[AtLast]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

Another Canuck here.

The Harper government is a big concern of mine, and more specifically the danger that government presents to Canada's health care system (Americans often criticise the Canadian health care system without realising that the reason it tends to go bonkers every once in a while is directly related to a Conservative government being in power, and the Conservatives are hell-bent on emulating the American system, unfortunately) as well as overall individual rights. For example, Harper keeps trying to bring the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage back to the debating table, though luckily he keeps getting shouted down. I also hate that the Harper government was very easily let off the hook for the transgressions made against the liberty/freedom of movement of Torontonians during the G-20 meet, as well as the ridiculous amounts of money he spent on hosting the monarchies of the modern western world. I also hate that the media turned the G-20 fiasco around and made it look like "phantom anarchists" or some so-called "black bloc" were responsible. If society were more educated on anarchists, anarchist tactics as well as the issues actually being protested by groups who showed up over the G-20 weekend (who were largely not anarchists, but groups protesting the meet itself, issues like the Israeli apartheid/the plight of Palestinians, individual rights issues and so on), then the issue wouldn't be continually taken advantage of by the media. It angers me that Harper, McGuinty and Miller all got away with temporarily turning Toronto into a police state for 3 days. So getting rid of the Conservatives, in particular, is a big concern of mine that is intertwined many other issues like preserving our health care system, as well as Canada's avant-garde approach to individual/human rights.

I'm also concerned with the public transportation system, at least here in Toronto. The TTC recently bumped up fare prices to 3 dollars, which is one of the most expensive public transit fares in the world. All that would be fine and dandy if we were actually getting better service for our money, but we're not, and seems like service has actually decreased. David Miller seemed addicted to putting street car tracks in random places, like on St. Clair west, where all it does is congest traffic. The buses and trains schedules are largely set to "frequent service," which seems to be their way of circumventing giving people regular service. Bus schedules especially seem to be sporadic at best. With the trains they now appear to want to emulate the European system, minus the efficiency (German trains are rarely if ever late, run frequently and run later/earlier) and affordability (the U-Bahn in Munich cost 1,20 Euro, which is the equivalent of 1,65 CAD, and riders get far more for their 1,20 Euro than 3 dollars gets us in Toronto. The S-Bahn is obviously a little more expensive, but it travels outside Munich. The regional and national trains are also affordable, link up with local trains, and they have machines at all stations where you can get your schedule for all regional/national/local connections printed for free) of a system like they have in Germany. From what I saw of the Netherlands it was the same there, and it seems it is the same all over Western/Central/North western Europe. Canada really needs to catch up on transport.

Your comments about the canadian health care system and the conservative factors is really interesting to me. Oh, you all do not want the US models of health care that our conservatives want!!! From people I do know from Canada, I have heard more positive things about your system. But, yes, our conservative politicians take pot shots at it!

Originally Posted by betenoire

I'm Canadian so my concerns will be a little different from most of what the US-ians on here will be concerned about. (ie - I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about openly being queer in the military, equal marriage, or health care). So, that being said:

My main concerns are 1 - making public transit more efficient, more accessible, more available, and more....attractive to people. And 2 - making green sources of energy more affordable and available to the average homeowner.

EDIT - I do get that the question was specific to the US and your elections. But I felt like talking about my stuff too.

Public transportation is critical to both of our countries, I think. You cite the key variables that we need! I have to say that because I do live in an area that overall has good public transportaion, I have an awful time when in major cities that do not. Some of these cities are in Canada as well as in the US.

What is so nuts with green construction in the US overall is that for the average person, the costs are too high. Some things like solar energy are better. And what really sux is that the people that could use cuts in energy costs the most, can't afford most of the types of green technology that would bring costs down for them. Going green is very much an elitest way of life in the US!

A few years ago, I spent over 4 months traveling in canada and then up to Alaska. What was interesting to me is that in small rural areas, people there made the same kinds of anti-big government comments as I hear in the US small towns! You have a share of the right-wingers there, too.