Sunday, January 10, 2016

On priorities

I've written before about the Saskatchewan Party's assumption that actually meeting the basic needs of inmates wasn't a core function of the provincial correctional system.

Well, the choice to turn food service into a corporate profit centre has produced predictable results. And faced with an inmate protest about unsafe and unhealthy food, Brad Wall had the choice whether to be responsible and compassionate, or whether to try to dehumanize the people suffering from his government's decisions.

Needless to say, he chose column B. And we should be appalled enough by that message as applied to people who involuntarily depend entirely on the government for their sustenance.

But it's worth noting the exact same thinking behind the prison food service privatization is being applied in other areas, ranging from hospital services to school construction and maintenance. And Wall's message about his view of public services likewise extends beyond Saskatchewan's prisons.

As far as Brad Wall is concerned, anybody wanting to be treated like a human being should pay somebody for the privilege. And conversely, anybody making use of public services should expect to see their interests ranked far below the goal of funneling public money into corporate hands.

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