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.