Fines To Keep You Safe

There was a little snippet in todays local newspaper, about how our Police will be cracking down on bicycle riders.   They are going to start to levy fines if you ride your bike on the sidewalk, and they are also going to fine you, if you aren’t wearing a helmet.

Yep, Victoria has a helmet law for bicycles.

Now, personally I don’t have an issue with either of those, but here is the kicker for me.

IF you ride your bicycle on the sidewalk, well get ready to cough up $135.00

Now, I can see how some kids that tear along the sidewalk could pose a risk to the elderly. More than likely it would be more to themselves, and with grass on one side, and the road on the other, I suppose it could be serious too.

IF you are caught riding your bicycle without a helmet, well cough up a hefty $27.00

Uh, let me see here. The whole idea of requiring everyone to wear a helmet, while riding a bicycle, was due to the catastrophic head injuries that were happening, to all ages of people. It was found that even simple spills could cause some serious head injuries, hence the law to require people to wear helmets.

So just how much of a deterrent is these fines?   I would guess that most aren’t about to ride on the sidewalk than remember to wear a helmet.  Like come on, these days even young kids have more than $30 in their wallets.

I mean who comes up with these crazy fines? Like I’d say that if riding your bike on the sidewalk was worthy of $135 fine, then riding without a helmet should be at least $200.   After all, which costs more to treat, a bruised knee, or a cracked skull?

Buffet Is Absolutely Right

He’s right, the RICH do need to pay more in taxes, and NO, it won’t stop investment, it won’t dry up new ideas.  Just how many of the fat rich cats, actually are investing in our Infrastructure?

It is nothing but a Conservative Public Relations gimmick, that uses fear to make us think that if we tax the wealthy, as we are taxed, that somehow we are all going to be living in cardboard boxes.

Fact is, it is that giveaway to the Rich, that is at the heart of our economic problems. By constantly giving those who have the most, more breaks, it is the rest who wind up paying more.  And for less.

Like honestly, tell me what new advances in sustainable fuels has come from all the BILLIONS in tax cuts, the Oil Industry has received?  Anything?

So what if the wealthy have one less mansion to keep in mothballs, or one less new Mercedes? Does it really matter if they have one less private airplane to fly them around?

Harper needs a reality check, as do all Conservatives. The gap between the Have’s and the Have Not’s is widening, and that has been proven to always lead to Revolution. 

Hell, just ask the Romanoff’s, or the French Aristocrats. How about the Cuban’s?  Anyone remember Castro?

Ya know, I have my dream too. I want to be in that class, where money isn’t an issue. Sure having a few billion would be nice, but have you thought about how you’d manage it?

Today’s wealthy buy luxury yachts, airplanes, and Mansions all over the place, but what does that contribute to our society? It employs maybe a few people, at slightly higher than minimum wage salary, but what else does it accomplish?

Does it keep one single factory working full shifts, to put out new cars, new washing machines, new television sets?

Does it keep thousands employed at high paying jobs in the tech industry?

Does it keep shipyards working, to replace aging cargo vessels or does it simply insure that the luxury suites on huge Cruise ships are filled?

Does it put food on my table?

NO, it doesn’t, and that is simply because the majority of today’s wealthy aren’t looking to invest in our infrastructure, but in securing more money through profits. That means manipulating the stock market, in buying up companies then downsizing them to make them more money.

The elite of our society need a wake up call, a reality check.  And we, the people need one ourselves, so we’ll stop electing fools like Stephen Harper/

Thank You Stephen Harper

Went grocery shopping yesterday, and did you know that meat just tastes funny, when it’s expired, but hey not to worry, it isn’t bad.  Course neither were the dipping sauces just recalled by Safeway.

Oh, and hey, let’s not forget all that bad meat from Maple Leaf Foods, that was recalled, but still KILLED over twenty people.

And why all the recalls?

‘cuz Stephen Harper thinks that it is okay for industry to regulate itself, and that they won’t cut corners on safety.  Uh huh, and there are Weapons of Mass Destruction still hidden in Iraq.

Last month, I bought some sauce from Safeway. Today, after having used nearly half of the bottle, I checked the ‘best buy date’ and found that it expired April 2011.   I bought the damn shit in July.

Few weeks ago the wife wanted some specialty cheese, which we bought at Fairways.  It had expired as of June 2011.  Nor was that the only package of expired cheese, but an entire case filled with EXPIRED cheese.  Hell, it wasn’t even discounted, but at regular price.

Until Stephen Harper and his Conservative Morons took office, you didn’t have anywhere near the recalls, nor did we have grocery chains selling expired food.  NOT EVEN AT A DISCOUNT!

I suppose, that our health doesn’t really matter. I mean we are just slaves for the Mega Corporations, that have BOUGHT & PAID FOR a Government.  After all, Stephen Harper doesn’t have to buy food at a grocery store.

What the Conservatives don’t understand, is that if we are sick from food poisoning, well, we can’t be out there working at our minimum wage jobs, or buying all that expensive crap, that passes for new and improved.

Course it also means that our Health System becomes overwhelmed, even more so, but hey, that’s okay. After all Stephen Harper and his minions all have PRIVATE HEALTH CARE. 

Energy Rebates A Scam?

The cost of electricity is going up and up. I can understand it, sort of, but what I don’t understand is the Power Smart program, from BC Hydro.

The goal is to have people replace their old energy hog appliances, so that they’ll use less power.  Now that makes sense, right?

So perhaps someone can explain why a Dryer isn’t included in the program?  From what I’ve seen at BC Hydro Power Smart, they don’t have a rebate offer if you buy a new dryer, but do if you buy a new dishwasher, refrigerator, freezers, or washers.

Now why aren’t stoves and clothes dryers included?

Now consider the cost of all these lovely new appliances. I mean not many people buy a new washing machine, without also replacing the dryer, yet BC Hydro doesn’t include a dryer rebate.  Now, why is that? Isn’t the biggest consumption going to be from the Dryer?

And sure, we use a refrigerator a lot, door opening and closing, but we also use the stove a lot more, yet no stoves included in the rebate scheme, so how come?

I don’t have a dishwasher, but did get a new washer/dryer. Ours were like over 15 years old, so duh, the energy use will be less, and yeah, we got energy efficient ones.  Yet they offer a $75 rebate for having spent over $1800 to replace our old ones.

Now tell me, how much energy will I be saving? Will it pay me back over the next five years what I spent?   Why do I think that is a dream?

Ten to One, both Whirlpool and Sears made more on my transaction, than the amount of the piddly $75 I get from Hydro.  I may save on water consumption, and who knows if I’ll really save in electricity. Point is, how does these rebates actually save us money, save us expenses?

IF one finances, well the bank makes money on the deal as well, and again, I wonder, how in hell does a $75 rebate even begin to cover the cost of financing a new laundry set?  Consider even at 8% interest, that’s still about $160 a year in finance charges. 

Riots and Falling Stocks and Debts

The Animal Kingdom hunts for food, not for sport, yet Humans, part of the Animal Kingdom, alleged to be the dominant animal of the Kingdom, does just that.  Worse, we also seem hell bent on self destruction.

Like what the fuck is up with the riots in England?  It was France not long ago and it makes you wonder, what is happening to our youth that makes them plan ahead, thanks to the wonder of every kid needs a blackberry or iPhone, to go out and do wanton destruction.

Let’s not forget the pinstriped suits who run our Financial Markets either. I mean come on, let’s just go borrow more cash, and everything will be fine.  Course who is gonna pay for all that borrowing? Sure as fuck isn’t going to be those pinstripe suits, or the uber rich, now is it?

I wonder, if perhaps the Media didn’t help facilitate the entire downslide of the DOW and TSX on Monday? I mean all weekend long they kept harping on how serious the downgrading of the US credit rating was, and perhaps, that got a lot of little people scared? Maybe that is why there was a huge sell off, and today, well the greedy and opportunists started buying up those lower stocks. All because people got scared, needlessly.

The issue of the debt hasn’t been solved, buy hey we got some new millionaires, some new paupers. All because the Media played it up, so they could get some added ratings. Which in turn means they can charge advertisers more. Hey, guess who is the big winner? The Elite and the Media.

Think the riots in England aren’t also fueled by the Media?

After all, who fanned the flames initially with the shooting of that man, but the media. They played right into it, bringing up issues that were buried, and rekindled old hatreds. So why shouldn’t the little punks go out on a looting spree? The media said they would, even gave them a trumped up reason, so off they went.

And where is the Government? Well, they got caught napping, because they were busy trying to figure out how to pay for more debt, created by stupid economic policies by so called experts, whose only goal was to feather their own nest.

Ever notice how all these Media & Financial Experts are wage earners too? Like uh, if they are so smart about how the markets work, how come they aren’t right up there in the Fortune 100?

Simple, they KNOW SHIT !

As for the punks, maybe it’s time to start demanding some accountability from all who have kids. Instead of blaming video games, that these parents have bought for their brats, instead of blaming tough economics, while giving their kids expensive sneakers and cell phones, we should start forcing parents, TO BE PARENTS.

Oh I can see the hail storm of outrage coming, but you know, isn’t it time we all, myself included, started taking responsibility for our actions, instead of pointing the finger of blame everywhere else?

We might be surprised at how well things might go, if we just stopped blaming everyone else, and stood up and said.  It’s My Fault.