Look at what lane closures in New Jersey have just wrought (updated)

Read this very, very closely.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie was ensnared in a billowing political furore on Wednesday when newly released emails connected one of his top aides to a decision to block lanes on the approach to a busy bridge, causing traffic chaos, apparently in an act of revenge against a political enemy.

 So what, you say. Dirty U.S. politics. Meh! Read a little more.

The suggestion that his top staff might have been actively involved in a vindictive move against a Democratic small-town mayor that caused grief for thousands of New Jersey residents could be toxic for the governor, who is trying to position himself ahead of 2016 as a new-look Republican able to reach across the aisle to Democratic and Independent voters. Even more problematic could be evidence, if any emerges, that the governor’s office took part in a cover-up of its involvement.

Christie has consistently denied that his staff had anything to do with the lane closures and the ensuing traffic snarl up, and insisted that the events on the bridge were instigated as part of a traffic study of the flow of vehicles over the bridge.

...

Already two heads have rolled: Wildstein resigned on 6 December and was followed soon after by Bill Baroni, Christie’s appointee as deputy director of the Port Authority, who is also copiously referenced in the new email chain.

Does any of this, any of it at all, sound remotely similar to anything happening in Ottawa? If not, let me provide you with the statement New Jersey governor Chris Christie released this afternoon:

"What I've seen today for the first time is unacceptable. I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge. One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions."

Now, it's starting to sound vaguely like the Harper/Duffy/Wallin/Wright cover-up scandal, $90,000-gate, coming out of every Conservative political baseboard on Parliament Hill. The lack of any form of personal accountability or apology is stunningly familiar.

Lane closures? Not even in the same league, you might say. Fraud, bribery, not to mention voter suppression, would surely be considered a thousand times worse than playing jiggery-pokery with traffic on the George Washington bridge.

You'd be wrong.

The New Jersey "bridge-gate" scandal has just killed Christie's 2016 bid for the Republican nomination for President. He must be in awe of Harper right now.

(If I can get the show opening monologue from tonight's Jon Stewart, Daily Show, in which he shreds Christie, I'll post it here as an update).

Got it! Right here.

Conservative Senator wants heads to roll ...

Harper-appointed senator, Bob Runciman got all pen-to-paper-like today and went into a Duffy-style rant over political message carriers walking into the anointed one's private hob-knob session in Vancouver.

Former Ontario solicitor general Bob Runciman is questioning why two activists who got to within an arm's-length of the prime minister this week were allowed to "walk away scot-free and smiling" — and he says he'll use his Senate seat to bring in new laws to deter similar future protests.

"People who sneak into these kinds of events, using phony ID, impersonate others, or conspire with others to do the same, should face indictable offences with serious fines and/or imprisonment," said Senator Runciman in a written statement sent to the parliamentary press gallery.

He then blathers on to say he's going to do something about it and intends to abuse his cushy position by introducing legislation just like, you know, an elected representative to Parliament. He also elevates the position of Prime Minister to something it is not, in a constitutional sort of way.

That's OK. Harper appointed senators don't hold much stock in this neck of the woods. (I'm trying to think of what I would say to this gas-bag if I had the opportunity to meet him face-to-face. It has something to do with "the troops" but it escapes me now).

Loud mouthed, Conservative, Harper-appointed, public teat-suckers should really be careful what they wish for.

"It wouldn't be B.C. without it"

The words issued by the so-called prime minister of Canada when a protester managed to breach his security yesterday.

Wouldn't it now?

In other words, Harper expects to come to BC, (as little as possible), and be faced with people who vocally express their displeasure with his wrecking-ball policies, his smear politics, and his lying, cheating performance behind the doors of his office.

The only reason Harper is in BC is to try and beat the bushes in redrawn ridings and to generate support among well-to-do conservatives gathered at their mahogany hog-troughs. And the only comment he has when his insular bubble is burst by a single, momentary event is ... it's typical British Columbia.

Nice! Between insulting British Columbians and ignoring every major natural event east of Brandon this guy is showing he's truly a god-king. Stephen Harper, better than all others.

Well, Harper, here's another thing it wouldn't be BC without. As you hunker down in rich-kid country there will be some noise at the gates. (I hope the organizers of this thing realize there is more than one way in to snob central).

Oh yes, a little reminder of what we think of you. It wouldn't be Harper without these.

His Immenseness will come out of his hole in ... Mill Bay, B.C.

... And then he'll make sure he's securely insulated from anything British Columbia by hiding behind the locked gates of a conservative bastion for the wealthy, Brentwood College School.

Prime Minister Harper visits Cowichan on Tuesday for a private Tory party event at Brentwood College School.
The 1 p.m. gathering, hosted by members and donors of the Conservative Party of Canada, promises to be popular among party faithful wishing to hear the PM's speech.

Wow. One would have to wonder what brings a self-serving bastard like Harper to Cowichan. It's not, you know, in a big, important area code. And one thing is absolutely certain: he wouldn't bother with the place unless it was to his personal advantage.

Ahhh. This.

Harper thinks he has a chance at a Reform Conservative win in a newly drawn riding.

You just knew he wasn't here to see the people.

Killing the Canadian Coast Guard. One massive hack at a time.

You would naturally believe that Harper and his hillbilly cohort would be strengthening the Canadian Coast Guard for several reasons, not the least of which would be to strengthen any claim on the Arctic with positioned Arctic escort ships, search and rescue and just plain hanging a flag. Another reason would be the woefully inadequate CCG resources to deal with the upcoming traffic jam in Douglas Channel. Given that Harper's national shipbuilding fantasy includes a bevy of new ships for the Coast Guard you'd expect them to be viewed as essential, and thus insulated from Harper hatchet work.

Not so, it would seem.

The ongoing gutting/changing of budgets and services at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Canadian Coast Guard are beginning to defy logic.

...

The bulk of the cuts are expected to come within the Canadian Coast Guard, where the story said $20 million will be shaved off and as many as 300 people could be shown the door.
Many insiders knew the axe was going to fall, but I would hazard to say few people expected it to be quite this dramatic.

Ah yes. Harper didn't get his extreme austerity when he had a minority government. Given that it is the lone tool he knows how to use after being trained as second-rate economist, he intends to tell you in 2015 what a wonderful manager of the economy he is and kindly ignore the fact that our SAR resources don't sail, our aids to marine navigation have rotted on their cables and vessel traffic control in congested areas simply doesn't work. Oh yes, you might also want to ignore those 300 unemployed seafarers.

One of the more stunning elements could come in the form of what looks like a major reduction - a $4.2 million budget cut and 23 job losses - in Canada's offshore surveillance of foreign fishing vessels. That would mean less monitoring of foreign vessels fishing outside Canada's 200-mile limit. 
What's more perplexing than the decision is the rationale for it.
The powers-that-be suggest they've done such a good job of reducing "serious" (a word DFO has worked very hard to cut out of its list of fishing citation reports in recent years) foreign overfishing infractions in the last while that we just don't need as much monitoring any more.
I won't ramble on about the rationale, only to say it's comparable to firing the cops because you haven't had a serious crime in a while.

Bingo (I say in a singing voice).  This is the tough on crime bunch who, despite plummeting crime rates, spent billions and forced the provinces to spend billions to lock up more people than ever because they knew there was more crime out there than we could actually see ... or that we reported. You'll recall Brother Stockwell lying through his teeth to convince you that spending billions of dollars on crime prevention was worth it, if only because he loves watching people who make him feel icky, suffer. But when illegal fishing, particularly off the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap gets curtailed ... (well, not so much curtailed as reported using different language to make it look like there are fewer violations) ... that's cause to dismiss your patrol force and the unique experts who staff it.

What is particularly interesting about this investigative piece is that it noted top bureaucrats in the department - including the deputy minister - have advised against making the cuts and have recommended spending be increased - not slashed.

 ...

If the federal government is making these cuts in spite of what their own top people are telling them, then why are they doing it, and where is that information coming from?

Ah, yes. The $200 million question. Where is their information coming from?  How about ... the PMO? The frat boys in short-pants don't know a coast guard from cattle dung. If it isn't important to them, to hell with advice.

And let's not forget the court jester running the Treasury Board. Tony Clement, a refugee from the Ontario Mike Harris fiasco, a man who never saw a tax dollar he couldn't spend on himself, simply told DFO to lose a few hundred million of budget line items. It doesn't matter what they are because this whole coast guard thing is way too expensive and anyway, they have no presence in Muskoka except to harass people about their boat operator cards.

It also demonstrates the weakness of Gail Shea, so-called Fisheries Minister. Clearly she has about as much influence at the cabinet table as Flaherty's pet cockroach. This wouldn't be happening if she'd threatened to resign, which makes her another Harper knob polisher.

(O)ne minute a bottle of champagne is being broken against a new Coast Guard ship or a brand new station is slated for construction.
The next minute, people who work on those ships or in those stations are getting their Records of Employment (ROE) and being shown the door. 
Government logic. Certainly an oxymoron.

No, not actually. What it shows is two things, both of which highlight the fiscal and administrative incompetence of Harper and his chosen ones. No logic, but worst of all no plan. 

Libricide. The Harper Government's Plan to Murder Science.

How close to home does Harper's plan to transform Canada have to get before it arrives like the grim reaper on your doorstep?

It has arrived on mine.

Stephen Harper is destroying our scientific libraries.

Years ago this country thought well enough of me to end my combat service and to send me off to become a scientist. Admittedly there was an ulterior motive. I would become one of the few who could find and provide the solution to kill enemy submarines.

I was very good at it. In fact, if one brushed off the rust, I probably still am.

Over the course of four years of study and application I read more books on oceanography than you can possibly imagine. I devoured them. I simply loved them. Every single book provided the clues to the mystery I was attempting to uncover. Some of those books were old. Very old. In scouring those arcane pages a hint of something would arise and send me searching. Ancient knowledge, well documented, provided avenues to further research.

The oldest book I could find related to the subject of killing 20th Century Soviet submarines was written way back in 1785 entitled Sundry Maritime Observations. The author was one Benjamin Franklin. When I ordered it from the NOAA library no one objected. I had a reprint edition within the week.

That book put the Gulf Stream into an older perspective. It was a starting point for another probe which would open a whole new set of question in the research group with which I was working. That group created something which didn't just find a new way to detect submarines, it actually advanced medical science.

So, when Harper starts to burn the historical research, a treasure, that this country has developed and stored, he's on my doorstep.

Stephen Harper doesn't want you to know anything that would make you smarter than him. Science, and the advance of science, is sedition. The dumber you are, the more likely you are to vote for him and the knuckledusters who swear fealty to him. His future is secure if you are stupid. He relies on that.

So, there is only one reason why this is happening.

Harper is destroying historical, scientific publications.

When I asked if EVERYTHING was being digitized and recorded, the answer was NO. A culling of "non-relevant" publications was the answer.

In other words, publications which somebody, the PMO included, decided had no scientific value, was being destroyed.

How do they know? Which book has the buried secret of a scientific discovery?

The hints, the line that could lead to further discovery, is probably in one of those destroyed books. And Stephen Harper has just made sure that you and future generations will never find it.

Who burns books but one who is afraid of what is in them?

Update: Just in case you don't read the comments, Alison has provided two exceptional links which after you've read them should leave you shattered. Many thanks Alison!

 Confessions of a Science Librarian:The Canadian War on Science

 Scientists for the Right to Know

The Harper Government's latest Big Lie

Well, it has a bag-load hauled out at those times when it is tactically expedient. This one however, is a slam-dunk.

Remember Jason Kenney telling us all how the rules on foreign workers were going to be tightened up? Well it turns out they were ... and they weren't. Canadians now go to the head of the line for non-union sex-work. For anything else, you wait until the union's busted by flooding the market with slave labour.

Go read Simon.  

Update: Not to be missed, Alison weighs in.

You must be dreaming

I read this with my jaw on the desk.

Would this turkey, a man who was first elected on a backlash vote, actually quit?

Are you smoking crack?

Stephen Harper believes in one thing - Stephen Harper. The man is not your run of the mill sociopath. He believes that we, a nation of peace seekers, truly want everything to be exactly as he learned in five semesters of economics and the wisdom he developed running an organization that was developed to hate government. He hates you, he hates me and he hates anyone that is not totally and unequivocally in 100% agreement with his view of the world. Period. Full fucking stop.

Do you get that? Really. Do you? Because if you don't let me clear it up a little. Stephen Harper doesn't care what you think, do or otherwise believe. It's his way or the highway. He's the only one who could possibly be right on any subject and if you don't believe me, ask him! I'm sure he'll set you straight. 

I'd pity his wife, if she wasn't a willing and active accomplice. I'll give quarter when quarter is due and she deserves none.

Stephen Harper's view of you is very simple. You work your ass off for at least five days a week (at a wage that just barely gets you by), you get supper at 5 o:clock, you get hockey on TV on Saturday night and you fuck your wife on Wednesday and Sunday. What else could you want?

Are you the wife? Change your name, make supper for 5 o:clock, watch the hockey game and keep Wednesday and Sunday free for the Harper Nation. 

Do you have an interest in foreign affairs? Too bad, he'll handle it. It is so far beyond your basic understanding of things complex. Harper's got that ball and he isn't going to let your instinct to create a better world interfere with him hanging onto it. Donate to a charity. Build a well somewhere. Your tax dollars will only be spent where we can get something - nickle, bauxite, light sweet crude. If it destroys far flung communities outside your six-pack view, what do you care?

A "walk in the snow"?

Give it a rest. Harper would be hard pressed to dress himself for such an event without a multitude of staff to make sure the idiot strings were threaded through a parka. And then he'd claim he didn't know why they put the thumbs the wrong way up.

Ain't gonna happen.

As much as I thought Trudeau was an asshole, I learned that he still believed there was a point where he was doing nothing to advance us as a nation. He took the honourable route to retirement.

Stephen Harper has no such inclination. He is an unrepentant sociopath who will always believe that he alone, despite the counsel of thousands, has the vision to guide us to greatness.

As if we had not already achieved that stature in the world decades before his name had ever been spoken on a high-school home-room roll-call.

Stephen Harper will never leave of his own accord. He, in his own mind at least, is anointed. He wasn't elected; he was sent to us. Ask him.

We'll know when Stephen Harper is resigning. He'll have put a torch to the earth.

You (and Harper) already blew it!!

Harper knob polisher, Michael Den Tandt offers up the results of gazing at the Conservative crystal ball with a set of 2014 predictions on what to expect from (missing in action) Harper. It's actually quite stunning. Den Tandt pines away for the "Charm Offensive" he has oft predicted from Harper but which has never happened. It seems to escape Den Tandt that Harper doesn't have it in him and if it's scripted for him, that fact becomes obvious. More on that in a minute.

... Harper in 2014 will make a visible effort to re-engage – likely through more frequent speeches, perhaps even more frequent press conferences. He will do so not by choice, but by necessity.

Really?! Because, the gods forbid, when he was handed a late 2013 opportunity to "re-engage" he refused to come out of his hole. If, at any point, he had wanted to appear to be a leader in any way, shape or form, all he had to do was actually show up. But that ice-storm was a natural, short-notice event - not something scripted well in advance by the short-pantsers running the PMO. Re-engagement, as Den Tandt is suggesting will happen, requires long, detailed preparation. No rehearsal - no show.

The Wright-Duffy mess, the sheer scale of the venality and dishonesty exposed within his own office, among people he appointed, has shaken his personal standing. The only practical remedy is to shore up his positives, namely his reputation for competence and intelligence. He can only do so by communicating.

Competence and intelligence in a leader would suggest being able to read the character and qualities of individuals appointed to positions of prominence and influence. We haven't seen any of that and Den Tandt says so before he makes the impossible leap in the other direction. I question Harper's intelligence at times but his competence is not up for debate. This is one of the least competent prime ministers Canada has ever endured. Owen has more to offer on that along with this very poignant observation:

For a man who doesn't like people, Harper has chosen a curious profession.

Which is why when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are without heat in the middle sub-zero temperatures at the darkest time of the year the "re-engagement" comes in the form of a solitary 14-word Twitter offering. 

The spirit of man . . .

WINTER SOLSTICE, and the cycle of life continues: we celebrate the end of one year and the beginnings of our future and the re-birth of the world around us. That future belongs to the young, and some of them are up to the task. 

Consider 19-year-old Zack Kopplin; according to io9's article by George Dvorsky, “How 19-year-old activist Zack Kopplin is making life hell for Louisiana's creationists”, Zack's leading the battle against Christian ignorance in Louisiana. Way to go, Zackster!

Conniving CONs . . .

THE SENATE HOO-HA'S origins, as seen by my friend Scanner, who I believe has created an accurate account of how things came to be. I wish the RCMP every success, good luck and good weasel-hunting.

I have written this before but in light of SJH's unequivocal answer to the question whether he was aware at the time of a plan to have the Conservative party reimburse Mike Duffy for his questionable expenses, this is what I believe happened.

At some point two or more years ago, SJH and members of his closest clique came up with a scheme to increase Conservative fundraising while making the taxpayers of Canada pay for it. 

They schemed to recruit media stars like Mike Duffy to travel all over Canada attending Conservative fundraisers, but by making them Members of the Senate, have their expenses paid by the Senate. 

The PMO and the Privy Council were fully aware that the eligibility of Duffy and Wailin and others was questionable a best but since this has never been a problem before, did not even consider this.

These recruits were told to just expense what they needed to, that no-one ever questioned Senate expense reports and to get out there and start raising money.

I believe the PMO and SJH expected some level of discretion on the part of these flacks but made no attempt to monitor them. I bet Wallin's travel costs were a surprise even to SJH who has never tried to curb his own expenses.

Now they are caught in an ever expanding ring of lies to cover up the real crime - that the Prime Minister, The members of the PMO, the Privy Council and the Conservative Party of Canada colluded in a scheme to enrich the coffers of the CPoC by defrauding the people of Canada.

To cover this up, SJH is willing to lie at every turn and to destroy anyone near and loyal to himself and the Conservative Party. If the real facts come out they may all face prison. I hope they do. If you can't face the time, don't do the crime.

Y'know all those "made in BC" jobs Christy Clark promised ...

Well, the actual contract hasn't even been inked yet and Seaspan is looking offshore to fill the positions necessary for the vessels they will (supposedly) build.

Seaspan is a Canadian shipbuilding firm which has recently been given a contract to build 17 ships for the Canadian Navy.
Now they need skilled workers to move to Vancouver and help build the vessels – and they have got their eye on Portsmouth workers.

The real hairball will get coughed up if the Canadian public finally wakes up to the fact that Harper's ship procurement fairy-tale is actually way off the rails, seriously under-funded and probably won't happen in anything like what is being advertised by the Harper Hillbilly Government.

At least, according to Christy Clark, BC is "family friendly" and the unicorns sprinkle sugar everywhere.

Added: To enhance clarity, Portsmouth is in England, Hampshire County, UK. 

And you think you have it rough ...

Journalist Michelle Stewart can probably put those feelings to rest.

All the best, Michelle. All any of us can do is hope this is a Christmas that brings you some joy. You deserve it.

Airshow MacKay rolls out more of that "Compassionate Conservatism"

First it was James Moore, telling us he was fine with Canadian children starving; then it was that nasty little shit, Flaherty, making it clear that the elderly can continue to eat cat food.

Next up? None other than Elmer MacKay's entitled brat, Peter "Airshow" MacKay.

MacKay said poor offenders could pay the fine back over time or consider selling some of their belongings to pay off the debt.

Selling off their belongings? Most of them don't have any belongings. It's one of the reasons they're standing in front of a judge. And one judge had something to say about it.

“You have to understand these people have nothing. That’s the tragedy,” said Waterloo region Ontario Court Justice Colin Westman, one of many judges in Ontario who have found ways to minimize the mandatory penalty by doling out small fines that reduce the victim surcharge to as little as 30 cents.
“I’m not trying to be a smart-alec here but I think someone has to remind the minister there are broken people here who don’t have anything to give. It’s a bully mentality. It’s kicking people while they are down,” said Westman Tuesday. “The people we are dealing with, believe me, a high portion of them are just broken souls.”

The judge also recommended that MacKay actually spend some time in a courtroom. What a novel idea ... a Canadian justice minister actually having a clue what actually constitutes the parade of accused in a Canadian courtroom.

It's amazing isn't it? At this time of year when we actually think of the characters in a Charles Dickens novel, the ministers of Harper's government actually associate best with the worst of them.

What ever law school conferred a law degree on this self-absorbed, self-entitled shit-head should seriously consider finding a way to disown him.

The Stevie Claus . . .

Thank-you, Radio 3.

“Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.” UPDATED

That, from Harper Industry Minister and Harper MP for Port Moody, James Moore when questioned on the embarrassing levels of child poverty in British Columbia. 

The only words that don't fail me are, Fucking selfish ... greedy ... scumbag. Typical bloody-minded right-wing puke. Charles Dickens wrote books about people like James Moore.

UPDATE: Moore is now claiming he was taken out of context. Sara Norman, who was interviewing him at the time, has something different to say about Moore's rushing to his own defence. So ... you need to hear it for yourself. Off to The Gazeteer with you where you'll hear the whole context and understand that my description of Harper government minister, James Moore need not be altered. 

Moore would watch Canadian children starve in the street.

A Christmas message from BC's biggest liar

CON control . . .

SETTLER TREATY CARD: a fine concept from the folks at Briarpatch. Click on the link to see a giant-size version, 'cause the fine-print ‘some conditions apply’ is worth reading.

We Own You ...

At least that is the tacit message that comes from the excerpted emails from the PMO (Nigel Wright) to the Conservative house leader in the senate. Although not subordinate in any way to the frat boys in the PMO, senators are taking orders from Nigel Wright.


Now, I didn't do the heavy lifting so I will send you off to Creekside, where Alison has done just that.

So a guy who has never played a team sport writes a book about hockey ...

... And we're supposed to believe that anything in it is in the slightest bit accurate? Because Stephen Harper is such a renowned historian ... on anything?

Stephen Harper has not provided a single satisfactory answer to any question about his involvement in the alleged attempt to subvert a senator and commit a fraud. Not one. And the thing just keeps getting bigger.

And we've got a line-up that's getting bigger by the day.

Where is Canada's newest hockey "expert"?

Hiding. It's what the coward does best.