Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys and girls. Bashing time is here. The problem is who or what is to be bashed in this session. It is not my place to name names but I think a subject worthy of a good bashing is Senior Citizens’ Buildings. No so much the building per se but the community corporation which administers these domiciles. Perhaps domicile is too polite a term methinks warehouse would be far more appropriate. Even if it is new facility with all the modern conveniences a warehouse by any other name is still a warehouse.

I personally reside in such a warehouse albeit a nice looking one but as stated still a warehouse. It is a warehouse because of the attitude of the bureaucrats that staff the community corporate headquarters of this establishment along with a number of others in the region I live in. Now I fully understand, in fact totally comprehend, how the geared to income community buildings are operated. The powers that be are responsible to the higher powers of the region who in turn are responsible to the Provincial powers who in the long run get a portion of their monies from the Federal system. I know that the people immediately up the chain of command from we tenants have rules and regulations to follow and a budget to work within. All fine and dandy. That is not the problem that I am in the process of bashing. It is the attitude of the local bureaucrats that I have set my sights upon.
As an ex-soldier and now a veteran I will couch some of my comments in military parlance. All these lower level bureaucrats have within easy accessibility a copy of which I shall refer to as “THE QUEENS RULES AND REGULATION FOR GOVERNANCE OF THE WAREHOUSING OF HER MAJESTYS’ SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO”. My apologies to her Majesty as I know she has no direct knowledge of the subject of which I am bashing. “Tis merely a title I have given to the governing directives for carrying out the duties of those in charge of the warehouses.Anyway all middle and lower level “crats” (my name for Bureaucrats) carry these rules and regs about with them or have almost instant access to them so they can attempt to and in many instances overwhelm or intimidate an individual who has the temerity to complain. Now being an ex-sergeant in the army I have a fair idea how the system works so when they spout their rules and regs I merely point out that, that is their interpretation of the said rule and that if I put a thousand people in a room and gave them the rules and regs to read there would be a thousand different interpretations.

In the warehouse where I abide there are a large number of tenant who are afraid to speak out because they fear they will be evicted. Under Provincial Law speaking one’s mind is not grounds for eviction. If it were there would be untold numbers of homeless in the Province and Country. There are also some tenants who should not be here but instead be in facilities that can monitor and look after them. There are a few that I know whom it seems to me have been dumped here by their families just to get them out of the way. You know out of sight out of mind. This is in my opinion merely another form of senior abuse and the families that do it should be charged. As I said some tenants are afraid to speak up but rest assured I am not one. This is one individual who does not believe in going quietly into the night. I have on occasion been known to really stir the pot when I think my cause is just and let me tell you I have a very large ladle. So be forewarned all you housing “CRATS” if I have reason I will complain and if need be stir the pot to boiling when I see or hear of something that just doesn’t sit right. I have dealt with bureaucracies in the past and they do not frighten, intimidate, nor cow me. Also being a good Celt there is nothing we Celts like more than a good brouhaha. You know I always feel so good after a good bashing I think I will be doing far more of it. I will however set one major off limit, verboten area and that is the “MONARCHY”.