Hold a meeting and they will come

About 150 local Liberals came out on a dour Sunday afternoon to participate in the political process. Meeting in the auditorium of the Alderville Community centre the candidates in the Lib-nom race appeared before the assembly. Billed as an All Candidates' Meeting, it really was a chance for the local Libs to strut their stuff (Yes we are still here and we're going to show them tories what for next time). the structured meeting saw the three candidates, Andrew McFadyen, Kim Rudd and Chris Herrington answer prepared questions. All pretense of spontenaity and surprise was taken out of the forum by allowing the candidates to have the question for a period of time prioe to the asking. Ten questions, chosen at random out of twelve submitted, had to be answered in two minutes. All candidates answered well, why wouldn't they they already had the answers, and nobody criticised each other and no-one could demonstrate anything other than the ability to answer canned questions. The obligatory Farm question came up first and all pledged to keep farmers in business.
Some notable quotes: the only line that drew applause came from Herrington in a question about "What would you do to win the Riding?" - "I promise not to send so many mailers". "Rudd said, When I spoke to Ignattieff, he told me that he wants strong business people who can advocate for their constituencies". McFadyen, "I have lived a lot of life in thirty-two years and I am the future of the Party".
OK should Libs feel good about this event, Yes they turned out 150 people to listen to speeches and questions in the middle of summer, But did I see any sign of renewal that all agree must take place? Not really, the majority of the audience were of an older demographic and most have only been libs all there lives. So where are the new people, not here, where is the enthusiasm to bang on doors? Probably not here. But if you want to raise money hit up these folks and then use TV to spread the message.
One lasting impression - I bet the Herrington people were kicking themselves for starting late, because if the cut off date of August 18 hadn't kicked in her membership figures would have been much higher, she performed very well. I can't vote, won't vote but I know who I would vote for!!


The most stupid statement by a Pol in many years - We only want tourists who spend money when they come to Cobourg!" - Bob (I made another silly statement) Spooner.

We'll be off for a couple of days

Bad news for you maybe good news for me. I am switching computers, and all of its trials and tribulations - basically I wore it out and now am transferring the configuration to a spare. But we all know that takes time, so sporadic posts for the next period of time.

If you had been invited to Iggy's fundraiser that was to be held at well known local fundraiser's house on Saturday night, you get to save your money - it's been cancelled.

This just in - it's Official

Wait for it - the nomination day for the Libs is Thursday September the 10th at the Grafton Arena. Definitely geared to the non-working crowd as to participate, if you are a working stiff, you may have to take time off. In that case advantage McFadyen. But the numbers on Rudd's website as of 1040hrs Tuesday 26 are 454. Given that they are supposed to be rock solid bona fide memberships all she has to do is get them all to vote and the others may as well mail it in!

This event may be working stiff friendly after all informed sources tell me the time will probably be 6-10 and there will be speeches.

Another old rumour given new life is that Iggy is coming to a fundraiser at a private house in Cobourg, on Saturday, and the invitee list is a well kept secret.

Progress?

The great "Experiment in new democracy" has begun. In an admirable attempt to make history meet democratic function Cobourg Council has decided to play in the "Old Bailey" replica courtroom bequeathed to Cobourgers many years ago. But after seeing the players at work, despite a superb effort by Lorraine Brace and John Grozelle, of the Town, to equip the room with all the latest electronic gizmos (at a cost of $42,000, awarded in a sole source contract) the attempt failed to impress this lover of conversation and procedure. Looking at the picture I am reminded of a Supreme Court dressed in 'mufti' (a British Army slang term used to describe scruffy non uniform dress - civilian clothes!) A committee by its very definition is supposed to be a less formal meeting of convened people meeting to discuss topics in an informal way. This arrangement is no less formal than a regular council meeting, in fact the Chair of the committee was addressed many times, by various speakers as "Your Worship" when in fact he bore the title of "Chair". The main complaint of this setting is that, as in the ten year period prior to this move, when Council moved from the committee room at the back of the Council chamber to the Council chamber, basic organisational development has been ignored in designing committee meetings. Committee meetings are fora where members can debate, argue and generally speak to each other as they would in the backyard, forcefully and with dignity. In order to do this you have to have members at least being able to face the person you are discussing items with, hence the term - "sit down at the table". In this new forum nobody can see any body else let alone make conversation and therefore only statements can be made not polemic points of argument or debate. I am convinced that if all were to sit at the same table not only would a greater sense of teamwork develop but the level of animosity would be less, after all if the obese councillor at the west end of the bench wanted to speak to the other end and wake the comatose one at the other end, up with insults (they wouldn't in real life as they share many pursuits including the quaffing of ale) it is very easy to stare into the audience and do so. Try that around a round table and it may never happen.
Summary: things to like; the white board and the projector - it allows all to share the grand design, dislikes; the seating arrangement for councillors, the acoustics (mic problems, tinny sound and reverberations) and the lack of collegiality expected in a committee meeting.

Cobourg has been breaking the Procedural rules for nearly 25 years. Ever since the election of 1985 where Major Angus Read assumed the Mayoralty the procedure of committee meetings has been perverted to allow the Mayor to behave incorrectly. In an examination of Robert's Rules of Order, the final arbiter of procedure and decorum for public meetings and bodies the BurdReport has concluded that the practice of the Mayor being the Chair of the committee of the whole breaches common committee procedure.
Prior to 1985 it was the usual practice to follow the action laid out in Robert's Rules. The section outlining this is in the pic on the right and the Deputy Mayor (the Reeve) chaired executive meetings. In 1985 at the first executive committee meeting of the new Council the Major sat up straight, at the head of the table, clasped the gavel of office in his right hand and never let go. The practice was established. Instead of making motions from the table he declared them from the Chair. The precedent was set and has never been challenged or questioned in public.
Basically the idea of the sitting President of a governing body (in our case the Town) not being in the Chair of the Committee of the Whole is to be able to prevent him from being in the unfortunate position of having to rule on his own rulings, made in committee, when they come the main body for further discussion and disposal. A wise practice and one not seen in Cobourg for 25 years.

In a situation where the citizens may have won one Cramahe Twp took on big business and may win. In a dispute about the siting of a telecommunications tower local Councillor Ed Van Egmond vigorously supported a constituent in the dispute. The big business Barret Xplornet may be forced to find an alternate site. Describing the dispute and subsequent pushback is hyperlocal newsman Bob Owen of CramaheNow in this story - well done Bob

Timmies is coming to Town......again! In a presentation to Council yesterday proponents of a shopping plaza, to be built on the corner of Wilmott and King Sts. it was revealed that the lynch-pin of the development will not be the 35,000 sf grocery store (in fact that may never get built) but a Tim Hortons coffee shop. The developers, Goldmanco, plan to start construction sometime next year. I guess this location puts the boots to local businessman Lou Peter's dream of a timmies on his corner at Brook and King.

Train Spotting may be coming to Cobourg. Train Spotting is the practice of watching trains and keeping track of train numbers, times and other railway experiences, but the hobby has been the topic of derogatory remarks for years. Wikipedia puts it this way "trainspotting is seen by many of the individuals who are not themselves involved with the hobby as being virtually synonymous with "dull" and "geeky", and the term has gained an ulterior meaning as any sort of activity that appears pointless to outsiders."
In the discussion about the new VIA Rail construction programme the Company was invited to come and tell Cobourg what it intends to to do. At this point a couple of councillors asked that a list of questions be drawn up. Councilor MacDonald, who obviously understands this sub-culture (probably among many) asked that VIA Rail be asked to construct a "Spotting Platform" thus making Cobourg a premier spotting place.

"Polls are for dogs!"

A memorable quote by John Diefenbaker. But it sums up an attitude toward opinion polling whenever people see a poll they disagree with. The latest poll to elicit such a response is the one being trumpeted by the national Post and Ottawa Citizen today where it is revealed that a poll conducted in the last week shows the Harperites at 40% in public opinion. But wait who conducted the poll? Canwest news and Ipsos-Reid - house organs of the Conservative party! First create the news and then claim a scoop.

Remember the Heritage Crime, that has been committed on Chapel St? The only "Jackson House" to be designated (136 Chapel St) has been a victim of a savage renovation committed by an owner with no appreciation for its heritage and history. The front porch has been destroyed and new, and ill suited windows and doors fitted all done without permits. Council will tonight refuse to issue a permit for a porch replacement. I can hardly wait to hear the outlining of the next steps. After all they do have the power to order the owner to restore the house to its original condition, or do they?

The only published number for the Lib-Nom is now 454. That is the number advertised as supporters of Kim Rudd. With that number is it over for the others and will it be a first ballot victory for the 'Principal'? If those numbers are actual signed members and if every one of them votes (which will be a stretch) Ms Rudd will be feeling pretty cocky going into the All Candidates Meeting on Sunday. Look at the numbers: if a 1000 people attend the voting, it will be lower than last time as the candidates have failed to sign up 'crossovers', and she has 454 signed up there will be a few undeclared who will come across and she may get to 600 by the Nom-date. If that's the case the rationale for publishing unsubstantiated numbers on the website will encourage all of the 'sheep' - those who always sniff out the winner and jump on the coattails, to join in. Yep folks you may have a winner already. But pure speculation, the big question is how will she take defeat in the real election, next Spring? BTW as I am on Lib news perhaps the webmasters could take a couple of hints - update, and update. One paragraph and a pdf isn't really an update for CH. AMcF hasn't done a thing for a month and it shouldn't take 3 clicks and ten seconds to get to the meat of the KR site, flash doesn't impress anymore - content and more content. Hint - put the updates on page 1 we are impatient surfers!

Back to the Council watch

Be careful for what you wish: sometimes you get it at your own peril. Cobourg has only been putting up the barebones agenda for years now. But as a result of a request for info, Yep I'm to blame, as of this week the agenda has been put up as a package and includes background material. And it is huge - 226 pages long. But as we shall discover, after Monday's meeting, that package will soon be slashed in half.

One of the items to be discussed is the prospect of the Town throwing bucket loads of money at its Lawyer - Wayne Fairbrother, in an OMB appeal. Dave Tredree, of Radio Shack fame, owns a parcel of prime development land just north of the Hwy 45 ramp on Division St/Hwy 45. He has struggled to get development status for ten or more years at an untold cost, fighting bureaucratic battles and the neighbours protests. Finally just when has managed to get a zoning change favourable to him the Town of Cobourg appeals the decision to adopt the zoning bylaw to the OMB.

So what's the problem? The Town says it is only following policy by objecting to any large scale commercial development on its borders. This development may in the future demand to be serviced by Cobourg. Hamilton Twp, in its defence, says that it is zoning based on the Official Plan. The OP says that land can be developed as "Hamlet Commercial" and only uses defined in the approved list can go ahead. The latest salvo coming from Cobourg says that the way the bylaw is written any of Cobourg's future objections to large scale development taking place on the site will not be allowed, because the bylaw provisions relating to the control of development are unenforcable and denies any opportunity for Cobourg's interests to be discussed.

My take on the business is that this a move by some Cobourg pols (read the Mayor) to protect the Best Western (the Wilcox boys) from competition in the highly competitive roadside Inn business. 401 interchanges are festooned with Holiday Inn Expresses and their ilk, but not in this area. This patch of land is perfect for such a deal. But not in Cobourg, we as taxpayers are going to spend, if the motion to appeal to the OMB goes ahead, piles of money on the Quixotic adventure of trying to stop natural competition.

Tucked away in the agenda is a motion to delegate Heritage applications to the Heritage Planner and his department. This will reduce the wait time for somebody who wishes to do things to a designated property from one week to two days. In this week's agenda of the 246 pages 119 are devoted to this topic. Thus in one fell swoop the Councillors have reduced their legislative workload considerably. As an observer, it will be interesting just to see what items are now used as filler in the agenda to compensate. Some weeks the only thing to discuss has been items in this category.

In another vein, here is a copy of a letter sent to NToday. It desensationalises the topic of "Garbage in the Park"
Let's inject some realism into the debate about the cost and pain of weekend visitors to the Park and beach. A story published recently mentioned the cost of taking away the garbage bags from the Park after the Ribfest. I would congratulate the weekenders for bagging 1000 bags of garbage, could you imagine that stuff strewn around instead of neatly bagged? And as to the cost of $3000 that is an extrapolation of household bag costs. The Town could never cost the amount properly because although 1000 bags were collected, this weekend (a lot less will be collected next weekend) they go into a transfer bin at the yard and get hauled away at a cost per tonne. The Town schedules two crews every weekend to work a total of fourteen hours and finishes at 11pm. So to sensationalise the story by saying that crews worked until 11pm to pick up the garbage is not untrue but they do that each and every weekend of the summer. If there is anything to be gained in this debate it is not to blame the weekenders for all the trash but to investigate why there are not enough garbage bins, for as we know they are being used. Let's ask how to let all make use of this resource and if it is to be rationed because of demand why not look at the space the events take and work from there

Only the biggie this weekend for the Lib-noms, perhaps they were all eaten out and satiated after last weeks piggin' out? But apparently not as the Big Event was Lou Rinaldi's BBQ, at the Brighton Speedway. No hand went unshaken and no back was not slapped, and all will pretend to play nice. However mark your calendars for the one and only showcase event of the campaign - the All-Candidates meeting at the Alderville Community Centre next Sunday from 2-5pm.

Finally a Pol who is worth listening to

As you should know some extremists have been trying to distort the public meetings that Pols are using to explain proposed changes to health care in the US. As a result of the venom and hate being spewed at Pols, some have refused to meet with the public and others have resorted to electronic messaging avoiding the nasty people. BUT one brave soul has refused to cave, and here is a video of Barney Frank answering a stupid question.

Yesterday's comment was written in such a way that it implied, for some, that only the Bay St residents are looking for sympathy and action about the weekend beach invaders and the plethora of events in the Park. As pointed out to me the problem is not confined to Bay St but all of the South East side of Town, and when the music starts nobody south of Elgin is immune. The single point here is that we all have a problem and somebody should be leading the charge to fix it.
And to the person who asked "How do we know they are not towing from the Pier?" Because I heard it from the enforcement person myself.

I have admired this work for months now. Bob Owen, of "Cramahe Now" is a great example of 'hyperlocal news' - stories that the others don't do because of corporate centralisation, but of vital importance to his readers. The latest story is a prime example of just that. Read it here.

It only took two sunny weekends....

Summer has come to Cobourg and the event season is in full bloom. Rotary Club inspired events - the Waterfront Festival and the Ribfest have brought to the surface the letters to the editor that have been lying in wait all season. Predictable problems: too many people, too much garbage, too much parking not enough washrooms for people who prefer to use private bushes and public sand. An editorial in NToday decries the situation, presumably because this is placed in the prime editorial spot as opposed to the opinion slots this is official newspaper policy. A story that told of Town workers picking up mounds of garbage bags, and quoted the Parks Supervisor as saying, "We have staff working till 11pm on Sunday night". This gives the impression that working until 11pm on Sunday to pick up garbage is unusual.

In an interview today, Director of Public Works, Stephen Peacock told me that the Town schedules full crews and full shifts of 14 hours a day, as a matter of course and that this weekend was just normal cleanup.
Whenever Clubs and Organisations ask for permission to hold events in the Park they have to sign a contribution agreement. Cobourg in its wisdom has always, in its negotiations conducted by Lara Scott, been scrupulous in making eventholders take their own garbage away, and to provide extra toilet facilities- at their cost and to conform with many other conditions that cost money that the Town might have had to pay. In order to help defray the cost of cleanup, with full shifts and full crews the parking revenue, from those meters, has been dedicated to that cost. So the Town has been trying hard to offset the burden of providing public space to private money raising events.

If there is a problem it could be put down to some events being too big for the Park, was it really necessary to have a Midway in the spot that regular park users inhabit? Another problem is that the Town may have not made any effort to accommodate the park users because they only come on weekends and don't go uptown and spend money? An excellent suggestion has been made to fence off the Beach and Park and charge out of Towners for the privilege of using the beach. But then we get into the problem of assuming that it's only visitors who deposit garbage and nothing else. In one letter published today the writer told of seeing Cobourgers dumping household bags by a Park bin. We know this happens downtown why wouldn't it happen in the Park. It's a collective problem and as a Town we must solve it. But to assume that it's only the poor (people needing sympathy not the affluent) folk on Bay St who suffer is wrong.

Just let me finish this by telling the world that a day after the Mayor received a letter from an grieved motorist who had been towed for overstaying a spot on the Pier, two weeks ago, an Executive Order was issued - "No more towing from overstays on the Pier" So how do we fulfill the demand for more enforcement of when enforceement of existing laws is over-ridden because of adverse publicity?

This image is provided by W Keeler and shows the damage done to the park by one of the Ribbers. Just how will the park will recover from this damage in this heat? We still haven't devised a way for compensation for such ecological damage - perhaps we should?

The bottom line is that the problem of problems in the Park is, and always will be, an ongoing one that everyone will have to help solve.

Back to the grindstone

Ribfest, was it good for you? The weather cooperated, outsiders came to Town and people gorged, music played (more on that later) and the Rotary Club expanded its coffers. Obviously a success! Some questions that came to me in conversation or email that people in authority should answer, as they are being asked by people in the Donut shop: one, is it about time to revisit the noise bylaw? Music in the Park is a subjective thing based on genre. But one thing we can agree on is that when the music is electronic it is very loud. Noise regulation seems to kick in after 11pm and upon complaint, but if the noise bylaw is based on "the disturbance to one's quality of life" then an argument can be made to tone it down before that time too. When a band in Vic Park can be heard at Elgin St. surely it is a bit too loud no matter what time of day it is? Another point to be made is that if Council is crying the blues about cleanup costs and mess then I wonder if, as well as dinging visitors by making them pay for parking, the vendors inside the park, on these occasions, shouldn't have to buy "Itinerant Traders' Licenses" to sell their wares?

Much discussion has taken place, especially by the idiots who drive old clunkers, about the nearly one hundred cars stopped and examined for mechanical defects last Friday. 22 cars were pulled off the road and warnings issued. But more importantly to those people who smoke the "indian ciggies" 8 warnings were issued to people who were seen to be in possession of them. Being told, "You can only smoke them on the reserve" may not seem like much of a warning but the $500 fine the next time you are found with them may deter a few from buying. After all when the "Revenooers" get on a kick like this expect a lot of attention to be paid to miscreants.

Expect the local Lib nominees to be a little fatter this morning. Eating and chatting all weekend adds on the pounds. Ribfest on Saturday and the Long lunch on Sunday and for CH, tonight little munchies at Tom Behan's house. Still it is only for a couple of weeks until the Party HQ drops the rope and allows nomination meetings to be set up. The next big event will be the All-Candidates meeting in Alderville August 30th, 2-5pm. Rumours and backbiting are a way of life in these kinds of contests, hence the little contretemps with Peter Delanty and who he supporting, with Kim Rudd sandbagged by his endorsement of Herrington. Today Delanty is covering all his bases by saying that he will support Rudd - if she wins!
But one of the wildest I have heard is that Herrington may only be in it to solidify her position as Lou Rinaldi's replacement in the next Provincial race. Let's face it if I were a Lib delegate I would be looking at these nominees with the end game in place - "Who will be the candidate in the election after this one," as the likelihood of the nominee actually winning this time is remote? An 11,000 vote deficit is a big gap to jump. So who of the three nominees will stay in if they lose?

Do we have two classes of citizenship? This would be the biggest election issue ever, if I was in the Lib backroom. With two cases of non-white citizens being screwed over in foreign countries and the lack of government support in helping them one can make a big case for two classes of citizens being given two kinds of Harper help. Just look at the efforts Norlock and Macklin went to to help Brenda Martin and then look at the appalling resistance to help offered to the woman in Kenya. If the Libs wanted to get their "immigrant vote" back from the grasping clutches of Jason Kenney's coercion machine then this issue is it.

We interrupt your lunch to bring you a nominee!

This weekend is a feast for gourmands as opposed to gourmets: Ribfest in Cobourg on Saturday and the Long Lunch on Sunday in Warkworth. BUT beware you may be interrupted in your greasy recreation by the possibility of Nominees attempting to get your vote - only if you are a Liberal the rest will be spoken to but dismissed as a waste of time.
Pols attending local functions is an old trick, which in these days of voter cynicism may backfire simply because Pols are universally disliked by the hoi-polloi. But not to be deterred Hizzoner Peter Delanty will be introducing Chris Herrington to all of his Rotary friends, which will be a total waste of time because the number of Liberals that belong to the Cobourg Rotary Club can be counted on two hands, and maybe a couple of toes. The rest of us will fail to notice the well dressed female hanging onto every one of PD's words Peter does tend to suck up surrounding air.
Both Kim Rudd and CH have announced plans to be at the event in Cobourg so they will be looking for you.

After being reminded in no uncertain terms I should be checking the nominees websites, as opposed to them sending out 'pressers' and reminders to the lazy media, I checked the sites this morning for events on the weekend. Kim R has no dates past Saturday on her calendar,, but she will be at the Ribfest, perhaps she is taking the day off? CH and Peter (her hubby not Delanty?) are taking in the Long Lunch at Warkworth and Andrew M is going to a "Politics, Tea and Coffee" in Trenton Saturday and on Sunday he, presumably because the email sent to announce the agenda says, "My family will also be in Warkworth on Sunday to..." is also going with his family. So folks be prepared to see entourages of handshakers working the tables.

Kudos to the Editor of the NNews - Dwight Irwin, when confronted with the dilemma of only finding one photo that related to the Community Centre issue, that of Cobourg Pols, when he really wanted a pic with a Y connection to add colour to a lead story, he ran with it. but later found a more suitable one. After mild criticism and a suggestion that by running the pic it could be inferred that the Town had a part in the story, which it didn't, he dug deeper and found a pic with a purely Y base to it - good for him.

A local view of the Frink situation

All the credit for this goes to Mr W Keeler of Cobourg

This project is still not clear to the public

The YMCA is reported to be still waiting for a reply to its application, story here for funding for a 9.9 million dollar project that would see an aquatic centre places side by side to the new Community Centre. The linkage between the Y and the Town's project is not clear, the finances and cost benefits and the future operating costs are murky.
If the Y gets a successful answer then presumably they will have to fund raise for their $3.3 million contribution. Put that on top of the $2.7 million that the Town is looking for and Cobourgers will be asked to raise $6.0 million dollars in eighteen months or risk raising more to cover bridge financing costs. Add to that the loss of revenue that the Town could face if the land that the Y wants to build on is handed over for nothing not to mention the money that is now given to the Y to sustain the present building, which may become surplus.
In these pages there has been a history of non-support for the Y, especially about the aquatic centre and we believe that is reflective of some public opinion. The Y has a long way to go to persuade some people that the fees to use the present facilities are not expensive and also the subsidy programme doesn't work as well as it should for lower income people. Thereby creating the impression that the Y is a private club. One of the reasons that the Community Centre will work is that it is not a private club that will be expensive to use, or so people believe.
Council should come clean with this linkage and explain just how much it is costing Cobourg to link with the Y and the reason for doing so. And if there is any hint of public money or assets being handed over at less than market cost we should know about it as taxpayers.
Incidentally in the story from the Northumberland News the headline is matched to a picture of the Mayor and Chair of the Community Centre project committee looking at the land to be used by the Town - nothing to do with the Y story! The implication here is that the Y has Town support. If this is the case the writer should have have explored the connection or dismissed it as speculative. Either way the picture lends weight to the suggestion that the Town is up to something.

amendment to the pic situation My friend D Irwin (editor of the Northumberland News) has made the comment that this pic was taken from the library to illustrate the story. Problem is, and I understand why that pic was used, that inferences can be drawn from the fact that it's a pic of the Town in a story about the Y.

I wonder how Kim and Andrew feel now?

Yesterday the Herrington campaign issued a glitzy pdf newsrelease which contained this image of a paragraph. Peter Delanty was endorsing Christine Herrington! Did he appear at the recent meetings, that the other candidates put on, to put in an appearance or to inwardly smirk about his choice? The perception of power converging to keep power.
Just look at who are are the key endorsements and you will understand that certain people who have held municipal office obviously think that they are important enough to try to influence others. Hasbeen Forrest Rowden - a former Mayor of Hamilton Twp, who remembers him today? A still serving Warden of Prince Edward County County, who knows him in NQW? Also listed on the team is Don Dudley from Warkworth, a Don Quixote of Liberal politics, it will be interesting to see if any of these lightweights can pull any weight.

On the other hand will Kim keep this pic, really bad body language here, up on her site now?
BTW Kim's number is now 287

You want a real Delanty smile here try this

Just imagine this woman, if she wins sitting, (story here) beside Bill Murdoch and Randy Hillier at Queen's Park!!

A stratagem of confusion

As of 7am this morning this was the logo displayed on Kim Rudd's website. Contacting a member of the team I was told that this was the number of "new supporters" that Kim has signed up. But is it real or is it just a strategy designed to scare off the other sides? Apparently this kind of thing hasn't been done before as it could be dangerous if expectations are unmet and also because it may tip off the others, there are only so many "new supporters" around and everyone is chasing them.

At the beginning of the campaign, so I have been told, the Riding membership was at about 1400. Now how many of the 1400 were paid-up and how many were lapsed but still on the rolls is unknown to us, but I know from other political parties members are kept on the lists for at least four years before being removed. So to say we have 1400 members may only be half true. But back to the "New supporters" (NS) and that definition. We can assume that a paid up member is an "old supporter" therefore new signups are NS, but lapsed members are also counted as NS. Do we count commitments made by people contacted on the phone or people being spoken to at wine and cheese parties as NS? And really how much do we want to tell the other side? Only a truly naive campaign would give away its numbers before the nomination meeting! An experienced campaign team would want to come into a nomination with a hundred or so signed memberships not previously declared. At the last big Liberal nomination nobody divulged numbers and so it wasn't until the day of the meeting anybody knew what anybody else had.

But back to the present. If one assumes (very dangerous) that about a thousand people will turn up to vote the winner would need would need about 600 signed members to feel confident. Kim Rudd is at 241 new ones, some old ones and a long way to go for the 600.

Still on Liberal affairs. A comment came in last night and was buried about three pages down so I copied it and repeat it here because it is timely
"It is about a week into the campaign for Chris Herrington and I hear that the memberships are rolling in across the riding. People know a winner and she has won as a councillor and twice as mayor...the other two have NO political experience at all!
Fancy brochures and get-to-gethers with out of area props should be easily seen as a weak way of saying I have the local Liberal support"

I was sent the Herrington website URL "www.chrisherrington.ca", a couple of days back and posted it, and an email was sent asking for a list of events that CH was planning - yet to hear anything back. So if anybody on the CH team reads this we would like to know what you are up to apart from a flashy website!

What do the Gen Xers and Gen Yers think about politics?

As a result of observing many Town Hall meetings and two recent nomination get togethers I am appalled at the lack of response to politics by anybody other than the old! Political opinions are like stinky feet: everybody has them and some smell worse than others. Consequently all should participate in Civics, but don't. Commenting on the age of the audience of political events is a dangerous thing as one is likely to offend those who think they are ageless and also those who usually don't mingle with older folk easily. But one cannot avoid the topic - it is rare to find a person of younger-middle age at any of these events. They are are elsewhere and those in that demographic will readily tell you that they don't have time, or the inclination to get involved. A lot of sympathy goes to the candidates for the Liberal nomination, who are running around trying to cater to their grandparents' generation - a difficult task. It is tough for callow youth to understand the generational difference and I wish them well, although the phrase, "Don't teach your father how to procreate" comes to mind.
It is telling, that in this age of modern politics, Andrew McFadyen has a Marketing Director on his campaign team. This guy looks about twenty five years old and I am sure that he has degrees coming out of his ying-yang and is eminently qualified to sell soap, but what will he be doing to encourage his generation to get involved in politics?
I am young enough, if I live as long as the National average, to see this question answered - what will the political participant of the future look like when the present political activists, whose average age appears to be seventy three are gone?

I can't hold back any longer, the "fountain" in the park is a pond with a tiny aerator. What happened to the fountain we were supposed to have? And costs will go up because we'll have to have a security guard at the pond to stop kids playing in it since it's not chlorinated and has been declared a health hazard. Small signs will just get ignored. Over the first week or so of operation, birds, dogs and drunks as well as kids with and without diapers have been seen in the water.

Peter Delanty was heard describing to a citizen how he expected something more like a real fountain but it remains to be seen if he'll actually do anything about it. I must admit the rink worked well in winter but we were promised a fountain for the summer as well. The pond design is clever but will be prone to vandalism - already one repair was needed when a park bench was thrown in.

And thanks to Ben for opening his blog for my occasional contribution.

Kim Rudd met some supporters yesterday at the Market building in Cobourg. Small crowd-small room, medium crowd-medium room and large crowd-large room; so goes the mantra. Well the Market Building is not small and not big so the crowd was a respectable number, less than Andrew's crowd but all these folks were from Cobourg and didn't drive in - about fifty all told and more people under the age of sixty - just.

A summery crowd and summery crowds don't expect long political speeches and they didn't get one. When I told Kim that Andrew had spoken for nine minutes she said, "I'll be shorter." After an introduction by Penny "I haven't read your blog as much as I have in these last three weeks" Crawford, Kim got down to business. Laying her personal life bare and outlining her CV and then tying those two topics to a pledge, "I intend to what I have been doing and take it to a higher level." That higher level is the big sandbox of Federal Politics where she sees a lack of recognition for the Riding's ills. Citing her experience, as the President of the local Chamber of Commerce, she explains, "We have to do business differently." as well as calling for an improvement to the volunteer community. Her political agenda will be to create "Healthy Communities".

Impressions that stayed after I had left: the party establishment was not present but the young turks were - Peter Cleary, armed with DSLR was obviously snapping pics for the Facebook and website content. One onlooker told me that Kim had "edge" and he thought that was a good sign. One sign of voters searching for choices as opposed to voter confirmation, was a man leaving the hall as I was going in - he had been to see Andrew and was still looking for a decision. And more importantly for Kim was that the membership signup table was busy. Finally; another capable candidate. But, if I were an uncommitted Liberal I would want to see them all in campaign mode as opposed to the kissy kissy stuff that is necessary for a nomination. The real test is twofold, more signups that the other guys and a barnburner of a speech at the nomination meeting.

Yesterday Andrew McFadyen came to town, and Kim Rudd must have passed him on County Rd 29 as she went out to Warkworth, (one of Andrew's home bases) to drink wine. But I went to see Andrew, Kim can wait until she does Cobourg on Saturday.

In a celebration of the past Andrew introduced himself to many of his supporters at the Best Western at 5pm. Speaking for nine minutes, after an hour of mingling, he paid homage to the party elders, attacked the sitting government and spoke about why he was running to be the candidate.

Introduced by the Rt Hon Christine Stewart, who started her address with, "All Liberals are looking forward to an election" she spoke about Andrew in the most glowing of terms. Andrew then thanked all of his predecessors profusely , praising Paul Macklin, but avoided sanctifying him, praised his campaign team for five months of hard work and then pointed out to the seventy-five or so party faithful that the sitting government of Mr Harper, represented by Rick Norlock, has been unresponsive to the needs of the Riding and must be changed. He then explained his passion for the position by explaining some of his childhood, experienced under the Harris Tories, had made him much stronger and independent - he was raised in a one-parent family home by a mother on disability. Consequently he had to work eight hour shifts at the age of fourteen. As he implied that the Harper cons are the same as the Harrisites, he obviously doesn't want any part of that kind of society and "wants to be an advocate for your needs."

My impressions of the event are simple, with the number of people, in the audience, under the age of sixty able to be counted on one hand Andrew had better hope that they get a quick election, some of them might not make it. A local Liberal mentioned to me that about half the audience was from out of town and I didn't recognise too many local folks either. Andrew scores highly for motivation and sincerity as well as being well connected with the party brass. So first impressions make him stand out as a capable candidate. But as another local Lib said, "We are so lucky to have three good candidates running." My money is still on who has signed up the most - it's a numbers game as many minds were not changed by this event.

Congratulations to the readers, you made yesterday the most active of all pages in our history. Without releasing actual numbers, they would scare the opposition, the discussion about the cheeky chappy and the zealous cop, who happened to be female, released the opinion dogs and drove up the hits.

A busy weekend for car and machinery enthusiasts

This weekend has two events for local 'buffs'. One is when Antique and Classic Car Club of Canada holds its annual Concours d’Elegance at the Port Hope fairgrounds on Saturday. The other is a Farm and Agricultural Show put on by the Hope Agricultural Heritage Club website here. This show will be held at the Burnham farm on Hwy #2 just West of Canadian Tire. The tractor on the left is the main raffle prize - pay yer money and drive it home (or take the cash).
The Port Hope Classic car show is different in two respects from the car show featured a month ago in these pages: this time there will be judging. Cars will be judged from a strict list of criteria and a show winner will be announced. Also for Port Hope to score such a big show means congratulations for the organisors, it was held in Brampton last year. Having just checked the website of the ACCCC there is also an event in Port Hope on the Sunday setting up a double-header for buffs - Wow. Sunday will see the "Prewar Antique Car Tour" starting in Port Hope a description taken from the tour flyer says it all: "This is a driving tour (about 2 hours) and will feature one tour for the older, slower vehicles (~50 miles) and a second one for the newer, more speedier cars (~70 miles), with everyone coming together for a BBQ lunch."


A man with more money than brains still seems determined to play with the big boys and disregards the rules. Jim Balsillie, of RIM fame, is trying to buy an NHL team and move it to Southern Ontario. He tried it three years ago in Pittsburgh, he tried it in Nashville last year and is now trying to buy the Phoenix team. This time, in Phoenix, he has a judge that has allowed him to bid on the assets of the team in a bankruptcy court. The NHL Board of Governers has blackballed him and even called his ethics into question so the question of the day is simple - what happens when Jimbo buys a team and then the NHL won't let him play in the league?

PS anybody know of the website for Christine Herrington? E-mail it in

Who says cops are humourless?

Flipping the bird to a cop is now ticketable. In this story, which has achieved National cachet, written by ambulance chaser par-excellence - Pete Fisher. Constable Bettina Schwarze is reported to have awarded the offending driver, who flipped the bird as he was driving away with one ticket in hand, another one for "Making an illegal hand signal". Talk radio idiot John Oakley, in a feeble attempt to maintain ratings on a dog day for news, severely criticised the ticketing as, "an attempt to overreach authority". Sad but predictable.

The candidates are coming to Town

The Liberal nomination dog and pony shows are ready and willing to meet you. Schedules for 'meet and greets' for both previously announced candidates are up in cyberspace. Check the face book links on the left of this page for details. Andrew McFadyen is having one at the best Western, in Cobourg, on the 6th Aug - Thursday, and Kim Rudd is having hers on the 8th - Saturday, at the Cobourg market building. The only indication of where the candidates stand is to count the number of supporters each one has in their facebook group: McFadyen - 218 and Rudd - 177 announced supporters. Of course this is only play count and it all depends on the real vote, which depends on real memberships. The Membership Sec hasn't said anything about those numbers yet. Rumours still abound about With the entry of the Brighton Mayor (Christine Harrington), this morning, into the race, there are now three. going at it Unless she enters with her pockets stuffed with memberships she is late out of the gate and will waste both her money and effort, not to mention Political Capital as the nomination date is being set for very early September - less than 30 days away. Personally I can't see anything other than ego in it for CH, unless she is a stalking horse for McFadyen and we know that the NQW Libs can't do anything without declaring regional warfare. So the view from here is that someone in the East really wants to put the boots to the Western candidate. Besides whoever wins will have one heckuva job, in this swing riding, to overcome an 11,000 vote deficit against Norlock. The prize, at the moment, doesn't look attainable. So why would a popular mayor do it?

Things must be very slow if we are debating this. Some party activists, at next month's party convention want the New Democratic Party (NDP) to change it's name and drop the "New" from the name. In this story Lawrence Martin of the G&M discusses why it's a good idea. How come all of those people who will never vote for the NDP always have plenty of ideas about how to make it for the better. It's not as though any of these Liberals will ever vote for the NDP so why do they bother?

A fine day for a celebration

Yesterday these people were honoured for many things as part of the Coborne 150th celebration. The most interesting honoree was a past Beauty Queen , Miss 1959 - delightful and quirky. With so many events to choose from yesterday a trip to Colborne was handy and it sure turned out to be dandy!. Unfortunately the arrival at 1245 meant we had missed the parade but manged to catch the opening ceremonies. Hosted by Heritage Cramahe and MCd by Pat Westrope it was an unusual political event - short on pols speeches but long on local history.



I was surprised, and pleased, by the number of locals that got into the act by wearing period costume this couple stood out for their elegance and grace under the sun.


Click on the pics to get a larger view