The ambition of the average politician is to be praised with words like "thank God for so-an-so" - or - "so-an-so is the best person ever walked the face of the earth" - or - "he's some man - or she's some woman" - or - "they are not in it for money cause they have lots" - or - "imagine giving up their private lives for us".
Now if anybody says "They are not answering questions - they are avoiding the issues" or "why are they hiding reports until after the election" or "what happened to the mills in Stephenville and Grand Falls - Windsor" or "debate the Lower Churchill deal in the House of Assembly" - you are anti-Newfoundland and Labrador.
Cutting ribbons, a photo with a baby, yelling coming down an escalator, showing up to a sporting event, or to a school here and there - somehow replaces the need for real discourse on primary development and social issues in our province.
The percentage of carnage, crime, and weather in our news relative to the percentage of investigative journalism is unacceptable. If we are to be an educated society - we must openly discuss the real issues that affect our province and its future.
The political party will ask you to put aside the future of your children to stand behind the party regardless of how ridiculous the position - they have stooped to who you can and cannot speak to - or god help us - be seen at a public event with.
We have become so partisan - that Joey has been resurrected - it is over the top and very dangerous to the lifeblood of our Newfoundland and Labrador.
Yesterday - as an example - Conservatives Rex Barnes and incumbent Ray Hunter were at each other over the nomination for their district. One can't believe the other is doing it to him - the other is suggesting that the pressure from the community was so overwhelming that he has to run. Then the ridiculous becomes absurd when one says the other did not represent the district when the party they both seek to represent made the negative decision. All of this - then confirms that if they spent as much time defending this province and her people versus fighting for themselves - we might have a chance to survive the next couple of decades. It is and always will be about them.
Then we had John Efford - apparently from Florida - calling to take on the leadership of Yvonne Jones - and Yvonne Jones - calling on Efford to stop being a nuisance. Then where is Danny Dumeresque lurking? One minute he comes across as the spokesperson for the party - the next he is speaking as a citizen on the Lower Churchill. Dumeresque talking on the Churchill - what part - the part he screwed up or the part the Tories are screwing up. The polls are the polls - and the Liberal party in this province needs to be returned to the people. That party is owned by a few people who are hanging on to it like a private club. For instance where is Rex Gibbons? Still pulling strings? Still waiting to privaitze hydro? (there are a few of them left)
I don't blame Brad Cabana for the media attention he received - but I can assure you - other more important stories were missed - which suits all the politicians and their parties just fine. Then we had Ross - cross - the floor - wiseman's assistant heighten the madness up completely by attempting to "talk some sense into Brad". How would Ross know what a Tory is? Ross knows that his little feet walk him to wherever there is a chance for government. Sure Danny's media whiz Liz Matthews walked herself over to the Tories from a Liberal office. Does the media really question this?
We know more about Cabana than we know about Emera - right? We know more about the intricate details of infighting in the political parties than we know about real policy.
Rick Hillier says he was shocked to see his face in the Globe and Mail - as possibly the next Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador - after Danny resigned. Not half as shocked as I was! Are we looking for another savior?When will we place value on - involvement - boots on the ground involvement over a significant period of time - in Newfoundland and Labrador affairs. Those who have fought for Newfoundland and Labrador - not to be elected - but to protect our future.
These people who hang on to coattails of one savior or another - are not these people. They are opportunists and we are waiting for them to do the right thing for us? Geez - some of these candidates actually call open-line for the first time when they are trying to get elected. Where have they been? Never been an issue prior to that moment - that they felt passionate enough to shout out - be heard?
Partisan is dumb - more partisan dumber - and that is the only thing politicians require to keep you on their
Randy Simms is more interested in getting particular details about a troubled caller on a personal issue - does their husband work - is the dad still around - do you work - why don't you work - why isn't your boyfriend working, what kind of trouble have you had - bloody ignorance and frankly none of his business. Then he takes on the fishery and rural Newfoundland and Labrador like he is some expert on the issue. He is paid to host a program. Like I have challenged before - if Mr. Simms wants a real debate on rural Newfoundland and Labrador - give up his controlled microphone - come out in a public forum and debate. Try this - give up the paycheck - by going against the establishment in favour of people policy - and see how you make out.
It is easy to give up on others - or hope that somebody looks after this stuff for you - but then you get what you bargained for - that ends up looking like the Upper Churchill fiasco.
5 comments:
And that as they say brothers and sisters , is Newfoundland and Labrador in a nutshell .
Sue ,your emotions of frustration , anger and futility are palpable as your impassioned pleas seem to go unnoticed .
The road that you have chosen to go down Sue ,is a lonely old one ,there isn't much thanks or glory at the end of the day . If we look through the history annals , people like Williams and Simms et al., are a dime a dozen , they come , they conquer and they fade into the ether . But the people who leave a lasting impression are folks like you ,someone who cares whether our people are treated fairly and justly .
The only measure of hope that I can offer you is that change is inevitable , it may not happen in our lifetimes ,but ,our people will one day truly be "masters of their own destiny".
Is Rick Hillier practicing for the position of "saviour politician"?
It seems he is much too busy to give CBC even as much as a passing interview .
Doesn't this put into question his credibility , one of his main tips as speaker at a Tourism luncheon , was "people first".
God almighty , do we have to put up with another inflated ego ?
So called important "men" in this province seem to like to put their feet in their mouths .
Williams had many ,but ,the one that stands out for me is "they should be shot over there".
This is a real tongue-in-cheek "doozy" from Hillier , he said at a Tourism luncheon ,one of his TIPS , as he calls them , ,"KEEP YOUR WIFE IN THE LOOP".
For evermore he shall be known as Rick (keep your wife in the loop) Hillier .
Politicians love us when we are dumb. And they love us more when we are complacent because then they can get away with shafting us with regards to our natural resources left, right and center.
I want to refer you to an article in today's The Telegram by Dave Bartlett. In the "Our Province" Section of that paper there is an article titled "Political myth-busting" MUN profs discuss widely accepted 'facts'.
AND Sue if you think our politicians like us Dumb, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR likes it better when we are Dumb.
It is shocking that we not only have our politicians toeing the line for Ottawa, but we have the political scientist staff at MUN doing the same thing. It is time that someone did an audit on that Institution, they sure aren't toeing the line for the province in which they work. A few years back I saw this political scientist, who I will allow to go nameless here from MUN on CBC Television one Saturday night on the Mansbridge Show, Mansbridge must have been given a list of questions by Ottawa to ask the professor so as to make Ottawa look good. The political scientist in question was telling Canadians that Ottawa was treating NL wonderfully, the same as the other provinces and not once did he speak of the natural resources that go out of NL for the betterment of economies and jobs for the other provinces, nor did he mention that none of the goodies handed out by Ottawa like Federal Regional Offices, Military bases, etc., etc, have ever been given to NL. He made me sick!
It is time to take that Institution to task and make it tell Canadians what Newfoundland and Labrador has contributed to the Canadian economy. The province of NL resource base has kept Canadian economies percolating, nothing came back this way other than a few equalization dollars over the years. Equalization dollars should never have come to this province at all, our resources should have been creating the job filled economy here and not in other parts of Canada and the World.
I love how they want us dumb and meek, and especially when they call us "traitors" for merely asking questions of them, as responsible citizens should and must do. When Williams stooped to that in the House that time, calling Jones that, I was never more disgusted.
Calling someone's patriotism into question because they do not agree with and follow your edicts, being that personal, is the lowest form of politics there is. Very George W. Bush - "if you're not with us you're against us" - immediately after 9/11.
Disgraceful.
This divide and conquer political gamesmanship comes at serious cost. Not to those like Williams, of course, who continue to line their pockets, but to the rest of us who struggle to get by while the rich get richer on the backs of OUR resources.
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