The Canadian-American

Commentary on the state of affairs in North America by a Canadian-American.

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Location: Stafford Springs, Connecticut, United States

2006-04-27

Softwood Lumber Deal Reached

Canada's new government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has reached a new deal to resolve the softwood lumber dispute between the U. S. and Canada. While Prime Minister Harper acknowledged in the House of Commons this afternoon that the agreement does not solve all of the problems faced by Canada's forest products industry, it is a step in the right direction. I still look forward to the day when imports from Quebec to Connecticut are treated no differently than shipments from Maine. Of course, as a proud New Englander, I still trust Maine to employ fair and free market competitive techniques to stay competitive in Connecticut's markets, which will lead to better pricing for the consumer.

Recent events show how respectful dialogue and strong leadership is better than invective in addressing problems. With Conservative popularity increasing, it'll be interesting to see how this factors in politically as the new budget is presented next week. The Question Period theatrics will be entertaining as always.

2006-04-25

More Links

It seems I've been adding more links than posts recently, but it does take a while to get a relatively new blog up to snuff. Since my faith plays the central role in my life, I thought it'd be useful to provide a little information on my spiritual influences. I was baptized in the United Church of Christ, so technically I've been a mainline Protestant all of my life. Since I went to a Catholic high school, you might hear me talk about Protestant theological points using the Catholic nomenclature I learned there. We used the New American Bible throughout my required four years of religion courses, a translation I've maintained as my scriptural authority. You'll find a link to the text and daily bible readings in the Faith section of the Links sidebar. I am currently a member of Cornell's Protestant Cooperative Ministry (PCM), a mainline Protestant community supported by the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, the American Baptist Church and the United Church of Christ. Check out the site for more information and links to our supporting denominations.

Flight 93 Memorial Blocked

Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-NC) has blocked a proposal to purchase 486 ha of land in Shanksville, PA for a memorial to those killed in Flight 93 on 2001-09-11. He believes that, as the largest landowner in the country, the federal government should not purchase any additional land. Given the current management at the agencies charged with the stewardship of America's public lands, I would tend to agree with him. But I digress. The benefits of federalism with respect to the protection of our heritage is subject matter for another post.

While its full historical context is still unclear, the events of 2001-09-11 deeply affected the character of the Nation as a whole. For this reason, it is very appropriate that the federal government have some role in preserving its associated landscapes for future generations. In fact, the establishment of a September 11th National Historic Park, with additional units at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon and Boston's Logan International Airport, would be a fitting memorial to the deadliest foreign terrorist strike on U. S. soil to date. We have a national memorial for the U. S. S. Arizona, the site where the U. S. last entered hostilities after a domestic strike by the enemy. Likewise, we should establish an enduring memorial to the thousands of lives which were so senselessly taken that clear morning and, if the moniker "The Long War" proves correct, to remind us what we're fighting for.

2006-04-21

Links Sidebar Upgrade

Today's upgrade features a better organized Links section and more American content. Prime Minister Stephen Harper gets some company in Governor M. Jodi Rell (R-CT) and Congressman Rob Simmons (R-CT) in the Political Leaders section. Their Election 2006 sites are added as well. While I reserve the right to modify these endorsements, they'll probably remain through their victory parties this November. Look for additional links to traditionally conservative people and organizations in the future.

2006-04-17

Blessed Easter

He is Risen!

The Canadian-American wishes all fellow Christians a blessed Easter season.

2006-04-14

Blessed Good Friday (and Passover)

Today the world's billion-plus Christians commemorate the ultimate sacrifice paid by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ some 1 973 years ago. For those who aren't familiar with the story, today's liturgy can be found here (I'm actually a mainline Protestant, but I went to a Catholic high school and Catholicism is the Body of Christ's largest part).

It's no coincidence that Holy Week typically falls within the same general time as Passover. In anticipation of Christ's deliverance of humanity from the bondage of sin at His death and subsequent resurrection, God through Moses delivered the Israelites from second-class citizenship in Egypt. As Christians celebrate Holy Week, we should remember our entire salvation history and remember that it was our Jewish brothers and sisters' (not the least of whom was Jesus Himself) openness to God which made it all possible.

2006-04-12

Federal Accountability Act


On 2006-04-11, Canada's new government tabled the Federal Accountability Act, designed to provide the Canadian taxpayer with a more efficient and ethical government. In doing so, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is delivering on one of his five major priorities. While it should thoroughly review the proposed legislation, the Opposition would be best served by being generally supportive of the bill. Interested readers should take the time to become familiar with the Federal Accountability Act and provide feedback as necessary. More thorough analysis of the Federal Accountability Act's provisions will be provided as the debate continues during this Parliamentary session.

NOTE: Since accountability begins at home, the heading graphic has been provided courtesy of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

2006-04-06

Mont Orford Privatization

As I was watching the TVA 18 heures news feed on SCOLA last night (my Canadian TV news source deep in Yankee territory), I noticed a plan by the Quebec government to privatize about 649 ha of the Parc national du Mont-Orford. Such land would likely be used to expand the existing commercial development located within the park. Similar plans, such as those proposed for Greylock Glen in Berkshire Co., MA, have recently failed or stalled. A grassroots group, SOS Parc Orford, has formed to fight the proposal.

The issue stimulated my interest because my mum grew up about 45 km west of the park in Granby, QC and enjoyed the area during her 12 years in the Eastern Townships. No similar resource area along the A-10 corridor between Montreal, QC and Sherbrooke, QC carries equivalent protection, and it is important that the natural heritage of the region be transmitted unimpaired between this and future generations. If the private sector wishes to develop additional property to support the use of current recreational facilities (including Ski Mont Orford), I'm sure they have the wherewithal to do so without requiring park lands. This has been done rather successfully in the upper Pemigewasset Valley in New Hampshire, New England's most conservative state. As said in an earlier post, environmental protection equals long-term economic protection, both of which are good conservative values.

UPDATE: It turns out that the land involved represents just over 11% of Parc national du Mont-Orford's area, so most of the park will clearly not be privatized. However, such a deal would set an unfortunate precedent which affords a less than desirable level of protection for our critical natural heritage (remember the traditions we conservatives love to conserve?) spaces.

2006-04-05

Speech From the Throne Text

As promised, here's the link to the Speech From the Throne text. As you can see, it's efficient, focused and consistent, which had the Liberals in quite a tizzy during Question Period in Parliament this afternoon.

2006-04-04

PMO's New Online Look

It looks like the new Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is finally putting its own stamp on its official Internet presence. True to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's governing technique, this upgrade is just as much about substance as style (although the real maple leaves in the background is pretty cool). Note the link to the official site for Canada's Afghanistan mission as well as an invitation to support the Canadian Forces electronically, both signs of the new government's commitment to the Canadian Forces and their mission. Although I believe Canada's Head of State should be a Canadian citizen, Prime Minister Harper's invitation for Canadians to extend warm wishes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's on the occasion of her 80th birthday is another great touch. As long as there's a Tory living at 24 Sussex Drive, you'll be able to access the PMO's website from the Links section of my sidebar.

New Link: CanadianAlly.com

Thanks to Joel Johannesen at Proud to be Canadian for pointing out this link, which has been added to the Links section of my sidebar. Americans should check it out to see what Canada is doing to build upon what is (and I think should be) our most important bilateral relationship.

DeLay's Done and Harper's Just Getting Started

U. S. Representative Tom DeLay (R-TX) has announced his intention to resign his post and decline to run in the 2006 general election. He stated that "because [he cares] so deeply about this district and the people in it, [he refuses] to allow liberal Democrats an opportunity to steal this seat with a negative, personal campaign." It is now time for a moderate Republican (read "traditional conservative") to step up and help defend the current GOP majority in the House. Despite DeLay's record on strategic issues such as environmental (read "long-term economic") protection, he should be applauded for 21 years of service to his district.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has presided over the opening of the 39th Parliament. The Canadian-American wishes him the best of luck in implementing the major priorities outlined in his Speech from the Throne and hopes that the 40th Parliament will be controlled by a Tory majority (conditional on the wisdom of the Canadian electorate, of course). A link to the Speech from the Throne text will be posted tomorrow.

2006-04-01

Passports for Gas Station Trips?

President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Vicente Fox just wrapped up a two-day summit in Cancun, Qunitana Roo, Mexico. Among the issues discussed between President Bush and Prime Minister Harper was the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's passport or other "secure document" requirement for Canadian visitors entering the United States. This plan is still scheduled for implementation in 2007, with little hope of modification before then.

The world's most extensive bilateral trade relationship spans the 6 416 km border between Canada and the lower 48 states, as well as the 2 475 km border between Canada and Alaska. The fee for a U. S. Passport is $97, while the fee for renewing a Connecticut Driver's License (a currently acceptable form of identification at our border) is $66. Such a substantial increase in the costs required for a successful border crossing and re-entry to the U. S. could prevent many citizens from enjoying the continental mobility we should enjoy as citizens of free societies. Another absurdity of the new regulations is that residents of some towns and villages (Estcourt, ME and Campobello Is., NB, for example) on both sides of the border would need a passport to simply fill up their gas tanks. In both cases, the nearest domestic gas station is at least 50 km away and, in the case of Campobello Is., NB, includes one or more ferry trips.

The security features proposed for the new "laser visas" (fingerprints, retinal scans, etc.) should instead be incorporated into all new state, provincial and territorial driver's licenses. This would allow an efficient, single form of identification which could be more easily accessible to all citizens. In addition, the security features could make fake ID's increasingly difficult to produce, which could help in the fight against underage smoking and drinking, which all states, provinces and territories are pursuing.