Is this guy Mad?

Not angry but insane "mad" would be my take on it. For the Libs to precipitate an election in September for a November election when the neither the electorate nor the polls indicate success is blindly foolish. " I don't like this government" was a quote pulled from Sudbury where the northern air must have affected the collective brains of the Liberal caucus, either that or Senator David Smith must have smoked something really peculiar, at Fisherman's Cottage at the foot of Bagot St last weekend, for he was on record early last week as counselling against an early election. Nobody except the neo-con zeolots like this government but they will dislike the subsequent Con majority even less!
Only one pundit out of the eight, whose opinions are collected on today's National Newswatch, talk about either the wisdom of an election or that it is needed. All the others caution against it and rail against 'opportunist Liberals'. Not one person can be found today, in local do-nut shops, apart from the fossilised brains at the Dutch Oven, who is in favour of an election. Can a person be found who one breath praises the government and in the other proclaim enthusiasm for an election where the outcome may just be a majority for Harper, providing meat to the saying, "A pox on all your houses - here's a majority and don't bother me for another four years!" If there is, I would call that person an "opportunistic liberal".

Oh I almost forgot, heard a delicious local rumour, what with all the chattering classes talking about the need for new blood at the Council level how's this for new blood - Dean Pepper for Mayor. This guy was a perennial winnner in the 80s and 90s. His style of campaigning was to put his name on the ballot and then do nothing except pay for a cheesy pamphlet. Worked every time, I guess all of his old and drug-laden (legally prescribed after all Dean is a pharmacist) customers pulled him through. The best part about it is that Brocanier doesn't have to fight with his wife about moving up to the Mayor's chair.

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.