Issues, Solutions and the (first of many to come) Political Play of the Week in Manitoba

For the most part this blog has spoken to people and organization - in my view the most effective aspect of politics.Well growth is occuring and from time to time I will start analyzing some policy issues and provides some of my ideas for solving them. I will also start to delve into practical applications of politics and their use in the public domain. Today's issue is law and order. For the most part the puritanical, pious attitude of the Conservative ideology has "won" in this area with Canadians. Conservatives stand tall in the saddle and throw the book at the criminal. They create the criminal and point out that person as the reason all things are evil in society. This hot button, ass backwards positioning wins votes and creates policy people can see. It buys into the "needs" of Canadians and a primary one being to feel safe and secure in their own homes and communites. The present Reform/Alliance crew headed by Vic Toews has postured that they want to change the age of criminal responsibility to 10 and some in their midst suggest 8. This is just ludicrous. Now I will not say that the Liberals and our traditional ideology of community involvement and more involvement of the family and support networks as part of the judicial process (Young Offenders Act and Youth Criminal Justice Act) is flawless. The underlying principle is that poverty, unemployment , the imbalance of power and wealth and other systemic dilemmas are preceptors to bad behaviour and there is NOT just one specific reason. There are flaws to this approach but it addresses the fundamental differences between Conservative and Liberal policy - people. My point is this - should we, as a society, take an 8 year old child who makes a bad choice he/she saw on television or the net label them a criminal, put him/her through the court process take control of the child from their parents or child development agencies and then EXPECT them to be contributing members of society magically at the age of 18? The Reform /Alliance crew says yes - they need to feel the pain of punishment. I hope that we as Liberals say NO there is a better way of discipline and family supports that creates a better person and not simply a label into bad behaviour.
Political Play of the Week
Once a week I am going to start looking over the Manitoba Political landscape and describing a situation where the political process and substance of policy created a good decision. This week the posturing of the NDP accentuated where they are just not good at either. Mayor Katz and his EPC cohorts have been having trouble making some tough choices at tightening the belt at City Hall. You may recall in past blogs I have given kudos to Sam, his Chief Ryan Craig, his policy bonk Bryan Gray and their team. Well this week my good buddy Gord Steeves showed why he is who he is. Elmwood - East Kildonan Councillor Lillian Thomas cried victim to whatever media outlet would listen that "her" Community Centre was being closed. NDP Jim Malloway got into the picture and they heated up the closing with TV ads and letters to the editor and other public outcry's creating a confrontation with Mayor Katz and his EPC Committee Chair Gord Steeves. Lillian and her Dippers did not tell the public only once in the past 3 years (I believe the stat was) that the community centre board had a quorum of people to run the business of the community centre. Lillian failed to state that volunteerism is just not alive in her end of the City so the City has to make some closure. The EPC voted to close the Community Centre based on this as well as other factors such as population and use. Good policy with a 1 year lead time on the closure. It comes to D-Day and (Elmwood) Kelvin Community Centre gets the axe. Then the NDP react, not before in the past year by inspiring volunteers, but after the fact crying victim and taking a "poor me" stance. Shame on you Lilian and Jim. Community centres are built for communities not for individuals and survive on the backs of mom, dads and families of volunteers. If not used then there is change needed and I for one want better roads and streets. Gord took the message to the Elmwood Community and in the process was the target of personal attacks by some disturbed community members. At the end of the day his message on behalf of the 675, 00 taxpayers of the City of Winnipeg "where are your volunteers?" The community members as well as Lillian and Malloway are silent to that question. Later in the week Lillian and her pal Harry Lazarenko then gang up on Gordie and take a run at a zoning problem for Tim Horton's in his riding while he is away on City business. Gord knows how to get things done I for one support Gord and give him the political play of the week !!!