CHAINS OF OPPRESSION
Manitoba judge Robert Dewar has made his decision that the proposed shotgun marriages of municipal amalgamations, officiated by “Pastor Stan Struthers,” will proceed.
He could find no breach of fairness in how the government rolled out the new amalgamation law that the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) had challenged.
The term “rolled” is fitting, for that is exactly what has taken place.
The province paid no attention to the outcries of municipalities who did not wish to consecrate in this blissful arrangement, and for some they had no or very little say (over) who would be their future lifetime partner(s).
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Government simply rolled over the anguished concerns that were presented. Is there a future for this kind of “coupling”, and will there be a honeymoon of sorts, or a divorce situation in the future, or even a change in government, perhaps? We’ll wait and see.
1863: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation: liberated, independent, unconstrained, uninhibited, free.
This is something the AMM might wish to consider as Manitoba’s provincial election draws closer each day to Oct. 15 or April 16, knowing and realizing that “Democracy cannot thrive under the heavy chains of oppression.”
John Fefchak,
Virden, Man.
RIGHTFULLY OURS
I have absolutely nothing against the Farmers of North America but the concept of prairie farmers buying the CWB from the federal government is totally obscene.
The assets of the Canadian Wheat Board, which consist mainly of brand, goodwill and expertise, should belong to those people who built it — prairie grain producers. I have urged (agriculture) minister (Gerry) Ritz to turn over the CWB to western Canadian farmers to form a producer-owned and controlled prairie-wide grain handling co-operative but he just doesn’t see the light.
Every farmer in the West, even the freedom fighters who fought so hard to eliminate single desk selling, should be totally in favour of this.
FNA has it right when they say farmers should own this grain marketing company but it should be all prairie farmers and we should pay nothing for it.
It isn’t too late, minister Ritz, to do the right thing; give the CWB back to its rightful owners!
Bill Dobson,
Paradise Valley, Alta.
RESEARCH THIS
More than two weeks has passed and still Andrew Hammermeister cannot provide a single concrete example of where his group’s research has resulted in a material benefit for Canadian organic farmers.
One of the commenters on Sean Pratt’s article puts it best when he says this $8.5 million handout from taxpayers will all go to “funding a handful of latte addicted Ph.D. bureaucrats with no known objectives.”
It’s very strange that Hammermeister can’t come up with a single example. Perhaps he doesn’t believe he has to. Meanwhile, over 80 percent of the CFIA certified-organic food sold in Canada is imported, and half of it tests positive for prohibited pesticides. Why not devote some research to problems like that?
Mischa Popoff,
PREPARE FOR ELECTION
According to his letter in the Sept. 4 edition of the WP, Mr. (agriculture minister Gerry) Ritz is still flogging the dead horse of “the mandate.” With farmers only about three percent of the population, this “mandate” to kill the CWB came from less than three percent of voters.
I sure hope the plumbers, electricians and apartment dwellers realized the main platform of the party they voted for was to kill the CWB. It’s also interesting that minister Ritz seems to have no problem with non-farmers telling farmers how to market their grain.
If Mr. Ritz is so sure that “the majority of farmers have embraced the opportunities,” why didn’t he let them vote? In addition Mr. Ritz does not seem to be aware that grain prices have dropped substantially in the last while, which means that one year does not make a trend.
John Deere has recognized this fact and has laid off 1,500 workers in anticipation of lower profits in grain production and lower demand for their products.
The most disturbing aspect of Mr. Ritz’ letter is the tone. In a democracy the government works for the people, not the other way around. Mr. Ritz’s letter leaves the impression that anyone not agreeing with his viewpoint is simply not “forward thinking.”
I wonder if minister Ritz has ever considered that he could be wrong? The arrogance of his letter answers that question. I would suggest the voters of the Battlefords-Lloydminster read Mr. Ritz’ response to Mr. Korneychuk and ask themselves two questions. 1) Is this the person we sent to Ottawa? 2) Shouldn’t we be sending someone with a more statesmanlike attitude?
In my opinion, Mr. Ritz owes Mr. Korneychuk an apology. This letter seemed like it came from some kind of dictatorial government agency and most certainly not from a statesman, a servant of the people or a minister of the crown.
It is not too early to consider who deserves our vote in the next election in a little more than a year. This would be a good time to prepare for that event.
Horst Schreiber,
Ohaton, Alta.
