NJN Network

Love of money betrays the cause

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 22, 2009

The protests against Jerry Lewis and his MD Telethon by disability activists is typical of a charity gone wrong. The same thing is happening on PEI with the abuse of disabled children by Rotary, Easter Seals and CBC Charlottetown. Well meaning groups have fallen behind the times and get stuck because the money is too good. It doesn’t have to be that way with Rotary on PEI and MDA don’t have to abuse children either. But money is a powerful drug.

When the the Muscular Dystrophy Association started fund raising with Jerry Lewis decades ago standards were different. We were called crippled children back then. We weren’t expected to grow up, get jobs, have sex and children. I’m not sure why. Does one bodily defect mean everything is broken? Fund raisers needed celebrities and the more flamboyant the more money was raised. Hence Jerry Lewis who is so nutty he doesn’t have a North American film audience. Too weird for us but the French love his slapstick.
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NJN Network, February 21, 2009

To RG
From MJS

Rob, I’m really excited and thrilled to submit our healthy ageing strategy. As you know, “Dead on the Island Today” is by far the most popular section in The Guardian, so I suggest we give this policy initiative a really snappy name like “Getting Decrepit on the Gentle Isle”. This could be a real winner for us.

You will note a big change for us in this report. Normally I believe a 10 point strategy to be the most professional – enough to look serious and committed, yet not too much for the little people to feel they understand. This time I have condensed it into just five points. This is partially because I am anticipating the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle, and I wanted to allow for the likelihood that you may shuffle Neil to this portfolio on the grounds that being near-comatose and near-dead are pretty much the same thing. I was also mindful of Chris LeClair’s comment that he was tired of policies exploding in his face, so the less there is the less the risk. (He is right that this approach worked very well for you in the first year, when there was no policy at all.)
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Nothing on TV could rival the Myrtle Jenkins Smith story

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 21, 2009

I was up way to early and tired of writing so I went into the TV room, yup that’s what we call it. Mostly a place for Hannah and Natalie to hang with the door closed and their friends over. I go in late at night – like 1 am when it may be free. Law and Order came on so I watched this complicated plot about a couple arguing, a woman gets shot, there’s a stripper, her photographer boyfriend, a lawyer with a dead wife, two ex-cons and a 22 caliber pistol. The thing was so complicated then I realized no less strange and complicated than our our Myrtle Jenkins Smith story.

I’ve known Myrtle for decades mostly because Vaughn, her husband, and I were business associates. He’s a pretty easy going guy. Myrtle was always pushing somewhere. When I ran into her as the lead consultant on the Disability Services Review Committee I thought it would be pleasant. She has a good way with people, getting things organized. We seemed to get along but there was something wrong.
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By Tony Carroll, Kingston, Ontario, February 18, 2009

Back in 1995, there was a Provincial election campaign and during this campaign a report from the Board of Education came out that indicated that the Liberal government had slated numerous rural schools to close. It was a bombshell, and Keith Milligan, the Liberal leader of the time, although denying having an agenda to close rural schools, could not deny that a study was done that recommended rural school closures.

Pat Binns, the Progressive Conservative leader, indicated to the public that he would definitely not close rural schools and the result on the electorate was obvious as Pat Binns was elected with a huge majority and stayed in power for over a decade. During his time in power, Pat Binns’ government kept his promise and rural schools remained opened during his government’s tenure.
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Spouse of Liberal Millionaires Club Queen nestled as mole in Treasurer’s office

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
Some of you may think I a wise guy but my brain is pretty slow. It took a reader to remind me that Myrtle Jenkins-Smith’s hubby is a mole over at the Treasurer’s office. Vaughn Smith is a Chartered Accountant and a nice guy. Myrtle wears the pants and Vaughn, well he’s just Vaughn. He works only one floor away from those other accountants who are in the Auditor General’s office, yeah Colin Younker. Colin’s another nice guy and a Chartered Accountant too.
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Everything we need to know about living on PEI according the the Liberal Millionaires Club

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
from PEI Government Press Release

Well, it’s here. The final report on how we are going to age with grace, style and panache. Province Releases New Healthy Aging Strategy. I’m excited. Then I look down and see -WHAAT? – It’s called “Ascent Report”!

Oh God save us please. Another report for our mindless Premier Robert Ghiz prepared by the Queen of the Liberal Millionaires Club – Myrtle Jenkins Smith.

I mean is there a limit to the subjects Myrtle will pretend to be an expert on? She gave us the going-no-where Disability Services Reform Report. It’s also known as – “dust collector.”

Myrtle is the author of that best seller – “How to close rural schools and centralize PEI in Charlottetown and Summerside” or your kids don’t live here anymore, Alice.
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Guardian didn’t get the whole story again

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
with story from the Guardian

You are getting used to hearing the news first on NJN Network. We are happy to report The Guardian confirmed our story of last Friday, Premier Ghiz’s office with Mike Duffy…late Friday night.

Today Wayne Thibodeau reported Duffy, Ghiz meet but fail to resolve differences. Well that’s a week late and a dollar short boys. Let’s see if we agree.

Premier Robert Ghiz and Senator Mike Duffy had a secret, 20-minute meeting last Friday to try and iron out their differences. On Monday, Ghiz wouldn’t confirm the meeting. “If I did, it was private,” Ghiz said. But on Thursday, Ghiz confirmed the meeting did take place but wouldn’t get into the specifics of the meeting.

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Businessman Kevin Murphy will stick up for her

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada February 20, 2009

Why are we paying Valerie Docherty a minister’s salary and expense account, allowing her to fool around with tax payers money only to have Kevin Murphy appear before the Public Accounts Committee? There is no doubt that Valerie has been hiding from the Public Accounts, the press and everyone with those lies about where she is. I’m at the doctors office every Wednesday. No I’m in the Dominican Republic. Give Murphy her job and send her back to the secretarial pool where she has a level of incompetence.

It’s quite a cosy little circle this group. Myrtle Jenkins-Smith, the original Liberal Millionaires Club, is close friends with Kevin Murphy and Tourism Minister Valerie Docherty so he can do that “one lies and the other swears to it” song and dance. Myrtle is the one who screwed up the Alanis Morissette concert and Valerie just had to bail her friend out because, well that’s what friends are for. Uncle Kevin will say those smooth words and make it all seem like a bedtime story.
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Grand Tracadie Home and School Association argues school closing process is seriously flawed

By Martie Murphy, special to NJN Network, Grand Tracadie, PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
Delivered to PEI Eastern School District special meeting, February 17, 2009

My name is Martie Murphy. I have been the President of the Grand Tracadie Home and School Association since 2004.

I am here, again, this evening to speak to the Board of Trustees regarding the violation of the legislation governing the closure of schools in Prince Edward Island as defined in our School Act. Laws or Acts are ENACTED through the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Prince Edward Island. Changes to acts and laws can only be altered through the same process.

Under our School Act, requirements for closure stated in Chapter S-2.1 Sections 3.1 and 3.2 state that the five criteria below “SHALL” be included in the report (Section 4.1 of the Act) submitted by the Superintendent to the Board of Trustees. The term “shall” in the interpretation of an act or statute means mandatory and non-negotiable.
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Cancer, COPD, Osteoporosis Drugs Added to Formulary as Province Begins Modernization of Drug Programs

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Prince Edward Island’s drug programs are undergoing a complete modernization review and, as a first step, additional cancer, osteoporosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drugs are being added to the formulary, the Premier and the Minister of Social Services and Seniors announced today.

The province is investing $1.6 million to cover drugs that will improve the quality of life for approximately 1200 Islanders, with almost three-quarters of the funding being allocated to high-cost cancer drugs.

The funding is being redirected after internal reviews revealed savings in the pharmacy budget, because of increased use of generic drugs and the under-utilization of some programs. The new investment in the formulary will also be incorporated into future budgets.
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ÉDITORIAL

Par Jacinthe Laforest, La Voix Acadienne

De plus en plus, le dossier de Rustico se précise. En plus de prendre une ampleur politique, il prend maintenant une tangente juridique. Au cours de la dernière semaine, l’idée de retourner se battre devant les tribunaux s’est imposée comme une possibilité.

Si la communauté, les parents et la Commission scolaire de langue française sont o bligés de considérer cette option, ce n’est pas de gaieté de coeur. Ils y sont forcés par les actions de la province et en particulier de la ministre responsable des Affaires acadiennes et francophones, Carolyn Bertram, députée du district électoral qui inclut Rustico.
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C’est avec beaucoup de déception que la Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin a pris connaissance de la lettre du ministre Greenan au président de la Commission scolaire de langue française, Robert Maddix, en ce qui concerne le projet du centre scolaire communautaire de Rustico. Cette lettre, datée du 15 janvier dernier, annonce les travaux de planification de la construction d’une nouvelle école élémentaire pouvant accommoder 65 élèves (de la maternelle à la 6e année) pour l’école Saint Augustin sur un nouveau terrain. La SSTA a appris que la lettre du ministre faisait suite à une décision du Conseil des ministres de ne pas aller de l’avant avec le projet d’un centre scolaire communautaire à Rustico, lequel étant nécessaire et réclamé par le Conseil acadien de Rustico depuis plusieurs années.
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PEI Rural Alliance needs a strategy and it’s not putting a muzzle on Peter Llewellyn of Georgetown. Changing public opinion is your only hope.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 19, 2009

Here is how this battle’s shaping up. We’ve got a government with law and power on its side. It can do whatever it wants and your recourse is to the courts and the next election. They already thought of that. The Courts will likely side with the government. PEI Courts are some of the most conservative in this country. If you had 10 years to fight to the Supreme Court of Canada like the French School Board, you might win and that’s a slim might. Most lawyers will take your case for the fees or on enthusiasm and empathy. All a court challenge will do is cost you money and waste your time. You don’t have any time to waste.

The next election is beyond September 2009 so that’s no help. Ghiz intends to close the schools this fall.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 19, 2009

PEI Rural Alliance better circle the wagons because the end is near. Can’t you smell it.

What’s that smell in this room? Didn’t you notice it? Didn’t you notice the powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

That’s what we got going on here in this little backwater Province of PEI. We got ourselves the stink of lies, of swamp water in the hot deep south. We got an autocratic Premier who wants to close rural schools. He hires his favorite hired gun Myrtle Jenkins Smith to write a phony report. We got a school superintendent Sandy MacDonald with a doctorate in mendacity. You have to keep a list on the fridge of all his lies. List of sneaky and dishonest acts by Eastern School District

That Sandy he’s got the agenda all laid out so you parents don’t upset his September 2009 start up.
Timelines:

January 7, 2009 Release of School Organization Plan
January 7 to May 12, 2009 Receive Feedback
February 12 to April 21, 2009 Public Consultation Meetings
May 13, 2009 Review and consideration of feedback begins
No later than May 31, 2009 School Board decision forwarded to Lieutenant Governor in Council
After May 31, 2009 Create Transition Teams to oversee any changes that will become effective as of September 2009

There’s no doubt. The decision is made. You’re just delaying it.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 19, 2009

The recent decision of Premier Robert Ghiz to refuse Federal funding for the French cultural centre is another brick in the wall of PEI’s officially sanctioned bigotry and discrimination. Ghiz is the leader of the Liberal Party which implies some sort of liberal values like tolerance and respect for human rights. It was Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who gave us the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Of course, the Charter was based on Conservative Prime Minister Diefenbaker 1960 Bill of Rights. However, Ghiz finds it politically expedient to cancel those linguistic rights in the face of opposition from the Cymbria Lions Club. I can’t think of another occasion when minority rights have been thrown out the window for such a frivolous and slight reason.

Leaders are supposed to lead, to lead people to a higher plane. President Kennedy exhorted young people to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” President Obama encourages us to put the old ways behind us, to believe in a better fairer world. Yes we can says Obama. Premier Ghiz campaigned on respect for minorities and change to a better way on PEI. He has slipped into some of the worst regressive policies in PEI history. Can he pull out of it or will he go down in history as scandal ridden and bigoted?
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By James Rodd, Leader of NDP, February 11, 2009, West Prince Graphic

The Island New Democrats congratulate the members of Rural Alliance for raising the debate over the survival of our rural schools. The Alliance has brought to light the broader issue that must be addressed – the survival of our rural communities.

For well over 50 years, Liberal and Conservative governments have been reluctant to play the kind of pro-active role that governments must play to protect our rural communities. The threads of our rural fabric have been allowed to unravel.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18th, 2009

There’s a tangled web between Cymbria Lions Club and Minister Carolyn Bertram. Why else would she risk offending the Francophone community and their English supporters. Yes there are plenty of Canadians who support Acadians in renewing their language and culture. Some are Charter supporters. Some have French in their heritage although they don’t speak French. Some are looking at their careers and their children in the Federal civil service where functional bilingualism is required at almost every level.

Lions thought they had enough clout to torpedo the whole thing, school and all. There is a rumor they have more on Bertram than just the vote threat, but heaven knows what it could be. Apparently Bertram was poisonous at the meeting and Gizmo not much better. Way unprofessional. The brain trust thought they’d be able to double cross both sides but keep them quiet with “the Solomon fix”. At this stage the Lions strategy has focused on torpedoing the cultural centre. Maybe they think the Conseil and other groups will still use them. I think hell will freeze over first. Could this nonsense happen anywhere but PEI?
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Payoffs in not-for-profit sector

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18th, 2009
When Marcia Carroll got the position of Executive Director PEI Council of Persons with Disabilities I hoped it was a fresh start for PEICOD. It’s actually been more regressive than the former administration of Barry Schmidl. Carroll is a personal friend of Premier Ghiz who has turned out to be a disability bigot. Ghiz is using her personal loyalties and grants to keep the PEICOD from advocating on behalf of the disabled. That makes Marcia Carroll a disability bigot as well. They’re in fine company these Liberals. People like Carroll are really parasites, living off the disability of others while pretending to help them.
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Our PhD

Sandy MacDonald, glib answers barely hide the deception

of prevaricating caught in the act

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18th, 2009
PEI Eastern School District superintendent Dr. Sandy MacDonald has been up to his eyeballs in lies and deception recently as he tries to hoodwink the PEI populace in closing 11 rural schools. Along with his hostile body language he was barely able to contain his contempt for the public meeting last night at Charlottetown Rural. The meeting room was packed with parents who made several good points.

Apparently the school board is planning to break ground on the expansion of Montague Intermediate without disclosing it in the supplementary report. MacDonald said the cost was buried in the capital costs of the high school which left everyone in the dark.
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Turns down Federal money for cultural centre

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 17, 2009
with story from CBC

Ghiz never turned down free Federal money before. Why is he playing games with the French school board?

The Lions Club have lost. A school will be built and they are still sore losers. It’s like your landlord getting mad when you buy a new home and move out of the apartment.

The rest of the story.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada February 17, 2009

PEI’s Premier Robert Ghiz had a proforma meeting with the French school board yesterday to tell them the bad news. The Board may have thought the meeting was a consultation. That would be generous since Ghiz has his mind made up on every issue well in advance. He wants to close the 11 schools in rural PEI. The English parents will use the French school in Rustico as red flag in their case. How can Ghiz spend $2 million on French students and close their schools some. Since the Federal government is providing funds for the cultural centre in the Rustico school the argument is illogical but plays well politically. Ghiz and Chris LeClair, his brain trust, see themselves as Machiavellian political manipulators. All decisions can be made in advance and you merely have to manipulate public sentiment. If the French school board sues, Ghiz wins since the decision is delayed beyond his mandate. The School Board would have to get a special intervention from the Supreme Court which is not likely.
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More of the same PEI politics won’t be a cure

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16, 2009

I agree strongly that women should be represented in all levels of government based on their population %, that is 50%. The recent study by PEI Coalition for Women in Government has some interesting facts. The barrier to seats in the Legislature is getting nominated. Women are elected in the same percentage as their nominations. What I disagree with is that the workload issue should keep women from elected office. Solving problems means a fresh approach not throwing more money and people at the problem.
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Ghiz overheard humming, Now and then there’s a fool such as I.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16th, 2009

PEI’s Premier Robert Ghiz showed his inexperience and ineptitude by dividing Rustico along linguistic lines and not closing the file quickly. Today he turned down the request of the Commission scolaire de langue française de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard for the a cultural centre to go with their new French school in Rustico. While the money was apparently coming from Heritage Canada, it mattered not to Premier Ghiz. He tried to play Solomon and divided Rustico along language lines, a deft act. The conflict was between the Cymbria Lions Club who were renting an old school building to the French School Board. The Lions fought to retain their $90K per year income from rentals. While the Lions Club could not stop the school from moving to the new building, they could act like a monkey in the works by interfering in the negotiations between the Federal Government, the Province and the Commission scolaire de langue française.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16, 2009
with stories from The Guardian

Some days The Guardian is so bad at reporting the news you wonder what’s going on down there. Today was typical and it gets my goat. The Editorial comes out squarely on the side of closing small rural schools. They report Wes Sheridan’s budget woes but won’t report a solution like stop the patronage waste. To make sure we get the real news, they devote 17 column inches plus 2 pictures to a really important story – dog licenses go up $5 in Stratford. It’s like reporting your house is on fire but not calling the fire department. Or that bizarre story with photo op of the homeless man but waiting for a reader to call Social Services. They just don’t get it at the Guardian. They’ve been feeding us pablum for so long they didn’t notice we moved on to other sources.
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation $2 billion investment proves class size is not important, quality of teaching is

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16, 2009
with story from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

I want to acknowledge and thank long-time PEI social advocate Bill Campbell for sending me this story.

Bill Gates retired from Microsoft and is dedicating his billions of dollars and time to improving social issues around the world, including health, education, and poverty. After spending $2 billion, an enormous amount of money, on education, Mr. Gates has concluded that class size is irrelevant in determining the quality of education of children. The real predictor of how well children are educated is the quality and innovation of the teachers.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16, 2009
with story from The Guardian

The Guardian reports “PEI’s Treasurer Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan is warning it will be a tougher budget than in the past.
Sheridan has completed about 25 public consultation sessions” We gave Sheridan one of the big sources of found money in our consultation – save more than $100 million by strict tendering of all PEI goods and services. The Province of PEI law, Maritime Procurement Agreement and NAFTA require tendering. The Province has fallen off the wagon and is spending more than $100 million wasted on patronage and mismanagement. The assumption on patronage purchasing is that you’ll get your share. The reality is that crumbs are thrown on the floor for small business and the big patronage bonanza is for a small number of rich business men like the late Harry MacLauchlan and the Matheson brothers.
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Bigotry against Acadians now squelching freedom of speech

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 15, 2009

Well well our friends at Cymbria Lions Club don’t believe in freedom of speech, expression, opinion and of the press. They closed their Facebook site today and booted me off. Probably because they know they’ve lost the battle to stop the French school. I wrote that up this morning Cymbria Lions Club on a losing streak and these Lions are not like Lions in the rest of the world – they get sore.
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Premier Ghiz schemes with Sandy MacDonald. Eastern School District superintendent, to close down rural schools and rural PEI. We got the facts and uncover these two. Big cast of characters in this plot.

Fighting the Acadian parents isn’t going to work

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 15th, 2009

This is for the Cymbia Lions Club. You lost. You cannot win.

I’m sure that if the Lions put their minds to it, they will come up with lots of great ways to serve the community that don’t block the rights of the Acadian minority.

It should be a win-win for them.

From my read of the comments and players, this is a male versus female battle. Women are arguing for soft issues – culture, language, education, children – and men are arguing about money.
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Over heard by the cleaning staff

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 14, 2009

Editor - Freshly minted Senator Mike Duffy, recent of CTV political commentator fame, has garnished considerable press with his “not your daddy’s son”, “rambo”, in “bed with Premier Danny Williams”, and “getting the shaft” comments. The press is hounding Duffy who avoided the reporter’s scrum yesterday in Charlottetown. Well you could hardly call a lame duck question from PNP nominee John Jeffery a scrum, more like a scum. Duffy is a media darling everywhere. He even got his own NJN Network video, Mike Duffy Shut Up. Here is the transcript from the Jones Building cleaning staff interviewed Friday the 13th. UPDATE The Guardian reported on February 20th, 2009 that this meeting occurred but you read it first here.
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File under, changing deck chairs that evening on the Titanic

By by Interior Design Hag, special to NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 13, 2009

Hard times in the Maritimes. Word reaches us that Mme la Ministre Bertram is redecorating the Throne Room, er, her office. No expense is being spared as artisans and other horny-handed sons of toil labour under the eagle eye and unforgiving artistic genius of the Michelangelo of Hunter River.

Brocades are brought in in sample lots and Canalettos are assessed for how they show off her eyes. The finest ebonies and other rare woods, ripped from the dying jungles of east Asia. Fourteen painted panels will represent her accepting the grateful thanks of the tributary groups of her wide-ranging ministry, created in the style of Norman Rockwell.
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Some kind of wonderful in hiding this week

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 14th, 2009

It may be Valentine’s Day but it’s been Februarius horribilis for Minister Carolyn Bertram. She’s nobody’s favourite dance partner anymore. With all the deftness of a 300 lb ballerina, she has divided the placid waters of Rustico Harbour. She’s taken a Federally funded program and make herself goat of the week. Swift but not sweet Carolyn. Carolyn even has Noella Arsenault, one of the two mothers who whipped Pat Binns in the Supreme Court of Canada, calling for her resignation.

No wonder she sent Richard Brown to announce the funding for the Confederation Centre. Here are the honorable no-shows for the event -

On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Senator the Honourable Michael Duffy (Cavendish, Prince Edward Island) and on behalf of the Honourable Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities Cultural Affairs and Labour, Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry today announced funding for the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust to continue renovations and infrastructure improvements to the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

If I was Carolyn, an improbable suggestion to be sure, I’d a’ made that safe bet. Everyone would have been all happy happy with the Charlottetown elite’s favourite cultural white elephant. I like the Confed Centre: it’s just too rich for my budget. I like a club where the beer is $3.75 and the show is less than $8. My gal she likes those Confed shows that cost $35 each and the water is $5. I hold out until she buys the tickets. Sometimes she takes me: sometimes she goes with her girl friends. You win some and you win some.
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New school not in plans, MacDonald and Ghiz playing games

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, February 13, 2009, with story from the Guardian

The Souris parents may think they are getting a new school but the official report published in December 2008 says that two Souris schools will be renovated if the parents agree to close Fortune, Eastern Kings and Rollo Bay schools. It’s hard to trust Eastern School District Superintendent Sandy MacDonald when he continues to play mind games, tricks, pay bribes and generally confuse the situation with rural school closures. The Guardian is obviously trying to tilt the game towards Ghiz’s plan when they report half the facts like the story today.

In the case of Teri Hall, chair of the Parents for Learning committee, Terri and her group were paid $15,000 last year to write a report supporting one new school versus 5 existing schools. The report is even more insidious than the two $90,000 reports the Premier hired Myrtle Jenkins Smith to prepare, one on enrollment and the other on disability reform. Here Ghiz ensured local support by bribing a few key players into compliance with the school closure plan. The official school closure plan was written by Chris LeClair in the first months of the new Ghiz government and given to Jenkins Smith and Sandy MacDonald to push through, no matter what. LeClair is nothing more than a not-for-profit consultant in a cheap suit, masquerading as an expert in government.
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Premier Ghiz, fire that man. Or resign yourself.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, February 13, 2009

Some of the board documents list Eastern School District Sandy MacDonald as having a PHd. In what, lying and deception? Which graduate school teaches that?

Let’s list the sneaky things Sandy MacDonald has done. If I miss something, please send me a comment or email njnnews@gmail.com :

1. Hired Ghiz’s patronage consultant to cook the enrolment report for $93,000
2. Use old enrolment data in the report and unscientific statistical analysis
3. Try to bribe Parents for Learning committee with $15,000 consulting fee
2. Released the report on the last day of December when the media and most people are off work for the holidays
3. Omitted all impact information
4. Muzzled Infringed the Board members responsibilities to listen and talk to public
5. Infringed the Board members Charter rights to freedom of conscience, thought, belief, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and freedom of association. That pretty well sums up Section 2 of the Charter apart from religion and the press. That single act to me is unconscionable in a public official. MacDonald should resign or Ghiz should fire him. We don’t pay public officials big salaries to infringe our rights.
6. Told the CBC Compass on February 5th, 2009 he hadn’t done an impact study
7. Produced a 56 page Impact study on February 10th, despite having only one working day, the 9th.
8. Told Parents for Learning offside they “might” get a new school while reporting two schools would be renovated.

How can we trust him? Who can trust him? It’s too much to keep up with. I’m sure the list is going to get longer. We need people in public office we can trust and this man has broken faith with Islanders.

The lies, cheating, playing one community against the other, obfuscation and dishonesty have gone on long enough.

Premier Ghiz, fire that man. Or resign yourself.

What in the hell are Bertram and Cymbria Lions Club thinking?

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 13, 2009

Fury is being unleashed on Minister Carolyn Bertram and the Cymbria Lions Club over their interference in the French school debate. This morning 4 more pointed and heated comments were on this story. Bertram trips over Lions in the wardrobe, Lions Club is missing too much, and Lions stop thinking about our money

Minister Carolyn Bertram is taking major heat on this issue by trying to play the middle. No other single issue dominates reader interest on NJN Network. The top 5 stories for the past two weeks have been about the French school, Carolyn Bertram and the Lions’ opposition. I dream that Islanders would galvanize so strongly around the disabled seniors issue.
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Hiker discovers PEI Rural Stategy in fields of Alexandra

By Countryman, special to NJN Network, Alexandra, PEI, Canada, Feb 13, 2009

While wandering around the fields of Alexandra, I found a piece of paper with the following contents. I believe it may be related to the long awaited rural strategy document. I wonder if it got dropped and lost and hence the delay in the rural strategy? Anyway, I am glad to share it with your readers.

To: RG
From: Myrtle

Really neat strategy for Rural PEI

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the cheque. I did a really slap up job on the research for this one. Not only did I check the first page of Google links on a “rural strategy” query, I also checked Yahoo. I have not charged you any more for this additional work. As with the Wind Strategy, I am like really really convinced that a 10 point plan demonstrates professionalism, structure and all that good stuff that Chris Leclair is always going on about. And also looks good on a flip chart. I think flip charts are so dynamic and corner office managerial. BTW, I was amazed to discover that the Island goes on for several miles after Summerside. Who knew?
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, February 12, 2009
with story from the CBC

Having watched and heard the case for both sides in the French school debate, it’s easy to see why Minister Carolyn Bertram chickened out and did nothing. The new French school has to be built so her approval on that is proforma. Blocking the school from having the community centre flies in the face of the Supreme Court ruling but appears to appease the Lions Club.
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Baddder than ever

Find out why Robert Ghiz is in real trouble over his latest decision to oppose the francophone parents.

Is Bertram afraid to wander where the Lions are?

by Sportsguy, NJN Network , Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 10, 2009

Premier Robert Ghiz hiked over to the airport to welcome Sports Minister Carolyn Bertram and to congratulate her on her magnificent feat in winning the junior curling gold for PEI.

The Premier of Brighton said: “I have always said that PEI is just one rink, and this achievement, Madame Speaker, reminds me, Madame Speaker, of – ahhh – all the wonderful things Val Docherty has done for the province, Madame Speaker, with her – ahhhhh – tireless work to promote sports and culture, Madame Speaker, and – ahhhhh – to walk the streets of Downtown Breadalbane, Madame Speaker, bathed in the golden glow, Madame Speaker, of – ahhhhh – yet another policy developed by Myrtle Jenkins-Smith, Madame Speaker, fresh from her triumphs, Madame Speaker, in the glorious fields of Alexandra …”
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By the Gang who can’t shoot straight

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 10, 2009

When I see how badly Premier Ghiz has handled the disabled on PEI and every other issue it reminds me of that silly movie “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight”. It’s a story of a bunch of crooks who messed up every job. Aside from the fact they were criminals, you had to laugh. Robert Ghiz leads a gang who can’t shoot straight. Given a simple task of adding seniors to the DSP, they bungled the job. Given the task of fixing the DSP, they got on their horses and rode off in all the wrong directions. Now they’ve got rural Islanders upset. It’s the same on every file. It must be discouraging to Ghiz to fail miserably at their jobs day after day.
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