Learning Stories
by
Mario deSantis
mariodesantis@hotmail.com
“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, and free to choose those who shall govern my country.” - -The Rt. Hon. John Diefenbaker, Canadian Bill of Rights, 1960
“The whole judicial system is at issue, it's worth more than one person.”--Serge Kujawa, Saskatchewan Crown Prosecutor, 1991
“The system is not more worth than one person's rights.”--Mario deSantis, 2002
Ensign Stories © Mario deSantis and Ensign
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Timothy Shire has pointed out that the abandonment of the railways system has contributed to higher transportation cost for grain, to the gradual degradation of our rural highways, and as a consequence to the isolation of our rural communities(1). Shire refers to this process of moving backward in economic and developmental terms as devolution. I may add, that our government is especially efficient in this new field of economic devolution; in fact, this government has been saving money by externalizing the transportation cost to the farmers, and at the same it has been covering its assets for any liability due to the disastrous up keep of our roads by the implementation of no-fault insurance. Sinclair Harrison, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, has praised no-fault insurance by stating that it has saved money for the municipalities, and we hardly agree with him when we see the poor conditions of our highways. Earlier this year, our government stated that it is planning the conversion of many rural paved highways to gravel. Today, this same government is telling the farmers to haul grain in the winter so that the roads cannot be further deteriorated(2). In the meantime, the residents of Nokomis will be complaining about the status of Highway 15 by sending to the highway minister a collection of completed appraisal forms where most drivers state that they will not travel the highway on their next visit to the area(3). I read today that five billboards will go up at entrances to the province and major cities(4). These billboards will include the message "The law and roads of our province may be hazardous to your financial health and well-being." Well said, it wraps up everything which is wrong with this governmental leadership: lack of constitutional directions. Endnotes 1. Raillessness, by Timothy Shire, August 3, 2000 2. Government urges farmers to wait for winter to haul grain, CBC Saskatchewan http://www.sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted | Aug 15 2000 10:41 AM EDT 3. Town gets road complaints on paper CBC Saskatchewan http://www.sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted | Aug 15 2000 9:28 AM EDT 4. Group opposed to no-fault to take message to Sask. Streets, by Colleen Silverthorn, The StarPhoenix, August 15, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
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