mirrors

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Thursday, March 7, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, March 7, 2013

Conservative thinkers dominate those who vote for Pope

It’s unlike any election you’ve ever heard of.

A conclave has no official candidates. There are no parties, no party platforms, no manifestos, no pledges, not even any stump speeches or slogans.

There are also no factory tours, baby kissing, robo-calls and certainly no banners or bunting.
Nevertheless, it is an election. And all elections cause division and consternation. But speaking of “factions” within the Cardinals of the Catholic Church has lost much of its meaning.

The College of Cardinals for the upcoming conclave will be composed of 115 electors (as of this writing).

That’s 115 men from diverse parts of the world, with their own nuanced values, and their own concepts of spiritual and temporal leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.
That said, John Paul II and Benedict XVI stacked the deck.

Between them, the last two popes appointed every cardinal who will vote in the conclave.

As both popes could reasonably be described as doctrinal conservatives, it means a certain form of orthodoxy, some might say rigidity, exists amongst those who will soon cast their ballots into the golden urn.

Many of the cardinals are undoubtedly dynamic, extraordinarily articulate and deeply reasoned men. Some have highly developed thoughts on the future of the Church around the world.
But given the complexity of geographic, linguistic and experiential differences amongst those within the College of Cardinals, no singular visions appear to have come to the fore. (Source: CBC News)

Monday October 27, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Monday October 27, 2008 Funding fix in works: McMeekin It looks like a permanent solution for Hamilton's chronic social service funding shortfall is on the way. That's the message from MPP Ted McMeekin, Hamilton's cabinet minister in the McGuinty government. McMeekin says he's confident an upcoming municipal-provincial deal on social service delivery "will address the historic shortfall"ÊHamilton has complained about for so long. The minister of government and consumer services says he expects the deal will compensate for the loss of special multimillion-dollarÊgrants that the province has provided Hamilton to offset its high social service costs. McMeekin says he's "very optimistic that the pattern of Hamilton being made whole on social services" will continue as a result of theÊprovince uploading certain programs. The agreement, which is expected to be announced shortly, stems from a review that began in 2006 involving the province, theÊAssociation of Municipalities of Ontario, and the City of Toronto. They were studying the funding and delivery of social programs that were downloaded to cities in the 1990s by the former Mike HarrisÊgovernment.Ê(Source: Hamilton Spectator) Hamilton, Ontario, fortune, teller, wizard, Fred Eisenberger, Ted McMeekin, Social Services, smoke, mirrors

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday October 27, 2008

Funding fix in works: McMeekin

It looks like a permanent solution for Hamilton’s chronic social service funding shortfall is on the way.
That’s the message from MPP Ted McMeekin, Hamilton’s cabinet minister in the McGuinty government.
McMeekin says he’s confident an upcoming municipal-provincial deal on social service delivery “will address the historic shortfall” Hamilton has complained about for so long.

The minister of government and consumer services says he expects the deal will compensate for the loss of special multimillion-dollargrants that the province has provided Hamilton to offset its high social service costs.

McMeekin says he’s “very optimistic that the pattern of Hamilton being made whole on social services” will continue as a result of the province uploading certain programs.

The agreement, which is expected to be announced shortly, stems from a review that began in 2006 involving the province, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.

They were studying the funding and delivery of social programs that were downloaded to cities in the 1990s by the former Mike Harris government. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)