All before us and everyone after has to deal with the clock, Tim Horton`s triage and hallway medicine, I saw and heard Colin Hansen on TV and radio defending the status quo in health care and further blaming previous Governments for shortcomings in health, when are the 90s ever not going to be the blame of today`s ills, the year is 2011 and the Liberals speak of the 90s more than they do of the future, demographics, time, inevitability, sadness and despair.....
You readers and contributers amaze me, your strength and belief, your trust in me, I need some advice, I need some sunshine and purpose, how do you prepare for the death of loved ones, what can you say, what can you do, how can remove the mind from the sea of sadness, how do you people carry on when your blood idols die.....Where do you find the strength, some say I may need some churching up but organized denial and sin doesn`t appeal to me, the ancient Egyptians also had trouble dealing with this same grief, those wielding power spent lifetimes building tributes to the departed, well before their demise, wraps and ceremony leading to the after life, I hope it is so, my only relief is to look to the very young, the continuation of woman and man and blood, renewal and eventually dry eyes.
The BC Liberal closed down nearly 200 hundred schools so far, declining enrollment for sure but not everywhere, demographics my friends, demographics, the Surrey school district is overcrowded and growing, they need today alone at least 6 new schools, I heard a man speaking on CKNW today about the school shortage in Surrey, isn`t that interesting, the Campbell Liberals are experts at telling us about demographics, how health care costs are growing, baby boomers are getting old, the silver tsunami, privateer lobbyists like Dr. Brian Day beat the drum to kill public health and grow the private health sector, the expert forecasters at the Fraser institute, the Conference board of Canada, the BC Progress board, the Liberals cite these forecasters and demographic wizards and report their future predictions as fact...
The man who spoke said that to build a school in Surrey takes 3 to 5 years to complete, it depends whether or not the city or school board owns the land, this man stated the fact that at this time in history when Surrey is in need of 5 new schools(TODAY) there isn`t even 1 new school on the drawing board, no money, no capital yet that roof and casino are getting built, rat infested schools in Richmond with rat droppings on everything, school boards that have no money for exterminators or janitors, parents complaining about their children getting sick in that school, stomach problems and the like.....
So that means that the Surrey school nightmare and overcrowding will continue for years and years all the while simple demographics told the Liberals that Surrey school district had a problem and several new schools should have been built or had construction started years ago, yes friends, the NDP built hundreds of schools in the 90s while Campbell closed hundreds, left right divide, no, demographic denial, selective use of future facts, beat the drum on health care and allow Surrey to fall into disrepair, what happened to your forecasters, I fight for those offspring, the grandchildren, I fight to respect the blood line of those who came before us, that will never change, today I fight my enemy time and tears.
On Global news last night Chris Galais did a story featuring Hansen, the article was talking about how health care is costing too much, how the boomers are coming, the story features Brian Day, the story was a BC Liberal spin job designed to downplay the Tim Hortons triage story, these rightwing bastards make me sick, what about demographics, in India, a population of over 1 billion people 75% are under 25 years of age, think about that baby boom, that silver tsunami, why does the Fraser institute and the Liberals never talk about AFTER the baby boomers die, won`t then Canada`s population be young, hasn`t mankind always had to deal with the rise and fall of average ages, why is it today that modern man can`t find an answer, do we not owe our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters as much health care as required.
My Dad and Mom have both been using our health care system a lot as of late, my Dad is fighting for time, more time, colon cancer a few years ago, a wonky heart valve last year, the pills, bags and bags of different pills, different pills affect the mind and its affect on me is stunning, madman or genius, delusional or baked, my Dad has been on the computer searching for cures, holistic, alternate, illegal, the will to live is strong and he doesn`t want to go and when I hear Colin Hansen, when I hear the Fraser institute and when I look into my dads once powerful penetrating eyes and now see a puppy dog of a man asking for more time the anger boils over in me, the retractable roof, the Olympics, the best place on earth, meanwhile Surrey students sit in portables, staggered days, standing room only lunchrooms and Tim Horton triage..
Demographics, simple demographics told the Campbell Liberals that Surrey needed more schools years ago, a simple thing like school needs and the BC Liberals deliberately failed.
The Tim Hortons triage episode, the Royal Columbian has been having code reds and code purples for years, the silver tsunami is approaching and simple demographics told them so, the BC Liberals closed Saint Marys hospital next to the Royal Columbian and refused to deal with the now here....Aging populous.
My fury and rage are only matched by my tears and trembles, time, hopefully time allows me one more summer with the salmon and my idols.
The Straight Goods
Cheers-Eyes-Full-of-Tears
15 comments:
Courage, Grant. And peace.
Grant, the Royal Columbian Hospital fiasco is deja vu all over again.
Back in 1983, during the May, 1983 provincial election campaign, several doctors summoned BCTV to report on the over-crowding at RCH, patients in the hallways, not enough staff, dirty conditions, patients dying due to lack of medical equipment, etc., etc.
BCTV made that matter a huge political story putting the then Socreds on the defensive.
Now, 27 years later, we see that nothing has changed. What a dosgrace!
Corruption, thieving and greed, has gone a long way to destroy our province. Selling out our assets, and natural resources, is leaving nothing to recover with. You bet, money wasted on a retractable roof, casino's, Campbell's $60,000 per year salary hike, he gave himself. Chong eating her way through $6,000 for her dining out. That is a hell of a lot more money, than people have, to feed their entire families on. Campbell has good reason, to have BC totally fail. He works for Harper, and I don't like Harper's agenda. BC has done the worst, of all of the western provinces. You would have to be a total fool, not to see the HST has killed this province. Campbell has made the worst mess in a province, that we have ever seen, in our lifetimes. Things are about to get, a hell of a lot worse.
I am so sorry to hear this, Grant. BC has the worst health care in Canada. As a boomer, I have paid taxes for, forty years. Even when you are retired, you still pay taxes. As seniors, some have no tax deductions, so a good amount of their pensions, are clawed back. In BC, there are very few goods, we aren't taxed for. When our BC assets and natural resources are sold our from under us. What will there be left to recover with? Campbell has thieved BC and the people so badly, it seems deliberate, that Campbell means BC to fail. The HST is the most destructive tax, ever known. All the HST provinces have done very poorly. The HST provinces, are at the bottom of the heap. The media are, Campbell's propaganda rags, you never hear anything from them, that the HST has killed this province. You would have to be pretty stupid, not to see it.
Having seen both my parents through their final days not too long ago (always too long ago?), I can empathize deeply. And I share the sense of outrage at the crazy priorities of those in power with respect to human potential, and human dignity. All I can say is that from experience, we are stronger than we know. From a personal perspective, I believe you will discover that. From a collective perspective, we all need to discover it. Soon.
It is up to the baby boomers to do something about it. They vote and there are lots of them.
Campbell(Clark) is following the right wing US idea. Smaller Government(but with increased spending), sell off assets, tax cuts for the wealthy,attack the unions.Following the US is not a good strategy.The average voter needs to be look through the filters. Drive outside of the GVRD and you see a decimated province. You can't continue to destroy the middle class and expect long term gains. They use the multiplier for the Olympics but not for Park Ranger, Hospital workers(custodian, dry cleaning, food, etc,),Court clerks, Teachers,etc. Try living off minimum wage and see what you can buy. We need to be learning from the Scandanavians(specifically Finland).This Government reminds me of the fram Oil commercials. You can pay now or you can pay alot more later. I have a degree in Economics and Environmental Studies(polar opposites), we need to stop allowing the extremes running the world.
Just keep putting one foot in front of the other Grant, that's how you get through those days. And don't worry about the tears, we all do it. Good luck to you.
Frank
Anon is correct above there are a lot of baby boomers, most of good health. What Hansen and the 'line the bottom of the bird cage' crap media don't want to tell is that the largest % of money in health care goes not for the aged but into ERs with a huge part to take care of drug and alcohol related issues, car accidents, family issues. I have spent some time in ERs with my mom in her later years and I know the above to be true. It is also well documented that the unhealthy lifestyle of the young is a money sucking problem.
I get so pissed off when I here this crap about the baby boomers draining the health care system. My mon was 94 years old at here death and until the last years of here life she seldom used the health care system except for preventive care. She paid into the health care system all of her adult life. So let's do the math 94 years old, 10 years of really bad health and 84 years of damn fine health. That sure is sucking the system dry, f$@&!€g crap.
As far as the Surrey school district. I was a teacher in that district for over three decades. The school district is in the shit that it is in because of Mary Pollak. You know the child hating MLA from Langley. Here side kick, the late surrey school board chair Stillwell kept here hate going. This district is set up so that it is the AOs against the teachers. There are an unbelievable number of grievances against AOs, class size, teacher bullying, you name it. There are no school plans and you are correct it takes 5 years of planning before they build. But the board is following what Pollack started. Surrey Connect is the master plan. No classroom needed, very few teachers needed, just as facilitators. Learn from home. The wisdom of this government plan is simple. Students can learn by themselves. What is required… students need to be weened on their dependence on teachers as the leader of classes.
The privatization has begun with for profit digital online classes and for profit standardized online test banks.
The blame lies directly at Polack feet. She is a goog litlle goose stepper for her' GORDO.
So let there be a baby boomer uprising. Let's gets some good honest people to take the reins of this province and bury these asshole, retract their pensions and let them rot in poverty.
Anybody with me?
And one more comment about Surrey. The amount of scandal at the board level is shocking. Embezzlement, firings followed by lawsuits then big golden payouts. Mismanagement overpaid AOs three and four in each high school all receiving 6 figure incomes, $40k redesigned offices.
Disgusting dont you think. It is well documented. Look it up.
Lots of empathy from this quarter. Also a thought about declining enrollment: when jobs are bled out of the outlying areas through policies like conversion of forest land into real estate development and through the export of raw logs, then families disappear from the hinterland to the metropolis. Schools close, communities retrench and disappear, all part of a pattern of enforced adherence to the new paradigm, a system that resembles feudal serfdom, and where the run of the media take the place of the church in keeping the crowds compliant. My mother died last October at 93 and got sterling care at every step of the process. I can't expect that the same option will be available to my grandkids, sad to say, as people seem to comfortable with the pronouncements of Brian Day and Colin Hansen to realize how badly they are abdicating their responsibility to their fellow citizens. Again, my heart is with you in both your personal and political wanderings.
Your parents will never leave your heart. If you appreciate every day that you have with them and are thankful to have them in your life, you will have no regrets. Expect to still be talking to them even though they will not be there in the future. They will still be listening.
There is always someone else worse off than you.
Grant, you have today, that's all there is. Say everything that your heart speaks to those that matter, leave nothing unsaid that should be. Do everything you can today, nothing is too small or too big to leave 'til tomorrow. The most important and priceless thing we have is time, and really, as much time as you can give them...is time given to yourself, when what you have left is memories. Make good ones. Ones that will last you the rest of your life. Waste nothing - take nothing for granted. Above all - love. With everything you've got.
I Thank all of you for the kind words, you have no idea how much strength it gives me to read these words...
The sun peaked out today and I`m planning on a summer of Salmon with my blood...
If I seem a little scattered at times bear with me.
Our job isn`t finished yet and I am still breathing.
We shall carry on.
Cheers
Grant
My grandparents passed away about ten years ago, they were like my parents as they had raised me. In a conversation with my mom yesterday I was brought to tears thinking about how my gramps suffered in his end days. I felt this overwhelming sense of loss and regret that he had to suffer through four years of wasting away. Yet, at the same time, my heart swelled with love for the best father in the whole world, I will never stop missing my grandparents and that is why,
I will remember their lives, not their deaths.
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