Michael Bryant – More Than One Tragedy Happened That Night.

Michael Bryant – More Than One Tragedy Happened That Night.

On Monday night, former Liberal MPP for the riding of St. Paul’s and Attorney General had an altercation with a cyclist which ended up with the cyclist being killed. I have no idea how this happened and at this point I am willing to bet there are very few people who do. Although I worked in the Legislative Assembly while Mr. Bryant was an opposition member, I did not know him personally. I have nothing to say about him personally. I am willing to bet that this is a situation that Mr. Bryant certainly did not plan for, nor does he did he want to be a party to.

So what is it that I am going on about?

It would seem that Mr. Bryant has been changed with criminally negligent homicide. What a horrible position to be in. I do know that someone lost their life that night even though I do not know how. I am not judging on anyone’s guilt or innocence that is for a judge and/or jury to do. I am not in anyway connected with any part of this case or investigation. What I am is someone who is saddened yet again by the failure of the justice system to maintain its fairness and blindness.

Anyone who is charged with a criminal offence is required to be remanded until they are given a time and date (usually within 24-48 hours) to attend bail court. That is where they can enter a plea and bail is set and bail conditions are negotiated with the Crown, the Defendant and the Presiding Justice of the Peace. This applies to individuals who have been charged with any crime under the criminal code and many of those are non violent crimes and many of these people are just like Mr. Bryant. Well, almost like Mr. Bryant. They were not once Attorney General. They are not friends with the Premier of Ontario. They did not get a “get out of jail free” card.

Mr. Bryant did not have to go to bail court. He did not have to post bail and he was released on his own recognizance directly from the police station he was taken to, not the courthouse. I blame the police more than anyone in this situation as they should have processed Mr. Bryant like they do with every other individual who is charged. Mr. Bryant is a lawyer and was Attorney General and does know better. He knows that justice is not going to be served while corners are being cut. I can’t say I blame him for wanting to take the shortcut. Although he should have taken the road most traveled in this case, which is the one every other person has to take in this situation. At this point, the process is already tainted.

For the law to work effectively, everyone must be treated equally under the law. This does not happen. I have seen this many times before but never in such a blatant and public manner. The system is severely broken and I do not see anyone willing to stand up and say so and start to fix it.

The police claim it is within their discretion to allow Mr. Bryant to go home as opposed to processing him through the system as I would assume everyone else has to do. They claim they did not give him any preferential treatment. Seriously, this was the statement that was made yesterday after Mr. Bryant was released. I would like to know who is buying this wonderful bridge they are selling.

Of course Mr. Bryant was given preferential treatment! This is not even a question. I wonder how the friends and family of the cyclist who was killed Monday night feel about that. I also wonder how all the other individuals in Ontario who are changed and processed through the system, but are not friends with the Premier and have to go through the full procedure feel about his as well? They all know the system is broken and that justice is only for a chosen few. I have experienced this first hand. So have many other people I know. Justice is for the well connected, the rich and the lucky few who happen to be in the right place at the right time.

I actually do feel quite horrible for Mr. Bryant and the situation he now finds himself in. I do wish he did not take advantage of his name and connections and used his knowledge of the system to ensure that the process from beginning to end was kept above board. I have always had the utmost respect for Mr. Bryant and I am in absolute shock that he acted as though he is above the law by not insisting he be processed like everyone else. This is such an incredibly disappointing aspect of an already horrific set of events.

Lady Justice is no longer blind. I know this sounds quite horrible, but can we please take away her sight again and regain equality under the law?

Wendy Stewart

I am asking for your help in understanding the total lack of concern over the effects of the garbage strike.

I see some of the posts on the facebook petition I started regarding the garbage strike. I have seen I am not the only one who has noticed the massive amount of apathy being shown with respect to this disastrous situation. At least I think this is a disaster.

I am at a complete loss for words or any explanation as to why this is taking place. Why don’t the people of Toronto feel that this is important enough to take a stand? Why should this be like every other time something happens and we just sit by the sidelines and watch and wait and do absolutely nothing?

These are questions for which I have no answers and I am asking anyone out there who is reading this to please give me their thoughts, views or even guesses? Some ideas as to why we just sit by and take it.

Our city – at the height of tourist season and during the few months of the year we get to enjoy the outdoors, is surrounded by garbage, there is a horrible stench in the air and the pests and vermin are becoming a problem. People are not going out as much as they should be and people are not visiting the city as much as they normally do. We are already in an economic downturn. There are a lot of people who cannot afford to lose any more business. Why does no one care about any of this?

If they are not going to care about the economic effect of this strike and those who will be hit by this crisis, then why are we not concerned by the stench and health hazard all this rotting garbage is causing.?

Are we, as Canadians and Torontonians truly that apathetic? What does it take to get people to care? What needs to happen for people to even take two minutes to put their names on a petition? I am looking to you to help me understand because I am truly at a loss.

We have no leadership in the city! If we did, we would not be in this situation to begin with. Why are taxpayers paying for services they are not receiving? Why don’t the taxpayers care about that? What about the people who have been lining up for hours at dump sites? Why are they not up in arms?

Why is this not an essential service?

I look forward to your feedback,

wendywashere

What is the issue with the petition to stop the garbage strike???

I have to say the general apathy regarding the municipal workers strike in the City of Toronto is quite appalling. I am not sure what the issue is.

Is it the wording of the petition?

Is it because I am the one who wrote it? I ask that as I know there are some politicos out there who are petty enough to not take on this cause based on something that ridiculous.

Is someone else willing to post this petition on their site and see if some of these folks will get on board?

I am looking for any feedback that will help generate some momentum and get people motivated to stand up for what is right for the citizens and the taxpayers of Toronto. How can we as a group do that? How can put aside any differences and find the greater good?

I have spent the last 2 days all over the city for various errands and meetings. I have been in most areas of the city and have walked probably at least 5k per day. I cannot even express how horrific the garbage situation really is. The stench, the vermin and the cultivation of disease. The overflowing bins, the garbage all over the streets and roads.

I am looking to you for guidance as to how to get this movement growing. There has to be more to this than just general apathy. Than people not thinking it is a big deal. Than people having a problem with the wording. Than people having a problem with who wrote the petition and being petty and childish. What is the bigger picture here?

Please send me your feedback and any suggestions you have. Anyone else who is willing to post this petition under their name would be greatly appreciated as well.

Once again the link to the petition is:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=100692232140&ref=mf

Please sign it and pass it on

My sincerest thanks!

wendywashere

Day 20 - City of Toronto held hostage! Sign this petition!

Mayor David Miller - You are just not up to the job!

Due to the strike of municipal workers in the City of Toronto (day 20 of the hostage situation), there is rotting garbage collecting all over our streets and parks. Tourism and city events have been cancelled and/or harmed by this. Where is the Mayor? What is he doing? Toronto Taxpayers have paid for these services and are now not receiving them. When and how will they be reimbursed, if at all?

What will happen to those who rely on tourism and related industries as their sole or even partial income source? Who will be helping these people put while they are losing much needed income during this fiasco? How are the individuals and businesses that are considered collateral damage going to be compensated? Will they be compensated? Has any thought been given to these people and how their lives will be affected by the loss of income from all of this? Has ANYONE heard any leadership coming from the city on these issues?

This week Mayor Miller was on CNN telling the world that although there are ONLY 30,000 municipal workers on strike, the city is handling things fine and there is no reason for people not to come to Toronto! Who is he kidding? Has he walked around the main streets lately (without noseplugs and sunglasses)? He does not have a handle on the situation. He is in no hurry to resolve it. The people of Toronto will continue to be victimized by this act of total and complete incompetence. We need to act and we need to act now!

There is more time being spent arguing about how to deal with the new pest control issue that has arisen from this mess - literally, than actually resolving the main issue and getting our garbage collection back on track. There is concern now about rats, maggots, cockroaches, other rodents and diseases that could possibly be spread depending on how long this lunacy continues. Who is going to deal with these vermin and who is going to pay for it?

Up to his point we have been lucky as we have had unusually cooler temperatures. What will happen if/when it gets hot and humid as it usually does in July in Toronto? I will tell you what happenes - it is really starting to stink and it is quite bad! I can only imagine the vermin and pests that are having a grand old time feasting on all of the garbage laying around. What happenes to them when the garbage is gone? Do they start moving into people homes? Who is going to deal with that?

I cannot imagine anyone trying to agrue that this could not be a major heath and safety issue after a certain point and I think we have hot that point. What kind of diseases are going to be spread around from all of this? Based on teh fact that it is a health concern for the people of Toronto these services MUST be considered an essential service! Enough is enough! Time to take a stand! We pay for city services and demand action immediately!

Whereas - The services affected by this strike should be considered essential services. If not, the taxpayer should not be paying for them in the first place.

Whereas - The Mayor of Toronto is nowhere to be found and is showing no leadership whatsoever!

Whereas - The Mayor and City council have done nothing so far to address the issue of the fact that this strike could potentially been seen as cash grab. Taxpayers have paid for services yet now not receiving them. In what other context would that not be considered fraud?Whereas - Nothing has been done to address the issue of the taxpayer now paying twice for the same services. Has anything been done to address the issue of taxpayers now having to pay for private garbage removal?

Whereas - Nothing has been done to address the issue of whether these are essential services or not and if there are not considered to be essential services then why is government funding them?

Whereas - The current absence of any leadership is costing individuals and businesses income opportunities that some rely as their sole source of income. There has been no leadership or mention of how this issue can or will be addressed while people could be losing their jobs and businesses could be going bankrupt in an already slow economy.

Therefore - We the undersigned call for the immediate resignation of Mayor David Miller and ask him to step aside to allow someone else to step in who is able to clean up this mess and act in the best interest of the constituents - the taxpayers of Toronto!

Be It Resoled That the Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, resign immediately and allow an immediate by-election to take place so that the issue of the strike that is effecting garbage removal be dealt with as quickly as possible.Be It Further Resolved That the new Mayor and City Council designate garbage collection and other city service as essential services as to not allow the taxpayers of the City of Toronto be further victimized by blackmail and extortion techniques. Either that or Toronto City Council stop taxing the citizens of Toronto for these services and privatize said services to once again, stop the people of Toronto from being held hostage by ineffective governance and unions.

Here is the link on facebook where you can sign up.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=100692232140&ref=mf

wendywashere!