Sandra Finley

2011-08-26 Brendan Cross, controversial candidate for the Green Party of Saskatchewan

 Green Party  1 Response »
Aug 302011
 

STORY PUBLISHED IN LEADER POST:  http://www.leaderpost.com/health/Greens+look+past+record/5309578/story.html

Greens look past record

 By Angela Hall, Leader-Post August 26, 2011   

A Regina man with several criminal convictions – including charges related to an incident in which he disrobed and entered the mayor’s office – plans to seek a seat for the Green Party in the upcoming provincial election.

Brendan Cross is listed as the prospective candidate for the Regina Rosemont constituency on the party’s website, although his candidacy won’t be official until after a review period that allows Green members to provide feedback.

However, the party’s candidate recruitment coordinator Sandra Finley, an acquaintance of Cross for several years, said she sought him out to run and believes he has come through “extremely difficult times” as a healthier and wiser person. His experience with bipolar disorder also helps him be a voice for others who have had forms of mental illness, she said.

 “What I have found in the past is that he is very thoughtful. He is intelligent and he brings a perspective to any political party that is actually very valuable,” Finley said, adding the decision to potentially have him on the ballot has not been taken lightly.

 In a letter to the Leader-Post, Cross noted his “checkered past” but also said he has thoughts and ideas that are worthy of being heard. He also cited his prior political experience, which includes serving as leader of what was the First Nations Party of Saskatchewan.

 In an interview Thursday, the 35-year-old said his past legal issues “always hang over me” but believes it’s no reason not to enter the political fray.

 “I struggle on a daily basis with bipolar disorder and other psychiatric issues but I don’t want that to hold me back. I don’t want to be stagnant in leading a valuable life and moving forward with goals.” 

Cross said while it’s well known that he suffers from bipolar disorder he would like it to be better known that he is “antiwar, pro-union, against nuclear waste, and for saving our planet and all people who live in it.”

 He also touts the Green Party as encouraging greater participation of people with mental issues in the drafting of policies that will affect their lives. 

Cross made headlines following a series of events in March 2010. Court heard during sentencing proceedings that Cross entered the Cathedral-area home of a young Regina mother dressed only in socks and a T-shirt. Cross ended up in City Hall, where he took an elevator to the 15th floor and proceeded to the mayor’s office before he was arrested.

After spending nearly six months in jail, he received a sentence of time served for charges that included unlawfully being in a dwelling house, committing an indecent act, assault, and threatening.

Cross also has previous convictions related to two incidents of indecent exposure in 1997, committing an indecent act in 2001, and a mischief charge in 2004 after being caught looking down into a women’s washroom stall at a movie theatre as an 11-year-old was using the facilities.

Asked about the prior charges related to exhibitionist behaviour, Finley referenced comments Cross has made in the past about being delusional and the role that it played.

“I don’t think that exhibitionism is a fair description. I don’t think that’s that what it was at all. I think it was a person who was mentally ill at the time and was deluded and that delusion was reality for him. It’s unfortunate and he can’t take it back,” Finley said.

Green Party Leader Larissa Shasko said all Green Party candidates must agree to the party’s guiding principles, which speak to the expectations of members’ behaviour and the values and belief system of the party.

“I think that it would speak poorly of us to not give somebody a second chance, but there are expectations and responsibilities and guiding principles,” Shasko said.

Cross has agreed to those principles and impressed those who have talked to him in the screening process so far, Shasko said.

“I try not to look back to people’s past any more than is necessary in order to allow them to move on,” she added.

The Regina Rosemont seat is currently held by the NDP’s Trent Wotherspoon, who is seeking re-election. Tony Fiacco, brother of Mayor Pat Fiacco, is running in the constituency for the Saskatchewan Party.

 ahall@leaderpost.com

 © Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post 

= = = = = == = = = = = =

Hi Sandra, 

I read today that Mr. Cross is a candidate in Regina for the GPS, and I was startled. I’ve met him a couple times prior to his Mayor’s office incident, and unless he’s got a much better handle on his mental illness now, I’d want you to know that you’ve possibly made a mistake. If your strategy is to acquire media attention, mission accomplished, but it would be nice to get coverage for positive reasons over looming problems. If this is a decision that was made because he’s a controversial choice and would garner media attention whether he stays well or gets ill again, then it borders on exploitation of Mr. Cross who was (and possibly still is, for all I know) very ill. 

It gives me further pause in joining the party as a member, and certainly does make me consider if I’d want to be a candidate for the GPS any time soon. People want MLAs who are approachable, and Mr. Cross is not someone I’d approach with any problem of mine. 

= = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = 

Thanks for your input – – .   It warrants serious consideration because of your personal experience with Brendan. 

QUESTION:   Is it possible that your encounter with Brendan was not representative of who he is, because of the timing of your encounters? 

His candidacy definitely was not done to get media attention or to exploit Brendan. 

Perhaps I have made a mistake, I do not know.  I don’t believe so, but someone else and maybe TIME will be a better judge.

I responded to another person thus: 

Brendan has been in my email network for a number of years.  He makes infrequent, but valuable contributions to the dialogue – –  some environmental, some social, some political. He did let me know when he was going through a delusional period, the struggle and what had happened. 

There is a recording of a radio interview with him,  at the very bottom of his blog,  in which he explains things.  (In Regina I lived next door to a Judge and his family.  Their son has schizophrenia.  Delusion is real.   The person acts with the understanding that what they are doing is performed in a real world.  But it isn’t the real world from the perspective of those around them.)   Brendan is on medication.  He is living in a supportive family environment.   He has come through the fire, so to speak.

It was in response to recent, thoughtful input from him on an important issue that I thought he has a contribution to make and it would be worthwhile to discuss the possibility of candidacy.   He was interested; we were both aware of the potential problems.

(Penny and Larissa:  please correct me, if I have gotten this wrong.) 

Because Brendan is in Regina, Penny met and interviewed him. 

Skeptical at first, but she came out of the meeting supportive of him.  It then went to a group of the active Regina Greens.   Brendan came to their meeting, was met, etc.   In the end it was agreed that he would be supported.  Some reservations, of course.  But in general, the decision was to support his candidacy.

In response to your question,  I cannot say for sure if the entire Executive discussed Brendan’s candidacy. 

The media interviews I have done today have been positive (wait until I see what they edit it down to!  Except that I don’t go back to watch) .

In a lengthy interview for radio I spoke along these lines:  

People are born with gifts that are innate to them.  Sometimes their life experience and our society make it difficult for those god-given gifts to be developed.   I have had the luxery of growing up in a secure, loving home and supportive community.  I was able to attend University.  Not everyone has been so blessed.  Some children are significantly harmed in their early years, intentionally or unintentionally and through no choice of theirs.  It is truly the luck of the draw. 

It is up to us to find ways for people to fully develop and contribute their particular talents to our communities.   We are richer and happier if everyone, no matter their position or background, health, race, religion or gender,  has the opportunity.  They might blow the opportunity, but if they have taken control of their life and sincerely want to contribute, why would they not be given the chance to prove themselves?

From what I know about Brendan Cross, I would say that first, he was born with gifts that equip him to contribute in the political sphere.   From what I know of his life experience, I think he is uniquely equipped to represent a segment of our society that is poorly understood and represented.  He did not choose the training he received (who would?!).  But it is more valuable than anything that could be taught in a university course.   I do not think it is wise, as a society, to develop a cadre of politicians who represent the same thing because they are selected on the basis of street appeal. 

It is not an easy choice to be different.  It is not an easy choice for Brendan to face public scrutiny by running for public office.  It takes courage under the best of circumstances.  

Brendan gained the acceptance of the Green Party members in Regina, when they got to know him somewhat.  Those Greens are members of the community, the same as voters.  I see no reason why the voters would react differently.  There are those who will give him a chance. 

People who do not develop their talents, for whatever internal or external reasons, become non-productive members of our society, often frustrated, sometimes angry.   We can each try to know each other better,  to discover the talents of the other.  Sometimes we can open small channels that will allow  – – that is all it has to be  – – ALLOW another to overcome a hand that was dealt to them at birth.   

It is very rewarding for everyone  –  the individual, supporters, and the community  – –  when the door is open to receive the talents.  Even if there is some stumbling on the way to the door!

In another interview I was asked if I wasn’t afraid that Brendan would run naked again.   I try not to make decisions out of fear.  (I am frankly more afraid, and the consequences are much more severe,  that elected officials are representing corporate interests and not the public interest.) 

I was asked by the media what Brendan would bring to the table?   I know him from his engagement in community issues.  He is thoughtful, intelligent,   – –  a risk. Yes.  But one worth taking, I think. 

There are good points to be made regarding representative democracy, the wisdom and contributions that can be made from personal experience with something like mental illness, etc etc.   The fact that  representative democracy  has become a matter of cloned candidates who represent the same thing.  Monoculture really,  even if skin colour is different.  Real diversity is squelched;  thou shall not speak if thou art a candidate or an elected member.   Only “Our Leaders” are to be trusted with “the message”.

Let me end with the message on my answering machine from John Keen:  The Green Party has a candidate with nothing to hide!   (Sorry   I couldn’tresist some levity!)

Sandra

 —– Original Message —–

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I understand the need to have politicians with different backgrounds (not all lawyers). My point was that after a person comes into a life of crime, intentionally or through illness, they’d have to do community service that they are recognized for prior to entering public life successfully. Serge LeClerc managed to win a seat for the Sask Party thanks to his positive work with children for years, and exposure on the radio.

Brendan doesn’t have this sort of background after his extremely negative press coverage. The media in this province is not kind, they are not going to take the Greens very seriously if they go out on limbs for people who should be very welcome to join campaigns as support and advisers, but are ill suited to be candidates at this point.

Even though it may not be the case, this makes it appear as if the Greens are very desperate for candidates, and have low standards.

First impressions are important, and many people have not heard about the Green Party of Saskatchewan, but they may now hear of the party because of this questionable uncontested candidate selection. Brendan ruined his first impression chances with me, and he’s going to have to meet a lot of people in any riding he’s running in, and change their pre-conceptions, in order to not hurt the party’s vote count.  

Actual nomination meetings would be nice, so the media has something else to cover than one controversial nominee who could still presumably be defeated in a nomination race. Imagine how you could turn this story around if you found someone as well qualified as Brendan, with less experience scaring people, and have them contest his nomination. If Brendan wins the nomination, that’s an interesting story for the media to cover and for people to mull over.  

= = == = = = = == = = = == = == = =

FROM PENNY TO CANDIDATES

Good morning everyone,

The media is talking about Brendan after noticing he put his name forward as a candiate for Regina Rosemont.  Everyone that met Brendan finds him to be a very genuine individual.  He is a well qualified candidate with a history of mental illness.  He was 20 years old when he started the First Nations Party of Saskatchewan and his natural ability with politics is evident when you have a conversation with him.  He is fine while on his medication and has changed his lifestyle to ensure his good health continues.

-I think I can speak for most people in Regina who have been working with him over the past couple of weeks when I say we stand by his candidacy.

What they fail to report about the city hall incident was that one winter day he became paranoid, ran out of his home without his pants.  Finding himself locked out of his apartment and no one coming to his aid, he encountered agression rather than compassion or assistance when he entered a familiar building-Regina City Hall. Then it was off to jail rather than a hospital.

Do we want to get this information out to our membership or shall we let them contact us?  The Leader Post article gives a good account of the issues over Brendan’s past.  Angela Hall has captured the seriousness of the events but also the controversy around mental illness.

= = = = = = = = == = = = = = =

Subject: Re: Brendan Cross 

Murray Mandryk and I don’t always come to the same conclusion, so this should worry you that he’s said the same things as I have, independently.

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Topp/5315453/story.html

A new man at the Topp?

By Murray Mandryk, The Leader-Post August 27, 2011  

For all the vigorous claims from political activists that parties are strictly defined by their policies, parties are more often defined by the people they choose to represent them.

This is especially evident in their choice of leaders.

Take this province’s Saskatchewan Party and NDP. They have undergone relatively minor policy tweaking in the past decade, but radical transformations in their electoral prospects largely resulting from the respective leaders they have chosen. This demonstrates the profound effect a leader has on a party. But even a single candidate can sometimes have a serious impact.

The local Green Party, for example, is now seriously considering running Brendan Cross in Regina Rosemont. His baggage includes a bipolar disorder that’s contributed to criminal convictions for indecent exposure, committing an indecent act, unlawfully being in a dwelling house, assault, threatening and, most recently, a March 2010 incident in which he ran, pant-less, through downtown Regina into City Hall and up to Mayor Pat Fiacco’s office. Putting it mildly, this is not exactly your ideal political resume. And actively seeking out Cross as a candidate is just a very bad idea.

While Cross has dabbled in politics, he has no meaningful political experience. If this is somehow a Green Party statement about how those with mental illness can contribute to politics, the kinder thing to do would be to allow Cross (who, according to a 2004 court appearance, is easily destabilized by stress) to privately work through his own issues before burdening him with the stress of public life.

By running or even recruiting Cross now – especially in a seat like Regina Rosemont that should be relatively fertile ground for them – the Greens are sending out a message that will make it hard for many voters to take them seriously.

If this is the impact a single candidate can have on a peripheral provincial political party struggling for third-party status, imagine the magnitude of the decision facing federal New Democrats in finding just the right replacement for Jack Layton. And what’s now intriguing is the serious consideration being given to a big-time, backroom strategist – one-time Roy Romanow senior adviser Brian Topp.

Topp was recruited to Saskatchewan for his formidable political talents in 1993, though his actual track record in this province wasn’t always impressive. Arriving on executive council shortly before the NDP’s 1995 re-election, Topp played a key role in the nearly fatal 1999 campaign, where the NDP could only muster a coalition government with the Liberals and actually received fewer votes than the upstart, two-year-old Sask. Party. For this, he paid a political price and was gone in December 1999, well before Romanow stepped down. 

Of course, since that time Topp has put together a considerably more formidable political resume and even a bit of a national public profile as director of the entertainment union ACTRA, a Globe and Mail columnist and author of a couple of political books. He directed Layton’s 2006 and 2008 campaigns and was recently appointed federal NDP president. Unquestionably, he’s respected as a brilliant political strategist – one capable of matching both wits and nasty blows with Conservative Prime Minister Ste-phen Harper. Notwithstanding that Topp has never run for public office or been elected, many in the NDP circle believe that’s enough to qualify the bilingual, Quebec-born Topp to simply step in where Layton left off.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. The problem here is that Topp is not really all that much like Layton at all. If it’s unkind to say that Topp wasn’t exactly the warmest, most personable guy during his tenure in Saskatchewan, it would also be true. While the bright proprietor of a rather acerbic wit, Topp was also known to be a little cold and condescending.

Bluntly put, Topp’s personality would seem to be the antithesis of Smilin’ Jack’s natural warmth that so drove the NDP popularity last spring – a reminder of how different the skill set is between a backroom player and those expected to front the image of the party. And one wonders if the NDP backroom strategists now promoting Topp’s leadership candidacy have already forgotten what got them there.

After all, a party is most often defined by the people who represent it.

 Mandryk is the political columnist for the Leader-Post. 

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I phoned Murray Mandryk.  He was very agreeable to meeting (Aug 31) .  I expect we will all come away wiser!

Sandra

————————————————–

From: Penny    Subject: Re: Brendan Cross 

Good morning —    Thank you for your comments and insight about Brendan Cross.

I think you will be relieved by another conversation with him.  He has been well received by the other candidates running in Regina and has proven himself to be an asset to the campaign planning. 

There are a couple opportunities for a visit in the near future  . . .  I hope you can join us!  Penny 

= = == = = ==

2011-08-26 On Campus News: Momentum builds for nuclear centre

 Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT?, Nuclear, Take back the University  No Responses »
Aug 262011
 

Following the provincial funding announcement in March, the real work of establishing a centre for nuclear innovation at the U of S is underway, beginning with the recent appointment of an interim director.

John Root’s first task was to shape the centre’s mandate in consultation with university and government stakeholders.

He is now consulting with faculty and leaders from the broader community to define more clearly how this centre could contribute to research, development and training in the nuclear domain.

A detailed business plan is currently under development and will be presented to University Council and the Board of Governors this fall.

The purpose of the centre is “to place Saskatchewan among the global leaders in nuclear research, development and training,” said Root, who is on secondment from his role as director of the National Research Council’s Canadian Neutron Beam Centre at Chalk River, Ont. “We will get there  through investing in partnerships with academia and industry. These partnerships are intended to maximize social and economic benefits.”

The centre will focus in areas that have the potential to make significant contributions to nuclear knowledge, explained Root. These include: nuclear medicine, materials development, safety and practice in nuclear energy systems, and society’s knowledge and understanding of nuclear-related technology.

“We are neither pro nor anti-nuclear, but we do want to focus on the nuclear domain because it is an area where the U of S and the province have strengths that can deliver positive impacts in the province, Canada and the world,” he noted.

“Anything nuclear has social interest as a big component. So we need to engage citizens in conversations to understand risks that are associated with nuclear technologies and on how to mitigate those risks while reaping benefits for people and the environment. It sounds obvious, but knowledge reduces uncertainty and builds confidence.”

Equally important to the areas of focus are the activities taking place in those fields, he said. “We expect Saskatchewan can have worldwide influence by building on our strengths and choosing key areas to maximize our impact. The   practical outcomes of our activities will determine our success.  “There are three key activities that the centre will support: programs, projects and facilities,” he explained.

The centre will help to establish academic programs in nuclear science, technology and policy; stimulate research and development projects that engage partners; and assume esponsibility for management of selected facilities.

“With $30 million of funding from the government of Saskatchewan to support the centre for an initial seven year period, expectations are mounting,” said Root. “People will want to know if the centre was a good investment. We need to demonstrate results and benefits. There need to be discoveries, developments, and new ideas emerging from the U of S through our facilities, people and partnerships.”

The U of S pioneered the field of nuclear medicine, said Root, and was involved in other nuclear technologies from the outset. “We can build on that foundation and modernize the focus of our pioneering spirit.

This centre will put Saskatchewan among the global players in our areas of focus, helping to attract and retain highly qualified people—students, researchers and faculty—in our prairie region.”

2011-08-25 Minister Rob Norris (former U of S employee) – the Province going ahead with development of “Small nuclear reactors” (for the tar sands)

 Nuclear, Take back the University  No Responses »
Aug 252011
 

(Govt of Saskatchewan in collaboration with Govt of Canada)

The August 2011 news report below from the Minister Responsible spells out:  “funding . . .  that will facilitate and support research collaborations in . . .  small reactor design.”

 

Connect the dots:

Earlier we circulated information about “Small” nuclear reactors  – –  Hyperion in the U.S., motivated by the need for energy supply for tar sands expansion  ( 2009-11-29  Panel decision – more Govt funding for the industry. Hyperion. Small reactors. UDP. University of Saskatchewan.)

Premier Brad Wall spelt out in March 2008:

“Premier Brad Wall said Thursday he envisions an ambitious project involving the federal government, SaskPower and one of the uranium companies located in the province that would see Saskatchewan playing a lead role in the research and development of nuclear power. 

Speaking to reporters, Wall said he had a lengthy discussion with Stephen Harper when the prime minister was in Saskatchewan this week about a federal investment in the province involving the nuclear industry.

The premier said it’s linked to the Conservative government’s recent budget commitment of $300 million to the federal Crown Corporation Atomic Energy Canada Ltd., in part for its development of the next generation Canadian nuclear reactor.

“What we’ve simply said to the federal government is that if they’re looking to develop a new generation of reactor technology and are prepared to invest in that as a federal government, perhaps there is a P3 (public-private partnership) opportunity here between two levels of government. We have a Crown-owned electrical utility, the federal government and uranium companies that might be interested that are located here,” said Wall.”

It’s a concern for all Canadians because you (we) are the enablers, the funders.  We will be funding more than an “isotope” project and will continue paying in more than one way.  Do you want to do that?  Make a conscious decision because it’s critical to our longterm well-being.

– – –

Jan 5, 2009,  EXCERPT:

Hyperion Power Generation Inc. has developed a garden shed-sized nuclear reactor . . .

Hyperion, which calls its reactor as a “nuclear battery,” licensed the technology from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. It plans to sell the reactor for about $30 million (U.S.) and says there’s potential to sell 4,000 of them around the world by 2025. . . .

The idea is that oil-sands developers, which rely heavily on electricity and steam to mine and upgrade bitumen, could purchase and operate their own Hyperion nuclear reactors as a way to virtually eliminate their controversial dependence on natural gas – that is, the use of a relatively “clean” fossil fuel as a way to extract and process one of the dirtiest fossil fuels.

“It was really created for the Alberta (INSERT:  and Saskatchewan) tar sands… we have strong interest there,” says Deborah Blackwell, vice-president of licensing and public affairs at Hyperion. “

= = = = = = =

SASKATCHEWAN AND HITACHI SIGN NUCLEAR R&D AGREEMENTS

http://www.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?mediaId=1525&PN=Shared

News Release – August 25, 2011

Innovation Minister Rob Norris today joined with Mr. Hiroto Uozumi, President of Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. and Mr. Taiji Yoshida General Manger of Hitachi, Ltd. to announce $10 million in funding for two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that will facilitate and support research collaborations in nuclear medicine, materials science, nuclear safety and small reactor design.

“Almost six months ago Premier Wall announced our new research centre for nuclear medicine and materials science at the University of Saskatchewan and today I’m pleased to announce a new partnership with Hitachi Ltd, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. (Hitachi-GE), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC (GEH) and Global Nuclear Fuel – Americas LLC, (GNF-A) to further establish Saskatchewan as a leader in nuclear science and medicine,” Norris said.

Innovation Saskatchewan will provide $5 million over the next five years to support R&D activities pursuant to the MOUs in collaboration with Saskatchewan-based research institutions including the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Research Council and the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron. The Hitachi Group, including its alliance with General Electric will match Saskatchewan’s contribution.

The new research partnership will leverage Hitachi’s successful development and commercialization of proton beam therapy technologies and Saskatchewan’s world class research facilities such as the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron to investigate the development of new nuclear medicines and nuclear imaging technologies.

Nuclear safety will be another major research priority as Hitachi and Innovation Saskatchewan consider research proposals pursuant to the MOUs.

Another area of interest to both Saskatchewan, Hitachi-GE, GEH and GNF-A is research into the reclamation of unused uranium fuel rods.

Under the MOUs, Innovation Saskatchewan will also work with Hitachi-GE, GEH and GNF-A on research into the design and feasibility of small reactor technologies although any decision on whether to pursue nuclear power in Saskatchewan is still many years away.

Today’s $10 million investment in nuclear R&D builds on announcements by the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan this year to invest $30 million for the establishment of a new centre for research in nuclear medicine and materials science, $17 million for the establishment of a Centre for Innovation in Cyclotron Science, $12 million to support innovative research in the production of life saving medical isotopes and $10.1 million for the development of Saskatchewan’s first PET/CT facility for diagnosis and treatment of cancer and heart disease at the University of Saskatchewan.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Yuichi Izumisawa
Hitachi, Ltd.
Phone: 81-3-5208-9324
Email: yuichi.izumisawa.by@hitachi.com

Mickey Takeuchi
Hitachi America, Ltd.
Phone: 914-352-5800
Email: masayuki.takeuchi@hal.hitachi.com

Rebecca Rogoschewsky
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0980
Email: Rebecca.Rogoschewsky@gov.sk.ca

Related Documents

 Hitachi Backgrounder.pdf (23.3 KB)

http://www.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?mediaId=1525&PN=Shared

Backgrounder

The Government of Saskatchewan and Hitachi Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on and support nuclear research and development in areas including nuclear medicine and medical imaging.

The Government of Saskatchewan has also signed an MOU between Innovation Saskatchewan and Hitachi-General Electric Nuclear Energy Ltd (Hitachi-GE), General Electric-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC (GEH) and Global Nuclear Fuel – Americas LLC (GNF-A) to collaborate on and support nuclear R&D in nuclear safety, materials science, nuclear fuels and feasibility of small reactor technologies.

Hitachi and Saskatchewan

Hitachi and the Province of Saskatchewan have built a strong and cooperative working relationship over 40 years in the power generation field including work on coal, hydro, natural gas and wind generation technologies. Hitachi has provided generation facilities to Saskatchewan Power Corporation (“SaskPower”). In 1988, Hitachi established Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd. as a manufacturing base for power generation equipment in Saskatchewan province thereby deepening its relationship with SaskPower and Saskatchewan. In February 2010, SaskPower and Hitachi agreed to collaborate on the advancement and implementation of technology in the fields of low-carbon energy technologies, including Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS). In May 2010, Saskatchewan and Hitachi reached a landmark agreement with the signing of a joint declaration to work together and share information for developing energy and environmental technologies, including CCS for thermal power plants, renewable energy and smart grid technologies. Hitachi is also providing an innovative, first-of-its-kind turbine for SaskPower’s world leading Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage project.

About Innovation Saskatchewan

Innovation Saskatchewan is a special operating agency established by the Government of Saskatchewan to coordinate the Province’s support for research and development and science and technology. Innovation Saskatchewan works to encourage and facilitate the development and commercialization of new ideas, products and processes with the goal of ensuring the long-term sustainable growth of an innovation-driven economy in Saskatchewan.

About Hitachi Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd

Hitachi-GE, a joint venture established by Hitachi, Ltd. and General Electric Company in July 2007, as one of the world’s leading comprehensive plant manufacturers, engages in the development, planning, design, manufacture, inspection, installation, pre-operation, and maintenance of nuclear reactor-related equipment and is able to execute integrated project management. Hitachi-GE has been involved with 23 reactors in Japan to date, including those currently under construction. Among them, it has participated in all of Japan’s Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) projects-four ABWRs are already operational and three are under construction. Overseas, it has supplied major nuclear reactor equipment for the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan.

About GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Based in Wilmington, N.C., GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is a world-leading provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. Established in June 2007, GEH is a global nuclear alliance created by GE and Hitachi to serve the global nuclear industry. The nuclear alliance executes a single, strategic vision to create a broader portfolio of solutions, expanding its  capabilities for new reactor and service opportunities. The alliance offers customers around the world the technological leadership required to effectively enhance reactor performance, power output and safety.

About Global Nuclear Fuel – Americas, LLC

GNF is a joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE), Toshiba Corporation and Hitachi, Ltd. Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF) is a world-leading supplier of boiling water reactor fuel, including uranium dioxide and MOX fuel and fuel-related engineering services. GNF operates primarily through Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC in Wilmington, N.C., and Global Nuclear Fuel- Japan Co. Ltd. in Kurihama, Japan.

About Hitachi’s cooperative relationship with GE in the nuclear power field

Hitachi and GE established joint venture companies in 2007 to construct, maintain, and provide related services for nuclear power plants in Japan and the United States, and are proactively pursuing international business activities. The Japanese joint venture, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd., is roughly 80% owned by Hitachi and 20% owned by GE, and in the United States, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy is 40% owned by Hitachi and 60% owned by GE. Both companies are utilizing their accumulated know-how and experience to further expand their nuclear power businesses in global markets.

= = = = = =

MORE ON SMALL NUCLEAR REACTORS:

http://forum.stopthehogs.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=759

2011-08-24 Thesis supervisor to University President’s son becomes Dean of Law, over the Search Committee’s choice.

 Take back the University  No Responses »
Aug 242011
 

Darcy writes:

So it is true:  William MacKinnon, son of the current U of S President, was supervised for his Master of Laws degree by Dr. Sanjeev Anand.  See

http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/alblr45&div=7&id=&page=    (partial text from the link is copied below/S.)

Dr. Anand, as you will recall, was appointed Dean of Law at U of S earlier this year after a highly unconventional competition process.   …

(See  2011-01-21 Top U of S officials face criticism over law dean selection, four different news reports.   None of the reports mention the connection between Anand and MacKinnon.)

This all calls into question some of President MacKinnon’s decision-making practices and indicates how he is prepared at times to bend the rules to suit his purposes.  One can readily see how William MacKinnon’s academic credentials received a huge boost upon the appointment of his thesis supervisor to the prestigious position of Dean of Law at U of S.

(INSERT:  More importantly, Anand is now indebted to MacKinnon.  All the President’s Yes Men.  In MacKinnon’s case, the Dean of Law job was a springboard to the Presidency of the University.

(UPDATE  In 2013 the compensation for the President of the University of Saskatchewan is $400,000 plus bounteous perks.  See 2012-12-07 Infographic: University of Saskatchewan salaries, CBC News )

(UPDATE:  Anand was appointed a Provincial Court (Sask) Judge in Oct 2014, before completion of his term as Law School Dean which began in 2011.)

Too bad that the press did not disclose this connection to the public.

(INSERT:  Maybe the press didn’t know.)

No wonder Peter MacKinnon was so defensive when this irregular appointment received public notice.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

MACKINNON / ANAND CONNECTION, PARTIAL TEXT of  http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/alblr45&div=7&id=&page= :

45 Alta. L. Rev. 79 (2007-2008)

Tessling, Brown, and A.M.:  Towards a Principled Approach to Section 8; MacKinnon, William*

This article analyzes the Supreme Court of Canada’s search-and-seizure jurisprudence in anticipation of the Court’s forthcoming decisions on the admissibility of evidence obtained by police dog searches in  . . .

the bottom of the page,

*        B.A., L.L.B., L.L.M.   This article is an edited version of my Master of Laws thesis which was authored in residence at the University of Alberta.  I would like to thank my graduate supervisor, Dr. Sanjeev Anand, for his guidance during the preparation of this article.  I would also like to thank . . ,”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

BACKGROUND:

January 2011 – brouhaha initiated by a downtown lawyer: Peter MacKinnon, President of the University of Saskatchewan, in concert with Brett Fairbairn, Provost of the University, over rode the choice of the Search Committee for the new Dean of Law.

Circulated in our network:  four different reports on the selection of the Dean of Law at the U of S:

(Click on)  2011-01-21 Top U of S officials face criticism over law dean selection

NOTE:

To find the material regarding the University,  go to Categories (righthand sidebar),  then to Knowledge Base.  Click on:   Take back the University.

Then scroll down: a listing of the postings related to the University comes up, with a short synopsis of each.   It includes the conflicts-of-interest at the University and the denial by Peter MacKinnon that such conflicts exist.

The full text of a posting becomes available by clicking on the title in the thumbnail sketch of the posting.

2011-08-20 Nuclear Japan: What will the energy supply be now? (New York Times)

 Nuclear  No Responses »
Aug 202011
 

“ . .  Japan was slow to develop alternative forms of energy, like solar or wind power, which account for just 1 percent of its electricity supply.” 

Why didn’t Japan develop alternative forms of energy (the need was obvious)?   

“ . . .   cumbersome regulations and government foot-dragging were holding the (alternative)industry back.  

“The cost of solar power has dropped in recent years, but government policy hasn’t caught up to that,” . . .  One roadblock for renewable power in Japan has been the inability of producers to get an adequate price for their electricity on the market, where they must compete with cheaper power from coal, natural gas and nuclear power.  

NOTE:  I strongly disagree with the phrase “cheaper power” from fossil fuels and nuclear.   They would not be cheaper if the pollution (health) and other costs – –  that are paid by the public – –  were figured in.   “Cheaper” is also a false indicator when you are talking about resources that are finite.

In Japan, same as in Canada:  large financial and political investments in the status quo creates intransigent resistance to change, no matter how obvious the need.  Decisions are made to suit financial interests, not the public, longterm interests.  AND the public is willing to let it happen.   (Although I think those days are coming to an end.  People are waking up and getting angry.) 

From Japan, made clear in the following article:   crisis eventually forces change upon us.  But when the investments have been in the declining resource sectors, with only token investment in the new and needed sectors, there is reduced capacity to respond to the crisis in a way that offers effective relief.  You dig deeper into the hell-hole, instead of climbing out.

This New York Times article does a nice job of illustrating the role of energy in the economy.  We are truly the adolescent who needs to come to terms:  there are limitations on behavior.  There are long term consequences. 

From what I see in Saskatchewan, Canadians seem determined to repeat Japan’s folly, failing to transition off  dead-end declining resources.   /Sandra

 – – – – — – – – 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/business/energy-environment/quake-in-japan-is-causing-a-costly-shift-to-fossil-fuels.html

Business Day Energy & Environment

August 19, 2011

Japan Quake Is Causing Costly Shift to Fossil Fuels

By HIROKO TABUCHI

YOKOSUKA, Japan — The half-century-old, oil-fueled power generators here had been idle for more than a year when, a day after the nuclear accident in March, orders came from Tokyo Electric Power headquarters to fire them up.

“They asked me how long it would take,” said Masatake Koseki, head of the Yokosuka plant, which is 40 miles south of Tokyo and run by Tokyo Electric. “The facilities are old, so I told them six months. But they said, ‘No, you must ready them by summer to prepare for an energy shortage.’ ”

Now, at summer’s peak, Yokosuka’s two fuel-oil and two gas turbines are cranking out a total of 900,000 kilowatts of electricity — and an abundance of fumes.

The generators are helping to replace the 400 million kilowatt-hours of daily electricity production lost this summer because of the shutdown of all but 15 of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Across the country, dozens of other fossil-fuel plants have been fired up, and Japan is importing billions of dollars worth of liquefied natural gas, coal and oil to keep them running.

Japan, the world’s third-largest user of electricity behind China and the United States, had counted on an expansion of nuclear power to contain energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, its nuclear program is in retreat, as the public and government officials urge a sharp reduction in the nation’s reliance on nuclear power and perhaps an end to it altogether.

As its nuclear program implodes, Japan is grappling with a jump in fuel costs, making an economic recovery from the March earthquake and tsunami all the more difficult. Annual fuel expenses could rise by more than 3 trillion yen, or about $39 billion, the government says.

The country, until recently a vocal proponent of measures to curb climate change, is also leaving a bigger carbon footprint. According to government calculations, Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions could rise by as much as 210 million metric tons, or 16 percent, by 2013 from 1990 levels if its nuclear reactors were shut permanently. Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a global agreement on greenhouse gas emissions, Japan promised to reduce its emissions by 6 percent over that period.

“Can nuclear be eliminated?” asked Adam Schatzker, an energy analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “It’s possible, but very costly.”

If necessary, Japan could replace the energy capacity lost in the shutdown of its nuclear fleet by increasing the use of natural gas and coal, Mr. Schatzker said. “But even if fossil fuel facilities can make up for the loss of nuclear, it would likely take time, cost a great deal more money and pollute significantly,” he said.

For resource-poor Japan, it is an energy shift of an unprecedented scale and speed. A generation ago, the oil shock of 1973, which exposed the country’s overdependence on Middle Eastern oil, forced Japanese companies to focus on energy efficiency and prompted the government to invest heavily in nuclear power.

But as it doubled down on nuclear power plants, Japan was slow to develop alternative forms of energy, like solar or wind power, which account for just 1 percent of its electricity supply.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has called for a gradual move away from nuclear energy, and proposed a goal of generating 20 percent of Japan’s electricity from renewable sources, including hydroelectric plants, by the early 2020s. The Parliament is debating legislation to spur that change.

A nuclear-free future could come much sooner, however. Nervous local governments have blocked the restart of reactors idled for routine inspections, which occur every 13 months. If no reactors can restart, Japan’s entire nuclear fleet, which provided 30 percent of its electricity in 2009, could be closed by spring.

The shutdowns are already causing an energy squeeze. At least three utilities have come close to full capacity during peak demand hours this summer. The government has warned that eastern Japan, including Tokyo, could face an electricity shortage of about 10 percent next summer if no nuclear plants are running.

A 10 percent shortage may not be disastrous. This summer, for example, a major energy-saving drive by households and companies drove down peak electricity demand in July by about 20 percent, to 46.3 million kilowatts, averting blackouts despite the energy shortfall, according to Tokyo Electric, the operator of the stricken Fukushima plant.

Still, “we take this situation very seriously,” Toshio Nishizawa, chief executive of Tokyo Electric, said this month. Only three of the company’s 17 nuclear reactors are running.

A protracted increase in fossil fuel costs is possible to make up for the shortfall, traders say.

Japan’s liquefied natural gas imports have jumped for three consecutive months, squeezing global supplies amid strong demand from China and other emerging economies. Imports of coal, which still accounts for 25 percent of Japan’s energy, are also rising.

Analysts at RBC Capital Markets predict that in Japan, the world’s largest importer of coal, coal-fired generation could climb as much as 20 percent, equivalent to 3 percent of global supply.

Last month, Japan’s power utilities said they would raise electricity prices in September to make up for higher fuel costs.

Some businesses worry about the impact of a long-term energy deficit.

“We could see Japanese companies start to move overseas,” Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of Sumitomo Chemical and head of Japan’s largest business lobby, the Keidanren, told reporters last month. “A prolonged energy shortage could harm business and investment.”

Meanwhile, the sharply higher energy costs are helping to undermine Japan’s formerly rock-solid balance of trade, which swung into the red for three straight months after the earthquake as exporters struggled to restart production. The country’s trade surplus for July was down 90 percent from a year earlier, on a combination of weak exports and rising energy imports.

Elon Musk, the American entrepreneur and founder of the electric car company, Tesla Motors, was in tsunami-stricken Soma late last month to donate $250,000 to build a solar farm there. He said that he saw potential for renewable energy in Japan, but that cumbersome regulations and government foot-dragging were holding the industry back.

“The cost of solar power has dropped in recent years, but government policy hasn’t caught up to that,” Mr. Musk said in a telephone interview.

One roadblock for renewable power in Japan has been the inability of producers to get an adequate price for their electricity on the market, where they must compete with cheaper power from coal, natural gas and nuclear power.

Lawmakers are debating a law that would require utilities to buy electricity from solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and other renewable power sources, even if it means paying a premium. According to Japan’s Trade Ministry, the move would raise average home electricity bills by about 200 yen (more than $2) a month.

“If we, as a society, are willing to pay more, this technology will most certainly spread,” said Norihiro Okumura, an economist with the Tokyo-based Institute of Energy Economics. “And though some in industry say this hurts competitiveness, renewable energy will create new businesses, too.”

Until then, the huge generators at the Yokosuka power plant will continue to pick up the slack, fumes notwithstanding.

“People once called this the No. 1 power plant in the Orient,” Mr. Koseki said. “We are back, doing what we can.”

2011-08-18 G&M: Government crack-down on allowing suspected war criminals to enter Canada? (Get Bush Arrested in Vancouver on Oct 20)

 George Bush war criminal  No Responses »
Aug 192011
 

Contents

(1)    LAWYER GAIL DAVIDSON LETTER-TO-EDITOR, GLOBE & MAIL (RE WENTE ARTICLE)

(2)    MARGARET WENTE, “AMNESTY’S MISPLACED HAND-WRINGING”, G&M

(3)    AMNESTY’S REBUTTAL TO WENTE

(4)    I HAD TO TAKE A KICK AT THE CAN:  crack-down on allowing suspected war criminals to enter Canada??   No.  George Bush is the worst of the lot.  He enters freely.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =  = = 

  1. LAWYER GAIL DAVIDSON LETTER-TO-EDITOR, GLOBE & MAIL (RE WENTE ARTICLE) 

Dear Editor;

 Re: “Amnesty should find some real victims to defend.”

 Both Ms Wente and Minister Kenney are wrong. There is no government crack-down on allowing suspected war criminals to enter Canada:  Amnesty’s open letter does not, as suggested, oppose the “legal” removal from Canada of people suspected of war crimes, against humanity or other serious human rights violators. Amnesty calls on Minister Kenney to comply with the law.

The law: Canada’s has adopted laws and has a legal obligation to prevent and punish certain crimes seen as threats to global peace (genocide, torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity). The duty to deny suspects a safe haven referred to by Wente and Kenney has two components. Firstly Canada must take steps to bar suspects from entering Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 35.  Once a suspect enters Canada, the legal obligation is to ensure prosecution either by commencing a prosecution in Canada or extraditing the suspect to a jurisdiction willing and able to prosecute.  (“…it is the duty of every state to exercise its criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes.” Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court)

 The Facts:

In violation of the letter and spirit of the law Canada continues to provide safe haven to suspects considered friends and to arbitrarily apply the law to others. For example George W. Bush, accused of torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity has not only been allowed entry Canada on several occasions, in November of 2004 he was invited to speak to Parliament and dine with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Public money has been lavished on protecting him from peaceful protesters and from prosecution. The evidence against Bush for torture and other crimes was then and is now, overwhelming. As stated by U.S. Maj. General Taguba, “…there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current [Bush] administration has committed war crimes.” G.W. Bush is scheduled to come to Canada again in October, this time at the invitation of the mayor of Surrey BC. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Kenney will welcome Bush this time or abide by the law and refuse him entry.

Ms Wente should hold her applause until then. 

 = = = = = = = = = =

2.   MARGARET WENTE, “AMNESTY’S MISPLACED HAND-WRINGING”, G&M

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/amnestys-misplaced-hand-wringing/article2132896/ 

Amnesty’s misplaced hand-wringing

 MARGARET WENTE

From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011 1:30AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011 11:49AM EDT

Cristobal Gonzalez-Ramirez is not exactly what you’d call a stand-up guy. He arrived in Canada from Honduras in 2006 and promptly filed an application for refugee status. In January – more than four years after he got here – his refugee claim was rejected. The Immigration and Refugee Board determined he was a war criminal, responsible for creating an army battalion that executed more than 100 Hondurans in the early 1980s. After being scheduled for deportation, he disappeared.

Then there’s Manuel De La Torre Herrera, who claimed refugee status after he arrived from Peru in 2000 to perform in a music festival. The refugee board determined he had once been active in a state-backed death squad. He went underground when his claim was denied. And how about Abraham Bahaty Bayavuge, who was turned down for refugee status in 2004 after the board found he had served murderous regimes in Congo? He disappeared, too.

All three characters figured on a most-wanted list of fugitives released by the government last month, complete with mug shots. All three were rounded up, and two of them have been deported. The third one, Mr. Bayavuge, is set to be deported, but not before a further round of due process that includes a detention review and a preremoval risk assessment to determine whether he’ll be endangered if he’s sent back.

Canada has become notorious as a haven for war criminals and phony refugees. Some have lived here for years, even decades, with impunity. So this belated government crackdown should come as welcome news. But not everyone thinks so. In fact, many people suspect that the government’s decision to publish the identities of these sketchy characters is a stunt meant to pander to the baser elements of the electorate.

On top of that, they insist, the government is violating their human rights. After all, how do we really, really know they’re all that bad? And even if they are, deporting them is wrong. Instead, these critics say, it’s our duty to put them on trial, at a cost of millions, so justice will be done.

Leading this crusade is Amnesty International, a prominent human-rights group that’s gained a reputation as the scourge of dictators and tyrants. Today, it gets more mileage out of scolding Canada. In an open letter this month, it rebuked the government for violating the human rights of the human-rights violators by trying to enforce the Immigration Act. In effect, it wants these people treated as if they were citizens, instead of illegal residents who lied their way into Canada, flunked their refugee-board hearings, and went on the lam.

In response to Amnesty’s scolding, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney popped his cork. He posted an open letter of his own on his constituency website. In it, he accused Amnesty of “self-congratulatory moral preening” and said the group had lost its way. “As a former AI member, may I suggest that ostentatious hand-wringing over the good name of war criminals and human rights violators may sit uneasily with those AI members who, perhaps naively, believe your compassion should be reserved for their victims.”

Not surprisingly, Amnesty (cheered on by the noisy immigration-lawyer lobby) has now issued an indignant response. Also not surprisingly, various members of the liberal punditocracy have denounced Mr. Kenney for his bizarre and irresponsible tirade. Cabinet ministers, after all, should not descend to low partisan attacks.

Maybe not. But the minister is right. Amnesty should find some real victims to defend.

= = = = = = = =  = ==  == =  = = = =

3.   AMNESTY’S REBUTTAL TO WENTE

MP3

9:09 AM on August 18, 2011

Facts getting in the way of hyperbole. Here is the actual text of the Amnesty letter

http://www.amnesty.ca/media2010.php?DocID=814 

Their problems with our government using immigration law to deport suspected war criminals are valid:

1 – if they are indeed war criminals then they should be tried, convicted and jailed, not deported to become someone else’s problem. If not in their home country, we certainly have the laws that allow us to do that – with a recent case of someone involved in the Rwandan genocide being tried in Montreal.

2 – that we as a country have international human rights obligations, in particular not to send someone back to a country where they face risk of torture or execution or becoming “disappeared” – if so, then see number 1.

These are valid concerns, and AI has a right to express the concerns. Kenny, as a Minister of the Crown, responded carelessly for someone in his position, but given the support I see for his response and the negative tone from posters of AI’s legitimate concerns, I gather that many Canadians don’t care much for our international human rights obligations, are fine with using deportation instead of the criminal justice system to bring suspected war criminals to justice, and don’t particularly care there may be people on the list (I recall Haiti human rights advocates being mystified by one Haitian on the list that they’ve never heard of) who aren’t war criminals at all.

= = = == = = = = = = = == = = = = =

  1. I HAD TO TAKE A KICK AT THE CAN:  crack-down on allowing suspected war criminals to enter Canada??   No.  George Bush is the worst of the lot.  He enters freely.

Sandra1007

6:23 PM on August 19, 2011   (But they chose not to publish on-line because of some reason that I do not understand.)

Ms Wente is selective in the criminals she selects as example.

I can think of one who is responsible for war crimes far worse than the ones she profiles. There is no crack-down on him. His name is George Bush. He came to Saskatoon in October 2009. People here presented the Laws and the Evidence of his culpability to all the responsible authorities, more than a month in advance of his arrival. He was not denied entry into Canada and he was not arrested. Instead he was paid a lot of money and tax-payers paid handsomely for police protection for him.

Bush is to speak in Vancouver (Surrey) on Oct 20, 2011. Jason Kenney with help from Ms Wente needs to ensure that George Bush is denied entry to Canada, or that he is arrested in Vancouver on October 20.

When officials do not carry out their responsibilities, it is up to citizens to see that they do. It is, afterall, OUR democracy. We do not have democracy if the laws do not apply equally to everyone.

2011-08-17 Break-through! Article on the Nuclear (Corporate) Conflicts-of-Interest at the University: Senators want board chair to step aside.

 Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT?, Nuclear, Take back the University  No Responses »
Aug 172011
 

Background is at:  2011-08-16    Revolution Canadian style?  U of S Senators challenge conflicts-of-interest at the University while The Walkers challenge the Government’s corporate interests.

– – – – – – – – – –

Mary Jean writes:

USSWORD (University of Saskatchewan Senators WOrking to Revive Democracy) sent out a media advisory earlier this week about the Presidential Selection Search, Nancy Hopkins’ conflict-of-interest. A really good article was published today (Aug 17, 2011) on the topic.

– — – – – – – – – – – — –

Note:  re·cuse   To disqualify or seek to disqualify from participation in a decision on grounds such as prejudice or personal involvement

– — – – – – – – – – – — –

I am not sure who wrote this Comment:

Nancy Hopkins’ and Peter MacKinnon’s responses to the USSWORD claims are typical, but purposely off the mark, I believe.  After all, is the chair of the Presidential Search Committee going to recuse herself everytime discussion arises about one of the 2 or 3 candidates (for next president of the University) with ties to the nuclear industry?  In any event, if we are to take Hopkins’ and MacKinnon’s statements of impartiality to their logical extreme, then Richard Florizone, Grant Isaac and others must be considered at a disadvantage because the Search Committee is bound to shy away from their nominations because of the controversy that would ensue.  Also, Cameco supplying uranium to the proposed University reactor is the least of our concerns.  What about the tremendous influence the nuclear industry has upon research and its results at the University because of the large corporate grants and representation on the Board of Governors?  . . .

Senators want board chair to step aside

By Janet French, The StarPhoenix August 17, 2011 8:39 AM

A handful of University of Saskatchewan senators are calling on the chair of the board of governors to step aside because of her ties to one of the world’s largest uranium producers.

The senators also say lawyer Nancy Hopkins’s position as a board member for Cameco Corp. puts her in a conflict of interest chairing a search committee for a new university president.

In a letter sent to the university’s secretary and board vice-chair earlier this year, environmental lawyer and senator Stefania Fortugno points to equity Hopkins has at stake that rides on Cameco’s performance. Fortugno questions whether Hopkins’s role is connected to the university’s increasing focus on nuclear research.

“Any time that the University of Saskatchewan enlarges the role of the nuclear sciences on campus, through the appointment of faculty chairs, or establishing a new $30-million nuclear research centre and allocates scarce educational resources to the same, the share prices of Cameco Corporation correspondingly increase,” the letter says.

Another elected university senator, Mary Jean Hande, says Hopkins’s role on the presidential search committee is problematic because several candidates with ties to the nuclear industry are rumoured to be in the running.

“I think it would be very difficult to maintain that public research goal and vision of the university if it was run by somebody who was working in the corporate sector as well,” Hande said. “I think it would also undermine the university as a public institution that was creating and supporting research that was independent.”

Hopkins is calling the conflict of interest allegations “absurd,” and outgoing university president Peter MacKinnon says the call for her resignation is “a request without any grounds at all.”

MacKinnon said there is no doubt in his mind that Hopkins would excuse herself from discussions and voting on any topic where she had a perceived or actual conflict.

MacKinnon says 99.9 per cent of the business before the university’s board has nothing to do with Cameco.

“She’s an enormously sophisticated governance person and has terrific judgment,” he said. Universities’ relationships with corporate donors are long-term and typically involve university staff, not board directors, he says.

Hopkins – a partner at McDougall Gauley who practises business and corporate law – said it is a public, provincial government initiative to establish a nuclear research centre at the university, and even if Cameco did – for example – supply it with uranium, the effect on the corporation’s profits would be negligible. Cameco share prices are more likely tied to the price of uranium than a public relations splash about a university donation, she adds.

“Part of the problem is, this involves the nuclear business, which is a big flashpoint for many people,” Hopkins said.

The concerned senators are drawing attention to Hopkins’s role as part of larger concerns about the increasing influence of corporations in directing university research agendas and funding choices. Corporate citizens are filling the void as government funding to post-secondary institutions across the country covers fewer university expenses.

They say an increased focus on universities as job training factories means other valuable programs in fine arts and the humanities are battling cutbacks and chronic underfunding.

They’ve started a website called the University of Saskatchewan Senators Working to Revive Democracy. Hande says they want to draw attention to the university’s call for public input until Aug. 31 in selecting a new university president.

Hopkins chairs a 12-member committee searching for a replacement for MacKinnon, who will step down on June 30, 2012.

Corporate involvement on campus is not new, Hopkins said, adding universities need to be careful about the details of their agreements to ensure academics maintain independence.

“Perhaps it would be ideal if government and student tuitions could fund the entire cost of a first-quality university education, but we haven’t seen that in a very long time,” she said. “It is unrealistic to think that we’ll ever go back to that situation.”

MacKinnon says universities must stay engaged with the communities they serve or risk becoming irrelevant.

“It is not only inevitable, but it is that reaching out that allows us to do our work well.”

jfrench  AT  thestarphoenix.com

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

2011-08-16 Revolution Canadian style? U of S Senators challenge conflicts-of-interest at the University while The Walkers challenge the Government’s corporate interests.

 Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT?, Nuclear, Take back the University  No Responses »
Aug 162011
 

Recalling that

  • the citizens of Saskatchewan gave a resounding “No” to the nuclear industry through public consultations in 2009, and
  • Fukishima is providing all the “research” necessary, if there was ever any doubt about the nuclear industry:

CONTENTS

1.  DELIVER A DOUBLE WHAMMY  (7000 Generations Walk PLUS an email to the University).

2.   PRESS RELEASE:  Concerned Senators Create Website to Address Issues of Corporatization and Transparency at U of S

3.   SOME BACKGROUND:  THE UNIVERSITY AND THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY

4.   LINKS TO PREVIOUS EMAILS REGARDING THE UNIVERSITY

= == ==  ==  = = = = = ==  = ==

1.      DELIVER A DOUBLE WHAMMY TO THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY (7000 Generations Walk PLUS an email to the University).

Wow! Let’s give a hand to the U of S Senators.  (Full disclosure:  I am one of them.)

See item #2,  Concerned Senators Create Website to Address Issues of Corporatization and Transparency at U of S.

The University is being used as the back-door for the nuke industry.   See links in item #3 – THE UNIVERSITY AND THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY.

Research into radioactive waste disposal (“safe storage”) is part of the mandate of the Nuclear Studies Centre at the University.

Meanwhile, the Committee for Future Generations has walked 820 km from northern Saskatchewan to Regina to say: stop the transport of radioactive waste.

WHAMMY #1:    Carloads of people from around Saskatchewan are joining the Walkers for the last leg of the journey  (August 16).  I’ll be there!  If you are anywhere near, join the 7000 Generations event – history in the making!

DOUBLE WHAMMY:

Make a short submission to the University (they have requested public input to the search for the next President).

Details are at:   http://ussword.blogspot.com/  –  “Presidential Search”.    You will see where the conflicts-of-interest (Cameco’s positioning) are being challenged, for one thing.  The deadline for input is August 31st.  There’s information and examples of submissions on the USSWORD blog.  The issue is the corporatization of the University.

= == ==  ==  = = = = = ==  = ==

  1. PRESS RELEASE:  Concerned Senators Create Website to Address Issues of Corporatization and Transparency at U of S

August 15, 2011.               SASKATOON: A group of U of S Senators called USSWORD (University of Saskatchewan Senators Working to Revive Democracy) launch website to build a bridge between the U of S and the greater Saskatchewan community.

What: University of Saskatchewan Senators Working to Revive Democracy

When: August 15, 2011.

Where: http://ussword.blogspot.com/

USSWORD was started by a group of elected University of Saskatchewan Senators. The Senate is the voice of the community in the governance of the University. They join hands with other groups and individuals who are concerned to the point of taking action against disturbing trends at the University. They believe that the University is the knowledge base for the Saskatchewan community and as such, it is intended to serve all of society and deserves to be funded and supported publicly, without strings attached. Special corporate and government interests should not be allowed to influence the research agenda and teaching conducted at the University. Unfortunately, in recent years the reduction in support from federal and provincial governments has put pressure on the University to seek out and become beholden to corporate funding. USSWORD is extremely concerned about this trend and the impact it has had, and continues to have, on the University.

The USSWORD blog site provides an opportunity to get actively involved with USSWORD around these issues and provides impetus for meaningful engagement between the U of S and the Saskatchewan Community. “There are many ways that the public can get involved and influence the direction of the U of S,” explained Senator Jordan Miller, “However, the tools are not often readily available.” The USSWORD website facilitates this engagement, and encourages individuals to offer input into such important decision making processes as the current Presidential Selection Search. More information about the Presidential Selection Search and USSWORD can be found on their website.

-30-

For more information contact:

Jordan Miller                                                                  Mary Jean Hande

Elected Member At Large                                            Elected Member At Large

University of Saskatchewan Senate                          University of Saskatchewan Senate

jordanwmiller@yahoo.com                                        meh567@mail.usask.ca

306-290-3128                                                                 647-458-5326

= = ==== = = = = =

3.      SOME BACKGROUND:  THE UNIVERSITY AND THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY

BEFORE the public consultations on the “Uranium Development Partnership” (UDP) (2009),  the University had already set up the Nuclear Studies Centre with a mandate that included research on “safe storage” of radioactive waste.

Richard Florizone, Vice-President of Finance of the University, would have known that the Nuke Studies Centre was already up and going, at a time when he was chairing the UDP.  He did a video-taped presentation for the public consultation meetings.  The nuke studies centre at the University was one of the four PROPOSED components of the UDP that the public “consultations” were about.  Florizone never said that the Centre was already in existence.

  • Excerpt from 2009-11-29   NUKE – The Chronology

July 17, 2009:  The On Campus News says  “Nuclear studies centre already under development” …  working at various points in the nuclear cycle, … that extends from exploration and mining to power production to “safe storage” (radioactive waste disposal).   (Link no longer valid  http://www.usask.ca/communications/ocn/09-july-17/2.php)

  • 2009-12-24 NUKE: The University has soul-searching to do while it still has a soul to save.
  • 2011-04-21 Tax-payers give $30 million (or $47?) to Nuke at U of S, Nancy Hopkins Chairs U Board of Governors, is on Cameco Board, has $1.8 million in Cameco shares, Chairs Search for next President +

  = = ==  = = = == =

4.      LINKS TO PREVIOUS EMAILS REGARDING THE UNIVERSITY

2011-06-24 Submission (part 1) to University of Saskatchewan: what is needed in the new president

2011-06-12 Submissions made by other people to the search for a president for a Canadian University

2011-06-12 GREAT OPPORTUNITY! The University wants your input on the characteristics of the next president.

2011-05-05 Selection of next president for University: The Chancellor is appointed as the Representative for the Senate on the Search Committee.

2011-04-28 Lawyer Stefania Fortugno, letter to University re conflicts-of-interest, nuclear industry Cameco on Board of Governors

2011-04-21 Tax-payers give $30 million (or $47?) to Nuke at U of S, Nancy Hopkins Chairs U Board of Governors, is on Cameco Board, has $1.8 million in Cameco shares, Chairs Search for next President +

2011-04-02 Lawsuit seeks to invalidate Monsanto’s GMO patents

2011-01-21 Top U of S officials face criticism over law dean selection

2011-01-08 “Inside Job”, movie narrated by Matt Damon, highly recommended  (role of University personnel – – not U of S – – )

2010-02-11 Manipulators without conscience. This is your food. Bayer’s GM rice. Triffid (U of S) GM flax. Jane Jacobs on separation of commerce and governance.

2010-12-20 Big Pharma – Dollars for Docs (PBS Nightly Business Report). Stanford Medical School Professors Violate Rules By Accepting Paid Speaking Roles.

2009-12-24 NUKE: The University has soul-searching to do while it still has a soul to save.

2009-11-19 H1N1 (or nukes or gmo’s or energy) in the context of “Selling Out”: the larger issue. Immune systems. TB. Constant Gardener.

2009-11-15 Corporatized universities devalue education

2009-11-04 EXTRAORDINARY, JK Rowling. Howard Woodhouse. Jane Jacobs. Universities & Values.

2009-10-10 Corporations at the Universities. Selling Out. Richard Florizone and UDP. Nuclear at the University.

2009-09-10 “Triffid” GM flax seed coming to you, compliments of the University of Saskatchewan?

2005-08-05  But what’s happening in the forest? (Science under siege) & Successful Revolutions   (Science under siege is an excellent article)

2006-04-12 Real-life experience. PPP’s and corruption in action. Government-University-Chemical Biotech.

2004-01-11 Biotech critics at risk, San Francisco Chronicle. Scientists attacked. Corruption of science by corporate interests.

2011-08-08 Two American men CAN sue Donald Rumsfeld after ‘being tortured by U.S. army in Iraq when they worked for security firm’

 George Bush war criminal  No Responses »
Aug 112011
 

The UK Daily Mail reports on it:   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024036/2-Americans-CAN-sue-Donald-Rumsfeld-tortured-US-army-Iraq.html#ixzz1UlPZqjXz

Please go to the above link.   Watch the video of the interview with Donald Vance.  It’s near the bottom.  It is important.  

I copied the written article below.   The link to the video doesn’t copy. 

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

  • Pair say their rights of ‘habeas corpus’ were violated
  • ‘Having judges second guess the decisions made by the army … is no way to wage a war,’ counters lawyer
    By Oliver Pickup

Last updated at 10:01 PM on 9th August 2011

Rumsfeld, pictured in April, stepped down from his post as U.S. Secretary of Defence in December 2007Rumsfeld, pictured in April, stepped down from his post as U.S. Secretary of Defence in December 2007

Two American men will be allowed to sue former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over claims that they were unfairly tortured by U.S. troops in Iraq.

Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, who worked for a private security firm in the Middle East country, were allegedly beaten and punished for months in 1996 at Camp Cropper near Baghdad before being dumped at the airport without charge.

The pair argue that their rights of ‘habeas corpus’ – the legal term for unlawful detention – were violated, and are seeking damages from 79-year-old Rumsfeld, who was succeeded by Robert Gates in December 2007, and unnamed others.

Vance and Ertel had been hired by Shield Group Security, an Iraqi firm who the duo believed were involved in some questionable dealings, including illegal bribery and other corruption activities.

They flagged up their concerns to the U.S. authorities and began co-operating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation – and in early 2006 they were taken into custody and slung into Camp Cropper, the notorious holding facility for security detainees near Baghdad International Airport.

The whistle-blowers claim that they were forced to undergo harsh and prolonged interrogations at the same place Sadam Hussain lived his last years, and they were subjected to physical and emotional abuse.

Among the methods of torture used against them during several weeks in military camps was sleep deprivation and a practice known as ‘walling’, in which subjects are blindfolded and walked into walls, according to the lawsuit.

Scroll down to see a video of Donald Vance making his claims

Camp Cropper is a notorious holding facility that is located near to Baghdad International AirportCamp Cropper is a notorious holding facility that is located near to Baghdad International Airport
Donald Vance, who is suing former US Defence Secretary Donald RumsfeldDonald Vance, who is suing former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

SCANDALS IN IRAQ

There have been a number of complaints against the U.S. over their treatment of prisoners in Iraq, and there have been a number of controversies along the way.

In 2003, Donald Rumsfeld instituted a policy that ‘encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in an effort to generate more intelligence about the growing insurgency in Iraq’.

In November 2005 173 detainees were found in an Iraqi government bunker in Baghdad were found starved, beaten and tortured.

In December 2005 John Pace, human rights chief for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), said an estimated 14,000 people being held in prison in Iraq contrary to UN Resolution 1546.

In October 2009 21 colour photographs surfaced, showing prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq being abused by their U.S. captors.

And in December 2010 nearly 400,000 secret U.S. army field reports and war logs, detailing torture, summary executions and war crimes, were released through whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.

Some 97 days later, they allege that they were unceremoniously dumped at the airport and never charged with a crime.

At that point they sued for unspecified damages insisting that their constitutional rights had been violated and claiming that U.S. officials knew that they were innocent.

The lawsuit alleges Mr Rumsfeld personally participated in approving the methods for use by the U.S. military in Iraq, making him responsible, it argues, for what happened to Mr Vance and Mr Ertel.

In 2003, Mr Rumsfeld instituted a policy that ‘encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in an effort to generate more intelligence about the growing insurgency in Iraq’.

And yesterday a panel of three judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago upheld the decision made by a federal judge in Illinois, voting 2-1.

The verdict paves the way for the lawsuit to proceed, in spite of the best efforts of the U.S. government to have the case thrown out.

‘We agree with the district court that the plaintiffs have alleged sufficient facts to show that Secretary Rumsfeld personally established the relevant policies that caused the alleged violations of their constitutional rights during detention,’ the court ruled.

Mr Rumsfeld’s lawyer hit back at the ruling, which rejected arguments that he should be immune from such lawsuits for work performed as a cabinet secretary, and said the appeals court decision was a huge dent to the U.S. military. 

 David Rivkin said: ‘Having judges second guess the decisions made by the armed forces halfway around the world is no way to wage a war.

‘It saps the effectiveness of the military, puts American soldiers at risk, and shackles federal officials who have a constitutional duty to protect America.’

U.S. Circuit Judge David Hamilton wrote yesterday: ‘There can be no doubt that the deliberate infliction of such treatment on U.S. citizens, even in a war zone, is unconstitutional.’

 Older Entries  Newer Entries