NOTHING CHANGES IN OUR JAIL SYSTEMS

Whether it's federal or provincial jails, our authorities don't seem to be paying attention. Ashley Smith was treated abominably leading to her eventual death in jail in Kitchener. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Guards "brushed off " pleas for help". The indiviual involved had a long history since childhood of mental illness which was being controlled with medication. Once in jail when his prescriptions ran out, the guards and administration ignored his pleas for necessary medication. The very predictable result was a suicide attempt. Clearly whatever faint lessond were learned by Correctional services Canada at the federal level have not moved down the line into provincial institutions. Maplehurst guards saved his life after he was unconscious from self inflicted suffocation but it didn't have to go that far if they had responded properly in the first place. Once again however there will be limited to zero discipline for life threatening negligence by authorities within our prison system. This time the inmate survived and is currently out on bail. The whole ordeal is exacerbated by jail guards alleged "retaliation" for his troublemaking when he was sent from hospital back to Maplehurst. Our prison systems are shameful.

LOW ENGLISH & MATH SCORES AN UNFAIR TEST OF EDUCATION SYSTEM

Look I mean really. What other government departments or ministrys have to suffer the embarassment of a score card being publicly produced showing the failings of that government body? Therefore why should the Ontario Ministry of Education as well as all the school boards in Ontario have their failings so publicly demonstrated? Today's Waterloo Region Record again takes our education system to task and this time it's in relation to Applied Math and Applied English in Grades 9 and 10. The article is titled "Ontario test scores low in applied maths, English".

Let's also be fair here. We don't have enough jobs for University graduates much less high school grads so therefore it's much easier to blame the victims when they haven't completed high school by telling them it's their lack of education holding them back. Of course it isn't but governments and politicians are masters of passing the buck. Therefore what I'm saying is that governments don't really want or need highly educated citizens. Who the hell will do the janitorial work, collect garbage, drive trucks, shovel asphalt and work in the few remaining factories in our society?

Therefore the reality is that stronger students based on socioeconomic status, great genes or sheer luck will always do well academically despite mediocre teachers, courses and school boards. Poorer students again based upon the luck of the genetic pool, poverty or whatever other factors come into play will not. Our politicians are at least smart enough to know this. Therefore their incentive to make everybody better academically is zero. Politically however they have to at least pretend hence that is wjust like our other government ministries such as Environment, Labour and Transportation. It's all for show folks. This society desperately needs people to do the real work not just academics and paper pushers.

ORGANIZED CRIME IN CANADA

Has everyone heard the joke about the boy who told his father that when he grows up he wants to work in organized crime? His father then responds "Oh - private or government?". That pretty much sums up today's posting. The Waterloo Region Record carried the following article by three gentlemen from the Fraser Institute, a right -of-centre think independent think tank. The title is "Your family's largest expense may surprise you". Well it surprised me and I really don't think I'm naive. Taxes of all kinds and at all levels, hidden and visible, cost more than food, clothiong and shelter combined. That is truly ridiculous. All taxes on average cost citizens 41.8% of their gross income.

We all know that income taxes were supposed to be a temporary tax due to the war effort. I've forgotten if this was the First or Second World War because the f...ing things have been around my entire life. If it weren't so reprehensible one could almost admire the chutzpah of politicians. The dirty shits tell Canadians to tighten their belts while they and their ilk have been on a non stop steal from Candian citizens quest for generations. To my mind this is no more than organized theft with the power of the state to throw citizens in jail who tell the government to flock off and or refuse to pay taxes. Did serfs in mediaevel England have it any worse than this?

It's also not as if we get good service for our tax dollars. Yes there are some fairly adequate government programs and services. Then we have transportation, labour and environment portfolios at the provincial and federal levels. What a pathetic joke. Our citizens die or get badly injured by the thousands both on the highways and via environmental toxins in our food, water and air. Or they die by the hundreds in Canada while working at unsafe jobs just trying to pay for their f...ing taxes. Democracy my ass! This is a country run by the few for the benefit of the few and the rest of us are merely serfs to be milked along the way. Government is the worst form of organized crime there is.

ANOTHER CATACLYSMIC TRADE DEAL

Steve Kannon in the Woolwich Observer published this report titled "Sold a bill of goods: trade deals benefit a few, while most of us take the hit". Steve points out how NAFTA back in the 1980's effectively killed manufacturing in Ontario as well as in the U.S. heartland. CETA or the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union will do the same thing again. Steve bashes the Harper governments hiding of facts and figures that show the trouble in store for most Canadians because of these trade agreements.

Municipalities are not impressed with having to put tenders out for international companies to do local work including infrastructure contracts. The Council of Canadians are up in arms regarding our water resources being corporatized and sold to the highest bidder. Steve's biggest criticism is the behind closed doors negotiating and horse trading that is going on. These kinds of deals rarely benefit the majority of citizens despite whatever lies our politicians tell us.

Steve also suggests that it is government deregulation by stealth. Governments become handcuffed by terms in these trade deals which basically force governments to back off regulating industries. Steve also believes that these deals are corporate friendly ones basically giving corporations more power at all levels. The levers of power end up being transferred from public hands to private hands. This is the legacy of deregulation and world wide globalization.

TORONTO G20 INJUSTICES CONTINUE

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record carrys this brief story "Police board seeks to appeal G20 class action certification". As one of the participants in the class action stated this behaviour by the Police Board is very disappointing. It does however point out the problems with so called civilian oversight of the Police. The local government (ie. politicians) pick civilians who will not rock the boat. Those that are picked are done so based upon their reliability to go along with the status quo and not to be activists. Here in Waterloo Region it's all about political reliability, name recognition and overall not being an advocate for improvement or change.

The G20 was a stain upon democracy in this country. Mass arrests and detainment simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time is criminal behaviour by our authorities. Now it's been over four years since the police ran roughshod over citizens minding their own business without justice being done. To have the so called civilian board continuing to block accountability through the courts is shameful. When will our idiot authorities begin to understand that it is exactly that kind of undemocratic and arbitrary behaviour that encourages real civil unrest and protest. This country is heading for a rude awakening and the fault lies with our elected and appointed political representatives who have gotten way too big for their britches.

MORE STUPIDITY IN THE WAR ON WEED

Today's Waterloo Region Record advises us of how much money both the Mounties and the Canadian military have been spending on eradicating marijuana. The article is titled "Mounties and military spend millions on weeding out illicit marijuana harvest". Liberal defence critic Joyce Murray has cried foul over the whole deal. As she points out this is all occurring at the same time as two U.S. States have legalized weed and Canadian police chiefs are advocating ticketing possessers of small quantities versus charging them criminally. Our federal government Justice Minister has advised that the federal Conservative government are still assessing the suggestion from the police chiefs. Clearly we the public have been fed a line from our politicians and cops for decades about the harm caused by marijuana. The other issue for me is the hypocrisy of both the Mounties and the Canadian military. Do those brain trusts think that their own members are clear of marijuana use. Look guys clean up your own house if you have to but leave the public the hell alone with your lies and wasteful spending of taxpayers dollars. Don't the Mounties and military have more important and socially positive things they could be doing?

DRIVING IN THE RAIN

Here in Waterloo Region we have the drivers that we tolerate. That generally means distracted, slow and woefully ignorant. Drunk drivers are being discouraged by police enforcement as are fast drivers. Yesterday I drove home from the south end of Kitchener to here in Elmira. I got on the Expressway at Edna/Bruce St. beside Victoria St. The thunderstorm hit within seconds and within mere seconds after that most of the oncoming traffic as well as traffic going my way were invisible. They were invisible not because of zero visibility but because 3/4 of them couldn't find their headlights. Even after a few minutes I would estimate 1/4 of the drivers were driving in the downpour with zero lights on. The ones in front of me I would only see when they stepped on their brakes. This happened frequently as the idiots in front of them also didn't have their headlights on hence the following drivers would see them at the last moment when they got too close. All the way up the highway to Elmira some cars were very visible with headlights on and the others invisible until they passed you by in the oncoming lane. Some day our police will start getting pressure from either intelligent politicians or the Ministry of Transport and lo and bold our accident rates will drop again as everybody's cars suddenly become visible. Apparently police and politicians think citizens will tolerate fines for speeding but not for driving without headlights. This stupidity is proving fatal every day of the week.

THREE OFFICERS FIRED LAST MARCH FOR MISCONDUCT

Last March 25 I posted about the story in the Waterloo Region Record concerning three local police officers who allegedly "broke a sacred trust". That's a little thick and heavy. Yes they behaved both badly and immaturely. Yes some discipline was required. I asked the question last March as to whether dismissal was really the best route to go for anyone's benefit. I believe in hindsight that it was not. These officers have been punished severely both through the Police Act and through the media. They embarassed themselves and their behaviour has been publicly condemned. I also believe that they have given apologies to the citizens whose trust they breached. None of these officers were up on serious criminal charges such as police brutality, graft or corruption. I really don't believe that they are beyond redemption. Their behaviour was thoughtless and immature and that behaviour can be overcome with a combination of guidance and discipline. I believe that they have one last legal opportunity to try and get their jobs back. Come on Waterloo Regional Police Service. Are any of you going to pretend you've never made bad choices? Maybe you didn't get caught and you smartened up. Give these officers a second chance.

ROBOCALLS CONVICTION & REWRITING OF HISTORY

Last Thursday a court in Guelph, Ontario convicted Michael Sona of election fraud. Finance Minister Joe Oliver attempted yesterday to do damage control by minimizing the whole sordid affair. He claimed that it was an "isolated incident" and that only one individual was involved. Both statements are false. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Robocalls "isolated incident" finance minister says". The Finance Minister seems to feel that you can deny the obvious if at least at present there isn't a criminal conviction to back up further election fraud claims throughout the country. To me it's similar to the Toronto Police Chief pretending that one assault conviction of a police officer magically lets the rest of the force off the hook for the illegal and unconstitutional activity of many more police officers during the G20 in Toronto four years ago.

JEFF OUTHIT OF THE RECORD LOOKS AT CRASH STATISTICS

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record carried this column by Jeff Outhit titled "Look more closely when fatal crashes repeat". Jeff is referring to the fatal crash involving a young woman at Hespeler and Maple Grove Roads last April. Jeff lists the number of crashes, particularily involving left turns over the years at this intersection, including injuries and one more fatality. Clearly the optics or the speeds or the lights themselves are giving drivers difficulties. Jeff suggests that the Region need to do a safety review of this intersection and hopefully determine the problem. Then if it is possible make changes or improvements that again hopefully will reduce the number and severity of the collisions. My suspicion is still that having a traffic light at the bottom of a long downhill grade in which loaded tractor trailers are travelling at highway speeds is a disaster waiting to happen. That combined with drivers waiting for the heavy traffic flow to stop so that they can make their turn before cross traffic starts up narrows the time window unacceptably. The drivers feel rushed and meanwhile the truck driver is also rushed due to the previously mentioned (last week) shorter caution lights of the last several years. This all adds up to a dangerous intersection.

LOCAL EDUCATION BUDGETS & COSTS

The Waterloo Region Record carried this story last June 25/14 titled: "Bell time trade-offs to be costly". We are advised that our two local School Boards in Waterloo Region spend in total nearly $1 Billion dollars a year. That is an awesome almost nearly unaccountable sum of money. Our trustees have less and less input which is exactly to the liking of the professional full time educational staff. Sometimes in the municipal arena you can see staff looking for direction and leadership from the elected council members. Not so much with either the private or public school boards. For them trustees are a nuisance to be tolerated and given lip service to.

This particular Record article advise that the Boards in rolling back their later start times at some schools will cause bus transporation costs to increase. Buses are shared by the two boards. Other cost issues include repairs and upgrades to the public school board's (WRDSB) offices at Ardelt Avenue in Kitchener. There will be a meeting room created for up to 200 people. I wonder down the road how many senior board staff will be 'borrowing" this space for off hours social engagements, parties etc.. Even that I doubt would get either the public or the trustees up in arms. Considering that they just got through spending $1 Million last year to renovate the boardroom, this most recent renovation seems a trifle thoughtless and inconsiderate of taxpayers money.

CHARTERED BANK STEALS EMPLOYEES WAGES

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this article "Scotiabank agrees to settle in overtime suit". Front-line employees filed a class action suit in order to recoup overtime wages going back as far as thirteen years ago. Scotiabank has agreed to a settlement of about $95 Million. Wow! They then had the balls to suggest that the settlement was "not financially material" to them. Really? Then why not pay it properly, legally and on time you pieces of shit? Do you think the $95 Million wasn't "financially material" to your employees? Obviously being what you are, you could care less. There will be another $10.45 Million going to the law firms acting for the Plaintiffs. Shame on this chartered bank. Shame on their senior mangagement. Shame on our federal government which forces citizens to sue their own federally chartered bank to get their wages oweing to them.

TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

It's almost funny the behaviour at the TDSB if one ignores the money involved and the seriousness of the subject, namely educating our children. Marcus Gee in the Globe and Mail wrote an article about the TDSB on June 20, 2014 titled "Why isn't the city taking a hard look at Toronto's school board?". Aside from Mr. Gee's apparent jurisdictional misunderstandings I must agree that his discription of the Board's (trustees) behaviour is very worrisome. A number of high profile resignations and miscommunications has also added to the appearance of a Board running amok. Various quotes make it clear that the various trustees may well be able to get themselves elected and reelected but other than that their talents are limited. Questionable expenses by trustees resulted in an internal audit of expense claims. Mr. Gee suggests that instead of informed monitoring and questioning of Board actions there has been too much ill informed cheap shots at other trustees as well as at Board staff. Earlier this year the Board Chair even brought in a couple of cops to police a meeting. Wow and these folks are telling students how to behave themselves.

AND ANOTHER ONTARIO WORKER DIES ON THE JOB

You know seriously I'm thinking that police and firemen may not have the most dangerous jobs. Here in Ontario it's farmers, construction workers and factory workers who are dying regularily on the job. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Acton man, 47, crushed by forklift at Puslinch equipment rental site". Apparently the man was loading a scissors-lift machine into a truck with a forklift and the forklift and worker ended up going off the ramp, crushing the worker. Over the decades there have been many deaths caused by trucks rolling ahead while being loaded by forklifts into the back of the trucks. Both air brakes as well as large rubber wheel stops for the trucks had reduced the carnage. I don't know what happened in this particular incident. Mention was made of a ramp and I'm wondering if indeed that's what it was versus a loading dock. Yesterday's posting mentioned the dangers of driving. Today it's the dangers of working. Presumably the worst of both worlds is commuting back and forth to an already dangerous job.

DRIVING IS A LIFE AND DEATH BUSINESS

Last Thursday's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Parents call intersection unsafe after daughter's fatal collision". This is such a sad story and all too common. While my heart goes out to the parents I believe the statistics across North America would indicate that this is literally a daily occurrence. In fact that might well be a daily occurrence in Canada and probably ten times more often based upon population etc. in the U.S.. I have driven the particular intersection where the younf woman was hit by the transport truck many times. It is a highway and the southbound trucks have a downhill. With what I have long believed are shorter yellow lights than in previous decades it is basically impossible for a loaded tractor trailer to go from 80-100 km/hour to a dead stop in the time that the lights are currently yellow. Hence when they are very close to the intersection, knowing that an emergency stop may well put them into and through the intersection anyways; most times it's safer to go on through. Notice I say most times. If a stopped car is waiting to make a left turn and their light turns red it is much too easy to assume the oncoming vehicle is braking and it's therefore safe to go in order to clear the intersection for the now east and west bound traffic. As horrible as the results are it's neither the first nor the last time that exact thing has and will happen. Perhaps the parents' idea of a dedicated left hand turn light prohibiting through traffic and allowing the left hand lane to go would be helpful. I truly don't know what other ramifications of that there might be. The current system however is indeed dangerous and all drivers need to know and recognize that they are taking their lives in their hands each and every time they drive. Even without drinking or reckless driving our roads are not and never have been "safe".

MORE ON OUR ANTIQUATED BAIL SYSTEM

So a 22 year old woman after being held in jail for four months has been released on bail. Doesn't this beg the question: Why put her behind bars in the first place? She has been charged but not convicted of a criminal offense. The actual charge appears to be a allegedly non violent offense on her part. She was charged with being "an accessory after the fact in the murder of Tim Bosma." O.K. the Tim Bosma murder was horrific, gratuitous and an innocent person had their life snuffed out. But note this woman is neither charged for the murder nor charged as an accessory to the murder. She is charged with being an accessory "after the fact" which I believe could include as little as offerring the accused murderer a meal, a night's sleep or almost anything. July 24/14 I posted here about the ridiculous percentage of jail inmates in Ontario who are unconvicted of any crime. If the Crown feel that she doesn't need to be in jail now then why did she need to be in jail for the last four months? Or is it simply that the system doesn't give a crap. Throw citizens in jail, mumble some legal mumbo-jumbo and everything is just fine. Let the citizen or her friends or parents hire a lawyer, pay big bucks and eventually get her out while everybody waits more years for the trials to get underway. What a system. Today's Waterloo Region Record carried this story "Girlfriend in Bosma murder case granted bail".

G20 CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS

Not bad. It's only been four years and two months to this point so far. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "G20 class-action lawsuits to move forward". Hundreds of people detained by police aka "kettling" is only part of the lawsuits. The other part deals with the treatment of those who were held at a "chaotic" detention centre during the summit.

Justice Ian Nordheimer wrote the following "In essence , in this case, we have a broad class of persons who were allegedly arbitrarily detained in each instance by the police through the use of a single sweeping order.". That indeed is the crux of the matter. Legally police can not arbitrarily arrest and imprison people without evidence of criminal activity. They grossly overstepped their authority and the biggest shame to date is that those responsible indiviuals haven't themselves done a day of prison time. That and that alone will be the only appropriate punishment for those persons legally allowed to walk around with weapons and who unfortunately feel that the laws of the land don't apply to themselves. It is also unfortunate that the outgoing Toronto police chief couldn't have spent some quality time in prison prior to his departure. Might give him and his sucessors a whole different attitude about throwing Canadain citizens in jail without legal cause.

I JUST BOUGHT MY LAST EVER FISHING LICENSE

Fuck you every politician who ever dreamt up another tax on citizens. Municipal property taxes, provincial sales taxes and income taxes, federal income taxes and sales taxes. PST, GST, HST, taxes on the money we earn, taxes on the money we spend, taxes disguised as penalties (speeding taxes) and even victim surcharge taxes. Such bullshit! Enviro taxes, fishing licenses, hunting licenses, driving licenses honest to God please fuck off government. Wastewater charges (taxes), incoming water charges, dog licenses and on and on. I was told this afternoon that as I turn 65 this fall I no longer have to buy fishing licenses. I turn 65 in two months . I just paid $16.46 for the privelege of going fishing this evening for the first and probably last time this year; down the road near Wallenstein. Yes I paid exhorbinant taxes on the gasoline in my car to get there. Remind me again what exactly did my government do to earn this fishing tax from me? Oh yes they have a court system in place to harass me if I'm caught fishing in my own country once without a license. They also pay cops and others far more than I was ever paid for much harder work; to apprehend me. Oh and then there is the f...ing judge's well paid time. I say to you fuckers look out. Revolutions have occurred for less. My father and two uncles didn't go overseas in World War Two just to let the slime inherit this country. They went overseas to protect their and my freedom. That freedom is worth fighting for and that includes fighting home grown terrorists otherwise known as politicians.

SOME SENATE REFORM IS POSSIBLE

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this article by Geoff Stevens titled "Taking politics out of the Senate". Mr. Stevens has four suggestions which would improve/reform the Senate, none of which would require provincial input or agreement. Firstly abolish the Conservative caucus in the Senate the exact same way that Justin Trudeau abolished the Liberal caucus. Secondly let the provinces choose their own Senators. This could be by citizen voting or by the provincial Premier making the appointment. Thirdly have the Senate elect their own speaker versus the Prime Minister so choosing. Lastly instead of a daily question period in the senate have the prime Minister perhaps on a weekly basis present himself for an hour or so of questions. All of these ideas would reduce partisanship and increase productivity. We just moght get the Senates of old which were staffed by people of knowledge, integrity and experience.

GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACIES ROUTINELY LIE TO THE PUBLIC

Iron bacteria are a significant part of the problem in the West Montrose well field. These four wells and pumps are infected with iron bacteria. These bacteria feed on iron in the water and produce a slimy sludge which blocks the pumps. In a private single well the homeowner can "shock" his well with chlorine and leave a very strong solution in the system for 24 hours or more. Then he empties it out and probably the bulk of the iron bacteria are dead and won't be a problem for several more months or longer. In West Montrose with seventy or more homes on the system you can't very easily shut everything down for 24 hours or more while the high concentration of chlorine kills the iron bacteria.

The water being delivered to homes, after being pumped from the wells, is treated to remove the iron and thus homes in West Montrose should not have excess iron. What is interesting is that it appears as if the Regional government aren't prepared to let residents know that these particular bacteria are present in the system. Normal chlorination and chloramination take place after the water has been pumped from the wells, hence they have no effect on the pump and directly related piping blockage caused by iron bacteria. The bottom line may be that either isolating one well and pump at a time from the rest of the system in order to "shock" the well and pump etc. cannot be done sucessfully or this is all bunkum designed to hide the fact that the colifirm and E.Coli bacteria are too plentiful to destroy with normal chlorine contact. Therefore ongoing massive chlorination is required to kill pathogens including bacteria and the lack of pumping capacity is just BS. Who knows when you are dealing with government at any level.

POLICE STINGS AND ENTRAPMENT

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "High court warns against stings due to unreliability, abuse". Well normally I could immediately support that court decision simply because tricking someone into either commiting a crime or confessing to an alleged past crime is wrong on so many levels. Since when does deceit, manipulation and blatant lying produce the truth in anything? It's like trial by ordeal or obtaining information via torture. It is unreliable and reprehensible. The state has no business behaving on my behalf or anyone else's in such a manner.

Now we get to the specifics. Oh boy! In whose universe is bragging about murdering anyone's children considered an asset or a positive? Here we have a man who was convicted of murdering his two very young children. Convicted that is after he allegedly bragged to a "Mr. Big", a supposedly big time crime boss. What kind of idiot would think that confessing/bragging about such an act could ever be used for his benefit? On principle I believe that stings and entrapment are wrong. What if, and I say what if, that really was the only way to convict a parent for a heinous crime? You sure don't want this person anywhere near his or anybody else's children ever again. Is it even possible for an innocent parent to ever falsely accuse themselves of such a crime? Perhaps under torture. Otherwise I would think never.