FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Oct 15

Entering Critical Stage In The Battles Against COVID-19

by bcurry

In North America, we have entered a critical stage in the battles against COVID-19 which some are referring to as the “second wave”.  We have only to see what is happening as part of the second wave in Europe.  With an average of more than 100,000 new infections per day over the past week, Europe now accounts for about one-third of new cases reported worldwide.  Countries such as Britain, France, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and even Russia have had to reintroduce restrictions on travel among regions and various forms of lockdowns and curfews.  European leaders are now confronting an evident surge in coronavirus cases that is rapidly filling hospital beds.

In U.S. federal elections, the surging rise in coronavirus cases across the country, especially in the Midwest, has taken front and center stage in the campaigns.  The public health crisis could reach new levels of urgency by Inauguration Day.  Recent projections show that, if current trends hold, as many as 400,000 Americans may have died from Covid-19 by then.  Unfortunately, President Trump and his allies continue to downplay the virus, arguing that the country is “turning the corner”.  Trump and Vice-Presdent Pence are holding campaign events with thousands of supporters in attendance, even as cases are increasing rapidly.  In Canada, coronavirus cases have risen in the last month to surpass levels above those seen at the height of COVID-19 last spring.  Provincial governments across the country are reintroducing numerous restrictions on travel between regions and varying degrees of lockdowns.  The Prime Minister has declared that the border with the U.S. will remain closed to non-essential travelers as long as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase in Canada and the U.S.

With governments’ restrictions on businesses and gatherings in the U.S., Canada and in Europe, there are complaints by some as to their impact on the economy and employment.  However, unless people once again take the situation seriously and are no longer complacent after the past summer of fewer restrictions, countries will find it harder to effectively confront the surge in coronavirus cases that is rapidly filling hospital beds and subsequently driving up death tolls.  Health care systems and workers are being stretched to their limits now, although the seasonal flu season has not yet begun in earnest.  More schools will be required to close and more people will be forced to withdraw from their work to provide child care and home schooling. 

Various precautions have to be taken such as: limiting our social activities to our immediate households, wearing masks in public, physically distancing wherever possible, washing our hands frequently, getting the seasonal flu vaccine, traveling only for essential purposes and avoiding contact outside the household with persons having underlying health conditions except when providing an essential service.  Folks: to undertake this sacrifice is not asking too much under the circumstances and will benefit the community at large.  Unless each of us takes such measures, the second wave of this pandemic will only get worse.  As our leaders and public health officials often reiterate, we are all in this together, whether you like it or not!

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Sep 18

In Canada, the Rich Just Got Richer During the Pandemic – But at What Cost?

by bcurry

Canada’s 20 richest have collectively added $37 billion to their fortunes since March 2020, according to a recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.  Meanwhile the unemployment rate in Canada hit an all time high of 13.7 percent in May, with 1.1 million people still out of work.  More than ever, many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet and food banks are doing a booming business across the country.  The report notes that billionaires like Loblaws owner Galen Weston have seen their wealth balloon, while front-line workers stocking shelves and scanning groceries at his stores have continued to risk their health and that of their loved ones by coming into work.

The irony is that three of the largest Canadian grocery chains, Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Sobeys’ parent Empire Co. Ltd. and Metro Inc., each ended their $2-an-hour wage increases on the same day in mid-June.  This shocking action took place despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic was and is still with us.  Some have called for an investigation by the federal Competition Bureau into what is perceived as “wage fixing” by these corporations.  Unfortunately, unlike in the U.S. where wage fixing and other labour-related schemes are considered per se illegal and don’t require any proof of a negative impact, there is no such legislation governing wage fixing in Canada.  In July, the top executives from Loblaw, Empire and Metro were called to explain their wage cuts in front of a parliamentary committee, but to no avail.  Some parliamentarians are calling for a change to the Competition Act to allow the Bureau to investigate such “wage fixing” schemes.  Hopefully, the current federal government will consider a legislative change.

Governments have often proclaimed that we are all in the fight against COVID-19 together.  However, it would appear that some are in the fight more than others, while some are benefiting obvious expense of restaurants and the service industry.  Anyone who shops for groceries knows that food prices have not declined, if anything they have increased greatly — especially for fresh more from the economic impact of the virus.  Among those benefiting are the big grocers with more consumers isolating at home and depending on obtaining essentials from their outlets, at the produce.  This has made it extremely difficult for families who are relying on temporary government assistance, some of which may disappear very shortly.  Among those families are members who work in grocery stores, only to have their risk compensation shamefully terminated by billionaires.  In light of the ultimate advent of a second wave of COVID-19, one can only hope that these big grocers will reinstate the earlier top-up wage increases.  Seems to be the only right thing to do under the circumstances!  Don’t hold your breath.

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Sep 4

A September That No One Will Ever Forget!

by bcurry

Well, here we are.  We’ve almost survived the summer of COVID-19 and are anxiously awaiting to see that the fall has to offer.  Kids are going back to schools for the most part across the continent.  Parents are as anxious as ever for their safety.  Already, there are signs that troubled waters lie ahead, especially on college campuses.  While the coronavirus outbreaks are relatively under control in Canada, the same cannot be said for the U.S.  Community cases continue to emerge in the mid-west and in California.  Over six million COVID-19 cases have to date been confirmed in the U.S., making it statistically the leading country in the pandemic, ahead of such countries as Brazil and India.

In the meantime, the U.S. is preparing itself for a presidential election which everyday is becoming nastier and nastier.  Donald Trump will keep on tweeting right up to election day and will continue to use scare tactics and conspiracy theories to justify his position.  There is no doubt that this will be the weirdest American election of all time — virtual or not.  As a long-time student of American political history, this should be one for the books — and there are plenty of those already starting to emerge.

As far as the North American economies go, tougher times are expected.  As of mid-August, more than 29 million Americans were receiving some sort of unemployment insurance.  In Canada, although there was a labour market improvement in August, that may not be as robust as headlines suggest.  The fact is that most of the job gains have been due to the return of workers, especially part-timers, who became unemployed during the early stages of the pandemic.  The damage to both economies has been wide and deep.  Economic growth is in negative territory and is not expected to improve substantively for some time, perhaps years.  The two big risks for the recovery remain the uncertainty around back-to-school plans and the onset of colder weather which will also bring in the normal influenza season and potential second waves of COVID-19.

There appear to be two economies in both countries, that of wall street and that of main street.  The average American and Canadian is struggling to pay their bills, make mortgage payments and put food on the table.  The rich on the other hand are just getting wealthier, exacerbating the already established inequalities in society.  A huge question remains as to how long government assistance can continue?   The U.S. debt is set to exceed the size of the economy next year, a first Since World War II.  The federal debt held by the public projected to reach or exceed 100% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).  In Canada, the combined debt level of all governments is poised to surge to an unprecedented $1.9 trillion or 85% of GDP.

The fact of the matter is that the only way that both economies can improve is by first getting COVID-19 outbreaks under control and, as experts note, by flattening the curve related to community spread.  In the meantime, school re-openings will no doubt test the resolve for both parents and politicians alike.

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Aug 2

Ethics Scandal Hits Prime Minister of Canada Once Again — So What!

by bcurry

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the headlines once again for a situation involving a potential conflict of interest. This time it has to do with a proposed contract to a supposedly non-profit organization called the WE Charity Foundation, run by two brothers: Craig and Marc Kielburger. The federal government initially awarded a sole-sourced contract for $19.5 million to WE Charity to administer a $912-million student grant program— meaning no requests for bids.  Post-secondary students could volunteer up to 500 hours to receive a grant up to $5,000 under the proposed new Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG). The problem is that the PM’s family has close ties to WE Charity with his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau hosting a podcast called WE Well-being.  Both Justin Trudeau and his wife have spoken at WE Days, as have the PM’s mother, Margaret Trudeau, and his brother, Alexandre Trudeau.  It was uncovered that Margaret Trudeau had been paid $250,000 for 28 appearances and Alexandre Trudeau had been paid $32,000 for eight appearances.  When the matter of awarding the contract for the CSSG came before Cabinet, neither Trudeau nor his Finance Minister Bill Morneau, whose family also had ties to the WE Charity, recused themselves from discussions about the contract.  A big mistake for which the PM has now often apologized even before Parliament, the House’s Finance Committee and Canadians in general.  Moreover, the CSSG contract to the WE Charity was withdrawn by the government as a result.

What makes matters worse is the fact that this is the third time that the PM’s actions have been investigated by the Ethics Commissioner. In the previous two cases, Trudeau was found to have broken federal ethics rules.  Neither decision was sufficient to force the PM to resign and install an acting PM.  Given that the opposition parties really don’t want to bring down the government at this time, in light of the pandemic and everything else, it is highly unlikely that Trudeau will resign and call an election.  This despite the fact that he has a minority government and requires opposition support to govern.  However, such scandals can eventually influence the electorate as people may not be ready to forgive the PM for his latest transgression.

Of course, the media loves such scandals and continue to uncover certain dirt with respect to the WE Charity itself, accusing Craig and Marc Kielburger of financially benefiting from the foundation, especially in its real estate holdings. As a result, the foundation is itself under close scrutiny for significant real estate holdings that received charitable status last year, the firing of half its workforce and the resignation of several Board of Directors members; including the former Chair, Michelle Douglas.  Indeed, it appears that new information about WE financial irregularities preceding the scandal had come to light of which the Prime Minister’s Office should have been aware.

What does all this mean? The PM’s popularity rating had risen due to the federal government’s fairly good handling and coordination of national policies and programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  However, recent polls show a slight decline in his popularity, but not enough to force Trudeau to resign or to dissolve Parliament.  No one, including the official opposition Conservatives, wants an election at this time or in the near future.  While any so-called scandal currently makes for good press and suggests incompetence, over time it usually dies out unless more serious revelations about political improprieties come to light.   There may be a shake-up in Cabinet such as moving the Finance Minister to another portfolio, but that’s about all.  In the meantime, the government must keep on governing in response to the pandemic, which in my view and that of most Canadians should be its priority.  The nation and the economy need a steady hand at the helm, even if it may be shaking right now.

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Jul 19

To Go to School or Not to Go?

by bcurry

As we approach the beginning of another school year, there are still a lot of questions about the health and safety of staff and students during the pandemic. At this time the pros and cons are pretty evenly divided.  There are those who want to delay the return and continue home schooling.  There are those, possibly a majority of parents, who want their children to attend school five days a week.  Then there are those who support a modified school week, perhaps with students going two days a week, and doing on-line learning during the other two days.  Schools would do deep cleaning during the fifth day.  Transportation to and from the schools will have to be reviewed and restrictions implemented to protect school-bus drivers and commuting students alike.

Then one has the psychologists who believe that children should return to full school weeks with the applicable safety measures in place in the classroom and on the school grounds. This would include physical distancing (e.g. desks 6 feet apart) and teachers wearing personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, gloves, hand sanitizers).  The psychologists argue that being in school will improve a child’s mental health and socialization.  Educators also now believe that on-learning learning is no substitute for classroom instruction, as demonstrated by their experience during the last few months.

Next, we have the working parents who want to return to work and have no child-care alternatives available, particularly in light of the cost and lack of appropriate child-care nationally. If any further reopening of the economy is to effectively proceed, working parents need to have their children in school for five days at least.  In addition, children with special needs have greatly been affected by the lost of in-school services and learning assistance.  Most parents cannot afford to provide private assistance to children with learning disabilities.

Finally, there are the concerns of associations representing teachers and staff in the schools. All are concerned that sufficient health and safety measure will be in place, including much needed PPE and physical distancing measures. In order to implement such measures effectively, some teachers’ unions are proposing that additional teachers and staff be hired.  Those teachers with underlying health issues may even refuse to return to school, despite applicable preventative measures being implemented.  This reluctance is especially understandable if the coronavirus infection rates do not level off as was hoped by public health officials.

There is little time left for school authorities to decide one way or another about reopening the schools. Pressures are emerging from everywhere and the issues are complicated, especially in anticipation of a potential second wave of COVID-19 in the fall.  Local, county, state and provincial school authorities will soon have to disclose their final decisions in order to allow parents and students to prepare for the reopening.  Simply stating that schools should be reopened is not enough!

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Jul 15

What’s the Priority – Reopening Bars or Preventing the Spread of COVID-19?

by bcurry

The city of Montreal was and continues to be a hotspot when it comes to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada. Nevertheless, Quebec provincial officials decided to go ahead and allow the reopening of bars in the Montreal area. Well, needless-to-say, the result was reports of possible serious outbreaks at a handful of bars in the Montreal area. So serious that public health officials called on thousands of young adults to get checked out if they’ve been to a Montreal area bar in the past month. Of course, with the increase in testing, officials found more cases of coronavirus among bar employees and patrons — this despite inadequate testing capacity in Montreal. What does the province do? It doesn’t shut them down. Instead, the province announced new regulations for bars, including earlier closing times and decreased capacity. In addition, bars are included in Quebec’s mandatory mask regulations which go into effect only on July 18th.

So let’s look at the U.S. where the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing particularly in the southern states where bars remained open for sometime, most notably in Florida and Texas. In addition, both states are especially seeing cases skyrocketing among young people.  Some healthcare professionals have called crowded indoor bar scenes across the country the perfect breeding grounds for the virus. After all, despite putting in place some preventative measures, it is still quite difficult to have people maintain physical distancing when a good deal of alcohol is being consumed. As a result and in light of an obvious emergency, state authorities had no choice but to close indoor bars and nightclubs for a second time across Florida and Texas.

This brings us back to the initial question as to whether reopening bars and nightclubs is a priority versus taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19? It would appear that the answer is a no-brainer.  Not only can the patrons and employees become more readily infected, many of those who are young can suffer serious health consequences.  Just ask the Italian health experts who now have warned that the virus is a systemic infection that affects all the organs of the body — not, as was previously thought, just a respiratory disease. Increasingly, younger people are being hospitalized in Canada and the U.S. as a result of the virus. Italian studies have identified psychosis, insomnia, kidney disease, spinal infections, strokes, chronic tiredness and mobility issues in former coronavirus patients, even some who were asymptomatic. The doctors further warn that some victims may never recover from the illness and that all age groups are vulnerable. The warnings come amid growing concerns in northern Italy that a second wave of the virus could be imminent.

Can bars and nightclubs be considered as essential services when compared to grocery stores and pharmacies? In order to make the reopening of businesses as safe as possible, the authorities are going to have to make some tough but necessary decisions as to which businesses should remain open or reopen taking into consideration the rate of confirmed cases and hospitalizations. Priorities have to be set based on the health and safety concerns for the general population, which in itself has important economic consequences. In my opinion, keeping bars and nightclubs in business should be the least of our concerns and should be reflected in current and future state or provincial policies.

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Jul 10

As COVID-19 Cases Rise — Let’s Just Not Release the Statistics!

by bcurry

With currently over 3 million confirmed cases and over 135,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., the highest among Western industrialized countries, one cannot deny that the incidence of coronavirus outbreaks is at alarming levels. There are records being broken every day, the most recent indicating that the U.S. had over 60,000 new confirmed cases in one day. A major increase of cases has hit Florida, including in Volusia County, a stretch of central Florida coastline that includes Daytona Beach and other popular destinations. Overnight on July 9th, Florida reported a record-breaking 120 new coronavirus deaths.  Mike Chitwood, the sheriff of Volusia County, has been gathering COVID-19 statistical updates for the county provided by the state’s Department of Health. As the chief law enforcement official in Volusia County, he believed it was his responsibility to provide more transparency, while guarding the privacy of individual cases. Such information was deemed especially helpful to first responders, including police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel dealing with the outbreak.

Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. This ambitious 41-year-old, who apparently some believe will run for president in 2024, is a pal and ally of President Trump. However, DeSantis has consistently received among the lowest approval ratings of any state governor in the nation for his coronavirus response. The narrative of DeSantis has been that Florida was defeating the disease — a narrative that is now in tatters. It appears that earlier in the week state health officials informed Sheriff Chitwood’s office that they would no longer provide him or any other county-level officials with COVID-19 data updates for Volusia County.

It was obvious to Sheriff Chitwood that the “statewide directive” against any further sharing of such data was an attempt to hide the numbers from the public. Even with the data, he believed that the numbers provided weren’t always completely accurate. However, two days after the Sheriff announced that the state had abruptly cut him off from data about local cases of coronavirus infections, state health authorities reversed their course by agreeing to continue providing the information. The reversal was no doubt the result of public disclosure in the wake of social media outrage and irate attention from media outlets.

Such withholding of coronavirus-related data is reprehensible and inexcusable! The authorities have an obligation to inform the public of health risks in their community so that they can take the appropriate precautions.  Transparency on the part of health authorities is essential to dealing with the pandemic, and should never be influenced by political considerations as was described in the above case.  In Canada, COVID-19 statistics are daily released by the Public Health Agency of Canada and is reported daily on media outlets.  Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer of Canada is in close contact with provincial and territorial Chief Medical Officers of Health to ensure that any cases of COVID-19 occurring in Canada continue to be rapidly identified and managed in order to protect the health of Canadians. Any attempt at political interference by local, provincial or federal authorities would be met with strong condemnation.  Whether good or bad, citizens and local officials have the right to know what is happening as a result of this pandemic.

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Jul 2

Lack of Affordable Daycare as a Major Obstacle for Return to Work

by bcurry

It’s no real surprise that analysts view that the lack of affordable, reliable and quality daycare will be a serious issue when more people return to work during the next few months. This is a societal issue already and will be even more of a concern during the pandemic.  Now, one has to add in the additional safeguards that daycare centres and providers will have to have in place to prevent any outbreak of coronavirus cases among staff and children.  With the gradual reopening of small businesses, many owners and their employees have already highlighted that those with young children believe that the return to normal will take longer because of a shortage of affordable childcare.

In addition, the need for daily childcare is further complicated by the fact that early indications are that schools may have to rotate the school days to accommodate physical distancing requirements. There will be fewer school days available, with on-line learning at home making up the difference.  This means that families will have to provide for childcare when their children are not in school during the week.  It’s not everyone that can rely on immediate family for assistance during this period.  For many low income parents, working only a couple of days a week and caring for children on the other days may not be feasible.  Near or below the poverty line, they need full-time work in order to provide for the necessities in an era of increasing housing and food costs.

There are huge implications for women in particular, especially low income single mothers, who risk being edged out of the workplace. There hasn’t been enough recognition for the struggle that women and single parents are facing right now with the reopening of businesses.  Governments at all levels need to recognize their struggle and provide support to families.  This situation appears to be an ideal time for society to reevaluate the availability of affordable childcare and the need for a real national childcare strategy.  After all, what could be more important than provisions to ensure the safety, health and socialization of our children.

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Jun 19

Worldwide Crises Appear To Want To Come In Bundles of Threes

by bcurry

There’s nothing like stating the obvious. 2020 has been a crazy year so far.  Humans are facing the greatest health and economic crises since the influenza outbreak of 1918-19 and the great depression of the early thirties.  In the meantime, the global issue of climate change is still on the table.  To complicate matters, recent shootings by police of black and indigenous people in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere has led to a resurgence of “black lives matter” and the need for examination of systemic racism by governments and corporations. Despite fears over the on-going coronavirus pandemic, protests against anti-black racism emerged around the world.

As with the recent growth in support of tackling climate change issues, there has obviously been a major change in support for dealing with systemic racism and in particular the use of force by police and the authorities against marginalized groups. The spread of COVID-19 has particularly negatively affected various marginalized groups in proportion to their statistical share of the general population.  The economic lockdown of many sectors has also disproportionately affected those same groups as indicated by unemployment and poverty stats.  Vulnerable seniors in long-term care have unfortunately been the most affected by the pandemic as evidenced by the fact that in many states and provinces they represent around ninety percent of the related deaths.  This is a clear negative outcome of the inadequate warehousing of and continuing poor health care for seniors that took place over the last fifty or sixty years.

Young people today are also bearing the brunt of dealing with climate change, the downturn in the economy, systemic racism and future employment changes. As a member of the boomer generation, I do not envy their multitude of challenges.  As a society, we must recognize that the younger generation will require all the support that can be provided, regardless of the costs.  Once we are through with the various impacts of the pandemic, if ever, societies will have to seek out a “new normal”.  This will take a concerted effort on the part of individuals, communities, organizations, governments, international bodies, and many others.  Changes are inevitable.

Unfortunately, uncertain times as these can be overwhelming for people. Often, there is a desire to return to the way it was in the past — a form of “unrealistic nostalgia”. There will no doubt be opposition to far-reaching societal change.  If there is one thing that these crises have done is to force us to recognize the urgent need for real changes.  Simply talking about the issues is not longer acceptable, especially for future leaders.  Recent collective reactions to all three crises, including the emergence of global movements, are clear evidence of the growing desire for action and real change.

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May 24

Even Young Adults can Become Seriously Ill from COVID-19

by bcurry

With the Memorial weekend in the U.S. and summer-like weather in Canada, we have witnessed hundreds of people gathering in parks and on beaches to celebrate the lowering of restrictions in many outdoor recreational areas. The problem is that they are not adhering to physical distancing measures in many cases. It would appear that the vast majority of the people are young adults who appear to believe that they are less vulnerable to this highly contagious disease. The typical infected person infects nearly three others, according to researchers at Imperial College London, one of the world’s highest rates. The experts also have additional news for you: young adults aren’t completely invulnerable or invincible for that matter. While statistically the biggest concern is still with persons over sixty who have underlying health issues, the evidence has shown that adult males between twenty and fifty can experience serious health issues from COVID-19. Some even have to be hospitalized and can end up on ventilators where the survival rate is very low.

In developing countries with more poverty and fewer resources, younger people who might have survived elsewhere are instead dying. It has been reported that in Brazil, 15 percent of deaths have been people under 50 — a rate more than 10 times greater than in Italy or Spain. In Mexico, the trend is even more stark. Nearly one-fourth of the dead have been between 25 and 49. In India, officials reported this month that nearly half of the dead were younger than 60. For the poor and marginalized groups, health care services are limited if not unavailable. In addition, similar to developed countries, the population is experiencing a surge in the rates of diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Once again, in these countries, treatment for many such illnesses is lacking.

With the reopening of the economy and recreational facilities, young North Americans must understand the risks involved with not adhering to social distancing. Large gatherings of people in close proximity to one another cannot and should not be tolerated or condoned.  Such behaviour is disrespectful to both the community and frontline personnel risking their lives every day in the war against COVID-19.  We owe it to these brave people to do our fair share by following all the measures that health authorities have mandated and recommended.  Unlike in developing countries, we are fortunate to have half decent health care systems.  The stringent controls that states, provinces and municipalities put in place appear to be working.  However, recent indications in certain states and provinces have shown a surge in the rates of confirmed cases.  Failure to respect social distancing more than likely will lead to an increase in cases in the coming weeks, and possibly further COVID-related deaths.

There is no excuse for the selfish and irrational behaviour among young adults witnessed this past weekend. We can only hope that people, especially young adults, will realize this and adjust their behaviour accordingly in the future as even more freedoms are restored.  Otherwise, the authorities will have to once again take more draconic measures to counteract such troubling attitudes and the subsequent inappropriate actions.  After all, regrettably we are coming up to 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S. and 7,000 deaths in Canada by the end of May. Think about it!

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