News of the damage done to people and places by earthquakes, floods, the oil mess in the Gulf of Mexico, and other disasters has been superseded by the news from Japan.
That news certainly isn’t getting better, and what’s really unnerving is that the fallout from the damaged nuclear plants could (or will, depending on which expert you believe) affect us here.
Here at home, we’re off on another federal election. The thought of weeks of attack ads puts a chill in my heart. Stephen Harper is going on about the “threat “of an Opposition coalition, but what’s so bad about that?
Bad news for Mr. Harper maybe, but after his five years of leading the country the Opposition parties combined still have more support than his Conservatives.
Media pundits made much of the Harper government being ousted for contempt of Parliament, but as disturbing as that may be, it isn’t likely to get voters all fired up. We’re used to government sleaze. We’re more interested in what a government will do for us. Or to us.
On the provincial scene, Premier Christy Clark has put families high on her agenda. That’s encouraging, but what is her definition of family?
There are nuclear families (mom, pop and kids); single-parent families; extended families (assorted relatives who live together); and the childless family (which includes empty nesters and gay couples). Some of these families are rich, some poor, some functional, some not, etc.
Does Ms. Clark have a one-size-fits-all solution?
Closer to home, if I understand a new City bylaw correctly, if you don’t get around to cleaning graffiti off your property, City crews will do it for you free. Why not just let them do it in the first place?
And spring is here. Really. The birds are back. How can they be wrong?
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.
