Not the face of hunger
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence is in the news due to her recent ‘hunger strike’ in which she purportedly subsisted on a diet of fish broth, vitamins and tea. It amazes me that she’s managed to maintain her round, blob-like features even though she has restricted her caloric intake to practically nil while living in a small tent until she secures a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston to discuss “treaty issues”. But alas, our round, fat, well-fed chief was really ‘freshening up’ in a local hotel and sampling the local cuisine when she should have been squatting, drumming and annoying the very taxpayers who pay her salary, her bottom-feeding boyfriend’s salary and most of the members of her Northern Ontario tribe of approximately 2800.
These two scumbags are systematically stealing from our government and the very peoples they are supposedly empowered to represent and protect. The newly released Attawapiskat audit (which Vancouver Sun reporter Christie Blatchford wrote “read like an episode of Seinfeld”), coupled with the affadavit sworn last year by Clayton Kennedy, Spence’s boyfriend and co-manager of the beleagured reserve, reveal the depths of their scam. Vague or undocumented ‘write-offs’, mysterious ‘unknown’ vendors, sketchy accounting practices and much more pepper the report. The bottom line is that these two, who represent a small, remote First Nation, are sucking the teat of taxpayers while having the audacity to bemoan the fact that they’re free to steal and cheat the very same taxpayers of Canada. The audaciousness is mind numbing but we, said victimized taxpayers, are unable to point a finger or even whisper ‘thieves’ without accusations of racism being levelled. Perhaps it’s time we no longer give a shit and speak our minds.
We the taxpayer are the ones who should be banging a drum and wailing. Especially when a recent court ruling granted ‘status’ rights to 600,000 Metis and aboriginals adding significantly more indigenous peoples to the ever-expanding Canadian government payroll. You know, us! You and me. The taxpayers. The people that have absolutely nothing to do with the aboriginal situation but continue to pay (significantly) for the sins of our great-great-great-grandfathers.
But what’s fascinating about all of this is the large and growing proportion of theft, nepotism and scams that take place on the various taxpayer funded reservations across our great country. Yes, the very people that blocked our roads during the recent ‘Idle No More’ demonstrations appear oblivious to that fact that their very own leaders are responsible for their suffering. Not me. Not you. The very thieving douchebags that purport to be ‘standing up for native rights’ are the very people that perpetuate the downward spiral of poverty, isolation and bigotry now enjoyed by most members of reservation aboriginals.
So here’s my message to these people: Stop whining and join us. Fire the people you have elected that use their positions to better themselves and their families. Take control of your future and stop blaming the rest of Canada for your troubles. We, the taxpayers of this country, have nothing to do with your situation and would prefer you join us to make this country better and contribute to that end. Stop taking our money and chastising us while doing it.
I’m sure some that stumble across this post will leave comments labeling me a racist. I’m not. I don’t see your colour, your religion, your politics. I see you as people and if you’re people that take taxpayer money and give nothing in return, you’re not contributing to this country. You’re part of the problem.
Given the dire conditions that rank & file first nation’s people live-in makes one weep. The problem is two-fold:
1) Chiefs that gorge themselves on monies that should be used to better members of their community. You have made a correct assessment in your blog.
2) Many reserves are in isolated areas which offer no hope of economic development. Compare how members of first nations are doing in BC (very well thank you) with how other members are doing in other provinces.
No one in Canada should go to bed hungry, especially the people who first inhabited this great land.
Hopefully this link works. It is from Chief Clarence Louie speaking in Alberta recently.