The CCC getts a 4 - 2 approval rating

You don't give a figures man no figures and you don't give the process lady no process! That's what the fifty minute debate about the Cobourg Community centre boiled down to yesterday afternoon.After two amendments were voted down, the main resolution - to approve the building of the CCC and finance the Municipal portion with funds from the development charges account, passed in a recorded vote without much ado.
The debate kicked off with Councillor Frost asking that the project be made more specific and that private clubs, especially the Lawn Bowling club be left out of the project unless they pay a full rate. "The June report spoke about a club house for the Lawn Bowling Club, we should not be using public money to relocate private clubs." When the gang of four made it abundantly clear that they were not going to support his motion, quote Councillor MacDonald, "This motion is redundant, the Steering Committees will decide this" Frost tried to persuade the rest of Council to tighten up the proposal, in Council chambers, the majority were quite happy to let unelected and as yet unknown members of the steering committees decide the nuts and bolts of the build. So having kicked Stan in the goolies the gang of four then put the boots, in due process, to the other dissenter of the group.
Councillor Mutton wanted to know why the Council was funding the Municipal Portion of the build, $6 million, out of the development charges fund and not use the "playmoney" from the Holdco and Northam park dividends because when debentured the $6M goes to $8M. When asked the reason CAO Steve Robinson said, "It' a philosophy thing, do you want the taxpayers in the next 25 years paying for the facility or do you want present taxpayers doing it?" So she made a motion to the effect that other funds be used as well as development charges used to finance the debt - it lost. After that she wanted the resolution split in two parts so that she could vote for the project but against the financing details. It never happened so she voted against the resolution because of the financing arrangements. For his part Councillor Frost was incensed "We have met three times on this issue and we have never had a discussion about what it is! Council must settle down and say what it is we are doing."
Apparently that is something they will not do now because at the same meeting they decided to hire a Project Manager to fill in the details, with the steering committees, and run the project. BTW that decision cost us $310K.

Who says that the Private Sector can do it best? Putting their faith in owning and operating their own piece of equipment Council bought a boat. A dredger to be precise. Cobourg spent $123K last year on dredging the harbour and it is an annual chore. If Cobourg wants a harbour it has to keep the entrance open by dredging. Buying a boat for the sum of $688K and paying for it over ten years we save 46K alone on our own costs. If we rent it out at $566 per hour we make more money, and there are customers already waiting for it. A good deal for all and it came about because this was a job that the private sector couldn't do, or didn't want to do, properly!

Sorry folks, the comments are late.

Keep the comments coming in and I promise to check the comment moderation page more often - I have missed some timely comments as blogspot appears not to be emailing them directly to me

If the local candidate is only worth 5%?

If the local candidate in any election is only worth about a 5% increase or decrease in the final numbers (and this is a bedrock of belief amongst pundits and pols alike) how can a story like this gain traction? This story, published in the "Hill Times" quotes spokespeople from Harris-Decima as saying, "The next election will be fought on a riding by riding basis." Kinda of a contradiction. Fighting the election riding by riding assumes that local candidates will be important to the election. Not!

If local candidates are going to be important let's look at what we have here in NQW. An incumbent who has been pasting the riding with cheques and cut ribbons and costing us a fortune on nonsensical free flyers - "householders", that arrive on what seems to be a weekly basis and two parties that have not announced who their candidate is going to be. The Libs have a nomination race with two no-names announced so far and a couple more in the wings, but nobody with "gravitas" yet. It appears that this will be a nomination fight by proxy - who can snag the biggest endorsement; round one to a man who lives in the riding but teaches in Kingston. Andrew McFadyen, from Warkworth, has been endorsed by someone who the average voter may have trouble remembering - Christine Stewart, an ex Chretien Minister. The Dippers haven't had a press release yet to announce a replacement for Russ Christianson, it is believed to be Will Lambert from Port Hope, but he had better start to get out this summer to the BBQs just to introduce himself.

Down to the nitty gritty - the CCC decision

First of all a hydro outage at my house yesterday, rewiring the panel, and the need for a couple of days off today and tomorrow may mean sporadic posts.

OK here it is: the Community Centre project and it's up for the first real vote on Monday. A thick memo lays out all the details, and the bottom line is that this project will be built without hitting the taxpayers for an extra dime. But you say what about the operating costs? They're in the report but obviously based on best estimates from the Staff. Without a breakdown of the revenues one cannot argue the figures but the report says that total revenues from all three rinks and the revamped Memorial Centre will net a combined loss of $318K. The current loss for two rinks is $126K. So the real operating cost to the taxpayer of Cobourg will be about 1% increase in taxes to pay for the Community Centre which will be built without a tax impact. Look at it in the real world and without bias and it appears to be a good deal.
The devil is in the details and those are to be worked out by three steering committees: fundraising, building and operating. But the absolute bottom line is that $2,733,00 has to be raised from the public - 10% so joe public show your stuff if you want this place pay up if not be vocal in your opposition.

The Corcoran affair has taken a life of its own. Started in an online publication, travelled to the National Post and then carried by the local paper, now it has travelled back into cyberspace where some hardline views are being expressed. But for an depth reasoning of the way Mr Corcoran has approached this issue, and he says the problem is systemic in the parish - that of an unaccepting congregation against changes being implemented by a Parish Priest one should read his blog here. Here is a list of the places in cyberspace that emerge when you "Google" Corcoran and the Church: Socon or Bust, Box Turtle Bulletin, Michael Coren and the National Post, The Shotgun Blog, try them.

Another nail in Obama's coffin. The linchpin of organised labour's support for Obama was the imposition of a new union organising regime, called the "The Employees' Free Choice Act" the mainstay of this bill was a process called the "card check" where employees could get a union if a majority signed union cards, hence the term "card check". Now in this story it looks as though the card check, the major symbol of Obama's reform agenda is biting the dust. Sad; but predictable.

What an interesting day yesterday was

Yesterday's post, that asked the question - "Where is the local media" on the Corcoran vs the Bishop of Peterborough, certainly educated me as the day went on. Firstly the post was up and then an email from one of the media defending itself came in, then the radio station posted a paragraph of rewrite from the "Catholic Register", with nothing new in it, and then an email exchange took place about the ethics of the situation.

As explained to me no responsible journalist can just rewrite a story stick their name on it and then print it - that violates original copyright. The story was broken by Patrick B Craine on 7th July, on a website LifeSiteNews.com. He wrote an extensive story here that included a copy of the complaint sent to the tribunal here. The Catholic Register wrote about the story here on the 9th July and quoted Mr Corcoran some more, thereby avoiding copyright rewrite problems.

So back to the local absence on this story. An editor from one of the local MSM, in an email exchange, told me that he couldn't rewrite the story "that would be plagiarism." Unfortunately for him Mr Corcoran and the complainants have gone to ground and have clammed up giving no new material to the reporter assigned to it. But an enterprising editor might have seized on that silence as a new angle to the story and run with "All in Human Rights complaints case clam up!" and then get into the story using the two previous articles as background.

More about the Brighton railroad issue. Councillor Craig Kerr certainly isn't afraid to take on the lions. He is challenging the way that the County has interjected itself into the "grade separation" debate as a threat to the Town, “What he is saying is it doesn’t matter if Brighton votes on this or not, the county will do what it wants anyway,” Coun. Kerr said. “That’s highly improper. He basically threatened our council with consequences if we didn’t make a decision, and it prejudiced the decision of people.” (source NorthumberlandNews July 15 2009)
Claiming that the County will take over the process and that is a threat to the autonomy of the Town. As an observer of the issue the question to me is the behaviour of the Mayor, either with the complicit understanding of the Council (obviously not Mr Kerr) or on her own she has figured out a way to get the County to pay for a Municipal expense, a very expensive one to boot.

A question for the local news, including the BurdReport

Last week I received emails pointing us to Wally Keeler's local online journal (read the details here), our cultural affairs correspondent, wherein he outlined a story about local businessman Jim Corcoran (he owns St Ann's Spa) and his pending lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Peterborough and 12 local Cobourg parishioners. The story is that Mr Corcoran, an admitted, but chaste for 19 years, homosexual began to serve the sacrament just before last Christmas. Twelve local parishioners objected, wrote a letter to the Bishop and Mr Corcoran was removed. Mr Corcoran responded by filing a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and is personally suing the twelve parishioners and the Bishop for $25,000 a piece.and the people named in the suit could be fined up to $25,000 (source "Catholic register").

Now the question - where was the local MSM in this, nary a comment even though the story was out there for the picking. It has only come to light now because the National Post has a piece about it this morning here. The sad part here, for MSM advocates, is that it was a rabid homophobic 'family values' site that broke the story early last week, beating the MSM to the punch.

This is where the MSM is - covering Dalton. The Lib spin machine is in full bloom taking advantage of the summer dearth of news and to announce an announcement, probably one of "old money" being re-announced. Put the above story with this one and you get a local MSM not willing to rock the advertisers and pump out political spin because it is safe. Really ,how many 'real people' will be there to see Dalton anyway?

Another piece of locally significant news was the announcement that the local hospital is setting up a "Citizens' Advisory Panel". This group of folks will be the sounding board for the bad news of cuts in the hospital budget. As part of the contingency plan, where the budget is balanced, a "community engagement plan" has to be filed with the LHIN before such a contingency plan can be approved. A Queen's Park requirement that is such total BS that it stinks even from there. The idea is that the public can be brought on side with the proper massaging and consultation. Rather like putting five people in a room and saying to each of them, "You all have to lose a limb, what will volunteer to cut off - an arm or a leg?"

Two problems with this idea - the idea itself; that unpalatable decisions are more acceptable if the dirty work is done by some people other than the Board who are elected to make the dirty decisions and the fact that cutbacks are mandated by a remote central body like the LHIN. When the idea was being floated I assumed that the CAP would be a vehicle of consultation led by local people who would talk to others in the community and form community opinion. But talking to the CAO he thinks that the discussion will remain in the room of the appointed people. Whoa Nelly, where is the legitimacy in that? Who gets to speak for me and when do I get to speak to them?

A bit redundant we have an open membership that elects a Board, based on regional demographics and geographic representation and that Board is expected to make decisions. But in this case, probably the most important decision they will make this year - the budget, they decide to delegate their representative responsibilities - sad.

A guest column

Click for the guest column the pics are refreshing [that's because we can't smell it -ed]

A morning in the park

With a fresh breeze blowing in from the Lake, Victoria Park was packed and most were feeling chilly but pleased with the show. The Great Pine Ridge Car Show was on hand and nobody mentioned the chill just walked around in the sun and gawked.

From the oldest car - a 1913 Ford belonging to local aficionado, Terry Barker, to the flashiest a modified 190 purple lowered Chevy Impala, anywhere from 200 to 250 vehicles will be parked in the park today. One of the organisors, Bill Alls, told me, "That as cars are still arriving and depending on the weather, there will be up to as many as 250 cars here today."
Nationally revered car restorer, Doug Greer; of Cobourg, was greeting people at the gate and told me that apart from the popular ballot, one that anyone can enter for a buck, and select the best car, there will be no show champion. "The Judged show will be in Port Hope next month." So if you like cars there is plenty to look at this summer, in the area.

Reading between the lines

Two letters to the Brighton Independent question the motives, process and price to be borne by taxpayers in the railroad crossing debate in Brighton. In this letter Councillor Craig Kerr wonders how the CAO of the County managed to insert himself, and the County, into the debate without any direction from anyone in Brighton. This topic may not even have been on the agenda at the County, so what's he doing butting in? In this letter well known fiscal conservative and one-time reformer and former County Councillor Bonnie Browne asked just who will be paying for this massive expenditure when other needed County projects are on the books.

Reading between the lines anything that the County can do to undermine the autonomy of the lower tier it will do. If only to justify its own existence. For years the lower tier and the County have been locking horns about the efficacy of "County Roads". These are roads that begin in one Twp and finish in another. The County has been trying to download some of them particularly the ones that today seem to have no rationale. County Rd 33 going North from Hwy 45 at Fenella and leading to nowhere comes to mind. But Alnwick-Haldimand cries poor whenever the subject of transfer is raised.

In this case there are valid questions about Mr Pyatt's presence: who authorised it and who gave him the mandate to tell Brightoners "Brighton needs to finalize this quickly" (The Independent, July 2).
Councillor Kerr raises two more fundamental questions: "Two questions arise immediately. What inspired an employee of an upper tier administration to flagrantly interfere with, and attempt to override, the decision process of your elected council? How and why was the CAO's visit arranged without notice, and how did the report of it conveniently find its way into the local papers when no reporters were present at the meeting?"

Obviously more to come.

August 22nd 1999 these two, with another paddled across Lake Ontario in 10hrs 20 mins. Drs Paul Caldwell, Bill Moebus and Investment banker Jim Edwards intend to do it again in September, from Cobourg to Oak Orchard, to mark the anniversary.

This morning Bill Patchett announced the United Way fundraiser and the options for fundraising. For instance for $5000 you can sponsor one paddle, one life vest and a name on the canoe. The Doctors, Caldwell and Moebus will also buy dinner for two at the Woodlawn. Other sponsorship options exist and Billy P will give you a good price for your name. $2.00 tickets, that will win you donated prizes are on sale at 70 retailers around the area. And the big prize will be $500 for guessing the time taken to paddle the voyage - $5 for one or 3 for $10.

Remember this, the bike that was crossing Canada? Well it's back in Town for a refit. George Parker, the intrepid cyclist determined to go to N'fland, hit a snag on the east side of James Bay. His front wheel fell apart on the washboard gravel roads. But undeterred, I spoke with him this morning, he is getting the wheel rebuilt in Toronto, with a more robust rim, and has used the first part of the trip as a shakedown exercise. "I put no time limits on the trip and have accomplished the Ontario section, learnt a lot about myself and the equipment and will be ready to hit the trail again in a couple of days, but I don't want to ride without the best wheels, I need super rims!"

This time he will be starting in Quebec. He intends to pick up the trail in Matagami, after two days of train travel to get there and will be back in the thick of the blackflies by the end of the week, this time with a better and finer mesh headgear to ward them off. "Riding they don't bother ,you but as soon as you stop you are swarmed."

What is it about the cells in the Port Hope police station, a second person has been found hanging from the beams, at least they found the latest guy alive. Within 55 minutes of first encountering the Police he was discovered hanging with a blanket around his neck, sort of bang him up and then check the TV some time after he was placed in the cells. Obviously the cells are not monitored constantly, as the inquest into the first guy will hear. Hey Port Hope Cobourg has a pretty good system and it comes cheaper than a complete refit of facilities and staff.

With the swirl around the Liberal Party politics, another wrinkle is being added. Former Cobourg resident and popular Grocer - Tom Batchellor, of No-Frills fame, is heard as a potential nominee for the Macklin seat.

With the story in the TO Star about a Cabinet Minister being punished for doling out money to the Gay Pride parade here the conservative votes in Warkworth may just have switched from the rainbow coalition to the farmers. This move will obviously please the conservative base and offend the LGBT folks. If this is going to be government policy, giving tax money only to those groups that please the ruling party, then we are in for some fiery policy situations and perhaps some Charter challenges. For an insiders opinion about the whole furor, which is being stirred up by a conservative homophobic website called "Lifesite" click here. And, here is a column by pundit Paul Wells about the whole government programme that is causing so much grief.