Monthly Archives: April 2022

Liberal Democrats' election promise of cash for Aberdeen road and schools Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. Linked In An icon of the Linked In logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo.

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Liberal Democrats' election promise of cash for Aberdeen road and schools - The Press & Journal

Vassars 2022 Exploring Transfer Program (ET), hosted every summer on Vassars campus, gives community college students the chance to experience residential and academic life at a liberal arts college in preparation for potentially transfering to more selective schools. During the five-week program, about 30 students take two full-credit courses designed and taught by both Vassar and community college professors. For this upcoming summer, it will take place from June 17 through July 22.

Plans for the program began in 1983 when LaGuardia Community College reached out to Vassar with an interest in establishing greater connection between community colleges and selective liberal arts colleges. This program, then known as the Vassar Summer Program for Community College Students, was launched in the summer of 1985. Since then, the program has expanded to include sixteen community colleges across the country.

The program has created notable alumni, including Nolvia Delgado, for whom Exploring Transfer served as an opportunity for complete immersion in academics and as preparation for her transfer to Smith College. She first heard of the program via email while studying at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). The program sounded like an amazing opportunity and I decided to apply, she said. At BMCC there were advisors dedicated to helping students through the application process, which was extremely helpful.

Delgado now serves as the leader of Kaplan Educational Foundation, another program that helps community college students transfer to selective colleges. At Kaplan Educational Foundation, Delgado helps other community college students explore the possibility of transferring to selective colleges. She credits Vassars Exploring Transfer program with exposing her to the importance of a community college experience. Exploring Transfer taught me the importance of pre-transfer academic experiences in addition to the learning already taking place at community colleges, she said.

Since the program is designed to have students focus on two full-credit classes over the course of five weeks instead of a semester, students have the opportunity to devote themselves entirely to their academics. For many community college students, who excel at juggling multiple commitments such as classes, commuting and work, this distraction-free educational structure presents a unique opportunity to concentrate on school. Delgado reflected on this academically intensive environment, stating, I focused on my studies, took advantage of the resources available on campus, and got to know my peers in a way that I could not as a commuter student.

The courses that students pursue during their time in the program are often multidisciplinary and cover various parts of the classic liberal arts curriculum, in departments such as English, Political Science, Economics and Environmental Science. Given the intensity of the program, Director of the Exploring Transfer program Kariane Calta and the programs staff have set up structures to support students who may face a wide range of difficulties. Each class has a Teaching Assistant who holds office hours on weeknights and Sunday afternoons, Calta said. According to Calta, four residential fellows also live in the dorms with the students and serve as sources of emotional and social support.

When not studying, students can also explore the greater Hudson Valley region, taking Saturday trips together to museums such as Dia Beacon and Storm King, and natural landmarks such as Lake Minnewaska.

The connections that students make through these social experiences are a key part of the program. Calta attributes the sense of community to the students wide-ranging backgrounds. Whats unique and also wonderful about ET is the diversity of the student body. Some of our students are eighteen or nineteen and living away from home for the first time, while others have been working and raising families for many years, she said. Students build friendships with each other, their TAs and [residential fellows], and their instructors that last well after the program ends. Most of our alumniand our facultywould tell you that although the program is intensely challenging, it is a life-changing experience.

According to Calta, the trust and experience shared between Exploring Transfer students often encourages them to go on to pursue a Bachelors degree at a selective college. After their time at the program, many students transfer to liberal arts colleges such as Vassar, Swarthmore, Amherst and SUNY New Paltz, among others.

For those interested, Delgado advises students to take the chance to engulf themselves in the academic and residential experience provided by the program. She said, Remain on campus for the duration of the program, get to know your professors, familiarize yourself with the campus, and learn from your peers.

The Exploring Transfer program can not only give students the experience of living and learning at a selective college, but help them see their own academic potential. As Delgado put it, Completing the Exploring Transfer program has served as a motivator because it is a reminder that if I work hard and plan accordingly there is nothing that I cannot achieve.

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Students explore liberal arts with Exploring Transfer Program The Miscellany News - Miscellany News

Regina and Saskatoon have made a bid for the next World Junior Hockey Championship, a tournament available because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Each city fronted $350,000 to back up the bid, which was approved unanimously by Saskatoon City Council. At Regina City Hall, Ward 9 Coun. Jason Mancinelli was the only one opposed.

I wouldnt really vote against it, so this is really a lame attempt at an April Fools Joke, Mancinelli said. Im totally for it.

Tourism Regina and Tourism Saskatoon are working together to announce a formal bid. The International Ice Hockey Federation set April 4 as the deadline for applications, with a winning bid to be approved April 25.

Regina Ward 10 Coun. Landon Mohl said he was happy to be at the Friday morning city council meeting to formally approve the allocation of funds, which will only be spent if the bid is successful.

That was a very exciting meeting for me. It was a pleasure to be there, Mohl told the Western Standard.

Regina Exhibition Association Limited, [City of] Regina administration, and Economic Development Regina unbelievable what they did in four days time. They got the notice Monday morning from Hockey Canada they had the opportunity to be one of the city combos to bid. They put in a lot of 12 to 16-hour days. These guys were working on it all night long.

The potential economic spinoff is estimated at $28 million to $32 million. Regina and Saskatoon expanded their arenas to host the 2010 World Juniors. Mohl recalls how smaller Saskatchewan cities also participated, allowing guest countries to feel they had their own homes away from home.

Each respective country had their own arena. Okay. And all the construction was a rush to get everything fired up and turned on. And I remember walking by Canadas arena that they had and how [the players] had the Canadian flag draped over their shoulders as theyre all getting their pictures taken, Mohl recalled

It was a special moment for me to witness that. And so this will be great for the city of Regina, the city of Saskatoon and all of Saskatchewan. And it will be great for Hockey Saskatchewan because most kids will get to see and aspire to become their own international athletes. Its just fantastic. I love hockey!

Mohl says Prince Albert and other smaller cities could also get a game or two, should the bid be successful. To do so, he says the Saskatchewan bid would have to be chosen over Ottawa-Montreal, Halifax, and possibly Winnipeg-Brandon.

A winning bid would be especially meaningful for Regina hockey fans who will almost certainly see Connor Bedard play against international opponents. In the recent World Juniors tournament in Alberta, cut short due to the pandemic, Bedard became the seventh 16-year-old to ever play in the 45-year-old tournament. Bedards four goals in a game against Austria were the most ever scored by player his age, one more than Wayne Gretzky scored against Czechoslovakia in 1977.

Mohl said the $350,000 would be well worth it for the economic spinoff, and is typical for hosting events.

We set aside $2 million for the Grey Cup. Theres a lot of expenses to set everything up, to pay for the facilities and everything else to host. So its no different than hosting these World Juniors. Youve got to set aside for that purpose.

The City of Regina provided $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in services to host the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic when the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets played at Mosaic Stadium in 2019.

In 2010, the only games in Regina that included Team Canada were pre-tournament. The citys Brandt Centre has a capacity of 6,484. Saskatoons SaskTel Centre can host 15,195. The 2023 tournament will be played from December 26, 2022 to January 5, 2023.

Lee Harding is a Saskatchewan-based reporter for the Western Standard.

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Debt Clock rolls into Ottawa to 'sound the alarm' on Liberal spending - Western Standard

O

ne of the core weaknesses of authoritarian regimes the world over is that lies are built into the system. Officials are afraid to tell their superiors the truth, for fear of retribution.

Reports abound that Vladimir Putins closest allies are too scared to tell him what is really going on in Ukraine and the extent of his terrible miscalculation. From the resistance of the Ukrainian army to the severe sanctions imposed by the West, the Kremlin has badly misjudged what it hoped would be a swift victory.

No country is perfect. But liberal democracies, with their openness, transparency and free press, have several important advantages over the despots.

Our system produces a level of self-criticism. The Government does not always get its way and must at the very least explain its actions. Openness, albeit sometimes only after a leak or FOI request, leads to better decision-making and outcomes. There are multiple stakeholders, not just the leader, his family and a few oligarchs. And they know they can be thrown out every few years.

Todays authoritarian states meanwhile may have new technologies to suppress their citizens and threaten neighbours, but their weaknesses remain the same as before.

Ultimately, Putins invasion of Ukraine was not only an attack on a sovereign nation, it was also an assault on the very notion of Western democracy and liberal values. It is vital that fails too.

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Evening Standard Comment: Vladimir Putins invasion is an assault on liberal values - Evening Standard

In February, finance minister Chrystia Freeland said the government had no intention to change its position on the capital gains tax related to equity markets or principal residences. But, that was before the Liberal-NDP parliamentary co-operation agreement.PATRICK DOYLE/Reuters

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Advisors are fielding a fresh round of investor questions on potential tax changes in the upcoming federal budget as the Liberal government looks for ways to pay for billions in promised spending including costs that come with its recent parliamentary co-operation agreement with the NDP.

Conversations are resurfacing with clients about the possibility of an increase in the capital gains inclusion rate, advisors say. Some wonder if Ottawa will go as far as taxing inheritances, which happens in other countries, or even the seemingly untouchable profits from selling a principal residence.

The pre-budget conversations are all speculative, advisors caution, as the government hasnt said it plans to make any of these moves. Its expected to introduce an anti-flipping tax, based on a campaign platform last year, that would affect Canadians who sell their residences within a year after buying them.

Still, advisors note governments have made surprise tax announcements in the past and, with some clients, it may make sense to plan ahead.

What were saying to clients is, We cant predict the future, but Im relatively certain that were going to see very interesting innovation in taxation, says Darren Coleman, senior vice president, private client group and portfolio manager with Coleman Wealth at Raymond James Ltd. in Toronto

The Liberal Partys recent deal with the NDP which prevents another election until mid-2025 in exchange for action on NDP priorities such as dental care, pharmacare and increased federal transfers to the provinces for health care has some investors worried that major tax changes are coming to foot the bill.

Anytime you have a collaboration between two parties, it opens up a higher probability of tax changes, says Wes Ashton, co-founder, director of growth strategy and portfolio manager at Harbourfront Wealth Management Inc. in Vancouver.

Theres a little bit of anxiety with clients, where they ask: Should I be doing anything proactively? he says.

Mr. Coleman has been discussing the potential for a higher capital gains inclusion rate with clients during the past couple of years. It was first introduced 50 years ago at 50 per cent, then increased to 66.7 per cent in the late 1980s, and went as high as 75 per cent in the 1990s. It has been back at 50 per cent since 2000.

Mr. Coleman says some of his clients who were ready to take profits have sold their shares in anticipation of a higher tax rate.

Some said they wanted to do it now, so at least they know what their taxes are, while others were willing to wait and see what happens, he says.

Ottawas decision to force Canadians to record the sale of their principal residence on their tax return, even if its not taxed, also has some clients concerned, Mr. Coleman says.

Whats really created that wobble for clients is, Why is it on the tax return? he says.

Clients arent selling their properties in anticipation of a tax, he says, but some are asking him to run the numbers of what the impact could be on their broader wealth plan.

For many people, the bulk of their equity is in their homes, so I think its dangerous to plan on that being tax-free forever. If you plan [on paying more tax] and its wrong, thats okay; thats more [money] for you, says Mr. Coleman. But if you didnt [and] didnt think this might be coming, you may be in for an interesting surprise.

Some people have the view that taxing a principal residence is a sacred cow, he says, but hes not sure thats true anymore.

Mr. Coleman speculates the tax could be on principal residences over a certain high amount, in the multimillion or billions, which is in place in the U.S. It would be less controversial because it would only impact the wealthiest Canadians.

Jamie Golombek, managing director of tax and estate planning with CIBC Private Wealth Management, notes the NDP did propose an increase in the capital gains inclusion rate to 75 per cent in its election platform last year.

The NDP didnt win, of course, but this recent non-coalition coalition obviously makes things a lot more interesting, he says.

Mr. Golombek notes that finance minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview in February that the government had no intention to change its position on the capital gains related to equity markets or principal residences of Canadians. Still, that was before the Liberal-NDP parliamentary co-operation agreement was made.

The question is, could the NDP have the influence to bump up the inclusion rate? he says.

I personally dont think that will happen, at least in the short term, Mr. Golombek adds, expecting the NDP to focus on its proposals for dental care and pharmacare.

Past CIBC research has shown that only about 10 per cent of Canadian taxpayers would be affected by a rise in the capital gains inclusion rate, which could make it less risky, politically.

Still, Mr. Golombek says investors should never sell assets for tax reasons alone. But if they have a strong reason to do so, such as a portfolio that needs to be rebalanced, and are worried about an increase, now might be a good time to do some selling.

At the end of the day, you have to determine your level of comfort with [potential] tax changes, he says. If you werent going to sell anytime in the near future, then you wouldnt worry about it.

A higher tax rate for Canadians in the top tax bracket another NDP election proposal may be a more likely change in the upcoming budget, he says, especially as the Liberal government has been putting forward increases on high-income Canadians in recent years. Theres nothing Canadians who would be affected can do to avoid that change, especially as it could be made retroactive to the start of the year, he says.

Mr. Golombek says he believes any tax on principal residences is highly unlikely, describing it as a political mess, especially as many Canadians have relied on that asset growth for retirement.

[Ottawa] may crack down on some other, more complex type of corporate tax planning, he says.

Mr. Coleman says advisors should discuss potential tax changes with clients, even if they think theyre a long shot.

As an advisor, if Im wrong on any of those, you have a happier life. But if I underestimate, youre going to have a problem later. Thats not good, he says.

I would rather plan from the position of prudence and conservatism and have happiness than the opposite.

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What the Liberal-NDP co-operation pact could mean for tax changes in the budget - The Globe and Mail

Students are shocked with Penn States recent announcement that the College of the Liberal Arts will be permanently removed from the university.

Majors within the college will also no longer be offered to undergraduate students. In a letter announcing the change, Penn State President Eric Barron said, We [Penn State] dont need no education, we dont need no thought control.

Barron continued to elaborate on his decision in the letter and said, The university is tired of pretending that higher education is really a pursuit of knowledge or growing as a person. We believe that a Penn State education is a product meant to be bought and sold to the highest bidder, thus we decided to eliminate all majors that we believe will not become significant financial donors as alums.

This decision comes on the heels of Penn States decision to raise tuition 300%.

April fools!

Bro its just a prank, bro. If you could see the look on your face right now, because I cant. My columns are typically about serious subjects and methodically researched, but in honor of April Fools Day, I decided to keep it light.

As the official fool of The Daily Collegian, I was asked to address my communitys national holiday. I believe Its important for us to play some practical jokes and just have some fun.

These days though, who can really tell the difference between fact and fiction? With the creation of the internet and the subsequent invention of lying, were living in what I once called a post-truth age.

You cant trust anyone or anything anymore only yourself because youre never wrong.

Just look at the all the cleary false headlines the Collegian has decided to publish such as Coronavirus is creating a need to expand the Ancient Greek alphabet, or Ball State in danger of losing its famed mascot, the Fighting Balls or Scientists discover a cure for dumbass, dumbasses wont get vaccine.

The fact that such a prestigious student newspaper continues to publish this smut is an indictment on all of us and our current climate of media illiteracy.

It seems like every day is April Fools Day. Can you tell which headline is real between these two: O.J. Simpson Says He Had More Restraint Than Will Smith on Comedians' Jokes or 3 cats have outmaneuvered their 2 humans to hold a blender hostage for weeks.

The answer: Theyre both real. Anything I make up cant compete with those two articles.

The beauty of April Fools Day is it celebrates the two things everyone does every other day of the year: lying and gaining joy from embarrassing other people. Its why Im a media figure, not a journalist.

My allegiance is to creating content, not truth. As anyone whos ever read my Twitter bio knows, lies are a good thing. Thus, I believe it's imperative for all of us to lie not only to others but also to ourselves so that the good work of April Fool may extend through all of the days of the year.

Maybe the real fool was inside each and every one of us all along.

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SATIRE | Penn State to remove College of the Liberal Arts - The Daily Collegian Online

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There needs to be an independent authority that does the long-term planning so its not piecemeal, ad-hoc and used as a political bargaining chip, Mr Alexander said.

Mr Alexander said that Infrastructure Australia, established in 2008 to advise the federal government on infrastructure funding, has no weight at all and should be significantly beefed up.

A report by the Grattan Institute released this week found Australia had a long and bipartisan history of pork-barrelling transport funding.

Just one of the 71 Coalition transport promises worth $100 million or more at the last election was based on a business case approved by Infrastructure Australia.

As for Labor, just two of the partys 61 transport funding announcements made during the 2019 campaign was based on a business case approved by Infrastructure Australia.

Mr Alexander reclaimed John Howards former seat of Bennelong, in Sydneys northern suburbs, for the Liberal Party in 2010 and fended off subsequent attempts by several high-profile Labor candidates to win the seat.

Mr Alexander said he was deeply disappointed the Coalition and Labor had not reached bipartisan agreement on a national integrity commission despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowing to deliver one at the last election.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese congratulates Liberal MP John Alexander after he delivered his valedictory speech in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Both sides are letting down the people they purport to represent, he said. Thats a failing. I dont think there was the essential goodwill and trust to sit down and work things through.

He said senior members from both parties should have got together in a room and locked the door until they could reach a compromise on the structure of a commission.

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Mr Alexander said such a commission would help address the cynicism many Australians feel about politicians and the use of public money.

The number one currency politicians should have is that they are trusted, they have integrity and that people can believe them because they can demonstrate telling the truth, he said.

One of the attacks on our prime minister is that hes not trusted all the time.

Mr Alexander said he hoped Labor and the Coalition outline a long-term policy agenda during the upcoming election campaign rather than just pork-barelling and political attacks.

I think it will be very close, he said of the election. Id love to see a competition of ideas and vision thats uplifting.

Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.

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Liberal MP: Politicians addicted to buying votes, take spending out of their hands - Sydney Morning Herald