... Canadian Customs officials are packing heat, at least at land crossings -- for the first time ever.
I actually support this, but I hope it's not the sign of a long term trend. Not that long ago, I read the enforcement division of the North Carolina Worker's Compensation Board carries guns.
Yes, that's right. If you ever get injured at work, make sure you have your facts straight or you might be looking down the barrel of a gun ... courtesy your tax dollars.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
It was never about the money, Mr. Harper
Two days after Steven Truscott was finally acquitted of the 1959 murder of Lynne Harper, a rather bizarre and sad twist. Lynne's father, Leslie, said the only reason Truscott sought a review of his conviction was so he could get compensation.
I suggested a couple days ago that a large sum of money -- say, 50 big ones -- was not out of reason in a case like this. But for Truscott, it was never about the money. It was about restoring his good name and clearing his rap sheet, something he got for something he didn't do.
And the fact remains, Harper's murder investigation has now officially reopened. While the man Truscott suspected really did it is long dead, it's quite possible that the real killer is still alive -- and has been enjoying himself watching both Truscott and Mr. Harper suffer. If that coward is eventually caught and convicted, I hope he also is forced to pay civil damages -- make it $100 million, $50 million each for the two men whose lives have been inextricably tied because of this deplorable tragedy. True -- no amount of money can count for the lives destroyed. But there must be some quantum, especially in a case that is much infamy to us as the Shanghai justice that was dealt upon Bruno Hauptmann in the States seven decades ago.
We actually owe Mr. Truscott a great deal of gratitude. Thanks to him, secret trials are now only used in the rarest of cases, such as for reasons of national security. Police can no longer conceal evidence on pain of jeopardy attaching. And of course, Canada no longer has the death penalty.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
I suggested a couple days ago that a large sum of money -- say, 50 big ones -- was not out of reason in a case like this. But for Truscott, it was never about the money. It was about restoring his good name and clearing his rap sheet, something he got for something he didn't do.
And the fact remains, Harper's murder investigation has now officially reopened. While the man Truscott suspected really did it is long dead, it's quite possible that the real killer is still alive -- and has been enjoying himself watching both Truscott and Mr. Harper suffer. If that coward is eventually caught and convicted, I hope he also is forced to pay civil damages -- make it $100 million, $50 million each for the two men whose lives have been inextricably tied because of this deplorable tragedy. True -- no amount of money can count for the lives destroyed. But there must be some quantum, especially in a case that is much infamy to us as the Shanghai justice that was dealt upon Bruno Hauptmann in the States seven decades ago.
We actually owe Mr. Truscott a great deal of gratitude. Thanks to him, secret trials are now only used in the rarest of cases, such as for reasons of national security. Police can no longer conceal evidence on pain of jeopardy attaching. And of course, Canada no longer has the death penalty.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Message to union: Thanks, but no thanks
Late today at work, I received a memo that said that a union has placed an application to form a local at the office where I am. I suspect it's the CAW although I'm not 100% sure on that.
I support the right to organize, and the right to bargain collectively. Unions have been a strength for Canada and I hope they continue to exist for a long time to come.
However, as a former union member, I can honestly say that I did not get much out of membership. In the position I was in for a couple of years, we got barely more than minimum wage and the only benefits were discounted (not free) dental and then only for cleanings and cavities, not restorative work or dental surgery. I didn't know who my stewart was and I don't even remember being told when membership meeting were or where. Or that there was an election coming and who was running. Well there was one fringe: We got our birthday off. Big deal.
I'm quite happy with the position I have. It's challenging but I feel like I'm adding value to the product we offer as are my colleagues. The benefits are more than what I could ask for; certainly better than what a union could try to get. And the managers are approachable and we're on a first name basis.
For that reason, plus the fact I actually come from a non-union family, I am not in the least bit interested in signing a union card or if it comes to a vote to allowing a bargaining unit to come into my workplace. If one should be formed, I will do what I can to decline my membership although I will, of course, be more than happy to pay union dues as is required under the Rand Formula.
For the record, my employers didn't ask me to write this; I'm doing this on my own volition and in the belief that another tier of bureaucracy would only complicate matters. So if you're with the union and you're reading this either at my blog or my Facebook page, please don't contact me or try to recruit me. I'm just not interested.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
I support the right to organize, and the right to bargain collectively. Unions have been a strength for Canada and I hope they continue to exist for a long time to come.
However, as a former union member, I can honestly say that I did not get much out of membership. In the position I was in for a couple of years, we got barely more than minimum wage and the only benefits were discounted (not free) dental and then only for cleanings and cavities, not restorative work or dental surgery. I didn't know who my stewart was and I don't even remember being told when membership meeting were or where. Or that there was an election coming and who was running. Well there was one fringe: We got our birthday off. Big deal.
I'm quite happy with the position I have. It's challenging but I feel like I'm adding value to the product we offer as are my colleagues. The benefits are more than what I could ask for; certainly better than what a union could try to get. And the managers are approachable and we're on a first name basis.
For that reason, plus the fact I actually come from a non-union family, I am not in the least bit interested in signing a union card or if it comes to a vote to allowing a bargaining unit to come into my workplace. If one should be formed, I will do what I can to decline my membership although I will, of course, be more than happy to pay union dues as is required under the Rand Formula.
For the record, my employers didn't ask me to write this; I'm doing this on my own volition and in the belief that another tier of bureaucracy would only complicate matters. So if you're with the union and you're reading this either at my blog or my Facebook page, please don't contact me or try to recruit me. I'm just not interested.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
In memoriam: Doug Riley
Much of the background instrumental work we hear on records that has come out over the last 40 years or so from artists ranging from Moe Koffman and Ray Charles to Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray, and even young masters of the trade like current violin champion Natalie McMaster is thanks to jazz musician and record producer Doug "Dr. Music" Riley. He was also a serious classical pianist as and played with many symphony orchestras as well. Riley died yesterday in Calgary. He was only 62.
Meanwhile, some truly wretched people in the entertainment business, who will not be named, live on into their eighties and nineties.
Proves the old truism, the good die young, the evil refuse to leave.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Meanwhile, some truly wretched people in the entertainment business, who will not be named, live on into their eighties and nineties.
Proves the old truism, the good die young, the evil refuse to leave.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
48 years, 2 months, 19 days
That's how long it's been since twelve year old Lynne Harper was brutally raped and murdered near an air force base -- since abandoned -- in Clinton, Ontario. Not long after that, her friend, fourteen year old Steven Truscott, was convicted and sentenced to hang. While Truscott's sentenced was commuted and he was later paroled, he has always proclaimed his innocence.
Today, a five judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal -- while refusing to say outright that Truscott is innocent -- said that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice, and entered a verdict of not guilty. (Text of the decision is here, background on the case is here.)
Over the ensuing decades, it has emerged that the provincial prosecutors and the Department of National Defence had been colluding in suppressing key evidence that would have raised probable doubt ... not to mention that the autopsy pointing to a time of death was so laughable that CSI Cancun could have done a better job. Evidence points to a sexual predator stalking the area at the time, but he died in the 70s and his body was cremated -- plus the DNA evidence has degraded so much over time that pointing to any killer with certainty is an impossibility.
Should Truscott sue the province and the feds for the hell he's gone through?
Yes. While no amount of money can compensate for pain and suffering, $50 million is not out of the question as a deterrent to cops who'd be tempted to jump to conclusions like what happened five decades ago.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Today, a five judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal -- while refusing to say outright that Truscott is innocent -- said that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice, and entered a verdict of not guilty. (Text of the decision is here, background on the case is here.)
Over the ensuing decades, it has emerged that the provincial prosecutors and the Department of National Defence had been colluding in suppressing key evidence that would have raised probable doubt ... not to mention that the autopsy pointing to a time of death was so laughable that CSI Cancun could have done a better job. Evidence points to a sexual predator stalking the area at the time, but he died in the 70s and his body was cremated -- plus the DNA evidence has degraded so much over time that pointing to any killer with certainty is an impossibility.
Should Truscott sue the province and the feds for the hell he's gone through?
Yes. While no amount of money can compensate for pain and suffering, $50 million is not out of the question as a deterrent to cops who'd be tempted to jump to conclusions like what happened five decades ago.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Coming soon to your friendly freeway: Tolls!
Pennsylvania has long been called the "Keystone" state in part because it often blazes trails, and if what you're about to read sets a trend for the rest of the US, then Canada can't be too far behind and that is truly a frightening thought.
While toll roads have been around for eons, it was Pennsylvania that opened up the first modern expressway, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A number of interstates as well as some state highways make up the system as we know it today; and it's on EZ Pass, the electronic tolling system that covers much of the northeast and part of the mid-West. But apparently a toll increase just a couple of years ago is not enough. Seems that another east-west route -- I-80 -- has become the favourite of truckers going through the state. Serves to reason considering the toll for trucks on I-76 going from Ohio to New Jersey is at least $122, even with EZ Pass. (For cars, it's $22.75 for 357 miles, not a bad deal compared to the 407.)
So what does Ed Rendell, the governor of the state, want to do? Turn I-80 into the second mainline of the Turnpike, by putting up 10 electronic gantries (without tollbooths, like Ontario's 407 or Route 91 in the OC) along the route's length, every 30 miles or so. In other words, an existing free highway would become a toll road.
This isn't like what's been done in some states where toll lanes are put down the median of a free road -- new express lanes for those willing to pay, while the existing road becomes collector lanes for those who don't. This is a major route that is a lifeline to the whole of the Northeast, and there are no plans to put a third lane down the median strip. Needless to say, the longstanding tensions between the mostly conservative rural regions and the two major urban cities -- Pittsburgh and Philadelphia -- has heated up to the point of near explosion.
The problem lies in a loophole in federal law that allows free roads to be converted to tolled ones provided revenues raised go towards better roads for all. Pennsylvania, on the other hand, wants to use it for public transit. Only the two cities above, and possibly the capital of Harrisburg, could possibly benefit from better bus and subway service. Not to mention that the whole plan may be illegal since I-80 was built in the first place with federal money, not bond issues like the Pike was.
I can appreciate Rendell trying to get creative. It's better than his original idea of leasing out the Pike for decades to a private group. (They tried that in Indiana, and the people revolted at the polls, but the damage was done.) But if the idea is to impose user fees without raising taxes, it's still not a good way to do it. Since most of the people who use the interstates are actually from out of state, it becomes a captive tax on the unwilling, just like a hotel tax. To shunpike, one would have to take side roads just before the gantries. That would increase traffic on rural roads as well as greenhouse gases.
Frankly, they could make just as much money selling naming rights to the road.
It's just a matter of time before Dalton decides there's money to be had, perhaps not in tolling, but in naming rights too. Imagine driving up from Hamilton to Barrie -- first take the Tim Horton's QEW, exit at the Microsoft 427, head east on the Globe and Mail 401 and then north on the Molson's 400. But don't be surprised if the 401 is tolled sooner or later. That'll be pretty much the end of Ontario right there.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
While toll roads have been around for eons, it was Pennsylvania that opened up the first modern expressway, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A number of interstates as well as some state highways make up the system as we know it today; and it's on EZ Pass, the electronic tolling system that covers much of the northeast and part of the mid-West. But apparently a toll increase just a couple of years ago is not enough. Seems that another east-west route -- I-80 -- has become the favourite of truckers going through the state. Serves to reason considering the toll for trucks on I-76 going from Ohio to New Jersey is at least $122, even with EZ Pass. (For cars, it's $22.75 for 357 miles, not a bad deal compared to the 407.)
So what does Ed Rendell, the governor of the state, want to do? Turn I-80 into the second mainline of the Turnpike, by putting up 10 electronic gantries (without tollbooths, like Ontario's 407 or Route 91 in the OC) along the route's length, every 30 miles or so. In other words, an existing free highway would become a toll road.
This isn't like what's been done in some states where toll lanes are put down the median of a free road -- new express lanes for those willing to pay, while the existing road becomes collector lanes for those who don't. This is a major route that is a lifeline to the whole of the Northeast, and there are no plans to put a third lane down the median strip. Needless to say, the longstanding tensions between the mostly conservative rural regions and the two major urban cities -- Pittsburgh and Philadelphia -- has heated up to the point of near explosion.
The problem lies in a loophole in federal law that allows free roads to be converted to tolled ones provided revenues raised go towards better roads for all. Pennsylvania, on the other hand, wants to use it for public transit. Only the two cities above, and possibly the capital of Harrisburg, could possibly benefit from better bus and subway service. Not to mention that the whole plan may be illegal since I-80 was built in the first place with federal money, not bond issues like the Pike was.
I can appreciate Rendell trying to get creative. It's better than his original idea of leasing out the Pike for decades to a private group. (They tried that in Indiana, and the people revolted at the polls, but the damage was done.) But if the idea is to impose user fees without raising taxes, it's still not a good way to do it. Since most of the people who use the interstates are actually from out of state, it becomes a captive tax on the unwilling, just like a hotel tax. To shunpike, one would have to take side roads just before the gantries. That would increase traffic on rural roads as well as greenhouse gases.
Frankly, they could make just as much money selling naming rights to the road.
It's just a matter of time before Dalton decides there's money to be had, perhaps not in tolling, but in naming rights too. Imagine driving up from Hamilton to Barrie -- first take the Tim Horton's QEW, exit at the Microsoft 427, head east on the Globe and Mail 401 and then north on the Molson's 400. But don't be surprised if the 401 is tolled sooner or later. That'll be pretty much the end of Ontario right there.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Here's a piña colada on the way out, Al ...
The only surprise was when Alberto Gonzales was going to resign, not if. As for Dubya saying that the Democrats dragged Al's name in blood -- um, mud -- my response would be, didn't Karl do that to Valerie Plame first?
Probably, GWB will pick Ted Olson as the replacement for AG. Not my favourite guy but he's someone with a heck of a lot more integrity than most of the cabal at the White House right now.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Probably, GWB will pick Ted Olson as the replacement for AG. Not my favourite guy but he's someone with a heck of a lot more integrity than most of the cabal at the White House right now.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Stelco sold
An era in Hamilton is truly over. Stelco has been sold to an American company, USX. There are now no more independent steel producers in Canada.
I come from a Dofasco family, but the workers at Dofasco (non-union) rooted for their union brothers and sisters at Stelco -- wage agreements there usually trickled down into what the people at Dofasco got. However, the US steel industry has seen a massive shakeup, with USX one of the survivors after making brutal cuts in their workforce as well as what they pay workers.
This is really going to be interesting, what happens next.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
I come from a Dofasco family, but the workers at Dofasco (non-union) rooted for their union brothers and sisters at Stelco -- wage agreements there usually trickled down into what the people at Dofasco got. However, the US steel industry has seen a massive shakeup, with USX one of the survivors after making brutal cuts in their workforce as well as what they pay workers.
This is really going to be interesting, what happens next.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
"D" Something something something spells Dictator
I disdain the word gauleiter, or any phraseology that hearkens back to the Nazi era. Yet I'm having a very difficult time trying to figure a way to describe what's been happening the last few days in British Columbia. My fellow Prog Blogs give their two bits here, here, here, here and here. Here's the skinny for those who don't know: The Conservatives don't like the fact that an NDPer represents a certain district, Skeena - Bulkley Valley. That MP's name is Nathan Cullen. So the Conmen have decided to appoint their own "liaison" named Sharon Smith, who is the Mayor of Houston BC and just happens to be the Conservative candidate for whenever the federal election is finally held.
They say having someone from the fourth party "doesn't cut" it when it comes to getting projects done for the home district. They insist only a government hack can get the job done. That's funny logic, because I've been seeing more done with someone out of government in the last year in a half in my home district of Hamilton Mountain represented by an NDPer, Chris Charlton, than happened in the previous thirteen when someone in the Liberal government was the MP here. And I'm saying that as a Liberal. Someone elected represents all the people in the district regardless of affiliation. They present petitions to Parliament even if they themselves disagree with the content, for instance. They have the ability to walk up to a responsible Minister right on the House floor for specific requests. They procure congratulatory messages and other greetings from the higher-ups even if it's someone from the other side. No liaison is necessary, because that MP is the liaison.
What are these guys trying to attempt? Divide Canada into an us-vs-them confederation of exclaves? Some have suggested that this is entirely unconstitutional as only the people can choose who represents their district in Ottawa, and I agree with that connotation.
This kind of trickery is completely intolerable. The Cons have only one aim, a permanent far-right wing majority, but to get there they need a temporary dictatorship which is what is really what's happening here. Having someone place a district entirely under their control with a marionette beneath them while that someone or his or her superior pulls the strings. Marionette is too kind a word, gauleiter too harsh -- but there has to be a word to describe this one.
What Canada needs is proportional representation which would ensure a permanent minority Parliament. That would have stopped this kind of chicanery from happening in the first place.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
They say having someone from the fourth party "doesn't cut" it when it comes to getting projects done for the home district. They insist only a government hack can get the job done. That's funny logic, because I've been seeing more done with someone out of government in the last year in a half in my home district of Hamilton Mountain represented by an NDPer, Chris Charlton, than happened in the previous thirteen when someone in the Liberal government was the MP here. And I'm saying that as a Liberal. Someone elected represents all the people in the district regardless of affiliation. They present petitions to Parliament even if they themselves disagree with the content, for instance. They have the ability to walk up to a responsible Minister right on the House floor for specific requests. They procure congratulatory messages and other greetings from the higher-ups even if it's someone from the other side. No liaison is necessary, because that MP is the liaison.
What are these guys trying to attempt? Divide Canada into an us-vs-them confederation of exclaves? Some have suggested that this is entirely unconstitutional as only the people can choose who represents their district in Ottawa, and I agree with that connotation.
This kind of trickery is completely intolerable. The Cons have only one aim, a permanent far-right wing majority, but to get there they need a temporary dictatorship which is what is really what's happening here. Having someone place a district entirely under their control with a marionette beneath them while that someone or his or her superior pulls the strings. Marionette is too kind a word, gauleiter too harsh -- but there has to be a word to describe this one.
What Canada needs is proportional representation which would ensure a permanent minority Parliament. That would have stopped this kind of chicanery from happening in the first place.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Nothing to apologize for
A couple of days ago, Sudan decided to declare personna non grata two diplomats for allegedly "interfering in its internal affairs." The favourite code of dictatorships, especially the most brutal ones. One diplomat is from Sweden, the other from Canada. Their sin? Calling out Khartoum for its continued foot-dragging on the Darfur genocide. Tonight, it seems the one from Sweden has a reprieve for three weeks, the balance of his tour of duty. Sweden's rep also represents the interests of the EU as a whole.
While the EU issued a statement apologizing for any "misunderstanding," it's my opinion there's nothing to apologize for. Genocide is genocide, and what Sudan is doing to the people in Darfur is genocide. In fact, it's the belief of many and not just myself that Khartoum wants to spark a regional war with Chad and the Central African Republic.
200,000 have been murdered so far, part of a wider civil war in the country that has claimed over 2 million over the last quarter century. The only reason why the United States has spoken out in favour of the refugees is because the country has oil, a lot of it. (Rwanda, by contrast, does not so Bill Clinton allowed 800,000 to be murdered because it wasn't worth his time.)
The one country that could put an end to the bullshit is Mainland China, which only last month finally stopped using its veto at the Security Council to allow a peacekeeping force to intervene (although it's going to be a heck of a lot more peace making, just like NATO had to do in Bosnia-Hercegovina). Why has it failed to do more than the bare minimum? Why, because it's Sudan's biggest customer for Texas T, of course! They're equal partners in the genocide.
There's a reason why diplomatic immunity was created -- so the messenger wouldn't be killed. It should never be used as an excuse to flout a country's laws regarding everything from moving violations to drug-smuggling and even murder but a country's "guests" are there for a reason, to be the official conduits of policy from other governments. Our ambassador, and his counterparts, are doing their job in speaking in favour of human rights.
A country that treats its diplomatic corps like that which Khartoum favours deserves equal treatment. If Sudan is expelling our ambasador there, PMS should return the favour and tell Sudan's top voice in Ottawa to get the Hull out of Canada.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
While the EU issued a statement apologizing for any "misunderstanding," it's my opinion there's nothing to apologize for. Genocide is genocide, and what Sudan is doing to the people in Darfur is genocide. In fact, it's the belief of many and not just myself that Khartoum wants to spark a regional war with Chad and the Central African Republic.
200,000 have been murdered so far, part of a wider civil war in the country that has claimed over 2 million over the last quarter century. The only reason why the United States has spoken out in favour of the refugees is because the country has oil, a lot of it. (Rwanda, by contrast, does not so Bill Clinton allowed 800,000 to be murdered because it wasn't worth his time.)
The one country that could put an end to the bullshit is Mainland China, which only last month finally stopped using its veto at the Security Council to allow a peacekeeping force to intervene (although it's going to be a heck of a lot more peace making, just like NATO had to do in Bosnia-Hercegovina). Why has it failed to do more than the bare minimum? Why, because it's Sudan's biggest customer for Texas T, of course! They're equal partners in the genocide.
There's a reason why diplomatic immunity was created -- so the messenger wouldn't be killed. It should never be used as an excuse to flout a country's laws regarding everything from moving violations to drug-smuggling and even murder but a country's "guests" are there for a reason, to be the official conduits of policy from other governments. Our ambassador, and his counterparts, are doing their job in speaking in favour of human rights.
A country that treats its diplomatic corps like that which Khartoum favours deserves equal treatment. If Sudan is expelling our ambasador there, PMS should return the favour and tell Sudan's top voice in Ottawa to get the Hull out of Canada.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Live Next Door to The Prophet!
I was shocked to read about this one, but perhaps should not have been -- developers in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, are building condominiums in the neighbourhood of the Ka'aba, the holiest shrine in Islam. Also being planned is an office building that will have twice the floor space of the current world's champion in that department, the Pentagon.
Truly, is nothing sacred?
Not that I could go to Mecca anyway -- it's forbidden to non-Muslims to enter -- but even if they did allow infidels to come to meditate or personally reflect, I wouldn't want to go anyway, knowing there's a Body Shop and a Cinnabon right on the edge of the shrine's precinct.
What if someone tried to build a mall next to St. Joseph's Oratory, or the Mormon Tabernacle, or the Cave of the Patriarachs? I mean, really.
Is it any wonder there are people trying to overthrow the al-Saud family? And you can bet that even if the family does fall, al-Qaeda will keep those stores and apartment buildings open to fund their terrorism, just as the Mafia uses legitimate business fronts to stay alive. But I thought holy sites were supposed to be just that, holy. Selling stamps and phone cards and trading Euro coins with the Pope's profile on the back, next to the Sistine Chapel, may be one thing -- after all, the Vatican is a sovereign state. But selling out one's faith in the name of the almighty dollar is quite another.
I'd think most devout Muslims would be outraged at what's happening to their sacred sites.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Truly, is nothing sacred?
Not that I could go to Mecca anyway -- it's forbidden to non-Muslims to enter -- but even if they did allow infidels to come to meditate or personally reflect, I wouldn't want to go anyway, knowing there's a Body Shop and a Cinnabon right on the edge of the shrine's precinct.
What if someone tried to build a mall next to St. Joseph's Oratory, or the Mormon Tabernacle, or the Cave of the Patriarachs? I mean, really.
Is it any wonder there are people trying to overthrow the al-Saud family? And you can bet that even if the family does fall, al-Qaeda will keep those stores and apartment buildings open to fund their terrorism, just as the Mafia uses legitimate business fronts to stay alive. But I thought holy sites were supposed to be just that, holy. Selling stamps and phone cards and trading Euro coins with the Pope's profile on the back, next to the Sistine Chapel, may be one thing -- after all, the Vatican is a sovereign state. But selling out one's faith in the name of the almighty dollar is quite another.
I'd think most devout Muslims would be outraged at what's happening to their sacred sites.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Chaos in Montréal
Many years ago, they had a great joke on Married ... With Children: "I know there are K-Marts in Chicago, but there's something so special about going to one out of town!"
I guess one could say the Hudson's Bay location in downtown Montréal would have to be one of those places -- a department store as well as a tourist attraction. Today it almost became a death-trap also when the ceiling in the basement started leaking big time. They actually had to shut down a section of the Métro's Ligne Verte because of fears the subway might be flooded in. There's been chaos as a result, as that one line alone carries 200,000 passengers every day.
It's telling that although our downtowns are the lifeblood of major cities in Canada, they also have the worst infrastructure. Many water pipes are a hundred years old or more with an intended service life of only 40 years or less. And they run right through the heart -- or in this case, between two worlds; the one above ground and the one below, with people both in it.
We keep seeing all these megaprojects being bandied about. What about keeping the basics in a good state of repair? It's a good thing someone spotted this before there was a real problem. Sure we could use a deep water port in the Far North but imagine what five billion could do to bring pipes up to standard and making sure bridges and tunnels get painted every so often. Often, that's enough to avert disaster.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
I guess one could say the Hudson's Bay location in downtown Montréal would have to be one of those places -- a department store as well as a tourist attraction. Today it almost became a death-trap also when the ceiling in the basement started leaking big time. They actually had to shut down a section of the Métro's Ligne Verte because of fears the subway might be flooded in. There's been chaos as a result, as that one line alone carries 200,000 passengers every day.
It's telling that although our downtowns are the lifeblood of major cities in Canada, they also have the worst infrastructure. Many water pipes are a hundred years old or more with an intended service life of only 40 years or less. And they run right through the heart -- or in this case, between two worlds; the one above ground and the one below, with people both in it.
We keep seeing all these megaprojects being bandied about. What about keeping the basics in a good state of repair? It's a good thing someone spotted this before there was a real problem. Sure we could use a deep water port in the Far North but imagine what five billion could do to bring pipes up to standard and making sure bridges and tunnels get painted every so often. Often, that's enough to avert disaster.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Alberta spied on Montanans
Environmental groups in Canada have long complained the Government of Alberta has illegally wiretapped their offices. While nothing has ever been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, there's little doubt these plucky people have been fighting an uphill battle just to get attention. During an oil conference in Calgary, for instance, the private television stations made absolutely no mention of counter-demonstrations by green activists -- and of course they're the ones most sympathetic to one party rule in the province. They're not going to bite the hand that feeds them, even if that hand is engaged in funny business.
Spying on fellow Canadians is one thing. Spying on people from the States is quite another. Yet now the Montana state government is investigating whether the utility board in Alberta spied on people from Big Sky Country. What was their sin? Protesting the construction of a power line that would deliver surplus electricity to the States. True the line -- a 500 kV high tension line -- is presently intended only for the Edmonton-Calgary corridor, but it can easily be extended and the US is hungry for that power.
According to the Alberta NDP which got the word via an Access to Information Request, the board hired a spy to infiltrate a group of landowners who oppose the development. Frankly, I think it's despicable.
It's heartening in a way that the very farmers we often misconstrue as "rednecks" are often the most passionate defenders of what's left of the Prairie way of life. One only has to think of the Oldman River Dam project, which still has questionable benefits if at all -- while it was eventually relocated after massive protests it was still built, in an area where wind power would made much more sense.
All that is reasonably called for is an environmental assessment hearing. When it's Montana of all places that's asking questions, even if it stands to benefit from all that power, there's a problem. If the Alberta government suspects their perceived enemies of wrong-doing then they should go before a judge and get a wiretap warrant. Otherwise, they should heed the rising voices of those -- on both sides of the border -- who fear the Wild Rose is starting to wilt.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Spying on fellow Canadians is one thing. Spying on people from the States is quite another. Yet now the Montana state government is investigating whether the utility board in Alberta spied on people from Big Sky Country. What was their sin? Protesting the construction of a power line that would deliver surplus electricity to the States. True the line -- a 500 kV high tension line -- is presently intended only for the Edmonton-Calgary corridor, but it can easily be extended and the US is hungry for that power.
According to the Alberta NDP which got the word via an Access to Information Request, the board hired a spy to infiltrate a group of landowners who oppose the development. Frankly, I think it's despicable.
It's heartening in a way that the very farmers we often misconstrue as "rednecks" are often the most passionate defenders of what's left of the Prairie way of life. One only has to think of the Oldman River Dam project, which still has questionable benefits if at all -- while it was eventually relocated after massive protests it was still built, in an area where wind power would made much more sense.
All that is reasonably called for is an environmental assessment hearing. When it's Montana of all places that's asking questions, even if it stands to benefit from all that power, there's a problem. If the Alberta government suspects their perceived enemies of wrong-doing then they should go before a judge and get a wiretap warrant. Otherwise, they should heed the rising voices of those -- on both sides of the border -- who fear the Wild Rose is starting to wilt.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
30-3. A score in American football? Nope ...
... baseball. The Texas Rangers, in last place in the AL West, pulled off a shocker when they came from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles 30-3. A team scoring 30 runs hasn't happened in the United States in the pros since -- 1897. And that was just the first leg of a double header; the boys from Arlington won the second frame 9-7.
Interesting these things happen to the worst teams.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Interesting these things happen to the worst teams.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Condo Conversions and 100% Mortgages
They've been around almost as long as someone got the idea to sell apartment units but in the last few years I've noticed quite a few apartment buildings in my hometown converting to condominiums. And it's a nationwide trend also. One can understand why on the surface landlords are doing this; one can make more money selling the units individually than as a block -- even the condo fees can earn as much as low-income housing.
But that's the crux. Many of the units being converted used to be public housing or rental units at rates below market. It may be a good thing to get people back into our downtowns, but is it also good to force people onto the streets?
While the real estate barons sleep on thread counts of ever increasing numbers, their ex-tenants struggle to find a place to live -- and eventually they wind up taking no-down payment mortgages. Guess who backs those up?
The Government of Canada. The banks have no risk whatsoever but it's the taxpayers who foot the bill for defaults. It's nowhere near as bad as the subprime scandal in the States but it's getting to the point where eventually it will be awfully close.
There's no question ownership is far preferable to renting. But shouldn't we give people an incentive to save to do so? It's time to bring back the federal home ownership savings plan -- shelter some of one's savings until he or she is ready to make their first home purchase. If there aren't going to be any more apartments, the least we can do is give people a head start.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
But that's the crux. Many of the units being converted used to be public housing or rental units at rates below market. It may be a good thing to get people back into our downtowns, but is it also good to force people onto the streets?
While the real estate barons sleep on thread counts of ever increasing numbers, their ex-tenants struggle to find a place to live -- and eventually they wind up taking no-down payment mortgages. Guess who backs those up?
The Government of Canada. The banks have no risk whatsoever but it's the taxpayers who foot the bill for defaults. It's nowhere near as bad as the subprime scandal in the States but it's getting to the point where eventually it will be awfully close.
There's no question ownership is far preferable to renting. But shouldn't we give people an incentive to save to do so? It's time to bring back the federal home ownership savings plan -- shelter some of one's savings until he or she is ready to make their first home purchase. If there aren't going to be any more apartments, the least we can do is give people a head start.
Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)