Just a quick post

Can't wait to see the reaction on Port Hope Council's faces when the first application for tenancy in the new Industrial Park turns out to be a well heeled big box who willl want to change the zoning, just like Strathy Road and WallyMart!

Sticking with Port Hope one of the first comments from a PHoper turned out to a no-hoper whining about Cobourg's bully-boy tactics and leaving PH once more a victim - boohoo. Surely at this stage where PH has peed away $25,000 of scarce taxpayers dollars there should have been more of a rational reaction, like telling the King Peter and Queen Linda to stop playing games and "jaw-jaw" rather than "war-war".

An update

Thanks to all who are posting and perhaps wondering why nothing from me. I came back from vacation and ended up with a gall bladder attack that laid me up for three days, and am now waiting for the removal. Am at home living on the lowest of no-fat diets. Unfortunately the BurdReport publishing press, my trusty P4, crapped out so I am somewhat incommunicado. But all will be well soon.

Another Guest Post

Greg Hancock

I received an e-mail this week giving a link to an explanation of the current controversy about fabrication of climate change data. The link is http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/12/
understanding_climategates_hid.html.

Briefly, It appears that by manipulation, massaging and careful choices of of various sources of data about climate and temperature it is possible to prove almost anything.

Traditionally there was a medieval warming period from AD 1000 to 1400, followed by a little ice age. These are reasonably well documented by stories of Irish boats traveling to North America via "Iceland" which was in fact warm and Greenland which was green. The Frost Fairs on the Thames attest to the little ice age.

Yep - bring in the OPP

My patience is exhausted! A definition of a progressive is a person who takes progress one step at a time, A radical wants it all at once. Well what do you call a committee that argues the same ground constantly and never seems to progress? The Cobourg-Port Hope policing committee! PH wants to direct its own affairs, even in the face of a $6-7 million cost to bring their inadequate Police Service up to Provincial standards. Side question - how long is the Province going to allow the citizens of PH to be put at risk by subpar police standards?

Are the Cobourg pols to blame for not wanting to talk some more in the face of the interim PH Chief's subservience to his new political masters as opposed to a rational examination and discussion of a now wasted $50,000 study? There is enough blame to go around on this one, I am sure that the two Chief's of Police will continue to drink coffee and commiserate about the lack of political sense but it still comes down to the same old problem - Cobourg pushing too hard and taking their balls home with them when the game doesn't go their way and Port Hope playing the victim. How many times do we have to see this?

Bur back to the headline, If there is to be no progress let's bring in the OPP and quit throwing taxpayers money away.

Another guest post

Deb O'Connor

Is there a Senior in your mirror?

Last night I attended a west high school jazz band performance, and a student at the door told me the cost was $2. When I mentioned it to my son he got a funny look on his face, then told me it was because I was charged the senior rate. Oh.

Reflecting on that, I have to acknowledge I was a bit shocked to realize the girl came to that conclusion by simply looking at me. Despite wearing my trusty jean jacket and snazzy red shoes, this blonde child mistook me for an old person.

What the hell happened here? When I look in the mirror, I just see me, the same face I've always had. I don't see blue hair curled into waves, or a hair net, like my nana had. She was definitely an old person, but me?

There must be a mistake here. My sympathies still lie with the misunderstood youngsters, the underdogs, and anybody who has had the misfortune to run up against Authority. I haven't forgotten the sweet anguish of youth, the passion for life.

Is that what Sinatra meant about being young at heart? I hope so, because my corporeal self is letting me down, and I'm not ready to give in to old age, not by a long shot.

A guest post

W Keeler

Another victory for FREE SPEECH. This time it was struck by the Court of Queen’s Bench in Alberta, Dec.3, that overturned the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ruling against Stephen Boission for writing and sending a scurrilous letter against homosexuality which had been published June 17, 2002 in the Red Deer Advocate.

Five years later, November 29, 2007, the AHRC announced their ruling: “paragraph 357 excerpt “In this case, the publication's exposure of homosexuals to hatred and contempt trumps the freedom of speech afforded in the Charter. It cannot be the case that any speech wrapped in the `guise' of politics or religion is beyond reproach by any legislation but the Criminal Code”.

Several months later came the “remedy”.

14. The Panel finds, and the Panel orders as follows:
a.
That Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. shall cease publishing in newspapers, by email, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals. Further, all disparaging remarks versus homosexuals are directed to be removed from current web sites and publications of Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc.
b.
That The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. and Mr. Boissoin shall, in future, be restrained from committing the same or similar contraventions of the Act.
c.
That Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. provide Dr. Lund with a written apology for the article in the Red Deer Advocate which was the subject of this complaint.
d.
That Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. shall request the Red Deer Advocate publish a copy this Order in the Red Deer Advocate and that they request their written apology for the contravention of the Act be published in the Red Deer Advocate.
e.
That Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. shall pay to Dr. Lund an award for damages, jointly and severally, in the amount of $5,000.00

It is obvious that the remedies are ludicrous and unenforceable.

The Canadian Constitution Foundation declared that “In spite of today’s court ruling, Albertans need to continue to exercise extreme caution when speaking about public policy issues, lest they offend someone who then files a human rights complaint. No citizen is safe from being subjected to a taxpayer-funded prosecution for having spoken or written something that a fellow citizen finds offensive.”

Take a break for a week

Pre-Christmas break is now on. Posting to resume on Tuesday 15th December.

BUT as the computer will be travelling with me TheBurdReport will be able to post, so if anybody wants to post just email me and I'll put it up. On the other hand there may be a travel blog erected. I'll provide the link if it gets done.

Bargaining - modern style

"We've made a fair offer" says executive vice president Michael Shtaif, of Viceroy Homes. The union comment was "is either take it - or we're closing,". Fair to whom? and further down the Union press release was another comment that the contract comes with no guarantee of not being shutdown. References were made to efforts by local elected officials being invovlved in rescue efforts and these have been ignored. So just what is a community to do when faced with determined employers? Not much except to get involved either to make the pols loook good for trying or ignore the situation because nothing can be done. Does the Mayor of Cobourg really think that a brand new arena is going to make Cobourg more attractive to prospective companies? If he does he is delusional. The local taxes that the company will pay are far more of a detriment and drag than a shiny new ice-pad that the exec's kid's will play on.

In another story it has been reported that a mediation session between Cameco and USWA 14913 hasn't gone very far. This is a puzzling strike in that Cameco has deliberately set out to own all parts of the nuclear business from mining to installation. Why then take out a piece of the chain for such a minor set of issues?

Another shiny piece of newspaper illustrated the five proposals for the CCC yesterday. Pity the submission for comments had passed by the time people had sat down to read and make comment. The announced plan has not changed yet and the timetable means that nobody will know who has been selected to build the CCC until Monday evening's meeting, probably not even councillors as the agenda is already printed. "Will that be - door #1 or door #2" Peter and when will interested citizens be able to make comment?

The HST debate is confusing

The Libs are getting their knickers in a knot, they are having a caucus meeting to discuss how they can not bring the government down, not put themselves into a position of supporting an unpopular tax and not annoying Gordon Campbell and Dalton McGuinty. The Provincial Cons are getting tossed out of Parliament, and making absolute asses of themselves and the Federal Cons are ramming through a motion designed to put eh Libs on the spot. Surely Tim "little mike" Hudak should be talking to his federal pals, after he knows the PM's chief of staff very well having served with him in Queen's Park.
The only parties with any consistency are the Bloc, they are for it (don't understand why) and the NDP who are against it at both levels of government.
Locally the NDP candidate is applying pressure by calling upon Rick Norlock to tell his boss to stuff the HST - respond to his constituents instead of taking orders from Party Central. Read his release here
For those who want to make a point you can join a demonstration at Queen's Park on Thursday December 3rd at 1.30pm and demand public hearings.

Missed the meeting

Didn't get back into Town until 1930hrs, so I missed the big event. I did have great feedback from one person who I knew would be there and although the delegations did give details the big details about operating costs could not be given because the tenders haven't been opened yet.
I guess the invitation for public input should have been, "Ask any questions but we can't give the answers you want if they are financial." Well excuse us folks, after all isn't the operating cost the one item we have to know, as the building is going up for free, the yearly costs should be known! Taxpayers should have no surprises, it is not too late to can the project.
Just as a footnote. I asked my question by downloading the pdf form, filled it out with an online pdf editor and emailed to the Mayor's email address at City Hall. I also cc'd all six councillors and the CAO. Tagged the "send me a receipt button" and waited for a response. Out of of all of these eight people, seven of whom pledged, in their election campaigns, to be responsive and open to questions, I received two receipt notifications, one answer (in two emails) from two Councillors and a very welcome phone call from the CAO. Thanks Stephen, I'll be home next time you phone. Perhaps the Mayor meant, when he asked on the form, if a response is needed, that the CAO, or a minion would be his flunky. I guess the other councillors don't need to respond after all they aren't the Minister of Sports. Although that guy, Councillor "I want to open the Arena" Bob Spooner didn't respond either. Perhaps he will when he figures out how to use email!