OUR GOVERNMENTS ARE FAILING US

Whether municipal, regional, provincial or federal they all have one thing in common. All levels of government are supposed to be concerned with the provision of services to citizens. The priority unfortunately at all levels seems to be more ideological than practical and this is to our detriment. I've pulled five newspaper articles from my pile of current events. The Waterloo Region Record on February 10/12 had a photograph of four activists occupying the office of M.P. Harold Albrecht. These four folks were not your average, young student protesters. At least two of them appeared to be seniors and they were protesting our federal Conservative's plan to make negative changes to our Old Age Security system. Kudos to the protesters and shame on our federal government.

April 20/12 the Record carrys a story about a "friendship" walk in Caledonia. The latest incarnation of the issue of native land claims is six years old and counting. My personal experience with negotiations by powerful, well off bodies is that when they take six years much less sixty or more then they are not negotiating in good faith. They are going through the motions and stalling. A pox on our federal government both past and present. Why the hell wouldn't the natives be fed up? Why the hell should they continue to talk to those lying bastards?

The Record on April 30/12 carried a story on gay-straight alliances in our Catholic schools. It certainly appears as if again our local Catholic Board while not wanting to appear at odds with most of the rest of society, in fact are. Come on School Board. Pardon the pun but man up. If you are adamantly opposed to anything and everything homosexual, whether or not for religious reasons, then just say so. Pretending to be openminded on this issue does no one any good.

On May 2/12 the Record advised us that Premier McGuinty was taking heat over offerring Liz Witmer a financially rewarding government appointmant. Personally I applaud the Premier's move. It clarifys for the 1% of disbelieving voters just exactly how self serving and morally bankrupt politics really is. This goes for both the Liberals and Conservatives. Has Liz Witmer ever worked in her career for private industry? H as she always been one of the priveleged few working for government or quasi government including the School Board. has she thrown her Conservative Party to the winds for her own best interests . I say yes to all three. Thanks Dalton for making it very clear.

The Record on May 12/12 had an article titled "Regional police hold open house today". This open house features everything from music to horses. It's all a good news story with nary a criticism in sight. There's a cops for cancer fundraiser, donations to the food bank as well as an awards ceremony to honour citizens and officers for bravery. This is all very appropriate but at the same time I wonder if those citizens harassed, assaulted and victimized by a few bad apples and their senior management have any intention of attending. I suspect not. Unaccountable is unaccountable and Mom and apple pie P.R. events do not change that.