Children at Risk Sacrificed for Other Glories

Nine foster kids in one placement.

A home that has already been flagged for mistreatment.

A child dies.

Inter-office communications break down.

Check the list of fools who have held this portfolio - Ministry of Children & Families - in the last 10 years.

Not one person has known enough about children or children at risk or social work to do an effective job.

And how could they when there are huge staff shortages?

Of course there are going to be huge staff shortages...there are no foto ops, like the ones that come with Lance Armstrong and 2010 and the Trade and Convention Centre.

Gordon Campbell understands the underbelly of history. Years from now, people can look at the edifices he has strung together and say, "Wow. That was Premier Campbell."

They are not as likely to say, "Gee, that Premier Campbell saved children's lives."

The Doctors' Voices

In their respective health care editorials in today's Sun, Dr. Penny Ballem and Dr. Brian Day, each hit out of the park for me.

Ballem says we've got to stop creating "policy on the run."

Remember that she walked away from Gordon Campbell's team most precipitously.

Clearly this simple caution is loaded with criticism of a government that only makes policy as it suits their short-sighted, egotistical political aims.

When and where will be find the politicians who will go beyond these self-serving motives, to the larger considerations?

Then, Day says that we've got to stop block funding for hospitals. Many of us have been saying exactly that for years. Hospitals and their funding should spin exactly on the needs of patients.

Until we put that kind of system in place, we will continue to buy box car loads of stents and bedpans simply to complete budgets.

Air India - The Daily Report

And speaking of lawsuits...

The AG is suing Malik for the $6.4Million we gave him as a loan so he could get acquitted from the bombing he was involved in that only killed 331 people.

Of course, Malik has been and is a millionaire, rich in properties. So, why did we have to lend him money?

Well, we did and now we're asking that he return it. That's the good news.

The bad news is that we'll never get that money. But we will spend another million or two fighting with this guy in court.

And the really, really bad news, that will make you laugh until you cry is that Malik is suing us, the Province of BC and the government of Canada, for "malicious prosecution."

How about we all sue the government for malnutritious prosecution?

India is Hip

Hip replacements in India?

Now, that I didn't know.

It is rare that I actually learn a new thing reading the paper.

Mostly, I react to the news.

But in today's massive Health issue of the Sun, I actually was surprised to learn how many BC people are flying to India to pay for private surgeries.

Why not sue Gordon Campbell and Stephen Harper for re-imbursement?