Sanctimonious Blowhards In Government: Lowered Expectations

This is just so unbelievable I have to do a quick entry on it. The subject may only be regionally interesting, and for the background information you can read my previous tirade on Vancouver’s complete failure to deal with the snowmageddon. After I had said my piece, I was willing to let sleeping dogs lie, but now this egregiously sanctimonious … PRICK … has the nerve to tell Burnaby residents, and naturally Vancouver ones by proxy, to simply suck it up princess, there you go buttercup, cry me a river cupcake:

Residents in Metro Vancouver who are struggling with ice and snow-clogged side streets should adjust their expectations about snow removal, the mayor of Burnaby says.

“It’s expensive and there’s already been well over $1 million spent by my city,” said Burnaby Mayor Derrick Corrigan.

“We only carry a certain amount of salt, we only have a certain amount of vehicles that are for snow removal mainly because it’s not worth it to invest in those vehicles when plows will end up rusting over the decade or so before there’s another big snowfall.”

Corrigan said the snowstorms that have hit the area since earlier this month are rare events that residents could have prepared for themselves by buying snow tires and salt.

[...]

Anyone hoping the municipalities will clear ice and snow from side streets is going to be disappointed. Vancouver spokeswoman Jennifer Young said the plan is to plow the major routes and wait for the weather to take care of the rest.

“We end up in a situation where we’re not meeting people’s expectations, but probably because their expectations are unrealistic about what we can do,” said Corrigan, pointing out that public and private cleanup crews are minimal because many workers are currently on holidays.

Unbelievable! Did anyone catch the ghastly twisted logic of the Mayor of Burnaby’s statement? We can’t buy snow plows because it’s not realistic to spend money on something we’ll only need once every ten years. But you, the unwashed masses of imbeciles, can go and buy salt and snow tires. Gee, thanks Marie Antoinette. Now if you’ll just put your neck on this comfortable cradle… no, never mind that blade up there… everything will be just fine.

Words cannot express the rage I feel knowing that city officials have finally broken radio silence to tell us all it’s your own fault, your own responsibility, and your own problem. Er, but don’t look at the streets of any city officials. They were plowed because, um, city officials may have to rush off on official city business! Official city business pertaining to things more important than snow removal. Like, picking up champagne for the New Year.

The casualties of depraved indifference have been noted.

A commenter in the CBC articles makes a great finishing remark on this whole mess:

Our garbage hasn’t been picked up two weeks running: the trucks will only venture onto the few plowed main routes. When I called the municipality to ask politely when our street was scheduled to be cleared, they said it wasn’t. None of the sidewalks around municipal properties in my area area have been cleared (nor is the sidewalk in front of the business of our very-recently-former mayor), and the only civic space that has been plowed is the parking lot beside the outdoor swimming pool. Can’t beat that for practical reasoning.

I don’t think most of us mind fending for ourselves, nor yet pitching in for the common good, but we do resent the vast apparatus that goes into ensuring we pay our taxes on time, in full, no excuses, no delays – that somehow can’t seem to operate with the same energy and determination when the snow falls. I don’t expect miracles, but I’d sure like to see an ongoing effort.

[Welcome Jack's Newswatch readers!]

Related

Raul points out what should be obvious by now: We have no emergency response to extreme climatic event changes.

Update

I have to admit, this made me chuckle a little bit. I guess I got someone’s attention.

Probe Into Suspected Taliban Insurgent’s Death

Let me just echo Babbling Brooks here in saying that it’s too premature to cast doubts and aspersions on this case without proper information. We’ve had thousands of soldiers taking part in the Afghan mission who have performed diligently and admirably, and that’s an understatement. But nothing in life is perfect, and there is now an inquest into a suspicious death of a suspected Taliban fighter in October:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canadian military investigators in Afghanistan are probing allegations of “inappropriate conduct“ surrounding the death in October of a presumed Taliban insurgent.

The deputy commander of NATO forces in Kandahar province, Col. Jamie Cade, made the announcement Wednesday during a short and hastily called news conference.

Cade said he learned Dec. 27 of the allegations, which involve a death that took place “on or about” Oct. 19 in Helmand province.

“The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service has launched an investigation into these allegations, and to determine whether proper reporting procedures were followed,” Cade said.

“The Canadian Forces takes such allegations very seriously. As an investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

No further details were released, and neither Cade nor Master Warrant Officer Bernard Caron of the national investigation service took questions from reporters.

We know precious little about this so far, except that a “suspected” insurgent died during a mission in which Canadian soldiers took part in Helmand province, which is not even under the operational control of Canadians. Apparently it was worthy enough to spark an investigation, but the rest of it is sheer conjecture. Now under ordinary circumstances where a battle had taken place and a Taliban fighter was killed, I could probably care less. But as Babbling Brooks points out, once they are in custody we have a code and rules to follow. More to the point, the rule of law would dictate that suspects are innocent until proven guilty, so we cannot simply say that a Taliban fighter was killed, when it very well might not have been. But all of this is beside the point, since we are in great deficit of any information at all. Babbling Brooks finishes thusly:

Good on the CF for moving as quickly as they did on this once the allegations came to the attention of the senior leadership in theatre. Good on them for calling in the NIS. Good on them for releasing as much information as they can to the public proactively, rather than waiting until it had to be dragged out of them by a reporter with a tip.

[...]

You won’t find anyone in Canada who’s more supportive of the Canadian soldier than me. But from a military standpoint, following the rules of war and the lawful orders of your superiors is crucial from a purely disciplinary point of view. You may not agree with the particular rules our soldiers are required to follow – when they can pull the trigger, and when they can’t, for example – but the idea that they have to follow them is a no-brainer. Nobody who’s thought about it for any length of time wants soldiers freelancing as to how they apply force – that makes them no better than an armed gang. The fact that they are controlled by a lawful government authority is what makes the violence they apply morally acceptable.

On that note, I wish our brave men and women in uniform in both Canada, Afghanistan, and throughout the world a Happy New Year. You’re doing us all proud.