2008

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="044785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Speaking Out</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Speaking Out"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Speaking Out"><U><B><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive"><U><B><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Year 2009"><U><B><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="045d2b03.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>2008</I></div> <div> <B>Dec. 23, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Here we go Again</B></div> <div>      Last Friday the MOE delivered a letter to the city in regards to the Risk Assessment. As we all know there has been a six year attempt by council, mayor and city management to put a square peg in a round hole. Over and over again they have kept on wasting millions and millions of dollars even though they have been advised that it won't work. Instead of taking care and doing their due diligence these guys continue to try ramming that square peg into our collective round hole. </div> <div>      Once again, and just in time for Christmas the MOE has raised the same old concerns that these people have been avoiding. The 15 page letter from the MOE states many concerns literally says that if these people don't start addressing the problems then there would be no approval. Three times now the city has failed to address simple but expensive requests. From day one the city never budgeted for remediation because that is expensive. But because the sight is so bad there will never be approval without at least partial remediation. As I have known the problem is not just with a particular area where the footprint was to be or where they want it to be. The problem is that the whole site is bad. From the 600,000 lbs of asbestos that Otaco spread to the thousand of gallons of toxins poured into the cribs this property is one of the worst contaminated sites in the world.</div> <div>      People are always asking me whether there will ever be a MURF built on the site. The short answer is "it has to be cleaned". Unless there is $50,000,000 in the city coffers for just clean up the answer then is "No!". With this latest letter it is very clear that as I have been saying all along "remediation" is the only answer if the property is to be used as they envisioned. Here we go, having just spent tens and tens of thousands more for this latest submission and it is still so incomplete that the MOE needed to tell them to <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Smarten Up</B></FONT> a mere few weeks after their submission of the NEW & Improved RA???? Here is a copy of the letter  <a href="HTMLobj-2029/MOE_Response.pdf"><u>MOE_Response.pdf</u> </a>  .</div> <div>      Here is one item on remediation that the MOE wants addressed.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><B>The Ministry has raised the issue of remediation, or partial remediation of the MURF site on </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>several </B></FONT><B>occasions in the past</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >. The response in the Risk Assessment with respect to this issue is that excavation and disposal is cost prohibitive and in-situ methods are basically not technically feasible. The ministry continues to be concerned that no effort is being made to at least partially remediate the site. Some proposed engineering controls will be constructed below the current water table in an area in close proximity to soil and groundwater with high concentrations of chlorinated solvents. The Ministry recommends localized excavation of contaminated soil beyond the planned development excavation. Given that there is uncertainty in the long-term performance of the risk management measures, consideration should be given to sub-excavating soil (about 2 meters) beyond the development excavation and backfilling with non-contaminated soil. This could reduce the potential for direct contact of the proposed risk management measures with impacted soils and groundwater. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >Once more the MOE tells them that even though they have told you to remediate you are still ignoring their request. Yet the response from Lauer is that he thought remediation had been addressed. "</FONT><B>He was a little surprised that part of the ministry's comments deal with remediation or partial remediation of the site, something he thought had already been discussed</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >". Obviously not Tim. It's sad that even after six years you still don't get it. The ministry writes "</FONT><B>The ministry continues to be concerned that no effort is being made to at least partially remediate the site</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >". So what is it you don't understand Tim????  His talk was never yes we will do it so the MOE wasn't interested. Without that commitment the property simply can not be used. So simple I bet a monkey could understand it.</FONT></div> <div>      The request for remediation goes on to tell council that it would be a good idea to dig down two meters remove the soil and replace it with clean fill.</div> <div>  "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Ministry recommends localized excavation of contaminated soil beyond the planned development excavation</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >. " Now I don't know what localized area entails but I would venture an educated guess that it would be at least 5 or more acres in size. Can anyone imagine how much soil 6 ft. high by 5 acres would be???? One acre is 4840 square yards. Five acres would be 24,200 square yards X 2 yards deep = 48,400 cubic yards of contaminated soil to dispose of. But then there will be the needed excavation for the new footprint which will also have to be disposed of which will amount to another 40,000 cubic yards. At about $350 dollars per yard to truck all the way to Sarnia plus another $125 for tippage we got ourselves a real nice bankruptcy, or a $22,990,000 cost for taxpayers. After all that money the rest of the property would still have to be dug up and a liner placed. The 5 acres is only the worst contamination so there is plenty more to spend money on.</FONT></div> <div>      Then after spending all those tens of millions we still need to address the stuff leaching off the property as the soil removal only addresses the upper layer problems. Count on another say $10,000,000 to build a wall around the perimeter of the land 90 feet down to hold the chemicals on site. And let's not forget the millions of gallons of contaminated water that will have to be filtered and pumped. Gee Whiz I have already said all this and more for the past 6 years dozens of times. What is the sense, the dolts on council don't listen anyway. Read the MOE letter it's real easy to understand. Unless the city cleans up the site can not be used. If the site is cleaned up to a point it can be used it will most  likely be in the $50 to $60 million dollar range????</div> <div>      As I wrote yesterday, " <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" > Now is the time to smarten up not get stupider". Yet to read what these guys are saying in today's Packet smart is in short supply. Shut this insanity down once and for all. Orillia can afford a$25,000,000 rec center and a $13,000,000 library. Anything else is ludicrous. Let's get on with it guys and stop showing your stupid.</FONT></div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div>      </div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 22, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Toyota Posts First Ever Operating Loss</B></div> <div>      For the first time in 67 years Toyota is posting an operating loss of about $2.4 Billion for the year ending in March. The numbers used in yen are staggering. Last year Toyota posted a profit of 2.7 Trillion yen. That is around $35 billion dollars if my conversion is correct. So from a $35 billion profit the second largest, soon to be largest car company in the world, the outlook is dismal. In fact the whole industry is in dire straights. </div> <div>      As I wrote the other day our problems are just begining. Council tonight should start re-thinking their decision to go ahead with a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> library. The economic situation was bad and getting worse fast since councillors made their decision. As business after business closes and people lose their incomes the drain on city coffers will be tremendous. I have never believed anything Half Million Dollar Bob projected and still don't. Now his rosy numbers which should have shown we couldn't afford these insane projects are that much more wrong. This city couldn't afford their plans in the best economic times let alone now, and certainly not in the foreseeable future. It is time to shutdown these projects before anymore money is wasted.</div> <div>      Social spending will increase three fold by the end of next year. Even today the city budget uses $13,000,000 for social needs. A three fold increase means that the city will be spending as much as $39,000,000 of a $45,000,000 budget. Even if social spending  (which is mandated by law) only doubles, that still means social spending of $26,000,000 leaving very little for needs spending and nothing for grand projects for sure. Of course it could be far worse if the cities income is less than Half Million projects due to economic factors. So councillors, one or all of you had better start showing concern and tonight is as good a time as any. The faster you start, the less will be the waste. Just look at the harm Harper has done by doing nothing even though he claims to have known for a year of what was going to happen. Now is the time to smarten up not get stupider.</div> <div>      I urge you to read Pierre Burton's novel The Great Depression 1929 to 1939. Just read the first ten pages and you will see what the cause and how badly leaders dealt with the problems causing the Depression to last ten years instead of a couple. Then read how badly the Federal Government handled their responsibility to the people. You will see how both the province and feds downloaded most of the costs to municipalities for programs that promoted fraud and thievery but did very little for those who needed help. Read how Conservative Prime Minister R.B. Bennett  actually made things worse. </div> <div>      Stephen Harper is a carbon copy of Bennett. As Harper can't admit mistakes nor could Bennett. Bennett had no heart and dealt with suffering by pretending it wasn't happening, same as Harper was and is doing. Harper has no plan other than to cling to power for as long as he can. The world economy is bad, but Canada had built in safeguards before Harper took power. He squandered those safeguards for personal political power. He called an election to cover up his mismanagement in the hope that he would win a majority and could continue hiding his dismal record. Thanks to Harper, Flaherty and all the Mike Harris and Reform Rednecks we will all pay and many will suffer needlessly All you Progressive Conservatives it is time to join the Coalition and put the country before the God of Politics whom Harper worships. It is time to realize that the Lunatics are running the asylum. Just a few minutes ago I heard that Harper's advisor on the auto industry has resigned less than 2 days since the bailout was announced. It's time for all Progressive Conservatives to take back your party of Confederation. It's time to rid yourselves and the country of Harper and his ilk. Surely there are a dozen or so men or women Members of Parliament on the Conservative side who would stand up for our country and cross the floor to sit with the Coalition whether as party members or independents for the sake of our country?? As I have written here before, Harper would rather destroy all than to give an inch. It is time to standup to the bully and send him packing. History ladies and gentlemen is in your hands and hopefully the country will be in your hearts as well. </div> <div>      I urge all Liberals, NDP, Bloc and Green members to reach out your hands to the Progressive Conservatives to join you as full partners in the Coalition to Save Canada. Make sure that all in the Coalition no matter what party affiliation are treated with comradeship and affection for their sacrifice. Let's remember Canada is in an Economic and Ecological War that we can not afford to lose. We must all tighten our belts and work together for the common good. Partisanship must be abandoned for better times. Self serving politicians must be relegated to the garbage heap of history whether Federal, Provincial or Municipal. Our country and it's people must come first.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 21, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Saving Our Way to Prosperity</B></div> <div>      I have been saying for many years that what has been going on in our economy is unsustainable. Yesterday Harper and MaGuinty announced a $4 billion dollar bailout for GM and Chrysler. Of course there was the dodo about how this was a loan and must be paid back just like the dodo George W spouted. These people know that GM and Chrysler are actually bankrupt just like George W knows. Why it was George W who already said so and wanted to make sure that the bankruptcy would not be an unorganized one, was why he O.K.'d the ????Loan????. As GM and Chrysler Canada are subsidiaries of the US parent companies can it be any different here?</div> <div>      Last night I watched Harper's Christmas interview on CTV. The pain in my stomach and lump in my throat is still there this morning. Harper is the wrong man to lead this country for what we are in and what is inevitably coming. This man is so stubborn that even now he takes no responsibility for the political crisis nor for anything to do with the economy. How on earth can we expect him to fix what is wrong if he still does not accept any responsibility. He still sees nothing wrong with the Economic statement and truly doesn't understand why anyone should of become upset. He claimed to have predicted the problems coming way back last year and tried to take credit for his foresight. Yet during and since the election he has been telling us that our economy was sound. He said not to worry and would never go into deficit. Some insight Eh!!. I urge everyone to watch this interview and see the man who he really is. He is not a leader or even remotely close to one. What he is a man who is so much enamored with himself that he can't and does nothing wrong and that he will kill this democracy that was Canada to have his way.</div> <div>      He kept talking about how other parts of the world were in much worse shape and about how Canada has been well managed for the past 3 years. But of course there was no talk of how he took over a 12 billion dollar surplus annually and has squandered it. Canada I can assure you was in much better shape when he took it over and in much worse shape now because we put him in to govern. A huge mistake made by voters who will live to regret it. He also claimed that nobody knew how bad things would get in an effort to disclaim blame of himself yet gives himself credit for knowing it. This man simply has to go.</div> <div>      There is a man living in Tweed Ontario by the name of Bert Hielema whom Harper should pay a visit to. This chap who is in his 80's writes a weekly column for the Belleville Intelligencer. I became aware of his writings about a year and a half ago. Bert is one of the most intelligent and thoughtful people I have ever read. He tells it like it is and is unafraid to make predictions that are incredibly accurate. His web-site is <A HREF="http://www.hielema.ca/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hielema.ca/"><U>http://www.hielema.ca/</U></A>. He started writing back in Nov. 2000 as his Archive page shows. Bert doesn't wait for events to unfold but actually reasons out what will happen and why in the future. If you want you and your family to weather the storm we are in I suggest you start reading Bert's current and past writings. I would also suggest that all Parliamentarians go to Bert's web-site and heed his advice or at least take them under advice.</div> <div>      Flaherty appointed a panel of advisors on the economy the other day. Not one of them are ordinary working Canadians from the trenches. How could billionaires and multi millionaires know what happens here in the real world???? I watched a biography of Jim Pattison one of Flaherty's appointees and would suggest based on that biography he is a terrible choice. One of the stories he told in the documentary was about how he ran his car dealership. He said how every month the salesman with the lowest sales was fired by him. Every salesman knew it so to Jimmy it was the way it was. One month a particular salesman who wasn't a star but had never been in last place knew it was his turn as his sales were dismal. There was no more time left in the month so he decided to become pro active and went to see Jimmy on the last day of the month. He told Pattison how his performance was not up to snuff that month and pleaded for his job. He told Jimmy how he needed this job. He had some family problems. He had four children. He would try to improve and prove himself worthy. Tears flowed from his eyes as he spoke to Pattison. For a moment he thought there might be a chance as tears welled up in Jimmy's eyes. Jimmy stood up and went to this poor soul, embraced him as they both shed tears for the man's plight. As Jimmy let go of his embrace he looked at the man and told him, non of this mattered and fired him. Jimmy goes on to tell us that he felt he was doing this guy a favour because he was in the wrong job. And this is the guy who Flaherty and Harper chose to take advice from. Each and everyone of us had better be real scared of any advice Pattison might give at least in regards to how working Canadians are to be dealt with. If Flaherty really wants good advice I urge him to contact Bert Hielema and ask him to sit on this advisory panel.  I urge Mr. Flaherty to read Bert's Archives and see just how accurate his predictions and advice to his readers over the last 8 years have turned out. Simply Mr. Flaherty the last thing we need is for Scrooges to run this economy.</div> <div>      Just one more notation. In watching the Harper interview make sure you pay particular attention to words like, let me be honest, quite frankly, let me be frank, to be honest,  watch his body language and his eye's. This is a man who can not be trusted, can not be honest with us and can not be frank. This is the worse man for the job whether in good times and certainly not right now. We need honest, sincere leaders who listen, take advice, admit they make mistakes have a conscience and have a heart for people's situations. Harper has not shown any of those qualities.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 20, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Worse is Yet to Come</B></div> <div>      Yesterday George W decided to pass over 17 Billion dollars to GM and Chrysler in a bid to save them. I don't for a minute believe that this money can or will save them from their predestined fate. The only thing it will do is to give them a bit more time and download another debt on the next generations. In today's Packet local car dealers are praising this waste of future generations financial well being as the right thing to have been done. </div> <div>        " <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>It takes the cloud off the picture and we can get back to what's important: selling cars and trucks," said Jim Wilson, owner of Jim Wilson Chevrolet. "The people who thought this wasn't important -- think again. You would've seen the biggest depression this world had ever seen</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >." </FONT></div> <div> He then goes on to lay blame on others instead of the industry.</div> <div> <B>"The real issue isn't General Motors management. The real killer is the credit crunch," Wilson said. </B></div> <div> <B>More than 50 per cent of the people who applied for financing at his dealership this month have been denied. </B></div> <div> <B>"There's all kinds of buyers; they just can't get the credit," he said. </B></div> <div> <B>A year ago, the majority would have been approved, he added. </B></div> <div> <B>"The banks have to quit gouging," Wilson said. "The automotive problem didn't start with the automotive industry. It started with the banks and credit industry."</B></div> <div> Then Bob Brown of Thor Motors says, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>"Any claims that North American automakers are making unwanted products -- and that company mismanagement is solely to blame -- are false, Brown said"</B></FONT>. </div> <div> These statements and reasoning is exactly why the Auto Industry is in so much trouble. Just think about Wilson's claim that his inability to sell cars to people who can't qualify for a loan is the cause of all his ills. I will bet  that no one has been turned down for a car loan if their income and financial situation is stable. If 50% of applicants don't qualify then they really shouldn't be looking to buy a new car anyway. Wilson's short term thinking that only sales matter and nothing else shows how quality, service and affordability simply doesn't matter to the industry. Wilson doesn't seem to want to hold himself responsible for his own problems. How many people reading this actually think that Wilson's move to his new location was a sound financial decision?? Who couldn't of figured out that creating such a huge overhead was going to impact his business??? Orillia is running rampant with rumors and talk about Wilson's decision to take on such a huge overhead. Someone told me that the cost for this new location was between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000. It's not hard to see that interest alone on $5,000,000 at 5% is $250,000 per year alone or $20,000 per month. I had a friend of mine tell me that commercial property taxes in Orillia runs about 4%  of it's assessed value. He has a small property located in downtown that is assessed at $160,000 and pays about $5,000 in taxes per year. If the same is true for Wilson's location that  would be another $16,600 per month in costs. Then we have his old location ($3,000,000 at 4%) sitting idle tax costing who knows how much ($10,000 per month??????) not to mention carrying costs of the property value. So whose fault is Wilson's problems???? Like Wilson the whole industry has been making some very bad decisions and it is now time to pay for them. Having taxpayers pay just to keep these companies running for a short time is short sighted. Click the city business tax link .<A HREF="http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/business/utilities_taxes.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/business/u"><U>http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/business/utilities_taxes.htm</U></A> </div> <div>      The same friend told me the other day that he would never again buy GM. He has a car purchased from Jim Wilson's that cost him $42,000. He tells me that there has been nothing but problems with it. Originally it started with a bulge in one of his tires. He was heading out on vacation on a Saturday when he discovered the problem. Tried Wilson's for a new tire which should have been under warranty. No stock and there was question whether warranty would be honoured as they tried to blame him. He then went to every tire dealer in Orillia and was told that the size was so odd that nobody had one. He finally rented a car so he wouldn't lose his vacation deposits. Upon return there was warranty and it turned out to be not his fault. But it took 3 weeks to get a new tire for him. It's so odd a size that even GM who sells these models with them doesn't stock them. Jim Wilson's answer to him "these things happen". Now that was last summer. This week his power steering went and was told there were no parts. Again he was told "these things happen". His answer to them now is I will never buy another GM or deal with Jim Wilson.</div> <div>      Unless attitudes change in the industry the Big 3 who are fast becoming the Little 3 will never recover. Unlike in the past, people have other choices. So before Wilson and Brown try to lay blame on all of us, maybe just a bit of humility might be wise. This story isn't the exception as I have heard dozens and dozens of others about all three brands. Their whole problem from the CEO's to the workers on the floor, to the dealers is attitude. Just look at the attitude of Jim Wilson "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>You would've seen the biggest depression this world had ever seen</B></FONT>." He actually believes that without the little 3 the world would go into the biggest depression. Every industry that creates jobs is important but like when a tornado passes there is a sucking sound that brings clear weather. I dare say it would be Jim Wilson who would experience the biggest depression along with others who are in that industry but it wouldn't be more than 6 months before others came into the market place to replace them. Again it's this attitude that if we go down, you will go down, because with out us no one can survive. As our Aunt Margaret was heard to say many times "a little more tact and a little more humility boy" as she chastised ones who believed themselves important and acted as if they were more important than the others. Time to clean up and time to either change or go the way of the dinosaurs. There will still be life and prosperity after a New Big 3 replaces the Little 3.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 18, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Two Conservative MP's Reply</B></div> <div> Rod Bruinooge, MP</div> <div> Winnipeg South</div> <bR> <div> Dear Jim,</div> <bR> <div> Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts on the possibility of a coalition government. My office received a number of calls and emails from Canadians and the clear majority were quite upset by the thought of Stephane Dion becoming our Prime Minister. Many were also concerned that he would be governing our country by means of support from the Bloc Québécois. Others sent a strong message that the Prime Minister and all MPs need to put politics aside and make a sincere effort to work together. </div> <bR> <div> In light of these concerns, our Prime Minister chose to request the Governor General prorogue Parliament. This allows MPs from all parties to work together on a budget to address economic instability. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was clear that he would like to receive specific suggestions from members of the Opposition and work with them to address Canadians' concerns. We sincerely hope that the Opposition will agree to work with the government Canadians elected. Their response to the Prime Minister's olive branch was not encouraging, but we hope they will decide to put Canada first. </div> <bR> <div> To be clear, Parliament has prorogued, but this does not mean that the government is taking a holiday; we want to get on with the business of governing. I can assure you that whatever happens, I will continue to work hard to represent the residents of Winnipeg South. There are a number of projects that are important to the riding, and I am working to ensure that they receive support from all levels of government. </div> <bR> <div> Thank you again for taking the time to share your views on this important issue. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas season and all the best in the New Year.</div> <bR> <div> Kind Regards,</div> <div> Rod Bruinooge, MP</div> <bR> <div> Then there was this one.</div> <bR> <div> Thank you for your e-mail message. Mr. Trost's first priority is to respond personally to correspondence from his constituents. If you are a constituent and desire such a response, please re-send your original correspondence with your full mailing address. All correspondence is replied to by regular mail.</div> <bR> <div> Due to the high volume of correspondence received only constituents of Saskatoon-Humboldt will receive a further response.</div> <bR> <div> Sincerely, </div> <bR> <div> Vikki Ruby </div> <div> Assistant to Brad Trost, MP </div> <div> Saskatoon--Humboldt </div> <div> 113 Justice Building </div> <div> House of Commons </div> <div> Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 </div> <bR> <div> Looks like Brad is overwhelmed by correspondence. Hmmm! wonder why he can't answer back to everyone by e-mail. Why would he waste paper, Post Office resources not to mention ink or toner unnecessarily?? It's disappointing to receive such a non response. It is disappointing to hear that Mr. Trost is not interested in engaging  with people outside of his own circle.  </div> <bR> <div> But then I haven't received a reply from our own MP Bruce Stanton except a note from his office thanking me for my correspondence?????</div> <div>  </div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 17, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Ken Dryden Replies to Support Letter</B></div> <div> Dear Mr. Tolnai,</div> <div> I had originally drafted this letter after the events of last week. The events of this week have also been of great impact to Canadians so I will try to speak to them as well.</div> <div> We now have a new Liberal Party leader, Michael Ignatieff. I support Michael and I support the process by which he was chosen as our leader. It is time for us to present to Canadians a permanent leader. Our economic situation as a country is such that world governments will be taking important decisions in the next months. The Harper Government, to say the least, has not responded to the global crisis in any real way. It is our job as the principal opposition party to push the Government to do more, and to do what is necessary. It is also our job, in this minority situation, to present to the public a party that is ready and able to govern. That requires a permanent leader who will plan and act like a permanent leader, and who is seen by Canadians as the permanent leader.</div> <div> Michael has the overwhelming support of Liberal Caucus and of members across the country. I look forward to the important weeks and months ahead.</div> <div> I would also like to say a few words about Stéphane Dion. This has not been an easy last two years for him or for the Party. No one in Canadian political history has had to deal with the kind of abuse that Mr. Harper rained on Stéphane. But he hung in there and kept to those things he believed. In hockey, they say the “tough guys” are those who deliver thunderous bodychecks to their opponents. But to me, it’s easy to deliver the checks. The real “tough guys” are those who are willing to take a check to “make a play” – to make a pass to set up a goal. Those who are willing to accept whatever the punishment in order to achieve the bigger goal. </div> <div> And that is Stéphane. He is as tough as they come. He went into politics not to get his name in the papers but because he thought those things he believed in most could be best pursued through politics. Now he is leaving as party leader, the public having delivered the message that he didn’t represent what they wanted as a Prime Minister but also, after all the blows, with his reputation for honesty, decency and intelligence absolutely intact, if not enhanced. A very significant achievement.</div> <div> Now to last week. Let me try to tell you what I think – </div> <div> This is a time when we face the most serious economic crisis since the 1930s. It is a time when as Canadians, as a world, as Parliamentarians, we know we need each other. We know we need to come together. </div> <div> After the Speech from the Throne on November 19th, things began promisingly. All parties, knowing the expectations of Canadians, talked of working more cooperatively. There had been enough bad experiences in the past that MPs couldn’t be anything but tentative about this, still the words were there. </div> <div> Mr. Flaherty’s Economic Update, however, turned out to be fundamentally, economically, distressingly inadequate. It did not reflect the dimensions of our problem. Other countries were acting seriously and determinedly. We were not.</div> <div> All that would have been bad enough, but there was something more. Again, this was a time to work together. There was just one thing to focus on – the economy; people’s jobs; the well-being of families. Nothing else mattered. We knew that. Everyone knew that. But Mr. Harper just couldn’t resist. He chose to do what he had done before, but never so outrageously as this time. It was the very wrong moment to do the very wrong thing.</div> <div> He decided as part of the Economic Update that there should be the elimination of public support for political parties. He argued that everyone needed to tighten their belts, and politicians should take the lead and set an example. What could be wrong about that? Except, of course, the impact of cuts like this relative to the economic crisis was practically zero; and further, the impact of this on what was his real intention would be anything but “practically zero.” </div> <div> Mr. Harper knew that this would mean all the Opposition Parties and any fledgling party such as the Greens would be affected far more than the Conservatives, and that in the next few elections at least (and with minority governments these elections happen more often), these parties would have a far harder time competing and potentially winning, which real and fair competition is the basis of our democratic system. Further, that this action, so wrong on its own, was doubly, triply wrong in the context of an economic crisis where everyone needs to work together. Where everyone needs each other. Where everyone needs to trust each other and focus on just one thing: the economy.</div> <div> This was Mr. Harper at his absolute worst (one would hope) doing something so completely so utterly political, so completely so utterly partisan and non-democratic, so fundamentally, so disturbingly, so outrageously wrong. </div> <div> It was at this point, after knowing finally and forever there was no way of working with Mr. Harper, that the Opposition Parties began talking seriously about whether we could work with each other. </div> <div> Coalition governments are not what Canadians are used to, and that makes Canadians anxious and uncertain. That is understandable. But coalitions are not at all uncommon in other very successful, very stable Western democracies – e.g. Germany, Netherlands, Belgium. And given the fact that we have four parties represented in the federal House of Commons and both the Liberals and Conservatives are strong enough to elect many Members (unlike a few years ago when the Conservatives were not), minority governments are now more likely, even probable. For a party to govern, it requires the support of one or more other parties, not necessarily under a formal agreement as would be the case with a Liberal-NDP Coalition, but with other-party, often Bloc, support nonetheless. That was what happened with Mr. Martin’s Government. That has been the case with Mr. Harper’s.</div> <div> As we go into the next few difficult weeks, let’s keep these things in mind:</div> <div> First, this would be a Liberal-NDP Coalition, led by the Liberals with a Liberal Prime Minister, where the Finance Minister would come from the Liberal Party, where 18 of the 24 Cabinet Ministers would be Liberals and 6 would come from the NDP. This is NOT a Liberal-NDP-Bloc Quebecois Coalition. The Bloc is NOT part of the Government. Their part of the agreement is ONLY to vote for the Coalition when there are confidence votes during the next 18 months. They have no cabinet positions. They have no say in the direction of the Government or Government policy any more than, as an opposition party, they do now.</div> <div> Second, a coalition government, though unusual in Canadian experience, is absolutely contemplated under our Constitution. In our Parliamentary System, a Government needs the support of the majority of the House of Commons. With a majority government, that support need come only from all the members of the governing party. With a minority government, there needs to be support from members of other parties as well. Mr. Harper’s Conservatives have 143 seats out of 308 in the entire House of Commons. A majority, therefore, is 155. The Coalition represents 163 seats. Just as it has been for the 141 years of our history, this Coalition would be a Government that represents the majority of the House of Commons. Again, different from what we are used to but entirely contemplated by our Constitution.</div> <div> The last point – </div> <div> I have said all that I’ve said above because the situation we have before us is not just about Canadians deciding between a Harper Government and a Liberal-led Liberal-NDP Coalition Government.</div> <div> There is no doubt the Coalition has its work cut out for it. Between now and when Parliament resumes on January 26th, it must demonstrate to Canadians that it can be a strong, stable, effective Government. It needs to begin planning and setting out its priority directions like a Government. It needs to be ready to govern if it is called on to govern by the end of January. That is its challenge. That is its bargain with Canadians. </div> <div> But Mr. Harper has a challenge too. And his challenge, I believe, is even harder. </div> <div> A Prime Minister sets the tone of the House of Commons. Respect gets respect. Disrespect breeds disrespect. The Prime Minister is now fighting to stay on to win a battle that need never have been fought in the first place. To preside over a Parliament whose dynamics, whose very relationships, he has poisoned and destroyed. It’s too late. This Parliament cannot work with this Prime Minister. All of us have heard the angry voices every day in the House of Commons, and now across the country. Shout and scream versus shout and scream.</div> <div> Mr. Harper has scorched the earth of civility and trust for all of us. For him, it is over. He cannot be trusted. He cannot repair what is irreparable.</div> <div> We need a new Prime Minister.</div> <div> That is what I believe.</div> <div> In the next days and weeks, we will be preparing ourselves for the return of Parliament on January 26th with Michael as our leader. It is our job to provide to Canadians the best that is in us whether in opposition or in government. That is what we will endeavour to do.</div> <div> Thank you for letting me know what’s on your mind. Thank you for the chance to let you know what’s on mine.</div> <div> Sincerely,</div> <div> Ken Dryden</div> <bR> <div> I have in the past 10 days received replies to my letter of support for change in the governance of our country. Ken's letter so far is the most eloquent in explaining how opposition members of the house felt or feel about doing business with Harper. For selfish partisan reasons Harper has caused his own troubles. Unfortunately those troubles magnify ten fold for all of us. I can only say once more, Harper and his right of rightwing followers must go. The Progressives must reclaim their party which was taken over in coup that left the Progressives locked out.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 16, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Deja vu</B></div> <div>      About a year ago I placed a link to Mccullum Lake Illinois on this page. The story of this little town of under 2,000 is a carbon copy of Orillia. I don't suppose many people bothered to follow this link so today I am renewing the story once again. You see there is a lawsuit that is just coming to a head. The tragedy of Mccullum Lake goes on not unlike Orillia's tragedy. Today the Northwest Herald begins a 5 part investigation report on what has happened to a community that has been devastated by the dumping of chemicals in pits dug on company property  the same  as the Cribs on the Molson property. Then there was the dumping of chemicals by the barrel full on site where there was an industrial dump the same as the West half of the Molson property.</div> <div>      Last week Lori Koughan gave a report on offsite contamination.  <A HREF="http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/MURF/murf_enviro.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/MURF/murf_"><U>http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/MURF/murf_enviro.htm</U></A>  . Scroll to the botom of page and click on the<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B> New</B></FONT> PDF to see documents. This report is full of inconsistencies and weasel words, yet was accepted by the likes of Gardy, Cipolla and Pinocchio as good news.  How anyone reading this document could imagine it being good news is either evil or is missing quite a few bricks from their load. Instead of calling a spade a spade these people continue to lie and mislead while our local hospital treats as many as 60 children for cancer. Here is the first part of this series.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Did chemical exposure cause cancers for McCullom Lake residents?</B></div> <div>  KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com </div> <div> <I>About this series: </I>The Northwest Herald today begins a six-part series on the McCullom Lake brain cancer lawsuits. This special report is the result of a six-month investigation by the newspaper.  Senior reporter Kevin Craver acquired and reviewed thousands of pages of documentation spanning more than three decades. Craver and videographer Danielle Guerra interviewed more than 60 people, including most of the 22 plaintiffs, or their next of kin, who have filed suit to date. Craver and Guerra traveled to Phoenix and Philadelphia to conduct some of the interviews.</div> <bR> <div> The chemicals listed in the McCullom Lake brain cancer lawsuits sound more like tongue twisters or the stuff of science fiction than health hazards. However, the existence of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, and trichloroethylene in groundwater flowing from two Ringwood manufacturers is not fiction, but fact. Vinylidene chloride, also known as 1,1-DCE, has been traced to the closed landfill at Rohm and Haas, and trichloroethylene, or TCE, has been traced to Modine Manufacturing Co.'s closed disposal pit. It also is scientific fact that both chemicals, which do not occur naturally, break down into vinyl chloride, which studies since the 1960s have tied to certain cancers. Vinyl chloride is not something you would want to ingest. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer list vinyl chloride as a known human carcinogen. The EPA sets the minimum safe level in drinking water at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>zero</B></FONT> - in short, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>no amount is safe</B></FONT>. But does vinyl chloride cause brain cancer? The answers fall along predictable lines in the lawsuits. To the defendants' attorneys and the experts they have retained, such as Duke University neuropathologist Dr. Darrell Bigner, vinyl chloride can be linked to other cancers, such as extremely rare liver angiosarcoma, but its link to brain cancer is inconclusive. "It is my opinion that the [chemicals in the lawsuits] would not cause brain or pituitary [tumors] in humans even after lifelong exposure to maximum tolerated doses," Bigner wrote in his report in support of the defendant companies. The absence in the village of cases of liver angiosarcoma, of which only a handful are reported in the country each year, is proof that vinyl chloride never reached McCullom Lake residents, defense toxicologist Dr. James Whysner said. "If [vinyl chloride] were causing cancer in McCullom Lake Village, it would be a cluster of liver cancers not brain cancers ... the evidence has been deemed sufficient by Federal agencies that VC causes liver cancer, whereas the evidence for brain cancer has been characterized as weak and inadequate," Whysner wrote. Experts retained by plaintiff attorney Aaron Freiwald have cited years of studies of vinyl chloride workers in North America and Europe as proof that vinyl chloride causes brain cancer. Furthermore, Freiwald does not hesitate to cast doubt on studies that contradict. In one 1991 study cited by defendant experts, the epidemiologist publicly recanted his conclusions that vinyl chloride can cause brain cancer after the study's funder - the Chemical Manufacturers Association - objected. To date, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry lists brain cancer as a possible effect of vinyl chloride exposure. <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Dr. Gary Ginsberg, a toxicologist retained by Freiwald, has concluded that residents were exposed to vinyl chloride over decades. But much of that exposure was not drinking it, but inhaling it - because vinyl chloride rapidly evaporates, Ginsberg said victims breathed it in as they drank, showered and bathed</B></FONT>. "[Vinyl chloride] air concentrations inside McCullom Lake Village homes for a 25-year period are estimated to be, on average, well above regulatory thresholds of concern ... in other words, the air concentrations estimated for McCullom Lake Village homes are far above the levels regulatory bodies would consider safe and would likely be mitigated," Ginsberg wrote in a July 2007 report. But other experts said the jury still was out on whether vinyl chloride definitively causes brain cancer. Dr. James Ruffer, radiation oncologist at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, said modern medicine still did not know much about why people got brain cancer. Ruffer is not involved in the litigation. "Besides ionizing radiation and some very rare genetic causes, the jury is out as to what causes brain tumors in people," Ruffer said. But to Dr. James Dahlgren, a nationally known environmental toxicologist not involved in the litigation, the jury is in, and vinyl chloride is guilty as charged. Dahlgren was invited by Centegra Health System to address vinyl chloride's toxicity, specifically because of the McCullom Lake cases, at an Oct. 24 symposium on neurology. "To say that the jury is out on brain cancer and vinyl chloride is wrong," Dahlgren said. "And I can say that because there are lots and lots and lots of studies." Although Dahlgren steered clear of assigning any culpability to either Rohm and Haas or Modine, he said that vinyl chloride from the breakdown of volatile organic compounds would be a prime suspect in the illnesses. "If there was exposure, it certainly is one of the most likely candidates" Dahlgren said. </div> <div> Follow the links below for more of this tragic story.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.chitownburbs.com/multimedia/projects/200712mccullom/index2.php?id=nwh-/multimedia/projects/200712mccullom/index2.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.chitownburbs.com/multimedia/p"><U>http://www.chitownburbs.com/multimedia/projects/200712mccullom/index2.php?id=nwh-/multimedia/projects/200712mccullom/index2.php</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#30363F" FACE="Arial" >     </FONT>So, Orillia, when the hell are you going to wake up???? When are you going to admit that we have a very serious problem??? When are you going to finally realize that people like Pinocchio, Gardy, Cipolla, Boss Hogg and the derilict councils Piocchio has led over the last 8 years simply don't give a "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Rat's Ass</B></FONT>" about  your children, grand children or you. They are and will continue to lie and mislead unless you <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Speak Ou</B></FONT>t. When are you going to wake up that we can no longer have confidence in any experts who take their marching orders from the likes of Pinocchio, Boss Hogg, Cipolla or Gardy??? As raw water tests from Lake Couchiching have been showing for almost 3 years even the lake has been compromised. <a href="HTMLobj-2030/Orillia_water_sample_results_2008.xls.pdf"><u>Orillia_water_sample_results_2008.xls.pdf</u> </a>  Make sure you have a look at The Plume in the Mccullom Lake links above. The plume there goes under and beyond the other side of the lake. If anyone thinks that Orillia's plum can't go uder the Narrows or cross Lake Couchiching and to the other side is sadly mistaken.</div> <div>      I wrote of Mccullum Lake about a year ago but it was almost 3 years ago that I wrote about Endicott New York. The toxins there have traveled underground for more than 5 miles and rears it's ugly head inside of over 400 buildings to date. Yet people in Orillia have ignored the obvious. I wrote about Love Canal New York  6 years ago, yet Orillian's ignore the obvious. I warned right here 4 years ago about exposure to the fumes coming from the water taps in our home, but except by a few have been ignored. "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Dr. Gary Ginsberg, a toxicologist retained by Freiwald, has concluded that residents were exposed to vinyl chloride over decades. But much of that exposure was not drinking it, but inhaling it - because vinyl chloride rapidly evaporates, Ginsberg said victims breathed it in as they drank, showered and bathed</B></FONT>". What will it take for people to finally say "Enough is Enough"????</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.watersopure.com/id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.watersopure.com/id27.htm"><U>http://www.watersopure.com/id27.htm</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.watersopure.com/id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.watersopure.com/id19.htm"><U>http://www.watersopure.com/id19.htm</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.watersopure.com/id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.watersopure.com/id18.htm"><U>http://www.watersopure.com/id18.htm</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div>      </div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 15,2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Ontario Cosmetic Pesticide Ban</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="627" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1244 WIDTH="623"><div> Please take a minute to do this today. It won't take long. It's important!! </div> <div> Pass it along to as many people as possible!!!! </div> <div> Thanks!!</div> <bR> <div> Although you may think the Ontario Cosmetic Pesticide Ban is a done-deal, the pesticide industry is actively lobbying to weaken the draft regulations and delay the start date for the ban. </div> <bR> <div> Our meetings with MPP’s and their staff confirm that we need to step up our efforts. We need you (and a thousand of your closest friends and relatives) to submit your comments on the EBR BEFORE DECEMBER 22, 2008. </div> <bR> <div> You can click on the link below or cut and paste it on your browser to access the EBR:</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add&noticeId=MTA0OTk2&statusId=MTU3MjYz&noticeHeaderIdString=MTA0OTk2 " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-Externa"><U><U>http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add&noticeId=MTA0OTk2&statusId=MTU3MjYz&noticeHeaderIdString=MTA0OTk2 </U></U></A></div> <div> <U>noticeId=MTA0OTk2&amp;statusId=MTU3MjYz&amp;noticeHeaderIdString=MTA0OTk2</U><A HREF="http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add&amp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-Externa"><U><U>http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add&amp;noticeId=MTA0OTk2&amp;statusId=MTU3MjYz&amp;noticeHeaderIdString=MTA0OTk2</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>On the EBR page, open “Comments” box, please copy and paste the four comments below:</B></div> <bR> <div> 1) I commend the Ontario government for banning the unnecessary, cosmetic use of pesticides in the province. </div> <bR> <div> 2) The legislation will only be as effective as the products available so I strongly encourage you to ban, and not just restrict, the sale and use of all products containing organophosphates, carbamates and neo-nicotinoids because of their higher risk to human and environmental health.</div> <bR> <div> 3) This is a health issue and the ban should be effective, without delay, in Spring 2009.</div> <bR> <div> 4) Mandate a deadline for the end of pesticide use on golf courses and specialty turf (e.g. lawn bowling). As an interim measure include buffer zones near bodies of water and private residences.</div> <bR> <div> <B>And please copy the letter below and send it to the Premier and the following MPP’s:</B></div> <bR> <div> The Hon. Dalton McGuinty <A HREF="mailto:dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org "><U>mailto:dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org </U></A></div> <div> John Gerretsen <A HREF="mailto:jgerretsen.mpp@liberal.ola.org " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jgerretsen.mpp@liberal.ola.org "><U>mailto:jgerretsen.mpp@liberal.ola.org </U></A></div> <div> Michael Bryant <A HREF="mailto:mbryant.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mbryant.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org "><U>mailto:mbryant.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org </U></A></div> <div> Sandra Pupatello <A HREF="mailto:spupatello.mpp@liberal.ola.org " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:spupatello.mpp@liberal.ola.org "><U>mailto:spupatello.mpp@liberal.ola.org </U></A></div> <div> Harinder Takhar <A HREF="mailto:htakhar.mpp@liberal.ola.org " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:htakhar.mpp@liberal.ola.org "><U>mailto:htakhar.mpp@liberal.ola.org </U></A></div> <div> Kevin Flynn <A HREF="mailto:kflynn.mpp@liberal.ola.org " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:kflynn.mpp@liberal.ola.org "><U>mailto:kflynn.mpp@liberal.ola.org </U></A></div> <div> Carol Mitchell <A HREF="mailto:cmitchell.mpp@liberal.ola " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:cmitchell.mpp@liberal.ola "><U>mailto:cmitchell.mpp@liberal.ola </U></A></div> <bR> <div> Dear Premier McGuinty and Members of Parliament,</div> <bR> <div> I commend the Ontario government for banning the unnecessary, cosmetic use of pesticides in the province. This is a health issue and the ban should be effective, without delay, in Spring 2009.</div> <bR> <div> This legislation will only be as effective as the products available. I strongly encourage you to ban, and not just restrict, the sale and use of all products containing organophosphates, carbamates and neo-nicotinoids because of their higher risk to human and environmental health.</div> <bR> <div> I would also like to see a deadline for the end of pesticide use on golf courses and specialty turf. Until that time, include buffer zones near bodies of water and private residences.</div> <bR> <div> Sincerely,</div> <div> (your name and address) </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 12, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Responses to my support letters from Bob Rae & Jack Layton</B></div> <div> DearJim, </div> <bR> <div> Thank you for your message about what is happening in Parliament.</div> <bR> <div> Mr. Harper has lost my trust as well as my confidence. He has refused to allow a vote on his disastrously partisan Economic Statement, which fails to disclose our true financial position as a country, takes money out of the economy at a time when we need stimulus, and attacked collective bargaining, women's rights, and the democratic process in Canada. </div> <bR> <div> The negotiated agreement between the Liberals and the NDP to form a coalition government as an alternative to Mr. Harper is intended to bring this "my way or the highway" approach to governing to an end.</div> <div> It will ensure a strong package of economic stimulus, infrastructure investment, and direct support for working families and their communities at a time of economic difficulty.</div> <bR> <div> Mr. Harper does not have a parliamentary majority. The coalition government will have a working majority for at least eighteen months with the assurance by the Bloc that they will vote confidence in the government for that period. The Bloc is not part of the coalition, and has neither asked for nor been granted any special consideration for this support. </div> <bR> <div> I am running for the leadership of the Liberal Party and will continue to fight for a real alternative to Mr. Harper's approach to governing and politics. His divisive, confrontational style threatens our ability to respond to the challenges of the day, and will divide Canadians more than ever before.</div> <bR> <div> I see a better way, a Canada where political parties are not afraid to work together in the interests of a better economy and a stronger country. </div> <bR> <div> Thank you once again for writing. </div> <bR> <div> Hon. Bob Rae </div> <div> MP Toronto Centre </div> <div> <U>www.bobrae.ca</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>From: "Layton, Jack - M.P." <Layton.J@parl.gc.ca></U></div> <div> <U>To: "Layton, Jack - M.P." <Layton.J@parl.gc.ca></U></div> <div> <U>Subject: New Democrats support an immediate economic stimulus package</U></div> <div> <U>Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008 4:37 PM</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>Dear Jim</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>"...the proposed Liberal-NDP coalition is not, no matter how many times Conservatives call it a coup, undemocratic, un-Canadian or a threat to national unity. It's the unusual yet legitimate result of the elected majority imposing its will on a minority that recklessly squandered House of Commons confidence."-  J. Travers, political writer, Tor Star, Dec. 4, 2008</U></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <U>Thank you for writing.</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>The New Democratic Party supports a coalition government with the central objective of delivering an immediate economic agenda--something that 19 of the other G20 countries have done.</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>In these uncertain and extraordinary economic times, Canadians are looking for a Parliament that can work together to put working families first. According to the Reid Strategies poll that followed Finance Minister Flaherty's economic update, 75 percent of the public said the federal government should "implement a stimulus package to boost the economy as soon as possible." </U></div> <bR> <div> <U>Two months ago, Stephen Harper was elected with just 38% of the vote, yet he acts as if he has 100% of the power. Instead of defeating this economic crisis with a meaningful stimulus package, he chose total inaction and cheap political tricks.  There is nothing in the Harper economic update that will create jobs, assist those thrown out of work or bolster consumer confidence. </U></div> <bR> <div> <U>At stake are tens of thousands of jobs and home ownerships, the security of pension funds, the very existence of entire manufacturing sectors, and our ability to invest and grow business as credit freezes around the globe.</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>Canada has a multi-party democracy and the majority of parliament have lost confidence in Mr. Harper's government. We have resolved to form a new, cooperative government that will effectively, prudently, promptly and competently address these critical economic times. New Democrats have agreed to work with the other opposition parties to put forward an alternative government - a majority coalition for real change. We pledge to take prudent and responsible economic steps that are necessary to meet the economic and fiscal challenges we face at this time. </U></div> <bR> <div> <U>While Stephen Harper has built this issue into a national unity crisis, the coalition has not wavered from its primary and singular purpose -- to deliver a government of national economic unity. </U></div> <bR> <div> <U>Former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent has challenged the Harper Conservatives on their misrepresentation of this agreement in the following article. </U><A HREF="http://tinyurl.com/6f2df4" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://tinyurl.com/6f2df4"><U><U>http://tinyurl.com/6f2df4</U></U></A><U>.</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>We remain committed to achieving results that average Canadian families expect from New Democrats: action to create jobs, to protect your pension and retirement, and to lay the foundation for the green economy of tomorrow.</U></div> <bR> <div> <U>Again, many thanks for your message. </U></div> <bR> <div> <U>Sincerely,</U></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <U>Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)</U></div> <div> <U>Leader, Canada's New Democrats</U></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Seems clear that Harper and the Conservatives have lost the confidence of Parliament. I don't think that Harper will ever be able to regain Rae's or Laytons' confidence and especially their trust. No Prime Minister can govern successfully without any trust from those who work with him. Harper is finished it's that simple. Now it is up to those Conservatives who care for their country more than for their own political interest. I bet there are very few of them with the gonads to tell Harper it is time to go for the good of the country.</div> <bR> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 11, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Can Auto Industry Work???</B></div> <div>      Last night the US Congress approved an interim bailout of the Big Three with a $14 Billion Dollar infusion until March 2009. GM, Ford and Chrysler were asking for $35 Billion so this effort has fallen real short. I believe that no amount of money will  save these dinosaurs in the long term unless they do a huge turn around in their thinking. The big question is, can they change their thinking.</div> <div>      I have received a few e-mails in the past day or in response to my lobbying efforts over the political crisis Harper has plunged us into. Two of these letters dripped with hate for unions who the writers blamed, if not for all our ills at least a substantial percent for most of them.</div> <div> "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>They talk about jobs lost but not</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>about jobs gained, talk about a auto plant closing last week but no</B></div> <div> <B>mention of the new auto plant in Woodstock that did open, jobs lost by</B></div> <div> <B>the big three are not attributed to the government but to the Unions</B></div> <div> <B>who have priced there products out of the market, to the mentality of</B></div> <div> <B>the union worker who claims the company they work for is the enemy, when</B></div> <div> <B>they get mad at management they sabotage a car, talk to any of them and</B></div> <div> <B>they are proud that they only work 3 to 4 hours in an 8 hour shift. Look</B></div> <div> <B>in the parking lots at Oshawa Oakville and Windsor, how many workers</B></div> <div> <B>drive their own products. That is why they are losing their jobs, and</B></div> <div> <B>that is why the non unionized foreign car makers are hiring workers who</B></div> <div> <B>are proud of the company they are working for and those company's are</B></div> <div> <B>being successful</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >". </FONT></div> <div>      It's true that human nature being what it is there are always people, whether unionized or not who are lazy, devious enough to sabotage or just plain stupid. But those types of people are doled out in equal proportions throughout all segments of the economy. I assume that what the writer is referring to is employers not being able to get rid of these slackers or saboteurs because the unions protect them. True there is a dispute resolution process but tell me how many strikes have ever been caused by a slackers dismissal???? How many strikes have started over the firing of some one who sabotaged production or quality???. I would bet the answer is Non. On the other hand I know that there have been Wildcat strikes when management used a heavy hand and took actions that were unjustified. In those cases standing up to management were justified and rightly so.</div> <div>      Because there seems to be a misconception of what is causing the ills which has beset this vital industry I decided to share what I know to be fact and invite all of you to do your own research. The Automitive Industries problems started back in the mid 70's during the 6 day war oil crisis. Because of shortages Richard Nixon along with the Congress and Senate mandated gas mileage targets for the industry. At the same time, because of industry lobbying they left the backdoor wide open to actually decrease over all gas mileage. You see while cars had to achieve increased efficiencies trucks, because of their commercial nature were left alone. This class of vehicle was not determined by the use or body type but the chassis. The industry immediately began to design SUV's and luxury 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. Then they started to market these vehicles which became very successful while actually increasing gas per mile used over all. </div> <div>      While foreign car companies developed more and more vehicles with better mileage because of their own market needs the Big Three just raked in the cash. But instead of using this windfall for R&D to move away from oil, they paid huge bonus's to themselves and dividends to shareholders. With no R&D to speak of, Detroit was flying high. They got into all kinds of businesses like near banks which GMAC is. This unprecedented growth gave a false feeling of invincibility. There are a number of guilty parties to why and where we are today. The first is government which allowed the back door to stay open. The next is management whose sole focus was profit at all else, even though it was short term thinking and they knew it. Finally, yes the workers and Unions who decided that they wanted a seat on the Gravy Train as well.</div> <div>      One of the cars of the Gravy Train was called Pensions. In an effort to justify huge management payout and bonuses which could rightly be criticized management figured out that no one could criticize pensions so that was the conduit used to get even more money to themselves. Problem we have now is that the same was true for the workers. How could management criticize the workers for demanding decent pensions which management already had taken themselves. Then to make things worse, these pensions were based on a return on investment of 10% and for a large part on the stock market. I don't care what country, what industry you look at, not one can sustain a 10% growth rate over the long term. To finish off Government allowed these pension plans that did not meet this 10% growth to fall behind and actually become unfunded for a large percentage.</div> <div>      Today as an example, auto workers at all car plants are paid about $32 per hour. Some reports have said $28 and others $30 so there is very little dispute of these facts. But the actual cost placed on every man hour in the Big Three plant is somewhere around $76. The simple answer to this discrepancy is Pensions. While the foreign car manufacturers who set up shop in the last 15 years don't have any pensioners to support as yet, the big three have many tens of thousands of pensioners in Canada and Hundreds of thousands in the States. GM alone has 30,000 blue collar workers drawing a pension in Canada. At the same time GM's work force  which Today is around 10,000 and is expected to fall to 9,000 or less by 2010. GM blue collar pensioners currently collect an average of $16,376 a year. Problem is a declining workforce has to support  a static number of retirees while losing their own numbers. Retirees are simply living longer than expected. <A HREF="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/537478" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/"><U>http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/537478</U></A></div> <div>      Because of the 10%% growth in investment income prediction being wrong, with the mistake of producing gas guzzlers, with the mistake abandoning R&D for energy efficient or alternative energy vehicles, and finally the rise in oil prices reaching $150 a barrel we are where we are today. But even if they start seriously to do R&D on alternative energy vehicles, it will still be years before it is reality. The Big Three's problems are right now not a few years down the road. Of course this also wrongly predicts that, the foreign car companies wouldn't be coming out with any new energy efficient or alternative energy vehicles themselves and the Big Three sales would increase and people would still be 2 car families.</div> <div>      But the retirees will still be there a few years down the road while the foreign car companies will still be a decade away from having any retirees putting a drain on them. I am sorry but short or long term the Big Three can sell their jet's, cut back on compensation for the top brass, shutter up plants or office towers, cut back on hourly wages for blue collar workers none of this will save them. As long as the retiree numbers stay static and are paid  $16,376 a year no amount of bailout will help. So to blame the unions alone is simply wrong. We are all to blame for the greed this society has exhibited. We have been living in a fantasy land which can no longer be sustained.</div> <div>      But instead of facing reality, heads are buried in the sand. Take a look at our ownmunicipal situation. We are in an economic crisis unprecedented in our lifetime, yet it's damn the torpedoes all the same. While other communities are building absolutely beautiful MURF's for <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$30,000,000 </B></FONT>we are still talking about building one for <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$70,000,000</B></FONT>. While other communities are building beautiful libraries for <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$13,000,000</B></FONT> council OK's a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> one. Not to mention the building of public washrooms and snackbar of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>1,000</B></FONT> square feet for the unbelievable cost of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$350,000</B></FONT>. We are living in a "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Fool's Paradise</B></FONT>" governed by <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Fools</B></FONT> who sit on their brains while in plain site, Pinocchio thwarts democracy, takes their personal correspondence, lies to them, withholds crucial information and facts from them and the public, all the while tricking them to vote millions on ill conceived projects that simply make no sense. The <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Fools</B></FONT> actually believe that all these added costs are affordable because <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Half Million Dollar Bob</B></FONT> and <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Boss Hogg</B></FONT> says it's so. All the while dissing any of them (<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Fools</B></FONT>) who dare to step out of line. Truth is the only people who think we can afford it are the "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>backroom boys</B></FONT>" who are planning on prospering themselves thank you very much. Like the Big Three, we are doomed unless there is a very big broom brought into Andrew St and a total change in mamagement and our thinking is brought about. Like the Big Three is doomed if they don't change course, Orillia's financial future is doomed as well if we don't <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Speak Out </B></FONT>and change course. </div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 10, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>There is Nothing Harper Will Not Do to Win a Majority</B></div> <div>    Thank you Stephan Dion, Jack Layton and Gilles Ducepp, you have finally seen what a threat Stephen Harper actually represents to Canada. You have finally taken long overdue action to standup to this bully and his inner circle of Reform, Alliance right of rightwing schemers and liars. Danny Williams a Conservative Premier of Newfoundland pressed the alarm button a long time ago. Unfortuneatly people have not been listening, but because those who Harper thought were the school yard Nerds have finally said "Enough is Enough" are finally pushing back there is hope. Thank you and make sure you do not back down. Please take a few minutes to watch Danny William's speach on the following link. As you listen to his warnings keep in mind Harper's behaviour over the last two weeks. Keep in mind Peter Mansbidge's interview yesterday with Harper. You will see that every word of Danny William's speach rings truth. Luckily for Canada Harper didn't win a majority. Luckily there is still an opportunity to put the school yard bully in his place. <A HREF="http://www.canadaka.net/modules.php?name=Video&vop=view&id=923&videoname=danny-williams-slams-stephen-harper" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.canadaka.net/modules.php?name"><U>Williams Speech</U></A>.</div> <div> It's time to take back Democracy.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 08, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Beginings of Real Discussion</B></div> <div>      I spent quite a bit of time this weekend contacting people in regards to the political crisis currently playing itself out across the country. I had e-mailed all 308 members of Parliament along with another 700 or so addresses that I have in my files. The letter is below titled Canada Banana Republic North dated Dec. 06. Yesterday I received some replies but far fewer than I thought I would get. Bob Rae was the only MP who sent a reply up to this moment. I received three that called me an idiot,  ignorant and one claiming my thinking is perverted  and is idiosy. I received three others which although disagreeing with me were from people who actually tried to engage me in some sort of discussion. The three very angry individuals are really not worth the effort to engage a conversation with. You would almost think that what is happening in Ottawa is enough to have a violent physical war over judging by their outburst. Leads me to believe there are more issues with these individuals than is parliamentary.</div> <div>      I will reprint here one of the responses to my original letter and my response to that. It is extremely important to our collective interest for us to begin a  dialogue. This dialogue should not have political sides because all we should want is that which every party or politician fixes the mess we are in their affiliation really doesn't matter long as it is fixed. So here is the discussion.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dear Sir,</div> <bR> <div> You opinions, although strong and show intelligent thought, are</div> <div> extremely misguided. You, I take it would endorse a Coup led by the</div> <div> three Stoogies? Let see, it would appear that you find it acceptable</div> <div> for three parties, 1 of them intent on separating the country, to take</div> <div> control of our parliament. Neither you or I voted for a coalition and</div> <div> certainly we didn't vote for the BQ to hold the balance of power.</div> <div> Without the BQ the Liberal/NDP coalition has absolutely no teeth.</div> <bR> <div> No let's really look at what the Prime Minister asked the Governor</div> <div> General when he requested that Parliament be prorogued. He did not</div> <div> request Parliament be cancelled nor did he request Parliament be</div> <div> suspended for two months. The fact is Parliament only had 1 1/2 weeks</div> <div> approximately of sitting time left before their Christmas break. You</div> <div> claim that this is a Dictatorship. You couldn't be more wrong. Also,</div> <bR> <div> 1) The Prime Minister used legal means to prorogue government. 2) The</div> <div> Governor General must approve the request. 3) The Govenor General acted</div> <div> under law and approved the Prime Minister's request.</div> <bR> <div> Now, a Liberal/NDP coalition with the BQ's necessary support could</div> <div> overthrow the democratically elected party. None of us may be thrilled</div> <div> with Mr. Harper but he did win the election. The conservatives won more</div> <div> seats than any other party. They get the opportunity to govern. Period.</div> <div> We all have to suck that up. Again, not one Canadian cast a vote in the</div> <div> last election knowing that the Liberal/NDP/BQ would take this action.</div> <div> Furthermore, let's be realistic this is nothing more than 3 parties</div> <div> terrified their funding was going to get cut.</div> <bR> <div> If Canadians don't see a coalition as a serious threat to Canadian</div> <div> Democracy then we are really in trouble. If a coalition overthrows our</div> <div> government that will truly send a message to the rest of the world as to</div> <div> how pathetic and dysfunctional we are as a nation. Don't be fooled Mr.</div> <div> Layton, Mr. Dion and Mr. Duceppe's actions are not for the good of the</div> <div> country.</div> <bR> <div> I am not entirely happy with the prorogation of Parliament but I am</div> <div> certainly not in favour of a coalition government. When Parliament</div> <div> reconvenes in January and should the government fall at that time from a</div> <div> non-confidence vote I would much prefer a general election so all of us</div> <div> can vote more clearly and with more understanding. What is truly sad,</div> <div> is that Canadians do not have any real leadership options in front of</div> <div> them.</div> <bR> <div> Tom Stoate</div> <bR> <div> My Response</div> <bR> <div> Thanks for your response. You are absolutely right that what Harper did by </div> <div> asking to prorough parliament is legal. But at the same time it is also </div> <div> legal for the Liberals, NDP and yes the Block to defeat Harper in the house. </div> <div> Maybe we should have anther election to replace the election no one wanted </div> <div> except the Conservatives. Harper was not defeated so the last election was </div> <div> unnecessary and in fact went against Harpers own law to hold elections only </div> <div> every 4 years unless Parliament defeats him with a non confidence vote.</div> <div> What is troubling is that because Harper was told he would face a non </div> <div> confidence vote he decided to cut and run. Let's face it Peter all 4 leaders </div> <div> are less than credible and deserve to hold power. But for me a coalition </div> <div> would be more sensitive to all our concerns.You say that Harper was elected </div> <div> by the majority. First he does not have the majority of seats and only </div> <div> received 38% of votes cast. True under our form of government Harper had an </div> <div> obligation to you and I to work with the opposition just like the opposition </div> <div> has an obligation to work with Harper. For two years the Harper minority was </div> <div> supported by the Block a total of 144 times with 14 of them on issues that </div> <div> had they not it would have triggered a vote of non confidence. If the </div> <div> liberals abstained from voting they were taunted as cowards. Harper will </div> <div> brag that he had passed his entire agenda over those two years. He decided </div> <div> to see if he could neuter the three parties via an election. Failing that he </div> <div> poked a new stick in their eyes and cost this country dearly. Harper is </div> <div> simply not a man who can work with anyone unless they are subserviant. It's </div> <div> simply the nature of the man.</div> <div> If Harper wants an election he can have it as far as I am concerned. After </div> <div> what just went down the election results will either be the same or possibly </div> <div> worse for the Concervatives. That will leave another minority Parliament </div> <div> once more, with the Block holding the balance of power with most likely even </div> <div> more seats in Quebec.</div> <div> Again thanks for replying as this mess will never be fixed by Harper or any </div> <div> of them. It will be repaired by people like you and I discussing in a </div> <div> civilized manner our ideas. As our knowledge of each other grows we will </div> <div> become friends because both of us and another 30,000,000 like us are in the </div> <div> same boat. What will change politics is when we demand from all leaders of </div> <div> political parties to act co-operatively or they will lose our support. </div> <div> Notice I didn't say vote because I get only one vote but can influence many. </div> <div> You telling the leader of the party you support and I telling the leader of </div> <div> the one I support will scare the bejesus out of them more than the loss of </div> <div> one vote. Now that is co operation if we both tell them to smarten up or </div> <div> lose our support.</div> <div> You have a great life and one day we may meet and I would love to buy you a </div> <div> cup of coffee because when all is said and done we are all members of the </div> <div> Canadian family. By the way the only political party I have ever been a </div> <div> member of is the Progressive Conservatives. I have been self employed for 37 </div> <div> years. Have never drawn a penny of UI, been unemployed or a drag on society </div> <div> in any way. I have raised two terrific children both university graduates </div> <div> with no education debt and still married to the woman I love and married 37 years </div> <div> ago. I am not rich I am not poor. I am just like you and 99% of Canadians. </div> <div> We have far more in common than we have to disagree on, so it is we who </div> <div> should be joing as a coalition aginst the political parties and their self </div> <div> serving leaders and interests.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 07, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Mayor Pinocchio Miscounts Again</B></div> <div>      I have been telling you and councillors for years now about how Pinocchio counts or not counts votes. When I first caught him not counting votes properly things cleared up for me very quickly. Since this man took the seat of mayor there had been many occasions that I had seen a miscount but always  instead of believing myself I gave him the benefit of doubt. One night my wife and I were attending council because of some controversial item on the agenda. When the vote came up I asked her to count votes on the right hand side and I counted on the left. That motion did not have the votes required to pass it but Pinocchio said it had. Anne and I tallied our count and the result was different than the mayors. No one on council challenged his count most likely because they simply didn't catch it. You see Pinocchio is a very good illusionist.</div> <div>      From then on I shared with people what we had discovered and started really observing. I started to video tape meetings so that I had the evidence. Over the last 4 years there have been many instances and always the miscount occurred only on issues the mayor had strong personal opinions on. Not once did the count go against his own wishes. Now I don't spend all my time watching for dishonesty by Pinocchio but I have been incredibly accurate in predicting as to which votes he would play the slight of site with. You see, like Stephen Harper can not help himself in trying to eliminate any and all opposition instead of working with them, Pinocchio can't help himself either. This man doesn't care whether council agrees with him because if they don't he can make it seem like they did. For that reason I have been urging that every vote taken be a recorded vote. Naturally Pinocchio says it would take too long which is the farthest thing from the truth but councillors have so far bought it.</div> <div>      Several years ago when recorded votes were dismissed I started timing them verses non recorded votes. The difference every time was no more than 30 or 40 seconds. Now even if the difference was two minutes  with the number of votes taken  that would add 15 or 20 minutes to the length of council meetings. A very small price to pay for democracy. I also urged councillors to count the votes themselves and for each of them to raise their hands high and hold them there for at least 10 seconds so that they had time to count themselves. To this day they still haven't been able to figure out how to do that and simply refuse to do it. I guess like chewing gum and walking it is a difficult for them to hold their hands high for ten seconds while sitting on what little brains some of them have. So maybe the answer is for each councillor should stand to show their yea or nay while relieving the pressure. Surely they can stand, and we and they would be able to see the vote, and the mayor couldn't use his slight of sight trickery to thwart the will of council.</div> <div>      Last Monday we had another one of those, now you see the vote, now you don't moments. Maurice Macmillan is a favourite target for Pinocchio when he asks about the OPC. You see the mayor doesn't like Maurice targeting the OPC with questions or anything to do with power . When Maurice brings these issues forward you can see Pinocchio's body language changes. When you see this I can be very confident that he will be trying his slight of site trick. As I said he can't help himself. Now that's not to say he targets only Macmillan because he is an equal opportunity slight of siter on any councillor. It's just that Macmillan pushes his buttons a bit harder. You can bet that if council co-operates with him by not raising their hands high and holding it there he will take advantage of it. Last Monday was one of those golden opportunities except that Maurice was paying attention to the voting and counted himself. His position clearly had enough votes. The mayor called the vote as lost without even looking to the left side of the table. Maurice challenged his call and a terse mayor snapped at Maurice "I can count". So here is the link for the video which clearly shows another fine example of how, for over 8 years Pinocchio has been screwing democracy in order to promote his issues and thwart the issues of individual councillors. <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrRLnn9cQfw" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrRLnn9cQ"><U>Thwarting Democracy Again</U></A></div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >     </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 06, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Canada Banana Republic North</B></div> <div> This Friday Stephen Harper led a bloodless coup and created the first Dictatorship in North America. While three of our soldiers were  dying in Afghanistan trying to bring democracy to a totalitarian state, Stephen Harper was padlocking our Parliament's doors. Today we are Ruled by 38 men and women who were not elected to the job. They were elected but only to sit in Parliament representing their constituents. Instead they have padlocked even themselves from the House so  they can not do the job they were elected to do along with all the 308 Members of Parliament.</div> <div> Harper was appointed leader of the Conservatives who, chose him as leader of the party. He then was asked  to form the government by the GG because the Conservative Party won the most seats of any of the other parties but not a majority. Because he was the leader of the Conservative Party he became PM automatically. Most people don't know but a Prime Minister does not even have to be elected as long as his party holds the most seats. What he can't do though is sit in the House and vote. But he has all other powers of a Prime Minister. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Qualifications and Selection of Prime Ministers</B></div> <div> <B>The Prime Minister may be any Canadian citizen of voting age (18 years). It is customary for the prime minister to also be a sitting member of the House of Commons and able to speak French and English, although two Prime Ministers have governed from the Senate, Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott & Sir Mackenzie Bowell. If the prime minister should fail to win his or her seat, a junior MP in a safe seat would typically resign to permit a by-election to elect that leader to a seat. However, if the leader of the governing party is changed shortly before an election is due and the new leader is not a Member of Parliament, he or she will normally await the general election before running for a seat. For example, John Turner was briefly Prime Minister in 1984 without being a member of the House of Commons; he would ironically win his seat in the general election that swept him from power. The official residence of the Prime Minister is 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, Ontario. All Prime Ministers have lived there since Louis St. Laurent in 1951.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Then Harper appointed the cabinet who now rules by decree instead by parliamentary vote of the whole house. That my friends is a Dictatorship. It is Taxation without Representation as we have no representation in the House which is padlocked. Bruce Stanton  along with all 308 elected representatives of the people are locked out and can not represent us in the very place they hold any power. There was no vote taken by Parliament to shut it down so that, in itself is undemocratic. Harper on his own made the decision. Sure he visited and had tea with the GG but it was private and behind closed doors. We are not allowed to know whether Harper got his shutdown by lying to the GG or actually told the truth. Smacks of Dictatorship to me, and every Canadian must <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Speak Out</B></FONT>. A man who a majority of Parliamentarians don't trust has now taken total control of  this country. Who will speak for us??? Who could vote no confidence, which is the only way to legally get rid of him. Who is to say he and his cabinet couldn't bring in legislation by Order of Council and appoint themselves ruler for life on the pretext of some emergency??? Canada, for the next 60 days has no Parliament and no Loyal Opposition to protect our rights against this man who would be Dictator. Man, are we ever one stupid bunch</div> <div> Today there were a bunch of Conservative Goons demonstrating. Even they don't realize that they, live in the same Dictatorship as we all do. Even the Conservative MP's don't realize that they have been had. They are neutered like all members of Parliament. Dec. 4, 2008 was the end of Democracy in Canada. Let's hope we will be able to get it back?????? For sure this country has changed forever and peace in our time will be very difficult to reach from now on.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 05, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Open Letter to Stephan Dion and the Coalition</B></div> <div> Mr. Dion </div> <div>      I firmly believe that you are on the right track. Unfortunately like Joe Clarke you are having problems with your luggage. Just like with Clarke who was and is an honest man  things happen but not by accident. Like Joe not being responsible for his lost luggage you should not be held responsible for the video. I have always believed that Joe was sabotaged from within his own circle. Your problems of optics is looking more and more like the same. </div> <div>      Let's face it Mr. Dion you are an intelligent and an honest man as you have proven. But because you trust people to be honest and dishonesty doesn't occur to you, some people will take advantage. That is what has happened to you and happened to Clarke. This tape incident has Harper's finger prints all over it. If the Conservatives can tape an NDP caucus meeting whether in the Parliament building or on the phone, these guys have moles everywhere. </div> <div>      Now here is a bit of advice to you and the other coalition members. I have believed from the inception of the New Conservatives and their choice for a leader that their ultimate goal was and is absolute power. History repeats itself. Harper a man with strong paranoid tendencies and other deficiencies is the most dangerous man to the well being of this country that has ever achieved such high power. To allow him absolute power is a mistake we will live to regret. </div> <div> I ask you to compare the personalities of historic scoundrels and match them to that of Harper. Scary stuff.. There is only one way to deal with this type of bully, paranoid personality. That is to finally stand up and call their bluff. That sir you and the others have done. I'm not sure whether Art imitates life or Life imitates art but I strongly recommend that you gather all coalition members and their caucus to a showing of the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. If nothing else those who might be jittery will see that backing down only leads to more bullying. There is only one solution for people like Harper. </div> <div>      Naturally I am not suggesting the exact solution as portrayed in the movie, but a solution of removing Harper (The Bully) from power. I would also suggest that you furnish a copy of this movie to the Conservative backbenchers as they represent in the movie those who support Valance in his quest to dominate and bully. Harper is a much worse problem for the Conservative Party than he is to the Coalition. A personality like Harper's will destroy anything and everything that he deems a threat to himself. Stalin and Hitler's scorched earth policy as well as the their orders that the troops must fight to the last man. No surrender and if any troops tried to surrender the orders were there for them to be shot in the back.</div> <div>      In today's local paper there is an article about a program teaching school children on how to fight bullying in the school yard. I would suggest that you and the coalition's actions should be used as a fine example for the children.  <a href="HTMLobj-2031/Bullying.pdf"><u>Bullying.pdf</u> </a>  </div> <div> Keep up the good work and don't let a few like the member from Scarborough discourage you. He is a man with very little spine or scruples as his actions and words yesterday shows. Remember what I said about the moles.</div> <div>  You have mine and my families support.</div> <div> jim tolnai </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 04, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Ego Build</B></div> <div> This week Innisfil Twshp. opened their new MURF to the public. This facility is 136,000 sq. ft. made up of the following.</div> <div> Two NHL sized ice surfaces</div> <div> Seating for 1,000 in one, the other with seating for 160</div> <div> 185 meter running track</div> <div> Two Myrtha swimming pools, one is a lap pool</div> <div> The other is a warm water leisure pool with cushion floors and a water spray feature.</div> <div> 1 NBA sized basketball gymnasium, stage and storage area.</div> <div> One wellness center</div> <div> Outdoor rubber-surfaced play area.</div> <div> In the spring there will be 4 soccer pitches</div> <div> and two baseball diamonds. Plus a two kilometer walking trail.</div> <div> All this for the reasonable cost of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$30,000,000</B></FONT></div> <div> It took Innisfil about 3 years from idea to consultation to design to construction, to opening.</div> <div> For years I and others have been telling Orillians that other communities can do it, why can't we? We were dismissed and told we were speaking of apples to oranges or we didn't know what we were talking about at all. Well Innisfil has proven that we spoke of Apples to Apples and indeed we did know what we were talking about.</div> <div> Today the same people who are responsible for the MURF trajedy have decided to do the same with the library. While other communities are building beautiful libraries for <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$13,000,000</B></FONT> this council is spending up to <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> on ours. </div> <div> The MURF has never made sense to me as I watched the cost ever moving skyward. The library does not make sense either. Someone is determined to bankrupt this city if people allow this madness to continue. It is time that we collectively said "Enough is Enough".</div> <div> To date there has been over<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B> $11,000,000</B></FONT> wasted. That is real money which could have almost paid for a beautiful library. We have today a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$2,1000,000 </B></FONT>pile of dirt of which at least a third is now contaminated. We have a further <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>40,000</B></FONT> tons of contaminated soil on the shores of Lake Simcoe. We have contaminated land as far away as a kilometer. But the scariest is that our Lake Couchiching has been compromised. We now have up to 4.9/ugl trichloroethylene in raw lake water supplying our homes and businesses, and still no MURF. Yet council continues trying to fit a square peg in this round hole. Why???? Because of a few people's egos.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div> <B>Dec. 03, 2006</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>How Much Does it Cost to Operate the Library????</B></div> <div>      Yesterday I decided to look into the operating cost of the library. I couldn't find any information on the library web-site nor on the  cities'. So I sent an e-mail to the treasurer who sent me off copies of the library budget for 2002 to 2007. I have attached this pdf file for your convenience.  <a href="HTMLobj-2032/Library_Statements.pdf"><u>Library_Statements.pdf</u> </a>  </div> <div> In David Rowe's impassioned appeal It's Time to be Selfish Orillia making his case for spending $26,000,000 for the new library. David furnished us with some statistics which I questioned as to value and have now made my inquiries. Here is what David wrote about statistics.</div> <div> Consider the figures of the last 10 years of library service: </div> <div> * more than 2.6 million books and recordings borrowed </div> <div> * almost 92,000 people attending our programs </div> <div> * nearly 25,000 library users registered </div> <div> * more than 400,000 computer uses counted </div> <div> * more than 300,000 requests for information </div> <div> * nearly two million physical visits to the library. </div> <div> I totaled the statements that Bob Ripley supplied for six years 2001 to 2007 and then projected backward for the first 4 years of the ten David is speaking of for a total operating cost of $12,849,185.</div> <div> So let's take the last item on David's list (nearly 2,000,000 visits). As this represents everyone on the items above this one, it's very easy to see what it costs for each visit. It's easy to see that every time someone walked into the library it cost $6.42. Is that good value for the community??? If you look at the first line of David's list (more than 2.6 million books and recordings borrowed then  cost per item borrowed comes to $$4.94 each. Is that good value??? </div> <div>      I don't know nor do I want to judge. Anytime I have used the library I was grateful for it being there. But should we really be building a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> facility when other communities double our size are building wonderful facilities for half that. I myself have never felt claustrophobic, crowded or uncomfortable in the present library. I have found the information I was looking for and had excellent help from volunteers and staff. I have visited the library in the morning and afternoon during the week and on weekends. I have never felt that the facility or service was inadequate. But then that just maybe me. </div> <div>      For those who are so passionate and feel that we need a new luxury library I ask you to think about this. If you take an extra <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$13,000,000</B></FONT> plus the additional operating costs it can only be done with putting the community back into huge debt. When all the other users of facilities come to get their wants met, you won't be able to say no we can't afford it. There are people lined up with their hands out and <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>30,000</B></FONT> people simply can't afford to fill all wants without going bankrupt. Anyway if this library is built the present operating costs can only increase. Today we spend <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$1,495,695</B></FONT> per year for operating a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. My research says that new facility operating costs on average increase by a minimum of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>28%</B></FONT>. That will add an additional burden of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$418,794</B></FONT> if we can be average. That will result in total operating cost of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$1,914,489</B></FONT> annually. That does not include any finance charges and believe me money will have to be borrowed and additional taxes collected. You see it's not just about a building but what it costs to operate year in and year out.</div> <div>      Will people flock by the thousands to the library because it's new?  Will people use the library more. I don't think so.  There will still be all the other activities which stop people from going there now. There will still only be 7 days in a week and 24 hours in a day. Better facilities yes. Building for the sake of someone's ego no. Like with the MURF the library is an ego build not a what we need build. Egos cost big money because, usually those with them aren't paying the bill out of their own pockets. By the time this project is built I guarantee that operating costs will be <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$1,000,000</B></FONT> more per year than now and will be at least <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$2,500,000</B></FONT> annually incresing by at least 5% each year. If use doesn't increase then the cost of each visit to the library will be $12.50. Is that reasonable??? Can we afford it? As I was watching the news tonight, President Elect Obama was saying how he is aware that libraries all over the US were being shut down because of a lack of funds. But in Orillia we go ahead with buying a library twice the price of what we will need for the next 75 years if ever. With the advent of computers and ever more powerful search engines, the day will come when children will be taken to the library not to use it but as a history lesson of what the old days were like. Except for the digital service which will be heavily used, books will still be around but used less and less and more as a novelty. With wireless Internet and portable computers one will be able to sit in their car or in a restaurant and do their research or read a book on line.</div> <div>      Last week I visited my son up in Sudbury. He took me for a tour of Laurentians' library. It was about 6pm on Saturday night and the library was pretty much deserted. As I walked through their computer section I was surprised at how few machines they had, considering there are about 8,000 students. But as my son pointed out, most of the people attending not only have a computer but most have two. One in their quarters and the portable in their backpacks. That is the future, and that is with today's technology. Imagine where we will be ten years from now. Every room, every apartment on campus is wired and the whole campus is wireless for those laptops.  Just a few months ago there was a news item about children 18 years and under which caught my attention. This item said that 100% of 18 year olds and under are on the Internet. The first generation to be 100% computerized has arrived. Next year every one 19 or younger, the following year 20 and under etc. Will there still be a need for libraries in 10 or 20 years? Specialized ones I'm sure. Just log into any library anywhere in the world and you will find digital services available <A HREF="http://orilliapubliclibrary.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://orilliapubliclibrary.ca"><U>http://orilliapubliclibrary.ca</U></A>. Right now it is some what limited, but in 10 to 20 years everything will be on there and available at the touch of a button no matter where you are. </div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div> <B>Dec. 02, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>$26,000,000 Library Yes, Keeping Streets Cleared of Snow No</B></div> <div>      Last night the majority of the Gonadless voted to blow <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>10 plus more million dollars</B></FONT> on a library that will not be fully used for the next <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>75</B></FONT> years if ever. But as bad as such a huge unnecessary expenditure was voted for, it was done without regard for those who will have to pay for it and not one word was spoken about increased operating costs. So this morning, I decided to try and find out what it has cost annually to run the present library. To my total dismay I could find nothing about budgets or operating expenses for the library, either on the library web-site or the city web-site. There are the cities financial statements but nothing in them separates library figures. On the library site there is nothing that states anything about budgets or finance.?????? Anyway I have e-mailed the treasury dept. for this info. I also e-mailed the library contact by the name of Chatten. Thinking that maybe board members would have such info I sent my request to <A HREF="mailto:board@orilliapubliclibrary.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:board@orilliapubliclibrary.ca"><U>mailto:board@orilliapubliclibrary.ca</U></A> only to have it sent back undeliverable. It will be interesting to see how long it will take and many hoops I will have to jump through to get information which should be readily available.</div> <div>      You may remember my article the other day when I wrote that Council wants to spend millions more on the library than is necessary. I suggested that as long as our roads are not being properly cleaned and maintained there should be no extra monies spent on these projects for ego's sake. After a 7 to 2 vote to spend the extra unnecessary <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$10,000,000</B></FONT> councillor Cipolla, who by the way voted for this waste made an inquiry. It seems that he has had complaints from folks on George St. They had not had a sander or plow on their street for more than 3 days. One lady who has a smaller vehicle complained that her car was bottoming out on the accumulated snow and ice. So there you have it <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> for a library while people are damaging their cars on ice and snow build up and it isn't even winter yet.</div> <div>      Now before you start thinking this is nothing more than an isolated incident think again. I was up in the area of Bay St. and Maple Dr. yesterday afternoon. I lived in that area for 12 years and know it historically on how it was served. Drinkwater drive used to be the worst street in Orillia for being not plowed. We used to bottom out our half ton and our cars on the thick ice build up in the middle. There used to be such huge ice build up in the middle of the road that it was almost a daily occurrence to pick up exhaust and other car parts. As I drove the Bay St. extension I found that it is not being cleaned either and most likely hadn't seen a plow for at least 3 or 4 days. In fact it is simply unsafe as cars come around the bends. This road runs into Drinkwater and it too was no better than the tracks our ancestors made with their oxcarts. Same was true  as I continued to turn left off Jarvis on to Canice St. towards the Park. There too one took their life in their hands to try and negotiate the street. No money to clear streets but <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$10,000,000</B></FONT> more for ego building???? By the way I went over to Wilson Point Rd. which is a Severn Township responsibility and it was plowed clean. Same snowfalls same day, same time but cleaned. Certainly makes one think doesn't it.????? So is your street cleaned properly or even regularly???? If not maybe you will be able to go to this new monument to ego when it's built by snowmobile. Once there you will be able to develop your intellect and hopefully come up with a plan for cleaning and maintaining our roads with out it costing any money??? Maybe all those intellects which according to Packet letter writer  Clare White thinks there is a shortage of in Orillia could come with how roads could be cleaned and maintained without having to pay for it??? Of course the cause of all this lack of desire to acquire intelligence is caused by not having a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> library. If I read Mr. White's letter correctly the only intelligent Orillian is one who did not grow up here. The way he goes on, one must believe that a majority of Orillian's don't even know how to read and don't or can't think. </div> <div> "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" >Thinking adults use that facility, but, as well, they want to see it contributing to the next generation's understanding of our society, and to its competence in reading and thereby in the use of our language</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >". </FONT></div> <div>      Growing up and living in this area for the past 47 years I must say that I and my wife who is a 54 year resident we can both read. My children who were born down the street from the current library and educated in our local schools can both read. My daughter has her Honours BA from Trent University and attended Trent for an extra year after graduation developing her intelligence further. Begining in January she will be starting at Fleming to improve her intellectual ability further. All this in spite of having been born, raised and educated in Orillia. Imagine her being able to do any of this having only this old inadequate library????</div> <div>      My son too has failed miserably having been deprived of a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> library. He completed his primary and high school in Orillia as well, then  graduated from Georgian College from the 3 year marketing program. He then must have decided that because he is an intellectually deprived Orillian to pursue his quest for his Honours BA from Laurention University, where is now finishing his last year at the Sudbury Campus, where he continues to excel in  the 90 to mid 90's percent. All I can say is that had my kids had that <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> library they might have hit the 100% percent mark???</div> <div>      So are my children the exception? I think not Mr. White. A nephew who like my children is a product of Orillia, is finishing up at Dalhousie and will be finally begining his working life as a Physicist. He too completed a College degree before deciding he wanted more intellectual challenge. All this without a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> library. Believe me there are more stories like these young people as they are not the exception but the rule. Mr. Rowe your characterization of Intelligance and how it is achieved couldn't be more wrong. We have some of the most intelligent  electricians, plumbers, labourers, mechanics, carpenters, truck drivers and more than you will find anywhere. (OK! we are lacking intelleigence in our politicians but hey politics will do that to some)  All have become intelligent without a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> library. A library is but a very small cog in a very large wheel of life. Yes we need a library. Yes we need a library that has the size and tools within it to satisfy demand. A <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$13,000,000</B></FONT> library would do no less, and if you can't see that, then I feel sorry for you. The building and it's grandness will never make people intelligent. It is the work that the parents, family, friends, neighbours, teachers and the community as a whole invests in our young people that will determine their intelligence. A <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> or a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$100,000,000</B></FONT> library simply can't do anything without all those I have listed.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Dec. 01, 2008</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Early Xmas Present for Canada's Majority</B></div> <div>      Looks like there maybe reason to celebrate Xmas early this year. If the coalition deal between the Liberals, NDP and the Bloc sticks to what is best for Quebec and the country, then the removal of Harper from power will truly be cause to celebrate. In the history of this country there has never been a Prime Minister more deserving of being turfed from office. This shallow man who led a two year assault of lies against Stephan Dion will now get what he deserves.</div> <div>      The unholy alliance of Right Wing Conservatives and the Reform/Alliance rednecks will hopefully be tossed on the garbage heap of history. Progressive Conservatives were driven from their own party by the likes of Harper and Peter McKay. The party was formed from the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Betrayal of David Orchard </B></FONT>and many thousands of party members. It's not hard to see that the deal between Harper and McKay was forged by deception, lies and betrayal. This party formed from dishonesty simply does not deserve to exist. It's time that people like Harper and McKay were sent on their way once and for all. These two and their supporters desired power not for good, but for personal ambition. When the local party branch was formed here, Doug Lewis made a statement that was a warning to all of us. "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>I don't care who the leader is. I don't care what the policies are as long as we win</B></FONT>". That has been the mantra of Harper and his Mike Harrisites inner circle as well. These people hijacked the  party of Confederation as the Progressives stood by helplessly, afraid to <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Speak Out</B></FONT>. Vicious attacks were the norm against any real or perceived opposition to the destruction of the Progressive Conservative Party. The final insult to the Progressives was the hijacking of the name Conservative and colours of the Progressive Conservatives. </div> <div>      Yesterday we find out that the Harper people, are spying on and recording a caucus meeting/conference call of the NDP. This kind of behaviour is rampant in dictatorships and one party rule states. It is not behaviour that can be allowed in a democracy. There should be a quick and thorough police investigation of who ordered such outrageous behaviour. We need to know if any government paid employees or assets were used in subverting the democratic right of political parties to meet in private. I understand that the NDP have asked for a criminal investigation as of this writing. The Harperites are claiming that the person who did the recording was "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Inadvertently</B></FONT>" invited. The trotting out the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Weasle</B></FONT> words already can mean only that they are running scared. Who in the Redneck party doesn't know that there is no such thing as an inadvertent invitation to caucus meetings???? I for one don't believe that this spying and taping was just a one off by the Harperites either. Maybe, as more sh*t hits the fan during the police investigation we might get see just how dirty the hands of these people are. The best hope for the people of Canada is a thorough airing and possibly criminal charges against those who have coveted power for powers sake. The following is what I wrote on Oct. 07, 2008.</div> <div> <B> Stephen Harper the consummate control freak has controlled our economy smack into a recession. Like with a stroke or heart attack the sooner they are treated the less damage done and the faster the recovery. The same is true of economies. But if the person having the early symptoms of a heart attack does not seek help immediately later on there will be more damage than was actually necessary. Stephen Harper is that person in our economy. Harper and his Conservative team has done huge damage to our economy for personal political self interest. Harper covets the dictatorial power that comes with a majority government and decided to sacrifice all of us for his ambition of control.</B></div> <div> <B>     Don't kid yourselves', this man is more dangerous to our collective security even if he has started to wear sweaters. This man, because of his paranoia and compulsion to win ultimate power has caused more economic harm than necessary. He and his servants have taken part in the do nothing program because they knew, if people realized just how bad the economy really was they could not reach the coveted prize of a majority government. Cynically, they tried to trigger an election with some very distasteful legislation to the opposition. When the Liberals didn't take the bait Harper demeaned and taunted Dion calling him indecisive and a weak leader. </B></div> <div> Harper and his supporters behaviour last week in the release of their economic statement proves, that leopards can't change their spots. Harper and the Harrisites will hopefully, pay the price for their treachery once and for all. My deep desire, seeing that we have dodged the bullet of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Dictatorship</B></FONT>, is that people will begin to get involved in how and who governs us.  My hope is that people like Joe Clarke, will come forward and condemn Harper and the Rednecks, and work to reconstitute the Party of Confederation. No I don't want Clarke to ignite his political ambitions to be PM again. What we need, is for Clarke to come forward as the elder statesman of Progressive Conservatism. The events of today really started when the thouroughly dicredited Brian Mulroney climbed into bed with the likes of Carl Heinz Schrieber. It continued with bags of cash, going into safedeposit boxes and safes in basements. It was the scoundrel Mulroney and his supporters like, our very own Doug Lewis who cared for power only for the sake of power and be damned with everyone else attitude.  Without Mulroney and Lewis blazing a trail the likes of Harper and Peter McKay could have never pulled off their take over of the Progressives. Harper and his ilk will never change, so there is no other choice but that they must go. Merry Christmas and a  Happy Harperless New Year.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>We Still Need a Forensic Audit</B></div> <div> <B>We Still Need to Audit City/Hospital/OPC Managements Performance</B></div> <div> <B>And a  Judicial Review of the MURF Contract</B></div> <div> <B>Even More So Today</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> <B>and </B></div> <div> <B>Now the Library Project as Well </B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>