You're Not So Excellent After All

Governments across Canada are cutting scholarship monies previously available to high school graduates.

Never to be outdone, The Education Premier has topped them all.

"British Columbia sent letters to 185 of its leading high school students this month informing them of the cancellation of the Premier's Excellence Awards, which for more than two decades have given thousands of dollars to high-achievers who stayed in the province for their undergraduate education."

This bit of penny-wise, pound-foolish decision making will save the province about $240,000.

In other words, lunch.

The future is in their hands. The future is our children. And so on into the good night.

These are cliches that slip from the lips of political leaders at every foto op and chicken dinner.

But.

Sending thousands of civic employees to the Olympics as "volunteers" at a cost in the many millions, now that's O.K.

But encouraging our students to succeed?

Nah.

Wait until The Games are over.

Are you still not getting the picture?

Its' Me and the Mentally Ill and the Sexually Abused. We Have No Place at the Podium

"The Fraser Health Authority will cut elective surgeries by 10 to 15 per cent, place a cap on MRI procedures and reduce management positions in an effort to meet a budget shortfall of up to $160-million that the opposition alleges was hidden from the public during the last provincial election."

News that managers and adminstration staff may be sent packing is not so dreadful.

But this is:

"Services for seniors and the mentally ill will be cut. They include services for sexual abuse victims and the scuttling of the New Westminster domestic violence response team."

Let's see now.

Seniors, the mentally ill and sexual abuse victims.

No longer priorities for the Olympic Premier.

Are you still not getting the picture?

LES PAUL, MUSICAL WIZARD