Battles to preserve health care are being fought in many small Ontario municipalities.
Residents and Councils are fighting the closing and potential closing of emergency rooms in their local hospitals.
Seaforth Community Hospital was reduced to a 12 hour operation early this year.
“Cutting ER services is a direct response to the financial pressures on the health care system,” says Michael Hurley, President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions OCHU/CUPE.
Hurley’s union represented 40 workers who lost their jobs at the Huron County hospital.
But this is about more than jobs. It’s about keeping our communities healthy.
In Petrolia the ER was “saved” in February after a huge public outcry and a threat by six doctors to resign if it was closed.
Meanwhile, in the nearby southwestern town of Wallaceburg the sparring is just beginning to protect the Sydenham District Hospital ER. Two hundred residents attended a first meeting. A rally in a supermarket parking lot planned by Save Our Sydenham (SOS) Committee will certainly draw a bigger crowd.
Fort Erie and Port Colborne are in similar predicaments. A resolution by Fort Erie Council calls for public election of all hospital boards and
legislative protection for rural hospitals More than fifty-eight Ontario communities have supported it according to Port Colborne’s website.
Many blame Local Health Integration Networks (LINH’s) for this development.
Queen’s Park “essentially established the mandate the LHINs are now carrying out. I believe that health care in rural Ontario is being systematically withdrawn. This is not acceptable and is a direct reversal of Premier Dalton McGuinty's own promise to us to protect the small rural hospital and their ability to serve..,” charged Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey.
All of us should be paying attention to how this plays out.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Food
Canada's first food bank opened in 1981.
Remember 1981? The U.S.S.R was the enemy, Exhibition Stadium the home of the Blue Jays and Eaton’s was a great place to shop.
The country, the stadium and the retailer are long gone. But the Edmonton food bank, billed at the time as a temporary solution, is still here and about 650 others have been added across our affluent land.
And it is getting worse.
A situation reported by the Belleville Intelligencer this week is illustrative.
The number of new clients at Gleaners Food bank (which serves the Quinte Region of South-Eastern Ontario) doubled this December over December 2007.
The number of food hampers issued this past January is up 43% over the previous January.
The Board is considering increasing the hours the food bank is open.
On Tuesday 240 dozen eggs came in. At closing there were only about thirty dozen left. There was fighting among clients.
On Wednesday a man and his son are alleged to have threatened staff. Police were involved.
Could this have been foreseen?
“We were afraid something was going to happen today because we had clients fighting yesterday,” Suzanne Quinlan, the Centre’s Director told the Intelligencer.
Now the Board, already struggling to meet client needs, has to consider adding security staff.
Carol Goar’s opinion piece in yesterday’s Toronto Star puts the food issue in context.
The average weekly food bill in Canada is $140 or 10.4% of income. If a mother of two on welfare:
“ spent 10.4% per cent of her income on food, as other parents do, her weekly grocery budget would be $25.14. She would have to buy a lot of bread, pasta, rice and other cheap starches and get whatever she could at the local food bank.”
Political Solution Needed
But food banks, a temporary solution, have reached their limits. I’m not stating anything new or profound when I say that people shouldn’t go hungry in this country; parents shouldn’t have to count on a food bank to feed their children.
There are political solutions to these matters. The Harperites aren’t interested. Their recent budget proved that. Let’s hope McGuinty’s government shows some leadership in their March budget.
Remember 1981? The U.S.S.R was the enemy, Exhibition Stadium the home of the Blue Jays and Eaton’s was a great place to shop.
The country, the stadium and the retailer are long gone. But the Edmonton food bank, billed at the time as a temporary solution, is still here and about 650 others have been added across our affluent land.
And it is getting worse.
A situation reported by the Belleville Intelligencer this week is illustrative.
The number of new clients at Gleaners Food bank (which serves the Quinte Region of South-Eastern Ontario) doubled this December over December 2007.
The number of food hampers issued this past January is up 43% over the previous January.
The Board is considering increasing the hours the food bank is open.
On Tuesday 240 dozen eggs came in. At closing there were only about thirty dozen left. There was fighting among clients.
On Wednesday a man and his son are alleged to have threatened staff. Police were involved.
Could this have been foreseen?
“We were afraid something was going to happen today because we had clients fighting yesterday,” Suzanne Quinlan, the Centre’s Director told the Intelligencer.
Now the Board, already struggling to meet client needs, has to consider adding security staff.
Carol Goar’s opinion piece in yesterday’s Toronto Star puts the food issue in context.
The average weekly food bill in Canada is $140 or 10.4% of income. If a mother of two on welfare:
“ spent 10.4% per cent of her income on food, as other parents do, her weekly grocery budget would be $25.14. She would have to buy a lot of bread, pasta, rice and other cheap starches and get whatever she could at the local food bank.”
Political Solution Needed
But food banks, a temporary solution, have reached their limits. I’m not stating anything new or profound when I say that people shouldn’t go hungry in this country; parents shouldn’t have to count on a food bank to feed their children.
There are political solutions to these matters. The Harperites aren’t interested. Their recent budget proved that. Let’s hope McGuinty’s government shows some leadership in their March budget.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Downtowns
When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
OK, Petula Clark wasn’t singing about Ontario cities when she scored a big hit in 1974 with Downtown.
But why did that song come to my mind reading Ontario papers this week?
First, let’s look at Sault Ste. Marie, the third largest city in Northern Ontario with a population of 75,000.
Tuesday the Sault Star reported that Council had voted 9 - 3 (one member absent) to approve 42,000 square feet of office space outside of the downtown area.
Who cares, you say?
Well this approval:
1. Insulted the Official Plan.
2. Was uncalled for when about 500,000 square feet of available commercial space currently exists.
3. Was contrary to the Planning Department’s recommendation.*
Writer Elaine Della-Matta noted that those voting for the office space had their reasons.
One said “he's been shut out of (downtown) businesses because he can't get in with his wheelchair.”
Another Councillor noted it is “difficult to find large accessible spaces in the downtown area.”
And, finally, it was argued the downtown shouldn’t be sold short but the rest of the town shouldn’t be forgotten.
I’m thinking Mayor Roswell (who opposed the change) got it right:
"Council's decision tonight is going to change things. This is a major shift in where our community is going."
Meanwhile, this week the Intelligencer in Belleville (population 50,000) talked about what happened to their downtown.
Apparently when the Quinte Mall opened in the early 1970s “merchants were skeptical that it would take away customers but they soon learned the truth.”
"That knocked the hell out if us. "It was difficult. Some people thought it wouldn't hurt us," Charlie Kammer, a downtown merchant for 42 years told the paper.
Kammer remembers seven hardware stores and eight drugstores operating in the core.
Consultants have addressed the downtown problems says reporter Brice McVicar.
A revitalization program, co-ordinating the resources of various departments was suggested by du Toit Associates Ltd in 1980.
An emphasis on waterfront recreation, free public transit and a the placement of a banner near the Quinte Mall that would say something like "Experience Shopping in Downtown Belleville" was recommended by Alexander V. Crate Consultants in a 1984 report.
And in 1992 (Loughheed and Associates) wanted to close streets and develop an Apr.-Oct./ pedestrian promenade.
Apparently things are slowly improving. Mayor Neil Ellis believes “that downtown merchants are carving their own niche, rather than competing against bigger rivals.”
Belleville consultants: Check your Blackberries, the Soo’ll be calling soon.
*This raises a larger question: Why do we really need planners with their big salaries, large offices and strange vocabularies when we have politicians who can do the job. We’ll save this one for another day.
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
OK, Petula Clark wasn’t singing about Ontario cities when she scored a big hit in 1974 with Downtown.
But why did that song come to my mind reading Ontario papers this week?
First, let’s look at Sault Ste. Marie, the third largest city in Northern Ontario with a population of 75,000.
Tuesday the Sault Star reported that Council had voted 9 - 3 (one member absent) to approve 42,000 square feet of office space outside of the downtown area.
Who cares, you say?
Well this approval:
1. Insulted the Official Plan.
2. Was uncalled for when about 500,000 square feet of available commercial space currently exists.
3. Was contrary to the Planning Department’s recommendation.*
Writer Elaine Della-Matta noted that those voting for the office space had their reasons.
One said “he's been shut out of (downtown) businesses because he can't get in with his wheelchair.”
Another Councillor noted it is “difficult to find large accessible spaces in the downtown area.”
And, finally, it was argued the downtown shouldn’t be sold short but the rest of the town shouldn’t be forgotten.
I’m thinking Mayor Roswell (who opposed the change) got it right:
"Council's decision tonight is going to change things. This is a major shift in where our community is going."
Meanwhile, this week the Intelligencer in Belleville (population 50,000) talked about what happened to their downtown.
Apparently when the Quinte Mall opened in the early 1970s “merchants were skeptical that it would take away customers but they soon learned the truth.”
"That knocked the hell out if us. "It was difficult. Some people thought it wouldn't hurt us," Charlie Kammer, a downtown merchant for 42 years told the paper.
Kammer remembers seven hardware stores and eight drugstores operating in the core.
Consultants have addressed the downtown problems says reporter Brice McVicar.
A revitalization program, co-ordinating the resources of various departments was suggested by du Toit Associates Ltd in 1980.
An emphasis on waterfront recreation, free public transit and a the placement of a banner near the Quinte Mall that would say something like "Experience Shopping in Downtown Belleville" was recommended by Alexander V. Crate Consultants in a 1984 report.
And in 1992 (Loughheed and Associates) wanted to close streets and develop an Apr.-Oct./ pedestrian promenade.
Apparently things are slowly improving. Mayor Neil Ellis believes “that downtown merchants are carving their own niche, rather than competing against bigger rivals.”
Belleville consultants: Check your Blackberries, the Soo’ll be calling soon.
*This raises a larger question: Why do we really need planners with their big salaries, large offices and strange vocabularies when we have politicians who can do the job. We’ll save this one for another day.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Games People Play
The Ontario Senior Games Winterfest 2009 kick off in Brockville this Wednesday. GTA types who promote the Pan Games should pay attention.
According to a story in the Brockville Recorder and Times by Michael Jiggins the local economy will be helped by the games.
Games general manager Laurence Bishop says that athletes will provide an $850,000 boost to the economy before they head home after Fridays’ closing ceremonies.
Jiggins quotes restaurant owner John Ackerman who believes the Games "are a great idea in these economic times.”
"Especially for the restaurants, January and February is your slow time of the year. ... And it will help all of the other businesses, too, people will be out shopping. I'm all for it."
Local hotels are fully booked. Occupancy rates typically run around 35 per cent in February. As well up to 70% of the 850 participants will stay an extra night after the games finish. Many participants will enjoy the town and come back.
GTA FANTASIES
Meanwhile in the GTA politicians and George F. Babbitt booster types like the Hamilton Spectator fantasize about the supposed benefits of the 2015 Pan Games. In fact, there is much evidence of the detrimental effects such mega events have on host cities. (see Helen Lenskyj’s “The Best Olympics Ever?)
The Pan Am games began in 1951. Popular in Central and South American. sadly, few North Americans – including many top athletes and TV networks - seem to care today..
I don’t always agree with Hamilton Councillor Sam Merulla. This time I do.
Last week Merulla argued unsuccessfully to strike the $235 million Pan Am Games bid from a list of city of Hamilton infrastructure projects. A big part of those dollars would build a new stadium as the current facility - once called Civic Stadium built for the 1930 British Empire Games track events.- can’t accommodate track and field. Is this the kind of “infrastructure” we need for our cities?
Back to Brockville
Longtime Brockville hotelier Bhagwant Parmar tells reporter Jiggins that the Games are about much more than dollars and cents. Winterfest encourages active, healthy lifestyles that improve people's quality of life.
The advantage of that type of tourism, he noted, is it doesn't require millions of dollars to build attractions (bolding mine).
As I said we could learn something from this week’s games in Brockville. These smaller community building events should be the way to go.
According to a story in the Brockville Recorder and Times by Michael Jiggins the local economy will be helped by the games.
Games general manager Laurence Bishop says that athletes will provide an $850,000 boost to the economy before they head home after Fridays’ closing ceremonies.
Jiggins quotes restaurant owner John Ackerman who believes the Games "are a great idea in these economic times.”
"Especially for the restaurants, January and February is your slow time of the year. ... And it will help all of the other businesses, too, people will be out shopping. I'm all for it."
Local hotels are fully booked. Occupancy rates typically run around 35 per cent in February. As well up to 70% of the 850 participants will stay an extra night after the games finish. Many participants will enjoy the town and come back.
GTA FANTASIES
Meanwhile in the GTA politicians and George F. Babbitt booster types like the Hamilton Spectator fantasize about the supposed benefits of the 2015 Pan Games. In fact, there is much evidence of the detrimental effects such mega events have on host cities. (see Helen Lenskyj’s “The Best Olympics Ever?)
The Pan Am games began in 1951. Popular in Central and South American. sadly, few North Americans – including many top athletes and TV networks - seem to care today..
I don’t always agree with Hamilton Councillor Sam Merulla. This time I do.
Last week Merulla argued unsuccessfully to strike the $235 million Pan Am Games bid from a list of city of Hamilton infrastructure projects. A big part of those dollars would build a new stadium as the current facility - once called Civic Stadium built for the 1930 British Empire Games track events.- can’t accommodate track and field. Is this the kind of “infrastructure” we need for our cities?
Back to Brockville
Longtime Brockville hotelier Bhagwant Parmar tells reporter Jiggins that the Games are about much more than dollars and cents. Winterfest encourages active, healthy lifestyles that improve people's quality of life.
The advantage of that type of tourism, he noted, is it doesn't require millions of dollars to build attractions (bolding mine).
As I said we could learn something from this week’s games in Brockville. These smaller community building events should be the way to go.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Cycling and Our Environment
Gord Miller is Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner (ECO). Each year he takes a look at applications made by Ontario residents for government ministries to “review an existing policy, law, regulation or instrument if they feel the environment is not being protected or to review the need for a new law, regulation or policy.”
This one caught my attention.
Applications R2007005 and R2007006 requested that two ministries (the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) review the need for new legislation or amendments to the Provincial Policy Statement, 2005 (PPS) under the Planning Act for the protection of bicycle couriers and cyclists in general.
The applicants claimed that:
*cyclists’ civil rights of mobility, safety and health have been compromised and overlooked.
*all levels of government are responsible for the due care and protection of residents’ right to security and right to life.
*not implementing cycling transportation plans has contributed to thousands of bicycle collisions in the past decade.
* the road network can be considered an unhealthy work environment for bicycle couriers.
There were other valid points but the thrust of the argument was that since municipal governments (in this case Toronto) promote cycling they ought to be responsible for providing good cycling infrastructure. Further, it was contended that a new provincial law should be enacted, under MMAH jurisdiction, to enhance safety and reform the system of tort liability, and particularly the mechanism known as “contributory negligence.”
Torts?
I’m a blogger not a lawyer but this is how I understand the tort issue:
Municipalities should have liability since they are partly at fault for the damages or suffering of cyclists involved in a collision with a motor vehicle, for not providing reasonably safe cycling conditions.
Makes sense, right?
The Result
The MOE said the application was outside its mandate.
The MMAH denied the application but only looked at aspects related to the Provincial Policy Statement (i.e., not the liability issues.) The PPS was strong on cycling and had a lengthy consultation said the Ministry. Besides “creating and regulating cycling lanes” is a municipal matter. (Check out the Municipal Act, 2001 if you need clarification.)
The Commish’s Comments
The ECO agreed that MMAH had grounds for denying this application. However, he noted that 2,400 Ontario cyclists are injured and 10 to 15 killed each year on the roads. Many smaller incidents likely go unreported.
Miller questions how strong an environmental document the PPS is. A comment from his 04 - 05 annual report “that some land uses are given clear priority over others” and that the focus “of transportation planning in Ontario has traditionally been the expansion of the road network primarily for motor vehicles” captures his concerns.
As well, while the 2005 PPS says that streets “should be planned to meet the needs of cyclists (it) does not require municipalities to provide safer cycling networks.”
But if municipalities understood they could be liable for not doing enough for cyclists it would provide “sufficient incentive for municipalities to begin allocating appropriate amounts of road space to cyclists and installing protections to increase the safety of cyclists on city streets.”
This would require the action by another ministry - the Attorney General.
You’ll see the Summer Olympics in Milton before Environment, Municipal Affairs and your local government take any action on this one.
This one caught my attention.
Applications R2007005 and R2007006 requested that two ministries (the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) review the need for new legislation or amendments to the Provincial Policy Statement, 2005 (PPS) under the Planning Act for the protection of bicycle couriers and cyclists in general.
The applicants claimed that:
*cyclists’ civil rights of mobility, safety and health have been compromised and overlooked.
*all levels of government are responsible for the due care and protection of residents’ right to security and right to life.
*not implementing cycling transportation plans has contributed to thousands of bicycle collisions in the past decade.
* the road network can be considered an unhealthy work environment for bicycle couriers.
There were other valid points but the thrust of the argument was that since municipal governments (in this case Toronto) promote cycling they ought to be responsible for providing good cycling infrastructure. Further, it was contended that a new provincial law should be enacted, under MMAH jurisdiction, to enhance safety and reform the system of tort liability, and particularly the mechanism known as “contributory negligence.”
Torts?
I’m a blogger not a lawyer but this is how I understand the tort issue:
Municipalities should have liability since they are partly at fault for the damages or suffering of cyclists involved in a collision with a motor vehicle, for not providing reasonably safe cycling conditions.
Makes sense, right?
The Result
The MOE said the application was outside its mandate.
The MMAH denied the application but only looked at aspects related to the Provincial Policy Statement (i.e., not the liability issues.) The PPS was strong on cycling and had a lengthy consultation said the Ministry. Besides “creating and regulating cycling lanes” is a municipal matter. (Check out the Municipal Act, 2001 if you need clarification.)
The Commish’s Comments
The ECO agreed that MMAH had grounds for denying this application. However, he noted that 2,400 Ontario cyclists are injured and 10 to 15 killed each year on the roads. Many smaller incidents likely go unreported.
Miller questions how strong an environmental document the PPS is. A comment from his 04 - 05 annual report “that some land uses are given clear priority over others” and that the focus “of transportation planning in Ontario has traditionally been the expansion of the road network primarily for motor vehicles” captures his concerns.
As well, while the 2005 PPS says that streets “should be planned to meet the needs of cyclists (it) does not require municipalities to provide safer cycling networks.”
But if municipalities understood they could be liable for not doing enough for cyclists it would provide “sufficient incentive for municipalities to begin allocating appropriate amounts of road space to cyclists and installing protections to increase the safety of cyclists on city streets.”
This would require the action by another ministry - the Attorney General.
You’ll see the Summer Olympics in Milton before Environment, Municipal Affairs and your local government take any action on this one.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A Cup of Coffee and a Few Ideas
We lose touch sometimes.
With friends. With ideas. And with certain realities that are just too easy to ignore.
Had coffee last week with a guy who I hadn’t seen in a over a year. He is a poverty advocate. He knows of what he speaks because he actually lives in poverty and has since suffering an injury on a job site many years ago.
He updated me on stuff I’d missed and suggested I read some reports as a lot of new ones had come out recently. I promised I would.
First up is Income Security for Working -Age Adults in Canada: Let’s consider the model under our nose.
Published last month, its author John Stapleton worked in government in the areas of social assistance policy and operations for 28 years. Now a Fellow at St. Christopher House Stapleton is connected with Massey College – U of T and was supported by the Metcalf Foundation.
In a few (164) words this is what Stapleton says:
*Beginning in 1929 an income security program for Canadian seniors evolved that has been pretty successful in alleviating poverty for this demographic group over the last forty years.
*A “program” for children (RESPs, Child Tax Benefits and now the Canada Learning Bond and Canada Education Savings Grant) is likewise evolving so that kids will be taken off welfare and we’ll be “on a hopeful course to ending child poverty”.
*By doing something like what has been done for seniors and kids a program for working age adults could be assembled that would have similar features – i.e., widely available federal benefits, extra help for people with low incomes, registered tax saving aspects and matching or separate contributions to reward individual savings.
*We ought to do it this way since restoring benefits to earlier levels is “politically unpopular” and a Guaranteed Annual Income - of which we hear more and more these days - is not “politically realistic” because of constitutional matters.
I'm getting caught up.
You can/should read this concise 19-page report at www.metcalffoundation.com
With friends. With ideas. And with certain realities that are just too easy to ignore.
Had coffee last week with a guy who I hadn’t seen in a over a year. He is a poverty advocate. He knows of what he speaks because he actually lives in poverty and has since suffering an injury on a job site many years ago.
He updated me on stuff I’d missed and suggested I read some reports as a lot of new ones had come out recently. I promised I would.
First up is Income Security for Working -Age Adults in Canada: Let’s consider the model under our nose.
Published last month, its author John Stapleton worked in government in the areas of social assistance policy and operations for 28 years. Now a Fellow at St. Christopher House Stapleton is connected with Massey College – U of T and was supported by the Metcalf Foundation.
In a few (164) words this is what Stapleton says:
*Beginning in 1929 an income security program for Canadian seniors evolved that has been pretty successful in alleviating poverty for this demographic group over the last forty years.
*A “program” for children (RESPs, Child Tax Benefits and now the Canada Learning Bond and Canada Education Savings Grant) is likewise evolving so that kids will be taken off welfare and we’ll be “on a hopeful course to ending child poverty”.
*By doing something like what has been done for seniors and kids a program for working age adults could be assembled that would have similar features – i.e., widely available federal benefits, extra help for people with low incomes, registered tax saving aspects and matching or separate contributions to reward individual savings.
*We ought to do it this way since restoring benefits to earlier levels is “politically unpopular” and a Guaranteed Annual Income - of which we hear more and more these days - is not “politically realistic” because of constitutional matters.
I'm getting caught up.
You can/should read this concise 19-page report at www.metcalffoundation.com
Thursday, December 11, 2008
To Ottawa I Must Go
Thank you for supporting my blog. I’m gratified that you can find the time to look at it.
Sometimes I go off on rants. I apologize for those occasions.
Today’s posting is particularly important because I need your help.
I have decided that I must go to Ottawa.
It is said that Steve Harper is about to appoint 18 new Senators. I think I should be one of these appointees and I’m sure you’ll agree.
Five Reasons to Send Your Blogger to Ottawa
I think like the Prime Minister. Like Mr. Harper I also once favoured abolition of the Senate. In fact I wrote, if I might say, an excellent paper in an undergrad political science class in 1969 arguing for abolition. This was long before young Stevie’s parents had taught him about our parliamentary system of government and the meaning of the word conciliatory.
2. I could use the money. Let’s face it I’m going nowhere with this blog. I have two still-at-home adult children victims of the policies of this terrible left wing government we have in have-not Ontario. My boys, Brian Martin and John George, would just be so happy if I could relocate to Ottawa so that they could have the house.
3. There needs to be significant opposition to this stupid coalition idea in that chamber of sober second thought. I’ll admit I was seduced - but only for a short time – by the idea of fighting the recession by stimulating the economy. But to be honest - and you know you can trust me - I only thought like that because the mainstream socialist inclined media (controlled, I suspect, by separatists like Jacques Parizeau and influenced by far out economic ideas like those put forth by disciples of ex-pat John Kenneth Galbraith) told us that Mr. Harper said such things when he was in Peru with those other world leaders. Such mendacity.
4. I will actually do something in the Senate. And that is this: I will spend every waking moment until April 2, 2025 fighting to abolish it. The Senate will be history on April 3rd, 2025. That will be my 75th birthday present to the nation.
5.. And finally it is an outrage that Burlington – a customer focused city recognized for excellence in government - has had no representation in the Senate since Liberal Isobel Finnerty retired in July of 2005.
I’m the guy.
Thanks again for your support.
Sometimes I go off on rants. I apologize for those occasions.
Today’s posting is particularly important because I need your help.
I have decided that I must go to Ottawa.
It is said that Steve Harper is about to appoint 18 new Senators. I think I should be one of these appointees and I’m sure you’ll agree.
Five Reasons to Send Your Blogger to Ottawa
I think like the Prime Minister. Like Mr. Harper I also once favoured abolition of the Senate. In fact I wrote, if I might say, an excellent paper in an undergrad political science class in 1969 arguing for abolition. This was long before young Stevie’s parents had taught him about our parliamentary system of government and the meaning of the word conciliatory.
2. I could use the money. Let’s face it I’m going nowhere with this blog. I have two still-at-home adult children victims of the policies of this terrible left wing government we have in have-not Ontario. My boys, Brian Martin and John George, would just be so happy if I could relocate to Ottawa so that they could have the house.
3. There needs to be significant opposition to this stupid coalition idea in that chamber of sober second thought. I’ll admit I was seduced - but only for a short time – by the idea of fighting the recession by stimulating the economy. But to be honest - and you know you can trust me - I only thought like that because the mainstream socialist inclined media (controlled, I suspect, by separatists like Jacques Parizeau and influenced by far out economic ideas like those put forth by disciples of ex-pat John Kenneth Galbraith) told us that Mr. Harper said such things when he was in Peru with those other world leaders. Such mendacity.
4. I will actually do something in the Senate. And that is this: I will spend every waking moment until April 2, 2025 fighting to abolish it. The Senate will be history on April 3rd, 2025. That will be my 75th birthday present to the nation.
5.. And finally it is an outrage that Burlington – a customer focused city recognized for excellence in government - has had no representation in the Senate since Liberal Isobel Finnerty retired in July of 2005.
I’m the guy.
Thanks again for your support.
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