Toronto gay pride denied federal funds

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I thought the Cons are supposed to be different, no? If one has to fallback to the argument that it's always been the case as a defense, one'd implictly stated the failure of their own arguments. Besides, if one goes so strongly about asserting that they are operating on some sort of rational basis for selection criteria, one better damn well go out and prove that it is the modus operandi.

AoD

 

[kEiThZ]

I don't think the Cons are 'different'. They just came in with different priorities.

And I think the rational basis they are operating on is what gets them the most votes.

Gays (and particularly those from Toronto) don't vote Conservative. I think that pretty much sealed the decision for them.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

surely the tax revenue from the economic activity pride parade causes would cover any federal funds given. spend 400k, make a heap back in taxes. if it's true that pride causes 100M in spending, that's 5M in GST alone.

when a group is known to be socially conservative & fiscally conservative, such decisions as cutting funding to a gay parade are ambiguous. it could be stinginess, homophobia or both. if it's proven that the event will make more money for the government than the government has to spend on it, you know it's not about the money. will this event make more money for the government than the government has to spend on it?

 

[Oliver Tweed]

Not sure this decision is about bigotry. My guess is that the festival will still go on and probably not be that hurt by this. Other groups could easily point to the pride festival and ask why they have received funding so many times while other organizations have never received any funding. Gay rights had become the cause-du-jour over the past decade or so and I think there was a lot of bandwagon jumping going on. And I'm not talking about the parade floats.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Ever so slowly, the Conservatives are trying to turn Canada to their way of thinking. Their proper way of course. Sounds familiar. A bit too chilling.

Soon, Tomorrow Will Belong To Me.

[video=youtube;LNMVMNmrqJE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNMVMNmrqJE[/video]

 

[nfitz]

Not sure this decision is about bigotry.

Of course it's about bigotry. One can certainly not deny that these are bigots. Given the comments that surfaced within the Tory party when they fired the person who gave out the grant last year, how could this be anything but bigotry?

If we hadn't already got evidence that Stephen Harper and other Tory MPs were bigots ... and there were big cuts to funding all other the place, then perhaps one could question it. But it seems very clear to me. And I really have to wonder about the morals of those who claim that this isn't bigotry!

 

[SunriseChampion]

The deduction makes perfect sense ... think about it for a minute ... if anyone supports a leader or party they know to be bigoted, then they are a bigot. How can this not be the case? The key is the knowing - not the universality ... think about it.

You see, I didn't even have to think about it for as long as a minute to know that your deduction is ridiculous and false.

 

[nfitz]

You see, I didn't even have to think about it for as long as a minute to know that your deduction is ridiculous and false.

How can it be? If one knows that someone is a bigot, and supports them for office, how can they not be a bigot? The trick is knowing ...

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

How can it be? If one knows that someone is a bigot, and supports them for office, how can they not be a bigot? The trick is knowing ...

it's not always bigotry. sometimes it's just plain indifference. not that indifference is a redeeming factor.

 

[nfitz]

it's not always bigotry. sometimes it's just plain indifference. not that indifference is a redeeming factor.

When I'm indifferent about things, I don't tend to get up and make a lot of noise about them. The $1-million for the Charlottetown festival ... or the $300,000 for the "World Ski and Snowboard Festival" in Whistler in 2010 (uh ... wasn't there just another big 2010 ski even in Whistler") for example. Seems rather unnecessary ... but I'm not going to complain.

Sometimes it is simply bigotry and hatred.

 

[Dan416]

Pride will go on. Just another reason not to vote Conservative.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

When I'm indifferent about things, I don't tend to get up and make a lot of noise about them. The $1-million for the Charlottetown festival ... or the $300,000 for the "World Ski and Snowboard Festival" in Whistler in 2010 (uh ... wasn't there just another big 2010 ski even in Whistler") for example. Seems rather unnecessary ... but I'm not going to complain.

Sometimes it is simply bigotry and hatred.

i was talking about voters. to support a party that is engaged in bigotry, either you are a bigot, don't know about the bigotry, indifferent for whatever reasons or put up with the bigotry as part of a package because there is some other appealing quality in the party (example, putting up with bigotry because you want the tax cuts really bad).

as for the party, not exactly the crowd that would accept homosexuality as something normal.

 

[T-Bor]

It's not like the two other alternatives (leaders) are any better. The parade never historically got funding anyway, so isn't this just like going back to the way things were circa 2007?

 

[OttoSchloss]

It makes sense not to fund the Gay parade, These people will never vote or support the conservative party, So why fund them. Giving funds to groups who support the CP makes more sense.

That's not how things should work. We've gotten used to it in Canada (thanks Mr. Mulroney and subsequent Liberal govts.) but it's completely unethical. AND considering the majority of Canadians voted for a party other than the conservatives certainly not a proper use of Canadian taxpayer funds.

What they are basically doing is taking YOUR money and then holding it hostage unless they can basically extort you into voting their way in an election.

I wish Canadians would wake up one day to the realization of how undemocratic our country really is.

 

[TO City of Light]

I wish Canadians would wake up one day to the realization of how undemocratic our country really is.

If you consider that getting 38 percent of the vote and forming the government is undemocratic then you are right.

Hopefully the UK will move to preferential/proportional voting in the next few years and then Canada will be the last industrialized country to have a first past the post system. The US is a different case but it is not a Westminster system and even there winning a presidential election requires much closer to 50 percent of the vote than is required for a party to form a government in Canada.

Oh Canada!