tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72566821748672432032024-03-13T04:50:30.834-07:00David Murray's Blogtigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.comBlogger719125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-81150833860749227262022-06-06T07:55:00.000-07:002022-06-06T07:55:09.658-07:00<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://abbotsfordtoday.blogspot.com/2014/04/juno-beach-landing-70-years-ago.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Juno Beach Landing 70 Years Ago</a></h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8264875739316045056" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 520px;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><h1 class="headline" style="margin: 0px; position: relative;">Column: Juno Beach Landing 78 Years Ago</h1><div id="post-info"><div id="post-info-left">By <a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/author/dmurray/" rel="author" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Posts by David Murray">David Murray</a> </div><div id="post-info-left"> </div></div><div id="content-area"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwAUCH3OPKRC9S4WKg4yzDC2r4K1573ZnJUUDt3Yk3yIpkXKFCjscVi1bNM4QhI0gZAG-bd1ojvzs-WNAqyibyMozNN7u5-6Kzve132s8cFGIYxecI417MfQyP-YAkjhcIDtBgTr_73FR9XrihhLwjzsJpb3LHwx3CyS-gsutDSNacJHk_tYI4u7CbQ/s720/R%20-%202022-06-06T075228.341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwAUCH3OPKRC9S4WKg4yzDC2r4K1573ZnJUUDt3Yk3yIpkXKFCjscVi1bNM4QhI0gZAG-bd1ojvzs-WNAqyibyMozNN7u5-6Kzve132s8cFGIYxecI417MfQyP-YAkjhcIDtBgTr_73FR9XrihhLwjzsJpb3LHwx3CyS-gsutDSNacJHk_tYI4u7CbQ/s320/R%20-%202022-06-06T075228.341.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="post-image"></div><br /><a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wwii112.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #2288bb; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-12014" height="20" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/ABLy4EwlEgYvLllGVRHMsb-Si8sorEy54QoyP7qKyiJt_2GeIR_p1lDuavFeyyfCSaLlSDBZepgTtEeZmU5rqE_W22neJ_o794PKvuNIRbVxrltR8USsiUVF1iFGnOEU2JVLXwZCxXYpaYYhMT4oSaHVWRhc=w27-h20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="27" /></a>By David Murray. June 6th 1944 saw my father “Bud” Murray land on Juno Beach with his Canadian brothers in France. He was with the second wave of soldiers hitting the beach. The first group that landed got bogged down and took many casualties.<span id="more-12013"></span> My father remembered the first couple of soldiers jumping into the water from the landing craft go down in <br />front of him. Luckily he was able to get a few feet ahead to where there was a couple of pieces of metal he could stand behind and exchange fire from his weapon. He did not realize it , his adrenaline pumping , his left leg had a big piece missing from shrapnel which had exploded just inches from him.<br />.<br />His group was lucky, they had an armored vehicle land beside them and that gave them some cover. Unfortunately the driver of the vehicle popped his head up briefly, it was within an instant my dad said that a sniper shot him. The commanding officer yelled out, can anyone drive this vehicle . My dad yelled out, still not even realizing that he was wounded said he could drive it. He got in the armored vehicle , kept the lid down and figured out how to drive this machine.<br />.<br />My dad drove a lot of different tractors on the farm and he could figure out how to drive most vehicles very quickly.<br /><div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_12015" style="width: 310px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCD6loYFEHFlarS1UqTaSAqL7WQhCkhLmS8guHsQqdNlAU3CGtMmzW33dh3Nbf66nwCTqScnfditbA3GEzFnhLEkW9LHGyYBPS4NpNFCJTEd5_dyC436tAv_T83W6fJxndorO7r-4A6HF68pf9wPh6M_JqdYDg04O4r_morMK1z6TALLZkUYH9sfDC-g/s600/blob%20-%202022-06-06T074926.095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="600" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCD6loYFEHFlarS1UqTaSAqL7WQhCkhLmS8guHsQqdNlAU3CGtMmzW33dh3Nbf66nwCTqScnfditbA3GEzFnhLEkW9LHGyYBPS4NpNFCJTEd5_dyC436tAv_T83W6fJxndorO7r-4A6HF68pf9wPh6M_JqdYDg04O4r_morMK1z6TALLZkUYH9sfDC-g/s320/blob%20-%202022-06-06T074926.095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cdns-landing-at-Juno.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #2288bb; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-12015" height="20" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/ABLy4Ez2vuZyAaRg_VzRkbRk_II89zOzP75BwPRgdloXTM8-3BkmUsev46sc-tvyYdHd5x6TYEeoA0sfOPI1vDB7ExFizwLJ_NU6Ueh2I-_hTOl1Dtfjlo1biKfaIhjG_RKqS8giJ8-HfwWOkxYqPKBFm0_K0S40VFjCZ4IEb_Ljjw=w25-h20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="25" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">Wave after wave of Canadians hit Juno Beach June 6, 1944</div></div><br />.<br />My father was 33-years-old the day he hit Juno. He turned 18 in 1929 which saw the worst economic depression of the last century. He always was amazed, he used to tell me. There was no money anywhere before the war started. The second Canada declared war on Germany there was no shortage of money anymore. This always bothered my father. A man who played pro hockey, rode the rails from coast to coast looking for work , and getting involved politically, first on the On to Ottawa Trek and then working on Tommy Douglas’s winning campaign in October 1935 in Weyburn Saskatchewan.<br />.<blockquote>My dad passed away in 1984, very seldom speaking of his experiences in the war. To all the remaining veteran’s who survived the horrors of this day. Thanks very much from my generation. We owe you all so much!</blockquote></div></div></div>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-60060399777124112602021-08-31T11:13:00.002-07:002021-08-31T11:13:53.936-07:00We offer the lowest financing rates on all Commercial Vehicles. Anywhere...<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/uEFHUPVQ61A" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uEFHUPVQ61A/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-75862411949512254692021-08-20T08:56:00.002-07:002021-08-20T08:56:36.260-07:00<p> I had to blog this. I went to the BC Lions game last night. It was so nice to do something I enjoy since Covid-19. </p><p>I think the team needs a lot of work. Michael "Don't Call Me Mike" I think is done. He is simply not worth the money anymore as the CFL #1 pivot! </p><p>He was actually done in 2019. It was a mistake to sign him again. He can't run. In the CFL that is lethal. He left town a decade ago because of that fact. Was he all of a sudden going to be able to run??</p><p>We need to try and bring in a good quality NFL cut , the money Reilly gets should get us somebody reasonable anyway.</p><p>It was sickening to watch the Lions last night. The "Elks" almost the whole game crowded the line of scrimmage. Probably only 10 yards back. All game pretty much. Every once in a while Michael would throw a Paul Brother end over end pass, maybe 25 yards or so.</p><p>The "Campbell Coach" will be run out of town on a rail if he trys to have the same offensive schemes as last night. </p><p>They have NO defensive rush. The offensive line is a bit better but still not even close enough to help the banged up Reilly. </p><p>The kicking game is a bit better. They have a new field goal kicker Jimmy Camacho who seems ok. Maybe 45 yard range. The punter was horrific and has been that way all season so far.</p><p>They brought back Chris Rainey after he has been cut by almost every team in the CFL. He was great 10 years ago but he needs to released now. TJ Lee or Lucky Whitehead can run back kicks. I wish we had 5 TJ Lee's on defence but we don't. </p><p>Bryan Burnham is amazing. Righ up there with the all-time Lions greats. You think Campbell might try to get a short pass to him if that is his strategy. They need to get YAK (After catch Yards) yards from some of their players.</p><p>I have been a Lions fan going back to the Kapp , Fleming days and actually helped out with the equipment with Stu Kehoe in the 1970's. I used to shag punts for Slade Willis and hold for Ivan MacMillan. I would warm up another end or end thrower Don Moorehead. He hated the bigger CFL ball.</p><p>With only a 14 games season it is going to pretty tough unless wholesale changes happen quickly. Oh well I guess we will be looking for a new coach soon. </p><p>I spent with parking , food, a couple of beers and tickets close to $400. By no means the best seats. I feel hurt because of love the Lions. I am just sick of watching this mess!</p>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-53376971874040611272021-01-04T14:56:00.003-08:002021-01-04T14:56:43.188-08:00Child Poverty<p> </p><h1 class="page-header" style="background-color: white; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Lucida Grande", Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKSkfM45fWo/X_OdDwVarhI/AAAAAAAAIl8/6c6ll6072P4TmGUK0Ka4WZhR1hWMlqgBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s926/childpoverty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="926" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKSkfM45fWo/X_OdDwVarhI/AAAAAAAAIl8/6c6ll6072P4TmGUK0Ka4WZhR1hWMlqgBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/childpoverty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></h1><div class="region region-content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Lucida Grande", Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><section class="block block-system clearfix" id="block-system-main" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="panel-display panel-1col clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="panel-panel panel-col" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 658.328px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="panel-pane pane-entity-view pane-taxonomy-term" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="pane-content" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="taxonomy-term vocabulary-about-homelessness" id="taxonomy-term-170" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="content" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="taxonomy-term-description" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Child poverty has a negative and long-lasting impact on a child's ability to learn, build skills, find employment and avoid poverty. It is well-understood that children who experience poverty and lack of educational opportunities often grow up to become adults who experience poverty and low education levels. A lack of healthy food, health care, and a stimulating environment lowers a child's ability to learn for the rest of their lives. A child's experience during the early years of development (prenatal to 8 years of age) sets a critical foundation for their entire life course. All aspects of Early Childhood Development (ECD) - including physical, social/emotional and language/cognitive domains – strongly influence basic learning, school success, economic participation, social citizenry and health. The environments where children grow up, live and learn – with parents, caregivers, family, and teachers – have the most significant impact on their development. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Children living in poverty show almost 3.5 times the number of conduct disorders, almost twice the chronic illnesses and twice the rate of school problems, hyperactivity and emotional disorders as children who don't experience poverty. Canadian children that live in poverty often suffer from iron deficiencies, which lead to difficulties in cognitive development. They also have such health, social, and cognitive disadvantages compared to other children, that they are generally less equipped - socially, emotionally and physically - to undertake school programs. If their disadvantaged position and different day-to-day experiences are not taken into account by school education, they are unable to benefit fully from the school system. Numerous studies have consistently shown that the strongest single predictor of educational achievement and attainment is the socio-economic status of the student's family. Education - in close co-operation with health care, guidance and counseling services, and income generating activities - is pivotal in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and social exclusion that is the reality for many families.</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></section></div>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-76311959607911477002021-01-04T14:48:00.002-08:002021-01-04T14:51:48.125-08:00Since 2009, 88 Percent Of Income Growth Went To Corporate Profits, Just One Percent Went To Wages<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><br /></h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3008895528044776204" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 520px;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><h1 style="margin: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/30/258388/corporate-profits-recovery/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">Since 2009, 88 Percent Of Income Growth Went To Corporate Profits, Just One Percent Went To Wages</a></h1><div class="byline">By Guest Blogger</div><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-250110" height="20" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/dEFUN112kUgh1W-HB8RqCSmlbbcwaRMFd7Kmr00OGtatN6nhHvFpdPVVFeElIOtQy84jK_85M2kGOoXyJLL5ftaUX25dsVWRIGhmQUB4wVWWFSc0UHac6-E5SlWhncSF=w20-h20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px;" title="" width="20" /><br />After the longest recession since WWII, many Americans are still struggling while S&P 500 corporations are sitting on <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/23/252512/corporations-sitting-on-record-amount-ocash/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">$800 billion in cash</a> and making <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/05/163747/fortune-500-corporations-81/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">massive profits</a>. Now, economists from Northeastern University have released a study that finds our sluggish economic recovery has almost solely benefited corporations. <a href="http://www.clms.neu.edu/publication/documents/Revised_Corporate_Report_May_27th.pdf" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">According to the study</a>:<br /><blockquote>“Between the second quarter of 2009 and the fourth quarter of 2010, real national income in the U.S. increased by $528 billion. Pre-tax corporate profits by themselves had increased by $464 billion while aggregate real wages and salaries rose by only $7 billion or only .1%. Over this six quarter period, <strong>corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of the growth in real national income</strong>. …The absence of any positive share of national income growth due to wages and salaries received by American workers during the current economic recovery is historically unprecedented.”</blockquote>The <a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/the-wageless-profitable-recovery/#h[]" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Times</a> adds, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average real hourly earnings for all employees actually declined by 1.1 percent from June 2009, when the recovery began, to May 2011, the month for which the most recent earnings numbers are available.”<br />So as average wages fall, and nearly <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">14 million people remain unemployed</a>, America’s economic recovery has almost entirely benefited corporations. This development adds another chapter to the decline of the middle class, whose incomes are <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/01/20/173738/report-income" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">shrinking</a> and wages are <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/03/235709/depression-wages" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">stagnating</a>. Last year, top executives’ salaries <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/01/155153/ceo-recession-return/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">increased 27 percent</a>, while workers’ salaries <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/01/155153/ceo-recession-return/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">increased only 2 percent</a>. At the moment, income inequality in America is the worst it’s been <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=2908" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">since the 1920s</a>, as the <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/05/10/173943/oecd-inequality-chart/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">richest 1 percent make nearly 25 percent of the country’s income</a>.<br />–<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/about" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">Sean Savett</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AABXLKofXXg/X_ObDxEbjWI/AAAAAAAAIlw/T4aMT-eYaGU2-IcLBagriATgtNJ3mE4rgCLcBGAsYHQ/s880/greed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="880" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AABXLKofXXg/X_ObDxEbjWI/AAAAAAAAIlw/T4aMT-eYaGU2-IcLBagriATgtNJ3mE4rgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/greed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-60046391477534486522021-01-04T14:31:00.001-08:002021-01-04T14:31:10.031-08:00Tommy Douglas' big dreams<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">Tommy Douglas' big dreams</h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4855699702991754527" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 520px;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><h1 class="page-title" style="margin: 0px; position: relative;">Tommy Douglas' big dreams</h1><h3 class="subtitle" style="margin: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="rg_hl" href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.myhero.com/images/guest/g38270/hero34234/g38270_u36266_Tommy_Douglas_younger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero%3DTDouglas_CMLS_CA_07_ul&usg=__C7Sobu6236XpgGZFkj3ZH31XgO0%3D&h=300&w=400&sz=46&hl=en&start=0&sig2=Aif38O024SfSEKpIT8pKCg&zoom=1&tbnid=EJP-ZWK0dpD70M:&tbnh=132&tbnw=180&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images?q%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=567&vpy=135&dur=627&hovh=135&hovw=180&tx=112&ty=82&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="194" data-width="259" height="194" id="rg_hi" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5m2SLa4I_iZPXzBX00qlsErgq_v54Vrauy3ft9KU7v6tekhfg_ISEPbDbVukYHusa3S02x3c_8lanDk74JAXzMWHarfIzKfim1c67-DudqmXadmt23tvCc4vbvVtvIZwW-gPGJslTeu9X0J8HFt3tI4=s0-d" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; height: 135px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 180px;" width="259" /></a>Douglas knew how to dream big, championing medicare even when the critics said he'd never succeed.</h3><div class="newsDate">Wed 24 Mar 2010</div><div class="share-like-story clearfix"><div class="like-box"><a class="like-this" href="http://www.ndp.ca/press/douglas-big-dreams#like" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Like this"></a></div></div><a href="http://www.themarknews.com/articles/1174-leadership-douglas-s-big-dreams" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">By Jack Layton, as published in the Mark</a><br />When Canadians voted Tommy Douglas our “Greatest Canadian” in 2004, we honoured a man whose example sets the highest bar for today’s political leaders. A portrait of the preacher from Weyburn hangs in my Centre Block office, watching over every meeting with every delegation from every corner of this country. A momentary meeting of the eyes often brings to mind Tommy’s essential teachings.<br /><a class="rg_hl" href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/featuremedia/feature58/ccf.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm%3DArchivedFeatures%26Params%3DA258&usg=__GS0aIbhgcxkN745-UQLH9C5HlLo%3D&h=324&w=400&sz=46&hl=en&start=0&sig2=GIONc6JeLyRFDu5kOZdwzQ&zoom=1&tbnid=PzQnNory_XJugM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=164&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images?q%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=474&vpy=268&dur=92&hovh=202&hovw=250&tx=152&ty=103&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="202" data-width="250" height="202" id="rg_hi" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/IuNB9x6wZPchTwsm45vFDwPK1BE3GfKfiXHaLqO54W0G3mtQSkzzsuJgtviQj46227gxul98zl2a1n8K1-QLSL_iX_UYFpls3DhHo1xgsv05L1DlIYlpI0YVgGk2MyRX0dTInbpN2Z8Lsx3ISV5ljo4=s0-d" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; height: 202px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 250px;" width="250" /></a><a class="rg_hl" href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.altergroup.com/alter-care-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/tommydouglas-rebel.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.altergroup.com/alter-care-blog/index.php/healthcare/tommy-douglas-greatest-canadian-brought-universal-healthcare-to-his-nation/&usg=__oq2D2k5oIlZqs8HQZ7WQ-M_B4Xk%3D&h=334&w=360&sz=84&hl=en&start=0&sig2=UBbSVaA79PoaXkwiWekIzQ&zoom=1&tbnid=s4336nHA5JzQOM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=147&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images?q%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=125&vpy=262&dur=5071&hovh=216&hovw=233&tx=148&ty=113&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="216" data-width="233" height="216" id="rg_hi" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/fNzErWPWYqm-dp36hz0aVcJAdjWgto7EFh5V5jd1bk1j6NNFKZvt9Ojs_jzZa4ypXbOQbd1PbgpKE53YEz4-MoBaIGsCYLiNl9jwazJX1b8musj3_CVJBLdfss8s5e_Tr6uXnupE44NKptfttkiq=s0-d" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; height: 216px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 233px;" width="233" /></a>“Dream no little dreams,” Tommy would say – then show us how. Medicare is impossible, the world cried out. You’ll never balance Saskatchewan’s budget. The medical establishment won’t allow it. It can’t be done. Then he got it done, through a dramatic team effort sparked by his courage to dream big. That same courage lowered Saskatchewan’s voting age to 18, pioneered public-sector bargaining rights, prototyped public auto insurance, launched a public air ambulance service, and issued a bill of rights – all in Tommy’s first term as our party’s first provincial premier.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="rg_hl" href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/images/douglas-bio-portraitb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/biographi273e.shtml&usg=__209Pog_LYf4Z5u0iu_dvRcnsAuY%3D&h=465&w=590&sz=67&hl=en&start=0&sig2=63ovSEscm-bW9cG4_4x9ew&zoom=1&tbnid=FpvRvapOSkMmKM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=170&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images?q%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=776&vpy=270&dur=1114&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=170&ty=122&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="199" data-width="253" height="199" id="rg_hi" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/T0ktSqsYk55jbKMcqD-kBWZdn6zG0TTYsNANdLpJAIcAyeMIzYauzBUDh8Dyx4isfTvKkFSWfEFZRxvctNQe2hnJhzdrjmUTj84cs2IfvS2bxNoB_ntuit5FnwSRHPnbUK-GPceaxqKEUuTnyF4CPto=s0-d" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; height: 199px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 253px;" width="253" /></a></div>Contrast Tommy’s vision with more “modern” leaders whose idea of nation-building is to prop up big business and hope for the best. We need more of Tommy, and less of that. More of that Douglas-style dreaming that’s genetically linked to getting things done.<br /><a class="rg_hl" href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.suite101.com/1054927_com_tommydougl.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.suite101.com/view_image_articles.cfm/1054930&usg=__OLO-NSkIi7FZ37AZPGJIOyUHZ5I%3D&h=272&w=200&sz=28&hl=en&start=0&sig2=Vel8HywOQu3TuTbTio1NIg&zoom=1&tbnid=BNGI4L6_B0o0xM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=109&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images?q%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=625&vpy=413&dur=730&hovh=217&hovw=160&tx=80&ty=111&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="217" data-width="160" height="217" id="rg_hi" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/gL1JiatUEaizStD32jhjVy4cz5ZPEQ7CLA7lcyM6YxkpVpLj5KYs1O3n_DtasmffJlopzw0AMPJnHXttlhOy8joToTYFMqEy98qsuscCE9dt1AbcQCuntvN-JPqVyusuBGY4M9AU2QJ0DFlXeaMriss=s0-d" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; height: 217px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 160px;" width="160" /></a>When he came to Ottawa as the NDP’s first federal leader, Tommy set to work building bridges with Lester Pearson’s minority government. Persistently. Pragmatically. The results became defining aspects of Canadian society – national medicare, the Canada Pension Plan, a world-class affordable housing strategy. That’s why older Canadians aren’t surprised to see today’s New Democrats making minority Parliaments work. We’re learning from the very best.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="rg_hl" href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20110221/800_ap_tommy_douglas_110221.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/QPeriod/20110221/douglas-tommy-battle-110221/&usg=___K1kITLdXqZLuV879lTmVj5Ndgk%3D&h=449&w=800&sz=210&hl=en&start=28&sig2=AJ8KtrmcMdEel86fBN84hA&zoom=1&tbnid=0Ysa5kIWFJuc4M:&tbnh=103&tbnw=184&ei=zedvTfS0AY6osAPQrZHOCw&prev=/images?q%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=832&vpy=158&dur=2652&hovh=168&hovw=300&tx=127&ty=93&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=2&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:28" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="168" data-width="300" height="168" id="rg_hi" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Ro06N8DS6JkNQVVPDFlUIGsfB5zKBSqq1PoIcxE-R2wU2C79JkDbP4CGLrEh4dvzUsf5p9sVfxJp9C94k2iIeuuE0z6eiDir_0LmJ6atrC2e29ZlyvjrzgdjMwjtzMeeIPIfbPCeMncXVDoNY7lOJnI=s0-d" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; height: 168px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a></div>But Tommy’s example also underlines vital limits on compromise. Forty years ago, I was studying at McGill University when Pierre Laporte was murdered by the FLQ. Like so many, I found myself carried away by the popular impulse to applaud Trudeau’s drastic crackdown on the threat that the FLQ seemed to represent. Then Tommy began powerfully condemning the suspension of civil rights under the War Measures Act – risking terrible ostracism to give sober voice to principle: we mustn’t use fear as a smokescreen to trample basic rights. As the vans plucked hundreds of peaceful separatists from the streets of Montreal, something clicked and I rushed to become a New Democrat.<br />Dream big. Be pragmatic. Stick to your principles. That’s Tommy’s distinguished example. There’s none better for aspiring young leaders looking to make a positive mark on their country.</div></div>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-2337222426017006752021-01-04T13:56:00.001-08:002021-01-04T13:56:18.554-08:00Issues: The Link Between Incarceration And Poverty<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Link Between Incarceration And Poverty</h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5854211974437236449" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 520px;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div id="archivebox"><h3 style="margin: 0px; position: relative;"><em>Categorized |</em> <a href="http://www.chilliwacktoday.ca/?cat=379" rel="category" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="View all posts in Federal Politics">Federal Politics</a>, <a href="http://www.chilliwacktoday.ca/?cat=211" rel="category" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="View all posts in Issues">Issues</a>, <a href="http://www.chilliwacktoday.ca/?cat=343" rel="category" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="View all posts in Top Stories">Top Stories</a></h3></div><div class="post-alt blog" id="post-13034"><h2 style="font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://www.chilliwacktoday.ca/?p=13034" rel="bookmark" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Permanent Link to Issues: The Link Between Incarceration And Poverty">Issues: The Link Between Incarceration And Poverty</a></h2><h3 class="post_date" style="margin: 0px; position: relative;">Originally Posted on 24 February 2011<span class="singletags"><br />By David Murray. In my riding there is no better example of what the highest levels of underemployed, child poverty and youth unemployment result in.</span></h3><div class="entry">Abbotsford and Prince George are two of the highest crime cities in Canada. Our tax dollars would be much better suited helping people in abject poverty. If you look at history. In almost every case , all crime bosses came from abject poverty. Johnny “the Fox” Torrio, Al Capone, Tony Accardo,Charles “Lucky” Luciano to name a few. We need to have a major tax shift and thought shift from the way we are thinking. Reactionary politics is not the answer. Preventive politics is much more attainable. We can change people’s habits. Look at what we have done to smokers.<br /><div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_11037" style="width: 354px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSKQhus_-nY/X_OOVj9WPxI/AAAAAAAAIkU/sPtFVCo3QLIyGOtZpOKN1ghMdUFWwburQCLcBGAsYHQ/s496/file-20190212-174894-1upmhar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="496" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSKQhus_-nY/X_OOVj9WPxI/AAAAAAAAIkU/sPtFVCo3QLIyGOtZpOKN1ghMdUFWwburQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/file-20190212-174894-1upmhar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><br /></h2><div class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">In 1961 over 65 % of people smoked in Canada , in 2011 it is 19%. This was done by putting our energy and dollars into the prevention of trying to get people to quit smoking. For every dollar we will spend on our families in need today, it will come back over 100 times the value in related health risks, crime, productivity ,we are investing in our society. Not just a social -democratic society. As Jack Layton says ” a society that leaves nobody behind”. This was an interesting quote by Senator Hugh Segal “Almost all those in Canada’s prisons come from beneath the poverty line. Less than 10 per cent of Canadians live beneath the poverty line but almost 100 per cent of our prison inmates come from that 10 per cent.”</span></div></div>Debates about whether approaches to crime and corrections in Canada are too soft or too tough are ongoing and endemic.<br />While the partisan debate continues unabated, the real issue is why prisons disproportionately house our most vulnerable citizens.<br />While all those Canadians who live beneath the poverty line are by no means associated with criminal activity, almost all those in Canada’s prisons come from beneath the poverty line. Less than 10 per cent of Canadians live beneath the poverty line but almost 100 per cent of our prison inmates come from that 10 per cent. There is no political ideology, on the right or left, that would make the case that people living in poverty belong in jail.<br />Statistics underscore the bleak link between poverty and incarceration. While aboriginals, many mired in poverty, represent 4 per cent of Canada’s population, they make up almost 20 per cent of those in federal prisons. A study by Toronto Star journalists unfortunately makes the point. Sandro Contenta and Jim Rankin, in an impressive 2008 feature for the Star, reviewed thousands of pages of data concerning crime and those caught up in the system.<br /><blockquote><strong>They noted that:</strong><br />• More than 70 per cent of those who enter prisons have not completed high school.<br />• Seventy per cent of offenders entering prisons have unstable job histories.<br />• Four of every five arrive with serious substance-abuse problems.<br />• A Toronto study of 300 homeless adults found 73 per cent of men had been arrested and 49 per cent of them incarcerated at least once. Twelve per cent of women had served time.</blockquote>In a modern, competitive and compassionate society like ours, these numbers are unacceptable. If Canadians want to wage an effective war on crime we must first reshape the debate. If crime abatement is the goal, it is time for all Canadians and their governments to become tough on poverty. By doing so, the outcomes we all want — safer communities and diminishing prison populations — will follow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_cqD5DO5U8/X_OO7hg46yI/AAAAAAAAIkg/5oN5_OXhveEVUliAH2ulwQq8fdDwwUJVACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/KI6-go-to-jail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_cqD5DO5U8/X_OO7hg46yI/AAAAAAAAIkg/5oN5_OXhveEVUliAH2ulwQq8fdDwwUJVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/KI6-go-to-jail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_8988" style="width: 310px;"><br /></div>Not only would this approach — best achieved through the establishment of a needs-based, refundable income tax credit for all Canadians (a guaranteed annual income, or GAI) — prove more effective, it would also be cheaper. At a time of government restraint, prisoners are, in a word, expensive. With all costs factored in, Canadians spend more than $147,000 per prisoner in federal custody each year. By contrast, it would take between $12,000 and $20,000 annually to bring a person in Canada above the poverty line. Even at the high end of the GAI scale, this represents savings to taxpayers of $127,000 per federal prisoner each year. Those are figures that should be of interest to any federal or provincial finance minister — of any party background.<br />The most famous call for a Canadian GAI was issued 40 years ago by Senator David Croll. It was 1971 when his Senate committee on poverty issued its report.<br />“Poverty is the great social issue of our time,” Croll wrote. “The poor do not choose poverty. It is at once their affliction and our national shame. No nation can achieve true greatness if it lacks the courage and determination to undertake the surgery necessary to remove the cancer of poverty from its body politic.”<br />Both Conservative and Liberal federal governments have ignored this proposal ever since. In the years following, the expert calls for a GAI have only increased. The Macdonald Royal Commission challenged Canadians to take a “leap of faith” and embrace free trade with the United States in 1985. It also stated unequivocally that a universal income security program is “the essential building block” for social security programs in the 21st century.<br />What anyone who studies Canada’s prisons understands — be they from the right, left or centre of the political landscape — is that current approaches are not working. Whether or not one believes crime is decreasing, reducing the pipeline that feeds poverty is the best public policy. Police chiefs with whom I have spoken all agree that their areas of greatest challenge are not the better off parts of town. To be tough on crime means we must first be tough on the causes of poverty.</div></div></div></div>tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-17703604246214572812017-01-11T11:18:00.002-08:002017-01-11T11:18:59.115-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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37 Facts About How Cruel This Economy Has Been To Millions Of Desperate American Families<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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By <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/author/the-economic-collapse" title="Posts by The Economic Collapse">The Economic Collapse</a></div>
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Global Research, March 20, 2016</div>
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<a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/37-facts-that-show-how-cruel-this-economy-has-been-to-millions-of-desperate-american-families" target="_blank">The Economic Collapse and Global Research</a> 28 October 2012</div>
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Region: <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/region/usa" rel="tag">USA</a></div>
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Theme: <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/theme/poverty-social-inequality" rel="tag">Poverty & Social Inequality</a></div>
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First published in October 2012<br />
<em>Have you ever laid in bed awake at night with a knot in your
stomach because you didn’t know how your family was possibly going to
make it through the next month financially? Have you ever felt the
desperation of not being able to provide the basic necessities for your
family even though you tried as hard as you could? All over America
tonight, there are millions of desperate families that are being ripped
apart by this economy. There aren’t nearly enough jobs, and millions of
Americans that actually do have jobs aren’t making enough to even
provide the basics for their families. </em><br />
When you have tried everything that you can think of and nothing
works, it can be absolutely soul crushing. Today, one of my regular
readers explained that he was not going to be online for a while because
his power had been turned off. He has been out of work for quite a
while, and eventually the money runs out. Have you ever been there? If
you have ever experienced that moment, you know that it stays with you
for the rest of your life. If you are single that is bad enough, but
when you have to look into the eyes of your children and explain to them
why there won’t be any dinner tonight or why they have to move into a
homeless shelter it can feel like someone has driven a stake into your
heart. In this article you will find a lot of very shocking economic
statistics. But please remember that behind each statistic are the
tragic stories of millions of desperately hurting American families.<br />
Over the past decade, things have steadily gotten worse for American
families no matter what our politicians have tried. Poverty and
government dependence continue to rise. The cost of living continues to
go up and incomes continue to go down. It is truly frightening to
think about what this country is going to look like if current trends
continue.<br />
The following are 37 facts that show how cruel this economy has been to millions of desperate American families…<br />
<strong>1.</strong> One recent survey discovered that <a href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/10/19/survey-40-percent-of-americans-have-500-or-less-in-savings/" target="_blank" title="40 percent">40 percent</a> of all Americans have $500 or less in savings.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> A different recent survey found that <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/25/pf/emergency-savings/index.htm?iid=HP_LN" target="_blank" title="28 percent">28 percent</a> of all Americans do not have a <strong>single penny</strong> saved for emergencies.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> In the United States today, there are <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/12/pf/fdic-bank-accounts/index.html?iid=HP_LN" target="_blank" title="close to 10 million households">close to 10 million households</a> that do not have a single bank account. That number has increased by about a million since 2009.<br />
<strong>4.</strong> Family homelessness in the Washington D.C. region (one of the wealthiest regions in the entire country) <a href="http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/10/14/family-homelessness-is-on-the-rise/" target="_blank" title="has risen 23 percent">has risen 23 percent</a> since the last recession began.<br />
<strong>5.</strong> The number of Americans living in poverty has increased by about <a href="http://thetruthwins.com/archives/84-statistics-that-prove-that-the-decline-of-the-middle-class-is-real-and-that-it-is-getting-worse" target="_blank" title="6 million">6 million</a> over the past four years.<br />
<strong>6.</strong> Median household income has fallen for four years in a row. Overall, it has declined <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/things-are-getting-worse-median-household-income-has-fallen-4-years-in-a-row" title="by more than $4000">by more than $4000</a> over the past four years.<br />
<strong>7.</strong> 62 percent of middle class Americans say that they have had to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/22/middle-class-suffers-worst-decade-in-modern-history-report-says/" target="_blank" title="reduce household spending">reduce household spending</a> over the past year.<br />
<strong>8.</strong> According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-middle-class-20120822,0,4728951.story" target="_blank" title="85 percent">85 percent</a>
of middle class Americans say that it is more difficult to maintain a
middle class standard of living today than it was 10 years ago.<br />
<strong>9.</strong> In the United States today, <a href="http://thetruthwins.com/archives/77-percent-of-all-americans-live-paycheck-to-paycheck-at-least-part-of-the-time" target="_blank" title="77 percent">77 percent</a> of all Americans are living to paycheck to paycheck at least some of the time.<br />
<strong>10.</strong> In the United States today, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/18/news/economy/other-unemployment-rate/index.html?iid=HP_LN" target="_blank" title="more than 41 percent">more than 41 percent</a> of all working age Americans are not working.<br />
<strong>11.</strong> Since January 2009, the “labor force” in the
United States has increased by 827,000, but “those not in the labor
force” has increased by <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/every-person-added-labor-force-10-added-those-not-labor-force_654547.html" target="_blank" title="8,208,000">8,208,000</a>. This is how they have gotten the unemployment numbers to “come down”.<br />
<strong>12.</strong> Sadly, <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/economic-failure-58-percent-of-the-jobs-being-created-are-low-paying-jobs" title="60 percent">60 percent</a> of the jobs lost during the last recession were mid-wage jobs, but <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/economic-failure-58-percent-of-the-jobs-being-created-are-low-paying-jobs" title="58 percent">58 percent</a> of the jobs created since then have been low wage jobs.<br />
<strong>13.</strong> Today, about <a href="http://www.heartlandalliance.org/whatwedo/advocacy/reports/causes-of-poverty.pdf" target="_blank" title="one out of every four">one out of every four</a> workers in the United States brings home wages that are at or below the federal poverty level.<br />
<strong>14.</strong> Right now, the United States actually has a <a class="cboxElement" href="http://www.mybudget360.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/low-wage-2.jpg" rel="lightbox[5309938]" target="_blank" title="higher percentage">higher percentage</a> of workers doing low wage work than any other major industrialized nation does.<br />
<strong>15.</strong> At this point, <a href="http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/only-24-6-percent-of-all-jobs-in-the-united-states-are-good-jobs" target="_blank" title="less than 25 percent">less than 25 percent</a> of all jobs in the United States are “good jobs”, and that number continues to shrink.<br />
<strong>16.</strong> There are now <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/13/housing-costs-half-of-income_n_1587865.html" target="_blank" title="20.2 million Americans">20.2 million Americans</a> that spend more than half of their incomes on housing. That represents a 46 percent increase from 2001.<br />
<strong>17.</strong> According to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/09/27/rising-water-rates/1595651/" target="_blank" title="USA Today">USA Today</a>, many Americans have actually seen their water bills triple over the past 12 years.<br />
<strong>18.</strong> Electricity bills in the United States have risen faster than the overall rate of inflation <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2011-12-13/electric-bills/51840042/1?loc=interstitialskip" target="_blank" title="for five years in a row">for five years in a row</a>.<br />
<strong>19.</strong> In 1999, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-in-america-2012-9#people-by-type-of-health-insurance-coverage-1999-to-2011-11" target="_blank" title="64.1 percent">64.1 percent</a> of all Americans were covered by employment-based health insurance. Today, only <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-in-america-2012-9#people-by-type-of-health-insurance-coverage-1999-to-2011-11" target="_blank" title="55.1 percent">55.1 percent</a> are covered by employment-based health insurance.<br />
<strong>20.</strong> Health insurance premiums rose faster than the overall rate of inflation <a href="http://www.cnbc.com//id/48988230" target="_blank" title="in 2011">in 2011</a> and that is happening once again <a href="http://www.cnbc.com//id/48988230" target="_blank" title="in 2012">in 2012</a>. In fact, it has been happening for a very long time.<br />
<strong>21.</strong> According to one recent survey, <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/jul/24/nearly-one-10-employers-drop-health-coverage/" target="_blank" title="approximately 10 percent">approximately 10 percent</a>
of all employers in the United States plan to drop health coverage when
key provisions of the new health care law kick in less than two years
from now.<br />
<strong>22.</strong> Back in 1983, the bottom 95 percent of all
income earners had 62 cents of debt for every dollar that they earned.
By 2007, that figure had soared <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/02/news/economy/income-debt-inequality/index.htm?iid=HP_LN" target="_blank" title="to $1.48">to $1.48</a>.<br />
<strong>23.</strong> Total home mortgage debt in the United States is now <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/30-charts-you-must-see-before-buying-a-home-2011-4#-8" target="_blank" title="about 5 times larger">about 5 times larger</a> than it was just 20 years ago.<br />
<strong>24.</strong> Total consumer debt in the United States has risen by <a href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article31784.html" target="_blank" title="1700%">1700 percent</a> since 1971.<br />
<strong>25.</strong> Recently it was announced that total student loan debt in the United States has passed <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-student-loan-debt-bubble-is-creating-millions-of-modern-day-serfs" title="the one trillion dollar mark">the one trillion dollar mark</a>.<br />
<strong>26.</strong> According to one recent survey, approximately <a href="http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/business/11698828-420/one-in-three-americans-paying-bills-late-survey.html" target="_blank" title="one-third of all Americans">one-third of all Americans</a> are not paying their bills on time at this point.<br />
<strong>27.</strong> Right now, approximately <a href="http://thetruthwins.com/archives/why-are-so-many-young-adults-moving-back-in-with-mommy-and-daddy" target="_blank" title="25 million">25 million</a> American adults are living at home with their parents.<br />
<strong>28.</strong> The percentage of Americans that find that they
are able to retire when they reach retirement age continues to decline.
According <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/23/retirement/delaying-retirement/index.html?iid=HP_LN" target="_blank" title="to one new survey">to one new survey</a>,
70 percent of middle class Americans plan to work during retirement and
30 percent plan to work until they are at least 80 years old.<br />
<strong>29.</strong> The U.S. economy lost <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/26/economy-lost-more-than-200000-small-businesses-in-recession-census-shows/" target="_blank" title="more than 220,000 small businesses">more than 220,000 small businesses</a> during the recent recession.<br />
<strong>30.</strong> In 2010, the number of jobs created at new businesses in the United States was <a href="http://www.fedupusa.org/2012/07/us-entrepreneurship-dead/" target="_blank" title="less than half">less than half</a> of what it was back in the year 2000.<br />
<strong>31.</strong> Back in 2007, <a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/08/midclass_decline_chart.html" target="_blank" title="19.2 percent">19.2 percent</a> of all American families had a net worth of zero or less than zero. By 2010, that figure had soared to <a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/08/midclass_decline_chart.html" target="_blank" title="32.5 percent">32.5 percent</a>.<br />
<strong>32.</strong> Approximately <a href="http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9461848-dismal-prospects-1-in-2-americans-are-now-poor-or-low-income" target="_blank" title="57 percent">57 percent</a> of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be either “low income” or impoverished.<br />
<strong>33.</strong> In the United States today, somewhere around <a href="http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/its-spreading-us-census-reports-nearly-100-million-poor-in-america-worst-conditions-in-fifty-years_07232012" target="_blank" title="100 million Americans">100 million Americans</a> are considered to be either “poor” or “near poor”.<br />
<strong>34.</strong> In October 2008, 30.8 million Americans were on food stamps. Today, <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/34snapmonthly.htm" target="_blank" title="46.7 million">46.7 million</a> Americans are on food stamps.<br />
<strong>35.</strong> Approximately <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html?_r=1" target="_blank" title="one-fourth">one-fourth</a> of all children in the United States are enrolled in the food stamp program.<br />
<strong>36.</strong> Right now, <a href="http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/more-than-100-million-americans-are-on-welfare" target="_blank" title="more than 100 million Americans">more than 100 million Americans</a>
are enrolled in at least one welfare program run by the federal
government. And that does not even count Social Security or Medicare.<br />
<strong>37.</strong> According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an all-time record <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/18/the-data-behind-romneys-47-comments/" target="_blank" title="49 percent">49 percent</a>
of all Americans live in a home where at least one person receives
financial assistance from the federal government. Back in 1983, that
number was less than 30 percent.<br />
What makes all of this even more frightening is that many homeless
shelters and food banks around the nation are so overloaded at this
point that they are already over capacity. Just consider <a href="http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/10/14/family-homelessness-is-on-the-rise/" target="_blank" title="this example">this example</a>…<br />
<blockquote>
<em>When Janice Coe, a homeless advocate in Loudoun
County, learned through her prayer group that a young woman was sleeping
in the New Carrollton Metro station with a toddler and a 2-month-old,
she sprang into action.</em><br />
<em>Coe contacted the young woman and arranged for her to take the
train to Virginia, where she put the little family up in a Comfort
Suites hotel. Then Coe began calling shelters to see who could take
them.</em><br />
<em>Despite several phone calls, she came up empty. Coe was shocked
to learn that many of the local shelters that cater to families were
full, including Good Shepherd Alliance, where Coe was once director of
social services.</em><br />
<em>“I don’t know why nobody will take this girl in,” Coe said. “The baby still had a hospital bracelet on her wrist.”</em></blockquote>
Keep in mind that Loudoun Country is smack dab in the middle of one of the wealthiest areas of Virginia.<br />
So if things are that bad in the wealthy areas, exactly how bad are things getting in many of the poorer areas?<br />
Unfortunately, things continue to get worse for this economy. DuPont has just announced plans to eliminate <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-23/dupont-profit-trails-analyst-estimates-as-pigment-sales-decline.html" target="_blank" title="1,500 jobs">1,500 jobs</a>. There are more major layoff announcements almost every single day. So how bad will things get when our <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/unsustainable" title="crumbling economic system">crumbling economic system</a> finally collapses? When kind of chaos <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-last-days-of-america-25-signs-of-extreme-social-decay" title="will be unleashed">will be unleashed</a> all over the nation when millions upon millions of Americans finally lose all hope?<br />
In the introduction to this article, I mentioned that one of my
regular readers has had his lights turned off. The following is how he
described <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/what-if-we-adopted-a-system-where-the-banks-did-not-create-our-money" title="his situation">his situation</a>…<br />
<blockquote>
<em>No gas, no water, no electricity at my house.
Couldn’t pay the bills. I’m broke. Desperately searching for any means
of income, or at least enough cash to get the juice (electricity)
restored.</em><br />
<em>Typing this missive in a dark house using the battery on my
laptop. Feels like I’m camping out at home. Hope to get this situation
fixed tomorrow… somehow. Needless to say, I *…. hate this.</em><br />
<em>I was ready for this, but it is still a major league
inconvenience. For those of you who DO have power, etc. – and are not
ready… oh brother. You need to get ready. Seriously, you do. Because
what I’m going through is just an inconvenience. It may someday be a
normal occurence. Ugh. (expletives deleted)</em></blockquote>
Hopefully a way can be found to get his situation turned around, but
the truth is that there are tens of millions of other similar stories
out there in America today.<br />
What about you? What are things like in your neck of the woods? Please feel free to share your thoughts below…<br />
<a href="http://thetruthwins.com/archives/global-food-reserves-have-reached-their-lowest-level-in-almost-40-years" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="546" src="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Can-You-Handle-What-Is-Coming-425x546.jpg" title="Can You Handle What Is Coming?" width="425" /></a><br />
<div class="copyright">
The original source of this article is <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/37-facts-that-show-how-cruel-this-economy-has-been-to-millions-of-desperate-american-families" target="_blank">The Economic Collapse and Global Research</a></div>
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Copyright © <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/author/the-economic-collapse" title="Posts by The Economic Collapse">The Economic Collapse</a>, <a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/37-facts-that-show-how-cruel-this-economy-has-been-to-millions-of-desperate-american-families" target="_blank">The Economic Collapse and Global Research</a>, 2016</div>
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tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-89021176340748200542017-01-11T11:13:00.001-08:002017-01-11T11:13:35.024-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a data-reactid="182" href="http://fortune.com/tag/american-economy"></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rJSZw2DRoTY/WHaDwohmAxI/AAAAAAAAHkU/DUluweBISugtvCHMK0U_y2NDYUgv1-UsQCLcB/s1600/child-poverty-rates-rise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rJSZw2DRoTY/WHaDwohmAxI/AAAAAAAAHkU/DUluweBISugtvCHMK0U_y2NDYUgv1-UsQCLcB/s320/child-poverty-rates-rise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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12 signs America is on the decline</h1>
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<a class="_1HynphR0" data-reactid="199" href="http://fortune.com/author/jill-hamburg-coplan/"><span class="zhtAwgU0" data-reactid="200">Jill Hamburg Coplan</span></a></div>
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<span class="MblGHNMJ" data-reactid="204">Updated: Jul 21, 2015 4:21 PM Pacific</span></div>
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<a class="_126vtqye" data-reactid="207" href="http://fortune.com/2015/07/20/united-states-decline-statistics-economic/#"><svg data-reactid="208" height="100%" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 3 32 32"><path d="M17.29 25.827v-8.475h2.356l.312-2.92H17.29l.005-1.462c0-.762.073-1.17 1.174-1.17h1.47V8.88h-2.354c-2.828 0-3.823 1.416-3.823 3.798v1.754H12v2.92h1.763v8.475h3.528z" data-reactid="209"></path></svg></a><a class="_1VAl2zD1" data-reactid="210" href="http://fortune.com/2015/07/20/united-states-decline-statistics-economic/#"><svg data-reactid="211" height="100%" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 0 32 32"><path d="M15.874 12.354l.032.537-.533-.065c-1.943-.252-3.64-1.106-5.082-2.542l-.703-.712-.182.527c-.384 1.173-.138 2.41.662 3.243.427.46.33.526-.405.252-.257-.087-.48-.153-.502-.12-.075.076.18 1.073.384 1.468.278.548.844 1.085 1.463 1.402l.523.252-.62.01c-.597 0-.62.012-.554.242.213.712 1.056 1.468 1.996 1.797l.662.23-.577.35c-.854.505-1.857.79-2.86.812-.48.01-.876.054-.876.087 0 .11 1.303.723 2.06.964 2.275.713 4.976.406 7.004-.81 1.44-.866 2.882-2.586 3.554-4.25.363-.89.726-2.51.726-3.288 0-.504.032-.57.63-1.173.352-.35.683-.734.747-.843.108-.208.097-.208-.447-.022-.907.328-1.036.285-.587-.208.33-.35.726-.986.726-1.173 0-.034-.16.02-.342.12-.192.11-.62.274-.94.372l-.576.187-.523-.363c-.287-.197-.693-.416-.906-.482-.544-.153-1.377-.132-1.868.044-1.334.492-2.178 1.763-2.082 3.154z" data-reactid="212"></path></svg></a><a class="_2Py7Mhad" data-reactid="213" href="http://fortune.com/2015/07/20/united-states-decline-statistics-economic/#"><svg data-reactid="214" height="100%" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 0 33 33"><path d="M13.1349862,15.2727273 L13.1349862,16.7272727 C13.1349862,16.9292939 13.0514242,17.1010094 12.8842975,17.2424242 C12.7171709,17.3838391 12.5142344,17.4545455 12.2754821,17.4545455 L10.5564738,17.4545455 C10.3177215,17.4545455 10.114785,17.3838391 9.9476584,17.2424242 C9.78053176,17.1010094 9.6969697,16.9292939 9.6969697,16.7272727 L9.6969697,15.2727273 C9.6969697,15.0707061 9.78053176,14.8989906 9.9476584,14.7575758 C10.114785,14.6161609 10.3177215,14.5454545 10.5564738,14.5454545 L12.2754821,14.5454545 C12.5142344,14.5454545 12.7171709,14.6161609 12.8842975,14.7575758 C13.0514242,14.8989906 13.1349862,15.0707061 13.1349862,15.2727273 L13.1349862,15.2727273 Z M17.7190083,15.2727273 L17.7190083,16.7272727 C17.7190083,16.9292939 17.6354462,17.1010094 17.4683196,17.2424242 C17.3011929,17.3838391 17.0982565,17.4545455 16.8595041,17.4545455 L15.1404959,17.4545455 C14.9017435,17.4545455 14.6988071,17.3838391 14.5316804,17.2424242 C14.3645538,17.1010094 14.2809917,16.9292939 14.2809917,16.7272727 L14.2809917,15.2727273 C14.2809917,15.0707061 14.3645538,14.8989906 14.5316804,14.7575758 C14.6988071,14.6161609 14.9017435,14.5454545 15.1404959,14.5454545 L16.8595041,14.5454545 C17.0982565,14.5454545 17.3011929,14.6161609 17.4683196,14.7575758 C17.6354462,14.8989906 17.7190083,15.0707061 17.7190083,15.2727273 L17.7190083,15.2727273 Z M22.3030303,15.2727273 L22.3030303,16.7272727 C22.3030303,16.9292939 22.2194682,17.1010094 22.0523416,17.2424242 C21.885215,17.3838391 21.6822785,17.4545455 21.4435262,17.4545455 L19.7245179,17.4545455 C19.4857656,17.4545455 19.2828291,17.3838391 19.1157025,17.2424242 C18.9485758,17.1010094 18.8650138,16.9292939 18.8650138,16.7272727 L18.8650138,15.2727273 C18.8650138,15.0707061 18.9485758,14.8989906 19.1157025,14.7575758 C19.2828291,14.6161609 19.4857656,14.5454545 19.7245179,14.5454545 L21.4435262,14.5454545 C21.6822785,14.5454545 21.885215,14.6161609 22.0523416,14.7575758 C22.2194682,14.8989906 22.3030303,15.0707061 22.3030303,15.2727273 L22.3030303,15.2727273 Z" data-reactid="215"></path></svg></a></div>
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America is declining, in large and important measures, yet policymakers aren’t paying attention. So argues <a data-reactid="219" href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2622722" target="_blank">a new academic paper</a>, pulling together previously published data.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="222">
Consider this:</div>
<ul class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _3OxD1CLJ" data-reactid="224">
<li data-reactid="225">America’s child poverty levels are worse than in any developed country anywhere, including Greece, <a data-reactid="227" href="http://fortune.com/2015/07/16/greece-debt-crisis/">devastated by a euro crisis,</a> and eastern European nations such as Poland, Lithuania and Estonia.</li>
<li data-reactid="230">Median adult wealth in the US ($39,000) is 27<sup data-reactid="232">th</sup> globally, putting it behind Cyprus, Taiwan, and Ireland.</li>
<li data-reactid="234">Even when “life satisfaction” is measured, America ranks #12, behind Israel, Sweden and Australia.</li>
</ul>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="236">
Overall,
America’s per capita wealth, health and education measures are mediocre
for a highly industrialized nation. Well-being metrics, perceptions of
corruption, quality and cost of basic services, are sliding, too.
Healthcare and education spending are funding bloated administrations
even while human outcomes sink, the authors say.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="238">
“We
looked at very broad measures, and at individual measures, too,” said
co-author Hershey H. Friedman, a business professor at Brooklyn College -
City University of New York. The most dangerous sign they saw: rising
income and wealth inequality, which slow growth and can spark
instability, the authors say.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="240">
“Capitalism
has been amazingly successful,” write Friedman and co-author Sarah
Hertz of Empire State College. But it has grown so unfettered,
predatory, so exclusionary, it’s become, in effect, crony capitalism.
Now places like Qatar and Romania, “countries you wouldn’t expect to be,
are doing better than us,” said Friedman.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="242">
“You can become a second-rate power very quickly,” added Hertz.</div>
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<div class="show-for-large" data-reactid="245">
<div class="lWcQivxu" data-reactid="246">
<h2 class="Iz6UAhFv" data-reactid="247">
Related</h2>
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<div class="row" data-reactid="250" style="height: 149px;">
<a class="_2S9ChopF" data-reactid="251" href="http://fortune.com/2016/12/12/fed-meeting-interest-rates/" target="_self"><img alt="House Financial Services Committee" class="b-lazy b-loaded" data-reactid="252" src="https://fortunedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/610926560.jpg?h=149" title="House Financial Services Committee" /></a><br />
<div class="_3GZfzMIG" data-reactid="253">
<a class="_2S9ChopF" data-reactid="251" href="http://fortune.com/2016/12/12/fed-meeting-interest-rates/" target="_self"><svg data-reactid="254" height="100%" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 0 10 11"><path d="M9.268 5.404c.207-.114.207-.3 0-.415L.375.044C.167-.067 0 .035 0 .265v9.86c0 .235.167.335.375.22l8.893-4.94z" data-reactid="255"></path></svg></a></div>
<a class="_2S9ChopF" data-reactid="251" href="http://fortune.com/2016/12/12/fed-meeting-interest-rates/" target="_self">
</a></div>
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<a class="_3qgLnvdM" data-reactid="258" href="http://fortune.com/tag/investors-guide"><span class="_2tpheXHl" data-reactid="259">Investor's Guide</span></a><a class="j4P-Lom_" data-reactid="260" href="http://fortune.com/2016/12/12/fed-meeting-interest-rates/"><span class="IAzlmo5X" data-reactid="261">How the Federal Reserve Could Still Surprise the Market</span></a></div>
<div class="_1xP-VEhr" data-reactid="262">
<div class="_1X3LqGF7" data-reactid="263">
<svg height="100%" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 0 90 21"><path d="M12.1 5.1L12.1 16.3C12.1 18.9 14.2 21 16.9 21 19.5 21 21.6 18.9 21.6 16.3L21.6 5.1C21.6 2.5 19.5 0.4 16.9 0.4L16.9 0.4C14.2 0.4 12.1 2.5 12.1 5.1M15.5 16.3L15.5 5.1C15.5 4.3 16.1 3.8 16.9 3.8L16.9 3.8C17.6 3.8 18.2 4.3 18.2 5.1L18.2 16.3C18.2 17 17.6 17.6 16.9 17.6 16.1 17.6 15.5 17 15.5 16.3"></path><polygon points="49 0.6 39.4 0.6 39.4 4 42.5 4 42.5 20.7 45.9 20.7 45.9 4 49 4"></polygon><path d="M59 0.6L59 16.3C59 17 58.4 17.6 57.7 17.6 57 17.6 56.4 17 56.4 16.3L56.4 0.6 52.9 0.6 52.9 16.3C52.9 18.9 55.1 21 57.7 21 60.3 21 62.5 18.9 62.5 16.3L62.5 0.6 59 0.6Z"></path><polygon points="90.1 4 90.1 0.6 81.7 0.6 81.7 20.7 90.1 20.7 90.1 17.3 85.1 17.3 85.1 12.1 88.3 12.1 88.3 8.7 85.1 8.7 85.1 4"></polygon><path d="M36.2 20.7L32.6 20.7 30.1 11.2C30.1 11.2 32.3 10.8 32.3 8.5L32.3 5.4C32.3 4.6 31.7 4 30.9 4L29.6 4 29.6 20.7 26.2 20.7 26.2 0.6 30.9 0.6C33.5 0.6 35.6 2.6 35.7 5.2L35.7 5.2 35.7 8.4 35.7 8.4C35.7 10.4 35 11.8 33.8 12.8L36.2 20.7Z"></path><polygon points="74.1 0.6 74.1 11.6 70.6 0.6 67.1 0.6 67.1 20.7 70.6 20.7 70.6 10.9 73.8 20.7 77.6 20.7 77.6 0.6"></polygon><polygon points="4.2 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.6 21 4.2 21 4.2 12.4 7.5 12.4 7.5 9 4.2 9 4.2 4.3 9.4 4.3 9.4 0.9"></polygon></svg></div>
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To be sure, the debate over whether America is on the decline has raged for years. The US <a data-reactid="280" href="http://www.dni.gov/index.php/about/organization/national-intelligence-council-global-trends" target="_blank">National Intelligence Council</a> said in <a data-reactid="283" href="http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/Reports%20and%20Pubs/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf" target="_blank">its global trends report </a>a
decade ago American power was on a downward trajectory. Others making
the case say the US is overstretched militarily, ill-prepared
technologically, at-risk financially, or lacking dynamism in the face of
influential, new competitors.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="286">
Arguing
decline has been exaggerated, others point to a rising US stock market,
manufacturing strength, a growing population, and a domestic energy
boom.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="288">
The authors collect many previously published rankings, and the picture that emerges, however, is sobering:</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="290">
<b data-reactid="291">1. Median wealth per adult</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="294">
<b data-reactid="295">Rank of U.S.: </b>27th out of 27 high-income countries</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="297">
Americans may feel like global leaders, but Spain, Cyprus and Qatar all have <a data-reactid="299" href="http://www.middleclasspoliticaleconomist.com/2013/10/median-wealth-increases-but-us-still.html?m=1" target="_blank">higher median wealth (per capita)</a> than America’s (<a data-reactid="302" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=2&amp;ved=0CCUQFjABahUKEwjjyPfR4-jGAhWDLB4KHVUQBKM&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fsentierresearch.com%2Freports%2FSentier_Household_Income_Trends_Report_May2014_07_02_14.pdf&amp;ei=emysVeOjFYPZeNWgkJgK&amp;usg=AFQjCNGMzP2Iv4Y_Z-sSGg4FUPgRWLco7w&amp;bvm=bv.98197061,d.dmo&amp;cad=rja" target="_blank">about $39,000</a>).
So does much of Europe and the industrialized world. Per capita median
income in the US ($18,700) is also relatively low--and unchanged since
2000. A middle-class <a data-reactid="305" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/upshot/the-american-middle-class-is-no-longer-the-worlds-richest.html?abt=0002&amp;abg=1" target="_blank">Canadian’s income is now higher</a>.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="311">
<b data-reactid="312">2. Education and skills</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="313">
<b data-reactid="314">Rank of U.S.: </b>16th out of 23 countries</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="316">
The US ranked near the bottom in a skills survey by the <a data-reactid="318" href="http://skills.oecd.org/skillsoutlook.html" target="_blank">Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, </a>which examined European and other developed nations. In its Skills Outlook 2013, the US placed 16th in adult literacy, <a data-reactid="321" href="http://www.ncee.org/cieb/piaac-skills-outlook-2013-from-oecd/" target="_blank">21st in adult numeracy</a> out of 23, and 14th in <a data-reactid="324" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264204904-en" target="_blank">problem-solving</a>.
Spots in prestigious US universities are highly sought-after. Yet
higher education, once an effective way out of poverty in the US,<a data-reactid="327" href="https://cew.georgetown.edu/report/stem/" target="_blank"> isn’t anymore</a>
– at least not for lower-income and minority students. The authors
quote studies showing, for example, that today 80% of white college
students attend Barron’s Top 500 schools, while 75% of black and Latino
students go to two-year junior colleges or open-admissions (not Top 500)
schools. Poor students are also far less likely to complete a degree.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="330">
<b data-reactid="331">3. Internet speed and access</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="332">
<b data-reactid="333">Rank of U.S.: </b>16th out of 34 countries</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="335">
Broadband access has become essential for industry to grow and flourish. Yet in the US, penetration is low and <a data-reactid="337" href="http://www.oecd.org/sti/broadband/BB-Portal-5a.xls" target="_blank">speed relatively slow</a> versus wealthy nations—thought the <a data-reactid="340" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932799836" target="_blank">cost of internet is among the highest</a> ($0.04 per megabit per second in Japan, for example, versus $0.53 in the US). The problem may be <a data-reactid="343" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/business/economy/concentrated-markets-take-big-toll-on-economy.html" target="_blank">too much concentration</a> and too little competition in the industry, the authors suggest.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="346">
<b data-reactid="347">4. Health</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="348">
<b data-reactid="349">Rank of U.S.: </b>33rd out of 145 countries</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="351">
When it comes to its citizens’ health, in countries that are home to at least one million people, the US ranks <a data-reactid="353" href="http://images.businessweek.com/bloomberg/pdfs/WORLDS_HEALTHIEST_COUNTRIES.pdf" target="_blank">below many other wealthy countries</a>. More American <a data-reactid="356" href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960696-6/fulltext" target="_blank">women also are dying</a> during pregnancy and childbirth, the authors note, quoting a <i data-reactid="359">Lancet</i>
study. For every 100,000 births in the United States, 18.5 women die.
Saudi Arabia and Canada have half that maternal death rate.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="361">
<b data-reactid="362">5. People living below the poverty line</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="363">
<b data-reactid="364">Rank of U.S.: </b>36th out of 162 countries, behind Morocco and Albania</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="366">
Officially, 14.5% of Americans are impoverished -- 45.3 million people--according to the latest <a data-reactid="368" href="http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-169.html" target="_blank">US Census</a> data. <a data-reactid="371" href="http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=69" target="_blank">That’s a larger fraction</a> of the population in poverty than Morocco and Albania (<a data-reactid="374" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/" target="_blank">though how nations define poverty varies considerably).</a>
The elderly have Social Security, with its automatic cost-of-living
adjustments, to thank, the authors say, for doing better: Few seniors
(one in 10) are poor today versus 50 years ago (when it was one in
three). Poverty is also <a data-reactid="377" href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/13/whos-poor-in-america-50-years-into-the-war-on-poverty-a-data-portrait/" target="_blank">down among African Americans</a>. Now America’s poor are more often in their prime working years, or in households headed by single mothers.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="380">
<b data-reactid="381">6. Children in poverty</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="382">
<b data-reactid="383">Rank of U.S.: </b>34th out of 35 countries surveyed</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="385">
When UNICEF relative poverty – relative to the average in each society—<a data-reactid="387" href="http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/655" target="_blank">the US ranked at the bottom</a>,
above only Romania, even as Americans are, on average, six times richer
than Romanians. Children in all of Europe, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, and Japan <a data-reactid="390" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/04/15/map-how-35-countries-compare-on-child-poverty-the-u-s-is-ranked-34th/" target="_blank">fare better.</a></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="392">
<b data-reactid="393">7. Income inequality</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="394">
<b data-reactid="395">Rank of U.S.: </b>Fourth highest inequality in the world.<b data-reactid="397"><br data-reactid="398" /></b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="399">
The authors argue that the most <a data-reactid="401" href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI/" target="_blank">severe inequality</a> can be found in <a data-reactid="404" href="http://ourworldindata.org/data/growth-and-distribution-of-prosperity/income-inequality/" target="_blank">Chile, Mexico, Turkey -- and the US</a>. Citing the Gini coefficient, a common inequality metric, and data from <i data-reactid="407">Wall Street Journal</i>/Mercer Human Resource Consulting, they say this inequality <a data-reactid="409" href="http://www.oecd.org/social/inequality.htm" target="_blank">slows economic growth</a>, impedes youths’ opportunities, and ultimately threatens the nation’s future (an <a data-reactid="412" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyprxOa1H1s" target="_blank">OECD video</a> explains). Worsening income inequality is also evident in the ratio of average <a data-reactid="415" href="http://www.heritageinstitute.com/governance/compensation.htm" target="_blank">CEO earnings to average workers’</a> pay. That ratio went from 24:1 in 1965 to 262:1 in 2005.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="418">
<b data-reactid="419">8. Prison population</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="420">
<b data-reactid="421">Rank of U.S.: </b>First out of 224 countries</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="423">
More than 2.2 million Americans are in jail. <a data-reactid="425" href="http://www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total?field_region_taxonomy_tid=All" target="_blank">Only China comes close</a>, the authors write, with about 1.66 million.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="428">
<b data-reactid="429">9. Life satisfaction</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="430">
<b data-reactid="431">Rank of U.S.: </b>17th out of 36 countries</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="433">
The authors note Americans’ <a data-reactid="435" href="http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/life-satisfaction/" target="_blank">happiness score is only middling</a>,
according to the OECD Better Life Index. (The index measures how people
evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings.)
People in New Zealand, Finland, and Israel rate higher in life
satisfaction. A <a data-reactid="438" href="http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/WorldHappinessReport2013_online.pdf" target="_blank">UN report</a> had a similar finding.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="441">
<b data-reactid="442">10. Corruption</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="445">
<b data-reactid="446">Rank of U.S.: </b>17th out of 175 countries.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="448">
Barbados
and Luxembourg are ahead of the US when it comes to citizens’
perceptions of corruption. Americans view their country as "somewhat
corrupt," the authors note, according to <a data-reactid="450" href="https://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results" target="_blank">Transparency International</a>, a Berlin-based nonprofit. In a separate survey of American citizens, many said <a data-reactid="453" href="http://www.princeton.edu/%7Emgilens/Gilens%20homepage%20materials/Gilens%20and%20Page/Gilens%20and%20Page%202014-Testing%20Theories%203-7-14.pdf" target="_blank">politicians don’t serve the majority’s interest,</a>
but are biased toward corporate lobbyists and the super-rich. “Special
interest groups are gradually transforming the United States into an
oligarchy,” the authors argue, “concerned only about the needs of the
wealthy.”</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="456">
<b data-reactid="457">11. Stability</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="458">
<b data-reactid="459">Rank of U.S.: 20th out of 178 countries.</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="460">
The Fragile States Index considers factors such as inequality, corruption, and factionalism. The <a data-reactid="462" href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/fragile-states-2014" target="_blank">US lags behind Portugal</a>, Slovenia and Iceland.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="465">
<b data-reactid="466">12. Social progress index</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="467">
<b data-reactid="468">Rank of U.S.: 1</b>6t<b data-reactid="470">h out of 133 countries</b></div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="471">
A
broad measure of social well-being, the index comprises 52 economic
indicators such as access to clean water and air, access to advanced
education, access to basic knowledge, and safety. <a data-reactid="473" href="http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi#data_table/countries/spi/dim1,dim2,dim3" target="_blank">Countries surpassing the US</a> include Ireland, the UK, Iceland, and Canada.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="476">
“If America’s going to be great again, we’ve got to start fixing things,” Friedman said.</div>
<div class="column small-12 medium-10 medium-offset-1 large-offset-2 _10M0Ygc4" data-reactid="478">
<i data-reactid="479">Jill Hamburg Coplan is a writer and editor and regular contributor to Fortune.</i></div>
Correction:
An earlier version of this story said the U.S. ranked 27th in median
household income; the U.S. ranked 27th in median wealth per adult. This
has been corrected in the current version.</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-8012795285185463782017-01-01T13:54:00.001-08:002017-01-01T15:07:15.461-08:00Politics: Van Jones Speaking At The Broadbent Institute In Toronto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="current">Politics: Van Jones Speaking At The Broadbent Institute In Toronto</span></div>
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Politics: Van Jones Speaking At The Broadbent Institute In Toronto</h1>
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By <a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/author/dmurray/" rel="author" title="Posts by David Murray">David Murray</a> on January 1, 2017 </div>
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I came upon this great speech by Van Jones after the US election. If you get time it is 35 minutes well spent. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU5z4rnOs0Y">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU5z4rnOs0Y</a>. This is also what Van Jones had to say on CNN on election night about electing a bully. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdgewCeLtrU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdgewCeLtrU</a></div>
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tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-83737229786888120552015-05-04T19:01:00.001-07:002015-05-04T19:01:09.576-07:00NDP In Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge Back Bob D’eith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Press Release: NDP In Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge Back Bob D’eith</h1>
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By <a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/author/dmurray/" rel="author" title="Posts by David Murray">David Murray</a> on May 5, 2015 </div>
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<img alt="bob dieth" class="attachment-post-thumb wp-post-image" height="336" src="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/bob-dieth-300x336.jpeg" width="300" /> </div>
MAPLE RIDGE – Yesterday afternoon, New Democrats from across the
riding of Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge gathered to elect lawyer, musician,
and active community volunteer Bob D’Eith to be their candidate for the
next federal election.<br />
“Beyond Bob’s extensive and vast experience, he is also committed to
his community and a strong advocate for accountability, openness and
action,” said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. “The fact that, like me, he is
also a former minor hockey coach, is just icing on the cake. I’m very
happy to have him on our team.” <br />
A father of five, D’Eith has been involved in the music industry for
twenty-five years in a variety of capacities from two time JUNO Award
nominee to music lawyer. For the past fourteen years, he has been the
executive director of the Music BC Industry Association and, for the
last two, an active member of the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council.
<br />
“I am honoured to have been chosen to be the NDP candidate for the
Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge,” said D’Eith. “The people I speak with are
ready for change and only Tom Mulcair has the experience and principled
policies to replace Stephen Harper.”<br />
Speaking after the meeting, D’Eith continues, “The NDP stands for the
Canada that I know and love. A Canada that provides peace-keepers to
countries in need. A Canada that cares about the environment, our water
and our coast-lines. A compassionate Canada with a strong middle-class
that takes care of those less fortunate. A Canada that values our rights
and freedoms. I hope that I can be part of the solution, working with
Tom Mulcair and the NDP to move our amazing country towards a Canada
that we can all be proud of.”<br />
</div>
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<a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/tag/bob-deith/" rel="tag">Bob D'Eith</a><a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/tag/canada/" rel="tag">Canada</a><a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/tag/ndp/" rel="tag">NDP</a><a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/tag/pitt-meadows-maple-ridge-ndp/" rel="tag">Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge NDP</a><a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/tag/thomas-mulcair/" rel="tag">Thomas Mulcair</a> </div>
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tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-84756967727192841162014-11-15T19:23:00.001-08:002014-11-15T19:23:06.955-08:00http://nextyearcountrynews.blogspot.ca/2010/06/reflections-on-regina-riot.html<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
http://nextyearcountrynews.blogspot.ca/2010/06/reflections-on-regina-riot.html</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-48556997029917545272014-04-06T19:49:00.002-07:002014-04-06T19:49:28.719-07:00Tommy Douglas' big dreams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="page-title">
Tommy Douglas' big dreams</h1>
<h3 class="subtitle">
<a class="rg_hl" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.myhero.com/images/guest/g38270/hero34234/g38270_u36266_Tommy_Douglas_younger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp%3Fhero%3DTDouglas_CMLS_CA_07_ul&usg=__C7Sobu6236XpgGZFkj3ZH31XgO0=&h=300&w=400&sz=46&hl=en&start=0&sig2=Aif38O024SfSEKpIT8pKCg&zoom=1&tbnid=EJP-ZWK0dpD70M:&tbnh=132&tbnw=180&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=567&vpy=135&dur=627&hovh=135&hovw=180&tx=112&ty=82&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="194" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTynVlWfwwqnHK157UdH7wM_pffLneR6AR3qCRobBpeBmriSDHCYA" data-width="259" height="194" id="rg_hi" style="height: 135px; width: 180px;" width="259" /></a>Douglas knew how to dream big, championing medicare even when the critics said he'd never succeed.</h3>
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Wed 24 Mar 2010</div>
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<a href="http://www.themarknews.com/articles/1174-leadership-douglas-s-big-dreams">By Jack Layton, as published in the Mark</a><br />
When
Canadians voted Tommy Douglas our “Greatest Canadian” in 2004, we
honoured a man whose example sets the highest bar for today’s political
leaders. A portrait of the preacher from Weyburn hangs in my Centre
Block office, watching over every meeting with every delegation from
every corner of this country. A momentary meeting of the eyes often
brings to mind Tommy’s essential teachings.<br />
<a class="rg_hl" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/featuremedia/feature58/ccf.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm%3FPgNm%3DArchivedFeatures%26Params%3DA258&usg=__GS0aIbhgcxkN745-UQLH9C5HlLo=&h=324&w=400&sz=46&hl=en&start=0&sig2=GIONc6JeLyRFDu5kOZdwzQ&zoom=1&tbnid=PzQnNory_XJugM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=164&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=474&vpy=268&dur=92&hovh=202&hovw=250&tx=152&ty=103&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="202" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFoeuYpuX1sgM4ROiSh6AqdjvLnaNVf9BFLzWugmctq6skpexwew" data-width="250" height="202" id="rg_hi" style="height: 202px; width: 250px;" width="250" /></a><a class="rg_hl" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.altergroup.com/alter-care-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/tommydouglas-rebel.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.altergroup.com/alter-care-blog/index.php/healthcare/tommy-douglas-greatest-canadian-brought-universal-healthcare-to-his-nation/&usg=__oq2D2k5oIlZqs8HQZ7WQ-M_B4Xk=&h=334&w=360&sz=84&hl=en&start=0&sig2=UBbSVaA79PoaXkwiWekIzQ&zoom=1&tbnid=s4336nHA5JzQOM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=147&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=125&vpy=262&dur=5071&hovh=216&hovw=233&tx=148&ty=113&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="216" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTF-uouAAdLUwj1Nc7df5Pvd5vNo-8pzzo1ogWSZ4xClEbhdUkS" data-width="233" height="216" id="rg_hi" style="height: 216px; width: 233px;" width="233" /></a>“Dream no
little dreams,” Tommy would say – then show us how. Medicare is
impossible, the world cried out. You’ll never balance Saskatchewan’s
budget. The medical establishment won’t allow it. It can’t be done.
Then he got it done, through a dramatic team effort sparked by his
courage to dream big. That same courage lowered Saskatchewan’s voting
age to 18, pioneered public-sector bargaining rights, prototyped public
auto insurance, launched a public air ambulance service, and issued a
bill of rights – all in Tommy’s first term as our party’s first
provincial premier.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="rg_hl" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/images/douglas-bio-portraitb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/biographi273e.shtml&usg=__209Pog_LYf4Z5u0iu_dvRcnsAuY=&h=465&w=590&sz=67&hl=en&start=0&sig2=63ovSEscm-bW9cG4_4x9ew&zoom=1&tbnid=FpvRvapOSkMmKM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=170&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=776&vpy=270&dur=1114&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=170&ty=122&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="199" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSLg37nXr7iYgnUTCHnjEf2VrFUcvlTFE-I-dDWvIS9qkd38fTd2Q" data-width="253" height="199" id="rg_hi" style="height: 199px; width: 253px;" width="253" /></a></div>
Contrast
Tommy’s vision with more “modern” leaders whose idea of
nation-building is to prop up big business and hope for the best. We
need more of Tommy, and less of that. More of that Douglas-style dreaming that’s genetically linked to getting things done.<br />
<a class="rg_hl" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.suite101.com/1054927_com_tommydougl.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.suite101.com/view_image_articles.cfm/1054930&usg=__OLO-NSkIi7FZ37AZPGJIOyUHZ5I=&h=272&w=200&sz=28&hl=en&start=0&sig2=Vel8HywOQu3TuTbTio1NIg&zoom=1&tbnid=BNGI4L6_B0o0xM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=109&ei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=625&vpy=413&dur=730&hovh=217&hovw=160&tx=80&ty=111&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:0" id="rg_hl" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="217" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_0p1VqoPvEVXrrc-er7ADtjeb6CP6Q-1geIoD-hWP0HfuRTC_oQ" data-width="160" height="217" id="rg_hi" style="height: 217px; width: 160px;" width="160" /></a>When
he came to Ottawa as the NDP’s first federal leader, Tommy set to work
building bridges with Lester Pearson’s minority government.
Persistently. Pragmatically. The results became defining aspects of
Canadian society – national medicare, the Canada Pension Plan, a
world-class affordable housing strategy.
That’s why older Canadians aren’t surprised to see today’s New
Democrats making minority Parliaments work. We’re learning from the
very best.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="rg_hl" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20110221/800_ap_tommy_douglas_110221.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/QPeriod/20110221/douglas-tommy-battle-110221/&usg=___K1kITLdXqZLuV879lTmVj5Ndgk=&h=449&w=800&sz=210&hl=en&start=28&sig2=AJ8KtrmcMdEel86fBN84hA&zoom=1&tbnid=0Ysa5kIWFJuc4M:&tbnh=103&tbnw=184&ei=zedvTfS0AY6osAPQrZHOCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtommy%2Bdouglas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1272%26bih%3D758%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=832&vpy=158&dur=2652&hovh=168&hovw=300&tx=127&ty=93&oei=SOdvTYXrOI_6swO9o-i_Cw&page=2&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:28" id="rg_hl" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="rg_hi" data-height="168" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7VJGlY7EzCH0gHH9KzVI07BprGCMxtcM6L6pVzz08UxZhUajk1w" data-width="300" height="168" id="rg_hi" style="height: 168px; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a></div>
But
Tommy’s example also underlines vital limits on compromise. Forty
years ago, I was studying at McGill University when Pierre Laporte was
murdered by the FLQ. Like so many, I found myself carried away by the
popular impulse to applaud Trudeau’s drastic crackdown on the threat
that the FLQ seemed to represent. Then Tommy began powerfully condemning
the suspension of civil rights under the War Measures Act – risking
terrible ostracism to give sober voice to principle: we mustn’t use fear
as a smokescreen to trample basic rights. As the vans plucked hundreds
of peaceful separatists from the streets of Montreal, something
clicked and I rushed to become a New Democrat.<br />
Dream
big. Be pragmatic. Stick to your principles. That’s Tommy’s
distinguished example. There’s none better for aspiring young leaders
looking to make a positive mark on their country.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.abbotsfordtoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/David-Murray-and-Ed-Broadbent.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-36226" src="http://www.abbotsfordtoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/David-Murray-and-Ed-Broadbent-300x225.jpg" height="225" title="David Murray and Ed Broadbent" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
Abbotsford NDP Candidate David Murray with Ed Broadbent at Halifax convention</div>
</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-48835503625434340722014-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:002014-04-06T19:16:32.781-07:00Mr. Kamp Says Middle Class Doing Better Under Harper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="headline">
Wayne Clark: Mr. Kamp Says Middle Class Doing Better Under Harper</h1>
<div id="post-info">
<div id="post-info-left">
By <a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/author/dmurray/" rel="author" title="Posts by David Murray">Wayne Clark</a></div>
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<img alt="img-0-6782704-jpg" class="attachment-post-thumb wp-post-image" src="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/img-0-6782704-jpg-300x336.jpg" height="336" width="300" />
</div>
By Wayne Clark. According to Mr. Randy Kamp Maple Ridge MP, the
middle class is doing better under the Conservatives! This stands right
up there with other outrageous statements by Conservative MPs, for
example Canada’s Minister of citizenship, immigration and
multi-culturism Chris Alexander who announced “poverty has been
eliminated in Canada”. How removed from reality is this government? <br />
Amazing how you can make numbers say anything you want especially if
you don’t mind misspeaking a little along the way. First revelation from
the Conservative ideological bubble $120,000.00 is not the middle
class. I am sure this lower end of the upper class are paying less
taxes, the rich are the only people that are paying less, the middle
class average family income is from $60,000 to $85,000 dollars and this
group is shrinking while the poor and lower middle are growing.<br />
Of course Mr. Kamp doesn’t mention that 1 out of 5 children are
living in poverty. Or our First Nations people have had a 2 percent cap
on costs since 1996. They are getting the equivalent of .23 cents on
the 1996 dollar. Mr. Kamp didn’t mention the 30,000 Canadians sleeping
on the street on any given night, or the 16.2% of Canadian people living
below the poverty level. As well as all the seniors that are falling
into poverty and debt trying to keep their heads above water. <br />
This sham of a government has been playing a giant shell game cutting
transfer payments, social programs, medical and anything else for the
people and diverting our tax dollars to subsidizing corporations. Any
government can download the taxes on to the provinces and then the
provinces download them to the municipalities. <br />
Thanks to the Conservative government cutting transfer payments to
the provinces for such things as medical, the citizens of BC pay more
for MSP than all the corporations pay in corporate taxes in BC. I pay
from $35-$65 dollars a month in bridge tolls (TAXES) now, and the
corporations get to use the infrastructure I pay for, for literally
nothing, not only that but exploit our resources for a pittance, never
mind about all the new fees and doubling and tripling of existing fees. <br />
Then you have the nerve to say you have cut our taxes, if you put all
the Federal, Provincial, Municipal taxes, fees, tolls the money
governments take out of Hydro BCAA, liquor and sales taxes you would
find you give by far the lions share of your earnings to the government.
<br />
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If the real rapidly shrinking middle class is surviving it is only
till they run out of credit as Canadians owe more now than they have
ever owed, just like their government who has Canada owing $647 billion
dollars the largest deficit in Canadian history. <br />
Thanks to the Conservative inept and dangerous economic polices we
have a 7 percent unemployment rate , this in spite of about 500,000
million foreign workers doing Canadian jobs. This is destroying unions
as they have also destroyed the very organizations that trained our
apprentices and journeymen. Companies are quite happy to hire foreign
workers for less money than Canadians contrary to Mr. Kamp’s
misspeaking. Then we have a .90 cent dollar which I am sure Mr.Kamp will
tell you is a good thing and they are trying to get it down to .60
cents and then everything will be wonderful.<br />
Talk about painting an incomplete picture these people do not have even a slight grip on reality.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wayne Clark is the author of this story and is a Maple Ridge BC resident. He has been a long-time activist and has a regular column in the Pittmeadowstoday<br />
<br />
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<br />
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<br />
<i><b>My name is David Murray and I am currently on City Council in the City of Pitt Meadows British Columbia.</b></i><br />
<i><b>I ran Federally for the New Democratic Party in 2011 in
Abbotsford and with the great team we had in place had the distinction
of being the only riding in Western Canada that doubled our NDP vote!</b></i><br />
<i><b>I am the Editor of the Pitt Meadows Today Community Online
Newspaper which together with its sister papers the Abbotsford,
Chilliwack and Langley Today are receiving 250,000 hits a month!</b></i><br />
<a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/">http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/</a><br />
<i><b> </b></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i><br />
<i><b>My family goes back to the CCF-NDP party circa October 1935 as my father "Bud" Murray worked on Tommy Douglas's first campaign!</b></i><br />
<i><b><br />
</b></i><br />
<i><b>I am a union activist for CUPE and sit as the Secretary-Treasurer
of the Fraser Valley District Council and am on the executive board of
the Fraser Valley Labour Council (CLC) as the Political Action Chair.</b></i></div>
</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-82648757393160450562014-04-06T09:18:00.001-07:002014-04-06T09:18:14.798-07:00Juno Beach Landing 70 Years Ago<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Column: Juno Beach Landing 70 Years Ago</h1>
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By <a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/author/dmurray/" rel="author" title="Posts by David Murray">David Murray</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wwii112.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-12014" height="216" src="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wwii112-300x216.jpg" width="300" /></a>By David Murray. June 6th 1944 saw my father “Bud” Murray land on
Juno Beach with his Canadian brothers in France. He was with the second
wave of soldiers hitting the beach. The first group that landed got
bogged down and took many casualties.<span id="more-12013"></span>
My father remembered the first couple of soldiers jumping into the
water from the landing craft go down in front of him. Luckily he was
able to get a few feet ahead to where there was a couple of pieces of
metal he could stand behind and exchange fire from his weapon. He did
not realize it , his adrenaline pumping , his left leg had a big piece
missing from shrapnel which had exploded just inches from him.<br />
.<br />
His group was lucky, they had an armoured vehicle land beside them and
that gave them some cover. Unfortunately the driver of the vehicle
popped his head up briefly, it was within an instant my dad said that a
sniper shot him. The commanding officer yelled out, can anyone drive
this vehicle . My dad yelled out, still not even realizing that he was
wounded said he could drive it. He got in the armoured vehicle , kept
the lid down and figured out how to drive this machine.<br />
.<br />
My dad drove a lot of different tractors on the farm and he could figure out how to drive most vehicles very quickly.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_12015" style="width: 310px;">
<a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cdns-landing-at-Juno.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-12015" height="236" src="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cdns-landing-at-Juno-300x236.jpg" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Wave after wave of Canadians hit Juno Beach June 6, 1944</div>
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<br />
.<br />
My father was 33-years-old the day he hit Juno. He turned 18 in 1929
which saw the worst economic depression of the last century. He always
was amazed, he used to tell me. There was no money anywhere before the
war started. The second Canada declared war on Germany there was no
shortage of money anymore. This always bothered my father. A man who
played pro hockey, rode the rails from coast to coast looking for work ,
and getting involved politically, first on the On to Ottawa Trek and
then working on Tommy Douglas’s winning campaign in October 1935 in
Weyburn Saskatchewan.<br />
.
<blockquote>
My dad passed away in 1984, very seldom speaking of his
experiences in the war. To all the remaining veteran’s who survived the
horrors of this day. Thanks very much from my generation. We owe you all
so much!</blockquote>
</div>
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tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-76870602532742959682014-03-24T18:38:00.004-07:002014-03-24T18:39:30.329-07:00Unions Have Made A Better Life For All Canadians<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unions Have Made A Better Life For All Canadians</h1>
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By <a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/author/dmurray/" rel="author" title="Posts by David Murray">David Murray</a> on March 24, 2014
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By David Murray. I was at the local gym in Pitt Meadows today
working out. I overheard a conversation from a young man who was talking
to a young lady. He was telling her that he was doing all the work and
the older guys, twice his age were doing nothing. He was saying that he
hated working for a union.<br />
I guess it would be hard to blame him in some ways. After all he was
all of 22 years old! His generation has not seen much positive press
about belonging to a union. When the B.C. Liberals took over the
government in 2001 approximately 44% of all workers belonged to a union.
Today sad to say it is only 26%. 2001-to 2014 , that is a couple of
generations for a young worker. <br />
I went up to him and started talking to him. I was interested in why he had such a bad opinion about unions. <br />
He went on to tell me that at his job , there are two-tiers. Workers
with benefits and young workers with little or no benefits (medical-sick
leave-etc). Most of his generation are not getting 40 hours a week. A
lot of them are working part-time and have to get a job somewhere else.
This makes it hard to participate in a lot of the union activities,
meetings etc. (Companies are making it harder all the time for younger
workers-With all the new labour language it is getting harder and harder
to get union benefits)<br />
After I let him have his say, I agreed that things certainly were not
perfect in the union movement. That being said I started to ask him
some questions? Did he know that people used to work 10 hours a day and
six days a week , with NO overtime. Sunday was the only day they got
off. There was no medical plans what-so-ever. No seniority, when you got
old and couldn’t do the job any longer you were let go for a younger
worker. <br />
There was no work safe policies that all workers enjoy today. Women
had it even harder, very low pay, no sexual harassment policy. And of
course no child labour laws, kids were in factories working at age 8 and
9. <br />
He didn’t realize that the union movement did so much for workers in the early part of the century. <br />
Why would he? Now a lot of companies when you are being hired as part
of your training show you a video on why you do not need to belong to a
union.<br />
Plus so many companies have reduced their amount of workers so that
low paying contractors can come in and do as much as cheaply as
possible. We have a “Free Trade Agreement” with China. This is making
it hard to compete for workers. Outsourcing of jobs in our country has
reached epidemic proportions. <br />
This has not been the fault of Unions and Canadian workers. <br />
It has been caused by corporate greed! Canadians companies currently
are holding billions of dollars in surplus money and not reinvesting it
in our country to create jobs or stimulate and grow the economy. It is
shameful.<br />
The young man after talking to him for five minutes, thanked me for
telling him about the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who toiled and
suffered under adverse conditions so we all could enjoy a better life.</div>
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tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-52907775173832197672014-03-03T20:08:00.002-08:002014-03-03T20:08:43.498-08:00Mike Farnworth first to cast hat in ring for NDP leadership<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mike Farnworth first to cast hat in ring for NDP leadership</h1>
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<span class="name">By Michael Smyth, The Province</span>
<span class="timestamp">March 3, 2014</span>
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NDP
leadership candidate, Mike Farnsworth, speaks during a debate themed on
"youth" issues at SJ Willis school in Victoria on March 31, 2011.</h3>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Lyle Stafford
, Times Colonist</h3>
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Christy
Clark may have won an election few expected her to win, but Mike
Farnworth says he knows a thing or two about winning himself.<br />
Now he’s out to prove it.<br />
“I’m running for leadership of the New Democratic Party,” the veteran NDP MLA told me.<br />
“I don’t believe for a minute Christy Clark is unbeatable. I’m running to be premier — and I intend to win.”<br />
With
those words, Farnworth, 54, becomes the first official entrant in the
race to replace Adrian Dix as NDP boss and leader of the Opposition in
the legislature.<br />
Farnworth, first elected as MLA from Port
Coquitlam in 1991, didn’t expect to get another shot at the job after
finishing second to Dix in the 2011 NDP leadership contest.<br />
“Like everyone else, I thought we were going to win last May,” he said. “But we didn’t seal the deal.”<br />
Despite
a 20-point NDP lead in the polls at the campaign’s start, Clark’s
Liberals cruised to an upset victory, forcing Dix’s resignation
announcement in September.<br />
How did the NDP blow it? Farnworth points to Dix’s mid-campaign policy flip-flop on the proposed Kinder Morgan oil pipeline.<br />
Dix
maintained for more than a year that he was neutral on the
Alberta-to-Burnaby pipeline, pending the outcome of environmental
hearings. Then, out of nowhere, he announced on Earth Day that he was
opposed to the $5.4-billion project.<br />
“That was not good,” Farnworth said.<br />
“One
day I’m on the doorstep saying one thing to voters, and the next day I
have a different message. And it was like, ‘Where did that come from?’”<br />
Farnworth said the so-called “Kinder surprise” threw a scare into voters over the NDP’s ability to manage and grow the economy.<br />
“I think many voters said, ‘Wait a second. Resource development is important and these are our jobs,’” he said.<br />
“It allowed the Liberals to characterize us as a party without an economic vision.”<br />
He said that’s why he wants to be an NDP leader who supports jobs and economic growth.<br />
“We
can’t be perceived as the party of ‘no’. Otherwise, the people of this
province, especially in the Interior, will just say ‘no’ to us again.”<br />
He
said he personally still supports the NDP’s original position on Kinder
Morgan — neutral, pending the outcome of environmental hearings —
putting him offside with the party’s current stand against the project.<br />
Farnworth
also criticized the NDP’s “positive” election campaign, saying the
party should have fought back harder against the Liberals’ negative
attack ads.<br />
“I admire what Adrian did in terms of having a positive vision for the NDP,” he said.<br />
“But we didn’t fight hard enough to hold the Liberals accountable for their record on things like the HST.”<br />
Does that mean he would run negative ads next time?<br />
“You
know that’s what the Liberals are going to do and you have to fight
fire with fire,” he said. “If I’m leader, we will never fight an
election campaign with one hand tied behind our backs.”<br />
By the time that next election rolls around in 2017, the Liberals will have been in power for 16 years.<br />
Farnworth
said the party can break the dynasty by beating the Liberals in Lower
Mainland suburbs, where the New Democrats were badly beaten in May.</div>
</div>
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tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-63075251787588206962013-06-23T18:04:00.003-07:002013-06-23T18:04:43.397-07:00NDP Sports Critic Matthew Dubé’s statement on lifting the quebec soccer federation's ban <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="main-content-title-first" style="color: #f58220;">
NDP Sports Critic Matthew Dubé’s statement on lifting the quebec soccer federation's ban </div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">On behalf of all New Democrats, I welcome the Quebec Soccer Federation’s decision to repeal its ban on Sikh religious headgear.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eWQ04yj1r1Q/UceZlrB2vUI/AAAAAAAAD_A/BbSYcHEwDWk/s1600/quebec-soccer-team-wears-turbans-to-protest-against-ban-and-show-solidarity-with-sikhs-feature1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eWQ04yj1r1Q/UceZlrB2vUI/AAAAAAAAD_A/BbSYcHEwDWk/s320/quebec-soccer-team-wears-turbans-to-protest-against-ban-and-show-solidarity-with-sikhs-feature1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">On
April 25 2013, members of the New Democratic caucus wrote to FIFA
urging a clarification, so that children could return to the soccer
fields. Today, that clarification was provided.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Leader
of the Official Opposition Tom Mulcair was the only leader to reach out
directly to both the Quebec federation and its Canadian counterpart, in
order to facilitate a resolution. As he stated, sports should be about
including people from all different walks of life, not excluding them.</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n02riXRqmaU/UcebDWdM-MI/AAAAAAAAD_U/veDxNWFxxFI/s1600/257143_224823660874675_3763000_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n02riXRqmaU/UcebDWdM-MI/AAAAAAAAD_U/veDxNWFxxFI/s320/257143_224823660874675_3763000_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">As
adults, it falls upon us to find a peaceful solution, otherwise it’s
the kids who pay the price. And perhaps we can learn a thing or two from
them. After all, it was under-14 FC Brossard players who, in
solidarity, sported turbans on the field last weekend.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">To
be sure, the safety of our children is paramount. But when, as we have
stated all along, no such safety issue exists – as was the case here –
we as adults need to do the right thing and just let our kids play. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">As
summer is underway and new friendships and bonds are built, I look
forward to seeing Sikh children return to the soccer fields to play the
beautiful game with their peers.</span></div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-71074513645949707552013-06-23T17:53:00.000-07:002013-06-23T17:53:02.693-07:00NDP calls for study on impacts of EI overhaul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="main-content-title-first" style="color: #f58220;">
NDP calls for study on impacts of EI overhaul</div>
OTTAWA – With support from more than a hundred municipalities,
associations and organizations, New Democrats have tabled a motion at
the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development
and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) to study the impacts
of the Conservatives’ radical changes to Employment Insurance.<br />
“We are urging the committee to launch this study as soon as
possible. Workers from across Canada have been contacting us to share
their concerns, and we expect this to continue as long as the
Conservatives press forward with these punitive and unjust EI reforms,”
said François Lapointe (Montmagny–L’Islet–Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup),
HUMA committee member and NDP critic for Small Business and Tourism.<br />
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<br />
Groups supporting the New Democrat motion include numerous
municipalities in Conservative ridings, the Canadian Freelance Union,
the Quebec Employers Council, the Quebec Forestry Producers Federation,
the Quebec Tourism Industry Association and the Union des producteurs
agricoles. <br />
“This is the third time we’ve called for this type of study. This
time we hope the Conservative committee members will finally support our
motion. We won’t give up until a formal study is undertaken. Because
these reforms will have disproportional effects on seasonal workers and
industries, it is imperative that we examine them more closely,” added
Human Resources and Skills Development critic Chris Charlton (Hamilton
Mountain).<br />
“Within the context of the committee, we can hear from witnesses who
support the Conservatives’ EI reforms as well as witnesses who are
opposed, in order to explore the actual effects on workers and
communities. Why is it so difficult to do this simple thing? What are
the Conservatives afraid of?” said Lapointe.</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-38002402972740201032013-06-23T17:46:00.002-07:002013-06-23T17:46:31.572-07:00Conservatives must not undermine international efforts to combat violence against women <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Conservatives must not undermine international efforts to combat violence against women </div>
OTTAWA - In a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Opposition
Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) and Status of Women
critic Niki Ashton (Churchill) cautioned the Conservatives against
playing a spoiler role on this important issue at the 23rd session of
the United Nations Human Rights Council.<br />
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A recent media release from Action Canada on Population and
Development stated that at the UN meetings in Geneva, Conservatives have
been seeking to renege on previously-agreed upon policy measures to
take action on violence against women.<br />
"We would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of a
comprehensive package of services that should be available to survivors
of sexual violence," wrote the Opposition critics. "Blocking
recommendations such as access to sexual and reproductive health
services, access to emergency contraception, access to safe abortion,
access to post-exposure medicine for HIV infection, and diagnosis and
treatment for STIs would be a grave mistake."<br />
The full text of the letter is attached.<br />
<ul>
<li>Download: <a class="js-new-window" href="http://www.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/news/june_11_2013_-_letter_to_minister_baird_re_23rd_session_of_the_un_hrc.pdf">june_11_2013_-_letter_to_minister_baird_re_23rd_session_of_the_un_hrc.pdf</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-67819912605499490762013-06-23T17:41:00.002-07:002013-06-23T17:41:19.745-07:00Finance minister must honour commitment to improve retirement security: NDP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Finance minister must honour commitment to improve retirement security: NDP</div>
OTTAWA – NDP Pension Critic Irene Mathyssen (London – Fanshawe)
called on the finance minister to honour his commitment to work with the
provinces to increase retirement security for Canadians. The finance
minister has yet to honour his six-month-old promise to work with the
provinces to increase the Canada Pension Plan / Quebec Pension Plan.<br />
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“In December the finance minister promised Canadians that he would
meet with his provincial counterparts by June 2013,” said Mathyssen.
“June is almost over and there’s no sign of a provincial finance
ministers meeting anytime soon. I have asked the minister in the House
several times when the meeting will be scheduled and he has refused to
answer.”<br />
More and more Canadians are heading into retirement without enough
savings. There is a growing consensus that a phased increased in the
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) is the most
practical and effective way to boost the retirement security of
Canadians. As even the government’s own data shows, a modest increase in
CPP premiums could finance a substantial increase in benefits.<br />
“Canadians depend on the CPP/QPP for retirement security,” said
Mathyssen. “The government’s failure to show leadership on this
extremely important issue shows the Conservatives don’t take the
retirement security of Canadians seriously.”</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-72062354008293600242013-06-23T17:36:00.001-07:002013-06-23T17:36:52.850-07:00Baird must press Russia to reject homophobic law <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Baird must press Russia to reject homophobic law </div>
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) and LGBT
Critic Randall Garrison (Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca) are calling on the
minister of foreign affairs to urge Russian leaders to prevent passage
of a law establishing criminal penalties for both Russians and foreign
visitors engaging in so-called ‘homosexual propaganda’.<br />
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“Passage of this law would be a clear violation of Russia's
international obligations to protect freedom of speech and association
for all Russians as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, and to protect minorities as a member of the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe,” Dewar said.
“Adopting this law is likely to promote increased discrimination and
violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Russians.”<br />
“Creating criminal penalties including heavy fines and possible
imprisonment for the vague offense of promoting non-traditional sexual
practices through the media or in public violates international human
rights norms,” Garrison said. “It will also endanger Russia's tourism
industry and Russia's ability to host international events, including
the upcoming Olympics.”<br />
Dewar and Garrison call on Minister Baird to urge Russia's upper
house to defeat the proposed ‘homosexual propaganda’ law, and urge
President Putin to refuse to sign the law. </div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-1537287847189606452013-06-23T17:32:00.004-07:002013-06-23T17:32:42.158-07:00Conservatives fail to act on First Nations child poverty <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Conservatives fail to act on First Nations child poverty </div>
OTTAWA – New Democrats are condemning the Conservative failure to
reduce poverty rates among First Nations children in the wake of a newly
released report showing that half of status First Nations children in
Canada live in poverty.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ji9ebV9ISys/UceTm9MANWI/AAAAAAAAD90/fLuy0cIp400/s1600/CrowderJean_NDP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ji9ebV9ISys/UceTm9MANWI/AAAAAAAAD90/fLuy0cIp400/s1600/CrowderJean_NDP.jpg" /></a>“Today’s report highlights the Conservatives’ utter failure to act,”
said New Democrat Aboriginal Affairs Critic Jean Crowder
(Nanaimo--Cowichan). “Every child deserves an equal chance – but under
this government, First Nation kids are left behind.”<br />
According to the report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canada ranks 25<sup>th</sup>
among the 30 OECD countries in child poverty. Despite persistent calls
from the NDP, the Conservative government has yet to remove the 2%
funding cap on essential social services.<br />
“We just marked the fifth anniversary of the official apology for
residential schools—in which the government acknowledged the harm done
to children and their families,” said NDP deputy critic for Aboriginal
Affairs, Jonathan Genest-Jourdain (Manicouagan). “It is distressing to
see that aboriginal youth are still not a priority for the
Conservatives.”</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-35965372137618894972013-06-23T17:27:00.002-07:002013-06-23T17:27:27.697-07:00New Democrats slam wrong-headed cuts to Veterans Affairs <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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New Democrats slam wrong-headed cuts to Veterans Affairs </div>
OTTAWA – NDP Veterans Affairs critic Peter Stoffer
(Sackville-Eastern Shore) slammed the Conservatives’ reckless decision
to eliminate over 800 jobs over the next three years at the Department
of Veterans Affairs.<br />
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“It is disingenuous and irresponsible for the Conservatives to cut
that many jobs then pretend that it won’t have a negative impact on the
very people this department is meant to help,” said Stoffer. “You simply
cannot maintain the same standard of care, or programs and services,
with fewer staff.”<br />
Stoffer warned last year that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) will see a
45 percent staff reduction with these cuts, which will directly
compromise their capacity to meet veterans’ needs. Further, an
additional 1,295 VAC employees will soon be notified that they are no
longer federal employees as the last remaining federally run veterans’
hospital (Saint-Anne-de Bellevue Hospital) is about to be transferred to
the province of Quebec. <br />
“Canada’s veterans dedicated their lives to serving this country and
the least we can do is support them when they return home,” said deputy
Veterans Affairs critic Sylvain Chicoine (Châteauguay–Saint-Constant).
“Cutting services to these men and women when they need it most is just
wrong.”</div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256682174867243203.post-35332220527835829552013-04-06T07:38:00.001-07:002013-04-06T07:46:00.105-07:00Conservatives' disastrous trade record:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="userContent">Conservatives' disastrous trade record:<br /> <br /> Canada's trade balance has gone from a surplus of $18 billion in 2006 to a deficit today of $67 billion;<br /> <br /> - In 2011, Canada had a merchandise trade surplus of $900 million. In 2012, we have a merchandise trade deficit of $12 billion;<br /> <br /> - In a study of 18 countries, Canada ranked LAST in terms of current account performance.<br /> <br /> On objective and comparative criteria, the Conservatives are simply ruining Canada's trade performance...</span><br />
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<i><b>My name is David Murray and I am currently on City Council in the City of Pitt Meadows British Columbia.</b></i><br />
<i><b>I ran Federally for the New Democratic Party in 2011 in
Abbotsford and with the great team we had in place had the distinction
of being the only riding in Western Canada that doubled our NDP vote!</b></i><br />
<i><b>I am the Editor of the Pitt Meadows Today Community Online
Newspaper which together with its sister papers the Abbotsford,
Chilliwack and Langley Today are receiving 250,000 hits a month!</b></i><br />
<a href="http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/">http://www.pittmeadowstoday.ca/</a><br />
<i><b> </b></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i><br />
<i><b>My family goes back to the CCF-NDP party circa October 1935 as my father "Bud" Murray worked on Tommy Douglas's first campaign!</b></i><br />
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</b></i><br />
<i><b>I am a union activist for CUPE and sit as the Secretary-Treasurer
of the Fraser Valley District Council and am on the executive board of
the Fraser Valley Labour Council (CLC)</b></i></div>
tigerdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282393255059518732noreply@blogger.com0