Massive Police Budget

Harvey Simmons speaks out for the candidates of Mayor that remain silent. He notices that the candidates were afraid to mention the gross budget for the Toronto police. The Toronto police budget stands at nearly 1 billion per year. This means the police consume more of Toronto's operating budget than the fire service, Emergency Medical Service, and public health combined. What's worse, when Torontonians complain about another rise in taxes, more than 24% of that goes to the police. More than the TTC, public health, children's services, and Emergency Medical Services combined as listed above. The police enjoy enormous popularity with the public, they have powerful and combative union behind them. However, no relation between numbers of police officers, police expenditures, and crime rate. No matter what the police may say, or the public believe, studies have proven that crime rate is because of the economy, wages, and the change in the market for illegal drugs. This means that the 1 billion dollars on the police is merely a waste of the taxpayers money and an excuse for the Toronto police to live a life of luxury.

Though I do believe our "protection" as citizens is important, the gross overpayment of the Toronto police officers is unacceptable and should be changed. The police are important, but the budget should not outmatch fire services, Emergency Medical Services, public health, TTC, and children services combined. Also, the public cannot believe everything the media and police have to say. If proven statistics say that more policemen and better equipment will not reduce the crime rate in Toronto, then why continue to supply the police department with such gross over payments of funding? This wasted money on firearms and equipment could be used for better transport services, better public health care, better childcare, etc. yet the government continues to pour money into the police departments coffers. Police funding is obviously necessary, however, there is no point in supplying the police with a billion dollars if it will go to waste anyway. The money should be used on more productive elements.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/771685--now-is-the-time-to-discuss-city-s-massive-police-budget

Where's The Money For Schools?

Since the Canadian government decided to kick start the economy last year with the Economic Action Plan, the federal government has committed 9 billion to funding more than 6,700 provincial, territorial, and municipal projects. In Ontario, they are funding many "worthy" projects. Toronto police division will get 17.1 million, Horse Palace will get 1.4 million, and the Royal Ontario Museum will get 5.25 million. Toronto public schools will receive nothing because school boards do not meet federal eligibility criteria. An appalling 425 million is given to colleges and universities in just Toronto. The 240,000 students in the Toronto District Board will receive nothing from KIA funding. Learning for students does not begin when they enter university or college. It begins much earlier, in the classrooms, science labs, and libraries of our public schools. Bruce Davis believes that it is time to send Canadian leaders back to school. He believes there is a lesson that they need to learn.

I believe Bruce Davis's statements are correct, however, he may be overreacting at the seriousness of this problem. Though it is true that Ontario public schools did not receive any of the 9 billion in 2009, they did receive 5 billion from the federal government in 2005. Ontario public schools do need funding, but not the the extent that everything should be renewed at a yearly basis. In fact, when it comes to math and science, Ontario's high school student rank among the best in the world, surpassed only by Finland and Singapore. I do not believe we could have achieved this with old and faulty equipment. Also, I believe universities require the government support more than public schools in Toronto. Universities are areas of higher learning. This means they require "top notch" technology and the most up to date information that is available. This will make the transfer from high school to university a much richer experience. Both Canadian high schools and universities require funding; however, there is no need to assault the government with minuscule problems that seem larger than they really are.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/769795--where-s-the-money-for-schools

Toyota Saved 100M by Limiting Recall

Toyota has recalled more than 10 million vehicles worldwide and is now sending president Akio Toyoda to testify before the United States Congress. Toyota executive boasted of the company saving $100 million by negotiating a limited recall for Toyota Camry and Lexus ES cars over a problem that could cause unintended acceleration. Toyota called an equipment recall to repair an "accessory" on non important part of the vehicle. However a month after the announcement of the recall, a family of four was killed in a Lexus with it's gas pedal stuck under a floor mat. NBC News criticizes how a "win" for Toyota means reduced safety for American motorists. However, Toyota is careful to get out of any further conflict. "Our first priority is the safety of our customers and to conclude otherwise on the basis of one internal presentation is wrong. Our values have always been to put the customer first and ensure the highest levels of safety and quality." They hope that this will shield the fact they wished to secure $100 million. Other examples of missing safety procedures to save money are phasing in new safety regulations for side air bags saved the company 124 million and 50,000 man hours. Delaying tougher locks saved them 11 million. It seems Toyota is more concerned about their financial standing than the safety of it's customers.

It seems that Toyota's bragging of saving money, but reducing safety measures has gotten many professionals irritated and irate. I believe they have the full reason to feel this way. Toyota should not care more about how much money they can save if it reduces safety in their cars. Toyota believes that gaining financially is more important than public safety and well being. They procrastinated and removed many safety features in order to save money and man hours of their workers. This seems, to me, unfair and selfish of the company. It seems they care more about themselves than others, which will only ruin their reputation as the top car manufacturer in the world. Also, the many fatal errors in Toyota's manufacturing may bring up lawsuits by their customers. If great enough, the money they saved from removing safety precautions could be replaced by debt from mass lawsuits. Is saving 100 million dollars really worth possible lawsuits, the death of innocent citizens, and a debilitating reputation? I personally, believe not.

http://www.thestar.com/wheels/article/769481--toyota-saved-100m-by-limiting-recall-report

Words Matter, In English And French

Unity in diversity: isn't this what the Canadian dream is about? This reason is why many French Canadians felt sad and frustrated at the minuscule French content during the 2010 Opening Ceremony. Many French singers were rejected from the opening ceremony because of their language. In fact, many English speaking Canadians found the absence of the French language noticeable as well. Bilingualism does not mean all Canadians should speak both languages. It is a countries unique approach to diversity. No language should try and out match the other. This will only lead to conflict. This, Andre believes, is what occurred during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. The English language had a much greater presence than French. Many Canadians wondered: "why spoil this moment of pride with out old quarrels?" Why? Because it is difficult for the country's 7 million francophone's to feel proud while their language is being excluded. If the French Canadians do not protest now, their language will be excluded even more in the next major event in Canada.

Canada's bilingualism was put to the test during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympics. The minuscule amount of French language was clearly noticed and found disturbing by both French, and English Canadians. I believe the French expressing worry is appropriate. They are trying to protect their language and culture in a "bilingual" country. It is unfair for the government to censor the French language from the Olympic games. As Canadian citizens, the French population has the right to be treated fairly. The exclusion of their language in the 2010 Winter Games is not "fair". Also, I agree with Andre when he says "No language should try and outmatch the other" because this Opening Ceremony is a prime example of just that. The Government believed English was superior to French, thus greatly reducing the amount of French spoken in the Opening Ceremony. The French must protest now before the next major event held in Canada. The more they stay in silence about their language, the more it will be shrugged off and forgotten.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/767109--words-matter-in-english-and-french

Georgian Olympian Luger Dies After Training Crash

Just hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympics, Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died after a horrendous training accident. He was raised in a picturesque alpine resort which leads many locals to believe that the training crash that killed Kumaritashvili was due to lack of experience. These statements especially vex Kumaritashvili's father, who was a former luge champion. He says: "First and foremost, 150 kilometers per hour is too fast for this sport. So this was unacceptable. And there should have been more safety measures at the luge -- nets, or more cushioning around the columns." The luge course was actually known from the start that it was the fastest course in the world, and therefore the most dangerous. But both boys, Kumaritashvili and his partner Levan Gureshidze, were still very eager to compete and to be successful. At the same time, sports officials have defended the integrity of the track, which has been operational for two years. In 2008, Josef Fendt, the German president of the International Luge Federation, expressed concern that sliders at Whistler were reaching speeds of 150 kilometers an hour, which he described as "worryingly high." Following Kumaritashvili's death, however, Fendt denied the track was dangerous, saying, "It's one of the fastest tracks, but we have never said it is too fast." It's an assertion that has been challenged by officials like Vakhtang Gegelia, the vice president of the Georgian National Olympic Committee. However, many people believe otherwise. They believe luge should not cause death, and GNOC's attempts to make luge more exciting has turned the sport dangerous.

This tragedy, I believe, was because of the stubbornness of GNOC to reduce speeds and increase safety precautions of the track. The knew Luger's were capable of reaching 150km, and they didn't have significant protection at the most dangerous turn of the track. This shows GNOC's inability to notice large flaws in their sporting events. Another thing I find appalling about this article is the fact that people wish to blame Kumaritashvili's accident on his own abilities. He was obviously trained well by his father, who was a former luge champion. Questioning his abilities of the sport is unfair and obviously incorrect. If he had the ability to earn a spot in the Olympics, he obviously had the skill. It was the danger of the track that cost him his life, and the GNOC needs to see that. The world lost a great Luger last Friday; and if it weren't for the stubbornness and insecurity of GNOC, this "accident" could have been avoided.

http://sports.espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2010/luge/news/story?id=4909034

When The Patient Can't Afford The Care

When Pauline W. Chen first started dealing with patients as a doctor, she noticed the appalling prices of many simple medications required to substain a healthy lifestyle. She first realized this during her training for residential surgery. She was taking care of her patient who had just had surgery on his abdomen. She noticed that the gauze had been packed more loosely and changed less frequently then instructed. When she called him in started to lecture him on the importance of dressing changes, he leaned over to interrupt. “Hey, Doc,” he said, pointing to the pile of unopened gauze. “Do you think I could have the extra? This stuff isn’t cheap.” She was appalled at how he had to cut down on gauze and dressing materials because of his income. Beforehand, she believed that being a good doctor meant knowing the clinical facts down cold. However after this incident, she realized that being a good doctor didn't just mean facts and surgeries. A doctor had to understand the current economy it's patients were living in. She decided to look into this problem farther. She noticed that most medical graduates are now taking economics and social sciences in University. A recent poll found that students who had attended the school with more of these types of courses (economics and social sciences) were significantly more satisfied with their education than students from the school with fewer. In the end, Pauline W. Chen believed understanding a patients medical needs as well as economic standing would help doctors make correct decisions on to the treatment of patients.

I believe what Dr. Pauline W. Chen has said about medical care is clearly correct. Here in Canada we do not have to worry about healthcare as it is payed for in our taxes. In America, it's a completely different story. It's every man for himself with medication, surgeries, and transplants costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. An average American citizen cannot afford to pay this sum of money for something that should be free. Why must something so abundant and important be sold at a price in which normal people cannot afford? If it is essential to one's life then why even put a price on it? Has the government become so selfish that they cannot save millions of lives through cheat and efficient healthcare? Dr. Pauline W. Chen believes doctors can make a difference to the patient's bill through learning about the economy in University. However, I believe it is mainly in the government's power to control this problem. If the citizens cannot trust the government enough to provide beneficial healthcare; what possibly could the citizens trust the government on? If the government does not realize this flaw in society, medical standards and admiration may begin to decline.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/health/04chen.html

Case Stokes Haiti’s Fear for Children, and Itself

As Haiti’s crippled government asserted itself in the name of defending the nation’s children, officials made it clear that more was at stake. In the wake of the worst natural disaster in Haiti’s history, the authorities have opened the country to a flood of international assistance, some of it coming uncomfortably close to infringing on national sovereignty. The 10 Americans, the authorities said, had crossed the line. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive angrily denounced them as “kidnappers” who “knew what they were doing was wrong.” The Americans, most of whom are affiliated with two Baptist churches in Idaho, said they were trying to rescue orphans from the earthquake and take them to an orphanage they were setting up in the Dominican Republic. But that noble intent came under scrutiny on Monday as questions were raised about whether all of the children were indeed orphans. An 8 year child told workers "I am not an orphan." She said that her mother had just arranged a short vacation for her. Fearful of the possibility that unscrupulous traffickers would take advantage of Haiti’s sundered justice system to take children from poor families for illegal adoptions, prostitution or slavery, the government had halted all adoptions except those already in motion before the earthquake. Mr. Bellerive’s signature is now required for the departure of any child.

While I feel that their hearts are in the correct place I believe that this is a great example of self delusional arrogance. If you go to a country that has bad living conditions you cannot simply take children across international borders because you feel that you are doing the right thing. Though they're eventual goal was bright, the volunteers went about it the wrong way. Taking children and taking them out of the country is not the right answer. Before anything was done with the children, they should have checked with the authorities and government officials. They broke Haiti laws for what seemed like personal gain. Though they may have been trying to help secure a better future for these children, they are only causing more and more problems for the troubled country of Haiti.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/world/americas/02orphans.html