Copy of my column in the Independent this week

The following is a copy of my column in the Independent this week.
Please click the title to visit the Independent's site.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians: a gutted people?

Seals reportedly eat the stomachs of cod and allow the remains to float
down for the bottom feeders. Our rural communities have sunk and are
now being devoured by fish merchants.
Government has announced a further delay of the much-anticipated
results of the fisheries summit — because of scheduling conflicts. The
premier is convinced that Bill Barry, the man who just finished a
herring survey off the south coast, knows what he’s doing and will have
the answers. Turns out they found very few herring in three months —
nowhere near enough for the Harbour Breton plant to be viable.
Nothing concrete is being done to save the communities of the families
that are leaving in droves from rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
What can be done?
First, sue the feds for gross negligence of a renewable resource — the
groundfish fishery — that’s been under Ottawa’s management since 1955.
The next order of business should be to stabilize the communities by
whatever means until the fish come back or Ottawa pays the price. Our
federal minister needs to shake up the quota allocations to ensure they
benefit Newfoundland and Labrador — or Canada even.
What are the politicians up to? The premier says people may have to
move away while the fishery or province recovers.
He adds: “We have not given up on Harbour Breton.” Danny doesn’t have
to give up — the people have and are moving. Federal Fisheries Minister
Loyola Hearn suggests that joint management of the nose and tail
between Ottawa and the European Union should do the trick. OK Loyola,
I’m willing to take the bait if you can deliver 5,000 federal
government jobs for fishing communities until the stocks come back.
FPI is more arrogant now than it ever was. The company’s execs won’t
even sit and talk to the union until salaries are reduced by over $2 an
hour. The company that enjoys the benefit of our common fish resources
is now holding that license over the heads of the people who own them.
The union is “necessarily” quiet while communities fold. The much-hyped
Barry or Penney takeover of various processing assets of FPI is gone by
the wayside and what do we have to show for it? Another six months
wasted and another rural area decimated.
The truth is we have given up and we lack leadership to protect this
valuable renewable asset. The strong backbone shown when negotiating
with big oil and Abitibi is not evident with fish merchants. This
so-called Confederation that has cost us so much was achieved by votes
of rural Newfoundlanders that suffered under the merchants of Water
Street. They picked the lesser of two evils.

Here we are over 50 years later again deciding between merchants and
Confederation. The trading-fish-for flour that our fishermen endured
has been replaced by Ottawa bartering our resources to oblivion. We are
told there are too few fish for too many fishermen. It is easier to
believe this rhetoric than make the politicians do what is responsible.
Our collective guts have been removed by federal and provincial
politicians, union reps, and regional leaders who lack the ability or
desire to fix the problem. You’re not a true Newfoundlander and
Labradorian if you fail to protect and defend our reason for being
here. Simple questions: Why is the province refusing to take legal
action against the Government of Canada for mismanaging the stocks? Why
is the federal government refusing to take custodial control and work
toward joint management?
We will be the only people to voluntarily give up our sovereignty and
then go about eradicating ourselves. All for the price of a question or
two.

Be careful Be Very careful

We need to be very careful about our treatment of the current premier. I have witnessed behavior like this before but never to this extent. Each and every time the Premier Williams is questioned by media or a member of the public a posse is sent out to nix the comments.
This idol worship of an elected individual will lead us where we do not want to go.
People are being personally attacked and degraded for asking fair questions.
People who give tremendously of their time and effort and have, long before Danny showed an interest are being torn to shreds.
The groupies are risking and are prepared to give up everything we have to follow him, its cult-like and very dangerous.
One woman calling the open line program believes questions and critisism are not necessary because Danny's absolute power is what we need - and he is always right.
Truthfully what does that sound like to you? Follow this link
We are not in an emergency, we just need good leadership. If we can't stop placing these people on pedestals we will continue to fail.
"Wells was the best thing Newfoundland and Labrador ever had"
"Tobin was sent by god to Newfoundland and Labrador"
and so here we go again....it's hard to find anybody now who admits to voting for our Brian.

Powering our Future

New Weekly Feature

powering our future

Once a week I will be posting some energy info. The purpose is to get the people of Newfoundland and Labrador engaged in this critical discussion.

As we wait for the Energy Plan other important decisions are being made. Last week Danny was almost hugging Dalton McGuinty after the two finished a meeting. Among the topics discussed - Lower Churchill power.

If we export this power it can only be called treason. It is the last chance we have to save our province and the communities that hold our culture and heritage. It is the best chance to make the great Labrador everything she could be.

We have to realize the value of this resource before we make a fatal error. If Danny is going to make a mistake, it cannot be on this policy. Our offshore oil and gas pales in comparison to this resource.

Hydro power exported to Quebec or Ontario would be the greatest giveaway in our history, even larger than the Upper Churchill because of the value of energy today.

Become informed, stay tuned, and forward your questions to me by email.

Click on the title for some interesting data on world industrial energy prices. Find out what companies know. We must be competitive, that means we do not export our raw energy resources.

Send your questions or comments to my email. You can access that link by visiting my profile.

Try this reading.

Terms of Reference of a review to be undertaken by the Honourable J. Derek Green, Chief

Check out Term 8
Will he be calling Ed Byrnes, Wally Anderson, Randy Collins, and Jim Walsh?
The lawyers won't be into that, yet these are the boys to ask.
We need a full Public Inquiry so sign the PETITION
Yes we need to review packages but we need to how and why it happened.
The police are investigating criminal activity, if they find unlawful activity sure maybe we don't need the Chief Justice to review. If there has been no criminal activity we need to boot out the politicians who abused the system.

Simple: Travel allowances to ensure all districts can be equally represented should be provided in the pay for the member. This amount will be known when they are seeking election. Should travel costs rise, the member should apply to the PUB (just kidding) sitting HOA in public, for an increase. Costs of valid registration fees for district events. NO DONATION MONEY! If groups need help the government should have a secretariat for charities where all are treated equal in their application. The taxpayers, through the secretariat can make contributions. Better yet, it's all our tax money they were spending. Take that portion of the allowances they were using for contributions and throw it into the new secretariat budget. Individuals who need personal assistance must be dealt with through our current system. Fix the current income support and health bureaucracies. This is Newfoundland and Labrador, if we have people hungry, cold, and sick then we must correct it, not cover it up.