THE PRICE OF PROTECTION

If anyone was expecting booze, expensive perfumes or hockey tickets
from any of the newly elected (or re-elected) MHAs, the expectations
will have to be scaled back by a long shot.

The lot of them, who occupy seats now in the House of Assembly, were
handed a rather large handbook last week outlining precisely the to-
do and not-to-do rules of being a member.

And in case some choose not to do their reading homework, seminars
will also be in place to further inform members and staff of the
rules. In the end, if caught spending out of turn, ignorance will be
no excuse as it was in the constituency scandal period.

It's a great evolution.

Now what's really odd about this handbook material however; is the
stuff we as taxpayers rarely know or certainly don't inquire about.

New rule: MHAs have to actually show up for work now or else they will
risk being docked $200 for unexcused truant days.

Now consider this: these MHAs, whom we pay an annual salary of $92,580
(significantly more if cabinet positions are involved), last year sat
in the House 46 times. So, out of a whole year, there were only 46
days these people were expected to show up at the official worksite.
We couldn't even assume that either of those MHAs would entertain
playing hooky from political responsibilities.

In all fairness we can't lump the 46 days spent in the House last year
as the total workload of all MHAs. We know full well many are out in
their districts taking care of business, but it's post-constituency
scandal days and it's also fair to expect taxpayers to be a little
more conscious and concerned over the day-to-day business that we
never really gave a whole lot of thought before.

It makes sense to enforce tighter controls, but as Speaker Harvey
Hodder told the media, these tighter controls is going to cost the
province's taxpayers $2.6 million per year.

Wow, that's a big price to keep people honest considering the five
blacklisted politicians charged in with overspending/or over-
receiving on constituency entitlements collectively totaled $1.6 million.

We have to pay that again plus a million, each year going forward to
make sure they don't rob us blind again.

There must be some equilibrium to the madness and the account must add
up and be justified somewhere in the pricey preventative measure.

Harvey Hodder said it was a 'minor expense' compared to jurisdictions
such as Quebec, so we should all feel blessed to get a much cheaper
deal on protecting ourselves from those we expect to protect us.

Busting with pride

Speaking of those charged with protecting us. The Royal Canadian
Mounted Police in Happy Valley-Goose Bay are to be commended for their
great work last week. As the press release stated, "The Detachment
executed a search warrant at a house in Goose Bay and seized in excess
of eighteen pounds of cannabis marihuana. Charges are pending against
a 35-year-old Goose Bay man and a 34-year-old Goose Bay man for
possession of marihuana for the purpose of trafficking and trafficking
in a controlled substance."

That should be music to every Labradorian's ears for sure-well those
who were waiting to get a buzz out of the 40,000 joints it had
potential to be rolled into were undoubtedly a bit put out. Imagine
the dirt that was intercepted in that bust, it's wonderful to think
there's a hole in someone's supply line.

Now whatever that took, it's definitely tax dollars well spent. The
investigation is focused as well on the possibility of an organized
crime link. Hats off to the Mounties, for the tidy work, this is the
stuff we need to salute them for.

Later last week the RCMP grabbed another eight pounds of marihuana
when a speeding motorist was stopped near Goobies on the Island and
the end result was the discovery of a garbage bag in the pan of his
truck with the illegal goods.

That chap, you can be sure, will be answering to more than a speeding
ticket when he appears in Clarenville Provincial Court in December.

Now here's what's strange, when police are cheered for drug busts, the
drug promoters get totally irked for obvious reasons.

Anytime an editorial has appeared in this publication, it never fails
these emails and comments come in defending drugs and 99 per cent of
the time, the author of these letters come from British Columbia.

Well, all law-abiding citizens should wonder why anyone would condone
any individual being able to go out and earn a small fortune selling
drugs, not having to pay taxes and living like royalty.

These drug dealers are mindless whether it's a 12-year-old kid getting
stoned at recess in the schoolyard or 30-year-old adult choosing to
get stoned. It doesn't matter because they collect the money and have
no conscience on whether it's destroying lives or families while the
majority of the population must work and pay taxes.

It's time for them all to get a real job and rise from the scum status
they are currently at.

Here's to much more of what we saw last week. The more busts made, the
prouder we should be.