TRAVEL TIPS

Get elected.

In 2007 and 2008, David Cadman, Vancouver City councillor, spent $59,000 of taxpayer, public money for trips to Poland, Korea, New York, Amsterdam, Bonn, Barcelona, Honolulu, Geneva, Bali, Kyoto and Auckland.

That's The Cad, featured in the photo.

He's smiling because he's just had a wonderful meal at your expense and he's going to photograph exotic animals after the conference.

I want that money back.

And all the other money that all the other elected vampires spent in business class airplane seats and first class hotel rooms around the world.

Can we launch a class action suit against these honorable men and women?

For theft and fraud and misuse of public trust.

TEA FOR TWO

"South Asians" apparently hold all keys to democracy in British Columbia.

South Asians is codeword for Indian and Pakistani, as far as I can understand this term when used in the context of voting and elections.

Three years ago in a public forum, I dared to question the decency and usefulness of busing in hundreds of elderly new immigrants who didn't speak English or French, who had no idea of local history and who knew nothing of the candidates on the ballots. These people cast votes. Their votes were decisive in election results.

The words were barely out of my mouth when Kerry Jang, then a Vision slate candidate for Vancouver City Council, and now a Vision slate Vancouver City Councillor, leapt to his feet enraged.

Of course, he accused me of racism, among other crimes.

After the public debate, Jang stood in front of me and glared.

When I asked him what he wanted, he hissed, "I know you!"

I assured him he knew nothing about me, and ended with the ever graceful, "F--- off!"

Interesting, therefore, to read the morning headline:

B.C. Liberal, NDP leadership races saw same people sign up for both parties

followed by this:

"Several hundred Surrey residents held dual memberships in the B.C. Liberal Party and provincial NDP when both parties were holding their leadership campaigns earlier this year.

It was well known that organizers for candidates in both parties were aggressively signing up South Asians in Surrey during the leadership contests..."

So, your Mr. Gill and my Mr. Gill loves both political parties equally.

Isn't that nice?

Isn't that exactly what we want all Canadians to understand about political process?

Isn't that what we teach in civics class?

Oh, I forgot.

We don't teach civics class.

Pity.

Only in Canada, you say?

CHILD PROTECTION

UNCIVIL

An editorial in the Vancouver Sun this morning contains disturbing information.

In the wonderful world of hate crimes, nobody is more targeted more often than Jews.

There are only about 300,000 of us in all of Canada.

Less than one per cent of the Canadian population.

Were the 25th ethnic group out of 25.

Yet we suffer more hate crimes than blacks, gays, Muslims and presumably alley cats put together.

I have a neighbor who is a wonderful old man. Much accomplished and very creative.

I've always been very fond of him.

Until about a year and a half ago when he told me about what "the Hebrews are doing to the Palestinians."

The Hebrews.

It wasn't since I was a kid in the north end of Winnipeg that I heard the phrase, "dirty Hebe."

I told my neighbor that I was shocked by his comment and that this expression showed an appalling ignorance of many things, including history, ancient and modern.

I can barely say Hello these days as I pass him in the street.

And the numbers of hate crimes against all peoples and groups is on the rise.

ALMOST JUSTICE

We really have our eyes on the prize here in BC.

We spend millions of fabulous new court rooms. Good.

But the, oops, we cut the budget for police to supervise the trails that are supposed to take place in these fancy new court rooms. Not so good.

34 sheriff positions have been cut.

Result?

No trials can be held.

Back logs.

Bad guys waiting trial.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

But why spend money on justice when you can build a new stadium roof or a big dam that nobody wants?

LITTLE MOUNTAIN IS A SCANDAL

I've got an idea.

Let's displace 220 families from inexpensive social housing they've enjoyed for many years.

We can sell the property to someone in Asia (a favorite Vancouver past time), have them screw up and not get along with the city and choke on some other grandiose downtown projects and then have the property city empty for years on end afterwards.

Won't that be fun?

And helpful?

And humane and considerate of poor people.

Jeff Lee has chronicled exactly this little local nightmare in this morning's piece of the Little Mountain debacle, which could easily outrun the Olympic Village for incompetence and idiocy except that it's not as sexy and chichi.

This project is so off the map that,three years after almost everyone was booted, plans for the site have yet to be drawn.

Nice planning.

Now, this story will not hold the public's attention because it is not about waterfront condos.

And that's a tragedy.

SO FINE...

Pea and Shell Game

BC Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair has nailed it.

The HST can't be fixed.

And all the taxpayer money aimed at PR campaigns to convince us that it can is nonsense and misuse of public funds.

Look at this photo.

3 salesmen 3

Snake oil, anyone?

Bull's Eye

Madame Families First has inherited the highest poverty rate in the country.

Does she have a plan?

Not that we've heard.

Targets? Goals?

Yes, she's increased the minimum wage. Good start.

And?

And?

INSIDE JOB

Psychopaths abound.

It's not exactly that they are everywhere, butt if you count the middle-aged Caucasian women who park vans in handicapped spots (It's just for minute!) and the people who drive the wrong way down one way streets, their numbers are considerable.

Now, we have the local police officer whose hobby was nurturing the homeless to be his personal agents in his thriving Mary Jane biz.

Can you get much lower than this?

And what happened to the psych profile at the entrance exam?

"When a police officer engages in the kind of outrageous criminal conduct that Peter Hodson (pictured above) displayed, the damage to public confidence and the hard-won reputation of the VPD is incalculable," Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu said. "In violating his oath of office, Peter Hodson betrayed himself, his colleagues and the public in the most shameful way."

GNAWING HUNGER

Tomorrow, May 31st, is my son's birthday.

I know that.

What I didn't know until this morning is that tomorrow is also "Lunch Money Day" in Greater Vancouver.

The Food Bank is asking us to donate our lunch money to help feed over 10,000 children who go to schools on empty stomachs.

In Greater Vancouver.

Or Lesser Vancouver.

10,000 of our local children are going to school without proper nourishment.

Not in Rwanda, Haiti or Watts.

But in the "most liveable city in the world."

Tell you what I'd like to do.

I'd like to elect a government that uses my taxes to feed these kids.

At $5 a pop times 5 days a week times 40 school weeks, that's $10 Million.

You have my vote, Mrs. "Families First."

As we say in the running shoe business, "Just do it."

SMARM

The Smart Tax Alliance sends me at least one email a day.

They are doing everything humanly possible to tell me that the HST, like cough syrup, is good for me.

I wrote them back this morning.

This is what I said.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

CANADA CAPTURES THE EU

THE CASE OF TTHE SMILING RICTUS

The Stonewall Opaque Missing Women Inquiry is a shameful masquerade.

It's ultimate purpose is to learn nothing, but say, "We tried."

The DTES Womens Centre, prostitutes and Aboriginal groups have no voice at this paper table.

Warm and Wonderful Wally says he has no control over how much money is spent.

He was the perfect appointee for this sham.

He and Attorney-General Barry Penner bat the birdie back and forth over the net, shrug their shoulders and all that is lost if the truth.

What a perfect pair of vaudevillians.

The Power of Social Media on Public Policy

Follow the Money

The CUTE premier (part of the Bobbsy Twin set with the CUTE mayor) repeats and repeats in our ear that she is all about "families first."

I mean, gosh, this is the "families first" province. (The Reverend Dobson must be thrilled.)

But check out the reality, please.

ON the one hand,

B.C. presses ahead with controversial hydro dam despite $2-billion jump in cost

In 2006, this boondoggle was set in stone at $3.2 Billion.

Today, the tag is $7.9 Billion.

And let's not even get into the environmental and conservation issues.

ON the other hand,

The Vancouver Children's Festival, which has been a delightful part of community life here for 30+ years now, is suffering a $140,000 deficit.

That's right.

$140,000.

That's not even lunch money for either the city of provincial government.

It's a coffee break.

Will Gregor or Patty Cakes please step up to the plate and clean up this tiny milk spill?

Come on, Cutesies, show us where the money and the priorities are.

Families, my ass.

Small Good News

Please note that the video shown below of our most recent SHAW TV show is now available in one single 30-minute piece, thanks to YouTube extending their bandwidth.

This conversation with Peter Ladner is controversial.

It's a good one.

Cheers.

RESTRICT FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF LOCAL PROPERTY?

SMILES WILL FOOL ALMOST EVERYONE

So Christy Palin squeaks out a win in last week's bi-election.

That is, voters, taxpayers, citizens in a district say, "OK, we're witch ya kiddo. We're bettin' the farm on you."

Moments later, the champagne scarcely dry on her hair, the Squeak-By Premier shares her inner thoughts with us.

"Oh, you know, I'm thinking maybe in the general election which I will soon call I'll run in a different district. One where I'm pretty well guaranteed a walk-in. One where I don't have to be a Barrista-for-a-Day or actually participate in open debates."

Can you say, "Turncoat, Boys & Girls?"

Can you say, "Cheesy?"

Can you say, "Frightened, running blind and ambivalent?"

How about just NOT FIT TO GOVERN.

OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES