FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Sep 13

One Cannot Deny Anyone’s Right to Die Because of COVID

by bcurry

A group calling itself by the misleading name ‘Canadian Frontline Nurses’ is planning cross-country protests in Canada rejecting vaccine passports and COVID-19 public health measures.  Among them are anti-vaxxers.  Interestingly, two of the group’s primary leaders travelled to Washington last January for a rally organized by ‘Global Frontline Nurses’, an organization that claims there is no evidence that social distancing is helpful in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and that “lockdowns do not work,” both positions widely disputed by public-health experts.  Unfortunately, the planned protests are expected to occur in the vicinity of hospitals where the real frontline medical staff is having to cope with increasing COVID-19 cases, particularly involving unvaccinated patients who make up the majority of such cases.

In light of the current fourth wave created by the Delta variant, the best way to prevent more COVID-related hospitalizations and potential deaths is through having more people vaccinated.  The cold hard statistical facts are that unvaccinated individuals are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized and 9 times more likely to die.

Now that we are hearing more about vaccine mandating and vaccine passports to enter non-essential venues, those that didn’t support public health restrictions such as lockdowns, masking and social distancing have resurfaced under new slogans.  “I’m not anti-anything. I’m pro-choice and pro-freedom.”  Reminds one of: “Give me liberty or give me death”.

Think about it.  Most American states and Canadian provinces already strictly mandate vaccines, which have not drawn opposition from most elected officials.  For example, they require children to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and other diseases to attend school. Even states like Mississippi and Alabama, which reacted angrily to the coronavirus vaccine mandates President Biden recently imposed on private businesses, go a step further than most states by barring parents from claiming “religious, philosophical or conscientious” exemptions for mandated child vaccinations.  In the past, even the U.S. Supreme Court has twice upheld vaccine mandates, reasoning that a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.

Let’s face it.  I would hope that conservatives and so-called libertarians care about getting beyond this pandemic every bit as much as most of us do.  Unfortunately, there are politicians and groups who are more than happy to exploit this issue for political or ideological gain.  The anti-vaxxers, including some of those among the wellness influencers, have jumped on the libertarian bandwagon.  They continue to spread misinformation about the vaccines.  Sprinkled throughout social media, there are posts to their followers that continue to question the safety of the vaccines.  For example, one study found a large cluster of Facebook groups that focused on posting and spreading COVID-19 misinformation, including anti-vaccine messages.  This is despite the fact that Facebook enacted stricter rules against coronavirus misinformation over the course of the pandemic.

Vaccine mandates are not new, nor is resistance to vaccination.  Moreover, there is a clear and established principle behind mandated vaccinations.  It is that the safety of the community supersedes personal liberty when everyone is at risk from a communicable disease.  In our struggle to contain COVID-19, these remarkable vaccines are a critical tool that community members can employ along with other preventive measures.  Each one of us has a choice, especially those of us who are parents.  To put it bluntly, no one can deny you the right to choose how you die.  What’s crucial is whether your choices could lead to the death of someone in your family or in your community?

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Sep 10

U.S. President Finally Getting More Serious About Combating COVID-19

by bcurry

Let’s set the stage.  So far, the COVID pandemic has claimed more than 650,000 lives in the U.S.  The U.S. recorded 176,000 new cases on September 8, far above the roughly 10,000 a day seen in June when the pandemic was at its ebb.  A quarter of eligible Americans — some 80 million people — have so far not been vaccinated for the coronavirus.  Just as millions of American families navigate sending their children back to school, the number of children admitted to hospital with Covid-19 has risen to the highest levels reported to date.  States with the lowest vaccine coverage have child hospital admissions that are around four times higher than states with the highest vaccination rates.  According to the American Academy of Paediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, nearly 252,000 American children tested positive for COVID-19 last week, marking the single highest week on record for paediatric infections.  Nearly 30,000 of them entered hospitals in August alone.  Hospital resources and their staffs in several states are being strained under rising hospital admissions due to COVID.

Now, President Biden has declared that he will order all executive branch employees, federal contractors and millions of health-care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, and that his administration would issue rules requiring large private employers to mandate shots or testing.  New federal safety regulations that call for businesses with more than 100 workers to require vaccinations against the coronavirus will affirm mandates already in place at many companies.  The requirements will be imposed by the Department of Labor and its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is drafting an emergency temporary standard to carry out the mandate.  Some 80 million American workers will be affected.  President Biden will also require vaccinations for more than 17 million health-care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals and in other health-care settings, a significant expansion of an existing requirement aimed at nursing homes.

There is little doubt that the President’s order will face political pushback, particularly from some Republican state governors and legislatures, and will result in some litigation.  However, some of the largest employer organizations, such as the Business Roundtable, and largest unions, such as the Teamsters, the AFL-CIO, and the United Food and Commercial Workers, have endorsed the President’s move as the only possible way to achieve a full recovery.  They especially agree with the proposed requirement that companies offer paid time off for workers to get vaccinated.  However, concerns have been expressed over how to deal with unvaccinated workers, particularly those who are vaccine hesitant.  Of course, under the OSHA requirements, accommodation will also have to be made for those employees who can’t be vaccinated due to medical reasons.  Unions want to ensure that workplace COVID-19 health and safety plans include mitigation measures like ventilation, removing infected individuals, masking and training workers.

The U.S. cannot continue to take the fourth COVID wave involving the Delta variant lightly!  It is now affecting more children, particularly those under twelve who can’t get vaccinated at this time.  Unlike in some states, Canadian schools are requiring pre-screening protocols, rapid COVID testing, masking and other precautionary measures to minimize the impact of the variant on children.  As of the end of August, Canada reached a milestone with over 83.5 percent of the eligible population (12 yrs and up) receiving at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.  There is a fairly clear recognition that the more adults and parents who are vaccinated, the less likely children will become infected.  Many Canadian employers, notably in the health care and education sectors, have now mandated full vaccination of their employees, again as a health and safety measure.  In several provinces, vaccine passports are being introduced as proof of full vaccination in order to access non-essential establishments (restaurants, bars, sporting events, etc.).  Like the U.S., Canada has entered a fourth wave and the federal and provincial governments are doing everything in their power to limit its impact, both human and economic.  There is little doubt that President Biden is moving in the right direction given the nature of the COVID crisis.

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Sep 8

Continuing Issue of Substance Abuse and Overdoses in the Workplace

by bcurry

On August 31, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the U.S. joined workplaces, families, and communities impacted by drug overdose to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day.  The majority (over 70%) of drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2019 involved an opioid.  Interestingly, the issue of substance abuse in the workplace has been around for some time.  In December 2008, I actually posted a newsletter on my Web site at that time [Microsoft Word – Substance Abuse in the Workplace – Issue 1- 12 08 (healthyorganizations.yolasite.com)] concerning the impact of substance abuse in Canadian workplaces and the need for organizations to develop policies and programs to deal with this issue.  Sadly, as noted by NIOSH, overdose deaths American workplaces from the non-medical use of drugs or alcohol increased for the seventh year in a row in 2019.  In Canada, it has been estimated that anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of workers have experienced a period of substance abuse, with resulting overdoses a growing concern.

Since the early 2000s, governments and businesses have been increasingly recognizing the dire consequences of substance abuse on our health care systems and in our workplaces.  Substance abuse can include alcohol, prescription medication, controlled substances and illegal drugs.  However, unlike in the U.S., Canadian courts have ruled against arbitrary or random drug testing, particularly as part of pre-employment screening.  Moreover, the problem with drug testing alone is that it doesn’t measure impairment, and it doesn’t resolve the problem.  In order to promote a safe workplace, most employers tend to be generally concerned about impairment and whether or not somebody can perform on the job.  NIOSH stresses that employers can work to prevent occupational factors, like work-related motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and job stress, that can increase the chances a worker is prescribed medication.

We are hopefully in a better position today to deal with the opioid crisis in particular, recognizing the addictive dangers of using these pain medications.  International Overdose Awareness Day (https://www.overdoseday.com/) is one symbolic way in which to better inform the public of the fact that, while overdoses are preventable, they are becoming increasingly common in the workplace.  Anyone at a workplace is at risk of overdose if they use opioids.  Importantly, organizations such as NIOSH are providing more information on this topic (Opioids in the Workplace | NIOSH | CDC). 

If anything, the current COVID pandemic and its impact on workplaces, including several lockdowns in certain sectors over the past year and a half, has increased the use of substances, legal and illicit.  Most substance abuse today is perceived by society as a disability issue, similar to that occurring for any other disease, hopefully lessening the stigma.  Also, substance abuse is often associated with mental health issues, many of which have frequently surfaced as a consequence of the pandemic and its impact on people’s employment and families.  People need help more than ever, and not condemnation and societal censorship.

Other recommended Web sites on this subject are:

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Sep 6

Labour Day Means Different Things to the Employed and the Unemployed This Year

by bcurry

For many employed workers working from home, the expected return to the workplace has once again been delayed due to the current fourth wave of the pandemic thanks to the Delta variant of COVID-19.  For some working in workplaces, health and safety restrictions have been re-introduced to prevent outbreaks, including masking and physical distancing.  In addition, more and more businesses are requiring their employees to be vaccinated in order to enter workplaces.  In a recent Willis Towers Watson survey of nearly 1,000 American companies, which together employ almost 10 million people, 52 percent of respondents said they planned to have vaccine mandates by the end of the year, compared with 21 percent that said they already had vaccine requirements.  For those companies in which the employees have no union, the workers may not have any choice but to be vaccinated or loose their jobs.

For the unemployed, the end of government aid has arrived, especially in the U.S.  It is estimated that more than 7 million out-of-work people across the U.S. are set to lose all of their jobless benefits this week as three federal programs expire.  For Canadians, COVID-related unemployment benefits have been extended for now to November and special wage supports to October 2021.  With a current unemployment rate of nearly 8 percent, one has to ask what will happen to the thousands of unemployed Canadians in the near future?  Will current government financial aid programs continue to exist next year?

For those working on the front lines, including first responders and health care workers, the rise in COVID cases and increased hospitalization rates is again producing mental and physical strains on the workforce.  Many are experiencing varying degrees of burn-out and mental health issues, potentially leaving many to simply withdraw their services.  With the re-opening of their businesses, among the reasons that employers are currently having difficulties in finding workers is the fear of returning to the workplace because of the highly contagious Delta variant and lack of adequate health and safety measures.  In addition, many low-income parents are facing a lack of affordable, quality child care and inexpensive housing.  Some immunocompromised individuals are further worried about COVID exposure in workplaces with unvaccinated employees or clients, especially where masking is not mandated.  Furthermore, many employers do not provide health benefits, leaving employees to bear the costs associated with COVID-related hospitalization and medical treatment.

As for gig workers in the U.S., such as Uber and Lyft drivers, when the federal benefits expire, they most likely will be ineligible for state aid because gig workers do not traditionally qualify.  This situation applies to any individuals who are considered to be “independent contractors” in their respective jurisdictions.  This leaves them in a very precarious financial situation should they become ill and unable to work.

For many workers who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons and where the employer cannot accommodate them in terms of their usual work, the employment situation is precarious to say the least this Labour Day.  One has to feel a great deal of concern for both those employed and unemployed given the pandemic’s fourth wave.  Unfortunately, both lawmakers and employers assumed the pandemic wouldn’t last as long as it has.  Millions of workers have been caught in the obvious dilemma of having to put food on the table or having to ensure their occupational health and safety.  It appears that some businesses and governments have recognized this reality, while others appear to living on another planet.  In order for all of us to survive this pandemic and cope with its on-going consequences, it’s essential that we reflect on these critical issues today and after Labour Day.

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Sep 4

Removal by Canada of Former Afghan Interpreters Was Not an Easy Matter

by bcurry

Canada concluded combat operations in 2011 and left Afghanistan in 2014.  However, many Canadians believe that the Canadian government should help those Afghans who served with Canadian troops and officials, often as interpreters, during that period.  Even in the first years of Canada’s 2006-2011 combat mission in Kandahar province, there were numerous reports of the Taliban murdering interpreters.  For this reason, the Canadian government launched a program in 2009 to bring interpreters and their families to Canada.  About 800 interpreters immigrated here, but the program was often criticized for being too restrictive.  At that time, these Afghans and their families would have not been declared as “refugees”, but would have been brought into Canada under the Afghan special-immigration measure. 

Not applying refugee status at that time was for a number of reasons.  First, the Afghan government did not threaten them or persecute them.  The primary danger was from the Taliban insurgents, from whom the Afghan administration and security force were to provide security as the legitimate governing body.  Secondly, these Afghans would not have been recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees under the Refugee Convention.  Thirdly, refugees must be outside of their home countries, that is, they must enter another country before they can claim to be refugees.  Fourthly, to be classified as a refugee, a person must be persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion and membership in a particular social group as per the above convention.  War, violence and poverty are not enough to qualify for refugee status.  Thus, it was not until the Taliban had overthrown the previous Afghan government that one could even contemplate giving any Afghans such a status.  As Afghanistan teetered on the brink of collapse, Canada took almost two months for the new special immigration measure to be announced in late July.

However, no one, including the Americans, believed a few months and even weeks ago, that the Afghan security forces would have failed so quickly to repel the Taliban assault.  Once this became clear, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officials moved quickly to attempt to assist Canadian citizens and former Afghan interpreters and their families to fly out of Kabul.  Regrettably, we all saw the unbelievable chaos that ensued once the Taliban had taken possession of Kabul.  In the end, some estimate that only 18 percent of the 2,000 ex-employees and family members managed to get onto flights to Canada.  Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of similar Afghans wanting to flee to Canada who are currently stuck in the country and remain in danger.  Needless-to-say, Canadian vets of Afghanistan are not happy with the delays and the results.  One cannot really blame them, except to repeat that these former Afghan allies and friends could not have been processed any faster under the difficult circumstances existing in Taliban-controlled Kabul.

Some observers have argued that, instead of funnelling everyone to Kabul, IRCC officials should have encouraged them to head immediately to safety in neighbouring countries.  Of course, there are risks with doing so! They then would have to be declared convention refugees by the United Nations or other governments.  As refugees, these Afghans could then apply to come to Canada.  However, under the UN’s process, this would normally take years.  Can Canada speed up the process?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.  The fact is that, like the U.S. and other allies, the ability for Canada to accommodate the immigration of Afghan interpreters and their families was limited by the former Afghan government and the unusual difficulties in declaring them to be recognized as refugees under the existing international convention.  In order for Canada to live up to its humanitarian responsibilities, one can only hope that these Afghans can be helped in a timely way so as to eventually live in a country wishing to demonstrate its gratitude for their sacrifices.

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Sep 1

Failure of Colleges to Require Full COVID Vaccination Opens Up Door to Litigation

by bcurry

Four female soccer players at Western Michigan University are testing the bounds of religious freedom. They’re arguing that their school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for student-athletes violates their Christian beliefs.  The problem is that, whereas Western Michigan requires athletes to be vaccinated, its campus-wide policy is not as strict.  The university strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty and staff and requires those who aren’t vaccinated to be tested regularly.  Today in both the U.S. and Canada, hundreds of universities and colleges are requiring that all students attending classes, living in residences and participating in campus activities must be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a medical exemption.  In a few cases, the unvaccinated may be required undergo regular COVID testing.  Given growing concerns about the higher infection rates with the Delta variant, school administrations are acting on the side of precaution in order to prevent or limit the foreseeable COVID outbreaks in their communities.  In addition, there may be accommodation opportunities for the unvaccinated to proceed with on-line learning options in some instances.

Suggesting that students should be exempted from vaccination policies due to religious beliefs really doesn’t pass the smell test.  An attorney for the above four soccer players actually cited a passage of the bible that states that human bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit”.  He further went on to claim that to allow the government to inject something into your body that you don’t necessarily agree with is the antithesis of that belief.  Sorry, but this doesn’t hold water.  Let’s face it, young Americans and Canadians are required to get vaccinated to protect them from a number of diseases, everything from polio to the measles.  In many cases, they cannot attend schools in their districts without proof of such vaccinations.  Furthermore, it is very likely that athletes at some time will have to take pain medication because of sports injuries, and in some cases even steroids to enhance performances — legal or otherwise. 

Where the above lawsuit may have some validity is in the fact that Western Michigan’s vaccine mandate only applies to student-athletes and not to the whole campus.  One could possibly argue that this represents a form of ‘discrimination”.  Their argument appears to question why there is a difference between those participating in a sport and those in a choir or labs or classes or dorms and on and on?  On the other hand, earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court in a precedent-setting case rejected a challenge to Indiana University’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate which covered all employees and students.  Failure to implement a consistent and clear vaccination policy across the board will most likely result in other litigation by anti-vaxxers.  It would appear to be in the best interests of universities and colleges to clearly do so, thereby removing any doubts and confusion about their policies. 

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Aug 28

Issue of Use of Vaccine Passports Within Provinces and States

by bcurry

As of late, everyone has turned from the evident use of vaccine passports for Canadians and Americans who travel out of country to their use internally.  Due to the requirements in many countries with respect to COVID vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, it is readily accepted that some form of vaccine passport is required to permit people to skip measures such as quarantine requirements if they are fully vaccinated.  For this reason, some form of proof of vaccination is needed.  Almost all countries have accepted this approach when dealing with travel into and out of their jurisdictions.

However, when it comes to the use of vaccine passports within Canadian provinces and U.S. states, this is a whole different and more controversial matter.  In general, their use is seen as a means to encouraging more people to become fully inoculated against COVID-19 in order to engage in certain larger public activities, sports events, enterprises such as restaurants and bars, and even some workplaces.  In Canada, British Columbia and Quebec have recently implemented the use of vaccine passports, and Ontario is now apparently planning to implement one.  Both provinces indicate that they are seeing a surge in vaccination appointments after announcing residents will have to show proof of being fully vaccinated to enter certain non-essential establishments.  Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Manitoba were the first Canadian provinces to implement a provincial passport.  Manitoba’s immunization card also allows holders to visit long-term care facilities and sit with members of different households in restaurants.  The PEI pass allows travellers from out of province to skip the area’s mandatory quarantine.  However, none of those provinces require the passport for access to essential services such as education or health care.  However, this could change in the near future.

In the U.S., the debate among states is a lot more heated.  As of this month, only New York state and Hawaii have implemented some form of vaccine passport.  Among the other states, 15 states have banned vaccine passports and 33 states have no current requirement for vaccine passports.  Most states with a ban are governed by Republican administrations.  What is most interesting, those states such as Florida, Texas and Georgia, are among those with the lowest vaccination rates and the highest counts of new cases of COVID-19.  The reasons given for banning or not requiring vaccine passports vary from state to state, but tend to correspond to each state’s position on masking in public places and other health restrictions.

In Canada, recent surveying has indicated that almost 80 percent of Canadians would support a vaccine passport within their province.  This is not the case in the U.S. where there appears to be an even split between those in favour of and those opposed to vaccine passports within their respective states.  Much of the issue in the U.S. has to do with a continuing high degree of vaccine hesitancy, especially among younger Americans, and a concern over whether this will lead to some form of discrimination between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.  However, from a public health aspect, anything that can be done to encourage more people to get vaccinated is considered a good and positive move from a community point of view. 

Meanwhile, in both countries the battle to deal with the fourth COVID wave rages on, especially since the more contagious Delta variant represents the majority of our cases.  Perhaps, the use of vaccine passports for admittance to non-essential activities is not such a bad idea under the circumstances?  Otherwise, governments may be heading to the imposition of more economic lockdowns and further restrictions.

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Aug 26

The Issue of the Right to Choose vs. the Ability to Choose

by bcurry

I recently read an interesting editorial in a Canadian media outlet that addressed some of the issues facing Canadians and Canadian political parties in the current federal election.  All the main parties have attempted to address such issues as child care, affordable housing, health care, long-term care, employment opportunities, and economic assistance to the middle class and working poor.  In this particular article, the writer wondered whatever happened to people’s right to choose what’s best for themselves and their families?  What the proposition fails to address is the fundamental issue that not everyone in our society has a choice when it comes to their livelihood and daily lifestyles.  The right to choose would be great if we had an egalitarian society where people had the means to choose the alternatives available for many necessities.

Let’s start with how one educates one’s children.  Education is supposed to be the foundation for allowing people to reach their full potential in society, and notably to escape from the cycle of poverty that exists in many circumstances.  However, when it comes to public education which the majority of Canadians rely on, there is not always the same quality of primary and secondary public sources depending on where a family lives.  Sure, one can choose to send their children to private schools, but how many of us can afford to do so? 

Then, there is the question of affordable housing which everyone agrees is increasingly disappearing in most major urban communities.  If one cannot afford to expend 60 or 70 percent of their monthly income on rental housing, the options are clearly limited.  One ends up having to take whatever is available, and that’s not much.  Just look at the waiting lists for subsidized housing in most communities.

Next, we have the question concerning our current system of universal health care.  Fortunately, unlike in the U.S., Canada supports a basic health care insurance system which covers every Canadian.  However, even then, we have inequalities because of the need to have private health insurance to cover such things as certain prescription drugs, dental care and physiotherapy.  There are those who have to forgo certain treatments or medication in order to put food on the table and pay the rent.  Is this what one implies by referring to choice?

Then there is the question of one’s employment and supplementary needs.  For many single parent families or working couples, there is little choice but to work.  With a requirement for affordable child care during early childhood, they need to find affordable means to ensure that their kids are adequately cared for while they are at work.  Given the evident lack of affordable child care across Canada, the means to providing for care is not always a matter of parental choice.  You may be required to work more than one job, often at minimum wages, and the needed hours most likely will vary depending on where one works.  In addition, you most likely will take public transit to and from work because it’s the cheapest means to commute, especially given the high costs of vehicle insurance.

This brings us to the ultimate question.  Do we have a real right to choose or is this a privilege depending on one’s status in an inequitable society?  What many need are affordable and quality options, whether it is for child care, housing, transportation or health care.  Without greater availability to affordable and quality options, simple measures through income-based tax credits for Canadians does nothing to resolve the existing inequalities.  Hopefully, there are signs that some political parties have recognized the need for proactive policies and expenditures to tackle such inequalities.  After all, we are talking about the basic necessities of everyday living for many Canadians who are not among the privileged few.  Unfortunately, as it now stands, many are not in a position of choice.

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Aug 22

How the Delta Variant has become the Biggest Concern of the Biden Administration

by bcurry

Back in June 2020 when over half of U.S. states reported record-breaking breakouts of coronavirus cases during the ‘first wave’ of COVID-19, I created the blog Could COVID-19 be the Harbinger to the Decline of the American Empire | FROLITICKS (wordpress.com) in jest to make a point about President Trump’s irrational handling of the pandemic at the time.  Now, the arrival of the Delta variant and American reactions to it represents probably the most immediate political test for the Biden administration.  Despite the President’s efforts and his administration’s praiseworthy commitment to vaccinate the vast majority of Americans, there continues to be around an estimated 100 million people who have yet to receive a single dose.  Meanwhile, there has to date been a total of over 625,000 COVID-related deaths and over 150,000 new daily cases as of August 18, 2021 in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The U.S. daily COVID cases are now reaching rates seen last in November 2020.

Among the problems is the fact that certain Republican governors and legislatures are refusing to re-introduce some of the prevention measures taken during the first waves, including mandating masking, physical distancing and restrictions on certain activities involving potential crowds and non-essential activities.  One of those is Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has resisted mandatory mask mandates (including in schools) and vaccine requirements.  Along with the state legislature, Florida has limited local officials’ ability to impose restrictions meant to stop the spread of COVID-19.   At the end of July, Florida reported over 17,000 new daily cases.  The previous peak in Florida had been 19,334 cases reported on January 7, 2021, before the availability of vaccinations became widespread.  The case counts along with the death rates continue to climb.  In Kentucky, the governor’s efforts to aggressively combat COVID-19 suffered a recent legal defeat as the state’s high court cleared the way for new laws to rein in his emergency powers.  One of the contested laws passed by the Kentucky legislature limits the governor’s executive orders in times of emergency to 30 days unless extended by lawmakers.

Republican lawmakers across more than a dozen states, including Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Kansas and of course Florida, are working to limit the powers of local health departments in ways experts say is likely to lead to “preventable tragedies” during disease outbreaks, including the Covid-19 pandemic.  There is nothing that President Biden can do about what is going on in these states.  These states are now experiencing the most significant outbreak of Covid-19 since spring 2021, when a fast-moving vaccination campaign and social distancing led to the lowest rates of new infections since the pandemic began.  They are also among the least vaccinated states in the nation.

One of the ironies is that former president, Donald Trump, is now recommending that his supporters get the vaccine.  However, at a recent “Save America” rally in Alabama, Trump was severely booed after encouraging his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19.  Oh the irony!  Remember that the former president and his wife privately got vaccinated at the White House in January 2021, although the American public didn’t learn about it until the following March according to the New York Times.  As president, Trump frequently dismissed following public health guidelines during the pandemic and mocked mask-wearing on several occasions.  You may recall that the former president contracted the coronavirus in October 2020 and was hospitalized for three nights at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  Needless-to-say, he received medical treatment at the time that most Americans would never see in a lifetime.

In the current situation, there will be a lot of questions about the American handling of the highly-contagious Delta variant, and whether the lessening of previous restrictions came too soon and too quickly.  It’s fine to say that we have to come to live with COVID-19 like we do with colds and seasonal influenza, but at what cost in the short-term.  It may take years to determine whether the actions taken by governments were effective in dealing with this global pandemic.  Right now, I have more immediate serious concerns about what is happening south of our border.

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Aug 21

Canadian Federal Election is Here, But What About the Issue of Fairness in Taxation?

by bcurry

A recent release of secret files of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed that some of the wealthiest billionaires in the world — including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Michael Bloomberg and George Soros — hadn’t paid a cent in income tax in some years, and paid very low rates of tax in general.  The files indicated that the wealthiest 25 American billionaires paid an average income tax rate that worked out to just 3.4% of their increase in wealth in the five years from 2014 to 2018.  That’s far less than the average American or Canadian paid in income tax as a share of their income or their increase in wealth.  The tax system in both countries is obviously broken, and it could never really pretend to be progressive in its current form.

According to most tax experts, there’s little doubt that Canada’s ultra-wealthy and billionaires also pay very low rates of tax on their income and wealth.  Our tax system has many similarities with the U.S., similar ways to dodge taxes, and Canada is the only major country without some form of wealth tax.  And we’re talking big bucks!  As the non-profit Canadians for Tax Fairness (C4TF) notes: “Canada’s 1% now control over a quarter of the country’s wealth — over C$3 trillion.”  The existing massive inequality in wealth grew even bigger during the pandemic, as corporations and wealthy individuals prospered while many Canadians struggled to simply maintain their standard of living.  Canadian corporations received taxpayer-funded government subsidies while paying out billions to their shareholders.

A recent book by Jonathan Gauvin and Angella MacEwen, entitled “Share the Wealth”, highlights the injustices found in the current tax system.  The book is highly recommended.  It  points out that more and more countries are applying new successful taxes on the uber-rich.  Even the Biden administration is promoting higher corporate taxes.  The concept of a wealth tax on the richest of the rich is increasingly becoming accepted by Americans and Canadians.  In addition, most of us would like to see the current tax loopholes for individuals and corporations closed.  This alone would bring in billions dollars into the federal treasury, and could be used to help fund such things as much needed infrastructure improvements, national child care initiatives and pharmacare programs. 

All three major federal parties have expressed their willingness to introduce tax fairness measures if elected.  Since its establishment in 2011, the C4TF has brought forward issues like taxing the wealthiest 1%, closing tax loopholes, tackling tax havens, having corporations pay their fair share, and taxing digital giants in Canada.  All the necessary rationale for change exists.  Isn’t it about time that whichever party forms the next government, it will put the issue of tax fairness front and centre in parliament.  Let’s hopefully see the next government ‘walk the talk’ in support of the needed changes when it comes to this important issue!

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