Disability Tax Credit Billion Dollar tax scam or media frenzy

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Recent stories in the Toronto Star and CBC imply the DTC is a $5.9 billion cash cow for the disabled – what a whopper that is

Disability Tax Credit is only worth $1,000 and less than 40% of taxpayers who qualify get it (illustration Stephen Pate)

Stories this week in the Toronto Star and on CBC Investigative Reports mislead the public into believing the cost of the Tax Credit is spiraling out of control at $5.9 billion annually.

The truth that the DTC costs taxpayers $415 million, 7% of the CBC report. Neither media would correct their stories.

Less than 40% of Canadians with disabilities who qualify are able to get past the gate keepers at the Canada Revenue Agency.

See - Dispelling the myths about controversial Disability Tax Credit

The CBC and Star purport to be running an expose of National Benefit Authority, a company which helps the disabled get their deductions. More about that later.

Both stories are full of whopping distortions. We emailed the reporters with the facts but they did not correct their stories. Continue reading →

CRA and CBC join attack on disability benefit company

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Printing half the story, CBC slams National Benefit Authority for helping Canadians with disabilities

CBC story attacks NBA who help Canadians with disabilities get their tax deductions (photo CBC)

The CBC is attacking a company that helps people with disabilities prepare their tax returns properly.

The story is rife with half-truths, innuendo and bias. CBC does not put the story in context of the 1 million Canadians who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit but don’t get it. Continue reading →

The obscenity of CBC turkey drives

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Phony annual charity drive illustrates how little has been done to reduce poverty

Merry Christmas from CBC, sorry you're life is not so merry

Nothing is more obscene than the pampered people at CBC with their annual do-gooder turkey drive. CBC wastes it’s considerable resources attacking the wrong end of the stick.

Do they think one turkey at Christmas will alleviate the crushing weight of poverty or is this all just another WKRP radio station publicity stunt?

If the folks at CBC really carried about Christmas and the message of Christ, they would use their considerable resources to report stories about the reality of PEI’s poverty problem.

A short stint of real reporting at CBC would inform the public and embarrass the government into fixing the problem once and for all.

Dr. Robert Coull wrote that charity drives make him angry. “The need for charity is something that makes me very angry. It reminds me that our society is unjust. The poor continue to be poor, while the rich get richer. Rich people ‘feeling good’ about giving a few dollars or a few hours of their time to the ‘deserving poor’ is something I would love to see the end of.” Continue reading →

Michael J. Fox plays up disability in Good Wife

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Alex Keaton of Family Ties meets Parkinson’s disease portrayed as cunning person with disability

Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning, the cunning lawyer on the Good Wife

In a guest role on the CBS program “The Good Wife”, Michael J. Fox plays a lawyer who lets his Parkinson’s-like condition go unchecked by medicine on purpose. Hollywood stops short of calling it a disability – its a “condition”.

Louis Canning is a very clever use of disability in a television program.

When in court, Fox slyly uses his uncontrolled muscle movements and shaking to build sympathy for his client, a large pharmaceutical company. Rumor has it he goes off his medication on purpose when he wants to show the effects of Parkinson’s.

It’s startling to watch since the usually Hollywood portrayal of people with disabilities is negative or neutral. You know the person in the wheelchair with a bad attitude toward life, the blind person who can hear things we can’t or the person in the wheelchair who appears totally able but assumes a wheelchair role (aka faking it). Sometimes people with disabilities do roles that could be played by a lamp. They are in the scene for background only.
Continue reading →

MSNBC host suspended indefinitely for political donations

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Keith Olbermann suspended indefinitely for donations to Democratic candidates

MSNBC host Olberman breached journalistic ethics guidelines (photo Washington Post)

The Washington Post reported this statement from Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC:

“I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.”

MSNBC has a strict policy of no political donations for journalists reporting on politics.

Policies vary by news organizations. Time, Fox, US News and World Report allow it.

US News and World Report is reviewing its policy for potential conflicts of interest.

Reuters allows donations but not for political journalists.

Newsweek, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and the New York Times forbid political donations from their journalists.

With stories from The Washington Post and MSNBC.

At The White House Celebrating the Music of Paul McCartney

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Stephen Pate

McCartney won the The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

PBS is kindly streaming the whole show. I used the YouTube here because PBS isn’t compatible with Apple.

With Stevie Wonder, Jack Black, Faith Hill, Dave Grohl, Jonas Brothers, EmmyLou Harris and lots of great artists. Instead of sleeping this is what I watched at 3 am last night. Awesome concert. PBS video follows the break.
Continue reading →

Amazing Chilean mine rescue played out on TV

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Never before seen on television says Larry King of CNN

image CNN

We stayed up until 2 am last night to watch the first two miners rescued from 2,000 feet underground.

The whole world is watching the rescue on TV, their cell phones, and on the internet.

The new president of Chile Sebastián Piñera appears to be an genuine human and not the typical posturing politician. He is swept up in the emotion of the moments like all of us.

The CNN live link is here.

The television coverage is first class as it should be. The telegenic President of Chile owns the network. He is also a billionaire and one of Chile’s richest men.

As I write this post, the 12th miner has reached the desert plateau, saved from the depths of hell in the mine.

He hugs his family, fellow workers, the President of Chile and other officials and dignitaries at the mine rescue site. Continue reading →

Google TV is almost here

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Set-top box will blur computers and TV in the living room

Story updated since 5 AM.

ABC video.

The Sony handheld controller for Google TV is set to launch on October 12th and promises to revolutionize television. Other than a controller, will Google TV be free? Will they drive us crazy with even more ads?

After the break? More video of course.
Continue reading →

Americans getting more news from Internet

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Stephen Pate

TV still tops with radio and newspapers below online / mobile news

Pew Research says Americans are spending more time catching up on the news but not from newspapers or radio.

TV tops where people got news yesterday. 58% said they watched TV news down 10% from 20 years ago.

Web and mobile are the second most popular source. 44% of people spent time yesterday getting news on their cell phones or on the internet.

Direct internet traffic is now at 34%, up 10% over the past 6 years.

The radio ties internet news at 34% down from 54%.

Newspapers, once the #2 source of news twenty years ago have fallen to only 31% of people.

This trend continues from the study two years ago and was conducted between June 8 and 28, 2010.
Continue reading →

Sir Paul McCartney performs at White House

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Winning George Gershwin Prize and charming everyone

There is some amazing television this summer on PBS. Last night’s performance at the White House featuring Paul McCartney was one of the best.

Dave Grohl singing Band on the Run (the intro is weak but wait until Dave starts rocking!)

As a Canadian I keep asking myself: why can’t our public broadcaster give us more quality programming like PBS?

McCartney was receiving the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and performed many of his hits, along with musical friends Dave Grohl, Jack White, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, EmmyLou Harris and others. You have to sing for your supper when at the White House apparently.
Continue reading →

Vancouver police abuse disabled woman

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Stephen Pate

What’s worse, the cop who pushes Sandy to the ground once or Canadian society keeps her on the ground for her whole life?

In June a woman with a disability was pushed to the street in Vancouver by a police officer. He walked away without helping her up.

While the Vancouver police department claims the incident was under investigation, the officers are still on the beat. We expect some official response that exonerates the officers will appear many months from now.

It’s clear from the video the woman has a disability. She has Cerebral Palsy (CP) which gives her a distinct walking pattern and affects her speech. She may sound intoxicated however anyone who has experience with CP can easily spot the symptoms. Continue reading →