Hi I'm Mark Kelly and here's what I want to Connect:

WHYYYYYYY MEEEEEEEE???????

To tell you the truth, I often enjoy watching Connect with Mark Kelly. Ya, he applies his own slant to certain subjects, but the interviews are snappy and generally well done, and the news segments with Reshmi Nair and more recently Genevieve Tomney are refreshing. They always start with the grim news and finish up with something light, so that they can banter with Mark and flash their smile for the camera.

I am a little surprised that they would cut this particular show. It does not seem like a large budget show. One host, a studio, a team of researchers and some teleconferencing costs, basically; as opposed to something like Republic of Doyle (oh that Crazy Doyle .. I can't believe he stuffed that police man in the trunk again) which is a scripted on-location drama with writers, actors, the whole bit. It's no surprise that Doyle was chopped.

Part of the problem is that CBC is just too spread out. They have English TV, French TV, CBC News Network, CBC Radio 1, CBC Radio 2, CBC French radio, etc ... I think what CBC does best is news and investigative stuff. Maybe they need to consolidate to 2 radio staions (English & French) and 2 TV stations and focus on that.

***

I can relate to Mark Kelly. I lost my job too, quite recently. Unlike Mark, and government employees in general, I worked with an axe hanging over my head for years. Layoffs and aggressive cost cutting were a way of life at my former place of employment. Every year I saw colleagues and teammates laid off, and more often than not I would have to absorb additional work. Sometimes the cuts seemed completely unreasonable, yet despite all the layoffs we got the product out the door. The quality of the product may have suffered on occasion, but company profits kept increasing, revenue grew, and work kept getting done. My experience is that if people are forced to do more with less, they can and they will. If they can't or they won't then they will be the next ones out the door.

Which makes me wonder about CBC and all the TV shows that have been cut. The CBC execs may think that they run a lean operation and that there is no choice but to chop shows, but have they really tried to do more with less? The cuts were quite large and sudden, so maybe it was necessary. I don't know .. I don't have a good grasp of how much overhead there is at the CBC.

I will say this though: when people panic at cuts to government spending in general, saying that core services will have to be cut, I call bullshit. Most government departments at any level have not had to cut back by any significant degree for years. There is certainly capacity to do more with less. Core services need only get cut if people refuse to work more efficiently. It is a choice, not a necessity.

I lived that reality for years. When the cuts come, you think "My God, how will everything get done?" Then you begin to find things -- reports, meetings, whatever -- that aren't really critical, and you get rid of those, and you get rid of travel, and you streamline other stuff, and you end up finding a way to get the job done. Year after year we did that. Any government department can do it too.

Bits and bites: Ikea, CBC, more CBC, Magic Accounting

Oooooh. To much to talk about and not enough time to write. Must use point form.

Quick, approve it before they change their minds!

No time is being wasted in making sure we land the master angler marlin of big box stores. I am dismayed that more scrutiny is not going into this proposal. Rather than repeating my last post, I'll give you a scorecard of the proposal:
o IKEA - A
o Location - C+
o up to seven additional big boxes - D
o numerous smaller retailers - depends how they do it
a) The current layout - F.
b) My idea for a walkable outdoor mall - best idea in the history of ideas: A+
o 100-room hotel - B
o 500-unit condo building - if you want to live in the parking lot of a Target with a railway track 100 yards away, knock yourself out. - C
o 150,000 square feet of office space - D Go fill an empty building or parking lot downtown.
o 16-screen movie theatre - C (which other theatre(s) will close because of this??)
o water park (not yet proposed, but just you wait) - B+
o new traffic lights on Kenaston - big fat F This should be a deal-breaker. Go back to the drawing board and try again.

Is this good news or bad news?

CBC president Hubert Lacroix announced Wednesday that a $171-million budget shortfall is forcing the taxpayer-funded broadcaster to slash about 800 jobs and cut both TV and radio programming.

Wow. Welcome to the real world boys. Though some cuts may affect the on-air product, those 70 middle-management positions won't be missed.

Quirks and Quarks

Say what you will about CBC's excessive political correctness, biases, and extravagant spending,
there are a few things worth tuning in for. The snaggle-toothed host of Quirks and Quarks, Bob McDonald, gave a free speach at the U of M Monday (thanks for the head's up? you're welcome) that lasted over an hour. It was an entertaining speach from a guy who makes a living communicating scientific research and ideas in terms that everyday joes can understand. Check out the show if you're not familiar with it.

Budget Thoughts

Haven't had a good look yet, but new blogger NDP Convert gives it 5 stars. Brian at JDS doesn't rate the budget, but he seems to have a strange fascination with Hugh McFadyen's face. I think I should maybe assess it for myself.

One quick initial thought: The elimination of small business tax rate is not smart. Not good bang for your buck. NDPers will tell you "60% of all jobs are from small businesses" but that is irrelevant. It does not follow that cutting this tax rate will increase jobs more than cutting other tax rates. Small businesses are less likely to relocate to another province, for example. And for goodness sake, they are only taxed at 1% as it is. Maybe the reason large businesses account for fewer jobs than small businesses is because large businesses are overtaxed?? Chipping away at the Corporate and payroll tax rates would do much more for job creation. This cut is purely ideological.

Anyhoo, perhaps I'll come back with more thoughts on the budget later. Or perhaps I'll come back with a buyers guide to prostitutes. You just never know!

I'll leave you with this -- my tribute to Gary Doer, who was able to provide us with a balanced budget including debt repayment, while simultaneously increasing the provincial debt (again):

Nothing but the best will do

It seems CBC execs have been living the high life courtesy of you:

Executives at Canada's public broadcaster have run up huge bills staying at luxury palace-like hotels in Europe where rooms go for a staggering $800-plus a night.

including a $4,377 trip to Istanbul for a conference by former president and CEO of the taxpayer-funded CBC, Robert Rabinovitch at the "posh" Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel:

The hotel's website entices potential visitors with the promise of "a personal butler for each guest, award winning cuisine" and "luxurious facilities." <canoe>

I did a little checking on Expedia, and found several hotels for less than $100 per night, including a Best Western, and the Berr Hotel (3.5 stars) that will run you a very reasonable $47 per night -- and that's without my corporate discount.

Mr. Rabinovitch and his colleagues should be thankful that the tax payers allow them to have a job. Assuming the trip was justified to begin with, which is a bit of a leap, the least he could do is not screw us by staying at the most palatial palace in town. I mean, what's wrong with the Best Western? Well, ok .. besides the lack of a personal butler.

meh ... I guess this will do: