Its All About Priorities

Just follow the money -to the Fat Man.

Burnaby residents frightened for their family's safety in the midst of the current gang war may have been somewhat depressed this week when CKNW's Marcello Bernardo reminded us that Burnaby RCMP are the lowest paid cops in the Lower Mainland.

A look at the books further reveals that in the five years ending Dec 31 '07 Burnaby's capital expenditure for the chronically understaffed Burnaby RCMP was dwarfed by such priorities as recycling, "cultural services", the bicycle program, the "urban trails" so popular with those looking to escape police ...

On the other hand, Mayor Three Chins and his pals on council are among the very best paid in the Lower Mainland; and those annual automatic raises don't hurt (them) either. What's more, these self-proclaimed socialists get a good chunk of that tax free, Comrade.
Nice.
It sure is heartening to the rest of us to know our tax money is being wisely allocated, isn't it, Burnaby?

http://www.burnaby.ca/__shared/assets/Budget_-_2007_Financial_Report4601.pdf?method=1

http://www.newwestcity.ca/cityhall/Leg_Info/Electronic_Packages/2008/0121_Jan21/CW/Reports/CW3.pdf

Shots Fired in North Burnaby

and really, who knew?

"Just after 9 pm on January 8, 2009 the Burnaby RCMP received a number of reports of people hearing shots fired in the 8700 block of Centaurus Circle. Numerous officers were dispatched and attended to the area. A number of spent shell casing were located. Neighbourhood inquiries were done, however, no one actually saw the shots being fired. At this time the Burnaby RCMP have received no reports of any property damage, or injuries to a person. The Police Dog attended to the scene as did the Forensic Identification Section.The Burnaby RCMP have no information to indicate why this occurred in this area. ..."

Well, its not far from my area (I walked over to take the pic) and friends who live in that neighborhood tell me its become, like much of the district, a place where drug dealers operate openly in the streets. So that takes care of the "why" mystery.

Now, nothing of this appeared in any media I can find and that's not really surprising. Lacking a bullet-riddled corpse or two, or at least a shot-up vehicle, the Vancouver media take little interest in such events out in what is to them the boonies And of course, the local papers in the burbs tend to be puff pieces wrapped in ads, pretty much useless for real news reporting.

All of which makes me think that, as bad as the guns and gangs problem seems, its probably even worse because its actually under-reported. How many of these incidents occur out here in the burbs and don't become general knowledge?

http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&contentId=7741&index=5&rpp=10&languageId=1&contentId=-1

Heavens to Murgatroyd

Derek Corrigan celebrates three more years of getting his picture taken. A measly 33,000 of 200,000 eligible voters bothered to turn up.

Okay so it's been a few days. I do my very best to avoid subjecting readers to torrents of obscenities, profanities and all manner of cursing and swearing. So it took me a few days.
I knew full well that Dolittle Corrigan would get back in, but a clean sweep for the NDP, I mean BCA? Now I know for sure that denizens of The People's Happy Democratic Republic of Burnaby like crime, like litter and graffiti, like dealers and hookers, grow ops, drug labs and a bunch of puffery from City Hall, while the new top cop spouts BS crime stats instead of pushing for desperately needed reinforcments.
How long, Lord, how long?

Ignorance of the Law Now a Defence?

Richard Chang, BCA candidate for Burnaby council
may or may not understand how elections work in BC

This despite having lived in Burnaby for 15 years, being a "TV host for Fairchild TV and movie director and producer" according to his bio, and a member of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission.
Yet, there was a group of Chang's supporters apparently canvassing voters at an advance poll. Chang himself had to be asked to leave after he'd voted.

"Ann Lorentsen, the city's deputy chief elections officer, said staff had to ask Chang to leave the centre after he voted Saturday morning.
"He didn't seem to understand that he couldn't hang around in the voting area," Lorentsen said. "He left, but some of his supporters stayed behind." Lorentsen said she saw one of Chang's supporters speaking to voters as they entered the lobby of Shadbolt Centre. "I have no idea what she told them because they weren't speaking English," Lorentsen said. ...

Later, elections staff saw Chang and his supporters speaking to voters in the parking lot of Shadbolt Centre, Lorentsen said. The lot is within 100 metres of the voting area, she said.

"They were talking to people and escorting people in to vote," Lorentsen said, adding it was 2 p.m. before elections staff got Chang and his supporters to leave the parking lot. ..."

Chang maintains he both knows the rules and did not break them.
Uh huh.
B.C.'s Local Government Act covers municipal elections. It states that a person cannot "canvass or solicit votes or otherwise attempt to influence how an elector votes" within 100 metres of a voting place on election day or during an advanced vote.

It also says, "other than for the purpose of voting, a candidate must not be present at a voting place or special voting opportunity while voting proceedings are being conducted."

Seems pretty cut and dried. Yet, there were Chang and his people.

Lee Rankin of Team Burnaby is calling for a police investigation and I agree. Rankin says he's outraged and I agree, I am too.

The Act provides for up to a year in the Skookum House (that's prison, Mr Chang) a fine up to $5k, and how about a six month ban on one holding an elected office at the muni level.

However, city staff have taken it on themselves to not pursue the matter "because Saturday was the first day of voting and because Chang seemed to misunderstand the rules." according to Lorentsen.
One can't help wondering how often and how far these people empower themselves to exceed their authority.

BCA Mayor Dolittle Corrigan of course figures his guy has suffered enuff. "I think he was chastised quite appropriately by elections staff,".

Well, Mr Mayor, the Act does not empower staff to settle this with a scolding, it clearly calls for a police investigation immediately.

http://www.canada.com/burnabynow/news/story.html?id=301f86ac-473c-4057-98b5-190b85e79e37&p=2

Our Burnaby City Life Series Continues

Open air drug dealing flourishes in a cop-free environment.


Typical hobo spoor in a typical North Burnaby park. The smell is worse.

Our Urban Idiots Series Continues

Some people seem to go around thinking
"Its not an offleash park for anyone else but ...

You've Heard of a Yellow Dog Riding

Well, how about a whole city?
Seems like the NDP in disguise "Burnaby Citizens' Association" (yeah, right) could put up Bozo or Satan and the voters in The People's Happy Democratic Republic of Burnaby would duly elect him. Watch for the same old same old this time round as well.
How long, Lord, how long?