Submitted by Ken Collier, recently of the School of Social Work, University of Regina

Canadian Network on Cuba
www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca

Dear Friends, 

Cuba has an unequaled record in helping people in crises such as the earthquake in Pakistan and natural disasters in many other countries.  In fact it has set up a special emergency unit, the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade, to respond to such disasters.  

Behind the headlines of the mainstream media in Canada you can find that the U.S. government is increasing its military forces in Haiti today from 4,000 to 11,000. The Harper government is to raise its military forces there by another 1,000. As in New Orleans, Hilary Clinton has announced that the primary objective of the mounting military presence is to provide “security.” Military forces are reported to have opened fire on desperate Haitians who have been looting stores, looking for food and water. The U.S. military is in complete control at the international airport and giving priority to U.S. aircraft.

Across Saskatchewan people are mounting campaigns to help Haitians in this time of great tragedy. It is important to make sure that donations go to those organizations in Haiti who are actually assisting the victims of the earthquake and the years of political and economic repression. Money should be sent to the organizations identified with the Canada Haiti Action Network. They can be found at the following web site:

http://canadahaitiaction.ca

In a Regina Police report debated on Monday, the federal government is covering the cost of sending 20 police officers to the Vancouver Olympics.  Twenty police officers being sent to Vancouver will be costing Canadians $169,400 for base salaries, $149,000 for overtime and per diem expenses of $15,600 for a total of $334,900. 

This is likely how the staff are to be collected, that being, seconding the staff from across Canada.  There has already been some concern about rural RCMP officers going to the Olympics and leaving the towns and rural Canada unsecure.  How many other cities and communities across Canada are being limited in their capacity to handle crime?

In Regina, there are 529 FTE staff positions in the Regina Police Service.  The report does not identify how many of those are police officers or how many are civilian staff.  The secondment to the Olympics is a 3.7% decrease in overall staff during the period of the Olympics.  This will likely create limits to taking holidays and increases in overtime.  This year's overtime bank is increased by 222,500 with a cost recovery of $184,900.  How much of this will be utilized during the Olympic period, one can only speculate, perhaps none.

But because the discussion and presentation of this budget was in a closed door in camera meeting last week with the Regina Police Commission, it is likely that any speculation on the side of the Police Service or the Commission will never been known.  As well, it would be unlikely that a report will come after the Olympics to assess their impact on the Regina Police Budget. 

Are Regina residents being asked whether they want to support the ballooning $1 Billion security budget?  Are they willing to send their police officers to perhaps arrest protesters of the corporate greenwashing or extinguish Canadian human rights of Vancouver and Whistler residents?

Of course, this will not include the police presence at the Torch Relay that came through this city last weekend.  Is this a cost of the Olympics or a cost for Regina taxpayers?

• Daughters of Africa International Inc.
• Rodney Sidloski, HELP International
• Jeremy Wildeman, Project Hope
• Making the Links Radio
• Isabel Muzichuk
  

See the ActUp events calendar for information on the Awards Galas in Saskatoon and Regina, as well as our International Development Weeks Arts and Activism workshops.