Looking for info?
Visit www.canadiana.org
Great Canadian info resource!!!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
More Trouble is Canada's Prisons
The Ombudsperson for prisons is reporting that there aren't enough programs for inmates in Canadian prisons. There need to be more programs targetted at drug abuse and anger management, he says.
Now, this is not news.
And, no they will not re-open the prison farms.
The government's "tough on crime" (especially unreported ones.....duh!!) mentality will cost taxpayers, never mind the individuals in prisons, a lot.
There is no proof that locking up people for long periods of time, in (double-bunked) cells lowers the rate of crime.
And, stats tell us that there is less crime in this country every year. So the government wants to build more cells and a "super prison."
For people who claim to be educated (read the Prime Minister) it is shocking how little they know and understand about people. Oh yes, the PM's degrees are in economics.....nothing about "people." Just numbers, no understanding.
Now, this is not news.
And, no they will not re-open the prison farms.
The government's "tough on crime" (especially unreported ones.....duh!!) mentality will cost taxpayers, never mind the individuals in prisons, a lot.
There is no proof that locking up people for long periods of time, in (double-bunked) cells lowers the rate of crime.
And, stats tell us that there is less crime in this country every year. So the government wants to build more cells and a "super prison."
For people who claim to be educated (read the Prime Minister) it is shocking how little they know and understand about people. Oh yes, the PM's degrees are in economics.....nothing about "people." Just numbers, no understanding.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
So Here's the Question:
Why would anyone, particularly a woman, stand to be nominated as an MP in the Conservative (aka old Reform) Party?
The reasons NOT to run (never mind VOTE for) for the Conservative Party in Canada are many. How about just one or 2? The leader has little regard for women in leadership positions. The leader insists, by fear of exclusion, that party members not speak their opinions or take any media attention from him. The leader's fixation on secrecy, rather than transparency that he promised, is detrimental to democracy and Canada. The leader, Steven Harper, makes promises that he does not keep.
To run for the Conservative Party is to compromise one's principles.
To run for the Conservative Party is to say that one does not believe in the right of women over their own body.
To run for the Conservative Party is to say that the salary, the position, are more important than one's integrity.
Impossible to believe.
Canada needs to be rid of this PM and the Conservative Party.
Where are the "old time" Conservatives? When will the old Conservative Party arise? It can't come too soon.
The reasons NOT to run (never mind VOTE for) for the Conservative Party in Canada are many. How about just one or 2? The leader has little regard for women in leadership positions. The leader insists, by fear of exclusion, that party members not speak their opinions or take any media attention from him. The leader's fixation on secrecy, rather than transparency that he promised, is detrimental to democracy and Canada. The leader, Steven Harper, makes promises that he does not keep.
To run for the Conservative Party is to compromise one's principles.
To run for the Conservative Party is to say that one does not believe in the right of women over their own body.
To run for the Conservative Party is to say that the salary, the position, are more important than one's integrity.
Impossible to believe.
Canada needs to be rid of this PM and the Conservative Party.
Where are the "old time" Conservatives? When will the old Conservative Party arise? It can't come too soon.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Political Correctness....
Discussing how political correctness is a "rodent-like infestation on society," Salman Rushdie recently noted how disagreement has come to be considered offensive. "Whereas in an open society, disagreement should be the stuff of life."
Kingston and the Islands
With the withdrawl of the Conservative candidate, it is difficult to think of any thoughtful, intelligent person taking over as the candidate for the federal riding. A few names have been bandies around. I can't imagine that any of those names would subscribe to this PM's ideas or his party's policies.
Who would agree with the Conservative Party's position on such things as: human rights, abortion, equity for men and women, muzzling MPs so that they cannot express their own opinion, law and order, secrecy in government, lack of transparency and openness in government, refusal to deal with issues related to First Nations, caving to the tobacco lobby and refusing to deal with the billions of illegal cigarettes sold in this country.......the list is endless.
Update January 12, 2011: Alicia Gordon stepping up. Amazing
Who would agree with the Conservative Party's position on such things as: human rights, abortion, equity for men and women, muzzling MPs so that they cannot express their own opinion, law and order, secrecy in government, lack of transparency and openness in government, refusal to deal with issues related to First Nations, caving to the tobacco lobby and refusing to deal with the billions of illegal cigarettes sold in this country.......the list is endless.
Update January 12, 2011: Alicia Gordon stepping up. Amazing
Ridiculous. The Long Census
Richard J. Brennan Ottawa Bureau
Canada Census»
OTTAWA—The Conservative government listened to only a relative handful of Canadians — including conspiracy theorists afraid the government was going to round them up — before scrapping the mandatory long-form census, according to documents obtained by the Toronto Star.
Canadians were unhappy with so-called intrusive questions, the aggravation of filling it out and even a few were convinced the census was part of a government plot, according to Statistics Canada documents obtained under Access to Information.
But there is virtually no overwhelming evidence in the Statistics Canada documents to support the government’s contention of widespread privacy concerns — the very argument it used this summer to kill the mandatory long-form census.
The Toronto Star had requested all complaints to Statistics Canada with respect to the 2006 long-form census after cabinet ministers claimed they scuttled the long-form census after being flooded with complaints.
But according to the information provided to the Toronto Star, less than 100 complaints were lodged with StatsCan, even though about 20 per cent of Canadian households received the long form.
....
The Conservative government decision, said Liberal Marc Garneau, remains “a triumph of ignorance over common sense.
“Hundreds of well recognized and respected organizations have said this is insanity,” he said.
....
Ivan Fellegi, who served as StatsCan’s chief statistician for more than two decades, told the Star the bulk of complaints were never about privacy.
“There really wasn’t any substantial indication of privacy concerns and when it came to formal complaints to the Privacy Commissioner I think she mentioned three … that’s certainly not a groundswell of concern by Canadians by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.
Fellegi said the decision to scrap the mandatory long form was taken “without any consultation with anybody that I can identify — anybody.”
-30-
This PM and his government have to go.
Imagine the trauma that thousands of organizations will have, without the detailed data that the long census provided. Even government departments will be ham-strung without some of the critical data that the long form provided.
Canada Census»
OTTAWA—The Conservative government listened to only a relative handful of Canadians — including conspiracy theorists afraid the government was going to round them up — before scrapping the mandatory long-form census, according to documents obtained by the Toronto Star.
Canadians were unhappy with so-called intrusive questions, the aggravation of filling it out and even a few were convinced the census was part of a government plot, according to Statistics Canada documents obtained under Access to Information.
But there is virtually no overwhelming evidence in the Statistics Canada documents to support the government’s contention of widespread privacy concerns — the very argument it used this summer to kill the mandatory long-form census.
The Toronto Star had requested all complaints to Statistics Canada with respect to the 2006 long-form census after cabinet ministers claimed they scuttled the long-form census after being flooded with complaints.
But according to the information provided to the Toronto Star, less than 100 complaints were lodged with StatsCan, even though about 20 per cent of Canadian households received the long form.
....
The Conservative government decision, said Liberal Marc Garneau, remains “a triumph of ignorance over common sense.
“Hundreds of well recognized and respected organizations have said this is insanity,” he said.
....
Ivan Fellegi, who served as StatsCan’s chief statistician for more than two decades, told the Star the bulk of complaints were never about privacy.
“There really wasn’t any substantial indication of privacy concerns and when it came to formal complaints to the Privacy Commissioner I think she mentioned three … that’s certainly not a groundswell of concern by Canadians by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.
Fellegi said the decision to scrap the mandatory long form was taken “without any consultation with anybody that I can identify — anybody.”
-30-
This PM and his government have to go.
Imagine the trauma that thousands of organizations will have, without the detailed data that the long census provided. Even government departments will be ham-strung without some of the critical data that the long form provided.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Just like the Titanic
Harper's cabinet shuffle is like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
It really raises the question: does the PM think of anything other than how to keep in power? Maybe climate change? Better treatment of our vets? Serious talks with the provinces about health care? Our increasing number of people with dememtia? Our armed forces? How we can really help the Afghanis? Resolution of the deplorable situation of our First Nations' people?
It really raises the question: does the PM think of anything other than how to keep in power? Maybe climate change? Better treatment of our vets? Serious talks with the provinces about health care? Our increasing number of people with dememtia? Our armed forces? How we can really help the Afghanis? Resolution of the deplorable situation of our First Nations' people?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)