Boomers put health at top of retirement priorities

From CTV News

"The first of the baby boomers hit the official age of retirement in 2011 and many are wondering whether they’ve saved enough, according to RBC’s most recent RRSP poll. But this cohort is dedicating as much thought to their medical files as to their portfolios. Health and wealth are closely connected for the generation on track to live longer, healthier lives than any generation before."

Read more:
CTV News Boomers put health at top of retirement priorities

Harper Government Kills Bill C311 and Funding For Canadian Climate Research

The most anti-science Prime Minister this country has ever had has not only killed Bill C311, but Harper has also cut funding for the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences.

From the Vancouver Sun:
"The budget crunch at the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences comes on the heels of revelations that the government is leasing out the coast guard breaker CCGS Amundsen – Canada’s most advanced research ship for the study of climate change – to none other than BP and Imperial Oil so they could study the impact of drilling in the delicate Arctic ecosystem."

Harper got the Liberal dominated Senate to kill  bill C311, something virtually unheard of in this country after MPs had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill and it had passed second reading! Once again Harper thwarts democracy in order to further his own agenda: promoting his home province's oil industry.

This comes just before the UN Climate talks in Cancun! I'm ashamed to be a Canadian - once again Canada has been awarded the "Fossil of the Day" award for lack of action on climate change.

Read more: Harper Government Ends Funding for Climate Research Organization
Read more: Harper Government Kills Funding 

URGENT ATTENTION about Our OAS pensions

Bill C-428 An Act to Amend the Old Age Security Act (residency requirements)

This bill had first reading in the house on June 18, 2009. MP Ms. Ruby Dhalla, who introduced the bill, represents the riding of Brampton whose population is mainly South Asian. At present one must have resided in Canada for 10 years in order to qualify for Old Age Security. This bill will reduce that 10 years to 3 years; thousands could come to Canada at age 62, having never worked or contributed to this country's tax system, and 3 years later qualify for full Old Age Security benefits. 10 years minimum is reasonable - 3 is not!

This bill should never have seen the light of day... and yet it will receive second reading at the next sitting of parliament.

It is time that Canada looked after its vets and long-term citizens before handing OUR hard-earned money over to people who have no right to this money, having never paid taxes or contributed to our economy. There are too many people abusing the generosity of the Canadian people. We need to stop this NOW.

Now READ THIS…

The Government of Canada allows a monthly pension of:
$1,890.00 to a simple refugee
Plus: $580.00 in social aid
A grand total of $2,470.00 monthly X 12 months = $28,920.00 annual income.

By comparison, the Old Age Pension of a senior citizen who has contributed to the development of our country for 40 or 50 years, CANNOT receive more than:
$1,012.00 a month in Old Age Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement X 12 months = $12,144.00 annual income.

This is a whopping difference of $16,776.00 per year! Perhaps our senior citizens should apply for Refugee Status instead of applying for Old Age Pension.

INCREDIBLE NONSENSE! OUR CANADIAN SENIOR CITIZENS DESERVE BETTER!!
What Can You Do?

1. Spread the message to family, friends and colleagues.
2. Write letters, send e-mails to friends, and call your Member of Parliament.
3. Sign the online petition STOP Bill C-428.

It is time Canada looked after its vets and long-term citizens before handing OUR hard-earned money over to people who have no right to this money, having never paid taxes or contributed to our economy. If a family wishes to bring elderly relatives here and are willing to waive their own right to collect these funds in order that the elderly relatives can receive them... fine. Otherwise, do not expect the Canadian taxpayers to provide for them.

Zoomerism

You may have heard the phrase, "Growing old is not for sissies." I recently read another phrase that made me stop and think: "Embrace getting older; many people do not get the chance."

Recently the CBC radio program, "Q" with Jian Ghomeshi, aired an interview in which he spoke to Suzanne Boyd, editor of Zoomer Magazine, the magazine published by CARP (Canadian Association of Retired People). Moses Znaimer, Executive Director of CARP had rebranded the CARP magazine with the name "Zoomer", defining a "zoomer" as a "boomer with zip".

Suzanne said the new definition of a boomer was someone over the age of 45. Hmmmm, I'm not sure a lot of people that age would enjoy being lumped together with people a whole generation older.

Mireille Silcoff, a journalist for the National Post was on the line with Jian and Suzanne. Her position was that the new Zoomer magazine was schitzophrenic - trying to attract a wider demographic that really didn't have a lot in common. Mireille wrote in her National Post column a piece called, "Against Zoomerism". I quote:

Moses Znaimer’s Zoomer is a glossy magazine for “boomers with zip.” It is also the most depressing magazine I have read in a long time. Flipping through the pages of Zoomer is the magazine equivalent of watching an unmedicated schizophrenic have a conversation with himself about aging. With manic speed it seesaws from ads and articles which call one to “accept aging” and “enjoy age for all its riches” and be “pro-age,” to those about “stopping the clock” and “defying aging,” and, of course, “anti-aging.”

You can read more at: http://www.nationalpost.com/Mireille+Silcoff+Against+Zoomerism/2944021/story.html
Have a great day!

He's done it again

I noted in a previous post that my MP, the Hon. Ed Fast voted against Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act. Thankfully, the bill passed second reading. But the honourable member has done it again - voted "Nay" to Bill C-469, an Act to establish a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights. Thankfully, this bill also passed second reading in the house on June 16, 2010.

Clearly, this guy has demonstrated little concern for the environment and very likely doesn't believe such a thing as global warming exists. What is it with the Conservatives that the majority of them do not believe in science? Is it because some of the more fundamentalist of them believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old and man coexisted with the dinosaurs?! In my opinion, the Hon. member has permitted Conservative ideology to trump any intellectual (read "scientific") consideration; and the Conservative ideology has much to do with the fact that the prime minister comes from a province where oil is king.

This is a quote from openparliament.ca representing the Conservatives' view on the bill.

"The bill [C-469] raises problems with respect to new spending in two areas. First, part 2 would authorize environmental protection action against the government by enabling Canadians to seek recourse in the Federal Court to protect the environment in relation to any action or inaction by the government, which has resulted in significant environmental harm."

- Tom Lukiwski, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government.

Does this mean that another reason for Conservatives to oppose the bill is because members of the general public would be able to sue the federal government for its action or inaction resulting in environmental harm?! I can scarcely believe my eyes when reading this! The government wants no responsibility for anything to do with the environment!!! And I thought they had an opportunity to lead the country in their stewardship/guardianship of our environment?!

Again, I urge any and all of you who vote, to follow the actions of your MP (on openparliament.ca) whomever that may be. It might make a difference in your vote when election time comes around again.

PEI Meeting on Pension Reform

I've said before that the time for pension reform is NOW. Politicians have known for a very long time that this pension crisis was coming, yet they have done nothing to prepare for it. Their only longterm planning extends as far into the future as the next election. Here's hoping some agreement can be reached in Charlottetown between the federal and provincial finance ministers over the next few days.

I particulary like the last paragraph:
"They should put their foot on the gas pedal because we're in a crisis now and it's going to get worse unless they do something," he [Canadian Labour Congress president Ken Georgetti] said. "They should have done something 20 years ago, so Minister Flaherty has got a lot of catching up to do."
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Start.shaw.ca - National News Article

Moving Closer to Pension Reform

From CBC News, this story moves us one step closer to pension reform. But not everyone is in agreement:

CBC News - Politics - Pension reform gets mixed reaction