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Debates of May 28th, 2012
House of Commons Hansard #128 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was labour.
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The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-217, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief relating to war memorials), as reported (with amendment) from the committee.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11 a.m.
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
There being no motions at report stage, the House will now proceed without debate to the putting of the question on the motion to concur in the bill at report stage.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11 a.m.
David Tilson Dufferin—Caledon, ON
moved that the bill be concurred in.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11 a.m.
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11 a.m.
Some hon. members
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11 a.m.
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
(Motion agreed to)
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11 a.m.
David Tilson Dufferin—Caledon, ON
moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise this morning on behalf of the residents of Dufferin—Caledon to speak to Bill C-217, which is my bill to protect and defend our nation's war memorials and cenotaphs.
As members will know, Bill C-217 seeks to add significant penalties to the mischief section of the Criminal Code for those convicted of mischief against our war memorials, cenotaphs and similar structures that honour those who have died as a result of war. The first offence would carry a fine of not less than $1,000. The second offence would carry a jail term of 14 days. The third and subsequent offences would carry a 30-day jail term.
All members of this House are familiar with veterans in their communities and likely with serving Canadian Forces members as well. We hold them in the highest regard for the sacrifice their service represents. Our war memorials and cenotaphs are places we set aside in our communities to honour them and especially to honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid.
Since we last debated this bill on February 2, 2012, I was pleased to appear before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights as it began its examination of Bill C-217 on March 27. I had the honour of being accompanied by Mr. John Eggenberger of Nepean, Ontario, a retired air force colonel and vice-president of the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association. I was also accompanied by Mr. Earl Page, a Korean War navy veteran from Woodstock, Ontario. These two gentlemen underscored the need for more stringent sanctions against those who would desecrate or vandalize our cherished cenotaphs and war memorials.
Mr. Page, in particular, made an impassioned presentation during which he recounted the events of a shocking act of vandalism that took place in Woodstock on November 10, 2009, the night before the Remembrance Day ceremonies. Residents of Woodstock arose to discover that vandals had spray-painted swastikas and offensive messages on the town cenotaph. With no time to remove the offensive graffiti, the ceremony proceeded with this heinous damage in full view.
Mr. Page commented on the disgust felt by everyone, especially the veterans attending the ceremony in Woodstock on that Remembrance Day. I will quote from Mr. Page's presentation at committee on March 27. He said:
...I wanted to express my deep disgust on behalf of all the people in Woodstock, all the veterans in Woodstock, as well as the many children there. Children were mentioned. We always have a great many children out to that cenotaph on Remembrance Day, and they all come and shake our hands. They're happy to see us. Since the desecration of our monument, the city has gone to the trouble of re-facing all the names on that monument, and it cost the city a great deal of money. I know the feelings of the veterans: if we had got hold of that guy, I don't think he would be walking around today. But he was not a child, or even a teenager—he was an adult, and he got away with it. We spent six or seven days going to court to see what was going to happen to him, and he got off with a slap on the wrist, a couple of days of community service. Terrible. I won't say much more, because I'm liable to say things I shouldn't. Thank you.
During the previous hours of debate on this bill, I have recounted many similar examples of such profound disrespect to our fallen soldiers, our veterans and our men and women serving in the Canadian Forces today. As the mischief section of the Criminal Code is currently written, war memorials and cenotaphs fall into the same category as a mailbox or parking meter when it comes to penalties. They certainly deserve better protection than that.
During the examination of Bill C-217 at committee, colleagues from the opposite side of the House made numerous references to mandatory minimum sentences, restorative justice, judicial leeway, discretion and so forth. The member for St. John's East and the member for Mount Royal, who are both very experienced and knowledgeable members, expressed opposition to the mandatory minimum sentencing provisions of Bill C-217. Both of those members and other members of the opposition were pushing for restorative justice and judicial flexibility to be written into the bill. Indeed, several hours of the committee's time was taken up with debate on their amendments in this regard. It is my contention that they missed the point.
Nothing in Bill C-217 precludes a judge from ordering some form of restorative justice, restitution or apology, or other alternate sentencing. A judge could order a guilty individual to spend time at the local Legion to perform community service or even scrub the monument with a toothbrush, for example. The judge would be as free to do as he or she sees fit on a case by case basis after the guilty individual is ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for the first offence.
Staying with the committee for a moment, I should note that an amendment put forward by the government was adopted. It would move the maximum imprisonment under indictment from five to ten years. This is a technical amendment that was brought to my attention by officials with the Department of Justice, and I thank the department for its guidance in this regard. I might point out that the opposition parties voted against the government's amendment, and they also voted against the bill itself in a recorded division at the conclusion of clause by clause. This action speaks for itself as to how seriously they view this issue.
I return to my observation that, under the current regime of the mischief section of the Criminal Code, a war memorial or cenotaph is not accorded the pride of place that we accord them in our communities.
These honoured places we know so well represent shared military heritage and its key role in defining who we are as a country. We can all recall the major milestones and some of the lesser ones in our military history: Ypres, Vimy, the Somme, Dieppe, Ortona, the liberation of the Netherlands, the Korean War, the Suez crisis, Cyprus, the Golan Heights, peacekeeping throughout the Cold War, the first Gulf War, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Afghanistan and, more recently, Libya, to name but a few.
Those names evoke strong emotions among Canadians, and rightly so. They and so many others are part of what defines us as a country. We are a country that defines freedom and liberty to the point that we have sent and continue to send our sons and daughters to dangerous places in the world in defence of that freedom and liberty. We understand collectively as a country what this has cost us in lives sacrificed. To properly honour that sacrifice, we have erected war memorials and cenotaphs across the land, where communities gather to pay tribute to those who have fallen and those who have served.
We would repay that sacrifice and service poorly indeed if we did not do all we can to deter the senseless desecration of these honoured structures and places. My goal with Bill C-217 was to lift cenotaphs, war memorials and other similar structures above the mundane and properly recognize them in the Criminal Code as having special value, value deserving of significant sanction in the criminal law of this country if someone chooses to violate them.
I have related this story before in the House but it bears repeating as to what prompted me to introduce this legislation. In early 2008, in my community of Orangeville, Ontario, the town arranged for our local cenotaph to be sent for restoration. In late October, it was reinstalled with an appropriately solemn rededication ceremonies. Then a few days later, just days before Remembrance Day, vandals hit it with eggs. It cost the town of Orangeville more than $2,000 to repair the damage.
This was the original impetus behind the bill. As I did research on this, I found that this incident was, sadly, not isolated. Without having to dig very deeply, I found dozens of incidents over only the past few years from coast to coast of vandalism and desecration of these important monuments. In many cases, perpetrators received either a slap on the wrist or even went scot-free.
It was said during testimony at the justice committee that we should take into account youthful indiscretion or the lack of education as to the significance of our military history when considering cases of vandalism of this kind. I could not more vehemently disagree. I think of the tens of thousands of Canadian youth who lay in war graves in Europe, North Africa, the Pacific and elsewhere. There is no youthful indiscretion there.
Part of educating those who remain ignorant of the value of our war memorials and cenotaphs includes making it clear in our criminal law what the consequences are for dishonouring them.
The severity of the penalty gives Canadians an indication as to how seriously we as a society and we as parliamentarians view this associated crime. To suggest that vandalism against a war memorial or cenotaph is done on a lark or a whim and should be treated less harshly is frankly offensive to the memories of those we honour with our monuments.
Members will know we just celebrated the 95th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge. Many consider this to be Canada's coming of age, as all four components of the Canadian expeditionary forces fought together as a single unit for the first time. Great odds were overcome at a great cost of life, far out of proportion to our size as a nation. It is a key defining moment in our history as a nation. The Governor General recently led a delegation of thousands of Canadian students to the monument in Vimy to commemorate this important milestone. As well, during 2012 we are celebrating the bicentennial of the war of 1812. Canadians can be justifiably proud of our role in that conflict, another pivotal moment in our history. Throughout this year, many will be paying tribute at our local cenotaphs and war memorials. In two years' time we will commemorate 100 years since the outbreak of World War I, which cost our country immeasurably.
All this is to say that Canada has a proud military history. We have never sought a war, but we have always come to the defence of democracy and freedom when called upon to do so. We have always recognized the bravery and sacrifice of the best among us through our memorials and cenotaphs in the ceremonies we hold there.
Most members know someone who has fought or served at some point in our great country: a father, a brother, a grandfather, an uncle, an aunt, a sister, a mother or a friend. We appreciate these men and women for their dedication and courage and the sacrifice they have shown for Canada. Their willingness to fight abroad for our freedom here at home is an inspiration. The memorials in our communities are dedicated to these people, and none of us wants to see them damaged or defiled. The increased penalties called for in Bill C-217 will make potential vandals think twice before acting against a memorial that holds such significant meaning for this community.
Canadian Forces members continue to serve in Afghanistan, engaged in training the Afghan security forces. Just last summer combat operations ceased and the bulk of our combat troops returned home to a grateful nation. Over the course of 10 years of combat operation, Canada's longest-ever combat mission, we lost 157 brave men and women. As a result, our cenotaphs and war memorials have taken on new significance and value, especially in those communities that lost one of their own. Protecting them from vandalism is more important now than ever.
As members of Parliament, we serve our democracy in a very direct way. It was to protect that democracy and the freedoms that go with it that so many brave Canadians signed up and continue to enlist in the Canadian Forces. Too many of those Canadians did not make it home, and so we have places of honour and great respect in our communities to recognize their sacrifice. We would repay them poorly if we did not do absolutely all we can to discourage people from dishonouring those hallowed places.
Those of us who enjoy the hard-won freedoms that are part of modern Canada owe it to those who have paid in blood and life to keep these honoured spaces free from harm or dishonour. As citizens and residents of this great country, we have a duty to protect and preserve our memorials and cenotaphs in memory of those who have fallen.
To conclude, I would like to thank all the members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for their work on Bill C-217. They gave it thoughtful consideration. While I did not agree with everything that was said, I nevertheless want to acknowledge their work. In particular, I want to thank both the chairman, the member for Oxford, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, the member for Delta—Richmond East for their stewardship of Bill C-217 through the committee process.
Canada's long and proud tradition of standing up for freedom and democracy and defending our values is one of the things that make us the greatest in the world. I believe the passage of Bill C-217 is necessary to ensure that those who would damage our honoured places think twice before they act. I would therefore urge all hon. members to support Bill C-217.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:15 a.m.
Françoise Boivin Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Dufferin—Caledon because I truly understand why he has introduced this bill. This is not his first attempt.
I know that all members of the House are always appalled to hear about incidents such as those that occurred recently in Ottawa and in the hon. member's riding. However, one of the issues raised by the Standing Committee on Justice is that there is no mandatory minimum sentence for mischief in relation to objects of religious worship or cultural property. The fact that Bill C-217 establishes mandatory minimum sentences for committing mischief in relation to a war memorial seems to make this a much more serious offence. I would like the member to talk about this.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:15 a.m.
David Tilson Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Speaker, whatever we are doing now, which is under the mischief section in the Criminal Code, is not working. The vandalism continues.
I understand the position of the official opposition and the Liberal opposition. Their position has been quite clear. They do not like maximum or minimum sentences, and that is it in a nutshell. They want restorative justice and other things. As I said in my comments, Bill C-217 does not preclude a judge making that decision. After people have been fined $1,000, they can have other things applied to their sentences. There can be restorative justice. I say that, surely to goodness, this offence is greater than minor mischief charges. These are very serious things.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:20 a.m.
Kevin Lamoureux Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, we recognize, as all Canadians do, the importance of war memorials and monuments. A great majority of Canadians every year take the time to show their love and appreciation of our forces of today and of yesterday, and assign a great deal of value to the monuments.
The concern, at least in part, that Liberals have is in regard to the issue of restorative justice. I have had the opportunity to work with young people on the issue of restorative justice. Quite often victims themselves would prefer to have some sort of restorative justice rather than just a simple fine. Restorative justice can ultimately lead to a more positive outcome for the community. Could the member reflect on the benefits and acknowledge that there is benefit in some cases in working toward restorative justice? It brings communities together in working with individuals who have caused the damage and there tends to be a great deal more remorse and respect from the individuals who caused the vandalism in the first place. Why would we want to rule out restorative justice, which is what is implied in the current legislation that is being proposed?
Could the member reflect positively on the potential of restorative justice?
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:20 a.m.
David Tilson Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty well going to repeat what I said to my hon. friend from the official opposition.
This sort of vandalism, I am told by veterans today, does not occur very often in Europe. I do not know why that is. There could be any number of reasons, such as the lack of education. The purpose of this bill is to draw to the attention of people of all ages that these sacred places should not be desecrated. That is what they are. They are sacred places to honour our veterans.
My friend and I are on the same committee with regard to other matters. I respect his position on things, but I have never suggested, nor has the bill ever suggested, that no one believes in restorative justice, apologies or working with Legions. A court can rule on that, but it is going to do so after the people who have been charged and convicted pay $1,000. In other words, I am raising the level. I am taking this out of the usual offences for mischief.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:20 a.m.
Françoise Boivin Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague who, by introducing this bill, has made it possible for me to address such an important matter in this chamber.
However, I would first like to say that this bill is a little like many other government bills, even though it is being introduced through the back door as a private member's bill. Bill C-217 seems to be inspired by media headlines. The danger with this type of bill is that it meddles with the Criminal Code. We are supposed to be good managers of this country, good legal experts and supposedly good lawmakers. Lawmakers do not talk for the sake of talking. The danger is that by making piecemeal changes to sections of the Criminal Code, which is something that the Conservative government does on a regular basis, we are creating a monster and those who manage criminal matters every day will have a great deal of trouble working with it.
When we studied the bill in the Standing Committee on Justice, the critic at the time, my colleague from Newfoundland and Labrador, specified that we had no problem with the substance of the bill. We all recognize the importance of war memorials. We have no problem with that. Our problem was, and still is—because the amendments have not been passed yet—with the fact that the government introduces in Bill C-217 changes immediately following section 430 of the Criminal Code on mischief involving religious worship.
The section stipulates:
Every one who commits mischief in relation to property that is a building, structure or part thereof that is primarily used for religious worship, including a church, mosque, synagogue or temple, or an object associated with religious worship located in or on the grounds of such a building or structure, or a cemetery, if the commission of the mischief is motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on religion, race, colour or national or ethnic origin,
a. is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years; or
b. is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding eighteen months.
It is because we raised these points that the government presented its amendment, because the maximum sentence did not make sense. The government recognized that. If we considered that the purpose of the bill was essentially to introduce minimum sentences, then the official opposition could not support this type of amendment given that, in the same section, this did not exist for the other things. Never, during the entire hearing in committee of the various witnesses, was anyone able to tell us in an intelligent or consistent manner why war memorials are more important than places of religious worship or cultural property.
It is important to be consistent. Indeed, there will be a problem when and if this goes before the courts. We do not write just for the sake of it, to return to our ridings and go to the Royal Canadian Legion—that I joined a few months ago—and say that they will be proud of us because we voted in favour of Bill C-217 and we have agreed to make things much more serious. It is important to be consistent. As legislators, we have a responsibility. If this government does not understand its role as legislator, at some point, Canadian society as a whole will pay the price. We agree that there is a problem, but it is important to be realistic. It is not something that happens every day, but there is a problem. That it would happen once, is once too often.
I would have been a little uncomfortable had I not received a letter from the president of the Royal Canadian Legion, who wrote to us, during our committee hearings, on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion. If anyone is proud of their history—of our land, air and sea forces—and of what has been done in Canada's name throughout the world, it is the Legion.
I participate in enough activities with these people to know that they are proud and that they want to educate young people about our history. They want young people to be more familiar with what is happening now and what has happened in our history. The youth of today are quite often unfamiliar with Canada's history. My colleague who introduced Bill C-217 stressed this when he compared our situation to that of Europe, where young people are so proud of their history. I have travelled throughout Europe and I have been to Normandy. It was one of the most wonderful trips of my life, and the most emotional. I saw all the tombstones of our Canadian soldiers, which are maintained by people who go there every day. Of course, it is a proud moment to stand before these tombstones, and one that makes you want to return.
Will slapping people with a $1,000 fine solve the problem of ignorance of history? As the president of the Royal Canadian Legion put it so well:
The punishment should fit the crime and although no incident of this nature can be condoned, there should be provision for restorative justice measures with a mandated dialogue between veterans groups and the offenders. There should be provision where offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, to repair the harm they have done, by apologizing to a group of Veterans, or with community services. It provides help for the offender to avoid future offences and provides a greater understanding of the consequences of their actions.
That is the Royal Canadian Legion's vision, which I share. There is a reason why the Criminal Code section on mischief does not provide for a minimum fine for mischief in relation to cultural property or places used for religious worship.
We feel that war memorials belong in the section on mischief. While we do not necessarily object to mentioning war memorials specifically in that section, it is important to be consistent with the rest of the section, because there is a danger. The member for Dufferin—Caledon was asked about this when he testified in committee. Anyone who has done some criminal law and gone to court knows what will happen to avoid the minimum fine. Take the example of a stupid young person who gets a good slap on the wrist from the authorities so that he understands the seriousness of what he did and is properly punished. You would have to be pretty stupid to do this sort of thing. But who did not do something stupid when they were young? Do we have to slap people with a $1,000 minimum fine to make them understand that what they did was wrong?
The best proof that this is not necessary is that these individuals rarely reoffend, which goes to show that the punishments handed down under the current legislation are successful. Something is missing, though. Students in this country need to be made aware of our history.
I will repeat what I said the first time I took part in this debate, for anyone who did not hear. In my former life, I was a radio broadcaster. One of my best radio programs was one that I had to fight for to some degree, since my program director thought my idea was completely crazy. After travelling to Europe, I said I wanted to do a special program on November 11, which I wanted to begin by observing a minute of silence. For anyone who does not know, a minute of silence on the radio is very expensive. My director asked me if I had gone mad. I told her that I thought it was worth commemorating what happened in our past and giving our listeners a little history lesson. That was my best program. It was an open-line broadcast. People called in to talk about what had happened. That is what needs to be done, rather than adding a subsection that will only complicate section 430 and confuse people, because they will no longer know which section to invoke when laying charges, in order to prevent the minimum fine from being given.
This bill is thoughtful in the sense that it comes from good intentions, but once again, this Conservative government has failed to reach the right conclusion.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:30 a.m.
Irwin Cotler Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to Bill C-217 on the issue of mischief in relation to war memorials and cenotaphs. As I have stated previously in this regard, there is a responsibility to take action against those who would dishonour our heritage, our history and our memorials, the devoir de mémoire, the duty of memory. As I have said before, vandalism and desecration of monuments and memorials is intolerable. Such desecration dishonours us all.
Like every member of this place, I am as shocked as I am pained to read accounts of vandalism and desecration of war memorials. In my own riding of Mount Royal, we are home to such memorials including the cenotaph in the municipality of Côte Saint-Luc, erected in memory of those who gave their lives in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War, as well as the Mount Royal cenotaph in Peace Park, which honours the brave soldiers from the town of Mount Royal who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War. One shudders to think of these community treasures and memorials being vandalized.
However, we have been witness to troubling accounts of vandalism and desecration of war memorials and monuments across the country, as has been set forth before this House in discussion and debate. Indeed, in response to an incident on Canada Day in 2006, when an individual urinated on a national war memorial here in Ottawa, Liberals and in particular my colleague from Ottawa South called upon the government to take action in this regard. As it happens, we have before us today legislation that seeks to address the specific issue of mischief related to war memorials.
However, this is flawed legislation. Accordingly, I will enumerate for my colleagues why, though I am supportive of the bill in principle, I nonetheless feel it would not achieve that which must be accomplished.
First, the measure is duplicative of what is already in the Criminal Code and in our criminal law. It is not as if, without this legislation, mischief to war memorials is not criminalized. Indeed, such behaviour can be prosecuted now under the Criminal Code, as it has been in the past under the general principle of mischief. Moreover, it can also be punished under the subsection of mischief specific to the damage to cultural property provision.
Thus, while we need to denounce and prevent damage to war memorials, cenotaphs and the like, it is unclear that this legislation is adequate in terms of scope. For example, in the town of Hampstead in my own riding, in front of the Irving L. Adessky Community Centre, there is both a cenotaph and a Holocaust memorial. Under the present legislation, only vandalism of the cenotaph would be punished whereas vandalism of the Holocaust memorial would be addressed under the existing mischief provisions. While both could be punished under the provision for "damage to cultural property", it is unclear why a war memorial and cenotaph, to the exclusion of another memorial such as a Holocaust memorial, should receive the unique protection that is offered by Bill C-217.
Rather than dwell on this particular point any longer, I suggest that the government may wish to revisit this area of the law to ensure consistency in the preservation and protection of these important reminders of our heritage and our history.
Second, Bill C-217 makes use of a mandatory minimum penalty. While I have enumerated various critiques of mandatory minimum penalties in this House on the grounds of law and principle, criminal law policy, economics, prejudicial fallout and the like, I do not wish to repeat myself at length on this point. Rather, I will focus my concern in this regard on the use of a specific punitive mandatory minimum in this legislation, where such punishment may not be the appropriate and precise remedy necessitated by the vandalism that it seeks to counteract.
As was discussed extensively in committee, much of the vandalism of war memorials is committed by youths sometimes not even aware of the significance of the site. In that regard, and as we have seen judges determine this in the past in relation to such mischief, it would be more appropriate to regard such youth vandalism to require of them to complete community service projects with veterans groups, or to mandate that they volunteer with veterans. Simply put, rather than collecting a fine and leaving it at that, we should require individuals to learn about the sacrifices veterans have made for this country, to engage with the veterans, to hear their stories and to appreciate the sacrifice that was made.
Regrettably, we discourage the use of such sentencing techniques by requiring a punitive mandatory minimum, where judges may be less inclined to propose such action in addition to a fine or prison term. It may even be that a prosecutor would charge a lesser offence to avoid the mandatory minimum, as we have seen in the past as well, such that this, in the end, would undermine this law's attempt at even specific denunciation of this behaviour, let alone its prevention to begin with.
I find myself, again, in the position where I need to draw to the attention of my colleagues opposite that crime and justice cannot, and do not, only operate in the realms of punishment and incarceration.
Indeed, in relation to alternative sentencing, we have the concept of restorative justice, of which we hear very little from the government, if anything. It would provide for remedies like the one suggested regarding community service and promote the idea that a person convicted of such an offence should make it right, not simply with the state but with those who are harmed and hurt by his or her conduct. As witnesses from veterans groups noted at committee, a heartfelt and sincere apology can go a long way.
Another thing we ignore with the focus on punishment is, indeed, prevention, which brings me to my third and final point; that is, the bill would do nothing with regard to prevention, and it would not serve as an effective deterrent.
The government could have introduced a fund for security at such sites. It could have announced a new initiative to fund events and ceremonies at such sites to encourage broader community awareness and understanding of their importance and place. Indeed, just as the government is now involved in promoting and publicizing the War of 1812, it could focus at this point on encouraging interaction and engagement with veterans, particularly as the surviving veteran population from World War II diminishes with each passing year.
I do not fault the member for Dufferin—Caledon in any way. Indeed, I appreciate his bringing forth this legislation. However, I must take issue with the government's myopic focus simply on punishment and incarceration, ignoring that prevention and restorative justice must equally be considered and, in some cases, would dictate the adoption of measures other than mandatory minimum penalties of a fine, imprisonment or both.
In closing, while I do believe the bill has flaws, I am supportive in principle, given its foundational importance that we remember those who sacrificed so much for us and our cherished way of life and that we honour their memory appropriately.
However, we can have more effective legislation. We could make it better. We can better honour their sacrifice. We can best honour their memory by so doing.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:40 a.m.
Brian Jean Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to stand today and speak in support of Bill C-217, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief relating to war memorials).
This bill is important because, frankly, many people do not recognize what is taking place across this country. They do not recognize the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made in the past, and how they should be respected.
When the sponsor of the bill, the member for Dufferin—Caledon, appeared before the Standing Committee on Justice, which was tasked to study the bill, he observed that the Criminal Code currently treats the desecration of war memorials in the same fashion as when someone damages or desecrates mailboxes, for instance.
The member said that the national importance of war memorials warrants that they be governed by a separate offence in the code. He called them sacred spaces. I would agree with that analogy. I think they are sacred spaces. They are our way of recognizing and remembering those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and secure, and to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.
We have the greatest country in the world not only economically, as has been identified by many people around the world, but also the best banking sector, the best enforcement of the rule of law, the best individual freedoms for people than any other country on the planet.
It is in no small part what the men and women in uniform did in World War I and World War II. Battles like Vimy Ridge established us as a country and gave us pride in our armed forces.
The member also said that under the Criminal Code a person commits mischief by doing certain things. I am not going to go through them specifically, but it is in relation to destroying or damaging property, somebody rendering a property dangerous, useless, inoperative or ineffective.
I did have an opportunity to listen to the previous speakers. I have also had an opportunity to litigate for some years. Clearly, one thing that is not recognized by some parties is the number of people who commit crimes of property damage and mischief, and frankly, the people who commit those crimes are very seldom caught.
There are studies which indicate that only 8% of crimes are ever solved. I would suggest that with this type of crime, the percentage solved would be much lower because the crime is committed anonymously, usually late at night and in a place where there is no witness, nobody who can identify the people. Often people consider it to be a victimless crime and one that does not need to be studied.
To be clear, Bill C-217 proposes that Parliament recognize the special significance of war memorials by amending the Criminal Code to create a new offence to deal specifically with mischief directed at such property, as the code has already identified for cultural property and property primarily used for religious worship, such as churches, mosques, synagogues and temples.
It also proposes that this new offence be subject to mandatory minimum penalties. I know some members of the Liberal Party and the NDP do not agree with that, but I do think it is very important because many judges across the country do not impose consistent sentences. First of all, we need to send a clear message to criminals that this will not be tolerated. Second, judges across the country, whether it be in Prince Edward Island, Fort McMurray or Vancouver, should impose the same sentence for each individual who commits these types of offences and other offences, such as drug dealing and violent crimes.
People who understand the law, such as the lawyers who spoke earlier, will see that in Vancouver, for instance, the courts are more lenient on drug dealers than the courts are in Alberta. We can see that. It is no surprise. Lawyers know this. That is why lawyers shop around in different jurisdictions.
Mandatory minimum sentences are very important. It is important for the judges to understand that legislators such as us are sending a clear message, and they need to send that clear message on to those people who would commit crimes of this nature.
I can understand why Canadians would readily support the creation of such a specific offence, because who does not know somebody who served in Afghanistan, World War I, World War II, or the Korean War? I think all of us have a relative or know someone who lost his or her life or something of themselves in one of those conflicts. Canadians clearly would support a mandatory minimum sentence in this particular case.
We heard from the previous speaker that he is supporting it. He said it is not a perfect law, and I would agree. I do not think there is such a thing as a perfect law, but certainly we need to move forward as legislators to find that balance between what could be perfect and what is necessary to hold these people to account.
If we were to leave the current law as it is, nothing would change. Clearly it is not working. That is why we need to do something. It has failed to discourage people from committing these offences. It has failed to convince people to pay attention to this in their own communities. These monuments lose their importance to Canadians if they see that people can get away with the occurrences that have taken place.
I want to bring forward to the House some examples of what has happened in the past. These examples were brought to light in committee by Mr. John Eggenberger, the vice-president of research at the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association. These examples clearly indicate what is not acceptable and why we should be taking these steps and sending this message.
In September 2006, the monument in Vimy Ridge Memorial Park in Winnipeg was tagged with silver spray paint. I had a chance to go to France to represent our country. I saw the Vimy Ridge Memorial. I read the names of the young men and women who had served on behalf of Canada. The average age of those young people who died I do not think was even 21. We should honour the people who died to establish and protect our country, as well as the many countries and people of Europe. It is unacceptable to spray-paint a memorial that represents people who died while protecting our freedoms.
In 2008, the Korean War veterans memorial in Ottawa was smeared with human feces. How disgusting is that? The National Capital Commission, to its credit, cleaned it up within an hour. The person or persons who did that should be totally ashamed of themselves. It is disgusting and totally unacceptable.
Also in 2008, a 14-year-old boy was caught spray-painting a war memorial on Vancouver Island. I do not see any constructive purpose in that. Maybe that 14-year-old boy should receive some sort of punishment and some recognition for being a youth, but certainly he should be making a dramatic change in his lifestyle. To do something like that shows an absolute lack of respect.
In June 2008, local Montreal Legion members were outraged to discover FLQ slogans painted on a nearby cenotaph in a southwest suburb of the city. Why would people do that to a monument which recognizes people for their great sacrifices? Likely, many of those people who served during those conflicts were related to the individual who did that, or the individual at least knew them.
In April 2009, a large X was painted over the names of the World War II veterans inscribed on the war memorial next to the town hall in Lennoxville, Quebec. A beer bottle was also smashed on the monument. What is the purpose of that? What do people solve by doing that? Clearly, there is a lack of respect and that needs to change.
In 2009, four teens were charged after the war memorial in Welland, Ontario, was vandalized with spray paint.
In 2010, in Trail, British Columbia, a group of youths were caught on video defacing the town's recently restored cenotaph. What happened to those individuals? Some of those offenders were identified but faced no monetary sanctions for their acts.
There is a cost to this. It is not just a cost to Canadians but a cost to the people who actually sacrificed their time to protect our rights and the rule of law that we have in Canada. Many people take that for granted. Clearly, this is one way to establish that they need to take it seriously.
That is why the mandatory minimum sentence of a $1,000 fine for a first offence is absolutely necessary. It is a small price to pay for what our men and women in uniform did for us. It is a small price to pay for recognizing their great sacrifice. For second or third offences, I suggest that the book be thrown at the perpetrators and that they be sentenced to more than 14 days and 30 days as proposed in the bill, because they are not recognizing the great respect that should be shown to the men and women in uniform today and the men and women in uniform who fought for us and gave us our freedoms.
Criminal Code
Private Members' Business
11:50 a.m.
Sylvain Chicoine Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am very eager to participate in the debate on Bill C-217. Before getting into the details of the bill, I would like to remind everyone that, sadly, our nation's history has its darker moments, such as our participation in armed conflicts.
Thousands of Canadian soldiers have fought for our freedoms and democratic values. We recognize that these men and women fought for a cause that they cared deeply about. We have to ensure that future generations learn about the sacrifices that all soldiers have made in the name of a noble cause. The vast majority of them have come home, but others never left the battlefield. Of those lucky enough to return, many carry permanent scars left by the atrocities they experienced on the battlefield. Pain and sadness have affected and continue to affect many families. Unfortunately, nothing can bring back those killed in action. Still, one of the things we must do to show our respect is pay tribute and commemorate their lives. No praise or medal can ever compensate for their service and sacrifice.
Despite our valiant efforts to honour these people, human beings unfortunately have memories that are sometimes a little too short. Therefore, we must ensure that negligence does not lead to a generation of skeptics who are unfamiliar with the history of our country and the lives sacrificed on the battlefields.
Consequently, it is our duty to remember these soldiers and the values that they fought for: the preservation of peace, justice and freedom. We must remember the dedication of these soldiers and their families.
War memorials are a lasting and visible sign that we are grateful for the sacrifices made and that we will never forget the Canadians killed in action. This is not about military propaganda, but recognition for the efforts of thousands of soldiers who died in action. War memorials also remind us that we sometimes find it difficult to learn from our mistakes.
The hon. member for Dufferin—Caledon introduced Bill C-217, which amends the Criminal Code to provide for the offence of committing mischief in relation to a war memorial. This bill seems to stem from the fact that a number of acts of vandalism have been committed against war memorials over the past few years. The hon. member, it seems, wanted to respond to those indecent acts committed against the memory of these soldiers who died in combat.
Nonetheless, we do not believe that sending young people to prison would benefit our society or help young people show respect for our veterans. I think the bill should have focused on education and raising awareness, which, in my opinion, better help prevent vandalism against our war memorials. What is more, the principle of restorative justice has been completely ignored and I think that is a mistake.
The focus should be to make young people realize the importance of respecting the memory of our veterans. A Veterans Affairs Canada report indicates that only 35% of Canadians have attended remembrance ceremonies.
We need to focus on giving Canadians a new appreciation for remembrance. The NDP believes we must ensure that those who made the ultimate sacrifice are not forgotten and that everyone knows that these memorials demand our respect.
We also recognize and commend our community volunteers who work hard to ensure that all Canadians' service and sacrifice are honoured and preserved in memory for the benefit of future generations.
Bill C-217 would amend section 430 of the Criminal Code on mischief and provide for a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 for a first offence, a minimum 14-day prison term for a second offence and a minimum 30-day term for each subsequent offence for mischief in relation to a war memorial or part of a similar structure.
These minimum sentences, added to all the minimum sentences the Conservatives have introduced in numerous bills recently, will clearly have a huge impact on Correctional Service Canada's budget. Putting more people in prison will only add to the cost of incarceration. Mandatory minimums have no deterrent effect, contrary to what the government would like us to believe.
We feel that the bill is excellent in principle, and we certainly have no objection to adding a subsection on mischief in relation to war memorials. However, there are two problems with the bill.
First, section 430 of the Criminal Code already pertains to mischief, which includes destroying or damaging property in general, and the punishment for this crime gives the judge ample latitude in sentencing.
Second, and along the same lines, we are against minimum sentences, because, as other members have already said, they give the judge no latitude in determining an appropriate sentence and they are not the right approach. Contrary to what the government thinks, minimum sentences are not a magic bullet. They are not a one-size-fits-all solution to society's problems. As I said, they have no deterrent effect on an offender who is about to commit a crime.
I am completely convinced that what we need to emphasize is prevention, through awareness and education. Consider the following example from a few years ago: a young man was charged for having urinated on a monument. As part of the offender's sentence, he had to apologize, meet with members of the Royal Canadian Legion and perform community service for that organization. After his sentence was complete, that individual continued working with the Royal Canadian Legion, which tells me that the principle of restorative justice was completely beneficial in this case and that it works.
It is also important to point out that it was the Royal Canadian Legion that asked for and suggested this sentence. Thus, in my opinion, the government should follow the Royal Canadian Legion's example. That organization even told the Standing Committee on Justice that this bill should include provisions on restorative justice, such as dialogue between veterans and offenders convicted of mischief.
The Legion also said that the punishment should fit the crime and that imposing sentences should be left to the judge's discretion. Police officers, speaking on their own behalf, have also openly stated that restorative justice should be encouraged in cases involving vandalism of monuments.
The members of the Standing Committee on Justice requested and proposed amendments to the bill. They wanted to remove the clauses about minimum sentences. They also suggested an escape clause to give the judge the discretion to impose a more appropriate, less harsh sentence. The NDP members of the committee also proposed an amendment to introduce a restorative justice clause, but the Conservatives flatly dismissed those amendments.
Recently, the Conservatives cut many jobs at the centre for research into the prevention of mental illness, and in the epidemiology section, which analyzes mental health issues such as suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. Veterans Affairs Canada's budget will be reduced by $36 million by 2014-15.
How can the Minister of National Defence say that the health of the troops is a priority when budgets for mental health services are being cut? Is this how the Conservatives plan to honour the memory of our veterans?
We have to honour living veterans by providing them with the support and help they need to ensure their well-being. We must honour those who have fallen on the battlefield by taking care of monuments across Canada. The Conservative government still has to go a long way to prove that it really cares about the health of our veterans and about honouring their memory.
I would like to close with a few lines from John McCrae's In Flanders Fields:
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
It is up to us to keep those poppies blooming, to preserve the memory of our veterans and their commitment to freedom, the freedom they have won for future generations.


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My Rant April 3rd 2011 – Federal Election 41
So there is an upcoming election.
As of yet I have had no response from anyone regarding their policies or proposals on the current state of the CBSA. What I would like to know is each party's stance on the current hiring freeze, budget cuts and the ongoing arming initiative.
Why be on Twitter if you are not going to reply to followers?
If you are wondering why there are long line ups at the airports and border crossings…its due to the lack of staffing and restrictions on overtime. The lack of staffing is a result of attrition. Staff retire or move to a different department or agency and their spots are not backfilled. We have pools of people waiting for jobs but no money to hire them. Everyday we are expected to do more with less.
I understand that we are trying to come out of a recession but to cut back on an agency that is responsible for the movement of people and goods, directly affecting the economic prosperity of Canada; not to mention aside from Canada Revenue Agency, as far as I know we are the only other federal agency that actually brings in significant revenue.
So I would like to know….Mr. Harper, Mr. Igantieff, and Mr. Layton, what do you plan to do about this going forward?
I would like to know the following:
1. How do you plan to address the lack of staff and more importantly lack of funding for the CBSA?….the agency that is responsible for the security and economic prosperity for Canada.
2. What is your position on the ongoing arming initiatives?
3. What is your position on the current hiring and competition process administered by the public service commission? I find the current practice extremely ineffective as it rewards people that can write tests and perform in interviews which is not an indication of them being the best fit for the position. Much as passing the bar doesn't mean you will excel at being a lawyer or getting your teaching certificate means you will be a great teacher.
I will probably not get a response to this post...but I'm putting it out there. I hope any Canadian reader outs there will question there MP about this. Especially those of you that I know have experienced the frustration of waiting in long lines at customs, waiting days for a response from the agency, waiting days for the results of an examination so you can get your shipment…and most of all those of you that feel that our service standards are sorely lacking. Some of these things are unavoidable….but many are not. Everyday I feel the public's pain and there is not much I can do but do my part to try make things better…but in reality my hands are tied because we don't have the staff, and we don't have the resources. What resources we do have…much is allocated in the wrong way….and then there's all the red tape.
So if you travel, import, export or even order or have goods shipped to you…please call or write your MP and ask them when they come knocking….what are you going to do about this?
If you enjoyed this post why not subscribe via RSS or join my email newsletter here -> Subscribe

subset: commoncrawl


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>Runner's World - My Event Ratings>
In short: I had a good race but only because I read previous reviewsIn full: I read almost all previous reviews and can say that the organizers are not getting it. It could potentially be a good race, but WHY OH WHY it is that difficult to organize people into pens or have a staggered start?The other problem is the lack of sufficient toilets. I didn't drink anything at all before the race, just to make sure I would not need the toilets. Otherwise it'd been a disaster.I had a good time as I read many reviews and made sure I was at the start by 8am. I had to wait over 1 and half hours, but it was the only option as only those standing near the start line could possibly have a clear run.There were many supporters, plenty of water and a reasonably senic route. The goody bag isn't great, but not really bothered.I can see this race ideal for people who doesn't want to get a PB only a friendly run.Date of review: July 11, 2010
In short: third year, will be back in 2010In full: One of my favorite London races, it is getting bigger every year. New feature was the chip which took the time at the start and finish, too. Thank you Dunn's Bakers for the doughnuts and the coffee.This year the weather wasn't great, but still plenty of supporters on the route.It's not the best race for a PB as there are some hills and the course takes a few sharp turns, but overall a great day out.Date of review: May 17, 2009
In short: one of my favorite races, great for a PBIn full: Great and fast race, achieved a PB as planned. 3000+ runners which makes a great atmosphere. Rugby field next to start is a good warm up place and toilet location that most runners don't appear to know about. This year the chip took the start time, too, unlike previous years, so race results are accurate.I didn't have to queue for the goody bag, mind you I finished reasonably fast. Got enough shampoo and conditioner till next year!!!Didn't like that we had to go and pick up the Tshirts and by Saturday afternoon they didn't have M size for my hubby.Date of review: September 22, 2008
In short: Well organised and friendly - need some markers!!!In full: The race was well organised and the marshalls were extremely helpful and personable. Multiple laps became pretty boring and it was made worse by not having markers for each km. As a result, I did not know how best to pace it and so did many others. Lots of snacks at the end and prizes for up to 7th place in most age groups. To top it all the sun was out.Date of review: July 26, 2008
In short: flat course - PB potentialIn full: Very friendly race, well organized, flat and fast course. Charming people at the food + Tshirt stall and at the bag storage. I bought a running vest for £1 and the £1.50-1.70 burgers were a great value.Date of review: June 15, 2008
In short: loved the doughnut...In full: It was my second year and will definatelly do it again.Best part: free doughnut, good quality Tshirt, a new PB, friendly athmosphere, a nice day out.Didn't like: having to pay for the changing roomDate of review: May 19, 2008
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Bomb threat forces Central Valley evacuation
School officials cancel classes for the day
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - School will be back in session Thursday at Central Valley High School after a bomb threat scrawled onto a bathroom wall forced the evacuation of the campus and cancellation of classes Wednesday.
The threat was founded written on the wall in the girls bathroom around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Law enforcement followed standard protocol and searched the entire school but didn't find anything inside.
The first day of spring brought a lot more than rain to Central Valley.
"Everyone is saying there is a bomb threat and I started freaking out and looking for my friends, making sure they were all safe<" student Caroline Gile said.Central Valley bomb threat
"It was very chaotic, it was rainy, it was cold, we didn't know what we were doing," student Ashly Krashowetz said.
The threat forced 1,900 students to evacuate. Bomb-sniffing dogs from Fairchild Air Force Base were brought in while Spokane County Sheriff's deputies searched the school for anything suspicious.
"Everyone was just scared," Gile said.
Krashowetz, a senior at CV, was one of the students who found the threat written in red sharpie in the bathroom.
"There was just this thing right in the two mirrors and it said that it is going to go off at 12 o'clock today and we are like oh what's the date today? And then it was 3/20," she said.
Students were sent to the back fields and then bused to a nearby church where parents like Amy Kunzpfeiffer rushed to pick up their kids.
"Once it settled in, yeah, panic real panic," Kunzpfeiffer said. "I thought 'Oh my gosh my daughter' and I kind of lost it and then packed up my stuff and said I was heading to the church now."
Shortly before 11 a.m. Central Valley officially called off school for the day.
"We just decided it was the safest thing, we didn't know how long it would take to clear the school, and we wanted to be very careful and cautious about safety," district spokesperson Melanie Rose said.
The next step will be to figure out who's responsible for the threat. Students have their own theories about why someone would do it.
"I think it was some girl and maybe some of her friends and they were trying to be funny and freak some person out and now they are going to pay the consequences," Caroline Gile said.
The consequences would include immediate expulsion from school if the district finds the suspect responsible for the threat.


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A map of the rail stops can be found on this site as well. If you are coming from the Don Muang International Airport, the closest train station is Don Muang train station.
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Royal Lanna | On-line Reservations
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Field Trips - Friday June 9th (all day)
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Update on Bird Flu


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Skip to comments.Oh, by the way: New York forgot to exempt cops from its new ban on high-capacity magazines (Ooops)
Posted on 01/17/2013 8:15:18 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Via Mark Levin, here's what happens when Doing Something is more important than knowing what you're doing. You've got a governor here who's facing reelection in 2014 and may well end up being the national frontrunner for his party's nomination in 2016 if Hillary doesn't run. He's feeling political pressure not just from above, in the form of a president who's vowed to drum up Do Something fever among Democrats nationally, but from below in the form of a rich, high-profile nanny-state mayor for whom this is a pet issue. One of his top national rivals is also scrambling to put together a gun-control package to impress progressives, and the bigmouth from the state next door was inevitably going to start sucking up the local media oxygen by chiming in on this subject too. Action had to be taken, and it had to be taken quickly to impress a left that's grown suspicious of him lately. Result: For the moment, it's illegal for cops to carry magazines with more than seven bullets in New York State. You wanted Cuomo and the state legislature to Do Something, New York. They did it.
They did a lot, actually:
Mental health experts say a new tougher New York state gun control law might interfere with treatment of potentially dangerous people and even discourage them from seeking help.
The law would require therapists, doctors, nurses and social workers to tell government authorities if they believe a patient is likely to harm himself or others. That could lead to revoking the patient's gun permit and seizing any guns…
"The people who arguably most need to be in treatment and most need to feel free to talk about these disturbing impulses, may be the ones we make least likely to do so," said the director of law, ethics and psychiatry at Columbia. "They will either simply not come, or not report the thoughts that they have."
"If people with suicidal or homicidal impulses avoid treatment for fear of being reported in this way, they may be more likely to act on those impulses," he said.
That's a solid result for gun control. The police are momentarily in limbo legally and the threat to the public might actually increase as would-be spree killers decide it's now too risky to seek therapy. Get Cuomo's office a video camera and a group of kids reading letters about gun control, stat.
Update: High-capacity magazines may not be the only loophole that's snared New York police. According to one lawmaker, cops might be technically be banned from carrying on school grounds too.
This is what happens when low information politicians go off half-cocked.
Another example of reading a bill before you pass it. Duh.
there is no reason for cops to have greater capacity mags than civilians. They both have to defend against the same criminals. The cops have an advantage because they usually operate in teams. If they think they need 30 rounders, the people need 30 rounders for the same reason
Maybe they didn't forget. Given how New York law enforcement shoots, it may be a smart thing to limit them too; perhaps one bullet in a breast pocket?
Our founders didn't create a system of governance that works at a snail's pace by mistake. The separate houses are called "deliberative bodies" for a reason.
They're supposed to deliberate, not rush to agreement without considerable thought.
Best comment I've read in a while.
Yep! It's all about 'feelings'.
There is a very small but genuine difference between cops and subjects, err, citizens. While we may only defend ourselves, our homes, and others in harm's way, they are allowed to go on the offensive, chase people down, and storm fortified positions, and remove threats such as friendly Pekingese and terriers.
Low intelligence politicians.
Hey Barn!
Send the Texas National Guard to NY to arrest the NYPD.
Idiots all.
You really don't need more than 10 rounds.
Didn't Cuomo say that?
The keystone cops are back!!
are they also going to fix the law so that section 1 doesn't make it illegal to own any gun at all?
I don't have a problem with limits on government employees.
I do have a problem with the same limits on law-abiding private citizens.
Why do the Police need high capacity magazines? If the law makes them illegal for civilians then no one will have them and the Police will in turn not need theirs. Is that not correct?
According to the government, only the government police needs high capacity magazines, as why else would he government buy 1.2 billion rounds of hollow tip ammunition? Also drones, armored vehicles, etc., and doing away with the 4th Amendment, etc. They're not as stupid as they look.
Now would be the time to gum up the legislative works, somehow, and force the Rat enforcers to live by the same rules as are applied to everyone else. Does the GOP not have any power or backbone in NY (rhetorical question).
Everyone in America should be outraged that this got pushed through so quickly, whether or not you believe in gun control. It goes against the very basic idea of representative government. Democrats will keep doing this to ALL OF US if we let them.
You DU lurkers - imagine if Republicans took advantage of a tragedy at an abortion clinic to ram an anti-abortion law through. How would you feel about that?
Cops may also be at a disadvantage in that way too many don't spend enough time at the range once they graduate from the academy and as a result, they are less proficient with a firearm than the civilian who carries.
Not that long ago there was a viable republican check on democrat power in NY. Republicans held the senate my entire life until a few years ago. The former republican upstate has been destroyed by motor voter laws and same day registration. Now all the idiots that can barely drag themselves out of bed in the morning are registered voters.
The seven round limit will mean that many if not most guns are actually banned, not just assault and semi-autos.
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My favorite tricks and treats are: Jumping and doing flips in the air
Where I hang out: Front window to watch outside or perched high on her tower.
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County has plan for budget shortage
ALPENA – The Alpena County Board of Commissioners, Treasurer Kim Ludlow and the 26th District Court appear to have a plan in place that will pay for the more than $300,000 budget shortage for child care in the county.
The overrun on the child care fund came when Judge Thomas LaCross placed seven juveniles into treatment centers, which costs $300 a day per child and $14,700 a week for all.
The county commissioners budgeted $107,000 for child care and there was an equity account with a little over $90,000 LaCross had to cover any expenses up and over what the commissioners budgeted. The placement of the children has gone through all of it, plus $89,000 due currently and it is estimated it will cost an additional $300,000 to cover the cost for the remainder of 2013. Thus far it has cost more than $600,000 to have the children cared for.
During Tuesday's commissioner's meeting Ludlow told the commissioners $125,000 from the surplus the county has gained so far this year, $87,822 from the circuit court, $188,460 from the budget stabilization fund could be added together and cover the shortfall. Earlier this month Ludlow told the finance committee that revenues were 5 percent ahead of expenses and anticipated there being money to carry over to next year's budget. That is no longer the case.
Ludlow said to prevent the child care fund from getting out of control in the future she is going to meet with the court every two weeks to monitor the budget and cost of child care more closely. Several of the commissioners were upset LaCross didn't inform the county sooner that he had exhausted all of the child care funds and went into the red for the remainder of the year. Commissioner Mark Hall said it is unfortunate the issue wasn't addressed sooner, but said everyone needs to learn from it and move forward.
"Not being notified earlier will be a point moving forward and there are ideas on the table about having the 26th Judicial Court meet more frequently and rest assured we will be working closely with the court to find the appropriate check and balance so this doesn't happen again," Hall said.
Commissioner Scot McKenzie said the county still has reserve funds, but much of it is earmarked or reserved for specific purposes. He said he hopes there aren't any more large issues looming that will cost even more money the county can't afford.
"We don't want to keep dipping into our reserves," McKenzie said. "This has already had a large impact on the finances and spending for the remainder of this year and will affect next years budget I'm sure."
In recent years LaCross typically places two or three juveniles in treatment and the money in the fund normally can cover the cost. With seven kids in the system now it was more than what the budget could bare. Commissioner Eric Lawson said court employees and the county need to work together so this issue isn't repeated.
"To keep a budget on track you have to have some idea with what your dealing with and we know things can come up, but if you're responsible for something that you don't have complete control you need all of the information and help you can get," Lawson said.
Lawson said even though the cost is great he does not want children who need help to be denied it.
Hall said he wants the kids to get healthy and to beat their addiction as well, but in the end the court has the final say on how the children are handled and what type of punishment or treatment they have.
"They determine where people go and the cost associated with it," Hall said. "We may not have any say about that, however it could drive other purchasing decisions if we know what the real issues are."
Steve Schulwitz can be reached via email at email@example.com or by phone at 358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter ss_alpenanews. Read his blog, Upon Further Review … at www.thealpenanews.com


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A collection of stories from individuals with disabilities, families, friends, and disability service providers in Tennessee
Showing stories 1 - 2 of 2
Results related to: Parent / Quality of Life / Shelby County
"My biggest complaint is that people like us need help. Whenever they [policymakers] go to cut that budget it's always the people with disabilities who get hurt by it. They're the ones that need it. They can't do for themselves. I don't think that's right."
"With him [Danny] being 55-years-old, it's not like it was when he was born. Now, there's help. There are programs and suggestions, but when he was born there was nothing."


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Monday, July 6, 2009
R&B Shoot
How was your weekend? I had a fabulous time in Savannah with the boyfriend. It felt like we were there for a week! We really needed this relaxing getaway. I ate, slept, chilled by the pool...it was amazing. I'll show you guys pics soon!
Meanwhile, I wanted to show you some preliminary pics of a shoot I did last week. The shoot featured an R&B group in Atlanta...two girls and a guy. I didn't get a shot of the male singer because I pretty much did basic guy makeup: a little concealer, powder, and filled in some missing patches in his beard.
However, I was able to get a few shots of the two female singers. I'll make sure to post the professional pics as soon as I get them.
My first client wanted a smokey eye with nude lips. I worked on contouring her skin and giving her a glow as well.
On her eyes I used mainly the following: blanc type eyeshadow, soft brown eyeshadow, soot eyeshadow and carbon eyeshadow - all from MAC. I topped it off with some blacktrack fluidline and Red Cherry lashes. On her lips she's rocking Cork lip pencil, Siss Lipstick and Chai lipglass - a great nude lip combo for women of color. Her skin was pretty flawless, I just added some dimension with a bit of my Sculpting Powder in definitive.
My next client wanted color! I took out a color wheel so she could pick up a color spectrum. She was gravitating towards the oranges and yellows. I decided to give her the sunset eye but modified it a bit from yellows and oranges to golds and coppers so that the look was a bit more wearable for the shoot. She had big beautiful eyes so it was easy to work it out.
On her eyes (all MAC shadows): Gorgeous Gold eyeshadow, Mythology eyeshadow, Sketch eyeshadow, Carbon eyeshadow.
I wish I could have gotten a before shot but sometimes you get a little caught up in the makeup and forget! I focused on filling in her brows with a bit of brown eyeshadow and pencil and it made a world of difference. On her lips she has Bateaux lipglass and Chesnut lip pencil.
That's it for now folks! Stay tuned for more later!
Also, don't forget to enter my Red Cherry contest on YouTube!
Atlanta Makeup Artist
15 comments:
- lilruby2010 said...
the looks are really pretty Ren. I always wondered what I should get to do a great nude lip and not I know thanks :D
- July 6, 2009 at 10:22 AM
- avicdens said...
wow u really made them stunning artist!
- July 6, 2009 at 10:58 AM
- Kimboo said...
In your blog you stated 2 guys and a girl you should change that. Goog job on the looks
- July 6, 2009 at 1:45 PM
- Bombchell said...
the 1st girl loks so lovely without makeup, love the shadows with her eyes closed. The 2nd girl, the honey golden look is so pretty.
- July 6, 2009 at 2:41 PM
- rockSTARbeauty said...
great job ren! both looks look great, and their skin looks nice & glowy :)
- July 6, 2009 at 3:46 PM
- 梅子 said...
you always do such an amazing job! hehe
this is definetaly gawgeous
- July 6, 2009 at 4:10 PM
- Elisa Marie! said...
damnn i love itt.. great jobbb.. :)
- July 6, 2009 at 7:51 PM
- *~kAy~* said...
wow.. you really made your first client's skin glow! <3
both very very pretty looks :) you're so talented RenRen! <3
- July 6, 2009 at 9:04 PM
- Askmewhats said...
Renren, I love it!!!! Done a great job!
- July 6, 2009 at 9:19 PM
- AnnaBanna said...
gorgeous! i love that smokey eye look :)
- July 6, 2009 at 11:45 PM
- Phyllis Bourne said...
You transformed these ladies from singers to SUPERSTARS! Awesome job. Wow.
- July 7, 2009 at 7:35 AM
- beautylogicblog said...
wow, gorgeous
- July 7, 2009 at 7:52 AM
- Product Junkie Diva said...
lovely Ren.
- July 7, 2009 at 10:19 AM
- Eclecticldy said...
beautiful looks..they really compliment each of their features :)
- July 7, 2009 at 6:54 PM
- Uche said...
Is there any way you can do a tutorial of the second modified sunset look? It is beautiful and I would love o rock it!
- July 18, 2009 at 2:07 AM


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SANTA ANA, California (AP) — A judge has ordered that a man charged with firing 54 shots outside a Southern California mall be held without bail.
Marcos Sarinana Gurrola was charged Tuesday with 54 counts of discharging a gun in public and two counts of assault because a mother and her 4-year-old daughter were knocked down and injured as they fled.
The 42-year-old ex-security guard also was charged with 10 more counts after prosecutors linked him to a similar shooting in 2011 at the same mall in Newport Beach.
No one was hit in either shooting at the Fashion Island mall.
A police detective says Gurrola told him he discharged the gun because "it made him feel better."
The Orange County Register reports police are investigating several similar incidents involving Gurrola.
Gurrola did not enter a plea. He's scheduled for arraignment Jan. 11.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Heiner Goebbels
Stifters Dinge
ECM Records New Series CD
Stifters Dinge is a "soundtrack album" for a 2007 theatrical installation by composer/director Heiner Goebbels.The work features five mechanical pianos that were reconfigured to produce all sorts of sounds, pianistic and otherwise. Spoken word excerpts by famous figures — Claude Levi-Strauss, William S. Burroughs, and Malcom X — along with Bill Patterson's mellifluous reading of a text by the work's titular figure, Romantic era writer Adelbert Stifter, are joined by field recordings from far flung destinations: Greece, Latin America, and Papua New Guinea .
Integral to the work's staging are elemental components: water, ice, smoke, stones, etc. These supply still another layer of the recording's sound world. Often, as one finds with the crackling ice recordings heard during Patterson's narration, these natural sounds take on a role supportive of the piece's narrative. Elsewhere they seem to be part of its abstract musical fabric. The music itself is of similarly varigated design. The mechanical pianos sometimes make utterances closer to the realm of found sound and experimental electronics. These are mixed with more identifiably pianistic scalar passages. Chromatic clusters and, contrastingly, a bit of Bach's Italian Concerto, make appearances.
Of course, questions of identity are inevitably posed when confronting any work by Goebbels: what does this accumulation of disparate stuff mean? Does it cohere? I can't answer the first question, as I'm certain that there as many pathways into Stifters Dinge as there are elements contained within it. And the second question is elusive too. Goebbels allows his materials to share the same space without forcing them into congruity. Instead, the listener (and, in the case of a live performance, viewer) is invited to engage with a design built out of elements that are in a variety of relationships with one another: sometimes in tension or opposition and at others in accord. And, one finds that when these simpatico sonic meetings happen, like oases in the midst of flux, they are often quite moving. Thus, Goebbels treats both the sounds with which he composes and the listeners who attend to them with a great deal of respect. Stifters Dinge may require much, even from a thoughtful listener, but it rewards them with an imaginative labyrinth of appealing sounds to explore.