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The U.S. never seems to learn The cockiness dogging the globe‘s only superpower played a major role in the failing grades, a sense that is untouchable, beyond being hurt like Third World countries, above Rwanâ€" da. The unforgivable delay in responding to the gulf crisis, some suggest, may have been racially based as the population of the devâ€" astated area is overwhelmingly Africanâ€"American, while others insist it had to do with socioâ€"ecoâ€" nomic factors, for the flooded neighâ€" bourhoods in the main were poor. Rather than casting stones, it may be that the White House was stunned, shocked into inaction, unable to comprehend that it isn‘t as far as they thought to Somalia and Sri Lanka. There is a belief south of the borâ€" der that any challenge can be met with power and money, a notion rendered foolish by weather, but also by the heart of man who if he wants to can disable North American sociâ€" ety. _A wellâ€"placed bomb of an overâ€" pass, a railway track or transmission tower can cause us all to freeze in ere are a random collection of thoughts Hgathered in the past few weeks, on things that bother me. And maybe you too. Lousy customer service: Whoever said "the cusâ€" tomer is king" must be dealing in some different spots. My car insurance company for example. My question was simple. "Why do my rates go up 35 per cent when J add a driver, but only drop two per cent when I take her off my insurance?" The answer. "That‘s just the way it is," with the additional "If you‘re not happy, you are free to shop around." How decent of you. They keep telling me I‘m getting all kinds of safe driver discounts and longâ€" term customer discounts, but the price keeps going up. Slippery politicians: 1 heard an interâ€" view with Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy last week. The issue was the proviâ€" sion of new funding for Grand River Hosâ€" pital, and the talk that Cambridge Memoâ€" rial would lose funding at the same time. And worse than that, no one at that outfit seems to care. I think John Milloy is a pretty bright guy, and he sure seems to be making every effort... but that kind of response to me is oily. Trust me, 1 know all about how issues are spun at every political level. Honesty and forthrightness are qualities which too often are lacking in our elected officials And on a related note... Media: A Jong time ago, when I started in radio. there were opportunities to hold people account able Milloy deflected any questions about _ | that, talking instead about how "it‘s a day to celebrate," not bring up anything negative Most stations ran newscasts of a decent length Things to detest HXW the dark, notwithstanding our myriâ€" ad of gadgets, _ Part of the solution is to expect disaster, not to be surprised by it. The levees in New Orleans were built to withstand a 20â€"foot storm surge; anything more and the belowâ€"seaâ€" level city is toast. Simply put, there is no way to stop those determined to inflict A proactive rather than reactive approach would have meant reinâ€" forcing the dikes, spending billions to prevent something costing near a trillion to fix. Global warming, a catchy phrase that pricks the imagination but does little to stem the flood of pollutions into the atmosphere is such a calamity waiting to happen, a melt of the icecaps that would put the Big Apple in the drink and create an Atlantis of Ground Zero. An equally worrisome hitch in Earth‘s development is the exhausâ€" tion of fossil fuels estimated to occur before the end of the century. Wiser use now would keep us running decades longer, but don‘t count on that happening unless we get tough today. Suggesting that Katrina may have been a wakeâ€"up call is outrageous, but there‘s no denying that it may have taken this suffering to bring out the best in the globalvillage; wo could have imagined Cuba would offer relief to help George. Better to have egg on your face than blood on your hands, a posiâ€" COMMENT and there were usually documentary programs which allowed for more extensive interviews. That doesn‘t happen anymore. The demands of the corporate bottom line have taken many of those opportunities away, The electronic media has become largely a headâ€" line service. It‘s not that the big companies or politiâ€" cal parties are telling us what stories to cover. That doesn‘t happen. j"li‘KE fl And they are under the same kind of pressure. It‘s too bad because withâ€" out reporters out there "questioning authority" if you will, we all become victims of the constant spin doctoring. That doesn‘t mean we have to climb up on a soapbox to amplify our personal points of view, but it does mean there should be outlets to hald people accountable. Fven the media. Maybe it‘s cyctical and we‘ll come back to that time, but I‘m not holding my breath *« Hear more of Brian‘s thoughts on hife with the KOOL Morming Crew every weekday morning from t to % a m on Waterioo radio statin 1053 KOOL EM However, the chance to do anyâ€" thing in depth to any kind of mass audience is gone. Perhaps. as I‘m told, there‘s no demand for it. However, 1 don‘t buy it... the sucâ€" cess of documentary films in the past few years â€" Fahrenheit 9/11, Superâ€" size Me, Bowling for Columbine â€" suggest to me there is a market as long as the content is treated in an interesting fashion. Maybe I‘m dreaming. Right now though, newspapers and some magaâ€" zines are the only outlets left for any kind of solid accountable reporting. tion President George Bush might consider adopting. o Over two years into the shooting gallery in Iraq and sormetimes nearâ€" ing 2,000 American casualites, not to mention the more than 100,000 locals, he continues to spout exhausted rhetoric about staying the course and saving the free world from terrorism, when he authored the terrorism by waging an illegal The "weapons of mass destrucâ€" tion" now seem little mare tha a joke, an excuse for outing Saddam to ensure the supply of black goid and stabilize the region, what with fran rattling its nuclear sword. Despite the best ministrations of the spin doctors, Iraq remains an unmitigated disaster, a sign that the Americans didn‘t learn their lessons in Vietnam where, far from home, they stuck their nose into someone else‘s business and paid the price. The difference here is that Bush won the battle and lost the war as he struggles to impose a western peace on a foreign mentality that holds religion as its standard and not the amassing of wealth. Traditionally ruled by tribal loyalâ€" ties before Hussein , Iraq will resist the formation of a constitutional government, requiring an extended American military presence, well beyond the suggested four years. ToOoXanaihâ€" Jim Newton New Dundee th school back in full swing and fall activities heating W‘up‘ I thought 1 would comment on some issues that have been simmering in the media for the past few weeks. In no particular order here is a report card on some conâ€" temporary local issues. Police services board and regional council D Our cops are tops and have been generally extremely well supported by our community. _ _ The police budget is the single largest regional expenditure that is funded directly from the property taxpayer. Except for the odd minor grant, police budgets are not funded by either the provincial or federal government. §alary increases and benefit improvements in addition to increased expenditures for more officers and advanced equipâ€" ment have been pretty well the norm over the past 15 years. With the pas‘sing'of each new police budget and police negotiation, there was barely a word of dissent from the public. This has always been considered by regional council as implicit support for the police budget and the amount our local taxbase pays every year for our fine men and women in blue. This ‘all'chang'ea this past month when the police service board approved "retention" pay for veteran officers that essenâ€" tially pays them a three per cent bonus every year on top of their salary â€"_" f for staying in Waterloo Region. _ Mess nc Most people would support this if the issue had some merit but just because larger centres like Peel, York and Toronto are doing it doesn‘t make it right or logical for us to do it here. Especially considering our loss of offiâ€" cers, according to our very own police chief, isn‘t a huge concern. A+ for the green roof at Waterloo City Hall A solid D to the police board and regional council for not recognizing that retention pay isn‘t really required in Waterloo Region, and the taxpayers would have appreciated a little tougher negotiation on our behalf, thank you very much. The energy savings in the winter and the summer by using a green roof will offset the increased costs of its installation in approximately 10 years in addition to the unquantifiable enviâ€" ronmental benefit of saving energy to heat and cool City Hall. A plus to the City of Waterloo for their innovative approach to giving City Hall a new roof. While a little bit more expensive than a traditional roof, green roofs are the future; and the future is now. By partnering with the roofing company Flynn Canada and receiving some donations from suppliers the estimated $350,000 cost is also less than what the actual cost would be. A solid B to city council for expanding the number of counâ€" cil members from six to eight. More voices are not necessarily always good for democracy but in this case the nominal increase will help improve the debate in the council chambers and hence improve local representation. I would have given them an A if the increased councillors included one or two to be elected from across the city so that the sometimes parochial views of wards could be balanced by a councillor or two who is thinking citywide, rather than just in the interest of his or her ward. A miserable E, for failuse, to CBC. The lockout of its employâ€" ees has gone on long enough. â€" Pers;nal.lyl have kind of turned off the navel gazing Canadiâ€" an angst shtick of CBC radio, but I do miss the CBC evening news. 1 know this sounds self interested but get them back to work and bring back the National. Besides, the NHL will be starting up soon. â€"= _ And speaking of the NHL, if we had an NHL season last year would the CBC employees be locked out this year? Probably nOt. In some respects it is quite shameful that because of a huge amount of lost advertising revenue last year the CBC is trying to balance their books by locking the technicians, etc., out When the millionaire hockey players went on strike it hurt a lot of people, and the current labour disruption I suspect is quite directly related, although I‘m also sure none of the brass at CBC would ever say as much. 1 bet the whole thing is settled before Oct. 8. the first sched uled Hockey Night in Canada broadcast: catncidentally, the same time the advertising revenue will start Nowing again t mail your sean@seanstrickland.com . Making the grade questionsicomments Tr»