the best example of pork barrel politics! | Trashy's World — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:42:01 +0000

[...] have written before about the flagrant vote buying that the Cons are famous for, and someone always comments that [...]

By: trashee

trashee — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:24:23 +0000

Well put Matthew – but I (predictably) disagree.
The separation of church and state is very clear. It matters not whether the institution/organization is well-run, accredited by someone, of value to a portion of the community. It represents a religious organization front and centre. And there should be no (as in zero) funding of any non-secular group using public funds. There is no grey area in that way.
I, as an atheist, take exception to the public funding of something that is clearly not part of the public good. Public monies are to be used to finance organizations or buildings or whatever regardless of religious affiliation.
Period.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:59:47 +0000

Newman Theological College is a Roman Catholic private college. The provincial government required the land of their old campus, so they need to rebuild. Even after the $4.18 million from the feds, they are still $11 million short of their goal. All of this is beside the point, however: The gov’t isn’t funding the Roman Catholic Church as opposed to anyone else. They are funding a private college on the grounds that it requires money to be able to fulfill its goals.

The questions that go into this sort of funding should not include “Is the college religious?” If answer of, “Yes,” means they shouldn’t get funding, then we have a problem; the gov’t is supposed to avoid favouring one religion over another; to never fund anything religious, therefore, to cast a vote against religion as a whole.

If a private college asks the gov’t for money, the questions should be, “Is it accredited?” “Does it have a good reputation?” “Does it help prepare people for their jobs and life in this country?” If the answer is, “Yes,” as I understand it is for Newman, then fund them. Fund them if they’re Catholic, fund them if their atheist, fund them if they’re Hindu, fund them if they’re Capitalist, fund them if they’re Communist, fund them if they’re secular. To fund regardless of religion is a proper division of church and state, rather than never to fund religious organisations at all.

By: Evolving Squid

Evolving Squid — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:40:22 +0000

In the first link I saw this: But, I guess it’s less controversial for the Conservatives then funding gay and lesbian festivals (even when their economic benefits to a city are well known)

Based on the performance of festivals in Ottawa since I’ve lived here (21.5 years), and using that guy’s own words, the government is SPOT ON not funding festivals. They’re a losing venture from the get-go. If festivals were so damn awesome, people would fund them without support from any government because profit could be made.

Personally, I don’t want the government funding ANY festivals. We need a lot more important things than bread and circuses for the mob.

By: Evolving Squid

Evolving Squid — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:36:32 +0000

>>I agreed but noted that the ReformCons seem to do it more than the Grits did while in power.

Not really. The cons just do it openly. The libs try to hide it and maintain a false air of legitimacy but creating cool scandals for the media. It’s the same shit, really, just different piles.

It’s wrong to give money to fund religious buildings though. The government doing that opens the door to any religious asshole who thinks he’s deserving of some government money. We may not have an entrenched separation of church and state in Canada, but it saves a lot of bullshit and presents an appearance of equality and fairness if we act like we do.

By: trashee

trashee — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:10:52 +0000

I don’t agree. While it is true that the money has to be spent, I don’t think it unwise to at least exercise some discretion and not pass out the $$$ like a buncha drunken (and christian) sailors! Public money should NEVER be used to fund ANY faith-based school, building, institution or whatever.
Don’t get me started on Ontario’s catholic school system!

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:57:15 +0000

While I’m with you on the whole separation of church and state, I’m looking at this from an economic standpoint:

A building needs to be built. People need to work. How and where those people work shouldn’t be dependant upon their religious convictions, and how and where our government, who represents everyone in this country, spends the stimulus money shouldn’t be dependant upon religious convictions.

It might not taste good going down, but it’s a bitter medicine we all must swallow if we want this country to come out of this economic slump better than other countries.