Raise the Hammer

You're right - It's an 'election about nothing'

As for the arts, you are right on all points but, sadly, this will never become a wedge issue. Keep quoting crime stats, keep us scared and then promise to protect us, that's the way to win an election :) (Next step capital punishment...)

"I didn't realize we still had politicians so willing to fudge words and phrases like this in order to paint an image in the public's mind."

You've totally nailed it. This little rant was dog whistle stuff for the base. If he came right out and said "elitists" or "Hollywood North liberals", everyone would know that he was taking a page right out of the Rove/Republican playbook so he uses weasel words instead. You have to remember this is the party that consulted with Republican strategists before the last election. Seems Harper learned his lessons well.

Wow, great article! Although I'm artistically challenged in every way myself, I can still appreciate Canadian culture and undertsand the need to help presrve our cultural heritage & help our current artists flourish.
You make great points, and I sincerely hope someone uses this article as a Town Hall type question during the Debates. Stop Harper in his tracks, or have him refer to people who enjoy the Arts as 'un-ordinary'.
If there is anyone who is out of touch with Canadians, or 'ordinary folks', it's not Stephane Dion or Jack Layton or Elizabeth May... it's Stephen Harper and his group of tight-lipped, off-the-wall extremists he has labeled as candidates.

That's it, David, what you said! He's trying to play the "elitism" card, but Harper actually insulted Canadians by talking to the "ordinary working person" as if they're not sophisticated enough to enjoy or appreciate the arts. I hope it backfires on him.

Most artists are losers who can't get real jobs and need to steal money from the honest taxpayer to keep from going hungry. You want to support the arts? Do it with money out of your own pocket. Don't take money out of mine.

I'm a capitalist (small business owner), and I support funding for the arts. It's a good investment, that pays for itself in new economic activity. Tell me capitalist, do you also think parents who send there kids to public school are losers who can't pay for real schools and need to steal money from the honest taxpayer to keep from being uneducated?

I'm against government funding not because I'm against the arts, but because I'm for small government. Let me keep my money in my pocket so that I can support the arts myself. I don't need a bureaucrat to decide what kind of art has value. I'll do that myself, thank you very much.

gullchasedship, would you also be ok if the government decided that certain freeways weren't worth their moey...say, the 401 or QEW?? Would it be fine for only users of those roads to pay for them and nobody else?? Careful what you wish for.

Jason, haven't you been advocating that people who use roads should pay for them through tolls? Like the Red Hill. So people who use roads should be paying for them, but we all have to pay for artists who can't sell their work in the private marketplace. Please let us what your priorities are and how you rank them because you appear to be all over the map.

no, I haven't been advocating anything. I'm merely reminding people of how society works. Too often we get stupid comments like the one above suggesting that artists are subsidized losers. Yet, the very people making those comments enjoy things everyday in their lives that are also subsidized. I realize human nature is absolutely selfish and greedy, but you can't have it both ways - no government investment for anything other than what you want. That's not how society works.

Jason, so by your comments above can I assume that you DO NOT support tolls on the Red Hill and never have?

Considering what a High Saskatoon & Saskatchewan are on lately in T.V. & film production, I'm surprised that he would say that there.

(Actually No I'm Not Surprised! The ignorance & self-satisfied rudeness that spews for from these people on an almost daily basis should leave no ignorant comment as a surprise.)

Another thing..What kind of t.v. does Stephen Harper have? Magic Cable perhaps??

(I've never seen any 'rich galas' with 'rich gala' people on my t.v. These are private fundraisers & are not shown on t.v.)

If people want a Canadian Film & T.V. Industry in Canada, it's NOT a particularly good idea to remove or cut Arts funding from Universities, Colleges & Applied Trade Schools that will give young people the tools to work in these fields. Maybe he'd rather just import the 'refined product', just as we import our own oil & gas from U.S. refineries?

Maybe journalists should ask him what 'rich galas' he's referring to that all these 'ordinary working people' are supposedly tuning into the moment they get home. If he's going to smear Canada's hard-working artists, he should be compelled to provide examples to justify his smears.

capitalist, I've been remarkably consistent in my stance re: tolls or no tolls. I can only assume that you're asking me this question to keep from discussing the real issues at hand. Regardless, for the last time - as long as transit users pay a fare to board, drivers should pay a toll to drive. No highway tolls are fine too....as long as we axe transit fares.
I'm not sure where the money would come from for all of that (maybe the government can bail everyone out) so it would seem logical to have tolls and transit fares. Cheers.

I think 'Capitalist' is confusing 'The Arts' with visual artists.

(The term starving artist came from somewhere & not from Gov. subsidies!) Visual artists & musicains work hard & are freequently underemployed to do their craft. If we were all as pragmatic & greedy as the Harper Set, there would be no original visual art, or music coming out of Canada. What exactly has Capitalist got against Art & Music?
The Arts as Harper refers to it is film, t.v. & all the hundreds of skilled & not so skilled people that are employed in both the actual production, post production, distribution, & marketing of the production. It also refers to the writers who create the stories, or adapt them to suit the production format.
You have everyone from costume designers & seamstresses, to carpenters, joiners, scene painters, computer effects tech's, musicians, truck drivers, caterers,& many more.
Now tell me if we enclude the companies to sell the raw materials, goods & services to make t.v. or film -
How can you tell these people that they are artsy-fartsy parasites?
Every single thing that is used by Stephen Harper & Capitalist from the secong they wake up in the morning to the time they go to sleep involves at least one Artist or industrial design artist. Sheets, towels, razor, comb, clothing, shoes, socks, car, bike, & everything in their work environment.
If these people have such contempt for 'The Arts', then they should stop wearing expensive suits, designer shoes, & stop driving elegant cars. They should immediately remove all the portrature from 21 Sussex Dr., & remove 21 Sussex Dr., too cuz somebody 'Designed' it.. An Architect!