Apparently I am "fat" that needs to be trimmed

I've lost nine pounds. I consider this an achievement. However now my identity itself is considered fat, if you believe Stephen Harper's recent defense of his budget cuts which have been targeted towards women, minorities, poor/working class people, the arts, the environment, health care, and education, among many other things I am still researching. We have a 13.2 billion dollar surplus, yet Harper's alliances to the so called middle class, big business, and oil and gas companies have been given top priority.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are some of the programs which have been cut (either partially or entirely):
Adult literacy programs.
Child care and development.
Arts and museum funding.
First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Strategy (non aboriginal stop smoking programs have not been affected).
The Status of Women.
Pine Beetle Management (Pine beetles are threatening to destroy most of the forests in British Columbia's interior).
Medical Marijuana research.
Youth International Internship Program.
The Court Challenges Program (an organization which advances federal court cases relating to language and equality rights)
Employment Initiatives.
Technology partnerships Canada (which funds high tech research and development)
15 Kyoto related programs
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Funding for softwood-lumber trade litigation
Elimination of National Defence High-Frequency Surface Wave Radar Project
Elimination of Centre for Research and Information on Canada
Canada Firearms Centre
Museum assistance
Elimination of the RCMP drug-impaired-driving program's training budget
Law Commission of Canada

Not only that, but only Canada and Russian OUT OF THE ENTIRE WORLD declined to sign/participate in the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Now, I know people bitch about taxes, people ALWAYS bitch about taxes. But to be perfectly honest, I get creeped out when someone swoops into office promising to cut taxes because A) Tax cuts are aimed at the wealthy; and B) Tax cuts are subsidized by the poor. And this is a clear example.

Technically we could have this racist/sexist/ignorant/redneck asshole in office until 2011. I don't want to wait that long, dammit. Only 36% of us were stupid enough to vote for him, and hopefully he'll lose a vote of confidence and all our MP's can paddle his ass on the way out, which means an election would happen in 2007 or 2008. I'm not confident in him, that's for sure. He's shown where his priorities lie, as if we didn't know before. I mean, my god, even Joe Clark doesn't like this new Conservative party (which is really the Reform party with a new name). HOWEVER the Conservatives are trying to amend the election act to make elections fixed, which means we couldn't boot him out until 2009 at the earliest. How much more damage can they wreak on Canada in three more years?



Oh you don't even want to know.

So, if you're a concerned Canadian, let him know. Emails are good but tactically phone calls are more effective. If you're not Canadian, write anyway, hell, let him know he's making Canada look bad in the global sphere.

Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, K1A 0A2
Phone: (613) 992-4211
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

PostScript:
Since we don't have quit smoking programs anymore, Natives will still be buying smokes. HOWEVER the Imperial tobacco company has decided to discriminate against First Nations stores carrying tobacco and thusly we will be paying more for our smokes from them. The brands involved are Players, Du maurier, Cameo, Avanti, and Peter Jackson. Already I've noticed Aboriginal stores running out of these brands due to a lack of effective distribution. I encourage all Aboriginal people and our allies who are still unable to quit smoking to switch brands. I've given up Du Maurier for Export A, which I actually like better.