Partisan Posturing and Trickle-Down Economics

Hours before a senior Liberal (who for years has been a respected Member of Parliament) was to visit the riding, Phil McColeman sent a message to the Brantford Expositor attacking the Liberal plan to eliminate a corporate tax cut. Phil defended the Conservative plan to cut taxes for corporations while making families wait 5 years for a tax cut:

Calling the Liberal rollback a "tax hike," the statement said: "This increase will kill jobs, stall our recovery and set our families back."…

"Why does John McCallum and the Liberal Party want to kill jobs, stall our recovery and set our families back?" it says.

"Brant's economy and job creators need support, not reckless job-killing tax hikes to pay for billions of dollars in ill-considered spending."

Where to begin?

First of all, it is not a "tax increase", rather it is avoiding a Conservative corporate tax cut – a tax cut that is inherently inefficient.

Second of all, Phil seems to think that cutting taxes for corporations will somehow benefit families more than cutting taxes for families and providing social services. This is called "trickle-down economics". The theory is that if you cut taxes for the wealthiest individuals or corporations, the benefits will "trickle down" to the average Joes/Janes. It's been tried before. It doesn't work.

Third of all, it is in fact the Conservatives who have out-of-control spending. They took a budget surplus and turned it into the largest deficit in Canadian history (see also this blog post from last year). Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page has said that the deficit is "structural", which means that it'll still be there when the recession ends. The Conservatives are wasting tax dollars on e.g. $1 billion for the G20 meeting in Toronto, $10 billion for unneeded new prisons, $30 billion for stealth fighter jets (with no competition for the contract), $130 million on advertising (triple the former amount), and spending $27 million on Economic Action Plan signs.

Finally, it is simply over the top to suggest that the Hon. Mr. McCallum wants to "kill jobs" and "set our families back". Ask yourself honestly: Does any politician really want that? Does anybody really want that? Of course not. It's partisan posturing pure and simple.

Understatement Of The Year

A couple weeks ago this blog posted about Phil and land claims. Last election, Phil had said that land claims was his "number one issue". More recently, Phil was quoted as saying,

"[Land claims] has been my priority, though some may dispute that."

And the award for understatement of the year goes to… Phil McColeman! Here's at least one reason to dispute Phil's claim: As of today, his campaign website servingbrant.ca makes not one single mention of land claims.

Number one priority? More like number one failure.

Hulk Hogan Coming to Brantford

This has nothing to do with the election or Phil McColeman, but Brant News is reporting that Hulk Hogan is coming to Brantford! Can't wait!!

Phil McColeman: CBC Never Heard of Him

Phil McColeman: Making your voice heard on Parliament Hill. Although his voice has obviously not been heard by CBC National reporter Rosemary Barton. She tweeted earlier today:

[Barton later clarified the typo: she meant "Google" not "goggle"]

Interesting that one of the best political reporters in Canada has never even seen Phil McColeman in Ottawa. What has he been doing for the past 3 years?

Phil Phakes Phamily Tax Cuts

As mentioned before in this blog, Phil brags about helping Canadian families. But the Conservatives will give tax cuts to large corporations right now while waiting FIVE YEARS before giving tax cuts to hard-working families.

This is a non-partisan blog (although obviously we don't like Phil McColeman). However sometimes a politician has a quote so good that we can't not repeat it. From Michael Ignatieff:

"It's like, if you come up to a family and you say, 'I've got good news. First, I'm going to cut taxes for the biggest and most profitable corporations in the country. And then maybe in five years, if you take a ticket and you're patient and you vote for us a couple of times, come back in five years and we'll do something really great for you’"

Phil helping families? Don't buy it for a second.

Phil Finally Decides to Communicate with Constituents

Phil McColeman was elected to office in 2008 and only  three years later has decided to start a Twitter account. Most other politicians have used Twitter for ages as a quick and effective way to communicate with the public.

Phil should have started using Twitter long ago. All competent politicians did. It's only now that it's election time that Phil has decided to use this tool to communicate with Brantfordians.

"Who is this guy and why is he standing behind me?"

Image taken from Phil's website.

Phil Pretends to Care About Seniors

Phil McColeman likes to brag about helping families and specifically helping seniors.

But does he actually help seniors? While it's true that the Conservatives are increasing seniors' benefits by a small amount, and the Conservative bragging doesn't index the increases to inflation. According to one seniors' advocate,

"The announcements don't amount to a great deal. It's not nothing, but it's close to nothing."

What's worse than not caring about seniors? Pretending to care about seniors just to win a few votes.

[Phil doesn't really care about this impoverished grandparent.]

Phil Abuses His Position Once Again

Phil is notorious for abusing his position as MP. Remember the time he posed with Government of Canada cheques signed with his own name? Remember the time he put his own name on the Canadian flag?

Now the Brant Conservative website is advertising the Conservative Party by linking to Government of Canada websites! The Government of Canada is more than just Phil McColeman. It is a system of government paid for by the Canadian taxpayer. It is inappropriate for the website to use those links for self-promotion. Shame.

New Look, New Address, New MP!

We've redesigned Dump Phil – hope you like it! Our readers may have also noticed that we've moved from our old web address to <www.DumpPhil.ca>. During the election we'll be updating the blog very frequently, so stop by often.

During the election please forward this blog to your friends and family. As this blog has documented, Phil has been an awful MP. He's probably a nice guy but he's no good at politics. It's time for him to go. Brant can do better.

Nonsense Non-sequitur

Once again Phil has embarrassed his constituents. In Parliament, he started asking a question about the economy (substantive policy!) and wound up asking a question about an NDP-Liberal-Bloc coalition (partisan idiocy…). Here's his full quote:

"Mr. Speaker, these are the items the NDP has been asking for over the course of budget consultations: enhance the GIS for low-income seniors; employment insurance… We have delivered on all of these.

There has been much talk about the coalition. Will the leader of the fourth party be forming a coalition should the result of an election be a minority government?"

If there is an election, let's not waste this opportunity to dump Phil.

Poll: Phil's Priorities

What should Phil's #1 priority be?

Don't Trust Phil's Claims on Land Claims

During the last election campaign, Phil promised to get something done about land claims. “Land claims are my number one issue”, he said. More recently Phil promised,

“We are shortly going to be sitting back down with our partners to work out that strategy,” he said. “A brand new negotiating strategy that will bring results.” 

What are those results? "Canada appears to be playing a cat and mouse waiting game with Six Nations land rights that could end up seeing more protests launched say people close to the stalled talks."

Obviously Phil is not living on this planet. He'll say anything to get votes, whether it's true or not!

Do Phil McColeman and his staff know how the Google machine works?

A basic Google search would have saved Phil the following embarassment...



Please send Google search tips to:
McColeman.P@parl.gc.ca

Who would make a better Conservative MP: Phil or the fire hydrant outside his office?

After reading frequent letters to the editor by Mr. Ben Ayles, one would think that anyone, including the yellow fire hydrant outside his Park Road North office, would make a better Member of Parliament than Phil McColeman.




McColeman in the Dark?
Brantford Expositor
Letter to the Editor by Benjamin Ayles
Posted 13 hours ago

Now Phil McColeman may be in the dark in Ottawa but what can you expect from a guy who once made his living pouring concrete. That's what we need in Ottawa, more plain talk and less thought, that will do just fine. Brant doesn't need St. Amand's smooth ways and fine talk, we need rough hands and someone who will let Mr. Harper make the decisions. So Mr. McColeman may be in the dark but Harper is bright enough for both of them.

Here are some other gems:

Defending Phil McColeman
Brantford Expositor
Letters to the Editor

In response to the letters sent responding to my earlier letter, "McColeman Not So Bad," I just have to say not to worry about Phil coming in a little under the mark MP wise because he has a leader who can answer questions for him.

Does anyone think Ignatieff would do that for Lloyd St. Amand? And of course I realize that we are Canadian, not American, but I'm with the Harperites who declare that unfettered capitalism combined with a Republican laissez-faire attitude is the right way to deal with Canada's economy. America has obeyed that most of the time and look at what a great country it is.

I support Harper's mirroring of ex-president Bush's policy, and I'm pleased Phil does, too.

Ben Ayles Oakland


And...

MP Phil McColeman is not so bad
The Paris Star

To the Editor:

I've been hearing a lot of complaining about MP Phil McColeman's inability to think and speak freely about local Brant issues, but I don't see that as a problem, really.

It doesn't take a whole lot to be a MP these days with all the technology we got, and with a leader like we have in Ottawa we're better off leaving decisions to the Prime Minister's office.

I like the direction Canada's going in, selling off Federal assets and corporations is the right thing to do, limiting access to abortions in the third world countries I also agree with, even the end of the long form census.

We should be modifying government by increasing its military and security presence, this is the strength of America, and I am pleased that our MP so wholeheartedly supports this direction as well. I don't mind that Harper speaks for McColeman since it is Harper that has come up with Conservative policy, not the MP's.

Thanks for knowing your limits Phil.


Ben Ayles,

Brantford, Ont.

Phil McColeman: Cheapshot Artist

BREAKING NEWS: Phil abuses his position on the Public Safety Committee to take a cheap shot at a committee member who is not there...



He is then forced to apologize.

Typical Phil.

Phil even sucks at taking cheap shots.

Why did Phil choose guns over our local baseball team?

With the new baseball season coming up, Phil should consider supporting the local baseball team...