Thursday, January 21, 2010

Court of Public Opinion

Well friends, it`s been an interesting week, my mind is abuzz with all these breaking stories, information overload, lately, because I (and others) boldly going where the mainstream media won`t, the issue of my safety has arisen, big money,power, corruption, fangs of death are closing in, but, the Powell River Persuader will fight, in fact, I feel the Internet is my safety net, for if I was to vanish, the faithful will carry on in my footsteps.


A lawless society, a banana republic, corruption around every corner, are we there yet? Not quite sure, I don`t no what`s worse, a lawless society where we know the rule of law is gone or a country that has but the illusion of law.


I and others take on these stories but the masses, my lord the masses, life,water,food,health,money is being stolen from the public and they nary bat an eye, yet, Tiger Woods boinks everything that moves and the world clamours to the story, Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks gets a slap from Ron Mclean of the CBC and the story goes "Viral", the headlines on our B.C. dailies go exclusive on Burrows, the live blogging, the travesty of it all, Alex Burrows was called a goon and the people are ready to march in the streets with pitchforks, meanwhile, meanwhile people`s children are being poisoned, their child`s future is being handed to corporations and nothing.


Something very disturbing is going on in Canadian courts, ruling after ruling going against the Provincial governments and Federal governments yet, .....Yet the issues remain unchanged, for example the criminal crown land giveaways to the big three forest companies(Gordon Campbell`s bankers)...First Nations people wave their ancient treaties only to be told...There there,nothing to see,move along. (read about it here) http://intercontinentalcry.org/first-nations-chiefs-put-the-government-on-notice/


The honourable B.C. Auditor General, John Doyle, our last unbiased watchdog comes out with scathing report after scathing report only to be ignored and discredited from Gordon Campbell`s public affairs bureau, these forest giveaways were described by John Doyle as " Not in the public interest'....and...." The province failed to consult".....also...." Giveaways are illegal as set out in the original terms"..........Yet nothing happens, the deals stand, read John Doyle`s HARSH REBUKE against the Campbell government`s ILLEGAL forest giveaway here..http://www.elc.uvic.ca/press/auditor_general_report.html


How is it possible to have Canadian courts, independent watchdogs, even our police forces to see false facts, flawed processes, laws interpeted wrong, only to put their arms in the air and say oops and then move along, surely we can`t allow this pattern to continue, a startling example of this happened yesterday, the Federal government, after the Provincial government allowed the controversial RED CHRIS mine to be approved, like the Province the Federal government was required to conduct an Environmental assessment on this project, what the Federal government did was basically rubber stamp the project, the Federal assessment was lacking any Public hearing or input, the Federal government ignored their own rules on environmental assessments,especially controversial mining projects that affect water health,fish survival and pollution, so I read this the story about the court decision.


Here`s a little background, a group known as :Mining Watch: took the Federal government to court, to the supreme court of Canada and guess what?....They won, good news right, not really because the Controversial Red Chris mine also won, how can that be, how can both sides win in a court of law, it`s not like a soccer game that can end with a 1 to 1 tie, surely both sides can`t win......But the new reality in a corrupt court system is both sides can win, well let me qualify that a little, the Red Chris mine won, the Federal government lost but they get a free pass, :Mining Watch watchdog group: lost the present and apparently won the Future?


Here`s the deal, the Supreme court of Canada.....Justice Marshall Rothstein in the written decision...In a .......7 to 0....Decision the supreme court of Canada agreed with Mining Watch that the Federal government failed to allow a "Proper Environmental assessment" and failed to allow public consultation but the court failed to undo the deal and or to have a proper environmental assessment to be done!

That`s right friends, how can that be, we are talking about the health of water,fish and ultimately human health, how, how indeed can a court say the process was flawed but allow the mine`s approval to stand? Think about it, the court is allowing law breaking, public safety, first nation`s rights, Canadian rights to be circumvented and stomped on, that folks is not justice,that is, in my opinion "Criminal obfuscation".....(Read the decision here)http://www.vancouversun.com/gold+copper+mine+wins+environmentalists+Supreme+Court/2468053/story.html

This pattern of courts letting travestries to stand does and will have repercussions, I wait with baited breath on the B.C. Rail trial!


I don`t know about the rest of you, but for me, I would rather have a "Kangaroo court" that I know is corrupt,that I know I`m going to lose, that I know the deck is marked,the judges bought off, I would rather find another resolution process than live in a country that when it comes to the "Rule of law that it is nothing but an illusion"


The Straight Goods

Cheers-Eyes Wide Open



11 comments:

Anonymous said...

That Red Chris mine - You know what? That mine would also turn a trout lake into a holding pond for mine waste. Where have we heard that before?

And besides you Grant, nobody is pushing the real public interest issues!

Anonymous said...

Grant, sorry to hear about what's going on with you. But it's you and BC Mary and Laila and the list goes on that report the "real" stories the citizens need to know about. The dark side which our "other papers" do not want the public to know about. We must all be vigilant on keeping on top of things. Reporting things as we find them. Keep up the good work, and we'll all be watching.

BC Mary said...

Well, Anonymous, maybe the handwriting is on the wall ... maybe the issue that is calling out to you to come and help is (simply put) clean drinking water or (combined) the Environmental Approval process itself.

Bloggers like Grant, and Laila, and others are doing a great job of keeping the whole field of corruption in view. We need that.

But if you have only time enough for ONE battle, that's great too: and if you throw your weight against that ONE issue -- say Run-of-the-Rivers or BC Hydro -- you''ll be pleasantly surprised, over time, how much difference it makes. It does. I know it does.

I've chosen the BC Rail issue: how did a valuable public asset slide into private hands. At the time, it was the only corruption issue which had surfaced, but I had a feeling it was the key to many other sly and harmful decisions being made by Gordo's Gang.

As time goes on, other outrages have surfaced: BC Hydro and BC Ferries being memorable ... but literally dozens of others. And people are beginning to say to me that BC Rail doesn't matter anymore. Wrong.

And what I've learned over the years is that corruption hires the help they need for trying to thwart, distract, or discourage bloggers. No self-respecting citizen would ask me why I stand up for BC Rail, would they? I certainly don't think so. But their despair has forced me to find answers ... and I do believe that we can be overwhelmed if we try to battle all the corruption all the time. Next comes despair, and that's a bad scene ...

On the other hand, by hanging onto the reins of Gordo's runaway chuckwagon, we've kept a bright light shining on Gordo's first big mistake -- giving away BC Rail -- until it's very close now to trial. At trial, we'll hear the evidence given under oath: how did this public treasure slide into private pockets? Who's responsible for that? Was it legal? So who will be charged?

I'm convinced (with reason) that without bloggers, we wouldn't have seen the most important trial in BC history pushed this far. It would have been quietly swept under the rug. And if I thought there was the slightest chance of getting BCRail back as a BC public asset, I'd die happy.

Btw: for some excellent info. on mine waste, go to Gary E's blog, at "How bad is their record?"
.

Anonymous said...

Grant said - "the issue of my safety has arisen".

Holy crap, what's going on? Is Gordo using his personal police force to threaten and intimidate you again?

Anonymous said...

Mary, it was your blog that got me interested because I too believe Gordo sold us all out, when he "leased" -NOT - our railway. I have continuously followed your writings and find them very informative. The truth will come out!

I also read what Robbin writes and others. Absolutely excellent writings by all of you.

Yes, there are so many things Gordo and clan are destroying or selling off or whatever the case, all WRONG, things that belong to ALL British Columbians, not Gordo's buddies. The man (if you can call him that) and his gang Disgust me and many others. We must all contribute what we can, and your blog is one of the best!

I will continue to follow this as well as others.

THANK YOU!!

Curt

Evil Eye said...

The "Eye" as also been threatened, so to speak, by the agents of 'not very nice people'.

Grant, the pen is mightier than the sword, but the bloggists are the new 'printers' in a new age. The mainstream media have abandoned news for the sake of government advertising dollars, thus the MSM have become agents of the government.

CORUS Radio and Bill Boring have caved in to government advertising money, thus will not criticize Gordo or his ministers. CORUS Radio has become an agent of the government.

And the list goes on.

Here is another crass corrupt item that has been told to the 'Eye' - the DoRAVright folks took RAVCo to court over the RAV/Canada line and lost, it has now transpired that the judge working the case was a former TransLink lawyer and did not recuse himself from the trial.

Talk about corrupt Band Republic law, talk about a corrupt province - damn the entire Gordon Campbell government and the legal system is as corrupt and evil as the Iraq of old.

We live in evil days and there is no white knight in shining armour to help us.

Grant G said...

Thanks Evil, and thanks to all, the empire of evil is crumbling, it`s always darkest before the dawn.

As for "My safety", I`m like a cat, still have 5 lives left, and like my dad reminded me....

"They don`t shoot dead ducks"

Obviously I have gotten under the skin of some, so what(as Les Leyne would say)...

The stories WILL be told, shit disturb and expose The Straight Goods, "whatever the cost will be, we will never surrender"

Damn Courts,Damn corrupt politicians, Damn the asshole Gordon(Compulsive liar)Campbell.

Cheers

Leah said...

Probably the best opinion of the totally corrupt country Canada has become Grant. As well as taking the governing bodies to task for their filth...we need to take ourselves to task for not paying attention. This corruption didn't take place over night, it took years. And many average Canadians have had it so good, for so long...that we've taken it all for granted.

We made the mistake of assuming that those we put in charge over our resources (including taxes) were an ethical people, appreciative of the wealth we all enjoyed. We've been such a "polite" society, such an apathetic population, it's no wonder we find ourselves in the mess we're in. At this point in time, I think it's safe to say nothing can change it, nothing will change it - short of an all out revolution/rebellion. No doubt that would be violently ended by those in control - the American government.

It would be wonderful to think we could return our country to the caring society we used to be - the fact is, we're no longer that country...if we ever really were?

jaydee said...

Corrupt media, governments/oppositions,
corporations/banks, judges/lawyers/court system, "white collar" thieves, voting system, uncensored immigration, jail/border guards, police......What's left??

Thanks again Grant, we really do appreciate the hard work and time you put in trying to make this a better place, like it once was. Two world wars later and we're back at square one.

kootcoot said...

BC Mary, sometimes the "truth" is only stated accidentally. For example:

"maybe the issue that is calling out to you to come and help is (simply put) clean drinking water or (combined) the Environmental Approval process itself."

I thought the 'A' stood for A
ssessment, but Approval might well be more accurate. At the heavily attended (dis)information meeting held in Kaslo last July regarding the AXOR CORP application to kill off Howser and Glacier creeks in the Purcells to send GREENbacks to Montreal and New York City, the representatives of the EAO were asked point blank to name a project their agency had refused to issue a permit for, and they couldn't name one - ergo - Environmental APPROVAL process seems more appropriate.

BTW Grant, maybe you don't watch enough TeeVee. If you did you would know that our benevolent oil industry is more concerned with our health and other interests than even their own profit. I know this is true and that they plan for "reclamation" (which they also define for us in the advertising campaign - us being so dumb and all) before moving even a shovel full of dirt. I know this is true because Shell Oil and that font of knowledge and truth Glow Ball have teamed up in a public information campaign on TeeVee to help us dumbkopffs understand.</irony)

The whole idea of building a "replacement" lake to make up for the millenia old one they want to use for a tailings pond is flatulent on its face. Why not build the new/artificial/replacement lake first and use it for the tailings pond?

Grant G said...

Thanks Kootcoot....I am aware...Check out my "Say good-bye to fish lake forever story"

Even Michael Smyth`s comumn from a couple of days ago...Smyth claims we don`t need a federal assessment..Smyth says jobs jobs jobs...

nothing else matters

Cheers