With the assistance of her spin doctors, Janice MacKinnon has been writing off the increasing number of disenfranchised people and has recently stated:

"The province's unemployment rate of 4.5 per cent in November was considerably lower than the national rate of 6.5 per cent. ...The performance of our economy is a testament to the diversification efforts of our businesses and our people ...Saskatchewan led Canada in economic growth per person over the last decade, leading to the Globe and Mail naming Saskatchewan the Star of the Nineties(1)"

I am going to give you, Honourable MacKinnon, one set of my perceived numbers. And I understand that my numbers are just one perception of our reality, but then which is better, the reality of a spin doctored Star of the Nineties or the reality pictured by a more intelligent common sense. Again, it is my contention that education(2) and common sense(3) are the best ingredients to picture our realities and strive for a better vision of our social conditions, rather than to use selective skills and deception to follow the Star of the Nineties.

One set of my perceived numbers: the Labour Force was 512,3000 in October 2000 and it was 510,800 in November 2000, that is a difference of minus 1,500; Employment was 484,200 in October 2000 and it was 484,800 in November 2000, that is a difference of plus 600; Unemployment was 28,100 in October 2000 and it was 26,000 in November 2000, that is a difference of minus 2,100.

One kind of reasoning would follow the understanding that since in the month of November unemployment decreased by 2,100 people, then out of these 2,100 people, 1,500 people left the Labour Force and 600 people found jobs. The mobility of the Labour Force is the highest among young people and therefore there is a strong indication that most of those 1,500 people who left the Labour Force have left the province as well. Also, I am developing the understanding that Saskatchewan is being undermined by three phenomena, the first phenomenon that our Labour Force is becoming on the average older, the second phenomenon that our ever growing young aboriginal population is increasing the ranks of our unregistered unemployed(4), and the third phenomenon that last year our Saskatchewan population shrank dramatically by 1.9 percent(5).

 These three phenomena of a shrinking older Labour Force, of an increasing number of young aboriginal unregistered unemployed, and of a shrinking population at large while the aboriginal population grows at an unprecedented rate, are our bleak realities. And I am appalled by the continuous trumpeting of our economic growth by Honourable MacKinnon. Instead to rely on the education of our people and on our own resources, MacKinnon continues to mislead us by invoking the senseless appreciation of outside organizations. Last February, MacKinnon supported the continuous economic growth of the province by stating that in accordance to the United Nations, Saskatchewan was the best place to live in the world(6), and today, realizing that the United Nations has its own credibility problem, MacKinnon supports our economic growth saying that the Globe and Mail named Saskatchewan the Star of the Nineties. And, contrary to what the Globe and Mail writes, I am going to say that Janice MacKinnon is our Star of Deception as she has stated that Saskatchewan was the only province to reduce the child poverty rate(7) and as she continues to spin doctor the reality of a world for the few and privileged(8).

I am very appreciative of other people's opinions and therefore, by copy of this article to the department of Economic Development and to the Globe and Mail, I kindly ask to be provided with the relevant documentation supporting the naming of Saskatchewan as the Star of the Nineties.

We will continue to challenge the present paradigm of economic deception, and we will continue to share our common sense and opinions and thus try to make democratic changes, one small step at a time, all the times.

References/endnotes

Relevant political and economics articles http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign

1. NOVEMBER JOB STATS POSITIVE FOR SASKATCHEWAN, News Release, December 1, 2000, Government of Saskatchewan, Economic and Co-operative Development - 783 http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/2000/12/01-783.html

2. The greatest challenge for Saskatchewan: Education and Learning for our troubled children, by Mario deSantis, March 5, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000/desantis132/EduNatives.html

3. The common sense of university professors Richard Gray and Michael Freeman, by Mario deSantis, July 26, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000_200/desantis203/Common_Sense.html

4. Saskatchewan Registered Indians. People registered under the Indian Act living on and off reserve was 74,095 in 1996 (Statistics Canada, Census 1996) and it increased to 90,797 in 2000 (Appendix 1-2000 Covered Population, Saskatchewan Health). The registered Indian population grew by 23% in a span of 4 (four) years. Also, today in year 2000, 27% of the registered Indian population is under 10, while the corresponding percentage for all the population-including registered Indians-is 15%. http://www.statcan.ca:80/english/Pgdb/People/Population/demo37.htm http://www.gov.sk.ca/health/covpop2000/CovPopBook2000.pdf

5. Saskatchewan population. The Saskatchewan population was 1,041,256 in July 1999, and it was 1,021,762 in July 2000 (Covered Population, Saskatchewan Health) http://www.gov.sk.ca/health/covpop2000/CovPopBook2000.pdf

6. Honourable Janice MacKinnon: debating the economic underdevelopment of Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, February 9, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000/desantis113/MacKinnUnderdevelopment.html

7. A message to Honourable Janice MacKinnon: Saskatchewan didn't reduce its child poverty rate between 1989 and 1997, by Mario deSantis, November 21, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000_200/desantis269/childpoverty.html

8. A World for the Few and Privileged in Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, February 18, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000/desantis121/WorldFewPriv.html