Category Archives: Municipal

Municipal, Poverty, Snafu

‘Public’ facilities not very public accessible

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I ran into an acquaintance I had not seen in a while who, knowing how I feel about City council’s priorities and behaviours, felt I would provide a sympathetic ear to his need to vent.

Both he and his wife work and even though they are frugal it is difficult to make ends meet these days – a struggle an ever increasing number of Canadians and Abbotsford citizens share.

The fees the City of Abbotsford charges for the use of its athletic fields has pushed the cost of playing soccer (and other sports) to the level that, while they might be able scrimp enough to pay for one child, paying for two kids is not possible. Leaving, in fairness, none of the kids playing soccer.

I pointed out that council needed as many dollars as possible to pay the multi-million dollar subsidies for council’s ego/vanity projects – the ASEC and Abbotsford’s professional hockey team – and their subsidizing the purchase of a professional hockey team for a group of well connected citizens.

His reply involved several anatomically challenging, if not out and out impossible, suggestions. When he inquired as to how one qualifies for City subsidies to purchase a professional hockey team I had to inform him that since the makeup of the ‘ownership group’ was deemed knowledge to important (to damning?) to let the taxpayers (the people footing the bills for all the multi-million dollar subsidies) know, there was no way to know the relationship between councillors and the Heat ownership.

Sadly he is not the only person I know who has children that cannot participate in sports because of the cost Abbotsford charges to use its fields. Growing numbers of young people are being denied participation in sports activities because their families cannot afford the fees.

Ironic is it not? The airwaves are full of government advertisements about the fact children need 60 minutes of physical activity a day to be healthy and the City of Abbotsford is making it impossible for growing numbers of children to participate in physical exercise.

Personally, I think that a City’s priority should be the participation of young people in sports and activities. If we are going to give multi-million dollars subsidies to sports facilities it should be facilities for the young and other citizens – not for professional athletes and certainly not to subsidize the purchase of a professional hockey team by well connected citizens.

But then I also think that the purpose of public recreation facilities is to provide an affordable place for citizens to exercise. Unlike the current council which uses public facilities as another source of funds to subsidize (to the tune of several millions of dollars per year) a facility for professional athletes to use and to provide multi-million dollars yearly subsidies for the purchase of the professional hockey team.

Council talks about the need for amenities to attract new citizens to Abbotsford and to encourage young people to remain in Abbotsford rather than moving elsewhere. Yet the fee’s council charges for the use of amenities are prohibitive.

There is no difference between having no amenities and having amenities nobody can afford to use or can afford to use only infrequently.

That is why in Abbotsford, in the good old days before this spendthrift council, a monthly or yearly membership for the use of city facilities was the lowest (or among the lowest) in the city.

These days, under this spendthrift council, the prices at city facilities are the highest (or among the highest) and fewer and fewer families and citizens can afford to use city facilities.

I have been, until now, a pass holder and regular user of city pools to swim. I have watched as those I had shared the city facilities with over the years became members of private facilities (as I would have if one of them had an appropriately sized pool) – because membership at a private facilities is many $$$$$ less.

I have lost count of how often I have been told by other citizens and families how extremely limited their ability to use ‘public’ amenities have become because of admission costs.

In other cities, the city facilities ensure the general public access to regular exercise and the private facilities are the haunts of the better off who can afford higher fees.

In Abbotsford it is the private facilities that best ensure the general public’s access to exercise, while the city facilities are the haunts of those who can afford the fees at city facilities.

But then in other cities, city facilities are to serve the needs of citizens and not the need of council to pay for its ego/vanity projects.

Caveat emptor, Consider, Federal, Media, Municipal, Provincial

Unpalatable perhaps – but REALITY none the less.

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Reality does not care what you want to be fact, reality does not care what you believe to be fact, Reality simply is what IS fact. Tao of James

I wanted to speak of a reality I have no doubt many will Howl about, deny or want to argue about. Which is fine with me – as long as you read the entire comment and think about why I made the statement of Reality IS in fact – as defined by our actions – not our words but our actions.

It is a source of pride for many of Abbotsford’s citizens that Abbotsford has a reputation as the Bible Belt, a very Christian city. False pride as a recent event and the reaction and behaviour of Abbotsford citizens to that event have compellingly proven.

Despite its diverse multicultural and multi-faith nature British Columbia also considers itself a predominantly Christian province. Here also the reaction and behaviour of the citizens of BC to that recent event prove compellingly that British Columbians are clearly deluding themselves as to any relationship between BC and Christianity.

Many Canadians think of Canada as being a Christian nation, a nation of Christian values. Again the reaction and behaviour of Canadians to that recent event have compellingly proven that Canada is demonstrably neither Christian nor does it honour Christian values.

Mr Harper and his Conservatives like to wrap themselves in their moral superiority as Christians. However the depravity of Mr Harper and his Conservatives recent spiritually corrupt behaviour makes clear that the ‘christianity’ of Mr Harper and his Conservatives is merely “sheep’s clothing’ to make them more electable and has nothing to do with Christ’s teachings.

What was this singular event?

It was Mr Harper stating he and his Conservatives are comfortable exporting death because it is profitable (and undoubtedly helpful in gaining seats in the House in the region of Quebec mining and exporting the asbestos).

Remember you cannot use asbestos in any form in Canada; should you disturb asbestos in a building you must call in specialists to remove the asbestos – wearing full environmental suits, using airlocks and special air filtration units to remove the asbestos from the air, showering off the suits and washing all surfaces down to prevent any asbestos from spreading or being left; and asbestos must be properly packaged up and disposed of in an approved disposal site.

All of this because asbestos is a highly hazardous and toxic material that causes asbestosis, cancer and death.

Yet Canada is exporting asbestos, along with its travelling companions – asbestosis, cancer and death because it is profitable – and opens a political opportunity for Mr Harper and his Conservatives.

What makes Mr Harper and his Conservative’s demonstrated distain for human life even more abhorrent, is the fact that Chrysotile asbestos will not be listed as a hazardous industrial chemical that can be banned from import after Canada helped block consensus, despite the fact that the scientific review body of the Rotterdam Convention recommended the inclusion of “white” asbestos on health grounds..

For Christians the question is what Christ would do and say about this export of death for profit and political advantage?

Christ would undoubtedly speak of the need to forgive and love those who engage or allow this trade in death; to pray that those dealing in death or permitting this trading in death find their way out of the darkness and into the light – putting an end to the exporting of death.

But would a Being who preached and lived not just loving your neighbour as yourself, but to love your enemies; to do unto others as you would have them do unto you; spoke not of vengeance, harming or killing others but of forgiveness and love find exporting death for money tolerable?

No.

This export of death is behaviour that is abhorrent to anyone, any being or Being, with honour, integrity and ethics – and to any true Christian.

The actions of Mr Harper and his Conservatives since they first formed the Government of Canada have demonstrated that while Mr Harper and his Conservatives may speak of morals or integrity or ethics, they will not let anything stand in the way of political power for them. Thus it is no real surprise that with a political advantage to be had Mr Harper and his Conservatives will not only support the export of the suffering and death that goes with asbestos, but bloc international attempts to protect people around the world from this export of death that may interfere with their political power and goals.

Mr Harper’s statements were made on the day the riot in Vancouver occurred. The airwaves were filled with hours of broadcasting on what was and had occurred on the streets of Vancouver; with righteous indignation, condemnation, outrage……..

For what was, when all is said and done, damage to property, ego and a black eye for Vancouver’s self-image, image and reputation.

And about Canada exporting asbestosis, cancer and death – Silence.

The people of Abbotsford were not lined up outside Ed Fast’s office to demand an end to this trading in death; they were not jamming his phone lines nor stuffing his email to demand an end to this trading in death; they were not demanding that city council pass a motion condemning the export of death and demanding an end to this trading in death.

The so called ‘christian’ leadership in Abbotsford (BC and across Canada) were silent, apparently undisturbed by the blood of innocents that stains the hands of all Canadians with this exporting of death.

Neither the people of BC nor Canadians were demanding their municipal or provincial governments condemn and demand an end to the export of death; there were NO demonstrations demanding an end to the export of death.

On the question of Christianity in Abbotsford, British Columbia and Canada we have arrived at a syllogism:

To those who practice the teachings and behaviours of Christ, Canada’s export of death is abhorrent, corrupt and depraved and must be strongly, loudly, continually opposed until Canada’s export of death is ended.

Outside of a very few, the reaction in Abbotsford, British Columbia and Canada was/is quiet acceptance of the continued trade in death.

Outside of a very few, the silence in Abbotsford, British Columbia and Canada evidences the lack of those who practice the teachings and behaviours of Christ and are Christian in deeds, not hollow words.

behaviour, Consider, Federal, Issues, Media, Municipal, Provincial

Canada’s Trade in Death

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Concordat:

I hereby attest and aver that as a Canadian of honour, integrity and ethics it is depraved, and therefore categorically unacceptable, for Canada to be exporting death (slow, painful death) and industrial disease – in any form and for reasons as perverted as jobs, profits and electoral advantage. I demand that the federal government make this trading in death illegal – immediately.

I call upon all Canadians of integrity and ethics to join in condemning this depraved export of death and industrial disease and demand the federal government make this trading in death illegal – immediately.

I call upon all Provincial, Territorial and Municipal politicians and governments of integrity and ethics to pass motions condemning this depraved export of death and industrial disease and demand the federal government make this trading in death illegal – immediately.

I call upon all Members of Parliament of integrity and ethics to come together, regardless of political affiliation, and make it a priority to immediately introduce and adopt legislation making the export of death and industrial disease illegal – immediately.

In stating that he won’t allow cancer causing asbestos to be reintroduced in Canadian homes or schools but he’s firmly behind allowing Quebec’s asbestos industry to export the death and disease that its product causes to willing buyers abroad, hoping that it will enable the Tories to win a seat in the area; in ignoring the fact Conservative MP Chuck Strahl did not seek re-election because he has been diagnosed with incurable lung cancer – mesothelioma – believed to be triggered by breathing asbestos when he was younger; Mr Harper has demonstrated a level of ethical and spiritual corruption and turpitude such that he is unfit to be involved in any manner with the governing of Canada and such that his presence in Ottawa defiles Parliament, the Government of Canada and the Citizens of Canada.

Mr Harper and any members of his caucus, indeed any Members of Parliament, Provincial, Territorial or Municipal politicians supporting this trade in death on the grounds of profit, jobs and/or political advantage are unfit to be associated in any manner with the Government of Canada, any Province, Territory or Municipality and must resign.

Should Mr Harper refuse to resign, a high probability outcome given the level of depravity his statements, actions and non-actions on the prostitution of Canada by trading in death, it is the moral duty of the Conservative caucus to remove Mr Harper from the caucus and any association with the Conservative Party.

Should the Conservative caucus choose to join Mr Harper and descend to his level of ethical and spiritual corruption and turpitude, any members of the Conservative caucus with integrity and ethics must resign the caucus and serve Canadian citizens by sitting as independents and working with other Members of Parliament possessing integrity and ethics to stop Canada and Canadian business from exporting death.

All Members of Parliament with integrity and ethics must not only wrest control of Parliament from those so depraved as to see nothing wrong with trading in death and put an end to this trading in death, but must also do all within their power to end any connection between Parliament and any members of parliament with a level of ethical and spiritual corruption and turpitude as to refuse to ban the export of a cancer causing death material.

Failure to act on ending this trade in cancer death and disease by Parliament and Provincial, Territorial or Municipal governments demonstrates they are unfit to govern and any government or level of government that demonstrates its’ unfitness to govern should be treated as non-existent.

Unfit governments should be shunned until they demonstrate they are at least minimally fit to be a government.

Whatever government Canadians deserve or are, for the most part willing to accept, no Canadian of any integrity or ethics can accept a government or governments so depraved as to be willing to export asbestos materials that cause cancer and death.

The only course for Canadians of integrity and ethics is to call for the resignation of all those who support or refuse to end the Death Trade and to focus on civil disobedience until at least minimal ethical behaviour is restored to governments in Canada.

We can starve the monstrous beast by refusing to feed it what it must have to exist – citizens financial support.

Forcing the federal or other levels of government to cease to sully all Canadians with their corruption and turpitude will not be easy, but it can be done.

The question every Canadian must ask themselves is what value they place upon their own integrity, ethics, spirit and souls?