Many of us Dipper and progressive bloggers have wondered why the NDP is the only election site without a blog. And now we know. The PTB in the NDP war room have decided in their divine wisdom that blogs are not where its at. In fact they are so fixated on old media, that no less a high mucky muck than Communications/Media Director Brad Lavigne dismisses the importance of blogs.
In the NDP camp, insider Brad Lavigne says blogs have had a minimal impact so far on leader Jack Layton's campaign. The top priority is to track the other leaders' daily campaigns and mainstream news coverage."Our focus is established by our team,'' said Lavigne, the party's campaign communications director. "While from time to time it's interesting to see what these people are posting, they certainly don't drive our agenda.'' Election war rooms consider impact of blogs
Ah ha thats why the NDP is so behind on the communications eight ball, failing to take advantage of the blogosphere. Yep Lavigne is really old school, you can tell from his hair cut and their communications strategy so far.
Guess I will have to e-mail this little missive to the NDP cause they don't read blogs.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Correcting Kinsella
Well its always a joy here in mudville to correct Warren Kinsella's jaundiced view of the blogosphere, which is always highly coloured by his own blog prescence and his belief that he plays a more important role than he does.
Warren Kinsella, an aide to former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien, says his blog gets as many as 100,000 hits a day. He has traced some of the heaviest traffic to Prime Minister Paul Martin's most trusted advisors and says his sources of information include former and current cabinet ministers, party leaders and rank-and-file members.
Election war rooms consider impact of blogs
100,000 hits a day?! Methinks Warren doth exaggerate his popularity a wee bit. Oh by at least five zeros. (see comments)
On December 8 after this article came out on CP, he posted it on his blog, he writes his latest backhanded defence of the importance of blogs in this election. He says that so far the blogs have not found a scandal of equal importance as American blogs did in the 04 election.
"In this bizarre two-part election, no big political story has been unearthed by Canadian bloggers - at least not in the way the American blogs broke the Trent Lott or Dan Rather stories. But it's coming."
Well gee what would he call this? The undue influence of American right wing lobby groups with the Conservatives is a major scandal,that has not been covered in the MSM as well as it has in the blogosphere. And I would call that a scandal uncovered by the blogs. Just not by Warrens blog. Hmm do I detect a bit of jealousy in his comment?
For an updated page on this Scandal go here.
Warren Kinsella, an aide to former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien, says his blog gets as many as 100,000 hits a day. He has traced some of the heaviest traffic to Prime Minister Paul Martin's most trusted advisors and says his sources of information include former and current cabinet ministers, party leaders and rank-and-file members.
Election war rooms consider impact of blogs
100,000 hits a day?! Methinks Warren doth exaggerate his popularity a wee bit. Oh by at least five zeros. (see comments)
On December 8 after this article came out on CP, he posted it on his blog, he writes his latest backhanded defence of the importance of blogs in this election. He says that so far the blogs have not found a scandal of equal importance as American blogs did in the 04 election.
"In this bizarre two-part election, no big political story has been unearthed by Canadian bloggers - at least not in the way the American blogs broke the Trent Lott or Dan Rather stories. But it's coming."
Well gee what would he call this? The undue influence of American right wing lobby groups with the Conservatives is a major scandal,that has not been covered in the MSM as well as it has in the blogosphere. And I would call that a scandal uncovered by the blogs. Just not by Warrens blog. Hmm do I detect a bit of jealousy in his comment?
For an updated page on this Scandal go here.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Retirement Reverse Discrimination
The Ontario Government has ended a great injustice today, they have ended legislated compulsory retirement. Yep now you can work till ya die. The logic of this reversal of discrimination, is classic liberalism; the rights of the individual over the group. And classic Liberalism.
Moments after the province approved the legislation, Ontario Labour Minister Steve Peters hailed it as an opportunity for workers, especially those who joined the workforce later in life, to continue to contribute to their families and the economy. “It’s a very historic day,” Peters said. “We’ve ended a great wrong in this province.”
They found that the law restricted individual choice. For shame. But in changing the law to meet the sacred rights of the individual they lost site of that other important value of classical liberalism, utilitarianism, the greater good.
The so called compulsorary retirement law while restricting the rights of some was for the greater good of the many. Which is why unions lobbied and won compulsorary retirement, because they knew that if the bosses had their way, they would work us till we died, or toss us out with no pensions in order to hire younger workers who will not earn a pension for years. The idea of compulsorary retirement is directly tied to pensions, and to corporations paying into those pensions.
The McGuinty Liberals capitualted to the business community, who having underfunded their pension plans in order to put their capital into the stock market, wanted the government to bail them out. The best way to do that was to up the age of retirement. Business have campaigned provincially and federally to turn the clock back on retirement.
Of course for academics, such as the one who challenged the law in Alberta and got it overturned, or managers and bosses and even journalists working into your seventies or eighties is a career choice. For those of us who do blue collar work, by the time we are 65 we beasts of burden are well willing to give up the work life for the cottage life and we deserve it.
But now our pensionable earnings, our ability to retire early, or to retire at 65 have been put at greater risk.
Moments after the province approved the legislation, Ontario Labour Minister Steve Peters hailed it as an opportunity for workers, especially those who joined the workforce later in life, to continue to contribute to their families and the economy. “It’s a very historic day,” Peters said. “We’ve ended a great wrong in this province.”
They found that the law restricted individual choice. For shame. But in changing the law to meet the sacred rights of the individual they lost site of that other important value of classical liberalism, utilitarianism, the greater good.
The so called compulsorary retirement law while restricting the rights of some was for the greater good of the many. Which is why unions lobbied and won compulsorary retirement, because they knew that if the bosses had their way, they would work us till we died, or toss us out with no pensions in order to hire younger workers who will not earn a pension for years. The idea of compulsorary retirement is directly tied to pensions, and to corporations paying into those pensions.
The McGuinty Liberals capitualted to the business community, who having underfunded their pension plans in order to put their capital into the stock market, wanted the government to bail them out. The best way to do that was to up the age of retirement. Business have campaigned provincially and federally to turn the clock back on retirement.
Of course for academics, such as the one who challenged the law in Alberta and got it overturned, or managers and bosses and even journalists working into your seventies or eighties is a career choice. For those of us who do blue collar work, by the time we are 65 we beasts of burden are well willing to give up the work life for the cottage life and we deserve it.
But now our pensionable earnings, our ability to retire early, or to retire at 65 have been put at greater risk.
Wayne Samuelson, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, warned that in years to come, employees can expect to work up to the age of 67 or beyond before they can access government benefits.
Samuelson also brushed aside assertions by the province that the law won’t undermine early retirement rights or existing pension plans.
“That’s crap,” Samuelson said. “I’ve been going to union meetings all my life . . . and I’ve never seen anybody stand up and demand that they work longer. People want to work less. They want to have a decent pension. That’s the debate we should be having.”
He pointed to the United States, where access to government benefits has been increased to age 67.
New Democrat critic Peter Kormos slammed the law for not resolving fears of under-funded pensions.
“This legislation . . . is going to result in employers reducing pension benefits for younger workers who have not yet become vested,” Kormos said.
“This is going to create some real iniquities and further worsen, heighten, aggravate the crisis in under-funding of pensions and levels of pension benefits.”
It’s expected that less than two per cent of Ontario’s 1.5 million people 65 and over would continue to work, Peters said.
So you change a progressive law, compulsorary retirement for less than 2% of the working population, hmmm thats the same number that represents the ruling class in Ontario. So 98% of the working population must be subjected to the opportunism and greed of the ultimate minority. So much for the idea of majority rule, or even the greatest benefit for the greatest number. The McGuinty Liberals are classic neo-liberals, not real liberals like Bentham and Mills.
Previous Pension Articles are Here and Here
So you change a progressive law, compulsorary retirement for less than 2% of the working population, hmmm thats the same number that represents the ruling class in Ontario. So 98% of the working population must be subjected to the opportunism and greed of the ultimate minority. So much for the idea of majority rule, or even the greatest benefit for the greatest number. The McGuinty Liberals are classic neo-liberals, not real liberals like Bentham and Mills.
Previous Pension Articles are Here and Here
And Now A Word From David Orchard
The populist iconoclast David Orchard who was stabbed in the back by Peter McKay over the merger of the PC's with Harpers Alliance Party, never forgets. Nor should we. Last April he wrote; David Orchard campaign says Conservatives as unethical as Liberals
And it applies as much in this election as the one the Harperites were hoping for last spring. In fact the unethical behaviour of the Conservative party regarding David Orchard came back to bite them in the ass just before this election was called.
Two and a half years after the Progressive Conservative leadership race, the Conservative Party of Canada has yet to pay David Orchard more than $70,000. About $55,000 of that is owed to the Borden-area farmer from donations to his leadership campaign.
Nor has the Harper yet released who donated to his leadership race where he defeated Peter McKay for the leadership of the newly merged Conservative party.
So when it comes to ethics Mackay and Harper prove that old cliche that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, in Davids Orchard.
Rumours had it that Orchard might run for the Liberals, it was a reporters fantasy, but that would never be. He is too principled for that. Unlike his opponents for the PC Leadership or those who now run the strange beast that is the Reform/Alliance/PC Conservatives.
David is still fighting NAFTA and is the only Canadian to continue to offer a real solution to the Soft Wood Lumber crisis, Abrogate NAFTA.
Wanna disrupt a Conservative rally? Just start chanting; Orchard! Orchard!
And it applies as much in this election as the one the Harperites were hoping for last spring. In fact the unethical behaviour of the Conservative party regarding David Orchard came back to bite them in the ass just before this election was called.
Two and a half years after the Progressive Conservative leadership race, the Conservative Party of Canada has yet to pay David Orchard more than $70,000. About $55,000 of that is owed to the Borden-area farmer from donations to his leadership campaign.
Nor has the Harper yet released who donated to his leadership race where he defeated Peter McKay for the leadership of the newly merged Conservative party.
So when it comes to ethics Mackay and Harper prove that old cliche that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, in Davids Orchard.
Rumours had it that Orchard might run for the Liberals, it was a reporters fantasy, but that would never be. He is too principled for that. Unlike his opponents for the PC Leadership or those who now run the strange beast that is the Reform/Alliance/PC Conservatives.
David is still fighting NAFTA and is the only Canadian to continue to offer a real solution to the Soft Wood Lumber crisis, Abrogate NAFTA.
Wanna disrupt a Conservative rally? Just start chanting; Orchard! Orchard!
Guns and Butter
When I was introduced to supply side economics in high school we were all taught that capitalism is about supply and demand, the old guns and butter hypothesis. Its all about what we call today rational choice economics, you can choose to spend money on the military or on essentials such as public service. Guns or butter. The more guns the less butter. And guns were always more expensive to produce than butter.
Today we could use the same analogy for the Paul Martins announcement that he will ban hand guns in Canada. His audience was a group of school kids in Toronto. What he told them was the old guns and butter example as applied to politics. You can get more headway publicity wise by banning guns than by promising social programs (butter) to deal with the issue of violence in visible minority communities. His presence in a visible minority community school shows he was trying to butter up folks for his gun announcement.
Hand guns are severly restricted in Canada, and have been since Trudeau introduced gun control. To get a handgun in Canada you must be registered with a FAC, and now registered with the billion dollar Firearms Registry boondoogle. You must get a permit from your local police department, to move your gun from your home, if you are going to the shooting range. And that permit is for that day only and for transportation from point A to point B and back to point A. Failure to get the permit and you can loose your gun and your FAC and your access.
So who is carrying guns? Well not legal hand gun owners. It's the new bling bling of Night Club culture as the recent shooting in Vancouver shows. Graffiti artists's slaying may spur gun amnesty Guns have replaced fast cars and cell phones as the club culture status symbol.
Ms. Slade said a decade ago she thought nothing of going out to nightclubs in the city. Now, however, she wouldn't because of a series of shooting incidents in recent years. "I'm afraid to go the bars. . . . It's getting worse and worse. You never know who's going to have a gun."
In Torontoa recent spat of shootings is driving the Martin announcement, and at the point of stating the obvious gun violence in the largest city in Canada has always driven the governments gun control legislation. While gun violence is also a problem in other large Canadian cities, such as Vancouver and even in Edmonton the shooting violence in Toronto is identified with the poverty of the Afro Canadian community in that city. In the other cities its identified with middle class ethnic crime, usually around drugs. Where the issue is poverty then we need social programs for employment to overcome this. If it is drugs then we need decriminalization.
Now drugs are illegal, and illegal guns are well illegal, but that doesn't stop anyone . Nor will Martins hand gun legislation. It will only further restrict those who abide by Canadas restrictive gun laws, moreso than even England, and reduce their access to hand guns for sport shooting.
Legalizing drugs would be a start to reduce crime both in the suburbs and the inner city. But the deciminalization of marijuana laws died on the table, again, when the election was called. Decriminalizing all drugs, would go along way to breaking the cycle of crime that prohibition has always encouraged. Its butter thats , better social programs and decriminalization, the economic solution to theproblem of gun violence in Canada. Some may say this is simplistic but it is no more so than Paul Martins announcement this morning.
For more debate on this go to progressive bloggers.
John Lennon Working Class Hero
John Lennon 1940-1980
John Lennon was asassinated 25 years ago today. The world lost a revolutionary voice that day.
A day after he died, his wife, Yoko Ono, said, "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him." Millions mourned his death across world. As a leader of the Beatles, John Lennon helped to transform popular music. But to his fans he was far more than just a musician.
While the highlights of Lennon's career with the Beatles is well known, Lennon is less remembered for his political activism and dedication to peace. Lennon wrote some of the most famous songs of the anti-war movement: "Give Peace A Chance", "Imagine" and "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)". He sang at political protests against the Vietnam War, in support of the radical John Sinclair and even for the prisoners of Attica. He and Yoko made international headlines simply by lying in bed as part of their Bed-In For Peace.
The U.S. government saw Lennon as such a serious threat that President Nixon attempted to have him deported in 1972. In addition the FBI closely monitored his actions and amassed a file on Lennon of over 400 pages.
A voice that used the mass media to get his and Yoko's message out.
And that is important to remember that John was nothing without Yoko, something he acknowledged much to the anger and slagging of fans and critics at the time.
And while he was a working class hero for my generation he remains a voice of protest and disestablishmentarianism for all generations. He and Yoko spoke out for peace activists, for anti-war activists, for women, for anarchism, for humanism, for all those exploited and oppressed. Before they chanted "This is what Democracy Looks Like" in Seattle, we sang Power to the People!
He was the kid from Liverpool the Working Class Hero he wrote of.
Working Class Hero
John Lennon was asassinated 25 years ago today. The world lost a revolutionary voice that day.
A day after he died, his wife, Yoko Ono, said, "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him." Millions mourned his death across world. As a leader of the Beatles, John Lennon helped to transform popular music. But to his fans he was far more than just a musician.
While the highlights of Lennon's career with the Beatles is well known, Lennon is less remembered for his political activism and dedication to peace. Lennon wrote some of the most famous songs of the anti-war movement: "Give Peace A Chance", "Imagine" and "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)". He sang at political protests against the Vietnam War, in support of the radical John Sinclair and even for the prisoners of Attica. He and Yoko made international headlines simply by lying in bed as part of their Bed-In For Peace.
The U.S. government saw Lennon as such a serious threat that President Nixon attempted to have him deported in 1972. In addition the FBI closely monitored his actions and amassed a file on Lennon of over 400 pages.
A voice that used the mass media to get his and Yoko's message out.
And that is important to remember that John was nothing without Yoko, something he acknowledged much to the anger and slagging of fans and critics at the time.
And while he was a working class hero for my generation he remains a voice of protest and disestablishmentarianism for all generations. He and Yoko spoke out for peace activists, for anti-war activists, for women, for anarchism, for humanism, for all those exploited and oppressed. Before they chanted "This is what Democracy Looks Like" in Seattle, we sang Power to the People!
He was the kid from Liverpool the Working Class Hero he wrote of.
Working Class HeroAs soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so ------- crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still ------- peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
They Vote
Hey it worked for the Tories in Alberta for years under Lougheed and Getty. Every election they gave seniors something. It wasn't until the Klein Reich that seniors were ditched and King Ralph has regretted that ever since cause they are his biggestand most vocal opponsnts in the province. And they vote. Layton promises $1.5 billion for senior care The NDP's plan to spend $1.5 billion a year on long-term care and home care would begin to address the needs of seniors and help hospitals reduce waiting times, party leader Jack Layton said on Thursday.
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.
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.
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.....
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.
The NDP
"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.
However if you want somebody to Stand Up for you
then your choices are;
then your choices are;
The NDP
"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.
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