Thanks For Stopping By, Petey! In Fact, Thanks For Nothing! Rant Alert

I’m so not impressed with any of ‘em these days! Not the Harpercons, the NDP opposition, not the Charest Liberals or the Parti Quebecois and of course, the ignoramouses who decide to grace the comment boards of the CBC and the like these days.  What the hell is wrong with all of you????

There are massive floods going on in the Richelieu River and with more rain in the forecast in this week-end, the river is about to swell yet again. Things are about to get worse.   Things are so bad, that, according to a report I heard on CJAD yesterday, fish were found swimming on people’s yards; not dead and swept away, but alive and swimming!!  Many who’s home will have to be taken down. So much loss!  Residents, so many of whom are seniors, are very tired and overwhelmed to say the least.

Yes, massive floods are happening in Manitoba and fires happening in Slave Lake, Alberta.  The losses those people have sustained are still sustaining should not be minimized.  My heart does go out to those people as well. What they’re going through is every bit as traumatizing as what folks in the Richelieu are going through.

However, it would appear that not all disasters are created equal, in the world according to Stevie Spiteful and here is where I get pissed off!! Stevie Spiteful takes time out of his schedule to make personal appearances to where the floods are in Manitoba and in Slave Lake but has he made a trip to Richelieu to even pretend to care? Nooooo!!! Really!

Suffice to say that the town’s mayors in the area as well as the residents are really frustrated with the feds’ lack of response here.

They say it’s not so much that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has managed to visit two other disaster sites this month, in Manitoba and Alberta, while bypassing this one.

The most common complaint from residents is an alleged comedy of errors involving the military: they say the Canadian Forces arrived too late, appeared unprepared once they arrived, began withdrawing too early and, now, are failing to help with the cleanup.

About 3,000 homes have been flooded and 1,000 people have been evacuated as flood waters have risen and dropped several times, carrying weary local residents on a month-long meteorological roller-coaster ride.

Wow! Our armed forces go overseas to fight wars. They use very dangerous toys to bomb villages and such, yet they arrived late and unprepared to help in the effort of sandbagging and such?

That’s not all. Jean Charest had requested military help with the clean up effort. Super Toews turned him down flat, basically saying that this was not an appropriate job for our armed forces; that they should not compete with the private sector in the removal of sandbags. However, yesterday, according to a report from CJAD, private companies who were hired suggested that they would need assistance from the armed forces. So much for that competitive theory, Vic!

But, but, Vic!! Was it the job of our armed forces to shovel Toronto out of a snow storm for Toronto at the request of then mayor, Mel Lastman?  Wouldn’t that have competed with the City of Toronto’s snow removal crew? Or the private snow removal companies?

La Presse‘s Patrick Lagace had some strong words for Super Toews as well. Suffice to say, he was none too impressed.  He points out that even in the US, they send the National Guard to help out when there is a disaster anywhere in the country. M. Lagace just added another Harpercon slogan: Tough on Crime; Tough on Mother Nature.

Yes, Petey MacKay stopped by, yesterday, finally. According to Jean Lapierre’s report this morning on Andrew Carter’s morning show, he might as well have stayed home.  It was quite apparent that making the trip here was an inconvenience.  Yes, I’m sure he had more important things to do, like making sure his new babysitter, Robocop Fantino or new parl secretary, Chris Alexander ain’t takin’ over his job.  Oh, my heart bleeds… Thanks for nothing, Petey!!

Folks are thinking that perhaps they’re being punished for not voting Harpercon.

An extremely cynical theory has begun to spread amid the frustration: on call-in shows, and on the lips of local residents, there are whispers that perhaps Quebecers are being punished for how they voted on May 2.

“We didn’t vote Conservative in the last election and never do,” said Kathleen Lord, a 44-year-old resident of St-Blaise-sur-Richelieu. ”That’s what most people feel like actually.

I would say that’s a good guess, considering Senator Touchdown’s words of blackmail to the media during the election campaign.

“If you look across the country where the Conservatives have had strong representation, a lot of projects have taken place,” he said.

“But it’s normal that you’re going to focus on the areas with the people that do support you. That is part of political life.”

Asked if that means it could expect nothing if doesn’t vote blue on May 2, Smith responded that “the reality is if you’re running a country as big as Canada, you’ll probably spend more of your time with the people that support you.”

So no, I would say that the cynicism of these residents and mayors wouldn’t be misplaced at all, given Senator Touchdown’s words.

But still! Stevie Spiteful did promise that all of Canada would be served.  Another broken promise. Quelle surprise. I’m not a bit surprised. That’s a few promises Stevie has already broken and parliament hasn’t even begun yet! Generally, politicians don’t break their promises until well after parliament has started, no?

However, Harpercons seemed to have always favoured everyone else but the French speaking regions of Quebec.  Last winter, there were floods in the Gaspesie region and in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Keith Ashfield, Harpercon MP for Fredericton then and now, did promise Federal assistance to NB flood victims. However, the Gaspesie victims did not. Gilles Duceppe did hammer away at Harper at Question Period about it during the last session of parliament, to no avail, apparently.

Great leadership, Stevie!

Oh, Layton, Tommy Mulcair the mouth, and NDP, who were elected to the ridings in the affected areas, you’re so not impressive neither!!  Yeah, it’s a Harpercon majority and I get that you have absolutely no power with King Steve the dictator. I gather you’re starting to learn that now. If you haven’t, you will.  However, is this the best you can come up with, Jack?

“I’d say it’s a very reticent approach on the part of the Harper government,” Layton said in Ottawa. “It’s absolutely critical to show people that they have that support. We want to ask the government to be there for them.”

You’ve got MPs who were recently elected to those ridings. Where are they? Why haven’t they made any statements? Have they visited any of the residents to see how they’re making out? How about talking to those mayors and finding out what the residents’ needs are?  You’re supposed to be the party of compassion, or so you remind us. How about putting your money where your mouth is?  I get that those MPs in the area are rookies and still attending MP school, but part of the lessons should be emergency response. Tommy, the Quebec lieutenant, took responsibility of this group? Well, Tommy, shouldn’t part of both of those responsibilities be taking your group on a field trip to the region?

And you, M. Johnny Charest!! Your leadership in this isn’t exactly anything to write home about neither.

Charest added: “I’m not looking to blame anyone. I’m looking to help the population which, right now, is going through a very difficult moment.”

Gee, ya think? Delayed reaction and in visiting the flooded Richelieu. Residents are not that enthused. Charest even refused to blame the Harpercons! He says it was the army’s choice! Uh, hello Johnny! Wake up & piss straight! It was Super Toews & Petey who made that decision.  Also, once again, your new complacent attitude where Stevie Spiteful is concerned is really not what’s called for here.  Where is your old, combattive attitude, Johnny??  If there was a time it needed to come shining through, it’s now! You better find that hate for Stevie somewhere inside yourself and soon! Right now, you’re not helpful.  Also, your leadership, here, needs work. Hell, Lucien Bouchard, when he was premier, showed better leadership during the ice-storm of 1998.

Meanwhile, Mme Marois, what about you? What do you have to bring to the table besides your shrilly voice?  Ok, to her credit, she is hammering at a beleaguered Charest, more forcefully than Layton is to Stevie Spiteful.

Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois Tuesday criticized Charest for “failing” to reassure residents and step up the efforts to stem flood damage. Marois said Charest should have asked the Canadian Forces to remain in full force last week.

She’s also been musing out loud if she should be blaming the feds instead.  Yep! You should, Pauline! Actually, blame all of ‘em. But, as I was saying, you’re not pure as the driven snow yourself, dear. You have MNAs representing ridings affected by those floods.  MNAs, who, unlike the new NDP MPs, are actually seasoned politicians. What is their excuse for not being front and center, talking to the mayors and the residents, surveying the damages and the needs?

Seriously! Where is the leadership, here?

I really hope that there is better leadership and crisis management in Manitoba and in Slave Lake, for the sake of those people suffering over there.

As for the haters on the CBC comment boards.  Many of them are so delightful!  They just know how to make Quebeckers just feel so welcome in Canada.  They seem to believe that the flood victims of the Richelieu are sub-human or something. Really classy!

Stevie Spiteful, of course has promised federal aid to Slave Lake and it appears that some compensation package will be offered to Manitoba, but not Quebec.

I got a newsflash for ya Quebec haters out there! Brace yourselves now, get the smelling salts! We pay federal taxes, too!  Taxes that pay for the armed forces. We pay HST! HST we have never been compensated for since we’ve implemented it in 1992!  I have a question for you. Did you really think we paid nothing to the feds? Or you know we pay federal taxes but you want us to continue payin’ ‘em but expect nothing in return and to just, yanno, STFU??  I know that STFU don’t work in my world.

If anybody wishes to make a donation to help the victims of the Slave Lake, Manitoba or the Quebec disasters can do so at their local Red Cross. If anyone is spending any time around those areas, do stop by and offer to lend a helping hand to any of those victims. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.