Posts from our progressive community

We left Ronda very early: we had to ring a bell at the desk and get the hotel manager out of bed to settle our bill. Poor guy shuffled out in his slippers, completely confused. We had to remind him we needed our parking validated, then remind him we needed to pay! Funny.

I had been up late blogging the night before, then woke up crazy early - a theme on this trip. I spent the wee hours of the morning getting directions and booking a hotel in Madrid, before it was even a halfway decent hour to wake up Allan.

As you might imagine, as we left Ronda, our main goal was to go around the mountains rather than over them. I navigate with a combination of Google Map directions, our own map, and a careful reading of the options at each roundabout and intersection. This seems to be the only way. The Google Map directions never completely correspond with reality. (Was that the fork where you bear left? Is this unmarked calle the street we need? And so on.) We seemed to be driving through the valley, but every time the road took a slight incline I was worried! Finally we could see that the mountains were safely in the distance, and could breathe easy.

We stopped at a gas station so I could get coffee (from a machine, with something like 8 possible choices of espresso, double espresso, cafe con leche, etc., but no tea), then later saw a big roadside cafe-restaurant with plenty of cars outside, and pulled in. It was La Meson de Diego! Having been to La Tala tapas a few nights ago, this was perfect. We took a picture of the sign on our way out.

Inside, it was lively and noisy, a bit of a shock! The place was hopping. We couldn't figure out if people were still partying from the night before or were up early for breakfast. Given that everyone eats dinner at 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., could they possibly be having breakfast at 8:30 or 9:00? Even groups of 20-somethings? But it seemed very late to be ending Saturday night. There were men ordering wine and beer! This mystery went unsolved.

The only thing available for breakfast in this area is coffee or tea and tostados (a long piece of baguette, toasted) and your choice of whatever on that. You can get butter and jam, or aciete (olive oil) or tomate (crushed tomatoes that you dip the bread into), or the ubiquitous jamon. There was no menu, we just had to guess what might be available.

Shortly after our breakfast stop, we connected with one of the larger roads, which soon brought us to the highway, and we were on our way to Cordoba. Getting into Coroba, everything was very clearly marked, and we easily found a parking lot right near the historic district.

* * * *

One reason we left Ronda so early is that one of the things we wanted to see in Cordoba - an old synagogue - was only open in the morning. So we set out to find this right away. We were walking through beautiful, empty, narrow streets, whitewashed buildings on both sides, flowers spilling out of window boxes. Then we'd turn a corner and there would suddenly be an enormous crowd of people! This happened a few times before I realized that this was the reason we couldn't find a hotel room in Cordoba - a patio flower festival. It was an open house festival - people had maps with house numbers and were touring patios - the interior courtyards in Spanish houses - with spectacular flowers. The old streets are rabbit warrens, and although we asked several people where la sinogoga was, we couldn't find it.

We saw two older policemen who were wandering around, presumably doing security for this house festival. One started to describe where to walk, then asked his partner, Do you mind if I take the señora to la sinagoga? (In Spanish, of course.) And he walked us there! He asked if I spoke French - it seems to be a very common second language here, many people have asked us that when trying to communicate. Our police friend was frustrated because he wanted to tell me about Cordoba. So I said, "Esta bien, puedo comprender" (That's ok, I can understand), and he was off to the races. Cordoba has the best food in Andalucia, Cordoba is the most beautiful historic town in all of Spain, Cordoba is where the beautiful horses come from and the spectacular riders who are unparalleled in the world... It was very funny. We passed the Alcazar, a fortress that apparently was Party Central for The Inquisition. Our friend said, "You know 'The Inquisition'"? I found that kind of amusing. Uh yeah, I've heard of that. I said, "Si, yo soy judia".

He walked us through the whole lower historic district into the main touristy area, chattering in rapid-fire Spanish the entire time. We thanked him and shook his hand. As it turns out, La Sinagoga is only a small room that you can see in a few minutes. It's one of only three surviving medieval synagogues in Spain and the only one in the region of Andalucia. The only section is a small room with shards of Hebrew writing on the wall. It's near the Plaza de Maimonides, named for the famous Jewish scholar who was born in Cordoba in 1135. When Cordoba was under Islamic rule, there was a thriving Jewish community, but the Catholics put an end to that.

The main attraction in Cordoba is La Mezquita, called the Great Mosque of Cordoba, or the Cathedral of Cordoba, or the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. Tellingly, all the tourist information in the town itself reads: "the Cathedral (the former mosque)". (Incidentally, I'm spelling the word Cordoba incorrectly, without the accent mark over the first o. It's pronounced Cordoba, not Cordoba.)

We entered the courtyard filled with orange trees, where people were milling about. The Mezquita was closed, but we saw guards directing people to queue up at a side entrance, so we waited there, too. After a while, a wedding party emerged, many men and at least one woman in military dress, and the other women decked out in wedding-party clothes. When they had all exited, everyone rushed in - and ran to sit down in a chapel! We had been waiting in line for a mass! Guards were directing everyone to seats and saying, "No photo, no video" - in case tourists were trying to use the mass to get back-door admission to the site. What a hoot. I didn't want to sentado for the mass, so they made us leave.

So we went back to waiting in the patio area. On Sunday La Mezquita is only open to the public in the morning, then after 3:00 in the afternoon. There are a few other little things to see in town, including a small archeology museum, but the narrow streets are choked with people, it's very difficult to find anything and very easy to get lost, and we had the feeling it could take an hour to find something that would then take 10 minutes to see. After we waited a while, I suggested we go get something to eat.

* * * *

There are zillions of touristy eating places among the zillions of schlock souvenir stores, so we went off the main drag and found a tiny place with a handful of tables and a few men standing at the bar. There were no free tables, but an older man offered to drink his wine at the bar so we could sit down. He did this like it was no big deal, like he wasn't supposed to be sitting anyway.

We ordered a bunch of tapas and wine, and while we were eating, people started piling into the restaurant, speaking Spanish very loudly and jockeying for an inch of space at the bar. We thought it was crowded when we walked in! There were one or two other tables with tourists, but mostly the place was packed with locals.

These places are all lovely - very small, usually painted a dark blue or purple, with mosaic plates on the wall, posters of bullfighting or flamenco events, with tiny tables and little stools to sit on. Usually one person is behind the bar and one friendly server runs around like a maniac. We had olives, really good chorizos, little medallions of grilled beef in sizzling garlic oil, and garlickly potatoes that we couldn't even finish. Plus wine, of course. And I immediately wanted to go sleep. It all caught up with me and I was ready for bed. But it was time to see the Mezquita.

* * * *

The Mezquita was an ancient mosque that was taken over by the Catholics, who built a church right in the middle of the mosque, converting the minaret to a bell tower and plopping a cathedral nave at one end. Our guidebook pointedly mentions that the site was originally Christian, and that the Catholic takeover was re-establishing the church, but that is a bit disingenuous. There was a foundation of an early Christian church on the site, but that church was no longer in use when the mosque was built.

The famous and most defining feature of the building is the red-and-white terracotta arches - all 856 of them - a forest of arches that echo each other through the cavernous space (see here). But in smack in the middle of this beautiful space is a hulking altar complete with gory crucifixions, clumsy paintings of saints, and all manner of Catholic iconography. Around the perimeter of the space there are dozens of small chapels, all very gaudy and inelegant, in my opinion.

Besides the beautiful arches, the highlight of the space is the mihrab, a prayer niche facing Mecca, dating from the 10th century, with all or most of the Islamic decoration intact. Like what we saw at the Alhambra, there is stonework so intricate that it almost looks like lace, and elegant Arabic script used decoratively. Islam, like orthodox Judaism, takes seriously the "thou shalt have no graven image" commandment, so there are no representations of saints, no biblical scenes, no people - just words, shapes, and designs. In this space, the contrast could not be more obvious - every time you see people (saints, biblical characters), you know you're in the church.

I find it significant that all the official information refers to La Mezquita as a cathedral only. Spanish Muslims have repeatedly petitioned the Vatican to be allowed to worship again in the building, but the Church refuses. Some people act as if The Mezquita is a monument to coexistence, as if the mosque and the church share a space. But clearly, it is anything but. To me it feels like a desecration, and it's very sad. The space is beautiful, though, and very interesting.

* * * *

We drove out of Cordoba, back to the same sort of country we had seen in the morning - vast areas of rolling hills planted with orchards, as far as you can see, with a mountain range in the far distance. Every once in a while, you see a town nestled in a valley between two hills, or on a hilltop - white buildings with red roofs. We passed by several of these towns until we found our turnoff, and followed some windy roads up, up, up onto one of the hills, to the little village of Zuheros.

Zuheros' striking feature is a castle - actually a piece of a castle, all that's left of an Moorish stronghold from the 10th century, rebuilt by the Christians in the 14th - built directly into the rock. Behind it is a tiny white town, including several restaurants with views and at least one hotel. We drove up into the town on impossible narrow streets - much to Allan's dismay - and found the hotel. The desk person spoke so beautifully slowly in Spanish that I could understand every word. I wish everyone did that!

We walked around the little town a bit, mostly looking at the incredible view. It's obvious why a castle was built there. Now it overlooks mostly farmland and a few towns. In the near distance below, we could see goats being herded.

We had dinner at the hotel's restaurant. I was looking forward to a non-tapas dinner; as it turned out, this went in the complete opposite direction. For starters, Allan ordered a "selection of local goat's cheeses," that turned out to be a meal's worth of cheese, generous portions of six different varieties. I ordered a "local salad" - a composed salad of oranges, tuna, figs, salt cod, and some other strange things - that was also a meal. Then our main courses arrived: the sea bass I ordered turned out to be an entire fish, and I could eat only a few bites. It was kind of amusing, although I wish I could have taken it with me to eat as leftovers. Alas, no fridge or cooler.

The restaurant starts serving dinner at 8:00, and I think we got there at 8:45 or so. But of course, because at 3:00 or 4:00 everyone is eating tapas or having coffee and pastries. So by the time dinner ends, we're both tired and I'm completely collapsing from lack of sleep. Tomorrow is a driving, relaxing, and taking care of business-y things day.

Well, boys ‘n’ girls, it appears that Stevie has had a bad week. What does Stevie do when the going gets tough? He either runs and locks himself into the nearest toilet available or skips town.

Senategate has proven to be no different. When revelations surfaced regarding Porky Puffy Duffy’s 90 grand “gift” from . . . → Read More: A Few Questions Regarding Senate Gate, Some Thoughts and Why Is All Excused if You’re a Conservative?

Stephen Harper knows he's got rats in the Conservative pantry and it must be giving him fits trying to figure out just who they are.

Somebody is leaking a steady stream of information, documents and e-mails to Bob Fife of CTV about Mike Duffy, Pam Wallin and Nigel Wright and who knows what or whom might be still to come.

Mike Duffy has taken refuge in his Cavendish cottage in P.E.I. and is quick to summon the police to clear off nosy journalists.   Harper is apparently in Peru although he's expected back to face down the Tory caucus on Tuesday morning.

This sounds like a settling of scores, a nascent civil war within the Tory senate caucus.  Perhaps it is the old guard, Progressive Conservatives, taking their revenge on the Harper upstarts, the new guard.   After all, when you look at the casualties so far - Brazeau, Duffy and Wallin, not to mention Nigel Wright - they were all handpicked by the prime minister.

An infinite number of monkeys using an infinite number of typewriters will eventually produce the Kirby report on health care reform. This is not a sound argument for spending hundreds of millions of public dollars on monkeys with typewriters.

They're two soul-mates. Only difference is that Rob Ford can be fired. Mike Duffy is settled for life. He won a lottery and he did not even have to buy a lottery ticket, Stephen Harper handed him the prize.

Plenty of others have had loads to say about the scandal surrounding Stephen Harper, Nigel Wright, Mike Duffy and the Senate generally - with Wright's resignation today serving as just the latest chapter of a story with plenty left to be told. But I'll add a couple of notes to the mix.

First, I'm not sure some commentators (especially those thinking that "the cheque" is the real story) have noticed the significance of this juxtaposition of events:
A senior government official told Postmedia News on Thursday that Wright wrote a cheque to Duffy’s lawyer “in trust.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the sole stipulation for giving the money was “that it would be used to pay back taxpayers” and putting it in trust “was the best way to achieve this.”

However, Duffy also took out a loan from Royal Bank to cover the cost of repaying his Senate expenses, according to a Senate source with knowledge of the financial arrangement. On Wednesday, Duffy told CTV in an email that he dealt with the bank alone and Wright was not involved in that transaction.Now, to the extent that account is accurate, we can draw a couple of conclusions. First, the issue was seen as a formal one requiring the use of Duffy's lawyer rather than a personal cheque - as might be expected if the "just helping a friend" storyline were to hold up. And second, it means that there's a paper trail consisting not only of the cheque, but also of some sort of trust conditions placed on the payment of the money to Duffy's lawyer - and I wouldn't use the "sole stipulation" wording in the Cons' spin to rule out the possibility of another agreement beyond the trust conditions themselves. 

And what about the content of that agreement? Well, that's where the open question of Wright's ability to ensure a whitewash of the Senate's audit of Duffy's expenses come into play.

In effect, no one Senate leader would seem to have had the ability to guarantee the outcome of a report from the internal economy committee. Instead, Wright's payment seems to have been predicated on the assurance that a majority of that committee would take orders, rather than even questioning whether the Prime Minister's Office should be able to dictate the terms of the Senate's own proceedings.

Of course, that utterly warped sense of loyalty to Harper is far from new for his appointed senators. But it absolutely goes to the core of the Senate as an institution.

If an operator from the PMO can make - and keep - promises as to what Senate committee members will decide in policing their own members, then there's absolutely no credible argument to be made that the upper chamber is even pretending to function as an independent body. And so, abolish, abolish, abolish.

 

 

I was just on Facebook where someone who can be described as progressive vehemently defending Mayor Boss Hogg and basically trashing the Toronto Star. In fact, so vehemently, I was wondering if this individual has changed her political stripes.  That whole innocent until proven guilty thing. It’s how it should work, . . . → Read More: A Few Questions About Fordzilla and his Alleged “Crackscapades”

This is too important to miss.  Read Miranda Holmes revealing look at Harper EnviroShill Peter Kent and his close personal ties to Canada's fossil fuelers.

This is eerily like the appointments during the Bush era.

It has always been my suspicion that Stephen Harper wanted to govern at least until he pushed through the Northern Gateway to get Athabasca bitumen flowing to Asia.

With no small degree of help from the New Democrats and Liberals, Harper has already achieved his overarching goal of moving Canada's political centre permanently to the right but it's the Northern Gateway he sees as his legacy.

To see that through Harper needs to cut some quick deal with Christy Clark, give the environmental review process a laxative, and move to steamroller the pipeline opposition, no matter the cost.  People in a rush expedite.   Foot hard on the pedal and a firm grip on the wheel.

Now there are troubling signs of bad road ahead.   That might well explain the bizarre goings on in Ottawa lately.   Steve Harper can't be distracted by troubles within his own caucus.   He needs them to go away, fast and at almost any cost.

Brazeau he could have handled.  Ditch the guy.  He wasn't an asset anyway.   Wallin?  Hard to say but, in any case, safe as in "non-threatening."   Duffy?  Different story entirely.

Some say Duffy was the hardest-working Tory senator, at least in his exertions on behalf of the Conservative Party.  He was in permanent campaign mode, criss-crossing Canada to star at fundraisers and campaign rallies.  He was a senator from Prince Edward Island in name only, doing what cottagers do, spending the summer recesses at his cottage there.  It was a residency bubble that was easily burst.

When the fit hit the shan, Sideshow Steve responded true to form trying to distance himself, using his closest aides to make it go away, ever ready and willing to throw human sacrifices under the political bus.

Duffy, accepting his fate, went off to The Royal Bank to negotiate a loan to repay his housing expenses.   For reasons that may only be known to Harper and his former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, a decision was taken to keep Duffy's financial situation "in house."  With that, Wright wrote Duffy a personal cheque to cover all the "expenses."   Apparently the cheque came with a direction for Duffy to dummy up and under no circumstances cooperate with the senate-appointed auditors.   None of this was ever to surface in public or even in private and nobody, Duffy or Wright, was to report any of the details to anyone no matter what was required.  The Mafia has a word for it, "omerta."

But somebody talked and began feeding Duffy's e-mails to CTV where Old Duff had burned his bridges on taking his senate appointment.  Another mystery.   Who so had it in for Duffy who was also privy to the senator's e-mails might have ratted him out to Bob Fife?


Some are pointing fingers at "old guard" Tories unhappy that Duffy, a lifelong Liberal turned Latter Day Tory, eclipsed them and stole so much credit for Harper's majority win in the last election.  Old Duff certainly hasn't been reluctant to throw his considerable weight around.  He might have made enemies inside as easily as he accumulated them outside.

This might have been where Harper stepped in to help out the guy who had worked so tirelessly for his success and rescue him from the backstabbers in his own upper chamber.  "Nigel, get Duffy a cheque.  Make it a gift.  Yeah, for the whole amount.   Make this all go away. And make sure no one's the wiser."

And it just might have worked if Duffy's rivals hadn't got their hands on his e-mail.   Suddenly the e-mail forced admissions that put Wright in the crosshairs which threatened the guy crouching immediately behind Wright, Stephen Joseph Harper.   Fortunately, for Harper, Wright was willing to take the bullet, allowing Steve to retreat to his office to "behave strangely."

People like Nigel Wright know the importance of words and precision.  It's often more important what isn't said than what is.  Here is how he put the Duffy payment.   “I did not advise the Prime Minister of the means by which Sen. Duffy’s expenses were repaid, either before or after the fact.”

What he's saying is that he didn't tell Harper "the means" by which Duffy's expenses were covered but that doesn't mean that Harper didn't know, well in advance, that Duffy was to be paid somehow.  And it doesn't say that Wright did this of his own volition instead of at the direction of Stephen Harper.   All it says is that Wright didn't tell Steve he was writing a personal cheque to cover the funds.

So, where does this leave Duffy?   Some say he's got the goods on the Tory Senate establishment that stabbed him in the back.   So, while he may be out of the Tory Caucus, he's not inclined to go anywhere and they can't force him out either without falling on their own swords.

As for Harper, he seems to have lost control of the narrative, not to mention his unruly senate caucus.  It's rumoured Steve will prorogue Parliament in the coming weeks, perhaps to get a summer recess to let scandal die and to herd his senate cats back into their pen.

Some speculate Steve might go for the same play that took out Ignatieff - a long summer recess followed by a snap election.  Could be but he'd be risking the secure majority term he has remaining to push through Northern Gateway.  If he wound up with a minority, that pipeline could be in real jeopardy.

My guess is that Steve is going to play this one by ear.  He'll shut down Parliament as soon as the auditors' reports are made public and then figure out how to keep from becoming personally implicated in the Duffy/Wright scandal while taming his unruly senate caucus.  It's hard to see how he'll come back after Labour Day with the same, cohesive happy warriors who brought him his majority government.  And no one knows better than Steve the difference between calculated risk and reckless gamble.

Harper is vulnerable and he knows it.   He's not in control of the narrative this time and, for him, control is everything.

If you want more, read the transcript of the CBC's interview with retired  House of Commons law clerk Rob Walsh.   Here's how the Parliamentary veteran summed it up:

In my years on the Hill, there have been a number of huge controversies over the years, as you know. No two of them seem alike. This, to me, is unbelievable, frankly. It just simply is unbelievable.

If you watch this video from the 5:40 mark, a natural question arises: If someone knocks on your door, will the police arrive if you call them?


Recommend this Post

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Justin Ling writes that the Cons' aversion to accountability isn't limited to their own government, as they're one of the few holdouts against transparency in resource-sector reporting of payments to governments abroad.

- Meanwhile, Stuart Trew discusses an international citizens' initiative to keep the Trans-Pacific Partnership from imposing harmful copyright rules:
A coalition website, launched this week as a 17th round of TPP negotiations gets underway in Lima, Peru, calls on TPP negotiators to "reject copyright proposals that restrict open Internet, access to knowledge, economic opportunity and fundamental rights." The website gives people an opportunity to send the same message and receive regular updates on Fair Deal campaign actions and successes.

"A fair deal on copyright in the TPP takes into account the interests of Internet users, libraries and archives, those with disabilities, educators and business innovators as well as creators," says Susan Chalmers from InternetNZ, one of 30 founding members of the new campaign. "We're all part of the Internet economy. The Fair Deal coalition is promoting fair copyright standards for the TPP that reflect the needs of the broadest cross-section of society."

These beliefs are shared by many TPP participating countries. Peru's chief negotiator, Rodrigo Contreras, wrote in a popular Peruvian magazine this week that the country should avoid limits on access to knowledge online and the over-extension of copyright protection terms for books, movies or music, that limit their availability in libraries and schools, and that would make it more expensive for lower income people.- Paul Krugman looks at Ireland as a prime example of gross economic numbers bearing no particular relationship to the actual strength of an economy - as profits moved there out of convenience are doing nothing whatsoever to reduce 14% unemployment. (Needless to say, it's always a good time for a reminder that's exactly the model the Saskatchewan Party wants to inflict on the province.)

- And Leif Larsen reports that still more Irish workers who have lost their jobs to corporatist mismanagement are being used to hurt workers in Canada - this time to avoid the possibility that workers on Manitoba construction sites might attempt to unionize.

- Jessica Bruno writes that the Cons' cuts to research extend to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,

- Finally, Rosie DiManno rightly criticizes the gall of Toronto's police in rewarding themselves for the civil rights abuses perpetrated at Toronto's 2010 G20 meeting.

Channelling his inner Wyatt.

Image Source: Initially from film
The Shining, obtained by this blogger
from tumblrTranscona City Councillor Russ Wyatt is a man Sam Katz seems to trust. After all, our mayor gave him the second top job at City Hall of deputy mayor. Now, what type of sane and sensible things has the Katz's number two man done?

Wyatt threw a temper tantrum and called the NDP "socialists" for not redistributing provincially collected wealth to the City of Winnipeg.

 This anti-socialist Wyatt is the same man who chaired Steve Ashton's campaign for NDP leadership in 2009. Yes Ashton, the most left-leaning candidate in the race!

Yeah, that was what Wyatt, the "social progressive and fiscal conservative" thought was needed for our province then.

Nowadays, however, he's scheming about axing away civic services for the inner-city and hard-working poor Winnipeggers with drastic cuts. Such cuts he's proposing include:

• Closing the Arlington Bridge.
•  Halting the construction of rapid transit projects
• Cutting snow clearing.
• Ending support for housing, community, & criss workers.
• Eliminating grants to Winnipeg museums.
• Ending support for the Aboriginal Youth Strategy.
• Ending grants to Economic Development Winnipeg.

Wyatt says that the Province's refusal has forced his hand. Obviously, he doesn't want to go hacking away at city services like a madman. But it has to be done 'cause the City just doesn't have enough money and needs to fix roads.  



Wyatt's all for axing the Arlington Bridge, pictured
second from the right at a Plessis Underpass
funding announcement.

Image Source: CBC (top)
Adrian Alleyne/Canstar (bottom)The funny thing about Russ Wyatt, the axman whose policies would afflict the afflicted, is that he seems to be sparring some folks from his plans. People like those who'd use his pet projects:

It is rather convenient that during Wyatt's hack-and-slash tirade, he avoided the Plessis underpass at $77 million and the expansion of the East End Community Centre for another $12 million. These are his projects, though, and one supposes do not require the same level of scrutiny.

Also, it's ironic that Wyatt is the same elected official who spent over $100,000 in taxpayers' money developing and promoting an arena and healthy-living centre project in Transcona when there was a similar plan approved and already on the table by another local volunteer group. But that wasn't his plan. So the $100,000 was worth it?

("Coun. Wyatt spares his 'legacy' projects from cuts". Scott Donald (May 1, 2013). Winnipeg Free Press)But I'm sure all that is much more important than the ability of North Enders to travel to western
downtown or the West End for jobs they might have there. The $77 million Plessis underpass is just so much more important than a currently existing bridge North Enders have grown to rely on for their livelihoods.

Thanks, Axman Wyatt, for treating all Winnipeggers as equal citizens of our city.

I'm sure you'll all like to thank Wyatt for his bold and fair vision for our city's future. If so, you can send your graditude to him using this contact info.

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!  

Holmes Hydro can proceed without environmental assessment The Canadian Press Posted: May 18, 2013 1:30 PM PT Last Updated: May 18, 2013 2:19 PM PT And this is our BC Supreme Court? Bought and paid for…disgusting display of arrogance and ignorance..the Court must have been stacked with Albertans, because no BC judge in his or her right mind would use an excuse  like convenience and economic ‘hardship’ to  ignore  an environmental assessment..really, tell us, what will it take to get this Province to  stand up for itself?  To protect the beauty we have, to maintain our coastlines and keep our watersheds  clean and non-polluting, and what few fish we have left allowed their dwindling spawning grounds…does everything have to be decided on the basis of dollars?

When this act of abject moral cowardice is placed alongside  our First Nations ‘ admirable and courageous stand against pipelines being built in their traditional territories, it makes our BC Supreme Court seem far less than Supreme….more like the squabbling little capitalist sycophants they so obviously are….the rest of the world must be wondering just what the hell is wrong with BC, that these acts of destruction  can occur with such ease…and that the ignorant voters here just gave the government the mandate to  continue with this destruction…

Well if  Clark can find a riding willing to elect her, and she does end up leading the Province, we  can only hope that she will consider the fact that the difference between her majority and an NDP one was about 5%…and take the strong feelings of BCers into account on these matters of enviromental protection…are you holding your breath, too?

Some priceless tweets about Wright and Duffy and all that:
They're beautiful, those Chiefs of Staff, but lifespan wise it's like getting a great dane.
— Tabatha Southey (@TabathaSouthey) May 19, 2013Fewer tears at the end, but the kids can't ride it like a pony, so emotionally on the Chief of Staff vs Great Dane choice, it's a draw.
— Tabatha Southey (@TabathaSouthey) May 19, 2013@tabathasouthey We’ve had our Great Dane for nine years. Not as spry as she once was, but she hardly ever gives money to senators anymore.
— Daniel MacEachern (@DanMacEachern) May 19, 2013You know, it makes me wonder...if Wright was so upright and honest and honourable and all that, like the tweets are saying, then why would it occur to him to give Duffy a personal cheque to make an audit go away? And if so, then who suggested it to him?

Nigel Wright, Stephen Harper’s chief of staff, has resigned. This caps what must have been the week from hell for our Conservative rulers. And it has been particularly satisfying, yet galling at the same time, to behold the usually complacent... Dr.Dawg http://drdawgsblawg.ca/

Pierre Poilievre And Howdy Doody: Separated at birth? You decide.

Recommend this Post

Stephen Harper must feel isolated.   He's shed senators like a mangy dog loses fur.   And now his chief of staff, Nigel Wright, has packed it in, leaving the PMO under a very large, black cloud.

Please welcome Nigel Wright, Steve's chief of staff on loan from Onex Corp and the latest member of Harper's Parade of Perps with Perks, for secretly cutting Mike Duffy a $90,000 personal cheque to paper over the senate investigation and Deloitte audit into Mike Duffy's creative housing expense claims and reports he billed the Senate for travel while campaigning for the Cons .

Duffy isn't co-operating with the investigations now he has the cash but that didn't stop House leader Peter Van Loan from praising him for his "leadership" in returning money that didn't belong to him. 
Duffy : 
"It's become a major distraction so my wife and I discussed it and we decided that in order to turn the page and put all this behind us, we are going to voluntarily pay back the living expenses related to the house we have in Ottawa"Ah yes the Royal Bank loan and the PMO instruction to keep his little head down.
Unfortunately Duffy then blabbed around town about his secret cheque from Wright.

So which is it then? A bank loan or a personal cheque from Steve's chief of staff? 
Both? Given he purportedly has secured the bank loan to cover the senate repayment, what's the cash bonanza from Nigel Wright for exactly?
“The PM was not aware of the specifics,” Andrew MacDougall, Mr. Harper’s director of communications, has said of this transaction when asked.I think that's called implausible deniability.

Previous Perps with perks bios.

… and this troubling scandal deepens. How much did Harper know? What DON’T we know about – yet? A what point does the number of misdeeds, lies and deception by Harper government officials lead some to suggest that Harper call an election? Clearly, the government is losing the confidence of Parliament and the people of [...]