Obfuscated Thoughtlessness Inversed

VICTORIA - In the hopes of shaming Stephen Harper's continued inaction on senatorial reform, Victoria resident Morgan Stewart has announced his intention to seek a senate seat from Prince Edward Island at the first possible electoral opportunity.

"I don't really expect to enter an election any time soon. The Senate just hasn't been reformed despite Harper's promises," said Stewart. "Stephen Harper promised an elected Senate with term limits. His bill to get term limits still isn't law let alone instituting the basic democracy of elections."

"It isn't just that I'm against people from PEI having seats in the Senate, I'm against anyone having a seat in the Senate - I'm against the Senate," said Stewart. "This is why I've decided to seek election if there ever is one. The unelected unaccountable institution of patronage should have been abolished before I was born. Instead, there are senators who have been sitting in the senate since before I was born, without ever having to face an election."

Prince Edward Island, Canada's 23rd largest island and 7th most populous, but the only one that is a province unto itself, has a population of 138,632 residents and has 8 federal representatives -- 4 seats in the House of Commons and 4 more in the Senate. Vancouver Island has a population of over 700,000 people, is Canada's 11th largest island, has the second highest population behind the Island of Montreal and has no representatives in the Senate. With a population more than 5 times that of PEI, Vancouver Island gets 6 representatives in the House of Commons. If Vancouver Islanders had the same level of representation as Prince Edward Islanders based on population they would have at least 20 Members of Parliament and 20 Senators.

"Senator Pat Carney, bless her hardened old Mulroney Conservative heart, lives 'near' Vancouver Island on Saturna Island (population 359)," continued Stewart. "From Port Hardy to Saturna Island is an equivalent travel time of driving from Toronto to Quebec City if you arrive just as the ferry to Mayne Island is leaving. If you have to wait overnight for the ferry the travel time is equivalent to driving from Toronto to Charlottetown, PEI. It isn't that Pat Carney doesn't want to represent more than just Saturna it's that the territory is so vast and it has been so long since she was elected to anything that she can't possibly do it. So, Saturna Island gets their own senator with a population of 359 people, but Vancouver Island is short more than 30 of the federal representatives it deserves."

"We have some excellent Members of Parliament from Vancouver Island, but some aren't so great," said Stewart. "How can the rest of Canada expect the 6 members of parliament to do the work of 40 PEI representatives? At the very least their riding offices should be funded for the area and population they have to serve."

The latest census makes some single Vancouver Island House of Common's ridings nearly as populous as Prince Edward Island. Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca now has a population of 120,669 and neighbouring riding Nanaimo-Cowichan now has a population of 125,149. This area in BC is represented by just 2 federal Members of Parliament. PEI has an entire provincial legislature and 8 federal representatives for an area with 55% of the population.

"My candidacy in the PEI Senatorial election may have to wait a while, as Stephen Harper doesn't seem like the kind of guy who keeps his promises. Hopefully, common sense or the House of Commons will prevail and the Senate will simply be abolished instead of a creating an elected Senate," said Stewart. "However, if the time comes for Senatorial elections in PEI, I am announcing today, that I will enter the race to be the Senator from PEI from Vancouver Island."

Stewart noted with some consternation that generally Senatorial elections, if they ever come, will likely be a provincial matter held in line with provincial elections and may require six months residency in the Province before being elected. This makes today's announcement as likely to happen as any other Stephen Harper promise.

Labels: alternatives, blogosphere, canada, democracy, opinion, personal story, unfolding

And while the tourism folks are selling sex, the city is taking aim at those who pee in public with an anti-urination education campaign.

I wonder, what kind of education, short of a PhD, could possibly convince drunken downtown bar flies to hold their water? Hard to blame the problem on women though. The late night, drunken leak against a wall in an alleyway is a uniquely male ritual, as old as beer itself. This is because, and I’m sure premier would agree with me, “all men are boars.”- Leftovers Reheated by Brennan Clarke Newsgroup

After having worked a four month stint on the Friday and Saturday night shift downtown, with my desk near the glazed window of an alcove, I can tell you with absolute certainty that urinating in public is not a male only pursuit in the downtown core.

Line-ups in night clubs are known for being much worse at the sit-down washroom than the stand-up one. This results in a requisite need to relieve, that although requires some more choice in locations to achieve privacy for the squat, does not free one set of plumbing's need for action.

This alcove near my desk acted as a full-time washroom from midnight until after 4 am. Usage was so high, that squatters seemed to get priority as a result of the slight privacy gained from the extra two walls. The only time business seemed to slow was when the alcove became shelter and was occupied with a different activity that required either a needle, sleeping bag or a rock and a lighter. Through the glazed glass, I was not privy to much detail (although way too much for comfort) but I could certainly make out the difference between a squat and a stand.

There is a simple solution to this problem. Most of the people urinating do so because of lack of access to appropriate facilities. For hundreds of years we have known that public health is linked to public sanitation. Not only should their be public washrooms accessible and available in the downtown core, but also downtown business should be required to make clean washrooms in a number appropriate to their customer base, available to their patrons, at all hours that they are open.

PS: This post made it in as a Letter to the Editor in the Victoria News.

Labels: alternatives, bcmedia, hospitality, link, opinion, unfolding

"The talks, mediated by Saudi King Abdullah in Mecca, resulted in an agreement on the distribution of cabinet positions, with nine posts going to Hamas and six to Fatah. Three key ministries — foreign affairs, finance and interior, which controls security — will be held by independents. Haniyeh [of Hamas] will stay on as prime minister." - from cbc.ca's Fatah, Hamas agree on unity government

I am the first to admit that my limited knowledge of middle-eastern politics means that I can easily put my foot in my mouth when criticizing violence and the anti-democratic tendencies of the region. Maybe it's hubris, but I feel the need to comment some more on the latest news out of the Palestinian Authority.

Is defying democratic will really a reasonable price for peace? Will this agreement actually lead to peace within the Palestinian territories?

I can't happily accept an outcome that results from the inclusion of three non-aligned and unelected minister's within a government. By the way, I am not talking about David Emerson and Michael Fortier. I am further annnoyed by the agreement being brokered by King Abdullah, an unelected dictatorial monarch whose family was installed in Saudi Arabia by the same British forces who decimated middle east peace for generations by imposing borders for their own purposes, George W. Bush style.

I have written before about how the blockaders of the Palestian Authority should rethink their route towards peace and stop the blockade. However, I do think that the Israeli Prime Minister's demands that the new Hamas led government immediately "Accept and respect all three of the international community's principles, ie, recognition of Israel, acceptance of all former treaties and a clear renunciation of all terror and violence" is more than reasonable. At the same time Israel should get on with it and do the same. Immediately respect international law, recognize the Palestinian Government, accept all former treaties and issue a clear renunciation of violence.

We should not forget that the workings of democracy are very fragile at the best of times. I post this here with the hopes it will be a constructive contribution to the debate about how people can support non-violence and democracy across this extremely violent and anti-democratic region.

Labels: alternatives, anti-war, leftist content creation, nuclear waste, opinion, unfolding

This article about how Democrats want the draft reinstated needs substantial follow-up and research. Democratic policy inconsistency should be clearly examined and critiqued and what better time than now, two years out from a Presidential election, with a new house and senate majority. No one should fall into the trap of expecting Democrats to be intrinsically against the War machine. We need to know now where Democrats stand and where the Democratic presidential hopefuls stand on the draft and the continuation of war.

The following quote "Smart Border Declaration of 2001 provides for U.S.-Canadian cooperation to return American citizens stateside" from this article had me wondering if this was true. This sourced document from FactCheck.org says this claim is a hoax. Although, it does go on to state that 14 Democrats co-sponsored Democratic Representative Rangel's pro-draft legislative bill referred to in the story in the first paragraph.

A clear unequivocal statement from the Democratic leadership opposing the war both in Afghanistan and Iraq and distancing itself from a draft would be very welcome. One way to do this would be to introduce legislation into the senate repealing the Military Selective Services Act the draft empowerment legislation. Watching to see the stances of democratic presidential senatorial potentials Obama, Clinton and Edwards will be very interesting indeed.

Labels: alternatives, anti-war, democracy, opinion, unfolding

"Abbas also confirmed the United States is sending aid to boost the Palestinian security forces loyal to him. U.S. officials said Friday that President George W. Bush is asking Congress to provide $83 million US for those forces." CBC Online

When I wrote that the "Economic and Financial Blockade of the Palestinian people must be stopped" I wasn't calling for funding one side of a developing civil war.

Bush's decision to test the Democratic Party on the key question of the Palestinian people by requesting $83 million for Abbas's presidential military forces is a clear sign of Bush's continued contempt for any democratic outcomes in the middle east and possibly in the US. The timing is intriguing as the Democratic Party will be forced to quickly declare their position.

It is simply ridiculous to assert that a Hamas government is an ideal scenario for this territory, at this time. However, they won the election. Unlike in the United States where the executive is appointed by the President, in the Palestinian system the government reports to the legislature and is not led by the President Abbas. Where Bush is the commander in chief, no such clarity exists within the Palestinian authority. To fund an insurgent military against a democratic government in another territory is a path no democracy should go down; even though this will certainly not be the first time the United States has done this.

Given that Hamas has won a democratic election putting it in charge of the legislative and executive branches of government, to fund a military force led by Abbas is to encourage civil war against a democratic elected authority. This shortsighted policy can not be supported and I sincerely hope (but have little faith) that the Democrats turn down this new direction of the US Administration. It is very hard to know where the Democrats will go on this question, try this link to search the Democratic Party website for the Palestinian, you won't find much at all.

Here's also hoping that the strength of the opposition in the Canadian Parliament is enough to sink any plans Harper might have of following the Bush lead on this one. We'll have to watch this unfold.

Funding should be restored, a dialogue reopened, but monies flowing from other countries, as always should not be used to kill people or to destabilize what little democratic governance there is. No doubt this is a difficult delineation in this complex territory.

Labels: anti-war, democracy, internal, leftist content creation, link, opinion, unfolding

Today's developing story about Spc. Elliott Sommer, of both the US Army Rangers and house arrest at his mom's place in Peachland, BC, is going to be very interesting.

Spc. Elliott Sommer is accused of leading a Bank Robbery in which four gang members took $50,000 in less than 3 minutes. This tactic is reminiscent of the Weathermen. This kind of praxis hasn't been commonplace for political ends during my life time.

Meanwhile, the CIA, Task Force 626 and the US Government are accused of war crimes. Sommer has publicly stated he intends to avoid extradition by putting the US Government's activities in Iraq on trial. "We are looking to be able to prosecute 30 to 40 members of Task Force 626 for war crimes, including rape, murder, et cetera," states Sommer in an interview with the Seattle PI.

He specifically refers to 16 illegal deaths and makes explicit references to torture and killing a candidate standing for democratic election by elite US forces and CIA operatives. Vancouver area lawyer Michael Bolton seems to believe there is some capacity for these arguments to be successful with the right Justice Minister's intervention.

The recent election of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua heralds the return to power of a man who used bank robbery as a political tactic when he was leading the Urban Guerilla campaign of the Sandinistas in the late 1960s. Chavez in Venezuela also tried taking a gun to his government well before he tried the tactics of electoral success. Given the likely connections between the Hells Angels and those Sommer accuses, it may not be so far-fetched, that he was looking to challenge for control of his own BC community.

Political crimes are not unheard of in British Columbia. It has just been a long time since anyone stood up and openly stated that the US Government was going to have to prove their legitimacy in order to support an extradition. Let's hope Sommer has the documents or the witnesses to prove his claims. I don't doubt that the kind of activity he suggests took place and is on-going in Iraq. What I doubt is his ability to prove his allegations against the US Military, as usual, here's hoping I'm wrong.

I never approve of carrying guns around, but luckily in the end no one was hurt by the bank robbery. Sommer probably has more to answer for in participating in US military operations in Iraq than he does for taking a bit of green, but as a 20-year-old, this young man has a lot of potential to do his time, then go straight and do things right.

Let's watch this one unfold.

Labels: unfolding

The BC Government is examining the possibility of allowing commercial development in BC Parks. I took a moment to express my views on this and here I share them with you (aren't you lucky).

To: Gordon Campbell, Premier premier@gov.bc.ca
Barry Penner, Minister of Environment barry.penner.mla@leg.bc.ca
CC: Carole James, Leader of the Official Opposition carole.james.mla@leg.bc.ca
Subject: 13% Commercial Free Please

Dear Gordon & Barry:

I am writing today on the topic of commercial development within BC Parks.

Your current proposal to allow development in the wonderful protected areas of our province is akin to the City of Victoria allowing a McDonald's in Beacon Hill Park. Allegorically, I'm not saying you should shut down the Beacon Hill Drive-in, just that you don't need a McDonald's overtop of the duck pond, or at the top of Beacon Hill.

Having trouble picturing what I am talking about? It is a five minute walk from your office. I know you Gordon and Barry personally aren't likely to be reading this e-mail, but may I suggest to the person who is, that you get up from your desk and take a field trip for the next 15 minutes and walk through to Beacon Hill park to think about this. It might not change your mind or the decision maker you report to, but I guarantee that it will be an enjoyable, quiet walk away from hubbub of commercial development and the office you work in.

An entire generation of British Columbians sacrificed economic growth to set aside the 13% of our land base that makes up the protected areas of British Columbia. This was the right decision and it is incomprehensible that you would allow private development within these parks. If we had wanted to develop these areas we could have. British Columbians made a reasonable choice to set these areas aside as parks free from commercial use. All of them were created with the possibility of building commercial enterprise on their edges. Accessible yet external. Once land claims and sovereignty issues are settled in British Columbia there would be few opponents to commercial interests building a "drive-in."

Sure, my generation could have grown up with a higher level of income in our province if we had allowed the kind of forestry and mining that had been proposed. We all would have benefited from increased spending on textbooks or teacher's salaries. Instead we got the chance to visit beautiful areas like the Carmanah Valley on field trips and the hope to be able to do the same with our grand children.

Please let me remind you of Judge Begbie's decision from 1884 about Beacon Hill Park. "The park alias the pleasure ground, is to be used for recreation and enjoyment; and therefore, I think, in no other manner; not for general purposes of profit, or utility, however great the prospect of these may be. A trustee cannot go beyond his "express trust at least cannot do anything inconsistent with it."

Let the intent of the public good guide you as you think of the future stewardship of our BC Parks.

You both know what Judge Begbie's nickname was! I am certain that the BC electorate's judgment could be equally severe at the next election if you make the wrong choices on such key issues.

-Morgan.


PS: My advice to the faceless reader of this e-mail at the Premier's office could also be given to you (or me for that matter).. it is always time for a fifteen minute walk through Beacon Hill Park.

Labels: alternatives, environment, green isn't just a colour it's an imperative, leftist content creation, online campaign, unfolding

So, Garth Turner is going to say something. He has a press conference scheduled for tomorrow morning, can't say it today, gotta wait until tomorrow.

As he puts it in his weblog he is going to say something: "about what our political leaders promise and deliver, and what I’ve just learned."

The country is in a tail spin. What could it be?

What could Garth Turner know about our prime minister that everyone else doesn't know.. or that the Candians who do know, can't tell us. What is it that he is going to tell us that is so exciting?

It was obviously exciting enough that, unconfirmed, unpublished and before Garth realized what it was that he knew, it got Garth kicked out of the Conservative Caucus. I mean c'mon what kind of caucus confidentiality did he break, given that he hasn't even told us what he is going to tell us tomorrow, and he got kicked out of caucus on October 18?

Well we just don't know do we. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime any guesses? Any leaks from within Garth's brain that want to confirm themselves right here.

PS: Please stop contacting me about the Garth Turner bites it tonight betting pool. You know I'm not a betting man. For those of you who are punters and looking for some advice on which way to bet, don't look to me, look to history.

Labels: blogosphere, leftist content creation, new media critique, opinion, unfolding