Pour le mouvement Desjardins, le pouvoir économique n’appartient pas a priori aux détenteurs de l’argent. L’argent ne confère pas le pouvoir… la règle, c’est un homme = une voix, parce qu’un homme en vaut un autre. Chaque citoyen n’a qu’un vote, peu importe sa richesse. Le contrôle démocratique est exercé par les membres en assemblée générale.

Dans une coopérative, les usagers sont tous propriétaires, détenteurs d’une part sociale, remboursable, tandis que dans une banque, les propriétaires sont les actionnaires et non pas les clients.

Dans les coopératives, ce sont les membres qui élisent leurs administrateurs, en assemblée générale. Dans les banques, ce sont les investisseurs qui élisent les membres du conseil d’administration, sur recommendation des hauts gestionnaires. Pour les coopératives, les profits sont distribués à la fin de chaque année financière, versés aux réserves générales ou versés sous forme de ristournes aux membres en proportion de leurs activités d’épargne ou de crédit

Les coopératives font partie du patrimoine national. Une coopérative peut être liquidée, suivant la décision des membres, mais elle ne peut être vendue de gré à gré. En fait, le mouvement Desjardins est une coopérative moderne dans un monde globalisé.

Enfin, il est clair que le mouvement Desjardins, se classe parmi les grandes institutions bancaires dans le monde.

Mario Leclerc
Cornwall, Ontario

I am disappointed by the recent announcement by Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan that the Ontario Government plans to expand gambling in Ontario as a way to balance the budget. The plans include two new casinos, greater access to slot machines, and government-backed Internet gambling.

This is not the responsible way to grow Ontario?s economy and to raise more revenue. The McGuinty Government is trying to balance the province's books on the backs of problem gamblers and their families and the poor who are desperate to make ends meet. This greater access to gambling will increase gambling addiction and the associated mental health and social problems such as anxiety, depression, personal debt, bankruptcy, family breakdown, and high rates of suicide.

The best way to create good jobs is to provide tax credits to businesses that create new jobs, to create value added jobs in the resource sector, and to invest in infrastructure. We also need a balanced approach to balancing the budget. Rather than making reckless cuts to essential public services and betting on gambling, the McGuinty Government should restore the corporate tax rate to the 2010 level, ensure that the rich one per cent pay their fair share of taxes, reduce its reliance on high priced consultants, and cap public sector CEO salaries.

Encouraging more Ontarians to gamble their money away is no way to create good jobs and to balance the budget. We don't need a slot machine economy that preys on the vulnerable.

Brian Lynch
Cornwall, Ontario

I am troubled by the widespread complaints of election fraud to obstruct the electoral process and to suppress the opposition vote in many ridings across Canada in the May 2, 2011 federal election.

Voter suppression by directing opposition voters to non-existent polling stations and harassing opposition voters so that they don?t vote is an unacceptable practice that violates the Canada Elections Act and is illegal. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a $5,000 fine, five years in jail, or both.

We should be encouraging more people to vote in our democracy not discourage them by fraudulent phone calls.

This serious attack on our democratic right to vote requires a full public inquiry to find out who is responsible for this election fraud to prevent people from voting.

People and campaigns responsible for these voter suppression tactics should be held to account and charged accordingly. Otherwise, we will be looking at an even lower voter turnout in the next federal election in 2015.

Brian Lynch
Cornwall, Ontario
President, NDP Federal Riding Association

The general federal corporate income tax rate stood at 28% in 2000. It was cut to 21% under the Liberals, and then cut in stages, from 21% to 15%, under the Conservatives. The most recent cut was from 16,5% to 15%, effective January 1, 2012.

Corporate tax cuts have been very costly for all of us in terms of foregone government revenues. In 2012-13, the federal government expects to collect $33,1 billion in corporate income tax revenues, based on a corporate income tax rate of 15%. If the corporate tax rate was still at 21%, where it was when the Conservatives took office, revenues would be $13 billion higher.

At least, we as taxpayers expect that corporate income tax rate cuts would be re-invested in company operations, boosting economic growth, productivity, and jobs.

However, studies have shown that rising corporate after-tax profits have not resulted in increased real investment. Instead, we have seen a big increase in dividend payouts and in financial assets.

While the effective tax rate has declined significantly since 2000, companies are paying an even large share of their profits out as dividends. In 2010, for every dollar in after-tax profits, 49 cents was paid out directly to shareholders, and the share was even higher in the recession year of 2009. Corporate tax cuts are not supposed to be an end in themselves.

In fact, the Top-10 Corporate Hoarders have collectively accumulated $30.7 billion in extra short and long-term assets between 2000 and 2010, since 2000.

Furthermore, according to Statistics Canada, total corporate cash reserves of private, non-financial corporations grew from $157 billion in the second quarter of 2001, to $477 billion in the second quarter of 2011.

Not surprisingly, the Conservatives plan to reduce federal spending by up to $8 billion by 2014 - taking money from the ordinary citizens to pay for the wealthy. This is Robin Hood turned upside down...

Mario Leclerc
Cornwall, Ontario
Past Federal NDP candidate in SDSG

I am a 60 year old die hard Habs fan so have seen great management in the days of Sam Pollock.

That Gauthier has been allowed to do what he has done and his total lack of communication with us, the fans, is a travesty.

Pierre McGuire would bring along with his incredible knowledge, the passion that we are desperately lacking.

Last night's loss to the Caps reacged it's lowest point when Kabere looked like a lost rookie on their first goal. I turned the tv Off at that moment. Pierre McGuire would make being a fan fun again. Whether he would want the job is a different story, but I think the challenge would intrique him. I'm a huge fan of his. Bring him home!!

Murray Hersh
Dollard des Ormeuax, Quebec