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I'm not happy about less games being shown... but one game that got cut is a Rider game so it's almost addition by subtraction.

....or subsidising arenas for rich owners. Sweep To The Cup @sweeptothecup We did it Calgary! We subsidized a billionaire with YOUR tax dollars in an investment that has shown time and time again, all over North America, to benefit only the rich owners and use fans’ love of their teams against them. All to win an election by meddling in municipal politics!

Huge loss for the team and fans. Riley always put out great stuff. Maybe the team looks at stealing Nik Kowalski back from the Lions? IIRC he kinda studied under Riley while he worked for the Bisons and he has been putting out some nice stuff on the left coast.

More CFL content > less CFL content. Anyone who disagrees i question their fandom

And TSN has numerous feeds in which to show content. I'd rather see CFL pre-season than another round of poker "stars" on a ******* sports network. Bell Media is a joke.

There is always opportunity for greater improvement in how all levels of Governments can operate efficiently and effectively. No argument there. That's a fact. However one needs to know the complexities in how bureaucracies operate and how the government administration side integrates with the political end of things before blurting out slogans like trim the fat! Government Overreach! I only do things if I choose to do them (except of course if it has to do with my pro-forced birth stance then all bets are off we need to control what people can and can do with their bodies in that instance), Dictatorship! Thought Police etc etc etc.

Further breaking that down, in 2010, 0.835% of the population worked in public service vs. 0.869% in 2022. I don't know what staffing levels should be, but this doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

I get that it's really expensive to produce a live sports broadcast and if the advertising revenue isn't there because the audience isn't there.....then it's a tough situation to be in. But they're supposed to be the CFL's main promotional partner. It's ******* embarrassing how much time they give to the NFL vs the CFL....embarrassing.

Facts versus slogans.

Did a little digging (always seem to need to for some claims). The Fed public service is now 50,000 spots larger than in 2010. Our population has grown by 5 million over that same time. Seems sensible to me. https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/innovation/human-resources-statistics/population-federal-public-service.html

We've talked a lot about Smith's plans in Alberta but here in Manitoba Heather's Cons seem to be pushing privatization of healthcare as well. See letter from the Neurologist in Tuesday's WFP and the comments from the two sleep apnea specialists. Healthcare is screwed if these assholes get elected again.

If trimming the fat was easy it would have been done before. You want balanced budgets then someone will have to pay more taxes. Cons love to scream about running government like a business but when faced with budget shortfalls never actually raise revenue.

Yeah, looking through that series of articles and comparing what each team is doing (at least as it relates to the highest paid players), Walters has us paying out the least in bonuses (about $125k) but still being middle of the pack when it comes to how much hard money has been paid out ($2.53 million). Obviously it's not a complete picture of a teams total payroll but here are some numbers for those interested: Least hard money paid out: BC - $2.32 million Most hard money: Hamilton - $3.11 million Average Hard Money: $2.61 million Most bonus money: Montreal - $539k Least bonus money: Winnipeg: $125k Average bonus money: $295k Weirdest salary spending: Montreal has the most number of players listed (20) in that series of articles so they are spending a lot but I'm not sure they're seeing a lot of value. They have 5 of the top 20 highest paid RB/FB's which seems pretty excessive to me but I guess when you have Faj as your QB, the passing game probably won't be your strong suit!

"Is it now a little clearer why the ex-PM offered a generic endorsement of the UCP, rather than a personal one of its leader? The fact that Danielle Smith is a dubious political bar of soap from a marketing point of view is only part of the story. The other part is, just what is an endorsement from Stephen Harper worth these days? After all, he is no longer the populist boy-politician collecting donations in KFC barrels in Calgary basements. Six-and-a-half years after leaving politics, Harper is now a full blown globalist entrepreneur raking in big money with his consulting firm Harper & Associates. His job description apparently entails cozying up to human rights violator Saudi Arabia and tweeting his congratulations to authoritarian politician Viktor Orban for his latest win in Hungary. And there is hay to be made right here in Canada. A case in point. Harper’s firm is paid $240,000 a year by the province of Saskatchewan, in part to open doors for Premier Scott Moe that Harper walked through as prime minister. That’s why Harper was included on a recent provincial government trip to India, a junket that created controversy for Moe back home. Why did he have to drag a highly paid consultant along? Who can tell the exact angle Harper is trying to play by inserting himself now into Alberta’s election conversation? But here’s one way to read it. What we have in Danielle Smith is a politician who is hard to sell, being promoted by a self-styled champion of the little guy who is now very much a member of the elite he has spent so much time demonizing." https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/04/26/Stephen-Harper-Endorses-Danielle-Smith/

Pos partner for the cfl.

Let's hope the Knights do the equivalent in messing up their hockey skills against the Jets in this game tomorrow night LOL

ps - one week from the draft, 2 weeks from Rookie Camp!! Let's ******* GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

A large portion of the deficit spending was due to Covid. Did they overspend on that? Probably. But it's not like they could just do nothing. Even if they hadn't closed work places, most of the rest of the world did Canada's economy would have slowed down - regardless of any approach that our governments took (or didn't take)

Time: Thursday 9, SN/CBC Notes: Must win game #87 Current Odds:

🤢🤢🤢

Nicely done. The "gov't is too big and fat" narrative is just another dogwhistle. They did that in 2012 with the Debt Reduction Action Plan. But it was duplicitous nonsense and the effects are still being felt today. http://ifsd.ca/web/default/files/360/DRAP Case.pdf

Facts versus a link to an editorial opinion piece entitled Bloated Governments - Its time to trim the fat.

But Socialists, Corrupt, Woke, radical far left libtards are ruining my country so no way I’m voting for Notley and her bandits who decimated our great province and make my vote count!

interesting about Regent/Lag... my mom lives in Transcona and we have a cottage at Victoria Beach, so I have spent a LOT.......of time at that intersection. Can confirm how busy it can get....interesting that it's #1 though.

Conservatives everywhere across the country. It's disgusting.

so many FB memories lately from the early days of the pandemic.....really wild to think back on and how far we've come since then. What a crazy time.

What does that actually mean though? You say the public service has increased 31%, so what services are being delivered by that public service that can be cut?

But I watch car racing for the crashes!

You piqued by curiousity:

It's the third busiest intersection in Winnipeg. Do you know what the top two busiest have in common? Pedestrian crossings!

If reports are true, being a jerk face misogynist huge diva look at me I’m so popular I make everyone around me extremely uncomfortable sometimes can catch up to one. Another example of they aren’t who they portray on camera.

Wait until he finds out about Jason Bateman!

When it comes to which government has had more deficit spending, there is not a whole lot choose from Chretien / Martin reduced the government debt, Harper kept it about the same with slight increases, but it spiked during Trudeau's tenure But the greatest increases in Canadian government debt per person happened during the two world wars HISTORICAL CONTEXT MATTERS https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/examining-federal-debt-in-canada-by-prime-ministers-since-confederation-2022.pdf For example, when you factor in population growth, the current spike in government debt is actually not that much - the total debt was approx. $47 000 per person by the end of 2022 (see p. 8 of the link)

Cons love themselves some welfare. Wow, that's a lot of money for billionaires.

******* TSN...........

Will never work in a buzzing metropolis such as ours. Think bigger!

If they didn't spend during covid the economy would have been in the absolute toilet and people would be destitute. Did some people get money that shouldn't have? Absolutely. But it kept people employed and businesses operating and provided a huge bounce back opportunity for the economy. It didn't cause inflation contrary to what the right wing talking points say.

Ahhhhh context. A beautiful thing (to some).

new gig in Winnipeg... says he'll still be around at the games.

Not a surprise that several points of route 90 are on the list Somewhat surprised to see none of the McPhillips intersections on there

Sorry for the giant post, but some interesting (supposed to be fun...) stuff here: https://www.cfl.ca/2023/04/26/the-weekly-say-making-preseason-futures-picks/?utm_source=dlvr.it TORONTO — The CFL is rolling out a new-look free-to-play Game Zone for the 2023 season and we’re kicking it off with a Preseason Futures game that rewards you for your powers of prognostication. Answer the series of preseason questions correctly in the freshly-launched Preseasons Futures game before the season starts on June 8 and you’ll have a shot at winning $5,000! Perfect predictions will serve as a lottery ticket to win rewards and rank your knowledge against other CFL fans. Your signup for the Preseasons Futures game will serve as your login for the rest of the free-to-play games that the CFL has coming for you this year, including CFL Fantasy and the weekly Pick ‘Em. To get the ball rolling, CFL.ca’s writers have tackled some of the questions from the Preseasons Futures game. How right/wrong are they? Let us know in the comments and take your shot at getting your preseason predictions right by creating a login and taking part today. Which teams will be playing in the 110th Grey Cup in Hamilton? Jamie Nye: Because I love chaos and drama, give me the Alouettes and the Roughriders with Fajardo vs Harris and I will be a happy radio host! Kristina Costabile: I’m mostly basing this on who I want to play in the game and not who I think will be there, so I’m going with the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Ticats playing at home again would be fun and why not add in the Lions for a “cat fight”? Don Landry: Toronto and Calgary. The Stampeders ride a big rushing attack to the berth, while the Argos’ defence paves the way for a shot at a repeat. Jim Morris: I’m predicting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. With the personnel movement in the league, I look for stability which the Bombers have. The addition of Bo Levi Mitchell gives the Ticats a veteran presence at quarterback. Chris O’Leary: Winnipeg and Hamilton. I’m a sucker for the storyline of a Bombers-Ticats’ Grey Cup re-match at Tim Hortons Field. Bonus storyline: Bo Levi Mitchell and the Ticats have to hold off Jeremiah Masoli and the REDBLACKS at THF the week prior. Matthew Cauz: Ottawa taking on Winnipeg. Is my REDBLACKS guess biased because I just wrote about them? Quite possibly. A healthy Jeremiah Masoli could be the best quarterback in the East, they have the best defensive player in the CFL and an improved offensive line. I don’t think I need to justify my Blue Bombers selection, that team is stacked. Marshall Ferguson: Winnipeg and Hamilton in a rematch of the 2021 Grey Cup that saw the Ticats come a Masoli-to-Acklin fingertip away from closing the deal. Which team will have the most regular season rushing yards? Nye: Montreal Alouettes – William Stanback and Cody Fajardo will be moving the ball with their legs A LOT this season. Costabile: The Calgary Stampeders. Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 1,088 yards in just 14 games last season, good for first in the league. With a full 18 contests under his belt, he’ll go way over that. Plus, quarterback Tommy Stevens had 297 yards on the ground last year and will be another wrinkle in the Stamps rush attack in 2023. Landry: The Calgary Stampeders. If they want it to be, this season could be one of the more epic rushing seasons a team has had in many a moon. With an incredible offensive line and a trio of devastating running backs, Calgary can go even higher than their league-leading 2,436 ground yards from last year. By the way, do you know what the record is for team rushing yards in a season? 4,345 yards! Edmonton, in 1957. 722 rushing attempts. Do it, Calgary! Do it! Morris: The Calgary Stampeders led all CFL teams in rushing last year and I can’t see why they won’t do it again. Ka’Deem Carey won the rushing title despite playing 14 games. Dedrick Mills and Peyton Logan are also both returning. Cauz: Calgary will again lead the league. Ka’Deem Carey led the league in rushing despite missing four games and I expected the Stampeders to lean on the run game with Jake Maier in his first year as “The Guy”. Ferguson: Calgary. I expect Montreal to be run heavy and Saskatchewan should be up there but Ka’Deem Carey paired with the sharp passing attack of Dickenson and Maier screams Stampeders to me. O’Leary: I get the Calgary pick, but I think Jamie Nye is onto something with the Als. Run options will be strong with Stanback and Jeshrun Antwi and a lack of receiver depth might have this team, with the mobile Fajardo, pushing it on the ground a lot. How many receiving yards will Eugene Lewis have in the regular season? Nye: 1,200. My feeling is there is definitely a drop off in Harris to Cornelius so the production should drop off too. Costabile: I’m going with 1,500. Teaming up with a quarterback who loves the deep ball in Taylor Cornelius is going to do wonders for Eugene this year. Landry: He’ll have close to 1,500 yards in receptions. You want an exact number? Okay. 1,493. Morris: Better question, who will be throwing him the ball? If Tre Ford and Taylor Cornelius can stay healthy and find their groove, Lewis could get over 1,000 yards again. But if history repeats in Edmonton, Lewis could have a long, empty season. Cauz: 1,118 yards. I expect his numbers to go down with Trevor Harris now playing in Saskatchewan. Ferguson: 1150, slightly down from a ridiculous 2022 campaign in Montreal when he was the unquestioned primary, but I see a few more trips to the end zone this year. O’Leary: Lewis is fully capable of a monstrous season but the Elks have a receiver depth that the Als didn’t have last year. I’d peg it around the 1,200-yard mark, max for Lewis, with others around him putting up big numbers as well. How many sacks will Lorenzo Mauldin IV have in the regular season? Nye: Give me 18. One per game and pretty level for his production last season. He has the ability to get to the quarterback in so many different ways. Cauz: I’m expecting some regression as Lorenzo did mange to play in all 18 games last year. It’s never easy to make it through an entire CFL season. I’m going with 15 games played and 14 sacks. Landry: 15 sacks for Lorenzo Mauldin. While not quite the equal to last year’s 17, that’s still a pretty great number. Teams are going to scheme to keep Mauldin at bay more and more in 2023, but he’ll still get home plenty. O’Leary: I’ll go with 14. Mauldin will be a top priority for o-lines this year and it’s very tough to get into all 18 games in a season. Costabile: 20. With a 17-sack season behind him, I feel like adding three more doesn’t seem like a tall task for Lorenzo in his second campaign with Ottawa. Ferguson: 15. Still dominant but I don’t know how he doesn’t get extra attention this year to slow his roll from 2022 slightly. Which team will finish with the best regular season record? Nye: Winnipeg Blue bombers. Sorry. Boring but they’re forever the team to beat until proven otherwise. Costabile: Winnipeg. Until they prove me otherwise, the Blue Bombers will continue to be the top of the CFL. Landry: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Morris: The one that wins the most games. OK, seriously, I don’t see the Bombers going 15-3 again but they still will be better than any other team in the league. O’Leary: Have you seen what Twitter turns into when you don’t pick the Bombers? That’s not a road I want to walk down again any time soon. Winnipeg. Cauz: I’d love to embrace chaos and throw out Edmonton, but we all know the Bombers will be resting their starters in the final week of the season after clinching home field. Ferguson: Winnipeg. Until further notice the West runs through Manitoba.

I'm trying to give you the middle finger but it's hard to see it with all these rings. I bet it's easy for you to turn doorknobs!* * If you get it, you get it.

The "fat". Define, please. Palliser government cut 10% (the "fat") out of Southern Health's budget without defining "fat". Southern Health ran balanced budgets for years prior. That turned out well, didn't it?

Most teams do the same when they actualize savings from the cap. Walters did not invent this, nor is he alone utilizing it. He has been very disciplined at maintaining it though. In order to do so, a team must spend quite a bit under the cap one year to be able to keep deferring it forward. That means losing some really good players to injury for extended periods and not replacing them in-season. It's a trade off. It is more a testament to his ability to provide depth behind good players so that we don't have to spend in season on injury replacements then it is a testament to his financial acumen. When you lose a Matt Nichols, for instance, mid season and don't have to replace him until the last couple games of the season it opens up an opportunity to save some cap space the next year. Kyle is very disciplined at not losing a high price player and immediately signing another one mainly because he has been very good at providing quality depth that doesn't compromise our ability to win when injuries to high priced players occur.

So you want cuts, then. The point of a budget is to balance revenue and spending (over the short and medium to long term). To suggest that the Federal budget in itself does not involve spending controls is a little simplistic. So what are we cutting?

Are you just realizing that Cameron is on Succession?

Ehlers is going to practice tomorrow… FWIW