Saturday, March 20, 2010

The Columns



On a day of little news that grabs me, I find solace in two consistently good Globe & Mail writers.

1. Christie Blatchford finds her neighbours busy renovating. Unfortunately so does the City of Toronto and so do all the pesky other neighbours.

In this modern urban tale, we get a taste of how the social compact has become the Home of the Busy Bodies.

Add a sundeck to your house? Raise the roof?

Just who the hell do you think you are, Buster?

Blatchford invokes the ghost of Jane Jacobs and wonders how will all find peace in our own back yards.

2. Konrad Yakabuski charts the final push for Obama's health care reforms. Yakabuski spells out the grave stakes with all the numbers and all the melodrama that is at hand.

I hope the President gets the votes he needs and passes this bill. As short and compromised as this legislation may be, it is something and it is necessary and it is way past due.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good article on Obama's proposed Health Care Bill. I too hope it passes. It has been something to observe the antics of some of those who seem to be fanatical in their words/actions concerning any change in the system in the USA - The Tea partyers, false information bandied about concrning our system here in Canada (we wait in long lineups to see our family Docs) - Dreadful Socialist system; we flock to the US to get good care, etc.) and the "I'm OK Jack,I work and pay for my health care (Do they ever!) so you go to work and pay for yours because I sure as hell don't want to". So much anger and I believe a great deal of it is actually a lot more to do with their new President than with health care per se.

June

Dave C. said...

David,

The health care debate in the USA exposes the underlying nastiness of the "free enterprise" system that their country champions. Their two-party system reflects their "winners and losers" mentality. There is very little room for compromise or compassion. It would be sad if it wasn't so scary. I am really worried about Obama's safety in such a vitriolic environment.

Dave C.