What a perceptive comment

Tucked away in the comments on Garth Turner's blog today was this comment - read it and then realise that not all taxpayers and voters are of the usual type some can think!

"I got my first up-close look at where my new neighbours are living while (coincidentally) distributing Garth Turner fliers over the past few weeks.

Several things struck me:

1) In the two and a half or so hours I spent pounding the pavement, I saw exactly two other people using the sidewalks - one walking a dog, and another handing out newspapers.

2) The reason for this may be the fact that there is absolutely no shade to be found. Anywhere.

3) The second development I walked through wasn’t bad, but the houses in first one (which was only a year old) all had peeling paint, heaved up paving and crumbling concrete on their steps and porches.

There are many, many things wrong with suburbia, particularly in its current, “insta-house” incarnation. Garth has covered most of them, but one thing we all have to remember is that the people living there aren’t the enemy.

Too often in Milton I’ve heard disparaging, marginally racist comments made about “those people” who have suddenly invaded our town, as if somehow they are to blame for the mess. In fact, not only are they the victims in all this, they are actually responsible for the only upside in this whole fiasco: added racial and cultural diversity in Milton.

Hell, I can actually buy some decent East Indian junk food now!

By all means, blame the developers, although they are only doing what corporations do - maximizing profits. Even better, blame the municipal politicians who, seduced by the siren song of millions in added property taxes and development fees, have rubber stamped every single development application that has crossed their desks with the sole caveat that there be at least one Big Box complex for every eight square kilometres of McHouses.

The fact that they have suddenly realized that all the development fees they’ve been charging don’t begin to cover the costs of servicing these developments, and in fact come too late to help anyone for years after they move in, elicits exactly zero sympathy from me.

And yet, they keep handing out those permits like candy and continue to leave all the fussy business of urban planning to corporations whose sole purpose is to squeeze as many high-priced, low-cost houses as they can into hundreds of undervalued acres of former farmland that we may never, ever get back.

They should all be run out of town on a rail."

Your morning smile

And you thought there was just Molly Maid! Fancy A Job As A Naked Cleaner

Will Jim Fullerton's fence be next

I hope that the beach lovers in Cobourg don't read this and take heart. Man with chainsaw hacks beach fence to cheers. The property owners on the West Beach should either build bigger fences or tear them down. Either way this story just puts pressure on the Mayor to clear up the festering political mess caused by misguided property owners.

Working this weekend

Working this weekend certainly makes one's patience with the fellow man'woman driver stretch a bit.

Just got back from towing illegally parked vehicles. What gives some people the arrogance to park wherever they want and then slough off the enforcer. I say if you park under a "No Parking " sign you deserve the tow and the attendant fines. You park where you want to and it will cost you. All the shouting and screaming will not help you - you were stupid! I towed a few stupid people today.

The Partridge file - the Frink saga continues

Just as we thought the frink saga has ended local Lawyer Martin Partidge has filed an appeal to the Minister of the Environment of Ontario. He claims that an environmental assessment of the project is neccessary as exemptions are granted to projects that cost less that $1.5 million. The Frink has cost, Martin claims, at least $5 million so far and rising. The documents that he uses to explain the reasoning are here. Check them out there are 28 pages of tightly packed reasonings and Martin is asking the Minister to examine every one of them.

The argument is simple - what is the project? Is it the concrete pad or is it the whole amount of money needed to build the infrastructure for the pad and the monies used to fund the stages of the project and more importantly is it the original cost of the land and its reclamation. One little project ;or many little parts of a big project?

The Town's reaction has been one of dismissal, just as it has been all the way along this project's path. My way or the highway!

Is there such a thing as a Heritage Crime?

From this

















To this

Because if there is this is a classic example. The reason such societies and organisations like the ACO and the Historical Society and presumably LACAC, the Town's own creation, exist is to not only make people aware that Heritage is important but those who possess Heritage properties have a responsibility to maintain them in their Heritage states.

Cobourg lays claim to many different architectural styles of buildings but none sum up late Victorian - early Edwardian better than the houses built by Reuben Jackson. Solid brick houses, usually built in clumps of four or five, based on the traditional Canadian three up three down design.

The house featured above was a designated Jackson house because it was the first of many. and the outstanding feature that seperated it from its neighbours was the decorative, rather than utilitarian, front porch. Well folks that's gone now! Destroyed by its owner, not even disassembled for return in a better state. This has happened without the Town officials not knowing and seemingly not even caring. We spend untold hours at Council meetings debating the colour of paint and the building department cannot even enforce the lynchpin bylaw of heritage conservation. Such a disgraceful event. This wanton destruction took place without a permit or variance. Try building an addition to your house and the building nazis will be all over you for the money for a permit, but do a disgracefully small reno, no permit needed, and they look the other way.

This will not go away!

I hope this is the last article for at least a year

This is the face of, by his own admission, a confused and amazed person. Deputy Mayor Brocanier standing to berate, in person, his Council colleagues who did not agree with him. In a classless venting he personally attacked the arguments of the opposition, whilst at the same time still maintaining his faith in the Provincial government to keep their promised grants, even with the lack of guarantees and assurances. Saying he was confused by the stand of his colleagues because of their inconsistencies and totally amazed that they could also turn down the alleged savings. Once again he made reference to the 20 million needed for the Seniors Centre and it was obvious to observers that the savings on the the policing bill would never be returned to the bottom line but spent by them on the Seniors Centre. What a breach of faith to the believers.

But the greatest display of spite and invective came from the Mayor when he was lecturing, not arguing or persuading, the opposition to his line, by producing three, "I didn't ask for these letters, they were unsolicited!", he said, letters from local manufacturers. These manufacturers' letters lobbied for the Council to reconsider their position and give them tax savings (hey don't they realise there will be no savings?). Whilst consistently calling for Council to make a business decision based on a business case none of these manufacturers would commit their companies to a business case based on intangible and nebulous grants from a third source as the only revenue stream. The galling fact is that two out of the three live in Hamilton Twp, did they send the letters to Hamilton Twp? In a fit of pique the Mayor abruptly called the vote immediately after he spoke and cut off debate so rebuttal to his remarks would never happen.

So what next, the lessons learned from all of this:

1. Politicians have ulterior motives and don't play their cards up front. For Instance the Mayor and Deputy Mayor did not want to give the taxpayers the savings on their tax bills but had already earmarked the money for the Senior's Centre.
2. The local Leaders had better get over the fact that they lost and start to establish a new policing model. So what if Port Hope wants the lions share of the business - give it to them and get on with rationalisation.
3. The Mayor, when he is sitting in his County chair must vote against the idea of County policing - his Council has mandated it.
4. We only have about a year to achieve the new model or else I will be forced to agree with the losers and say that the County policing model will be back up for discussion.
   

Something completely different

This is a small piece of whimsey, a dream that may be come true - a sure thing!

On the last vacation this ticket was purchased as on a whim. However as it sat tucked away in my wallet it has been looked at from time to time as I wondered just how to spend the $300 win. Ten and a half games back the dream had expired - until yesterday. The Jays fired the managing staff and brought back retread Cito Gaston. Will it work? I hope so for I have a vested interest.

PS you can spell whimsey as whimsy, tell me which is correct

Not quite the last word

Stan Frost maintains his rep as the "taxfighter" to the end. Despite saying prior to the vote he would respect "direct democracy" he voted to go OPP even though an online poll showed a majority of respondents against the idea.

The online poll had been hacked with one computer locking more than 300 extra votes. For the non-techies - the poll can be hacked by removing the Town's "cookie" from your computer and then voting again. A time-consuming affair. That guy wasn't as smart as he thought because the IP address was still the same. Waaaay too much time on his hands!

Anyway Stan was not convinced that the poll meant much of anything - way too small a result to be representative so he voted his conscience. Convinced that the level of service was "at least equivalent" the OPP was the way to go.

As one commenter said, "I can't believe that I agreed with something Bill MacDonald said", I too agree. The masterful line of the night was that the Cops are costing us an extra $4.00 a day. I'm willing to pay that. But the PSB had better get off their arses in the next year and get something going with Port Hope!

Two observations, each to do with the Mayor. How will he vote at the County now that his Council has ut the boots to the idea and what was he thinking when he mused that the savings should go to the Seniors' Centre. Those savings are the taxpayers savings. They wanted to see the $4.00 a day put back in their pockets not used to build the "Peter Delanty Memorial Centre".

So The King of Northumberland - Big Hec, looks pretty lonely so far. Three votes taken - One Yes (Trent Hills) two Nos (Brighton and Cobourg), Port Hope presumed to be a NO, Hamilton Township rumoured to be NO and Haldimand/Alnwick and Cramahe fence sitting for the trend and it could be said that this idea is dead in the water.

Cobourg 4, OPP 3

I was not at the meeting last night, (unloading a corvette in downtown Toronto). But a couple of emails explained the events at Council last night. Apparently the audience was a little one, "A sparce contingent attended the meeting, half dozen police and staff, the whole PSB, Hamilton Twnsp Lovshin and Woods, Port Hope Jeff Lees and 3 or 4 unknowns." - emailer A

snippet from emailer B

"Frost made the motion to approve transfer of policing powers to the county. He spoke first and indicated that his ultimate intention was to do what it takes to save money for the taxpayer - he supported the motion saying he had not received a mandate from the public to turn down the opportunity to save 1.9 million a year. The results of the web survey were not released for reasons I could not make out ( Stan mumbles too much - at one point he was asked to speak up)

Brocanier supported the motion spitting out more of his funny numbers and odd calculations - as evidenced by some snickers in the gallery. His approach seemed rather simplistic and may I say shallow.

Mutton spoke at great length and made some interesting observations, reaching far deeper into the issue than Mr. Broc.

Spooner did his dance awkwardly stepping on both sides of the fence but landing on the no side, rejecting the motion.

McCaughey said very little, 45 seconds worth and voted against the motion

McDonald said less but explained that he had to support the local police because that's what he promised in his election platform.

Delanty made a passioned plea to support the 2 million a year savings, which he would suggest "banking" for use in building the 20 million rec centre (banking - as in keeping to spend in other ways rather than reducing taxes - a true conman)"

But the puzzler concerned the online vote, one emailer stated that a sheet of results were handed out:

For the CPS 296
Against the CPS 137

A resounding No to the resolution. Stan Frost was last quoted saying he was waiting to see the results of "direct democracy". He will now have to explain why he thought that the vote was "erroneous".

So what now? The County will take note, Delanty will vote yes at the County, in direct conflict with his Council, Port Hope will vote on the issue soon and Brighton will either support or defy the wishes of its PSB and Hamilton Township will be a puzzle until the vote. Whispers are getting louder about a No vote coming from Camborne. And, why were the Mayor and the Chair of the Township's PSB at our meeting? Answers to come later - stay tuned!

The Northumberland News has already written a story here