One More Asinine Government Plan 
As is so often the case, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was quick off the mark with a great story last October; today the Globe and Mail followed it up…and now I’m doing the same.
The Conservative government of Stephen Harper wants to close all prison farms in Canada. The government wants to build more super max steel and concrete prisons so that more people can be held in jail for longer periods of time apparently.
It’s is a revealing goal
It seems that when something isn’t working, the Conservatives throw more and more money at the problem until it becomes obvious that the money is being wasted and nothing positive is being accomplished. Afghanistan is an excellent example of that.
But when something IS working, they seem to take pleasure in destroying it.
The prison farm story is a prime example of Conservative nonsensical and destructive policy.
Bridget Doherty is the spokesperson for Justice, Peace, & Integrity of Creation, one of the groups campaigning to keep the farms open.
“People are starting to realize how complicated this issue is not just for the prisoners themselves but for the entire food system. People are unnecessarily losing something that works.”
The villains in this story are all Conservatives and topping the list of course, is the #1 villain, Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister. He sets the tone for public policy and his minions do the nuts and bolts work of implementing it even when it’s particularly stupid and unproductive.
The #1 minion in the prison farm story is: 
Peter Van Loan - the public security minister.
Van Loan is a man who never questions his Master and will do whatever he’s ordered to do regardless of its merit. Of course Van Loan did not have the courage to appear on the CBC radio programme.
The CBC radio report from The Current is available here.
The Toronto Globe and Mail recently published a print story, written by Lawrence Scanlan, called “Cultivating Convicts”.
Farmers support these farms
Look at this report in Agri/News
This is an issue worth writing to these gentlemen about.
Mr. Harper : pm@pm.gc.ca
Mr. Van Loan: VanLoP@parl.gc.ca
Mr. Lobb: Lobb.B@parl.gc.ca
There is a petition here that urges Harper to change his mind
Do you really think the likes of Harper/Van Loan/Lobb care whether or not we wrote to them?
In Mildmay I heard it said you can put frills on a turd but it’s still a turd.
Where has the alleged Canadian complicity in torture of Afghan taxi-drivers gone?
I suppose the combined opposition decided to let it slide because more important things were looming on the horizon.
Like Christmas shopping.
http://conservativethoughts.us/2008/01/15/prison-inmates-pretty-in-pink/
Interesting that it doesn’t even match conservative folklore in the States. Harper just tries to be extra-mean and stupid.