My opinion on William Sampson and the future leadership of Canada

There was a write up on the William Sampson case yesterday in the Globe and Mail. They asked political leaders for their opinions. No suprise, the NDP had one position and the Canadian Alliance another, while Mr. Martin said "No comments at this time." No comments??? This is the man we are going to be stuck with as future Prime Minister, and the man stands for nothing and refuses to state a position on any matters. It baffles me as to why anyone supports this man, or any other politician in general. We've done such a great job of making politics such a repugnant profession that it only attracts the lowest of the low, and those who seek power for powers sake. No wonder the voting turnout continues to bomb. Prime Minister Martin. It sounds to me like we're about to have ourselves subjected to another decade of inactivity and inattention, while Canadian living standards and global influence continues down the drain.

I find it mildly funny that I have more than enough time to figure outhow to do CSS and create this weblog, but when it comes down to working on the thesis writers block hits and sinks its pearly fangs in deep. Funny in a sick, rub salted leaches dipped in hot sauce into your 3rd degree burn on your forehead kind of way. I'm ill just thinking about it. I am 20 pages away from the culmination of an entire phase of life and the beginning of a new one, and I can't get past one freaking sentence.

Calgary is perplexing me. It has so many sterotypical subdivisions and sameburbs, massive expanses of asphalt and marching rows of used car dealerships, but at the same time little pockets of urbanity - a village green here, a dog park there, lovely bike paths running along the river valleys and a fantastic assortment of pubs and restaurants. My emotions range between calm relaxation and pure loathing as I wander around. I visited a park over in Oakridge, on the south side of Glenmore Lake. The area between the residential neighbourhood and the Blackfoot reserve has long been held as a right-of-way for the Sarcee Trail expansion as another north south connector on the west side of town. To do it, they would need to build out a viaduct then a full bridge to get over the Weaselhead valley and the Elbow River. The project would be at least a 4-lane highway. I used to play and watch wildlife in the weaselhead when I was a kid, its a nature reserve and absolutely beautiful. A home for black bear, coyotes, deer, everything. Will a bridge kill it? No, because I'm sure it can be done in an environmentally benign way, but its the right-of-way that kills me. It is a fantastic open prairie right now, a bike path, joggers, cyclists, dogs running happily about, another patch of green space about to be turned over. And for what? To relieve congestion off 14th Street and provide another way for the massive suburban communities spreading like a disease out to the south and west. Here's an idea. Where are the limits to growth? When will someone stand up and say No, you can't build there, there are no roads, there are no services, and we aren't going to put them in. I fear for Calgary 15 years down the road. It's changed so much in the last 15, grown outwards so tremendously. The City will go bankrupt I'm sure from the enormous cost of infrastructure. What will the suburbs do then? I read in the budget that over 50% of costs are spent on the road network right now - that isn't including all the externalities that get factored in - police, firecrews, landscaping, environmental protection, storm and sewer run off, chemical spills and the like. If 75% of the City's budget relates to the roads system I would not be shocked indeed. This City is growing beyond its means area-wise, and it does not have the density to maintain it. Calgary is unsustainable, and I wonder just when we'll hit the wall and how hard the fall will be.