this was written and sent in August of 2005



Dear Mr. Ambassador,
I am writing this letter to you to plead my
case to be able to live and work in the United States. The reason I am
writing you is because I do not qualify for a work visa as I have no
truly unique skills or abilities, I'm just a hard working man who would
like to be able to hang onto a little more of his hard earned paycheque,
nor do Canadians qualify for the green card lottery.
I had the pleasure of being able to spend some time in Minnesota for a
few months earlier this year and was absolutely shocked at the
difference in the cost of living between our 2 nations. The reaons I
want to live in the US are sometimes small but many.
First of all is the price of gas here, that we all know our government
has some control over no matter how much they deny it. We have a larger
oil reserve than Saudi Arabia and yet our gas price has just hit the
equivalent of $4.20/gallon depending on where in Canada you live.
Secondly, a famous American (whose name slips my mind at the moment)
once said,"Taxation without representation is tyranny." I'm sure
you've noticed that Canada is not a true democracy and that our
political leaders act with impugnity because they know there is no
impeachment process to oust them if they are caught with their pants
down so to speak. For example, our current ruling party and PM were
under investigation and parliament wanted to have a vote of no
confidence. To avoid losing the vote, the Liberal party made a 4.9
billion dollar political contribution(from taxpayer funds I might add)
to the NDP(New Democratic Party) for their support in the vote. The NDP
is a highly socialistic party with some nasty communistic leanings. We
no longer have the right to choose which party to financially support.
Also our current PM used to be the owner of Canada Steamship Lines, the
largest Canadian corporation. As the owner he registered all of the
ships under another country's flag to avoid the high taxes in Canada and
yet as Finance Minister under the idiot Chretien and now as our PM has
created a huge budget surplus, and yet, taxes not only keep going up but
new ones are thought of and implemented on a regular basis. Not only
that but the surplus that is there is not being funneled back into the
programs those same taxes are supposed to be paying for. It's amazing
how going from having to pay taxes to living off of those same taxes can
change a persons perspective. Essentially what we have in Canada is a
democratically elected dictatorship. Sure we get to vote for a new
leader every 4 years or so but it's just the same crooks doing the same
business with the same tired merchandise.
As far as a lack of representation goes, a prime example would be at
the end of Chretien's reign of idiocy. He wanted his party to back him
on his idea so he could have his "legacy". Several Liberal MP's did NOT
want to vote in favour because that is what their constituents wanted,
BUT, they were threatened with being replaced if they didn't back
Chretien. Imagine that, they were going to be fired for doing the job
they were elected to do, which is represent the wishes of their
constituents. The other joke is that the Ethics Minister reports
directly and privately to the PM thereby avoiding any real need to worry
about ethics in the first place.
Thirdly, I have lived all over Canada and with the exception of the
City of Edmonton I refuse to drink the tap water anywhere in this
country. And yet I drank more tap water in the almost 3 months I was in
Minnesota than I have in 38 years living in Canada. You have no idea
how nice it is to pour a nice glass of water and NOT see crap floating
in it, to actually be able to taste what fresh, clean water really
tastes like. Which again brings us back to the problem of our gov't
hoarding our tax dollars for their own personal use. The water supply
system in many parts of Canada is quickly reaching a third world state.
Fourthly, the cost of living difference is amazing too. Not only in
the difference in taxes but just in the price of things. Groceries are
much cheaper in the US than here. Cigarettes are about $5.00 a pack
cheaper in the US than here. In St.Cloud MN where I was staying( which
is roughly the same population, if you include the greater St.Cloud
area, as Cambridge Ontario where I live)rent is a lot cheaper. One of
my friends moved to a luxury apartment but was left kind of reeling at
the $899/ month rent. I can tell you that same apartment here in
Cambridge ON would run about $1400 to $1600/month. Another friend of
mine had a job paying $12/hour and he lived quite nicely in the top half
of a duplex. $12/ hour here barely feeds the bulldog, nevermind actually
being able to have a life. Now I know there are many places in the US
where $12/hour doesn't get you much either but there are very few places
left here in Canada where it would anymore.
Another reason is the state of our healthcare, which by the way is
losing medical professionals regularly to the US, because again, even
thought there is a huge budget surplus, they simply can't make as much
here as they can there because of caps on medical fees. This causes a
serious problem because since even just Ontario is so huge there is a
very large gap in the cost of living from city to city. For example,
several years ago an RN received a yearly pay of around $40,000/year.
Now if this RN lived where I do, she could live quite well and have a
nice house or apartment. If this same RN lived in Toronto, $40,000/year
basically gets them a cardboard box under a freeway overpass. And I
know there a quite a few Americans who look north and think how lucky we
are to have free medical care, BUT, you get what you pay for. 15-16
hour waits in the emergency room, third world doctors and seriously
underpaid nurses, some of which, thank God, do the job for the love of
it and not the money.
And quite frankly, the attitude of many of our elected representatives
towards the US disturbs me deeply. Several comments that were made
public about President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq were in very
poor taste and showed a total lack of prossionalism or tact. Chretien's
attitude, words and actions when 9/11 happened were absolutely
disgraceful, especially considering the close relationship our 2
countries have had for a good century now.
All I'm asking for is what everyone else who wants to live in the US
wants, a chance at a better life. A place where a good day's work pays
off for the worker, not the tax man. A country where the electorate is
the boss, not the other way around like here in Canada.
In conclusion I'd like to say that I have NO criminal record, nor have
I ever been charged with anything. I have, over several years gotten
Ontario Provincial Police criminal clearance, Windsor Police and
Waterloo Regional Police criminal clearances as well as Government of
Canada security clearance and even received US customs criminal and
security clearance.
I am a Canadian by birth but not by choice, I would willingly renounce
my Canadian citizenship for the opportunity to make a better life for
myself in the greatest nation on the planet. I lived across the river
from Detroit, in Windsor for 22 of my 38 years and as a result only
really had American TV to watch and thus was imbued with American values
at an early age. May God bless America.

And this didn't get you a visa??

nope..but it DID get me a threatening phone call from our Prime
Minister's office!!!

Remind me to not go to Canada anytime soon, the Gestapo reigns there!!!

Animal... the truth is no one that lives here really want you here...if
so you,d be here... whats wrong with your country anyway...!

if i was still aloowed to cross the border i'd let you hop in the back
of my truck with the speaker box til we got across the river animal,
keep tryin man. they'll loosen the restrictions again but it'll be
awhile. have you tried to get employment(i think you said already but my
mind is shot man). it would be easier i would think.

He needs a sponser dude...but first he needs to at least get into the
country legally...like a student, medical, or vacation
visa...then try getting something more permanent...!

I can enter the US any time I want, I make frequent trips there and
back.

The reason I posted that letter, Ontario, was to show what I wrote and
the response I got..from the CANADIAN gov't. The problem of being able
to stay and work in the US is being worked on right now, so I'm not too
worried about it now.
The fact that the Prime Minister's office called my home and basically
THREATENED me was the point of me posting this letter. What happened
after, is posted in Canadian Curiosity.

As for what is wrong with this country.. did you bother to read the
letter? lol..that's just a small list

See, here is my problem animal!
I dont care how bad the gov. gets!
I aint going nowhere, This is my country and I would die fighting the
Gov. if I have to, but I aint going nowher and if they dont like it they
can kiss my ass!
I am America! and it is that attitude that has brought us the last200
yrs. and by God and Fanta we will be free for another 200!
And if residents of other countrys are so willing to give in and give up
to the man! I aint so sure they are , How do you say,,,,American
Made!!!!Do you understand the attitude???
Its American!!!!

Right on Fanta. I AM CANADIAN. Would I work and pay taxes etc. in the
States. Yes. Would I take dual citizenship. Yes, but my grandfather was
American. My education for a good part was American. Any wonder I think
like an American. But I AM CANADIAN.

Thats what Im talking about and if ever yall need help with the war just
holler!

Don't get me wrong Fanta, if someone attacked my homeland, I'd by
fighting like hell to defend it(unless the US was invading, then I'd
prolly tell 'em the shortcuts to different places lol).
But the fact is, to have the Prime Minister's office call someone's home
is UNHEARD of. They threatened me and to be quite honest, I was
expecting a knock on my door by the RCMP for several days after. What
would you do Fanta, if someone from the President's office took the time
out of their busy day to call YOU personally and threaten you because
you wrote a letter???

Did YOU read the entire letter and its context Fanta? The primary reason
I wanna live in the US is the same as everyone else's. A better quality
of life. Period!

As far as your comment about you not going anywhere and if the gov't
don't like it they can kiss yer ass...That's exactly where I'm going,
nowhere. Can't get anywhere when I'm shelling out almost 50% of my
paycheque in taxes. Tax Freedom day is now Aug.1st. This means that
after 7 months we have a little less deducted from our pay. We still get
hit, just not for quite as much. Then there's the double taxation that
is still unconstitutional but widely practiced. Oh yeah, and the new
health tax that comes off my cheque for my "free" medical care.

I can go to the US and buy Canadian cigs and beer brewed in Canada for
CHEAPER than I can IN Canada.
Besides the previous Conservative gov't was trying to sell off as much
of Canada to the US as it could and I'm sure the current Conservative
gov't will continue the tradition, so all I'm tryin to do is avoid the
rush, once Canada is absorbed.

Public. I AM CANADIAN and DAMN PROUD OF IT. to paraphrase an American
saying "CANADA LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT". There are plenty of Commonwealth
nations you can go to. Rather than rag on this country try be part of
the process to change it.

And if Canada (as in it's politicians) wanted to join the Union the
provisions are already set in American law to allow it to happen without
the Americans having to buy the country. We can join, without majority
vote of the states at any time. Refer to American Articles of
Confederation Art. XI

Sooo!

We accept Mexicans illegal but not Canadians who are willing to go
though the process. How strange.

May it be cause the terrorist Came from Canada? Hardly an excuse for not
allowing a neighbor from the North to enter to be productive citizen.

I got an Appartment for $600.00 per month. I actually almost got one for
$400.00. But the current occupents decided to stay there. How sweet.

well I can sure say I didn't let that fucker into the country Ghost, and
I sure as hell ain't no muslim. I have no problems crossing the border
either, so it's not like I'm a security risk lol
When I was in MN, I made friends with a retired prison guard who gave me
a list of about a dozen companies in the area that hired illegals. Not
ONE of 'em would hire me and the only reason I can assume is I didn't
look Mexican enough lol

Well, they probably figure you might want regular minimum wages, were as
the Mex would work much below minim wage. So that could be a factor.

I see immigrants all the time where I work ( legal ones who apply for a
work permit.)

Still it could be that you have no hardship as most illegals do. Such as
persocution or threat of death do to gov coruption and you don't come
from a too poor of a country to get minority status.

So that's a factor I'm afraid.

yes it is Ghost...and what REALLY gauls me, is Canada doesn't qualify
for the green card lottery either, cuz 50,000 or more "Canadians" have
emigrated to the US in the last 5 years. The fucked up part is, many of
those "Canadians" aren't Canadians, but came here first and THEN to the
US

The immigrants where I work are being trained to do our job so we can
become obsolete. How's that for immigration policy. Come here, learn our
trade, go back to their original county, then close our company up.

Where's Ross Perot? I hear that sucking sound again.

yep, and THIS time it's not our prime minister suckin off your
president.