At Blue Like You, commentor “Tony” drops this tidbit from The Edmonton Journal, dated February 2003;
“It looked like a friggin parking lot outside that house most days,” said Sandy Smith, who asked that her real name not be used. She still lives in Vallarta and fears the Mexican federal police. The Toronto native worked as Waage’s chef and lived in Castillo Cristina for 10 months beginning in July 2000.
[…]
“Our liquor bill was $2,000 a week — minimum,” she said.
Smith said she placed one order for 80 kilograms of crab and then sent a mozo (houseboy) out to buy two new freezers to hold it all.
“He wanted only the best and I got it for him,” she said.
“He was very generous and I had carte blanche with money. If I went to him and said I needed some money to get groceries or whatever provisions he would say to me, ‘How much do you need, this much?’ ” she said, miming Waage holding his index finger and thumb about two inches apart.
” ‘Or do you need this much?’ ” she said, and moved her fingers about four inches apart. “Then he would reach into the safe where he kept the cash and take a wad out of money out and just give it to me. Sometimes he never even counted it.
Emphasis mine.
Brenda Martin “worked for Waage for 10 months until he fired her in 2001”.
Andypants….you really believe in all the tripe that you spew,you gotta get out more,I know, it’s not easy at your advanced age,hah.
“…I am as right wing as I can be, but I still have a few grains of human kindness.”
Is this implying that right wing leaning souls are heartless? I take exception to that comment Louise but I realize that you have sucummed to the whole intention of this MSM/progressive exercise in heart string pulling.
You are a misogynist, an insect and you can’t spell. Go lurk somewhere else.
Well looks like Roy Green is still holding on to his one sided view of the situation. Here is the email response I received from him.
“Mexico claims it’s Brenda Martin’s fault the case hasn’t been heard in court? That’s patently absurd!
In Canada, if a criminal case were to drag on that long, for any reason, all charges would be constitutionally dismissed.
The other issues you raise? With respect, it seems to me that you’re more interested in defending the PM and the Conservative Party than Brenda Martin.
Sorry you won’t be listening to the program any longer. I hope you find something on the dial which is more satisfactory.
Roy”
“In Canada, if a criminal case were to drag on that long, for any reason, all charges would be constitutionally dismissed.”
Roy Green knows better.
Former NHL player Rob Ramage’s widely publicized drunk driving case took four (4) years to get to court, that’s just one recent national event off the top of my head that I can name that took longer than 2 years.
The SNL guy that went crazy spent two years in jail recently, he wasn’t even charged, that was national news too. Pickton was in jail for two years without any conviction, there’s yet another case. The guy who shot two RCMP officers in Saskatchewan has been in jail for nearly two years now with no court date in sight. Four cases I can name off the top of my head.
Over 50% of people in jail in Canada haven’t been convicted of a crime, lengthy delays are very much a feature of Canadian courts.
Roy Green has to know this, he must get reminded about this on a daily basis if he runs a phone in show. It is illogical to deduce he is being honest in his opinion.
Andypants can spell,it’s just not as easy trying to find the keys with senior vision and atrophy affecting trembling hands.I salute your courage sir,despite the bed sores you still manage to get around.
How can people be so unfeeling about Brenda Martin – she is a mere shell of a woman. She has never even been charged, let alone convicted.
Louise, just to set the record straight on that one, she has indeed been charged with “money laundering and being part of a criminal conspiracy.”
Source
you see, Louise, the problem is that an invasion of Mexico is kind of difficult.
The states wont let us use their land or air space to get there, so what with having to go around, the logistics just dont work out.
So we are doing the next best thing. We are using all the diplomatic means at our disposal to resolve this issue.
Mind you it would have been helpful if Ms. Martin had availed herself of the services of the lawyers proposed by the Canadian Embassy.
It also might have sped things up if she had not decided to launch a constitutional challenge instead of dealing with the charges.
Imagine that!!! A constitutional challenge from a person who is in the country illegally. Yep, thats a winner alright.
So you see, Louise, how difficult a seemingly simple problem can become.
Lee – Perfect response!!!
I think that Louise is FDS in drag!!!!
‘mysoginimist’? What is ‘someone who hates female gorillas in the mist’?
“I’ll take ‘Dinks’ for a thousand Alex”.
Thanks for that Lee!
For the record, I agree with you Alberta Girl about the prison situation, futher schools in Canada marginalize the nature of boys; the school marms and mens try to make boys think and act like girls…boys end up hating school and drop out or evolutionize into what my Dad used to call ‘panty waists’. FDDADS you seem pretty bitter…I hope that something good happens in your life pretty soon so you can patch up your hurtin heart.
Happy Easter everyone. God Bless you and yours.
As one who knows Brenda Martin personally, I am amazed how right most of you have the unreported “other side of the story.” Brenda was not in Mexico legally at the time of her arrest. She ran an unregistered business. She did not pay taxes to Canada on her world wide earnings. She was detained by US immigration, put in leg irons and questioned for six hours on an ill fated trip several years ago. She can not land in the US again. For two years she has received bi-weekly 40 pound packages filled with food, clothes, phone cards, books, cosmetics, toilerties and other items she personally requested via lists she prepared. Those of us who know her believe she has suffered, and the best thing for her is to be released to Canadian authorities to either serve the remainder of her sentence in Canada or, be sent back to her mother’s home in Canada to go on with her life in peace. The sooner this happens the sooner this sorry political and media spectacle will end.
Tell us more about the 40 pound packages! Who sent them, who paid for them, why did they send them, what benefit is there for the sender, how can a person being detained possibly be allowed to receive/use such goods?
The numerous packages were sent to Brenda by a man who supports her, simply as a friend. He uses his own modest income to shop for the items she requests. Occasionally, he collects small sums of money from other Vallartans to pay for a few of these things. Brenda says she “shares things with her friends.” The sender does not benefit in any way and has limited means. He is a good and honorable person. We speculate Brenda is able to keep some goods and barter others for privledges. This may explain why she has so much public access. In recent photos she looks much better than we expected.
Linda, that was a good answer. Thanks for taking the time to explain. If her benefactor is truly just a friend, I wonder if he is not being taken for a ride as well as exposing himself to investigation by the authorities.
Separately, I also wonder why Brenda was detained by US immigration, put in leg irons and questioned for six hours. If she can not land in the US again, then there must be a SERIOUS offense she has committed. What offense? Mexican authorities must be aware of this, and it must buffet her guilty-until-proven-innocent status. I missed this USA chapter in the story…can you fill us latecomers in?
Brenda’s benefactor freely chose to help and does not judge her. Sadly, she rarely thanks him. Like most of us, he did not know her when she worked for Mr. Waage and has nothing to contribute to her case. We do worry he puts himself at risk for so little reason.
Brenda was detained in connection with Mr. Waage’s federal case. Possibly, as a “person of interest.” She said she had no idea why. Canadian authorities were called and reportedly said she could freely return to Canada. US Immigration let her return to Mexico, when she chose not to go to Canada. She was told not to return to the US. I could be wrong, but that was her “one time free pass.”
At immigration, if you are held for interview unrestrained at a table and answer questions it is generally to clarify your documents or your reason to enter a country. If you are handcuffed, maybe a misdemeanor or felony “flag” relating to an outstanding warrant. If you are put in leg irons, you can surmise it is a federal matter and you are there until your status and nationality are determined, and your home country is contacted. Protocols take time.
Had Brenda paid income tax on that $26,000.00 to either Mexico or Canada, or kept her foreign resident status legal, she might have had a reasonable defense.
Brenda does speak reasonable Spanish. That would not have helped her very much. Mexican courts function by documents, not by actual testimony.