FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jun 9

Are Our Cities Becoming War Zones?

by bcurry

A team of camouflaged and masked men, armed with M-16 rifles, grenade launchers, silencers and more, briskly enter a building. In front sits a 9-foot tall armoured and mine-resistant combat vehicle, ready to charge in on a second’s notice. Is this a scene from a military onslaught in some Afghan village? No. This is actually a police SWAT team entering the premises containing alleged illegal activity.

In both the U.S. and Canada, the number of heavily-armed SWAT teams has skyrocketed since the 1980s. Police departments are arguing that they have no choice but to be better armed to stay in step with the criminals who are arming themselves more heavily every day. This despite the fact that, today, crime has fallen to its lowest levels in a generation. The drug gang wars have wound down, and despite current fears, the number of domestic terrorist attacks has declined sharply from the 1960s and 1970s.

What is more worrisome is that SWAT teams are increasingly being employed for what once were routine police activities, such as domestic disputes and liquour inspections. In addition, local departments are choosing to employ armed officers and equipment more frequently in order to justify any impact on their budgets. More and more, recruiting material and videos are fixated on clips of officers storming into homes with smoke grenades and firing automatic weapons. Is this really the image of policing that one wants to convey to potential new recruits?

In Canada, SWAT teams are found mainly in larger cities and among federal and provincial agencies. However, in the U.S., they can even be found in towns with fewer than 25,000 people. This is primarily because of the federal military-transfer program started in the early 1990s. The program makes free surplus military equipment available to municipalities which they could not otherwise afford. Even some local police chiefs are questioning the need for such heavy-duty equipment, noting the negative impact it very likely has on the department’s image and relationship with the public.

Unfortunately, recent shooting events surrounding tragic police fatalities in both the U.S. and Canada have again naturally raised the issue over the safety of police officers. Yet, I think it highly unlikely that police chiefs would want to have their officers regularly patrolling in armoured vehicles through their neighbourhoods. SWAT teams have a legitimate purpose to serve, but not at the expense of the local beat cop. After all, with all due respect, we’re hopefully not living in war zones!

Canada US

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Jun 3

Coal, Oil and Gas Are All Very Nice, But ……

by bcurry

Well, it looks like we’ve got a conundrum. On the one hand, everyone is increasingly concerned about climate change, while on the other hand cheap sources of coal, oil and natural gas keep popping up. However, while a hearty supply of coal, oil and natural gas provides cheap energy sources for now, eventually even these sources will become depleted. And then what? By the looks of it, certainly not renewable energy sources! What about seriously dealing with the ongoing impact of fossil fuel usage on the climate?

North Americans aren’t the only ones in this boat. Europeans, the Chinese, the Indians, and the rest of the developed world are rowing to the same tune. Much of the prognosis is being attributed to new technologies in drilling, in particular the recovery of shale oil and gas through a contentious process called “fracking”. In addition, new pipelines are expected to pop up all over the world, including those planned for between Russia and China and the U.S. and Canada. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities are also expected to expand in the U.S. and Canada in order to export natural gas to Asia and Europe. But at what environmental risks?

Oil and gas extraction and production is responsible for about a third of all carbon emissions, while the combustion engine releases about another third of pollutants. Alas, by 2030 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to cut power plant emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels. The EPA is particularly going after power plants, notably those electrical generation operations powered by coal — coal still producing almost 40 percent of electricity generation in the U.S. The new EPA proposal, if approved, will most likely force power plants to switch to natural gas or to seek out renewable or nuclear energy resources. Remember, the U.S. is currently the second largest contributor to global warming on the planet.

As for Canada, Environment Canada predicts that the country will fail to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, primarily because of the oilsands projects whose emissions are expected to triple. Regulations on Canada’s largest oil and gas emitters have yet to be released, seven years after they were first discussed. The federal government talks a good talk, but has failed to walk the walk.

The problem is that President Obama has to convince the states and the fossil fuel industry to reduce carbon emissions in line with national targets. Despite states such as Missouri and Illinois for example which continue to produce at least 80 percent of their electricity from coal. Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that Canada doesn’t get enough credit given how hard it is to cut emissions from a system where much of the energy is already clean — namely hydroelectric power. The PM completely ignores the predicted increases in greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands and the potential environmental issues surrounding the expansion of pipelines to carry oilsands crude oil across Canada and into the U.S. Between Obama and Harper, when it comes to urgently dealing with fossil fuels, one gets a feeling of witnessing — excuse the expression — the blind leading the blind.

Canada Coal Keystone XL Oil and Gas Oil and Gas Transport of Oil US

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May 19

Climate Change Is No Laughing Matter

by bcurry

Who are we kidding! It’s time that we stop denying the current and future potential impacts of climate change, and get on with figuring out how best to adapt to it. Furthermore, we can argue until we’re blue in the face about the primary causes — man-made or natural. The fact of the matter is that climate change is here to stay and has major implications.

There are few areas where the climate doesn’t have a major impact. Various elements of our economies and daily lives depend heavily on stable climates, including agriculture, tourism, communications and transportation. We’ve seen what extreme weather events can do to our everyday lives. Numerous major coastal cities are most at risk of rising sea levels as a result of polar melt, especially of a large section of the West Antarctica ice sheet. Although there has not been a big increase in the number of hurricanes, warming ocean trends are intensifying the strength of the storms. Severe droughts from Australia to the American south are negatively affecting major agricultural crops, and influencing the growing number and severity of forest and brush fires. Warming trends in the northern hemisphere will lead to movement of certain insect populations further north, and potentially introduce more diseases such as the West Nile virus and lyme disease while affecting local ecologies.

Are we well prepared to deal with the impact of climate change? Clearly the answer is a resounding “no”. Our aging and neglected infrastructures are crumbling even faster under the weight of severe climate events. Resources needed in the event of weather-related emergencies are hardly adequate to minimize the negative impacts on communities and regions. New technologies will have to be introduced and resourced to help cope with such emergencies.

We will have to pay a lot more attention as to where we are planning and building communities, be they near oceans or wilderness habitats. We have recently seen the dire risks of flooding, fires, landslides, etc. on numerous North American communities. Despite the obvious facts, governments continue to ignore such major and unreasonable risks by allowing such development to occur.

All throughout history, man has had to adapt to his environment. At this point in history, there is the evident need for serious and timely action. The time for words and debates has long passed. Denying the inevitable is no longer a choice. Indeed, climate change is no longer a laughing matter.

Climate Change

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May 9

When It Comes to the Public Service – Politicians Always Look to the Easy Answers

by bcurry

Well, here we go again. In both Canada and the U.S., certain political factions are continuing to treat public servants as “costs” rather than as “assets”. They believe that all one has to do to get deficits under control and to balance budgets is cut public service jobs and freeze public servants’ wages. Even better, let’s just make the public service operate more like private corporations — a crazy notion that I previously had blogged on.

However, the fact of the matter is that many of government’s human resource problems have arisen from changes in the nature of the public sector workforces and a lack of political will. While clerical jobs once dominated the bureaucracy, professional occupations do today. Governments need to recruit and keep employees to fill those posts. Current job classification systems prevent agencies from aligning compensation with what comparable occupations in the private sector pay, undermining government’s ability to attract top performers. Political motivated attacks on the public service only help to increase what have already become stressful working conditions. This in turn has increased concerns over the mental health of senior managers and public sector employees, and subsequent lost of productivity.

Cuts in operating budgets of various departments/agencies often lead to program and service delivery becoming “dysfunctional”, no longer able to effectively serve their respective clients. Since this primarily is a consequence of token cuts, one has to ask oneself why a government would continue to support the existence of reduced programs and services. Maybe it’s time that politicians bite the bullet and make some hard choices. Governments need to do their evaluations and eliminate programs and services that they believe are no longer essential. There will no doubt be an outcry by affected interest groups, including unions, and various supporters of such programs. However, governments will just have to have the political will and stamina to face such opposition, something that hasn’t been too much in evidence in the past.

Moreover, governments will no longer be asking public servants to do more with less and to undertake the near impossible. While such program elimination will result in a “leaner and meaner” public service, it will also lead to ensuring adequate resources and support are provided to ensure the effectiveness of the essential programs and services. After all, is it not the role of government to make the hard choices? Once done, politicians must stop simply attacking public servants, get on with modernizing the public service to meet its future challenges, reduce unnecessary contracting out of services, and improve government’s ability to attract top performers.

Canada Federal Government Federal Government Public Service Public Service US

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May 2

The Rob Ford Case — What You Need to Know About Addiction

by bcurry

O.K. — So the mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, apparently has finally conceded after months, if not years, that he is an addict. Off he went hastily in a private jet to a “rehab centre”, possibly in the Chicago area. Mayor Ford has taken a leave of absence from his position, announcing that he would withdraw from the current mayoral campaign for at least 30 days in order to get much-needed professional help.

Now let us recap. The mayor has a drinking problem. He is prone to lying and denial, particularly about his alcoholic abuse. When in one of his drunken stupors, he is often out of control and prone to incoherence, profanity and aggression. He admittedly has also smoked crack cocaine, and has done so recently. And through all of this, the addict Rob Ford became an international celebrity, even appearing on talk shows in the U.S. Go figure?

While this so-called political scandal has been greatly sensationalized by the mass media, the story has left out one crucial element. Addiction and substance abuse affects a hell of a lot people in our society. The results from all addictions far too often lead to personal tragedies, including death, and have enormous social consequences for us all. As a society, we have not done very well at treating persons with addictions. Not everyone can afford, like Rob Ford and Hollywood celebrities, to enter a private rehab program. Affordable services for the treatment of addictions, like health services for mental illnesses, are inadequate for most individuals and families. Indeed, addiction and mental health issues often go hand in hand.

Once an addict, always an addict. Whether it is alcohol, prescription pain killers or illicit drugs, an addiction cannot be remedied in 30 days. To be successful in simply controlling one’s addiction, months and years of continuous abstinence and community support are required. There will always be certain stressors that can cause someone to fall off the wagon. Addiction is certainly no joking matter. Treating Rob Ford’s condition as some kind of a joke does a disservice to understanding the severity of the problem in our society. Too many people, not only his drug pushers and family, have contributed to his failure to recognize and deal with his addiction. Now that he has taken the first important step — that of acknowledging his medical condition for what it is — let’s stop the circus train. Give him his privacy during the next several months, and let his family and friends provide him with the essential support that he will desperately need.

War on Drugs

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Apr 24

American Gun Culture Gone Amok!

by bcurry

Lucille, get my Magnum 45 because I’m moving to Georgia. Low and behold, that state’s Governor just signed into law the possibility of every gun owner carrying a weapon into a church, bars and government buildings under certain conditions. Schools will also be authorized now to allow staff members to carry weapons on campus. All this because advocates believe that it will protect the constitutional right to bear arms. So much for Georgia peach and friendly Southern hospitality!

Hey, I can even carry a gun to an airport out there. If discovered when going through security, as long as I have a valid gun permit, I simply would get slapped on the wrist and sent home. What more can a law-abiding gun owner hope for?

Despite the evident on-going gun violence in the U.S., more states have been introducing more lax gun legislation, especially those that are Republican controlled. Here in Canada, both the number of victims and the rate of firearm-related violent crime fell by more than one-quarter between 2009 and 2012. This represented a rate of 21 victims per 100,000 population in 2012. The rate of firearm-related homicide in Canada was reported to be 0.49 per 100,000 population in 2012, which was seven times lower than that of the United States at 3.5 per 100,000 population in 2012.

On the one hand, you have American police representatives expressing grave concerns over having citizens carrying guns out in the open. Then there are those on the other hand, including the gun lobbyists, who appear to believe that arming everyone will make them safer from attacks by the so-called “bad guys”. One can only hope that bystanders don’t get caught in the crossfire. Having guns allowed in bars or restaurants reminds me of the old Wild West mentality. Unfortunately, we’re supposed to be living in a modern age. At least, I hope we are!

Gun Control US

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Apr 15

Why Performance Pay Doesn’t Work in the Public Service

by bcurry

Recently, both federal administrations in Canada and the U.S. have reintroduced plans to implement merit-based pay systems in the public service. Every few years, discussions about the introduction of a more performance-based pay system for public servants surface. This year is no different. From past experiences the problem is that, for the non-executive groups in particular, the implementation of such pay systems doesn’t work very well — if at all!

In the U.S., the Partnership for Public Service has proposed a plan to introduce a federal pay system that would compensate workers at a level on par with their cohorts in the private sector, with extra pay for only those who perform above expectations. Federal-worker unions have opposed the plan, saying the current pay system has served the nation well. The government has experimented with pay-for-performance programs in the past, particularly with the Defense Department’s National Security Personnel System, which Congress canceled in 2009. According to unions and other federal-worker groups, that program failed in part because employees did not trust that it would work fairly.

In Canada, the federal Treasury Board, which oversees pay structures for federal departments, recently introduced pay-for-performance programs for the non-executive categories of public servants. However, federal unions are challenging the Conservative government’s new performance management regime, touted as a “new beginning”. The government claims it will make Canada’s public servants more productive and efficient while weeding out poor performers. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada has filed a policy grievance on behalf of 17 unions against key provisions of employees’ new mandatory performance agreements, saying these violate collective agreements. The unions are also concerned that the performance appraisal approach is unfair, biased and flawed, often depending on the personal relationship between managers and departmental staff.

Proposing performance-based compensation systems to bring the public sector into line with private sector approaches is like comparing eggs and apples. So much of what the public service does is in immediate response to the policies and politics of the government of the day. This more-or-less precludes any reference to a genuine “bottom line” when assessing results and achievements in meeting organizational objectives. This leaves managers with a need to simply assess employees’ contributions to meeting daily operational activities and their ability to effectively adjust to the whims of one’s political masters. Even measuring short-term efficiencies can be tricky, if not impossible, under such circumstances. Measuring long-term effectiveness is even more difficult given the ever present winds of political change.

Setting up a valid and legitimate merit-based appraisal system is the first and foremost ingredient for any potential success. Ensuring that managers are adequately trained in order to respect and maintain such a system on a continuing basis is the next most important requirement. Finally, the system’s development and implementation has to involve consultations with those employees who are directly affected, otherwise there can be no employee buy-in. Without these three key elements, any performance-based approach will result in an inequitable and fraudulent compensation system. What the stressed-out pubic service doesn’t need right now is another claim to disrepute!

Canada Federal Government Federal Government Public Service Public Service US

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Mar 24

Can Putin Be Stopped in Crimea’s Annexation ? Not Really!

by bcurry

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s newly self-proclaimed master strategist, must be having a pretty good chuckle right about now. With the annexation of Crimea a fait-accompli and thousands of Russian military firmly entrenched within its boundaries, there is little that the West can do but espouse a bunch of nice sounding platitudes. So much for diplomacy!

With over a million Canadians of Ukrainian descent, Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada is making as much political hay as possible with his recent touch-down-and-jet-off visit to Ukraine. Moreover, Canada has as much influence with the Russians as it does with the Chinese, if not far less. Even though such comparisons may make good press back home, let’s stop comparing Putin to Hitler.

Meanwhile, President Barak Obama can only cautiously back any European response to the Ukrainian situation. As usual, his speeches back home have been very carefully orchestrated. Any talk of further sanctions against Russia is viewed by most as being minimalist, if not farcical. The President is well aware that the G-7, the European Union and NATO are only in a position to take small countervailing measures in response to Russian actions. Military intervention has already been ruled out, and economic sanctions can only go so far.

As for Prime Minister Harper, he needs to lay off the vague threats and rhetoric. As one Canadian journalist wrote, he’s becoming the “butt of Putin’s sick joke”. Even the long-term Russian Ambassador to Canada mused openly as to why Harper was so keen to visit Kyiv at this particular time. Especially since the international community is still trying to grapple with how best to react to Putin’s strategic manoeuvring.

To achieve a long-term solution, the two immediate belligerents have to resolve the current situation themselves. Firstly, the interim Ukrainian government has to get its act together and hold elections to establish a credible and legitimate government. Next, the new government has to urgently sit down with Putin and work out some realistic working arrangements, while ensuring the rights of Russian-speaking Ukrainians in the rest of Ukraine. The best that Ukraine can do is recognize that Crimea is now part of Russia and ensure that the remaining Ukrainians in Crimea are protected by Russian authorities.

Ukraine

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Feb 27

What’s Going On With All That Snail Mail?

by bcurry

Well, it looks as if the time has come once again to replace the horse and buggy with the horseless carriage. Yes, what we’re talking about is the ongoing debate over the viability of postal services in Canada and the U.S. Both postal services are loosing significant amounts of money with so-called ‘snail mail’, and need to reduce their costs and increase revenue sources. They are billions of dollars in the red, and the federal governments apparently are not interested in intervening to save their butts. Governments claim that they have enough on their plates with current deficits and the ubiquitous desire to balance their books.

In Canada, over the next five years Canada Post is planning to cut door-to-door delivery where it currently exists in favour of the use of more community postal boxes. In addition, there will be about 8,000 fewer postal positions by the end of this period. In the U.S., talks have evolved around discontinuing Saturday postal deliveries and reducing the number of outlets in communities. Of course, the cost of postage stamps keeps climbing in both countries!

The removal of direct postal delivery has raised the ire of some citizens, although community postal boxes have been around for some time now. It is argued that seniors and persons with disabilities will find it especially difficult to get to such boxes to pick up their mail. Indeed, for many seniors and persons with disabilities the loss of mail delivery is a major concern, particularly as these persons most likely rely heavily on this service. Given this winter’s severe weather, I can certainly understand their reluctance or inability to leave their homes. Some kind of alternative ways of picking up their mail will have to be worked out, either through volunteers or other subsidized means.

Let’s face it, in some communities the postal service is the most direct way in which the federal government communicates with its citizens. Not everyone has access to the Internet, can afford it or wishes to have access to it. For this reason, politicians are going to have to deal with these issues. Already, municipalities, local community bodies, businesses and charities are expressing their concerns over what impact the reduction in regular door-to-door mail delivery will have on them. Up until now, the debate has narrowly centered on the bottom line of the postal service and how to improve competition with private delivery services.

However, now is the time for a much broader and in-depth discussion as to the consequences of such policies for our citizens, especially at the community level. Such decisions are far too important as to not include much more debate at the federal political level. As an essential national service, there still is a need to explore all possible alternatives. In turn, the rationale for any resulting policies must then be clearly explained to everyone’s satisfaction. Otherwise, there could be the danger of a citizen revolt and countless actions against the postal services. It may be snail mail, but its delivery is still important to many individuals and communities through rain, snow, wind or hail.

Canada Federal Government Federal Government US

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Feb 6

Keystone XL – Pipe Dream or Nightmare for Canadian and American Politicians

by bcurry

Well, it appears that the proposal for the Keystone XL pipeline has finally passed at least one of its biggest hurdles. In its Final Environmental Impact Statement, the U.S. Department of State concluded that completing the pipeline’s northern leg would not have a major impact on global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, this statement still doesn’t guarantee that the pipeline, facilitating the north-south movement of Canadian heavy crude over 4,000 miles across North America, will receive final approval from Washington. As events have shown, there has been a fundamental confusion in the Obama administration’s policy approach to Keystone from the very beginning. Given environmentalists’ opposition and some emerging legal challenges, President Obama may yet choose to take his merry time to decide on whether to allow the pipeline’s construction.

One thing is for sure, whether the Keystone XL pipeline is built or not, the development of the Alberta “oilsands” will continue. Too much has been invested to date to stop the flow and transport of its so-called dirty heavy crude. Indeed, North American railroads have been taking up a good deal of the slack, much to the dismay of communities located along their tracks and a real fear of future derailments of oil-hauling trains. The cry of “remember Lac Megantic” goes up and rightly so.

In addition, the Americans don’t appear to be in any hurry to bless such endeavours given the vast amounts of oil now coming out of American ground. The U.S. has become fairly energy self-sufficient in oil and natural gas supplies due to “fracking” technologies. Indeed, record U.S. oil production, which rose by 992,000 barrels per day in 2013, more than cancels out the amount of oilsands bitumen that the pipeline would transport to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. However, experts estimate that within the next 15 years the U.S. will still have to import about 30% of its daily oil requirements. This compares to only a few years ago when Americans were looking at importing 70% of their needs. Having ready access to Canadian heavy crude oil could provide one distinct advantage with respect to ensuring American national security. If all of that 30% were to come from Canada, future “energy independence” would most likely encompass an entire continent. No more need to rely on Arab oil imports.

However, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government have dropped the ball on this file. Refusing to take “no” for an answer, the PM even gave hints of a threat to divert the heavy crude to China via a new pipeline to the Pacific coast. The mighty Chinese already have a very small but important stake in oilsands development. Sorry, but trying to bully the American President into quickly approving such a project is probably not a good strategy! Demonstrating that the Canadian and Albertan governments are really serious about dealing with the problem of carbon pollution may have been more advantageous and useful. Furthermore, TransCanada and the other pipeline companies will have to better demonstrate their capacity to minimize any environmental and economic damage from potential pipeline leaks — and inevitably there will be more such leaks.

In the meantime, numerous American industry associations and environmentalists continue to battle it out to convince the Obama administration and Congress as to the merit of their respective positions. All the Canadian administration can do is sit awkwardly on the sidelines, patiently wait and see what will happen. Who knows, Canada’s pipe dream scenario may yet become its worst nightmare!

Keystone XL Transport of Oil

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