Sure you have been following the goings-on across our Northern border, and know that it is once again National Election Season in Canada. Seems a confidence vote didn’t go in favor of sitting Prime Minister Stephen Harper or his entire Conservative Party.

So, as is custom in a parliamentary system, the ‘no confidence’ vote resulted in a national election being called. This one will be on May 2.

What is funny here (well, not that funny) is just how American Canadian voters have become. Perhaps even worse, if that is even possible. They are, after all, the politest people on earth.

Whereas when American voters want to get ‘nasty,’ a few dozen candidate signs disappear or smear statements are rendered against a candidate. Maybe a few death threat letters are sent.

Cranky Canadian voters are taking their frustrations out on other people’s tires. Not the vehicles driven by a candidate for a particular riding (representative district), but cars and pickups and SUVs owned by supporters of a particular candidate.

It’s been great business for tire dealers, who have the opportunity to replace hundreds of slashed tires, and body shops, which are seeing increased business thanks to rude sayings being keyed into the sides of enemy vehicles.

The Canadian media is freaking out over the whole thing, mostly because such politically motivated vandalism is just so un-Canadian.

"This is Canada. It’s a free country. It’s not supposed to be like this," one victim, whose Volvo was attacked, told the Toronto Globe and Mail.

"It’s completely uncalled for. Whoever did it, I don’t know what they can accomplish,” said another.

One poor woman was attacked twice. The second time all four tires on her car were slashed, her car was badly scratched, and "Lie beral scum" was spray painted in gold letters on the side of her garage.

“It’s a shocking thing to happen to you on your property,” another man told the Toronto Star after getting four new tires. “We will get over the destruction, the cost and personal infringement but incidents like these undermine our democracy.”

I hope current fill rate issues don’t force some of these folks to park it for awhile waiting for replacement rubber.

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Care about the fabled Bonneville Salt Flats? Important note from our friends at SEMA:

“A number of prominent organizations have formed the ‘Save the Salt Coalition’ to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats from continued deterioration due to salt brine removal from potash mining. The Coalition is now working with government officials, mine operators and others to develop a permanent program to replenish the salt.

“Founding members of the Coalition include the Bonneville Nationals, Save the Salt Foundation, Southern California Timing Association, SEMA and the SEMA Action Network and Utah Salt Flats Racing Association.  Doug Evans, executive vice president of Source Interlink Media, has been named chairman of the Coalition.

“The Bonneville Salt Flats are a unique geological formation that is also central to the history of motorsports and the industries that support motorsports. Scores of world land speed records have been set on the densely packed remnants of a huge prehistoric lake. The area is so flat, it is possible to see the curvature of the earth. The Bonneville Salt Flats have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

“Decades of salt removal by an adjoining potash mining operation have damaged the Bonneville Salt Flats. Between 1963 and 1982, an estimated 11 million tons of salt was withdrawn. By the mid-1990s, the historic raceway had lost over 18 inches of salt crust. Originally 96,000 acres in size, the Bonneville Salt Flats have been reduced to about 30,000 acres and those lands are threatened unless the salt removed to extract potash is then returned to the Bonneville Salt Flats. The potash operation is located on federal lands leased by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

“The Coalition is seeking to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats and permit continued mining. One solution is to pump brine water back onto the salt flats during the winter and spring, when the basin is naturally covered with water. As the water evaporates during the summer months, the salt flats will increase in thickness and hardness, and the underground aquifer supporting the salt crust will be replenished. A five-year test program begun in 1997 demonstrated that the solution will work. The Coalition is now seeking an equivalent, permanent program.

“For more information, please visit the Save the Salt Coalition website at www.savethesalt.org.”