IT'S ONLY TAXPAYERS MONEY AFTERALL

Public trust, my butkus! Is there any doubt that the government in power views public money as their money? The Auditor general now advises us that the cost of last minute cancellations of two gas plants is between $950 million and a billion dollars. I guess parenthood and politics are the two professions that require zero qualifications. For politicians even the ability to count isn't a requirement.

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Cancellation of two gas plants will cost at least $950 million". To add insult to injury it also appears that the Premier's office royally screwed up the negotiations with TransCanada Energy to determine the appropriate financial penalties. All in all the cost to taxpayers is now closer to $200 million per Liberal seat saved in the last provincial election. To my mind this goes beyond ethics, politics or even dirty tricks. This is a criminal breach of the public trust. Wouldn't that clean out some of the political wannabees if they were actually held civilly and criminally liable for their misdeeds?

SEAT SAVER PROGRAM COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE

Today's Waterloo Region Record has this story "Cost of two gas plant cancellations to be even higher in auditor's report". Apparently the Liberal government had been estimating $190 million costs for cancelling and moving the Mississauga gas plant. The provincial auditor increased that estimate to $275 million. The new provincial auditor is about to release his estimate for the moving of the Oakville plant. The Liberal government initially suggested $40 million but the Ontario Power Authority forcast $310 million. These total costs of $275 & $310 million are expected to go even higher than their current total of $585 million.

The Liberals held all five seats around the two cancelled energy projects for a just over $100 million of taxpayers money per seat. And who says that democracy can't be bought? I only hope that the next provincial election occurs before the electorate forget this travesty of democracy.

IF A PUBLIC INSTITUTION IS BROKEN IT'S BECAUSE SOMEBODY POWERFUL LIKES IT THAT WAY

Politics is the art of subverting the laws your predecessors enacted. Furthermore politics is the art of acting immorally and unethically while stickhandling around the laws and telling the public it's for their own good. To be a top notch politician requires a healthy disrespect for the public who serve you. This is the reality. Citizens and residents are here to be sheared, with the able assistance of politicians at all levels. Yes every now and again they go to far and get caught but the general public have short enough memories to make it worthwhile to get right back up on the horse and start screwing them again.

Back on September 9/13 Carol Goar wrote an article in the Waterloo Region Record titled "Costly bail system is clogging our courts". She presented a recent report by the John Howard Society which indicated that the bail sytem in Ontario has been badly abused for decades and is getting worse. They use the term "presumptive detention" which basically means if you're charged even with a non-violent crime you are going to jail BEFORE you've ever been convicted of anything.

So who is benefiting from the subversion of our judicial system's original bail conditions and requirements. Well like everything else just follow the money. If violent crime is steadily declining then why aren't budgets for courts, jails, police and the administration of justice doing the same? The answer is busywork. Just like office work which can multiply to fill the time required; this is what has happened with our judicial systems. Fewer criminals then just make the most with the ones you've got. Multiply the court appearances and make sure that more non-violent crimes result in greater incarceration time prior to trial. Make bail harder and harder to get, except of course for the wealthy and influential. This is what our judicial system has descended into. Shear the sheep and keep the taxpayers money flowing where it's being abused by those in charge.

GOVERNMENT RULES, REGULATIONS AND LACK OF ENFORCEMENT

This morning I heard the comment that there are thirteen Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) inspectors for over 5,000 gravel pits in Ontario. Similarily a few weeks back evidence was entered at the Hunder Pit (Conestogo) Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) Hearing in Elmira, Ontario that gravel pits in Ontario get inspected once every five years. This complete lack of enforcement and monitoring of the rules is similar to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE). Perhaps our governments would be wiser to stop with new rules and regulations and attempt to enforce the ones they've already got. Another prime example would be our provincial Ministry of Transport. Lots of rules regarding driving and negligible enforcement accept for the moneymaking speeding laws. Similarily drunk driving rules are being enforced although it took citizen lobbying to get even that accomplished.

RECORD'S OPINION WRITER NOT BUYING EXCUSES INTO ASHLEY SMITH'S DEATH

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this Opinion piece by Luisa D'Amato titled "Warden's denials of responsibility in Ashley Smith's death inexcusable". I have to agree with Luisa. At the same time I fully expect that the warden in order to regain her job at CSC was advised that she needed to "take one for the team" if and when the matter ever went to an inquest. That may explain her stickhandling and convenient memory lapses while being questioned. Regardless shame on both the warden and Correctional Services Canada. Bureaucratic bungling, refusals to listen to subordinates and a lack of common sense resulted in Ashley Smith's death.

THE FACTS ARE SLOWLY EMERGING AT THE ASHLEY SMITH INQUEST

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Inquest hears denials from warden". Middle managers, a senior manager and at least one guard have testified that they raised their concerns about delaying removing ligatures from Ashley Smith's neck directly with warden Cindy Berry. The warden however categorically denies knowing or ordering guards to stay out of Ms. Smith's cell while she was choking.

Well the blame is now currently sitting right at the top of the Grand Valley Institution for Women. What is interesting is that the warden was fired by Correctional Services Canada only to be rehired less than two years later as a result of a mediated settltment. Will the CSC come under scrutiny in this case? The inquest has been advised that they were intimately involved in the details of Ashley Smith's "management plan" and that they were very interested in use of force reports emanating from the removal of ligatures from her neck.

Is this simply a milder version of top down directives causing subordinates to commit either stupid or horrific acts? I am of course referring to Nazi germany's genocide during the second world war. Orders from the Nazi hierarchy to commit mass murder were followed all the way down the chain of command right to the gas chambers. Some human beings are easily manipulated and if the order comes from above, no matter how stupid or repugnant, it is followed to the letter. And Ashley Smith unecessarily died as a result.

INCOMPETENCE AT THE TOP

So far we've had a senior manager (Joanna Pauline) blame the warden for the directives not to enter Ashley Smith's cell until the eleventh hour. Meanwhile the Warden is calling Ms. Pauline incompetent and suggesting that the management plan for Ashley Smith went to both regional and national Correctional Services Canada headquarters. Today's Waterloo Region Record has the story "Warden says she sought transfer for Ashley Smith".

The facts seem clear that guards were being disciplined for doing the right thing by removing ligatures until the day, under mounting pressure, that they didn't remove them in time. At that point they were thrown under the bus and now senior management are scrambling to cover their asses. Meanwhile CSC are also hardly standing up to accept any blame either. What a pack of useless tits and toadies overall. This is precisely what comes of promoting yes men and women rather than those with a moral compass and common sense.