On Bill 115: OECTA -What Was Said?

My Acronym Guide Is @ hErE! ...

Recently, there has been a lot of continuing discussion here on this blogsite. Also in the wider Ontario Teacher Union Movement. Everyone is still all a buzz about the recent successful Ontario Supreme Court Charter Challenge ruling on Bill 115!

The concern, as we await a "remedy" is quite understandable! Our province's CUPE, ETFO and OSSTF members had their Collective Bargaining Rights violated when the government imposed the July 5th 2012 "OECTA MOU [Memo of Understanding] Roadmap" on all of the province's unionized teachers and education workers. Indeed, here is a link to the court verdict, if you are still in doubt @ PDF!

Much discussion has focused on the OECTA Provincial's role in this debacle!  On a go forward basis, CUPE, ETFO and OSSTF members are quite understandably worried and concerned that they were betrayed and stabbed in the back during the 2012-13 collective bargaining talks. Whatever's left of the crushed OECTA dissident movement often seems relieved that at the very least many of their claims and concerns, for which they were so severely denounced, have now been vindicated. Moreover, most of the OECTA retirees I've talked to invariably wag their head in disbelief. They are very dismayed that this is no longer the once proud, staunch Catholic teacher union that we fought so very long and hard to build! 

OECTA's betrayal of the Ontario teacher union movement, through collaborating with the OLP, aided and abetted the government's decidedly anti-union Neo-Lib agenda. It opened the door to contract stripping and concession bargaining! Wages fell below the COA [Cost of Living]! Our sick day plans were gutted! Our sick day banks clawed back for pennies on the dollar! Special education and other classroom cuts became the order of the day! Big biz tax cuts and corporate welfare bailouts were paid for on the back of our provinces students and teachers! On and on the list of despicable acts continues. The Ontario government continues to wrack havoc on decades of hard fought union wins. It's continued through the 2015 CB agreements. Quite possibly into the new talks, as they resume again next year!

So, what exactly did OECTA Provincial do to become the embarrassment and scourge of the Ontario Teacher Union movement? The judge's ruling seems quite clear! OECTA Provincial broke union ranks when they collaborated with the Ontario Liberal Government. In signing the July 5, 2012 OECTA MOU Roadmap, they agreed to contract strips, which the Liberals were then only too happy, with their urging, to illegally impose on CUPE, ETFO and OSSTF, the rest of the province's teacher and education worker affiliates. This was done in gross violation of the other affiliate's collective bargaining rights vis a vis Bill 115, the so called Putting Students First Act, [LINK] in August 2012. Paragraphs 167 and 168, of the court ruling explain: 

[167] On this basis, the OECTA deal is the only remaining comparator on which the justification for the terms of the imposed agreements is said to be founded. A single agreement does not stand in for the comparison on which the determination in Meredith was made. A single agreement is not the same as: “collective agreements inside and outside of the core public administration”. It is not demonstrative of the “going rate” in the “education sector”. It is one agreement dealing with one small component of that sector.

 [168] Moreover, it is not clear the basis upon which the OECTA agreement was negotiated or whether and to what extent those negotiating on behalf of the union involved felt limited by the parameters. Did free and open bargaining take place? What is demonstrated is that Ontario foreclosed the possibility of free bargaining for the rest of the education sector. In a submission to Cabinet made on August 8, 2012 in support of the Putting Students First Act (Bill 115), the Minister stated that “...[t]he government table team also committed to recommend that the OECTA MOU be embedded in legislation”.243 It was the evidence of the Assistant Deputy Minister that OECTA requested that its agreement with Ontario be embedded in legislation and “...the [Ontario] table team consistently committed to make this recommendation”244. This was done without advice to or consultation with any of the remaining bargaining agents. OSSTF submits that this was a secret agreement.245 It does not matter. By agreeing to put the terms of the agreement into legislation, Ontario compromised the possibility of fair and open bargaining with the remaining parts of the education sector.

Moreover, it seems OECTA Provincial clearly acted to have the other affiliates "post retirement benefit" packages stripped from their contracts. Here's a real bone of contention, especially at the union grass root level! Shockingly, these were benefits that OECTA members themselves did not enjoy! Most unfortunately, the public teachers and education workers who did fight so hard for them over the years got no say, as they were ruthlessly stripped away, in gross violation of their Charter Rights! As Paragraph 178 and 179 state; 

[178] Unifor did not take part in the process until late. The parameters did not refer to post- retirement benefits. The members of Unifor (and, before it, CAW) continued to receive health and welfare benefits until death. This benefit had been in place for 40 years. The OECTA MOU provided that after September 1, 2013, no new retirees in the education sector would be eligible for any employer contributions to any post-retirement benefits. 246 The members ofOECTA did not have such rights. Their removal was no concern to them. The benefit was removed by the OECTA deal without warning and without any opportunity for the affected members of the affected union (Unifor) to take part in the negotiations that led to this result.

[179] It is not that these outcomes necessarily demonstrate substantial interference with collective bargaining. Rather, it is inherent in the process that was adopted and confirmed by these results. The defining of the parameters and the limited nature of the discussions concerning their application, the narrowing of discussions that followed the OECTA agreement and the enforcement of those limits through the threat and passage of the Putting Students First Act serve to show that there was substantial interference with the process of collective bargaining such that there was a breach of the freedom of association. The outcomes to which I have referred are examples of the results of this flawed process and serve to substantiate this breach.

Where do we go from here? It seems to be business as usual at OECTA Provincial. Meanwhile, CUPE, ETFO and OSSTF await a "remedy" for their situation, as required by the judge due to the violation of their charter rights outlined in his Bill 115 Charter Challenge verdict. One wonders: Do OECTA members expect any semblance of union solidarity or support when push comes to shove in the next round of contract talks? Do they think OECTA can just go it alone without the other affiliates, in continuing to collaborate Vichy style with the Liberal government? They should be in for a big shock!

Alas! Regardless of our affiliate, all of us, OECTA members included, know you can't trust a rogue union! Meanwhile the Ontario Ministry of Education enjoys the last laugh! Their divide and conquer strategy renders our teacher movement impotent, with an traitorous union in our midst. The Liberals have all but succeeded, with their OECTA partners, to destroy our once strong and proud Ontario teacher union movement! Much more effectively than even Mike Harris and the Tory's ever could! Moreover, they continue to do so, it seems, with an unrepetent Catholic teacher blessing from on high! For shame!

RELATED READING

On Bill 115: Glitches in the Matrix @ Here!

OECTA: On Manufacturing Consent @ HERE!

OECTA's Fall 2012 Bill 115 Members Letter @ HERE!

OECTA: A Vichy Mentality @ HERE!

OECTA: None Dare Call It Betrayal @ HERE!

Canadian Civil Liberties Letter on the Brock Dissident Dismissal @ HERE!

Corporate Tax Cuts Paid For on the Backs of Ontario's Students and Teachers @ Here!

On Teacher Free Speech + Grass Root renewal @ THERE!

COMMENTS: 

Akumal: Sun, Rain + Lemonade!

We had a few good sunny days for swimming y snorkeling. A visit into the nearest city, Playa Del Carmen. Then the rain clouds rolled in. It is the season for hurricanes y tropical storms, always a throw of the dice on last minute deals down south this time of year. We are pretty good at making lemonade out of lemons, or whatever the fates throw our way. Our sea view room becomes a romantic getaway. We also enjoyed a leisurely walk along the white sand beach. The majesty of the storm clouds. The sea swells. It is quite stunning! Satisfying even! Just the two of us again. Alone, with the thunder of the surf.

Post script: Next day, our last, is a perfect day on the beach. I see 5 turtles on my snorkel dives, and follow a huge school of blue tang along the reef!                                                                                                                                                                 

Mexico Diary 2: Swimming With The Turtles!

See slide show top right screen! ....

The Sun beats down in the unrelenting mid morning heat as I dive beneath the refreshing turquoise waters of Akumal Bay to swim with the turtles. Underwater, they are remarkably agile, even graceful. Minding their own business. Grazing on the sea bottom. Gliding up and down from the surface. Whole families! I saw 6, a family, the mother and father as big as coffee tables, in my first five minutes of snorkeling. Amazing.

Also observed: 2 Sting rays, 3 baby octopus, lots of brightly coloured Parrot Fish, and a huge school of Blue tang. I had to swam out past the crowds. Then I continued past the markers, along the coral reef for a kilometer or so back to our hotel beach strip, making landfall again on the pure white sand. One incredible natural high!

We are having a great time. To be frank though, let's get the concerns out of the way:

The food is fine. The staff very warm and friendly. The all inclusive Akumal Bay Beach Resort is small, not too busy. A wonderful design, very simple, nice lines. However, its quite impractical. Our room looks nice too, but there are no dresser drawers for our clothes. We are still living out of our suitcases!

I researched our resort very thoroughly online first. Review wise, it compared quite excellently with the others here in Akumal, Still, we've receved little or no info on the hotel amenities. Even the official Air Canada/ Best Deal hotel "Info Meet" turned out to be nothing more than a sales spiel. Indeed, we have been hounded relentlessly to buy this or that time share or trip package since our arrival in Mexico. Not pleasant.

Here's a first: We were told to lock up everything in our safe, even our cellphones, when we leave the room ....

We kept trying to ask where Akumal Bay is located as we tried to orientate ourselves and were repeatedly mislead by folks, even at the hotel, trying to sell us ridiculous tours, taxi and bus rides. Turns out it's only about a 10 minute walk down the beach!

The exchange rate for "pesos", even at the hotel, is ridiculous overpriced. Complete highway robbery. I have no interest in buying "pesos" and will take my chances just using US dollars. Or not buy anything at all.

Lots of Americans but none of them seem to be packing guns, nor have they tried to shoot us, yet! ;-) Families of our fellow Canucks? Their brat kids running around screaming? "Expressing" themselves? Parents drunk and oblivious? Fortunately they are all missing in action but then school isn't out yet .... Anyway, the Euro guests seem very attentative to their small fry. Don't seem to tolerate such rudeness. By and large, at least in comparison, the kids here seem refreshingly pleasant and well behaved. Much moreso than what we have come to expect, at a family resort.

Overall, I much prefer Cuba for it's lack of commercialism. The tourism hustle and hucksterism here is truly god awful. However, all that aside ..... Akumal Bay has one beautiful beach! Today's snorkel dive, one of my all time best!

COMMENTS:

Mexico Diary 1: Akumal!

JUNE 13 2016

A room with a view ...

Early Monday morning. We are at Toronto Pearson Airport waiting to catch a flight to Akumal, Mexico. Janet wants a beach holiday. A holiday is a moot point for me, being retired, but I am a big diving and snorkeling fan. The Mayan Caribbean coast of Akumal, and Cozumal, just across the sea, boasts the second biggest reef in the world. The tiny fishing village is well known for it's large turtle colony and lush, turquoise lagoons, teaming with coral gardens and huge schools of brightly coloured tropical fish. We are no strangers here.

Our Air Canada Boeing 767 wide body jet arrives on time. Fortunately, the gods must be smiling on us as our flight goes according to schedule. Without incident except for the mad crush as the gates open at Pearson. A portly woman, my age, unsuccessfully tries to elbow us out of her way. Foiled, she stops to grunt at me. I kid you not. She stood there grunting at me, like some surreal Miss Piggy.

Although not in flight yet, I'm high enough on our trip anyway to just stand there laughing at the absurdity of it all in my vacation reverie. I'm almost unable to control myself. Janet tugs on my sleeve. Gives the old gal the evil eye, just for good measure. C'mon, let's go!

No problem. This is no time for any bad airport vibes. Three and a quarter hours, we step off our plane, without incident, into the blast furnace of heat that is Mexico in mid June. Love it!

An hour or so later we are in our room at the "Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness Resort". We're are on an endless white sand beach, with a second floor balcony. A great view of the palm trees and the sea. We unpack before a swim.

The sea beckons! The buoyant Caribbean waters are choppy today. A beautiful breeze blows inland. I bob up and down on the small cascading waves washing over me, gazing up at the blue skies overhead, back in Nirvana.

You could say Janet and I are beach people. Mostly we just want to swim, sun, and relax for the next week. Do a little shopping in Play del Carmen.

I realize not all of my readers follow my travel blogs. This  one will continue with probably nothing profound being posted here. Read it or not. This is just fun stuff. I'll update my June News + Views as need be. Meanwhile, our family relaxes at our place in Toronto, and we hit the road again .....

Continued .....

Teachers Free Speech June News + Views!

hEY hO! kEEP ChECKing BAcK! LaTeR AdDITIoNs WiLL bE AddED In LaRgE TYpe SeT! mY Acronym Guide IS @ hErE! ...

TEACHER + UNION

Canadian Teacher Federation releases a Belief Statement and Call to Action for fighting the corporate austerity and educational reform agenda! See my June 1st blog below!

Ontario gets a new Education Minister -Mitzi Hunter, a relative newbie in a very sensitive portfolio. What is Premier Wynne thinking? More @ TVO

Improper Special Education Integration support is at the heart of a TDSB lawsuit. Without them Behavioural students are posing a grave danger to themselves, teachers and the other students. These parents and their kids have had enough BS @ Globe

Wynne OLP finally backtracks on autism funding cuts after much angst @ CBC

UNIFOR is organizing LGBTQ pride events across Canada this month. For a complete guide, including the parades, see @ UNIFOR You can also download a copy of their event poster @ PDF 

More Pride Month links follow throughout this month's blog below.

Alas! Pope Francis "gay friendly" comments during this year's Pride Celebrations don't often match the church's actions, according to critics. Come to think of it, where's the apology for our Canadian TRC Indigenous child victims? Or the Compensation? Official Catholic apologies are as rare as eyebrows on eggs. And if they do come, usually prove too little too late. Even witness our own OECTA's ongoing silence on it's involvement, as uncovered recently in the Ontario Supreme Court's findings, in the OLP Bill 115 labour right violations vis a vis the OECTA 2012 MOU. Regretfully, being Catholic isn't the same thing as saying you are Catholic it seems. So how much of this is being subsidized on the public dime in our province? Why? More on the mounting criticism @ Vox

TCDSB Catholic board "balances the bludget" with $16 M in cuts @ Star

Twitter coverage of the June 2 TCDSB budget meeting reports the trustees have approved a cut of $8.239 M in classroom expenses and 13 Sped teachers. Also cut are 56 EA's, 2 Planning and Evaluation teachers, and 6 VP's. The budget for contract support workers has been cut $200 thousand. The $5 daily parking fee did not pass, though an "After Hour Community" fee will be introduced at 22 school lots and at the board offices on Sheppard Ave, for an estimated saving of $1.1 M in revenue. A tip of the hat to AT for the live on the spot coverage of the board meet @ Twitter

Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District Board [SMCDSB] prompts teachers and staff about "Nurturing our Catholic identity" prior to the impending "balanced budget" in the Q+A it has sent out. Reminds me of my years with the TCDSB, where that invariably meant that we'd better be ready to bend over ....... for prayer. Thank you teachers for sharing the letter!

The arts and creativity are in decline within our schools as music specialist teachers are chopped! Read the People for Education report @ P4E

OECTA teachers report that only 80% of their local units have reached contract agreements, even though the process is set to start again next year! OECTA Niagara Elementary has voted unanimously for strike action over the snail's pace of bargaining talks and the board's total lack of respect towards their bargaining team! OECTA Thunder Bay has asked for and received a "no Board" report from the Ministry of Labour. They will be able to take strike action or face board sanctions by June 21st, just in time for summer holidays! A lack of respect for the teachers' loyalty and commitment is being cited by the union! 

Mexican Teachers: We won't back down @ Vice

There's no teacher deal with the Mexican government as "talks" remain terse, with no resolution in sight. The government remains adamant that it will force through it's Neo Lib "Reform" Agenda @ Telesur

9 killed, over 100 wounded as police open fire on protesting teachers in Oaxaca @ CommonDreams

Striking Mexican teacher union heads "forcibly disappear" during government crackdown @ Telesur

OSSTF has already demanded that 43 "missing Mexican student teachers be safely returned @ OSSTF

No Fooling Around: Mexico's 200,000 doctors set to join the teachers' National Strike @ Telesur

Machinations continue within the Mexican government, as the Interior and Education Ministers seem at odds over what to do next. Latest figures cite "at least 12 dead"  
@ Telesur

Why are Mexican teachers being beaten, killed and jailed? They are fighting against US style neo lib education reforms. Plus, they are unionized. And they are the backbone of the Mexican social justice movement! Connect the dots @ Nation

Urgent: The Violence Against the Teachers of Oaxaca Must End! The Civil Society of Oaxaca is calling for an end to the state force and repression being brutally used against the Mexican teacher unions, as they protest the corporate neo-lib "education reform" agenda @ NPE

More on the teacher killings above below "In The News"! 

Whoa! Mexico Teacher Protests Under Attack!

An ongoing Human Rights battle is costing the Hamilton District board a whopping $790,000 lost in costs and back pay. The board failed to accommodate an injured employee suffering PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] @ Spectator

Health + Safety?! Bedbugs close 14 Essex County Library branches @ Star

Upfront + Personal: a 16 year old Kashechewan First Nation teen's message about bullying goes viral @ CBC

Diversity? Young latino's often don't see themselves reflected in the literature available for young readers @ NYT

What if a teacher doesn't like a parent? The answer is much more complex than many folks might think @ NYT

A falsely charged substitute teacher speaks out against the students' lack of accountability when malicious abuse allegations are made @ CBC

Safety Cuts? Windsor Gr 8 gym student suffers a bizarre head wound from a sawed off golf club being used by work crews as stakes in a public park near her school, where construction is going on, prompting a Ministry of Labour safety investigation @ CBC. 

Language classes for over 25,000 Syrian refugee students have been scaled back due to a federal funding shortage @ Star

Life remains very difficult for Canada's Syrian refugee population. They desperately need whatever educational opportunities we can provide @ Vice

ETFO Kawartha Pine Ridge has called for board trustee Gordon Gilchrist's resignation. A third party board investigation has backed student complaints that he was making racist comments to them about an indigenous youth drumming circle performing prior to the grand opening of Cobourg Collegiate Institute. Gilchrist, a former PC MP for Scarborough East from 1979-84, is also the father of former Harris Cabinet Minister Steve Gilchrist who was defeated during the Great Tory Demise of 2003. Despite an earlier anti-immigrant tirade, the controversial school board trustee continues to be re-elected by his constituents. At least some of their kids seem better educated about mutual respect for the inclusive, multicultural society we live in today @ White Privilege

OSSTF D14 joins ETFO Pine Ridge in the increasing calls for School Board Trustee Gilchrist's resignation over his racist comments towards First Nation youth @ Kawartha

ONTARIO POLITICS

Premier Wynne shuffles her cabinet, or is she actually just shuffling the deck chairs on the Liberal Titanic? Who's who now @ Star

Black Lives Matter Toronto interrupt police pride celebrations to reject Chief Saunders apology for the 1981 Bathhouse Raid an "empty gesture" @ Star with continuing coverage @ Facebook

Victim of It's Own Success? Local LGBTQ activists urge Pride Toronto to get back to it's political roots instead of being so commercial @ Star

Toronto Marijuana Dispensary Bust: The Aftermath!

Toronto's Big Pot Dispensary Bust by the numbers, and other related facts and figures @ Globe

An early June walk thru some of our Toronto Pot Dispensaries shows them randomly open for business with limited stock of buds and joints, little if any edibles. CFBA [Cannabis Friendly Business Association] shop workers tell me that they are planning to fight the busts. Meanwhile the Big 28 licensees step up their game. Promises include setting up window front help and info centres, to an offer of same day postal delivery. Municipal regulations remain sadly lacking. The legalization of recreational marijuana is not scheduled until next spring. Flower seems cheap and plentiful on the streets, as the Toronto summer festive season approaches. For more links and info about our Ontario Brand of Reefer Madness, see my blog @ Here!

A Toronto medical marijuana patient is suing the city for $1M over the dispensary crackdown, which denies him the right to readily access his prescription drugs @ Vice

The long and short of the Toronto Dispensary raids is that it forces consumers back into a dangerous, underground, black market @ Star

Toronto Police keep closing them down. They keep re-opening! A Toronto marijuana dispensary owner discusses the crackdown from a local perspective @ AM640

Tweed is organizing a petition to lift the preposterous medical pot tax in Canada. Yup! Legal prescription medical marijuana in Canada is subject to a tax! For shame @ M

On a more positive note, the Wynne government releases a policy statement on it's proactive Walking Together: Ontario's Long Term Strategy to End Violence Against Indigenous Women strategy! Download @ PDF

Cheri: No room for a strident, pro-active socialist leader in today's NDP?!? 

What??? A bona fide leftie is running for leadership of the Federal NDP?!? Controversial Ontario Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo throws her hat in the ring @ Star

How to Fix the NDP? Watch the Cheri DiNovo interview @  Canadaland

Cheri DiNovo is adamant that the NDP has lost it's way, and is in a state of denial. Unfortunately, her socialist thrust isn't going over well with the party establishment, to put it mildly @ Star

Matter of Principle: DiNovo won't be running provincially again, whatever happens with her federal leadership run. Nor does she have the $1.5 million needed to officially run for the top office in the today's NDP party. [Hmmmm .... ] Cheri outlines the four strong democratic socialist principles she stands for. Says she'll step aside in the race to support another stronger candidate, if they have a better chance of successfully advocating for these @ Now

PC Leader Pat Brown successfully stirred up the Ontario Sex Ed Debate during his party leadership run, then walked away. Now, 1 in 6 Ontario parents still wants to pull their kids from class over the misrepresented and highly charged issue of sex ed curriculum. The floundering Wynne government is still feeling the heat @ Post

IN THE NEWS

[Justin]: About those teacher shootings ... [Enrique]: What teacher shootings?!?

Leadership is apparently top of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's agenda in his bilateral talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. That's prior to the arrival in Canada of US President Obama, the third "Amigo", who's also attending the three NAFTA leaders' trade summit @ CBC

Trudeau claims Canada and Mexico's friendship is not at stake as he discusses those darn, pesky teacher shootings with the Mexican President, who presents himself as a "law and order man". Sheesh! @ Huff

Mexican activists, concerned about government sponsored torture, rape and disappearances plea with Trudeau to push Nieto more on human rights @ CBC

Amnesty International has also joined in the international chorus urging Trudeau to push Nieto on human rights at the "3 Amigo's" Summit" @ Amnesty Intnl 

Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Amnesty is critical of Quebec Premier Phillippe Couillard's as he puckers up for Mexico, with the bizarre claim that the country is actually "moving in the right direction" on human rights!?! @ CBC

Concerned all that's not enough? Understandable. Then sign the petition below urging Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to take to task Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto! Money talk? What about the human right violations and escalating criminal government violence, attacks and the teacher disappearances in his country?!? More @ Idea

More on the teacher killings above under TEACHER + UNION! 

LGBTQ Milestones: PM Justin Trudeau helps raise the Pride Flag on Parliament Hill for the first time, and will be marching in the Toronto Pride Parade @ CBC

Fort McMurray is not Attawapiskat: Meanwhile, PM Justin Trudeau has visited the first with great fanfare to welcome everybody back now that the fires have been promptly put out, with no cost or effort spared. Okay, we have much to celebrate, but the Attawapiskat First Nation youth suicide epidemic continues unabated! [BLOG] [LINKS] Now Justin announces he'll finally be meeting with the Chief and some youth representatives when they come down to see him in Ottawa on June 13th! I'm not sure he is being well advised on the off messaging here at all, as our new, caring Prime Minister and self designated Youth Minister @ CBC

Alas! Federal Health Minister's long anticipated visit to Attawapiskat seems to yield no solid commitment to help with the youth suicide crisis beyond throwing more money at it. Maybe if the kids catch fire?!?  @ APTN

Trudeau finally meets with the Attawapiskat youth, in Ottawa, promising $63M over 3 years for indigenous mental health care. The NDP have been hammering at him to do that for weeks @ Star

Read NDP Critic Charles Angus' explanation of why we must provide more support for our indigenous youth @ Star

Burning Questions: Attawapiskat not Fort McMurray!?!

Elbow Gate Resolved: The all party investigation has decided so because Trudeau apologized three times and took it to the committee to decide what if any consequences are in order. Hmmm @ BuzzFeed

Here's an excellent, detailed blow by blow account of what actually transpired in the House of Commons during "Elbow Gate" @ Ribbon

...And Then the Trudeau Liberals agree to give the NDP the balance of power on electoral reform. An interesting analysis and breakdown of the issues and angles is @ Rabble.ca

Ottawa's Parliament Hill has long been awash in the "Culture of Indulgence". It even had it's own liquor store until a few years ago. This, from the same level of government that once voted to protect us by making pot illegal .... think about it .... Now, 2 Liberal MPP's suffering from alcoholism have finally drawn the spotlight on our politician's bad drinking habits while representing us in public office on the public dime @ CBC 

Trudeau has appointed Chretein Cabinet Minister Anne McLellan to head the federal government panel on the legalization of recreational marijuana. They will report back this fall with a target date for the legalization set for spring 2017. Despite the establishment "National Post's" glee, pot advocates remain concerned about the absence of any real "heads" on the committee. Indeed McLellan was a Reefer Madness fear monger flouting pure bad science on the subject as recently as 2005! Now she joins the other big biz types and Bill Blair, Toronto's ex-cop chief, on the marijuana committee @ Post

Syrian Refugee Crisis Explained!

Trudeau government is introducing the millennial generation to Canadian Foreign Policy by including them behind the scenes in the process. Good move. Do most Canucks even know what a "Canadian foreign policy" means?!? More @ OC

With Trudeaumania still in full swing, and a progressive opposition sadly missing in action for the most point, the Trudeau government is getting a free ride on changes to Bill C-51, Harper's draconian "Anti-Terror" act, that ran roughshod over our constitutional rights. Alas, the media seems to have decided it's not important @ Richochet

On the other hand, Trudeau wins international accolades for his well reasoned explanation that Canada is legalizing marijuana to reduce harm and the criminal element of smoking pot @ Washington Post

Oh Canada Twitter Watch: Parliament has voted to change our Canadian National Anthem to make it gender inclusive. The lone Conservative MPP's voting for the bill were Peter Kent, Michael Chong, Len Webber, Deepak Obhrai and Michelle Rempel.

Liberal majority refers a decision to label ISIS atrocities as "genocide" to the UN. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May supports Trudeau. The NDP and a few rogue Lib MP's voted for the Conservative motion to do so immediately @ CBC

New Manitoba Conservative government introduces a very regressive Anti-Union Bill in a big step backwards for provincial labour relations @ Huff

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro fingers the US and Israel for creating ISIS as a front group to cover up their activities in Iraq and Syria @ IBT

Now It Can Be Told: Turns out our Toronto knife wielding "terrorist" Ayanie Hassan Ali is actually mentally unfit to stand trial. He has a "major psychotic mental illness" @ Globe

Orlando Gay Nightclub Attack: Terrorism? Hate Crime?

Gun Violence: 50 are killed and over 53 wounded in a mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub. The mainstream media is reporting the shooting by a suspected Afghan-American gunman as possibly either a hate crime or even a "terrorist" attack in early reports @ CNN and @ NBC

US President Obama refers to the Orlando night club shooting as an "act of terror" in his address @ CNN

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau refers to it as a "domestic terror act" @ CBC

As the smoke clears, the wild terrorist claims grow increasingly dubious as surprise ... we learn the gunman had a troubled personal past that could well be the real story here @ McC

Islamic Terrorists give Orlando shooter's dubious ISIS links two thumbs up @ CBC

Black Lives Matter minces no words in squarely blaming the attack on right wing conservatives and religious fanatics, not to forget capitalism, racism, militarism, colonialism, patriarchy and "vigilant violence" @ Telesur

Sins of Omission? Here are but 5 "other" important stories that slipped under the news radar while we were all focused on the Orlando shooting @ FTP

Tokyo Assembly Women: Regularly groped + expected to pour the drinks ...!?!

Respect for female politicians in Japan remains allusive as voters continue to grope the women candidates for office. 59% of the "prefectural assembly women", who only make up 10% of the elected reps, report being sexually harassed. They are also expected to pour drinks @ Quartz

The Roots of Tyranny today: Total information awareness? Think piece @ Activist

US National Catholic Reporter articles encourages the faithful to work together to change the church's mindset on homosexuality, with a focus on human rights @ NCR

Frustrated, vigilante Canuck "creep catchers" are bait and trapping alleged child molesters in Canada @ Vice

Canada's used, refurbished "submarine fleet" is still months from being operational so it can guard our world's longest coastline. The Russians and god knows who else continue to lurk around beneath the polar ice and off both coasts of our continent. We believe Canadian sovereignty extends to the north pole, but not everybody else agrees, far from it @ CBC and @ CBC

PSYOPS: 25 rules about how to spread disinformation and propaganda, as used by the Neo Lib pros. Hmmm. This succinct guide could be used for a great Social Science or Media lesson at the secondary level, plus it's a great adult read too @ ActivistPost

Feel the Bern: Win or loose, Sanders reflects the mood of a new progressive left emerging in the US. But is the Democrat establishment listening? @ Telesur

Shapes of Things To Come? The militarization of the US has extended way beyond the police and armed forces, with 67 other federal agencies now also stockpiling guns, ammo and other military equipment @ Telesur

Yanks await government to decide if marijuana is medicine or not, so as to clear the way for legalization. The mounting evidence seems pretty hard to ignore @ Vice

Investment Tips -The Marijuana Biz: where the smart money is going @ Forbes

Cold War 2.0: US beefs up it's armed presence in the former Soviet Block as international tensions continue to mount! There is much sabre rattling again with the Rooskies who though a nuclear superpower, have an economy only about 1/6th the size of the states. Here we go again?! Lotsa links @ Vice

US + Brit troops on new Cold War Front in Poland!

Russophobia: Is Russia about to reclaim it's crown as Arch Enemy Number One, or the Evil Empire, as the floundering US lashes out in a final, futile attempt to stop it's decline and fall from grace as the World's Leading Superpower? All the Cold War style posturing lately seems to suggest so. And let's face it they make a better, more familiar enemy, as lowly B-Grade white guy American wannabies, than all these other Muslim and developing world types, who seemingly just want to destroy and be done with them! More @ DDP

Here We Go Again? Canada is under pressure to make a European troop commitment under the alleged intelligence threat that Russia is "mobilizing for war" @ CBC

Offence/Defence: Are US and NATO war games in Europe a "necessary precaution"? Or are they "warmongering" and "saber rattling"? The timing is interesting @ Activist Post

Loves Us .... Loves Us Not?! Trump's monikor for we Canadians is "Snow Mexicans". He's still vowing to build a Canada wall too @ LD

Harumph! I prefer "Canuck" myself ...

Dump Trump?!? Seemingly despite every effort to "Dump Trump", he remains the last Republican Leadership Candidate still standing. There's lots of speculation now on an "entente" between the Donald and the Republican Elite @ Huff

Cycle of Violence: On the spiral of violence at the Trump rallies @ Politico

Right wing media are labeling the anti-Trump protests as criminal acts by "thugs" who don't respect "free speech", in order to depoliticize them. They ignore the power dynamic at work. It's inherent in Trump's racist messaging @ Fair

"Canadians For Donald Trump" wannabies are hanging out their shingle for the Donald with ludicrous claims that he will also make Canada great again. They especially like his position on oil and immigration @ Vice

Cubans are engaged in a country-wide debate on building "prosperous, sustainable socialism" in the new Cuba @ Telesur

Cuba remains committed to the universal right of all it's children and citizens to education and health care. It's robust education system extends from day care through university with special education services provided. The socialist state enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in the America's. Latest update @ Granma

US meddling and interference in Latin America and the Caribbean raises shackles at the 7th Caribbean State Conference in Havana @ Granma

Double Standards: The US State Department remains frighteningly selective in how it views, comments and acts towards political developments in left wing Venezuela while giving the political crisis in Brazil a complete pass. Also compare Obama's emphasis on human rights during his visit to Cuba with his recent trip to Vietnam. Seems freedom and democracy are only important when the US agrees with the political bent and sees the situation working in their own favour! Video @ Intercept

Raul Castro's dismissal of the OAS [Organization of American States] as an "imperialist instrument" is widely shared by the Latin American Left @ Telesur

Reflections on the Cuban Revolution: Why I am a Communist [and proud of it] @ GlobalResearch

Coral reefs are facing extinction around the world. Those that are doing best are often directly managed by the local fishing community living there @ CBC

KULTURE KULT INK

New "Prophets of Rage" rap/ rock super group forms from members of Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill to engage in a little agitprop to "ignite people and make them think and get involved" now that the US Fall Election is on the horizon @ ABC 

A sneak preview of the warm up shows, as Prophets of Rage prepare to cause a ruckus at the Republican National Convention @ PR More video @ Youtube. 

Rappin' + Rockin' Against Trump: Listen to a complete recording of the Whiskey-A-Go-Go show @ Hear! And view a complete video of the Hollywood Palladium show @ See!

Prophets of Rage play the Toronto Molson Amphitheatre too, on August 24th @ Now

Canuck Classic Roots Rocker Neil Young continues to spar with US Presidential contender Donald Trump. The Donald continues to play Neil's "Rockin' in the Free World" at his rallies despite his plea not too. As Neil reminds him, "I do not endorse hate" @ Huff

Alt Prog Rock: Les Claypool and Sean Ono Lennon come together as the "Claypool Lennon Delirium" on their new 70's prog/ psychedelic rocker album, "Monolith of Phobos" @ PopMatters

Claypool Lennon Delirium

Some taster videos from the new Claypool Lennon Delerium album @ Crickets and @ Bubbles Burst

Claypool Lennon take their Delirium show on the road. Psych set list includes a Primus tune [Southbound Pachyderm], and Pink Floyd [Astronomy Domine] and Beatle John [Tomorrow Never Knows] covers @ BV

Times Change: Hollywood's attitude towards homosexuality during it's first less than enlightened 70 years was "Don't ask. Don't Tell. Don't Get Caught!". Oh, and act very macho! Otherwise, careers could be destroyed @ PopMatters

1950's: "No Coloured Allowed"

Happy Days: The 1950's certainly weren't good times if you were young and black. It didn't come with the same privileges as white folks would've enjoyed @ Affinity

There's a fight on to save Canada's Indigenous languages from dying and becoming extinct @ Vice

New documentary looks at the challenges of being LGBTQ within the Inuit community @ CBC

Was Jesus married? Christian fundamentalists can sleep better knowing that "lost" scripture fragments in which he ... OMG! ... refers to his "wife", Mrs. Christ [ ... I suppose ...], are now believed to be fakes @ Guardian

Bob Marley was much more than the "Stoner God" he is remembered as today. He had a true revolutionary "rebel spirit", as epitomized by his strong, guiding Rastafari and social justice principles @ Jah Bob!

On the anniversary of Che's birth, we recall that he is fondly remembered throughout the Americas, if not up here, as a revolutionary hero! Beyond the t-shirt @ Telesur

Revenant actor Duane Howard speaks out on the hopelessness which he says is fueling the Attawapiskat First Nation Youth suicide crisis in Northern Ontario @ CBC

Reality TV fans reel in shock as "Voice" Star Christina Grimmie is shot and killed by a "deranged" white gun man after a Florida show. Not quite John Lennon outside the Dakota, but it seems the Culture of Narcissism is still alive and well @ People

Canuck Author Margaret Atwood speaks out about the 1981 Toronto bath house raids and how our own local, dismal and bleary LGBTQ history helped create Pride today @ Star

Toronto 1981: The way we were ...

Toronto is celebrating Pride all month, for the first time this June @ CBC

Just because there is a LGBTQ couple in the new animated flick "Finding Dory", doesn't mean there is a "Gay Agenda" to takeover the world. Duh. The author suggests that If you think so, then maybe you really are homphobic @ Affinity

New dance video celebrates Toronto award as the "most multicultural city in the world". Dance through Toronto @ Huff

Are you ready for "Trudeau Fan Fiction"? Yup, Justin is about to become a "Marvel Comic superhero cover"! Evil Do'ers -You've been warned! @ CBC

Oh nooooo! Say it isn't so ......

Toronto bids farewell to Reg Hartt's indie/ underground Cineforum again @ Torontoist

Snoop Dogg is in a legal fight with the Toronto Maple Leaf franchise over the copyright on the Maple leaf logo for his new "Leafs by Snoop" marijuana product line @ TSN

Now that marijuana is all but legal in Canada and many other jurisdictions around the world, bush weed won't any longer do, as we see the rise of the ...Ta Daaaaa! ... new Cannabis Connoisseur @ VolteFace

Alright class! Let's get out out books! A review of a new "advocacy" guide on "How to Smoke Pot Properly: a High Brow Guide to Getting High" is @ Pop Matters

Gardening Tips: How To Grow Just One Marijuana Plant At Home! Amaze your family and friends @ IGM

BTW, Confident Cannabis is boasting the largest real time data base of Cannabis, all strains, in the world @ TC

Yer History Lesson: Marijuana and Music Part 1 [1910-45] is @ M

Marijuana: Indica verses Sativa? The first pot plant basically gives you a "body stone", the second a "mind stone". Plus there's many excellent, natural medical applications for each @ High Times

Indica vs Sativa?!? Ask the birdie! He knows! 

Yes, the term "Chink Eyes" even when used in humour on the social media, is very hurtful, racist and offensive @ BuzzFeed

A war photographer focuses on the absurdity of modern warfare @ Vice

Princes autopsy reveals he died from an overdose of the prescription "opioid" drug fentanyl. Geez, didn't Michael Jackson die from a prescription drug overdose?!? Some say Elvis too ..... Chemies? Bleech! I'll stick with medical marijuana for my work wounds. Don't want to end up like Prince! Harumph! No way @ Huff

2016- What A Year! Now it's sport stars who are dropping off the screen in multiples as Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe dies @ CBC

Beatles Verses Ali: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

RIP: Muhammad Ali: a look back at the life of the often controversial baby boomer boxing champ and legend @ BBC

This amazing clip shows why he was considered "The Greatest" @ Huff

Ali Dance ...

In Praise: Barack Obama on Muhammad Ali @ Rolling Stone 

Yes, Muhammad was an American Muslim, and proud of it. More on Ali as an "anti-establishment icon" @ Alternet

Food 4 Thought 2 Day: Ali on US Foreign Policy during the Vietnam War ...

ETC

My theme song for just about everything these daze is Spill the Wine. Dig this mystery psych version with the kool video @ Youtube

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