"United we stand, Divided we fall"

Even now, after the Centre Plebiscite, the ‘fear-mongering’ and ‘hate’ continues, as evidenced by the reporting in our local print media, and by the vitriol oozing out of the comments section of at least one councillor’s most recent blog post. It seems that despite (or because of) national elections taking place in the US and here in Canada, along with economic upheavals eerily similar to those leading up to the Great Depression, we are ever so quick to blame our politicians, big business and each other… but take no responsibility, ourselves?

“All that is evil in the world occurs because of the selfishness of man and his refusal to sublimate his own desires and interests to goodness and morality. It is only when that “I”, that ego, is disciplined and subordinated to goodness that the selfishness and self-centeredness that leads to all that is ugly and evil can be eliminated.”

"Nothing less than making man good will make the world good; nothing less than a holy human race will make a world holy. It is illusion to believe that one can make a people better by changing the form of government. No change in the system of society will make that society better, for there is no such thing as "government" or "society". There are only the individuals who comprise the government or the society and the whole is nothing more than the sum of its parts. If the parts are rotten and corrupt, the whole must emerge the same. If the people are selfish and egotistical, society will emerge the same, regardless of the form of government that it uses. An ugly world will never be made beautiful by attacking the symptoms. It is man himself who must be changed and made better. Then and only then can the world, which he makes up, become better, too. The holiness of the human being guarantees the holiness and beauty of his world. Even if this is a long and difficult process, it is the only way. Of such things did the rabbis say: "There is a long way that is short and a seemingly short way that is in reality long."
- Rabbi Meir Kahane

What the above quote tells me is that individually, and then collectively, we need to change. We can start by putting away the ‘fear’ that separates us, and replace it with the ‘love’ that binds us… as a community. We need to accept what is and move on 'together', to solve our communities problems. Like Lincoln said, "United we stand, Divided we fall".



The wind of anger blows out the lamp of intelligence.

Monday Night at the Movies

Going to see 'Mongol' at the Orpheum theatre tonight. It is about 'courage' and 'resourcefulness' - something we all need lots of these days.

Genghis Khan!!! Ah! When men were men... and women loved it! :-)

Monday Night at the Movies



By attempting to masculinise woman, and to feminise men, do we jeopardise the future of our people?

Should 'minority' on council resign?

... On Aug.19, Mayor John Irwin suggested that if this plebiscite goes through the losers of the four to three council battle should retire from their council position.

The above was a quote from this week's Crowsnest Pass Promoter.

What do you think? Should they resign?

Vote! (cast your vote in Poll in left panel)



Democracy cannot be advancing if its parts are autocratic.

Are we human 'PREY'?

I heard the other day that big business (Corporations) who use to look at consumers as customers... now look at us as 'prey'.

Interesting! With what is going on presently in the States and coming soon to Canada, I think they should 'pray' people do not decide (collectively) to do something about this... Class warfare anyone?



Knowledge and strength are greater virtues than humility and submission.

Centre Plebiscite, Vote = 'NO'

The people of The ‘Pass have spoken! ‘Overwhelmingly’, they have concluded that we as a community cannot continue to run our municipality as an ‘old boys club’, with total disregard for the public purse, and the wishes and desires of its citizens.

People want accountability, responsibility and leadership… something they received ‘in spades’ from our ‘majority’ on council. Kudos to them! And to our 986 fellow residents who said, ‘enough is enough’, and voted ‘No’, on the Centre Plebiscite.

Next, we need to get a handle on our municipal finances while also wrestling control of our economic engine from those who have 'subverted' progressive growth and development in our community, for far too long.

Having fought many battles in the past, with respect to the Centre, and for fiscal/economic responsibility and accountability in our municipality, only to have lies, innuendo and the might of the establishment win out most often, I cannot tell you what a ‘glorious day’ today is! Logic and reason has finally won out over passion, and an ‘old boys network’ that is suffocating our town.

As of today, the future for the Crowsnest Pass looks very bright indeed!



In appreciation to Dean and his 'band of merry men' (Choppy, Ian and John S.):

"Men who are governed by reason desire for themselves nothing which they do not also desire for the rest of mankind, and consequently are just, faithful, and honourable in their conduct."

Accountability

To those members of council who I spoke to recently, about their reluctance in holding this mayor accountable for his past actions against our community:

The exposure of a lie is as valuable to a community as a clearly expressed truth.



Corruption is merely a nasty word for the autumn of a people.

Reality check...

People jump back and forth in pursuit of pleasures only because they see the emptiness of their lives more clearly than they do the emptiness of whichever new entertainment attracts them.

People today foolishly try to believe that all the world's senselessness and cruelty - the richness of the few, the great poverty of the many, the violence and warfare - happens outside their own lives and does not interfere with them and their way of life.



Both Capitalism and Marxism have original sin: they are both based on the concept that the fundamental needs of man are exclusively material.

Federal Election

Critical time? Critical election? Yes! Damn right!!... Like the States, it is going to boil down to a choice between the 'Right', and the 'other guys'. If the Right wins again, Fascism (Bushscism) will rule. Corporations and GREED will have a field-day, and the people will be exploited, and plundered for all they are worth (sort of like what Wally-World, Big Oil, Cable/Utility, Banks, Credit Card companies, etc., are already doing, but much, much more of the same), with the help of a compliant and willing Conservative government as their 'partner'.

Harper with a 'majority' will have an end result of a complete paradigm shift for Canadians, in terms of social values, ethics, morals, justice, equality, freedoms and liberties. Don't kid yourself, they are the 'Reform Party' of 'law and order', 'fire and brimstone', an 'eye-for-an-eye', RIGOUR! INTOLERANCE!... MEDIOCRITY!!! They are the party of CONVICTIONS. But remember, "people of fixed convictions do not count when it comes to determining what is fundamental in values and lack of values. People of fixed convictions are prisoners of their convictions."

Whether you are talking Bush, McCain or their want-to-be Harper, the following quote sums them all up pretty well, I think:

Republicans (Conservatives) do not believe that people can work together and help each other so they do not believe in government and law. Instead they believe in a dog-eat-dog, everyone on-their-own and out-for-themselves society where the strongest survive and it doesn't matter what happens to everyone else. So whenever conservatives gain power they abuse it and use it to get money for themselves and their friends.

We need a return to decency, by putting the mean-spiritedness of the past behind us.

So I guess you know who I'm NOT voting for. :-) :-(


Hearing that feelings of despair and inferiority are unequally distributed does not move conservatives. Under meritocracy, it is just deserts.

Open Letter to Councillor...

Had a one-two this week with one of the councillors who is on the minority side of The Centre Plebiscite issue. Too bad, as I really liked him. Until I found out, he wants to be part of the 'establishment' so bad, that he cannot see the hand in front of his face, for this issue.

He has become a real disappointment to many people in this community. Over the last few weeks and months, many of us have tried in vain to reason with him with respect to the Crowsnest Centre issue. It appears his loyalty to this mayor (who many feel is largely responsible for this on-going 'fiasco', we call The Centre) and the conservative establishment he represents, although admirable, is misguided and wrong.

People in our community have been looking to him for leadership. But instead, the facts speak for themselves, and people are now saying he is not a leader, but a ‘puppy dog’; a follower of things past, blinded and guided by personal ambition.

People understand where Irwin is coming from and even the other guy, but not him? How could he sit on the Centre's Board as council liaison, and not know what was going on? How could he take the positions he has taken and made the statements he has made, in clear conscience, all the while knowing what he should or had to have known? Is it any wonder people are now disappointed and disillusioned with him? Someone should have reminded him that blind loyalty and ambition have driven lesser men to distraction and ruin. For all intents and purposes he has buried himself politically on this one issue. Big mistake! HUGE!! And, I told him so.

I think once people read the Auditor's Report that has recently been released and made public, which clearly shows, again, the long record and history of 'mismanagement' of this municipal public 'taxpayer' facility, the results of the Plebiscite and thereby the Centre's future, will be a forgone conclusion. As it should!

The fact that four councillors want to make the other three, 'put up or shut up', by way of the wording of this Plebiscite, I think is great! As is Spencer Dunford’s letter to the editor of this week, in the Herald... “For way to many years the mayor has had his way. It is just what “he” wants – which costs us all nothing but money.”

It is one thing to stand behind something because of conviction, or even behind someone because of loyalty, but it is quite another thing when people find out you do not have the courage of your convictions, nor the intestinal fortitude to cut the umbilical cord, and show some progressive 'independent' thinking and moral character, as Dean and the others in the ‘majority’ are presently doing.

Turning a ‘blind eye’ to clear evidence of a history of 'mismanagement'... and quite possibly, 'dishonesty'... by volunteer boards and/or management teams (who are accountable to no one but themselves), does not impress me or others in our community of communities. The four councillors in the majority have it right! How can taxpayers condone and support, knowing what we know about the Centre’s track record, the probable continuation of running a piece of important, revenue-producing municipal property in this manner? It is unconsciousable and incomprehensible to me, how any councillor professing to be a servant of the people, could take the stand and position he has taken.

The sadness is, some of us believed in him and supported him in the past, and looked to him for leadership. What a disappointment!



Being poor is better than living in luxury and serving the rich. Do not stand at the door of a rich man asking for favours if you hope to lead a good life. - INDIAN PROVERB