Victor at the Hospital

Hi David:

As we've all heard by now, a cretin walked into a room on the 8th floor of Vancouver General, whispered into the ear of the occupant, a 91 year old lady who had just had her leg amputated, that her rings needed cleaning. She gave him the rings and he vanished.

The official response from the VPD spokesdork was puzzling. The VPD criticized VGH for its lax security.

Wrong answer spokesdork.

Here is what the Chief should have said.

"This crime is an example of the human waste that walks our streets stealing to support a habit they are too gutless to fight. They are not victims, in spite of what the Enablement industry would have you believe. Our compassion and resources should go to helping the defenseless and those who truly want to change their lives. But lower life forms like this should be made to pay in the harshest way permissible under our laws."

Of course, the Chief couldn't say that because he reports to Mayor Nutbar.

The Worst Bureaucratic Comedy of All Time

In case, you have been wondering why nothing ever gets done by governments and why our relationship with native Canadians is such an unholy mess...in case any of that...

You owe it to yourself, to read what our Victoria broadcaster friend, Sean Holman, has posted on his Public Eye Online blog.

It's all about the definition of the word "entanglement."

Read this and laugh and weep.

A Pox on Your House

The decision by the BC Supreme Court to dismiss the Canadian Bar Association's plea for legal aid for the poor is most disappointing.

Legal Aid may not be a right, but in a just society, legal services must be available to the least among us, otherwise justice has been bought.

"Integrated Approach" is a Euphemism for Business as Usual

"Change isn't going to happen by big government organizations. It's going to take millions of little organizations."- Pete Seeger

This is one of my new favorite quotes, which you can see in the right hand column.

I mention it this morning apropos of a Sun editorial headlined, "Integrated Approach to help chronic offenders is a positive step forward."

Let me assure you that any time you here this exalted phrase - "Integrated Approach" - you should run for cover.

Two years ago I attended a meeting of about 50 minds. Stockwell Day, The Nutty Mayor, Wally Opaque, Chuck Someone, Conservative Member from Somewhere, all The Usual Suspects.

We were sitting in leather armchairs in a board room on the top floor of an obscure building on Melville St. downtown. Security was tight. The media was there, but kept at bay.

Everyone spoke excitedly about how we were all working together in a new "integrated approach" to rid our communities of addictions, mental illness and homelessness.

We were all interfacing.

It was very exciting.

As you can see by the evidence, this group accomplished so much.

The truth is that human progress happens in tiny increments. A man over here does something. A group over there does something else.

Pete Seeger noticed that the Hudson River was a stink pot.

He built a boat called The Clearwater. He sang on the river banks. Soon, others joined him.

In a few years, they had cleaned up the Hudson River.

All the governments interfacing all the years did nothing.

And so it goes.

This new "integrated approach" touted by the paper this morning has one immense flaw in it, that even the editorial acknowledges.

THERE IS NO TREATMENT AND NO HOUSING AVAILABLE.

Black President? Lady President?

The Hillary Clinton - Barak Obama showdown arrives tonight.

Do not turn that dial.

The Duke

Billy Strayhorn