This Blog will discuss politics, government, corruption, police, S.I.U., courts, education, min. of attorney general, min. of labour, v.o.i.c.e. and other current and past events of interest to concerned citizens. In the "About me" section to the right and down I have included the names of persons whom I have tremendous respect for. Their influence on me however has been primarily environmental (and personal) and this is therefore a disclaimer that all words posted on this Blog/Website are mine and I alone am responsible for them. I say this with the greatest respect and affection to my friends.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

CANADIAN GAY PURGE VICTIMS



Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record advised us that the Federal government has earmarked more than $100 million to compensate members of the military and other federal departments whose careers were either damaged or ended due to their sexual orientation. What really hit me is that this money is part of a Settlement of a class action lawsuit against our federal government. In other words neither Trudeau nor the Liberals and God forbid the Conservatives before them were willing to come to a Settlement until their lying asses were dragged in front of the courts. The title of the story is "$100 million for gay purge victims".

So lets get this into perspective. It was Pierre Elliot Trudeau who passed the decriminalization of homosexual acts in 1969. That's nearly fifty years ago. Despite that the idiot federal government were purging gays from the federal payroll in the 70s, 70s and 90s. What kind of stupid is required to harass, intimidate and discriminate against a group of people whose behaviour is not illegal? Apparently the answer to that question is the federal government and federal bureaucrats. Whether it's literal genocide or career genocide nobody can do it better than our governments.

Yes kudos to Justin Trudeau for apologizing but shame on his predecessors.

Monday, November 27, 2017

SHAMELESS



Today's Waterloo Region Record carries their Editorial titled "When senators honour themselves". The Record appear to be outraged with a number of senators who have essentially nominated themselves for medals. Seriously. Senator David Wells is mentioned along with Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin. Many senators fortunately did not take the medals being handed out although many did. The medals are referred to as the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medals. Nice eh?

The Record states that "There's something grating,something unseemly, something offensive about seeing people bestow upon themselves an award.". Really? You don't think some of our local, environmental awards have been essentially self-bestowed? Afterall when you sell out, you don't think that you can sometimes set your own price? Wouldn't a medal or award with your name on it be nice? Just because the award was your price for short circuiting due process and public consultation that would hardly embarrass either senators or people of this ilk.

Monday, November 20, 2017

MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO INVESTIGATE



The Saturday, November 4, 2017 the Waterloo Region Record reported on a serious farm accident. The title of the story was "Man hurt in Flamborough farm accident". The farm worker's injuries were described as "life-altering". That is extremely unfortunate as the man had been trapped by the legs in an agricultural machine. Until he was finally released after two hours, amputation had been considered as a last resort. I have not heard of any followup articles in the Record regarding this case.

The victim was in his 40s which is not the usual age category for major injuries on the job. Unfortunately far too often it is inexperienced young workers in their early 20s who suffer catastrophic or worse injuries on the job in Ontario. This is not solely because they are inexperienced workers. It can also be that they are inexperienced in telling supervisers or employers that no they will not risk life and limb in order to save a few minutes time. Far too often in this province speed and a lack of care are conflated with productivity. If that is what occurred in this case and the article was not clear about that; then this man's life-altering injuries have done absolutely no one any good whatsoever.

Friday, November 17, 2017

K-W RECORD GIVES KUDOS TO THE WYNNE LIBERALS



The Waterloo Region Record published their own Editorial titled "Ontario policing overhaul worthy of support". Boy I hope they are right. For far too long our police forces have been a power unto themselves. While bleeding taxpayers dry they have been an unaccountable and scandal prone organization. This Blog relates many of those scandals over the last many years.

The Record suggests that police chiefs will have the power to no longer pay salaries to suspended officers charged with serious wrongdoing. Is this criminal wrongdoing or just back to the Police Services Act and all kinds of bias and favourtism involved? In other words can the Chiefs reward the good old boys and throw others they personally don't like to the wolves without pay? That needs to be clarified.

The OPIRD and the OCPC are being amalgamated which makes sense as they both handle oversight of our police forces. The record emphasizes however that this will only work if there is transparency and they are forthcoming and accountable. It is a challenge.

Finally the Record suggests correctly that our civilian Police Boards to date have been nothing more than a police support organization. Our local Board here in Waterloo Region has had too many old politicians out to pasture who never have and never will rock the boat. Our Board has in reality overseen nothing more than the status quo.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

"ATTEMPTED" MURDERER OF SAMMY YATIM CHARGED ON BAIL CONDITIONS



Former (I hope so) officer James Forcillo was convicted last year of attempting to murder 18 year old Sammy Yatim in a downtown Toronto streetcar. He was sentenced to six years in jail which is one year more than the mandatory minimum. Essentially he is appealing everything in sight from his initial conviction, to the sentence to the instructions the Judge gave the jury etc.. You get the picture. Apparently in Mr. Forcillo's world it's open hunting season on the mentally ill or those with serious emotional/behavioural problems. Mr. Yatim was walking back and forth on the empty streetcar carrying a small knife, talking to himself. Mr. Forcillo was outside the open door of the streetcar and after numerous turnarounds inside the streetcar, the first time Sammy Yatim stepped a foot or two into view, the former police officer opened fire. Three bullets hit Mr. Yatim and then when he had collapsed on the floor of the streetcar Mr. Forcillo shot at him six more times hitting him an additional five times after he was already down and possibly dying. Then another hero Toronto cop Tasered the down and dying young man.

Mr. Forcillo is throwing himself on the mercy of the courts. They've already given him a huge pass with only a six year sentence. I wish they had shown him exactly as much mercy as he showed to Sammy Yatim. Today's waterloo regional record carries this story titled "Forcillo charged for breaching conditions".

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE SCREW UP AGAIN



My first question is why didn't the Crown throw out the charges? Were they pushing to expand the boundaries and maybe get a precedent allowing them easier convictions in the future? This seems especially gratuitous when one realizes how recently another drunk driving case was tossed by a Judge based upon our police violating a citizen's rights.

Roadside breathalyzers can only be applied 15 to 20 minutes after a driver's last drink of alcohol. The reason is they are designed to determine approximately a driver's blood alcohol level. Within 15 to 20 minutes of the last drink there is still residual mouth alcohol which can artificially increase the blood alcohol reading . In this most recent case the police officer knowing the time frame nevertheless ordered the roadside test to be taken prematurely. The Judge later stated that based on the knowingly inaccurate test the citizen was unlawfully arrested and unlawfully compelled to provide two breathe samples at the police station.

The other drunk driving case that got tossed was last month in Kitchener. In that case the driver was refused information that his father had arranged a lawyer for him. The police officer also did not know if his breathalyzer had been recently calibrated as required by law. hence again the Judge ruled that the citizenwas unlawfully arrested and unlawfully detained.

As if the Waterloo Regional Police don't have enough problems you'd think they would be more careful about routine drunk driving arrests. Apparently rules as in LAWS are to be stickhandled around for some of them. Or is it simple incompetence? Is the training inadequate or is it the original hiring in the first place? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The corollary however is: If it is broken then fix it and fix it now! I guess when you are primarily unaccountable and non-transparent you can play these legal games and win most of the time. Every now and then however you get caught. Way past time to fix what ails our local police force. The story in the waterloo region record is titled "Breathalyzer tests tossed by judges".

Saturday, November 11, 2017

SO SAD, TORONTO SENIOR COP'S MISCONDUCT FINDING UPHELD



Supt. David Fenton is not solely responsible for the largest single incident of a breech of citizens' civil rights in Canadian history. There were many less senior police officers under his command who carried out his dirty work for him. Whether it was "kettling" innocent civilians in large crowds and forcing them to stand out in the rain for a period of hours or whether it was falsely and illegally arresting hundreds more and confining them in metal cages without food, water or bathrooms; the man is an asshole. Apparently a completely stupid asshole which has to make you wonder: are senior Toronto police officers promoted to the position of Superintendant because precisely they are stupid assholes who follow orders; even ones that a first year police officer should know are illegal?

Then of course there are the officers even higher up the ladder than Supt. Fenton. Was Supt. Fenton performing his illegal acts in a vacuum? Were the deputy chiefs, other Superintendants and Chief thousands of miles away? Was this a dead of night, police skullduggery and corruption type of offence done surepticiously? No it was done in broad daylight in downtown Toronto for God's sake. This was the G20 conference held in June 2010. My son-in-law was living and working in downtown Toronto at the time. Fortunately he decided that it was a very good time to spend the weekend with us up in Elmira away from what turned out to be a demonstration not so much of mass civil disobedience as a case of mass police obedience to illegal and unlawful orders. Believe it folks despite all the rhetoric since, we are that close to a police state. No one has gone to jail. No one has been fired. The highest up the police food chain has had his vacations days reduced and he's been fined the loss of 30 days pay. Whoopee sh.. ! He was also determined to be guilty of professional misconduct. Good God send him to jail for at least a few weeks. See how much he enjoys confinement courtesy of the state. if you're going to hand it out illegally then you'd better be prepared to enjoy some of your own medicine. The asshole is still a Toronto cop. These are the kinds of people in charge. Ones higher up avoided all formal penalties. Hopefully their friends, neighbours and families have learned a valuable lesson here. Titles and awards do not make for good human beings much less intelligent ones. The article in today's K-W Record is titled "Misconduct finding against senior G20 cop upheld".

Thursday, November 9, 2017

PETTY AUTHORITY IN PSUEDO MILITARY ENVIRONMENT ie. Mounties



The October 20, 2017 Waterloo Region Record carried the following article titled "Outspoken Mountie assigned to admin duties". It seems that our misogynistic federal police force are at least consistent in their behaviour. It turns out that they were convicted last September for failing to provide their members with adequate weapons and training in regards to the 2014 Moncton shooting that left three RCMP officers dead. As I recall they did not have access to either carbines or rifles while being attacked by a single individual who had most likely a semi automatic rifle at his disposal. Under those conditions unless the perpetrator is frankly suicidal or totally incompetent, handguns are a totally inadequate defence to a long gun.

The New Brunswick RCMP corporal involved had criticized the force after the decision assigning blame and responsibility to the RCMP for not fulfilling their responsibilities to their members. He also grew a goatee in support of the yellow stripe campaign seeking to raise awareness about RCMP working conditions. All of this has drawn the ire of petty bureaucrats more concerned with authority and obedience versus more urgent and pressing safety issues. The corporal has been assigned to administrative desk duties in civilian attire. He is convinced that these are strictly and solely punitive actions based upon his words and growing a goatee while others with beards and goatees are not confronted. If so then indeed this is but one more example of the pervasive rot within the RCMP top brass filtering down to the petty, butt kissing toadies beneath them. It's called leading by example and when the example is bad guess what the results are?

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

NEW LEGISLATION REGARDING POLICE OVERSIGHT IN ONTARIO




As usual the new legislation mandating greater police accountability in Ontario will require a time period before we really know if it is going to do the job intended. Far too much legislation in this province is especially for show. Built in loopholes allow both the powerful and the wealthy to stickhandle around regulations. This is especially so regarding the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Labour. To date our police accountability protocols have also been subject to far too much favouritism and cronyism. Removing police discipline from individual forces and putting it into the hands of the former Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) is a start. The OPIRD will now be called the Ontario Policing Complaints Tribunal. The former Special Investigations Unit (SIU) will be given an expanded mandate. The Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) will be renamed the Ontario Policing Discipline Tribunal (OPDT).

The fact that Chief Brian Larkin is in favour of the alleged changes is of concern. Generally our police accountability has degenerated into exactly what senior management want it to be which is simply a personal increase in their power and authority with little or no accountability thus allowing for personal biases and personal settlement of grudges. This does not remotely benefit the public or the provision of police services. Time will tell. The fact that it is coming from professional politicians is as always worrisome. The article in the Waterloo Region Record on November 3, 2017 was titled "New law for greater oversight of police".