I wrote this last August, when the story broke, but don't know why I didn't publish it then? Anyway, the opinions still hold. Here it is:
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The thieves behind the hospital-funding scandal plaguing three Toronto hospitals struck me immediately. Both executives who approved the contracts are from cultures where graft, greed, corruption and not paying taxes are almost badges of excellence. One culprit appears to be Greek and the other East Indian, cultures which seem to have no problem with operating way outside proper fiscal lines.
So, it's no surprise these individuals stole -- be it from taxpayers or the government. The proof is in the pudding, which is the ugly mess called Greece; Pakistan and India are also widespread dens of graft and corruption from top to bottom. Sorry to point out these connections, but I may be the only Canadian who would.
It's not race, folks, it's culture. Plain and simple. Having worked for the CRA for many years, I know a thing or two about what categories of taxpayer trigger audit flags. While not mentioned for fear of mass, bleeding-heart Canadian finger-pointing about targeting, it is nonetheless practiced because it has to be. Canada has the best tax system in the world to ensure citizens pay their due and are given their entitlements. By the way, you never hear anyone complaining about entitlements, just taxes. They don't seem to realize that both go hand-in-hand, can't have one without the other.
The Canadian system is also one which comes down very hard on tax cheats to strongly discourage those who contemplate engaging in it. Huge penalties, fines and even imprisonment await those caught. Thanks to the CRA and the fine folks who work there (hats off to all my colleagues), Canada remains the best country in the world. Why else would so many people flock here? But if you come, you better obey the law, respect our corporate and financial rules and pay your taxes.
So whatever fate has in store for Mr. Georgiou and Mrs. Bahl, I say bring it on.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Culture clash
The thieves behind the hospital-funding scandal plaguing three Toronto hospitals struck me immediately. Both executives who approved the contracts are from cultures where graft, greed, corruption and not paying taxes are almost badges of excellence. One culprit appears to be Greek and the other East Indian, cultures which seem to have no problem with operating way outside proper fiscal lines.
So, it's no surprise these individuals stole -- be it from taxpayers or the government. The proof is in the pudding, which is the ugly mess called Greece; Pakistan and India are also widespread jurisdictions of graft and corruption from top to bottom. Sorry to point out these annoying connections, but I may be the only Canadian who would.
It's not race, folks, it's culture. Plain and simple. Having worked for the CRA for many years, I know a thing or two about who has audit flags on their accounts versus who we trust. While not mentioned for fear of mass, bleeding-heart Canadian teeth-knashing and finger-pointing about targeting, it is nonetheless practiced because it has to be. Canada has the best tax system in the world. We have to to ensure citizens pay their due and are given their entitlements. By the way, you never hear anyone complaining about entitlements, just taxes. Many new-comers don't seem to realize that both go hand-in-hand, can't have one without the other.
The Canadian system is also one which comes down very hard on tax cheats to strongly discourage those who contemplate engaging in it. Huge penalties, fines and even imprisonment await those caught. Thanks to the CRA and the fine folks who work there (hats off to all my colleagues), Canada remains the best country in the world. Why else would so many people flock here? But if you come, you better obey the law, respect our corporate and financial rules and pay your taxes.
So whatever fate has in store for Mr. Georgiou and Mrs. Bahl, I say bring it on.
So, it's no surprise these individuals stole -- be it from taxpayers or the government. The proof is in the pudding, which is the ugly mess called Greece; Pakistan and India are also widespread jurisdictions of graft and corruption from top to bottom. Sorry to point out these annoying connections, but I may be the only Canadian who would.
It's not race, folks, it's culture. Plain and simple. Having worked for the CRA for many years, I know a thing or two about who has audit flags on their accounts versus who we trust. While not mentioned for fear of mass, bleeding-heart Canadian teeth-knashing and finger-pointing about targeting, it is nonetheless practiced because it has to be. Canada has the best tax system in the world. We have to to ensure citizens pay their due and are given their entitlements. By the way, you never hear anyone complaining about entitlements, just taxes. Many new-comers don't seem to realize that both go hand-in-hand, can't have one without the other.
The Canadian system is also one which comes down very hard on tax cheats to strongly discourage those who contemplate engaging in it. Huge penalties, fines and even imprisonment await those caught. Thanks to the CRA and the fine folks who work there (hats off to all my colleagues), Canada remains the best country in the world. Why else would so many people flock here? But if you come, you better obey the law, respect our corporate and financial rules and pay your taxes.
So whatever fate has in store for Mr. Georgiou and Mrs. Bahl, I say bring it on.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Amazing!
She swims ten K in only an hour longer than I take to swim two! She did it in 1:56 and it would have taken me almost five hours! Granted, she's 47 years younger, but I loved watching the women's open-water swim in Rio this morning because I know how hard it is to keep up any pace up when the finish buoy seems so far off.
The thing that amazed me most was that no one had to stop to clear their goggles?! That's the sort of detail that I focus on because I have to do that often. Unless you get a perfect seal before you start, your goggles will fog. And once they start, they don't stop. Also loving the diving and waterpolo, having attended many games of the latter discipline for a number of years watching a family member compete. Did I mention I was actually asked to join a women's waterpolo team here a few months ago? One of the lifeguards where I swim invited me to join??!! Almost did, until I found out how expensive this league was, due to the fact that they travel to meets here and in the US and have to cover costs. Nevertheless, I was flattered.
Watching the men diving at the moment. Trust me, they are the only male creatures who should be permitted to wear mini-speedos. They look beautiful and must shave their entire bodies, as I haven't seen one body hair so far. These gorgeous men are the antithesis of the hairy species who have the audacity wear them at the local pool where I swim. Nothing screams "disgusting" like a middle-aged man in a speedo. Yuck! Frankly, I think it should be an indictable offence to parade in public in a scant piece of nylon fabric if you aren't in perfect shape.
And speaking of outfits, although they are in great shape, I find it hard to take beach volleyball seriously, thanks to the bikinis. If they wore the same outfits as the men, that would work. But I still prefer the wet suits of the marathon swimmers.
The thing that amazed me most was that no one had to stop to clear their goggles?! That's the sort of detail that I focus on because I have to do that often. Unless you get a perfect seal before you start, your goggles will fog. And once they start, they don't stop. Also loving the diving and waterpolo, having attended many games of the latter discipline for a number of years watching a family member compete. Did I mention I was actually asked to join a women's waterpolo team here a few months ago? One of the lifeguards where I swim invited me to join??!! Almost did, until I found out how expensive this league was, due to the fact that they travel to meets here and in the US and have to cover costs. Nevertheless, I was flattered.
Watching the men diving at the moment. Trust me, they are the only male creatures who should be permitted to wear mini-speedos. They look beautiful and must shave their entire bodies, as I haven't seen one body hair so far. These gorgeous men are the antithesis of the hairy species who have the audacity wear them at the local pool where I swim. Nothing screams "disgusting" like a middle-aged man in a speedo. Yuck! Frankly, I think it should be an indictable offence to parade in public in a scant piece of nylon fabric if you aren't in perfect shape.
And speaking of outfits, although they are in great shape, I find it hard to take beach volleyball seriously, thanks to the bikinis. If they wore the same outfits as the men, that would work. But I still prefer the wet suits of the marathon swimmers.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Soggy diary notes
Sitting here in Calgary, waiting for summer to actually appear, I am enjoying the Olympics -- especially the swimming. Yes, I mean it about the absent summer. The weather sucks! I have given up running out back to cover my potted plants. I have been pummelled by hail so often my philosophy now is if they survive the almost daily storms they do; if they don't, they don't.
I'm sick of it. The forecast is always, "A high of 16, sunny periods and a late afternoon thunder/hail storm." In this god-forsaken town we only have four months of summer as it is, but so far....nothing! I think I have sat out on my back patio about five times! It's depressing. And to top it off, the never-ending rain has discouraged my cosmos to flower because they are so well-watered they don't have to. Huge leaves, but not one effing flower!
But, back to the swimming. I watch the swimmers with awe. Being one myself, I know how hard it is to propel oneself through water and live to tell the tale. I am alongside some very good swimmers every morning -- one was a member of the Canadian National Swim team and he actually talks to me?! Another routinely does 4K every morning. Another masters a butterfly that rivals anything I have seen from Brazil. It's daunting and inspirational at the same time to be in the next lane.
Ah well, as I say to everyone who complains about nothing, it's not cancer.
I'm sick of it. The forecast is always, "A high of 16, sunny periods and a late afternoon thunder/hail storm." In this god-forsaken town we only have four months of summer as it is, but so far....nothing! I think I have sat out on my back patio about five times! It's depressing. And to top it off, the never-ending rain has discouraged my cosmos to flower because they are so well-watered they don't have to. Huge leaves, but not one effing flower!
But, back to the swimming. I watch the swimmers with awe. Being one myself, I know how hard it is to propel oneself through water and live to tell the tale. I am alongside some very good swimmers every morning -- one was a member of the Canadian National Swim team and he actually talks to me?! Another routinely does 4K every morning. Another masters a butterfly that rivals anything I have seen from Brazil. It's daunting and inspirational at the same time to be in the next lane.
Ah well, as I say to everyone who complains about nothing, it's not cancer.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Once in a lifetime
Having driven daughter to scores of meets in a number of disciplines over many years, I finally had the chance to enter the same race as she. Hard to believe, but it happened this past weekend when we both did the Lake Windermere 2K Open Water Swim in Invermere, B.C. Although she was merely doing it to get used to swimming in a wetsuit for a triathlon next weekend in a very cold lake, I was doing my fourth annual 2K in this event.
It was a big deal for me and one in which I managed the best time of the four I have done since 2013. Standing in the water for the mass start, I heard my daughter say, "Mum, where's your swim buddy?" OMG! After inflating it and making sure it was water-worthy, I had actually forgotten it on the beach. A "swim buddy" is a bright orange, non-flotational device you tie around your waist so you can be seen by boats if they get too close. It can also actually support you if you get tired -- or allow rescuers to find you if you drown, for example. I have never had to use it, but because the pack and spotter boats get way ahead of me every year (everyone is 12, afterall), I find it reassuring just to know it's there. Having been a lifeguard, my Red Cross, never-swim-alone brain always kicks in. Thankfully, son-in-law gamely ran back, fetched it and we were off.
Ten years older than the next oldest swimmer, I found myself alone, as everyone raced out in front. No worries, me and my swim buddy were having a grand time! Half-way to the one-K point, I heard a voice coming from a swimmer returning back. "Hi Mama," said daughter as she waved and swam by on her way to the finish line. I laughed. I still had a long way to go to get to the turn-around buoy and here she was, almost back!
But I was "in the zone" and didn't miss a stroke. It was front crawl all the way and I didn't look up -- other than to be sure I was on track and heading in the right direction. With the exception of one other guy, I was the only swimmer not wearing a wet suit. Having cottaged in the glacial lakes of Quebec, I don't find Lake Windermere cold at all by comparison. (Actually, it's not a lake, but part of the vast Columbia River.)
In the end, I beat a 36-year-old woman and was quite pleased! Here are a few snaps of our lovely adventure:
It was a big deal for me and one in which I managed the best time of the four I have done since 2013. Standing in the water for the mass start, I heard my daughter say, "Mum, where's your swim buddy?" OMG! After inflating it and making sure it was water-worthy, I had actually forgotten it on the beach. A "swim buddy" is a bright orange, non-flotational device you tie around your waist so you can be seen by boats if they get too close. It can also actually support you if you get tired -- or allow rescuers to find you if you drown, for example. I have never had to use it, but because the pack and spotter boats get way ahead of me every year (everyone is 12, afterall), I find it reassuring just to know it's there. Having been a lifeguard, my Red Cross, never-swim-alone brain always kicks in. Thankfully, son-in-law gamely ran back, fetched it and we were off.
Ten years older than the next oldest swimmer, I found myself alone, as everyone raced out in front. No worries, me and my swim buddy were having a grand time! Half-way to the one-K point, I heard a voice coming from a swimmer returning back. "Hi Mama," said daughter as she waved and swam by on her way to the finish line. I laughed. I still had a long way to go to get to the turn-around buoy and here she was, almost back!
But I was "in the zone" and didn't miss a stroke. It was front crawl all the way and I didn't look up -- other than to be sure I was on track and heading in the right direction. With the exception of one other guy, I was the only swimmer not wearing a wet suit. Having cottaged in the glacial lakes of Quebec, I don't find Lake Windermere cold at all by comparison. (Actually, it's not a lake, but part of the vast Columbia River.)
In the end, I beat a 36-year-old woman and was quite pleased! Here are a few snaps of our lovely adventure:
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| Swim start with my beautiful daughter. |
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| Done! |
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| Invermere's flowers are legendary. |
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| A hungry "neighbour" on the street. |
Thursday, August 4, 2016
A few facts
"It's not enough," say female aboriginal leaders of the terms of reference to the wildly-heralded, just-launched inquiry into missing women. While, "it's not enough" is the usual response to anything done for natives on any front, there are a few facts that are chronically and willfully ignored by both the media and the native community. I wouldn't be going on about this if it weren't splashed all over the front pages and screens of newspapers and televisions all over the country. Unfortunately, the latest 2014/15 RCMP stats on this file fly in the face of the drama and emotion. Here they are:
If you don't believe me, google it.
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Note: Full disclosure, my great-grandmother was a Mohawk.
- There has been a 9.3% reduction in unsolved aboriginal cases;
- Homicide rates are the same for aboriginal and non-aboriginal women, 82% solved;
- The killer in 100% of solved aboriginal cases is known to the women; and
- Only 10% of the 1,750 unsolved cases are aboriginal.
If you don't believe me, google it.
_______________________________
Note: Full disclosure, my great-grandmother was a Mohawk.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
This one won't get published...
...because it's too true. Wrote to The Herald the other day about the fentanyl crisis on the Stoney Reserve just west of here. Apparently, 60% of the population is addicted. Great!
Lots of bleeding hearts were writing letters crying about what can be done? We have to change things! We have to help!!...etc..........etc............etc. Hey, how about nothing?! Here are those pesky and unwelcome facts I pointed out in my never-to-be-seen letter:
"Dear Editor,
"The drug crisis on the Stoney Nakoda Reserve is tragic, but is actually a consequence of The Indian Act of 1876 and Treaty Seven, 1877. The Act and the Treaty are the mechanisms by which federal funds flow to native communities; they are also the mechanisms which maintain the reserve system. Drugs always find their way to money and with little to do on a reserve, it is no wonder so many inhabitants get into trouble. Sadly, as long as native leaders continue to support the financial framework of the reserve, things won't change -- regardless of well-meaning public handwringing."
These are all just plain facts. I tried to be as gentle as I could in the hope the letters' editor might slip it in at the bottom of the page, but even these facts were a tad to brutal to be aired in the public thoroughfare. Political correctness has supplanted logic and reason here in Treaty Seven territory. I don't care what native leadership says about wanting to change The Indian Act. As long as it enables the money to flow to maintain and support the "Indian industry" they won't amend a comma.
Lots of bleeding hearts were writing letters crying about what can be done? We have to change things! We have to help!!...etc..........etc............etc. Hey, how about nothing?! Here are those pesky and unwelcome facts I pointed out in my never-to-be-seen letter:
"Dear Editor,
"The drug crisis on the Stoney Nakoda Reserve is tragic, but is actually a consequence of The Indian Act of 1876 and Treaty Seven, 1877. The Act and the Treaty are the mechanisms by which federal funds flow to native communities; they are also the mechanisms which maintain the reserve system. Drugs always find their way to money and with little to do on a reserve, it is no wonder so many inhabitants get into trouble. Sadly, as long as native leaders continue to support the financial framework of the reserve, things won't change -- regardless of well-meaning public handwringing."
These are all just plain facts. I tried to be as gentle as I could in the hope the letters' editor might slip it in at the bottom of the page, but even these facts were a tad to brutal to be aired in the public thoroughfare. Political correctness has supplanted logic and reason here in Treaty Seven territory. I don't care what native leadership says about wanting to change The Indian Act. As long as it enables the money to flow to maintain and support the "Indian industry" they won't amend a comma.
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