Julie Burtinshaw's Blog
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
An under-staffed squad of bean counters known as Canada's Auditor General's Office can send the horsemen hiding in their stables or, more likely, running for their paper shredders, with as little as a phone call.
The Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, is responsible for verifying just what the federal government spends its money on, the notion being -- though apparently alien to politicians and bureaucrats alike -- that taxpayers should be seen to be getting the best bang for their tax bucks, and more than seen, actually getting it.
Recently the Auditor-General turned its attention to the office of the Correctional Investigator for Corrections Canada, keepers of cons serving two year or longer prison sentences.
Now, the current Correctional Investigator, Howard Sapers, has somewhat gone off the rails of late, but otherwise seems to be bumping along within budget and with a reasonable (for government) measure of fiscal responsibility and due diligence. However, the Auditor General recently took a hard look at the spoor on his predecessor's paper trail, a trail 14 years long, and came up with some astounding information.
The Investigator under the accounting miscroscope, is Ron Stewart, a lawyer, former star Canadian football halfback with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Canadian Football League Hall-of-Famer; an icon in Ottawa where icons are scarce or quickly decamp for parts elsewhere -- Paul Anka, Rich Little, Alanis Morissette, among those who have. (We can't count Tom Green -- he keeps coming back to lick his wounds and what-not).
Among "corrections' Stewart was found to have investigated and expensed were his high school reunion, a Canadian Sports Hall of Fame dinner, and five trips to cities co-incident with their hosting of Canadian football's Grey Cup.
As a halfback, Stewart could feint, dip, slip, jump and run better than most -- maybe his law background helped. Rarely did he fumble, but then, he'd never faced the Auditor General, the wiliest defensive back in the country.
In any case, Stewart definitely learned to multi-task. He could conduct enough business in a one-minute cell phone call from his secluded cottage to justify charging for a full day's work. In fact, he was able to do most of his work from his cottage, though there's no record of just what he did. The Auditor General found 319 instances like this one. Yet the workload must have been very trying. During the last six years, he was absent for 300 days. Perhaps he was just using up accumulated vacation and sick leave days.
The final tab, give or take a few thousand -- $325,000 in questionable payments to him. In an ironic twist, the Auditor General has referred the matter to the RCMP for further investigation. Still, it is highly unlikely that Stewart will ever do correctional investigation from a cell rather than from a lakeside cottage.
link: CBC.ca
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
On Saturday October 29th, 17-year-old Michael Levy became the victim of a random attack when three teen-age boys violently assaulted him, first with a beer bottle and than a hatchet, severing his spinal cord and leaving him a quadriplegic.
Michael’s big sister, Crystal wants those three young adults tried in adult court and I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who might disagree with her.
When Crystal talks about her little brother, her voice breaks. I heard her interviewed this morning on CBC radio, and her words made me both sad and angry. I empathized with her feelings of helplessness and her sense of disbelief that such a terrible thing could happen to a boy who is a good student, a loving son, a loyal brother and a trusted friend.
The three thugs who attacked Michael are not eighteen, but they are old enough to legally drive a car. They are old enough to legally have sex. They are old enough to stay home alone, to look after younger children, to quit school, to have a job and a social-insurance number.
I would argue that by five-years of age, if not younger, children know the difference between right and wrong. By sixteen, these “children” understood exactly what they were doing when they went to a dance armed with a hatchet with the intent to hurt someone.
Crystal argues that for these reasons and because they have irrevocably changed the life of her brother, these boys must be tried in an adult court.
She’s right.
If you want to weigh in on this subject, visit the related poll at crime@suite101.com
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
One could argue that if a person has reached the ripe old age of, let's say 99, they have successfully avoided the perils of nicotine. Yet, draconian anti-smoking laws in place in Toronto, Canada mean that even the very elderly are forced to go outside to enjoy a smoke. The results? Some serious falls, a number of broken hips and some severe colds to name just a few.
Perhaps the Ontario government should insist that nursing homes should provide smoking rooms for thier residents -- they have few freedoms left and let's face it -- if smoking hasn't killed them yet, it's not going to.
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
Geologists quickly confirmed what the world already knew -- that the 3.6 tremor was a nuclear detonation, not an earthquake. This morning, the Associated Press reported that the United States with over 5000 strategic warheads, and Russia with close 5000 strategic warheads, continue to lead the arms race. France, China, Britain, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea are contenders.
For the 23 million people who live under the strong arm of the North Korean government, for their neighbors and for everybody in the world, this was a sad and dangerous action to take. It made Thanksgiving all the more poignant, as we gathered around our table with family and friends and gave thanks for the peace we in the west enjoy -- for the time being.
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
Newspapers are full of stories complaining about the high crime rate in our cities and towns, and all too often, the good news stories about successful crime prevention programs are left unreported or delegated to the back pages.
Bait Car Programs across North America are accomplishing two things: car thieves are going to jail and the public is becoming more aware of the dangers inherent in sharing the roads with erratic drivers who have little concern for human life. Read more about the success of Bait Cars at: Bait Cars
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
On August 15th/06 I wrote about the Future of Insite. On the Friday of the long weekend, Health Minister, Tony Clement offered the site a one year reprieve, but many believe that this is just a stall tactic.
The Tory Government does not back safe injection sites, in spite of the evidence that they reduce drug-related crimes, overdose deaths and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Why? Because the moral right views drug addiction as a crime not as a health issue. Instead of prevention and reduction, they advocate tougher laws and longer prison sentances.
I'm sure that if the feds thought they could quietly close down Insite, they would have done so, but on this issue the public has clearly shown that they support Insite, for the sole reason that it works to make their cities and nieghbourhoods safer places.
Posted by Julie Burtinshaw
Our favourite returning crime writer, Art Montague educates us on the latest in lockpicking after reading and article on Bump Keys at Bump Keys.
Read Art's article: Home Security: Lockpicking