Transmission #musicheals

So in my last blog I mentioned we need an inquiry into Canada’s missing or murdered Aboriginal Women. However, a better informed person has convinced me there has been enough inquiries. After reading those arguments I realize writing a letter to a government that is proud to demonstrate psychotic traits and totally lacking in morals is a waste of effort. These are the same people who take the Native for a “ride” so they’ll never be a nuisance again.

So in the disturbing, screwy way my brain works I found myself looking up information about Quebec’s Charbonneau Commission and references to Ontario. Quebec, according those who watch organized crime is run by Sicilians and Ontario is run by Calabrian. Organized crime from Italy’s Calabria Region is thought to be the world’s most dominate crime syndicate and operate similarly to terror cells. To think that arrogant, smug, centre of the universe, holier than thou Ontario could be the world’s biggest organized crime bank, with no part of Ontario’s society untouched. It could explain why there are so many missing women, why so many government projects operate like money laundering schemes and why none of the provincial parties are willing to call an inquiry into corruption. Coincidently, guess what part of Italy London Ontario’s Mayor was born in.

I finally stopped reading those old corruption articles to start follow what is happening in Ukraine and Crimea. The term uncontested arrival was used on twitter earlier to announce the mysterious movements of ‘mercenaries’ to seize key facilities of interest to the Russian Federation. I guess it would be a stretch to suggest when these people did wear insignia on their uniforms the insignia was a bat. Whatever is happening in Crimea over the next few days or weeks is going to reflect badly on those who permitted the Kremlin Bully a free hand with his neighbours. Of course it will take a few years before he looks to Poland.

I need to work on not letting current events get to me. To see the positive side of life a little more without being so suspicious that it is bait to lure me in and hurt me some more. Instead of embracing the frustration and hopelessness I was feeling I recharged, that’s where I lay down in the dark and listen to a complete album. Something I’ve been needing to do a lot lately.

Transmission is a 1997 album from the Tea Party (no politics, just music). It is the album that defines me to me. I recommend finding a high kb/s rate version, a good pair of head phones and listen to it right through. That and someone follow Fridaying me on Twitter jolted me right out of the blahs. It seems the abyss isn’t finished feeding off of me yet, it’s starting to tickle.

So another listen to Transmission, check to see if X-23 is finished her training in Marvel Avengers on Farce Book and my Arctic mint tea should be ready. First, I should thank someone.

ON Corruption #Cdnpoli #Onpoli #Topoli #Ldnont @Kathleen_Wynne

So Rob Ford may smoke crack, big deal I believe it should be legalized and taxed. The big issue though is it is still a crime that requires investigation and one of those misguided mandatory sentences brought in by the Conservatives. There have been many scandals with Rob Ford over the years which can be summed up by him having an elitist sense of entitlement. Rob Ford isn’t alone in this, Joe Fontana has a similar sense of entitlement as shown be his fraud charges for using public money for a private wedding, being sued for breech of contract, and the whole charity being investigated by Canada Revenue Agency.

Some may believe this is two isolated politicians who have lost control of their sense of ethics. I think it is the tip of the giant iceberg of corruption in Ontario. In January it was revealed that Toronto’s concrete prices were being fixed. Still, this could be an isolated incident but the concrete industry is tied to the rest of the construction industry and Toronto is tied to the rest of the country. If there is one rotten apple in the construction barrel chances are there are many more.

With what is happening in Québec with the Charbonneau Commission investigating the construction industry, the charges of gangsterism against the former Laval mayor, former Montréal mayor getting caught in the centre of investigations it would be foolish to think the rot stops at the Ottawa river. It is delusional to think there is a magical barrier set by Elrond and Gandalf to contain the corruption in Québec. The Charbonneau Commission has already heard evidence connecting the Mafia to Ontario. The former RCMP Ontario organized crime chief also has publicly stated there is a connection.

Then there is the saga of SNC-Lavalin, you know the company Harper Conservatives gave the profitable parts of Atomic Energy Canada to but not the debt. The company investigated for its relationship with the Gaddafi family, being investigated for corruption in Bangladesh, yeah they operate in Ontario too. With all of these isolated incidents we will see one of those pointillism pictures if we step back. Factor in city business being done in back rooms of restaurants, money voted by Parliament to provide border security going to gazebos in a cabinet minister’s riding, the list could go on but I think I’m making my point.

I hear second or third anecdotes of corruption but one incident sticks with me. I was a security guard at Tim Horton’s on Hamilton Mountain years ago and some kid I was asking to leave threatened me by saying his dad was so and so who owned a construction company. I wish I could remember name of the company but threats like that aren’t made about legitimate businesses. I should have written it down but I was just a young security guard in a plastic uniform that gave me a rash. Another quick example that make my stomach churn. Two city councillors in the chambers telling everyone a man they met in the gallery after a meeting could build a fence cheaper than costing done by professional city engineers. If that kind of thing doesn’t set people’s bull shit alarm off then any remaining hope for humanity I had is lost.

What needs to happen in Ontario is a special, temporary, team of law enforcement, forensic auditors, Crown prosecutors and criminal intelligence agents should be set up as soon as possible. A separate Royal Commission should be set up to discover the scope of the problem in Ontario and perhaps all of Canada. This could cost millions but ultimately save Canadians billions. All political parties should make this a non partisan priority or should be crushed in the next election.

Whistle blower protection should be entrenched in tough legislation that encourages people to come forward with information without fear of reprisals. Resources to weed out the few trouble makers and protect the legitimate should be made readily available. This should extend to any private entity with a government contract and these entities must also conduct all business with full transparency or forfeit the contract. Transparency should be entrenched in law including all meetings of public officials made available within seven business days or the public official must resign. Exemption can be made for security and other sensitive security information but within clearly defined limits of what can be declared off limits to public.

Back to the Rob Ford crack video. Those Somali men need to be given protection immediately even if the video is fake or not Rob Ford. One has already been killed and even if they are drug dealers they know who else they’ve been supplying and who supplies them. Information law enforcement should have to get the bigger fish and investigate to where the money to buy the crack is coming from. Rob Ford commandeered a bus for his football team why wouldn’t he use tax dollars for his crack?

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, as the saying goes. We are so distracted by external threats and more often bread and circuses we have failed in our vigilance on domestic threats. Correcting the slide to tyranny Canada finds itself in is a massive, seemingly impossible task. Remember Elijah Harper with his Eagle Feather, with the wave of his feather he killed the Meech Lake Accord that would have entrenched more power for the political elites in this country. Remember the people who are corrupting Canada to their own benefit are out numbered by the rest of us.