(Also see prior post “Not Voting” April 11, 2013 for Part I)
I include in the definition of a politician those who are past, present, future and wannabe politicians. A politician is not what you do, it is who you are as a human being – liar, thief, con, destroyer of democracy and freedom, parasite, and so on.
Not voting does not mean doing nothing. See future post “ What Can You Do – Politicians”; Some may choose to vote while still working on changing the system. I even made an exception to not voting in the last federal election because I wanted Bill C-51 revoked and a proportional representation system. But this is probably wishful thinking based on lies by the turdits. (In reforming electoral system, parties favour what benefits them most, Campbell Clark, 29 Jul 2015, The Globe and Mail).
I checked the box “Do Not Add to Register of Electors” so my information would not be shared with political parties and all my information is deleted after the election. But this is another government farce because inside scrutineers can add to their list any names they don’t already have and share with outside scrutineers. They can use it for the next election or sell it or whatever they do with this information (see prior post “BC Bill 20).
I will also be sending a letter to the province and municipality to have my name kept off the voters list. If I choose to make an exception and vote, I can always register. But first I have to find out what “triggers” get my name on the voters list, for example does making any change on your driver’s licence act as a trigger.
It’s sad that when you do vote you have to hold your nose and vote for the party you hope will do the least amount of damage; you can’t vote for a party you think will do their best for the people and country of Canada because there are none.
Justin Trudeau got a majority of the seats, largely I believe due to strategic voting and a desire to get rid of Harper. One always hopes for the best but, in reality, a politician is a politician.
How do you get a politician? You walk behind satan and scoop up what drops out of his lower cavity. Crude but true. So I refer to these “people” as turdits (I may have borrowed this, if so thank you) and a few other words. I reserve my opinion of independents.
The turdits are why things don’t get better, and in many areas, are getting worse. Can you imagine how different it would be if we had people working for the citizenry.
I don’t vote because: (Note: this is for those people who don’t keep up with the misconduct of, and abuse of trust by, the politicians and this is just a partial list):
- We don’t have a democracy, only a pseudo-democracy, a fake, an illusion or barely-there, non-functioning, democracy; some people call it a constitutional dictatorship. We are allowed, even encouraged to vote but “If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal” (Emma Goldman) (We have the form of a parliamentary democracy, but not the substance – Andrew Coyne, 27 May 2015, National Post).
- Politicians lie, steal, con, destroy our democracy, freedoms and rights. One of my other words for them is sewer trash, which is a reflection of the level of my disgust/contempt.
- Who do you vote for? turdit 1, turdit 2, turdit 3.. They are all the same. You get really disgusted with turdit 1 in “power” and you vote for turdit 2. Then you get really disgusted with turdit 2 and you go back to voting for turdit 1. So, what has changed? NOTHING. It’s just a merry-go-round. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results (Albert Einstein)
- Slavery comes in different forms but it is still slavery. This is a government run by and for the politicians and their friends, not for us We just pay their expenses and line their pockets. Politicians are part of the problem, not the solution.
- To quote commenter Mooney7 “After all they claim to rule with the consent of the governed”. When I don’t vote I take away my consent for them to govern. I don’t enable them.
The following examples are, federally, largely conservative examples because they are the most recent and the Conservatives were “in power” for 10 years. I’m sure there is a list for the Liberals somewhere, the sponsorship scandal being one of the most notorious. We will see how many democracy destroying, and corrupt, acts Trudeau and his minions commit, or if he eliminates the abuses and corruption. Examples:
- Politicians take away our rights and sell/trade/barter us. Isn’t that what you do to slaves? Examples BC Bill 11 (which gives the Minister of Health power to collect, gather, use and share personal information without any notice to or consent from affected individuals..), BC Bill 35 – 2012 – The Pharmaceutical Services Act (see post dated 25 Sept 2012), federal Bill C-51 (the bill is a massive invasion of the privacy of innocent people), (The state gets more intrusive, again, Lawrence Martin, 17 Feb 2015, The Globe and Mail); (Privacy Commissioner Slams Bill C-51, 09 Mar 2015, TheTyee.ca); Canada’s New Privacy Rights Battles, Sean Condon, 17 Jul 2013, Megaphone Magazine); Bill C-13 – the lawful access and cyberbullying bill, Bill S-4 – The Digital Privacy Act and so on (With Elections Act, Canada Slides into Ventriloquism Democracy, Michael Harris, 21 Mar 2014, iPolitics); (The Canadian Government Has Given Up on Protecting Your Privacy, Michael Geist, 03 Jun 2014, TheTyee.ca)
- Power of the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office); and I believe this would apply to the Premiers office:
“the greatest threat to responsible government in Canada is none other than the Prime Minister’s Office.
The PMO uses its toxic tentacles to neutralize every part of government that might compete with it for power, so that today we are ruled by an imperial prime minister, unaccountable to anyone or anything.
Today the PMO is virtually a government unto itself.
The PMO enforces its will two ways: through the prime minister’s power to appoint and fire cabinet ministers, committee members and deputy ministers; and his or her power to approve the nomination of everyone who runs for the party. “ (a)
“It has morphed into a 90-person juggernaut of political strategists, ‘issues managers’ and party enforcers who exercise strict control over cabinet, the houses of Parliament and the bureaucracy.“(b)
“The PMO gains strength by weakening the institutions around it.” (b)
The Prime Minister also makes appointments ranging “from heads of agencies and CEOs of crown corporations to members of quasi-judicial tribunals” (Government in Council Appointments Overview, Government of Canada). In other words, “all national positions of consequence are appointed or approved personally by the prime minister” (Canada Needs Proportional Representation Now, Rafe Mair, 05 Jan 2015, TheTyee.ca). The PM selects judges usually from “recommendations made by the 17 Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada” (Ottawa picks gay marriage critic to sit on Ontario’s highest court, Sean Fine, 24 Jun 2015, The Globe and Mail). These recommendations are shortlisted by parliamentarians and then the shortlisted are vetted in parliamentary hearings but at least part of this process is being eliminated and the judges are simply selected by the PMO (Unvetted Quebec judge takes Supreme Court seat, 06 Oct 2015, The Globe and Mail). Controlling the institutions is how the PM controls the society and the people in the institutions are loyal to him.
The politicians complain about the senators and their scandals. But many, or all, senators were appointed by the prime minister of the day as a reward for past and/or future “services” to the political parties and not for what they can do for the people. For example, I read that Mike Duffy was appointed because he was a great fundraiser and speaker for the conservative party.
We could take back some of the power of the PMO by having citizen’s committees, or something similar (not selected by politicians), make these appointments. Then we also wouldn’t have the massive payouts to the political appointees when a new party gets in “power” and appoints all THEIR crony’s or when they lose their position due to incompetency, resignation, “reshuffling or firing without cause. Example: Taxpayers dinged $1.25 million for Post-Election Pay, Bob Mackin, 24 Aug 2013, TheTyee.ca.
We need a system where we, the people, can hire the best, from across Canada, based on qualifications, not selected by some backroom turdits. Employees who can be fired, with two weeks notice, if they are not doing their job; who work for us, not to those who contribute to the turdits coffers & pockets. A system where we can make long term plans, not plans until the next election, employees who have to tell us what they are doing and who are accountable and transparent or immediately get fired. So we will no longer be ruled, so WE will be “in power”. There are lots of citizens who can draw up job descriptions and/or assess applications who are not turdits. But this will not happen while the turdits are “in power”.
See also 4 (1) Cronyism
- Ottawa’s accountability problems start at the top, in the PMO, editorial, 20 Aug 2015, The Globe and Mail
- The problem with the PMO (2), editorial, 25 Aug 2015, The Globe and Mail
You may also be interested in reading Canada’s Slide into Sleaze with Stephen Harper (or, the problem with running government like a business), Murray Dobbin, 13 Jan 2014, TheTyee.ca; will Trudeau operate the same?; Our Democracy on trial, Donald Savoie, 14 Aug 2015, The Globe and Mail; Duffy trial cuts to the heart of the PMO, Lawrence Martin, 18 Aug 2015, The Globe and Mail
3. What do they do? (Also, see prior post “DEMOCRACY — OR NOT April 25, 2013) BC MLA’s are paid (I won’t say earned) a lot of money and it’s increasing (Peter McMartin: The cost — and worth — of our politicians, Peter McMartin, 05 Jul 2013, Vancouver Sun – a paper I didn’t buy). So what do they do in this “job”? If you have seen “Whipped” a documentary by Sean Holman (it’s online) then you know that:
a. The MLA’s/MP’s/MN’s don’t represent us. They are suppose to represent the interests of the constituency that elected them but, instead, they represent the party. The decisions are made by the PM/Premier and a few people in the inner circle (some may not have been elected) and they are not interested in the opinions of the MLA’s/MP’s/MN’s.
b. They are told how to vote on any bills by the party whip.
c. They are told what to say to the citizens (scripted answers/talking points).
“Members of Parliament on the government benches are as useless as tits on a bull. They perform no function other than to vote the way they are told by the Party Whip. Opposition members, while having more freedom to speak, only oppose that which their leader tells them to.” (Canada Needs Proportional Representation Now, Rafe Mair, 05 Jan 2015, Thetyee.ca).
Political candidates are selected based primarily on how much money they can raise and name recognition, NOT qualifications to run a government.
So, a brain or knowledge on any topic is not a requirement. Some “people” say they are politicians because they want to make a difference (for the citizens benefit). But they can’t make a difference in government because either they toe the line or they get out.
d. When people write to them with questions, or for help, they either do nothing, pass the request to some government bureaucrat or the request may be answered by the politicians staff (whose wages we pay). So again the politicians do NOTHING.
In the last BC provincial election they didn’t even have an all-candidates meeting in my riding so we could ask what they had to offer but then maybe they were afraid of the questions, they might not have talking points for all of them. Gee, what do I as a politician think on this topic, oh, that’s right I don’t think.
e. Brent Rathgeber was a conservative MP who quit to become an independent. He wrote a book called “Irresponsible Government: The Decline of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada”. He states that politicians would work on committees but their work would be discarded unless it supported a decision already made by the inner circle. In other words, committee work was a make-work project, of no real value since the decision was already made.
“Rathgeber relates how they all have their Commons speeches written for them by the Prime Minister’s office as well as powder puff questions to put to ministers in question period, both of which they are expected to give verbatim — no personal thoughts, now!” (What We Forgot on Remembrance Day, Rafe Mair, 24 Nov 2014, Thetyee.ca); Duffy trial sheds light on PMO’s power, hand-holding of parliamentarians – Jennifer Ditchburn, 25 Aug 2015, The Canadian Press
So, again, what do these people do? They go for photo-ops. They will go to any event, speak when requested (but only give the scripted answers/talking points), ribbon-cuttings, bar-b-que’s, openings, anything to get their name/picture in the news. In other words, they are campaigning. We pay these turdits to campaign for the next election. But that’s what slaves do, they work a little longer, a little harder or do without for the benefit of the turdits.
Ex. gentleman in trailer park in BC – The power in the trailer park went off and the owner didn’t fix it. The gentleman couldn’t move to a different trailer park because his trailer was too old. Pleas were made to the politicians to do something, to make the owner fix the power, but the turdits did nothing. With winter coming on, the people stepped in, bought him a used but better trailer, acceptable to another trailer park that had power, and the people bought him a few extras. When it came time to hand over the keys to the trailer, the turdits, who had done nothing, showed up for the photo-op. Trailer-park nightmare finally over for one resident, Kate Webb, 25-27 Oct 2013, Metro News; UPDATE: BC Hydro responds to 88-year-old left without power for more than two months in Surrey trailer park, Paula Baker, 04 Dec 2013, Global News
f. And there are the politicians who become ministers, for which they get paid even more. What qualifications (education, experience, knowledge) do these people have to run ministries? Actually, I don’t think they run them, I believe they are just figureheads, who occasionally issue orders as directed by their political masters and create chaos. And they get moved from ministry to ministry. Some examples: Peter Mackay was educated as a lawyer but became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the following year he became Minister of National Defence, then Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (wiki). So, what education/training did he have that gave him expertise in international affairs, or the military – none; Mike DeJong (BC) was also trained as a lawyer but was Minister of Finance, Minister of Health, Attorney General, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services, and Minister of Forests. (Ministers of BC, Government of BC, June 2015). Margaret MacDiarmid was trained as a doctor but she was minister of Education, then Tourism, Trade and Investment (Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid: she’s baaaaack, Noel Herron, 29 Nov 2010), then Minister of Health (for less than a year).
In Manitoba, it was found that the MLA’s were presumably too busy with their photo-ops or doing nothing (same thing really) to know, or care, that foster children were being warehoused in motels. And most staff weren’t qualified to look after the children. The community put in the complaint. And, similar to the future post “Our Information is Not Protected”, apparently the politicians lied and had actually known about it for 20 years and did nothing. Kids warehoused in hotels not a new story in Manitoba, Tom Brodbeck, 3 Oct 2014, Sun News. It isn’t a new story. Minister promises bed for foster children displaced by Grey Cup, 10 Nov 2006, CBC News. The MLA’s promised, in October 2014 to fix the situation but six months later the situation was even worse. Last year a young girl was murdered. Recently, a young girl was assaulted and nearly killed. Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross called the assault a “cowardly attack on a vulnerable child”. What a hypocrite. After all, isn’t that what the turdits have been doing to these children for 20 years. The turdits were able to move the children out of the hotels within 60 days, although they don’t say where to or for how long. They also hired more permanent, and presumably, qualified staff. So, they can do it. But apparently only when it hits the news. Manitoba vows action after teen attacked, Kathryn Blaze Carlson, 02 Apr 2015, The Globe and Mail. Watchdog says lack of foster spots keep Manitoba children in jail longer, 15 Apr 2015, The Globe and Mail; Manitoba on track to end hotel placements, minister says, Kathryn Blaze Carlson, 28 May 2015, The Globe and Mail
And we know how the children in BC have suffered even though Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond fights the turdits (see prior post “Children Hurt, Dying in Care of Politicians” April 12, 2013); Canadian foster care in crisis, experts say, The Canadian Press,19 Feb 2012, CBC News; The Foster Care Discussion BC Politicians Ignore, Pieta Wooley, 13 May 2013, TheTyee.ca, Over 1,000 BC Kids Wait on Adoption Changes, Katie Hyslop, 19 Jun 2014, TheTyee.ca; Families No Longer First in BC, Says Children’s Rep, Katie Hyslop, 09 Oct 2014, TheTyee.ca; MCFD approval of child restraint, confinement “inconceivable”: child and youth rep, Katie Hyslop, 07 Feb 2013, TheTyee.ca
How low into the cesspools do you have to sink to treat children, any children much less those already suffering, in this way. People hire these politicians and pay taxes so the children are cared for, but the depraved turdits prefer to line their pockets on the backs of little children. But some people think we have a duty to vote for these monsters.
What do the turdits think of the citizens? Well, one politician said (and I paraphrase) that it didn’t matter what the politicians did, the people would still vote. Aren’t we suckers. Such contempt for the people.
So, apparently all you need to qualify as a politician is the ability to lie (to lie effectively is preferred but not required), to schmooze, to do exactly what you are told and nothing more, and you must lack morals and ethics. We could get clapping seals, puppets or parrots to represent us. And, at least, it would be honest, a lot cheaper and we could accomplish so much with the savings.
You may also want to read a book called Tragedy in the Commons by Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan.
This is from a commenter whose name I have misplaced (my apologizes): “Very few in society work so little, for so much”. So true.
And to quote Robert Reich: “It’s whether an economic system can survive when those at the top get giant rewards no matter how badly they screw up while the rest of us get screwed no matter how hard we work.” Biggest Myth About Inequality Is We Can’t Fix It, Andrew MacLeod, 06 Feb 2014, TheTyee.ca
I don’t think they really know what they are doing which is partly why they don’t want to explain it to us; the other part is that when they do know what they are doing they know it is corrupt. No wonder things never get fixed. We just keep rehashing the same problems.
- Our Money Used for their benefit – if we got rid of the politicians and their theft, porkbarrelling, kickbacks, enriching their friends, unnecessary advertising, buying their post-political jobs, and so on, we could probably eliminate homelessness, take care of the children, prevent the selling/trading/bartering of the citizens, especially the vulnerable/sick/newborns/children, and give all people a decent living, and more.
Examples:
a) Buying Votes – Government favours infrastructure projects to Conservative ridings, Bill Curry and Chris Hannay, 14 Jul 2015, The Globe and Mail; ‘Rules were broken’ over G8/G20 summit spending: Auditor-General, Jason Fekete, 06 Oct 2011. National Post
b) “This advertising, this information just happens to be the same as the government’s own election platform, using public funds for partisan purposes; possibly $600 million over 10 years; “a government must not be allowed to use public money to fund promotional ads for itself”; Globe Editorial, And now, a completely non-partisan word from your Harper government, 18 Nov 2014, Globe and Mail; A message from the Harper government, editorial, 19 Nov 2014; Clark propaganda starts here with $15-million taxpayer-funded ad campaigns, Bill Tieleman, 19 Nov 2012, 24 Hours; Watchdog Group Wants Audit of Taxpayer-Funded Ads, Jeremy J. Nuttall, 28 Apr 2015, TheTyee.ca
I received two pamphlets and a booklet in less than 2 weeks, in this case from the conservative MP in my riding, promoting the conservative agenda. Since it is not regarding information specifically related to my riding or even the province I live in, and it doesn’t say “paid for by the conservative party”, I must assume that I, and you, are paying for their campaigning. They are so arrogant that they flaunt it in our faces, “we are stealing from you” so vote for us. These people may be seriously braindead, I’m not. And I continued to receive this campaign material until the election.
(c) Christy’s inconvenience – BC Premier Christy Clark was voted out by the people in her riding so she had Ben Stewart, the MLA for Westside-Kelowna, step down (a safe Liberal riding) so she could run in a by-election in his riding (only cost the BC citizens about $500,000). And after she won she didn’t want Stewart still wandering around in the riding and she had to “reward” him so she created a new position, B.C.’s trade and investment commissioner for Asia based in Beijing and off he and his family went to China. He will promote products such as BC wine, with his own winery no doubt at the top of the list. So, the citizens pay for his wages ($150,000-a-year), his moving expenses, his new office expenses, possibly housing expenses, and other expenses including benefits and pension. (Could Premier Clark Go from Safe to Sorry in Kelowna’s Byelection?, Bill Tieleman, 25 Jun 2013, TheTyee.ca; Christy Clark’s New Ending Campaign, Bob Mackin, 14 May 2014, TheTyee.ca)
Shortly afterwards, Christy started charging the disabled for wheelchair maintenance. (Seniors Still Spun by BC Liberal Wheelchair Tax, Bill Tieleman, 10 Sep 2013, TheTyee.ca)
To pay for her “inconvenience” she will limit the number of people who care for the children and if the children die, as they have, she apparently doesn’t care. She started charging the disabled for wheelchair maintenance – that brought in a few extra dollars, cut back on ferry service, etc. After all paying for her “inconvenience” is more important.
So whenever I think of Ben Stewart, his family, and/or his wine, I think of the children being abused/dying, I think of the disabled forced to pay for wheelchair maintenance, I think of the number of homeless who could have had a home, I think of the First Nations without safe drinking water.
d) $3.1 billion missing (Where the heck’s that $3.1-billion? Where’s the fury – Lawrence Martin, 19 Nov 2013, The Globe and Mail). How do you lose $3.1 billion, never to be found? In my opinion, I think they know exactly whose pocket has the money.
e) Parliamentary secretary positions have been described as “empty titles” used to mollify MLAs who would have preferred to be ministers, but they do come with pay of about $15,000 more per year. (‘Empty titles’ come with $15,000 a year bonus pay, Andrew MacLeod, 18 Mar 2011, TheTyee.ca)
Some people may think these are small amounts but a few “empty titles” could pay another social worker to look after the children, each empty title would take a homeless person off the streets and so on. It all adds up.
f) All the scandals and their continuation. I don’t expect people to be perfect but this is sooo far beyond. Then we have to pay for the investigation, the court cases, the lawyers and usually nothing of consequence happens to the criminals. And most, or all, of it is covered up. We just get all the bills, ex. Vasi/Birk ($6 million+) after they pleaded guilty, Health ministry firings (see future post “Our Information Is Not Protected), Kim Haakstad and Ethnicgate, Nigel Wright, Pamela Martin, Mike Duffy, Chuck Strahl, Brian Bonney and Mark Robertson and others. (List of Canadian Political Scandals, Wikipedia lists a few scandals); the G8/G20 spending scandal, (‘Rules were broken’ over G8/G20 summit spending: Auditor-General, Jason Fekete, 06 Oct 2011, Postmedia News)
g) Politicians do things for political reasons, to benefit their friends and their own grandeur, not for what is best for the people, the provinces, or the country. In BC, the politicians promised that if they got the olympics, they would eliminate homelessness. They got the olympics, the homeless are still homeless. The politicians got what they wanted, with front row seats, and, well, the homeless are still on the streets. Budgets get balanced, or at least give the pretence of being balanced, at election time when it’s politically convenient (Canada’s deficit drama is all theatre, 29 Jan 2015, Globe and Mail). BC was “funding a municipality without any citizens” (Jumbo Resort’s Last-Minute Construction Push, Judith Lavoie, 11 Oct 2014, Desmog Canada). And, of course, lots of OUR money is spent around election time buying our votes.
Instead of putting forth, honestly, what the problems are and how they plan to resolve them, in order to win the next election, the politicians lie, manipulate, using fear and any other tactic to coerce people into voting for them. And don’t tell me that this is how the system works because I don’t believe this is how it was meant to work but the turdit’s create the system that works for them.
h) Cronyism. – “Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy. Cronyism exists when the appointer and the beneficiary are in social contact. Often, the appointer is inadequate to hold his or her own job or position of authority, and for this reason the appointer appoints individuals who will not try to weaken him or her, or express views contrary to those of the appointer. Politically, “cronyism” is derogatorily used.[1]” (wikipedia). These people are appointed to ministries, boards of government, semi-government organizations, the Senate and so forth. For example: Clark supporter gets Lotto Board gig; patronage appointment; Clark Supporter Gets Lotto Board Gig, Bob Mackin, 06 Jan 2014, TheTyee.ca; Clark accused of ‘cronyism’ over contract with insider, 22 Nov. 2011, CTV News; Harper’s patronage appointments become a holiday tradition, Andy Radia, 23 Dec 2011, Yahoo News
“It is a real Liberal inside family,” Corrigan said outside the house. “It is Liberal-appointed boards of the universities and colleges who are employing Liberal insiders to lobby the Liberal government. It just goes round and round.” Universities Spend Big Bucks to Bend Government’s Ear, Andrew MacLeod, 25 Feb 2015, TheTyee.ca
It’s interesting how many politcians, no longer elected, are appointed to boards, organizations, etc. Ex. Colin Hansen, former minister of various things was appointed to the Treasury Board and the Select Standing Committee on Health (Colin Hansen – Wikipedia); Jessica Mcdonald, former deputy minister to previous BC premier Gordon Campbell, was appointed CEO of BC Hydro, who has no experience in the energy sector. Former top bureaucrat to take helm of BC Hydro, Justine Hunter and Wendy Stueck, 29 May 2014, The Globe and Mail. It doesn’t look like they did a nation-wide search for the most qualified person.
BC appoints the majority of board members to the universities, transit and health authorities, police boards and regional economic development bodies. Many of these board members are contributors to the BC Liberal party. (UBC Feud Casts Light on Who Sits On University. Agency Boards, Dermod Travis, 31 Aug 2015, IntegrityBC). And I’m sure there are many other examples.
Lobbyists play “leadership roles in the parties’ campaigns”, federally and provincially. They “build relationships with elected officials”, and, let’s face it, a debt is owed by the politicians which is paid by the people. (Lobbyists gather in Conservative war room, Simon Doyle, 07 Aug 2015, The Globe and Mail)
i) Donations are given to politicians and their parties, and some of those people/corporations receive contracts/special policies, etc. for what appears to be paybacks. This is sometimes called “buying politicians”. This benefits the politicians and their parties and the people/corporations involved at a cost to the taxpayers/citizenry because the decisions are not made in the best interest of the citizenry. Everyone knows this but we keep letting it happen. Money going out right and left, from the taxpayers, into the pockets of a few people.
5. Facade Organizations. I don’t waste time writing about what the politicians should do because I know they won’t do it. They may make laws or policies that sound good, to placate the normal people, but then ignore the laws/policies. They will create organizations, such as the privacy commissioner’s office, so people think they have rights until they try to exercise those rights. Then they find out that the organization is just a sham, a facade, that does nothing but covers for the politicians and their friends (with the occasional exception). Someone referred to the people in these organizations as obstructionists. And it is true. They are hired to obstruct the citizens’ complaints and right to honest answers to questions. They are the barrier between the citizenry and the politicians who are suppose to be working on our behalf. See future post “Facade Organizations” for examples.
6. The politicians get rid of anyone who serves the people, not them, ex. Auditor general John Doyle (see posts “Auditor General Apr 13 2013 and Auditor General – PARIS report May 24 2010), Alana James (see future post “Our Information Is Not Protected”) and Edgar Schmidt (Edgar Schmidt, 23 May 2014, Voices).
People with ethics, morals, integrity, principles don’t go into politics or don’t stay long (only long enough to learn that you give up your ethics, morals, integrity, principles or get out).
- Lies. The politicians will promise you anything before an election and then do whatever they want after the election. Examples: HST, accountability & transparency… Christy Clark campaigned, in the last BC election, on fiscal restraint. Immediately after the election political staff got huge pay raises, no doubt believing it would be forgotten by the next election (not everyone forgets). She ended up having to rescind some increases but her intent was obvious. Her staffers get huge rewards and everyone else…well, who cares, they can just work a little harder, work a little longer, or go hungry/homeless… to pay for Christy’s friends. And, it wasn’t long before Christy was telling people, like teachers, that there was no money for their pay increases. Opposition questions hikes to political aide salaries, 11 Jun, 2013, CBC News; Barbara Yaffe: B.C. To Christy Clark – Rollback ‘incendiary’ pay hikes, now, Barbara Yaffe, 12 Jun 2013, Vancouver Sun (a paper I never bought); Teachers Strike ‘Imminent’ as Sides Remain Far Apart, 16 Jun 2014, TheTyee.ca; BC Libs Give Secret Payouts, but No One Pays for Breaking the Rules, Bill Tieleman, 22 Jul 2014, TheTyee.ca
- Biggest Law Breakers. These are “people” who believe they are, and operate, above the law. They will write policies/laws so you think they are doing something beneficial, then they will ignore/violate those same policies/laws;. They do not work for OUR interests. When you go to access the laws/regulations you find that the government doesn’t enforce them because it would be inconvenient to them and their friends; the laws are just a farce, a facade, words on paper to con the people.
For example:
a. Proposing/Passing legislation in violation of the Charter of Freedom and Rights. Government Lawyer Edgar Schmidt courageously blows the whistle: Editorial, 19 Jan 2013, Toronto Star
b. The government has ignored the privacy legislation and privacy commissioners. Some examples: The Canadian Government Wants To Pay Someone to Creep Your Facebook, Ben Makuch, 13 Nov 2014, Motherboard; Veteran advocate’s privacy breached, Murray Brewster, 13 Feb 2012, The Chronicle Herald; Privacy Commissioner Slams Bill C-51, Jeremy J. Nuttall, 06 Mar 2015, TheTyee.ca; Commissioner raps health ministry for attack on privacy, Andrew MacLeod, 23 Apr 2010, TheTyee.ca; Health minister ‘fundamentally disagrees’ with commissioner’s privacy worries, Andrew MacLeod, 28 Apr 2010, TheTyee.ca; B.C. Government charges ahead with ID card, despite major privacy and transparency concerns, 08 Jan 2013, FIPA; Bill easing research access to ehealth data sparks privacy fears, Craig McInnes, 03 May 2012, Vancouver Sun; Bill C-51: Privacy watchdog Daniel Therrien blocked from committee witness list, Kady O’Malley, 12 Mar 2015, CBC News
- Illegally accessing our online information. Some examples: CSE monitors millions of Canadian emails to government – Critics question how long data is stored and what it’s used for, Amber Hildebrandt, Dave Seglins, Michael Pereira, 25 Feb 2015, CBC News; Creepy Canada, Mitchell Anderson, 11 Feb. 2014, TheTyee.ca; How Canada Can End Mass Surveillance, David Christopher, 27 May 2015, TheTyee.ca; Supreme Court to Personal Data Plunderers: Get a Warrant!, Michael Geist, 22 Jul 2014, TheTyee.ca
- Illegally destroying emails. Some examples: Rachel Notley puts halt to shredding at Alberta legislature pending probe, Dean Bennett, 13 May 2015, CTV News; Doubling Down on The Dobell Doctrine, Ross Kat, 09 Nov 2011, The Gazetteer; Former BC Gov’t Staffer Alleges He Was Told To Erase Records, Andrew MacLeod, 29 May 2015, TheTyee.ca; BC Government Put Itself Above the Law with Email Deletions, Paul Wiollcocks, 28 Oct 2015, TheTyee.ca
- Ignoring the courts and the Parliament of Canada Act. The politicians certainly wouldn’t want people to know the impact of budget cuts. Ottawa denies nearly half of budget officer’s requests, Paul McLeod, 27 Jan 2014. The Chronicle Herald
- a mayor owes a duty of care to their residents to ensure maintenance and other standards are enforced but they often don’t thereby forcing people to suffer, governments ask questions on forms that they have no legal right to ask, they illegally share our health information, they steal DNA from newborn babies, and so on.
- “Ottawa is drawing up an inventory of protesters” – I don’t know if this is illegal but it should be. The state gets more intrusive, again, Lawrence Martin, 17 Feb 2015, The Globe and Mail.
They should apply the law and teach respect for it by example. Instead, they break the law whenever it is inconvenient TO THEM and thereby teach disrespect for the law and the politicians.
When I am asked to provide information I ask them about any questions I think unnecessary. Under the privacy act they are suppose to tell you why they want the information and the reason has to be logical. I usually get a response such as “because it’s on the form” or “ because the computer asks for it”. This is not a real answer. So I contact management. And they usually end up saying that I don’t need to answer the question. And I get a phone number to directly contact the manager (or other title) if I have any further problems. When I recommend that they change the form to indicate that the question is optional I am usually told that “they will consider it”. They don’t of course. They just want to shut me up by giving me special treatment so they can continue stealing from others who do not know the laws or are too timid to stand up for their rights.
- Revolving Door. A situation in which people with experience in an industry take government jobs in agencies that set policy for that industry and in which government employees take private-sector jobs in order to use their connections and knowledge to favourably influence government policy regarding their industry. (The Free Dictionary). This often leads to conflicts of interest to the detriment of the citizenry. For example, a government employee may make policy favourable to the industry in return for a high-level job/directorship in the industry. Or a person in industry may take a government job for the sole purpose of setting policy/regulations favourable to the industry and not in the best interests of the citizenry. Examples of people who have gone from government to industry: Clark Aide Joins Firm that Lobbies for Kinder Morgan (and lobbies for, at least, one drug company), Bob Mackin, 25 Nov 2013; Former Tory minister on the hot seat over Enbridge lobbying gig, Kady O’Malley, 07 Jan 2014, Inside Politics; Crony Capitalism?: Revolving Door between Telecom-Media-Internet Industries in Canada, 08 Aug 2011, Dwayne Winseck’s Media Blog; Government Ethics Coalition, Democracy Watch; Harper not doing enough to end cozy relationship between lobbyists and politicians, critics say, Stephen Maher, 09 Mar 2015, National Post; Ex-BC Gov’t Gambling Boss Apologizes for Conflict of Interest, Bob Mackin, 11 Jul 2014, TheTyee.ca
- Culture of Secrecy. Some (most) MLA’s, MPP’s, MNA’s, and MP’s won’t answer any questions or they provide a non-answer, others only answer questions if it makes them look good and they are spewing the party propaganda so we don’t know what is going on except what the turdits tell us (muzzling the press, scientists, politicians, etc.) .
They won’t tell us who has access to our information (medical and otherwise) or how it is being used.
They refuse to tell us how they are spending the citizens money or why, ex. BC Place roof, Vasi/Birk.
The politicians and their lackeys use personal email to avoid freedom of information requests. Some examples: Libs Quick Wins Plan Didn’t Break the Law, Bob Mackin, 01 Aug 2013, TheTyee.ca; Doubling Down on the Dobell Doctrine, Ross Kat, 09 Nov 2012, The Gazetteer; Probe Details How Clark, Aides Erased Communication Trail, Bob Mackin, 04 Mar 2013, TheTyee.ca
They shove through omnibus bills with little or no time to read or debate, sometimes its budget bills have non-budget items, usually because there are changes to laws that they don’t want brought to light or debated or compromised so they want to hide (bury) it in the omnibus bills and ram it through. Some examples: federal bills C-51, C-38, and C-45. A monster loose on parliament hill, 13 May 2015, The Globe and Mail; Thrown Under the Omnibus: C-51 The Latest In Harper’s Barrage of Sprawling Undemocratic Bills, Carol Linnitt, 07 May 2015, DeSmog.ca; With Elections Act, Canada Slides into Ventriloquism Democracy, Michael Harris, 31 Mar 2014, TheTyee.ca; Feds Massively Changing Trademark Law with No Debate, Michael Geist, 22 Apr 2014, TheTyee.ca; 10 reasons to oppose the Conservatives’ Bill C-38, Chloe Makepeace, 12 June 2012, rabble.ca
“Referencing such bills, former auditor general Sheila Fraser said that ‘Parliament has become so undermined that it is almost unable to do the job that people expect of it.”‘ Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: The Evidence Compiled, David Beers and Tyee Staff and Contributors, 10 Aug 2015, TheTyee.ca
What are they doing to us that they have to hide it?
This culture of secrecy allows them to be neither accountable nor transparent. Is that democracy??
- Propaganda – 1500 Communications Staffers (estimated)(federal) – Not only are they trying to brainwash us but think of the cost of paying all these people. But then, we will just have to work a little harder, a little longer or do without. Some Examples: PM Harper takes communications strategy to new level, Laura Ryckewaert, 21 Nov 2011, The Hill Times online; Tories eager to outsource more ad work, 19 Jan 2012, The Globe and Mail; Clark propaganda starts here with $15-million taxpayer-funded ad campaign, Bill Tieleman, 19 Nov 2012, 24 Hours.
The politicians’ communication departments or imbedded journalists write exactly what the politicians want them to write. Part of the problem is that it is frequently not identified as information directly from politicians or their communications department and people are led to believe that the person writing the article has researched the topic and is “independent”. What is written is misleading at best.
Harper had decided to name a building after a politician and this person was given a state funeral. Why? He wasn’t better than anyone else, just a government employee. Why don’t they name the building after a fallen soldier, someone who gave the ultimate for his/her country instead of a government employee who was never in the line of fire. It’s all about exploiting the deceased politician to make themselves look important, saint-like, so people won’t see that they are really bottom-feeders. It’s the same as using the titles like “honourable” and “Your Worship”. If it’s said enough times people might actually believe it and not see that the opposite is true.
If you were in business and the person you hired, your employee, did what these politicians do, how long would they be working for you? If you have any common sense it wouldn’t be for long. And if you kept getting the same type of employee, what would you do? Give up and keep paying them to lie, steal, hide information, etc. from you or would you start to look for a new way of doing business that did not require hiring lying thieves?
As long as we keep voting nothing will change. Why would it? The politicians and their friends have the system they want?
Voting is akin to someone saying that they are coming to your home next week to steal from you and they would like you to keep the door unlocked and you do.
I consider it my duty NOT to vote for those turdits called politicians who destroy my rights, my democracy. I owe it to all those who died, who have suffered to protect my rights, my democracy to try to change the whole system, to not support the turdits (with the exception of this last federal election as noted above, in hopes of minimizing the damage being done).
As long as people vote, the turdits are going to be there; they can say that the people want them, that the people support them
These are not leaders, they are not our representatives, they are parasites.
To quote a commenter, Igbymac, “…they (voters) are the water that nourishes this insatiable thirst for power” and “voting itself disqualifies anyone from complaining since this corrupt, self- serving system cannot exist without people breathing life into it with their endorsement at the voting booth”.
Personally, I just want the turdits to stay away from me from now until forever. And that goes for their families, who benefit from everything the turdits steal from us and do to us. There will be the rare exception, a politician who stands up to the other politicians and shows that he/she works “for the people” but, as mentioned before, they don’t last long.
You can read a list of some of the abuses of power by Harper and his Conservative party. These are just more examples of what politicians do to us. Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: The Evidence Compiled, David Beers and Tyee Staff and Contributors, 10 Aug 2015, TheTyee.ca