The last brushstroke on a portraint of the Moncton Times

When I first noticed the tone of Tand T editorials, I thought the editorial writers were simply ignorant about education.

Then I saw the one not long ago that made the (I thought) exciting story that the dropout rate in NB is the lowest Canada - well, the writer made it look as though this was some terrible failure of the NB public schools. That made me realize that the Moncton TandT, may not be ignorant- but lying.

Then came the most recent one -the malicious and contemptible attack on school part time aides.

A proposal for a contract settlement was made. The part timers rejected it. That's they're right. They could have gone on strike. They didn't. They said they would work to rule.

The editor says this was cynical. Why? Cynicism is something that happens within a person's mind. Can the editor read the minds of people he's never seen?  The writer also accused the support people of putting children in danger. Can he or she give us a single example of that happening? The whole editorial stank of ignorance, lying and another fault - gutlessness.

Have you ever known the Moncton Tand T ever to write an article critical of people with power? People like, for example, the corporate powers in this province? Would they dare to  use the word cynical in describing any of them?

We all know the answer to that. But it will quite viciously attack some of the most useful and underpaid people in the province, people who have no means of replying.
So that give us ignorant, lying and cowardly. I retract contemptible because the Moncton T and T is beneath contempt.

What's more worrisome is that the people of New Brunswick are scared to speak out on any issues dealing with those who have real power in this province. (And that does not mean that sandbox gang called liberals and conservatives.) I wondered why the universities were so quiet on this issue. Now I understand. I wondered why the people of Moncton would agree that what this city needs most of all is a supersized hockey rink. Now I understand.

Do you want to know why NB children have such a problem with reading? It's because their parents either can't read or don't give a damn about it. Do you want to know why they have such low expectations of themselves? It's because their parents have low expectations.
Do you want to know why they stay in school when kids in other provinces are dropping out? It's because you have damn good schools and good teachers.

And do you want to do know why you don't know any of this? It's because you read a newspaper that carries trivial and moronic headlines like "Argo Pros are just Good Joes".

You rhink having a pro football game here makes you a world class city? Forget it. Having a paper like the Moncton T and T tells the world you're in Hicksville.