housecleaning.html

A governmental responsibility is to
clean up our house first

By Mario deSantis, December 7, 1999

Lingenfelter was very disappointed about the talks I visited the web sites for The Regina Leader Post and The StarPhoenix and I was impressed about

the articles "Lingenfelter disappointed with WTO talks⁽¹⁾" and "WTO protests democracy in action,

activists say⁽²⁾". Lingenfelter was very disappointed about the talks since the European delegations

were opposed to any reductions in subsidies to their grain farmers. Therefore, in leaving Seattle,

Lingenfelter reiterated to federal Agricultural Minister Lyle Vanclief. that Ottawa needs to provide $1

billion in financial support to the cash-strapped Prairie farmers.

governments and corporate delegates seemed to be out of touch with the realities of the average person In the mean time, 30 Saskatonians who attended the World Trade Organization (WTO)

demonstrations came back home this week end and stated that the demonstrations were a "taking

back of democracy" by people fed up with corporate influence on their governments. Nettie Wiebe,

former president of the National Farmers Union, attended sessions inside the convention and

participated to the various demonstrations as well. Wiebe said that the governments and corporate

delegates seemed to be out of touch with the realities of the average person and she questioned their

right to make decisions affecting the public interests of the many countries affected by the rules of

the WTO. She indicated that the WTO is anything but democratic, and in particular she added that

globalization has devastated the family farm and benefited the few very large multinational

corporations.

take immediate measures to clean up our house first In Saskatchewan, our public agencies are overspending millions and millions of dollars in the name

of globalization and on behalf of multinational corporations⁽³⁾, while at the same time we blame

the WTO for today's conditions of the family farm. I find such a situation quite contradictory,

and therefore I would suggest that our hypocritical leaders would better do some work by

recognizing our own shortcomings and take immediate measures to clean up our house first.

------------Endnotes:

1.
-
Lingenfelter disappointed with WTO talks, by Tyler McMurchy, The Leader-Post, December 6, 1999, Regina, Saskatchewan

2.
-
WTO protests democracy in action, activists say, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, December 6, 1999 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

3.
-
Our leaders can't recognize an asset from a hole in the ground, by Mario deSantis, December 2, 1999

A governmental responsibility is to clean up our house first
*By Mario deSantis, December 7, 1999*

Lingenfelter was very disappointed about the talks	I visited the web sites for The Regina Leader Post and The StarPhoenix and I was impressed about
	the articles "Lingenfelter disappointed with WTO talks⁽¹⁾" and "WTO protests democracy in action,
	activists say⁽²⁾". Lingenfelter was very disappointed about the talks since the European delegations
	were opposed to any reductions in subsidies to their grain farmers. Therefore, in leaving Seattle,
	Lingenfelter reiterated to federal Agricultural Minister Lyle Vanclief. that Ottawa needs to provide $1
	billion in financial support to the cash-strapped Prairie farmers.

governments and corporate delegates seemed to be out of touch with the realities of the average person	In the mean time, 30 Saskatonians who attended the World Trade Organization (WTO)
	demonstrations came back home this week end and stated that the demonstrations were a "taking
	back of democracy" by people fed up with corporate influence on their governments. Nettie Wiebe,
	former president of the National Farmers Union, attended sessions inside the convention and
	participated to the various demonstrations as well. Wiebe said that the governments and corporate
	delegates seemed to be out of touch with the realities of the average person and she questioned their
	right to make decisions affecting the public interests of the many countries affected by the rules of
	the WTO. She indicated that the WTO is anything but democratic, and in particular she added that
	globalization has devastated the family farm and benefited the few very large multinational
	corporations.

take immediate measures to clean up our house first	In Saskatchewan, our public agencies are overspending millions and millions of dollars in the name
	of globalization and on behalf of multinational corporations⁽³⁾, while at the same time we blame
	the WTO for today's conditions of the family farm. I find such a situation quite contradictory,
	and therefore I would suggest that our hypocritical leaders would better do some work by
	recognizing our own shortcomings and take immediate measures to clean up our house first.

------------Endnotes:
1. -	Lingenfelter disappointed with WTO talks, by Tyler McMurchy, The Leader-Post, December 6, 1999, Regina, Saskatchewan

2. -	WTO protests democracy in action, activists say, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, December 6, 1999 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

3. -	Our leaders can't recognize an asset from a hole in the ground, by Mario deSantis, December 2, 1999

A governmental responsibility is to clean up our house first

A governmental responsibility is to
clean up our house first