Failing Forward

Abby, 

I am looking to put the past behind me.  I wrote this for you, Brad and the girls. Brad encouraged me to share it with others...

  

2012 was not a good business year. 

 Three of my businesses were struggling. Our tire recycling facility had a fire and we were not able to recover. We closed the business down.   Our Oil Filter recycling facility lost its major client; other ventures did not work out.  Towards the end of 2012, my brother (operations) and I (office side) came back to our machine shop and had the unfortunate experience of seeing firsthand the negative affects our absence. Our employees and management did fantastic, but circumstances beyond their control had all three businesses close to bankruptcy.  Our core business, B&R Custom Machining Ltd had to lay off five employees towards Christmas of 2012; a culmination to the year I dreadfully regretted.   

Personally, I was in very rough shape.  Being the “CEO” behind 2 company closures and near bankruptcy certainly took a toll on me.  Louder than the “failed dreams”…and the consequent fallout was the reverberating voice of how deeply I made a mess of things.  Battling my thoughts became as much of a problem as the “mess” that lingered from the 2 failed businesses.  I deemed it an accomplishment if I could get 3 hours of sleep at night.  Drinking became a catch 22…if I did not drink, I was consumed with the pressures of business and did not sleep.  If I did drink, I went to sleep but knew this was a band-aid at best.  In the back drop, was the realization that my 3 (now 4) beautiful daughters and precious wife were getting a battered, beaten down man.  Trying not to be a zombie at B&R, I was drubbed with “feedback”, results, observations and conflicts all suggesting our machine shop was not in good shape.  My mind was not clear and our shop was not in a position to make massive investments to magically fix anything. I did not know what to do. The only thing that was clear to me was how much of a failure I was.

Confronting reality:

I felt like I was 8 years old all over again being sent to my disastrous room to clean.  I was paralyzed and did not know how or where to start. I knew the pain, pressure and stress of confronting reality was more honorable then throwing in the towel, but I did not know how to stay in the game.   If there was one undercurrent that I believe carried me when I laid in paralysis was a thread buried in my head from childhood. My Dad must have told me 10,000 times, “NEVER GIVE UP!” Somehow, I think it was destiny that those 10,000 times were instilled in me, arguably prophetically, for such a time as this.  

Back at B&R Custom full time by end of 2012, I said with shortness of breath, “Brad, if we don’t work 80 hours per week, we are in jeopardy of going bankrupt.”   With no time to lament his brilliance of operations gone bad at the hands of circumstances out of his reach, he agreed to those hours and so began “phase 1”…no investment, just work.  With Bradley working like an animal, me trying to improve matter after matter…and our remaining employees focused and determined, our cashflow eventually stabilized.  Once stable, I rounded up the remaining employees and shared with them explicit details about our other business failings and declared my a fanatical focus to improve B&R, little by little, bit by bit. Some employees left. I don’t blame them.  With the support of several family and friends, I tried my best to confront reality and change.

My value is fixed, and forever high.

As mentioned, the stream of “here’s what’s wrong with you and the company that you are the boss of” became so overwhelming that my embarrassment and shame rose to such an extent that I could not handle it anymore.  My performance (or lack thereof) was tied to my identity and value. I saw my value through an almost pontifical paradigm initiating a daily fight to prove to myself I am important to those around me.  When the businesses came crashing down, along with the ensuing barrage of things I am doing wrong, my state of restlessness overcame my senses due to the obvious threat “failure” had on my identity.  I was a mess. It was hard for me when loved ones told me they are concerned for me.  I tried to be strong, but my eyes deceived nobody who knew me.  I remember crying out to God, “If you want a disciple to represent your name, I ask you pass on me for my failures have overtaken me”.   It was in this restless moment that I received deep understanding of Romans 5: we are justified by what Jesus did on the cross: His shed blood for the remissions of our sins and his broken body…for our healing.  Justified and righteous only by the accomplished work of Jesus.  A great decision I made was to receive God’s gift of righteousness.  I felt 10 tons of weight lift off of me.  The joy that I am loved and accepted in spite of my performance (whether good or bad) became real to my heart and a joy to my soul.  When assent to scriptures is overrun by conviction of scriptures; I was free indeed from the torment of failure.  If my performance earned the favor or love of God, His gift would cease to be grace.  I can and will receive God’s unearned favor, regardless of my performance. 

Re-entering work, with my value fixed and high:

When the same problems that drove my despair resurfaced (weight of failed businesses, work problems, fallout from 2 failed businesses, challenges of the remaining business, ect), I re-entered those problems with an entirely contrarian perspective: rest.  I entered the problems repeating to myself, “This problem does not alter my value. Lord, help me with this problem for I lack the wisdom”. To expose my weakness (when the leader is to have the answer) was freeing!  Thanking the person for the feedback was tough…but I did it without any sense this was tied to my value.  My stress levels were alleviated and my sleep improved.  I am convinced that my performance is irrelevant to my value.  Therefore, when I perform, it is out of a revelation that my value is untouchable, so I am passionate about focusing on the problem…without letting “me” get in the way.  My internal response to problems/conflicts/issues went from: “The leader that failed…” to, “Thank you for the input, I look forward to solving this with you”. 

2013: Investments

Beaten down, but not out of the game, our team decided to focus on “getting better at what we are doing”. No more new businesses. Simply focus and get better at what you are doing.  By laser beam focusing on getting better, B&R was confronted with several areas we needed to invest in.  We made those investments and saw surprisingly strong returns.  We saw the culture of our shop change.  In was later in 2013 that I revealed to all the employees, “B&R will be seeking to refine its focus. We will be moving to ‘High Demand, Low Supply’ work."  This was quite the goal for a recovering machine shop, but our team’s laser beam focus and mindset of continual improvement seemed to have laid the groundwork for a miracle.

2014—the year of execution: in the context of rest and thankfulness.

 We won several contracts of complex components and received approval for some incredibly involved programs that only years ago we could only dream doing.  B&R has executed several projects and is currently working on a titanium program that will launch to Mars.  Today, 90% of our work is now Aerospace and our work backlog is 5 times greater than 2 years past. Somehow, B&R made very serious investments in world-class 5-axis machining and are pouring all human capital into quality parts that meets our prints.  I am constantly thankful for the ‘lifeline’ we were given and have still not wrapped my head around how B&R is currently thriving.  I am thankful that we have been able to change enough to stay in business, and stay relevant. 

Several Parts manufactured by B&R Custom Machining Ltd. will be on the ExoMars Rover.

Looking forward personally:

I echo what has been said many times: “I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”  I rest in the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross. I receive His abundant grace that has empowered a callous heart to soften…and I believe more change is on the way!  I rest in the conviction that my performance is not tied to my value; a freeing revelation that has lifted the now impervious weights.  I am claiming I am getting better each day: little by little, bit by bit. I am working on healthy eating, greatly curtailed drinking and increased exercise.  I desire to intimately understand my family is a cherished gift and allow my time with each of them to reflect this. I desire to respond in love (with my time, talents and treasure) to my local church who so overwhelmingly loved on me during a period I was convinced I was nothing more than a drag and nuisance.  Little else brings peace and fulfillment like “love responding to love”.

Looking Forward in Business:

My intention is to “put the rough years behind me”, while taking the tough lessons with me.  This will set me up to best focus on the future without the encumbered past possibly de-railing me or our team.

I desire to confront my leadership role with the knowledge it is a privilege to serve, not an entitled right.  This realization causes “weight” of responsibility that I am keeping separate from my value, so that in “worldly success or failure” I operate from the understanding my value is fixed and high and can therefore maintain an attitude of thankfulness and remain teachable.  I am seeking to compartmentalize my various roles and ‘hard-wire’ communication structures surrounding my responsibilities so that I may better own the results I am expected to achieve.  B&R’s objective for 2015 is quite clear and absurdly simple: success through the basics. My message to family and employees is one: we are looking to both keep and grow on the ground we have gained; little by little, bit by bit. 

Why Manufacturing Wages Are Shrinking; And What To Do About It

My father asked me recently "Why are manufacturing wages getting lower and lower as time goes on?"

My Response:

On the aggregate (exceptions exist), wages are decreasing in manufacturing for 4 reasons:

#1. Workers are rarely responsible for their results. Unlike a salesman who starves if he does not sell, the culture of the manufacturing worker is that they are entitled to their paycheck for showing up and putting their time in.  This results in a "I did my job, where is my money?" paradigm against an often unspoken reality from the one with capital: your productivity was insufficient for your wage increase. Owners/workers have poorly bridged this gap (for many reasons not applicable to this response).

#2. The rate at which a man's skills and productivity increases is accumulated at a far slower pace than the market demands; either through foreign competition, domestic competition or innovation. Consequently, the one with capital needs to redirect their capital to more efficient means with better returns.

#3. Manufacturing companies are investing in technology advances that rely on machines to construct solutions to problems and creation of widgets, thus the blue collar worker is moving from a "producer of goods" to an observer...or more politely, an "operator".  The generator of wealth has become the machine, or operation line...not the man...almost a second (more subtle) industrial revolution.  Manufacturing is joining the "knowledge economy" and the worker is being mostly left out.

#4. Owners of capital are increasingly viewing (manufacturing) workers more as a risk and less of an asset. Certainly still an asset, but increasingly a risk.  Some risks to sustainable profits can be: injury/union/pension/lawsuits/health benefits/entitlements of profits, without any worker exposure to any loss...to name a few.  All these "risks" seek to make a withdraw from a corporation and therefore capital shies away from such risks where possible, in so doing places downward pressure on wages. Serious technological investments in machinery has no risk of union/pension/health/entitlements/lawsuits...in fact, they exist only to increase your profits.  The machine will continue to replace the man thus manufacturing may not 'shrink', but the wages will as machines continue to pluck more skills from the men who once operated them.

The bottom line: wages are suppressed in manufacturing because capital is efficient and is looking for less risk and better returns. In seeking this out, it has found that innovation and technology replace the need for a less efficient and often more problematic man. The government tries to remedy this by throwing money into often hideous programs.

I thanked him for asking the question.

Here are some solutions that would put upward pressure on wages:

1.       B&R declared we would be a “high demand, low supply shop”. Achieving this goal has allowed us to take on some pretty incredibly challenging projects where a team is called to higher and higher standards simply to figure manufacturing out. This puts upward pressure on wages due to the complexity of thought involved in our production on highly capable machines .  To increase wages is to increase complexity of work and provide a culture that welcomes problem solvers…not just operators.  

2.       Increase wages through strategic investments in innovation that empowers intelligent employees, not replaces them.  This makes the worker and company more efficient, creating a higher demand for their services, thus higher pay. 

3.       A corporation needs to embrace change and employ a culture of taking responsibility.  By leadership being responsible for change, improvement, and advancement, it can then place healthy change requests on employees.  This promotes a “we are in this together” attitude. This counters entitlement attitudes from an employer or an employee. And quite frankly, there are few entitlement behaviors tolerated in manufacturing.  Those who dispute this get sacked off their high horse fairly quickly.  (Not withstanding government subsidies.)

4.       Less government intervention. More personal responsibility. This would create a breakthrough of increased wages through higher corporate profits and greater demand for services.   The ironic tragedy of government intervention is that they often realize the opposite results that their interventionism champions.

My Question To You:   Why do you think manufacturing wages are going down? What can be done?

Hudak Asks Us To Take Heed, The Liberals Demand The Fat Of Rams

Those who demand the fruit of others effort must be awfully happy their chief care-givers are poised to win another election.  Even more thrilling is allowed ignorance that bonds will sell and we can simply rack up the debt. Sadly, Liberals use duplicitous words like "investment" which is code for "higher debt to GDP ratio"...and or for those who are not economically inclined: "we are turning into Greece".  The purpose of this note is to communicate the unintended consequences of voting Liberal.  Since I recognize a direct blog from a non-influential blogger has limited to no sway, I will take the angle of a business owner who is fighting for his (and his employees) better future, and is exasperated at the absurd degree of ignorance on economics with the vast majority of liberal voters (especially on twitter, where most are thankful their rants are capped at an entire 140 characters)

1.     The best predictor of the future patterns and habits can often be determined by past behavior.  

Therefore, "mistakes" will continue to be the quoted vibrato of an actual "scandal" right from liberal mouths.  If I tried 1/10 of the corrupt, dishonest behavior of the Liberals, I would be fired and instantly be forced to lay off 25 people...let alone broadcasting my lack of integrity with the catch phrase "mistakes".  Owning up is: 1. being honest. 2. Articulating the problem(s) 3. Giving real solutions and root cause and 4. demonstrating over time how you changed. Any other approach is playing Russian roulette (obviously politics excluded).  Furthermore, on the topic of words; Ms. Wynne says about the gas plant scandal, "I take full responsibility...". Ya, right. In the real world, when I take full responsibility I absorb the FULL COST of my mistake. (Creates a real incentive to fix my mistake, let me tell you...).  Did she write a cheque for 1.1 billion over the gas plant scandal? So ya, she did NOT take "full responsibility". Expect this pattern to continue: corrupt politics through bad judgments with inept leaders resulting in debt and pain for those they touch...with NO accountability..   In politics, you get to use bull crap words to sorta speak your mind. Hey Ontario, you are stamping this pattern of behavior. I predict: more scandals. More shifting of blame.  More "code words" to obfuscate how your tax dollars turned into waste.

2. Selfishness and coveting are at the root of the Liberal vote.  

They want what you earned. Period.  They get it legally through changing laws.  The selfish extractors of your wealth do this by IGNORING scandals, corrupt politics and incompetent leaders and place higher weight on taking your money.  When you run out of money: no problem...that's what the debt is for.  From $130 billion when they came in...to $290 billion where we stand now...you have an EXCELLENT predictor of the future based on past behavior. Look to Greece and the Liberals for a legitimate prediction of the future.  Ontario will not give up its "right" to suck off the government without a fight. In Greece it took riots...and they still lost. You think a soft spoken Tim Hudak is going to arrest a populate bent of wanting what others earned?  I predict: taxes, debt and laws will be instruments in the next 4 years for the emboldened Liberals to pillage wealth and further destroy Ontario.  I predict a solid: $340 billion of debt by 2018.  We will be damaged from another term. They do not have the skills or knowledge to stop this train-wreck and the Ontario voters FAILED to see this coming.  Hold me accountable to this. It's in print. Please note, I also predict endless excuses as to why it's all happening and not their fault.. I also predict they will not anticipate a ballooning debt and deteriorating manufacturing industry, but react when it does...as though they knew it all along: all part of the ebb and flow of our great province. Ontario, you are warned. We are opening the door to Greece like damage. The other provinces will bail us out to a degree, but not at the rate the carnage is occurring.  The basis of this business point is clear and it points to why manufacturing has suffered in this province. In the real world, "innovation", "results", "change", "accountability" are vital attitudes for survival and growth. Improving your service is critical to reduce cost and maintain profits.  These realities are exempt with liberal voters and politics: twitter says so. Since many fail to grasp this concept, they are left voting based on the absence of this work-ethic and can therefore "vote in" a government that stylistically adheres to a deplorable view of how the economy ought to work. Once the ability for Ontario to borrow balloon’s; suddenly Ontario will get very mad.   

3. Consequences are for idiots.  If you are a voter and somehow think voting Liberal is bad, then you are failing to live in the moment, man.  What is $290 billion of debt, anyway?

When Wynne says "investment" do you hear her say, "by the way, this investment costs money and it will be paid for by higher debt"? Not a chance. You would be an idiot for thinking of consequences. It's all about priorities for you...and then more debt for your kids: you selfish voter. In business, you get your butt royally kicked when you do not take present choices into consideration when thinking of the future  (I learned the hard way).  In politics if you vote for a social welfare group that ignores debt and makes fun of the fiscally conservative, eventually things will get ugly ($290 billion AND GROWING!)  I predict VERY hard choices within 6 years from now. Draconian cuts will happen. Manufacturing will continue to erode.  Our level of debt to GDP will continue to increase as Ontario cannot sustain this rate of spending without damage to our credit, capacity to borrow and/or interest rates.  The Liberals are in bed with Unions so the cards have been played, and the Liberals “plan” is a major bluffing session. The course is set: scandals, blame, hiding, spending and taxing are the established future patterns.  Try those themes in business, or your family and see how you do.  Why do we make exceptions for politics? 

Ontario, a Liberal vote will eventually result in a series of denigrating downgrades to our most systemic pillars holding up our once great province.  Today, bonds will sell.  However, 4 years from now it won't be Tim Hudak "scaring" Ontario with 100 000 responsible layoffs over time...it will be unsold bonds, higher interest rates and forced layoffs...and the evil corporations will not be there to bail you out. It's in the cards; the ground work has been proposed and Ontario is about to give the Liberals a stamp of approval. Business has given us the clues as to what will happen in the future political realm with this continued Liberal philosophy.  Please consider it is better to take heed then the fat of rams.   

*forgive me in advance for any spelling/grammar errors*

Liberal Debt And Twitter Truthers

I dedicate this entry to all the Liberal-twitter-philosopher-economists who seem to be able to codify their truth telling in a mere 140 characters.

The prevailing trend of rampant Liberal logic appears to be a fairly simple method:  feeling + thought = truth.

The problem with this liberal method is most notable when a debate tries to get framed beyond the simplicity of a single thought and a vivacious feeling (however real that feeling is).

Look no further then the comedic response Liberals give to Hudak for his heartless, reckless economy killing 100 000 public service cuts.  I give credit for some very creative entries...but the common theme seems to be that there is some truth that others need to know because this Liberal had a thought that responded to their feeling.

I challenge liberals to articulate their argument to incorporate the elephant in the room: Ontario's debt.

Taken from the governments website, please note the debt has increased over 1 billion dollars per MONTH over the past 10 years!!! 

Here is the logical equivalent to the 100 000 stadium pic:

By failing to take the debt into consideration when deliberating the cuts being proposed, you deny the most basic aspect of voter due-diligence.  Do you confess you are ignoring this because you are selfish and think the next generation ought to pay for your spending addiction?


Please consider:

1. $290 billion of debt is a bad thing. Something needs to change and fast.
2. To not look foolish, we must put the interest paid on debt as the same weighted negative force as lost income to an Ontario worker.  I.E 1 cut government salary $50 000 (give or take) = $50 000 (approx.) of interest on debt.  Why do you decry the job cut, but not the corresponding lost wealth due to money going to bondholders in the form of interest?
3.  The government worker can find another job in the real-life economy; that offset's the initial job loss.  The only way to "offset" the interest payments is to pay the principal down.
4. Unless there is a major shift in government thinking, what is the best predictor of future behavior? The past. Tell me, how are the Liberals doing on this one?  For a simple clue, look at the debt chart above in relation to stated positions that Liberals plan to make no drastic changes to future spending behavior.
5. Given we can predict that future debt levels will likely rise at the same rate as the past 10 years, have you done the math to see what these "liberal values" will result in 10 years from now?  Approx. $430 billion in debt.  BTW, this would be about the same scenario as Greece...you know, the place of draconian slashing of services...and massive cuts FORCED ON THEM? (Not even riots could stop it!) Keep er' going Liberals, almost there.
6. Do you want a little pain now by choice? Or several stadiums of pain forced on us later?


I submit for consideration, as soon as we frame any debate about cuts on the reasonable grounds of "out of control debt" the Liberals are in trouble. They must scream for more spending and continue to avoid topics of government waste and lack of productivity.  This sickness (blindness) will allow them to continue to create funny pics on twitter making fun of those who are a little more grounded in reality and aware of our balance sheet. Until then...keep chirping, Liberals.

Conservatives, pass this on to help others frame the debate and put pressure where it belongs; on the reckless and blind spending addiction of the Liberals.

Mr. Hudak Visits Our Home

For a short hour, my home turned into a dog and pony show starring Tim Hudak.

 Interestingly enough, it was off-camera that was most fascinating.

Details of when the cameras were rolling;  http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4523020-hudak-touts-income-tax-cuts-at-breslau-stop/

I intend to offer an analysis on my time with Mr. Hudak for the purpose of informing Ontario voters what it is like to engage with him.

My bias:

I am an owner of an Aerospace machine shop.  My job as CEO in a 25 employee company is to soak in as much data as possible then make sound and accurate judgments for the purpose of better serving clients and employees. Increased profits/wages and productivity is my means of survival (especially coming off of 2 very challenging years in which a few ventures that did not work out). 

Contray to @WendyGoodes suggestion -that the free Kobo bought our vote- please note: ever since I was 13 years old and witnessed the horror or Bob Rae, I have had disdain for socialism and appreciation for the free market.  I have only ever voted conservative.  With this being said, the Kobo did however make my wife smile (therefore made me smile). Several of my blogs are quite hard on the conservatives. My bias is “free market is good, family is good and (any aspect of) socialism is bad”.  Of note, this entry is of my own initiative and has not been edited by the PC party and therefore may not reflect their views.

Guts of my time when the cameras were off:

1. Tim made excellent eye contact, had a firm handshake and his smile was genuine.

2. My wife said she felt quite comfortable with his mannerisms; they were confident, yet humble and respectful knowing he is in our home.

3. His interaction with our children was natural and affectionate.  He seemed relaxed and engaged. I got the sense he was glad to "be himself" with my kids.

4. When my daughter went to hug him, Tim hugged Alexis like she was his own.  This surprised me a bit as I did not expect Tim to be so engaged "off the camera".  Alexis is a hug-giver, and it seems Tim is too.  You may have observed the photo above, Brent Davis from the record captioned Alexis being very relaxed and “un-fazed” by the attention.  I submit I can show you why she was so relaxed.  When the media was not in our home, Tim was able to connect with my daughter(s) and make her jitters calm down (seen in pic below)

5. Tim asked questions...and surprisingly to me...he asked follow up questions.  His interest was authentic.

6. His tone and personality was the same regardless if the cameras were on or off. I have been told that I speak to customers the same way as I do suppliers and employees.  I explain it is easier to live life this way.  I believe Tim agrees with this mindset. When you see Tim on camera, you are getting the "real Tim".  

7. He is astute, smart and flows with conversation very well; he adapts to topics and can reference multiple data points in a short time.  

Here is what surprised me the most:

I observed compassion is at the center of his plan for Ontario; contrary to twitter and a good portion of the media.   

When the cameras were off (afterwards), and we left the sofa, I asked to speak plainly with him.  He said, "no problem".  I said, "I read your platform and I believe it seems you made a concerted effort to demonstrate compassion to each Ontarian.”  His response floored me.  His body language spoke volumes. His head swiveled directly to mine and his arm came in front of his body, as if to express a pause or halt in our walking direction (or at minimum a flow in our conversation). Tim leaned in and said with an expression of inquisition, "You got that from reading the plan? How did you see that?”

I said, “Certainly I did. Your plan speaks about leaving no Ontarians behind; you seem to have a passion for increased wages through increased skills in Ontario. You speak of improving education, particularly in math. Your desire for lower taxes appears to stem from a respect for Ontarians hard work. The plan comes across as frustrated with 290 billion of debt.  Out of that frustration, it seems you seek to control that by eliminating a deficit and making government services more efficient. You tie that deficit elimination and improved efficiency of government services to giving Ontario hope. Tim, compassion is rooted in action and it appears your plan sees the action required to help improve Ontario”.

He looked at me square in the eyes and said, “You captured the essence of what we are trying for”…and shook my hand. 

I then made another comment.  “You are accused of not having compassion.”

I then proceeded to make an argument to Tim, I said:

“Kathleen Wynn is going nuts that you are hurting the economy by giving 100 000 public sector employees their pink slips.  What appears to be missing from her analysis is that the government is large, some portions lethargic and there is unproductive employees who could better release their skills elsewhere. People like to be productive and contribute. If they are not being productive and contributing, the most loving and compassionate thing you can do is release them into the job market where they can be productive. By her criticizing you for allegedly pushing the fragile economy into recession through the proposed layoffs, she is accusing those 100 000 people of being unable to find suitable jobs at good pay within the free market (for if each one found an equal paying job…the net loss to the economy is obviously $0.) I find this to be a devaluing accusation by Kathleen towards those 100 000 people.  Is she admitting they have low skills not needed in the free market, therefore the economy will contract and recession ensues?   It seems the argument for lacking compassion should be directed towards Kathleen Waynn in failing to serve Ontario with efficient services. She is also failing any unproductive civil servant  by refusing to release them into a more efficient work environment. The notion that “the left” has the corner on compassion is illogical and weak. There is nothing compassionate about doubling our provincial debt to 290 billion and having the nerve to call that “investments”.  Tim, by simply acknowledging the debt exists and is a problem that should be fixed…you are marked by the left as reckless and heartless.” 

I will not give Mr. Hudak’s response to this but I will say he agreed that the left does not have the corner on compassion.

I have observed that Mr. Hudak’s passion and bold plan stems from his love for Ontario’s families. It is evident in his eyes, observable in his plan and consistent with how he related to my children.  His heart is great. His plan is open to scrutiny. Just because a conservative views compassion differently than the left, it does not follow that conservative’s lack compassion: it simply means he is choosing to show it differently.  Mr. Hudak’s plan is compassionate because it upholds the family through:

1.    Tackling debt by getting it under control

2.    Improving education standards through increased accountability

3.    Improving wages through developing skilled trades and lowering red tape

4.    Making government more efficient (civil servants, hydro rates)

5.    Valuing time of families by reducing gridlock in the GTA

6.    Lowering taxes—motivated by respect for hard work and families spending where they see fit

7.    Eliminating red-tape, allowing business to flourish and releasing government to do what it does best.

8.    Recognizing the foolishness of skyrocketing hydro rates and how so many behind that mess make over 100k/year (in the real world if you make 100k, you create value…not destroy it by charging more).

Keep in mind when you see tweets or left wing media making fun of Tim’s economic plan (or my daughter for simply existing within 5 feet of him),

 just remember, it is unlikely they have rolled up their sleeves and taken risk to build a business or hire people.  It is unlikely their risk took a turn for the worst and money was lost…and they are fighting to get their business back on track and keep people employed.  For if they had, they would rally behind debt control, tax savings and re-directing and streamlining unproductive civil servants (or unproductive systems) in the public sector. It is therefore fair to surmise many of these low-information tweets echo the same ignorance of Kathleen Wynne when it comes to building the economy.  Strengthening the family is the most compassionate action any politician can facilitate to grow the economy. 

Mr. Hudak, before meeting you, I intellectually stood with you.  After seeing the consistency of how you speak to the media, constructed your million jobs plan and related to myself, wife and children… my heart now stands with you.

Readers, let’s articulate a message of hope for Ontario’s families, business and economy.  Some of Mr. Hudak’s vision and passion rubbed off on me and I truly hope…a bit rubbed off on you.  Let’s get passionate about a better Ontario; if this entry finds favor, please share it and let’s start a conversation!