Ron Lising gets job with the City of Vancouver

Well here it is. The story everyone’s been talking about. Front page of the Vancouver Province was a story about how full patch member Ron Lising got a job collecting garbage with the city of Vancouver right after getting out of jail for trafficking crystal meth on behalf of the Hells Angels. A lot of people are writing in and are really upset about it.

One person asked why every one is upset. Surely everyone wants the guy to get a real job and leave the Hells Angels and the drug trafficking behind. Yes they do. The problem is, that job starts off at $60,000 a year and is in a strong Union. There are a lot of people in line who would like to get that job and all of a sudden someone with a criminal record for threats and harassment jumps the queue and gets the job other people are waiting for. That’s the concern.

People say if you can stick it out until you get driving the trucks, you’re got it made. Driving the trucks is a lot easier than lifting garbage all day. Does he get to jump that queue as well?

The Vancouver Province reported that: City Manager Penny Ballem told the Province Friday: "This individual has worked for the city this summer season, I'm not going to deny that. Beyond that, I'm not at liberty to discuss any specifics. I can tell you that the city takes its hiring process and the safety of its staff and the public very seriously."

The city takes its hiring process and the safety of its staff and the public very seriously? Evidently not. The guy has a criminal record for assaults, threats and harassment tied to a criminal organization. Identity theft from garbage is a huge concern. The Province is now reporting that the city is going to review the decision after it went public but the bottom line is that if it wasn’t for public pressure they wouldn’t have thought twice about it. These are tax dollars remember. Public accountability is crucial. As is the safety of the public and all it’s employees not just the Hells Angel hang arounds.

In fact this story has opened up Pandora ’s Box regarding corruption at city hall. Years ago the CBC did some under cover investigative journalism of their own. They had one of their journalists pose as someone tied to the mafia in New York City. To make their case believable they told their contact to tell Paul Volpe that their uncle was involved in the Garbage industry in New York. To which Paul Volpe laughed and said well you’ve got that right. Implying that everyone knows the mafia controls the union that collects garbage in New York City. (Fast forward to 3:30 in the video)

Everyone talks about the corruption in Montreal’s city hall but is Vancouver and Surrey any better? I think not. Quebec has a task force to find and address the problem. We don’t. Vancouver City Hall already gave the Hells Angels 2 million dollars. The City of Vancouver bought the Drake hotel from the Hells Angels to turn it into social housing. Only they paid them $2 million more than it was worth. That in effect is handing the Hells Angels 2 million in tax dollars.

You don’t have to call it a bribe to know that was a crime. That was money allotted for social housing. It was robbing from the poor and destitute to give to rich criminals who already exploit the poor and disadvantaged in East Vancouver. Don’t even get me started on Godzilla and her secret development corporation Michael Geller calls a conflict of interest. Montreal’s corruption is nothing compared to ours. Who knows what the mayor of Toronto was thinking getting his picture taken shaking hands with a member of the Hells Angels.



The questions that arise are if the mafia controls the garbage industry in New York City how much influence does the Hells Angels have over that industry in Vancouver? What else are they influencing? Everyone knows they control the docks and the Longshoreman’s union. When are we going to address that? One blog reader claims his sources tell him they control the plumbers Union as well. I wonder if there are and business agents in the Teamsters here that are tied to the Hells Angels and are involved with hiring in that Union. The list goes on. Pandora’s box has been opened and the concerns need to be addressed.

"There are definitely known members of the Hells Angels working on the waterfront in Vancouver," he said. A 1995 police report on the situation counted 10 known gang members and 30 of their associates within the longshoremen's union.

"Not all the information behind these initiatives is shared with all stakeholders, Bloor said, because of the work's sensitive nature. The books author said Hells Angels businesses in the Lower Mainland included bike shops, cell phone outlets and real estate, construction and waste disposal companies. They are also involved in sex-related businesses and the drug trade."

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Update: The Vancouver Province is reporting that sanitation workers say they believe the department’s hiring manager, Mike Zupan, was aware of Hells Angel Ronaldo Lising’s background. No kidding. Scamorama.