Censorship on Castanet

Castanet is a popular forum in Kelowna run by a local newspaper. I found it when I noticed people were coming to my web site from links people posted in that forum. It appears that many people in Kelowna are concerned about the gang situation there.

I joined the forum and after several threads discussing gangs started to name names those threads were deleted. Then I was told that no discussions about gangs were allowed at all. I was somewhat shocked as that kind of blatant censorship is somewhat surprising coming from a newspaper where one would think they would report crime not hide it.

True many papers go for the sensationalism just to sell papers and true many papers go to court facing legal threats for exercising their Charter right to free speech. Yet some smaller papers or Internet servers would just rather avoid court altogether then fight for their right to free speech.

The Vancouver Sun and the Vancouver Province have both gone to court to request court gag orders be lifted and have fought valiantly to defend free speech.

Recently someone posted a thread on Castanet about gangs and I was somewhat interested in seeing how long the thread would last. It went on for four pages talking indirectly in a humorous manner of how groups of deer could be considered a gang as they toyed with the topic. Once again I noticed the thread because someone had linked to my web site from it and traffic was coming to my web site from the link.

So I weighed in and joined the discussion. Someone had mentioned the gang problem in Winnipeg and I quoted that post and posted a link to a news article about how the Hells Angels were collecting dues from the Zig Zag crew who sold crack in Winnipeg. Shortly thereafter the thread was deleted.

Someone sent me a PM through E-mail and I wasn't able to respond because their PM function was disabled. So when I posted a thread about local snow with my e-mail address for the person to communicate with me directly, that thread was also deleted. Shocking.

The amount of censorship that exists on the Internet is somewhat frightening. Obviously Castanet owns their own forum and set their own rules. They can censor anything they want. Often news agencies do this to promote a particular political slant such as Fox News or Conrad Black's acquisition of news outlets. Nevertheless for the general public that kind of censorship is surprising given the false impression we had of media outlets being non biased that simply report the news.

I realize that someone has been threatening Castanet with legal action. Perhaps they are also rightfully afraid for their personal safety. Clearly we can see why they would cave in to censorship. No one wants to end up shot like the Montreal reporter who reported on the Quebec biker war.

Yet it is difficult for any news outlet to maintain any sort of credibility whatsoever when they ban public safety issues that link to news reports. Linking is not defamation so they surely aren't afraid of being sued for slander. That's what makes me wonder if they are also afraid for their personal safety since people like Geoff and Britney are turning up dead or missing.



Not being allowed to discuss crime and public safely seems like some kind of George Orwell fiction. It doesn't seem real. Yet we are clearly witnessing it. We are told free speech is one of the things that makes North America great. Yet free speech is not only being gradually removed from North America, any discussion about the removal of that charter right is being carefully deleted with absolutely no recourse whatsoever.

Youtube has a recourse if someone makes a false claim. You can file a counter claim and go to court to settle the matter. Forumer has no such recourse. You are guilty unil proven innocent and given no opportunity to prove your innocence through due process. Now that is scary.

Liberals froze minimum wage

Well this is rather bizarre. A headline on the front page of the Vancouver Sun said something to the effect of how the Liberals think it's time to raise the minimum wage. "In a significant departure from Liberal government policy, the Liberal-dominated finance committee says it's time to raise B.C.'s minimum wage."

"Significant departure from Liberal government policy" indeed. Gordon Campbell's liberals are the ones that froze the minimum wage in B.C. for so long making it the lowest minimum wage in the country. Them parading around with the notion that it's time to finally raise the minimum wage is not only pure hypocrisy but smells like an election is in the works. Kinda like how Harper dropped the GST a percentage right before he introduced the HST.

That same day the paper reported that the Crown agency that provides services to the developmentally disabled has closed at least 19 group homes across the province this year, government documents show. There has been a long list of Gordon Campbell's liberal cuts for the disabled that paid for their double raise and gold plated pension. Closing Riverview was just one dirty deed among many.

The only thing that could save Gordon Campbell's liberals would be Dianne Watts. She has declined. Anything else would continue the status quo. Media reports that the new liberal leader needs to distance themselves from Gordon Campbell yet all of them are surgically connected to him and his bad policies.

Rich Coleman was quoted with some pretty bizarre nonsense about how great Gordon Campbell was that even surpassed Steven Harper's bizarre tribute for selling out the Province to the Harper HST initiative. They are all Campbell clones. Even Blair Lekstrom who resigned over the HST is an opportunist. He was just trying to save his own ass like the many conservatives that started jumping ship after the fall of Brian Mulroney for implementing the GST. Let the recalls begin.

Christy Clark was an interesting addition to the list of contenders. She has been slightly distanced from Gordon Campbell of late. Unfortunately her running for the cruel Vancouver NPA shows that she hasn't distanced herself far enough from Campbell's cruelty.

The only positive step forward for British Columbia that I can see is a coalition lead by Bill Vandersalm supported by Carol James. Everything else would be more of the same stuff just in a different pile.

Britney Irving still waits for justice

OK so Gimli knew Brittney. Interesting but not really significant. Tammy knew Brittney too but that doesn't make her a suspect. Surely everyone that has been seen with Britney isn't a suspect. Yet finding out who supplied her with Oxycontin would be important. Maybe Britney got her Oxy from the same place Shane Bunting got his since they all hung out together?

So Joey was arrested but is he out on bail? That would be rather bizarre. Letting someone charged with murder out on bail as soon as they do away with the two for one pretrial credit.

Clearly Britney will never see justice in this life. Douglas Kuntz never saw justice. Kuntz was murdered because someone owed him money. The people who were hired to kill him were convicted but the person who hired them to commit the murder wasn't. No doubt the same thing will happen in the Britney Irving case.

When justice sleeps, innocent suffer.

Sergeant Darcy Taylor

Update: Darcy Taylor's absolute discharge.

Sergeant Darcy Taylor. A Sergeant with 21 years on the force apologizes after going to court having been caught on video hitting an innocent bystander in the neck with his nightstick at full force and plowing him to the ground. He said he was full of adrenalin at the time.

Oh that excuses it. Kinda like the other police officers who assaulted and robbed the newspaper deliveryman in an unprovoked attack. They did that because they consumed more than a dozen drinks of alcohol that evening so that makes it all OK. They're not responsible for consuming that much alcohol or for their actions after they were drunk. One of those officers was a use of force trainer. Something is very wrong here.

It makes ya kinda wonder if the other officers who were not caught on film but beat the tar out of the wrong guy are lying about their side of the story. The miss use of force is one concern but the arrogance and the dishonesty is another.

Wachtel’s lawyer, Jason Tarnow, who obtained surveillance video of Taylor and sent it to the Police Complaints Commission and Crown counsel, said outside court he was “outraged” that no witnesses took the stand except Taylor.

“The sergeant was out-of-control, he just ran up to Justin and hit him as hard as he could on the throat with his baton,” said Tarnow, who said Wachtel, 27, is a marketing professional and a small, slight man.

“Justin is completely non-aggressive and now he has just lost all trust in police and the justice system. Dozens of witnesses would have testified the officer was cursing and striking out.

“The video clearly shows the officer’s behaviour. It was just brutal.”

The video obtained by Tarnow, part of which was shown in court, shows Taylor striking Wachtel, who falls backwards. Taylor then turns on another man, who picks up his bike to ward off the police officer.

Attacking the throat with a weapon is considered lethal force. It is only authorized when directly faced with a lethal attack. Not against and unarmed, unprovoked civilian. Someone needs to be retrained. This man dishonours the poppy not to mention the uniform.

Nicolo Rizzuto shot at Montreal home

Nicolo Rizzuto, the father of purported Montreal mobster Vito Rizzuto, has been shot and killed in his own home, according to reports.

Hold the door. They guy was 86 years old. What kind of stunt was that? Murder an 86 year old man? I know his son is serving a 10-year prison sentence in the U.S. for racketeering but 86? Who are they trying to punish?

It reminds me of the young guy with a fat belly and tooth pick legs that shot an old man on video in Italy. Were is the nobility in that?



The Montreal Gazette claims that the police refer to Nicolo Rizzuto as the former Mafia godfather of Canada. Did you catch that? Former. Why kill him now when he is 86? The police considered Francesco Arcadi to be Nicolo Rizzuto's son Vito's replacement in the Canadian mafia.

Now I'm certainly not going to disrespect the Rizzuto family like I have David Giles or some of the local wanna bees we have here in BC. I'm not that stupid. Nor will I post a picture of him attending his grandson's funeral. That's not my style. But I will say this Francesco Arcadi looks like a punk. Kinda like the type of guy who would order the hit on an 86 year old man or a driver who would shoot his own boss in the back. Now that is low life.



The decision to kill him in his own home, with his wife and daughter nearby, was interpreted as an intentional deviation from the Italian Mafia’s standard modus operandi for murder.

“It’s out of the ordinary,” said Pierre de Champlain, a retired RCMP organized-crime analyst and author. “It denotes to me that Nicolo Rizzuto had really become a disgrace in the eyes of the Montreal Mafia.”

Or more accurately it shows that the people who ordered the hit are dirt. They are A) not Italian or B) scum.

The NPA are Cruel

Speaking of the NPA, here we have Vancouver NPA Counsellor Suzanne Anton spewing more hate and intolerance. Don't you just hate it when the opposition complains about everything? Sure that's their job but come on, everything?

The Olympics was a wonderful event and a huge success. I was skeptical at first and likely would have voted no to holding them in the referendum had I been given the opportunity to vote. The key point is that Larry Campbell from COPE did hold a referendum within his jurisdiction. The City of Vancouver by the voice of the people chose to hold the event.

Concerns were raised about costs and expenses. Some found cutting public funding for youth sports somewhat contradictory to the Olympic Spirit. Nevertheless, I'd have to say it was the Smurfs, the army of cheerful volunteers, that made the event possible. So now we have this wonderful legacy of the Olympic experience. Everyone wants to hold on to and rekindle the Olympic flame of nationalism that was out poured on the streets.

I remember everyone dressed with flags as capes singing the national anthem and saying to my daughter, ya know if this was Americans doing this, everyone would be complaining. Yet it didn't matter because the experience was magnificent. Why not continue that Olympian effort and reach out in the spirit of tolerance and inclusion?

Why douse the flame with hate and intolerance? Why?

The Olympic village was the source of controversy for the money that was spent on the media. After all, isn't the media supposed to pay for broadcast rights? That's what advertising is for. Nevertheless, what's done is done. There was a large public outcry to turn the village into social housing. Wishful thinking perhaps but it was a noble idea.

So here we have Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson announce that the city council has decided on a compromise that will see some of the units go to social housing. Some is better than none. They approved a similar proposal for Vancouver’s American Hotel in East Van.

Well a compromise isn't good enough for the NPA. They want to eliminate all social housing once again just like how they were kicking the homeless out from under bridges and stealing their few personal belongings when they were in power before Larry Campbell restored dignity to the City of Vancouver.

Suzanne Anton claims that the decision of city council is undemocratic. Well last I heard the Mayor only had one vote and if he is sitting as the chair he only gets to use it to break a tie. So what is undemocratic about a decision made by an elected body? Oh they didn't do what the NPA wanted. That makes it undemocratic.

Obviously I don't agree with every position of any political party but I think Vision Vancouver has a vision. The NPA don't. The NPA are heartless and intolerant. Vision Vancouver rising to the challenge of finding a healthy and compassionate compromise is not only Canadian but champions the Olympian Spirit.

Don't forget, we hosted the Paralympics right after the regular Olympics. We cheered on the Paralympians and welcomed them to our city in the spirit of Vancouver's own Terry Fox. The NPA now tells us that allotting some units of the Olympic village to social housing is a waste of taxpayers money. Some would argue the Olympics was a waste of taxpayers money. This was a healthy compromise.

Please don't insult our intelligence with the ridiculous misconception that the social housing units will be full of pimps and drug dealers. If tenants break the law they will be evicted. Are you saying we are too proud to share our city with anyone who is mentally or physically challenged or with anyone who is poor? Shame on you Susan Anton and the NPA. We are better than that. We are human and proud of it.

Thank God for Vision Vancouver's ability to find compromise and balance. That is the Olympian Spirit.

Think about it. The French version of the Olympic theme song I Believe is called J'Imagine. Yet the French verb for I believe is je crois. Instead they chose the term j'imagine for the translation which really means I imagine which is the first step towards believing. I imagine a tolerant society. I can visualized it. Then take a few more steps and I believe it. Je crois parce que je l'ai vu dans mon imagination. Thank God Mayor Robertson has vision.

Geoff Meisner is not Forgotten‏

Someone was having trouble posting to the blog and asked me to post this on their behalf. I didn't write it but am keenly interested in it. If anyone knows anything about Geoff's dissapearence please call Crimestoppers. You certainly could contact me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The ONE YEAR anniversary date of the disappearance of Geoff Meisner is nearing. You would think a year would be plenty of time for someone to at least make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers to bring Geoff home to his girls. Whatever happened these four children and their mother are the ones that have paid the real price and will be scarred for the rest of their lives. Now standing alone as the rest of the Meisner family has also disappeared from their lives.

Do the people involved in Geoff’s disappearance have no family…. No innocent children that will be affected if you are sitting in jail. You have no value in human life - would that still be true if something was to happen to one of your family members.

Mr. H your large family of brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, nieces and nephews - some already pals with the Kelowna under world. Do you worry about their life span? One seems to be pals with KKuntz are they friends or just stocking each other.

Who did you hire this time after you convinced Geoff to do those runs for you??

That brings us to the replacement laundry man and auto broker….. Does cutting edge have a family?? You didn’t think as a major player you would get off ‘scott’ free LOL. Shouldn’t you be paying child maintenance for these girls?

Do you do the laundry for all the organizations in Kelowna so feel protected from your name used in a sentence with the Meisner case. You are the only business in Kelowna that would not hang a ‘Missing’ poster of Geoff yet you had just had property conversations and auto broking deals with him. Are you the one that actually set Geoff up??

He was caught off guard by the too good to be true business deals. Calgary, Las Vegas . .. . . . . . Ken.

You are all so intertwined in Kelowna property, transport, warehousing, lawyers, accountants, etc etc even though you have different affiliations. How will the truth bring everyone down??

You could run and hide in California or only as far as Maple Ridge. Who is Riley?? Until the facts come out all the puzzle pieces will be put on the table, you could stop it by giving up the relevant pieces.

The H/A in Kelowna seem to have become nothing more than a club of HAS BEENS that have totally lost control of this town. The Geriatrics H/B Forever Club.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawson Creek Drug Bust

Well this is good news. Eleven people - eight males and three females - have been arrested and face charges after a three-month drug-bust investigation in Dawson Creek.

"This is the second undercover drug project to take place this year in Dawson Creek," said Cpl. James Rutledge. "The first one, which took place last spring, was a joint effort with the North District Drug Section from Prince George and successfully targeted the highest level drug traffickers in Dawson Creek."

Three cheers for the Police! Clearly not all police are bad. When we heard about the death of Natasha Dostal in Dawson Creek as well as the double murder there and the drug related violence that some claimed was connected to the Hells Angels we began to be concerned. A big gang can paralyze a small town.

Knowing that the Hells Angels control the drugs in neighbouring Prince George would indeed make them prime suspects if not persons of interest in Dawson Creek. Well a local cabbie has also heard rumours that the Hells Angels are responsible for the drug related violence in Dawson Creek. Let's hope this becomes a regular place for the gang squad to visit. Cheers.

CJ Spoon

Well CJ Barroby strikes gain. Do I think you're sexy? No I do not. Do us all a favor and put your shirt back on. Please. And your pants. I guess your friend was right, this photo will be on the Dirty soon. In Fact CJ links to pictures of him on the Dirty. He loves the attention.




Do ya wanna spoon with me? Dude, when this hot young lady invited me up to her room, spooning with you is NOT what I had in mind.




Oh well, here's to CJ Spoon. I guess what they say about him on the Dirty is true. He drops his pants for almost every occasion.




Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground. Just ask DeStorm and the General Larry Platt.




Even when shopping with his new boyfriend.




The ladies are just paid for the show.



Dude what is up with that lip stick?



Does he where it everywhere he goes?



Now that is a face only a mother could love.



Randy Jones has way more class than that. Too bad he contracts out the sleaze to such an idiot. Any high school geek can make a facebook group contacting strippers. Ladies have a little self respect. This guy is dirty. He's even on the dirty and I wasn't the one that put him there.

The Woodwards Squat

Affordable housing is a huge concern in Vancouver. Many on the right are afraid of the word social housing. I am not. The idea behind renting a flat for one third of your monthly income is a good one. Welfare rates aren't enough to live off. That is why so many people live on the streets.

The working poor are in the same situation. Minimum wage has been frozen for many years but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Wages have changed. Look at the grocery industry. Woodwards in Guildford used to sell groceries. Now huge grocery chains like Safeway and Save on Foods have changed. Superstore came in and under sold everyone so everyone had to take huge cuts. Now if you work in the grocery industry you make a lot less that you did 15 years ago yet the cost of land and housing has increased significantly. Times have changed and it hasn't been for the better.

I met a guy from England yesterday. I have some ancestors that came from the same part of England as where he was from. They came over on ships to Canada in the 1700's. On the passenger list their reason for leaving England and coming to Canada was the same as most other passengers on the ship. Taxes and rent were too high so they came looking for a better place to live. I joked about how we are now seeing ourselves in the same situation with taxes and rents being so high only we have no place left to go.

In England you have more squatters rights than you do here in Canada. Instead of owning land in England it is more common for someone to buy a 100 year lease on a home for the same price. The only difference is that when the lease expires you can't leave your home or land to your children as an inheritance. As a result, in London there are many abandoned buildings. Since homelessness was a big problem there too, the slogan was don't let houses rot, squat. It kind of made sense. The Crown had all these abandoned buildings no one was using. If someone wanted to move in they could. Until the owner got a building permit and was ready to do something with it.

Such was the case with the Woodwards Squat. The old Woodwards building hadn't been used for many years. A group of people decided to move in while they were waiting around trying to decide what to do with the building. Those people were physically evicted from the building and forced to camp outside on the sidewalk.



The rains came and the sanitary and health conditions of the outdoor squat began to deteriorate. Then they said it was an eye sore and were preparing to move in and crush the crowd. That was when the ruthless NPA were in power in Vancouver City Hall who adapted the policy of kicking the homeless out from under bridges and stealing their personal belongings. Three cheers for First United in providing storage containers for the homeless.

The NPA were wiped out in the next civic election and Larry Campbell, Vancouver's own da Vinci saved the day. His response was far more compassionate and far less confrontational. He said they were going to find housing for the squatters before they dispersed them and moved them all on. I will clarify that they were physically removed from the squat in the very beginning and forced to camp outside on the sidewalk which isn't really a squat.

Nevertheless Larry Campbell was to be commended for having the decency to help the homeless. Unfortunately, Gordon Campbell's huge cuts to pay for his huge raises and pension have seen homelessness rise exponentially.

The point I'd like to make is a simple one. When reading over some statements from the squatters I recently saw an affidavit that said the squatters weren't just being harassed by the police. They were getting it from both sides. The drug dealers across the street were complaining about their presence and wanted them moved because the squat was reducing their sales.

"Drug dealers across the street, on Hastings, insist that they are losing $2000-$5000 per day in the trade of crack cocaine. If this was true it would lend credibility to the remark made by Jon Stovell, president of the "Gastown Business Improvement Society," that area business is suffering. This morning dealers attacked members of the squat kitchen crew in an attempt to steal food. Additional support from the community is required during the early morning hours (midnight-8am) to ensure safety at the squat."

Larry Campbell did wonders in raising the bar for humanity by showing a little compassion for the homeless. He promoted the Four Pillars. Others exploited that program and turned it into a one legged horse by only using one pillar and completely ignoring the other four which made the program fail miserably.

Enforcement is one of the four pillars. You can't have harm reduction if you don't have enforcement. That doesn't mean beating up the addicts. It means arresting the dealers. Yes it's frustrating to see the dealers get out of jail so fast in our revolving door judicial system. Yet al lit takes for evil to triumph is for good people to remain silent and do nothing.

We can't stand by idly and let the drug dealers sell crack in public. As long as we do that there will be gangs fighting over the profits and addicts getting beaten by the dealers and thrown out of windows. We stop the violence by enforcing the law and not letting the dealers sell crack in public. That would include East Van.

Sons of Anarchy

On the flip side, today I felt like I woke up in the land that time forgot. I see these two guys walking around in what looked like support gear. Then I get up close and one looked like support gear but the other was a patch on the back of a hoodie that said Sons of Anarchy British Columbia. The guy looked about 50 years old.

I'm like what the hell is that? Sons of Anarchy is a freaking TV show. It was the same name but the bottom rocker said British Columbia. OK maybe the guy just had worked on the set and was wearing a hoodie from the TV series. Surely you wouldn't have a grown man wearing a patch for a new puppet club named after a TV series. That wouldn't even be mid life crisis that'd be just plain dumb.

The Dark Side of the VPD

This is both sad and revealing. We were shocked when the police responding to a domestic abuse call went to the wrong door and gave the wrong guy the boots. We were encouraged when Jim Chu announced that he felt investigations into police misconduct should include public civilians. We were saddened once again when the Delta investigation into the incident proved to be a farce.

Now it appears the police are going out of their way to rationalize the Delta police's investigation with a bizarre story that just doesn't make sense. Proving that not only was the Delta investigation a farce but that something is very wrong with not only the process but with the VPD.

Without trying to burn every conceivable bridge possible I will clarify that there is not a doubt being a police officer is a very hard and often thankless job. Not every profession requires a person to put their life at risk every day. That is to be commended. As is the fact that there are more good people out there than bad and that includes Police. There are more good police than bad police. However, that doesn't mean we should lie for the bad ones or for the good ones who just make an honest mistake.

Today the Vancouver Sun ran an article showing that the police's version of events are very different from the victims version. Someone is lying. Let's give the police the benefit of the doubt for a minute and assume they aren't bending their version of events at all and are telling the truth. Their story is that they were responding to a domestic violence call. These kind of calls are dangerous and urgent. It is understandable that the police would have a sense of urgency finding the assailant and subduing him.

It's 2:25 AM. Two plain clothes police officers knock on the door. Without trying to distort the event one could conceivable visualize that the police banged on the door yelling open up, police!

So here we have a guy woken up out of bed in the middle of the night, groggy, to the sound of banging on the door with two frantic plain clothes police officers yelling open up police! My first reaction would be yeah right let's see some id. They flash a badge through the peephole and I'd be like what is that? Knowing full well that home invasions have occurred with people pretending to be police.

Let's give the police the benefit of the doubt. Let's say they did "identify" themselves as police banging on the guys door in the middle of the night by yelling open up police. My father once had a concern about police wearing balaclavas. He used to say that if he had a member of the emergency response team dressed in army fatigues wearing a balaclava hiding their face come pounding on his door yelling open up it's the police, "Like hell I'm opening the door. For all I know they could be terrorists."

I am of the understanding the ERT don't wear balaclavas any more which is a good thing for many reasons. The point is they were plain clothes officers banging on the guys door in the middle of the night. They woke him out of bed.

The other perspective is that it's an urgent situation. Someone has called 911 because they are getting assaulted. A delay in opening the door could mean the victim could die. The police are furious with the delay. When he finally opens the door they give him the boots for "not obeying their command."

Their claim that he pushed them just doesn't make sense. He delayed opening the door and they're pissed. That makes perfect sense. Now they have two reasons to give him the boots. First he's a wife beater. Second he delayed in obeying their command so they give him the boots. However, neither reason is just cause for the use excessive force and cave the guys face in. It wasn't just a mater of they took him down and he bumped his head which caved his eye in. No way.

They admitted Florkow employs three unsuccessful "close-handed tactical strikes" to Wu's upper shoulder. Wu continues to resist and Florkow employs two more "close-handed tactical stuns" to Wu's upper back. "Close-hand tactical strike?" Kinda like the Victoria officer who gave a few tactical strikes with his boot when the guys were on the ground? That sounds more like it. We have seen that done before. On more than once occasion.



My point is, even if the guy was accused of beating his wife, they did not see it happen and they got the wrong door. Even if he delayed in opening the door, those are not reasons to give the guy the boots once he's down on the ground and we are told it happens all the time. That's not what John McKay taught them. That more like something Jeffrey Klassen would have taught them.

I got in an argument about police brutality with a protester from East Van once. They went on and on about Pivot's legal affidavit listing testimony of police brutality in East Van. I was like yeah right from a bunch of crack heads. Not very credible witnesses. He asked me if I would read it if he sent it to me. I said yes.

The first witness was an undercover RCMP officer. I was shocked. The RCMP officer was under cover and a couple of VPD officers yell at him for jay walking. He's under cover so he gives the cops the finger. They take him aside and beat the crap out of him. One of the officers was a boxer. True the guy shouldn't have fingered the cop but that does not give the police just cause to beat the crap out of the guy.

Reasonable force means you use physical force to stop an attack and subdue and assailant. Not to punish him by beating him up after the fact. Now I know there's small beef between the RCMP and the VPD which could include hidden agendas. Yet the fact that the first witness in their affidavit of police brutality was an undercover RCMP officer to me says that was a credible witness.

Which brings me back to the article in the Vancouver Sun. The police made a mistake. People do that. Apologize. Accept responsibility for your actions. Don't lie and deny it. That's like the RCMP saying they were afraid for their life when the guy they tasered at the airport was armed with a stapler. That doesn't make sense.

It's like Peter McKay lying and saying he never referred to Belenda Stronach as a dog when they were arguing in parliament when he was caught on tape. Think about it. Belinda broke his heart. They were in a relationship.

She lost the leadership bid to the Conservative party so she left early from a night out with McKay only to go and visit Paul Martin afterwards and make the stunning announcement the next day. She was breaking up with Peter McKay, she was leaving the Conservative party and crossing the floor to join the Liberals. McKay was shocked.



So they're debating the clean air bill and a back bencher from the liberals cat calls over to Peter McKay saying this clean air bill would be good for everyone. What about your dog he sarcastically shouts out. Then Peter McKay jokingly points to Belinda's empty seat now on the other side on the house and says "You already have her."

It was hilarious given what she had done. Why lie about it? Instead of admitting he said it and apologizing he denies he said it and everything's OK. Lying isn't OK. Stronach was named as the adulteress when Tie Domi's wife sued him for divorce. Ah but I digress. My point is we all make mistakes. Let's admit them and rise above them. Let's not lie about them and perpetuate them.

The VPD backing this bizarre story means there is something wrong other than two good cops making a mistake. The VPD appears at times to be an unapproachable and impenetrable old boys club that has been regularly accused of using excessive force on the disadvantaged. That's not even getting into the Woodwards Squat eviction. Don't get me started on that.

The point is simple. Jim Chu is right. Investigations of police misconduct need civilians from the public because the RCMP would be just as quick to cover up a mistake as would any other police force in the county.

Swollen Members live at Gotcha's

Well, well, well. Here I thought Shane Bunting moved out of Kelowna. Glad to hear he's over his three year Viagra and Oxycontin addiction. I wonder who supplied him with it anyways? He admits to being friends with the Hells Angels. Looks like the Swollen Members played at Gotcha's night club in Kelowna on September 16th. They say Gotcha has new owners and they are changing the name of the club to Sapphires. Shane Broesky seems pretty solid (well relatively speaking) but who else is involved? People are saying this is supposed to be the new Liquid Zoo in disguise but I can't see a connection. Shane looks as clean as Martha Stewart. Well almost. As long as he keep arms distance from Bunting an his buddies he'll be fine.

Cranbrook murder tied to Hells Angels associate

LeaAnne MacFarlane and Jeff Taylor were gunned down May 29 2010 in their newly rented Cranbrook home. It was previously rented by a former drug dealer. They were killed by mistake.

Police announced Wednesday that four people - Lonnie Adams, Colin Correia, Lorne Carry and Chad Munroe - have each been charged with conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly plotting a hit on rival drug trafficker Doug Mahon.

Doug Mahon had earlier been charged after a shooting in front of the Sam Steele Hotel on Oct. 29, 2009. The victim was Munroe, who once was convicted of causing a disturbance at Big White along with Mission Hells Angel Jason Arkinstall.

So here we have someone shoot at a Hells Angels associate. Then we have that Hells Angels associate accused of plotting with three other guys to murder the guy who shot at the Hells Angels associate. Only they murder the wrong people by mistake.

This is first degree murder. When you plan to kill someone and end up killing an innocent person by mistake, that should carry a greater punishment than just killing a rival drug dealer.

In Ontario the Hells Angels were not only convicted of drug trafficking, they were convicted of using violence to take over the drug trade in smaller cities. That clearly appears to be what we are now seeing in British Columbia.

The Guardian Project

Vancouver police Chief Jim Chu announced a new "Guardian Project" Monday to help women in the Downtown Eastside who face disproportionate rates of "violence, injury and death."

Chu, who braved a wave of anger from Eastside residents Oct. 8 about Ashley Machiskinic's death and mounting violence against women by drug dealers, promised the Guardian Project will hold regular "town hall meetings."

The project also has set up a phone tip line at 604-215-4777, which will be staffed by E-Comm "female civilians" but offer anonymity to tipsters.

Sharon Strongarm, Ashley's step-grandmother said "I know that in the city people are afraid to speak up because they're scared of the gangs and drug dealers, but if I knew about a death, I would speak up.

Why are people so afraid to speak up? In the Town Hall meeting at the Carnegie Centre people claimed they didn't trust the police in East Van. Some claim they had reported incidents in the past but the police didn't act on them.

I see two problems. One is the gang that the drug dealers sell for. "The Boys" are cruel and people are afraid to speak out. The other problem is public trust in the police.

When we saw the police officer push the disabled woman to the ground on the security camera video we were shocked. We were also shocked that the other police officers did nothing and thought nothing of it. Residents were interviewed and said they were not surprised because they see that kind of thing happen in East Van all the time.

We were shocked when we heard the VPD gave the boots to a guy when answering a domestic abuse call. They made a mistake and got the wrong door which means they beat up the wrong guy. Yet even if it was the right guy, reasonable force means you stop someone from beating someone not you give someone the boots and punish them for beating someone after you have stopped the assault. Especially if you didn't see it.

The people trust Jim Chu. I remember an East Van resident cautiously and sarcastically ask why so many of the VPD are seen socializing with members of the Hells Angels? Now that could be a complete fabrication. Yet if a police officer had to walk the beat in East Van every day, and if the drugs sold in East Van were supplied and controlled by the Hells Angels, one would think that the police walking that beat would want to make the peace with the Hells Angels so they're not in daily conflict and danger.

Project Breakpoint ended without prosecution, much to the frustration of police investigators angered by the decision to terminate a wiretap intercept warrant just days into the authorization.

If some in the VPD were concerned that the security of the Attorney Generals office may be compromised with regards to a Hells Angels under cover operation, logic would question whether or not there were also security breaches within the VPD. We know there has been within the RCMP.

Getting civilians involved in the Guardian Project is important as is confidentiality of informants. Yet we already know the problem and why people are afraid.

California rejects legalization of marijuana

Well this vote was closely watched in BC. Tuesday voters in California voted on Proposition 19 which was a proposal to legalize small quantities of marijuana. 55% of voters were against it while 45% of voters were for it. Consequently it failed.

“There’s no way to reverse this. The momentum is on our side,” said Vancouver resident Jodie Emery, wife of activist and self-styled “Prince of Pot” Marc Emery, who is serving time in a U.S. prison for selling marijuana seeds online.

Yeah that's right. We're gonna keep re voting it until we get the answer WE want. That makes perfect sense in a democratic world. We want our rights, not their rights. I see. The results aren't very surprising.

Although we watched the results closely as the yes side did have a strong support base, it was hard to conceive that the State that just voted to ban gay marriage would vote to legalize marijuana.

What I see from this is that we need mandatory minimum sentences for selling crack or meth not for possession of pot. That would only make sense.

Delta police investigation a farce

Two Vancouver police officers who faced an allegation of abuse of authority have been cleared by Delta police investigating the incident. Cameron Ward, a lawyer for Wu, called the investigation a “farce.”

Ward said his client did nothing wrong and the findings are shocking. “This investigation was a farce,” he said. “It provides yet another example why police should not be investigating other police.”

I have to agree. Jim Chu is right. The complaint process into police misconduct must include public civilians. Anything less is a shameful disappointment.

Political Balance

What we need in BC, (and everywhere else) is political balance. Draw a line in the sand and call it democracy. The further you get away from that line, to the left or the right and you find dictatorship. Hitler was no better than Stalin.

Preston Manning swept the West many years ago with a vision of looking beyond the left and right. The East saw it as a right wing racist separative movement but that wasn't what it was at all. Manning's slogan of unite the bright was changed to unite the right and the Mulroney break aways joined with the Mulroney Conservatives and the party came full circle back to where it set out to reform. Pork Barrel tax and spend politics running huge deficits.

The United States are in the same predicament. The Republicans are not any more fiscally responsible than the Democrats. The polarized fighting between the red and blue States has been immortalized in the red white and blue.

The night before Halloween, a rally in Washington was hosted by comedian-satirists Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. The two-hour rally provided an outlet for Americans who have grown frustrated with a hyper-partisan political and media culture that often drowns out respectful debate in the country.

One of the things the comedians were quoted as saying struck me. Americans used to be proud of their differences and their ability to work together. Indeed. If it takes humour to be able to look at ourselves and laugh at ourselves then so be it. Looking past our differences and celebrating our diversity is crucial in joining together to defeat the enemies from within and make our world a better place to live. For everyone.

For us in BC that means rising above political extremism. Fiscal responsibility without exploiting the elderly and disabled. It really is that simple.

The Bill Vander Zalm Coalition

Well let's give credit where credit is due. Bill Vander Zalm is a hero. Champion of justice Libby Davies said Campbell's fate was sealed by the unpopular Harmonized Sales Tax.

Campbell's party said during the 2009 election that it would not impose the tax, but did so anyway two-and-a-half months after re-election. A petition led by former Premier Bill Vander Zalm has forced a Sept. 24, 2011, referendum on the tax.


"This is a core issue in British Columbia — people are not going to forget about it," Davies said. "It is about democracy, it is about the trust of the voters. It was betrayed by Gordon Campbell and it is being betrayed by the Harper government.”

There are several points I'd like to make and most of them relate to where we go from here. Over a month ago a coworker and I were discussing the momentum of the anti HST petition. He commented that he had heard Rita Johnston is coming back as leader of the Conservative party in BC. Rita Johnston? I shuddered at the thought. The vision of her and Harcourt mudslinging each other with Gordon Wilson pointing out that is why nothing gets accomplished in Victoria is sealed in my memory.

I have nothing against her being a woman. I think Carol James is a sound leader. I'm just leery of the mudslinging polarized politics that BC falls prey to. We need to stop jumping from one extreme to the other in heaping scandal upon scandal for an increasingly disillusioned public.

Bill Vander Valm's Fantasy Gardens scandal wasn't that big of a deal. Bill Vander Valm was a successful businessman. You want someone in charge of your tax dollars who is good with money. The Fast Ferries scandal wasn't a big deal. If the Fast ferries worked it would have been an awesome boost for our local economy. Both parties exploit scandals and try to blow them out of proportion for their own political gain.

My point is, Bill Vander Valm did a colossal job organizing the anti HST coalition. Think about it. Getting all those signatures on a petition for the sole purpose of holding a nonbinding referendum was pointless. We spend all that money on a nonbinding referendum, the public says no but it's nonbinding so Campbell's government proceeds unilaterally.

Vander Valm's strategy was brilliant. He wanted to put political pressure on Campbell and his entire party. He didn't want to waist money on a nonbinding referendum that wouldn't tell us anything an Angus Reid poll hasn't already told us. He said he wanted the government to put the issue to a free vote in Parliament so the voters could see who supported it and who didn't. Then he announced they were going to start recall campaigns one by one in Liberal riding's until the tax was repealed. Brilliant!

Now there is no doubt Carol James and the NDP would have ran their own anti HST campaign which they did, the same time as Vander Valm. Together they were successful. I would totally support a Bill Vander Valm Carol James coalition forming the next BC government. We need sound balanced finances along with the self respect that cares for the elderly and disabled not exploits them to get rich. This would be good for BC and the rest of Canada.

Of course I would totally support Diane Watts stepping up to the plate and joining the coalition. She is awesome.

Gordon Campbell steps down

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is stepping down and has asked his party to hold a leadership convention. Campbell made the announcement during a surprise news conference Wednesday morning in Vancouver, accompanied by his wife and children. Praise the Lord Tony. Oh Happy Day!

How does it feel to be on the other end of the scape goat Gordo? Stephen Harper sang Gordo's swan song. He was the one that put the nails in Campbell's coffin. He was the one that convinced Campbell to unilaterally drive ahead with the HST regardless of the democratic will of the people.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to thank Premier Gordon Campbell for his devoted service to British Colombians, and indeed his service to all Canadians. Through his considerable efforts, Premier Campbell has returned British Columbia to prosperity and has re-affirmed his province's rightful place in the heart of our Canadian Confederation.

"In particular, I would like to thank Premier Campbell for his steadfast support during the current global economic downturn and for his government's tremendous cooperation in implementing Canada's Economic Action Plan."

Stephen Harper didn't have an economic action plan. His response was let the market ride it out, it's not the government's job to create employment. There is nothing wrong with that response. It was the opposition parties that demanded he start spending money or they would assume government with a coalition so he caved in. We need to rise above pork barrel politics. That is why we keep raising taxes. To pay for the pork barrel promises to the lobbyists that donated to their campaign.

The HST is Harper's Economic inaction plan and Gordo was quick to jump at the opportunity to implement it. Some suggest he did so on the promise of a seat on the Senate. What an abomination that would be. Making a former premier with the lowest approval rating in Canadian history a senator. What will Harper do next? Make his idol Brian Mulroney a senator? That has about the same merit.

Gordon Campbell did not return British Columbia to prosperity. That is offensive. He robbed the elderly and mentally challenged and gave himself two huge pay raises and a gold plated pension. That will be my enduring memory of Gordon Campbell.

Construction Controversy on Parliament Hill

When Marvin Wemet in prison was arrested we were told aside from murder, he was also charged with gangsterism and money laundering concerning Quebec's construction industry which included a controversial renovation on Parliament Hill.

So what's so controversial about a renovation project on Parliament Hill? Well, to start, seemingly it involves trades not getting paid by the builder which is nothing new but surprising on Parliament Hill.

RJW Stonemasons president Bobby Watt says he isn’t being paid by the Montreal-based bonding company running the project. He claims he’s being squeezed out of the masonry job in favour of another firm and he’s asked the RCMP to look into that.

The project was interrupted for the first time last year when the construction firm that originally won the contract, LM Sauvé, filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving L’Unique Assurances Générales in charge of the project. At the time, Public Works Canada accused LM Sauvé of defaulting on the contract by falling behind on the construction schedule.

Among the more than 20 charges filed against Ouimet and Purdy at the Montreal courthouse last year are at least three related to LM Sauvé 2004 Ltd., a family owned firm whose president, Paul Sauvé, has alleged in media interviews that his company was plagued with problems generated by Ouimet.

The key question is, which companies were willing participants in the Hells Angels money laundering scheme and which were forced into it? In fact that's not a key question at all. There are more than enough construction companies that would jump at the opportunity to launder drug money in a recession.

The key point is that the Hells Angels have been accused of taking over the construction industry in Quebec through extortion and used those companies to launder drug money. Those are the root of the accusations. Ties to the Conservative government are interesting yet by all means not exclusive since the Liberals were the sponsorship kings. Chretien came right out and said Sponsorship is Good. Tell that to Alfonso scape goat Gagliano.

Sûreté du Québec Inspector Michel Forget said it was the biggest money-laundering operation ever encountered by the police, and that there was more to come. We will no doubt watch the new developments with great interest.

Normand Marvin (Casper) Ouimet

Well Normand Marvin put your shirt back on Ouimet was finally arrested. He has been in hiding for a year and a half. He is wanted in connection with 22 murders and other gangsterism-related charges. Ouimet also faces several charges related to his financial activities, including fraud, extortion, and money laundering.

Police believe he infiltrated Quebec's lucrative construction industry and was controlling several building firms used to launder money. Ouimet was one of five presumed members of the Hells Trois-Rivères chapter that have so far eluded authorities. Four remain at large.

Twenty-two murder charges have been laid against the former business partner of a construction contractor involved in the controversial renovation of Parliament Hill.



Hey wait a minute, Davie Giles was from Trois-Rivères chapter for a while. That was such a nice place before the Hells Angels took over the drug trade there.

Look at Skeletor's new throne:

Hells Angels sue Alexander McQueen

The Hells Angels are suing Alexander McQueen over a trademark violation. The suit alleges that Saks and Zappos - without the motorcycle gang's permission - have been selling Alexander McQueen items including: the "Hells Angels Jacquard Box Dress" ($1,565 US), the "Hells Four-finger Ring" ($495 US) and a handbag ($2,329 US) and silk scarf ($560 US) that incorporate what the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation alleges are also trademark-protected symbols.

While I can agree the ring looks very similar, I find it somewhat humorous to see the Hells Angels get upset that someone might confuse someone wearing an Alexander McQueen dress and handbag with a member of the Hells Angels. Can't you just see Sean Wolfe wearing one of these dresses and sporting one of these handbags?



The logo on the dress is very different. Lets take a minute to look at the real logo and see what is and what isn't a copyright violation. Do the Hells Angels own the copyright to the image of a skull? No. The skull has been used as a logo prior to the Hells Angels from pirates to poison warning labels.

Do the Hells Angels own copyright to everything with wings? No Harley Davidson wings predate the Hells Angels. Do the Hells Angels own copyright to the image of a skull with wings? No. Air born regiments used that logo before them.

In fact the Hells Angels admit their logo was used by a military squad before they registered the trademark and admit that although the trademark looks very similar the only connection between that military squad and the Hells Angels is that they shared the same name.

So just what do the Hells Angels own copyright to? The Hells Angels own copyright to a Devil's skull with wings. Their skull has devil horns. It's pretty hard to miss. Just look at the Lord of the Flies head they pulled out of the Toronto chapter headquarters.

We know the Hells Angels sued Disney over it's movie Wild Hogs. A Tim Allen comedy about the tool man running into a group of bikers. Even in that application counsel for the applicant admits the Hells Angels logo is that of a helmeted, horned and feathered skull. (Paragraph 6)

Interesting to note that Disney changed the name of the biker gang Tim Allen encountered in the movie but that it was originally meant to represent Hells Angels. Consequently there is a good moral to that movie.

Interesting to note that Quebec lawyer Jacques Leger had represented the Hells Angels in a trademark claim and was appointed by the Conservatives to the Supreme Court. Turns out that he was the former president of the Conservative party. Go figure.

The Harry Potter movie was accused of using a dress that looked like an Alexander McQueen. Sad to hear Alexander McQueen committed suicide February 11 2010.

Joe Calendino

Yesterday the Vancouver Province ran a huge front page article with a two page follow up about a former Hells Angel named Joe Calendino. This is the guy that got one day in jail for selling crack.

Seemingly he is no longer addicted to crack and the police have him speaking to High School students about gangs. Normally I'd say this is a great thing. Him overcoming his addiction to crack is fantastic. However, I am somewhat concerned about how he's not being completely honest with the kids. He can't be. If he was honest with the kids, he'd be dead.

The article claims Joe used to be a full patch member of the Hells Angels and that the drugs, his erratic behaviour and a nasty incident in a Kelowna casino had earned him the boot from the bikers.

Here we have a few misconceptions. True the Hells Angels don't like their dealers using too much of the product. Just ask the Lennoxville Massacre about that. True they don't like erratic behaviour that generates bad press. Just ask Juel Stanton about that.

However, the bottom line is that he was a patch member and he was arrested for selling crack cocaine to an undercover cop near a SkyTrain station. Kinda confirms what I have been saying about the Hells Angels being in charge of the crack that's sold at Surrey Central. Only I said they had puppets sell it for them not patch members. No wonder he got in trouble.

I'm concerned with the false image this guys gives kids about the group. The Hells Angels profit from the sale of crack. There is no question about that. To say he was kicked out of the Hells Angels for selling crack is absurd. James Coulter I see as trustworthy. He's not giving the false impression that the UN doesn't sell drugs.

Then there was the casino incident he claims he was famous for. Here we have a big guy who gives a smaller guy the boots for no reason with the help of his friend. This is what gang members do. Despite their size and martial arts they don't fight one on one. They are bullies.

I appreciate the fact that he went to rehab and got off the crack. I respect the fact that he was reunited with his family and took some University courses. However, many lawyers for the Hells Angels went to University and it's hard to respect that. I do respect he's working with the Odd Squad from the VPD which the VPD Ninja is also involved.

I'm just very concerned that impressionable kids are given any information that would lead them to believe that the Hells Angels are anything but another gang that sells drugs and commits murder indiscriminately. Nevertheless I wish Joe Calendino well and hope "the boys" leave him alone.

Davie Giles is off his Rocker

Well, Davie Giles was finally promoted from his rocking chair after he escaped from the Loony bin. They promised him a new Harley after he escaped and told him he could even keep it in his room at the retirement home. A big three wheeler.

I guess they didn't mention it wouldn't have a motor. Skeletor doesn't seem to mind. He's thrilled with it which clearly shows he is very much off his rocker indeed. They say he's still looking for his missing keys.



Personally I think he should be more worried about finding his lost marbles but I'm sure they'd say the same about me. By the way, who's the cougar with the kid?



Gary Chaves? Bandidos Tacos and Grill? I thought y'all said No Tacos? I guess that all changes when there's money to be made. Kinda like how a white supremacist got a brother to sell crack to all the Crips in Montreal.

More puppets on a string. So who's in charge of this "new" gang in Kelowna with ties to the Mexican cartel? Doesn't Cliff know Glen?

It's hard to believe that Giles is the East Vancouver mastermind overlooking all those mobile business enterprises. What was he really talking about with that concerned kid the day Juel Stanton was murdered?