Vancouver Sun: March 8, 2005:

"...the RCMP seeks and protects its provincial contracts, bidding on police work in various communities so that it might both preserve and expand its coverage of the country. In a phrase, much of the RCMP's mission is to provide rent-a-cops on the cheap to much of Canada. It is a business, with a business mission and a business plan, yet it is a public institution dedicated to enforcing the rule of law and the public interest. It is within this somewhat diametrically opposed goals that the problems lie.

Since the early 1980s, when the RCMP began to adopt business models to measure its performance, it can be argued that it has continued to provide adequate service to its numerous clients. However, like any business, it constantly strives to cut costs and services.

These cuts have come in every corner of the forces operations. Everywhere, Mountie operations are hindered by small things, such as lack of gas for their cars or manpower shortages. The exception is headquarters in Ottawa, where so-called downsizing has done nothing to trim the huge bureaucracy."

This could apply equally to the BC SPCA:

"...the SPCA seeks and protects its municipal contracts, bidding on stray dog control and disposal in various communities so that it might both preserve and expand its coverage of the province. In a phrase, much of the SPCA's mission is to provide rent-a-dog-catcher on the cheap to much of BC. It is a business, with a business mission and a business plan, yet it is a public institution dedicated to enforcing the rule of animal law and the public interest. It is within this somewhat diametrically opposed goals that the problems lie.

Since the early 1960s, when the SPCA began to adopt business models to measure its performance, it can be argued that it has continued to provide adequate service to its numerous clients. However, like any business, it constantly strives to cut costs and services.

These cuts have come in every corner of the Society's operations: run down facilities with no money spent to make them into more than dirt-cheap animal prisons, no or little training, and no or minimal animal care. The exception is headquarters in Vancouver, where so-called downsizing has done nothing to trim the huge bureaucracy."