Politics in Pieces

Musings

2008-11-11T14:46:00.012-08:00

During the CFR [which was excellent to watch live, I'll have you know], Liberal leader Kevin Taft put in a private members bill [correction: motion] to make Rodeo the "Official Sport of Alberta". Now, I'm all about Rodeo - I did barrel racing, my father did calf roping - tie-down roping to the politically correct types, but I really did expect more from someone who has the position of leader of the official opposition. Yes, I know the Tories have an absolutely ridiculous majority, and anything productive would be quashed in a matter of hours. That does not give Taft the go-ahead to use a private members motion for Rodeo just because it will pass, and the liberals can then say they actually passed a significant pm motion during the next election. Fools. I really expect more from opposition forces. Maybe this is why I'm still against all that "unite the left" propaganda. Give me Rachel Notley or Brian Mason who will at least go after the Tories for big things - like ignoring troubles in the child-welfare system, or continuing to ignore the health-care system to the point where lives are at risk? It's probably just me, but come on Taft, it's your last term as leader - go out with a bang at least.

Unsurprisingly, Vladimir Putin just might get another chance to be Russia's President. Now, think about this, had the Democrats won all 60 senate seats, then Barack Obama would have just as much control in the USA as Putin would officially have as president in Russia. Thank-god for term limitations in the USA. [Sorry Obama, no one should have that much power for more than a few years - good or bad] Maybe the Duma will suddenly go rogue and act "mavericky" and vote against Medvedev's extension of term limitations . Or maybe Medvedev will get some gumption [more commonly known as "balls"] and suggest that term limitations are not "two terms" but the slightly less flexible "two terms in a row". *sigh* In my hopeful, prevent concentration of power for too long type of hope, this will be reality for Russia.

Now comes the section of this post I would like to call the "please don't shoot me for thinking this out loud" section. Sarah Palin. She's my favorite politician type to laugh about. Mostly because she is, well, inexperienced, not ready to face an almost global 24-7 coverage of the election she was in, she has an unshakable belief in God, and is - well - a woman. Oh, and she hunts. These are great reasons, right? Her ideological views do not give me any feelings of humour - more so a "chills-up-my-spine-how-do-we-stop-her" feeling. But back to what I laugh at her about. Perhaps - and I know this might sound odd - some of the things I laughed at her about didn't really warrant laughter - more so the "you poor lady, you are SO in over your head" type pity. The now famous Katie Couric interview is something that every running mate should have been able to get through without batting a well-made up eyelash. Blame the Republican Party for not picking someone who was - I don't know - ready for something like that? There is only so much you can cover in a media briefing, and a huge difference between politics in Wasilla and Washington. With the 24/7 media coverage, every gaff, any moment where she was not "on" was photographed, taped, or recorded - and used as fodder for her media/blogging/political opponents. Again, there is a difference between the media coverage in Wasilla and in Washington. These are clear, legitimate screw-ups by Palin and the Republican Party that are - in the end - laughable. After all, if all you can do is say "I'll have to get back to you on that one" to a question....what else is there for a viewer TOO do?

But now to the deep faith in God. Is this really something to laugh at someone else about? Aren't we all supposed to be super-tolerant of other people's beliefs? This may sound odd, but while Palin's faith in God may guide some of her uber-scary political stances [abortion comes to mind here], that faith in-and-of itself is nothing to be laughed at, or shamed. My grandma is "religious", does that means she is all "crazy". No, it means she goes to church on Sunday, volunteers at her local hospital, knits mittens for donation in the winter, and loves the Raging Grannies. But of course, this is only one example, I'm sure every other Christian is "crazy" [sarcasm, you don't say?]

This last bit is something I think we all laughed - or shamed - Sarah Palin about. Gosh darnit, she's a woman. Actually, I know a few people would have said that out loud, knowing precisely how sexist they sounded, but that's another argument altogether. First up, let's talk clothes. Remember that 24/7 media coverage I mentioned earlier? Part of her "prep" for that had to be that she looked the part of a vice president. That meant business suites and casual suits, and shoes matching these different outfits, appropriate and tasteful jewelry...etc. Her very casual wear from Wasilla would not be appropriate for a national campaign - I'm sure the first check-boxes on some Republican handlers "Before Sarah Palin goes outside, make sure that..." list was "burn all Alaska clothing...ewww". Now, she did make the mistake of taking her family shopping on campaign funds, and going to boutique's on 5th Ave in NYC. Seriously, that's asking for someone to make a story out of this. But does anyone know how much the suits for Mr. McCain cost? They weren't exactly "cheap" suits, I am sure. So why does this not get any attention? Because - as is expected of them - women in politics must always look fresh and new and wonderful. Actually, this isn't true just for politics; it is true for a workplace depending upon where you are in the corporate ladder. As I've seen with friends, promotions are always awesome, but they comes with a dress-code change, and another round of shopping to change from "casual" to "business casual" to "business". Not so much for the gents, a suit is a suit...perhaps just a change in shoes or tie is necessary with a promotion.

Lastly, Sarah Palin hunts. OMG. The world is going to end. Unless I missed something along the way, it's not like she used high-powered lights to stun the animals to make them more vulnerable, or did something else that would give her more of an advantage than a rifle already would. Somehow, I think ILO's would be a better target for animal rights activists - or people who think hunting is "disgusting". For those who have a problem with the whole "gun" thing, get over it. Seriously. I'm pretty far "left" on almost anything, but this one issue that I just do not understand from the so-called "leftist viewpoint". Perhaps it's the small-town, living on a farm, "holy crap that wolf is stealing a calf must run to unlock my separately stored ammunition and gun, load the gun, [conveniently located inside] in hopes that I can save that calf from being your next dinner" hell that made that view a little more clear.

Now, if you actually made it to the end of this post, I'd like to remind you that Sarah Palin freaks me out, and I'd do pretty much anything in my power to stop her if she does take a stab at 2012...but a few of the critique's against her were more than ridiculous. I guess this is what we get in a policy-empty, personality-dense type of campaign that is becoming more and more common in both American and Canadian politics. I hope this changes - I'd like to see the "news" provide more commentary on events than Colbert and Stewart.

Bringin' it in BC

2008-09-25T12:28:00.004-07:00

Harper must be running scared. Really scared. After a desperate plea in BC to protect consumers from unsolicited text messages [where have I heard that before?], he is stopping in Edmonton to pull Rahim "I swear it was me" Jaffer out of the grave he's dug himself. Personally, I look forward to seeing Rahim attempt to schmooze his way into being the most-absent parliamentarian again.

But, back to British Columbia. Kudos to Layton for damning both the Campbell government's carbon tax AND Harper's refusal to address increasing gas prices - until September 7th, that is. Perhaps another sign of desperation - but, I suppose when one of your candidates was caught using her office in rather - erm - inappropriate ways, you have to save face. For those of you about to mention certain New Democrat candidates, their so-called indiscretions did not occur in their workplace as an elected official.

Screw You, Softwood!

2008-09-24T10:56:00.004-07:00

And by that, I mean "screw-you softwood lumber sell-out". This morning in Kenora, Jack Layton announced plans to scrap the softwood lumber "deal" that was made to appease the United States lumber manufacturers.

Since the last election, the New Democrats have been fighting to ensure that softwood lumber was not just sold down the pipeline - that Harper's government actually take a stand against the White House. After all, if the WTO ruled in Canada's favour, you would think the United States would respect one of the international trade bodies it helped to create. Or, not.

I find it interesting reading the comments section on all CBC articles - one of my favourite's from this morning's announcement is:

"Since the US wouldn't even honor WTO and NAFTA judgements
against them regarding the softwood lumber dispute, what makes Mr. Layton think that pulling out of this deal will IMPROVE things for the Canadian lumber
industry? Especially when the US presidential candidates have been talking about
renegotiating or tearing up NAFTA."

Well, you see, while renegotiating NAFTA, the forestry, oil and gas, and even water can be renegotiated to be a "fair trade" agreement. Now, if Senator's Obama or McCain are all for renegotiating NAFTA, perhaps it would be wise to have someone in Canada who wants to renegotiate as well. You know, renegotiate for people in Canada, not for the business elite in the United States who are looking to develop the natural resources we are lucky enough to be sitting on.

Mr. Layton is right Canada - because we happen to be sitting on massive renewable [and not-so renewable] resources - has an ace in the hole, so to speak, and it is about time to use it. After all, if the situation were reversed, NAFTA would have been renegotiated [or scrapped] as soon as Clinton took office.

Harper is a Cylon

2008-09-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

This is too perfect. Although...I am now afraid there are cylons lurking everywhere! The whole province is made up of cylons. My neighbour is certainly a cylon, after all they have a poster for this lower-level cylon in their window. Speaking of, don't you think the two cylons look virtually the same? Creepy.

Of course, the lead cylon is the worst, what with the $400.00 hair cut [meant to resemble human hair], that comes out looking like a hair-piece. Come on! Then there was that whole issue with the kittens who just looked like they wanted to run away. Don't animals have a sixth sense about things like this?

But, enough cylon-conservative comparisons - even if they are earned. Next time, I promise a post with substance and issues. Right now, this is too great to let go.

Olympics

2008-08-19T10:46:00.002-07:00

I know, I know. It's been done to death. I will not waste your time repeating reasons to boycott, etc, etc. For a good analysis of the politics behind the Beijing games [not to mention the prevailing West/East global politics of why China got summer games, and Vancouver won the Winter games], check out by Mark Wells.

Personally, the games have disgusted me for the past few years. In the Athens games of 2004, there was the whole "Balco" scandal involving the American track and field team. In the 2006 games, the Austrian cross country skiing and biathlon teams' HQ were raided, and several athletes were given suspensions, or banned from the games altogether. Then, there was - to me - one of the more upsetting moments: Johann Muelegg positive test for Darbepoiten. Similar to EPO, this drug is generally used to help kidney patients who have a chronic hemoglobin deficiency. Why this one episode of doping, above all others? Frankly, because I had a naive hope that the brilliance Muelegg displayed on his skis was entirely from athletacism, and sheer will.

The continuous disrespect for sport, hyper-nationalism, and the HUGE emphasis on winning a medal have contributed to athletes looking for newer, better ways to "beat the system". Now, it is difficult to hear of an athlete excelling, or breaking records without something in the back of my mind saying "I wonder what designer drug they're on."

Frankly, sport is not about that. Neither are the Olympic games. Listening to the CBC morning show one morning, I heard Simon Whitfield and Becky Scott give their opinions on blood doping, and the measures taken in Canada to track and monitor our athletes, to ensure that they are not even considering going over to the dark side. They are tough regulations, including reporting your whereabouts if you are on vacation, to biweekly pee-tests. I once heard my father say "Ben Johnson was the best thing that happened to Canadian sports." Perhaps, this is true, after all, the collective shaming of this man, and anyone else caught doping in Canada was on par with the CBC commentator saying "how does it feel to have missed a medal by one centimeter". Heck, I remember medal winners in the 2002 Canadian biathlon championships having to do the pee test right after their race. [Let me tell you, when you are that exhausted, with that much adrenalin pumping, and your coach just wants you to recover for the next days race, peeing is rather difficult!]

So, why do I avoid the Olympic games whenever I can help it? Yes, it is partially for the reasons sited by many other bloggers. But, it is also because of the degeneration of the Olympics into a 'roid ridden gong show. Which, is really too bad: there are a lot of people out there who dedicate their lives to their sport and deserve a lot more credit than they currently receive.

Finding a Balance

2008-08-06T16:52:00.004-07:00

The Agricultural Land Reserves of Southern British Columbia are quickly being eaten up by the drivers and interests of urbanization. This is a pattern visible in all urban and suburban areas, from Edmonton, and its surrounding areas, to the development of the Fraser Valley.

In the calendar year of 2007, 626.1 HA were lost, via exclusion applications, from the ALR. Particularly, as the population expands out of Vancouver, the Okanagan and Fraser Valley become vulnerable to exclusion for development. For example, since the ALR’s were created in 1974, the Central Okanagan has lost 7000 HA of to exclusion applications, mostly by private interests. While the Fraser Valley and Southern Okanagan each lost 5000 Ha of ALR land to exclusions.

These exclusions can limit the types of farming which occur on the land, or subdivide a larger piece of land to promote other aspects of urbanization. Recently, the phrase “community need” has come into applications for land exclusions. In particular, are cases in Richmond, Invermere, and Penticton.

Whatever the need of the community, it generally comes at the expense of quality farmland, and a lost local cottage industry. Not to mention the jobs lost on the farm due to the land becoming unusable from the "excluded" pieces of land. During a time when “eating local” and the “hundred mile diet” are praised by environmental and ecological gurus, it is surprising that these policies are allowed to continue. This is not to say that a city community has no rights, rather that we have to look at how this community came to need the ALR land.

The current model of “the city” within Canada is to accept sprawl, and encourage the creation and development of new suburbs. However, this usually happens at the expense of good agricultural land. To solve both urban pollution, and create food security, cities must be encouraged to plan up, not out. In the meantime, the ALR should be strictly maintained by the BC land commission.

Insight into In-Site

2008-08-06T10:14:00.006-07:00

When originally created, Insite was a partnership between all levels of government to create a safe-injection site for intravenous [IV] drug users in Vancouver. By finding a loophole, if I may call it that, in-site was created as a pilot project, under the supervision of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, in partnership with the PHS community services group. The exemption from Health Canada came under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act because it was presented as a pilot research project.

Now, after three years [plus a six month extension from the Government of Canada], Tory Health Minister Tony Clement has grown from saying the issue of another extension, or another three year exemption is "up for discussion" to calling Insite a "form of harm addiction".

However, the data from Insite would show a different story than the one of Mr. Clement and his cronies in Ottawa. Harm reduction - a main section of the "four pillars" strategy - would be eliminated, thus undoing all the effects of Insite; it's sanitary facilities, and on-site staff of nurses and psychologists. All Mr. Clement, and Harper, for that matter, are able to see is people using IV drugs - and that this is an illegal act. What they do not see is the thirty per-cent increase in the use of addiction treatment. [i.e. people are getting help], the slower spread of HIV/AIDS and Hep-C via contaminated needles.

The following is the City of Vancouver's "Four Pillars Drug Policy":

PREVENTION: Promoting healthy families and communities, protecting child and youth development, preventing or delaying the start of substance use among young people and reducing harm associated with substance use. Successful prevention efforts aim to improve the health of the general population and reduce differences in health between groups of people.

TREATMENT: Offering individuals access to services that help people come to terms with problem substance use and lead healthier lives, including outpatient and peer-based counseling, methadone programs, daytime and residential treatment, housing support and ongoing medical care.

HARM REDUCTION: Reducing the spread of deadly communicable diseases, preventing drug overdose deaths, increasing substance users' contact with health care services and drug treatment programs and reducing consumption of drugs in the street.

ENFORCEMENT: Recognizing the need for peace and quiet, public order and safety in the Downtown Eastside and other Vancouver neighbourhoods by targeting organized crime, drug dealing, drug houses, problem businesses involved in the drug trade, and improving coordination with health services and other agencies that link drug users to withdrawal management (detox), treatment, counseling and prevention services.

Now, by closing Insite, the Tories will be allowing the first three pillars to fall by the wayside, leaving nothing but cops chasing around petty dealers and busting a few small-timers. No more working with other Harm Reduction agencies [remember, Clement thinks this does not work], no more working with the neighbourhood to reduce issues of poverty, mental illness, and other contributions to addiction. The idea of Harm Reduction, in various forms, is mentioned in the above strategy, with measured, simple approaches to dealing with illness and associated addictions. There is no mention of individual users, rather "organized crime" is at the top of the list, as are dealers [not the small-time ones], and businesses that act in cooperation with, or as a front for, drug sales and entrance to Canada.

Insite is a necessary service, and should be seen in every major city in Canada - Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal - for starters. The proven harm-reduction, fewer needles on streets, and the supervision of medical officers can not only prevent the death of people using to narcotics, but help manage addictions.

To sign or not to sign

2008-07-30T13:35:00.004-07:00

Ontario headlines have been humming about an NDP private members bill to change organ donation to an "opt-out", as opposed to an "opt-in" system. Already, this bill has failed twice, but these members seem unwilling to give up, despite the mixed up organ registry system within Canada.

And I say, good for them!

Obviously, there are restrictions and limitations that must be made in regard to which organs an individual wants to donate - perhaps they only wish to donate solid organs for transplantation. This would include - for example - the kidney. Or an individual does not want their skin or cornea's donated. Religious, moral, and "I just do not feel comfortable with that" reasons must be accepted without question, for fear of encroaching on individual freedoms. In addition, there must be provisions made to ensure that organs go directly to the individuals of highest need - with, as is current practice, priority to pediatric patients. After all, being a kid on dialysis, in need of an islet transplantation, or living with the liver of a sixty year-old alcoholic must just suck.

Despite what is being done in Ontario - which has the most fractured system of organ procurement and usage of all the provinces - there is still the issue raised by Dr. F. Delmonico. The necessity of a national organ donation strategy.

I will use kidney transplantation to illustrate my case. In Ontario, each of its five kidney transplant regions has its own transplant waiting list, while there is provincial disparity in regards to the requirements to be put on a wait-list. In BC and Ontario, patients are put on the wait-list when their organ function reaches a certain point - this point may well be AFTER the patients start dialysis treatment. However, in Alberta patients must only wait until they begin to receive dialysis treatment.

These provincial and sub-provincial databases, criteria, and transplant wait-lists add unnecessary confusion and bureaucracy to a system that should be of a federal matter. Those who need the organ the most should receive it first, regardless of location. This method has been touted by Dr. Delmonico, an ad-hoc medical director for the international "Transplantation Society". In addition to this support for a national organ strategy, is data from the work of Dr. Phillip Halloran, showing that on a per-capita basis, Canada performs only forty percent of the transplants our southern neighbours do. Say what you will about overall health indicators between the two countries, for those born with chronic conditions, these statistics are incredibly disenheartening.

Back to the Ontario private members bill, an opt-out system is a good first step to creating an equal system of organ procurement. However, without the nationalization of advocacy, standards of transplantation, data collection, and organ distribution, an opt-out system will not have the important impact onto the daily lives of wait-listed patients that it could.

And they're off!

2008-07-23T10:53:00.003-07:00

Dave Taylor just announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Alberta Liberal party. Taylor is the sitting member for Calgary-Currie, and the Liberal "shadow minister" for Health and Wellness, Housing & Urban Affairs, and Advanced Education and Technology. Taylor was a radio personality prior to being first elected in 2004.

Current Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft had announced his upcoming retirement as leader on June 26th of 2008, after his party lost eight seats during the 2008 provincial election. More updates as the contenders creep out of the woodwork. Despite all the talk of energy going into the Alberta Liberals, it is hard to believe that a simple leadership change will bring this party any closer to their dream of forming government.
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More updates as candidates are announced. Personally, I think it will end up going to Laurie Blakeman, if she decides to take a shot at the leadership.
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UPDATE #1: Mo Elsalhy will announce on Friday his intention to run for the ALP leadership. Mr. Elsalhy is the former MLA for Edmonton-McClung, and you can read bits and pieces of his opinion here.

Where's the measuring tape?

2008-07-22T14:20:00.002-07:00

One thing I must admire about politicians is the lengths they will go to in order to explain a blunder. You know, deny, deny, deny until there is absolutely irrefutable evidence. If this fails, blame the opposition, and if this fails, humbly apologize and promise to do better next time. Its really a very simple formula displayed in parliaments and legislatures across the country.

Not so in Quesnel. In this quaint, small town "It is an oops" was the response to the realization that residents palliative care beds will not fit into elevators at the Dunrovin Lodge expansion project. Really? Oops!, sorry we just kinda forgot? Sounds like an Alberta born eighteen year old who forgot the BC drinking age is nineteen. Oops.

And then the newspaper had this lovely below-the-fold headline "$20 million oops".

During construction of the lodge, immediate care was paid to whether or not an ambulance stretcher would be able to fit into an elevator, as these emergencies are, well, emergencies, and need absolute speed. The regular palliative care beds were thought of, just not really thought of during the planning process. When it was too late, a redesign of the facility was deemed not worth it.

Far be it from me to argue with the experts about this, but you have to wonder who was asleep at the switch and entirely forgot about this building being two stories high. Or forgot the possibility of non-emergency but necessary movement of residents between stories.

Severence This!

2008-07-22T11:51:00.002-07:00

Upon retirement, most people have their CPP, perhaps an RSP, and maybe a cake to cut for a job well done. Nothing fancy, sometimes not even a "thanks for working your ass off" type of comment from the boss.

Not so for Calgary Health Region CEO Jack Davis. Mr Davis, unlike most of the proletariat, will receive $4.00 million dollars in severance pay, plus his salary and benefits, of course. You know this is beyond the usual Tory buddy-ism that happens at these high level jobs when both Friends of Medicare and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation agree on the ridiculousness of Davis's payout.

For a city where a woman delivered in the waiting room last year, perhaps these millions of dollars could have gone to hiring more ICU, emergency, or maternity-ward doctors, nurses, technicians, physiotherapists, or rehabilitation specialists. Or perhaps towards the pediatrics unit, out-of-hospital dialysis programs, community clinics, and maybe even a public health awareness campaign.

Or perhaps not. After all, in Alberta is it always "business as usual", no matter how stupid the business decisions are.

Government Hypocricy - BC Style!

2008-07-18T10:40:00.008-07:00

Somehow, I was deluded into thinking that things like taping protesters was something found "only in Alberta". You know, something only the AEUB did. While the British Columbia case was not an all-out "hired gun" affair, it was kinda ugly:

Just days before the residents received the package, the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted an injunction to the corporation, thereby obliging four homeowners who had been blocking construction on their properties to allow the workers access to begin building the transmission towers.

Hmm...perhaps not all that different than in Alberta after all. Although, in Alberta all it took was a couple of open door meetings to create this type of watchfulness.

But that is just the start of it.

While Alberta has sell-outs to oil barons, and a warm-and-fuzzy relationship between CEO's and various cabinet ministers and government appointees, the Campbell Liberals may have just done one better. Maybe it is just me, but a minister [former Forests, Rich Coleman] allowing the sale of Tree Farm Licensed land to the company [Western Forest Products Ltd] his brother is an executive of seems to fall into the "holy corruption, batman" category.

"I am not criticizing the policy of allowing licensees to remove their private land from TFLs," said Doyle, "but I expect that such decisions will be thoroughly informed and that stakeholders will be consulted. In this case, the minister's decision was based on an incomplete analysis."

Glad the Auditor General said something about this rampant corruption - remember when the ministry offices were raided...

However, we all know what is going to happen. Transmission lines will be built, government will keep watching people speak up for themselves under the name of "security". As for former Forests-minister, now Housing and Social Development minister Rich Coleman, there will be a sound slap on the wrist by Campbell, and his public speaking privileges will be taken away.

As for the public interest that the Auditor General spoke of? I doubt this Liberal regime will do anything to pursue it. Rather, they will try to distract the citizens of British Columbia by sending in Pat Bell to yell - John Baird style.

CBC Drove me to it

2008-07-08T13:35:00.003-07:00

I did not want to write another overly repetitive lefty blog about the now-not-recent appointment of the Order of Canada to Dr. Henry Morgentaler. I promise, I tried to avoid this for as long as possible, but the never ending CBC coverage - specifically the comments section - drove me to it.

In stead of saying something like "shame, how dare you take away my right to my body you evil right wing jerk" [paraphrased from said comments section]; or the opposite "after a woman lays with a man she forfeits all right to her body" [another paraphrase], I promise only a few comments on the general trend this "story" has taken.

1) This appointment, which should have been about freedom of speech and the evolution of laws within Canada - became an argument based solely on the pro-life/pro-choice lines that different institutions have put themselves on.

2) More attention was drawn to the right/left political fracture on this issue by Prime Minister Harper ensuring that all media outlets knew "this was not a government appointment".

3) Despite the endurance of the abortion debate, the basic "arguments" have gone no further than the paraphrased comments above - although they are generally stated with slightly more class, for lack of a better word.

So, cheers to Dr. Morgentaler who has not responded to any of the back-and-forths between right and left wing groups who are either defending or lambasting his appointment to this prestigious award. This decorum alone, in the midst of such a contentious issue, proves his worthiness for the OOC. I wish the rest of the debate were conducted in such a civilised fashion.

Climate Action Dividend

2008-07-01T09:09:00.004-07:00

Kinda like the infamous "Ralph Bucks", except one-quarter the amount, British Columbia's "Climate Action Dividend" is the latest vote-buying scheme concocted by the Campbell Liberals. The hundred dollar rebate cheque arrived just days before the 2.4 cent/litre gas tax was added at the pumps. But wait, there's more! In addition to these "rebates", both income and business taxes were cut just prior to the introduction of the gas tax. Did I mention that industrial emitters are exempt from this new fangled "Be Green" strategy?

Now, when alternative methods of transportation are readily available, perhaps [PERHAPS] this method of financially forcing individuals to "think green". After all, driving to the corner store when it is within easy walking distance is just plain ridiculous. However, walking to the corner store when it is, say, five kilometers away is something else altogether. Another example is driving to work: perhaps this would encourage use - and expansion - of the sky train system in the lower mainland. However, I doubt BC Transit is going to be investing in a feasible transit system for the Prince George/North Cariboo region anytime soon.

Who does this tax actually hurt? People who have to drive for and/or to work, people who rely on their farm machinery to ensure food gets to market, and forestry workers who can't exactly drive a Prius into the bush. [I've tried something similar with an '85 Toyota, it's just an ugly mess].

What was supposedly an attempt to use cold hard cash to encourage more fuel efficiency has now become nothing more than a front to make the BC Liberals look good to the environmental groups in BC. See you May 12, 2009.

Music! [no politics]

2008-07-01T00:58:00.003-07:00

My favourite trips down memory lane are when I listen and open my heart and mind to sound. Not just any sound, but real music. The kind that only exists in your head, the minor chords that bring back past summer loves; the bubbly, quasi punk of driving to the lakes and rivers in desperate escape of realities and truths. Music tells the story of a life, chronicled by external influences, inner passions, strength, doubt, hope...

It is no wonder music and sound bring these emotions back. After all, vibrations tell the mood of a stranger, the heart of a friend, or the history of a story teller. And music is how stories are past on - real human stories, not the black and white pictures of war.

Imagine a world without Beethoven writing of his lost love in Fur Elise; or Florence Reece asking "Which Side are You On?". A current favourite of mine? Against Me - Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart - it seems to define summer, relationships - and false chances at love. Things that define the realities and truths of these blissful four months. Or perhaps it is just the melody of the raspy, gutter-punk voice combined with the more melodic woman's voice that has me entranced. The yin-yang combination will never fail to enthral.

BANNED HEINZ GAY KISS ADVERT

2008-06-25T15:40:00.001-07:00

Too bad the company buckled, and pulled the add due to "public outrage".

Check out www.cbc.ca - the comments section will make you realize how far there is to go.

How I Met Gordo...

2008-06-24T12:30:00.005-07:00

Okay, that's false I didn't actually meet Gordo. I just wanted to see if he was a decent speaker. I am happy to report that he is better than Stelmach and Dion, but Baird would put him to shame. Mostly because of sheer volume, no other reason.

But first, I must backtrack. Gordo's visit was supposed to be very "hush hush", and no one was supposed to know about it except those "in the know". The problem with this is that I am living in a blue collar town in Northern BC, and Mr. Campbell lives in Vancouver. I am sure you can see the differences already. It was hard NOT to notice the impeccably dressed "suits" driving conspicuously around town in a van with some lovely tinted windows. As I recall, there were a few grumbles about the gas tax about this time [six days, folks].

As the suits met in the parking lot beside where the entertainment was, I couldn't help but noticing a few things: our local MLA jaywalking, a random man in pyjama pants, and the kids who looked confused that their usual "exchange" corner was being disrupted by something "official".

The ceremony went well - a few too many speeches, but the entertainment was fantastic on both ends of the show.

After the ribbon was cut, I began pondering the "spirit square". After all, as I mentioned earlier, this is the traditional local for "exchanges" during school lunch time. The lack of burnouts, skateboarders, and panhandlers put an extremely phony cheery atmosphere around the place. After all, I can remember "four corners" from high school. It was where your boot brought your overpriced booze, just before your "friend" picked you and your friends up to to head to the various bush parties outside of downtown. It was where the infamous Walter said various unmentionable things to women, with an overpowering smell of beer on his breath.

Four corners has changed; there is now a raised and covered area that works well for speeches and outdoor concerts, a fence between most of the parking lot and the sidewalk - perhaps to eradicate the dangerous act of jaywalking? And, of course, that bloody clock that chimes every half hour over the din of the coffee shop across the street.

I still have to wonder, how much does the infusion of cash from the City and the Province for a nice "face lift" actually do to change Four Corners into a Spirit Square?

Missing the Point?

2008-05-03T16:00:00.002-07:00

Immediately after 500 ducks died in the Syncrude Aurora tailing's pond in Northern Alberta, environmental groups cried out how terrible this loss of life is. Then, Premier Stelmach promised to ensure that Syncrude complies with Alberta Environment regulations. After all, the government of Alberta is VERY serious about ensuring environmental responsibility. Then, Prime Minister Harper chimed in about how "damaging" this all was to Canada's reputation.

Of course, all of this is about the cute ducks. There is no mention by any of these groups about the negative consequences of the bitumen production in Northern Alberta. I do not mean just the environmental consequences, but the over-inflated housing market, strain on social services, and other secondary effects of the oil sands development.

Not once is the question "why are these tailing's ponds allowed to exist" raised at all. It is, in fact, missing from the media controlled debate. I suppose it is because "cute ducks" are better than "worker troubled with WCB claims" or "temporary foreign workers have trouble unionizing" or even "tailings ponds seep into water supply". None of these are "cute and cuddly" issues; they are issues faced day to day by individuals working in the oil sands. Heaven forbid that unions and the labour movement are brought to the same level as cute ducks.

Stelmachian Numbers

2008-04-30T15:34:00.003-07:00

What happens when you budget at $78.00/barrel of oil to determine provincial spending restrictions? You get a surplus! What happens when at the time of that budget, oil is actually being traded at $114.60? You get an unimaginable, "unforeseen" surplus. Lastly, what happens when royalty rates are scheduled to stop at $120.00/barrel? The return on investment for the province that happens to be drawn around one of the largest oil deposits in the world remains the same, while oil company profits increase.

What does this all add up to? Bad fiscal planning, a short-sighted administration, and a waste - for nothing - of an area the size of Florida. What a surprise from Alberta's government who would, as daveberta put best, rather people just "shoot, shovel, and shut up".

Save us from this...

2008-04-29T10:44:00.008-07:00

In his Saturday column, Graham Thompson compares the Greenpeace method of targeting Ed Stelmach and his oil-loving buddies to the [failed] methods of scary public advertising, used during the provincial election. Apparently, the methods are exactly the same, and will result in public sympathy for Mr. Stelmach from a majority of Albertans.

The commercials during the election had no obvious source of funding - with only a few people "in the know" who realized the organizations behind them. It is therefore reasonable to say there was a "backlash" against these commercials, which resulted in yet another sweep for the Big Blue Machine, but that is still a fairly thin analysis of electoral politics in Alberta.

Greenpeace dropping banners and protesting Mr. Stelmach and his governments' squandering of Alberta's natural beauty, for the sake of short term bitumen profits is not the same as the commercials - or electoral politics - at all. It is obvious when a stunt is a "Greenpeace" stunt and the group makes no attempts to hide it's identity. As for the last bit of the column, where Mr. Thompson argues:

If Stelmach is an environmental villain,
Albertans are just as guilty. They voted for him.
Their names might as well be
scrawled on a Greenpeace banner.

In the strange world of Alberta politics,
Greenpeace might be the
one left dangling on this issue,
rejected by a significant number
of Albertans who supported the Stelmach
government and who don't
appreciate being compared to
whale hunters and baby-seal killers.

I would like to know the "significant number of Albertans" who rejected this issue. Were they the ones who voted for another party? Or those who made an educated decision, and would have voted "none of the above", if given the option, or those who reject electoral politics outright. Or perhaps they are a combination of these individuals.

As the letters began to pour in, it must have been apparent to Mr. Thompson that his Tory-apologizer type column was "not one of his best", to quote one such letter. Thus, he responded to letters saying [to paraphrase] yes, Alberta politics are not fair, and elections have low turnouts, and everyone should just deal with the results. Well, sorry, people who want to be proactive and express their displeasure with the governments' handling of an issue between elections is probably the best way to make Alberta politics "more fair", according to Thompson's standards.

Lastly, how terrible it is that public citizen, under her own free will, made a decision to take part in a protest, which had nothing to do with those whom she works for. There is no secret connection between the Alberta NDP and Greenpeace, other than a few members who happen to have belonged to one or the other organization at one point in their lives. But, there is still a media shit-storm that would suggest that there is a bond tighter than that of the PC Party and Oil Companies.

Speaking of that PC/Oil Co. bond....

Education

2008-04-22T10:09:00.002-07:00

I am sitting amidst a swarm of bees - each pre-occupied with their own lives, stresses, loves - and the one thing that we all have in common. Exams. The essential piece of the post-secondary system, or at least the part of the system that values memorization, instead of comprehension; job credentials, instead of learning; and "boxes" instead of minds.

When did education become about getting a job? When did career prep become the single most important factor of a University? Is it because only ten per-cent of undergraduates make it on to graduate school [aka "make it" in academia?]. Or is it simply because an undergraduate degree does not hold the same amount of clout it once did. A degree is practically a pre-requisite for any sort of gainful employment. Therefore, a degree is pursued, but not necessarily for interests sake.

I notice this especially during exam season - when there is a perceptible shift - from comprehensive learning and enjoyment to a frenzy of cram, regurgitate, repeat. And, as in wash, rinse, repeat, all that lather just ends up going down the drain, leaving behind a clean slate for whatever subject is next in the queue. All in pursuit of a piece of paper to prove the existence of a learned mind.

The History of Tuition in Canada

2008-04-11T18:54:00.003-07:00

I absolutely forgot that I wrote this. It was originally published in "The Catalyst", April, 2006. The original is available at www.ndya.ca. And sorry for the random numbers inserted in; those are the references in the hard copy.
---
Tuition…any student who hears that word cringes and suddenly looks as though their heart was ripped in two—and rightly so! Here are some statistics to ponder. In the past five years, tuition for an undergraduate degree in British Columbia has skyrocketed by 80%. Why? Because the tuition cap was lifted, and Universities were free to begin charging students whatever they pleased again. Have to keep up with the National Average, right? But why did tuition start increasing faster than inflation? Well, sit tight, because we are all in for a bumpy ride through the story of “Tuition; Past, Present and Future.” Buckle up!

Past:

Remember the good ‘ole days. When politicians were honest, kids respected their elders, and tuition was cheap. Well, the first two might not be true, but tuition was definitely cheap, especially by today’s standards.

In the 1990-1991, the average cost of tuition across Canada was $1,496. What an era, $1500 dollars for a year of school, Seattle rock over the airways. Times could not get any better—and, surprise, times got worse. Starting in the 1991-1992 school year, tuition began increasing faster than inflation. On average across the country, tuition increased by 8.0% a year from the 1990-1991 academic year to the 2003-2004 academic year. This is four times the Consumer Price Index’s (CPI’s) estimated average annual inflation of 1.9% per year from 1991-2004. Think that sounds bad? After the British Columbia Liberal Government lifted its freeze on tuition in the 2002-2003 academic year, tuition rose by 88.0% in the next five academic years.2 That is enough to break a heart.

A number of factors contributed to this perceived need to raise tuition so rapidly. One; youth began to realize how important post-secondary education is, and the numbers of people entering post-secondary began to increase dramatically. This lead to a need of more buildings and rooms to lecture in, and a need to somehow make up those dollars and cents spent on new infrastructure. Two; federal transfer payments to the post-secondary institutions were slashed dramatically in the early 1990’s, especially after the Chretien Liberals came to power. These transfer payments were equivalent to 87% of all federal transfers in 1990, and as of 2002 that portion was only 78%. According to a study called “The Price of Knowledge,” by the Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the government appeared to be going towards a “voucher” type system, where the monies from transfers go directly to the individuals, rather than the institution. These individual transfers sound good at first, but on closer inspection, they aren’t very fantastic at all. Most of this money is allocated to the tax claims on tuition, regardless of financial need. As of 2004, needs-based transfers now account for only 41% of the individual/family type transfers that the government gives out, either through student loans, tax returns, or other incentives. It is important to note that tuition did not increase exponentially everywhere. The same year British Columbia’s tuition went up by 88%, tuition in Newfoundland and Labrador dropped by 22.7%. However, their tuition is rising fast than the rest of the country now, so perhaps they are now playing the lose-lose tuition price catch-up game.2

Present:

After all the caps, followed by an explosive rise in tuition, students arrive here, in the 2005-2006 academic year. Lets look more closely at Alberta before moving onto National tuition averages. In February of 2005 a “Ministry for Advanced Education” was created to address post-secondary education within the province, which was good news to Students Union President Bryan West at the University of Calgary. It appeared that the Conservatives were at least responding to students. Appearances can be deceiving though. Currently, the average tuition in Alberta is $5125.00 , which is second highest in the nation. Reports in October of 2005 showed that the government was, and perhaps still is, considering paying for the first two years of a student’s post-secondary education. However, in the next breath, David Hancock is quoted by the CBC as saying "The other end of the spectrum is to deregulate it. Maybe you ought to charge a little more, but throw in a computer for first-year students, and part of their tuition could be tax deductible."

And, it gets worse; tuition fees for apprenticeship work are increasing dramatically, as more students are going to technical schools than was previously realized. After the 2006-2007, tuition at Technical Schools will be raised each year by 2% more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which looks at the cost of living in Alberta. In the 2006-2007 academic year tuition at Technical Schools will already be $900 for a two-month course. This, despite the reported surpluses in the government of $7.4 billion and climbing, from oil revenues coming into the governments coffer at unprecedented rates. Maybe those “Prosperity Cheques” could have been put into funding post-secondary, or maybe not. Currently, the Klein government is paying for any tuition increases past the cost of tuition increases for undergraduates past the 2004-2005 academic years cost. Proposals from the Universities of Alberta, Lethbridge, and Calgary Presidents have asked for tuition to remain frozen at this level, plus increases or decreases of 3.5% more than the CPI. Needless to say, this proposal faced heavy criticism from student groups, saying that it calls for nothing more than maintaining the status quo, and does not address the financial problems of students, or institutions.

Throughout Canada, tuition is still increasing, making it more and more difficult for students, especially from low-income families, to have the advantage of a post-secondary degree or diploma. While this is not the only thing contributing to lower graduation averages of Aboriginal and lower income students from post-secondary institutions—some believe this lack of access is because of lower grades in high-school due to socio-economical reasons3—it does pose serious questions about the availability of education in Alberta, and Canada.

Future:

After looking at the past and present situations of tuition and lamenting the monies spent by Liberal and Conservative governments, it is time to look for some solid solutions. Canada is ranked third highest in the cost of post-secondary education, while we are ranked eighth highest in grants given out, seventh in loans. We are ranked eleventh in education affordability and fifth in gender parity in comparison with sixteen other nations. Who was ranked first you may ask? Sweden. Why? Because in Sweden, post-secondary education is free.1 Instead of relying on student to pay the costs of education, they are covered by loans and grants, with little out of pocket costs to the students themselves.8

How is Canada approaching this situation? Corporate involvement. Corporate involvement in education is on the rise, Universities and Student’s Unions even, who are receiving less transfers from Ottawa must find new ways to—in the very least—maintain the current status quo. But what effect does this have on the educational institutions? Using the University of Alberta as an example, the Coca-Cola corporation funds scholarships and other necessities, in return for having a monopoly on the campus. In return for providing Coke with a ten year monopoly over 35 000 people, Coke gave $4.5 million in scholarships and bursaries, gave $550 000 to the Students’ Union for programs and gave $100 000 for Coke scholarships over the same amount of time. That sounds like a lot of cash, but think how much revenue Coke will gain from their monopoly over this ten-year stranglehold. In addition, it is not clear how much Coke must be sold on campus in order to retain, or renew this contract once it expires in the 2007-2008 academic year. UofA is not the only University to “brand” itself. The Universities of Ottawa and British Columbia, as well as Queen’s, York, and McMaster have also embraced this new form of funding.

But is this the right direction to take? Allowing one company a monopoly in a capitalist system cannot, and will not, work in the long run. By taking a look at the situation at the University of British Columbia, students drank half the predicated amount of Coca-cola over the ten year contract period, so now Coca-cola can tack on a three year extension to its monopoly there, without paying a cent more to the institution.

In conclusion to this bumpy, and somewhat terrifying ride, something has to be done to protect students in Canada from corporate monopolies, while at the same time keeping tuition affordable for all, and making sure that marginalized youth get the same opportunities as those born silver-spoon in hand. While a solution to these problems is not imminent, and will require a massive overhaul of the post-secondary system as we know it a few things can—and should—happen immediately. The provincial and federal governments must listen to the opposition NDP and to youth chapters, such as the NDYA, for concrete solutions that do not involve corporate buy-outs. In Alberta specifically, investments in institutions are an integral part of what should be done with the remaining oil revenue surpluses. Statistics have shown that people with post-secondary education contribute more to society as a whole through volunteer efforts, giving to charities, even using less health care.3

Overall, investing in post-secondary is like investing in the future of our province, and our country—it can do nothing but improve the nation. Getting around the shortsightedness of the current Conservative governments will be one of the key factors affecting how tuition changes in the next decade. With luck, Alberta as a whole will come to it’s senses and realize that the cost providing province’s youth whatever post-secondary education they choose is outweighed by social, political, and economic ramifications of not doing so, just as the NDP party has already outlined. Remember, we can create political and social change, it is up to the youth of Alberta and Canada to show the current Klein and Harper governments that we cannot stand for corporate monopolies, and debts in excess of $25000 for one in eight students Canada3 after they graduate. As these parties are ineffective at speaking for the youth, we must do so for ourselves. It is a firm policy of the NDYA, according to the Youth Rights Charter, that “Every youth has the right to quality primary, secondary, and post-secondary education, trades training, and apprenticeship programs, regardless of the income of their parents.” It is time to stand up together and say a loud, unanimous “NO” to tuition.

Something else for a change...

2008-04-02T01:38:00.003-07:00

follow the creases, careworn they be.
light above, dark images below.
your thoughts, be silent.
paths of destiny, fall to the floor.
another droplet falls, the pool expands.

seep through, cloth darkens.
lips tremble, emotion.
gasp of breath, flash of light.
eyes close, another drop.

droplets mix, palettes changes.
light mixes with dark, below.
deafening quiet, silent screams.
day is night, unending.
quiet.

Take Back the Night

2008-03-31T23:28:00.002-07:00

Take back the night. A yearly march for women and those who support them to take back the night - to create a feeling of community and safety has come and gone again. A few things I noticed about this year:

- We sang about taking back the streets - while walking calmly on the side-walk.
- There were a lot of "academic activists" - which left little diversity in the stories told at the end of the march.
- The "feel goodness" of the march seemed to take away from the idea of reclaiming the right to body, mind, and soul.

None of these are necessarily "bad" things about the march; simply observations that I took away from the evening.

Bill C-10

2008-03-31T22:49:00.004-07:00

Usually, I am not the hugest fan of "The Hour" - maybe it is because I have a permanent vision of George Stromboulopoulos as a MuchMusic VJ - and his questions are still leading like a VJ's. Regardless of this, HUGE kudos' go to Strombo for these two interviews. It is clear what side of the fence the host is on, but I can let that bias go because of how easy Mr. McVety makes it.

Paul Gross on "The Hour" re: Bill C-10

Charles McVety on "The Hour" re: Bill C-10

For those who do not know, Bill C-10 is a laundry list of amendments to how tax credits are awarded. Within this list, is a note about how Canadian Film & Television tax credits [aka how any Canadian films are financed] will be awarded. Currently, the tax credits are pretty much a given, so long as they fit pre-established, criminal-code of Canada defined regulations [see the Torontoist for more details on these]. These credits are [generally] exchanged for a loan, and viola, the documentary, television show, or film are created. With the new amendments however, it is up to an appointed board to decide whether or not the films are "decent" and should actually receive the tax credit funding. As any investor would tell you, jumping into a project with shaky funding like this basically ensures that there will be no investment.

So my question to Mr. McVety, if this is not a form censorship, then what is? And, no, sir, you do not speak for "the majority" of Canadians. At least, none of the Canadians I have ever met.

Consultation Cookies

2008-03-27T13:02:00.004-07:00

"This school is your school, this school is my school
from Augustana, to the Fac. St. Jean
From Engineering, to East Campus Village,
this school was built for you and me!"

Cookies, songs, petitions, and a clever name. The Dare to Deceive campaign wrapped up its demand for consultation from the University with a bang. Of course, we all know that the University of Alberta's board of governors will never listen to the actual students. But, it is nice to see mobilization of this type from a non-students' union organized rally.

Kudos out to everyone who participated in this event - that, believe it or not - was about far more than just credit cards. This was about consultation with students [or the lack thereof]. In fact, here is the petition that students' were asked to sign:

Students at the University of Alberta are underrepresented during decision making processes that directly impact the quality of the student experience at the University of Alberta. Decisions to forgo student-based elections for residence officials (Floor Coordinators, Residence Hall Association members, etc), and removal of the credit card payment option for fee payments were made without proper consultation with students. Further, as evidenced by Centenary Celebrations at the University of Alberta, the administration does not adequately ensure the inclusion of students - the foundation of any post-secondary institution - in campus campaigns and celebrations. Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on the University of Alberta administration and Board of Governors to:

a) Consult with students and their elected representatives in a more transparent manner;

b) Ensure that open, honest and respectful dialog is maintained at all times when consulting with students and their elected representatives;

c) Act to ensure that students are the cornerstone of the University of Alberta in all academic and financial decisions.
--
Now, really, is simple consultation - beyond boardrooms and back-rooms - too much to ask for?

Rural vs. Urban

2008-03-20T02:55:00.002-07:00

I have been thinking about moving back to BC for a while; mostly for financial reasons as, lets face it, I do not have the strength for industrial work. What does this matter to this particular blog, you may ask? An article I came upon in the Quesnel-Cariboo Observer. Ninety-nine percent of the time I would say "hurrah, carbon tax!" Save the whales from those over-consumptive, hellish corporations...the tirade continues from there.

However, in British Columbia, this carbon tax is based on individual usage, rather than industrial usage. This is where it starts to get sticky. I will use my family as an example: they live fifteen kilometers out of town (a town of around twelve thousand, mind you), and have to commute to work. Why? They own a small farm as another source of income.

In an urban area, such as the lower-mainland/Vancouver Island area, perhaps this is not so much of a problem. Having spent considerable time in both Victoria and Vancouver, I know that you do not necessarily need a vehicle for either of these areas. Besides, most farms in that area are commercial ventures, and do not require additional work beyond farming. At least, that is how I remember it.

Now, this carbon tax will ensure that those living in the colder areas of British Columbia (similar to Edmonton) will pay disproportionately more than those in one of the warmest areas of Canada. Over four years, the price of gas will increase at about two cents a year.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the government based in Victoria should pay more attention to the rural areas. Just as the government in Edmonton should pay more attention to urban woes.

Afghanistan

2008-03-13T20:44:00.009-07:00

In November of 2006, I happily voted in favour of the "Afghanistan Composite"; a policy motion that directed the NDP caucus to oppose the Afghanistan mission. I still stand by that vote. Not because of an emotionally charged speech by Malalai Joya, an Afghan parliamentarian who bitterly opposed the idea that a "nation could grant freedom to another nation". Nor was it because it was a much talked about, highly prioritized motion, brought from (as I remember) Mr. Layton's own riding association. It was not even because of the historical attempts at occupying Afghanistan by the USSR, and the dismal failure that resulted. And, despite what Mr. Harper may believe, it was not because I don't "support the troops", or I want to "cut and run". Although, I must say, those phrases have become the best issue framing and rhetoric tools the right has ever made up. But that is another post altogether. No, I voted for the Afghanistan composite motion because I simply cannot support a disingenuous, primarily combative mission with no sure mandate. And I still feel that way.

Now, parliament has decided to extend the mission in Afghanistan for another four years - providing that NATO provides an additional thousand troops, six helicopters, and other "high performance equipment". There was much debate in the house about "why are we there at all", yet a few MP's wanted to know financials of this mission. And by financials, I do not mean the ten-to-one funding of combative vs. rebuilding efforts; no, I mean how far overbudget the actual war is. Now, I know that taking the Treasury beyond what it can handle is economic suicide, and that we cannot just print money without the capital to back it up, anyone who went even once to twelfth grade history knows this. However, how wrong is it to debate the reasons for being in Afghanistan in the first place? As this bill did pass, the dollars will be found, and Mr. Harper can go to NATO and ask for what parliament gave him the backing to ask for: help and supplies to keep the combat mission going.

But what about a debate about the funding formulae of the overall mission? Fundamental values have to decide where funding goes; funding cannot decide where individuals fundamental values are. I guess what I am saying is that I would rather that my parliamentarians put debate of principles and values above the debate of funding.

Some Analysis

2008-03-10T17:26:00.005-07:00

I figured everyone else was doing it, and I am all for jumping on the bandwagon. So here are a few thoughts on the (not-so) recent Alberta Election. As a warning, this is an actual read, a bit of a rant, and there are no hyperlinks. So if you are lazy, do not bother. See you all in Manitoba.

---
The issues of this election were primarily “left” issues – environmental protection, child-care, labour issues, affordability (housing, seniors, etc.), and how to manage the economy during this boom. Despite this, and the ever-present need for “change”, the Liberals and NDP were unable to capture votes on these issues. The Alberta Liberals are still carrying around the ghost of Trudeau, while the NDP leadership abandoned the environmental file, and was out-done by the Liberals on the Labour front [at least, as far as the press was concerned]. Because of these main factors, the PC’s were able to “own” the left issues and – thanks to some very good vote splitting in Edmonton and Calgary – gained more seats than even their war room predicted.

Specifically for the NDP, they did not focus on the seats they held, and worried more about expansion than retention. Campaign included a commercial to air in the last two weeks of the campaign, which proved entirely ineffective and did nothing to help the party’s chances. When looking at individual based platforms, the NDP drifted further to centre with their so-called “populist” campaign than has ever been seen. There were also many party members who were upset that most of the “attacks” made by candidates and the leadership appeared to go against Kevin Taft and the Liberals, rather than Ed Stelmach and the PC’s. On election day, despite the efforts made by many people I know, the NDP voters just did not turn up to the polls.

The Liberal party became overconfident – perhaps buoyed by their praise in the Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald – about their chances in Calgary. Again, this party failed to capture the imaginations of voters enough to change them from PC to Liberal supporters. While their platform was praised for being extremely thorough, not many voters actually take the time to understand in-depth policy matters and this hampered the Liberals chances of collecting more seats. In addition to this, there was still the failure to get out the vote in key areas, and vote splitting with the NDP in all the constituencies that were supposedly "in play" prior to the election.

The PC’s were able to pick up seats due to vote splitting, and their ability to garner the best media responses. Despite what opposition parties said, issues like Tory returning officer connections, no polling station on south-western reserves, and Health board endorsements of Tory candidates did not resonate. Particularly they made no impact on the supposed 50-40% of Albertans who were “undecided”. These undecided voters are always key, and because opposition parties spent their time on personal attacks, rather than issue-based attacks, they were unable to woo the popular vote. During the leadership debate, Ed Stelmach did not have to fend off nearly as much opposition attack as he should have, and this allowed him to sail through the debate, and even come out looking alright. Instead of attacking the Conservatives, Mason and Taft fought with each other - and allowed Paul Hinmann to make Ed Stelmach look like Karl Marx in comparison.

Overall, this election was about a change – but none of the opposition parties were able to do some key things:

· Have a high visibility throughout Alberta

· Convince undecided voters

· Properly deflect any pre-conceived notions of their parties

· Overcome the financial barriers of running a campaign against the big blue machine

Therefore, the best change that non-hack, and non-partisan Albertans were offered is a change from Ralph Klein to Ed Stelmach. Now, can anyone really be blamed for staying home?

E-Day

2008-03-03T14:33:00.002-08:00

Damnit. This was painful. But...the "recovery" of the night was almost fantastic.

Fuck.

Karry Mullis

2008-03-01T14:42:00.003-08:00

While randomly surfing the Internet,I turned up the name Karry Mullis, whose name sounded vaguely familiar. [FYI: this is a non-political post] So I googled the name and realised something: I had forgotten how absolutely crazy Karry Mullis is. The man won a Nobel Peace Prize for inventing PCR (Polymerase-Chain-Reaction) - I expect more intelligence than this!

Stupid Scientists who [rumours say] did too much acid in their youth!

Update

2008-02-29T17:01:00.004-08:00

I figure it has been far too long since an update from the happy trails of campaign work. For the NDP. In Alberta. Happy Trails indeed.

In my personal campaign, I had a forum with Iris Evans, Louise Rogers, and Rick Hoines. It was an interesting evening. According to some observers in the audience, I looked relatively annoyed, smug, and/or bored every time Iris Evans spoke. While she gave me death laser eye looks every time I (or anyone else) dared to speak up against her "I really care ONLY about Sherwood Park" crap. FYI people of Sherwood Park; you had a minister as your MLA through the past three elections, and still no complete hospital. Maybe Iris Evans just is not on your side.

Quote of the evening from Ms. Evans: "I always admire people who run for the...opposition parties... (voice slowly drifts off, Iris starts shuffling papers awkwardly).

Apparently some PC members thought the classic NDP quote "even Alaska - under a Republican government - gets 60% more royalties for their oil than Albertans do" was lovely. Ironic moment of the evening: all the bright orange scarves the PC supporters - about half the room - wore. I think certain NDP members will be crushed by this news.

So far, my favorite part of this election has been the Liberal staffers showing up at NDP press conferences. Come on people! I know the NDP post-secondary plan is better than yours, but that does not mean you have to follow the Brian Mason Van around Edmonton!

The worst part of the election to date? Blatant partisanship when choosing Returning Officers - including an absolute lack of uniformity between RO's in different electoral districts. Despicable - yet, not surprising.

Expect more later, after E-day, and E+1.

OPPOSE Bill C-484 - REJETEZ Bill C-484

2008-02-24T09:59:00.001-08:00

OPPOSE Bill C-484 - REJETEZ Bill C-484

Just sign the petition. I really do not see why any questions need to be asked.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T16:40:00.004-08:00

Campaigns do not stop for valentine's day - trust me. They just do not. So, to everyone out there who missed their Valentine's day due to electioneering, polling, writing, studying, and other campaign related shenanigans: I salute you. And whomever you are with, because they have to be the most understanding people in the world.

Pharmacare

2008-02-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Brian Mason outlined the Alberta NDP's pharmacare plan for the province of Alberta. Pharmacare plans have been discussed previously at the federal level, but without much success. Alberta has the resources to bulk-purchase medications, and dispense them so that savings are passed on to patients AND the public. Particularily, seniors, as exhibited by the case of Arlene and Steve Smeredely, who's combined prescription costs (after blue cross) came to over $300, in January alone - before diabetic supplies. This Pharmacare plan is based on what currently exists in New Zealand. Of course, with a past government who wanted to dismantle the public healthcare system, in favour of corporate medicine, I guess costs like this for our seniors should not be as horrifyingly routine as they are.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Taft and his Liberals introduced their climate change plan to reporters at the Muttart Conservatory. Interestingly, although one of the key points to this plan is the implementation of hard emissions caps, during the last legislative session, "Taft's Team" voted against the implementation of hard caps. This was on April 10th, you can read about it here, in the Hansard, if you like; Bill 3 debate starts on page twenty.

However, what topped the newscast was one of the most "fluffy" sounding pieces of Stelmachs' plan (or lack thereof). New daycare spaces are fantastic, wouldn't you say? Well, yes...but who will be employed in these spaces? Never fear! Temporary Foreign Workers are here! And, the process of ensuring that nannies can come from China, Indonesia, and other parts of the world will be expedited, according to Ed "I have the personality of a dishcloth" Stelmach. This recalls to mind an old story in the Globe and Mail, which explains how women from China had to send their children BACK to China, due to high childcare costs, and low childcare wages. Ironic, is it not? And, guess who has been responsible for the ministry of Employment, Industry, and Immigration on this topic? Yes, Iris Evans.

Royalties

2008-02-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

The Alberta NDP released this about Royalty Rates this morning.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the debate, the closed door meetings the government had with the industry, and the "don't call it a compromise" compromise of Ed Stelmach, this is more than valid.
Add on that in Alaska when shit hits the fan (i.e. money from corporations goes to senators and house members), people resign. I guess it is better than getting fired.
I am not saying that Ed Stelmach is guilty of taking direct bribes from CNRL and the likes, but when your campaign funding lists looks something like this...(minus the just under $170K of "anonymous" donations).

When all is said and done, it is about how the money from tar sands revenue can best go to help the people of the province. To grow the heritage fund - so dividends can go to making post-secondary education more affordable; to researching and implementing environmentally friendly green energy. These are just a few ideas.

All I know, is that it will take Royalty rates with a real plan. Not one that calls for vague numbers, or one that is implemented by a government in bed with the oil and gas industry.

And it begins...

2008-02-05T05:17:00.000-08:00

To all my friends and family who may read this: See you and/or talk to you in twenty-eight days (well, twenty seven now!)
Yesterday, the provincial government called a general election for Alberta, dissolved the legislature, and set the election day for March 3rd.
As you may remember, I am running in this election. I am up against an incumbent, Iris Evans, past minister of Employment, Industry & Immigration (AEII). That would mean that Ms. Evans is responsible for such things as:

--> The Temporary Foreign Workers Program
--> Ensuring protection of workers through the ALRB and other government programs.
--> Ensuring a fair, and safe workplace for all employees (and their employers)
--> Promote understanding of women's issues.

So, maybe Ms. Evans wasn't all that great as a minister for AEII. But what about her former cabinet posting, Health and Wellness?
Seeing as this was her major point during her tenure at health and wellness, I think most Albertans gave her failing grades in that portfolio.

So...why elect this woman again. Clearly, her priorities, and those of the PC party do not match the priorities of students and families in Alberta.

I didn't think it was possible...

2008-01-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

...but the Stelmach government is staying true to Ralph Klein's mismanagement (non-management?) of the environmental file and setting lower targets on emissions than the Harper Conservatives. You know you are digging to the bottom of the bitumen when...

In other news, the Board of Governors (BoG) at the University of Alberta voted today to raise tuition by 4.6%, and rent levels by an average of 8.8% across campus. FYI, this is the second year in a row rent has gone up for students living in dorms, resulting in an 18% increase in residence rent over two years. I guess the goal of the University is to keep up with all the other "gouging" landlords out there.

As usual, the government does not step in, preferring instead to put their dollars into research. I guess they forget that Masters and PhD students' do not materialize out of no where, but are born out of the ashes of over-caffeinated, under-nourished undergraduate students. Not that I have anything against graduate studies, rather that in order to foster the learning and passion needed to advance to these levels, the undergraduate university experience needs to be a primary concern.

Conservative event of the day: The Fraser Institute is holding a Public Policy forum on February 9th in Calgary. Now usually, I would not mention this. Especially when the key speakers include a guy all about "other" (i.e. corporate) models to replace Medicare, an old white guy about how to best choose sites for oil and gas exploration, and a young white guy talking about corporate welfare. And Tom Flanagan. However, there is free food. And quite frankly, I am okay with encouraging anyone living in Calgary to show up for the free food, then promptly leave. (Or stay and heckle, whatever floats your boat). To this day, I do not understand why The Fraser Institute sends me information packages which seem to say HECKLE ME across the front.

Lastly, just as some random information, Family Literacy Day is coming up on January 28th, so go read a book!

Sherwood Park and I

2008-01-22T21:47:00.001-08:00

This evening I was nominated as the Alberta NDP candidate in the constituency of Sherwood Park. Yes, I am running in the upcoming provincial election. Rumor has it the writ will drop sometime between the 4th and 14th of February. Perhaps a little late for a candidate to start campaigning, but you do what you can.

I am up against incumbent Iris Evans. Ms. Evans is the minister of Employment Industry and Immigration, (formerly Health and Wellness) and from what can be told from her record so far; not good at either of her jobs . Especially when told to deal with "the homelessness" issue, her disregard for legitimate complaints of industrial and professional workers, supporting the corporate threat to medicare, and her offices' equation of temporary foreign workers in Fort McMurray to traveling roadies and visiting professors (from an interview I did this past year). Yes, Ms. Evans and her government seem very "in touch" with the people of Alberta.

P.S. For all of those who hope to send their children to the University of Alberta in the next year, tuition will be going up by 4.6%, while residence costs go up by 8.75% for first year residences. Maybe not Ms. Evans' ministry, but shouldn't she be representing her constituents who may want to send their children to University? Just a thought...

Flying

2008-01-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

Remember how airport security has been "beefed up" over the past through years? Well, most of the time, let's be frank, I have not really noticed much of a change. The whole thing about "liquids must be less than 100 mL" wasn't a concern for me, and it seemed as though the security personnel just did not care either.

Until today. Yuck.

As a quick backgrounder, Air Canada doesn't serve the proletariat food anymore. Not really surprising, no airline does, especially if the flight is under four hours. However, I left Edmonton at 5:45 PM. Key dinner time for me. So, to be prepared for this (and not have to pay six bucks for a crappy sandwich that had been sitting around all day), I brought along cottage cheese-yogurt (really really good!), spoon, apple, and orange. Now, the cottage cheese was 150 mL. And yes, I lost my food during check in. All of it.

I know that losing a bit of food is not a big deal, (well, unless one counts the useless waste!) What I found odd was that there really was an air that the security officers were trying to be "tougher" on those lip-balms, yogurts, and anything else that could cause trouble on a plane. I guess the Edmonton International Airport has to be ready and on guard. Just in case.

Ironically, my metal spoon for the cottage cheese/yogurt made it through.

Economics of Prosperity?

2008-01-18T02:02:00.000-08:00

Interestingly, Steven Harper and George Bush have come out recently commenting about how poor the North American economy is doing. What with the sub-prime mortgages, the spend-to-fix-it mantra, and a prevailing dogmatic belief that all people can buy their way to freedom and happiness.

That is, until the banks start to complain. When the Dow dropped by 200-ish points today, the PM and Prez were forced to wake up, and realize that these are going to be tough economic times. This is funny, given that PM Harper has just cut GST by one per-cent; perhaps in a hope that this will encourage more spending and "fix" the economy. (or because it was an election promise, I guess I cannot be a cynical shrew all the time).

Regardless of the GST issue, I wonder why this is the first time that Harper & Co. have thought about the idea that economics are on a downturn. I seem to remember that, historically speaking, this "boom" cannot go on forever, and that at one point, markets and investors start to be fearful. Let's face it, Canada's dollar was only "strong" compared to the United States - mainly due to the Titanic-esq sinking of economic superiority. When compared to the Yen, the Euro, and pretty much every other "comparable" currency, Canada was dropping. Perhaps we should look to China or Russia now?

Yes, people noticed this. Yes, people realized what was happening when average citizens could no longer afford a Market Basket Measure of goods, due to the high-costs of living in such an inflated climate. It started with the refusal for government heads to see outside of their narrow city/province/country roles and responsibilities, and into the "bigger picture". A global economy cannot exist if the highest thing on every major politicians mind is whether or not the GST will be cut, or how to best publicly frame an issue that - in the grand scheme - has little to no impact on the lives of people.

It is time for government to look outside of it's own shell, and for people to ensure that government is hearing their cries for help. Not "hearing-for-the-sake-of-it", but genuinely LISTENING and RESPONDING to what people have to say. To realize that beyond the basic needs, economies of this nature - so out of control - cannot remain stable for long.

Now, the floor has fallen out of the housing market in the United States, investor confidence is dropping, and ordinary people are falling further down the income scale. Perhaps this will not creep north into Canada immediately, but it will. And we need to be vigilant.

CBC + Me = Awesome!

2008-01-17T21:55:00.000-08:00

It may be a very grand statement, to say that the CBC and I together are awesome, but for this weekend, I believe it to be true.

Tomorrow (Friday, Jan 18th), I head to Toronto for the weekend, which will culminate in the CBC's live airing (EST, of course) of Test the Nation. "Why should I care, you may ask?", well, loyal friends and reader's, it is because I am one of the contestants on the "Bloggers" team. It appears we are up against cab drivers, Chef's, Celebrity Look-alike's (who are going down, by the way :), Flight crews, and a group of backpackers.

Will the bloggers win? YES! Imagine how much surfing it takes to research a single "political" or "entertainment" or "music" or "lifestyle" post. A LOT! And we retain that up-to-date information on the 21st Century while there.

To you, dear friend and reader, check out the show. It will entertain you, and at the very least, you can laugh at the answers and questions along with me.

And don't forget to mock (out of love, of course) the other team(s) outrageously. This is key.

Cheers,
Kat Hay

Pan troglodytes vs. Homo sapiens

2008-01-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Statistics Canada just released this article outlining the prevalence of low-income workers in the rural and urban areas of Canada. Sadly, the data is from 2000-2004, so it does not reflect the Alberta boom. Somehow, and this is non-scientific, I think the Alberta situation would become very similar to the British Columbia one outlined in the Statistics Canada article if the study looked at the period from 2004-2008. Actually, more specifically, it would point out that people in urban environments are making less, people on farms are making less or the same, and people working in trades are making more - mostly for overtime and poor working conditions.

The question now. Why?

Was it the government re-routing of investment to the oil/tar-sands, as opposed to schools, infrastructure, and hospitals?
Was it the gutting of social services by the "deep six" in the early 1990's?
Is it the influx of people, creating the typical supply-demand rationale for raising costs of everything from bread and eggs to a one room apartment?
Is it the increasingly anti-worker sentiment coming from the Stelmach government?

No one of these factors can explain the hellish situation many people are in now, nor a single one of these explain why the richest two percent of the population has drawn so quickly away from the working/middle class.

What is clear is that government mismanagement and a refusal by MLA's to listen to their constituents is a huge factor in this. After all, the urban-rural divide in Alberta is more extreme than it ever was in terms of government representation, in terms of accommodation availability, in terms of employment opportunity. Perhaps what is most apparent is that government officials live in a bubble. Much the way post-secondary students live in a bubble.

What seems so important to officials in terms of "accountability" and "transparency" just does not make a change to any individual's daily living habits. It does not allow your average Homo sapien to buy more or less food, to put more money away for retirement, to ensure their children might might be able to go to college without being on of the twenty four per-cent of students graduating with debt having levels of debt over $25,000.

What really does matter in this world? That all people, regardless of all perceived "differences" are able to strive for a goal without all the extra burdens associated with a capitalist/free-market/"refined society. After all, for all the supposed variation between people in the world, when you break it down to a genetic level, Homo sapiens are only two percent away from slinging shit at each other all day. And not in the figurative manner.

So to all government/bureaucratic institutions in the world, stop acting like Pan troglodytes okay, for all our sakes.

Media...

2008-01-14T01:47:00.000-08:00

First off, congrats to Dave on his incredibly savvy move, as outlined here. Congrats to Stelmach kinda-sort-almost coming to his senses and trying to be more...perhaps...delicate with his "optics" prior to a (supposed) general election. This just goes to show how out of touch, sad, and ridiculous the PC party actually is.

And as entertaining as this story is, I cannot help but ask why this is such a story.

What about how the United States has sworn to sell smarter bombs to the Israel than to the Saudi's? I know it is international, but perhaps it should have been...slightly closer to the top of the news?

What about the now infamous "gitmo", which is..um...celebrating? it's sixth anniversary of human torture, depredation, and cruelty. Again, I know...that's one of those "American" problems. It does not affect Edmonton.

What about this then? I know it is a..."federal" issue, but has not the same thing been happening in...every "review panel" in Alberta as well?

Actually, here is a list of under-reported issues:

- sustainable housing
- stopping global warming (not reducing the effects of, STOPPING!)
- the sham that is the Alberta Labour Relations Board.
- people being turned out of their homes because it is too expensive
- the horrible, depressing living conditions for people working in the Tar Sands
- the inequality of women in...everywhere?
- Tory "lower taxes, don't spend government" spending loads on useless crap. I am talking about YOU, Iris.
- the list continues on in my head...

So, yes, while jokes on the Premier and debate on whether Hilary was being "tactical" by "crying" are entertaining (which, by the way, is the stupidest debate EVER!), is it really really that big a story. After all, we all have access to international, national, and local news sources. All it takes is a little digging.

Interesting...

2008-01-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the PR strategies so proudly touted by Tom Flanagan just are not working for the Conservative Party of Canada anymore. Something new, something "edgy" was needed to get those darn kids involved in the CPC again. Viola! The party roles out the Young Conservatives advertising campaign for Campus Clubs, to support the CPC notion that

The "ivory tower" has long been a favourite target of conservative pundits, who charge that faculties are stacked with left-wing intellectuals who romanticize the civil-liberties movement of the 1960s.

Heaven forbid that the civil-liberties movement of the 1960's is taught. That it is romanticized, perhaps this is true. As is pointed out in "The Rebel Sell", it was the legislative process, the long-term support for the idea of equality for black citizens, the peaceful protests of Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks that together created the ability for these changes to occur. It was not, the book points out, the likes of Malcolm X who necessarily forced this change.

Yet, according to Conservative pundits, the "faculties stacked with left wing intellectuals" will romanticize the entire movement. I charge that this movement is not romanticized, it is taught by those who have an understanding for the necessity of all people in society being treated as equals. It looks at the peaceful processes, the legislative changes, and the social condition that made it all possible.

To "freak out a proff", as the YCPC suggests, it takes more than expressing your political beliefs through the narrow definitions and constraints of a political party. So perhaps try branching out, thinking for yourself, and challenging whatever you feel is wrong with the "ivory tower", society as you see it, and whatever else you have a problem with. Be careful of messages like this; You define a political party, it does not define you.

A Year in Review...

2007-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

I figured that if the G&M, CBC, Post, Air-Farce, and 22 Minutes are allowed to do "year in review" episodes, then I get to as well.

January

Canada's version of Reagan's "War on Drugs" sucks as much as Reagan, who originally came up with the term.
On the bright side, Democrats win control of both houses. Nancy Pelosi is named speaker. And Herouxville made headlines in the UK - leaving Xenophobia with the upper hand over acceptance. Again.
Lastly, after recovering from his 2006 faux pas leader of the Orange Opposition rallied the troops in Edmonton. Even though I pulled the deal off, hats off to Dave for actually blogging about it.

February

Xenophobia wins another point against the dangerous hijab. But you all know my position on this already. Back in the conservative heartland, Avi Lewis chatted at the UofA, made fun of our cafeteria, and talked about revolutionary radio and the students' movement to me in my CJSR correspondent "work". And then kids were told to sue their parents. The good 'ole American way!

March

The NDP had a party. In Ottawa. There were drinks for all. Then we learned how to win. No, seriously, I mean it! Then the Liberals helped the conservatives pass their budget. Then I got angry. But, then I realized that a few more months of neo con ass kickin' is okay, and probably better than this. On the home front, not much had changed, but the work I was doing then resulted in this. So, there was little to no blogging in that month. Oh, except for that rant about bill C-30. Thank whatever deity you worship that Nathan Cullen is here to save the earth. Maybe if he and Don Iveson teamed up....naahhhh...that could never work. Oh, and Coke still has a strangle hold on the UofA. Awesome. But the U-Pass came through. And I thank all the people who worked on it, and then subsequently got elected to city council, and other such things.

April

I get employed by this organization and suddenly become an expert on tuition, stats crunching, and secretly putting subliminal Marxist paraphernalia in documents sent out to this guy. Technically, this happens in May, but other than my brother turning 18 and some scary events in Calgary, not too much happened in April. Wait a second, the Tar sands (oopps...oil sands, sorry Ed) consultations were going on. I spoke. Everyone in the room echoed what was said by myself and others before them. Still, no significant change. Maybe Brian IS right. And, Northern Ireland was allowed to almost be free of Britain again. Keep at it boys, one day those fields of Barely will be worth the sacrifices made.

May

I am officially working for the student representation on campus, then my boss announced he was quitting after a month. The new guy is okay. It would all make sense later. I remember May as being kinda dreary. Not to bright in BC either. Wait a second, that was when unions were striking...still, and yet another contract had been signed to allow more temporary foreign workers into Alberta. Doublepluss good says MiniTrue! And then, as I was finishing a conversation with Gil McGowan during the AFL convention, I heard the words CNRL and accident. Before the news papers knew in the morning, before the families knew back home, I knew that lives had been destroyed due to the arcane labour laws allowed to exist in the province of Alberta. Speaking of Labour laws. May Week! It was amazing, and thanks out to all the people who put did organizing, lent their creative talents, or who just expressed their solidarity during this incredible festival. I was almost proud to call Alberta home that week

June
I got a year older, a little more stressed, a little more disillusioned. But it was bike month, and the flowers were out, so there was a little spring in my step. Despite my perfect cute little home of two years being condo-ized.
But, it left me with more reason to fight for the one candidate worth voting for in Edmonton-centre. Deron Bilous.
Speaking of the NDP and condoization, here is what Albertans Demand Affordable Housing did during June. Someone seems to think the NDP rally of the same nature was overly partisan. I guess he forgot about that "other" speech from the throne.

July

I become more stressed. Why? I am in the midst of working two jobs, and organizing an event for delegates from across Western Canada. And there is only six weeks left. But, I had vacation to look forward to. As for the rest of Alberta and Canada, it seemed to be doing perfectly well, thank-you very much! The neo-cons in Ottawa are happily passing on capitalism (free trade, if it makes you feel less dirty), to South America. Nooooooo! on 07/07/07 Harry Potter died! Well, not really, but turns out Dumbledore was gay the whole time. The monkey man sent out something to block more people from flying, and at last, after brutal attacks by scab security guards, being yelled at, and spit at, Palace Casino Workers (UFCW 401) were finally able to return to work. Spending time with the workers on this picket line was an exceptional experience, and I am happy to have met everyone there.

August

Western Caucus & Convention. Seriously. That was my life. Organizing a convention for participants from BC, AB, MB, and SK, pre-booking rooms, ordering food, fund raising to pay all the bills. That became my life. I think some of my soul went with it.
I went to Ontario for 13 days when it was all over.
In Toronto, there was a ruckus about the TTC not being able to make it's budget constrictions because some taxes didn't pass earlier in the year.
They did later, now people who have privilege of driving cars or owning their own home have to pay a little bit more so that students, single mothers, and the un/under-employed can pay a little less.
In Ottawa, Parliament Hill was pretty, and the Renoir Landscapes were especially pretty.
Oh yeah, f*ck the SPP and TILMA. And the police posing as "anarchists". Don't kid yourselves, anarchists are far classier than you will ever be. That about rounds out the month.

September

school. tuition. government screws students in BC and Alberta. Lots of municipal election work, and a little provincial election work too. And radical cheer leading.

October

Will forever be known as the month of Don. And the radical cheerleaders posing with John Baird. FYI, he looks like a creeper in the photo. Towards the end of the month, the Anarchists showed their colours again, and put on a wonderful book fair. There was also the Out of Iraq/Afghanistan march, which was amazing.

November

The legislature opened, and Greenpeace dropped a banner. No arrests! The government inside the chambers continued to act as it always has. The Tories compromised (yes Ed, I know you did not want it called a compromise) not calling the royalty deal a "compromise is, well, Bullsh*t. Anyway, the (Alberta) Liberals were kinda quiet, and the NDP got angry. Like Hulk (I'm sorry guys, I couldn't resist)

December
Marathon session time again! Pizza made major daily's in Alberta TWICE this year. There was more global warming stuff by Greenpeace solidarity work, and amazing, amazing progressive work done to get a better system for workers in Alberta.

*sigh* 2008 better live up to it's promises.

Sobey's Worker Earn's Gold Star

2007-12-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Sobey's actually has gold-star's for fastest scanning and other more-speed, less-chit-chat methods. As is typical for any grocery store who wants to keep up with the Jones'. Somehow though, I doubt Sobey's gives out gold-stars when customer's eggs and bread have an "accident" due to this fast paced marketing system. And I highly doubt a gold star would be given when it is Steady Eddie's eggs and bread that have said accident.

But, I'll give a gold star to that. Not out of political dislike. That would just be cruel. Out of pure joy from the image of the sad, crestfallen worker who did such a thing; the looks of horror and astonishment pinned on middle-managements collective faces...as Ed's eggs slowly dripped from their container, onto the unsuspecting bread.

Yes indeed, the image in my mind at this moment is priceless. Thank-you hyper senior-management and the ever present golden-star system, for the leaving this happy image with me forever.

Had to happen eventually

2007-12-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

As any political staffer would know, it is freakin' stressful work! And when there is division between "the bosses" and "the workers", this stressful work takes on a new tone. Such as the following:

"1) the expectations for work are shifting and often contradictory; 2) the work produced is not treated with proper respect; 3) staff often feel personally disrespected and/or bullied; 4) staff are not given the resources we need to improve the quality and direction of our work; 5) workload expectations are unrealistic leading to excessive overtime and to burnout."

This is a dynamic found from the lowest researcher to the highest communications guru within a political structure where external, uncontrollable dynamics occur daily. Of particular note are options one, two, and at higher levels , five. I have seen staffers for the PC party, the Alberta Liberals, the Alberta NDP, and even non-profit/student politics falling prey to these worries and workplace dynamics.

I find political workplaces to have more difficult dynamics, in terms of hierarchies than others, simple because of differing opinions politically contentious issues. This is why the news of the Alberta NDP's leaked memo should not be surprising to any, and is just an example of how political staff operate on a day to day basis. The difference? The staff within the NDP caucus have an outlet for their frustrations, with an internal union set-up. In the Alberta Liberal caucus, I have seen staff quit, in the PC caucus, all nighters are not uncommon. This is not to say that these issues do not count, I have seen friends break down, work fourteen hour days under stressful conditions, and other stresses.

The main issue here is not that a "workers party" sold out its own staff. Rather, it is that workers everywhere are being sold out, and it will take a workers party and thorough strengthening of the labour movement to ensure that workers everywhere are treated fairly.

Ken Loach = My Hero

2007-12-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well, perhaps "hero" is too strong a word. After all, this is written, and tone inflections, facial expressions, etc. cannot be seen. However, there is no denying the man makes some amazing films. There is one film in particular that I want to draw attention to. It is nationalistic - to the point that some may reject it for that - yet, it brings something genuine to thoughts of revolution, politics, and what it means to be your own person. It is one of the few movies that have made me question my own politics and motives - it even prompted research by myself into the history of the IRA/Northern Ireland and independence from Britain. Particularly during this time. But above all of this, by the end, you must answer the question "which side are you on?"; the side that compromises, or the side that fights against all odds. Here are a few reviews and thoughts on "The Wind that Shakes the Barley".

The Socialist Worker
The Militant
IndyMedia - Ireland
Discussion from the CPGB

From Russia, with Love

2007-12-17T03:37:00.000-08:00

After his eight year tenure as president is over, it appears that Vladimir Putin is not going away quietly, if at all. Last week, Putin "officially" endorsed deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in his run for presidency - and it is expected that the Pro-Kremlin party will officially nominate Medvedev later this week. Interestingly, Medvedev returned Putin's endorsement by saying he would like Putin as his Prime Minister, if elected. Opposition journalists say that if Russian politics turn this way, Putin can use United Russia's dominance in the Duma to effectively run Russia for another few years.

But, this article shows potential - though slight - for something even greater. Whatever happens, we will be hearing the name "Vladimir Putin" for a while yet.

Trees store carbon dioxide as they grow!

2007-12-14T04:14:00.000-08:00

Slowing deforestation will be on the agenda of the UN post-Kyoto talks in Bali. Why? Well, just check out the header of this posting.

How do I put this nicely?

Thank-you, you stupid, stupid international leaders - with the apparent environmental education of the seven year old kids my mother teaches in rural northern British Columbia - for coming up with such a brilliant statement. But, I think - and I am sure the seven year olds will agree - that we are beyond the point where slowing deforestation is going to save our collective asses. That should be done anyway, but not as an integral part of talks on how to "combat climate change." Perhaps if the Amazon and the Canadian Boreal forests were entirely replanted, and allowed to grow for fifty years, forests could play an integral role. Come to think of it, that might take less time than international negotiations. And taxpayers would save on airfare and other "expenses".

Sadly, the Bali Dance will, at most, result in approvals of draft decisions for green technology sharing, deforestation agreements, and a promise to meet in Hawaii in a month. At least the USA will be contributing more once everyone's favorite "commander-in-chief is no more.

As always, here is Canada's contribution of the day:

"Canada has dismissed the European objective as unattainable, arguing that it would need to slash emissions by 38 to 53 per cent within only 12 years to reach that target."

I hope the results of Friday give me some good news to post about, for a change.
*As the newswire comes in, it appears that a new agreement has been passed around, using 2000 as the new base for GHG's. Countries are allowed to increase, then top out in ten to fifteen years, then drop their GHG's to "well under half of what they were in 2000".*

Dude, Read Your Contract!

2007-12-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

I hate to say it, but this guy seriously should have read his contract first. Or, you know, assumed that a cellular phone company in Canada would screw him over. It really sucks to be dealing with charges this outrageous, but, well, it is not the companies role to tell him when his charges are excessively higher than normal. Their job is to make money off him. It sucks. It is unfair. But, welcome to capitalism, where the people getting screwed are those who are just trying to get by each day. It sucks. It is unfair. But until people realize it is a systematic way of screwing over "regular folks", nothing will change. I wish this man luck...and hope that all other cell users will learn from this really screwed up situation.

WTF?

2007-12-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

I know the Globe is not always the best at giving both sides of the story, but in this case, what possible justification could the other side of the story have? This is taking advantage of a young girl in a vulnerable spot, and is one of the most disgusting things that a human being could ever admit to doing. Free from prison? Bull shit. And justice Bradley, thanks for this beautiful quote about the sixteen year old victim:

"[she] was not forced and she probably agreed to have sex with all of you"

I guess the "moral of the story" is that admitting to your crimes will ensure you have no criminal record, and serve little or no time in prison.

Guilty-ish

2007-12-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

Robert Pickton was declared guilty on six counts of second degree murder today. His original charge was on six counts of first degree murder. With these results, Pickton is sentenced to life in prison, but with a chance of parole after ten years. The women who were killed by Mr. Pickton on his pig farm are remembered as:

Sereena Abotsway, 29;
Mona Wilson, 26;
Andrea Joesbury, 22;
Brenda Wolfe, 30;
Georgina Papin, 34,
Marnie Frey, 23

There is still the question of the remaining twenty missing women linked to Pickton. It is now up to the crown to decide whether or not to prosecute Mr. Pickton on these twenty counts.

Home Grown Socialist

2007-12-08T14:01:00.001-08:00

Soccer & Politics

2007-12-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

Yet another women's soccer team has been sidelined due to "controversy" surrounding players wearing the hijab while on the field. I simply do not understand the issue. referee's and associations have with young girls and women playing soccer, while wearing a hijab. Particularly in the case of youth soccer. I played soccer from age ten to about eighteen, and I cannot understand how this garment could have EVER made the playing field less safe. I worry more about the young women who forget to bring a hair-clip, and are playing with hair in their faces. Men in the QYSA, where I learned to play are allowed to wear a turban, so what is the safety difference for young women? Perhaps peripheral vision could be obstructed, and that is why the FIFA upheld this ruling. But, when looking at the picture from that article, I do not see what sort of "safety" implications a hijab could have.

It seems to me this is the case of a few over-zealous referee's and associations taking the "laws of the game" a little too seriously. There was no need for the original case in Quebec to go all the way to FIFA, nor is there any reason for these "safety" measures to continue.

Burning the Mid-night Oil.

2007-12-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning, just as college kids sipped gatoraid to prevent head-ache's the morning after, Ken Kowalski emerged into the assembly, pizza box in hand.

Again, Tory MLA's have pushed contentious legislation through the legislature in the middle of the night. At 3:30 AM, Wednesday morning, Bill-46 received it's third and final reading. For twenty-two hours, debate went on between members of the assembly, with MLA's from parties able to do so, taking shifts inside the legislature.

With the numbers stacked in the Tories favour, I will assume there will be some perky, bright-eyed Conservative house members, while the Liberals and New Democrats may show signs of sleepless nights more so than normal.

Although, to be fair, the political staffers are the ones who I really worry about.

An Election without Chandler

2007-12-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

Craig Chandler will not be confirmed as the PC candidate in Calgary - Egemont in the upcoming provincial election. I must say, I am slightly disappointed! The entertainment that could have ensued from his colourful character may have been a highlight of the provincial election. Then again, someone who makes Ted Morton look like a moderate is probably the last thing Alberta needs in its repertoire of public representatives.

Rumor has it that when Chandler was informed of this, he promptly tore up his PC membership, and stormed out of the room, hurling insults as he went. Perhaps he will run for the Wild Rose Party. After all, those guys make Republicans look like socialists!

Kids, Toys, Toxins

2007-11-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well, between this report of asbestos, this one of lead contamination, and the general references to lead-based paint for toys, here are a few ideas I have for when (and very importantly IF) I decide to have children:

1) They will play in boxes. And like it. Like any normal kid should.
2) They will eat dirt. Because ultimately, I'd rather them be curious and eat dirt over being curious and taking a chew on the asbestos tainted toys.
3) They will play outside. Mostly, because I - like my parents before me - plan on making sure they will never learn totally awesome Wii, Playstation, or X-box skills, or whatever their conception of "cool" video games becomes. However, I will qualify this statement. If I can still make an Original Mario Bros/Duck Hunt combo work, there might be a chance. Even if NES came out before I was born.

I realize that in doing this, they will rebel and direct their anger at this totally ridiculous treatment to me. But, what's the worst they can do? Turn against the neo-liberal hegemonic views of society and become some sort of people over profits activist-type, who really wants to still believe in the system, despite increasing cynicism against any and all organized political machinery.

I'm sure they will be fine :-)

Pedestrian vs. Car: Take One

2007-11-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

What a surprise this one is. Occurring around 109 Street and 107 Avenue in Edmonton, two pedestrians were "mowed down" (to quote the article), and are now in hospital. One who remains in critical condition, while the other is recovering and is now "stable." Currently, Edmonton is sitting at twelve pedestrian deaths, due to run-ins with cars. Very similar to this trend with those who chose to travel on two wheels, as opposed to four. A simple antidote would be to make Edmonton a more "pedestrian" friendly city. Or, for that matter, a more bicycle friendly city. Instead, we have a city where it is required for people to own cars in order to get anywhere on time because bus routes do not follow an "express" pathway that makes sense. Let alone an "express" pathway that can serve transit users. A city where walking or biking is generally ridiculed,and those who do so are a "nuisance to drivers."

Okay, so what does this have to do with pedestrian safety, you may ask? Well, in a city whose population increasingly relies on four wheels to get around, it seems as though there is general ignorance from motor vehicle drivers as to how pedestrians and cyclists should be treated. That is not to say that pedestrians and cyclists have no part to play - a confusing cyclist or a jaywalking pedestrian is as responsible as an auto driver. The difference, it seems, is that cars and trucks cause fatalities when they collide with those using two wheels or two feet. Perhaps a solution would be a more pro-active stance from the City of Edmonton when creating more bike trails, wider sidewalks, and a more accessible Edmonton. Perhaps, with less congestion and more accessibility to "alternative" (read: sustainable and realistic) transportation, tragedies such as the ones cited could be prevented.

Disco Guy LaFleur!

2007-11-26T21:55:00.001-08:00

Thanks to a fellow "red" for informing me of this. As a break from the political commentary, may I just say: For the love of Hockey, Quebec, and everything sacred...this needs to be shared.

Japan Whaling Again

2007-11-19T01:29:00.000-08:00

Here I was, thinking that commercial whaling was a part of the past. That the world had realized that whales are intelligent, that their habitats are easily disturbed. I had thought the general public had realized that sonars, powerful machine-gun like harpoons, and "processing" ships are how commercial whaling is done. That it is not a mystical Ahab-like man versus the Ocean versus himself (or whatever the whale was supposed to stand for), but a ruthless slaying of defenseless animals.

I clearly thought wrong. On Sunday, Japan launched yet another round of commercial whaling, under the guise of "research", still allowed by the International Whaling Commission. (IWC) Included in the one thousand whale quota are some fifty Megaptera novaelangliae (humpback whales), which have not been hunted since a moratorium on hunting this endangered species occurred in 1963.

Whale meat is sold in Japanese markets despite commercial whaling being outlawed by the IWC in 1986. Research permits, it seems, are a great loophole, as Japan has killed between ten and eleven-thousand whales under research permits since then.

And so it begins to end...

2007-11-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

The trial of the century, well, maybe that is giving too much credit, but it will be watched carefully, and it will cause a lot of precedent, regardless of the verdict.

On Monday, November 19th, final testimony will begin in a busy New Westminster courtroom in the case of the Crown vs. accused serial killer Robert Pickton.

Evidence in the case was first heard on January 22, 2007, and so the case will draw out over eleven months, without considering the time it will take the thirteen jury members to reach their verdict. And yet, this will not be the end of the Pickton saga. He is only being tried for six out of the twenty six missing women from Vancouver's Downtown East side who are linked to Pickton. The trial on the remaining twenty charges is expected to start after the current proceedings are over.

Now, regardless of the results of this first round of proceedings against Mr. Pickton, I would like to address how long it took for these proceedings to be seriously looked at. Rebecca Guno, a sex trade worker in Vancouver's downtown - east side went missing in the year of 1983. Nineteen years later, seven charges of murder were brought against Mr. Pickton. Nineteen years. If this had been a case of a wealthy woman, or of a University student, or of someone "worthy" of finding immediately, I wonder how different the investigation would be.

I realize the inherent difficult in finding people with no-fixed address, and that perhaps police in Vancouver - or other major metropolitan centres - run into this a lot. But that cannot excuse the fact that these women do need protection, many of them are forced into what they are doing, are forced to sell their bodies in order to survive. Only after thirty-one women were considered missing was the possibility of a serial killer brought up. Only after eighteen years were formal charges actually laid in this trial.

Now, the question is whether or not Robert Pickton is guilty, but after these trials are over, regardless of how they turn out questions of a very different sort must be asked.

Why did it take so long to realize the vulnerability of these women? Why after so many women's group and advocacy groups had spoken out, was nothing done? Why are poverty, racial tensions, and prejudice allowed to decide how quickly a case will be heard or will be cared about? Why was this allowed to go on for so long in the first place?

Here are some quotes from a CBC article by the families of some of the missing women in Vancouver.

"Families of the missing women have accused Vancouver police of mishandling the investigation from the beginning by ignoring evidence that a serial killer was at work. The RCMP became involved in 2001.

The families also say police neglected the cases because many of the women were prostitutes and drug addicts.

It wasn't until August of 2001 that Vancouver police began hinting that a serial killer could be responsible for the disappearance of the missing women. At the time 31 women had vanished, but four had been accounted for and two of those were confirmed dead."

It is extremely idealistic to say we live in a world where everyone is born equally. This is obviously not the case, race, socio-economic status, and place of birth, and many other things play a part in how "valuable" an individual is considered to be within society.

But, it is not idealistic to say that this is the only way that the world - not just Canada - can function in the future.

Is a car a deadly weapon?

2007-11-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

Consistently, people are convicted of dangerous driving causing death - or less - when a car is involved in any sort of violent crime. The most recent example is this one, where a man stole a truck, tried to evade police during a chase, resulting in this (drunk) driver crossing the median, only to hit and kill a mother and three children.

Interestingly, when this case began, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of dangerous driving causing death. As an FYI, one count of dangerous driving causing death holds a maximum sentence of fourteen years, which is rarely applied by courts. In contrast, involuntary manslaughter has a maximum sentence of life (minimum of four).^

Now, the prosecution is trying to ensure the defendant is given Dangerous Offender status. Why? Because the defendant has been found guilty of previous drunk-driving offences. Naturally, the defendant's lawyer argues that

"My client has never injured anyone except himself in the past. So this would be the first time that he's been involved in a collision that has killed or caused harm to others"

Now, perhaps it is just me, but someone who's best defence is

"my client has never injured anyone except himself in the past"

should not have an operators license. Maybe Dangerous Offender status is not the answer, as a drunk driver is not in the same category as someone who deliberately leaves their house with the intention of killing. However, in the same breath, there has to be some sort of onus on a person to not drink and drive. Especially in this case, where the person stole a truck, had been drinking, and tried to evade police, resulting in the death of three children and their mother. Perhaps harsher penalties should be given, but I am not a legal scholar. All I know from reading about this case in the media is that Canadian law does not punish people guilty of drinking and driving enough. Owning and operating an automobile is not a right, it is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. If these responsibilities are not followed, the privilege should be taken away. Immediately.

You know it is a slow news day in Toronto when...

2007-11-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

I found this on the Globe and Mail website. I laughed, and now I share.

-----

U.S. urged to reopen UFO investigations

WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich may have been ridiculed for saying he had seen a UFO, but for some former military pilots and other observers, unidentified flying objects are no laughing matter.

---

I wish this man luck in his presidential run, the rest of his platform is something I could support. Except for the "Save Capitalism" part. Personally, I would have worded it differently, but perhaps that works in the USA.

Raj Pannu

2007-11-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

After the Provincial Election this year, Alberta will say good bye to one of its most respected statesmen. After ten years representing the Alberta NDP in the provincial legislature, Raj Pannu will be retiring.

At a tribute Gala in Calgary, Jack, Brian, and Brian - in addition to many others - shared some memories of Raj in the legislature. Stories from the legsilature, and from home, were shared via video correspondence, or by those who have worked with Dr.l Pannu under the Alberta NDP banner in the Legislature. As the evening came to an end, there was a sense of optimism, as sense that politics does not have to be all about short bullet points, and one-liners. After all, this is what Dr. Raj Pannu was all about.

Biased Science Anyone?

2007-11-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

It kind of sucks to be the Alberta Government right now. Not only was there that glitch in the computers, but now this comes out.

Turns out that water is full of toxins in the Athabasca river basin. Here is my favorite part of the article:

"Timoney said there seems to be a reluctance on the part of governments and industry to admit there is any cause for concern even though the data suggests there is a cause for concern. "I can't answer for the government and industry as to why they would always downplay the risk," he said. "Certainly the numbers indicate to any objective scientist that there is a cause for concern."

The study did not find anything actually wrong with the towns water supply, and that it should be safe to drink. Although, from reading the article, being a vegetarian for a few years might be a good idea. At least until all of that mercury can make it's way out of the ecosystem.

School Shooting

2007-11-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

The quiet of the described "green and culturally rich municipality" north of Finland's Capital City was brought to the World Stage when Pekka-Eric Auvinen killed eight, and wounded ten at a local upper-level secondary school.

Media sources present Finland as having lax gun registration laws - with fifty-six percent of the population owning a firearm of some type. However, Finland also ranks relatively low in gun-related homicides, when compared to equivalent nations.

Now, various politicians are advocating for a "tougher stance" on crime. But, really, what does gun registration do? It only penalizes the people who choose to register their firearms and have them for home usage. This debate was brought up not that long ago in Canada.

Obviously, this is a tragedy, and should be treated as such. But automatically promising to push through legislation to create more red tape and bureaucracy is not the way to deal with tragedy. What was learned here? That a young man from a "normal" family needed an outlet from what he called "this miserable, arrogant and selfish human race", or perhaps that other youth are feeling excluded, unhappy, and distanced from their family, their countries, and the social-political worlds in which we all live.

This is not a time for more legislation, but a time to have a serious conversation about whether the world should be looked at from an economic perspective - where working and the rat race mean everything. Or, from a more holistic viewpoint of social inclusion, environmental protection, and community - not country - centred development. If this kind of conversation and public dialogue does not take place, I fear more Virginia Tech's, more Charles Mansons', and more Jokela's.

No Tax, No Spend

2007-11-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Repeating this mantra must be the tactic of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister and Leader of Canada's New Government, (please note the frightened advisers) and perhaps his favourite minister, the Mr. Flaherty.

I am a little late in posting this but here is some information about how quickly taxes will be cut for corporate sectors in Canada.

"Corporate taxes will also be cut — by $14.1 billion over the next five years. The corporate income tax rate drops by an additional percentage point to 19.5 per cent in 2008, falling in steps to 15 per cent by 2012. By that time, Canada will have the lowest corporate tax rate among the major industrialized economies."

Ironically, while that same corporate sector is complaining about Royalty Rates being hiked up - although modestly - their business tax rates are falling at a tremendous speed.

Take from it what you will - I just find it absurd that multi-nationals, corporations, and other "big" businesses were given a hefty tax break, only to turn around to bitch about how they are not getting their fair share!

… like, why should we have to live in something like this?

2007-11-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am really happy to live in Canada. Actually, let me rephrase that, I know I am extremely lucky to live in a country that allows so many freedoms, where women are respected for who they are, and where acceptance is a part of our culture. So, when I read something like this article, I am absolutely astounded.

Just as a "preview" to the lovely article, here are a couple of quotes right off the Facebook page:

"there's a Mohawk near Selkirk avenue (in the dirty north) that sells $1 slurpees...we went in and got like 13 of them and kept driving by the same hooker one night, good times"

FYI everyone, these "fine upstanding citizens" were throwing said slurpee's at the street workers.

Here's another:

"Tim bits. Nice...it'd have to be the day olds cause fresh ones are wayyyyy too good for hookers"

Now, I am all for free speech. It is a key part to the open and democratic society that we all share. But the keyword is share! It is inexcusable to have a Facebook group named "For those people who have thrown something at those lovely girls on Higgins". Simply put, this is a group for people to tell their stories about how amazing it is to throw things at prostitutes.

What do people from this group think? That women like the idea of meaningless, cheapening, demoralizing sex in exchange for enough money to scrape by on? Then, the girl quoted in the CBC article points out that Winnipeg is being "overrun" by "this", which I assume means the sex trade industry.

Now, instead of offering a solution, or engaging in a meaningful dialogue about how to address the underlying issues that force women onto the street - poverty, battery, homelessness - this group further demoralizes women who are already shunned by Canada's supposedly "open and accepting" society.

Love Me, I'm a Liberal

2007-11-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is a fairly old song by Phil Ochs. The question it asks is "how far would YOU go" to defend your beliefs? Even better, it details a "typical" way that Democrats are looked at by the "extremists" of the country. As a reminder, here is the political spectrum of the 2007 Primaries for the United States of America:

Slightly disappointing that the so-called "extreme-left" of the United States sits approximately where the Conservative Party of Canada rests it "right-wing agenda". I suppose that just goes to show how out of tune American politics are from - well - reality! (and I do not just mean Canada!)

So, here is the song "Love me, I'm a Liberal" - in reference to the Democrats of the United States, and our own lovely "don't talk about revolution" Liberal Party of Canada (come on, Howard Dean was a keynote at their leadership convention!).

The song is a good laugh...even if you ARE a ideological liberal.

Love Me, I'm a Liberal...

---

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

---

I love the last paragraph...and pray that someone keeps me grounded enough that I do not end up like one of them.

Greenpeace: Stop the Tar Sands!

2007-11-05T14:53:00.001-08:00

Greenpeace did a major banner drop in Alberta's capital to protest the devastating effects the Athabasca Tar Sands Projects have on the world - in the form of global warming - and on the province, by drawing attention and resources away from other serious issues in the province.

For those of you who do not know too much about the Tar Sands in the province, here area few "fun" facts:

1) The Athabasca Tar Sands take up an area the size of Florida.
2) None of the projects have land that has been certified as reclaimed by the Government of Alberta.
3) The tailing ponds (water & chemical waste) seep into the surrounding ground, possibly causing high rates of miscarriage, previously unheard-of cancers, and other devastating issues for Northern Aboriginal communities.

Recently, the government finished a review of the Royalty Rates in Alberta, but did nothing to address the social and environmental effects of the tar sands in Alberta, let alone the planet. Greenpeace is pushing for "an immediate moratorium on new tar sands development, a phase-out of existing projects and aggressive investment in renewable energy".

Being the first day of the new legislative session, I hope politicians of all stripes in Alberta wake up, and realize that economics ARE NOT all that matters to future generations. Personally, I would rather see this movement to renewable energy, and the preservation of our current environment - at the very least. Is it too much to ask that my children be able to see a forest with real trees?

Canada's Next Great Prime Minister is...

2007-11-02T11:45:00.001-07:00

Zoe Todd! Here is her submission, and I wish her luck!

Anniversaries

2007-11-01T19:43:00.001-07:00

I am going to leave politics for a moment to celebrate (although belatedly) an anniversary. On October 31 of 2006, I received by second kidney transplant. There is really no need to go into details of why this was my second one, or what happened upwards to it. All I know is that this is an amazing step, as the general motto is "one year and you are in the clear". Although, vigilance is still a key.

Hopefully, I will be celebrating anniversaries until October 31 of 2040, at the least.

More to come on the world of politics at a later date. Although, take a look at this if you are a fan of Hugo Chavez, the Hands of Venezuela Group, or the NDP Youth. Thanks to Red Menace for this heads up.

Solidarity & Love out to all of you who read this.

Expect more from the Tar Sands...in 2009-ish

2007-10-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here it is. Premier Stelmach and the PC Caucus's response to the Royalty Review Panel. And what a response it was.

Half bowing to industry pressures, and half appeasing Albertans who wanted Royalty rates to increase, for the sake of "our fair share".

Here's the deal:

Tar Sands:
Five percent of gross revenue will be taken by the province while companies recoup their capital costs.
Thirty-three percent of net revenue will be tossed to the public purse after companies have had their "holiday" period.

Syncrude and Suncor energy - who control forty-nine percent of raw, unprocessed bitumen, are creating enormous environmental devastation, and record revenue's of $677 million in the third quarter of 2007 - will have three months of meetings with PC insiders to figure out what is "fair" for them.

Goody.

Again, an issue that is social and environmental is broken down to economics, and nothing else.

Royalties, Our Share, and How the "Progressive" left forgot the Environment in it all...

2007-10-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts...

As this has been framed as an economic issue, clearly Alberta should be "getting it's fair share" (whatever that non-complete sentence is supposed to mean).

What is more important is the simple fact that global warming generated from the tar sands will affect people throughout the world. It is the job of the Albertan government - and it's people - to ENSURE THERE IS A SLOWDOWN in the tar sands.

Frankly, only a complete stop would make it possible to thwart global warming, water contamination, and unheard of cancer rates in the north. But, we all know that not even the "progressive" left is willing to come out and say that. If an area the size of Florida were changed into a quagmire of tailing ponds and construction in any other jurisdiction, there would be political outrage.

Now, seeing as there is a definate lack of political will to make this an issue at the ballot box. There is fear that electoral gain will not be accomplished on the so-called green vote. I guess this is a fall-out from the electoral side of political parties. Selling out fundamental values, and refusing to point out amazing policies because it may not determine electoral success. Now, it is up to the NGO's, volunteers, activists, students, academics, teen-agers, and anyone angry with the way the province is working to stand up and be heard. Take it to the streets, protest, write your favourite politician on why they are failing YOU.

More than that, Alberta must be pressured from the outside. While "the right" seems determined to frame Alberta as the proverbial "nation within a nation", international pressure and exposing the truth from within seems to be the only way counter short-sighted bullshit planning. Because, as we know, economics will bring people out to the polls, and form government and opposition policy. Not the needs of future generations.

---

So, here are a few economic points, because that seems to be all that matters in Alberta right now...

1) Currently, Suncor and Syncrude control 49% of the unprocessed bitumen that leaves Alberta. They do not pay royalties under the "tar sands" strategy, they pay under the SCO (Synthetic Crude Oil) royalty regime strategy. They will not have to pay for their bitumen (tar/oil sands) until 2009, which is when they will switch to this royalty regime. So, basically, Syncrude and Sunor are not being "charged" for half of what they export out of Alberta. Rad.

2) Tar sands are sitting at 1% of gross revenue for Albertans while capital costs are recouped by multinational oil conglomerates; then 25% of net revenue after this "holiday period". As a note, the forestry industry is expected to factor in stumpage fees to their investments. It is only the Oil and Gas Sector that is given this "honeymoon" from paying Royalties to the provincial coffers.

3) Norway receives just over 75% of their non-conventional oil revenue. Alberta - even if the Royalty review is ENTIRELY accepted, will receive 45%. (note to those who say Norway is totally different, check here for a few stats on how similar we are). Although, it should be obvious that we are both Northern countries, both have enormous amounts of oil and gas resources, and both are "first world" countries.

---

More thoughts (constructive ranting)

Economically, 2/3 jobs in the tar sands are construction jobs, when these - and all the service jobs attached to them - are gone most of the people crying that higher royalty rates will destroy their jobs, will lose their jobs anyway.

If Royalty rates for tar-sands and non-convention oil are raised, these jobs will last longer. What is more, the government could use the funds to invest in infrastructure (create jobs) and training (create more jobs) for a renewable energy economy based on wind and solar powers.

Iveson, Iveson!

2007-10-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the days and weeks leading up to the Edmonton municipal election thoughts were focused on the pundits who said "incumbents always win", and doubted a "young" campaign would be able to come close to, yet alone unseat a long-time incumbent city councilor. Then, along came Don Iveson in Ward Five. The story today is not that Mike Nickel, long time incumbent and all-around winner-by-default, was beaten by a first time candidate; The story is the dedication of Iveson volunteers and his well rounded platform of "smart growth."

On a person note, seeing as these two will be MY councilor's for the next three years - in ward four, the winners were Jane Battey, and Ben Henderson. Henderson just squeeked in ahead of long time aboriginal activist, Lewis Cardinal, by 184 votes.

Take Care of Yourselves Out There

2007-10-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Every activist or political type goes through it. Burnout. We all succumb to this silent danger that creeps up on us, even as the bags under our eyes give signs the rest of the world can read. Maybe it is a youth thing. Maybe it is because there never seems to be enough time to accomplish all we want to. Maybe we just want to be seen as Martyr's. I do not have the answers. What I DO KNOW is that slowly people are lost - talented people with ideas and strengths and goals that can not be fulfilled because their bodies say to their social consciousness "enough is enough". Staying active and in tune with our bodies will prevent this. As a community, activists and political types need to learn to accept the limitations of how much time or energy we are each willing to commit to a dream. Just because an individual does not show up at every action, every function, or every debate does not mean they are not committed to the goals of the organizations. It simply means that they are prioritizing their lives in order to be more effective in the long run. After all, Rome was not built in a day, and neither will all of our hopes and dreams of a different type of earth.

List of Electoral Awesomeness

2007-09-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have heard various rumours that a provincial election is imminent in Alberta. As early as the Monday following the Municipal elections, the premier will call an election, and...viola! Thirty-seven days of grown men and women slinging mud like there is no tomorrow.

Now, there are far too many municipalities, wards, and constituencies for me to focus on all of them - so here are a few of my favourite (read: where I can vote)

1) Edmonton Ward Four: Here is my deal with Ward Four. There are fourteen bloody candidates! After the retirement of long time councilor (and all-around awesome guy), Michael Phair, it appeared that any candidate who was even remotely socially progressive jumped on the bandwagon to take his seat. Here are a few favorites, off the top:

Lewis Cardinal: Who is known as an "activist" and brother of Lorne Cardinal (think: Corner Gas). Lewis grew up, overcame poverty, life "all around ward four" (including the streets), and is now winner of Aboriginal Achievement Awards, and an amazing social advocate.
Ben Henderson: Mr. Henderson has ran previously, and "got into" the political scene via the arts, and various "official" means. (think: committee, committee, committee)
Hana Razga: Hana is basing her campaign around better cooperation with surrounding municipalities - especially with public transportation. She is an advocate of affordable housing - including seniors housing. Interestingly, she advocates a "made in Canada" purchasing policy for the city of Edmonton, along with fair wages, and a whole consortium of social-equality measures.

Now, if I could vote ANYWHERE I would vote in Ward Five - for Don Iveson. Just so you know.

Constituency: Edmonton-Glenora:

NDP - Brian Fleck: Is a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. As a professor, he has seen the effects of funding cuts the provincial government has made to post-secondary education. Fleck is one of the few professors who showed up with students' at the UofASU's annual tuition stunt.
PC - no nomination yet
Green - Peter Johnston: Peter Johnston is the deputy leader of the Alberta Green's.
AAP - no nomination yet
Liberal - Bruce Miller: One can assume that former United Church Minister Bruce Miller will be running again. Once quoted as saying "if Jesus were a politician, he would be a Liberal" Miller is currently holding the positions of Critic for the Ministry of Employment, Immigration, and Industry and is the deputy whip for the Liberal Party Caucus. He was also part of the Premier's Task force on affordable housing.

Again - if I could vote anywhere - it would be in the Edmonton-centre constituency for Deron Bilous.

Multi-Cultural?

2007-09-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

For all of you who figure Canada is an amazing multi-cultural, accepting, peaceful nation, please look at this as a qualifier before you are absolutely sure about that.

Now, just because one insane neo-Nazi group shows up, does not mean that Canada is not a multi-cultural nation. Right? Well, what about this? So, not accepting Sharia law is - in my mind (and from what little I understand) an alright idea. Although, I cannot accept the tone taken in this article, or many other similar ones.

This is not meant to scare people away from Canada, I take pride in this nation, and the acceptance - not just tolerance - shown by Canadians to refugees, immigrants, same-sex couples, and other minority or ethnic groups within the North American population. This is a note that perhaps Canadians should not be so self-rightous when it comes to our claims against our southern neighbour. Let us face the facts: We watch just as much TV, are just as obese, have elected a similar political ideology, have terrible labour laws, and environmental records, and are part of the world which consumes eighty per-cent of the globe's natural resources.

So, instead of resting on our laurels, it is time for Canadians to stand up and say "enough is enough". The political system is good for this - but as I am sure some of my fellow YND's can attest to, it is a difficult, and slow process of change. I propose an effort which brings attention to issues via direct action, while at the same time working to change government policy.

Because, lets face it, the nature of electoral politics forces political parties to pander to what suits the current economy the best (remember, corporate driven capitalism through globalisation), not what is best for the future of the land, people, and nation.

Outremont

2007-09-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Yay! We won! Okay, so now that I have that out of my system, here is my extremely biased rant against CBC, CTV, etc. (I still love CBC). Mostly, it has to do with covering the NDP win in Outremont as a Liberal loss...rather than an obvious NDP win. Now, maybe I am just sour because we do not get a lot of wins. Especially in Quebec, and would love to hear something positive about our party for a change. But, I suppose you must sell news. But, c'est la vie.
And now, the ironic part. Even though I wished for more NDP positive coverage, it is a bloody by election people! It means nothing! Voting in a by election could be a water-tester, or it could be looked at as what it is: an atypical test of a small group of people who are generally disgruntled by what they have had.

Or maybe that is just me. And I am a pessimist, anyway. I am proud of the win - the NDP members in that area worked hard for it. But, that does not necessarily mean that the tides are changing (though I think they are).

Partisan Schtick

2007-09-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is for any NDP youth (under 25 inclusive) who live in Alberta, and wish to take a trip out to Vancouver for a NDYC (federal youth) council, as representatives of the NDYA. Check them out, and send them to ndya@albertandp.ca. The link will take you to the document, which can be saved in word format.

In Solidarity

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Personal Ranting and General Angst - Partie Deux

2007-09-07T00:24:00.000-07:00

Why does it all come down to party lines? Why is that a person is alienated from the political party that best suits them because they believe whole heartedly in something more? I mean, what about pushing for more than what the status quo of a party believes? This brings me back to my earlier post about the actual role that "we" have to play within partisan politics. Is it not the point to push the boundaries? How else is "the future" and "the next generation" to be defined, if we do not figure something out...and soon!

So, quite simply, what's up? Why not allow some dissent, some questioning, and maybe...just MAYBE some tactics that are not entirely "normal". They may reap some definite benefits to the overall cause in the end. Is that not what we are fighting for anyway?

Personal Ranting and General Angst

2007-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, not so much personal angst as a meandering narrative of the political conflict that seems to happen inside of me. A lot.

On one hand, meet the activist, who would stop at nothing to tie herself to a tree (or some other living OR inanimate object) for a cause. On the other hand, meet the left wing, card carrying hack, who will tirelessly debate campaign, and soldier on with the rest of the perpetual third party. Call it a never-ending debate between an idealistic youth, and an occasionally cutthroat pragmatic. But, therein lies the problem.

No matter how idealistic one is when they enter the partisan scene, it is a game of give-and-take, of compromise - and that is speaking with a degree of naivety. On a more realistic level, there is corruption, buy-outs, and always, always, always someone lobbying for their issue to be put into the forefront of the national debate. Because of this, work will always become sacrificial, it will always ensure that you are compromising your principles in favor of the majority. But who is the majority? The people in a legislature or parliament who are elected based on forty per-cent of the sixty-percent of their respective constituency choosing them over the next candidate in line? Just as a mathematical note, this means that to be part of - or chosen by - the majority, a candidate presumably only needs twenty four out of one hundred people to think they are number one. Interesting. Which brings me to the issue of how this parliamentary system can possibly keep working. How it can allow people to vote by their conscience, as opposed to what they believe is pragmatic for their situation. This is further troubled by insane measures necessary to recall a single member of parliament, let alone an entire government if the people are unhappy with their actions.

This leads me to the more happy activist side of my seemingly split personality. A collective, grass roots organizing, where you are using direct action to bring to light the problems and issues that are not being sufficiently dealt with in the normal political order. This allows for creativity, an expression of your own goals, and furthermore, an expression of what you believe in, without having to bow to the whims of the pre-defined majority. Of course, it is not ideal, but it does bring issues to the public conscience that were not there previously. Sadly, while the public conscience and corporate media catch on to ideas relatively quickly, the parliamentary debates rarely turn, unless a government has the political will to ensure a change in thought. And, we all know the likelihood of this happening anytime soon.

So now, let me divulge the half answer which allows my split personality to harmonize together relatively well: I work for the small changes in legislation and principles that will allow for the larger changes in laws that have already been championed by the activism I participate in.

Simply put, an NDP government - or even official opposition - can ensure that the things I fight for on the ground will be debated and changed within the seats of power that are given.

Security, Prosperity, and Partnership

2007-08-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Those words put together kinda make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, right? I mean, who does not want to feel secure, prosper at their goals, and work in partnership with others?

Or at least, that is how the White House is hoping you will view the Security Prosperity, and Partnership "handshake deal" between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. To quote a known activist in Canada and the United States:

"The SPP is basically like NAFTA...on crack"

Maybe not the best metaphor but it got you thinking, right? So, what actually IS the SPP, and why is the phrase "NAFTA on crack" actually a fairly good descriptor?

Well, the SPP will open barriers to trade, while simultaneously enhance security at the borders for regular folks. How did the governments [supposedly elected for and by the people] reach this disasterous conclusion? Well, the only people invited into the discussions are the people who run the Shell's, CNLR's, and other corporations of that nature. In addition, the handshake deal allows the President, Prime Minister, and President to avoid the legislature. They can even attend as "private citizens", and not as their official offices would declare.

Humph. And then, we have the ageant provocateurs. Thanks to the CEP for standing up to them.

Iris, Iris, Iris, What were you thinking?

2007-08-14T12:55:00.001-07:00

And the "stupid quote of the week" award goes to....(drum roll please!) Iris Evans! Minister of Employment, Immigration, and Infrastructure. Now, why would this woman deserve such a reward for her media skills?

Well, here is her quote:

"We weren't necessarily prepared for the magnitude of the homelessness issue"

For those of you who do not reside in Alberta, where money can apparently be used to burn fires it is so easily come by, perhaps a quote like this would make sense. Or at the very least, it would come as a shock to you that there IS a growing population of "working homeless" people in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Fort "Mac Money" and other areas of the province.

Earlier in the year, the government of Alberta - headed by rookie premier Ed Stelmach (who, incidentally, melts like ice-cream on a sunny day in front of media) - created a multi-stakeholder Premier's Task Force on Housing, containing *gasp* members of the official opposition and third party! It looked as though the promised transparency was going to come true. Until the Government of Alberta saw fit to ignore the recommendations of the task force. Instead of instituting a form of moderate rent control the government opted to allow rent to only be raised once a year, and a minimum three month notice for condo-conversions. Great. As soon as this was announced, the rents skyrocketed, and condo-conversions happened overnight. Currently, we are still seeing a bit of fall out from this decision. And those FIVE points are typical almost anywhere in Alberta. So much for being "Alberta Bound".

But, now, back to Ms. Iris Evans. One must wonder if this minister, who was elected in Sherwood Park, (where 90.2 % of inhabitants own their own homes, and 28.2% of families have an income of over $100,000) is in over her head when trying to grasp the idea that $1500/month for a ten year old basement suite is too much for some people. Perhaps Ms. Evans should abandon her favourite Sherwood Park walk for one around the neighbourhoods of Norwood, Alberta Avenue, or around 118th avenue. Perhaps then she would have a better grasp of "the homelessness issue."

Thanks to SP for this one...

2007-06-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Leave it to University Presidents' to bitch to the provincial government - all the while the provincial government is bitching to the feds - and then turn around and give us this. Now, I am all for multi-use facilities, and think communities need more initiatives like this. However, quotes like the one following absolutely infuriate me.

"If the project generates revenue for the university, the money will be used for new buildings and other student space"

Heaven forbid that new buildings and student space were put - dare I say it- ahead of

"a mix of housing, public spaces and businesses"

with no new classrooms or labs.

So, instead of spending money on things such as increasing student grants, making more classroom space available, and hiring more professors who can - I don't know - teach well! we have a multi-use land area that, no doubt will be beautiful and attractive for those who are the University of Calgary already. But, gee, I wonder about the people are not able to attend due to financial hardships, socio-economic consequences, and other factors.

Anyway, that is my rant for the day. Not particularly analytical, but I am angry.

The G8...

2007-06-10T00:47:00.001-07:00

Aid for Africa (corporate imperialism) depending on where your political language is coming from-is causing quite a stir for Mr. Harper over in Germany. What with Bob Geldoff AND Bono dissing his so-called "action" on humanitarian aid, to some very appropriate words from the opposition during Question Period, it seems the Prime Minister could not do any worse in the press. Then, this pretty little quote came out:

"Meeting celebrities isn't my shtick,"

This, as I am sure you are all aware is in response to a request from Bono (THE BONO of U2!) for a simple meeting. Just a thought, the PM probably could have worded that a little bit better. Such as:

"I respect his work, but this would not advance the cause"

or perhaps a slightly more honest

"Wouldn't that be pointless for both of us?"

Truth be told, it requires a little more than buying red i-pods and shopping till we drop (we being the global bourgeoisie) in order to "solve" the problems of starvation, aids, etc. in Africa. Maybe it is a little to "radical" to suggest that liberal-esque guilt is not going to save the world this time. Or any time, for that matter. What has to happen is the rejection of the systematic capitalistic devices which allow companies to say, in essence: We will give you aid money, but only if you buy our product. Kind of similar to this example from our southern neighbours. I bet most people do not know how many aid dollars actually go to "consultants" and the bureaucracy that has been created for the system of international aid. Clearly, this is not a solution. Perhaps debt forgiveness would be a start - then allowing generic drugs to go to countries in need. That might also help, although the Pfizer's of the world would not be happy. Wonder whose purse strings they control? Irregardless of this, community based building and projects-not more NGO assistance without consulting people who actually live where they are "helping" is absolutely necessary. To summarize:
1) Ditch the imperialistic "shtick" (i.e. the IMF, WB, etc.)
2) Free drugs to those who need it for treatment of HIV/AIDS
3) LISTEN to the people, and do not assume that you know better than them.

Now, a question to those who scold the PM for not meeting with Bono. Really, what would that accomplish? Beyond, of course, a press conference some hand-shaking, and promises made that will not be kept. Much similar to these promises. So, perhaps the meeting would have been a lost cause. In any case, while these types of meetings always generate media hype and pizazz-they still only hold the nations attention for a a day-three at the most. After that, it is much easier to go back to wondering how Paris Hilton is doing, now that she is out of prison.

America's Next Top...

2007-05-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

VICTIM! Yes, America's Next Top model decided to do "murder scene" photos. While I do not watch the show, I did happen to come across this photo on the site. So, going through these "murder scene" photographs, most were not too bad - until I reached this one!
Does it not have Violence Against Women written all over it? I would say "YES". And yet, on the same day, I had been a rally where I saw a woman cry because her children and other women from here home country were victims of war and genocide. Yet, here in north America, this is considered "tasteful". Get a life! One would think that Tyra Banks, the executive producer of the show - who must have a brain in her for surviving all these years in such a manipulative "industry" - would have better sense than this! Especially as her other show aired this taping on August 14 of 2006.
Now, maybe it is just me but these two seem to contradict each other. This is not even taking into account that the portrayal of this as "beautiful" is not acceptable, under any circumstances!
This only feeds the sick addictions of people who enjoy hurting those who are vulnerable, or in a position that they do not have total control over. This type of imaging in media has to stop! This is only allowing the inequality between men and women to grow.
Oh, and for the record, "anarchists" who do not like cover-girl are a hell of a lot smarter than people who think pictures resembling beaten women should be "acknowledged for making a horrible 'push down the stairs' look so beautiful."
Disgusting.

You're Beautiful It's True...

2007-04-26T01:21:00.001-07:00

Although I hate to promote Dove (or any other product, for that matter) this video says a lot to me, and I felt it was worth commenting on.

There are so many societal connotations that come out of this.

What is "real beauty"?

Women are constantly shown that the "end product" is important, what we look like is more important than what we think, how we act, or what our views are. And yet, feminists get cast into a bad light, or are equated with being automatically lesbian or bisexual. Now, I am not saying that is an insult, but that it is unfair to say that people fighting for equality and rights are just doing so out of sexual preference, or a dislike of men.

I consider myself a feminist because in being a socialist seems to require it of me. I believe in equality, fairness, and social justice. This leads automatically to the belief that a woman has a right to choose what to do with her body; that a woman has the right to earn the same wage doing the same work as her brothers; that women are not only meant for taking care of the house and children. If the amount of "free" labour women do-raising children, cleaning their respective homes, and doing general household chores-was actually added as a part of the GDP or of hours worked by Canadians...

Anyway, the point is that women have come a very long way in our fight for equality-but it is not over yet.

There are still women who are victims of sexual and physical violence, the most likely group to be below the poverty line are young single mothers. Equality is something that everyone should strive for-men included. I am not saying that men do not get a share of the stereotypes, or are not victims of abuse themselves-rather, that due to a patriarchal system...women do get the short end of the stick.

In the political arena, we need look no further than the disproportionate amount of men vs women in parliament, the monies being slowly siphoned away from childcare, women's funding, and affordable housing. While these issues affect all working people, they again disproportionately affect women because of our inherited role of care-giver. There comes a point where a woman will put her child before anything including herself, effectively shielding her child from any sort of harm or discomfort she can, irregardless of the consequences for her own safety and health.

It is time that glass ceiling is smashed for good; time for women to stand up for their rights-for their basic human rights around the world. The power we have together is absolutely incredible.

Imagine this solidarity-this sisterhood-shown at a higher level. Anything is possible if we remain united.

The role of a youth caucus

2007-04-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

What is the role of a youth caucus within political parties? Is it merely a training ground for future bureaucrats and politicians? Or is it something more than that. I have often argued that we cannot hope to make change without accepting that electoral politics do have limitations. I strongly believe that the role of a youth caucus is to agitate and to educate others about the history of the labour movement, of the CCF, of Marx, of Lenin, and how the left has been influenced throughout history. This is not to say that I am entirely against electoral politics, I work on campaigns for people who, I feel, have a genuine dedication to social justice and bringing change to the way decisions are made in Canada. However, the minute adjustments made in the parliament will make little difference on the average person's life and will not suffice without a grassroots movement to support them. It is unfortunate that government has gotten to the point where it is NOT for the people anymore and has become a reflection of what the powerful want.

That is not to say that people who work for the party, or who become MP's, MPPs, and MLAs do not sincerely believe in democratic socialism, it is more to say that those beliefs sometimes have to be masked in order to make electoral gain. The federal and provincial youth caucuses should recognize this, and not necessarily focus on electoral gain, but rather on agitation and creating political awareness with their peers. Social justice, fair working conditions, and societal CHANGE will only occur when people are angry or agitated enough to create a movement that demands change and forces the ruling government to move their stance to what the people decide. This has been demonstrated, in a small way, with the clean air and climate change act. Small changes, yes...but these could not have happened without the will of the people. Now, Canadians must unite to take on larger (and occasionally contentious) issues, in order to create the same success on a larger level.

The youth can take this on. This is our world to inherit, and to re-innovate for the way WE want to see it. However, complacency run amok within our generation. Politicians, of all stripes, are seen as crooks and, well, "politicians". It is time to change that, to renew the idea of a workers party. A youth party. A party for the people.

Sadly, many of our representatives are stuck in a time when electoral politics and small gains are the best that can be done. In the mean time, it is up to the next generation-to the youth-to create the change we want for the rest of our lives and for our children.

Solidarity.

Oil Sands Consultations

2007-04-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of my contribution to the Alberta governments "initiative" to hold public consultations across the province regarding the future of the oil & tar sands of Alberta.

"While waiting to present today, a headline in the Journal jumped out at me "Mass Extinction Feared", with the article further explaining the dramatic effect of global warming on people living along Asia's coastal regions, and on species-such as polar bears-as arctic ice flows break apart and sea levels begin to rise.

Here at home, Alberta's tar sand have been developed at an exponential rate, and the royalties have given Alberta an enormous surplus of extra cash to work with. However, along with these billions of dollars of extra income coming into provincial coffers, the tar sands have a negative side that is starting to surface in the minds of young Albertans.

Environmental degradation, rising rental costs in municipalities, a shortage of housing for a booming population, and the crumbling infrastructure in Alberta are just a few issues that must be dealt with.

The environmental degradation, to which I eluded earlier is obvious, especially with respect to global warming and rising carbon dioxide emissions. According to Environment Canada, Alberta's green house gas emissions have climbed by 39% between 1990 and 2004, which means that as of 2004 the green house gas emissions per capita were at 71 metric tonnes per individual living in Alberta. Given the continuous approval of new tar sands projects by the government in the Athabasca tar sands, one can expect that these green house gas emissions have risen further still.

As for the social cost of the oil sands, the massive influx of people looking for well paying jobs in the tar sands has left Alberta in an infrastructure deficit. While money is flooding into the tar sands, infrastructure has been ignored, tuition is rising, schools are closing, and people are living on the streets. According to an article on cbc.ca dated in November of 2006, Edmonton's number of homeless people is approximate 2600 individuals-and, to paraphrase a paragraph of this article, the rental vacancy rate has gone so low in this city that even people with jobs are homeless.

It is time to do what the Stelmach government seems unwilling to do; to touch the breaks and declare a moratorium on future tar sands development in order to deal with the human and environmental crisis present today. If this is not done, I fear my future children will inherit nothing but waste from the current generation

Thank you"

Ireland

2007-04-03T00:36:00.000-07:00

Before posting this, I will admit that I do not know a lot about the the Democratic Unionists, the IRA or Sinn Fein. My readings into the history of Northern Ireland have been done briefly to refresh what I remember from school.

However, I can still make some observations on the political implications of Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness jointly asking the Northern Ireland Secretary to vacate his offices at Stormont. This means that, on May 8 for the first time since 2002, the Northern Island Assembly will be controlled by political leaders of Northern Ireland. As opposed to direct rule from Britain. That is, if everything goes according to plan.

Now, I look back to the 1919, when the majority Sinn Fein MP's refused to go to Britain to sit in the house of Commons and created the Second Dail (Assembly of Ireland) in Dublin. Shortly after, the Irish Declaration of Independence was drafted and signed. At the time, on the Soviet Union recognised Ireland's independence from England. With the goal of an independent republic, with tendencies towards redistribution to the working class-making it so all men, women, and children have a chance-the Soviet support is not surprising, and is commendable.

Regardless of this, Britain was not impressed with the actions of this little rogue state. Thus, to defend this first chance at freedom, the Irish Republican Army was formed to defend Sinn Fein, and Dublin as the real government of Ireland. After three years of guerrilla warfare and atrocities committed by both the IRA and the Black & Tans-a treaty was made. This treaty gave to Ireland the status of "Dominion" within the long-reaches of the United Kingdom. Ireland now had the same status as Canada and Australia. However, when this legislation was passed by the Second Dail, Sinn Fein and the IRA was split. Those who stayed true to the principles outlined by the original objective and reason for forming the Dublin government and signing a Declaration of Independence. As many know, this split led to years of warfare and fighting in Northern Ireland, and parts of southern Ireland in the immediate aftershock of the treaty.

Now, back to present day. After the IRA's multiple attacks during the 1990's, and the intermittent rejection of Sinn Fein from Peace talks, the IRA gave up arms in 1996, with UN inspection soon to follow. Yet still, there is thoughts from the UN and Mi5 that the IRA retained a few of its weapons. What a great way for these powerful, capitalistic organizations to paint Sinn Fein in a negative light because of their historical alliance with the IRA. After all allowing "the redistribution of wealth, for the well-being of the aged, for the advancement of youth, for the liberation of women and for the protection of Irish Children...a vision for a free Ireland and a free people", which represent the values Sinn Fein, would be absurd.

The political maneuvering left is similar to that done in 1922 and will likely not appease every republican, nationalist, or unionist. Already, members of the Democratic Unionist Party are ready to jump ship because of the power-sharing issue. A multi-party, power-sharing system can only work if politicians are able to work in common and together.

Still, there are some ethical questions raised, especially when taking into consideration the historical tensions of the emerald isle. What if one group decides, as the split IRA of 1922 did, that this is not what the goals of the original revolution were. How long can you justify continuing this battle? At the same time, is it fair to ask a human being to give up their fundamental political and social beliefs? From another angle, does this same human being have the right to continue their fighting if the mass population is ready for peace?

There are questions, I think, that anyone pursuing a revolutionary grassroots movement will have to ask themselves; as will parliamentarians. When it comes down to it, where do your values stand. What can be compromised, and what will you die to defend?

Bill C-30

2007-03-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

As all the political parties try to jump on the environmental bandwagon, we should all pause and realize this party has been ahead of the game since 2004. Of course, the Parliamentary Committee that was sent to "fix" the so called clean air act (introduced by the Federal "lets fight against Kyoto" conservatives in October of 2006) is being slowed by partisan ploys. Just a few days before the committee must present to the house, this old boys club decided it would be "fitting" to introduce upwards of seventy-two amendments to bill C-30. Wow. Could you bog down parliamentary proceedings any further? Hopefully, the old boys will stop trying to push for an election by making this a money bill, and actually create meaningful environmental legislation-if only because it would take the nation by surprise. Adding insult to environmental injury, these same boys voted against the proposal to make even firmer 2020 and 2050 absolute emissions caps.

I suppose I ought to be happy that at least there has not been further talk federally (well, other than this) of emission intensity targets. So, now my guys and gals on the hill have added these bits and pieces to C-30:

- Short, medium, and long-term greenhouse gas targets
- Earlier deadline for regulating the industrial sector
- A hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions from big polluters
- Leading and mandatory standards for smog-producing "air contaminants"
- Leading vehicle fuel efficiency standards
- A cap and trade carbon market
- Protected government authority to regulate air pollutants and greenhouse gasses
- Effective provincial equivalency rule
- Authority to designate "significant areas" for environmental protection
- Programs reviewed annually
- Building a retrofit fund (perhaps similar to the one this kick-ass woman proposed?

Now, of course, this effective opposition MP (and his team) originally introduced all of these proposals, but...every other party present called the twelfth introduction--eliminating subsidies to the oil and gas sector--out of order. I suppose answering to their true handlers is what it comes down to. Just as a note, the original offenders did not add anything to the bill.

Kids these days...

2007-03-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentleman, kids are fat. Yup, I said it. Kids are getting chubbier and chubbier as the days pass. According to a recent study by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, twenty-six per cent of children between two and seventeen years old are overweight. This compared to twelve percent in 1978.
What does the Committee recommend?
-Better food labels
-Educating the public that food in must equal energy out
Apparently, soft drinks can account for a pound a month. The main recommendation is that Canada adopts a legislated limit on trans-fat, which have been shown to elevate Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol and lower high density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol. And now, political parties, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and other groups are celebrating the results of this study.

For lack of a better term-duh! Look around at the average bus-stop for elementary school. This is clearly an epidemic, which definitely did not need months of study and presentations from special interest groups. I hate to say it, but perhaps parents should take a minute or two out of their hectic lives and look at what their children are eating. Or perhaps the education system should, oh, I do not know, bring physical education and nutrition back into the classroom? Nah, that would make too much sense.

Also, take a look at what children are doing! Playing games, blogging, facebook-ing...why go outside and play with your friends when it is possible to interact with them via the computer, preferably with a one-litre soda bottle and super-sized meal.

Perhaps the legislators in parliament should consider, in addition to banning trans-fats from foods, putting regulation on who can advertise during children's programming? Yes? Oh, but wait, this party (and likely this one) would resist such measures that would restrict growth of corporations who do not give a _____ (fill it in yourself) about the welfare of the next generation of Canadian (and to a larger extent, North American) citizens.

It is not enough to simply put better labels on food, restrict HDL cholesterol intake, or regulate trans-fats. Children, to a large extent, are easily manipulated by advertising-and corporations such as McDonald's know this. Why else would there be the "Happy Meal" or the Ham-Burgler/Ronald McDonald characters? This type of advertising, geared clearly for children cannot be allowed to continue. This minute loss of revenue will be far outweighed by the monies saved to Canadian Medicare because of the potential decrease in hip and knee replacements and expenses of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, and potential needs of transplantation.

Healthy people and communities will not be found in societies which promote capitalistic mass-marketing campaigns employed by mega corporations, where the dollars in revue are valued more than the human cost.

The Budget

2007-03-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

True Blue? Not quite. More so an "I want the PMO with a majority, so I'm going to appear human but do not worry, I will still support my friends" type of budget. Sound familiar to these guys? But, give their position in the house, I guess supporting the budget would look pretty bad.

Well, that's the simple analysis of it. The CBC wrote this about the Finance Minister Flaherty's budget that was tabled in the house on Monday. They have an analysis, but here are my thoughts on a few points of Mr. Flaherty's "interesting" budget.

1) Changes for individual tax-payers
$2000.00 tax credit, to give $310 per child of tax relief, depending on income. Awesome. Now as Mr. Flaherty, who makes a cabinet ministers "wage", Canadians can save for a computer, or as he did the day before "by [my] son a pair of skates.". Yup, the old boys club is indeed in touch with working families. Charitable donations, given by publicly listed securities to private companies will not be subject to taxes on capital gains. OK. So, could someone define these "charitable donations?" What sort of private company even needs charitable donations?

2) Changes for business tax-payers
Well, they kept the wonderful 15% mineral exploration tax credit. While I know that mineral exploration is not oil or tar sands exploration-perhaps more detail is needed. As in, corporations should not get this 15% tax credit. They do not need it! Of course, there are also the tax-reductions to business investment. Superficially, okay. But, again, are corporations, as defined, given these tax-reductions? Somehow, I do not think this company, or this one, need more tax reductions. Just a thought.

3) Changes for travellers
Well, now Johnny can bring $400.00 worth of American beer across the border after a 48 hour trip, rather than only $200.00 worth. Goody. Who buys $400.00 worth of stuff over a 48 hour period? Mall-rats? Somehow, I think mommy and daddy's credit cards will be happier without this part of the budget. AND in addition to the awesome superfluousness of the previous article, the federal government will introduce a tax system and ministry that will attract international conventions and events. Correct me if I am wrong, but were the conservatives entirely against this event? So much for supporting your own budget.

4) Changes for Seniors
Lots of tax credits. Awesome. Not so much about supporting seniors who do not have RRSPs to fall back on, seniors who have no income other than their pensions, and others. Now, yes, there is an age tax credit. But, what if they cannot use this tax credit? What if someone over 65 makes under $22,000 a year? Too bad, this credit now useless! It seems like a "here are your dollars to those who worked at a white collar job all your life, now be quiet and stop complaining." Enough on that.

5) Changes for the Disabled
Registered Disability Savings Plan. Alright! Now that you have spent all your dollars getting little Johnny his special autism medication, you get to save for it AND buy it at the same time! Brilliant. I will not even mention new cancer and AIDS medications in stage 4 clinical trials that are not covered by Medicare, despite many of their promising results.

6) Changes for the unemployed
Hey, "Working Tax Benefit". Basically, if someone finds a menial, low paying job they will get an income tax credit. This is meant to encourage individuals to get off welfare. It is combined with money given to job training. Sounds pretty good-if money is the only thing that matters. But, what about satisfaction with a job, choices, dignity? Maybe this will help people get job training, maybe it will decrease the reliance on social services and get people back into the work-force. But...how long can this last? Rather than creating an alternative agency to invest in job training, does not it make more sense to invest these funds into the already created employment insurance training-or changing the requirements for employment insurance training so these people will be eligible? I am no expert, but why create something when you have another service that can already provide it?

7) Changes for women
What could this mean? ten million dollars to fight "programs such as combating violence against women and girls". Okay. So, these programs. Do they include protection for sex-trade workers, and the recognition that these women are people and deserve the same treatment of anyone else? Violence against women and girls. Will this include the right to choose, especially after violent sex-acts? Probably not. Are there any programs to support equality of women in the workplace? Perhaps the ideas that women do not belong "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" and are not automatically the primary care givers of a house-hold will be supported. My bet is these are not exactly the programs that will be supported.

8) Changes for aboriginals
Yay! More money being thrown at things. But, I suppose the problems of the Lubicon Cree, Fort Chipewyan and other aboriginal groups who have been side-swept by uncontrolled boom, and total disregard for traditional heritage are far to mundane for Mr. Harper or Mr. Flaherty to care about.

9) Changes for skilled foreign workers
Give the power to the provinces to figure out who is qualified for what. Great. Just look at the example shown here. Somehow, I am lead to believe that the provinces can not be trusted with this program. There are plenty of people who are "ready, willing, and able" to work in Canada-hire these people. Then, ensure that any foreign workers are given proper information about labour laws and labour rights, so that all workers in Canada are treated fairly.

10) Changes for farmers
Two one-time payments. One to assist farmers immediately, one to help the provinces with transfer payments. A 60/40 cost share between the provincial and the federal governments will be established, using federal money initially. But, what about the wheat board, what about promoting Canadian agriculture abroad? Promoting organic farming methods, which are becoming a very good market for Canadian agricultural products.

11) Changes for Students
Well, lets see what Mr. Flaherty and Mr. Harper have in mind for the next generations of Canadians. Again, more scholarships for graduate students (of whom account for only about 10% of the original undergraduates who enter post-secondary education). And, only 1000 new students will be benefited. Yup, 100 students more a province will have access to masters or doctoral research. After this announcement, more lifts on the maximum amount of money that can go towards RESP's and Canadian Education Savings Grants. Nothing about getting to the root cause-investing more in University Infrastructure and making tuition more affordable to hard working Canadian students and families. Still, access to post-secondary education is blocked for those without the capital to invest in undergraduate education, let alone graduate education.

12) Changes for Research
More money into research institutions at Universities, as opposed to funding students. I am not saying research is a negative thing, far from it! Investment in research is a good thing. But, in order to create new research projects, spaces, and bring forth new ideas students must be supported throughout their undergraduate education first. Currently, undergraduate students (and K-12 students, really) are "taught for the test", and education has become a job training ground. Higher education is there to allow creative thinking and the explosion of new ideas, and cultures. Now, students who wish to take advantage of these "Changes for research" will put their noses to the grind-stone for four years, get into their masters/doctoral/MD program, finish their degree, and realize they missed the eight best years of their lives. No wonder doctors tend to have worse and worse bed-side manners!

13) Changes for the environment
Polluters beware! If you cannot afford to buy a green vehicle, you will be taxed for using your older vehicle. To those who ride your bike (and are therefore more healthy and creating zero emissions during travel), to bad, no benefits for you. And, of course, the tax system will be rebalanced so that oil-sands companies are encouraged to invest in green energies. Over the next eight years the accelerated capital cost allowance will be phased out. Well, great, by 2015 when asthma and other debilitating conditions related to pollution have become epidemic maybe the pollution rates from these projects will go down. A bit.

15) Changes for health care
YAY! There is only one-and-a-half more years to wait until a national strategy for mental health will be formed to start exploration of this issue. Awesome. And, instead of creating a national plan to address wait-time issues, or make health-care even across the board or (dare I say it) enhancing the public system on a federal level, everything is off-loaded to the provinces. If the provinces create a plan to address wait times, they get money, if not...well, too bad. There is also talk of using the Canada Health Info-way to shorten wait times. Well, to shorten wait times for what? Are we talking creating a national organ donor registry that will match all potential donors, across provincial boundaries and regional health-care centres? How would such a system be prioritized? Who gets first shot, the 40 year old with children, or the 5 year old with at least 70 years left? What about parental donors that do not match their child, but match another families child? Would there be an exchange? Moving the first child higher on the waiting list, in exchange for the second child receiving a transplant? Quite simply, there are a lot of health care issues that simply cannot be addressed in the current happy-go-lucky provincially controlled system we have, and further funding to an info-way or similar program will not fix the systemic problems of underfunding and mis-allocation of resources that entrenches the current medicare system. (perhaps I'll post more on this later)

Well, that's my analysis (or rant, however you want to classify it) of the federal budget. I would like to note that all I did was listen to Mr. Flaherty present, and then read all about the budget. So, if there are gross inaccuracies, blame it on the fact that I am far to damn busy to read that whole 450-ish page document that is a federal budget.

I heart the Globe...

2007-03-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

I do hope everyone reading this realizes the title is entirely fascias. I do not *heart* the Globe & Mail, although I do read it because, lets all face it, it's far superior to this paper .

What prompted this post were articles written on the same date, with the same topic, with no background information in either article.

In "Business & Investing" this article explains how Jim Flaherty is trying to come off as the "good guy" and a person of the people, despite claiming (of his Toronto friends) "I don't know anyone who worries about paying their monthly bills". Well, that's fine, no one should be judged by their friends, that is simply unfair. Judging people by their words or actions, well...that's an entirely different ball-game. Just after saying that middle class families are the backbone of Canada, the article points to the "multi billion-dollar corporate tax cuts announced in the 2006 budget -- and last October -- that will take place between now and 2011." These same tax cuts were put into place by Mr. Flaherty's conservative government.

Well la-de-da, way to help put money into the wallets of working people in Canada. Give it to the corporations, they'll know what to do with all that extra wealth. And forget dealing with infrastructure deficit, the complete rejection of health care as an issue, and the erosion quality research and post-secondary education funding - give out tax cuts!

Personally, I prefer this gentleman's solutions to those proposed by Mr. Flaherty. In fact, they are outlined in the National Politics section of that same rag. At least here, there are actually spending solutions being pointed too. A $10.00 per hour minimum wage, pharmacare, affordable housing, educational training programs-these are the riches that should be in Canada, not just tax breaks for corporations and the upper-middle class who benefit most from them. Then, the issue of immigrant workers was addressed; a thank-you sir, for admitting that foreign workers are mistreated and taken advantage of in Canada. 'Twas a fine tip-of-the-cap to the labour roots of this party.