Publisher's welcome:

Lots of spin to untangle with current federal election

By: Ish Theilheimer, Publisher, Straight Goods

  Welcome to the last edition of Straight Goods before the federal election. We're glad and we know our readers will be glad that the crazy season is going to end soon and make room for the silly season.
  This week our focus is all on the election. There are lots of important consumer, health, environment, workplace and social issues - and most of them seem to be getting ignored in the heat of the campaign. So we're going to ignore them too, at least this week.
  Next week we get back to normal, with articles on your health and PPAs, home-schooling versus public education, and whatever goods come over the transom. We promise to get back to saving you money and protecting your rights, two thirds of our mandate.
  Through this brief campaign period, we've felt obliged to concentrate on the "untangling spin" part of Straight Goods' mandate, which is why we're featuring articles this week on health care in Alberta, pollsters, lobbyists, bagmen and other practitioners of the black arts.
  We could argue that by untangling spin surrounding health care and other critical issues of the election campaign, Straight Goods might help save you money too. If we can help slow down the speeding train of health care privatization, that might be true.
  BTW - we haven't featured Rick Mercer's fabulously successful Doris Day petition because we didn't think it needed the help. But our hats are off to Brother Mercer who again has illustrated the old truth that humour is the most deadly weapon. One gag has completely deflated the referendum argument in Canada. Congratulations are due to This Hour. The petition, if you haven't seen it, is at www.22minutes.com.

- Ish Theilheimer
- November 20, 2000

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