When does silence become..

WHEN DOES SILENCE BECOME CENSORSHIP?
Why do Canada’s Radio Talk Shows avoid airing the
Taxable Benefit Issue?

A commentary by Victor Drummond ©
May 2008


If you tune in to radio broadcast stations such as CFRB in Toronto -- or sister station CFRA in Ottawa -- on most week-day mornings you will hear TALK-SHOW hosts invite the public to call-in and give their opinion on a very wide variety of topics.

In fact I have heard CFRA announce “Call-in to voice your opinion on any topic, suitable for public broadcast”. Or words to that effect. But do not take that invitation at its face value. It is far from the truth.

For example the following is an excerpt from an E-mail I sent to a popular Ottawa, Radio Talk –show host – which is self explanatory.

“ I became involved with the taxable benefits fiasco when I discovered my son had to re-mortgage his house to pay taxes levied on potential but unrealized income.
Then I found there were many other victims of this legalized extortion and thought of you as someone who would take this issue apart and put it together properly.

Imagine my surprise around 11.00 Monday 15 October 2007 when I called you to enlist your support on this issue -- and found myself being cut-up, cut-off and generally made to sound like a kook. Why? (Don't bother to answer that rhetorical question.) It is obvious I either slighted someone's sacred cow -- or touched on a topic that even you are not prepared to tackle. My apology.”

At the time of this incident I thought it was merely the whim -- of the person I called – to evade this issue. Many taxable benefit victims reside in the Ottawa area and therefore the radio show would most certainly receive numerous calls to discuss this topic.

So why would the host verbally attack me when I attempted to accept the broadcast invitation to introduce any acceptable topic? This same host had no compunction when it came to discussing “Women’s Rights”, or, “Kyoto Accord” , or “Same Sex Marriage”, etc.

Just what was the host -- and/or the broadcast station management -- afraid of?

Not long afterward I tried contacting a Toronto radio station – “Talk Show” – via E-mail to try and pave the way to have the taxable benefit issue discussed on CFRB.

That was several months ago and I am still waiting for a reply.

Within the past two weeks I sent another E-mail to the Station Programs management
merely asking if the topic of taxation i.e. per details to be found at:- http://www.cfet.ca
was an acceptable broadcast topic.

This must be a really tough question as I have yet to receive a reply – and still waiting.
(But not holding my breath.)

Well OK. That is only one broadcast organization and they may have a policy of not informing the public when the federal government does something they are not very proud of.

So how about the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, (CBC). That broadcast organization airs Talk-show programs that portend to act as watchdogs on all kinds of issues.
Especially scam issues that the public should be made aware of.

The Communications Director of the “Canadians for Fair and Equalized Taxation”, (CFET) has sent E-mails to invite at least two popular CBC personalities to air the taxable benefits issue. This invitation is at least two weeks old and no reply has been forthcoming to date.

Who would imagine that the fearless commentator from Newfoundland, Rex Murphy and/or Anna Marie Tremonti would keep silent on an abusive tax issue?

So what are we witnessing here?

If a teenage bully was video taped pushing a toddler around and running off with the toddlers toys it would be in the news and on the television by the very next broadcast.
Of course no names would be given to protect the guilty.

But when a government department bullies helpless taxpayers and literally evicts some of them from their homes – that event apparently doesn’t rate reporting.

And the flawed legislation – that makes these punitive tax extortions legal – is apparently not open to public discussion on the radio and/or television. Why not?

Are Canada’s radio and television corporations exposed to some form of intimidation that prevents them from airing opinions on certain government policies, practices and/or shameful conduct?

More than likely the public is denied being informed on such issues because it would hurt corporation advertising revenue.

In other words voluntarily censor your broadcast material -- and eliminate anything that would defame the government and/or the Canadian political system – if you wish to keep selling broadcast time to the government.

If that is the case then do not look to the broadcast media -- in Canada -- to tell you everything that you need to know in order to make a wise choice in any federal election.

IN THIS EVENT THEIR SILENCE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF CENSORSHIP.

Also be aware your candidate for election – to represent your best interests as your riding’s Member of Parliament – WILL MORE THAN LIKELY SELL YOU OUT if the party line does not include a commitment to correct the insidious taxable benefit legislation and restore the unjustified penalties it has fostered.

If you ignore this problem and vote for anyone that has not committed to correcting this blight on the Canadian taxpayer – then do not look any further than your bathroom mirror to find someone to blame -- if this kind of bird eventually visits your roost.

You not only have the right – you have the duty to yourself and fellow Canadians – to hold your elected Member of Parliament accountable for action – or inaction – on government policies and/or practices that abuse Canadians and/or damage Canada’s reputation.

The practice -- of taxing hard-working, honest Canadian taxpayers, into financial oblivion on the pretext the government is entitled to tax money that never existed – is unreasonable, revolting and disgusting beyond words.

If you are not already well informed on this issue – visit web page:- http://www.cfet.ca
Click on the “Sign our Petition” link and read the CFET objective.

On the Petition page – click on the “Signatures” tab and see the comments left by victims of this abusive tax.

If you then have the incentive to inform your Member of Parliament, (MP), you want this problem corrected ASAP – Send your MP an E-mail informing him or her of your demand.

There is an easy way to contact your Member of Parliament and send him, or her, your message.

Merely copy and paste the following link to the address line on your web browser and send the prepared text over your own e-mail identity.

http://www.cfet.ca/EmailMP.html

The price of good government is eternal vigilance. (My version of a wise old adage.)

Victor Drummond ©