no entries for until Monday 17th

We are away on Vacation, talk to you all when we come back

Continuing the debate

Last week Prof Robert Washburn and me commented on the political fact that we continue to study stuff that goes nowhere. Here is another good example of that problem. Loo (Rinaldi), the local MPP, is trumpeting a funding exercise with the sucker upper of all government funds, the local CFDC, that will study the possibility of local agricultural processing. With so much food coming from offshore, one of the flunkeys at the presser quoted the mantra, "Do you know 35% of our peas come from China", we now have to investigate the possibility of local processing.

I would suggest that the first thing that the highly paid consultant selected by the CFDC does to earn their $45,000 would be to investigate what happened to the last attempt to process locally in Northumberland. There was at one time a very expensive processing plant that sucked up oodles of government dough trying to process local crops locally. I can't remember the name of the place but it was located on Masthead Rd. in Hope Township. Went bellyup in a huge flameout of government money.

Just a suggestion look to history before treading into the future!

I remember when

A favourite email amongst the older set, and I get a few of them, is the one that starts off - "I remember when" and then proceeds to list all kinds of fantasies about how much better life was years ago. Now how about a "remember when" from Cobourg.

I remember when you could take a lunch, after supper ice cream or just a daydream break at the Harbourfront. One would just drive down Division St and sit in one's car and watch. Watch whatever went on at your leisurely pace. Gone! With the open space now occupied by affluent condo owners and the miniscule parking lots taken over by long term parkers, some of whom are condo owners with second cars who cannot park onsite because of the failure of Councils to ensure that developers provide adequate parking, the daydreamers have been moved on. But now they have been completely excluded from the waterfront. Signs have appeared that instruct anyone thinking about parking in the West lot, the last public lot available, not to park unless they are part of another exclusive group - actual lakefaring people - Cobourg Yacht Club members or Marina users. There is a trick to engage in daydreaming these days but you have to understand the secret method, secret because it is not publicised, go to the Marina office and beg for a pass to park.

Let's think about this, if the public lot is now going to used exclusively for Yachters and Marina users when can we expect them to pay for this privilege? If the public cannot use this area why should they pay a penny for the upkeep - shift the tax burden to the users, after all they have exclusivity. If I cannot use it I will not pay for it! And at the same time if there are other tax breaks being given to this group remove them after all they are a private club. The Town cannot cry poor about revenues and then expect the taxpayer to subsidise private clubs,

I write this to point out the law of unintended consequences - you cannot have unfettered public access to diminishing public space if you have inadequate planning policies and subsidies to private areas. I'm just suggesting to Council that on this issue you own up to your mistake and acknowledge that the supposed benefit of creating a community at the lakefront has worked to the detriment of the rest of us.

Not quite the last final word

In the note below I referred to the Deputy mayor's voting pattern. I have since received information (thanks to the speed of the internet and readers obviously hanging on to every word) that the motion to delay the process was hurried and the DM may have voted in the affirmative on this one but due to the haste of the process may have appeared to have voted against it. If anyone at the meeting can clarify this action it would be appreciated

A final last word about the frink

A quote from an email to me about Monday night's Council meeting especially the Deputy Mayor's stand

"Broc had the opportunity to prove his sincerity in opposing the deal when Frost made a motion to delay everything and Broc voted against that just minutes before he stood and voted against the project itself citing the unnecessary rush to push this through without properly informing the people of all the pertinent details, something that could have easily been done if Frost's motion had passed."

Just thought the world should know

Wardens pose questions, the public should have answers

If you believe that anyone of the political animals that reside on County Council will vote for the party that supplies the best answers I have some swampland for you! Read what they (wardens) have concocted and then speculate that if the NDP had the best answers see how they wriggle out of voting for them. These Wardens should be told to respond publicly to the answers they receive so that we can see if they are posturing or really mean to vote for the party with the best answer.story here

Now for the litmus test

Will this guy get the usual gush of mourning that all the others have received. Obviously a "base wallah" what he was up to will be determined in due course but will he get the ramp ceremony and if he does what kind of effect does that have on the morale of the rest of the troops? Obviously highlighting the differences between those who go "outside the wire" and those who don't. globeandmail.com: Canadian soldier found dead in Kabul

TV & radio: Last night's TV: Boys from the Brown Stuff

Don't you wish you had this channel on our TV? Boys from the Brown Stuff and the way the review is written blows me away.

A couple of days off

I have been at home for the last couple of days and it has given me time to reflect on many things not the least of which is the way the local health system operates. I had an industrial accident at work and managed to pinch the end of my finger So much so it had to be amputated, just the first knuckle, (anyone notice the speed at which I am typing now?). The experience was interesting. Arriving at the NHH, in a police car. I managed to flag down one of our local guys just as it happened and said "I have to go to the hospital". This police car bit is topical as I would say that it probably would not have happened under the OPP style of policing. Being immediately triaged was good for me but bad for the packed waiting room. I was told later that an unnamed person did mutter to the accompanying police person "If you want the finger saved you probably came to the wrong hospital" Cut (no pun intended) a long story short the finger was sutured in place and an appointment was made to see a plastic surgeon in Bowmanville later that day. As someone commented later, "Big shiny place but no doctors!" Arrived in B'ville at the appointed time and was admitted in a place that looked like wartime air raid shelter, nice people crappy surroundings. Went to sit in the waiting room and listened to how a youth had been stabbed at a field party and was shown a new scar to go with the story, he was waiting too. one hour and three quarters later the surgeon turned up. Another delay as the CD given to me by the NHH was defective and couldn't be read so more x-rays. Finally on the table, again in what looked like a cubbyhole immediately off the main entrance, I had the finger very expertly tidied up and was on my way.
Lessons to be learned:

• Don't put your fingers where they shouldn't be unless you want to lose them
• Don't judge the level of care by the surroundings - Cobourg shiny, no docs, B'ville grungy but docs

As I write this I don't know the answer

Tonight Council will be approving a siteplan for the fountain/rink, it will pass because they have the votes to enable passage. But the saga will continue, even though three delegations will speak tonight, because the tenders have yet be voted on. I don't know the end result of this issue but you can bet it will be dragged on and on by the angry spurned opposition. Perhaps that is the strategy to drag it out until the financial deadline expires. In the meantime the only suspense is watching "I used to be the Deputy Mayor but now am only a councillor, but I wore the chain of office a couple of times" Bob Spooner trying to weasel out of the deal by threatening to vote against it if the tenders come in over $1.4.

As an aside I see the local paper printed a letter expressing maximum encouragement to the Mayor for sticking to his guns and position. Pity the fellow who wrote it lives in Hamilton Township - Keep out of it Mr Houston.