BUSH-WACKED - AGAIN

The tiny, sneering simulacrum of a circus clown who has been posing, lo these past several years, as the president of what claims to be the largest and most powerful democracy on earth, has done it again.

We posted the other day, Mr. Bush's determination to whack a handsome $70 Billion or so from Medicare and Medicade expenditures. And this in a vast and rich land with 45 million of its imperial subjects without any medical coverage whatsoever.

Now, the Worst Executive America Has Ever Had to Tolerate has released his budget for the coming year. The total near $3 Trillion, if you can get your noodle around that. I can't; why should you?

(This photo, by the way, is built with the pictures of American soldiers who have died in Iraq. Enough said.)

"The President's budget is filled with debt and deception, disconnected from reality...," says Kent Conrad, a Democrat from North Dakota and Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. Senator Judd Gregg, the top republican on the Committee, said of the President's budget, "I don't think it has a lot of legs." Or arms or lips.

What is so appalling is that the Pentagon budget now accounts for more than one-fifth of all expenditures! Think about that for a moment. More than twenty per cent of the total federal purse in a nation that is theoretically living in Peace Time is being spent on War.

The fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is now tagged at something in the neighbourhood of $150 Billion. How few months ago was it that Donald Rumsfeld promised these excursions would not cost more than $50 Billion? Nice work, boys.

I remember so many years ago watching the Republican National Convention and seeing all those good souls cheering on Richard Nixon. I remember feeling pinned to the sofa in horror and disbelief. Didn't they know this guy was a Major Creep, that he would turn out to be what we all knew him to be, a sleazy crook?

Then I watched the good people rallying for Bush. And my feelings at watching that spectacle made my earlier feelings with Nixon seem like euphoria.

Today, the only people who have clarity are the comedians and the satirists. Somebody please help us all.

ANOUNCEMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Please join us in 2 weeks for a great evening to support housing for seniors. I'll be the MC and Auctioneer, the dinner will be great and the auction will be the most fun you can have that's still legal.

Gala Dinner and Auction to Raise Money for Seniors

On Saturday, February 24, 2007, the Little Mountain Residential Care & Housing Society will hold their 2nd Annual Gala Dinner and Auction – The Silver Plate Event at the Law Courts Inn. The fundraising event sold out in its first year and was a tremendous success surpassing all expectations – to raise money to enrich the lives of the elderly!

The event will help to raise needed money to:

Purchasing basic need items for seniors on limited income.
Providing therapeutic programming for elders such as music therapy, art therapy, horticultural therapy and spirituality therapy.
Purchasing new palliative equipment to better meet the needs of elders receiving end-of-life care.
Creating a new therapeutic garden for seniors.

Peter Ladner, Vancouver City Councillor, Vice Chair GVRD & VP of Business in Vancouver Media Group will deliver the keynote address.

Master of Ceremonies and Auctioneer, David Berner, Broadcaster, Actor & Writer will lead the auction of some very unique bid items which include:

A trip for two on Singapore Airlines for a week to exotic Malaysia
A cruise for two on Holland America Line
A trip for two to Palm Springs courtesy of Harmony Airways and Club Intrawest
A Helijet getaway to the Empress in Victoria for two
A Whistler summer golf vacation
An Okanagan vacation at Bella Sera Resort
A private party catered by Joeys Restaurants
A getaway on Allegiant Air to Bally’s Las Vegas
An evening with movie critic Rick Forchuk at the movies
Two nights at the Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley
Two return tickets anywhere in Canada on WestJet
The Ultimate Vancouver Canucks fan package.

Gold Sponsors
Tourism Malaysia

Silver Sponsors
Joeys Restaurants, BC Housing, Dumolin & Boskovich, Creekhouse Gallery, Holland America Line, Meadowood Resort, Singapore Airlines.

Bronze Sponsors
Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi, Echo Valley Ranch and Spa, TE Wealth, Helijet, FirePro, Investors Group, KPMG, Bowers Medical, Club Intrawest, Catalyst Healthcare, Heritage Hospitality, Bellstar Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont Empress, Allegiant Air, Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions.

Media Sponsors
The Vancouver Courier, The Vancouver Sun, The Province, Working.Com, CKNW 980
Located in Vancouver, Little Mountain Residential Care & Housing Society serves nearly 300 older adults on two campuses including residential care and independent housing. Within the residential care setting, Gentlecare is the signature style of care which means residents’ needs and wants are the priority. GentleCare is a philosophy supports choice, dignity, respect, recognition of cultural diversity and encourages creative care giving for people living with dementia and their family members.

Quick Facts
· Each year in BC, 13,640 people develop Alzheimer Type Dementia
· Senior (Age 65 and over) make up 13.3 percent of the population in BC
· It is estimated that in 2031 seniors will make up 24 percent of the population of BC
· People age 65, face at least a 40 percent lifetime risk of entering a nursing home and a 60 percent chance of needing long term care sometime in their life.
· Operational funding does not cover therapeutic programs in nursing homes such as horticultural therapy, music therapy, art therapy, and spirituality therapy.
For More Information or to purchase tickets ($75) contact
Cindy Koch, Little Mountain Residential Care & Housing Society 604-325-2298 (306) ckoch@littlemountaincare.org - www.littlemountaincare.org.