I got a flyer in mail this week and I'm sure you did too. It's the PQ's pitch for its silly Charter of Values.

Madame Marois is spending $1.9 million of our money on a project that is not a piece of legislation, has not been debated in the legislature, and would not pass even if there was to be a vote on it.

This is nothing but political propaganda.

The Parti Quebecois has set up a government website to receive comments on the charter and so far about 16,000 have come in, but only the government gets to read them.

The PQ won't tell us how many people would be impacted by its ban on certain religious symbols.

So we asked the Quebec Human Rights Commission about this so-called threat to the Quebec way.

Do you know how many complaints the Commission received last year about reasonable accommodation based on religion?

Eight. Approximately.

The Charter of Quebec Values is a smokescreen designed to anger, inflame the public, and give Marois a majority.

It's the economy, Pauline

The business organization the Conseil du Patronat gave a sobering assessment of the real issues facing Quebec this week.

It compared Quebec's economy to those in the three other large provinces.

  • Average salaries in Quebec are 16% lower
  • Productivity in Quebec is 17% lower
  • Private investment is 5.4% lower
  • Public debt is 30% higher
  • The overall grade is an anemic C

The house is on fire and no one in this government is reaching for a hose.

A recession is knocking at our door.

If anyone should be covering their faces in Quebec it should be the PQ government out of shame.

Bixi is a bust

What should we expect from city hall? Safe streets, public security, clean water, public transit.

Basic services. That's it.

Montreal has no business being in the bicycle business.

Our Bixi program is $42 million in debt, and has an operating deficit of $6.5 million.

Its supporters say it's just a cash flow problem. You think?

Someone once had the brilliant idea that Montreal could export its Bixi business around the world to make some money and enhance our international reputation but it didn't quite work out that way.

It's time we did some serious backpedalling and got out of this municipal mess.

Bixi is not viable. If it's such a great idea let a private company take it over.

Lord only knows Montreal has enough problems to worry about.

Hapless App

Finally this week, when do smart phones become dumb phones?

When they get into the hands of language radicals and purists who make sport out of taunting English-speaking Quebecers.

The fire-breathing Anglo-baiting Societé St. Jean Baptiste is sending its vigilantes out with a mobile app to report on the level and quality of French at stores and restaurants.

The information will no doubt be used to launch more complaints.

I don't know about you but "Bonjour, Hi "works fine for me.

Those who complain about language of service really have too much time on their hands.

It's not a huge problem.

If they want an app, Angry Birds would have done just fine.