Luxury and avarice — those pests which have been the ruin of every state.--Cato the Elder [I wrote this essay for the By The People program of Nelson’s Community Radio on October 6. 2006. There is a renewed concern about the resource industry – oil, gas, forestry, coal – in Northern British Columbia. Sue, who grew up in...

We know they have openly promised to destroy Israel; we are aware they finance the worst terrorist groups in the world, that deliberately target civilians; we have been appalled at how they brutally suppress their own people; we were aghast when they murdered a Canadian photo-journalist while detained in custody; and now,...

In 1989, I sat alone in front of the TV, watching the fight for democracy and freedom come to a head in China. Who could forget this iconic image of a single man standing before the tanks, facing likely death? What strength lives in a soul to find yourself taking such action ? For a young woman like myself, raised in the...

Councillor Cary Fisher asks if citizens know what they’re paying for.  He’s amazed at how little people understand about what the City actually funds.  He shouldn’t be surprised.  He said it’s up to the citizens of Rossland to enlighten themselves on where tax dollars are spent.  But how can taxpayers do that when the City ...

Americans are raised on a peculiar ideology about themselves, their country, and its history. It's called “exceptionalism.” It means they are exempt from learning from history, because nothing they do has ever been paralleled or precedented. They do everything for the first time ever in human history. No one and nothing, bears...

Not long after the Defend Our Coast rallies, a pollster phones, wanting to know who I plan to vote for in the provincial election.  The first party to unequivocally say NO to tar sands oil in pipelines and tankers through BC land and waters, I tell her. This causes a bit of confusion, as it clearly isn’t one of the options ...

A review of documents related to projects undertaken in the arena in 2010 and 2011 raises many serious questions and suggests that Mayor Granstrom and Council have not provided adequate oversight for the actions of staff. In December 2009, the City issued a proposal call for the upgrade of the arena roof.  Council did not...

How can the public give their input into the budget, as Coun. Fisher suggested, while avoiding the potential for "chaos" that Coun. Spearn feared? I have a suggestion for council: swing a deal with ThoughtStream for a software license for the city, and hire one of their facilitators.   Right now, the idea of "engaging" the ...

Just out of Jericho, Bartimaeus sits by the road. Hearing Jesus and the crowd he cries, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. ”Many in the crowd tell him to shut up, but he raises his voice and Jesus, standing still, says: “Call him here.” Changing their tone, the voices in the crowd tell Bartimaeus to “Take heart; get up,...

There is a fair amount of debate today about Canada's role in the world and the role that our military continues to play.  Many feel that Canada should be returning to a peacekeeping role, while others feel that the current direction is more appropriate in today's world.  Regardless of how we feel about this issue, I firmly...