Tuesday 27 June 2017

What do we learn from history



We do learn from history but what we learn from history is generally slanted toward the things that concur with our prior prejudice. We tend to pick and choose the parts of history that suits our purpose. We seem to have an innate ability to ignore history that does not deliver our desired outcome. How else can we possibly explain our tendency to follow the policies and practices of societies and civilizations that have repeatedly and so miserably failed?
 If you visit and browse nations of all political stripes and listen to their citizens then you will learn from recent history. You may begin to revisit your current wealth of knowledge for answers that seem to conflict with what you are witnessing first hand. You begin to challenge the origins of information that fly in the face of fact. It becomes disturbing to discover or rediscover the thoughts and observations of individuals such as Aristotle, John Adams, Oswald Spengler, Ayn Rand etc. 

Equally disturbing is the realization that the source of that same dismissal of history is the smug suggestion that we are in modern times so this new ‘Age of Enlightenment’ protects us from the failures of the past. 

Of all the despotic oligarchs perhaps Romania is one of the most pronounced example of political subjugation of its people. Lack of ‘Term Limits’ allowed Communist Party Leader Nicolae Ceausescu to turn Romania from the typical short lived benefit of socialism, with world leaders of the 70’s visiting and admiring Romania’s ‘Shining City on the Hill’ to its inevitable downfall into moral decay and devastation. You may well ask, how could this happen?

Ceausescu and his gaggle of know-it-alls placed an inordinate amount of resources and faith in the reputed supremacy of academia. Academia wilts like a flower in the face of corruption, cronyism, inane and debilitating rules and regulations. Over burdening the taxpaying citizens drove their underground economy, devoured their commerce, and generally impeded the country’s ability to meet its obligations.


The Ceausescu regime caused one of the most successful agricultural exporting nations of the Eastern Block into a nation that now must import much of its food. Academia tried but failed to replace Romania’s agri-expert farmers who fled the country primarily to farm in Spain. Now much of the county’s fields lie fallow. 

Ceausescu scared away investment to such a degree that his abundance of oil and ‘Oil Export Revenue’ turned into the ‘Need to Import’.


As recently as spring 2010 nearly 500 doctors abandoned their home country of Romania.

   Observing the consequences of not learning from History


 As things tightened up and Romania began its decline the Ceausescu regime embarked on an ever escalating crusade to buy prosperity and to spend its way back to health. Their crowning achievement was the building of the world’s second largest building (second only to the US Pentagon) as the predominately vacant Romanian Parliament building. Is it possible that this privately desired edifice was the predictable final straw.


A study of Romanian communism within this autocratic/repression dialectical framework, examines the relationship between ideological fanaticism and public policy in the Ceausescu regime. It discusses the ways in which the regime used tactics of manipulation, persuasion, and repression to cope with threats it saw as simultaneously domestic and foreign. The theory behind this approach, therefore, could be applied to ANY OTHER cases of repressive, autocratic dictatorship.

Following their inability to hide financial abuse and fiscal failure the Ceausescu regime began a campaign to stifle descent, the right to free speech, and suppression of civil liberties. In desperation they began to use their secret police to chase down their own dissenting citizens for torture and murder. Many of the same communist individuals are still in charge but now they refer to themselves as socialists or liberals. They are still standing in the way of Romania’s progress by continuing with debilitating impediments. They have burdened their businesses into oblivion or migration.


On December 21, 1989 Ceausescu and his wife stepped out onto a balcony to receive accolades from a gathered crowd of 350,000. What they got were jeers and boos, a 2 hour trial on the 23
and were summarily executed by firing squad on Christmas morning!

 
Corruption is still part of daily life in Romania, with almost half of Romanians admitting to paying bribes.

Now the EC is putting increasing pressure on the Romanian government to end bribery.
Some officials struggle against the rampant corruption but it often results in their dismissal. It's an ongoing battle between the politicians exploiting corruption and those fighting it. But following a push from Europe a number of high profile politicians have been charged, to the delight of Romanians. Romanians want to see convictions.

 http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/Romania.html

 

 


Monday 26 June 2017

YOUR Summer edition of The Mirror online

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Sunday 25 June 2017

Victor Hugo was Here




So was Jean but not Jean Valjean. No this Jean was not the man of the galley prison ship who served 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. 

No this Jean is Mrs. Jean Thomas of the 'Jean & Peter Story.

Jean more resembles 'Fantine' in Victor Hugo’s 1862 historical novel ‘Les Miserables’. 
This Jean is the ‘Lady of the Horses’ who is being so viciously persecuted by a 21st century imitation of 'Javert' using a corrupted modern day version of 19th Century legal system.
 
Like most Citizens Jean and Peter where living their lives blissfully content with raising their two children and bothering nobody.  

Their home wasn’t even visible from the highway. 

They had literally no neighbors to bother with. It was to all extent and purposes the perfect place for the 'Lady of Horses' to raise and nurture her notable steeds. They had their cozy home and an excellent barn. The only thing needed was an equestrian exercise ring.

Like all of the things one does on their own property Jean and Peter had suitable soil brought in to pad the equestrian exercise ring.


Whoa up there Citizen! It’s at this point you discover that you are only the poor sucker that paid for the property! You discover that you are only the owner of the property. You are not the sole arbiter of the property. That right has been wrenched from you by an empire building, grasping and money hungry arm of an ever tyrannical government.

Your constitutional rights have been violated! 

Your protection mandated under the Conservation Act has been trashed! 

Your legal protections have been denied you and your right to privacy held in total disregard. 

How do I know this? I know this by sitting through the dozens of never ending tortuous trials of the hapless couple. I witnessed firsthand how ‘monsewer Javert’ conducted himself on the witness stand with his self-righteous justification of illegal trespass to his taking control of operations on Jean and Peter’s property. I witnessed the evil 'Javert's' smug claim of taking advantage of Jean’s amiable personality to pump her for information while never cautioning her of her legal rights and then claiming right of access predicated on a friendly perch on Jean’s Garden bench. 

I watched as arrogant 'Javert' admitted to bypassing his legal inability to issue a ‘Stop Work Order’ by instructing the truckers to dump their loads so as to barricade the work site and then proceeding to the source site to deny Jean her requisitioned soil.

So let’s get this straight he did all of the above plus taking pictures and still claims he had not yet started his investigations!

He even had the audacity to claim he wasn’t trespassing because the polite little ‘Lady of the horses’ didn’t ask him to leave.

He claims that he was there to work things out amicably. 

He worked things out alright by speciously laying phony multiple charges against the hapless couple resulting in potential penalties of $80,000 - EACH (Total $160,000) PLUS 2 years jail time for this pair of totally innocent Canadian Citizens!

Who are the ineffectual politicians responsible for this continuing travesty of immoral justice?

The first judge on the scene proudly lectured those in attendance as to why stiff penalties were needed to stop Citizens from destroying the environment and of coarse, wetlands. His point of view would be far more valid if he were talking about damage being done to an environmental wetland and not about what a Citizen does on their own private property that is not even classified as wetland.

Message to the judge: The 'Lady of the Horses' didn’t bend one blade of grass on the nearby environmental wetland nor did she steal Victor Hugo’s proverbial loaf of bread!

 
Please Note: Anybody wishing to dispute this story are more than welcome to do so in the comment section below...





Friday 23 June 2017

Obscene Homelessness in Niagara

 
One of News Alert Niagara's very first stories was posted September 3, 2012 regarding homelessness and poverty in Niagara.

Our leading political authorities at the time were so concerned with homelessness that they voluntarily suffered the whole long night camped out in their cars, which were lined up in a supermarket parking lot! The recent comments from our current politicos seem the echo the comments following the hardships of the 2012 night campers.

Niagara Regional Chair Alan Caslin made banal comments like "this needs to be on our radar", "and he hopes the situation can be addressed" and "we need to look at this a lot more seriously". 

However, homelessness and poverty will never be solved with feckless platitudes and photo-op stunts. 

Five years have passed we and have homelessness and poverty growing in the wrong direction and at record levels with over 1,700 families forced to rely on shelters. 

It is estimated that there are between six to eight thousand more Niagara families trapped in the grip of poverty.

Perhaps there is no tangible solution to homelessness and poverty but a tangible effort is certainly warranted. 

What is not warranted is the contempt displayed toward Citizens who challenge over-spending and the resulting over-taxation. 

A perfect example of contempt for the taxpaying Citizen can be viewed from the 1:25 minute mark of Niagara Regional Council.  

You will witness for yourself the embarrassing specter displayed by Pelham Mayor and Regional Councilor Dave Augustyn in his effort to divert and nullify the presenter's pointed position regarding over-spending!     
At one point it was even stated that they could increase debt enough to build two Burgoyne Bridges!

You will notice that in the absence of Regional Councilor Petrowski the Region attempts to bring in an 'Industrial Development Charge' to garner 'Pennies' with no regard to our negative employment situation.


The obscene part of over-spending is the scrounging for more and more job killing fees and taxation to cover the cost of not living within budget! 

Note: Since those we have hired and elected cannot or will not live within there means and they are unable to create jobs and prosperity they naturally turn to the one thing they they're good at; spend more money on more poorhouse facilities!












Thursday 15 June 2017

Ontario Witch Finders Strike Again

Like the Witch finders of old we now have Integrity Commissioners (IC) roaming around doing the bidding of municipal governments who are all to willing to pay for their specious services.

It has already been predicted that the use of an IC is turning into a weapon to get rid of people who are not willing to 'go along to get along' or to sell out their morals to people not acting in the best interest of the public.

We demand accountability and transparency from our elected leaders but what we usually get is a disgusting load of contempt.

Still, we are extremely fortunate to have video of our government in action. Video brings us a degree of transparency as never before.

Perhaps there has never before been such an example of transparency as the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario Council Meeting held on June 13, 2017.

At the 3:14 minute mark transparency starts to become abundantly clear how the use of an IC is used as a weapon against anyone who threatens to poke a stick into the spokes of the government authority's 'Gravy Train'.

Folks, after watching the video you will find no evidence of leaking closed session information let alone pointing blame directly to Councilor Carolynn Ioannoni!

However, not to be denied in their spurious attempt to 'get Ioannoni' the cabal of conspirators each took turns in reading from prepared copy supporting yet another two-bit lawyer's condemnation, without evidence, of one of their own fellow councilors.

With no proof what-so-ever, Councilor Kerrio stood in place to move that Councilor Ioannini apologize to council, to staff and to the public.

Kerrio also moved that Ioannoni be removed from all boards and committees including Hydro.

Kerrio went on to move that the Ontario Government should be asked that the Municipal act be changed so that Ioannoni could be removed from office. 


Kerrio made six motions against Ioannoni predicated on the so-called Integrity Commissioner's statement that "I find, on a balance of possibilities, that Councillor Carolynn Ioannoni shared highly sensitive and confidential personnel information..." ! A balance of possibilities is neither evidence nor proof!

Since everything to do with this situation is secret, even from the targeted victim, it is evident that the Integrity Commissioner scheme is definitely more akin to the infamous Witchcraft Trials. 

Once again the disgusting antics of our elected officials demonstrates pure contempt for the Citizen!

 

Foot Note: 
Question: Where does INTEGRITY stand on trying to destroy the Citizen's chosen representative with no evidence or proof of wrongdoing?







Wednesday 14 June 2017

Tyrannical Contempt for Citizens


In our article titled 'The Great Niagara Railroad Conspiracy' we wrote that 'some news is not about news anymore. Some news is about protecting some people, destroying others, and promoting agenda'. 

One method of slanting the news is by omission. Some folk call this lying by omission. 

Example: In the recent article by Allan Benner, The Standard, one garners the essence of the political banter of the meeting but completely ignores the tyrannical contemp for the taxpaying Citizen! 

By totally omitting the presentation by a Citizen's committee spokesperson regarding public concerns about the rapid escalation of Pelham's portion of property taxes 'the Standard' article makes itself complicit in the tyrannical contempt for the taxpaying Citizen!

During the Audit Committee Meeting of June 12, 2017 the CAO of Pelham used Pelham's 335 page report plus addendum to point out alleged false and misleading statement of alarmed regional councilors. In all of the back and forth of accusations and allegations the whole stinking circus of arguments and platitudes completely evades the specter of runaway taxation. 
 At the 1:40 minute mark of the Audit Meeting you can witness the Citizen Committee Spokesperson delivering a polite and considerate presentation of taxation burdens complete with actual % increases. Not the disgusting bovine waste used to misinform the Taxpaying Citizens
  At the 1:55 minute mark witness for yourself the embarrassing specter displayed by Pelham Mayor and Regional Councilor Dave Augustyn in his effort to divert and nullify the presenter's pointed position! At one point it was even stated that they could increase debt enough to build two Burgoyne Bridges!


No matter how you cut it, runaway taxation is no way to respect the taxpaying Citizen. Eventually the 'Tax and Spend' crowd will spark a backlash!




Tuesday 13 June 2017

Petrowski: They got 'im

Regional Councilor Andy Petrowski wasn't in council chamber for the council meeting on the evening of June 8, 2017. 

No, Petrowski was on leave.

However, that didn't stop the posse out to 'get him' from continuing their vendetta starting with the failed former St. Catharines Mayor, Tim Rigby at the 3:38 minute mark of Niagara Council's public video.

You will notice that in the absence of Petrowski the Region attempts to bring in an 'Industrial Development Charge' to garner 'Pennies' with no regard to our negative employment situation. 

You will also notice that the 'Get Petrowski' vendetta followed Councilor Annunziatta's squalid attempt to paint Niagara as an anti-semetic hot-spot in his effort to get even with a local MPP who had to throw him and his fellow NPCA official, Councilor Bruce Timms, out of her office for extreme belligerence.

Still, they successfully achieved their goal of getting him off the committees, boards,etc. and out of the way of their 'Tax & Spend' proclivities or should it be called 'Tax & Waste' since so many $millions remain unaccounted for?

Fortunately 'News Alert Niagara' (NAN) is not beholding to government advertising handouts leaving NAN free to chronicle the Machiavellian machinations of the Niagara Regional Regime.

Seven years of 'politics of personal destruction' aided and abetted by the Trolls and Stalkers of the St. Catharines 'Standard' newspaper, while remaining collectively silent on the Region's council of corruption.

Its one thing to suffer through alcoholics, perjurers, liars, fornicators, adulterers, connivers, bankruptcy artists and vindictive creeps but its another thing altogether to have these same sordid individuals spouting lofty words like dignity, integrity, honesty, respect and ethics.

News Alert Niagara has been expecting more from those we have hired and elected in tackling some of Niagara's ills. But no, all we get is ego laden braggadocio and hour after hour of scheming against each other as if they really do have something to brag about!

On June 6, 2017 we challenged the Region regarding the integrity of their Integrity Commissioner's report. They said they took our challenge to their lawyer, Stirling Wood. They responded to their councilors within hours. What we received was their usual contemp of silence!

Below is our second attempt to get clarity on the application of their use of the Code of Conduct. 

ALL 3 complaints were dealt with at the previous Council meeting on May 18 and at that time Council passed motions on ALL 3 complaints. In all 3 cases Council ADDED to the choice of "Penalties" as allowed under the Act.
For all 3 complaints (ie. Pelham Town Hall/Committee Meeting & Augustyn Tweets & Scripture Tweets) Council passed a "reprimand" penalty but also added its own penalty in the form of "requesting an apology".
To the third complaint, Council also passed penalizing language about a Twitter usage. Then at Council meeting on June 8, Council added its own FOURTH penalty to the third complaint in the form of "suspending Petrowski from all committees, boards, etc. pending sensitivity training. Clearly, Council violated the Act with all 3 complaints. The Act is VERY specific, Council can "EITHER" "reprimand" Petrowski, which they did publicly on May 18 at last Council meeting for ALL 3 complaints OR (and Council can't do both) it can "suspend Petrowski's remuneration". Council CANNOT do both, that's why the word "EITHER" is in the ACT:

223.4 Penalties

(5)  The municipality may impose either of the following penalties on a member of council or of a local board if the Commissioner reports to the municipality that, in his or her opinion, the member has contravened the code of conduct:

1. A reprimand.

2. Suspension of the remuneration paid to the member in respect of his or her services as a member of council or of the local board, as the case may be, for a period of up to 90 days.  2006, c. 32, Sched. A, s. 98.
If the thirty geniuses we've elected where even half as smart as they think they are, then they would eventually realize that if they expended half of their effort on behalf of the Citizens of Niagara as they have in 'Getting Petrowski' perhaps Niagara would be in a far better place!

 


A Close Call for Niagara Taxpayers

Beyond belief! We get'em out of the tyrannical cesspool of Fort Drerie, educate'em in the ways of corruption and then send'em on to some other uninformed and hapless municipality or company to be used and abused by our castoffs!

How Nice!

Who, you might well ask?

Well our greatest success in teaching the ways of corruption has to be our former Chief Administration Officer. You must remember CAO Harry Schlange. He's the guy who perjured himself on his deposition regarding the Fred Bracken Fiasco costing the Niagara Taxpayer $Hundreds of Thousands! He is also the guy who tried to bully local media!

He is now CAO in Brampton where they are diverting $Millions for executive bonuses and attacking the press for reporting it!

Then again, we are also missing many $millions!