As someone has already pointed out if the liberals want to increase revenue ask the feds to allow them to collect taxes on cigarettes avoided by indian bands......
Colby Cosh: A (superficial) study in smoking
Posted: March 06, 2009, 7:23 AM by NP Editor
The Ontario government announced on Wednesday that it will introduce legislation allowing it to recover past and ongoing health care costs borne by Ontario taxpayers due to tobacco-related illness. Without reading another sentence, you all know that this effort will be accompanied by a corporal’s guard of the most wretched inventions and exaggerations. The news release announcing the initiative featured a quote from Health Minister David Caplan: “At over $1.6-billion annually, Ontario’s tobacco-related health care costs affect all Ontarians.” Did a little voice in your head just chirp that increasingly popular stock phrase from Wikipedia: citation needed?
The backgrounder attached to the presser repeats the $1.6-billion claim, and does provide a source: a study called The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002. 2002? All right, well ignore the fact that this number hasn’t been properly spruced up in a while. But one cracks open the study itself, only to immediately find that it contains some surprising language:
“The study we are describing here is a cost-of-illness study presenting aggregate costs, which are calculated by looking at all the external costs of substance abuse and comparing them with a hypothetical situation where no substance abuse exists. Another kind of cost estimate is the avoidable cost, which makes an important distinction between all costs generated by substance abuse and the portion of those costs that could be avoided by establishing appropriate policies and programs. The current study provides an essential foundation for other types of cost estimates such as avoidable costs and therefore makes a valuable contribution to policy making and health care planning in Canada. However, it does not measure the impact of substance abuse on government expenditures and revenues.”
MORE FACTS
Friday, March 06, 2009
Union Dinosaurs
CAW says no need for wage cuts, despite grim audit warning
Only CAW can save Ottawa from bailout
GM confesses it has pledged its assets to Washington, leaving no security for Canada. Ottawa can only hope union obduracy helps it escape handing over billions to a failing firm...
Only CAW can save Ottawa from bailout
GM confesses it has pledged its assets to Washington, leaving no security for Canada. Ottawa can only hope union obduracy helps it escape handing over billions to a failing firm...
What WasTheir Budget For AT RISk Kids? Toronto=$5m+
In Canada's safest city, even the kids fight crime
Close-knit Caledon wins honour for second year
March 06, 2009 DANIEL DALESTAFF REPORTER
In the summer of 2008, a group of bored teenagers in Caledon started to do what groups of bored teenagers in small towns are expected to do: cause adults needless aggravation. For more than a month, says Matthew Raekelboom, 16, they wreaked havoc with spray paint, defacing schools, businesses and signs with graffiti.
And then, Caledon being Caledon, a group of teens made them stop.
"Everyone said, `We're going to stop it. Not in our town,'" Raekelboom said. "Everyone found out who it was, and that's what we told them. If people want to do graffiti, there's no way we can stop them. But do it somewhere else. We want to keep this town like it is."
MORE
Close-knit Caledon wins honour for second year
March 06, 2009 DANIEL DALESTAFF REPORTER
In the summer of 2008, a group of bored teenagers in Caledon started to do what groups of bored teenagers in small towns are expected to do: cause adults needless aggravation. For more than a month, says Matthew Raekelboom, 16, they wreaked havoc with spray paint, defacing schools, businesses and signs with graffiti.
And then, Caledon being Caledon, a group of teens made them stop.
"Everyone said, `We're going to stop it. Not in our town,'" Raekelboom said. "Everyone found out who it was, and that's what we told them. If people want to do graffiti, there's no way we can stop them. But do it somewhere else. We want to keep this town like it is."
MORE
The Muzzle Should Be On MILLER, PANTALOONIE, RAY, ET AL
City muzzles a hero
Staffer gets major award for work with youth - but his bosses won't let him talk about it
By MARK BONOKOSKI
One of Toronto's unsung heroes got his song sung the other day -- winning the first ever Community Award for Youth Service presented by the Committee of Youth Officers for Ontario (COYO), an association of police officers dedicated to combating and preventing youth crime.
It is no small honour.
COYO has been around since 1979 and this year, for the first time in its 30-year existence, it has honoured someone from outside police ranks.
Too bad the honouree can't speak to it.
His name is Al Crawford, a recreation specialist with the City of Toronto and, while it would seem appropriate to get a few words from him regarding his award and his work with Toronto's youth, this cannot be done.
Al Crawford is not allowed to talk.
His overseers at City Hall, in fact, have him under what amounts to be a gag order.
There is no other way of describing it.
"You have to get permission first," said Crawford.
He was apologetic, but insistent.
"I am not allowed to talk to the media," he said.
Indeed, even after being honoured with a first-ever award for community service, Al Crawford is not allowed to say a word without potentially putting his job on the line -- even if they ended up being innocent-sounding quotes such as his love of working with at-risk youth.
Can't be done.
So a call was placed to Crawford's supervisor in the parks, forestry and recreation department who, in turn, passed the buck to the department's media hotline.
"Unfortunately Al Crawford is not a spokesperson for the City of Toronto or for the division," said James Buttivant, of the parks department's media hotline.
"So he is not authorized to speak to the media or to answer questions."
But he just won an award, I tell him.
"Doesn't matter," said Buttivant. "That's the way it is."
Who told you that? I asked.
"I can't say," said Buttivant. "And, no, I cannot connect you to the person who told me because that person isn't authorized to talk to the media, either."
So, who's next up the line? I asked.
"No one," said Buttivant. "This is the end of the line."
It was then suggested that I e-mail my questions to him, and he will try to get them answered.
To which I responded -- (profanity deleted) -- that this was a human-interest story that demanded first-hand quotes from the person who won an award, not irrelevant third-person bureaucratic nonsense, or quotes from some third-party functionary supposedly speaking for Al Crawford when only Al Crawford knows what Al Crawford would say or think.
But it got me nowhere.
Not even a call to the department's general manager, Brenda Patterson, could get the gag order lifted.
Instead my call went ignored. Or misplaced.
Perhaps Ms. Patterson, too, is saddled with a gag order under Mayor David Miller's regime.
So, to get a bit of insight, we were forced to turn to Const. Scott Mills, head of the School Crime Stoppers program, and last year's winner of the Toronto force's much-touted Bill Hancox Award for Excellence for his School Crime Stoppers commitment, named in honour of the undercover cop who was stabbed to death in August 1998.
Mills has worked countless hours with Al Crawford.
"Al is the most-dedicated and hardest-working individual I know in Toronto when it comes to doing the right things for the kids that really need the help to get on the right track," said Mills.
"I speak to many kids each and every day, and the kids know Al Crawford and what he does for them. This is a tribute to the work that Al does."
According to Mills, Al Crawford, among other things, operates the city's TROOP program, which takes kids and cops on camping trips -- in the spirit of true "inclusion and community building."
He also is a champion of the BMX Bikes program.
"He can be counted on to move bike ramps in the rain, in the snow, in the evening, and all weekend long if the need arises," said Mills. "When something goes wrong at any of his facilities he is there within minutes of being notified trying to correct the problem as best he can.
"He has assisted me and my police colleagues to create sustainable long-term programs for youth that will teach them the skills to be productive members of society," said Mills. "His words, 'Ready For Enjoyment ... Ready for Employment,' is a motto that is a guide in my daily routine dealing with kids.
"Al Crawford has hope, vision and, most importantly, he takes action," said Mills. "Al doesn't just talk about taking action, he takes action.
"And we need more people in this city doing what Al Crawford does."
Now if only Al Crawford could speak for himself.
But, alas, he cannot.
Staffer gets major award for work with youth - but his bosses won't let him talk about it
By MARK BONOKOSKI
One of Toronto's unsung heroes got his song sung the other day -- winning the first ever Community Award for Youth Service presented by the Committee of Youth Officers for Ontario (COYO), an association of police officers dedicated to combating and preventing youth crime.
It is no small honour.
COYO has been around since 1979 and this year, for the first time in its 30-year existence, it has honoured someone from outside police ranks.
Too bad the honouree can't speak to it.
His name is Al Crawford, a recreation specialist with the City of Toronto and, while it would seem appropriate to get a few words from him regarding his award and his work with Toronto's youth, this cannot be done.
Al Crawford is not allowed to talk.
His overseers at City Hall, in fact, have him under what amounts to be a gag order.
There is no other way of describing it.
"You have to get permission first," said Crawford.
He was apologetic, but insistent.
"I am not allowed to talk to the media," he said.
Indeed, even after being honoured with a first-ever award for community service, Al Crawford is not allowed to say a word without potentially putting his job on the line -- even if they ended up being innocent-sounding quotes such as his love of working with at-risk youth.
Can't be done.
So a call was placed to Crawford's supervisor in the parks, forestry and recreation department who, in turn, passed the buck to the department's media hotline.
"Unfortunately Al Crawford is not a spokesperson for the City of Toronto or for the division," said James Buttivant, of the parks department's media hotline.
"So he is not authorized to speak to the media or to answer questions."
But he just won an award, I tell him.
"Doesn't matter," said Buttivant. "That's the way it is."
Who told you that? I asked.
"I can't say," said Buttivant. "And, no, I cannot connect you to the person who told me because that person isn't authorized to talk to the media, either."
So, who's next up the line? I asked.
"No one," said Buttivant. "This is the end of the line."
It was then suggested that I e-mail my questions to him, and he will try to get them answered.
To which I responded -- (profanity deleted) -- that this was a human-interest story that demanded first-hand quotes from the person who won an award, not irrelevant third-person bureaucratic nonsense, or quotes from some third-party functionary supposedly speaking for Al Crawford when only Al Crawford knows what Al Crawford would say or think.
But it got me nowhere.
Not even a call to the department's general manager, Brenda Patterson, could get the gag order lifted.
Instead my call went ignored. Or misplaced.
Perhaps Ms. Patterson, too, is saddled with a gag order under Mayor David Miller's regime.
So, to get a bit of insight, we were forced to turn to Const. Scott Mills, head of the School Crime Stoppers program, and last year's winner of the Toronto force's much-touted Bill Hancox Award for Excellence for his School Crime Stoppers commitment, named in honour of the undercover cop who was stabbed to death in August 1998.
Mills has worked countless hours with Al Crawford.
"Al is the most-dedicated and hardest-working individual I know in Toronto when it comes to doing the right things for the kids that really need the help to get on the right track," said Mills.
"I speak to many kids each and every day, and the kids know Al Crawford and what he does for them. This is a tribute to the work that Al does."
According to Mills, Al Crawford, among other things, operates the city's TROOP program, which takes kids and cops on camping trips -- in the spirit of true "inclusion and community building."
He also is a champion of the BMX Bikes program.
"He can be counted on to move bike ramps in the rain, in the snow, in the evening, and all weekend long if the need arises," said Mills. "When something goes wrong at any of his facilities he is there within minutes of being notified trying to correct the problem as best he can.
"He has assisted me and my police colleagues to create sustainable long-term programs for youth that will teach them the skills to be productive members of society," said Mills. "His words, 'Ready For Enjoyment ... Ready for Employment,' is a motto that is a guide in my daily routine dealing with kids.
"Al Crawford has hope, vision and, most importantly, he takes action," said Mills. "Al doesn't just talk about taking action, he takes action.
"And we need more people in this city doing what Al Crawford does."
Now if only Al Crawford could speak for himself.
But, alas, he cannot.
What A Goofball
He ran based on his relationship with Queens Park And Ottawa and even based on Dullton's record of keeping promises he was counting on money for pools. It makes you wwonder how much swamp land he ownzx in Florida.
Miller blames province
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
The province broke its promise to pay for Toronto's school pools, Mayor David Miller says.
Full Story
All Comments
Miller blames province
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
The province broke its promise to pay for Toronto's school pools, Mayor David Miller says.
Full Story
All Comments
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Harper Got The Ball Rolling.........
AFGHANISTAN: OBAMA SHOULD LISTEN TO HARPER
MACKENZIE: PM'S RIGHT, WE WON'T WIN JUST BY STAYING
Journal attacks Harper over Afghan stance
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is under fire on the website of a prestigious Washington journal for what is described as his "pessimistic" view of the war in Afghanistan.
MACKENZIE: PM'S RIGHT, WE WON'T WIN JUST BY STAYING
Journal attacks Harper over Afghan stance
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is under fire on the website of a prestigious Washington journal for what is described as his "pessimistic" view of the war in Afghanistan.
What Is Good For The Goose Is.........
Sword of Allah cuts both ways
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN
Dear Israeli Apartheid Week enthusiasts:
Greetings and congratulations on your ongoing fifth annual Israeli Apartheid Week, which I understand began at the University of Toronto in 2005 and has now spread to 40 universities around the world.
While I don't agree with your mindlessly simplistic likening of Israel to apartheid South Africa in its treatment of the Palestinians -- just as I would never describe the Palestinians as terrorists because that would be wrong and inhuman -- I also believe in free speech.
That's why I'm not calling for your event to be cancelled, or to have your posters depicting Israeli gunships swooping down on Palestinian children in Gaza taken down.
That said, since the Sword of Allah cuts both ways, so to speak, I will be urging my alma mater to accommodate the following on-campus events next year at this time.
---
Darfur Destruction Week: An examination of the slaughter in Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children have been forced from their homes, starved, tortured, raped and murdered in the world's worst ongoing human rights disaster and old, familiar pastime -- Muslims killing other Muslims.
---
Iranian Intelligence Week: An exploration of the comedic stylings of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who unforgettably told a Columbia University audience in 2007 that Iran has no gays or lesbians. To wit: "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country ... I don't know who has told you we have that."
---
Syrian Bulldozer Week: A retrospective on the savage attack on the city of Hama by the late Syrian dictator Hafez al-Hassad, during which thousands of innocent civilians died while Syrian forces mercilessly crushed a revolt by the Muslim Brotherhood. Particular attention will be paid to the bulldozing of the rubble, apparently the Syrian idea of "urban renewal."
---
Hamas Hitler Week: A study and discussion of the similarities between the philosophies of Hamas and Hitler, drawing on the Hamas Charter and Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. A special seminar will be devoted to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem's support of Hitler and the Nazis during the Second World War.
---
Pakistani Honour Killing Week: Examining the ... uh ... intellectual basis behind "honour killings" in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, described by Amnesty International thusly: "Women in Pakistan live in fear. They face death by shooting, burning or killing with axes if they are deemed to have brought shame on the family ... They are even murdered by their kin if they are raped, as they are thereby deemed to have brought shame on their family."
---
Saudi Arabian Suicide Week: A study of the role played by Saudi Arabia in funding and exporting radical Islamist Wahhabi theology throughout the world, while many among its oil-rich ruling class would be the first to be beheaded for their decadent lifestyles, should Islamists ever seize power.
---
Anyway, those are just some of the events I'm working on for next year. And not to worry. I doubt any of them will steal your thunder. Heck, you can just blame them all on the Jews ... oops ... I mean "on Israel" anyway, eh?
Shalom,
Lorrie Goldstein
COMMENTS
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN
Dear Israeli Apartheid Week enthusiasts:
Greetings and congratulations on your ongoing fifth annual Israeli Apartheid Week, which I understand began at the University of Toronto in 2005 and has now spread to 40 universities around the world.
While I don't agree with your mindlessly simplistic likening of Israel to apartheid South Africa in its treatment of the Palestinians -- just as I would never describe the Palestinians as terrorists because that would be wrong and inhuman -- I also believe in free speech.
That's why I'm not calling for your event to be cancelled, or to have your posters depicting Israeli gunships swooping down on Palestinian children in Gaza taken down.
That said, since the Sword of Allah cuts both ways, so to speak, I will be urging my alma mater to accommodate the following on-campus events next year at this time.
---
Darfur Destruction Week: An examination of the slaughter in Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children have been forced from their homes, starved, tortured, raped and murdered in the world's worst ongoing human rights disaster and old, familiar pastime -- Muslims killing other Muslims.
---
Iranian Intelligence Week: An exploration of the comedic stylings of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who unforgettably told a Columbia University audience in 2007 that Iran has no gays or lesbians. To wit: "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country ... I don't know who has told you we have that."
---
Syrian Bulldozer Week: A retrospective on the savage attack on the city of Hama by the late Syrian dictator Hafez al-Hassad, during which thousands of innocent civilians died while Syrian forces mercilessly crushed a revolt by the Muslim Brotherhood. Particular attention will be paid to the bulldozing of the rubble, apparently the Syrian idea of "urban renewal."
---
Hamas Hitler Week: A study and discussion of the similarities between the philosophies of Hamas and Hitler, drawing on the Hamas Charter and Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. A special seminar will be devoted to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem's support of Hitler and the Nazis during the Second World War.
---
Pakistani Honour Killing Week: Examining the ... uh ... intellectual basis behind "honour killings" in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, described by Amnesty International thusly: "Women in Pakistan live in fear. They face death by shooting, burning or killing with axes if they are deemed to have brought shame on the family ... They are even murdered by their kin if they are raped, as they are thereby deemed to have brought shame on their family."
---
Saudi Arabian Suicide Week: A study of the role played by Saudi Arabia in funding and exporting radical Islamist Wahhabi theology throughout the world, while many among its oil-rich ruling class would be the first to be beheaded for their decadent lifestyles, should Islamists ever seize power.
---
Anyway, those are just some of the events I'm working on for next year. And not to worry. I doubt any of them will steal your thunder. Heck, you can just blame them all on the Jews ... oops ... I mean "on Israel" anyway, eh?
Shalom,
Lorrie Goldstein
COMMENTS
Troublemakers Not Welcome In USA
Canadian at border asks for manners, gets pepper spray
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
BELLINGHAM, B.C. - A British Columbian man who wanted a U.S. border inspector to say please got a face full of pepper spray instead.
Desiderio Fortunato, of Coquitlam, B.C., says he thought the guard who told him to turn off his engine Monday was rude and asked him to say please.
The 54-year-old says he was stunned and blinded as he was sprayed, pulled out of the car and handcuffed.
He was detained about 3 hours.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne says it was a lawful order that travellers must obey but the use of force is under review.
Fortunato crosses the border two or three times a week to visit his second home in Blaine, Wash., and says inspectors are mostly courteous.
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
BELLINGHAM, B.C. - A British Columbian man who wanted a U.S. border inspector to say please got a face full of pepper spray instead.
Desiderio Fortunato, of Coquitlam, B.C., says he thought the guard who told him to turn off his engine Monday was rude and asked him to say please.
The 54-year-old says he was stunned and blinded as he was sprayed, pulled out of the car and handcuffed.
He was detained about 3 hours.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne says it was a lawful order that travellers must obey but the use of force is under review.
Fortunato crosses the border two or three times a week to visit his second home in Blaine, Wash., and says inspectors are mostly courteous.
Hmmm! Let'sKeep An Eye On Iggy
Michael Ignatieff takes a risk, and ties Liberals to a principled stand on Israel
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Two things stand out about Michael Ignatieff’s condemnation of Israel Apartheid Week, and his simultaneous dismissal of CUPE Ontario’...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Two things stand out about Michael Ignatieff’s condemnation of Israel Apartheid Week, and his simultaneous dismissal of CUPE Ontario’...
This Is Rush......
Rush Limbaugh: Democrats' Enemy No. 1
Popular conservative radio show host targeted for seeking Obama’s 'failure'; Democrats hope to convince public the GOP is in the grip of...
Popular conservative radio show host targeted for seeking Obama’s 'failure'; Democrats hope to convince public the GOP is in the grip of...
I Wish I Found It As Funny.......
Comrade Miller At His FinestTalk is cheap at City Hall
But accountability in Toronto starts with the Auditor General's office, not the mayor
By SUE-ANN LEVY, TORONTO SUN
I'm still laughing, four days later, about Mayor David Miller's claims the city has accountability measures in place "like no other municipality in this country."
The pronouncements by His Blondness were in the wake of an investigation by the Auditor General's office into 42 substantiated complaints of fraud within the corporation -- an investigation which led to firing of three city staff, suspensions in 10 others cases and at least two letters of reprimand and six Letters of Expectation handed to various other employees found to have defrauded the city.
Miller -- all puffed up as if he'd yet again saved the day -- told the media the city has an integrity commissioner, an ombudsman and a lobbyist registrar.
Granted the positions are all in place, even if it did take two years from the passage of the City of Toronto Act to select an ombudsman (as mandated under the act) -- not that the winning candidate, Fiona Crean, has had her budget approved or has a functional office as of yet.
Let's not forget either that Miller's council has had a history of ignoring the most reasonable of recommendations from the integrity commissioner about disciplining their own.
It doesn't take a Harvard-educated economist to figure out talk is cheap -- most particularly that coming from King David and Co.
If there is indeed one shred of accountability at Socialist Silly Hall, it's not because of any push by Miller, his arrogant minions or by the six-figure bureaucrats who bend and scrape to please him -- but in spite of all of them.
It's due, in my view, to the stubborn independence and diligence of Auditor General Jeff Griffiths and his staff.
The work by his office (quietly behind the scenes) has certainly not won him many friends at City Hall.
Griffiths' annual report to the audit committee for last year notes that his office has identified $91 million in savings since the beginning of 2004 with an audit expenditure of $16 million in total.
"In simple terms, for every $1 invested in the audit process, the return on investment has been $5.60," the report says.
(If only the city's finance officials could be as upfront about the return on the millions of dollars invested in silly socialist pet projects. Guess I already know the answer: The payback is about as much as what we're receiving from money we have invested in equity funds as of late.)
Griffiths is so reserved, it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk about his budget or his staff -- even if it seems terribly barebones to me for the savings they've ferreted out.
In 2005, the A-G's budget was $3.3 million. This year, he's asking for just under $3.9 million, a jump of 18% over five years. He said his staff has increased from 26 to 29 in the past five years.
As one source told me, the resources the A-G has to tackle the huge number of concerns before them is somewhat akin to endeavouring to "swat a flea off an elephant."
I compare his meagre budget to a city operating budget that has jumped from $7 billion in 2005 to the proposed $8.7 billion this year -- a 24% increase. I would also point out overall city staff numbers will yet again increase this year -- this time by 1,415 bodies, bringing the total complement to 52,196.
If the mayor thinks this city is ahead of the game when it comes to accountability measures, consider this from Griffiths' 2009 budget submission. According to his analysis, Toronto is actually at the low end vis-a-vis other cities like Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton when it comes to what percentage of the municipal budget is allocated to audit costs.
Griffiths notes there is legislation in Quebec that creates a set percentage of the municipal budget that should be allocated to audit services. If Toronto were to adopt a similar model, he says "it would not be unreasonable to suggest" that the city's audit budget increase by $1.8 million.
Asked what he'd do with the money, he said he'd be able to do more of their investigations themselves and tackle more priorities.
Heck I could name 100 socialist pet projects that could be tossed aside to fund the A-G's needs.
I'm sure His Blondness wouldn't mind either, with accountability at Socialist Silly Hall -- as he puts it -- "second to none."
But accountability in Toronto starts with the Auditor General's office, not the mayor
By SUE-ANN LEVY, TORONTO SUN
I'm still laughing, four days later, about Mayor David Miller's claims the city has accountability measures in place "like no other municipality in this country."
The pronouncements by His Blondness were in the wake of an investigation by the Auditor General's office into 42 substantiated complaints of fraud within the corporation -- an investigation which led to firing of three city staff, suspensions in 10 others cases and at least two letters of reprimand and six Letters of Expectation handed to various other employees found to have defrauded the city.
Miller -- all puffed up as if he'd yet again saved the day -- told the media the city has an integrity commissioner, an ombudsman and a lobbyist registrar.
Granted the positions are all in place, even if it did take two years from the passage of the City of Toronto Act to select an ombudsman (as mandated under the act) -- not that the winning candidate, Fiona Crean, has had her budget approved or has a functional office as of yet.
Let's not forget either that Miller's council has had a history of ignoring the most reasonable of recommendations from the integrity commissioner about disciplining their own.
It doesn't take a Harvard-educated economist to figure out talk is cheap -- most particularly that coming from King David and Co.
If there is indeed one shred of accountability at Socialist Silly Hall, it's not because of any push by Miller, his arrogant minions or by the six-figure bureaucrats who bend and scrape to please him -- but in spite of all of them.
It's due, in my view, to the stubborn independence and diligence of Auditor General Jeff Griffiths and his staff.
The work by his office (quietly behind the scenes) has certainly not won him many friends at City Hall.
Griffiths' annual report to the audit committee for last year notes that his office has identified $91 million in savings since the beginning of 2004 with an audit expenditure of $16 million in total.
"In simple terms, for every $1 invested in the audit process, the return on investment has been $5.60," the report says.
(If only the city's finance officials could be as upfront about the return on the millions of dollars invested in silly socialist pet projects. Guess I already know the answer: The payback is about as much as what we're receiving from money we have invested in equity funds as of late.)
Griffiths is so reserved, it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk about his budget or his staff -- even if it seems terribly barebones to me for the savings they've ferreted out.
In 2005, the A-G's budget was $3.3 million. This year, he's asking for just under $3.9 million, a jump of 18% over five years. He said his staff has increased from 26 to 29 in the past five years.
As one source told me, the resources the A-G has to tackle the huge number of concerns before them is somewhat akin to endeavouring to "swat a flea off an elephant."
I compare his meagre budget to a city operating budget that has jumped from $7 billion in 2005 to the proposed $8.7 billion this year -- a 24% increase. I would also point out overall city staff numbers will yet again increase this year -- this time by 1,415 bodies, bringing the total complement to 52,196.
If the mayor thinks this city is ahead of the game when it comes to accountability measures, consider this from Griffiths' 2009 budget submission. According to his analysis, Toronto is actually at the low end vis-a-vis other cities like Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton when it comes to what percentage of the municipal budget is allocated to audit costs.
Griffiths notes there is legislation in Quebec that creates a set percentage of the municipal budget that should be allocated to audit services. If Toronto were to adopt a similar model, he says "it would not be unreasonable to suggest" that the city's audit budget increase by $1.8 million.
Asked what he'd do with the money, he said he'd be able to do more of their investigations themselves and tackle more priorities.
Heck I could name 100 socialist pet projects that could be tossed aside to fund the A-G's needs.
I'm sure His Blondness wouldn't mind either, with accountability at Socialist Silly Hall -- as he puts it -- "second to none."
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Anyone Have An Answer
Who's right? Who's wrong?
Posted 1/19/2009 10:00:00 AM
As the casualty count climbs in Gaza it seems trite and inappropriate to say that the first casualty in war is truth. But trying to distinguish reality from spin and facts from propaganda shows the axiom to be a self-evident truth. Disseminating information in relation to the situation in the Middle East is akin to herding cats. Good luck trying to get a handle on it. Or maybe that’s the point. If the hearts and minds of those who are ambivalent or confused can be swayed by op-ed pieces in the mainstream media or through heated debates in the blogosphere, the hope is the howls of indignation will be parlayed into political action and ultimately influence the outcome. Disinformation then also becomes an effective tool of diplomacy. In this sense we’re all on the front lines taking in-coming.
- I'm John Oakley
Posted 1/19/2009 10:00:00 AM
As the casualty count climbs in Gaza it seems trite and inappropriate to say that the first casualty in war is truth. But trying to distinguish reality from spin and facts from propaganda shows the axiom to be a self-evident truth. Disseminating information in relation to the situation in the Middle East is akin to herding cats. Good luck trying to get a handle on it. Or maybe that’s the point. If the hearts and minds of those who are ambivalent or confused can be swayed by op-ed pieces in the mainstream media or through heated debates in the blogosphere, the hope is the howls of indignation will be parlayed into political action and ultimately influence the outcome. Disinformation then also becomes an effective tool of diplomacy. In this sense we’re all on the front lines taking in-coming.
- I'm John Oakley
Even More Fun When The Try To Defend Their Comments......
......they will just dig themselves in further or start using profanity and character assassination.
Proving lefties wrong: it's not just easy, it's fun too!
I came across a blog post at Let Freedom Rain in which it was asserted that the Conservatives out fundraise the Liberals because big business and the richest Canadians are in the bag for the Conservatives. After the laughter subsided I pointed out that the Liberals' fundraising woes coincided with the banning of corporations being allowed to donate to political parties and that this indicates that......
Right from Alberta
Proving lefties wrong: it's not just easy, it's fun too!
I came across a blog post at Let Freedom Rain in which it was asserted that the Conservatives out fundraise the Liberals because big business and the richest Canadians are in the bag for the Conservatives. After the laughter subsided I pointed out that the Liberals' fundraising woes coincided with the banning of corporations being allowed to donate to political parties and that this indicates that......
Right from Alberta
How Many Meals For That Price Can Be Had On Welfare
I decided not to eat the sad, rubbery food I was given’
Well, I certainly got a strong reaction to my piece last week. Dozens of readers agree with me that too many places serve up over-priced meals and shoddy service. I'm obviously not alone in the things I expect when I dine out – an honest menu, no nasty surprises, no hidden extras, a friendly atmosphere, being welcomed on arrival, made to feel special. Judging by the emails, restaurants all around the country have forgotten these basics, instead charging £50 a head for fussy, sometimes disgusting meals with patronising service. [...more]
Well, I certainly got a strong reaction to my piece last week. Dozens of readers agree with me that too many places serve up over-priced meals and shoddy service. I'm obviously not alone in the things I expect when I dine out – an honest menu, no nasty surprises, no hidden extras, a friendly atmosphere, being welcomed on arrival, made to feel special. Judging by the emails, restaurants all around the country have forgotten these basics, instead charging £50 a head for fussy, sometimes disgusting meals with patronising service. [...more]
Follow Up
Strahl accused of hypocrisy, secrecy in drafting native reforms
Amid criticism, minister also wins kudos for anti-corruption measures
Amid criticism, minister also wins kudos for anti-corruption measures
Poor Danny.......
Lorne Gunter: Dear Steve. Just kidding about those insults.
You knew that, right? Love Danny
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
There’s an old adage that you had better be nice to people on the way up, because you are going to see the same faces on the way down...
You knew that, right? Love Danny
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
There’s an old adage that you had better be nice to people on the way up, because you are going to see the same faces on the way down...
Obama Taking Advice From Our Leader
Obama says it's a buying opportunity
When Stephen Harper suggested stocks were cheap, he was flayed mercilessly for his callousness. Now the U.S. President agrees with him. Will Jack Layton heap insults on Obama?
When Stephen Harper suggested stocks were cheap, he was flayed mercilessly for his callousness. Now the U.S. President agrees with him. Will Jack Layton heap insults on Obama?
What Is There To Argue.....Maximum Sentencxe Under Criminal Code
Sentencing arguments for dad whose girls froze to death
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
ROSE VALLEY, Sask. — Lawyers are expected to wrap up sentencing arguments today in the case of a Saskatchewan man whose two young daughters froze to death.
A provincial court judge has already heard from elders in a sentencing circle that 25-year-old Christopher Pauchay should be spared prison time.
Pauchay’s defence lawyer agrees the man should serve a community sentence.
But the Crown, comparing the case to child abuse, wants Pauchay sentenced from 2 1/2 to five years in prison.
Pauchay left his home on the Yellow Quill reserve just over a year ago and lost his daughters as he stumbled drunk in the snow.
He has pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death.
Outrage over $100 fine for abandoned dog
by Andrew Chung
Mar 4, 2009 (11)
Michou the poodle was left inside a vehicle for 19 days in the freezing cold without food or water.
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
ROSE VALLEY, Sask. — Lawyers are expected to wrap up sentencing arguments today in the case of a Saskatchewan man whose two young daughters froze to death.
A provincial court judge has already heard from elders in a sentencing circle that 25-year-old Christopher Pauchay should be spared prison time.
Pauchay’s defence lawyer agrees the man should serve a community sentence.
But the Crown, comparing the case to child abuse, wants Pauchay sentenced from 2 1/2 to five years in prison.
Pauchay left his home on the Yellow Quill reserve just over a year ago and lost his daughters as he stumbled drunk in the snow.
He has pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death.
Outrage over $100 fine for abandoned dog
by Andrew Chung
Mar 4, 2009 (11)
Michou the poodle was left inside a vehicle for 19 days in the freezing cold without food or water.
A Minascule Amount.....
....compared to the amount Comrade Miller and his socialist flunkies create at Silly Hall.
Councillors ask why T.O.'s geese aren't cooked
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
City councillors whose wards border the lake think more needs to be done about the geese population.
As reported in the Sun, 1,360 kilos of Canada goose poop is deposited on the city's parks and beaches each day.
And even though the city's 3,000-5,000 resident geese are subjected to egg oiling (to prevent hatching), professional dog chasing, and relocation, the gaggle is still growing.
"We're not doing enough," said Councillor Bill Saundercook, who represents the High Park area and shoreline between Parkside and South Kingsway. MORE
Councillors ask why T.O.'s geese aren't cooked
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
City councillors whose wards border the lake think more needs to be done about the geese population.
As reported in the Sun, 1,360 kilos of Canada goose poop is deposited on the city's parks and beaches each day.
And even though the city's 3,000-5,000 resident geese are subjected to egg oiling (to prevent hatching), professional dog chasing, and relocation, the gaggle is still growing.
"We're not doing enough," said Councillor Bill Saundercook, who represents the High Park area and shoreline between Parkside and South Kingsway. MORE
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Penis Confusion
The Rights Wheel of Fortune
Posted 3/3/2009 12:00:00 AM
MARGARET WENTE March 3, 2009
Here's your cutting-edge human-rights case for the day: Should a person with a penis be allowed to use the women's locker room because he feels like he's a woman?
If you answered "not necessarily," please send a dollar to John Fulton, who owns a gym in St. Catharines, Ont. He'll need it for his defence fund.Three years ago, Mr. Fulton got a call from a deep-voiced stranger who wanted to sign up for his women-only gym. Two days later, he got a visit: The stranger turned out to be a preoperative transsexual. Mr. Fulton, perhaps with his female clients' reactions in mind, hesitated. A week later, he received a lawyer's letter demanding an apology and a cash settlement. He refused, and now is trapped in human-rights commission hell."I'm probably screwed here," he said last week after a mediation ...
[ READ MORE ]
Posted 3/3/2009 12:00:00 AM
MARGARET WENTE March 3, 2009
Here's your cutting-edge human-rights case for the day: Should a person with a penis be allowed to use the women's locker room because he feels like he's a woman?
If you answered "not necessarily," please send a dollar to John Fulton, who owns a gym in St. Catharines, Ont. He'll need it for his defence fund.Three years ago, Mr. Fulton got a call from a deep-voiced stranger who wanted to sign up for his women-only gym. Two days later, he got a visit: The stranger turned out to be a preoperative transsexual. Mr. Fulton, perhaps with his female clients' reactions in mind, hesitated. A week later, he received a lawyer's letter demanding an apology and a cash settlement. He refused, and now is trapped in human-rights commission hell."I'm probably screwed here," he said last week after a mediation ...
[ READ MORE ]
Throw That Lasso...We Need Some Reality
Monte on Slumdog
Apologies for the visual that inspires...
My point is that hope is good, but hope without the right action is quite hopeless. If this wonderful movie demonstrates anything it is that the future belongs to those who understand that the greatest power on earth isn't government decree, or a stimulus package, it is our own power to make choices.
In the wonder, mayhem and mystery that is India two boys make different choices and come to different ends. They both valiantly reject the thumb-sucking helplessness that some people cultivate, even in the name of hope.
In fact I know that some moviegoers will be so despairing of the poverty on the screen that they will miss both the movie's central premise and humanity's stunning promise.
They will sit through the rest of the movie wondering why the government doesn't do something. They will fail to see the point which is that two boys refuse to accept their situation and fly furiously at life, and it is life that yields. They fail to see that the choices we make matter much more than brilliant government plans.
Wonder Woman on March 03, 2009
Apologies for the visual that inspires...
My point is that hope is good, but hope without the right action is quite hopeless. If this wonderful movie demonstrates anything it is that the future belongs to those who understand that the greatest power on earth isn't government decree, or a stimulus package, it is our own power to make choices.
In the wonder, mayhem and mystery that is India two boys make different choices and come to different ends. They both valiantly reject the thumb-sucking helplessness that some people cultivate, even in the name of hope.
In fact I know that some moviegoers will be so despairing of the poverty on the screen that they will miss both the movie's central premise and humanity's stunning promise.
They will sit through the rest of the movie wondering why the government doesn't do something. They will fail to see the point which is that two boys refuse to accept their situation and fly furiously at life, and it is life that yields. They fail to see that the choices we make matter much more than brilliant government plans.
Wonder Woman on March 03, 2009
Follow Up To Attack On Common Law
Barbara Hall is dangerous and loopy
She is a loopy leftist who seems to want tocrush freedom and impose her own views on Ontario. her lateste rant is truly astounding. The right to confront one's accuser goes back to Roman times. Having your face covered in court is fundamentally unfair to the accused. Unless it is for exigent circumstances. This Calgary herald piece has it right.
Human rights panel loopy
CALGARY HERALDMARCH 3, 2009
Three strikes and the Ontario Human Rights Commission should be out.
Unfortunately, it's still up at bat and swinging wildly at every pitch that comes its way.Recently, the commission had the gall to criticize provincial court Judge Norris Weisman for ordering a Muslim woman to remove her niqab, a veil covering all but her eyes, while testifying at her own sex assault trial in Toronto.The commission claims Weisman violated the woman's freedom of religion. The commission should keep its nose out of the courts, despite chief commissioner Barbara Halls' outrageous statement that"the commission can offer the court assistance and expertise in . . . discrimination based on creed or religious belief."Witnesses' facial expressions are important, for they can reveal when someone is lying. Besides, as Weisman noted, the woman removed her veil for her driver's licence photo. The commission is equally out of line in its pursuit of St. Catharines'gym owner John Fulton, who refused a pre-operative transgender individual a membership at his women-only gym.Its time to fire hall and her fellow thought police. They are a dnager to liberty
She is a loopy leftist who seems to want tocrush freedom and impose her own views on Ontario. her lateste rant is truly astounding. The right to confront one's accuser goes back to Roman times. Having your face covered in court is fundamentally unfair to the accused. Unless it is for exigent circumstances. This Calgary herald piece has it right.
Human rights panel loopy
CALGARY HERALDMARCH 3, 2009
Three strikes and the Ontario Human Rights Commission should be out.
Unfortunately, it's still up at bat and swinging wildly at every pitch that comes its way.Recently, the commission had the gall to criticize provincial court Judge Norris Weisman for ordering a Muslim woman to remove her niqab, a veil covering all but her eyes, while testifying at her own sex assault trial in Toronto.The commission claims Weisman violated the woman's freedom of religion. The commission should keep its nose out of the courts, despite chief commissioner Barbara Halls' outrageous statement that"the commission can offer the court assistance and expertise in . . . discrimination based on creed or religious belief."Witnesses' facial expressions are important, for they can reveal when someone is lying. Besides, as Weisman noted, the woman removed her veil for her driver's licence photo. The commission is equally out of line in its pursuit of St. Catharines'gym owner John Fulton, who refused a pre-operative transgender individual a membership at his women-only gym.Its time to fire hall and her fellow thought police. They are a dnager to liberty
Gay & Right Is One Of The Mored Tolerant Bloggersd
Israel Hate Week at Ryerson...Here's a first-person account...I went to last night’s IAW opening event at Ryerson University in Toronto. It featured Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti, confused Jew Naomi Klein, and CUPE Ontario VP Ajamu Nangwaya, a South African who was a victim of South Africa Apartheid so he knows quite a bit about real Apartheid, but obviously has no idea about what is going in Israel.Their messages were.....
Gay and Right
352 anti-semitic acts in France in January alone...Almost equivalent to all of 2008....The head of France’s Jewish political umbrella group told members of the country’s government that “anti-Semitism is back.â€CRIF President Richard Prasquier spoke Monday night at the group’s annual dinner to ministers and bipartisan politicians about the issues facing French Jews.Raising his voice, Prasquier defended “the right to be Zionists without
GayandRight
Gay and Right
352 anti-semitic acts in France in January alone...Almost equivalent to all of 2008....The head of France’s Jewish political umbrella group told members of the country’s government that “anti-Semitism is back.â€CRIF President Richard Prasquier spoke Monday night at the group’s annual dinner to ministers and bipartisan politicians about the issues facing French Jews.Raising his voice, Prasquier defended “the right to be Zionists without
GayandRight
Carved On Many Liberal Headstones
The Jindal Effect: Limbaugh get Rushed
Wendy Sullivan writes about the liberal media's 20 year obsession with the man they love to hate.
# Kathy Shaidle
Wendy Sullivan writes about the liberal media's 20 year obsession with the man they love to hate.
# Kathy Shaidle
Any Change Would Be An Improvement
Secret documents reveal sweeping new rules for natives
The federal government is secretly planning an overhaul of the rules governing Canada's reserves that is far more sweeping than what Ottawa is telling Canada's chiefs and native leaders
The federal government is secretly planning an overhaul of the rules governing Canada's reserves that is far more sweeping than what Ottawa is telling Canada's chiefs and native leaders
I Am Sure Harper Will Help Danny.....
....conservatives are not that petty!
DANNY WILLIAMS SUDDENLY NEEDS OTTAWA'S HELP ON SEAL PRODUCTS FILE
Even though Danny.......
ABC campaign cost more than $81,000: documentsThe controversial campaign that Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams launched to oust federal Conservative cousins in last October's election cost more than $81,000, records show.
DANNY WILLIAMS SUDDENLY NEEDS OTTAWA'S HELP ON SEAL PRODUCTS FILE
Even though Danny.......
ABC campaign cost more than $81,000: documentsThe controversial campaign that Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams launched to oust federal Conservative cousins in last October's election cost more than $81,000, records show.
Some Progressive And Reality Based Municipalities
Not so green bins
Mar. 03, 2009
Green bin programs are supposed to move organic waste "from curb to compost," but some inefficient Ontario municipalities have opted for another route: curb to combustion.
Mar. 03, 2009
Green bin programs are supposed to move organic waste "from curb to compost," but some inefficient Ontario municipalities have opted for another route: curb to combustion.
You Won't Out Why From Comrade Miller
Why is the city so tight-lipped about fraudsters?
March 03, 2009 Royson James
News that nine city employees have been fired for filing fraudulent benefits claims will only fuel talk-radio and water-cooler chatter that is already coloured by the stereotype of the "lazy and pampered" government worker.
This follows other news stories – reasonably but incorrectly gleaned from a city auditor's report – that said the auditor had uncovered a parking ticket-fixing scam after 500 tickets were withdrawn for one individual.
Turns out fraud is not to blame. Smart people took advantage of a legal loophole, since closed. Still, enough other concerns exist to sustain the perception that our public servants are overpaid, underworked fraudsters.
By and large, government workers I've encountered are hard-working, dedicated and committed citizens with an amazing passion for their city. Citizens are often jealous of the great benefits civic workers and their unions have wrung from city hall paymasters, the politicians. Is one in 10 the poster child for the lazy worker? Yes – if that is the ratio at your own workplace. We drink the same water, go to the same schools and receive the same morality lessons at our places of worship.
So, what to make of the nine who were busted recently and thrown under the bus yesterday?
"I want Torontonians to be assured that 99.9 per cent are working extremely hard every day in the public interest and not in their own interest," Mayor David Miller said at a news conference yesterday. He also wanted you to know that the termination of the nine proves the system is working. Defraud the public and you will be busted. Maybe. MORE
March 03, 2009 Royson James
News that nine city employees have been fired for filing fraudulent benefits claims will only fuel talk-radio and water-cooler chatter that is already coloured by the stereotype of the "lazy and pampered" government worker.
This follows other news stories – reasonably but incorrectly gleaned from a city auditor's report – that said the auditor had uncovered a parking ticket-fixing scam after 500 tickets were withdrawn for one individual.
Turns out fraud is not to blame. Smart people took advantage of a legal loophole, since closed. Still, enough other concerns exist to sustain the perception that our public servants are overpaid, underworked fraudsters.
By and large, government workers I've encountered are hard-working, dedicated and committed citizens with an amazing passion for their city. Citizens are often jealous of the great benefits civic workers and their unions have wrung from city hall paymasters, the politicians. Is one in 10 the poster child for the lazy worker? Yes – if that is the ratio at your own workplace. We drink the same water, go to the same schools and receive the same morality lessons at our places of worship.
So, what to make of the nine who were busted recently and thrown under the bus yesterday?
"I want Torontonians to be assured that 99.9 per cent are working extremely hard every day in the public interest and not in their own interest," Mayor David Miller said at a news conference yesterday. He also wanted you to know that the termination of the nine proves the system is working. Defraud the public and you will be busted. Maybe. MORE
How Do You Spell IDIOT?
The unidentified Driver and anyone who supports him.......
Car clocked at 250 km/h on Hwy. 400
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Police have charged a driver with stunt driving after stopping a car reportedly clocked at about 250 kilometres an hour.
....and you have:
What is the big deal,Some one wants to go a 150 MILES PER HOUR,He done so safely and the road must have been bare, KM/H make it sound so high,Well it not that fast,Blame it on PIERRE TRUDEAU
wayne, March 3rd 2009, 10:59am
Car clocked at 250 km/h on Hwy. 400
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Police have charged a driver with stunt driving after stopping a car reportedly clocked at about 250 kilometres an hour.
....and you have:
What is the big deal,Some one wants to go a 150 MILES PER HOUR,He done so safely and the road must have been bare, KM/H make it sound so high,Well it not that fast,Blame it on PIERRE TRUDEAU
wayne, March 3rd 2009, 10:59am
Monday, March 02, 2009
Dalton Promisess They Will Work
The Star
Donald Jones:
No future for wind in Ontario --
The Ontario government says its new Green Energy Act, if passed, will help Ontario become "North America's leader in renewable energy." But since most of this new renewable energy will be from wind, it may not be the smartest move for Ontario because its large hydro and nuclear capacity is not compatible with wind generation. Wind requires natural gas-fired generation for support and natural gas will be a most precarious fuel for Ontario. [...more]
Donald Jones:
No future for wind in Ontario --
The Ontario government says its new Green Energy Act, if passed, will help Ontario become "North America's leader in renewable energy." But since most of this new renewable energy will be from wind, it may not be the smartest move for Ontario because its large hydro and nuclear capacity is not compatible with wind generation. Wind requires natural gas-fired generation for support and natural gas will be a most precarious fuel for Ontario. [...more]
Stephen States The Obvious
Harper: Allies will never defeat Taliban
But PM doesn't rule out sending more troops or extending the Canadian combat commitment beyond 2011 deadline. 01/03/09 9:35 PM
218
But PM doesn't rule out sending more troops or extending the Canadian combat commitment beyond 2011 deadline. 01/03/09 9:35 PM
218
Will Afgans Believe It
Taliban, not Canadians, to blame for slain kids
Canadian soldiers were not responsible for a blast that killed three young Afghan boys last week, the Canadian military said Monday
Canadian soldiers were not responsible for a blast that killed three young Afghan boys last week, the Canadian military said Monday
Right To Face Accuseer Down The Toilet
Right to testify in veil a religious freedom?
The Ontario Human Rights Commission is arguing that a judge failed to recognize the religious freedoms of a Muslim woman when he ordered...
Editorial: Take off the veil
Tarek Fatah: Veil of ignorance
The Ontario Human Rights Commission is arguing that a judge failed to recognize the religious freedoms of a Muslim woman when he ordered...
Editorial: Take off the veil
Tarek Fatah: Veil of ignorance
No One Comes Forward........
Bill Maxwell: on race, we blacks are cowards, too
He writes:
On matters of race, most blacks run away from introspection, and we do not like to hear others publicly remind us of our responsibilities to ourselves. One problem we should openly talk about, but run from, is the high number of black children born out of wedlock. Depending on whose numbers we use, between 70 percent to 80 percent of black children are born to single mothers. Some black neighborhoods do not have any two-parent families. I know dozens of black kids who do not know who their biological fathers are, and most of their friends are in the same fix. We need to remind ourselves, which we rarely do, that having a child is a choice we make. (...) We also run away from discussing crime, especially horrific cases of black-on-black crime that capture headlines and lead nightly news reports. We try to rationalize the high numbers of blacks in prison by blaming everyone except ourselves. Many whites, especially racists, use these phenomena to bash us. We leave ourselves open as targets for such attacks by refusing to confront crime honestly and openly. To mention the deleterious effects of hip-hop is to be attacked. The ugly truth is that this outlaw culture, with its anti-intellectualism, antiauthoritarianism and nihilism, will do more harm than virtually anything else to a generation of blacks. Fearing attack, too many blacks remain silent on this issue, and when whites bring it up, they are shouted down as racists.
# Kathy Shaidle : 2009-03-01 19:33:31 EST
He writes:
On matters of race, most blacks run away from introspection, and we do not like to hear others publicly remind us of our responsibilities to ourselves. One problem we should openly talk about, but run from, is the high number of black children born out of wedlock. Depending on whose numbers we use, between 70 percent to 80 percent of black children are born to single mothers. Some black neighborhoods do not have any two-parent families. I know dozens of black kids who do not know who their biological fathers are, and most of their friends are in the same fix. We need to remind ourselves, which we rarely do, that having a child is a choice we make. (...) We also run away from discussing crime, especially horrific cases of black-on-black crime that capture headlines and lead nightly news reports. We try to rationalize the high numbers of blacks in prison by blaming everyone except ourselves. Many whites, especially racists, use these phenomena to bash us. We leave ourselves open as targets for such attacks by refusing to confront crime honestly and openly. To mention the deleterious effects of hip-hop is to be attacked. The ugly truth is that this outlaw culture, with its anti-intellectualism, antiauthoritarianism and nihilism, will do more harm than virtually anything else to a generation of blacks. Fearing attack, too many blacks remain silent on this issue, and when whites bring it up, they are shouted down as racists.
# Kathy Shaidle : 2009-03-01 19:33:31 EST
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Will His Actions Over Last 30 Days Benefit "poor crackers" To The Same Extent
Obama sees 'tougher times' for African-Americans
Acknowledging that "tough times for America often mean tougher times for African-Americans," US President Barack Obama on Saturday called for more local and national engagement by fellow blacks.
"You know that tough times for America often mean tougher times for African Americans. This recession has been no exception," Obama told the 10th annual "State of the Black Union" gathering, noting that the unemployment rate among African-Americans is five points higher than the national average.
"At the same time, we know that government cannot and will not succeed alone. It will take all of us stepping up and doing our part. It will take the commitment of parents and teachers and community leaders. It will take a renewed faith in our common purpose and common values."
In a video message, the first black US president told African-American politicians, thinkers and entertainers gathered in Los Angeles that his policies were "closing the gap between the nation we are and the nation we can be."
The new administration had done "more in these past 30 days to bring about progressive change than we have in the past many years," the president said in prepared remarks, pointing to his 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus plan to revive the battered US economy.
Obama also highlighted his audacious 3.55-trillion-dollar budget plan for 2010, which bristles with economic reforms and spending on healthcare, climate change and education in a bid to end America's worst economic crisis since the 1930s.
"You have tapped into a yearning in the community to address our toughest problems instead of leaving them for another day, or year, or generation," Obama told the gathering.
"I have seen that same hunger as I've traveled across our country among Americans united not by the color of their skin but by a shared determination to build a more perfect union; to not only revive this economy but to transform our country.... And that is the work my administration has already begun."
Obama took heat for not attending the gathering last year. His former Democratic rival and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the only presidential candidate to accept an invitation.
Michael Steele, the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), was also the first RNC leader to attend the forum.
Acknowledging that "tough times for America often mean tougher times for African-Americans," US President Barack Obama on Saturday called for more local and national engagement by fellow blacks.
"You know that tough times for America often mean tougher times for African Americans. This recession has been no exception," Obama told the 10th annual "State of the Black Union" gathering, noting that the unemployment rate among African-Americans is five points higher than the national average.
"At the same time, we know that government cannot and will not succeed alone. It will take all of us stepping up and doing our part. It will take the commitment of parents and teachers and community leaders. It will take a renewed faith in our common purpose and common values."
In a video message, the first black US president told African-American politicians, thinkers and entertainers gathered in Los Angeles that his policies were "closing the gap between the nation we are and the nation we can be."
The new administration had done "more in these past 30 days to bring about progressive change than we have in the past many years," the president said in prepared remarks, pointing to his 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus plan to revive the battered US economy.
Obama also highlighted his audacious 3.55-trillion-dollar budget plan for 2010, which bristles with economic reforms and spending on healthcare, climate change and education in a bid to end America's worst economic crisis since the 1930s.
"You have tapped into a yearning in the community to address our toughest problems instead of leaving them for another day, or year, or generation," Obama told the gathering.
"I have seen that same hunger as I've traveled across our country among Americans united not by the color of their skin but by a shared determination to build a more perfect union; to not only revive this economy but to transform our country.... And that is the work my administration has already begun."
Obama took heat for not attending the gathering last year. His former Democratic rival and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the only presidential candidate to accept an invitation.
Michael Steele, the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), was also the first RNC leader to attend the forum.
SDA: Now You Know Why They Fear Him
Rush's First Televised Address to the Nation:
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Speech
RUSH: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you all very, very much. Thank you all. I can't tell you how wonderful that makes me feel. It happens everywhere I go, but it's still special here. [ Laughter ] If you all will indulge me, I learned something, I guess, it's early Friday morning that I didn't know. Friday morning is when I learned this. I learned that Fox, God love them, is televising this speech on the Fox News Channel, which means, ladies and gentleman, this is my first ever address to the nation. [Applause] Now, I have someone in back taking phone numbers. In fact, I would like to introduce to you my security chief, a man who runs all of my security. His name is Joseph Stalin. Joseph, would you please -- [Laughter ] I am safe from any liberal attack, in public, because they would be afraid of offending Stalin. [Laughter] Now the opportunity here to address the nation, a serious one, it really is. And I want to take it seriously. I want to address something. I know that people are probably watching this who never have listened to my program and may not even really know what conservatism is. They think they do based on how they've been told -- the way we've been impugned and maligned and so forth. One of the things that is totally erroneous about me -- and I just want to get this up front -- is that I'm pompous. [Laughter]And that I am arrogant. Neither of these things are remotely true. I can tell you a joke to illustrate this. Larry King passed away, goes to heaven. He's greeted by Saint Peter at the gates. Saint Peter says, "Welcome, Mr. King, it's great to have you here. I want to show you around, give you an idea of what's here, maybe you can pick a place that you'd like to reside." King says, "I just have one question: Is Rush Limbaugh here?" "No, he's got a lot of time yet, Mr. King." So Saint Peter begins the tour. Larry King sees the various places and it's beyond anything we can imagine in terms of beauty. Finally, he gets to the biggest room of all, with this giant throne. And over the throne is a flashing beautiful angelic neon sign that says "Rush Limbaugh." [Laughter]And Larry King looks at Saint Peter and says: "I thought you said he wasn't here." "He said, he's not, he's not. This is God's room. He just thinks he's Rush Limbaugh."[Laughter] [Applause]So you see I'm not pompous. [Laughter]
MORE
Ann Coulter at CPAC
Ann Coulter takes the conservative pulse at CPAC.
Attendance is up 40 % at CPAC.
Dr Roy's Thoughts
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Speech
RUSH: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you all very, very much. Thank you all. I can't tell you how wonderful that makes me feel. It happens everywhere I go, but it's still special here. [ Laughter ] If you all will indulge me, I learned something, I guess, it's early Friday morning that I didn't know. Friday morning is when I learned this. I learned that Fox, God love them, is televising this speech on the Fox News Channel, which means, ladies and gentleman, this is my first ever address to the nation. [Applause] Now, I have someone in back taking phone numbers. In fact, I would like to introduce to you my security chief, a man who runs all of my security. His name is Joseph Stalin. Joseph, would you please -- [Laughter ] I am safe from any liberal attack, in public, because they would be afraid of offending Stalin. [Laughter] Now the opportunity here to address the nation, a serious one, it really is. And I want to take it seriously. I want to address something. I know that people are probably watching this who never have listened to my program and may not even really know what conservatism is. They think they do based on how they've been told -- the way we've been impugned and maligned and so forth. One of the things that is totally erroneous about me -- and I just want to get this up front -- is that I'm pompous. [Laughter]And that I am arrogant. Neither of these things are remotely true. I can tell you a joke to illustrate this. Larry King passed away, goes to heaven. He's greeted by Saint Peter at the gates. Saint Peter says, "Welcome, Mr. King, it's great to have you here. I want to show you around, give you an idea of what's here, maybe you can pick a place that you'd like to reside." King says, "I just have one question: Is Rush Limbaugh here?" "No, he's got a lot of time yet, Mr. King." So Saint Peter begins the tour. Larry King sees the various places and it's beyond anything we can imagine in terms of beauty. Finally, he gets to the biggest room of all, with this giant throne. And over the throne is a flashing beautiful angelic neon sign that says "Rush Limbaugh." [Laughter]And Larry King looks at Saint Peter and says: "I thought you said he wasn't here." "He said, he's not, he's not. This is God's room. He just thinks he's Rush Limbaugh."[Laughter] [Applause]So you see I'm not pompous. [Laughter]
MORE
Ann Coulter at CPAC
Ann Coulter takes the conservative pulse at CPAC.
Attendance is up 40 % at CPAC.
Dr Roy's Thoughts
His Only Supporter Seems To Be Michael Coren
CUPE members to Sid Ryan: Time to say goodbye
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 An open letter to Sid Ryan andthe CUPE Ontario leadership:We, the undersigned academic members of CUPE Ontario, wish to express...
CUPE members to Sid Ryan: Time to say goodbye
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 An open letter to Sid Ryan andthe CUPE Ontario leadership:We, the undersigned academic members of CUPE Ontario, wish to express...
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 An open letter to Sid Ryan andthe CUPE Ontario leadership:We, the undersigned academic members of CUPE Ontario, wish to express...
CUPE members to Sid Ryan: Time to say goodbye
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 An open letter to Sid Ryan andthe CUPE Ontario leadership:We, the undersigned academic members of CUPE Ontario, wish to express...
HurraH, Toronto Expanding Compost Program......
....but the system can't look after the current volume.
Green bin waste trucked to N.Y.
by Moira Welsh
Mar 1, 2009 (16)
Ontario facilities that compost kitchen waste are in such short supply that thousands of tonnes have been sent to the U.S. and at least one...
Green bin waste trucked to N.Y.
by Moira Welsh
Mar 1, 2009 (16)
Ontario facilities that compost kitchen waste are in such short supply that thousands of tonnes have been sent to the U.S. and at least one...
Small Price To Pay For The War On Poverty.....
.....it's less than the office budget of one councilor.
$45Gs for muffin and cookie
Staff get together seeks to boost morale, get welfare workers on same page
By SUE-ANN LEVY
This Friday senior city officials will summon Toronto's welfare workers to the Metro Convention Centre for a $45,000 rah-rah session and lovefest.
The day-long event -- officially called the Toronto Employment and Social Services Professional Development Day -- will feature, among other speakers, a (morale-boosting) address from Mayor David Miller.
(That is indeed fitting given that he never met a government handout he didn't like. But I digress.)
Deputy city manager Sue Corke said the social services department has been through a "huge change" in the last 12 to 18 months and it's a way to make sure everybody who comes is "aligned with the new direction."
"We're bringing staff together to talk about the new vision and mission," adds Heather MacVicar, general manager of employment and social services.
When asked about the costs to hold the day, she insisted the budget was "minimal" and that only muffins will be served in the morning, along with coffee and one cookie -- nothing else.
"It's not a big story ... it's a muffin and a cookie," she said, reiterating at least three times that the cost is minimal.
Nizam Bacchus, the department's director of program support, said the $45,000 cost will cover the space (Rooms F and G go for about $7,500 each a day) and a continental breakfast for the 1,600 attendees.
(According to the convention centre's website, a continental breakfast goes for $16.50 per head and a deluxe continental breakfast is priced at $22 per person.)
Bacchus added that all of their offices will remain open ed by the remaining 391 welfare workers who will provide "full services" to all clients who show up that day. He also noted that those who attend will be asked to purchase their own lunches from the food court in the vicinity of the convention centre.
That said, the cost is hardly minimal.
If, during these hard times, senior city officials want to treat the 1,991 welfare workers to a muffin and cookie -- to use MacVicar's words -- buy them in bulk and deliver them to each office, along with a written message about the department's new "vision."
Or how about simply ensuring the welfare workers -- who by no means have an easy job of it -- feel like they're valued employees each and every day?
As one welfare worker who wrote me about the event contended, the city has "no money for basic services" but evidently enough to hold a lovefest at Canada's No. 1 convention and trade show facility.
Never mind basic services. What about money to handle the pressures on the welfare rolls seeing as Miller and Co. have managed to drain the social services reserve fund completely dry?
MacVicar confirmed the city has put an extra $36 million in the budget to cover the anticipated jump in the welfare caseload this year.
NUMBERS UP 8.5%
She said the numbers were up to 81,000 at the end of January, some 8.5% higher than the same time last year and they're expecting that to continue to increase to more than 100,000 by year's end.
I rest my case. This, folks, is but one very blatant example of a regime completely out of control and out of touch with the reality of the world around Socialist Silly Hall.
It did not escape my attention that the welfare lovefest is on the exact day the Miller regime will blow $230,000 on a day-long party to celebrate Toronto's 175th anniversary.
There will be many more examples like this, trust me, before the budget is finally approved on April 1.
But it makes it awfully hard to believe newly minted deputy city manager Cam Weldon when he advised the budget committee this past week that they've "addressed the recession" in this year's operating budget -- even if, I suspect, he was mouthing a carefully scripted party line from the Politburo.
Coun. Doug Holyday said everyone seems to have the message that "times are bad" but his colleagues at Socialist Silly Hall.
"They're addicted to spending," he said. "It's too bad there isn't some spendaholic clinic we could send them to ... they have a problem and no control to deal with it."
$45Gs for muffin and cookie
Staff get together seeks to boost morale, get welfare workers on same page
By SUE-ANN LEVY
This Friday senior city officials will summon Toronto's welfare workers to the Metro Convention Centre for a $45,000 rah-rah session and lovefest.
The day-long event -- officially called the Toronto Employment and Social Services Professional Development Day -- will feature, among other speakers, a (morale-boosting) address from Mayor David Miller.
(That is indeed fitting given that he never met a government handout he didn't like. But I digress.)
Deputy city manager Sue Corke said the social services department has been through a "huge change" in the last 12 to 18 months and it's a way to make sure everybody who comes is "aligned with the new direction."
"We're bringing staff together to talk about the new vision and mission," adds Heather MacVicar, general manager of employment and social services.
When asked about the costs to hold the day, she insisted the budget was "minimal" and that only muffins will be served in the morning, along with coffee and one cookie -- nothing else.
"It's not a big story ... it's a muffin and a cookie," she said, reiterating at least three times that the cost is minimal.
Nizam Bacchus, the department's director of program support, said the $45,000 cost will cover the space (Rooms F and G go for about $7,500 each a day) and a continental breakfast for the 1,600 attendees.
(According to the convention centre's website, a continental breakfast goes for $16.50 per head and a deluxe continental breakfast is priced at $22 per person.)
Bacchus added that all of their offices will remain open ed by the remaining 391 welfare workers who will provide "full services" to all clients who show up that day. He also noted that those who attend will be asked to purchase their own lunches from the food court in the vicinity of the convention centre.
That said, the cost is hardly minimal.
If, during these hard times, senior city officials want to treat the 1,991 welfare workers to a muffin and cookie -- to use MacVicar's words -- buy them in bulk and deliver them to each office, along with a written message about the department's new "vision."
Or how about simply ensuring the welfare workers -- who by no means have an easy job of it -- feel like they're valued employees each and every day?
As one welfare worker who wrote me about the event contended, the city has "no money for basic services" but evidently enough to hold a lovefest at Canada's No. 1 convention and trade show facility.
Never mind basic services. What about money to handle the pressures on the welfare rolls seeing as Miller and Co. have managed to drain the social services reserve fund completely dry?
MacVicar confirmed the city has put an extra $36 million in the budget to cover the anticipated jump in the welfare caseload this year.
NUMBERS UP 8.5%
She said the numbers were up to 81,000 at the end of January, some 8.5% higher than the same time last year and they're expecting that to continue to increase to more than 100,000 by year's end.
I rest my case. This, folks, is but one very blatant example of a regime completely out of control and out of touch with the reality of the world around Socialist Silly Hall.
It did not escape my attention that the welfare lovefest is on the exact day the Miller regime will blow $230,000 on a day-long party to celebrate Toronto's 175th anniversary.
There will be many more examples like this, trust me, before the budget is finally approved on April 1.
But it makes it awfully hard to believe newly minted deputy city manager Cam Weldon when he advised the budget committee this past week that they've "addressed the recession" in this year's operating budget -- even if, I suspect, he was mouthing a carefully scripted party line from the Politburo.
Coun. Doug Holyday said everyone seems to have the message that "times are bad" but his colleagues at Socialist Silly Hall.
"They're addicted to spending," he said. "It's too bad there isn't some spendaholic clinic we could send them to ... they have a problem and no control to deal with it."
Saturday, February 28, 2009
No One Seems To Care...
Feb 26, 2009 by macleans.ca
The claim that history is written by the winners doesn’t apply to Canada. Our history is written by the whiners. This week’s cancellation of the re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City is another lamentable moment in the troubling politicization of Canadian history.
Quebec separatist groups, some making vague threats of violence, expressed outrage over plans for the 250th anniversary of the most famous battle ever fought on Canadian soil. Any recognition of the fact the English won the Battle of Quebec, effectively ending French rule in Canada, is seen as a “humiliation” by hard-core separatists and evidence of “federalist propaganda.” The National Battlefield Commission, which administers the park, dutifully cancelled the re-enactment to avoid offending anyone.
The claim that history is written by the winners doesn’t apply to Canada. Our history is written by the whiners. This week’s cancellation of the re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City is another lamentable moment in the troubling politicization of Canadian history.
Quebec separatist groups, some making vague threats of violence, expressed outrage over plans for the 250th anniversary of the most famous battle ever fought on Canadian soil. Any recognition of the fact the English won the Battle of Quebec, effectively ending French rule in Canada, is seen as a “humiliation” by hard-core separatists and evidence of “federalist propaganda.” The National Battlefield Commission, which administers the park, dutifully cancelled the re-enactment to avoid offending anyone.
You Decide!
York University's moment of truth: A real university, or a degree-granting hangout for radical Jew-baiters?
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 Next week is Judy Rebick's favorite time of year, Israel Apartheid Week. And all eyes will be on Toronto's York University, a...
Say what you want - just don't expect taxpayers to pay41
The Canadian Arab Federation called Jason Kenney a 'whore.' Mr. Kenney bit back ......
Daniel Pearl's Father on anti-semitism on campus....
Judea Pearl is the father of the murdered journalist, Daniel Pearl.
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 Next week is Judy Rebick's favorite time of year, Israel Apartheid Week. And all eyes will be on Toronto's York University, a...
Say what you want - just don't expect taxpayers to pay41
The Canadian Arab Federation called Jason Kenney a 'whore.' Mr. Kenney bit back ......
Daniel Pearl's Father on anti-semitism on campus....
Judea Pearl is the father of the murdered journalist, Daniel Pearl.
Equal Justice For ALL
Are the lives of aboriginal children worth less than your children?
Sentencing circles for aboriginals: Good justice?
Baring an uncomfortable similarity to a group hug for both victims and offenders, sentencing circles often clash with basic principles ...
Sentencing circles: What are they and how do they work?
Jonathan Kay: The folly of native sentencing circles
Sentencing circles for aboriginals: Good justice?
Baring an uncomfortable similarity to a group hug for both victims and offenders, sentencing circles often clash with basic principles ...
Sentencing circles: What are they and how do they work?
Jonathan Kay: The folly of native sentencing circles
Friday, February 27, 2009
Big NEWS From The Left
Of the left, and rights
NDP shocker! Plus: more freedom-of-expression woes
BY Edward Keenan February 25, 2009 21:02
What I wanted to write about this week was the big news from the Ontario NDP leadership race. But it turns out the big new, so far kept mostly secret, is that the Ontario NDP is having a leadership race.
NDP shocker! Plus: more freedom-of-expression woes
BY Edward Keenan February 25, 2009 21:02
What I wanted to write about this week was the big news from the Ontario NDP leadership race. But it turns out the big new, so far kept mostly secret, is that the Ontario NDP is having a leadership race.
Hmmm! What A Novel Idea.
Put the "us" in stimulus
Why aren't bailout architects considering job sharing and the four-day week?
Wayne Roberts
Why aren't bailout architects considering job sharing and the four-day week?
Wayne Roberts
Do You Feel Lucky PUNK?
EASTWOOD FIGHTS BACK: 'We're all spending too much time trying to be politically correct'...
.......and here is a good example:
Mayor who sent watermelon e-mail says he'll resign
4 hours ago
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) — The mayor of a small Southern California city says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."
Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose issued a statement Thursday saying he is sorry and will step down as mayor at Monday's City Council meeting.
Grose came under fire for sending the picture to what he called "a small group of friends." One of the recipients, a local businesswoman and city volunteer, publicly scolded the mayor for his actions.
Grose says he accepts that the e-mail was in poor taste and has affected his ability to lead the city. Grose said he didn't mean to offend anyone and claimed he was unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons.
Located in Orange County, Los Alamitos is a 2 1/4-square-mile city of around 12,000 people.
That Racist Bastard
Acting legend Clint Eastwood , 79, apparently believes that political correctness has rendered modern society humourless, for he accuses younger generations of spending too much time trying to avoid being offensive.The Dirty Harry star insists that he should be able to tell harmless jokes about nationality without fearing that people may brand him "a racist"."People have lost their sense of humor.
Celestial Junk
.......and here is a good example:
Mayor who sent watermelon e-mail says he'll resign
4 hours ago
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) — The mayor of a small Southern California city says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."
Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose issued a statement Thursday saying he is sorry and will step down as mayor at Monday's City Council meeting.
Grose came under fire for sending the picture to what he called "a small group of friends." One of the recipients, a local businesswoman and city volunteer, publicly scolded the mayor for his actions.
Grose says he accepts that the e-mail was in poor taste and has affected his ability to lead the city. Grose said he didn't mean to offend anyone and claimed he was unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons.
Located in Orange County, Los Alamitos is a 2 1/4-square-mile city of around 12,000 people.
That Racist Bastard
Acting legend Clint Eastwood , 79, apparently believes that political correctness has rendered modern society humourless, for he accuses younger generations of spending too much time trying to avoid being offensive.The Dirty Harry star insists that he should be able to tell harmless jokes about nationality without fearing that people may brand him "a racist"."People have lost their sense of humor.
Celestial Junk
Gun Ban, Knife Ban, ???? Ban
Colby Cosh: Keeping Edmonton safe from drive-by knifings
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009
You probably saw some of the headlines that were spawned earlier this week when Edmonton’s mayor, Stephen Mandel, grew frustrated...
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009
You probably saw some of the headlines that were spawned earlier this week when Edmonton’s mayor, Stephen Mandel, grew frustrated...
And Harper Should Make The Announcement On Plains Of Abraham
Editorial: Tell Quebec where to get off
Enough of the decades of appeasement; it's time for Ottawa to adopt a tough-love attitude toward Quebec
Gregory: Plains battle wasn’t the end of the story
It is a sad fact that much of the current debate about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham is based on a misunderstanding of the historical significance of the battle. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was successful in the capture of Quebec City, but what people forget is that New France remained in the control of French forces. After retreating from Quebec after the disaster of the Plains of Abraham on Sept. 13, 1759, the French army regrouped in Montreal under General Lévis. Meanwhile the British army, left behind in Quebec after the fleet sailed at the end of October 1759, suffered from hunger and the travails of living in a city largely destroyed in the siege. [...more]
Canada - Friday, February 27th, 2009
CTV Plains of Abraham staging might go ahead in U.S
MONTREAL -- The organizer of the re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham says the event will likely go ahead this summer, but not in Canada. [...more]
Enough of the decades of appeasement; it's time for Ottawa to adopt a tough-love attitude toward Quebec
Gregory: Plains battle wasn’t the end of the story
It is a sad fact that much of the current debate about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham is based on a misunderstanding of the historical significance of the battle. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was successful in the capture of Quebec City, but what people forget is that New France remained in the control of French forces. After retreating from Quebec after the disaster of the Plains of Abraham on Sept. 13, 1759, the French army regrouped in Montreal under General Lévis. Meanwhile the British army, left behind in Quebec after the fleet sailed at the end of October 1759, suffered from hunger and the travails of living in a city largely destroyed in the siege. [...more]
Canada - Friday, February 27th, 2009
CTV Plains of Abraham staging might go ahead in U.S
MONTREAL -- The organizer of the re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham says the event will likely go ahead this summer, but not in Canada. [...more]
Come On...Tey Are Leftwing. What Do You Expect?
A sorry situation at City Hall
By SUN MEDIA
How many times do Coun. Adam Vaughan and his allies on city council expect Coun. Rob Ford to apologize for the same thing?
Ford already apologized on his radio show on AM 640 in the fall and again this week at council for falsely accusing Vaughan of being in a conflict of interest.
Ford had wrongly suggested on AM 640 and at council that Vaughan used his influence to appoint a campaign donor to a city committee.
In fact, Vaughan didn't suggest the appointment and wasn't there for the confirming vote.
Interim Integrity Commissioner Lorne Sossin found Ford's comments were "inaccurate and inappropriate" and recommended council note Ford had violated its code of conduct.
But he said there should be no further sanctions as Ford had apologized for and retracted his comments soon after he made them.
But that wasn't enough for Vaughan, council's lefties and others looking to settle scores with Ford.
Many detest him because he embarrasses them every year by calling them out on their expenses, while paying his own out of his pocket.
Ford often makes a tense situation worse by putting his mouth into gear before his brain.
If ever a politician needed anger management courses, it's Ford.
That said, the two apologies Ford has already made aren't enough for this petulant, prissy crowd.
They want him to make, depending on how you add it up, either two or three more -- a written one to Vaughan and verbal ones in council to Vaughan and council.
(Their argument is Ford's apology this week in council was delivered after midnight, and therefore not enough people saw it. Or something.)
Thus, Ford is being asked to apologize up to five times for something he's already apologized for twice.
Our advice to Vaughan, an ex City-TV journalist who used to dish it out pretty good on air to politicians he didn't like, is grow up. If you're going to throw punches in life, learn how to take one without being a crybaby.
Ford was wrong.
He's apologized. Twice.
Move on.
By SUN MEDIA
How many times do Coun. Adam Vaughan and his allies on city council expect Coun. Rob Ford to apologize for the same thing?
Ford already apologized on his radio show on AM 640 in the fall and again this week at council for falsely accusing Vaughan of being in a conflict of interest.
Ford had wrongly suggested on AM 640 and at council that Vaughan used his influence to appoint a campaign donor to a city committee.
In fact, Vaughan didn't suggest the appointment and wasn't there for the confirming vote.
Interim Integrity Commissioner Lorne Sossin found Ford's comments were "inaccurate and inappropriate" and recommended council note Ford had violated its code of conduct.
But he said there should be no further sanctions as Ford had apologized for and retracted his comments soon after he made them.
But that wasn't enough for Vaughan, council's lefties and others looking to settle scores with Ford.
Many detest him because he embarrasses them every year by calling them out on their expenses, while paying his own out of his pocket.
Ford often makes a tense situation worse by putting his mouth into gear before his brain.
If ever a politician needed anger management courses, it's Ford.
That said, the two apologies Ford has already made aren't enough for this petulant, prissy crowd.
They want him to make, depending on how you add it up, either two or three more -- a written one to Vaughan and verbal ones in council to Vaughan and council.
(Their argument is Ford's apology this week in council was delivered after midnight, and therefore not enough people saw it. Or something.)
Thus, Ford is being asked to apologize up to five times for something he's already apologized for twice.
Our advice to Vaughan, an ex City-TV journalist who used to dish it out pretty good on air to politicians he didn't like, is grow up. If you're going to throw punches in life, learn how to take one without being a crybaby.
Ford was wrong.
He's apologized. Twice.
Move on.
London Bridge OKAY! Island Bridge SHAME!
COMRADE MILLERLondon calling costs us $140Gs
By SUE-ANN LEVY, CITY HALL COLUMNIST
Beleaguered Toronto taxpayers are being asked to fork out $140,000 this year to prop up a climate-change group based in London, England, the city's budget committee heard yesterday.
Tougher Laws, More Prisons, Etc. Not The Answer
Until the communities in which these crimes occur step forward and help the police they will always in fear. Also we need to support the police in a more active way. Let they become crime fighters ratyher than social workers with guns. Remove the term "racial profiling" from our law books.
'Canada is nothing,' grieving dad says
By IAN ROBERTSON, SUN MEDIA
Feeling betrayed and sad after yesterday's release of two men accused of killing his son, Ahmed Abdikarim Mohammed said he will take his wife and their five children back to Africa "this week."
Full Story
'Canada is nothing,' grieving dad says
By IAN ROBERTSON, SUN MEDIA
Feeling betrayed and sad after yesterday's release of two men accused of killing his son, Ahmed Abdikarim Mohammed said he will take his wife and their five children back to Africa "this week."
Full Story
Two men accused of gunning down teenager Abdikarim Ahmed Abdikarim in Lawrence Heights 11 months ago were freed yesterday after their first-degree murder charges were withdrawn.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Define Illegal In The USA
Gasp: DHS Secretary alarmed that immigration laws enforced under her watch
By Michelle Malkin • February 26, 2009 09:04 AM
Oh, the open-borders crowd’s heads are exploding.
Under President Obama and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s watch, federal immigration agents had the nerve to — gasp! — enforce immigration laws.
How could this happen? Quick, launch an investigation! This must not be allowed to stand!
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Wednesday ordered a review of a raid at an engine plant in Washington State that resulted in the arrests of 28 people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
A high-level official in the Department of Homeland Security said that Ms. Napolitano had not been informed about the raid on Tuesday before it happened, and that she was seeking details about its planning and scope.
“She was not happy about it because it’s inconsistent with her position, and the president’s position on these matters,” said the official, who agreed to discuss the matter on condition of anonymity because the secretary had not authorized the conversation.
You can be sure the taxpayer-funded National Council of Raza will use all the earmark money it will be receiving to lobby aggressively for comprehensive shamnesty:
The National Council of La Raza urged supporters to call the White House and demand Mr. Obama lay out his immigration policy, while the National Immigration Forum said the raid was an unwelcome continuation of Bush administration policies.
“What are Latino and immigrant voters to think? They turn out in massive numbers and vote for change and yet ‘change we can believe in’ turns out to be ‘business as usual,’ ” said Ali Noorani, executive director of the forum.
He called for a halt to the raids while Homeland Security conducts its review of immigration policies.
As for the poor, innocent workers nabbed in the raid, guess what? The raid was the result of a gang investigation:
“Information derived from two gang members previously arrested in an ICE gang operation led to the initiation of the work-site investigation at Yamato Engine Specialists,” said press secretary Kelly Nantel. “Follow-up investigation uncovered a potentially large number of illegally employed workers. ICE conducted the operation in order to identify and if appropriate, apprehend any unauthorized workers and to further determine potential criminal activity.”
Homeland Security officials worried about gang and criminal activity?
This must not stand!
By Michelle Malkin • February 26, 2009 09:04 AM
Oh, the open-borders crowd’s heads are exploding.
Under President Obama and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s watch, federal immigration agents had the nerve to — gasp! — enforce immigration laws.
How could this happen? Quick, launch an investigation! This must not be allowed to stand!
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Wednesday ordered a review of a raid at an engine plant in Washington State that resulted in the arrests of 28 people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
A high-level official in the Department of Homeland Security said that Ms. Napolitano had not been informed about the raid on Tuesday before it happened, and that she was seeking details about its planning and scope.
“She was not happy about it because it’s inconsistent with her position, and the president’s position on these matters,” said the official, who agreed to discuss the matter on condition of anonymity because the secretary had not authorized the conversation.
You can be sure the taxpayer-funded National Council of Raza will use all the earmark money it will be receiving to lobby aggressively for comprehensive shamnesty:
The National Council of La Raza urged supporters to call the White House and demand Mr. Obama lay out his immigration policy, while the National Immigration Forum said the raid was an unwelcome continuation of Bush administration policies.
“What are Latino and immigrant voters to think? They turn out in massive numbers and vote for change and yet ‘change we can believe in’ turns out to be ‘business as usual,’ ” said Ali Noorani, executive director of the forum.
He called for a halt to the raids while Homeland Security conducts its review of immigration policies.
As for the poor, innocent workers nabbed in the raid, guess what? The raid was the result of a gang investigation:
“Information derived from two gang members previously arrested in an ICE gang operation led to the initiation of the work-site investigation at Yamato Engine Specialists,” said press secretary Kelly Nantel. “Follow-up investigation uncovered a potentially large number of illegally employed workers. ICE conducted the operation in order to identify and if appropriate, apprehend any unauthorized workers and to further determine potential criminal activity.”
Homeland Security officials worried about gang and criminal activity?
This must not stand!
Easter Is Coming So Resurrection Is Normal
IGGY BRINGS BACK BANNED ADSCAM FIGURE
Look who’s back in the party
Wajsman returns to the Liberals after being ‘banned for life’
More
Look who’s back in the party
Wajsman returns to the Liberals after being ‘banned for life’
More
It Is About Friggin' Time
Police to probe city ticket-fixers
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
They should have just paid the parking ticket.
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
They should have just paid the parking ticket.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Watch The Opposition Hold This Up In Commitee
New Tough Legislation On Gangs
Ottawa to unveil tough anti-gang legislation -- The federal government is expected to unveil new legislation Thursday that will include an automatic first-degree murder charge for any gang-related killings, CTV News has learned. [...more]
Ottawa to unveil tough anti-gang legislation -- The federal government is expected to unveil new legislation Thursday that will include an automatic first-degree murder charge for any gang-related killings, CTV News has learned. [...more]
Obviously They are Not Member's Of TTC Union
Put police on the buses: Union
By BRETT CLARKSON, SUN MEDIA
Get rid of the transit cops and put Toronto Police officers on subway platforms, buses and streetcars.
By BRETT CLARKSON, SUN MEDIA
Get rid of the transit cops and put Toronto Police officers on subway platforms, buses and streetcars.
So! What's New At Silly Hall
The accused must be union employees......
Cops out of ticket probe
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Toronto Police are stuck on the sidelines for now when it comes to investigating parking ticket-fixing civic staffers.
The fast life of a yellow tag
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
Cops out of ticket probe
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Toronto Police are stuck on the sidelines for now when it comes to investigating parking ticket-fixing civic staffers.
The fast life of a yellow tag
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
NO NEW TAXES...NO NEW TAXES........
Here is a new tax I would support......levy az tax on oaal of those who voted for change and elected Dullton and use that tax to allow the rest of us to apply a grant to buy Vaseline to reduce the ppain of getting screwed by the liberal "leader."
Thanks, John - We Do Love Dalton
The lastest from Dalton McGuinty - a $300 green audit if you want to sell your home in Ontario. Yet anotehr tax grab by the ever-greedy Dalton and his sidekick George Smitherman. http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/592077 First, Dalton “No Tax Increases” McGuinty introduced a health tax which, incidentally, does NOT go toward health care in the province and now he wishes to introduce...........
Green audits have critics seeing red
by Rob Ferguson
Feb 25, 2009 (18)
Forcing homeowners to get $300 energy audits before they sell is a thinly disguised new tax, critics said yesterday, putting Premier Dalton McGuinty...
Energy auditors await green light
"Is there any process in the licencing system to prevent energy auditiors from recommending a..."
devilsadvocate
Thanks, John - We Do Love Dalton
The lastest from Dalton McGuinty - a $300 green audit if you want to sell your home in Ontario. Yet anotehr tax grab by the ever-greedy Dalton and his sidekick George Smitherman. http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/592077 First, Dalton “No Tax Increases” McGuinty introduced a health tax which, incidentally, does NOT go toward health care in the province and now he wishes to introduce...........
Green audits have critics seeing red
by Rob Ferguson
Feb 25, 2009 (18)
Forcing homeowners to get $300 energy audits before they sell is a thinly disguised new tax, critics said yesterday, putting Premier Dalton McGuinty...
Energy auditors await green light
"Is there any process in the licencing system to prevent energy auditiors from recommending a..."
devilsadvocate
Greening Of Ontario By Dullton & Smitherman
Chemise Burda Joslyn Higginson
Feb. 24, 2009
Feb. 24, 2009
Ontario's new Green Energy Act could unlock Ontario's green energy potential and set the province on the path to genuine global......
Legislation's big cracks need sealing
TheStar.com
February 25, 2009 Jim Coyle
George Smitherman had his Miss America moment this week and sweeter than that it does not get.
Like the beauty-queen speech made in breathless support of world peace, Ontario's minister of energy and infrastructure pledged himself wholeheartedly – as he introduced his Green Energy and Green Economy Act – in favour of a cleaner environment, of jobs, of wind and solar power, of entrepreneurship, of a conservation culture.
The applause for this unimpeachable initiative – as Smitherman promised to turn Ontario 40 shades of green – was widespread and impressive.
So universal was the enthusiasm, in fact, it was almost impossible to find anyone taking up a contrary position in favour of pollution, unemployment, coal, or the ruinous depletion of the planet.
By some accounts, Smitherman's GE-GE Act was destined to take its place alongside the GI Bill and the U.S. federal Highway Act as historic legislation that changes the landscape of society and the prospects of a people.
Premier Dalton McGuinty told reporters the bill "hits a sweet spot, so to speak." A little later, perhaps feeling he had undersold the initiative, the premier told the Legislature it "hit the sweet spot of sweet spots."
Ah, but as even the beauty queen knows, there's many a slip between good intentions, however praiseworthy and prettily expressed, and the donning of the old tiara for the walk down the runway.
So, too, for the minister did a few nagging questions remain about the means – and price tag – of getting to the brave new wind-turbine-dotted future from here.
What They Deserve & What They Get Will Differ Tremendously
Citizens need some answers, Mayor Miller
By SUN MEDIA
Taxpayers deserve answers from Toronto Mayor David Miller to questions raised by Auditor General Jeffrey Griffiths' annual report on the city's fraud and waste hotline.
By SUN MEDIA
Taxpayers deserve answers from Toronto Mayor David Miller to questions raised by Auditor General Jeffrey Griffiths' annual report on the city's fraud and waste hotline.
$5M From Ottawa For Toronto At Risk Kids
Comrade Miller might want to divert some these $$$$ for Kelvar Vests for citizens in the Dufferin/Eglinton, Oakwood/Vaughan neighborhoods.....TWO SHOOTINGS WITHIN A COUPLE OF MILES IN LAST MONTH.
Another TTC shooting
By CHRIS DOUCETTE, SUN MEDIA
The hunt is on for two armed and dangerous men after yet another incident of gunplay on the TTC, this time involving a 17-year-old boy who was shot and pistol-whipped as up to a dozen terrified commuters watched in horror on a bus in the city's west end.
Toronto Police say the violent altercation unfolded shortly after 1 p.m. yesterday when the southbound bus stopped on Oakwood Ave., just south of Vaughan Rd., at Ashbury Ave.
Another TTC shooting
By CHRIS DOUCETTE, SUN MEDIA
The hunt is on for two armed and dangerous men after yet another incident of gunplay on the TTC, this time involving a 17-year-old boy who was shot and pistol-whipped as up to a dozen terrified commuters watched in horror on a bus in the city's west end.
Toronto Police say the violent altercation unfolded shortly after 1 p.m. yesterday when the southbound bus stopped on Oakwood Ave., just south of Vaughan Rd., at Ashbury Ave.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Anyone Want To Dispute TheBasic Premise
D inmates. R ruling. D asylum.
This story in the Winnipeg Free Press by Mike McIntyre shows many things that need to be looked at in how our justice system is broken. I needed to cut and paste things into the correct order...........
posted by My Left Nut at 5:26 PM
This story in the Winnipeg Free Press by Mike McIntyre shows many things that need to be looked at in how our justice system is broken. I needed to cut and paste things into the correct order...........
posted by My Left Nut at 5:26 PM
They Say That Coren Has The Pope's Private Telephone Number
Michael Coren: 'What other historical truths must never be mentioned for fear of hurting feelings?'
Michael Coren writes about being 'appallingly oversensitive to the losers' of history:
There is a terribly politically incorrect joke about French roads being lined with trees so that Germans can march in the shade. This joke should never be re-enacted because it might cause offence to someone. Trees perhaps. Or roads. Or the shade. (...)
That Africans themselves often sold people to white slavers and that long after slavery was abolished by the British the slave trade continued, particularly under African and Arab leadership. That white, Christian slaves were still being freed as late as the 19th century by European navies.
Or that white men never purposely used infected blankets to kill natives or that cannibalism, widow murder, head-hunting, tribal genocide and forced female circumcision were all prevented by European empires in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Or that the Crusades were not known as such until long after they had stopped and that they were merely a direct response to Islam's invasion of the Christian heartlands of North Africa and the Levant.
Or that Galileo was a faithful Catholic whose patron was a cardinal and that Copernicus was a priest.
Or that Joseph Stalin killed more people than Hitler, that Che Guevara was a mass murderer and that historical truth may be jarring but it's nevertheless truth.
# Kathy Shaidle : 2009-02-22 09:41:13 EST
Michael Coren writes about being 'appallingly oversensitive to the losers' of history:
There is a terribly politically incorrect joke about French roads being lined with trees so that Germans can march in the shade. This joke should never be re-enacted because it might cause offence to someone. Trees perhaps. Or roads. Or the shade. (...)
That Africans themselves often sold people to white slavers and that long after slavery was abolished by the British the slave trade continued, particularly under African and Arab leadership. That white, Christian slaves were still being freed as late as the 19th century by European navies.
Or that white men never purposely used infected blankets to kill natives or that cannibalism, widow murder, head-hunting, tribal genocide and forced female circumcision were all prevented by European empires in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Or that the Crusades were not known as such until long after they had stopped and that they were merely a direct response to Islam's invasion of the Christian heartlands of North Africa and the Levant.
Or that Galileo was a faithful Catholic whose patron was a cardinal and that Copernicus was a priest.
Or that Joseph Stalin killed more people than Hitler, that Che Guevara was a mass murderer and that historical truth may be jarring but it's nevertheless truth.
# Kathy Shaidle : 2009-02-22 09:41:13 EST
Sid Ryan Finally Wins In Politicss
Someone asked what does this have to do with working for the rights of union members.....
CUPE union votes for academic boycott of Israel
CUPE union votes for academic boycott of Israel
I Would Hate To Hear The Views Of An Extremist
Pearls of wisdom
From a "moderate" Muslim...
"We hate democracy"
"We want the occupation of Islam in the entire world. Islam does not permit democracy or election."
“From the very beginning, I have viewed democracy as a system imposed on us by the infidels. Islam does not allow democracy or elections,”
“I believe the Taliban government formed a complete Islamic state, which was an ideal example for other Muslim countries."
Oh, and he"does not preach violence except in the way of jihad against non- Muslims."
Well that's a relief. I'm surprised he hasn't been offered a cabinet position in the Hopeychange Express administration.
Wonder Woman on February 21, 2009 Permalink Comments (1) TrackBack (0)
From a "moderate" Muslim...
"We hate democracy"
"We want the occupation of Islam in the entire world. Islam does not permit democracy or election."
“From the very beginning, I have viewed democracy as a system imposed on us by the infidels. Islam does not allow democracy or elections,”
“I believe the Taliban government formed a complete Islamic state, which was an ideal example for other Muslim countries."
Oh, and he"does not preach violence except in the way of jihad against non- Muslims."
Well that's a relief. I'm surprised he hasn't been offered a cabinet position in the Hopeychange Express administration.
Wonder Woman on February 21, 2009 Permalink Comments (1) TrackBack (0)
Probably But You Might Piss Off Some Seperatists
Pains of Abraham
Is it OK to talk about non-Obama related issues?
If so, check out the column I wrote on an issue all Canadians should be discussing: an 18th Century battle.
Posted by Gerry Nicholls at 9:35 AM
Is it OK to talk about non-Obama related issues?
If so, check out the column I wrote on an issue all Canadians should be discussing: an 18th Century battle.
Posted by Gerry Nicholls at 9:35 AM
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Obama & I On Same .Page
Melting pot 1, Multiculturalism 0
Angelo Persichilli
Feb. 22, 2009
"Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes," wrote the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. I don't believe Canadians are unhappy, but they are looking for heroes.
Is Obama a closet conservative?
Thomas Walkom
Canadians going gaga over Barack Obama need to get a grip. He is not going to change the world. He is not going to right all wrongs. Indeed, his...
Angelo Persichilli
Feb. 22, 2009
"Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes," wrote the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. I don't believe Canadians are unhappy, but they are looking for heroes.
Is Obama a closet conservative?
Thomas Walkom
Canadians going gaga over Barack Obama need to get a grip. He is not going to change the world. He is not going to right all wrongs. Indeed, his...
City Planning To BAN Canadian Geese From Beaches....DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH
City may ban sandy claws
Dog fans hope council will paws and reflect on beach ban
By JENNY YUEN, SUN MEDIA
She may have four legs and a waggly tail, but the city might see her as a criminal.
Boo, a four-year-old beagle, was walking along the shore yesterday, but under the proposed Toronto Beaches plan, her owner may be charged up to $300 for Boo's jaunt in the sand. Even with a leash on.
"There is a lot of confusion about what is allowed by dog owners," said Boo's owner, Chris Yaccato, who is spearheading a protest today on behalf of local dog owners.
"It makes me upset because you can't even live in the city without being fined any more. They're just ruining fun for everybody," he said.
Yaccato, 32, said the group of more than 100 animal lovers plan to march -- trusty leashed pooches by their side -- across the span of the beach, starting from the off-leash pen eastward.
"The city adopted a (People, Dogs and Parks) policy in 2007 that eliminated dogs on the beach. Signs were posted that they were prohibited," he said. "There has been a lapse of the city enforcing that and putting up proper signs ... and now, the inaction of our councillor (Sandra Bussin) to notify the community that this change is coming."
Yaccato said the city incorporated the no-dogs clause from the 2007 policy into the Toronto Beaches plan, which aims make the city's 11 swimming beaches swimmable for at least 80% in the summer.
The Beaches plan goes to city council tomorrow.
"It was never designated off-leash, but people got used to the practice over many years," said parks director Malcolm Bromley. "We can't have a set of regulations in the summer that says you can't have your dogs and in the winter, you can. If you're going to have an objective of quality sand and water, you have to enforce rules and policy."
Signs noting that dogs are prohibited in the sanded area have been up since November, Bromley said. However, the city is now trying to accommodate dog walkers by looking to connect the off-leash areas in Kew Beach with Silverbirch, through the Martin Goodman Trail, which means an extra 500-metre stretch for dogs to romp.
The rally begins at 1 p.m. near the Leuty Lifeguard station in Kew Beach, between Lee and Leuty Aves.
JENNY.YUEN@SUNMEDIA.CA
Dog fans hope council will paws and reflect on beach ban
By JENNY YUEN, SUN MEDIA
She may have four legs and a waggly tail, but the city might see her as a criminal.
Boo, a four-year-old beagle, was walking along the shore yesterday, but under the proposed Toronto Beaches plan, her owner may be charged up to $300 for Boo's jaunt in the sand. Even with a leash on.
"There is a lot of confusion about what is allowed by dog owners," said Boo's owner, Chris Yaccato, who is spearheading a protest today on behalf of local dog owners.
"It makes me upset because you can't even live in the city without being fined any more. They're just ruining fun for everybody," he said.
Yaccato, 32, said the group of more than 100 animal lovers plan to march -- trusty leashed pooches by their side -- across the span of the beach, starting from the off-leash pen eastward.
"The city adopted a (People, Dogs and Parks) policy in 2007 that eliminated dogs on the beach. Signs were posted that they were prohibited," he said. "There has been a lapse of the city enforcing that and putting up proper signs ... and now, the inaction of our councillor (Sandra Bussin) to notify the community that this change is coming."
Yaccato said the city incorporated the no-dogs clause from the 2007 policy into the Toronto Beaches plan, which aims make the city's 11 swimming beaches swimmable for at least 80% in the summer.
The Beaches plan goes to city council tomorrow.
"It was never designated off-leash, but people got used to the practice over many years," said parks director Malcolm Bromley. "We can't have a set of regulations in the summer that says you can't have your dogs and in the winter, you can. If you're going to have an objective of quality sand and water, you have to enforce rules and policy."
Signs noting that dogs are prohibited in the sanded area have been up since November, Bromley said. However, the city is now trying to accommodate dog walkers by looking to connect the off-leash areas in Kew Beach with Silverbirch, through the Martin Goodman Trail, which means an extra 500-metre stretch for dogs to romp.
The rally begins at 1 p.m. near the Leuty Lifeguard station in Kew Beach, between Lee and Leuty Aves.
JENNY.YUEN@SUNMEDIA.CA
Chump Change At Silly Hall?????
City hall fraud may grow
$500Gs in fake claims, 500 fixed parking tickets could be 'tip of iceberg'
By IAN ROBERTSON, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 22nd February 2009, 2:31am
The head of Toronto's audit committee has vowed to put managers on the carpet after city employees were accused of filing fake benefit claims up to $500,000 and fixing 500 parking tickets.
Another councillor fears those figures may be doubled after investigations.
Councillor Doug Holyday said yesterday he'll seek clarification about staff "disciplined" after 500 parking tickets were tossed and for filing up to $50,000 in bogus overtime.
"I don't know what 'disciplined' means ... were they fired?" said Holyday, who added he will seek another term as chairman of the audit committee when appointments are made next month.
Nor did an auditor's report released Friday identify departments where ticket-fixing, porn downloading onto computers and padded overtime claims occurred.
And it did not say if any criminal charges were laid or whether police investigated.
"I'm not saying zero tolerance," Holyday said in an interview. "In some cases if it's petty ... you have to use some discretion."
But obvious theft should not be tolerated by employees, he said.
Holyday wants managers held more accountable for overseeing their departments.
"If you have bad apples, they should be gone," he said.
As revealed in the Sun yesterday, nine social services department employees were escorted from their offices last week after an insurance company complained of false claims filed for medical, dental and eye care.
Holyday said he heard claims around city hall of "half-a-million-dollars," but had no confirmation or details about who is accused or how long ago the questionable claims were allegedly filed.
Until a police investigation concludes, the nine staffers are on paid leave. None have been identified.
Holyday said he understands labour regulations requiring paid leave until such cases are concluded either by exoneration or criminal charges, "but if it's gone to court, their names should be made public."
Auditor-general Jeffrey Griffith's 8th annual report from the city's Fraud and Waste Hotline identified $260,538 lost by the city due to staff wrongdoings -- and only $15,903 recovered.
The 618 allegations received by a lawyer who staffs the hotline were 18% higher last year than in 2007, with 42 allegations substantiated.
Up to 60% of complaints proved groundless, Griffiths said, with another 34% not involving fraud or other improper service. Auditor's staff were called in on 9%, some probes continue and police are involved in an undisclosed number of cases.
After the report's release, Councillor Rob Ford said "I believe this is the tip of the iceberg," and predicts the alleged insurance scam could top $1 million and ticket-fixing up to 1,500 cases.
Holyday said "I'm not so sure it's so rampant, as Councillor Ford thinks. But I'll bet more of it can be found."
Expressing regrets the city is tarnished by reports of staff fraud, he is confident "the vast majority of our employees are honest and hard-working."
And those who may be tempted to steal or betray public trust "might get scared off" knowing they can be pursued, even prosecuted.
More important, Holyday said, is confidence in city hall's willingness to investigate public and employee complaints, which have increased since the hotline began in 2002.
"It's like a police Crime Stoppers' line, letting people provide anonymous tips," which can be investigated to determine any basis in fact, he said.
The city's Fraud-Waste Hotline is 416-397-7867.
IAN.ROBERTSON@SUNMEDIA.CA
$500Gs in fake claims, 500 fixed parking tickets could be 'tip of iceberg'
By IAN ROBERTSON, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 22nd February 2009, 2:31am
The head of Toronto's audit committee has vowed to put managers on the carpet after city employees were accused of filing fake benefit claims up to $500,000 and fixing 500 parking tickets.
Another councillor fears those figures may be doubled after investigations.
Councillor Doug Holyday said yesterday he'll seek clarification about staff "disciplined" after 500 parking tickets were tossed and for filing up to $50,000 in bogus overtime.
"I don't know what 'disciplined' means ... were they fired?" said Holyday, who added he will seek another term as chairman of the audit committee when appointments are made next month.
Nor did an auditor's report released Friday identify departments where ticket-fixing, porn downloading onto computers and padded overtime claims occurred.
And it did not say if any criminal charges were laid or whether police investigated.
"I'm not saying zero tolerance," Holyday said in an interview. "In some cases if it's petty ... you have to use some discretion."
But obvious theft should not be tolerated by employees, he said.
Holyday wants managers held more accountable for overseeing their departments.
"If you have bad apples, they should be gone," he said.
As revealed in the Sun yesterday, nine social services department employees were escorted from their offices last week after an insurance company complained of false claims filed for medical, dental and eye care.
Holyday said he heard claims around city hall of "half-a-million-dollars," but had no confirmation or details about who is accused or how long ago the questionable claims were allegedly filed.
Until a police investigation concludes, the nine staffers are on paid leave. None have been identified.
Holyday said he understands labour regulations requiring paid leave until such cases are concluded either by exoneration or criminal charges, "but if it's gone to court, their names should be made public."
Auditor-general Jeffrey Griffith's 8th annual report from the city's Fraud and Waste Hotline identified $260,538 lost by the city due to staff wrongdoings -- and only $15,903 recovered.
The 618 allegations received by a lawyer who staffs the hotline were 18% higher last year than in 2007, with 42 allegations substantiated.
Up to 60% of complaints proved groundless, Griffiths said, with another 34% not involving fraud or other improper service. Auditor's staff were called in on 9%, some probes continue and police are involved in an undisclosed number of cases.
After the report's release, Councillor Rob Ford said "I believe this is the tip of the iceberg," and predicts the alleged insurance scam could top $1 million and ticket-fixing up to 1,500 cases.
Holyday said "I'm not so sure it's so rampant, as Councillor Ford thinks. But I'll bet more of it can be found."
Expressing regrets the city is tarnished by reports of staff fraud, he is confident "the vast majority of our employees are honest and hard-working."
And those who may be tempted to steal or betray public trust "might get scared off" knowing they can be pursued, even prosecuted.
More important, Holyday said, is confidence in city hall's willingness to investigate public and employee complaints, which have increased since the hotline began in 2002.
"It's like a police Crime Stoppers' line, letting people provide anonymous tips," which can be investigated to determine any basis in fact, he said.
The city's Fraud-Waste Hotline is 416-397-7867.
IAN.ROBERTSON@SUNMEDIA.CA
A Question For Dullton
You promised Ontarians 4000 new nursing positions but the registered nurse"s association is running radio spots claiming nursing hours are being cut due to budget restraints. PLEASE EXPLAIN and while you are at it explain where I PROMISE NO NEW TAXES health tax we are paying is being spent.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
ts for pals
Friday, February 20, 2009
I'M Still Around........
......but because of circumstances beyond my control I don't have the "freedom" or time to post (c&p) but I am slowly returning to the battle (although the battle lines have become very hazy.) I do have one request..please don't compare this message to Jack's open letter in the national post.
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About Me
- Unhypentated Canadian
- I lean to the right but I still have a heart and if I have a mission it is to respond to attacks on people not available to protect themselves and to point out the hypocrisy of the left at every opportunity.MY MAJOR GOAL IS HIGHLIGHT THE HYPOCRISY AND STUPIDITY OF THE LEFTISTS ON TORONTO CITY COUNCIL. Last word: In the final analysis this blog is a relief valve for my rants/raves.