CELEBRATING CANADA
What follows is --gee, I don't know what this is, a celebration of Canada, merged with an opportunity to respond to the "My Favourite Mississauga Space" call for Mississauga "Favourite Space" photographs.
Here's mine.
Me on the left, 4-5 years old, sitting on the Cooksville Creek bridge at (now gone) Miles Lane. This photo had to have been taken between July 1954 (when my grandfather came to Canada) and October 15, 1954 when Hurricane Hazel destroyed the bridge.
54 years ago...
Even now, this Cooksville Creek Paradise Lost Bridge is still my Favourite Mississauga Space. And my favourite part of Canada. (We were brought to Canada, my dad tells me, so his kids wouldn't have to grow up surrounded by Evil Empires.)
Which brings us to...
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS --a Review
Yes. Half a year's gone by and it's time to evaluate the status of the MISSISSAUGAWATCH New Year's Resolutions posted to this Blog entry on January 3, 2008.
I guess if I were a city, my New Year's Resolutions would be like a city's Strategic Plan with every Resolution "being intentional" to bring on "intentional change". The "Intentional" Concept is the most important thing I learned from the half-million dollar "Our Future Mississauga Pretense".
The really COOL part was discovering the even Pretense can be Intentional!
I also discovered that since an investigation into a municipality, via Freedom of Information, costs hundreds of dollars (even thousands) in search/photocopying fees, the Affluent buy Information leaving the the rest of us sucking on a steady Gusherie of Pretense.
Therefore, my preliminary MISSISSAUGAWATCH conclusion is that "CANADA" exists for those who can afford It. Yes, I know. Not a new concept. But often The Dullard has to Experience in order to Get It. I Get It Now.
Here we go.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION #1
UPDATE: 080629. "Detail the facts behind Don Barber's arrest on June 7, 2006".
Progress Report: Researched agendas/minutes of March-June 2006 General Committee/Council meetings. Merged security footage with Rogers telecast. Figured out that the video/minutes do not support the "Statement of Witness" from the two Mississauga Corporate Security guards regarding what happened inside Council Chambers.
Status: Resolution #1 Completed --save for Freedom of Information results based on revelations from video. Most important discovery --you can be screwed over and not know it for years. And if you don't use Freedom of Information you'll never know why or how you've been screwed over. The Misssissauga Muse managed to avoid arrest for six months too.
VIDEO: "BIG BROTHER MISSISSAUGA" VIDEO SURVEILLANCE ARREST (June 7, 2006)
(Click here to go directly to the clip on Google Video)
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION #2
UPDATE: 080629. "Disclose all videotape related to the Bill 130 Accountability ("Investigator") response by Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga and Peel."
Progress Report: Mississauga --easy because Council took all of 16 seconds to hide from the Ontario Ombudsman. Still one more Mississauga video to produce. Peel complete.
Status: All of Brampton and Caledon video still to disclose.
VIDEO: MISSISSAUGA CITY COUNCIL "pro forma"s in 16 SECONDS!
(Click here to go directly to YouTube of Google Video)
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION #3
UPDATE: 080629. "Expand research into a variety of practices to include Brampton and Caledon."
Progress Report: When Freedom of Information research is self-funded and costs hundreds of dollars, an unforeseen "intentional change" happened to this New Year's Resolution. Caledon was dropped and two entirely different Ontario municipalities were added. (Essentially dropped One, added Two.)
Status: Caledon wasn't the only thing that "dropped". So did my @$$ when early Freedom of Information results suggested that there are evil-ler evil empires in Ontario than my evil empire. OUCH.]
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION #4
UPDATE: 080629. "Expand research into several new areas UNdisclosed at this time."
Progress Report: The top 14 Freedom of Information (FOI) questions that turned out to reveal the most about Mississauga's governance practices were used to investigate other municipalities. MISSISSAUGAWATCH has already identified Ajax, Kingston, Ottawa and Winnipeg being FOI'd. Of those, we actually visited Ajax, Kingston and Ottawa to report on their video surveillance practices to compare with those of Mississauga.
Today we'll reveal that Brampton is also being FOI'd. I have to say that Brampton walloped down one big surprise. Unlike other municipalities (Mississauga, Kingston, Winnipeg) I got absolutely no information from Brampton --and a bill for half of $420.00 upfront. And that $420.00 will not include photocopying fees. Now imagine being poor and on the receiving end of this letter.
Ah what the heck. Now's as good a time as any to show this video report . Here's me outside Brampton City Hall being really ticked off and dropping down the $210.00 deposit on behalf of those Bramptonians/Peelers who can't afford $420.00.
Watch to the very end and you'll see that I even attracted the Corporate Stink-Eye of a Corporation of Brampton security guard --possibly even two security guards (the woman who walked right past me while I gave my report aroused my suspicion). What can I say? It's a gift...
VIDEO: CITY OF BRAMPTON FREEDOM of INFORMATION BLUUUUUUUES
(Click here to go directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
Status: Because I know The Minions of The Evil Empire and minions of evil empires read this Blog, there are still several "areas UNdisclosed at this time."
Related theme: The Mississauga Muse has discovered that some of the greatest threats to CANADA aren't lurking "out there" in rogue states or terrorist sleeper cells. These enemies-from-within are embedded, like sinister-protracted-evil-empire-hemorrhoids, right inside our own Ontario city halls.
They freely make proud declarations like:
Thank God, all right! It's the Corporate Point of View that betrays CANADA.]
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION #5
UPDATE: 080629. "Continue research (Freedom of Information) into municipal security practices and related provincial legislation."
Progress Report: Let's put it this way. Freedom of Information blew quite the hole in Big Brother. And my 32-1 zoom mini-Panasonic video cam did the rest.
Status: As for provincial legislation, readers will understand why I can't reveal more at this time.]
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION #6
UPDATE: 080629. "Investigate and report on PRECISELY WHY citizens "Can't Fight City Hall".
Progress Report: Hindsight being what it is, I realized Resolution 6 was carelessly-worded. The fact is, citizens CAN Fight City Hall --it's just that only The Affluent, who can afford industrial-strength lawyers actually have a chance to win.
As a result, MISSISSAUGAWATCH has concluded that Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is yep, "Pretense".
By way of examples:
"Legal Rights Life, liberty and security of person
7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice."
I've watched enough of the "fundamental justice" part happening inside the Brampton Courthouse to know that's it's a "legal system" not "justice". And this legal system isn't even good at hiding the "pretense" part.
--and The Biggest Lie in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"Equality Rights
Equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of law.
15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability."
"Equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of law"... Blow it out your ōkoles whoever wrote that one down! It wasn't true then and it isn't true now. Who cares about "race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability" when the greatest frikkin' disability dealing with the courts or some evil empire's legal department --is POVERTY!
And my favourite from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
"Enforcement
Enforcement of guaranteed rights and freedoms
24. (1) Anyone whose rights or freedoms, as guaranteed by this Charter, have been infringed or denied may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances"
HAHAHAHAHAHAH! "to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate" Meaning that for those too poor to afford the mega-bucks for a Industrial-Strength lawyer, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms aren't..]
AND THEN TO REVIEW THIS JANUARY 3, 2008 VOW
"LAST: I vow to continue to stay the course --and answer the call of our Ontario Ombudsman."
UPDATE: 080629. I have stayed this slippery and treacherous course. And, six months later, I vow, once again, to continue to stay that course --and answer the call of our Ontario Ombudsman."
VIDEO: ANDRE MARIN --ONTARIO OMBUDSMAN at "RIGHT TO KNOW"
(Click here to go directly to the clip on Google Video)
"I am a Canadian,
free to speak without fear,
free to worship in my own way,
free to stand for what I think right,
free to oppose what I believe wrong,
or free to choose those
who shall govern my country.
This heritage of freedom
I pledge to uphold
for myself and all mankind."
John G. Diefenbaker
(1895-1979) Prime Minister of Canada
Source: Paraphrasing the Canadian Bill of Rights, July 1, 1960
Signed,
The (I am a Canadian) Mississauga Muse
P.S. To the Bright Lite [Anonymous] who instead of addressing facts or issues, left me the comment, "Why don't you move to the U.S! If you hate Canada so much". You can find my response where you left your turd at "MISSISSAUGA --One Year Today: Birds of a Feather have noses errummm --beaks for their own"
( [Anonymous] --not the "Anonymous" who's been heads-upping me)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket – government revenues his lifeline; unaccountability his refuge." (Andre Marin, Ontario Ombudsman --June 27, 2007)
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
[UPDATE: June 30, 2008. Today we launched a Mississauga Musings mirror-site at mississaugawatch.ca.
Comments (3)
Race to succeed Hampton shaping up to be crowded; NDP keen for fresh start after years of being mired in third place in Ontario Legislature
[TORONTO STAR ROCKS! The Mississauga Muse --NOT that I agree with Andre Marin going into politics --we need our Om!]
Posted by Anonymous | June 30, 2008 10:42 AM
Posted on June 30, 2008 10:42
YIKES what a HORRID Toronto Star article! Thanks for sharing it anyway, Anonymous.
This part:
To that "party official": And I'm gonna throw Marin's name BACK! NO WAY! Ontarians need him fighting for full investigative powers into Municipalities, Universities, Schools, Hospitals and anything else that receives taxpayers' money and is currently unaccountable even though they claim they are!
EXACTLY! And the NDP now wants to remove Marin's effectiveness by welcoming him as leader of the NDP?! WHY DON'T YOU CUT MARIN OFF AT THE KNEES?! (and us citizens off at our eyebrows --we're sinkin' fast in this Ontario hell-hole of no accountablity and B.S.-galloping!) And with Marin gone as our Om, McGuinty is sure to put in a pooch-with-gums instead of a true watchdog.
Marin isn't about parties --he represents the best of Conservatives, Liberals and NDP even if our Ontario MPP evil-empire-municipal-supporting hacks have long forgotten how to do that.
Signed,
The (Of course, if Mr. Marin wants to... hmmm... is it even in me to vote NDP?...) Mississauga Muse
Posted by The Mississauga Muse (MISSISSAUGAWATCH) | June 30, 2008 4:07 PM
Posted on June 30, 2008 16:07
While we're sharing Ontario Ombudsman related articles, here's a great Letter to the Editor (Sarnia Observer)
Letters to the Editor
Action needed in Ontario, not just words
Sir: The Ombudsman's Annual report 2007-2008 has been released. Even Mayor Mike has made the report: "The Ombudsman takes no prisoners and that is what municipalities need . . . he's a pit bull."
This year, the infamous Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is number two out of 20 provincial government organizations complained about.
In the Ombudsman's 2006- 2007 annual report, Mr. Marin states, "A year after the government's promise of improvements, we investigated a complaint from a parent who was owed substantial child support. We found an organization marked by carelessness and a lackadaisical attitude. Defaulting parents were able to circumvent the system because of the FRO's wooden view of its own rules. And in the Ombudsman's 2007-2008 annual report, Mr. Marin says, "Customer disservice syndrome continues to plague the FRO where the FRO refused to remove a writ it had improperly filed against a man's property even though the man had made all his family support payments."
At Queen's Park, government opposition questions the FRO's failure to enforce court orders. The Minister responds by claiming their government has invested $46 million. While government applauds himself or herself, lawyers struggle with endless amounts of paperwork, judges shake their heads and families continue to go without while tensions continue to rise.
Regardless of what government says or how much money is invested, the FRO will continue to make their own rules, even after the Ombudsman's office intervenes and censures the FRO for their practices. Although the McGuinty government continues to voice that improvements have been made, for many this is nothing but cheap talk.
The request has now been made to expand the Ombudsman's role to include municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals and the Children's Aid Society. If the Ombudsman's office does investigate these agencies, will Ontarians continue to see the systematic problems as we have seen with other agencies that are currently investigated by the Ombudsman's office? Positive changes happen only when government is publicly scrutinized by the media forcing accountability and transparency -- this was seen with the Ontario Lottery Corporations exposure. Like a pit bull, the Ombudsman's office needs to dig their teeth in and hold on till the bitter end -- no mercy.
As done back in 1997, a province-wide lobby has commenced where I have begun to collect people's experiences with the FRO. This is not a man-against-woman situation, it is a systematic problem to where both men and women have faced the negative effects of the FRO's incompetencies and condescending attitude. Communications have already taken place with Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre about working on solutions to these systematic problems. People have suffered enough and changes are needed now.
We, as Ontarians, do not want to hear government saying that they will do this or that; Ontarians want action and they want it now.
Anna Moscardelli
Point Edward
THANKS TO THE SARNIA OBSERVER
Posted by The Mississauga Muse (MISSISSAUGAWATCH) | June 30, 2008 4:10 PM
Posted on June 30, 2008 16:10