Vancouver, October 6th, 2006
Betty K’s Lawyer Withdraws from Case
by Betty Krawczyk

In Supreme Court yesterday before Madam Justice Brown, my lawyer Cameron Ward withdrew from my case on my request and his own frustration at the refusal of the court to allow arguments on abuse of process. What is abuse of process? The way in which the law in BC is applied in environment disputes to use arrests by injunctions instead of simply police arrest. By the injunction process citizens can be threatened with severe economic losses if they protest destruction of the environment. But Madam Justice Brown struck down the request for arguments on the issue. Much to Kiewit and Sons satisfaction, I am sure. And that of Kevin Falcon, as Mr. Falcon greatly admires the Chinese way of treating protesters. However, whatever his private thoughts, Mr. Falcon did fall short of publicly suggesting that we Eagleridge Protesters simply be taken out and shot.

For Immediate Release Sept. 18, 2006

MORE COST OVER RUNS FROM THE GANG THAT CAN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT

Vancouver- VANOC has been in negotiations with GM Place/Orca Bay for the use of GM Place during the 2010 Games. Although the agreement has yet to be announced, 2010 Watch has obtained insider information that provides details of the agreement.

According to unnamed sources VANOC signed an agreement for $12 million (US) with Orca Bay in August 2006. This amount represents a 30% increase over that proposed in the Bid Book. 2010 Watch spokesperson Chris Shaw called the still secret agreement “…yet another example of VANOC’s grotesque fiscal mismanagement of all aspects of the 2010 Olympics”.

PRISON, PRESS, AND PISSED!

Okay, so maybe pissed isn’t a nice word for a great-grandmother to be using but I find I don’t care, nice is not what is happening. To any of us. Not to prisoners, the press, and/or the public at large. Prisoners are being mistreated at Alouette Correctional Centre for Women and the press is not allowed in to report it. Are the women being beaten?
Yes and no. Not with whips, but with privatization of the prison. Women are required to work at Alouette as do I when I’m there. Prisoners pay? Two dollars and fifty cents a day. That’s a day, not an hour. Before privatization, women prisoners were paid four dollars and fifty cents a day. Cit it in half, was Campbell’s solution. And privatize everything. Including the food. Especially the food. Eggs? Well, we won’t have to worry about cholesterol. Two eggs a week. Fruit? Four pieces a week. Milk? A little powdered milk poured out of a pitcher by an attendant on a half a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a cup (that’s a cup, not a glass) of powdered milk for supper. Meat, when there is any, has been frozen for awhile (a long while, I know freezer burn when I see it) and sometimes can’t even be cut with the plastic knives. And the paucity of fresh vegetables is a crime. There were ten pregnant women in that prison when I left August 2 and the diet fed to them (the regular with only slight modifications) is outrageous. But this is a private food service and the company has to make a profit out of the prisoners.

By Betty Krawczyk, Vancouver, BC

I woke up in my little room (cell) the day before I was released from Alouette Correctional Centre for Women (Aug.1rst) thinking about drugs (prison is primarily about drugs) and court ordered injunctions. The two have a lot in common. In fact, the Supreme Court judges of BC, with a few exceptions, could be described as injunction junkies.

And, like some of the women in Alouette, our Supreme Court judges have embraced their habit for a long time. And most, like the addicted women in prison, are getting worse. How so?
Well, at first, court ordered injunctions were used primarily to stop unions from organizing and gaining strength. But as this anti-union stance eventually brought disrepute to the courts, compromise ensued with the creation of union arbitration boards. Now injunctions are used extensively to punish citizens (including First Nations) who dare to try to stop the destruction of our life support systems as well as to threaten unions composed primarily of women. But why do I describe injunctions as being a dope habit of the courts?

Since Vancouver won the bid to host the 2010 winter games we have seen 40% cost overruns on the projects, blue listed eco sensitive areas being logged, low income residents being forced into the street and much more. It seems that in the haste of trying to shine for the world we have neglected our social, fiscal and more importantly environmental responsibilities.

These are topics being investigated by the Work Less Party in a new documentary film. To view the trailer please click on the following link.

Movie Trailer