Friday, October 23, 2009

CRUELTY IN BUREAUCRATIC GARB IS STILL CRUELTY


We've spoken several times in recent days in this space about cuts to programs for mentally ill and addicted people on Vancouver Island.

Of course, those cuts of monies for important services are not restricted to the Island Health Authority.

The lovely and compassionate Kevin Falcon is being even-handed and fair in his demands across the board for everyone to suffer equally.

Justine Hunter has given us first-rate coverage of this mess in today's Globe.

Her opening lines sets the tone:

"T
he only residential addictions treatment program for youth in B.C.'s northwest is closing.

Struggling parents in the Downtown Eastside can count on less support to get them to counselling.

Over in Victoria, seniors' support is slashed and caseworkers for the mentally ill are laid off."

Read the piece and think hard about how you will vote in the next election.

This administration has become a poster child for "penny wise and pound foolish," as it squanders billions of ego-projects and attacks the weak and vulnerable with tiny cutbacks that mean the world to people who already have so little.

2 comments:

Dave C. said...

David,

How dishonest and misleading can this government get without arousing the wrath of the general population? Apparently a lot worse. I can't fathom why so many of us are tolerating cuts like the ones you have described today and not connecting it with decisions like the obscene provision of tickets to the Olympic games for politicians and crown corporations. And then to call it "revenue" to ensure that the inevitable deficit these games will incur is
minimized is scandalous.

It was reported that 30% of the Olympic tickets were reserved for the general public. How generous. Are we to believe that the taxpayers are only responsible for 30% of the expenditures? Oh yeah, I forgot that this circus was for the benefit of corporations and we will all benefit from trickle-down economics. Add that one to the "The cheque's in the mail" BS.

Shame on you Campbell and your followers. When you eventually succumb to terminal analitis, try to find someone to take care of you.

Anonymous said...

It is the oldest of political strategies practiced by dictators for ever and ever. Do as many service, legislative tax cuts, tax increases and funding cuts etc. as fast as possible to keep the public off balance with just too many issues to deal with properly. Meanwhile do what they bloody well please. It is the reason California and so many other States are about to go 'bankrupt.' It is a return to the '20 and '30 eras of economic suicide for the poor and wealth for the robber barons. Why else are the pols and aides in Victoria taking $100,000 raises?