$200,000 to have this stupid no good, and worthless, politician speak?


are you kidding?!?!? that $200,000 can go towards health care for the needy. I find this really disturbing.

Originally Posted by Infinity

$200,000 to have this stupid no good, and worthless, politician speak?


are you kidding?!?!? that $200,000 can go towards health care for the needy. I find this really disturbing.

Now really. This is just ugh. Can people not understand they are paying whatever amount of money they're paying her because they believe the profit for the charity will be maximized? These people aren't stupid. They've done their calculations and they're going to be trying to maximize the revenue for the charity. So the money isn't exactly going to waste.

Besides technically she's a former politician. Unlike certain CURRENT politicians *coughs* Justin Trudeau *coughs* who demand a pretty penny for their appearance at events for the voters they represent....

One can only hope that this is a comedy charity event and they're getting Sarah Palin for laughs.

I get the 200,000 thing. I do.

But what I don't get is... why not get someone who actually knows what they're talking about?

If Palin barely knows shit all about her own country, how the hell does she have the credentials to comment on ours?

Get someone... I dunno, Canadian to start? Or someone extremely knowledgeable?

Why HER.

Big whoops, she'll get cameras there. I'm sure there are more important things than that.

Originally Posted by arathbon

Now really. This is just ugh. Can people not understand they are paying whatever amount of money they're paying her because they believe the profit for the charity will be maximized? These people aren't stupid. They've done their calculations and they're going to be trying to maximize the revenue for the charity. So the money isn't exactly going to waste.

Besides technically she's a former politician. Unlike certain CURRENT politicians *coughs* Justin Trudeau *coughs* who demand a pretty penny for their appearance at events for the voters they represent....

One of the organizers of the event posted on the Have Your Say section of The Spec, and he said they once paid Michael Douglas $150,000 to speak at a charity event for City Kidz, and the foundation in the end got $150,000.

What is the point? If they are simply expecting to break even - why bother? There are tons of speakers they could probably find for cheaper and they would make more money off them. It just doesn't make any sense.

Why bring someone to a publically funded hospital fundraiser who believes the complete opposite? How could that possibly bring anything other than negative attention? Why would anyone who supports the hospital (a government funded, pro-choice hospital that offers advanced directives which Palin refers to as "death panels") want to listen to anything Palin has to say?

Hamilton is being made into a joke because of this. Google it, read the news stories, and read the comments. How embarassing.

Originally Posted by lmasud

I don't think $200K is too much to pay a speaker, at least not one who's profile is so high at the moment. What I don't agree with is the fact that they are getting someone with a very weak base, and virtually no knowledge of how our system works to speak at an event like this.

The problem with that statement is Palin actually has a very strong fan base and its growing. A couple pools recently had Palin's popularity (46%) at within a few points of Obama's (47%). Her support is not as great in Canada because most Canadians are much more progressive then she is.

I think the thing that is being overlooked is Palin's support comes from the conservative Republican side of the spectrum, which contains two groups in it. The more vocal social conservatives and the more silent majority fiscal conservatives. The second part is who the hospital is trying to attract to the event. The ones with all of the cash that would be willing to listen to her and also donate some money on top of the dinner (I am sure there will be some suits from Toronto coming out after the leafs game). It costs something like 2 or 3 million to buy a MRI machine so the hospital is looking for big donations if they are trying to get some new equipment.

Also people would probably rather pay to listen to somebody controversial rather than some boring guy you have never heard of lecturing about health care, at least with Palin you will probably get to laugh about it after (i think she is a behind the times crazy who I would never vote for), but in some ways i think it would be interesting to listen to her just to hear the crazy.

On a side note, i think Bush gets about 150,000 to speak and Clinton is over 200,000.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

I get the 200,000 thing. I do.

But what I don't get is... why not get someone who actually knows what they're talking about?

If Palin barely knows shit all about her own country, how the hell does she have the credentials to comment on ours?

Get someone... I dunno, Canadian to start? Or someone extremely knowledgeable?

Why HER.

Big whoops, she'll get cameras there. I'm sure there are more important things than that.

thats what im trying to say. sarah palin? you could definitely get someone a lot better. She criticizes our country and our health care yet shes being allowed to have her say on our soil

Originally Posted by Infinity

thats what im trying to say. sarah palin? you could definitely get someone a lot better. She criticizes our country and our health care yet shes being allowed to have her say on our soil

Precisely! It escapes my mind what kind of logic was being used when the person thought of inviting HER to the event ...

Was no other famous person available?

Originally Posted by manaya

Precisely! It escapes my mind what kind of logic was being used when the person thought of inviting HER to the event ...

Was no other famous person available?

Palin is coming in place of Al Pacino, who was originally the celebrity invited for this cause.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/688801

Originally Posted by soomroau

Palin is coming in place of Al Pacino, who was originally the celebrity invited for this cause.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/688801

Something tells me that Al Pacino has more credentials for this event than Palin.

Also, Pacino's got the babe factor going for him.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Something tells me that Al Pacino has more credentials for this event than Palin.

Also, Pacino's got the babe factor going for him.

To that some might reply Palin has her 'hot librarian' factor


LOL ... its not me! just putting it out there =)

but in all seriousness ... al pacino probably does anyway!

I'd rather pay $200 to see her disappear off the face of the planet forever.

Originally Posted by KayakerDan

I'd rather pay $200 to see her disappear off the face of the planet forever.

LMAO!

i agree ... such ignoramuses do indeed deserve nothing more!

Originally Posted by JeffB

I think the thing that is being overlooked is Palin's support comes from the conservative Republican side of the spectrum, which contains two groups in it. The more vocal social conservatives and the more silent majority fiscal conservatives. The second part is who the hospital is trying to attract to the event. The ones with all of the cash that would be willing to listen to her and also donate some money on top of the dinner (I am sure there will be some suits from Toronto coming out after the leafs game). It costs something like 2 or 3 million to buy a MRI machine so the hospital is looking for big donations if they are trying to get some new equipment.

Except her support is only from the social conservatives, not the fiscal conservatives. She might not be bad enough to have them voting Democratic instead, but she certainly isn't someone they would want on the ticket.

I sincerely hope the event does well so that the hospital doesn't lose money from this, but realistically I can't see this being a good move.


To people mentioning her "credentials"/healthcare views: she was quite clearly NOT selected because of either, the fact that they were considering Al Pacino first should clearly show they are just looking for a celebrity. They are pretty much irrelevant in this case. I highly doubt she's going to get up on stage and start criticizing our health care.

I dont have a problem at all with the amount of money being spent on her. What I have a problem with is us allowing such a lying, ignorant, and overall wrong person speaking in front of a group of people who help run one of Canada's most cherished social systems.

This women has lied and fearmongered constantly about how "socialised medicine" will lead to death panels and the automatic killing of mentally handicapped babies. She has repeatedly ignored all hard facts, and used the Canadian health care system as an example of government waste when, through are taxes, canadians pay half as much for virtually the same health coverage as Americans do.

This women has proven time and time again she has no grasp of complex issues. Call it intellectual elitism or not, but Sarah Palin quite simply has no right to even comment on the economics of any health care system. Either she is just plain dumb and can't understand simple numbers, or she is willingly lieing to help out her fellow republicans who are all in the pockets of insurance companies.

As someone who has been following the healthcare debate in the United States closely, the lies and misinformation that have been spread by the right in that country are sickening. Sarah Palin is one of those responsible for the tens of thousands that die every year in the US because of lack of health coverage. She should be given no audience by anyone who believes even remotely in the idea of universal health care.