STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES - TORONTO POLICE BOARD

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story titled "Toronto police ask top court to stop G20 suits". Wow if this doesn't spell out to both the public and the media the inherent corruption and perversion of Police boards, then I don't know what will. Both a lower court and the Ontario Court of Appeal have stated that two class action lawsuits against Toronto Police are appropriate and should proceed. The lawsuits arise out of the mass arrests and detention of over 1,000 people in what "was later described as one of the worst violations of civil liberties in Canadian history.".

The Toronto (civilian) Police Board instead of accepting the lower courts decisions and allowing the suits to go to trial on their merits have appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada trying to derail the suits before any trial occurs. This is not what civilian "oversight" of the Police is supposed to be all about. If I had to guess I would expect that just like here in Waterloo Region, the Toronto (civilian) Police Board is filled with political appointees who are former politicians looking for easy money and profile on a generally do nothing Board. What a perversion of democracy yet again by our politicians.

LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT IN WATERLOO REGION

Peter Shaun Taylor in yesterday's Waterloo Region Record has blasted Regional politicians over their LRT decisions. The article is titled "The four words you can't say on LRT". The four words of course are I told you so. The following quote is my favourite part of the article namely"Never one to pick a simple and efficient solution when there is a glamorous and unproven billion-dollar option on offer, regional council opted to become the smallest community in Canada to install urban style light rail. Municipal glory-seeking is the resaon we have light rail.".

I love it! This folks is all about the folks that we so stupidly elect to govern our affairs. Take a close look at all of them. Glory seekers and power brokers that's all it's about for most of them.

CARDING & STREET-CHECKS TO CONTINUE

Our provincial Liberal government "has imposed tighter rules on street checks and has ordered more training for police officers across the province.". One of the key new rules is that police must tell people that they do not have to reveal their name to police officers during a street check. That rule alone may take this issue off the hot plate.

Allegedly racial minorities were stopped more often than young, white males. Perhaps there is some age and gender discrimination involved as well. Waterloo Regional Police claim that from now on they will be advising citizens that they stop 1) the reason for the stop 2)advise the citizen of their right not to have to give their name etc. and thirdly police will provide the citizen with a receipt or documentation of the interaction.

The title of the article in today's Waterloo Region Record is "Street-checks policy approved".

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT'S SWEETHEART DEAL

The latest revelations that the former Varnicolor Chemical in Elmira indeed did contaminate the Elmira drinking water aquifers is bad news for our Ministry of Excuses and Corporate Collusion (MOECC). They signed a sweetheart deal with Uniroyal Chemical in 1991 in order to save face regarding their gross negligence culminating in the complete shutdown of the two Elmira wellfields. To date instead of Uniroyal being the sole contributer to the destruction of the Elmira Aquifers it now turns out that three companies have been proven to have contributed namely Uniroyal, Nutrite (Yara) and Varnicolor Chemical. It is even possible/likely that others are also responsible potentially including Borg Textiles, Elmira Shirt & Overall, Sanyo, Roxton Furniture and Great West Felt. Keep in mind that due to M.O.E. negligence and self interest, no confirmatory shallow soil or groundwater samples have been taken from these other potential sources. Last but not least we have all the contaminated service stations and one Esso Fuel Depot who introduced petroleim hydrocarbons into the ground and groundwater. Through sheer stupidity and greed Elmira's Aquifers were destroyed and our assorted Councils did little or nothing over the decades to prevent it with only a few notable individuals as exceptions.

AT LAST ONTARIO MOVING INTO MODERN YOUTH CARE IN GROUP HOMES, YOUTH JUSTICE FACILITIES etc.

Today's Waterlooo Region Record carrys this story titled "Ontario vows improve care in foster homes, youth jails". The sub-title is "Scathing report by expert panel slams government". This improved care also includes children in foster homes and oversight of the myriad of Children's Aid Societies and other for profit and non profit service providers. The report was written by authors from Ryerson Unieversity, McGill University and former deputy minister Deborah Newman.

The Ontario government was slammed for their hands off, eyes closed, ears covered supervision of the entire system. There were multiple abuses and negligent behaviour publicized over the years with little positive intervention by the governments of the day. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services Minister Tracy Charles would not commit to the first of 33 recommendations made namely that a Quality of Residential Care Branch be created within her ministry "to provide governance, oversight and accountability for all child protection services". Hard to believe that such an important ministry to the day to day life of both parents and children could have suffered at best such benign neglect.

APPEAL COURT TO HEAR GUELPH ROBOCALLS CASE SENTENCE

The Waterloo Region Record on May 17/16 carried the following story "Appeal Court will hear case of the Guelph robocalls scandal". The convicted person, Michael Sona, is attempting to have the nine month jail sentence reduced. The Crown of course are trying to have it extended. Mr. Sona was 22 years old at the time of the offense and is now 26. His lawyer feels that the principles of deterrence and denunciation do not require nine months in jail. I tend to agree for a first offence. That said any second conviction then all bets are off.

ONTARIO COURT OF APPEAL- WELL DONE

Today's Waterloo Region Record carried this following story today titled "Drug conviction quashed because officers lied". The crime was a marijuana related one albeit definitely considerably more than a teenager caught smoking a joint. A 43 year old woman was convicted of possession for the purpose of trafficking. However the police officers involved violated the woman's rights three times including forcing her car to stop with an unmarked police car and then while wearing a balaclava over his face the officer ordered her at gunpoint out of her car. There was also a five hour delay in allowing her to call her lawyer. Finally both police officers lied in court, under oath, claiming that it was a routine stop and no firearms were involved.

The Appeal Court stated "This is one of those cases in which the court's need to disaasociate itself from police's conduct is greater than society's interest in prosecuting (the accused).". The conviction was quashed because of both Charter breaches as well as the officers lying under oath. There was no word in the story as to the liklihood of perjury charges against the officers.