The Prairie Passion

The Prairie Passion

Tisdale, September 4, 1999, By: Timothy W. Shire

I Have Been Unfair to the Premier

we have maligned the man far more then is fair
Ensign is unfair, yes you read that right, this online publication has attacked the premier of the province more then should be the case. As I look back at the articles I have done and those others have contributed to this work in progress, I can see that we have maligned the man far more then is fair. I have created images of him in various configurations, but I am guilty of having crossed the line with the “jackass” cartoon.

“carrot and stick” approach to management is a poor method of running any operation
The article that refers to the Premier as a “Jackass” has vanished from this publication not because the author did not make a valid point, but because the article is referring to a management technique that has been proved by research to be invalid. It’s just that when you look at the cartoon and the article, a person can miss the reference to the serious research that establishes that the “carrot and stick” approach to management is a poor method of running any operation. It was not my intent to publish this article to call our premier names, but rather that I expect the readers of Ensign to follow up on the references that support some of our articles.

it would seem pointless to attack the man when he is likely to be in power for many years to come
Ensign was established to present a positive approach to the prairie scene and not spend a lot of time complaining about things that we can not do much about. With the provincial electorate appearing to favour reelection of the premier, it would seem pointless to attack the man when he is likely to be in power for many years to come and as was pointed out to me this morning, will be in an even more solid position to bring his wrath upon those like myself who disapprove of his methods and operations. But there is more to this that needs to be explored.

the woes...for the past eight years and blame them all on him
One of the legacies of the government of Grant Devine is an extremely negative attitude many of us now hold about politicians. The parade of politicians through the courts over various petty indiscretions with money has seriously tainted our perspective of the profession. Be that as it may, it really is inappropriate to single out the premier for the woes that have been visited on this province for the past eight years and blame them all on him. I have been guilty of doing that. I figure that if a person is in charge, then when things go bad, they are responsible.

when things go bad, he has to take responsibility for being in power
As a principal, of many different schools, that was my experience. When a teacher screwed up, some kid brought drugs to school and was caught, when people failed courses, as the man in charge, the blame for these events was often directed toward me. I made the assumption that the premier has a limited time during which he could blame budgetary cutbacks on the former administration and when things go bad, he has to take responsibility for being in power and like me as a principal, take the criticism for what happened. It would appear that I am pretty much alone in this regard and that few others see things this way. I truly wish that attitude had been around when I was a principal when things went occasionally bad.

I am extremely passionate about the land I live in and even more so about the people who live in this land
I want to let you in on a very badly kept secret. This in not an excuse for my ridicule of the premier’s record, but rather it is an explanation. Look at Ensign, not just article by article, but look at the whole over all tone of the articles with their pictures and text. You will see that I am extremely passionate about the land I live in and even more so about the people who live in this land. I like what I see and I want to share with you the reader my feelings of the beauty and wonder of this experience. That’s the story, I resent deeply any one or any group, who might endanger what is a great way of life. I will vigourously support and defend the people whom I feel are the essence of this and every other prairie community. I am certain that the young people we can see about us each day are the best people we will ever meet and they need a chance to make of their lives and this land, the best they can. I suspect that the premier, though he says he shares my beliefs, does not appear to have the conviction to act in a manner that would be consistent with these ideals. There is a possibility that I am wrong, and he too is aware of what a great place we live in, and perhaps the constraints of power prevent him from living up to his rhetoric. If that is the case, then he should say so and do the honourable thing and that is, accept responsibility.

Workers Compensation Board Concerns

original intent of this project was to create a body of content that could be used in Saskatchewan schools
Ensign has been around since May of 1998 and is almost entirely all my work. I configure each article, each and every day since it began. The original intent of this project was to create a body of content that could be used in Saskatchewan schools that would give the researcher a source for local pictures, stories and information. As time went along, various elements were added to the project and a fair number of people have contributed articles to be published. I have taken the position that I used to take with my teaching staff, and that is that I have to trust the people I work with, to have good motivation and positive attitudes toward this project, and I believe they have supported me with their contributions.

The Minister of Labour asked Workers Compensation to end their suite against this individual
One of the contributors to this publication was sued by the Workers Compensation Board for writing he had done on his own web site, but all of the material he has contributed to this site have been along the lines of satirical articles with a wry humourous touch. The Minister of Labour asked Workers Compensation to end their suite against this individual but the Workers Compensation Board refuses to do so because they claim that Ensign is the work of this individual and they object to some of the comments made on this site about their actions. It would appear that reading is one of the skills that is not required to get a job with the Workers Compensation Board, because it clearly states at the bottom of the front page of Ensign who the owner is and in the “About Us” we explain what the project is all about. However, Workers Compensation has missed these details.

From their own promotional material that I have received, there appeared to be something fishy.
If you have wondered why many articles have appeared in Ensign critisizing the practices of the Workers Compensation Board, the reason is simple. From their own promotional material that I have received, there appeared to be something fishy. They are making a profit of over eighty million dollars a year, each year more money is collected then distributed and yet each year by their own accounts, more and more people are contesting their decisions. Their staff continues to grow in size and the provincial auditor reports to the public that it looks like they are cooking the books. (Though not formally reported, I learned today that the Compensation Board’s external auditor and the provincial auditor have agreed upon the issues that they had disagreed upon.)

I wrote the Minister of Labour about my concerns and she sent me a nice letter that made me believe she was being mislead by the Board and the material they sent me did not satisfactorily address any of the issues I raised in the paragraph above.

So many people have to fight, often for years, to get any help from this government organisation
So many people have to fight, often for years, to get any help from this government organisation. Victims of work related injury are deprived of freely selecting medical help and if they disagree with Board decisions their appeals can take more then a year to hear, the labour advocate has a waiting list of over a year at this time. If they complain publicly about their treatment, the Board has eighty million available to sue their pants off. In the mean time the public has to pay for welfare for these people and Medicare must cover their treatment.

Why Comment on Contentious Issues At All?

it also requires that from time to time we temper our comments and reflect upon what we say
It would be irresponsible to honey coat things and never look into the shadows and just keep standing in the sun. Life is made up of a wide range of things and we have to continuously aim for a balance. I feel that during the last while I have lost that balance somewhat and been overly aggressive in my condemnation of the premier. I plan to correct that, but that does not mean that if something looks important it will be ignored, that would be shirking responsibility. Freedom of speech is a precious thing and everyone must guard it and nurture it, however, it also requires that from time to time we temper our comments and reflect upon what we say. Even though it was based on management research, calling the premier a “Jackass” was over the edge and the article has been withdrawn from Ensign.

The Prairie Passion
*Tisdale, September 4, 1999, By: Timothy W. Shire*



I Have Been Unfair to the Premier

we have maligned the man far more then is fair	Ensign is unfair, yes you read that right, this online publication has attacked the premier of the province more then should be the case. As I look back at the articles I have done and those others have contributed to this work in progress, I can see that we have maligned the man far more then is fair. I have created images of him in various configurations, but I am guilty of having crossed the line with the “jackass” cartoon.

“carrot and stick” approach to management is a poor method of running any operation	The article that refers to the Premier as a “Jackass” has vanished from this publication not because the author did not make a valid point, but because the article is referring to a management technique that has been proved by research to be invalid. It’s just that when you look at the cartoon and the article, a person can miss the reference to the serious research that establishes that the “carrot and stick” approach to management is a poor method of running any operation. It was not my intent to publish this article to call our premier names, but rather that I expect the readers of Ensign to follow up on the references that support some of our articles.

it would seem pointless to attack the man when he is likely to be in power for many years to come	Ensign was established to present a positive approach to the prairie scene and not spend a lot of time complaining about things that we can not do much about. With the provincial electorate appearing to favour reelection of the premier, it would seem pointless to attack the man when he is likely to be in power for many years to come and as was pointed out to me this morning, will be in an even more solid position to bring his wrath upon those like myself who disapprove of his methods and operations. But there is more to this that needs to be explored.

the woes...for the past eight years and blame them all on him	One of the legacies of the government of Grant Devine is an extremely negative attitude many of us now hold about politicians. The parade of politicians through the courts over various petty indiscretions with money has seriously tainted our perspective of the profession. Be that as it may, it really is inappropriate to single out the premier for the woes that have been visited on this province for the past eight years and blame them all on him. I have been guilty of doing that. I figure that if a person is in charge, then when things go bad, they are responsible.

when things go bad, he has to take responsibility for being in power	As a principal, of many different schools, that was my experience. When a teacher screwed up, some kid brought drugs to school and was caught, when people failed courses, as the man in charge, the blame for these events was often directed toward me. I made the assumption that the premier has a limited time during which he could blame budgetary cutbacks on the former administration and when things go bad, he has to take responsibility for being in power and like me as a principal, take the criticism for what happened. It would appear that I am pretty much alone in this regard and that few others see things this way. I truly wish that attitude had been around when I was a principal when things went occasionally bad.

I am extremely passionate about the land I live in and even more so about the people who live in this land	I want to let you in on a very badly kept secret. This in not an excuse for my ridicule of the premier’s record, but rather it is an explanation. Look at Ensign, not just article by article, but look at the whole over all tone of the articles with their pictures and text. You will see that I am extremely passionate about the land I live in and even more so about the people who live in this land. I like what I see and I want to share with you the reader my feelings of the beauty and wonder of this experience. That’s the story, I resent deeply any one or any group, who might endanger what is a great way of life. I will vigourously support and defend the people whom I feel are the essence of this and every other prairie community. I am certain that the young people we can see about us each day are the best people we will ever meet and they need a chance to make of their lives and this land, the best they can. I suspect that the premier, though he says he shares my beliefs, does not appear to have the conviction to act in a manner that would be consistent with these ideals. There is a possibility that I am wrong, and he too is aware of what a great place we live in, and perhaps the constraints of power prevent him from living up to his rhetoric. If that is the case, then he should say so and do the honourable thing and that is, accept responsibility.

Workers Compensation Board Concerns

original intent of this project was to create a body of content that could be used in Saskatchewan schools	Ensign has been around since May of 1998 and is almost entirely all my work. I configure each article, each and every day since it began. The original intent of this project was to create a body of content that could be used in Saskatchewan schools that would give the researcher a source for local pictures, stories and information. As time went along, various elements were added to the project and a fair number of people have contributed articles to be published. I have taken the position that I used to take with my teaching staff, and that is that I have to trust the people I work with, to have good motivation and positive attitudes toward this project, and I believe they have supported me with their contributions.

The Minister of Labour asked Workers Compensation to end their suite against this individual	One of the contributors to this publication was sued by the Workers Compensation Board for writing he had done on his own web site, but all of the material he has contributed to this site have been along the lines of satirical articles with a wry humourous touch. The Minister of Labour asked Workers Compensation to end their suite against this individual but the Workers Compensation Board refuses to do so because they claim that Ensign is the work of this individual and they object to some of the comments made on this site about their actions. It would appear that reading is one of the skills that is not required to get a job with the Workers Compensation Board, because it clearly states at the bottom of the front page of Ensign who the owner is and in the “*About Us” we explain what the project is all about. However, Workers Compensation* has missed these details.

From their own promotional material that I have received, there appeared to be something fishy.	If you have wondered why many articles have appeared in Ensign critisizing the practices of the Workers Compensation Board, the reason is simple. From their own promotional material that I have received, there appeared to be something fishy. They are making a profit of over eighty million dollars a year, each year more money is collected then distributed and yet each year by their own accounts, more and more people are contesting their decisions. Their staff continues to grow in size and the provincial auditor reports to the public that it looks like they are cooking the books. (Though not formally reported, I learned today that the Compensation Board’s external auditor and the provincial auditor have agreed upon the issues that they had disagreed upon.)

	I wrote the Minister of Labour about my concerns and she sent me a nice letter that made me believe she was being mislead by the Board and the material they sent me did not satisfactorily address any of the issues I raised in the paragraph above.

So many people have to fight, often for years, to get any help from this government organisation	So many people have to fight, often for years, to get any help from this government organisation. Victims of work related injury are deprived of freely selecting medical help and if they disagree with Board decisions their appeals can take more then a year to hear, the labour advocate has a waiting list of over a year at this time. If they complain publicly about their treatment, the Board has eighty million available to sue their pants off. In the mean time the public has to pay for welfare for these people and Medicare must cover their treatment.

Why Comment on Contentious Issues At All?

it also requires that from time to time we temper our comments and reflect upon what we say	It would be irresponsible to honey coat things and never look into the shadows and just keep standing in the sun. Life is made up of a wide range of things and we have to continuously aim for a balance. I feel that during the last while I have lost that balance somewhat and been overly aggressive in my condemnation of the premier. I plan to correct that, but that does not mean that if something looks important it will be ignored, that would be shirking responsibility. Freedom of speech is a precious thing and everyone must guard it and nurture it, however, it also requires that from time to time we temper our comments and reflect upon what we say. Even though it was based on management research, calling the premier a “Jackass” was over the edge and the article has been withdrawn from Ensign.