Resettle THIS!

Soccer Mom Budget

2009-01-30T18:01:00.005-06:00

I have nothing against women who can afford to stay home and raise their kids, or those who can follow a successful career outside their home and afford a nanny or other costly daycare. However, they are not the majority of women.

The budget conjured up by Harper and Flaherty, under threat from a potential coalition government, does not address the needs of the most vulnerable, and that includes many Canadian women.

The income tax cuts will mostly help fairly affluent households. Upping the "baby bonus" amounts will not address the need of affordable day care and is just another perk for affluent households. Ditto for tax credits in support of kids' hockey camps and piano lessons. The "cottage deck" initiative does nothing to provide affordable housing for low income, fixed income, under-employed, unemployed and unable to work women across this country. There is also the failure to change Employment Insurance eligibility to provide income relief to many women who work in jobs that make them ineligible or hold onto part-time work that doesn't allow them to access the program.

I didn't expect better from Harper. Nor did I expect him to respect pay equity. You only have to look at the list of resolutions passed at the last Conservative Party convention to recognize how despised women's rights are in his party.

What really burns is to recognize that neither pay equity nor the failure to address the needs of the most vulnerable was not considered a "poison pill" by the official opposition.

Sadly, I was hoping that Ignatieff would prove me wrong and display some courage. Unfortunately, I was wrong. It seems that vulnerability is an abstract concept for this Ivy League "human rights" expert.

Thanks to the Regina Mom, who reminded many of us that Anita Neville is the LPC critic for Status of Women, I fired off this letter:

Dear Ms. Neville,

I live in a riding adjacent to yours so I am not writing as one of your constituents but as a concerned Canadian woman. I am writing to you today since you are the Liberal critic responsible for the status of women.

The budget presented by Harper's Conservative government is a failed attempt at addressing the severe recession we are entering. Mr. Ignatieff seems to recognize this but still insists on supporting it with the proviso of periodic report cards. This is a meaningless gesture that does nothing to protect the most vulnerable, which includes many women across Canada. This budget provides little of no relief for low income, single income, unemployed and working women.

Those who are fortunate enough to still have jobs need meaningful childcare supports, something former PM Martin recognized but didn't act upon fast enough. Those without jobs or earning low incomes need refundable tax credit mechanisms to supplement household income and not increases in income exemptions and bracketing that fail to provide women with non-taxable incomes little relief. Many of the women who will lose their jobs will not qualify for EI benefits based on the current system. And lose their jobs they will since most women are employed in the retail and services sectors (including health care) and the taxation and economic stimulus measures will not create very many opportunities or protect jobs in these sectors.

But what really galls me is that the Liberals have failed to demand a reversal of the government's attack on pay equity. We have known that this was on the table since Flaherty first presented his economic update in November. Failing to demand that this loathsome and regressive move be struck from the budget is reprehensible. While President Obama moves the US a step forward, PM Harper with support of the official opposition moves Canada two steps backwards.

I beg of you that you vote with your conscience and engage your caucus to re-examine their official position. This is not the time to play petty politics.

Yours respectfully,

Beijing York

2009-01-18T18:02:00.012-06:00

Who's the terrorist?

Is Izz el-Deen Aboul Aish a terrorist? Is that why his daughters had to die?

Izz el-Deen Aboul Aish, who speaks Hebrew, worked as a gynecologist in an Israeli hospital. Even as the crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel had largely been closed in recent months, he had traveled frequently from one place to the other. But he had remained in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began 21 days ago. He gave frequent interviews to the Israeli media on living conditions in the seaside enclave. He spoke of having tanks around his house and of passing through checkpoints; he told Israelis what it was like to be Palestinian.

Minutes away from a scheduled phone interview on Israeli TV 10 with newscaster Shlomi Eldar, Aboul Aish called Eldar’s cellphone, screaming and weeping in Arabic and Hebrew. The doctor’s home had been struck by a shell:

“Oh God, oh my God, my daughters have been killed. They’ve killed my children. . . . Could somebody please come to us?”

Sitting at his news desk for one of Israel’s main evening news broadcasts, Eldar held his phone up. For three minutes and 26 seconds, Aboul Aish’s wailing was broadcast across the country.

Some more pictures of terrorists from Guerrilla Radio:

From Da Arab Mcs: Who's the terrorist?

2009-01-09T19:38:00.010-06:00

Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!

In Michael Ignatieff’s recent mea culpa , not only does he acknowledge that he was wrong about the Iraq invasion but he reveals a humility that has endeared so many Canadian voters — not. Peppering his earlier paragraphs with quotes from the philosopher Isaiah Berlin, he faults his error in judgment on the academic’s propensity to view the world through ideas and knowledge rather than simple understanding of reality. This convoluted explanation of the difference between the intellectual and politician serves as some kind of proof that he has rappelled the walls of his ivory tower to embrace the simplicity of thought of the common man. And who better to represent that common man than Ralph Kramden!

“As a former denizen of Harvard, I’ve had to learn that a sense of reality doesn’t always flourish in elite institutions. It is the street virtue par excellence. Bus drivers can display a shrewder grasp of what’s what than Nobel Prize winners. The only way any of us can improve our grasp of reality is to confront the world every day and learn, mostly from our mistakes, what works and what doesn’t. Yet even lengthy experience can fail us in life and in politics. Experience can imprison decision-makers in worn-out solutions while blinding them to the untried remedy that does the trick.”

The “bus driver” has a shrewder grasp of reality because he bumbles along in life and picks up a few “what’s what” by learning from mistakes. You have to wade through some 15 or 16 paragraphs that grapple with the obstacles faced by politicians and the challenges of dealing with Iraq before Ignatieff actually and clearly acknowledges that he was wrong because others were less wrong. Those who were against the Iraq invasion were too common and simple to know they were right!?! How else can we interpret this:

“We might test judgment by asking, on the issue of Iraq, who best anticipated how events turned out. But many of those who correctly anticipated catastrophe did so not by exercising judgment but by indulging in ideology. They opposed the invasion because they believed the president was only after the oil or because they believed America is always and in every situation wrong.”

Ignatieff’s so-called apology is pompous and self-serving. In the paragraph that follows, he basically calls those who demonstrated good judgment callous cynics who didn’t suppose the human rights ideals that fueled his own belief that a free state could arise on the foundations of 35 years of police terror. His vision and good intentions, like those of Bush and such honourable Iraqi exiles as Ahmed Chalabi, were his failings? Ignatieff and his fellow neo-conservative pundits do owe an apology for defending and boosting the Bush administration’s ridiculous and illegal plans to liberate Iraq by bringing ruin and insecurity to a nation that had not posed any threat to the US or its allies.

Ignatieff might learn a thing or two about the common man by renting The Honeymooners on DVD. Robert Svedi had this to say about the appeal of this television classic:

“Another reason for The Honeymooners long shelf life is that the problems that the Kramden's and the Norton's faced some fifty years ago, are the same problems that still plague people today. Money shortages, being stuck in a dead-end job, housing and relationship issues and the desire to better one's condition are all things that are dealt with on a daily basis for most of the population every day. The Honeymooners allow us to laugh at ourselves while teaching us that the most valuable commodities are really love and friendship.”

Jackie Gleason’s bus driver has more insight into the human condition than this wannabe Prime Minister.

UPDATE: For the sake of political expediency, I thought I would bite my tongue on the LPC's coronation of Ignatieff as the de facto leader of the party. I've expressed my doubts that he would put his personal ambition aside to work for solutions for Canadians, including working within a coalition government should Harper fail to deliver anything but a just and effective budget. But his recent comments with respect to the brutal assault of Gaza by the IDF was just too much to remain silent. My fellow progressive bloggers have been raking Iggy over the coals and provide great insight as to why he is an utter disappointment. Some have suggested I repost this because it is just too damn easy to dismiss this latest pronouncement as just a gaffe when in fact, Ignatieff has been pretty consistent in his views.

Here is a list of some excellent posts about Iggy's "not an occupation" statement worth reading:

Ignatieff Gets a Huge Pat On The Back - from The National Post

Gaza: "Big Concentration Camp"

Israel faces UN war crimes probe

Not Good Enough

Ignatieff the Bloody

Wanker of the day

An Israeli atrocity

Oh, Iggy

2009-01-01T17:06:00.008-06:00

CBC: Prognosis Critical

Harvie Andre was one of three partisan panelists on yesterday’s Year End Political Panel on The Current. He was so over-the-top that it was hard to remember points made by others. In fact, Warren Kinsella almost sounded bashful in comparison. I was surprised that they got Peggy Nash on that panel to represent the NDP. That was actually much better than their usual “left” (NDP) stalwart and sometimes Harper cheerleader, Janice McKinnon.

I used to listen to CBC Radio for most of the day and evening (combo of work and cooking) but these days I have a hard time keeping the radio on. Ideas is still top notch as is Eleanor Wachtel's Writers & Company but so many of the other programs that were worthwhile have been diluted, skewed or replaced by crap.

It’s not just the content of programming that has gone downhill. You can hear the cutbacks in almost all aspects of Radio One. There is so much repetitive programming that I have to keep tabs on whether I already heard something on the weekend or on a weekday morning/afternoon/evening. And it seems like they have laid off technical staff because there are far more glitches than ever before. Between news broadcasts mixing up tapes, intros and extros being out of whack, and phone line connection screw-ups — I experienced better quality control on campus/community radio.

As for their TV line-up, shriek! Seriously, how could they axe such great drama as Intelligence and This is Wonderland for the dreck that they now have?

I suspect that their money-maker, Hockey Night in Canada is next to go, or is that already official. Failing to negotiate a renewal of the contract for the theme song was definitely a death knell. TSN doesn't exist on making lucrative offers. That music was CBC's to lose and had little to do with Dolores Claman’s renegotiation demands for the rights to use her iconic music. Even on last night’s As It Happens year end current affairs quiz, none of the panelists (Elizabeth May, Pat Martin and Scott Brison) could hum the contest-winning replacement theme, Canadian Gold. (It reminds me of the theme from Dallas but with a flourish of bag pipes.)

I am convinced that Harper is trying to destroy the CBC from the inside. I also think that Ignatieff will not put up a fight with the proposed cuts to the CBC. What the hell would he know about the CBC or what it means to many of us when he has spent so much of his time outside this country! He probably will think of it as nothing more than an archaic nation building tool.

Thanks to decades of insufficient funding and government pressure to compete against media giants, what was once an institution started by a visionary leader is now stacked with executives who think they can hang on to their jobs by helping the CBC transition into something new -- perhaps privatized or member supported.

2008-12-30T18:02:00.001-06:00

Auld Lang Syne

B from Politics ‘n Poetry tagged me in an interesting exercise consisting of writing 19 +1 things about yourself. I ended up writing a list of remarks and insights that were frankly far more personal than I intended.

Perhaps it’s the time of year. This holiday has resonance as a marker of days gone by, and somehow I found myself swept with a myriad of memories of events, observations and feelings that define me.

This is my list:

1. Late in my teens, I discovered that I was born two years prior to my parents being married. That was big given when I was born. I never did discuss it with my mother and I should have.

2. Of my father's four children, I was the only one who consistently loved him despite his faults. That probably didn't help my relationship with my mother.

3. I grew up in a discordant household but one thing that was strong and still influences my brothers and I, was the strong commitment my parents had for equality and social justice.

4. I was an extremely shy kid who spent loads of times living in my dreams.

5. I almost failed kindergarten because my teacher assumed I was immature and unable to communicate in English. My dad wrote a note to her calling her a bigot who never took time to get to know me. He said the problem wasn't my lack of English knowledge but the fact that I didn't like her. To this day, I think that is one of the best things my dad did for me.

6. I got to travel to France and Paris as a kid and even witnessed the running of the bulls in Pamplona. That is one of my most cherished childhood moments.

7. In almost a dream like memory, I remember meeting this woman who lived in a shack on the edge of the rail tracks near the back of my home. I remember her as a tragic figure but not much else.

8. I was a pretty straight-laced kid, even throughout high school, but I had this childhood friend who lived in Quebec that I would visit every year. Her life was wild and I felt like I got to experience another life every time I visited. Those visits led to my first french kiss, drag off weed, popping of mescaline and LSD, near intercourse and other experiences. She also taught me how not to fear downhill skiing.

9. I always loved animals and couldn't stand watching any movie that included the death of any living creature. I was probably 8 years old when we adopted our first cat. I nearly went crazy when he disappeared for a week and years later was heart broken when we had to give him away. But I love them all. Not just cats. I remember my dad bringing in a dog during a snow storm. I have no idea what happened next. But I remember him being kept warm in our living room on that very snowy, cold night.

10. I think I had a mini breakdown of sorts at the end of my first year at university. I know I had very dark thoughts but I also had spent two weeks on dexidren doing all nighters studying for my exams. It was a bleak and emotionally self-indulgent period.

11. I was very angry for much of my youth. I didn't like following norms or experiencing lack of freedom. I was basically stubborn but quiet in my rebellion.

12. I moved out of home when I was eighteen. I didn't need to but chose to, to escape my mother mostly. I don't think it ever helped my relationship with her but it did bring my dad and I closer.

13. I think I only discovered wanton freedom in my mid-twenties. And I did so with a vengeance. I have no regrets and had a hell of a good time.

14. During the hey day of my party days, I would meet my future husband but I would never have guessed that I would end up with him. Life is funny that way.

15. Leaving for and living in Japan would prove to be one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. I developed self-esteem through hardship, loneliness, strong friendships and hard work. It was probably the most energetic period of my life.

16. I also got to back pack through Asia for some seven months. It was the most profound experience I had ever had and that is despite the fact that my mother was dying. Don't get me wrong, I cared very much about my mother but had become hardened to her pleas when she insisted she was dying some five years before. I did cut my travels to go home when I heard from my father that it was actually happening.

17. My mother's death had a profound effect on me. I did get to spend time with her in her last three months and it was devastating. Being by her side sooner would not have changed the impact it had on me. We had a failed and painful relationship and it would have taken another ten years to resolve. I miss her terribly and wish she had been around to see how well her children had done. I would have like to have had the opportunity to talk to her as a woman and not as a girl.

18. I have written and hope to continue to write poetry. I think that I see and describe things differently because English is not my first language and yet my only comfortable language. It's weird how that has worked out. I have a handful of dear friends who have consistently encouraged me and for that I am eternally grateful.

19. I have made short films and I hope to finish a feature film that was first inspired back in 1997. It has been an albatross around my neck. It changed so many times that I almost lost sight of how it could be a meaningful story. But it is and I have to finish it. Plus so many people lent their talent on this project for nothing but a credit that I would never forgive myself not finishing it.

20. I hope to slay all the albatrosses in my life, including the film and settling my father's estate. I look forward to moving beyond them and writing a series of short stories as well as turning my mind to new film projects. I hope all these things are possible.

And with that, I wish you peace, good health, happiness and success in the new year.

2008-12-24T18:48:00.004-06:00

Freedom 85

I’ve been working for some four decades. Hard to believe at times and given my choices, my working days are far from over.

I was tagged by my dear cyber pixie buddy fern hill of DAMMIT JANET! to take part in a blog community-building exercise that consists of listing the jobs that define you. This event is the brain child of blogger balbulican of Stageleft: Life on the Left Side.

So here is my list:

* baby sitter
* server (catering company)
* kitchen staff (Burger King)
* typist (35 wpm — yeah, that bad!)
* sales clerk (we actually won a car for best service at the maternity fashion store I worked at and us part-time employees fought to share equally in the prize – my first Norma Rae moment )
* waitress/manager (Wildflower Café – a losing proposition from the get go)
* marketing/promotions coordinator (orchestra/music school)
* research assistant (rating anger management performances for psych project)
* immigrant/refugee employment/training coordinator
* public relations clerk (University of Ottawa - got to meet Stanley Knowles and Maureen MacTeer during convocation events)
* hostess/waitress (Marble Works – known for feasting with your bare hands like in the good old medieval age)
* bilingual proof reader/graphic layout (diesel engines/military manuals – rumour was our manager lost the plot after making a mistake in de Havilland engineering manual that led to a horrific crash – he was a very angry task master )
* office administration clerk/manager (software development firm)
* radio producer/ host (CKCU – it was a volunteer position but still one of the most important gigs I ever had)
* poet (never got paid but did get published for over a decade)
* Tokyo nightclub hostess (I was actually fired by the mama-san after a short 3-4 weeks of moonlighting – her assistant got drunk and fell in love with a sumo wrestler so I was asked to wash the whiskey glasses and refused)
* promotions “model” (including dressing up like a cow girl to pass out coupons for the Pollo Loco outlet in a Tokyo shopping mall – I could barely say hello in Japanese)
* radio DJ (Tokyo – best job ever even though I was constantly berated for not playing enough top 40 hits)
* chorus girl (Children’s musical theatre – another volunteer experience but very eye opening given that I was blind and off-key most of the time)
* ESL instructor (Tokyo and Ottawa – reprimanded in one school for dressing to provocatively so I protested by wearing the same black school marm dress for three weeks straight)
* copywriter (marketing firm – biggest client was the opposition Liberals under Jean Chretien)
* film maker (shorts – first film the most successful and all has been downhill ever since, sigh)
* production/training coordinator (film group)
* film CCA/tax credit officer (Cdn Heritage – there for the transition from one subsidy support to another)
* cultural/arts policy analyst/adviser (Cdn Heritage – highlight was working on the WTO Split Run Magazine challenge)
* VP marketing (failed international development start-up – but got to go to conferences in Portugal, Austria and Italy)
* consultant (arts/culture/marketing/communications – current contract is taking me into more environmental and FN resource development areas)

As for selecting five bloggers to tag, my list is:

Mentarch at Another Point of View

Catchfire at Blind Man with Pistol

skdadl at Peace, order and good government, eh?

900 ft jesus at In the House and Senate

Simon at Montreal Simon

Another Point of View: Crisis? What Political Crisis? In Which Deluded Universe Are We Living In?

2008-12-03T14:48:00.000-06:00

Another Point of View: Crisis? What Political Crisis? In Which Deluded Universe Are We Living In?

An excellent must read. And seriously, who is paying for Harper's televised crisis address that airs tonight? His party or our pocket books?

Me, I rather watch the competition for Top Chef.

2008-11-30T21:04:00.003-06:00

Avoid the bait, Harper is already cornered

Today’s media events revealed the CPC releasing a transcript of a phone call into the NDP’s caucus meeting teleconference that was held yesterday. The party is trying to spin some kind of scandal out of the fact that Layton revealed that they had had earlier discussions with the Bloc regarding working together in common cause. Who cares! They are both opposition parties dealing with a minority government so this is just normal procedure. This is not proof of “secret, shady meetings to reverse election results” or a plan to launch a “massive power grab” from the ruling Conservative party.

I couldn’t believe the words coming out of Pierre Poilievre’s mouth. They were easy to remember because he just kept repeating the same talking points and they were ridiculous. Unfortunately, the progressive voices on the web are getting fixated on whether listening to, taping and distributing the tape to the media is an illegal action. I think that such a focus is exactly what Harper and his strategists were hoping for.

I don't disagree that it's unethical to tape and leak it to the media even if you were invited to listen in on the proceedings. And if you were not invited, there is definitely a cause to pursue an investigation since wiretapping still remains illegal. But word of advice: any actions the NDP take with respect to the legality of obtaining the tape or the ethical bankruptcy in distributing it, should be undertaken quietly and after the Harper government has been toppled. If their actions were criminal, the crime won't go away.

The media will be more than thrilled to have a scandal to focus on and will have a field day over some “wintergate” or “coldgate” event. Such a focus would detract from the current impression that the opposition parties are committed to making government work for Canadians while the Conservatives are not.

Harper is going back to his Rovian book of dirty tactics. But this time I think most Canadians are more likely to see them as signs of desperation. We don’t need to hurl accusations of illegal wiretapping to bring Harper and his Conservatives down. Demonstrating that the opposition parties have no recourse but to lose confidence in Harper’s ability to govern is key.

The opposition parties have successfully convinced the public that their concern is not only with his proposed changes to party election financing and union rights, but with his overall lack of vision or commitment to present an action plan to deal with the economic hardships that Canadians know they are facing. That’s why they didn’t back track when Harper stated that that these new policies would be shelved. Harper is spinning his wheels to find a way to hold on to power and so far, his flaccid attempts to stop the opposition have failed.

Giving the media a chance to focus on an impending lawsuit only serves Harper in my view. I'm sure Harper and his supporters are probably hoping the media and blogosphere gets in a tizzy over the NDP demanding an investigation.

The bottom line is that Harper is better equipped at handling accusations of scandal than those of ineptness. He's been like teflon on every other scandal raised in the past two years because he recognizes that a steady non-reaction is better politics than an over-reaction. Chretien is also gifted with the same reflexes.

An angry Jack Layton is the worst thing that could happen when the idea of a coalition government is picking up momentum. The Winnipeg Free Press (fairly right wing) closed today’s snapshot poll reporting 69% in favour of a coalition government.

Having the media spend the week focused on whether the taping was illegal, unethical or inept (on the part of the NDP) would be a shot in the arm for Harper. It's bait and the whole news item should be buried as fast as possible.

2008-11-06T19:02:00.009-06:00

RIP Barry E. Wright – 1951 to 2008

Barry in the Oregon Food Bank Warehouse

My friend Barry passed away on Wednesday October 29, 2008 after he had gone to bed. Earlier that night was the last time he would tour the Internet discussion forums that we shared. Barry was 57 years old.

Here is how Barry described himself on his profile page:

I live in Portland, Oregon, USA. My profession is healthcare, currently with Providence Portland MC. Volunteer activities include the Oregon Food Bank, the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon an various Providence-sponsored events.

I'm a member of the Pacific Green Party and the ACLU and am active with the Portland Peace and Justice Works and the Portland Alliance newspaper.

My direct political activity is local as I believe we can make the most difference from the ground up. This includes city and county candidates and ballot proposals. If the Greens nominate Nader for President, though, I'm ready to rock'n'roll on a national level.

Other interests include horse riding, camping, reading, international e-mail correspondence, cooking the sorts of Italian-American food you won't find in Oregon, and my cats, Fuzz, Furzilla and Snowball...

Many people on various discussion boards were surprised to hear of his age. Barry's voice was young and energetic so I can see how some would imagine him to be in his thirties. I am so broken up by this loss. I only knew him through the magic of the World Wide Web. For four years we exchanged political critique and commentary, grass roots strategies, health care concerns, love of cats, and laughter.

These two recent posts make his loss even more bitter sweet:

As I watch the healthcare field abandon its ideals and become just another corporate entity I look forward to retirement with an intensity I'd never expected. Sept 1/08

Enjoy your Thanksgiving! It's my favorite holiday here in the U.S. for personal reasons, which is another cause for me wishing you good cheer.Oct. 10/08)

Barry always described his Thanksgiving blow out meals in detail. He loved eating and drinking well, and entertaining his friends.

He was also a very committed health care worker who never failed to tell us Canadians how much in awe he was of our universal health care system. I’m so sorry my friend died before he could enjoy his favourite holiday, and more importantly, his much-deserved retirement.

More pictures of Barry:

Barry loved life and gave so much to his community. His political insights were sharp and guided by a thirst for social justice. He was kind, generous and funny. One of the best people I ever met on an on-line community. I will miss him so much.

2008-11-06T11:07:00.001-06:00

Troy's Scribbles: Pass it along

More racism from the RCMP. This time they lashed out against home invasion victims because they are members of the Katzie First Nation reserve in Pitt Meadows, BC.

Troy provides a link to a first hand account of what happened to members of this family. The RCMP continue to call them liars.

The Galloping Beaver: Petition for justice for Robert Dziekanski

2008-10-31T12:10:00.000-05:00

The Galloping Beaver: Petition for justice for Robert Dziekanski

"... prosecutors weren't able to meet that deadline because the material received from RCMP investigators was deemed incomplete, with a required report on the use of deadly force missing."

"RCMP investigators have taken more than a year to provide Crown with the material needed to decide whether any or all of the four officers involved should be charged with Dziekanski's death."

This is a disgrace and I share Alison's outrage. Here is the link to the Justice for Robert Dziekanski petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/212297027?z00m=17601475

Montreal Simon: Margaret Wente, Shaidle, and the Moral Dimension

2008-10-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

Montreal Simon: Margaret Wente, Shaidle, and the Moral Dimension

More on waste of space Margaret Wente and her colonialist attack on our native people.

Troy's Scribbles: Three former residential schools, dozens of graves

2008-10-30T19:43:00.000-05:00

Troy's Scribbles: Three former residential schools, dozens of graves: "That's an estimated 237 graves from three schools. And there were hundreds of these damned institutions in both Canada and the USA."

Troy concludes:

That's an estimated 237 graves from three schools. And there were hundreds of these damned institutions in both Canada and the USA.

I've read correspondence between Indian Agents and their bosses in Ottawa dating back to the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s and the total disrespect shown in those letters and memos paints a very clear picture of how despicable and paternalistic their attitude was (and continues to be for far too many Canadians). The underlying motive for residential schools was assimilation. The government with the enthusiastic support of churches hoped to purge our FN, Inuit and Aboriginal peoples of their culture and identity. I think the first step to truth and reconciliation is identifying their actions as a policy of cultural genocide.

Sudbury Against War and Occupation: Indigenous cultures rivalled those of civilizations around the globe

2008-10-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

Sudbury Against War and Occupation: Indigenous cultures rivalled those of civilizations around the globe

Ms. Wente's true colours were revealed yet again as she basically trumpeted European superiority to the "savages" they met in their colonial quest. Here is a brilliant rebuttal from Hayden King, a member of Beausoleil First Nation and professor of Indigenous Studies at McMaster University.

Another Point of View: Coalition Opposition Needed Against Harper Agenda

2008-10-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

Another Point of View: Coalition Opposition Needed Against Harper Agenda: "But given Canadians' resilient attachment to progressive values, this world of lowered expectations could be challenged by genuine visionary political leadership."

A must read article by Murray Dobbin is profiled. I have made my comments at APOV.

Troy's Scribbles: LaForme's resignsation signals exactly how much Conservative's value First Nations

2008-10-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

Troy Thomas once again hits the nail on the head. Harper is not a friend to FN, Inuit and Aboriginal people. The sooner everyone realizes that, the sooner we can turf him out of government. Shame that LaForme's resignation didn't come before E-day. Harper figured an apology and sham commission would be enough to pass as a platform for Aboriginal issues.

Troy's Scribbles: LaForme's resignsation signals exactly how much Conservative's value First Nations

2008-10-07T20:06:00.002-05:00

Harper launches his Coffee Table Book

Oops, I meant election platform, one week before the election date. Globe and Mail provides a nice summary description:

The document is entitled “The True North Strong and Free: Stephen Harper's plan for Canadians.” It's a slim, glossy, 41-page booklet printed in huge blue font and includes 22 colour photos of Mr. Harper.

It features loads of photos of Harper being the bid daddy in the blue sweater. He wants to bring back the real meaning of patriotism to Canadians: the word derives from the Latin patria or “fatherland”.

Big Daddy will kiss your children and keep your neighbourhoods safe from sex offenders. He’ll also be introducing initiatives that protect and reward pregnant women. Because Father Steve is all about the babies! Well except for those born to Aboriginal women – there’s nothing in the coffee table book for your First Nation and Inuit communities.

But moving on, Harper is offering tons of tax relief to corporations. In case you haven’t heard, Big Daddy is a full-fledged economist so he knows how to stimulate a collapsing economy. (In the film industry, we call that a fluffer.)

By taking a page out of Bush Jr’s ~~nursery tale book~~ policy book, we can be rest assured of a rosy and prosperous future. Oh in case you forgot, George has a Harvard MBA so we know he knows what he’s doing on the economic front. And just like his mentor, Harper encouraged Canadians to buy, buy, BUY. He meant stocks in particular, but shopping in general is always good.

Layton’s ads got it wrong. He may very well be about kitchen tables but Harper’s all over the coffee table.

I encourage you to read these other blog sites for reviews of Harper’s platform.

The Conservative Platform

Steve Harper finally released his platform for re-election

Talk About A Dud

Harper's platform misses the boat

The Belated Harper Platform

2008-10-07T17:45:00.003-05:00

Weasel Words

Harper’s platform is finally ready for prime time television. CTV reports:

The platform also makes changes to controversial tax eligibility legislation for film projects, which had been passed in the House of Commons as part of a larger omnibus bill. The changes allowed government to have the final say on which projects qualified for the exemption, and many in the arts community said it was tantamount to censorship.

The Conservatives had defended the move by saying it was designed to ensure taxpayers didn't foot the bill for pornography or for films deemed "offensive."

However, Harper appears to have changed his mind in an attempt to win votes in Quebec -- where opposition to the bill was most pronounced -- as poll numbers show a slide for the Conservatives in the province.

Interesting phrase, appears to have changed his mind. Did he or didn’t he?

You be the judge:

"We will take into account the serious concerns that have been expressed by film creators and investors," says the platform.

They strike me as weasel words.

Just more smoke and mirrors, similar to Bill C-484 (the kicking ass abortion bill that’s not really about abortion). Harper similarly claimed that they would withdraw the controversial bill and introduce a variation that would protect reproductive choice, days before he announced the election. Both moves are a Conservative ploy to pander to Quebec voters, whom Harper seems to believe are stupid. Both statements are purposely vague, giving Harper wiggle room to pander to his core base, social conservatives.

An honest change of heart on either issue would have resulted in four simple words: We Are Axing It

The CTV site was updated between the time I first accessed it and returned to provide links in this post. Stageleft captured it on his blog:

The Conservatives are cancelling plans to put government control over which artists receive federal grants — a move that enraged the arts community, especially in Quebec where the party is desperate to gain ground.

Stephen Harper announced the party’s full election platform in Toronto on Tuesday, one week before Canadians go to the polls.

The platform pulls back from the controversial film tax changes that were passed in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives had defended the change by saying it was designed to ensure taxpayers didn’t foot the bill for pornography or for films deemed offensive.

However, the party appears to have changed its mind in an attempt to win votes in Quebec as poll numbers show a slide for the Conservatives.

In case you caught the first attempt at covering Harper’s so-called cancellation of the censorship clause, let’s point out the glaring mistake. A tax credit is not a GRANT. It is a refundable tax credit that is calculated on a production’s labour expenditures. It's a program designed to stimulate the film and television production industry and create jobs. Financing of films hinges on demonstrating that your production is eligible for a tax credit. Without that assurance, the fragile array of funding mechanisms can’t fall into place and productions will not be made. The negative economic impact that would have is tremendous in cities where films are predominantly shot. This is why the mayors of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal attempted to appeal to Steve “the economist” Harper’s common sense.

Between the media being willfully lazy and the Conservative Party's tendency to conflate things (individual artist grants with industry driven tax mechanisms), no wonder some "ordinary" Canadians are confused. Thankfully this news item was updated and the “grant” reference struck out.

What was added was this quote from the producer of one of the films that was bandied about by Harper’s spiritual advisor Chuck McVety before the Senate hearings:

Steve Hoban of Copperheart Entertainment, who produced this year's Canadian film "Young People F---ing," told The Canadian Press it was "good news all around." The film became a focus for debate about the legislation, largely because of its attention-grabbing title.

Sorry to disagree with you Mr. Hoban but this is not good news all around. There is no commitment to strike out the clause completely. And there is no commitment to restore the arts and culture cuts announced on two consecutive Friday nights just before the election. Don’t be fooled. Harper hates us and has no intention of taking into account our serious concerns. His government’s track record for conducting stakeholder consultations is non-existent.

Harper and his gang never announced the policy change with respect to the censorship clause in Bill C-10. It only came to light when Bill C-10 was in the Senate for review and Harper's spiritual adviser Chuck McVety boasted his influence over Justice Minister Rob Nicholson in getting that clause inserted. Harper’s minions purposely buried the short but controversial clause in an omnibus tax bill, hundreds of pages long. (Interesting that it was also Nicholson who was responsible for announcing the change of heart on Bill C-484 that McVety has been championing for ages.)

This was a stellar example of Harper's dishonesty and disrespect for government and Parliament. It backfired hugely once McVety opened his fat mouth. Filmmakers, film industry associations, guilds and unions, and other allied artists barraged Senators with their complaint. And they organized and campaigned against Harper's Bill C-10.

I honestly believe the subsequent arts and culture cuts were a result of Harper's vindictive nature. He hates artists, not because they are lazy hippies or silver spooned elites, but because they are intelligent, well spoken and creative. Unlike his gang of bully frat boys who think their "not a leader" website antics are brilliant, artists like Michel Rivard and Linda Griffiths know how to make very clever and hilarious video clips that send a profound message.

I suggest Mr. Hoban and anyone else who is interested in Canadian arts and culture as it pertains to this election, check out The Regina Mom blog site. She provides links to the NDP and Liberal responses to a series of straight shooting questions prepared by the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance. (The Conservative candidate refused to respond to the survey since it was distributed before they had a platform, I guess.)

2008-10-04T16:30:00.004-05:00

I have a cold and I’m in a piss poor mood

The Winnipeg Free Press never fails to annoy me. When did it become such a right wing rag?

The Winnipeg Free Press is creaming itself over how wonderful Harper was during the debate. This rag has some kind of "insiders panel" gimmick going were they are constantly polled for their opinions, which have been consistently pro-Harper:

The online survey was sent to members of the Free Press Insiders panel and was conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.

The debate's impact on voting intentions was mixed, but the Conservatives appear to have gained more traction from it than other parties. May's shining performance is not likely to translate into votes, the survey suggests.

More useless twaddle, this time on the economy with these "Insiders" claiming Harper strongest:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's steady-as-she-goes approach to global economic turmoil has strong voter endorsement in Winnipeg, a new Free Press Insiders survey suggests.

Harper's response to the U.S. financial-sector meltdown and wild stock-market gyrations was backed by 46 per cent of 2,635 members of the Insiders panel who answered an online survey conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday.

NDP Leader Jack Layton's urgent call for an emergency meeting of federal party leaders and new policies to deal with rising fears of a Canadian economic downturn was endorsed by 27 per cent.

But Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's response -- largely an attack on the minority Conservative government's economic performance -- was backed by just 22 per cent of Insiders, suggesting he has so far failed to capitalize on the strong economic legacy of the Chrétien-Martin years.

Who are these “Insiders” and what were the polling questions? So far, the only thing Harper has offered is a plagiarized McCain quote, the fundamentals of the economy are strong. As blogger Troy’s Scribbles asks, What exactly are these fundamentals that Harper praises?

Hard to tell since Sweater Vest Boy doesn’t have a platform as both Layton and May correctly pointed out during the English debate. Are these Winnipeg Free Press “Insiders” clairvoyants? What makes them think that Harper is strongest on the economy? That lifted statement, the fundamentals of the economy are strong smacks of one of the Bush administration’s penchants for finding meaningless catch phrases as a replacement for actual facts and policy. Remember these gems:

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Axis of Evil

Mission Accomplished

Staying the course

I still have faith in Canadians by and large not being completely fooled by Harper's blue sweater vest image. However, the CONSERVATIVES really did an effective job in emasculating Dion and creating the illusion that he is completely inept with the help of the media. And it seems like they also provided Layton with enough rope to hang himself as far as his ever being PM is concerned.

Whether Layton realizes it or not (or even freaking cares), the majority of Canadians like a caretaker government that balances budgets, doesn't raise taxes, and maintains the status quo with respect to public services they appreciate. That's the reality – most Canadians consider themselves socially progressive but small "c" fiscally conservative.

Those convinced of the smear campaign on Dion are not going to rush to vote for Layton. That's exactly what Harper is counting on. The NDP might gain some soft red Liberals but they'll be fighting the Greens to get those votes while attacking the Liberal brand in the same nuanced way they attacked Harper.

More conservative Liberals will go with Harper, convinced that Conservatives are fiscally prudent and tax cut friendly (again thanks to the media). Some may even hold their noses doing so, recognizing that he is too conservative on social issues and too closely aligned to the US.

What astounds me is how absolutely useless the NDP and Liberal strategists have been. Duceppe wasn't afraid to go into aggressive attack mode on Harper's ass from the get go and it's working for him.

Dion's group deceived themselves into thinking that they could campaign on policy. Good luck with that when Harper set the stage for it being a content free election. Then there is the distraction of wasting time attacking the NDP. What purpose does that serve? Calling the party last century socialists is ridiculous. Do these strategist think we're in the US where the socialist label is poison? Focus on the Liberal's track record on the economy and the fact that Dion actually has a platform with ideas that Canadians can relate to. I highly recommend checking out Newsworld's X Challenge, as posted by blogger Red Tory, and see just how well Harper's team does when they are actually asked to speak. Wake up Liberal strategists, Harper's weakness is his slate of candidates.

As for Layton's claim that he would only focus on Harper in this election, unlike their relentless attack on the Liberals during the last election, it strikes me that he has done very little damage with his non-specific, contrast the leaders, approach. What strategist decided that the "kitchen table vs corporate table" was considered a blow against Harper? Most Canadians don't care if their government is friendly to corporations if it means a stimulated economy and jobs. Sure when you bail out banks with billions when the economy is in a tailspin, then public perception of corporate support becomes extremely jaundiced. But Harper called the election before the economy could fully tank under his guard. And what the hell does a "new kind of strong" mean to anyone? Did the strategist really think some kind of Obamarama love fest was going to happen and Canadians would be swept into believing Layton should be President of Canada?

As for the Winnipeg Free Press and all other corporate media in this country, stop manipulating and start informing the public. You are not helping democracy by dumbing down how elections get covered.

Can our media not get it together to actually demand policy commitments and descriptions from these politicians? Can the media please question Harper on his performance record in Parliament? Can the media drop their partisan hypocrisy and hound Harper on the numerous scandals that plagued his short tenure as PM?

The coverage of this whole election is largely limited to stump speech sound bites and snap polls. We are not the United States and we are not electing a President.

I will vote for a candidate who I dislike immensely because he has the best chance of defeating a CONSERVATIVE. I strongly recommend you visit Vote for Environment to see how you can make your vote count towards kicking Harper to the opposition benches where he belongs.

where'd that bug go?: The Artists' Other Gala (this time, they're not the waiters)

2008-10-02T17:28:00.000-05:00

All you "ordinary" folk who live in Toronto should check out this event. It's a fantastic line up of talent and the proceeds of the evening go to a very appealing initiative in support of using art creation to help young people living on the street.

where'd that bug go?: The Artists' Other Gala (this time, they're not the waiters)

Troy's Scribbles: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a joke

2008-08-31T20:20:00.000-05:00

An important read that points out how bogus Harper's apology was and continues to be.

Troy's Scribbles: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a joke

2008-08-20T19:56:00.003-05:00

More bloodletting at Canadian Heritage

Canada’s New Government is not only shifty but liars to boot. Department of Canadian Heritage denied that they were cutting critical programs and made the bogus claim that they were actually investing more than the previous Liberal government.

Exhibit A: From the Globe and Mail’s August 18, 2008 report, Culture hung out to dry:

Late last week, the federal Minister of Heritage, Josée Verner, was dispatched to swear up and down that the government has no intention of cutting the cultural sector out of its budget, and that decisions to eliminate grant programs were based on a value-for-money assessment of their performance.

The minister's assurances were entirely unconvincing. The federal government has proposed no replacement for any of the programs it has ended, leaving Canada's cultural organizations out to dry.

Exhibit B: From the Globe and Mail’s August 20, 2008 report, Tories slashing $44.8-million in arts spending:

The most expensive of five new cuts approved in February was the $11.7-million Canadian Memory Fund, which gives federal agencies money to digitize collections and mount them online. Also chopped were the $3.8-million Culture.ca Web portal; the $560,000 Canadian Cultural Observatory; the $5.64-million research and development component of Canadian Culture Online; and the $2.1-million Northern Distribution Program, which distributes the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network signal to 96 Northern communities.

Funding to the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Magazine Fund will also drop by $1-million and $500,000 respectively.

So Josée Verner had no idea about these other programs being cut or substantially downsized? Give me a break! I met with the Founder and Executive Director of a small film festival earlier today. With a limited budget, few staff and lots of volunteers, they have managed to not only program children’s films from Canada and around the world but conduct professional development workshops and a unique outreach program that teaches rural kids how to make short films. She’s very nervous about these cuts and just as furious about hearing retrogrades across the country championing the end of government funding to arts and culture. Many people in this industry work for barely living wages and apply innovative business approaches to getting their projects off the ground. Working in the arts in still very much a labour of love.

Part 3 – Diverting funds from arts to election campaigning

I would definitely like to see where the so-called increases in Canadian Heritage’s budget come from. This department houses many programs beyond arts and culture so it would be pretty easy for them to conduct a shell game.

Lots of spending has been diverted to sports with the Beijing and upcoming Vancouver Olympics. I'm sure that is not just limited to developing talent, and include culture and trade initiatives like setting up and recruiting participants for the Canada pavilion in Beijing. I also imagine the price tag for helping promote and launch the 2010 winter games is pretty hefty.

My thoughts then drift to Winnipeg. When the federal government commits to investing in the building of new sports stadiums, as is the case with David Asper's proposed new facility for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, what purse of funds do those multi-million dollars come from? And speaking of new facilities in Winnipeg, the federal government has also pledged money for the building of the Canadian Human Rights Museum and passed legislation to enable the creation of a new crown corporation. That includes funding all its operations. That expense certainly falls under the purview of Canadian Heritage and is probably quite the hefty price tag.

In addition to the 400th Anniversary Quebec City celebrations, didn't Harper also announce funding for an upcoming event in Newfoundland? I'm sure there are many similar and smaller events (like the Halifax UFO event) that are accessing funds, including the Calgary Stampede. These examples are starting to sound like an electioneering slush fund to me.

Under Multiculturalism and Official Languages there are all sorts of projects receiving funding, including inter-faith outreach programs and minority language community outreach programs (the latter includes $60,000 to the English Speaking Catholic Council). There are also "Celebrate Canada" Committees in every province that get funding for Canada Day activities etc.

When I first pondered these so-called increases to arts and culture, I thought of the Postal Assistance Program for magazines and other magazine and book publishing programs. Thought maybe they were safe but I guess not since both the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Magazine Fund will have their budgets substantially reduced according to today’s Globe and Mail article.

Last week, the PM’s new communications director aka spokesthingy, Kory Teneycke, bragged about budget increases to certain arts and culture crown holdings. The increases to the Canada Council, NAC and CBC are interesting given Harper's not-so-secret desire to privatize many of Canada's crown corporations and agencies. Harper also gave VIA Rail a significant cash infusion not so long ago. Sometimes you have to tart things up before a successful sale can proceed -- call it curb appeal if you will.

h/t: Impolitical for highlighting today’s newest cuts.

2008-08-19T12:03:00.001-05:00

I just joined the Kick Ass Blogger Club

deBeauxOs, one of the Kick Ass Bloggers at Birth Pangs has added me to the Mamma Dawg’s awesome list. As the blogging kidz like to say, wOOt!

Now for my turn at naming more worthy blogging members for the Kick Ass Blogger Club, here is my list in no particular order:

Peace, order and good government, eh? – a thoughtful, well researched and politically astute group blog (with honourary mention of my dear pal skdadl).

Challenging the Commonplace – Chrystal and Daphne are tireless in attacking issues that face women struggling with poverty and discrimination.

Michael Geist’s Blog – the good professor has done great work in raising awareness of the odious Bill C-61 Canadian DMCA as well as other copyright and privacy issues.

Politics’ n’ Poetry – our kick ass gal pal Berlynn (aka Nuclear Girl) has an explosive site dedicated to watching all things nuclear.

Hope and Onions – Goddamnit Kitty has been busy and we miss her but maybe this honour will lure her back. Nothing like a puss in boots to kick up a blogging storm, right?

Further instructions from Mamma Dawg:

LOVE ON 'EM

* Choose 5 bloggers that you feel are "Kick Ass Bloggers"

* Let 'em know in your post or via email, twitter or blog comments that they've received an award

* Share the love and link back to both the person who awarded you and back to www.mammadawg.com

* Hop on back to the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ to sign Mr. Linky then pass it on!

2008-08-18T17:28:00.003-05:00

Canada’s New Government’s Approach to Participaction

The latest round of cuts to arts funding programs administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage did not even merit a press release, let alone public consultations with stakeholders. I guess various arts organizations are now clearly on their toes, watching for what might be in store for them next. And speaking of stretching from the tip of your toes to your head, perhaps the intent of these cuts is to actually get bums out of seats because chances are good that we’ll be seeing orchestras, dance companies, theatres, and film festivals folding thanks to cuts to the Stabilization Program and Capacity Building initiatives. Further down the road, the odds are that we won’t have developed talented writers, directors and producers who can spin a good Canadian tale into movie magic. And you better not count on watching any retrospective presentations of past works either without the A/V Trust.

Part Two – A/V Trust, Independent Film and Video Fund, National Training Program, Capacity Building and Stabilization Program

From the August 15, 2008 Globe and Mail Article Ottawa to axe five more programs:

The Stabilization Projects, to be shut down in April, were established in seven cities from Victoria to Charlottetown to provide financial and administrative support to arts organizations. Capacity Building is a companion program to provide similar assistance to organizations with no access to a Stabilization Project. Capacity Building has given aid to 347 arts and 214 heritage organizations since 2002, but will be cut in 2010.

The department also plans to end its annual contributions of $300,000 to the A-V Presentation Trust, $1.5-million to the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund and $2.5-million to the National Training Program in the Film and Video Sector.

Just a point of clarification, the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund is a different program than the National Training Program in Film and Video. I should also add that the G&M got the title wrong on the A/V Trust, which is a program in support of “preservation” (not presentation) of our audio-visual archival heritage. (Why can’t the corporate media reinstate fact checkers?)

The A/V Trust has restored archived Canadian films, TV and radio productions, and sound recording works. The restored works are presented in public forums and usually accompanied by material and guest speakers to give historical context of their significance.

As for the NTP program, the 2.5 million is spread across four long-standing film training institutions whose alumni include highly successful film and television writers, directors and producers. Federal support has allowed these institutions to provide top-notch training with little cost to potential talent in Canada. Here are the four:

Canadian Film Centre (CFC), (Toronto)

Canadian Screen Training Centre (CSTC), (Ottawa)

National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI), (Winnipeg)

Institut national de l’image et du son (INIS), (Montréal)

I’ve only attended parties at the first, trained with the second, worked for the third and wish I had strong enough French language skills to have attended the fourth. Makes me wonder whether the Harpercons will also cut funding to the National Theatre School as well.

A thorough and positive program evaluation was conducted by the Department in 2003. I don’t know how Canadian Heritage Minister Josée Verner could claim that these four training institutions failed to demonstrate that they were providing sufficient returns for the dollars invested. In fact, in preparing Annual Reports for the National Screen Institute, I remember our alumni survey results indicating that over 80% of their program graduates were working professionally in the industry in their chosen fields.

The Arts Stabilization Program was designed to encourage and reward fiscal management, basically an attempt to appease those voters who felt that arts organizations were fiscally irresponsible and not to be trusted with taxpayer funding. Ditto for the Capacity Building initiative that encouraged a more commercial outlook (or “more bums in seats” as we used to say). Arts organizations had to focus on administration and marketing to get federal support as opposed to creative and innovative programming. These changes to the traditional approach to arts funding were introduced in the late 1990s as a method for restoring earlier Liberal funding cuts in a fiscally responsible way.

These are not arts welfare handouts as the Harpercons like to imply. If anything, it’s amazing that any thinking out of the box gets accomplished with the constraints imposed by the current programs about to be axed. These cuts do not bode well for the Canada Council for the Arts. Add to that the recent appointment of investment banker Joseph Rotman as the Chair.

2008-08-17T18:09:00.004-05:00

Margaret Atwood should add "psychic" to her CV

In April 2007, Margaret Atwood summed up the Harper government's attitude to arts and culture quite succinctly, the Tories are out to "squash the arts into the dust", and in the past week we have seen this merry band of half wits cut more than a handful of arts programs. As with the Bill C-10 debacle, Artists call plan to vet films 'censorship', the program cuts came as a complete surprise to the arts community. These latest cuts were announced either quietly on a Friday afternoon during the summer recess or by departmental phone calls to stakeholders. These dramatic changes to Canada's cultural landscape did not merit consultations, public notification or Parliamentary debate – at least not in the eyes of Canada's New Government.

Many progressive Canadian bloggers have already raised attention to these cuts and I have commented whenever possible to clarify some misunderstandings or under-reporting of facts by the media. I did so from a position of having worked in the Department of Canadian Heritage from the introduction of the Film and Video Tax Credit to the launch of the Arts Stabilization and Capacity Building Programs. Since leaving government, I have also worked as an arts consultant where I became well versed with such programs as the National Training Program in Film and Video, Trade Routes and PromArt. Despite all the reactionary commentary from op-ed pieces to reader feedback on such news sites as CBC and Globe and Mail, the programs that Harper has targeted are market-driven.

Part 1 - PromArt and Trade Routes

This DFAIT Program, PromArt funding for artists to travel abroad, was designed to promote cultural goods for an export market. They have programs for every other market sector. Why should authors, filmmakers, theatre producers, musicians, etc not benefit from exporting their talents? We subsidize exporters in every other area so why leave arts and culture out of the equation? Their share of the pie is pitiful compared to the supports given to other industries but still people focus on the value of artistic representation.

Arts and culture as an export has the added bonus of helping bolster Canada's tourism business. Seems to me that such a program has more bang for its buck than helping a widget maker or skate designer make it to the next international trade fair.

As for Trade Routes, the notice for the cancellation of this program can be found here. I was still working at Canadian Heritage when this program was launched. Unlike PromArt that subsidized travel costs to individuals and groups attending international events and markets, Trade Routes was designed to create projects that would increase exports for specific cultural sectors. In other words, rather than waiting to be recognized and invited to participate in overseas events, arts and cultural groups were given the opportunity to prepare for and launch themselves into export markets. I worked on a Trade Routes sponsored project that brought Canadian Aboriginal producers together with Maori and Aborigine counterparts, as well as Australian and New Zealand broadcasters and distributors, to forge co-productions and mutually beneficial exposure to each other's markets.

I should add that Trade Routes was part of an umbrella initiative called Team Canada Inc. that crossed all industry sectors for the purpose of increasing Canadian exports. This included a number of PM led trade missions abroad that attracted many participants from a variety of business sectors. Why is Harper only targeting artists?

2008-06-30T13:20:00.001-05:00

Apologies aren't enough: Group calls for justice, land claim settlements

A Canadian Lefty in Occupied Land: Coverage of Indigenous Solidarity Day in Sudbury

Dumping on coloured people

2008-06-15T13:24:00.001-05:00

Dumping on coloured people

Posted using ShareThis

Larry Hubich's Blog: The Most Destructive Project on Earth: The Canadian Tar Sands

2008-06-14T13:53:00.000-05:00

Larry Hubich's Blog: The Most Destructive Project on Earth: The Canadian Tar Sands

In The House and Senate: What does the apology mean?

2008-06-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

In The House and Senate: What does the apology mean?

Politics, Re-Spun: Recipe for Assassinating the CBC

2008-06-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

Politics, Re-Spun: Recipe for Assassinating the CBC

2007-08-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

“As a former denizen of Harvard, I’ve had to learn that a sense of reality doesn’t always flourish in elite institutions. It is the street virtue par excellence. Bus drivers can display a shrewder grasp of what’s what than Nobel Prize winners. The only way any of us can improve our grasp of reality is to confront the world every day and learn, mostly from our mistakes, what works and what doesn’t. Yet even lengthy experience can fail us in life and in politics. Experience can imprison decision-makers in worn-out solutions while blinding them to the untried remedy that does the trick.”

“We might test judgment by asking, on the issue of Iraq, who best anticipated how events turned out. But many of those who correctly anticipated catastrophe did so not by exercising judgment but by indulging in ideology. They opposed the invasion because they believed the president was only after the oil or because they believed America is always and in every situation wrong.”

“Another reason for The Honeymooners long shelf life is that the problems that the Kramden's and the Norton's faced some fifty years ago, are the same problems that still plague people today. Money shortages, being stuck in a dead-end job, housing and relationship issues and the desire to better one's condition are all things that are dealt with on a daily basis for most of the population every day. The Honeymooners allow us to laugh at ourselves while teaching us that the most valuable commodities are really love and friendship.”

Jackie Gleason’s bus driver has more insight into the human condition than this wannabe Prime Minister.

2007-08-04T02:01:00.000-05:00

As Time Goes By

It’s nearly two years later from when I last posted. Things have gone from bad to worse. On a professional front, I arrived to a fork in the road and chose a direction that led to a dead end. Not that I have any regrets since it afforded me the opportunity to learn a great deal about the World Bank and the whole realm of international development and finance. I got to write papers on the systemic failures in protecting the rights of poor and indigenous peoples when it comes to infrastructure and economic development projects, and I was invited to attend international conferences where I basically enumerated World Bank failures in advancing social impact mitigation mechanisms. In the end, it was a fun ride but the position I took didn’t earn me any paid work. Frankly, the so-called Millennium Development Goals make for great policy sound bites but have little impact in alleviating poverty and racism.

On a personal front, we are struggling with the loss of an incredible woman, my mother-in-law Sue Potvin. She woke up before I did and noticed that our governments were failing the little people. She worked with a number of independent thinkers such as Mel Hurtig, Lorne Nystrom and David Orchard and went on to launch her own alternative publication, Discourse and Disclosure. Her approach to politics was more issue oriented than my own, but more importantly, she was action oriented. We didn’t see eye to eye on every issue but we certainly shared a strong commitment to social justice and environmental sustainability. Sue became a key contributor to an informal news group that evolved from a bunch of friends sharing articles of interest when it felt like the mainstream media was marching to the same talking points in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I had the chance to spend quality one-on-one time with Sue in the past many months as she struggled to accomplish her final goals after being diagnosed with terminal cancer in February. I discovered how loved and respected she was by her immediate community – one that she gave so richly to through her volunteer work and generous friendship. I also learned the meaning of grace. She accepted her fate without fear, anger or depression. She paved the way for our acceptance of her loss, so that her husband Don could state so eloquently at her funeral that for many months he cried tears of sorrow but that with her passing he could cry tears of joy.

It has been a time of reflection and appreciation of what keeps us grounded in life – the love and laughter that come from being connected to family, friends and community. World events still anger and depress me. And I hope to write soon about the political, social and economic challenges that influence our future. But for the moment, I raise my glass to the memory of Judith Sue Potvin.

2005-09-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

What’s culture got to do with it?

When I think of New Orleans, I think of a city of many distinct cultures with individual threads – be they French, African American, Caribbean, Acadian – forming a multicultural weave that is historically unique in North America. This vibrant centre of sin and sanctity (captured brilliantly in one stroke with its famed Mardi Gras celebrations) has inspired, attracted and produced some of the best playwrights, novelists, poets, painters, filmmakers, chefs and musicians the US has on offer.

Culture is more than a commodity to be exploited in pursuit of tourism dollars. Those wishing to aggressively pursue a policy of gentrification are ignoring this fact. Without the people and communities, predominantly poor and black, who have infused a spirit that has fuelled the cultural wealth of the Big Easy, a new and improved New Orleans will become a Disney version of its former self, catering to conventions and wholesome family fun. Laissez les bon temps rouler, indeed!

One has to wonder if what is now being referred to as the “black migration” or “Diaspora” was undertaken deliberately. Enrollment of affected children into local schools in host communities across the country was accomplished faster than delivery of much needed water, food and medical supplies to the survivors in the disaster zones. Meanwhile, many of New Orleans wealthy continued to sup on foie gras and sip champagne while devising plans for the reconstruction of the devastated city. One such elite had this to say:

"The power elite of New Orleans -- whether they are still in the city or have moved temporarily to enclaves such as Destin, Fla., and Vail, Colo. -- insist the remade city won't simply restore the old order. New Orleans before the flood was burdened by a teeming underclass, substandard schools and a high crime rate. The city has few corporate headquarters.”

"The new city must be something very different, with better services and fewer poor people.”

"Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way: demographically, geographically and politically," he says. "I'm not just speaking for myself here. The way we've been living is not going to happen again, or we're out."

The lack of respect given to those most affected by Hurricane Katrina’s descent on New Orleans is appalling. These are people who have a strong sense of community and a culture that is very much tied to their home city. Why should they leave when others can stay?

Naomi Klein has it right. The people, the so-called underclass that represent close to 70% of the population, should be in charge of rebuilding New Orleans. Their communities should be consulted every step of the way and given the opportunity to address and rectify the past failings that have kept the poor impoverished – not shipped off to far flung FEMA refugee camps. In her words:

“Here's a better idea: New Orleans could be reconstructed by and for the very people most victimized by the flood. Schools and hospitals that were falling apart before could finally have adequate resources; the rebuilding could create thousands of local jobs and provide massive skills training in decent paying industries. Rather than handing over the reconstruction to the same corrupt elite that failed the city so spectacularly, the effort could be led by groups like Douglass Community Coalition. Before the hurricane this remarkable assembly of parents, teachers, students and artists was trying to reconstruct the city from the ravages of poverty by transforming Frederick Douglass Senior High School into a model of community learning. They have already done the painstaking work of building consensus around education reform. Now that the funds are flowing, shouldn't they have the tools to rebuild every ailing public school in the city?”

For those of us who understand how we should lend a helping hand, here is a link to a site that lists grassroots, community based and culturally sensitive non-profits who are committed to helping the people most affected by this disaster:

http://www.sparkplugfoundation.org/katrinarelief.html

If such shameful lack of concern for the poor exists within North American borders, are we to honestly believe that poverty eradication is the primary goal of such global institutions as the World Bank?

2005-09-07T18:10:00.001-05:00

US gears up for largest resettlement in US history

That is if you don’t count the tragic history of Native Americans who were forced off their traditional lands (including the infamous Trail of Tears tragedy and the Indian Removal Act).

Today’s news is littered with stories of how the evacuees of New Orleans will create the largest US black resettlement since the Great Migration of poor Southern blacks heading North for better job prospects, a migration that spanned from 1910 to 1970. Seems like a positive spin to a very negative situation. The predominantly poor black residents of New Orleans didn’t choose to leave their homes for better opportunities – a catastrophic hurricane devastated their communities and left their future in the hands of those who cared too little to make necessary repairs to the levees.

This new wave of “migration” is actually forced resettlement with the victims of Hurricane Katrina being bussed to such temporary holding pens as the Houston Astrodome by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Plans are underfoot to figure out what to do next with the evacuees but rest assured, people like Barbara Bush see a silver lining:

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this [she chuckled slightly]--this is working very well for them."

Meanwhile, suburban evacuees have been returning to examine the extent of damage to their homes. No talk of resettlement for these folks who are probably not black, and most certainly not poor. According to one such suburban resident, "We're going to rebuild it. You know we're going to come back."

By contrast, survivors who managed to ride out the storm and consequential chaos, thanks to the delayed rescue and relief efforts as coordinated by federal agencies, are insisting on staying put in their central New Orleans homes.

"There is absolutely no reason to stay here. There are no jobs. There are no homes to go to. No hotels to go to and there is absolutely nothing here," New Orleans Deputy Police Chief Warren Riley told a news conference.

For those who chose to stay in central New Orleans rather than join their poor black neighbours who have to resettle and find new jobs, there will be no more goodwill and compassion. According to a representative of a search-and-rescue team tasked with finding these survivors and persuading them to leave, “no relief materials, such as food and water, would be provided for these people”.

Rebuild or resettle? I sure know what I would choose.