Hopeless to expect compassion for a grieving widow from the ivory towers of politically correct Ottawa.
Mandarins there work for politicians who mouth platitudes at public ceremonies like the one coming up in Gander to mark the first anniversary of Sept. 11.
Less than a week before the Canadian government’s Gander ceremony, the feds were threatening to take legal action against the wife of a 9-11 victim unless she forks over thousands of dollars in unpaid income tax on a deadline of Sept. 6.
The Ottawa deadline for payment was a week before the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death.
One of the problems here is that everyone except Ottawa seems aware of the tragic death of Toronto businessman Ken Basnicki. How else to explain a letter addressed to him by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, explaining how it will have no choice but to "involve the law" if the dead man’s outstanding incomes taxes remain unpaid?
"Even though we have previously brought this debt to your attention, the above amount is payable immediately," reads the notice, dated Aug. 20, 2002. "If you fail to pay the full amount within 15 days, we may have to take appropriate legal action without further notice."
Basnicki, last seen in the north tower of the World Trade Centre, is not available to answer the scathing letter from Ottawa.
His widow Maureen, left to open the mail without him, described the letter as "a slap in the face."
While the federal Liberals continue their internecine fighting, Mrs. Basnicki would like them to provide her with a similar tax break offered to the American families of Sept. 11 victims by President George W. Bush.
More aware and, it could be suggested more humane, American administration seemed to realize that many victims’ relatives faced serious financial burdens, so were allowed to skip paying both their 2000 and 2001 income taxes. All other compensation the families received after the tragedy was also tax free.
Only 48 years of age, Ken Basnicki was the Toronto-based director of financial marketing for BEA Systems, a Silicon Valley software firm. In 2000 he paid more than $400,000 worth of Canadian income tax.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Basnicki attended a meeting on the 106th floor of the north tower.
An Air Canada flight attendant, his 51-year-old widow says she spent the next few months just trying to comprehend the chain of events that killed her husband. Filling out paperwork was understandably the furthest thing from her mind.
"Income taxes were due just after I received the news that body parts of my husband were found," she told Canada’s National Post.
With the anniversary of Sept. 11 just days away, Mrs. Basnicki would rather focus on her husband’s memory, not his bank accounts.
Incredibly to many average Canadians, Prime Minister Jean Chretien flatly refused building a memorial for 24 Canadian victims of Sept. 11.
Some will never forget that it took him three weeks to visit Ground Zero.
For Canadians marking the anniversary in Gander on Wednesday, it’s not likely that they will even be able to assuage their grief in simple prayer. The Prime Minister has boasted that he would not allow any reference to the "Christian God" at last year’s ceremonies.
Any one of us would try to console a widow looking only for respect and compassion.
Unfortunately, the Canadian Prime Minister can only mouth meaningless platitudes.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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