There are absolutely no companies from Saskatchewan in the list of the top 250 technology companies based in Canada (except for SaskTel, which has a legal monopoly on telecommunications in the province). Way to go, NDP!

An old story I like to tell: a few years ago, a friend of a friend was trying to start a business that would provide Internet access to Indian reserves on the cheap (this man was Native himself). He rented a room in a hotel in Saskatoon to hold a gathering of interested parties to discuss his plans and give a demonstration. To counter any attempt at private enterprise in the province, SaskTel called the hotel and rented out all the rooms - forcing our story's protagonist to look elsewhere for space to meet at the last second and totally spoiling any chance he had to do anything.

These are the same folks who like to own off-shore corporations so they can funnel any money they make out of the hands of the Saskatchewan taxpayers they continually abuse at every turn.

Remember kids, vote jackass NDP in the next election!

I seriously considered writing this letter and cc:'ing it to the Leader-Post:

Dear Paul Martin:

Great job on yet another example of how oblivious you and every other politician from the East are to Western Canadian concerns.

U2 played concerts in the prairies on both of their last two tours, in Winnipeg in 1997 and two shows in Calgary in 2001. This year, they won't be playing anywhere near the prairie provinces - thanks to you. Instead of letting the market decide, you had to call Bono directly and ask them to play in Ottawa instead, when there are already numerous concerts being played within a 5-hour (or less!) drive from the city. The rest of us here out West will have to drive 16+ hours to see the best band in the world (except for AC/DC, of course) play, meaning most won't see them at all.

Did Ottawa really need that concert? Certainly not any more than we need Ottawa, so please enjoy the show and then promptly fuck right off!

Sincerely,

ME

There is something you can do - sign the petition and bring U2 to Winnipeg. It'll probably be as effective as protesting (hat-tip to all the idiot hippies out there), but you gotta make a statement somehow :)