The NYPD shows us how its done with only one simple piece of equipment, a baton:
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Has This NYPD Officer Been Watching Video of Toronto's G20?
You decide.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Shark Fin Ban Update
The latest news on shark finning, the ugly and barbaric practice of killing sharks so their fins can be used to make a soup prized as a status symbol in the oriental community, comes from two communities, Mississauga and Toronto.
Last night, the former voted to move forward with a bylaw banning the possession and sale of shark-fin products in the city, capping nearly an hour of debate on the matter. The bylaw decision — which will not be formally voted on until next week’s council meeting — comes a month after city staff suggested municipalities do not have the authority to ban shark fin.
Toronto, sadly, is being offered the same timid staff advice to the effect that the city has neither the legislative reason nor the manpower to enforce such a ban, first proposed by two councillors, Glenn De Baeremaeker and Kristyn Wong-Tam.
Said senior licensing and standards manager Bruce Robertson:
“The matter is one that clearly and more properly rests with more senior levels of government.”
He added it would be “very difficult, at best, and nearly impossible, at worst, to enforce the ban on a product that can be legally and easily purchased,” outside Toronto and brought in.
The committee will instead be urged to call on Ottawa to ban the importation of shark fin, cartilage and all other derivative products to Canada, and to protect shark populations in Canadian waters.
While the call for a national ban seems like a good idea, given the Harper government's reluctance to impede commerce in any way, I am doubtful about the fate of such a proposal. As well, there is nothing to stop Toronto council from passing its own ban as an interim measure.
Nothing, that is, except perhaps the political will to act with integrity.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Last night, the former voted to move forward with a bylaw banning the possession and sale of shark-fin products in the city, capping nearly an hour of debate on the matter. The bylaw decision — which will not be formally voted on until next week’s council meeting — comes a month after city staff suggested municipalities do not have the authority to ban shark fin.
Toronto, sadly, is being offered the same timid staff advice to the effect that the city has neither the legislative reason nor the manpower to enforce such a ban, first proposed by two councillors, Glenn De Baeremaeker and Kristyn Wong-Tam.
Said senior licensing and standards manager Bruce Robertson:
“The matter is one that clearly and more properly rests with more senior levels of government.”
He added it would be “very difficult, at best, and nearly impossible, at worst, to enforce the ban on a product that can be legally and easily purchased,” outside Toronto and brought in.
The committee will instead be urged to call on Ottawa to ban the importation of shark fin, cartilage and all other derivative products to Canada, and to protect shark populations in Canadian waters.
While the call for a national ban seems like a good idea, given the Harper government's reluctance to impede commerce in any way, I am doubtful about the fate of such a proposal. As well, there is nothing to stop Toronto council from passing its own ban as an interim measure.
Nothing, that is, except perhaps the political will to act with integrity.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Chief Bill Blair's Gambit
It is difficult to know exactly what the repercussions will be for Chief Bill Blair, who attempted to go over the heads of his civilian overseers, the Toronto Police Services Board, and appeal directly to Mayor Rob/Doug Ford in trying to stop the mandated 10% reduction of the police budget.
In his most recent meeting with the board, the possibility was held out by the Board that the reduction could be spread out over two years because of the legislative constraints around officer deployment.
As the final motion passed, a notably agitated Blair fought back.
“I have to tell you, I can’t recommend it in good conscience because of the impact it would have on public safety …” the chief said before being cut off.
Perhaps the fact that he was cut off will serve as a forceful reminder to Blair that he isn't running this operation, that civilian safeguards are in place to exercise reasonable restraint on police forces and overzealous, even arrogant police chiefs.
My fervent hope, however, is that the Chief does not resign over the issue of reductions. Any action that makes him look like a martyr will, perforce, lead some people to forget the ignominy he rightly earned over his role in the massive violations of Charter Rights during last years G20 police violence.
And that egregious misuse of state power is something no healthy democracy can afford to forget.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
In his most recent meeting with the board, the possibility was held out by the Board that the reduction could be spread out over two years because of the legislative constraints around officer deployment.
As the final motion passed, a notably agitated Blair fought back.
“I have to tell you, I can’t recommend it in good conscience because of the impact it would have on public safety …” the chief said before being cut off.
Perhaps the fact that he was cut off will serve as a forceful reminder to Blair that he isn't running this operation, that civilian safeguards are in place to exercise reasonable restraint on police forces and overzealous, even arrogant police chiefs.
My fervent hope, however, is that the Chief does not resign over the issue of reductions. Any action that makes him look like a martyr will, perforce, lead some people to forget the ignominy he rightly earned over his role in the massive violations of Charter Rights during last years G20 police violence.
And that egregious misuse of state power is something no healthy democracy can afford to forget.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
More Controversy at the College of Teachers
We are told in today's Star that Jacques Tremblay, the former Chair of the College of Teachers Disciplinary Committee, has other interests, including writing soft-porn for teens. The author describes his book, entitled Sexteens this way:
The Sexteens book “is meant to empower teenagers, to encourage them to be strong and resist or avoid peer pressure.” Tremblay said the book has “been endorsed by parents and educators.” He did not identify the parents and educators.
I have little to add, except that he decided to include in this 'instructional tome' a character named Harry Dick.
Not exactly my idea of worthwhile reading.
The Sexteens book “is meant to empower teenagers, to encourage them to be strong and resist or avoid peer pressure.” Tremblay said the book has “been endorsed by parents and educators.” He did not identify the parents and educators.
I have little to add, except that he decided to include in this 'instructional tome' a character named Harry Dick.
Not exactly my idea of worthwhile reading.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
When Police Chiefs Go Rogue
In a frightening, bald, and very public display of how much of a politician he has become, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has announced that he is no longer taking direction from the Police Services Board, as required by law, but is instead trying to broker a deal on the police budget directly with Mayor Rob/Doug Ford.
Refusing to even try to meet the mandated 10% budgetary reduction, the truculent Blair has submitted a budget with a 1.5% increase, a move that recently earned the scorn of Ford acolyte and hand-picked vice-chair of the Board, Michael Thompson, who recently opined that the Chief would have to be replaced if he can't follow Council and the Board's direction.
With political skills sharply honed during the G20 violation of Charter Rights last year, the errant Chief has perhaps succumbed to an unbefitting hubristic delusion that he is a law unto himself.
For anyone unfamiliar with Greek tragedy, hubris always leads to a big fall.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Refusing to even try to meet the mandated 10% budgetary reduction, the truculent Blair has submitted a budget with a 1.5% increase, a move that recently earned the scorn of Ford acolyte and hand-picked vice-chair of the Board, Michael Thompson, who recently opined that the Chief would have to be replaced if he can't follow Council and the Board's direction.
With political skills sharply honed during the G20 violation of Charter Rights last year, the errant Chief has perhaps succumbed to an unbefitting hubristic delusion that he is a law unto himself.
For anyone unfamiliar with Greek tragedy, hubris always leads to a big fall.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
Monday, October 3, 2011
No Surprises Here: Harper Government Set To Undermine Unions
As reported online in the Globe and Mail today, "The Conservatives are set to take another hit at labour organizations, this time through a private member’s bill designed to force Canada’s unions to open their books to the public."
"The bill’s content is still confidential, but its title shows it will seek to change the rules governing labour organizations under the Income Tax Act, which exempts unions, along with charities and municipalities, from paying taxes. If adopted, the bill will force unions “to apply financial disclosure rules” that are already in place for charities, said a source, given the tax benefit that they receive."
Whatever the ultimate fate and intention of this private member's bill, it will keep alive the tired conservative rhetoric about union bosses and at the very least represents their continuing campaign of sowing public and union members' discontent with unions.
As well, it could mean ending unions' political activism, thereby eliminating one of the few counterweights to the corporate agenda that is so well-financed in this country through lobbyists, conservative think tanks, etc.
Most darkly, it could be a prelude to Harper introducing 'workplace democracy' legislation that would allow union members to opt out of paying dues to unions that pursue causes that individuals don't support, a favorite tactic of the right-wing in United States and an effective way to cripple or destroy unions.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
"The bill’s content is still confidential, but its title shows it will seek to change the rules governing labour organizations under the Income Tax Act, which exempts unions, along with charities and municipalities, from paying taxes. If adopted, the bill will force unions “to apply financial disclosure rules” that are already in place for charities, said a source, given the tax benefit that they receive."
Whatever the ultimate fate and intention of this private member's bill, it will keep alive the tired conservative rhetoric about union bosses and at the very least represents their continuing campaign of sowing public and union members' discontent with unions.
As well, it could mean ending unions' political activism, thereby eliminating one of the few counterweights to the corporate agenda that is so well-financed in this country through lobbyists, conservative think tanks, etc.
Most darkly, it could be a prelude to Harper introducing 'workplace democracy' legislation that would allow union members to opt out of paying dues to unions that pursue causes that individuals don't support, a favorite tactic of the right-wing in United States and an effective way to cripple or destroy unions.
Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.
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