Still Even More Harper, Economics And Incompetence

Remember this, from back there, regarding the need to spend a lot on infrastructure in order to significantly stimulate our failing economy (emphasis added):

What will work is direct government spending on infrastructure. Canada's cities have billions of dollars worth of projects costed and planned sitting on mayor's desks. We should and could start with these within a few weeks. Taking a little longer would be major renewal projects such as the construction of new subway lines in major cities. Finally, there are longer-term projects such as the building of new high-speed rail systems in the corridor from Quebec City to Windsor, from Edmonton to Calgary and from Moncton to Halifax. Refitting houses across the country for greater energy efficiency belongs on the list. So too, does large scale job training and the investment of funds to reduce barriers to post-secondary education.

All of these measures would be investments in Canada's future. These projects would increase the nation's productivity. The returns on these investments would defray the cost of making them.

Scale matters here. Anything less than $50 billion a year, for the next few years ($50 billion is about three per cent of Canada's GDP) will be insufficient. This level of spending, and more, would create jobs for hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Without such stimulus, the job losses we have seen in construction, manufacturing, forest products, retail, and even in the petroleum sector, can be expected to continue apace. The presence, or absence, of such a program on this kind of scale is how we should judge the budget.

To which I reasoned, considering the mentioned $34B deficit for 2009 (and another of $30B for 2010):

Hence, it looks like regardless whether Harper and Flaherty inject all their cherished tax cuts or not, the deficit spending amounts already leaked for the upcoming budgets of the next two years will fall quite short of the $50B mark.

Falling quite short?

Man, I was not even close on this one (emphasis added):

Budget to include $7B for infrastructure, Baird says

The federal budget will include $7 billion for infrastructure projects with an emphasis on getting "shovels in the ground as soon as possible," Transport Minister John Baird announced.

Baird, speaking in Ottawa on Monday, said $4 billion will be spent over two years to help fund provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure projects.

"A big part of our economic action plan will include investing in our road, bridges, and water and sewer systems and in public transit," Baird said.

"By getting shovels in the ground on these types of projects we not only create jobs and allow our economic activity to grow but we also improve our economic competitiveness for decades to come."

The Tories are also spending $2 billion to support repairs, maintenance and accelerate construction at colleges and universities across Canada and $1 billion for a green infrastructure fund.

So - that's $7B over two years.

With $4B over two years for roads, bridges and stuff.

Along with $2B for maintenance and stuff for colleges and universities and a whopping $1B to serve as a green infrastructure fund.

And that's what Baird touts proudly as a big part of the coming Harper economic plan?

Well, bless my heart indeed:

"We did not start this economic crisis but we will take steps to protect Canadians and our country from it," Baird said.

To which I reply:

ARE. YOU. FUCKING. KIDDING. ME?!?

(It just grinds my stones when utter incompetents like Harper and his Harpies think me an ignoramus and an idiot)

Competence, Prime Minister? Competence?

I think not.

And you are supposed to be an economist, Prime Minister?

Where did you get your diploma - in a Cracker Jack box?

What a pathetic joke you are, sir.

And the same goes to your equally out of touch, ideology-driven, hypocritical, incompetent nincompoops.

Unfortunately, the joke ends up being on all of us Canadians ...

... yet deservedly so.