All Employers Are Equal, Except For Manitoba Liquor Marts. They're Special.

The introduction of locking vetibule entrances and ID checkpoints at government Liquor Marts in Winnipeg is not only draconian, but a distraction from a larger issue. 

Why did the City of Winnipeg do NOTHING to hold the management accountable, as mobs of robbers became a daily occurance?

As incidents escalated to between 10- 20 thefts per day (and the media got blamed for reporting on it) I asked Winnipeg city Coun. Markus Chambers - the deputy chair of the Police Board - a few questions about the city's relationship to the business of Liquor Marts.

This was after CTV reported: "Chambers said while these incidents aren’t under the city’s jurisdiction, safety is." so I asked him:

A) Does the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries have to acquire an Occupancy Permit and/or a Business Licence for their outlets? Are there any other city permissions required that you are aware of?

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Chair Randy Williams previously served as executive director for Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. He has over 25 years of experience in Manitoba’s gaming industry. None in the liquor business, apparently.

B) The City imposes stringent regulation including hours of operation, locations, and business practices and record keeping for Body Rub Parlours. Is there any provision of the City of Winnipeg or other Act or regulation that would prohibit the City from imposing similar conditions of the operation of Liquor Marts? 

C) The chaos created inside and outside of Liquor Marts by the brazen thefts (as opposed to traditonal 'discreet' shoplifting) is infinitely more dangerous to the public than any being caused by Body Rub Parlours. Should the City hike the fees associated with permits for Liquor Marts to better reflect the costs of police resources being diverted due to the failure of Liquor Marts to secure their inventory?

Coun. Chambers sent me a very thoughful response, but didn't answer those questions. But you get the point. 

Liquor Marts in Winnipeg became indisputably dangerous. Way more dangerous than another, more highly-regulated sin industry, bodyrub shops. Yet the city used zero of the regulatory tools available to it, to enforce its jurisdiction over safety surrounding Manitoba Liquor Marts. 

TheGreatCdnTalkShow @TGCTS

"He had a bottle in one hand and a knife in the other and he said, 'This is how you take free booze' and he pointed at the knife," she said. The witness said the liquor store is robbed about every three days by several people at a time" https://twitter.com/hollycaruk/status/1197362970067689472 …

* Then there's this:' the failure of Liquor Marts to secure their inventory '

Any bar I ever worked at had to protect the booze. If any of those licenced premises had racked up continuing brazen thefts of bottles by violent goofs, the Manitoba Liquor Commission would have seized the permit from the owners. Period. 

But in the current day, the Pallister government's hand-picked Directors can fail - FOR TWO YEARS - to get a handle on the thefts, and suffer no consequences. Meanwhile, customers ended up being mugged and staff on the store floors assaulted and hospitalized.

* Now what if those employees worked at say, a smelter in Flin Flon? Manitoba government Safety officials would have bragged about prosecuting the company. They love reminding the public how important it is to hold business owners responsible.
  

Look how they crowed about busting a welding company: 
"The blade caught the top of the worker’s glove and pulled his hand into the cutting blade, resulting in serious injury.  Arne’s Welding Ltd. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a machine or tool was used or operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.  The employer was order to pay $25,000 in fines and penalties, and an additional $5,000 payable to Workplace Safety and Health Public Education Fund."

Why did provincial Workplace Safety officials do even less than the City to enforce safety standards to protect liquor marts workers? 

The answer is obvious - Private business owners are easy pickin's for fines and sanctions, but a business run by Directors appointed by the provincial government of the day are a protected class. And that's a dangerous precedent. 

The parade of experts on the MLL Board includes:
A Lotteries expert as chair, a tax and estate lawyer, a former BellMTS executive, a technology guru, an MBA, the president of a Bioscience group (who has run for the Pallister-led Progressive Conservatives), and a former Progressive Conservative MLA.  

Their expertise in selling liquor to the public while maintaining public safety seems to be absent. 

Surely, politics has not trumped workplace safety enforcement?

With such a highly qualified crew in charge, their failure to get a handle on the mayhem and plundering of the Crown Corporation's outlets makes them just as liable, in my mind, to have to answer in formal proceedings for their failure to protect employees, customers, and the general public. 

Just as any welding company or smelter operation does.

                                       *******
Sorry for the delay in posting columns and news. 

Your ongoing support is very much appreciated. Email me TGCTS1@gmail.com to contribute or with news tips.

As always I can be found on Twitter @TGCTS and the Facebook group is  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TGCTS/.

North End Councilor Echoes Liberal Leaders' Scepticism About WRHA "Harm Reduction" Free Needle Program

Mynarski Councilor Ross Eadie, whose north end ward has been noticably afflicted with discarded used needles, reacted to our story exposing that health officials lowballed the estimate of discarded needles in Winnipeg by 400% last year.

Last October the WRHA claimed in an email that "Needle distribution programs have also been shown to reduce the number of discarded needles in the community overall."

When challenged, they cited a study published in the year 2000.

In the same email, officials argued "Needle return rates have very little to do with the number of needles found discarded unsafely in the community."

 With discards estimated to be up 1200% since last year, Eadie cautioned:

 "I definitely believe Street Connections has not handled their program very well over the years on the collection side."

Eadie posted his observations on Facebook in a response to our follow up story with Dougald Lamont. The Manitoba Liberal leader was critical of both needle and data collection by the WRHA in an exclusive interview last week. 

Lamont, MLA for St. Boniface, told us it was "not surprising that the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's estimate of discarded needles was so far from actual numbers," and insisted  that "Manitobans deserve to know the extent of issues within their communities."

His statement that "Good data is very important for governments to make the right policy choices" also caught Eadie's attention.

The three term council member shares Lamont's concerns about the city and provincial governments relying on the WRHA "harm reduction" program to hand out 2 Million free needles, when it is based on US studies over 18 years old that predate the prevelance of addicts cranking meth.

Another claim in the email last fall that the WRHA clings to is "Unlimited needle and syringe distribution is supported by Harm Reduction best practice recommendations."

Eadie questions how the evidence on the streets of his ward can be seen as consistent with a so-called "best practice".

"If you're going to run a harm reduction program, you must consider any harm to those who do not participate in the drug epidemic." 

Eadie later explaining in a follow-up conversation his frustration that some areas of his ward like North Point Douglas and Main Street neighborhoods are especially hard-hit by addicts tossing dirty needles wherever they wish without consequence.

Other readers, looking towards the pending Manitoba election, had strong reaction to the comments of Lamont about fighting the meth crisis, a key plank in his election platform.

They also noticed his willingness to explore whether a mothballed secure facility at 800 Adele Ave. could house a meth detox unit.

That proposal flowed from a tour of the facility as part of a meeting between building owners and Marion Willis of Morberg House, a successful St. Boniface residential meth treatment program.

*  "People going through a drug induced psychosis will still need to be cared for and removed from the general population" one women posted about the possibility of getting the building out of a court dispute with Premier Pallister and the PC government.

"Whatever your misgivings about drug use and addictions are, medical professionals can not refuse care to these people and this is a better alternative that will free up some space in the few Emergency Departments that we have left."

*  Another longtime source for our blog has been following our recent stories and did his own research: 

"Maybe this will help in numbers. After consulting two acquaintances who are needle users of Meth, I asked them about how many points that they used weekly. 

Using those numbers and also using the 1 million annual needle distribution number, this is my calculation.

AT ANY ONE TIME, we have 5000 meth users high and active. We also have another 5000 crashed and sleeping. You can add to that the number of smokers, snorters, and swallowers. That's just for Winnipeg."

Since the actual distribution number is double that - 2 million - it appears his estimate could be doubled, resulting in 10,000 meth users high in Winnipeg at a time while another 10,000 are crashed out.

*  A key factor that hasn't truly hit the public radar is the fact that the price for a point of meth, which dropped from $10 to $5 in the last 2 years, has now dropped in some circles to a mere $3.00. According to a Winnipeg Sun story last Boxing Day:

"Statistics from the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba said that between 2014 and 2017, the number of meth users rose 48% among youths and 104% among adults. The average age of a youth using meth is 16 and 81% of their reported cases are girls. AFM cited plummeting prices for meth as a chief factor in the increased usage across the board. "

*  "It's here in every neighbourhood. Crime to feed the meth habit." wrote a longtime property manager.

"River Park South, Island Lakes, South St Vital, Old St Vital, Southdale are right along with Windsor Park in the devastating effect theft and vandalism is having in our neighborhoods. Video after home video. Cars being broken into. Property stolen. It's an entire city under siege." she concluded.

*  Yesterday former Major Crimes Unit investigator James Jewell posted a deep-dive analysis what has resulted - a disorganized police response that has left both cops and citizens overwhelmed:

"Winnipeg residents are becoming frustrated, angry and feel abandoned. 

Communities are taking matters into their own hands, patrolling the streets and using social media platforms to organize in their efforts to fight crime. It shouldn’t have to come to this. The lack of consequences for property crime is definitely a major factor. In 2018, “lack of consequences” became a major theme at Manitoba Liquor Marts."

*  Just two weeks ago, after the liquor outlet in Tyndal Park was heisted, people in the know proved Jewell's point:

"At the Fort Richmond LC every week.

 Last week my dad was there and a group of 10-15 kids made a big commotion and stole all kinds of bottles and ran out.

The LC people say it happens every week and theres absolutely nothing they can do to stop it because of the risks.

Crazy tho, my dad said they walked out with like 3 or 4 bottles EACH."

and this -

"My brother works at an LC as well and they have thefts everyday. Some larger than others. Last weekend they walked up to the cashier and showed a weapon.  They walked out with 9 bottles of $90+ bottles."

Like the lady said, it's an entire city under siege.

                                      *****************

Our citizen journalism, honed at 92.9 KICK-FM and on City Circus TV, is getting results and the elections haven't even been called yet.

Imagine what we can do when we get in front of political candidates with tough and insightful questions that YOU would want them to answer.

Imagine what we can do, when people chip in towards our costs - people like you! 

So far we're 25% of the way to our target - we are looking for 100 donors at $50 each but all contributions are welcome!

(Plus, all donors in August get a free copy of Retropeg, a book of beautiful black and white photography portraits of Winnipeg in the 1970's you'll love to have!)

Here's an explanation how you can donate to support citizen journalism & keep our public affairs coverage in the field:

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Coming next: The heat on police Chief Danny Smyth gets turned up, and up, and up.

Legacy Of CrimeStat Failure May Help Sink Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth

The skids were greased under whoever was going to be Winnipeg's police chief long before the position was awarded Danny Smyth in November 2016. That year, the city rose thru the ranks to lead the Canada Crime Severity Index, so there's the proof. 

But he can't use that as an excuse for long- or at all.

Last week he pointed his finger at the provincial and federal governments for failing to stem the meth tide while warning personnel throughout his department are fading fast and losing hope, in the face of 30-40% increases in serious crime categories since 2014. 

But Smyth made a key PR mistake: he failed to acknowledge that top management over the years - including himself - weren't up to the task of managing a coherent counter-strategy.  

Blaming politicians only goes so far with cops on the beat and victims of crime, I am hearing, when they see a police chief who is failing to lead.

* For years, people who knew the score were calling out how police brass had undermined the CrimeStat formula, which went beyond statistical measurements and into crime analysis if done correctly. Smyth tried to leave that legacy behind and install a new crime-tracking tool:

"Winnipeg police replace CrimeStat with new web tool called CrimeMaps” (CBC Manitoba, March 8 2019)

It would be fair to say that since the change is so recent, there's probably no way to judge any results. However, it is also fair to say, that the failure to operate CrimeStat properly for 12 years had a very bad cumulative affect on policing and public safety. 

It isn't clear how involved Smyth, who was named a superintendent in 2012 and deputy chief in 2015, would have been, but it's overwhelmingly likely he knew what was going on, at the very least. CrimeStat, WPS-version, was full of holes and the public was fed half-truths for years, as were city councilors and the media.

* Deputy Chief Menno Zacharias was a champion of CrimeStat when it was introduced following a campaign pledge by Mayor Sam Katz. Here is part of his explanation of how it could work as a pro-active policing tool:

 specific crime trends can be seen developing in specific areas of the city.  These trends can be nipped in the bud so to speak, largely by identifying and arresting perpetrators.  These preemptive arrests prevent the trend from continuing and reduce the amount of crime.  It’s not the be all and end all but it is a valuable tool. 

Unfortunately he retired after the promotion of Keith McCaskill to top cop, a terrible hiring mistake in retrospect. 

Why? Let's jump for a moment to an answer Danny Smyth gave to a media question last week.

Q: … is the current meth crisis the gravest or most difficult challenge that’s been thrown your way?

A: …. I guess in my time there have been a few things that have been game-changers, certainly when crack was introduced into the community some twenty-five years ago it was a game-changer, gangs were a game-changer, this is the kind of drug that’s been a game-changer as well…

Crack was a game changer ... consider this:

In an exit interview when he retired, McCaskill admitted that he and other senior managers of the police in the 1990’s had underestimated the emergence of crack cocaine and the problems it represented to the city. 

A cop was dismissive of how serious it was that crack was being introduced to the Winnipeg scene in the early 90's? 

He blew the first test of the 3 Smyth described. 

How did someone like that end up in charge?

* Two years later in 2010, cop-turned pundit Zacharias blogged that CrimeStat was a proven winner IF the human element did its part. 

But under McCaskill, execution of that function was abysmal - as per this synopsis:

• All players in the system must understand and execute their roles.
•  Division Commanders must stay on top of crime in their area, identify trends and devise effective tactics to deal with them.
• The Police Executive must be fully engaged and ensure the resource is used as intended."
• The executive of the Winnipeg Police Service does not appear to understand or appreciate the capabilities of Crimestat and that could explain why they have largely turned their backs on it...
• A key aspect of the Crimestat process centers on accountability.
• The Executive needs to hold Division Commanders accountable.
• Accountability is exercised most visibly during Crimestat meetings.
• That cannot happen if the Executive does not attend Crimestat meetings.

Zacharias concluded: "Residents of Winnipeg have a vested interest in the overall safety of all neighbourhoods. Winnipeggers need Crimestat to work."

It didn't. Why? Because "The Police Executive must be fully engaged and ensure the resource is used as intended." and that was the last thing McCaskill wanted.

Because he wasn't a crime fighter, which is what CrimeStat required to deliver results.

* Even after the warnings of Zacharias in 2010, CrimeStat was still being gamed in 2013 - after Devon Clunis took over from McCaskill -  to minimize the impact from criminal activities and violence that Winnipeg residents and businesses were facing.

In a Free Press comments section smackdown of noted downtown cheerleader Brent Bellamy, urban policy analyst  Brian Kelcey admonished him that "comparing Winnipeg to other cities on the basis of in-year crime stat reports is misleading, since Winnipeg underreports crime data in its Crimestat model. This isn't a conspiracy theory about "unreported crimes," despite Bellamy's assumptions to the contrary."

Kelcey, who had been a key figure in the early Katz administration, revealed "Winnipeg's public Crimestat statistics have never, ever reported assaults, non-fatal stabbings, arsons or sexual assaults where the attacker is known to victim, amongst other visible downtown crimes. We only know these figures are unusually high in Winnipeg, and concentrated in the North End and (to a lesser degree) Downtown because of federal crime report data that comes out one or two years later. "

As safety consultant Bob Axford put it, under Chief Clunis, "Crime stat in Winnipeg is now being used for purposes the US model was never designed = that is to avoid transparency and honest management." 

In other words - not a crime fighter.

* In October 2013, the Free Press reported about a review of CrimeStat by Matrix Consulting Services of Texas.  And what did they find?  

- cancelled or shortened weekly CrimeStat meetings, 

- non-regular attendance by the chief or his deputies 

-  limited analysis of statistics and how they impact on the work of general patrol units. 

"It seems that preparation time is limited and focused on 'just' trying to understand the statistical increase 'or' decrease," the review notes. Matrix calls on the WPS to introduce "more formality" to CrimeStat meetings and increase accountability and ownership for police in supervisory roles." ... Katz said he was "extremely disappointed" there is little buy-in to the program among senior police officers."

* So, when did CrimeStat get fixed? Well, according to CBC, not by May 2015, by which time residents of River Heights had started giving up on Chief Clunis and his managers ever getting their area under control - and hinting that maybe a program to put cameras aimed at backlanes would have helped  

Oxford worst-hit street in River Heights crime wave

Crowdsourcing of over 150 incidents paints block-by-block picture of property crime in Winnipeg neighbourhood

... The data also showed that in nearly 75 per cent of cases, the thieves roamed the backlanes, rather than streets. ... Another active member of the Broken Windows Club says these figures do prove the crime wave is affecting all areas of River Heights, but feels it's just the tip of the iceberg. "I know personally for a fact that many more on my street were hit and didn't submit their incidents."

"The true scale of the problem is not fully known by residents, as the police service's CrimeStat website does not track the type of property crime that is wreaking havoc on River Heights residents."

* By the time Smyth - and meth addicted needle-dropping junkies - took over in November 2016, CrimeStat had been a colossal failure as a planning and coping tool. Deliberately sabotaged. It took him over 2 years to finally replace it and hope people forgot.

When Smyth made his PR gambit to get sympathy on the side of cops and civilian staff, he was counting on his own role being glossed over. 

Winnipeggers have seen the deterioration of public safety and order since 2014 - can you imagine that was 'the good old days' when people felt safe compared to now?? Public patience for the social-work approach of the trifecta of recent police chiefs is worn thin. They want results. 

They see a police chief eager to engage politicians whenever he can - that's the easy part -  but if we are leading the country in crime, guess what - we lead the country in crime victims too. Robbery and property crime both up over 40% in 5 years, total crime up 33%. And Danny Smyth offered those crime victims nothing last week- no leadership, no accountability, no hope, just a warning things will get worse. He's no crime fighter.

The Police Service needs a change of attitude, a change of direction, and a change of identifying trends and devising effective tactics. His ability to accomplish what's needed to save our city has to be seriously contemplated by Mayor Brian Bowman and City Hall -- and Smyth should have to make a case to council why he should stay in charge. 

**************

This week we reached the 20% mark in the quest for 100 supporters at $50 each, who have stepped forward to help fund this crucial period for independent reporting in Winnipeg. 

Some donors have been extraordinarily generous with their kind words and financial vote of confidence - and because of their gestures, my reporting on the meth crisis, crime, politics and the Winnipeg community can continue.

Will you please join them? It only takes a minute to help.

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Bonus Video: Meth Program And Homeless Outreach Makes St. Boniface Safer This Summer

In the last 3 years as meth addiction ramped up, the peaceful quiet of St. Boniface became noticeably disrupted. 

The Norwood Grove Biz warned City Hall "As the downtown core took steps, we saw an influx of bridge community. Business owners didn't know what to do and hadn't seen it before." 

Issues surrounding homelessness, panhandling and street-involvement become a growing concern to the community "which saw endless customer harassment, vehicle break-ins, vandalism and more." 

The wake-up call was when the washroom at Tim Hortons was set ablaze and shortly after, the staff walked out due to threats. This past winter, the ScotiaBank had to lock its ATM Lobby overnight due to incidents.

https://www.manitobapost.com/winnipeg-news/safety-keeps-slippin-away-on-wrong-side-of-st-boniface-117020

This summer, the area is noticeably - visibly- calmer.  

Marion Willis of Morberg House confirmed that's the case.

A StreetLinks bike patrol and a robust outreach program are helping guide addicts and the homeless towards support and recovery services and out of trouble. With a reduced homeless population she identifies panhandling and meth camps as the current challenges. 

In this bonus video segment she describes the work they are doing to make Winnipeg safer and lauds the Winnipeg Police and Mayor Brian Bowman for supporting their role in crime prevention through social development.

Part 1 of our interview with Marion Willis: 

https://tgcts.blogspot.com/2019/06/despite-67-success-rate-with-meth.html

Part 2: https://tgcts.blogspot.com/2019/06/more-with-marion-willis-and-morberg.html

   *  Our citizen journalism is unique and effective, honed at KICK-FM and on City Circus TV. 

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Join the donors who are helping us pay the bills to cover city hall and the Manitoba and Federal elections. 

Two charities may have to cancel Christmas dinners; plus a Lesson in Journalism

JUNE 24 2019 ADDED NOTE: 
ALL POSTS PRIOR TO THIS DATE ARE ARCHIVED FROM 2011 AND EARLIER - AND WILL NOT HAVE WORKING LINKS TO THE PODCASTS 


Essential listening to understand what's going on in Winnipeg? You betcha.

Start with contrasting the state of the subjects on Winnipeg radio to our hyperlocal, relevant, informed content and style; how you'll be able to get involved with TGCTS thru our new website; then we enumerate our latest dozen followers (@TGCTS, it's booming!) on Twitter including United Way Winnipeg, Ottawa radio show The Album Drop, Cash Mob Winnipeg and Pulitzer Prize nominee, sportswriter Dave Kindred.

It's fascinating to watch the scope of awareness about our work spread across the continent, which sets up...

A Lesson in Journalism.

We examine the Twitterchat about the Jets licence plates, the Metro News story about Osborne House and their wish list and the issue of donor fatigue. How it relates to the CTV Late night news is part two.

Perhaps suffering from compartmentalization they missed a key point in their TV stories - with the Salvation Army and Indian Metis Friendship Centre being a combined $35,000 off the required donation pace for annual Christmas meals and gifts for the less fortunate, this issue of donor fatigue is now the elephant in the room in our city after the pet projects of millionaires sucked obscene amounts of dollars out of our community. (Remember, your favorite Museum is still panhandling for another $20 million. )

Also we reveal that Osborne House CEO Barb Judt is marching down to city hall later this week with a few messages for the Mayor and council.

In the crime report, we make a brief mention of the Grant Avenue Speed trap, the work of Colin Craig of the CTF and Tom Brodbeck of the Sun, as a Facebook member tries to find the good side of the fiasco; and a blogger discovers the city will issue an order on a derelict building, they just won't ENFORCE the order.

How Seinfeldian. Bizzaro Manitoba. Send this episode to everyone you know, here's the link:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/12/13/two-charities-may-have-to-cancel-christmas-dinners-plus-a-lesson-in-journalism/

EPC ignores public consultation promises: why the public needs a watchdog

This powerful episode, recorded live on location, explains more background and ties together media reports about Red River College's privacy law woes, the scrambling of the CMHR plans to hire staff and open on - well it isn't on time cause it was already late - and their "Orwellian" question and answer exercise; and lastly, what happened at city hall when the Downtown Parking Plan was rubber-stamped with no regard for the unconnected common folk who are being denied input.

This is the third neighborhood this week to report an absence of fair treatment by city "planning".

Listen for an online comment about the difference between Coun. Eadie's tirade about his own backyard and the silence of councillors when other areas get steamrolled by city processes.

We explain how this ties in to the launch of a new website next week, and why the general public needs resources like our Podcast and our coverage of city hall, the Legislature, and local blogs to help them stand up to decision-makers and hold them accountable. Listen for how you can be part of the next stage.

Plus :
- more on homicides number 36 and 37,
- a Level 5 car thief tries to injure cops twice,
- the price of cocaine in Winnipeg plummets, and
- are the HA's picking up stakes?

A newspaper columnist and a local clothing designer now follow us on Twitter- you'll hear who they are!

LISTEN HERE:

http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/12/08/epc-ignores-public-consultation-promises-why-the-public-needs-a-watchdog/

TWITTER: @TGCTS
PS -- WATCH FOR A STORY ABOUT OSBORNE HOUSE IN TOMORROW'S METRO !

Crimestat flaws predicted 5 years ago/ Faron Hall poster child for failed NDP holistic approach

TGCTS opens today by recounting our recent Twitter interaction with the likes of civics blogger Brian Kelcey, Taxpayers Federation director Colin Craig and PC Justice critic Kelvin Goertzen that proves the relevancy of our platform in the current local media scene.

Then 3 main segments are undertaken:

1) The attack on Christian values by the left, as analyzed by CBC's Rex Murphy for the National Post, was almost predictive of the plan of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to blame Christianity for the Holocaust, even while as Tom Brodbeck reports, the federal money tap to pay for it is being turned off

2) Revisiting previous stories -- The unexplained (by MSM) reasons why the NDP had to roll out a 511 emergency communications system - it's a 4 letter word; Bernie Bellan raises the issue of the responsibility of the WRHA and Health Dept. bureaucrats in the death of Simkin Centre resident Lilyan Peck; and the Free Press estimate of the enormous cost of the bribe paid (in the form of higher wages and pensions) at the back end of the wage freeze the NDP arranged with their union friends.

3) The amazing analysis of Bob Axford on March 12, 2007, that the proclamations of then police Chief Ewatski and Mayor Katz about how their version of Crimestat would emulate US successes was a con job on the public. Recent blog posts by Menno Zacharias and Rae Butcher seem to back up Axford's hypthesis.

Plus a rundown of recent near-killings and robberies involving teenagers, the jail time for a rampage last summer on downtown bike riders by a fledgling gangster, an excellent court report from James Turner about a 53 x arrested for intoxication downtown vagrant and what should be done about him, my comparison of that case to recently arrested and intoxicated 'homeless hero' Faron Hall, the biggest example of why the NDP has failed to protect not only the public, but the perp (from himself);

and last but not least, Justice Murray Sinclair jumped on the "one minute to midnight" bandwagon and the Free Press had to censor dozens of commenters that called his bluff for making excuses for the potential of aboriginal violence .

And a reminder to join our Facebook group at the Kings Head next Wednesday at 7 PM for a roundtable and announcements about the growth of our platform. GET INVOLVED - YOU HAVE THE POWER.

Here is the Wednesday Podcast:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/11/30/crimestat-flaws-predicted-5-years-ago-faron-hall-poster-child-for-failed-ndp-holistic-approach/

Failures exposed: Paul Martin and WeDay, Chief McCaskill and Crime "Roadmap"

This week, the mainstream media:

- Ignored the obvious questions about political bias and self-serving agendas that infected the presentations to 16,000 schoolchildren at We Day. TGCTS culled Twitter and the parliamentary record to bring you the other side of the story beyond the hype, about the event itself and the sorry history of former Prime Minister Paul Martin who pretended to now be the champion of aboriginal needs.

- Ignored the failed administrative practices, deceptive promises and insufficient math of Chief McCaskills' promises to bring more control over problem tenants and more cops to bear on crime in Downtown. TGCTS recaps the extensive analysis of The Black Rod that revealed how McCaskills' artsy layout cannot mask his failure to utilize Crimestat properly or to deliver meaningful change.

- Ignored the travesty of the Diamond Lane ticket trap on southbound McPhillips at Inkster, even with news cameras filming bewildered motorists getting tagged when the buses-only priority is not in effect. City Hall directed a cop to answer our listener Outlaw Adam Knight, who took the issue to Mayor Sam Katz and is keeping our audience in the loop.

- Ignored the disconnect between the Court of Queen's Bench on what would be acceptable conduct to "reasonable members" of the public and what a normal person would think actually went on, when the Labradoodle trial was compromised by a provincial Court judge's actions and a motion for his dismissal was rejected. We were there.

Plus: updates on the disruption of the Downtown Biz safety forum, the PC leadership race-to-be, the latest violent incident near the Air Canada building on Portage, and an arrest in the shooting of a 14 year old boy in the face last month - and a translation of the McCaskill-approved press release into plain English.

And no less than 8 shout-outs start off the show - along with the announcement of Marty Gold doing play by play for a cable TV sports special.

Here is the link to the Friday Podcast:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/11/25/failures-exposed-paul-martin-and-weday-chief-mccaskill-and-crime/

Fifth Anniversary Episode: Chief McCaskill's colouring, em, crime reduction plan-to-make-a-plan booklet reviewed

Today's podcast marks the 5th year of The Great Canadian Talk Show serving the community as the voice of the alternative media. The support of so many people, from all political stripes and opinions, and from the mainstream media, bloggers, world of business and academia, and supporters of free speech, is gratefully acknowledged.

My latest column in the Jewish Post and News provides some historical background on the training to engage in this form of broadcasting that I received under the mentorship of the late Yoram Hamizrachi East.

http://www.jewishpostandnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=470%3Awhat-yoram-hamizrachi-taught-me-about-social-activism&catid=47%3Afp-roknewsflash&Itemid=53

Shout-outs off the top of the show include the instructors and students at two institutions I had the pleasure of speaking to this week: the radio class at Academy of Broadcasting under John Copsey; and the Writing Partnerships Practicum course in the Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications department at the University of Winnipeg, at the invitation of Associate Professor Jennifer Clary-Lemon. Her class blogs at http://writingpartners.wordpress.com/ .

Our focus on this episode is the colouring book-like booklet distributed to the media on short notice last Friday by Winnipeg police chief Keith McCaskill, long on fluff and filler like:

“The fact that you’re planning is more important than the plan."

As I said to the classes I spoke to, if a Grade 10 student tried to regurgitate self-serving quotes and artsy pictures in a class project like McCaskill did, they would be awarded an F.

Forced by statistical fact of an increase in violent crime to croon a Petula Clark hit to explain where he intends to target resources - hello Stefano Grande - McCaskill adopted what could be a new phone number representing the lowball targets he has for a crime-reduction strategy - 9-3-3 - for approval at city hall "where normally supportive politicians damned the long-awaited plan with faint praise."

The Free Press also reported on how the presentation did not address breaking the backs of gangs "that seem to invade every safe space" by going after "the kingpins"; nor did the material explain how the Chief wants to work with the MLCC to address alcohol-fueled violence after working WITH the Liquor czars to pursuade the NDP to expand the hours socials held in neighborhood halls can sell booze.
Rounding out the show is a recap of two accounts from the blogosphere of last week's Downtown Biz safety forum being hijacked by anti-cop, anti- Biz anarchists:

http://thecoldcoldground.blogspot.com/2011/11/forum-on-downtown-unsafety.html#comment-form

http://uniter.ca/blog/entry/6934/

(NB - it has come to my attention that one of those stories is being disputed, which I will raise when taping the next installment.)

And of course given the circumstances, a special reflection on our time at Kick-FM and growing the audience, the dishonest conduct of Red River College censors under Stephanie Forsyth towards community radio and free speech - lying about Sam Katz and Vic Toews for instance - and what our listeners are saying about the show and the direction this city has taken in the past year with no one on radio holding the oligarchy to account in our stead, are part of the commentary. Here it is:

http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/11/22/fifth-anniversary-episodechief-mccaskills-colouring-em-crime-reduction-plan-booklet-reviewed/