Privatization Canada's National Rail Disaster

As major railway accidents caused by CN have occured over the last six months I have blogged about the disaster that is the Canadian National (CN) Railway (sic). Which it no longer is; Canadian or National. It is now a Contiental Railway, since it was privatized. And this is the core problem with it, while a successful business, it has sacrificed workers, communities and public safety for the bottom line. Yesterday another major crash occured with CN in B.C. Not one but two of them.

Under US president E, Hunter Harisson the working conditions at CN have worsened, the use of just in time management strategies and reducing workers for automated systems has led to an unprecidented summer and fall of accidents.
And now that they have taken over B.C. Rail, privatized by the Campbell government last year, their record for accidents has beat that of the previously provinicial owned and run B.C. Rail. BC Rail accident rate higher with CN in charge

When a bridge in McBride B.C. collapsed in 2003 and killed two railworkers it was the direct result of CN's bottom line fixation. Rather than maintain and fix the bridge, the company cut costs and corners the result was the death of two workers.

CN was fined in court yesterday a mere $75,000 of a potential $200,000 penalty. This is what a rail workers life is worth with privatized CN, $37, 500. Less than what those workers actually earned in a year. In their after profit per worker, after wages, and taxes, this is what CN makes, in annual productivity per worker funny that. And no one went to jail for nurder or manslaughter even though CN admited it was at fault! And they have two weeks to pay! Get out the cheque book.

Two Prince George men, Conductor Ken LeQuesne and Engineer Art McKay, both 51, were killed when the train left a wooden trestle bridge and plunged into a ravine.Canadian National Railway Spokesperson, Jim Feeney, says, "Yes, we pleaded guilty to a count under the Railway Safety Act for failing to ensure proper documentation and procedures in respect to railway work, inspection and maintenance on that bridge." The company has received a fine of $75,000.00 on a count that carried a maximun $200,000.00 penalty. Feeney says a broken rail has been indicated as the cause, which is "an unforeseen and unpredictable accident."

No it's not an unpredicatble accident, it was as they say in the Health and Safety world an incident waiting to become an accident. CN admited they cut back maintenance inspections, and in doing do the result was that this unpredictable accident could have been avoided.This was murder by negligence. And the court did nothing about it because it was restrained by the law which was applied against CN. The State failed to take CN to court for negligence and willfull neglect, or even criminal manslaughter. Instead they filed charges under the Canada Labour Act, and the Railway Safety Act, lesser acts which carry lesser penalities. Clever CN, pleading guilty, to get out of really paying for their crimes.

CN was privatized under the Liberals, not Mulroney's Conservatives, and it is the Liberals who are defending their sell off of our National Railway. Liberal Cabinet Minister and Candidate David Emerson said yesterday that CN's problems in B.C. were because they inherited them from B.C. Rail who failed to maintain their raillines. Thats passing the buck. Funny that we didn't have all these disasters when B.C. Rail ran its trains over the same lines. The reason is that CN has expanded the number of cars on the tracks in order to meet its just in time obligations to the coastal ports. After 11 derailments in the past six months the government has finally acted. CN ordered to shorten trains to no more than 80 cars after B.C. derailments

This speed up with the increase use of intermodal cars began after CN was privatized. A woman in Richmond has taken CN to court over the increasing traffic through her neighbourhood which she says began in 1992 after CN was privatized.

CN faces suit over derailment damage East Richmond woman says Monday's incident was not a surprise

But that all changed in 1992, when CN Rail began to operate its works yard in the middle of the night and escalated its operations.
Short trains became longer, overnight noise routine. A couple of thunderous diesel-spewing locomotives turned into nearly a half dozen. And the odd shake turned into troublesome daily quakes.
As activity ramped up in the works yard, so worsened the impact on Fisher's life.
Fisher, who has sued Canadian National Railway in B.C. Supreme Court, contacted The Richmond Review Tuesday, following Monday night's four-car derailment of a 39-car train not far from her home.
Four trains jumped the tracks on the Lulu Island trestle, one of which plunged into the North Arm of the Fraser River, carrying with it numerous brand new Toyota cars.
Fisher pointed out that this isn't the first derailment in the area, and that one on Dec. 31, 2002 happened next to her house and caused her already-split garage foundation to heave several inches. The split itself, she claims, was caused by the increased rail activity.
The cause of the 2002 derailment, according to Fisher, was speed and specifically trains being coupled together with too great a force.
Fisher's court case begins the discovery phase early next year.
Fisher said the sound of trains being shunted together each night is ruining her quality of life.
In addition, the ear-splitting 90 decibel whistle that screams four times each occasion a train reaches a level crossing now repeats itself up to 100 times on the worst of days, she said.
Trains are now a lot longer and much heavier, causing her property to routinely shudder, one time generating a jolt powerful enough to knock food off her table.

And in Alberta where we had one of the most serious toxic spills ever this summer thanks to CN the people whose lake was polluted have waited and waited to get compensation. Now CN is offering them a piddly $5000 each.CN offers cash for spill

Residents discussed the compensation offer at a meeting on Oct. 29. According to minutes of the meeting, Goss told residents CN was "mad as hell" with the provincial government and threatened to move its regional office out of Edmonton.

The Aug. 3 derailment spilled more than 700,000 litres of fuel oil and pole-treating oil in and around the lake. Since the spill, the company has been under a strict environmental protection order from Alberta Environment.

Provincial investigators executed search warrants on the company's Walker Yard facility in Edmonton. That generated "a lot of anger, I think, that (CN) were treated like criminals and things like that," said Goss, adding that the company sent Premier Ralph Klein a letter threatening to relocate.

It took the threat of criminal charges to get CN to actually act. At first they threatened a capital strike, to move out of the province because of the way the usually business friendly Klein regime was treating them. But the spill embarassed the government and showed they had no plan for dealing with a disaster of this magnitude. A disaster that again was predictable considering this province is an industrialized chemical hazard from north to south. Whether it is petro chemicals, fertilizers, etc, we have plants every where, and we have toxic goods on our highways and raillines, that travel across the province daily. The CN spill exposed the fact that the government had no environmental disaster plan. You don't embarass King Ralph and expect him to laugh it off.

In order to forestall further criticism about its decades old failure to maintain its lines, except for its bottom line, E. Hunter Harrison has announced CN will spend 10% more next year than they did this year to repair and maintain its lines in Western Canada. Oh be still my beating heart. Clearly what they spent this year did not even address the basic maintenance they have neglected over the years.

Thats because along with attacks on workers wages and benefits, reductions in the workforce, increasing train traffice and intermodal capacity, the capital privatized CN gained was used to buy up American Rail companies in order to become a Continental rail company. Sacrifices had to be made for the bottom line, and those included worker and public safety. And now the chickens are coming home to roost.

It's still not to late to rethink privatization. What we once owned as national crown corporations could be nationalized again. And at least one NDP candidate this election is saying so. And he running against the Minister in charge of Canada's railways.

An NDP candidate in Quebec says the Canadian government should run Air Canada, CN Rail, and the oil and gas industry. Leo-Paul Lauzon, a university economics professor in Quebec known for his left-wing views, said Canada should never have privatized those national commodities.Lauzon is the NDP candidate in one of the most hotly contested ridings in Quebec, facing off against Transport Minister Jean Lapierre, who is running for the Liberals, and against former PQ cabinet minister Jacques Leonard, who is running for the Bloc Québécois.

Where there's Smoke there's Smokers

Do as I say not as I do. Klein caucus ignores smoking ban
EDMONTON - Children could be banished from parts of Alberta's legislature so politicians can continue smoking in their offices.
Yep whats good for the goose ain't good for the gander in Alberta. Actually having well ventilated electro disperesed air filtration smoking rooms in the work place is a rational thing to do. But the taxpayer funded anti-smoking lobby is all about All or Nothing. So while the rest of us suffer the pariah of being smokers, the MLA's can merrily smoke in their offices. Now I take exception to that since we know that the majority of Kleins Caucus and MLA's are children, they should be protected from themselves. Meanwhile the impact on business in Edmonton, especially resteraunts and bars, lounges, etc. of the complete smoking ban, is a decline in business by 70% anecdotalely. Watch as the weather gets colder that will rise to 90%. So much for no impact on business that the anti-smoking fascists lied about. Oh wait a minute isn't the Legislature in Edmonton? Why by golly gum it is. So how come the provincial legislation trumps the city bylaw banning smoking in all public buildings. Hmmmm. Like I said what's good for the goose.....

Stand Up Canada

This election you get to choose who you want to Stand Up for you. And it ain't the Liberals cause they don't use the Stand Up Slogan, they hope their opponents will sit this one out.

However if you want somebody to Stand Up for you
then your choices are;

The NDP

The Conservatives

"It's not where you sit but where you stand." — Belinda Stronach, addressing criticism over her switch in parties from Conservative to Liberal by saying her principles stayed the same.

A Liberal Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there were Three Bad Liberals in Quebec, and the first one said, I wanna unload alot of money on my pals, the second one said I can unload alot of money on your pals, and the third one said I can make alot of money off you unloading money on your pals.

And then a big brave Liberal named PM rode into Ottawa and said I am offended at all the money that them Liberals spent in Quebec and I am going to do something about it. But the people were not amused and they said, but you are a Liberal.

And big brave PM said Yes I am but not a Liberal like them. And so he got the good sheriff of Gomery to look into the nasty deeds done by bad Liberals. And the good Sheriff of Gomery said that PM was a good Liberal, and that he did not know what the bad Liberals were doing, and the bad Liberals should go to jail.

And so the Liberal party was saved by PM and they all lived happily ever after...........

Except for the nasty Troll Kretien who lived under the PeaceTower and kept popping up and saying; "I yam gonna sue dat Sheriff Gomery d'about what he been saying about me".

But other than that..........

oh yeah and then their was the other Troll Peltme who said "nyah nyah I got my job back",

But other than that...............

opps then there was that other Troll DingDonginthewell who was a bad Liberal and PM got rid of him but he kept popping up saying; "I'm entitled" (he thought he was a prince)...

Well ok they kinda lived happily ever after........Except that the people called an election and PM was sad, cause he wanted to do so much for the people, with their money, and he said that the people didn't need an election cause he had put the Kingdom right with all his Kings Horses and all his Kings men, and it was just that nasty Prince of Darkness the Harp that wanted an election.

And then PM said to all the boys and girls in the Kingdom I will give you daycare, they cheered, I will give you healthcare,they cheered, I will give you clean air, and they cheered.

Suddenly there was a flash and in a puff of smoke the Pied Piper Layton appeared and said, hey I already said that stuff, and the children cheered.

Well it all got complicated after that and we are not sure where anyone was living or whether they were happy or not, cause no-one talked about the homeless or the poor, but that is a tale for another day.

The End.

CPP Funds Wal-Mart

The Green Party leader Jim Harris announced today that our Federal pension fund,the CPP, is a shareholder in union busting, child labour exploiting Wal-Mart. Congarts every Canadian is now a shareholder in exploitation. The Greens called for a Corporate Social Responsibility Act and for the end of CPP investments in Wal-Mart.

"Wal-Mart has a proven track record of insufficient sensitivities to the communities in which it operates, and a prime example of this corporate approach is the closing of their store in Jonquière last April, shortly after its workers unionized", said Harris.

As of the 31st of March 2005, the CPP held 322 000 shares in Wal-Mart valued at almost 20 million dollars. "If the CPP still owns these shares they have a responsibility to divest and send a strong message to all companies that our values as a community are more important than a single corporation's interests," said Harris.

Recently Radio Canada exposed the fact that Wal-Mart goods sold in Canada were being made by child labour in Bangladesh. In response to criciticsm of expoliting child labour Wal-Mart has refused to change its practices and has instead run away from its responsibilities.Bangladesh Wal-Mart criticised for cut and run policy - not taking responsibility for use of child labour

The use of the CPP,which all retired Canadians rely upon, as an investment vehicle has been a major source of controversy. Anti War Activists have pointed out the Military Weapons investments made by the CPP and recently David Dodge of the Bank of Canada suggested the CPP be used to invest in P3's.

When we think of ethical investments we would be forgiven for thinking that would be the prime investment vehicle of our publicly funded CPP. But it is not. The CPP is out to make money with no democratic control or transparency. Once again the Market Managers invest our pension money with no ethical parameters to restrict them.

Previous Pension Articles are Here and Here

You Like Us You Really Like Us

Canada 'not at its best at the moment': Economist

The Economist this week is Covers Canada literally. We are the Cover Story. They like us they really like us. Well they should we are the most successful capitalist economy in the G8, or the G9 or the G10, of the G11 or the.....And we Love NAFTA.....Ask Paul........We are fighting those nasty Yankee Protectionists to defend something that the Liberals once claimed was the fight of their life to oppose.....Yep the Economist says we're cool, and then the other shoe drops........
The magazine also points to Canada's peculiar flaws. "Canada has everything, except perhaps ambition." Ouch. And with tha erudite British aplomb they co on to give our little country their capitalist report card;

The latest edition says Canada is beset dysfunctional politics, grumpy anti-Americanism and three brewing political storms: one in the West, one in Quebec and one in its relations with the United States. The business-oriented publication is running a 14-page special report and a lead editorial on Canada.

It's upbeat about Canada's overall prospects: "Peaceful, diverse, tolerant (in June gay marriages became legal throughout the country) and with long-term riches to boot - if this isn't 'cool', what is?"

However, it points to building political turbulence.

Looking at the campaign for the Jan. 23 federal election, the survey describes the country's politics as "a fractured mess."

Prime Minister Paul Martin is "a fine finance minister, but as prime minister he has, on the whole, disappointed."

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is described as "an aloof, cerebral figure, disparaged well beyond Liberal circles as a neo-conservative importing dangerous ideas from the United States.

He is also "clueless with the media."

Yep that sort of hits on the head doesn't it.

The Logic of the Homophobic Right

Here is an example of the irrefutible logic of the anti-gay rightwhingnuts. It appears today on the Anti-Abortion Anti-Gay Anti-Feminist Lifesite (sic)- The rightwhingnutz of Lifesite claim that the Charter defends individual rights not rights to Same Sex Marriage.

However, as the Family Research Council (FRC) has pointed out, "while every individual person is free to get married, no person, whether heterosexual or homosexual, has ever had a legal right to marry simply any willing partner. Every person, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is subject to legal restrictions as to whom they may marry. To be specific, every person, regardless of sexual preference, is legally barred from marrying a child, a close blood relative, a person who is already married, or a person of the same sex. There is no discrimination here, nor does such a policy deny anyone the 'equal protection of the laws', since these restrictions apply equally to every individual." Aha now I get it Mr. or Ms. Individual regardless of sexual orientation may NOT engage in pedophilia, incest, bigamy or gay marriage. The first three are 'criminal acts' under the Criminal Code of Canada. So what Lifestyle is saying is that gay marriage is not a human right for Mr or Ms. Individual it is a Criminal Act apparently banned by the Criminal Code.

To further clarify this important point, in case you didn't get it Mr. or Ms. Individual, they say; "The fundamental 'right to marry' is a right that rests with individuals, not with couples. Homosexual individuals already have exactly the same 'right' to marry as anyone else. " As long as you marry Mr. or Ms. Individual of the opposite sex. FRC points out that "Many people who now identify themselves as homosexual have previously been in legal (opposite-sex) marriages. On the other hand, many people who previously had homosexual relationships have now renounced that behavior and married persons of the opposite sex." So Mr or Ms Individual can marry someone who is or was gay as long as they are of the opposite sex.

Yep see what I mean irrefutible logic. I am convinced. I will now go marry my dog cause it's not specifically banned by the Criminal Code. Its my individual right according to the logic of FRC.

Contradictions of the Security State

So explain this, Canada and the US are looking at imposing passport identification for cross border travel. US passport plan gives way to cross-border ID Meanwhile the government says Canadians are NOT entitled to passports. Hmmmm...... The Charter of Rights and Freedoms doesn't entitle any Canadian — including Abdurahman Khadr — to a passport, a government lawyer argued yesterday as the man with family ties to Al Qaeda fought for the right to have the travel document"There is no authority suggesting such a right (to a passport) exists in Canada," said Morris. "It doesn't guarantee you a right to travel and it's not necessary for it." Oh really, tell that to US and European Customs!

Better yet the current Toronto Centre Liberal Candidate Bill Graham bungled this case, and denied Khadr his passport.....Government lawyers admitted yesterday that former foreign affairs minister Bill Graham bungled the handling of Khadr's failed application. Court documents reveal that the passport office withheld information from Khadr and his lawyer related to the decision because the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service requested secrecy. Yep I smell another Liberal Scandal happening here, just in time for the Election.

Blame 50 Cents

Carrying guns has become trendy, Vancouver police fear
Vancouver police say they're worried about a new trend, as more young men with minimal gang or criminal connections are carrying handguns - that packing a gun appears to have become an "in" thing. Yep it's all that ultra violent motherf***** n****, yo ho, you bytch, Gangsta Hippty Hoppy music thay all listen to.....Gangsta Hip Hop is to Black Community Resistance as the Iraqi Resistance is to Freedom for Iraq. It's all about guns and money, and money and guns, and money for guns, and guns for money.......and I just realized that in Canada 50 cents is two bits...as in two bit punk...or two bit gangster...or two bit thug.....We waz ahead of our time.....

Election Comix

Harper will 'burn people out,' Martin camp says

Paul Martin's handlers believe there is a chance
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will "burn people out"
with his daily doses of policy announcements.

Thats cause Martin has Nothing to say.......