This Blog will discuss politics, government, corruption, police, S.I.U., courts, education, min. of attorney general, min. of labour, v.o.i.c.e. and other current and past events of interest to concerned citizens. In the "About me" section to the right and down I have included the names of persons whom I have tremendous respect for. Their influence on me however has been primarily environmental (and personal) and this is therefore a disclaimer that all words posted on this Blog/Website are mine and I alone am responsible for them. I say this with the greatest respect and affection to my friends.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

SUING THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT



As per the September 20, 2018 article in the Waterloo Region Record titled "Lawsuit over "solitary" in jails certified as a class action", it once again appears as if our own government are incapable of following the laws of the land. The class action lawsuit is seeking damages of $600 million and includes inmates with severe mental illnesses as well as any inmates who have been in solitary confinement for fifteen days or longer. Also at issue is administrative segregation in which inmates are isolated either to ensure their own safety or that of others in the institution.

The lawsuit alleges that the provincial government has been negligent in their use of isolation by leaving prisoners for weeks, months or even years in isolation with no concern for the health consequences to them. It is claimed that solitary confinement can greatly exacerbate already existing mental health conditions. Of course our government using taxpayers money will spend as much as they want defending against this lawsuit, regardless of the merits of the claims.

Monday, September 17, 2018

DO EDUCATION SYSTEMS ACROSS THE CONTINENT ALL USE THE SAME PLAYBOOK?



I just have to ask that question after rereading an on-line article from the K-W Record dated July 6, 2018. The title is "She was worried how a "teacher of the year" treated her 5-year old son. So she made a secret recording."

Back when my son was eight years old we had a problem with a teacher who had multiple sets of parents complaining about her. We even had parents come to us telling us that their children had told them that the teacher was picking on our son. I of course talked to the other parents, my son and then I went to the Principal. What I got was similar to what the mother in this Record article got which was a lot of platitudes and puffery. The Record article stated that a school spokesperson suggested that the teacher involved had never had a complaint in her 33 year career as a teacher. That sounds right off to me as B/S. Then the Record article claims that the teacher involved was named "teacher of the year" by the school. Well that is really interesting.

In my case I was told that there had never been a complaint against the teacher which was pure horseshit as I'd already talked to several parents who had complained about the teacher. Then I was given a story about how professional she is and how wonderful and it all seemed a little like overkill.

By the time the smoke cleared I had been lied to by the Principal, a Superintendant and well you get the picture. It appears from the Record article that the school involved in this case also closed ranks and defended the teacher. It appears as if they are more concerned with the teacher than they are with the children. Kind of sad when you look at it that way.

Monday, September 10, 2018

LEAD IN OUR SCHOOLS TAP WATER




If this wasn't so serious it could almost be funny. Today we learn of ongoing problems with lead in our school's drinking water.For many years now our local school board, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) have been gaining notoriety for their poor academic performance. That's right this is the same board which is very long on puffery and suggestions that they are a world class institution providing world class education, blah,blah and blah. Turns out not quite so much. By a long shot. It turns out that the provincial math and english test scores for Grade 3 and Grade 6 students have exposed some pretty second class results. Gee maybe we could throw some more taxpayers money at the teachers and at the administrators. That always seems to work (Not!). Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the story titled "Some local school taps fail lead tests".

We've long known that lead can negatively affect brain development and learning outcomes. It especially has negative effects upon children. Sooooo exactly how long is it going to take our braintrust at the WRDSB to come up with their spin on this one? Remember these guys are all about spinning everything. Whether it's the latest flavour of the month Edubabble properly known as nothing more than a new educational fad or whether it's explaining away rising teacher absenteeism, these guys can spin a tale.

Therefore while currently allegedly exerting world class efforts to reduce lead concentrations in the fountains at our schools, might they not suggest that this is why they haven't been able to keep up with their educational counterparts around Ontario for so many years now? They've tried the English as a second language excuse due to children of immigrants, despite Toronto for example having lots more. Now it's time to get really creative. Our children aren't doing well because we've rotted their minds with excessive lead in their drinking water. See it's really not due to our managing and supervising nor is it due to teacher issues at the public school level. It's lead in their brains. That's it! Keep the money flowing suckers oops taxpayers. We love our public school system just as it is. No changes required.

Thursday, September 6, 2018

PROUD TO BE OF SERVICE



I believe that the following posting and link is the evidence that individual citizens can get rid of bad municipal councillors. Both Councillors Hahn and Bauman are not running in next month's municipal election in Woolwich Township. Mr. Hahn resigned prematurely last January and Mr. Hahn has now publicly stated in the Woolwich Observer newspaper that I can take some credit for his departure.


ENDING ON A WHINE - MARK BAUMAN

Just a few factual errors in today's Woolwich Observer article titled "Ending on a high note". The Observer reporter claims that Mark failed to follow "new" provisions in the province's Municipal Act. No offence to the reporter but clearly right off the bat he's just writing what Mark tells him, otherwise he would know that the provision insisting that ALL candidates MUST file an expense report was not new. Secondly it's not the Municipal Act of Ontario it is the Municipal Elections Act (MEA). Those are two entirely different and separate pieces of legislation.

Secondly Mark was not "tied up in legal wranglings" at the Superior Court of Justice. Nor was I "...able to take me (Mark) to court
and cause a lot of grief." There were no legal wranglings because Mark and his lawyer as well as the Township did not advise the citizen (me) who informed the Municipal Clerk of the infraction, that it had gone to court. The proceedings took ten minutes maximum as the Township supported Mark's reinstatement and no one else was given the opportunity to oppose it. It was Mark himself who took it to court, not I.

"It was a huge expense for the taxpayer...", "it was a huge waste of time and effort - court time." Right, ten minutes of court time. Blame the taxpayers' expenses on the Municipal Clerk, Val Hummel. She is the one who failed to enforce the MEA by not insisting that Mark follow the black and white provincial law that explicitly states that ALL candidates, including acclaimed candidates MUST file expense reports (ie. Financial Statements). Acclaimed candidates can still have expenses for example by spending thousands of dollars on campaign signs,advertising etc. Therefore they like every other candidate MUST file Financial Statements. That is and has been the law for a very long time. Having the Municipal Clerk run interference for a candidate who fails to observe the law by telling a citizen, in front of a witness, that a) yes Mark's Financial Statement is on line and then b) telling the citizen that oh his Financial Statement is on her desk should be punishable by law as well but somehow Woolwich, Mark and their supporters overlooked that.

"And it was basically for not putting an "X" on box when I handed in my expense report." What kind of crap is this Mark? You didn't hand in any expense report until I called you on it. And Woolwich Township were so stupid they let you do this at least twice before that. And I'm the bad guy here?

Some of us refer to Mark as Mr. Flip Flop. I believe that he talks out of both sides of his mouth. In other words he tailors his comments to the audience in front of him. If it's the Chamber of Commerce etc. then Chemtura/Lanxess are the salt of the earth. In a private setting with environmentalists then he states that they need to do so much more.

This is the same Mark Bauman who once inaccurately advised Woolwich Council publicly that he was proud to have now kicked me off of CPAC twice. Trouble is that was the first time he did it (2011). Later on in 2013 he voted against me being reinstated when CPAC went to Council unanimously recommending that I be reinstated. And Mark whines in this Observer article that someone who disliked him, took him to court and caused him a lot of grief. Poor baby. You're lucky I didn't kick you in the balls you sniveling piece of crap.