Eyes on City Hall

Welland By-Law #9350

2011-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Back on December 18, 1990 the City of Welland implemented by-law 9350 stating all owners and occupants of land in the City of Welland who use sewage works are hereby notified effective January 1, 1991 are subject to a sewage service rate in an amount equal to 50% of all eligible water rate accounts ( including pools ) charged to said owners and occupants.

This by-law was compulsory due to the Ministry of the Environment for the elimination of sewage overflows being discharged into the natural environment---( still discharging if there is a heavy rain storm). To do this a pollution abasement program was set up to repair and replace aging and defective sanitary sewer systems and the construction of storm sewers for separation of combined sewers.The revenue resulting from this by-law was to assist in financing this work so it can reduce the impact on the general tax levy for the provision of these services. Yes, some of this work was carried out over the past 20 years but was some of the by-law money used to reduce the cost?

To the best of my knowledge this 50% sewer rate is still being charged 20 years later and the general levy has not been reduced but rather increased. After 20 years I believe the citizens of Welland are entitled in knowing how much was collected using this by-law and how much was used to lower the general levy if it was ever used for the proposed purpose? I'm sure all of that information is on the city's computers and readily available.

Inflation

2010-12-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Another article for the benefit of seniors 65 and over that was not printed.

Statistics Canada just released the latest inflation rate. For the month of October it rose 0.5% from 1.9% the month before. I must draw one's attention to Canada's Consumer Price Index and their report it rose to 2.4% last month indicating it's the highest its been in two years. That is rather interesting to a senior who never received an increase in their Old Age Security cheques over that two year period. The Consumer's Price Index indicated on 7 of 8 components checked prices were up including property taxes and electricity that pushed shelter costs up 2.8%. Higher prices for meat, fresh vegetables, and restaurant meals increased food prices by 2.2%, and rising gas, automobiles, and insurance costs pushed transportation costs up 4.6%.

It should be noted the 7 components checked are of vital concern to seniors 65 and over who now should expect a decent Old Age Security increase BUT don't count on it as the system used is not right for seniors.

Charter of rights

2010-12-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

I am a staunch supporter of the Charter of Rights that gives every Canadian the freedom of speech, opinion, and

expression in public and if one wishes, through the newspaper media. For some unknown reason newspapers seem to exercise a right where they do not have to print one's article or letter other than if it contains libel and defamation with out having to give a reason. That is called CENSORSHIP and it should not be allowed.

The following articles, sent in to a newspaper, were based on the former mayor of Welland Damian Goulborne's decision to enter his name as a candidate for the Region of Niagara Chairman. The people of Welland were upset with his decision because of the fact he was soundly beaten at the polls when he was running for a Regional Council seat and during his campaign he announced he wanted the council seat so he could go after the Regional Chairman's position clearly indicating to the people of Welland they did not want him.. These articles were not printed nor any reason given as to why as they certainly contained no libel or defamation.

Perhaps the local paper should realize former mayor Goulborne is no longer mayor, he no longer has a seat and he does not need the PR protection:

" After reading Goulborne's announcement of his intentions to enter his name for Regional Chair it sounds to me as if he was the only person responsible for all of the changes in Welland. I guess those 12 people sitting in front and around him had nothing to do with those changes.

Do not be at least surprised if he is unsuccessful in obtaining the Chair position he will start looking at the provincial or federal field of politics If he does you don't suppose his platform will be centered around his wanting a premier or prime minister job?

" I don't believe any one could have described Former Mayor Goulborne any better than Ivey Riddell a former city councilor and regional councilor and I quote " What is the point of going to the polls to vote? We voted him ( Goulborne ) out of office, we didn't want him. We vote him out of office and the Regional council elect him as chair. Riddell went on to say allowing Goulborne to run for this position the regional council is essentially casting the decisions of the voters aside. After people have voted people in those are the people we want down at the Region----not some one who lost and still wants to make a go of it" A very intelligent lady.

Are those who are supporting Goulborne including some of the regional councilors so blind they can't see the voters of Welland did not want him on the council? Why would they even consider a person not wanted in his own community?

If Goulborne was so deserving and experienced the voters would have put him in------obvious by the results the people of Welland thought he wasn't

Goulborne shake your head and do the honorable thing---back out

Seniors 65 + revealed

2010-11-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

The McGuinty's offer of a 10% reduction in our Hydro bills is in no way to be considered a benefit when it was announced Hydro rates would escalate 46% over the next 5 years and then look at the HST started in July of this year helped me in making my decision to show one and all how the 65 and over seniors were and will be affected based on their present incomes of Canada Pension Plan ( CPP ), Old Age Security ( OAS ), Guaranteed Income Supplement ( GIS )

CPP per month $934.17

OAS per month $518.51

Total per month $1452.68

Total per year $17,431.16

Poverty line per year $18,373.00

Below poverty line $940.84

Below per month $78.40

OAS per month $518.51

GIS per month $654.47

Total per month $1172.98

Total per year $14,075.70

Poverty line per year $18,373,00

Below poverty line $4297.30

Below per month $ 358.10

The government funded CPP and OAS or OAS and GIS allowance guarantee a minimum income for older Canadians that is not enough to lift all older persons above the poverty line. The maximum value of the public pensions falls well short of the 50% to 70% of pre-retirement income to maintain decent living standards. The government expectations were that people would supplement public pensions with their own savings through membership of a pension plan at work but the government neglected to realize most Canadians didn't have a workplace pension and if such is the case these Canadians if having any savings will be forced to use them up because of the public pension plans being below the poverty line.

OAG and GIS are in urgent need of improvement.I have been given to understand a proposal has been made to increase the GIS benefit by 15% but in my opinion the OAS should also be increased 15 % as it has been part and parcel of the governments benefits keeping below the poverty line for the simple reason without the increase those receiving the CPP and the OAS will still be below the poverty line.

All of the above figures are based on one recipient. If a couple the maximum is slightly over the poverty line.

I should clarify what the GIS is, it is an income benefit payable to lower income seniors who are also receiving OAS and have little or no other income. Please note the GIS is not taxable.

The statistics as outlined were obtained off a Statistic Canada report.

OAS provides about 13% of a pre-retirement earnings and the CPP provides another 25% for a total of 38%. Seniors, have been found, require 70% of their pre-retirement earnings to maintain their standard of living in retirement. The existing benefit figures show the senior is short 32% of their pre-retirement earnings.

The question, When is the government going to make a move and increase these benefits as this proposal has been hung up for a very long time?

Seniors who are 65 and over and not 50+

2010-11-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

I am writing the following in the hope what I have written is not to be construed as a witch hunt for those 50 + Canadians as they are very fine people who happen to believe their age benefits them to be called seniors. Why they do this is beyond me. You are forsaking 15 years of a robust living in a late middle age society. Why would you want to rush into those supposedly "Golden Years" which if you talk to any senior over 65 will tell you differently. It galls me when you are told there is a special price for 50 + seniors and try to explain a senior is not 50+ but 65 and over. What better deal do you have for me as I am considerably older ( 79 ) That is like a friend of mine who was 37 and had a very heavy beard and here I was a clean shaven pup being asked if he was 21 and I looked no older then 19, I was actually 21 and not asked my age.Restaurateurs and retailers still have deals for seniors that stimulates 50+ but never any thing for 65+.

Now lets get to our deserving 65 and over seniors with a little bit of their back ground such as education, health, and what we call lack of respect and understanding particularly from our federal government who discriminate us when it comes to our asking for a fair shake in raising the Canada Pension Plan, the Old Age Security, and the Old Age Supplement.

Senior means a person 65 and over who can present ID showing 65 and over

Senior means a person who is receiving the Canada Pension Plan and The Old Age Security defined by the federal government as being 65 and over.

57% of Canadians over 65 are women

20% of the current Canadians over 65 have a post graduate diploma with a degree

60% of seniors 65 and over did not complete high school

37 % have less than grade 9

46 % of seniors have a disability yet continue to enjoy life

75% of seniors 65 to 70 rate their health as good or exceptional as do 66% of

75 and over

Seniors have also one request and that is PLEASE!!!! avoid language such as the aged, the elderly. oldsters, senile, and feeble and instead use seniors, older persons, or older adults.

Don't patronize us, condescend, or use childish expressions when talking with us or about seniors.

There is one very important thing to remember about a senior and that being we have a change in visual and acuity hearing which can affect an older person's capacity to absorb information. Hearing clearly is not attainable if a sound is above or below a certain pitch or if there is a background noise such as a public address system, telephones,TV, and radio.

Unfortunately aging brings emotional changes, loneliness,isolation or worry, anxiety about becoming dependent on others, and fears about safety. I know this to be a fact.

Do not forget this one very important thing we are survivors. Don't forget that.

Seniors injured from falls

2010-11-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

Just recently CBC had a very interesting article on the subject disclosing a number of eye opening statistics, statistics I'm sure many seniors were not aware.

From 2004 to 2008 more than 125,000 seniors in the province of Ontario were admitted to a hospital because of a fall.

It stands to reason as seniors get older they tend to have impairments in balance, in vision, and reflexes. Combine these with osteoporosis where bones become more fragile increasing the risk of broken bones. Most of these falls occur from falls on stairs, slipping, tripping, and stumbling. It has been suggested to make it safer for them use rugs with rubber backing that will stick to the floor, make sure any staircases are clear of clutter, and have hand rails. Keep phones on every floor to prevent rushing to answer, and do exercises to improve strength, balance, and flexibility.

Above all use proper lighting.

It should be pointed out 87% of seniors who fell sustained injuries to the head or spine.

Surprising as it seems men falling peaks at the average of 72 whereas women peak at 84.

It has also been suggested seniors should make a point of asking their doctors about risks of any new medications particularly those who take blood thinners could suffer severe consequences from a fall and some blood pressure medication may affect balance. It should also be mentioned the University of British Columbia found that seniors on antidepressants, anti psychotic and sedative hypnotics were 11/2 times more likely to fall compared with those not taking those drugs. The University went on to say 1 in 3 Canadians over 65 experience a fall each year and those over 80 the figure rises to 40%

BE CAREFUL

Debt vs Deficit

2010-11-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

What does it mean?

Most people confuse debts with deficits and vice versa, no so and here is the explanation.The government collects taxes, fees, and other revenues each year while spending on programs and operations. If the government spends more than it takes in over the course of one year then it has run a deficit which applies to just one year. When the government runs a deficit then it must borrow money to make up the deficit. A debt is completely different. A debt is an accumulation of deficits. The debt usually grows year after year. with each additional deficit the debt continues to grow. Do not think if the government takes in more money then it spends in one year then it suddenly doesn't have any debt. This is not the case as it means the government has managed to run a surplus which is opposite to deficit. The debt is still there. Please!!! also note if the government has to continually borrow money each year then the debt will continue to grow year after year. This debt does not disappear. Having outlined both I want to show some very interesting figures produced by the present Ontario Liberal government. At the present time the Ontario debt amounts to $212.1 billion mainly to finance the deficit in 2009-2010. When the Liberals took office in 2003-2004 the debt was$138.8 billion, In all of the following years deficits resulted year by year as the Liberals spent more then was collected.

For this year the deficit is expected to be close to $20. billion and if spending exceeds the revenue the debt will climb regardless of what the liberals did in the line of cutting back money to the hospitals, cutting back money to people on welfare, collecting part of the loan to the Big 3, and introducing the HST.

If the Liberals can not reduce the deficit beware of McGuinty's next step when he will come up with another of his tax increases.

Now, lets look at the Canadian federal government. The federal debt now sits at $ 1.2 trillion which is the amount of money the Federal, provincial, territories, and municipal governments owe as a whole.

Just as a breather the city of Welland's debt could very easily reach $ 60 million when the Sportsplex gets under way and if it does it will leave Welland very close to the allowable debt set by the province.

Since we are talking about debt and how serious it is and how serious it can be perhaps now we should discuss the debt of the Canadian families. A recent release stated the average Canadian family debt ( household ) is $ 96,000.00, mortgage payments up to 90 days late and credit card payments were 3 months behind.

Year 2009 was a record year for personal bankruptcy filings which caused a week economy thus causing record levels of personal debt. It should be noted high personal debt levels continue to climb to a point of no return.

Canadians are continuing to borrow shown by the end of the third quarter in 2009 the average Canadian adult had over $ 40,000.00 in household credit. Back in 2000 the average was approximately$20,000.00 and in 10 years it had doubled. By the end of September 2009 the average Canadian adult was carrying a household debt of 140.8% of their personal disposable income. Three years ago it was 120%. In simple terms every dollar earned one has $1.41 in debt.

If one has a good job and interest rates stay low one can probably service one's debt

BUT

If the job is lost. the hours are cut back, one has a divorce, there is a medical problem so one could not work, can you pay your mortgage, your car loan,your line of credit, and your credit cards?

I you are in this position be very careful in taking on new debt, do not even think about buying a bigger house or new car.

To control your debt move to a smaller house, or an apartment, trade in your car for something smaller with a lower monthly payment and much better on gas.

Do you need the big boat and cottage?

Do you need 500 TV channels?

Do you need to buy a coffee every day?

Can you not make your own coffee?

Sell or return the 2nd car

Put a freeze on new spending.

Stop paying the minimum monthly payment on the credit cards and increase the payment. If you don't, rest assured the principal will have tripled by the time it is paid in full paying the minimum. Credit cards are the fast road to bankruptcy. Above all if you follow these rules don't think you have extra money because you don't.

If one heeds this advice which is not from me the writer but from professional financial advisers there is a chance of getting out of debt, if not expect to be bankrupt.

Haiti

2010-11-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

It is not my intention to criticize the help given to this country but, I would like to draw your attention to a few things our Canadian government is doing in Haiti with our money which in my opinion is absolutely assine and loss of common sense.

Recently it was announced Canada will be spending $5.6 million for diplomat residences in Haiti. It has been confirmed the $ 5.6 million will only cover the cost of the land. On top of this expenditure homes will be built for 24 diplomats at an estimated cost of $244,000.00 each. One must presume that $244,000.00 does not include furnishing and appliances which could be easily estimated at approximately $150,000.00 each or more as these diplomats like like to live off the fat of the land.

At this announcement I am surprised questions have not come up in parliament as follows; Why do we need 24 diplomats in Haiti? Why are we not supplying these diplomats with rental accommodations as we do with the majority of the diplomats that live in rental accommodations through out the world? Considering all of these expenses there is another requirement that has not been mentioned which will be a new ambassador's residence for a new embassy along with staff quarters.These are not included in the$ 5.6 million and the expense will probably match the land expense of $5.6 million Do not forget the Canadian taxpayer has already paid $1.4 million for emergency repairs to the existing embassy and another $1.7 million for temporary staff housing.

No explanation has come forward as to what will be done with the repaired embassy and the temporary staff housing.

Canada in their usual manner of wasting taxpayer money is now going to shell out $9.5 million to rebuild the headquarters of Haiti's National Police service.

Where is all of this money coming from?

Just in the last week it was announced Canada is on the way to going broke as the debt keeps climbing.

The total Canadian debt now stands at $1.1 trillion US that includes the debts of all of the provinces, the Territories, and cities. This debt in respect to every man, woman, and child would be $32,506.00 each.

I personally can only see one solution to stop this senseless spending and that being cut the number of diplomats to 12 and that is still probably too many,Forget the new embassy and staff accommodations and keep them in the quarters where money was spent to refurbish them.

Welland's Water/Sewer Budget fo 2011

2010-11-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

After the recent Welland municipal election I would imagine one of the first things that would be on the agenda of the new Mayor Barry Sharpe and the council with seven (7 ) new members as has been the policy for the past years will be the water/sewer budget for 20111. Mayor Sharpe and the five (5 ) incumbents I am sure will remember Mr. Kovacs and yours truly who for the past years have presented to the city council our analysis report covering the proposed water/sewer budget.Unfortunately over those past years our reports were never given the time of day or in many cases never even read by many of the councilors and those that took the time to read them were very vociferous in denouncing our report as wrong but never on any occasion was it saw fit to support the accusations. In the year 2007 our report indicated the Niagara Region was over charging all municipalities in the Region for water and sewer services. Our future reports also brought the over charge to the attention of all municipalities with no reaction until early this year Councilor Sharpe at the time announced in council our report on the region was correct and the Region owed the City of Welland over $2 million dollars At the time of councilor Sharpe's announcement he received support from a city staff member. Councilor Sharpe went after the Region and as I understand he ran into a brick wall. I am sure that now as mayor and a regional councilor he will be pushing the Region for Welland's money. It is most unfortunate with all of his efforts Mayor Sharpe is not receiving any support from the other municipalities who have also been over charged by the Region.

Again as usual Mr. Kovacs and I will again be looking into a new analysis report to present to council however we have also run into a stone wall with the Region. The Region is refusing to give us copies of the flow and financial charts covering water and sewer as we were able to obtain over the past years because now the Region is telling us that information is not for the public. Mr. Kovacs spoke to Mr. Trojan at the Region and explained to him our situation. Mr. Trojan assured Mr. Kovacs we would receive the information as requested by the following Monday. If we do receive what we asked for we will make up our report to present to the new council with hope it will be received in a more positive way than in the past.

Telemarketers

2010-11-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what others have experienced with these people but in my opinion the " Do Not Call List" ( DNCL ) program set up in September 2008 is an absolute failure and a joke.

I've received an average of 1 or 2 calls per week from these telemarketers during which I found they, the marketers, are not following rules set up by the CRTC. the rules as set up are as follows; Calls are restricted to hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. with no calls on either Saturday or Sunday. The caller must promptly tell their name or identity and state the call is a sales call.The caller must discuss all material information about the goods and services being offered and the terms of sale.

I went on the Internet and searched for information that would indicate who were the worst offenders and found in about 90% of my findings pointed out Bell Canada.

I concur with with this as I personally have experienced for the last 4 to 6 months calls at least 1 or 2 times a month from Bell noting in all cases the caller was not following the rules. The callers do not respond immediately to a "Hello", they are hard to hear and understand which leads me to believe the calls are coming from India that Bell uses. The calls come any time after noon hour and even over the supper hours forcing me to contact the vice president of residential customer relations only after I was unsuccessful after 3 complaints to have the calls stopped. The calls stopped. It was pointed out to me if a customer has complaints to phone the number as follows; 310- BELL ( 2355 ).

Now that I've listed all of the complaints, rules, etc., I should mention who the CRTC picked as the operator of the DNCL It was Bell Canada on September 30, 2008 for a 5 year period.

Tobacco labels

2010-11-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Introduction:

I have an explicit reason for writing this article on Tobacco. I quit smoking over 30 years ago and never had one craving for a cigarette in all of those years. If my wife had quit smoking when I did I am sure she would have been alive today. My wife died in June 2000 of lung cancer.

The following list covers a few references to tobacco out of the CBCs radio archives and CBC's radio program " Assignment" by host Bill McNeil and guest tobacco expert John Fitzgerald dated September 4, 1961. On this radio program CBC host Mr. Fitzgerald stated Canadian tobacco makes a fine cigarette,Canadians prefer a home grown product, and tobacco is a big business in Canada. Host Bill McNeil asked Mr. Fitzgerald " Do you think cancer is really caused by tobacco?" Mr. Fitzgerald's response " There does seem to be cancer causing agents in cigarette smoke". He cautioned against smoking if you have a family history of cancer.Mr. Fitzgerald was asked why it was so hard to quit smoking and he said" It'd like food, it's company. It placates your nerves, and it gives you something to do with your hands.

For smokers one will notice Canada's warning labels have not changed in 10 years regardless of being pushed to update the labels as they are inexpensive. and lose their impact if not up dated on a regular basis.

Health Canada is not willing to go forward at this time to update warning labels on cigarettes which with out a doubt creates a possibility of increasing smoking and smoking related illnesses. One has to conclude the lack of updating by Health Canada means there would be an increase in smoking which ultimately means more tax revenue for the government.

Ottawa clearly stated it needs more time to determine the impact new labels would have.The government then should be asked how much time do they need considering the impact of labels was started in 2006.

Every province in Canada approved new labels but were told Ottawa had no intentions of moving ahead at this time.

Having written all of these things about tobacco and the federal government sitting on the fence for 10 years unable to update the warning labels on cigarettes and yet Canada has new labels but to bring them out appears to be a political decision. The government seems to be more interested in prioritizing contraband cigarettes over warning labels by highlighting their anti tobacco measures and say nothing about cigarette warning labels.

The longer Canada waits to put new warning labels on cigarettes will cost more smoker's lives. Many countries have warning labels on their cigarettes and are constantly changing them but it should be noted there is no country running the same label for 10 years.

Here are a few interesting facts about tobacco;

Years ago authorities denounced tobacco as the " Indian Vice"

Roman Catholics faced excommunication if they used tobacco

King James 1 (1562- 1621) of England levied a huge import tax on tobacco to discourage its use

The Russian Czar decreed that repeat users of tobacco would be sentenced to death

During the second world war the home front was pushing the citizens to send cigarettes over seas to the soldiers as an act of patriotism.

Hundreds of years later cigarettes are still a topic of discussion

Cell Phone Law

2010-11-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Before I start this article I want to explain I have a number of articles to type that I've set aside hoping I might be able to have them printed but my experiences over the past few weeks indicate I am spitting against a hurricane.

How many people like myself have seen people chatting on the phone while driving, looking down at their laps,reading messages on the phones and blackberries?Too many to count I am willing to bet.

Ontario's Distracted Driving law is not worth the paper it was written on as it has made no difference with drivers what so ever.

The law has no teeth

The law has not enough people to enforce the law which was never considered before passing. It is like a lot of bylaws that should never go through if there are not enough bodies to enforce them. There are no demerit points so your license has no risk. The offender does not have to worry about having the phone confiscated because the police do not confiscate the phones. A fine is no deterrent as it means nothing other than a few bucks out of one's pocket. When there is a law like this why is it not like driving without a seat belt or like the law against radar detection when caught the detector is automatically taken away from the driver by the police..

This is a dumb law with a lot of loop holes.

The law should have been made to mean something.

Take the phones , hand out demerit points, and increase the amount of fines

Handicapped Parking

2010-11-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I wrote a number of letters on this subject basically on how the permits were being abused particularly by those not handicapped. Recently I noticed again a few complaints in regard to this problem including larger municipalities. Here is an example on what the City of Toronto does about handicapped parking by first making it very clear handicapped parking permits are issued to individuals NOT vehicles so that someone transporting a handicapped individual will have the parking benefits transferred to their vehicle.

In Toronto a permit holder may park besides being able to park in handicapped parking locations. a vehicle transporting a permit holder may park in areas where parking is prohibited except for rush hour routes which are off limits, on streets designated as " Permit Holders" areas exempt drivers may park at any time. When parking is for a limited amount of time , such as one hour parking, permit- holders may park for any length of time and do not need to abide by the time restrictions. Those with handicapped permits are also not required to pay at parking meters or other parking machines.

It should be noted permit-holders may not park in emergency, fire or snow routes, or on a bridge, a ' NO STANDING OR STOPPING AREA" an intersection and too close to a fire hydrant.

Regardless if you have an accessible parking permit you are still required to abide by safe driving and parking regulations.

These are the Toronto regulations for those who hold handicapped parking permits and I guess the question is to ask the City of Welland how many of Toronto's regulations are used here in Welland. Perhaps in the near future the City of Welland will issue their set of regulations?

High Water Bills

2010-11-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

In the city of Welland , Ontario the citizens ( Consumers ) have been receiving some exceedingly high water bills and when these consumers complained to the city the complainants were given no sympathy other than being told they must have a leak in the water system in the home and regardless they will be expected to pay the high bill.

I did some research on the computer looking into how other municipalities handled similar problems and found what I thought was a very good approach in the city of Hamilton Ontario.

The City of Hamilton's water department has a billing agent to handle the city water bills. The company Hamilton uses is Horizon Utilities and this company is the billing agent who have agents that read remote devices or touch pads which are wired to inside water meters that are mounted on the customer's home.

If a read is more than 200% higher than the same period the previous year, it will appear on a variance report, and a phone call or " High Water Read Notification" letter is generated to the customer. Accounts are also reviewed manually to identify higher than average needs, and again a letter is generated. The letter identifies Horizon as the City of Hamilton's billing agent and explains the program is to notify customers of higher than historical water consumption. This is to provide customers the opportunity to identify and repair any leak or or other usage that would affect consumption.

This system sounds like a real good system that should be investigated by the city of Welland and any other municipalities experiencing the same problems with high water bills. I am sure the city of Welland and probably other municipalities are using any system that is vaguely similar to this and bears looking into.

Denistoun Street

2010-11-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

I and a number of other local Denistoun residents have been after city hall for at least 5 to 7 years to have Denistoun Street resurfaced, new curbs for the entire length of the street,and poor sidewalks replaced. Over the past 2 months the street was finally cleaned up to what we asked.

over those many years.

I believe the true contributing factor in having this work done on the street was due to the street being named as one of the worst in Ontario by many of the residents in the densely populated Denistoun area. The voting was not packed, it was an accurate endeavor by all residents.The street eventaully made the top 10 list of the worst streets on Ontario.

The street is excellent due to the fine work of Brennen Paving and their very courteous workers.

Before the work was started on the street a petition circulated through out the entire densely populated Denistoun area requesting the city install proper signs and slight speed bumps to control the traffic. Denistoun Street is straight right from Lincoln to Main and with out those signs and speed bumps there is no doubt the street will turn into a speedway.

One must be made to understand Denistoun Street is a short cut to Main and is used by a variety of vehicles that endanger the lives of all of those children that live in the Denistoun housing sub division.We sincerely hope the city will listen to us and install the necessary safety equipment.

Flu Season

2010-11-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year when we are advised to get our flu shots so I want to show you an article I received in regard to flu shots which I thought would interest the reader.

The following are the usual suggestions put out at this time of year to avoid the flu.

Eat Right

Make sure you get your daily dose of fruit and veggies

Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C

Get plenty of exercise because it builds up your immune system

Walk for at least an hour a day

Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Get lots of fresh air. Open doors and windows when ever possible

Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can

Take the doctor's approach

The doctors clean your arm with alcohol because it kills germs

Walk to the bar (exercise )

Put lime in your Coors and Vodka ( fruit )

Put celery in your Bloody Mary (veggies )

Drink outdoors on the deck ( Fresh Air )

Tell rude jokes and laugh ( Eliminate Stress )

Then pass out ( Rest )

If you keep your alcohol levels up flu germs can't get you

REMEMBER

A shot in the glass is better then a shot in the ass

Voter's List

2010-11-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

In answer to anonymous' comment about the city's voter's list there is no doubt the recent voter's list for the past election left much to be desired.

I will explain the voter's list and how it is made up. First of all the voter's list is a list of people who can vote ( eligible electors ) for the 2010 municipal election. As it was noted by anonymous The Municipal Property Corporation ( MPAC ) prepares a preliminary list of electors through their enumeration efforts and then revises the list with the voter's assistance. According to MPAC'S web site a preliminary list was made in 2010 which brings up the question, why were so many mistakes and missing voter names?The City of Welland used this preliminary list for the voter's list for the recent municipal election.

A considerable number of eligible voting Wellanders did not receive voter notification cards and mind you those that did were informed by the city the cards had errors and would be replaced with proper new cards at the taxpayers expense.

Again anonymous was correct in stating a fair number of Wellanders do not own their own homes such as retired seniors and renters who in many cases live in apartments which means their names more then likely will not appear on the list of eligible voters. It is logical to presume these names are not available to MPAC. For example as quoted by anonymous there are voters in a number of 4-plexes through out the city who do not have their names on the voter's list because the owners of the 4- plexes are the only names listed and live out of town.

Considering all of the above is it any wonder the voter turn out was so abysmal to say the least?

Is it not fair to ask when the city intends to have such glaring errors corrected as there is a provincial election coming up in 2011. Now is the time to act, not when it is too late in 2011.

Back on my blog

2010-11-04T02:35:00.000-07:00

After a long period of time of not writing on the blog I am back and hopefully will be able to write on a daily basis.

I've been writing for over 40 years to the media and up until the last 3 to 4 years I was printed until a number of my submissions were not printed with no reasons given.

My writings were on events that in most instances concerned events that did not appear in the local papers but were on events the public was entitled in knowing about.

I am interested in all political fields, health warnings, and sports.

I sincerely hope to hear from you.

Hydro Rates

2010-11-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Effective November 1, 2010 Hydro rates for those not on Smart Meters will be as follows; .064 cents per kwh for the first 1000 kwh and .074 cents per kwh for all kwhs over 1000 kwhs. Please!!!! make a note of the so called charitable cutback by Hydro as follows; .064 cents per kwh down from. .o65 cents per kwh for the first 1000 kwh as a substitute for the first 800 kwhs used per month and .074 cents per kwh down from .075 cents per kwh for all kwhs over 1000 kwhs used per month. According to the hydro residential customers using 800 kwhs per month will see a decrease amount of $ 2.80 per month on one's hydro bill. I happen to disagree with this decrease amount of $2.80 by showing as an example my most recent hydro bill as follows; My bill before the November 1, 2010 was 315 kwhs @.065 cents per kwh =$20.40 and the HST on that same bill before the decrease was $ 6.52. I took this same bill and substituted the new November 1, 2010 rates as follows; 315 kwhs @.064 cents per kwh = $20.16 and the HST would be $6.48. The total bill before the new rate was $56.71 where as the total bill using the new rate would be $56.33. The total difference in my case would be $.38 cents. Now I checked the delivery charges etc with rates supplied to me by the hydro and I don't believe there would be any changes in my final saving of $.38 cents.

Since the Hydro was so charitable with their decreases lets look at those rates on smart meters for peak periods in the upcoming winter from November 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011.

The peak period demands are more often than not 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. which as all know are when we have need of heat if you have electric heating. This is where we get hit between the eyes because the Hydro charges 9.9 cent per kwh used, lowered the rate for off-peak to 5.1 cents per kwh used from 5.3 cents per kwh used, and changed the rate for mid peak from .8 cents per kwh used to 8.1 cents per kwh used. The Hydro did nothing to the peak period rates and left it at 9.9 cents per kwh used in the time periods when one requires heat to keep warm if you have electric heating. I am forewarning all folks with electric heat if you want to be warm this winter be set to pay the price if one has a smart meter.

The Liberal party must get rid of the HST on electricity and be awake of the fact electricity is a prerequisite of life and not a luxury especially for all seniors who are on fixed incomes.

Freedom to vote

2010-11-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

In the recent municipal election held in Welland, Ontario there were 38,957 registered voters entitled to exercise their rights to vote. When all of the votes were in and tabulated the figures showed out of 38,957 eligible voters only 15,845 of those eligible voters saw fit to exercise their rights in this democratic country with no fear of reprisal. Those who did not vote amounted to 23,112, 50 % more then the registered figure.

As stated, we live in a democratic country that allows each and every one of us the right to vote for who ever we see fit. Canada is the envy of many countries through out the world where the people live in fear for their lives on a daily basis and are not allowed a free vote with out reprisal.

When I look at the number of Wellanders that did not vote I have to wonder how many were women who obtained the right to vote in 1917 and the right to hold office in a municipal election in Ontario in 1919. In this recent election in Welland, Ontario 7 women ran for city council and only one was elected out of those 7. Those 7 ladies received the low sum of 4597 votes out of the 15,845 who turned out to vote. The question to be asked is how many of those 4597 votes were cast by women and how many by the men?

Let's face the fact the election turnout was pathetic. All of those men and women from the past who fought for the right to vote must be turning over in their graves realizing their hard fought efforts for change were for naught.

I sincerely hope those 23,112 who did not vote don't

have the gall to question and complain about how the city is run by the new mayor and council over the next 4 years.

The Charter of Rights stipulates very clearly a guarantee of freedom of expression and opinion. I sincerely hope those who did not vote try to exercise those rights.

John Deere

2010-11-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

The following is an exert dated November 1 ,2010 from a Toronto National newspaper; " This company's exposure to global markets is impressive with divisions in many of the world's most spectacularly growing energy markets that include Brazil,Russia, India, and China.

This company's annual revenue growth in their products is 23% over the past 2 years hitting annual sales $ 18 billion (US ) IN 2009"

The company is John Deere, the same company that left Welland, Ontario for very questionable reasons such as the location of a proposed housing sub division, lost sales, loss of a US contract, going to Mexico for lower wages, and losing money. If one wishes to verify the financial figures go to Deere and Co on the Internet www.deereandco

Unbelievable to say the least.What ever the reason was for leaving Welland their financial report tells all by reporting the company is now just 19% away from a record high on the stock market.

Former Mayor Goulborne

2010-11-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

It appears former Mayor Goulborne 's intention for running for Regional council was only to further his political career by stating at the mayoral debate he was interested in getting the Regional Chairman's position.

Recently it was revealed the Regional chairman's position would be looked at in December after nominations are received which included some nominations for former Mayor Goulborne It is hard to understand why would those nominate Mayor Goulborne when he was soundly beaten in his run for Regional council?

Welland water may only cost $1.87 more per year

2010-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Councilor Grenier is quoted as follows; " A letter published in the Tribune Tuesday stating there is such na surplus was " Totally Wrong". Councilor prove Mr. Kovacs is wrong. For the past 4 to 5 years the city has consistently criticized Mr. Kovacs water/sewer analysis as being wrong where as Mr. Kovacs has invited those criticizers to sit down with him and compare figures used by both parties. The city declines. The point to be made is a known fact both parties use the identical material to arrive at their statistics provide by the Region and the city treasurer. To resolve this disagreement sit down and compare notes and make sure one compares apples with apples and not apples with oranges. I understand both gentlemen are economists and I know for sure Mr. Kovacs has a degree in economics. Mr. Kovacs has often said over the years show me where I am wrong and I will make a public apology. I guess the immediate question to ask is " WHY" ?

Councilor Grenier has also declared the industrial rates Mr. Kovacs suggest are wrong therefore for the best interest of all reveal what the industrial rate is that is presently charged by the city vs. the cost of same levied by the Region.

The bottom line is "Don't make comments without proof to support the comments"

Consumer Price Index

2008-01-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

The following is a copy of a letter I submitted to the local paper regarding Old Age Security ( O.A.S.) cheques with Consumer Price Index( C.P.I. ) adjustments that should be made public to all seniors however it apparently is not that important for the local paper as this letter was not published. This paper is supposed to be community minded.
Stats Canada announced on December 19, 2007 the CPI edged up 2.5% which leads to a question, will we seniors benefit by this increase in the next OAS cheque?
Economists point out the "Core Inflation Rate" which disregards volatile food and energy prices only rose 1.6% , down from 1.8% in October but on the other hand the CPI rose by 0.3 % because of higher gas prices and rising mortgage interest cost.
If seniors do receive an increase we must consider ourselves lucky. I'm betting we don't as there are too many tangibles mentioned in the statistics' report.
It is unfortunate seniors can not receive a locked in percentage increase for an entire year as do our MPPs and MPs an increase much more than what seniors receive, when ever we receive one.

Letter to Ministry of Transportation

2008-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

On December 27, 2007 I sent an E mail as follows to Jim Watson Minister of Municipal affairs to seek clarification on the recent Aqueduct Street fiasco;
Mr Minister can a through way street that has been designated as such for many, many years with little if any residential development be closed off to traffic, thus making it a cul-de-sac because of a petition that only contained 42 signatures stating "The street is not safe" when similar situations exist through out the rest of the city?
Upon receipt of the Ministers reply, assuming I receive one I will publish it on the blog. If there is an indication the street could not be closed I will than make an issue.

Water/Sewer rates for 2008 in Welland

2007-12-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Most citizens of Welland know the month of January is the time of year the city council presents their new water/sewer rates, rates that really disturb the taxpayers of Welland as they are never realistic.
The city has yet to inform the citizens of Welland why they are paying more for water consumption and sewage treatment than the Town of Pelham when Pelham is serviced by Welland.
The city has yet to inform the citizens of Welland why they are being charged 32% for unaccountable water when the city's own engineer said it should be between 20% and 22%.
The city of Welland has yet to inform the citizens of Welland why the sewage treatment is a great deal more than the water consumption especially for the past summer when it was almost drought conditions vs. other municipalities in the Region where the differences were more realistic. The excuse of combined water and sewer lines and heavy rainfall, pardon the pun, do not hold water, as other municipalities have similar situations.
The city has yet to inform the citizens of Welland if the Town of Pelham is charged for unaccountable water and sewage overflow when serviced from Welland.
The taxpayers are entitled to answers and must rely on the media to provide this type of information, information which is not too often forthcoming for unknown reasons

Handicap parking permits

2007-12-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

Written on December 12,2007 and December 14, 2007

It is that time of year when all of the parking lots are jammed with vehicles belonging to Christmas shoppers.When the lots are jammed unfortunately some of the handicap parking areas are taken up by phonies. Yes, I mean phonies, those who misuse or those having altered, fraudulent, or expired handicap parking permits.

The City of Toronto for the second year in a row realizing the seriousness of this misuse started on December 1,2007 sent out their Parking Enforcement Disabled Liaison Unit to patrol shopping Mall parking lots with their blitz targeting the able bodied, any caught can be fined $300 to $5000 dollars.

Last December 2006 this unit investigated more than 6000 permits and confiscated more than 1000 for reasons outlined above.

A classic example per a spokesperson from the Toronto Unit is a car pulling into a handicap parking space with either an elderly or handicap person sitting in the passenger's seat, this elderly or handicapped person is the registered person on the permit. The driver of the vehicle gets out, leaves the passenger in the vehicle, and goes shopping. Yes, it is more convenient for the driver BUT not for the other people who may need that handicap parking spot.

Just something to think about.

This writer for roughly two years has spent an extensive amount of research time on this abuse problem followed up with letters to both the ministry and the local papers outlining the abuses. The local papers published a couple of my letters and articles, the ministry's response was one letter in 7 months "We are investigating the problems"

After almost a year the provincial government has approved legislation to crackdown on those who abuse disabled parking areas.

Starting the week of December 13, 2007 the Ministry announced their legislation to control this abuse as follows;

The Ministry has reduced the validity period for temporary permits from 24 months to 12 months

The ministry weeded out thousands of "DEAD" permit holders.

Interim permits while a permit application is being processed from 6 months to 2 months.

It has been suggested a comprehensive testing program be put in place to verify if holders of disabled parking permits really call for them.

The ticket officers who keep watch over the misuse of permits discover the permit number is not registered to the driver or the disabled passenger using the vehicle the abuser can be charged and fined up to $5000.

NOW IT IS A CASE OF ENFORCING THESE CHANGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HANDICAPPED

Identity Theft

2007-12-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

Article written December 11, 2007
Over the past three years I have written a number of letters and articles on "Identity theft" for the benefit of many but primarily seniors. Some of the letters and article were published and some were not which is unfortunate as Identity Theft is the biggest growing crime in the world involving billions of dollars
This crime does not discriminate as all ages are targets for these thieves.
There is an excellent book on the market "The Canadian Guide To Protecting yourself From Identity Theft and Other Fraud" that I recommend buying. The book could save you anguish,losses, credit rating, and your bank account.I have no financial interest in this book but I do have an interest in helping one on how to prevent such losses.

Financial Bank Reports

2007-12-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Article dated December 11, 2007 and not published.
The financial report for the C.I.B.C. and Scotia banks make for very interesting reading as follows;C.I.B.C's net income for 2007 $3.296 billion vs $2.646 billion for 2006
Scotia bank's net income for 2007 $4.05 billion vs $3.55 billion for 2006
A few of these increases are the result of diverse service charges that seem rather small to a bank but in fact amount to a great deal of money over the period of one year and than relate these seeming small service charges to the very, very minute interest rate on a savings account.
Recently the TD bank announced their intentions of increasing their visa card interest rate from 18.9% to 19.75% which is a stretch of 14.65% over the bank rate. No doubt the two banks mentioned above will follow suit.
Were you holders of fixed term mortgages that are tied to five year government of Canada Bonds with a spread of 2.44% aware the spread has grown to over 3.5%? one is now paying 1% more than one should be when one has a locked in mortgage?
Having documented how well off these two banks seem to be lets' glance the employee's state of affairs. According to most current news releases the employees are filing class action suits against both banks for not paying overtime.C.I.B.C. was faced with a class action suit in June 2007. Scotia bank has just been slapped with a class action suit this week. There are rumors employees of the other remaining banks are considering doing the same.The effects of these class action suits will be closely watched especially if the banks lose.
Please note for the most part this information was obtained from the bank's financial reports and business articles in most of the national newspapers over the past days and few weeks.

Thorns

2007-12-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

An article written on December 8, 2007 and never published.
I disagree with the Tribune's nominated "THORNS" award to our city council for not seconding councilor Alexander's motion to develop a downtown partnership. The council should have been awarded "ROSES" As the councilors knew from the past this motion would not hold water. How many times have such ventures been tried with little success? How many plans, suggestions,, and ideas are there sitting on the shelves in city hall collecting dust that were never used?
I attended a similar gathering back in 1996 hosted by former mayor Reuter for the local business people, professionals, some of the public , and a gentleman from Toronto who was to put on an excellent presentation of revitalization in a Toronto area. There were a lot of good ideas, most of them sitting on a shelf collecting dust.Things were changing in the core as noted by the numerous businesses that continued to start up and than close. Another similar meeting was held by former mayor Forster at the city market where a young architect presented some very intriguing drawings depicting the downtown core centred around the proposed civic centre. The civic centre became a reality but not too much more out of that architects vision and of course the core was still having businesses opening and closing. I believe a few years later the Tribune tried to create some interest by inviting the public to submit suggestions on how to improve the core. The suggestions were published but the core businesses were still opening and closing.
Maybe councilor Alexander should get together with councilor Belcastro and BIA chair D'Amico for the purpose of going to those dusty shelves and study the suggestions, As I recall there were some excellent ideas.

Hospital Mortality rate

2007-12-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

This article was typed on December 14, 2007. I felt it should follow my earlier article.

Last week the Canadian Institute for Health Information ) CIHI) published the mortality rates in hospitals all across Canada, a list which included St. Catharines General Hospital as one of the five worst hospital for mortality rates in Canada. This week Health Minster Smitherman introduced some very interesting requirements Ontario Hospitals must follow starting in 2008

Starting in April of 2008 the ministry will require all hospitals involved in Ontario Wait Time Strategy to report infection rates in the areas.

By the end of July, 2008 the Ministry will introduce a regulation for all provincial hospitals to inform patients about medical errors.

By 2008 the Ministry will have passed a regulation that would require all hospitals to report their mortality data without exemption to ensure this information continues to drive much needed improvements to patient safety.

For years Canadian Hospitals Administrators have known the death rates inside their hospitals but they were never publicized.

All hospitals along with all forms of media have no reason whatever for not informing the public of these regulations

Canadian Hospital Mortality rates

2007-12-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

Other than the National papers the local community papers did not publish all of the information released by the The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) . This is an article I wrote on this subject on December 7, 2007 and was not published???

November 30, 2007 the CIHI released a report covering a list of mortality rates to the public involving 85 large Canadian Acute Care Hospitals and 42 Health Regions. For years hospitals have know the death rates but did not make them public. The rates should be released as the taxpayers are allowed to know them per CIHI. The following is an exert from the CIHI report

Canada;s Best and Worst

The hospitals as listed excluding Palliative care had mortality rates that ranked at the top-and-bottom- of the pack nationally in CIHI survey of hospital deaths in 85 larger acute hospitals and 42 Health Regions across Canada excluding Quebec;

TOP FIVE

The Moncton Hospital N.B. 56

Foothills Medical Centre Calgary 61

Regina General Hospital 71

Peter Lougheed Centre Calgary 73

Saint John Regional Hospital Saint John N.B. 74

BOTTOM FIVE

Grand River Hospital K.W. Health Centre K.W. Ontario 142

Niagara Health Centre St. Catharine's General Site St. Catharines, Ontario 135

The Scarborough Hospital General Site Toronto, Ontario 134

Burnaby Hospital Burnaby B.C. 125

Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Red Deer Alta 125

An interesting statistic states "Over the past three years- the period covered by the new data--more than 254,000 patients died in Canadian Hospitals outside Quebec

I was in touch with CIHI this past week to see if I could obtain Welland hospital figures, the reply" Because the Welland Hospital did not have at least 2500 qualifying cases during each of of the years in the study period it is only included in the Regional results, not the individual results. Due to its lower volume the results for it individually would not be statistically precise."

I am sure if one were to ask the Welland Hospital for the mortality rate it would be supplied as it is classed as public information.

Writers comment:

I am shocked at the response stating Welland

did not qualify as Welland Hospital did not have at least 2500 cases.

Are there bench marks and brownie points if one reaches 2500 or more to get on the list good or bad?????

Welland's downtown Core

2007-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Another article dated December 4, 2007
A few weeks ago councilor Belcastro made an announcement in council stating things in the downtown core were progressing nicely; it's 150% better than it was 10 years ago. This past week in an insert titled "Downtown Welland" BIA chair D'Amico in his article " A place to live, work, and play used some very remarkable but hard to believe graphic adjectives of the downtown core such as "Buzzing with activity", "Crowds flocking to city events", and "The surrounding core stores are full of ideas and treasures". D'Amico goes on to say the downtown core is constantly growing and thriving with new businesses starting up all of the time." I have to ask these two gentlemen if they are indeed talking about the Downtown Welland Core? Have I missed something? It appears to me these two gentlemen are using the same script writer.
I believe the public is entitled in knowing a few statistics to support their statements of constantly growing, thriving, and new businesses starting up all of the time. Where are they so all of us can partake in this growth? I certainly would not say both sides of East Main from the bridge to the Tribune are what one would call a shoppers' paradise to find new ideas and treasures.I will say one should not overlook the stores on Cross Street between East Main and Division as they do fit the picture of a shoppers' paradise.
While these two gentlemen mull over their statements and prepare backup for them they should also sit down and sum up all of the businesses that opened and closed over the past ten years.
LET'S HAVE A LITTLE SHOW AND TELL.

Food Fest

2007-12-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is another earlier article dated November 22, 2007
Mr. Clark of Food Fest made an announcement in City council stating the deficit of $120,000.00 had been erased from last years Food Fest while another member of Food Fest stated Food Fest was now in the black.
This announcement concerns me and should concern others in the city of Welland,
First of all it was this writers' understanding the deficit was in the area of $134,000.00 which is not too close to the area of $120,000.00. If the figures were available to make this announcement one has to presume there is a financial statement which should also indicate the amount in the black. It surprises me that not one councilor questioned this announcement by asking for a more financial depth to support the figure given.
Having said this I'm wondering if any of the following questions were put to Mr. Clark, if not, they should have been plus the council representative on Food Fest should have also made a report, very strange;
What was the total of all donations including the City of Welland?
What was the total of all vendor permits?
What was the total expenditures?
What was the overall receipt total excluding vendor permits and donations but including beer sales and empties?
Who was the city's representative?

Welland Councilor's comments re- downtown core

2007-12-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

Another earlier article dated November 16, 2007
I wonder if councilor Belcastro would care to elaborate his statement" Things have progressed nicely as it is 150% better than it was 10 years ago" applying to the downtown core of Welland. Would the councilor care to provide a list to support this statement?
Would the councilor care to give to the public the number of businesses that started up and closed over the past 10 years to justify saying"People are quite happy in the core?" For example councilor how many businesses have opened and closed at the corner across from the Tribune over the past 10 years or even across from Brown's jewelery store? Those people were not quite happy. The locations certainly don't signify any noticeable improvement.
A few years ago another Welland councilor made a similar statement to that of councilor Belcastro only that councilor went as far to say more than 30 businesses had started up in the core He has yet to come foreword to support those figures.

O.H.I.P. HEALTH CARDS

2007-12-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

Another article dated November 14, 2007.
Five years ago, if I'm not wrong, the Ontario government made a first rate move when the O.H.I.P. card was redesigned to show a photo of the holder and owner. This was a move in the right direction as it prevented identity theft. There was however one fault when the card was designed, the card did not include the address of the holder which I found out is not accepted as I.D. The point of this article is to advise those holding the new photo type Health card has an expiry date described on it which if one will note is not on the old red and white health card still in use by thousands.The red and white card if kept in good shape will outlive the holder.
The expiry date is a real nuisance for those senior citizens 65 and over whom in many cases have no means of getting to the local O.H.I.P. office or because of health reasons are restricted to their place of habitation. Eliminating this renewal date for seniors over 65 would certainly be appreciated.
Please note the expiry date on the cards is one's birth date. You are forewarned of expiry by one month before one's birthday.

Deceased Cards

2007-12-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

This is a letter dated October 8, 2007 again never published
One will notice almost on a daily basis the media reports abuse of credit cards,O.H.I.P health cards, Handicap Parking Permits, and Social Insurance numbers (SIN) belonging to either deceased family members or friends.
After the death of a family member there are a number of duties the executor of the will must carry out as soon as possible to avoid exploitation and identity theft of the above. If the deceased had credit cards and a debit card they must be cancelled by taking them to the financial institution that issued the cards along with a copy of the death certificate or in some cases the original death certificate. The financial institution has forms to be filled out by the executor.If the deceased had a driver's licence and a handicap parking permit they must be cancelled by taking them to the local licence bureau along with a copy of the death certificate. It is most important one has the handicap permit cancelled as The Ministry of Transportation reported earlier this year these permits that belonged to a deceased person were being misrepresented. The ministry made an announcement stating their intentions to correct this predicament by matching up the death records with the handicap records. The ministry informed me this move is still being considered.
The health card of the deceased must be returned to the Ministry of Health and Long Turn Care along with a form titled 280-82 and a copy of the death certificate. This form is available by contacting the local ministry office to have one sent to you. One can also send a letter to the local ministry office providing deceased person's name, sex, health card number, a photo copy of the death certificate, and the actual health card cut in half.
If the deceased had a Social Insurance Number (SIN ) it must be cancelled to guard one against identity theft. The executor should contact the local Service Canada Centre or the SIN call centre at 1-800-206-7218(E) to inform them the owner of the SIN is deceased.
To close I should mention the funeral home that was handling all of the funeral arrangement provides these services free of charge.

Pelham/Welland water and sewer

2007-12-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

A letter dated July 20, 2007 directed to residents of Welland and never published.How many are familiar with what a homeowner has to shell out for water consumption and sewage treatment compared to other municipalities?
As nearly all know ALL water and sewer treatment for the Town of Pelham is provided through the City of Welland. Are you conscious of the fact a Pelham resident pays $.889 per cubic meter of water while a Welland resident is paying $1.1294 per cubic meter of water?
Are you aware a Pelham resident pays $.909 per cubic meter for sewage treatment while a Welland resident is paying $1.6679 per cubic meter for sewage treatment? Both municipalities pay the Niagara identical rates; water $0.512 per cubic meter, sewer $0.613 per cubic meter.
Are you aware Welland inhabitants pay for all unaccountable water while Pelham people pay?????
We have been told there are meters, not residential but Regional, in Pelham that record consumption, if such is the case WHERE ARE THEY.? Others have told me there are no Regional meters?????Pretty remarkable????
Are you aware in 2006 Welland's consumption of water was 8,521,546 cubic meters when only 6,605,248 cubic meters were accounted for and paid and 1,916,,298 cubic meters of water equals 22.53% that was paid for by the citizens of Welland that was not used and shown as 32%, a figure according to engineer Shantz should be around 22%.
All of the above figures were taken from the Regional and municipality records, the same records city staff uses to create their numbers such as the water and sewer services rate structure for 2007, the Town of Pelham 2007 water and sewer rates, Welland by-law 2007-33 fixing of water and sanitary services rates to be paid by consumers for 2007 effective April 1,2007, and consumption figures from the monthly Regional spread sheets.
There are those who feel these facts and figures are not right and straight, may I recommend it only takes a phone call to city hall to confirm them.
If the present council has a water rate increase in mind I believe the council should seriously reflect on cutting the expenses elsewhere, regulate the water and sewer rates to a more tolerable and truthful level and use actual unaccountable water figures, not 32%.

Comments to my articles

2007-12-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

In the past few days I've received a number of E mail letters stating they would like to comment on my articles but are unable to do so because they are not members.
I was not aware of this when I started but rather than make an issue if one wishes to comment on any article please do so by going to the following;
don_smith@sympatico.ca
I will respond to you on my blog.
Thank you

The Welland Downtown Core

2007-12-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago councilor Belcastro made an announcement in council stating things in the downtown core were progressing nicely; it's 150% better than it was 10 years ago. This past week in an insert titled "Downtown Welland" BIA chair D'Amico in his article "A place to live, work, and play" used some very remarkable but hard to believe graphic adjectives of the downtown core such as"Buzzing with activity","Crowds flocking to city events", and the surrounding core stores are full of ideas and treasures. D'Amico goes on to say the downtown is constantly growing and thriving with new businesses starting up all of the time.I have to ask these two gentlement if they are indeed talking about the downtown Welland core. Have I missed something? It appears theses two gentlemen have the same script writer.

I believe the public is entitled in knowing a few statistica to support their statemnents of constantly growing, thriving, and new businesses starting up all of the time.Where are they so all of us can partake in this growth? I certainly would not say both sides of Easr Main from the bridge to the Tribune are what one would call a shoppers paradise to find new ideas and treasures. I will say though one should not overlook the stores on Cross Street between East Main and Division as they do fit the picture of a shoppers paradise.

While the two gentlemen organize their upcoming statements with statistics they might think about the number of businesses that opened and closed over the past years?????

Let's have a little show and tell

Mill Street Apartment Building Welland, Ontario

2007-12-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

The affordable Housing Apartment site that sits on Mill street has been like that for many months as I recall writing about it being closed a few months ago and now it is being scrutinized??? This is like closing the barn door after the horse has been stolen.
The estimate on this building was pegged at $5 million dollars. The contractor was able to obtain $1,799,000.00 combined from the province, the federal government, the Region of Niagara and the City of Welland leaving the contractor responsible for the balance of $3,200,991.00. When a building shuts down like this one has the first thing one should be doing is to find out if the trades and suppliers have been paid and are there any liens on the building. If it is found the trades and suppliers have not been paid and there are liens there is a serious problem. These functions should be carried out as soon as it was noticed construction had stopped on the building. The question is "Were they?"

Dental Plan

2007-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

It will be announced McGuinty will be giving $45 million for dental care for the working poor who are unable to afford private insurance coverage for their teeth.

I believe this to be a good move however in the process of setting this up there is noticeably a person missing. That missing person is the senior citizen who in many cases falls under the status of fixed income depending on , in many cases, Old Age Security and Canada Pension plans as their only source for support.Some I must remind you only receive Old Age Security.

What about considering these seniors who are no doubt in the same position as the working poor?Seniors also have to, in most cases pay for rent, hydro, phone, and groceries Are the seniors not entitled to the same privilege??

The same old story over and over again "Seniors don't count in this day and age."

Visa Credit Cards

2007-11-27T05:42:00.000-08:00

Correction to the original article as follows;
"The policy as I understand it to be is the merchant must suppress all of the numbers with the exception of the last four digits,"
Big stores "Truncate" credit card numbers, so only the last "4" digits are showing

Freedom of Information (FOI) against the city of Welland

2007-11-20T04:16:00.000-08:00

On October 22, 2007 after many, many months trying to obtain information from the City of Welland and through letters to the local papers' feedback section along with E mail to the mayor and city council on the subjects listed in this article I exercised the FOI and the appeal system. My findings as the result of the FOI and appeal system covering these subjects were written and sent to both the local paper, the mayor, and city council.The paper will not publish the article nor will the paper give a reason why. Neither the mayor nor any member of the city council offered one comment.This article is a condensed version of the original article.

City of Welland Debt, Debt Interest, and Allowable Debt

The city of Welland's outstanding debt at the original time of the article on October 22, 2007 was $29.6 million and the debt interest per year for 2007 was $1.4 million.

The City of Welland has no allowable debt. The City of Welland has an annual repayment limit a maximum allowable amount the City of Welland may repay to debt holders each year. The annual repayment limit for the City of Welland effective January 1, 2006 was $5.771.348.00. What ever the combination of the number of debentures, the terms, and the interest rates the total amount required to be repaid in any year can not exceed$5,771,348.00 meaning the city can increase its debt up to this allowable interest repayment per year.

HELEMS AVENUE

This writer experienced a great deal of difficulty trying to obtain this information right after this Street from Hell infrastructure was completed well over a year ago. The budget for this project started out at $80,000.00 in 2002. The budget figure was $450,000.00 in 2003 and was increased every year because of the escalating cost until a final budget figure of $3,607,000.00 was set in 2005. The actual expenditure was $3,831,191.00 almost one quarter of a million over budget.

It seems to me there is a noticeable flaw with determining budgets in this city. The Court House was a considerable amount over budget. The Welland Arena new parking lot went over budget because of an assumption. Of course lest we forget the Civic centre was many millions over budget and now Helems Avenue. It will be interesting to know the final cost figure vs the budget figure on the Fitch street project.

The Seaway Mall/Doral Holdings and the City of Welland

On April 26, 2005 Welland City council passed the following resolution 02-97 that council authorizes staff to negotiate a potential public/private partnership for the development of an arena/ arenas on land owned by Doral Holdings Ltd. and the Seaway Mall on Woodlawn Road.

To the best of this writers' knowledge this information was never made public.

One now should ask what happened to this proposed development? This writer tried to find out and hit a brick wall. It seems no one wishes to discuss this proposal considering the City of Welland is contemplating their own 3-pad arena, VERY STRANGE???????

Clothelines

2007-11-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

This article was written on November 9, 2007 but never published by the local paper.
The people of Ontario are applying additional pressure on the province to lift the idiotic municipal ban on clotheslines in the back yard; bans to please the sub division developers who feel a clothesline in a back yard tarnishes the sub division.
The province has admitted energy conservation and climate change are in their list of peak priorities but have a tendency to pay no attention to the benefits gained from the use of free wind and solar energy vs energy used by clothes dryers and air pollution discharged from the same dryers.
The following is an exert from an article I wrote on clotheslines back on August 4,2007; "Drying laundry outdoors rather than wasting energy adding to power bills smart residents make use of free wind and solar energy to dry their clothes that have huge benefits for the environment. Is one not conscious of the fact a typical clothes dryer consumes 900KW-hours of energy each year and discharges 840 kilograms of air pollution and greenhouse gases? Steer clear of all this by hanging laundry on a clothesline but, I should mention watch out for a lawsuit as in numerous municipalities in Ontario it is against the law to hang laundry out to dry. The law may change, Queens Park has the power to pull the law banning the use of clotheslines."
The Liberals' McGuinty has been admitting clotheslines vs; energy conservation is a concern but has exposed lack of enthusiasm to do something. Back in 2003 the Liberals passed an energy conservation leadership law, after their election that included a clause which allows the province to do away with local bans on clotheslines forced by developers but the Liberals have never exercised the clause which means clotheslines in some communities are against the law. The bottom line being people are without doubt looking for ways to save electricity and money meaning this way makes a lot of common sense?

Senior Citizens Old Age Security dated November 3, 2007

2007-11-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

Another article never published by the local paper.
To all of my first-rate senior friends. I have good news and bad news for each and every one of you 65 and over.
THE GOOD NEWS
Our Old Age Security just took a leap on October 2, 2007 from $497.83 to $ 502.31 a gigantic increase of $4.48 per month or in percentage 0.09 %. Now Please!!!!! restrain the clapping of hands and one's dancing around the May Pole one has not seen the bad news.
THE BAD NEWS
The Ontario Power Generation is proposing a 3% Hydro increase per month for the average household amounting to about $3.50 per average household bill. The senior citizens are left with with $0.98 to take pleasure in the governments over passionate bigheartedness, not sufficient to even buy a double, double at Tim Horton's
The grouping of give and take brings to mind a few appropriate proverbs. "Here today, gone tomorrow," " Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," "You can't have your cake and eat it too." and" Easy come easy go."
One must keep in mind the charity of our prosperous government does not just expand to the seniors but also to our already well remunerated politicians who each month year after year receive a prearranged cost of living increase, an increase over and above the seniors by an extensive amount effective every April 1. This is true and you can take that to the bank beside you abysmal $0.98 cents.

New Speeding Law dated November 11, 2007

2007-11-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

This is another article never published by the local paper.
According to the latest figures released by the Ontario Provincial Police the new speeding law is certainly producing results. Since the law effective September 30,2007 more than 1300 drivers were pulled over after being caught at 150 KM/H on highways with a speed limit of10-0KM/H
The offenders varied in age with the average offender being 30 with half the charges being laid against drivers 26 and under, 13 of the drivers were 65 and over, and 41 were 17 and younger, 84% were male and 16% were female.
How many of those 1300 do you suppose were pulled over on highway 406 where the average speed now is between 120 and 130KM/H or for that matter even highway 140?????? I certainly would like to know. Maybe these two highways are not patrolled?????

Nurses

2007-10-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

Ontario has four different hospital types including public hospitals, private hospitals, federal hospitals, and Cancer Care Ontario Hospitals. There are 211 hospital sights in Ontario.

One hundred and fifty five are hospital corporations. Fifty six are hospitals under an umbrella corporation. Ontario also has eight private hospitals providing services under the" Private Hospitals Act" who receive funding for their operation from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC).

Throughout McGuinty's campaign he promised to hire another 9000 nurses. McGuinty did not hire 9000 nurses all through his last tenure as premier. Since 2004 the Ontario government disclosed 1202 positions were created in Ontario hospitals servicing patients in every area of hospital care from intake to the ward to the operating room. In the time period from 2004 to the end of 2006 each hospital was lucky enough to receive 5.7 nurses which were not too many in 3 years.

The public who assumed McGuinty's figures to be correct were taken in as they were not factual. The correct figure was just over 5000, not 9000. The distinction between the just over 5000 and the figure of 1202 covered other care units not documented as Ontario hospitals outlined earlier. One can see a hospital is indeed short of nurses if all they can expect is 5.7 nurses in 3 years.

Graduation should not even enter the picture as nurses graduate every year. There are nurses in training right now that will graduate next year, not 3 or 4 years from now.

Follow the scarcity very closely as I am sure the outcome will be no different.

Nuclear Power Plants in Ontario

2007-10-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

The election is over and theLiberals are back in power for another 4 years. One of McGuinty's key promises was the closing of all coal fired power plants in Ontario by 2014. A little premature but how long do you suppose it will take McGuinty to act on this promise?

As of September 23, 2007 McGuinty made 71 promises including one to close all coal fired power plants by 2014 and not 2007 as promised.

In June 2006 Energy Minister Duncan declared the government will likely build two new Nuclear Power Plants (NPP's ).No sign as to when but likely but not for certain.

In May 2007 the Liberals announced the hiring of consultants to conduct a $3 million dollar study of available nuclear technology, if this study, which usually in most cases takes months, reveals the technology is not up to par what then?

The Ontario Power Authority has asked the provincial government to spend $26.5 billion on NPP's to guarantee electricity supply until 2025.

Now, having looked at all of the plans, proposals, and promises let's look at the flaws.

This is 2007; McGuinty intends to close all coal fired power plants in 2014 that is 7 years from now with absolutely no sign of what is going to be on hand at the time of closing. According to American figures it takes at least 1o years for nearly all NPP's to go from conception to operation which means 2017. If the coal plants are shut down in 2014 and this new Liberal government has not moved ahead with their proposals and promises we could feasibly be looking at a time issue past 2017.The average cost of a single NPP is over $5 billion, a cost without a doubt will spiral beyond this figure every month and year pending the governments' approval.

According to the Ontario Power Authority their plans dated August 29, 2007, submitted to the Province's Energy Regulator, the Ontario Energy Board still requires regulatory approval, a commitment the Ontario government has yet to make. If all of the time factors are to be true one can almost be confident there will be no NPP's in 2014 and the coal will still be burning.

It takes 10 years or more to put into operation where a wind turbine system can go up in one year.

Where is the nuclear waste to be stored?

Wind and Solar power don't generate waste.

Canadian Household Debt

2007-10-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

Just recently I read some very attention grabbing articles written by Joyanne Pursage of the Toronto Sun on Canadians in debt to the point I decided to pass on some of her information along with some of mine I found while surfing the topic. I happen to know many who I feel, and hopefully I am wrong, may fit in the $916 billion Canadian Household Debt exposed in this article and with all due respect those I mentioned are not aware of what I've mentioned. I honestly hope one finds this article useful as this type of information is not always readily accessible. Some of this information was obtained off the website of Credit Canada a credit counseling service in Toronto.
Did you know 90% of Canadians have more debt today then 5 years ago, 53% of Canadians do not have a personal/household budget, 80% of Canadians do not know their credit rating or credit score, a key factor in knowing the cost of their debt, and 26% of Canadians do not reflect on the consequences of rising interest rate when borrowing money.Summing up these figures many Canadians lack the knowledge to effectively manage their finances.
The Canadian household debt in 1980 was $134 billion; by 2005 the household debt had risen to $916 billion. Canadians owed $1.16 for each dollar of disposable income.
Earlier I mentioned 80% of Canadians do not know their credit rating, a rating every Canadian should check every year. To get this rating which is free of charge go to search engine Google and type in either Equifax Canada or Transunion Canada.
A number of Canadians just pay the minimum payment shown on their credit card statement and ignore how much they have on the books to pay. I am going to give a perfect example of only paying the minimum on a credit card statement by taking a credit card balance of $661.00 with an interest rate of 18.5%, a minimum payment calculated at 2% of the statement balance. that minimum payment of 2% per month based on no more money advances and purchases would take 158 months to get rid of the debt while paying $1004.24 in interest, if one pays a fixed payment of$13.22 per month with no purchases and cash advances it will take 97 months to get rid of the debt.One will pay$611.81 in interest. If one were to increase the monthly minimum payment to $50.00 with no purchases and money advances it will take 15 months to get rid of the debt having only to pay $83.88 in interest.

Here are a few tips to help keep one in the black.

Pay bills on time every month.
Keep track of your credit limit.
Keep track of your due dates.
Do not borrow from one creditor to pay another.
Limit your total debt excluding mortgage to 15% of your net income.

If one can not stand by these tips there is a predicament that can only be resolved by sitting down with a counseling service.
Earlier I mentioned a credit report without an explanation of what that report shows. the report is a record of the credit history used be lenders to decide if one can obtain credit. Believe it or not only 15% of Canadians had ordered their credit reports; most didn't understand what the report contained.
Today the Canadian Household Debt is over one trillion dollars and climbing

Promises at our expense

2007-10-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Has any one sat down and taken the time to total up the billions promised you and I by the 4 parties vying for control at Queens Park?

Liberals $14.7 billion
Conservatives $14.1 billion
NDP $16.8 billion
Green Party $11.7 billion

Where is all of this money coming from? Make sure one has deep pockets because those promises are aimed at our pocket books.

Mud Slinging

2007-10-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

I want to question candidate Mastroianni about his big page slamming Peter Kormos in today's paper.

First of all I doubt Mr. Mastroianni knew a damn thing about Bill 83 until someone in the Liberal party decided to dig up some mud. I must mention the Bill 83 was put on the floor by the Liberal party and as most knowledgeable people know opposing parties seldom support the part in control of the house unless is should happen to contain bits and pieces of legislation introduced by other parties.

Perhaps Mr. Mastroianni would care to release the contents of the bill in reference to the two subjects and quote the voting results? I certainly couldn't find any references to the two subjects.

For a few moments would Mr. Mastroianni care to tell the people of Welland his voting records when he was on City and Regional council that supported Welland. Did Mr, Mastroianni ever introduce motions that would benefit the citizens of Welland during his political career? I don't recall any.

Perhaps Mr. Mastroianni should ask how many people in Welland Peter helped over his many years in parliament vs how many he has helped?

I would like Mr. Mastroianni to produce documentation to support his statement on Bill 136. When one makes statements such as Mr. Mastroianni has made I believe the people of Welland are entitled to proof.

The people of Welland did not want him for mayor, why would they want him for a back bencher?

Visa Credit Cards

2007-10-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Effective April 1, 2007 Visa Canada introduced what they refer to as a "Visa Canada Policy" for the protection of card holders. Printing the full list of numbers of a credit card on either the customer or retailer copies violate privacy laws in Canada. Visa Canada for the protection of cardholder information is their number one priority. The policy as I understand it to be is the merchants must suppress the last four digits of the Primary Account Number(PAN) on the printer cardholder receipt. This is a requirement of all retailers in the Visa system. this is what is called Pan Truncation; truncation prevents fraud, including identity theft by denying criminals use of data printed on cardholder transaction receipts.

Visa has asked to be notified through their disputes area at the financial institution that services your card account, of any merchant practices that you feel inappropriate. The Visa card has a 16-digit number which usually appears on your receipts. Big Stores "Truncate" credit card numbers so only the last digits are showing. The rest are blanked out just as they are on the receipts you get from bank machines.

Some merchants are still printing the entire Visa card number which contravenes the new Visa Canada Policy dated April 1, 2007. The printing of the entire 16-digit number can be stopped if the merchant is reported. Visa also states the merchant's copy can contain the full credit card number as he, the merchant may need it for refunds or dispute resolution. Having said this the Federal Privacy Law requires the merchant to safeguard all of the information they collect, they, the merchants can't throw the receipts into a garbage container or dumpster without shredding or leave them exposed to theft by an employee.

I ask all credit cardholders to check their receipts.

Hard of Hearing

2007-10-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

I've experienced a hearing setback since 1983, a predicament that worsened over the years to the position I only have about 20% hearing in my right ear and about 40% in my left ear. I am currently on my 4Th set of hearing aids and have been told there is not much more that can be done to improve my hearing. Throughout the past 24 years one has no idea what it is like for a hard of hearing person to carry on or listen to a conversation in a group of people. I decided to take in an 8 week seminar for the hard of hearing to find out how to compensate for the many hearing problems I, and many, many more like me experience on a daily basis. The seminar does not merely settle on our troubles as it also outlines courtesies one should anticipate from those not having hearing problems, In this seminar we are also taught speech reading and some lip reading useful in group conversations.
Hearing loss is an invisible disability. One can not see if a person has a hearing loss and to what degree the loss may be.Hearing aids are hard to see.
Hearing loss and loneliness often come together. The person with hearing loss begins to feel isolated. Family and friends stop talking to the hard of hearing person or feel embarrassed with the hard of hearing person simply because they don't know how to "get through". Strangers may judge you slow and inattentive.

A little informed courtesy can make the Loss seem less

Speak slower please, not louder
Speak nearer it is clearer
We have no eyes in our backs. Speak when I ma looking at you.
Please!!! Speak to my good ear
Re-phrase what you say rather than repeat
Don't exclude when talking in a group or planning an outing
The hard of hearing still needs visual clues, including lipreading
Don't shout. Shouting is painful and not easier to understand
Tell me if I am not speaking clearly, it helps

Hard of hearing people have basic rights

I have the right to communicate and participate
I have the right to tell people directly about the facts of my hearing condition
I have the right to educate/inform others about specific ways to improve communication and good will among/between us
I have the right to be treated fairly regardless of my hearing condition
I have the right to expect common courtesy from hearing people
I have the right to protect myself, to act in my own best interests
I have the right to keep the facts about my hearing in a positive context
I have the right to be treated in a non-patronizing way by professionals

Vehicles purchased in St Catharines

2007-10-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

I have to question the recent purchase of trucks from a St. Catharine's dealer particularly a brand not even made in our region nor in Eastern Ontario.

If I were in the shoes of those people who live in Welland that go to St. Catharin's, Oakville, and Oshawa to work for either Ford or GM I would be questioning why my tax dollars are going to a vehicle(CHRYSLER) whose manufacturer does not contribute one thing to the economy of Welland as do the workers from Welland at Ford and GM.

Yes there is a tender system which in most cases contains a clause stating the lowest tender does not necessarily have to be accepted.Out of loyalty to the local vehicle dealerships including Chyrsler why could the tender not be awarded to the local vehicle dealership taxpayers if the difference, if ever disclosed, were insignificant?

Were these points even discussed before voting to accept the low tender?

The point to be made is WHAT HAPPENED TO SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS AND JOBS? Is this an example of moving in the right direction?

Ontario Provincial Election

2007-09-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

Please note I am sending this article out by E mail which will be on my blog http://eyesoncityhall.blogspot.com as there is no doubt in my mind this letter or article would not come out in the neighborhood paper.

The provincial election is less then one month away and allowing for the short period of time at this instant for campaigning the voters have been promised so much money the Ontario debt could in all probability be reduced by at least 50%, promises most of us can ill afford. Where is all of this money coming from? I believe I have found a few sources from surfing on the Internet. Here is one source that has Liberal written all over it " The present surplus is in fact the take from the Health Premium" followed up by a further source that again has a Liberal label "A surplus is just another way of saying OVER TAXATION. This next passage has a penchant to make one feel if it is true "Death taxes boil down to letting politicians take money from widows, widowers, and orphans to pay for goodies that they will hand out to others in order to buy votes to get re-elected."

The following does not essentially apply to every politician but if the shoe fits wear it, however one must remember again not all politicians are tarred with the same brush.

When one defines compassion you fit in a politician who uses public funds to buy votes, a polite word for taxes. Politicians are either unwilling or unable to fulfill their election promises after getting into office. This is predictable as the sun rising and setting.

The voter must not be influenced by all of these promises for a few simple reasons. Some of the money promises have an extensive time period attached which could very easily run out if the consequences of the election should be a minority government or as it happened so often over the past four years the promise was broken.

Years and years ago voters were influenced by aspiring politicians who sat in the woods offering jugs of liquor to the farmers for their votes. Now we get monetary promises using our money to get our votes.

One last word if I may. The turn out vote has always been appalling for many, many reasons, so be it, but to those who do not vote PLEASE don't offer opinions after the fact. You had your opportunity and didn't seize it on election day.

Aqueduct Street

2007-09-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

"Pretty Sad Stuff" re- Aqueduct Street goes without saying, Why was there not a debate on the issue? What were the so called reasons the councilors, not of the ward in question, and the mayor for not willing to discuss them?

Councilor Grenier with his decision to support the blockade on Aqueduct Street, not even part of his ward, who for over two years has ignored similar plights on Denistoun Street ,just left a bad taste in the mouths of the residents in the Denistoun Street area, a street classed as the second worst in Welland and far worse then Aqueduct North.

Why could the residents not have an input especially to ask why and how the road closure occurred?

One has to laugh at this statement" The blockade's impact on traffic will be reviewed within one year" WHAT TRAFFIC FOR GOD'S SAKE? How much is this brainchild study going to cost the taxpayers of Welland? Whose decision was this?

Pretty bad stuff, it is nothing but B---- S---- baffles brains

Worst Roads

2007-08-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

CAA and Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA) are again conducting a campaign in Ontario for the worst roads.

Welland has managed to get on the list of the top 20 a few times, perhaps we can get on it again if all of the residents who live on or around Denistoun and Southworth Streets and those drivers who use these two roads would cast their ballots on www.worstroads.ca

I am sure there will be a good response particularly from the Denistoun area who have been subjected to deaf ears for the past 3 or 4 tears of complaining.

Lead water line testing

2007-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

My article today is directed to the 700 to 1200 or more homeowners, churches, commercial buildings, apartment buildings, and office buildings built in the early 50s or earlier who possibly have lead water lines from the city main line to the foundation of the building.
I am concerned as to the test results, if done, of the water in the locations mentioned.
As one should know one can phone the appropriate department at city hall to have a water test done which according to the province should be "No Charge."We know the lead water line in those specific locations start at the city main and runs directly to the foundation of the building, if one is considering installing a new water line, be aware the cost of installation should only be from the property line to the building.
The testing procedure as dictated by the province has been proven wrong for the simple reason flushing for 5 minutes before testing will remove any sediment build up in the pipes that has been sitting over night. The 5 minute flushing removes this sitting sediment that could possibly contain traces of lead therefore giving an incorrect reading.
There are now new regulations put in place by the province stipulating testing water that has been standing in the pipes and then test after flushing.
There is a much simpler method for testing, a method that will give a more accurate reading, a test the homeowner can do.
The first thing in the morning draw off a sample of water before using any water for washing, drinking, etc. Take a second sample after flushing the water for 5 minutes. Take a third sample at least 30 minutes later which allows the water to settle in the lines. For clarification tag each sample 1,2, and 3.
One could probably take the test samples to the proper city department but check first if you are allowed to do the testing yourself. If the testing is to be done by the city people insist the testing be done as per new revisions by the province to ensure one gets a proper reading. Remember one has the right to make this request as it is your health one is protecting.
Over the past few months people have been advised to use water filters that attach to the taps.
Recently the City of London advised the residents of London there were certain water filters in drinking pitchers that did not reduce lead content to a safe level.
Call city hall and ask if they can advise you what to use and not to use. I am sure if they don't know a simple call could be made to London where I am sure the makes would be made available to them.

Drought and water meters

2007-08-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

Most readers will have noticed, as I have over the past few months, the number of articles appearing in both the National and municipal papers covering the lack of rain and serious drought conditions to the point most of those municipalities experiencing these parched areas have posted warnings and even imposed bans on water use but for some unknown reason not here in Welland????

Welland must be sitting on a cornucopia of water as it is certainly noticeable there is a lack of concern on the part of our city council and conservation committee???????

For all of those Welland homeowners who believed in water conservation by purchasing a water meter to use as intended should be made aware they should be recording their daily water use in the summer months.

If a meter owner should consume more than a certain set number of cubic meters per month for the meter water rate one will be paying more than under the flat rate. The water bill will be higher..

The reason being the water consumption over the summer months will be higher, as a matter of fact the consumption doubles due to lawn watering and other watering habits which if one is inclined to water during the heat of the day as our City Parks people do the watering is useless as it evaporates in the heat.

Water/ Sewer costs

2007-08-19T03:24:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of a letter submitted to the local newspaper but was never printed, a letter containing information every citizen of Welland is entitled to know.

How many are familiar with what a homeowner has to pay for water consumption and sewage treatment compared to other municipalities?

As most know all water and sewer treatment for the Town of Pelham is provided through the City of Welland. Are you aware a Pelham resident pays $.889 per cubic meter of water while a resident of Welland pays $1.1294 per cubic meter of water?

Are you aware a Pelham resident pays $.909 per cubic meter for sewage treatment while a Welland resident is paying $1.6689 per cubic meter for sewage treatment?

Both municipalities pay the Niagara Region the same; Water $0.512 per cubic meter, Sewer $0.613 per cubic meter treated.

Are you aware Welland residents pay for all unaccountable water while Pelham residents pay ?????

Are you aware in 2006 Welland's consumption of water was 8,521,546 cubic meters when only 6,605,248 cubic meters were accounted for and paid and 1,916,698 cubic meters of unaccounted water, 22.53%, was paid for that we, the citizens of Welland, did not use, supposedly 32%?

Are you aware the factor of 32% used for unaccountable water is wrong as per engineer Shantz who mentioned back a few months the figure is around 22%?

All of the above facts and figures were taken from Regional and Welland reports.

Eyes are moving forward

2007-08-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Eyes are looking at ways to recover our image and improve the information available to the public, information over the past years being rather sad.
I persuade everyone to visit Eyes on City Hall's blog to keep up to date. Eyes encourage the public to supply suggestions on how to attain greater transparency and accountability from the city. Eyes want to increase their membership, above all, those defeated candidates in the last municipal election who share an interest in municipal government.
It is Eyes aim to be a group who will keep watching our municipal government when no one else is watching. In closing I want to quote an editorial taken from the Vancouver Province in 2005."According to SES Research half of (Canadians) polled have never signed a petition and only21-per-cent have never joined a political party. A stunning 24-per-cent claims they have never been politically active, This was two years ago. Times have changed. More than likely the statistics could be much higher. A good instance of those finding would be right here in Welland.
Eyes feel if the past year is a sign of what the public can expect over the next three years there is reason to be vigilant and concerned.
It is the intention of Eyes to reform, restructure, and monitor. Why not join us if your concerns are as valid as ours?

Study before voting

2007-08-02T04:34:00.001-07:00

The following article may be a little early but there is a tendency for some papers to put moratoriums on any articles or letters pertaining to elections.

No better time than now to get geared up for the upcoming provincial election in Ontario and the assault of braggadocio, accusations, confusing statements and promises befitting a collander. There is no time like the present to scrutinize the past performance of the Liberal government led by a man who while smiling and speaking has his hand in your pocket. Study the past record of this Liberal government before you vote. Make your decision guided by your sense of right or wrong, am I doing the right thing, above all make it the right decision, one you will not regret. This is a partial list covering the last 4 years of the Liberal government;

Promises: No new taxes followed up with a health tax described by McGuinty as a premium.
No cap on the Hydro rate.
A promise to hire 8,000 new nurses--- where are they?
A promise to hire 1000 new police officers---- where are they?
McGuinty has 2 months to live up to these 2 promises
A promise to close coal fired electricity plants by 2007 and then came back with a promise to have all of them closed by 2014 BUT no hint on how he plans to replace these plants in the next 7 years.
Wasted Tax Money:
$150,000.00 studying the sex life of a Northern Flying Squirrel.
$250,000.00 changing the Ontario logo from a trillium to poison ivy.
$6 million to drop one letter from the Ontario Lottery Logo.

Insulting Taxpayers

Liberals and PCs voted themselves a 25% pay increase plus an additional 2% cost of living bonus
Increased the number of public servants making over $100,000.00 per year by 23%.
Increased the renewal fee for a driver;s license by $25.00
Increased the MPP's gas allowance by 10% while ignoring the publics' screams for government intervention to control the mounting gas prices at the pumps.

This list is only a small portion taken from McGuinty's book of promises. There are many, many more.

Another McGuinty broken promise

2007-08-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

"Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announces $26 million in funding to hire 200 new police officers on Friday July 27, 2007 for gun control".
Go back a few years and just prior to the last election "Dalton McGuinty promises to hire 1000 new police officers". This was an announcement made during his election campaign at that time.
Sound familiar?
It should as it was eventually another add on to his list of broken promises.
Where are those 1000 new police officers?
Too little too late.
This time McGuinty has managed to trim his figure by 800 bodies, bodies if hired as he promised back before the last election he would not have to go out on the limb today to make such an announcement that did not need to be made to handle gun control.

Welland/ Pelham water/ sewer rates

2007-07-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer information such as what I am about to type should never be withheld from the general public especially when it involves taxpayer money.
How many are familiar with what a homeowner has to pay for water consumption and sewage treatment compared to other municipalities?
As most should know all water and sewage treatment for The Town of Pelham is provided through the City of Welland. Are you aware a Pelham resident pays $.889 per cubic meter of water while a resident of Welland pays $ 1.1294 per cubic meter of water?
Are you aware a Pelham resident pays $.909 per cubic meter for sewage treatment while a Welland resident is paying $1.6689 per cubic meter for sewage treatment?
Both municipalities pay the Niagara Region the same; water $0.512 per cubic meter, sewer $0.613 per cubic meter treated.
Are you aware Welland residents pay for all unaccountable water while Pelham residents pay??????
Are you aware in 2006 Welland's consumption of water was 8,521,546 cubic meters when only 6,605,248 cubic meters were accounted for and paid plus 1,916,298 cubic meters of unaccounted water, 22.53%, was paid for that we did not use, supposedly 32%?
Are you aware the factor of 32% used for unaccountable water is wrong according to city engineer Shantz who indicated back a number of months the figure should be around 22%?
All of the above figures were taken from the Regional and Welland records.

Municipalities can be sued

2007-07-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

This information may not seem important to some and even trivial to others but this report involves every municipality across Canada. There are some municipalities that are already using this suing process against their respective municipalities.
This lack of public information is one reason why Eyes on City Hall was formed back in 1998 as at that time there was a perception people did not need to know everything that went on in their municipality, region, province,and country. "What they don't know won't hurt them " is the wrong attitude to take.
This writer and Eyes on City Hall are very careful on what we write. The information is garnered from newspapers and periodicals all across the province and country, information Eyes know has not appeared in local papers.
The following is a copy of a press release by Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (GTSWCA) for the public dated March 01, 2007. "Municipalities increasingly ON THE HOOK for damages from poorly maintained water and sewer pipes. Increasingly Canadian homeowners and businesses are successfully suing municipalities for damages resulting from sewer and watermain failures, and local governments had better wake up to the fact that their aging underground pipes pose serious risk of liability. That's the conclusion of well-known Toronto environmental lawyer Dianne Saxe. In her report commissioned by the Ontario Water and Sewer Construction Association (OSWCA) she says municipalities face civil suits and even quasi-criminal prosecutions if they fail to adequately inspect,maintain, repair, and replace their aging underground infrastructures. Lawyer Saxe goes on to say this may come as a shock to many municipalities because they believe they are protected by statutory authority and statutory immunity" NOT SO" notes Saxe.There are several cases where municipalities have been held responsible for property damage resulting from sewer and drain backups and broken watermains"
The above is an exert taken from the (GTSWCA) press release in Toronto on Thursday March 1, 2007.
This is a severe problem right across the country, a problem that every citizen in Canada should be made aware in the event one experiences such damages.

A glass of clean water on Canada Day

2007-07-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

This morning, July 1, 2007, while having a glass of cool clean water I reflect on how lucky we are to live in a country with so much to offer such as a glass of germ free water while all of those unfortunate people in Africa where populations are dying like flies for the lack of clean water, food to fill their stomachs, and medical supplies to help the sick. Yes thousands are dying while here in Welland we waste water with little concern for the desperate and destitute.
Here in Welland we insist on carrying on the flushing of millions of cubic meters of clean germ free treated water into ditches 24 hours a day, 365 days a year while in Africa people trek miles for a drink of water that is in most cases contaminated. We double our water consumption in the summer with abandon.
We continue to water lawns through out the day regardless of being told it is a waste as the water evaporates in the heat.
A Conservation Committee was set up by the city with one chief purpose, that being to educate the people on how to conserve water but in their itinerary this committee seems to have forgotten one very important segment in water conservation, a segment the province has been centering on for quite some time, LAWN WATERING,the misuse which doubles in the summer months. Our city council and Conservation Committee who are in a position to put a handle on this misuse just sit back and do nothing. These same parties don't even make a statement to defend their position.
What good are they????

Toilet Day July 7, 2007

2007-07-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

I stand to be corrected but I believe toilet day is scheduled for July 7, 2007 which I presume will be held at most of the retailers listed on the established toilet list put out by the Conservation Committee???
For this reason I am writing this letter for the benefit of every probable low flow toilet buyer to study before buying. There are a number of toilets that have been approved at a choice of prices so for those who are price conscious one should shop around to not only take advantage of the $60.00 rebate but also a possible lower cost.
For those who intend to buy one or more of these toilets while shopping around make sure you ask a few questions. Are original replacement parts available? Is the toilet tank lined? Can another make of replacement part be used?Is the tank to bowel hardware solid brass, not brass coated steel? Does the retailer stock the replacement parts?
Now for those who bought these toilets and intend to install the toilet themselves in lieu of hiring a plumber here are a few things to remember when installing the toilet. Use either a Kant leak wax seal or two(2)1/2" sponge rubber gaskets to fit the horn of the bowl.Use solid brass closet bolts, nuts ,and washers, not brass coated steel. Use a braided closet supply with an angle stop instead of a chrome plated flexible supply as they are much easier to handle. Finally when fastening the tank to the bowel do not use a wrench to pull down the nuts and bolts. Use your fingers and make the nuts and bolts finger tight.
For those who want to keep their old toilet here are a few suggestions on how to lower the litre per flush. The most familiar method is a plastic jug of water or pebbles with a sealed cap set on the tank's bottom where it will not get in the way with the tank mechanism. One can save about 45 litres of water per day. DO NOT put bricks in the tank as they deteriorate, dispersing grit into the mechanism. One can also bend the float rod down which will shrink the water level in the tank. There are other gadgets on he market such as the toilet dam, toilet fill cycle diverter, and frugal flush flappers. All of these gadgets should be available at your local toilet retailer.
BE CAREFUL AND BE PRICE CONSCIOUS

Salaries over $125,000.00

2007-07-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, as a matter of fact it was just after April 1, 2007, the date when all Ontario businesses must report salaries paid the previous year over $100,000.00 that I started to check if those affected by this law in the Niagara Region had revealed their lists. Our local paper printed the respective lists with one noticeable exception, Niagara College I checked with the local paper to see if I missed the college list but received no reply.

I proceeded to check with the college by E mail to see if I could obtain their list. After seven (7) tries with no reply I gave up.

The other day while on the Internet I came across a complete list of businesses in the Niagara Region affected by this ruling , a list which included Niagara College in the St. Catharine's Standard.

For those interested here is the Niagara College list starting at $125,000.00 not $100,000.00 as per the ruling.

Martha Casson,V/P. international, $133.639.

Steven Hudson, V/P. of corporate services,$158,000.

Daniel Patterson, president,$210,000.

Barry Sharpe, associate V/P, academic, $145,501. Welland councilor

My question, how many are on the $100,000 up to $125,000.?

Why a blog??

2007-07-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

The reason I started this blog was in response to many asking me about Municipal, Regional, Provincial, and Federal matters that do not always appear in the local papers or if they do there is not always a complete story. It is not that I know more than the local papers it is I follow all major newspapers and find on many occasions some information that was not printed in the local papers.
This blog is an attempt to keep those interested in every day issues aware of all of the points.
This writer tries to get points across by writing to the local papers but has found on numerous occasions the letters submitted were not printed.
Again, this writer as per the Freedom of Rights expresses opinions and expressions that at times some may not agree with and that is their right.

Freedom of Information

2007-06-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

I feel very strongly taxpayers are entitled to disclosure of information that is designated public yet in many cases the information is refused with an explanation if you want it go to the city clerk and pay for the proper form to get it.When this response is used my first reaction is some one is trying to hide something.
With this in mind I checked with the two(2) Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Acts, municipal and provincial to check the language to see if it would apply to any citizen of Welland if one decided to use the act to get information that should have been disclosed before having to use the act.
The Freedom's commissioner, being a staunch supporter of information by government institutions strongly encourages all institutions to release all information" unless there is a clear and compelling reason not to do this". The commissioner advocates routine disclosure and active distribution.
Why is the public put in this asinine situation?

Answers to questions ignored

2007-06-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

The following letter was written on June 11, 2007 but was never printed in the local paper, a letter written at the request of many who ask as I've done many times, why the citizens of Welland can not obtain answers from their elected officials to questions that have been put forward many, many times;
Why is the Conservation Committee(CC), a committee that is supposed to be dedicated to the conservation of water, a committee that has gone to a great deal of expense to promote Rain Barrels and Low Flow Toilets to save water has the nerve to overlook the prime waste of water in the summer time, LAWN WATERING that has a trend to double summer consumption? Not, and I stress NOT one member of that CC and NOT one member of the present council has the intestinal fortitude to step forward with even one reason to support their ignoring this regular misuse of water.
This writer challenges these CC people and councilors to get in touch with those communities I listed in a previous letter a few weeks ago and ask them, as I did, why they put in their bylaw where in most cases there is an abundant supply of water.
The Seaway Mall land deal with the city that expired one year ago has yet to bring into being any reason why the deal did not happen.Because of this lack of information rumors have started to float around the city stating the city did not want the land back and there was a mistake in the phrasing of the deal. What ever, it seems to be a hushed up issue that even councilor Belcastro refrains from commenting on when he was implicated in the original business deal.
The Helems Ave disaster as every Wellander knows exceeded the budget yet as of this writing and well over a year after the completion there has never been a disclosure of the actual cost, a cost asked for many times and ignored.
Finally Denistoun Street, a street in need of repair and resurfacing, a street the ward councilors have been asked about for the past two years and to this date have yet to give one solid reply, even a projection is better than saying nothing.

Advertising low flow toilets in Welland Retail Stores

2007-06-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

I stand to be corrected but I believe July 7, 2007 has been set aside by the Welland Conservation Committee as water low flow toilet rebate day to be held again as last year at Welland Lumber, one of the retailers listed by the Conservation Committee as a distributor of these toilets. I should point out Wal Mart who is on the that list does not, according to their clerks, sell toilets in that store. The list of retailers in Welland in your respective areas is available by calling city hall.
The reason I am writing about these toilets and the their distribution is the result of looking to buy two of these toilets at one of the respective dealers only to find, in most cases, no signs advertising the retailer handled the approved toilets, in one instance there was not even a toilet on display. We, my friend and I discussed the toilets with one retailer who basically said " Why bother, there is only one retailer in the city that gets all of the toilet business".
For the past week one retailer has been advertising these toilets on a regular basis in the Tribune so one has to presume that retailer is going to pick up the bulk of the sales on toilet day.
Every one is well aware of the new CFL energy saving light bulb Hydro promo, a very good promo that expires on June 17, 2007 Almost every retail store in Welland has a display set up in their store. I was in the market to buy 10 of these new bulbs so I made the rounds of the retailers finding in most cases the prices were much the same however I ended up buying the bulbs at one retailer because that retailer was the only outlet that had the Hydro coupons available for the customer right with the display.
Advertising surprising enough does bring in customers.

Refugee and senior income

2007-06-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Back on May 30,2007 I wrote this article which is probably obvious why to those who may have on occasion received an Email stating a refugee receives more money per month than the average senior citizen. The explanation should be made public.
The following information, I trust , will clear up the misunderstanding of what the Federal and Provincial governments are allegedly paying refugees on a monthly basis vs seniors monthly Old Age Security and Supplement. All of this information was provided by MP John Maloney and his assistant in a prompt and courteous manner.
I am taking the liberty of quoting the information John sent to me.
"The federal government does not provide a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1890.00 plus an additional $ 580.00 in assistance. That is not correct. A refugee living in Ontario receives a maximum of $580.00 per month from the Federal Refugee Assistance Program(RAD) which is only available for up to 12 months or until he/she becomes self-sufficient.
While receiving RAP refugees are ineligible to receive Provincial Social Assistance benefits. The maximum monthly one-time only payment is $1890.00 which includes the income support of $580.00 for the first month. They are not two separate payments.
There are additional funds for basic household start-up needs such as furnishings, kitchen necessities etc that can be provided under RAP in the first month payment but this support is one time only".
I hope this clarification will clear up any misunderstanding seniors may have and will put their minds to rest.
The Email that has been going around for a number of years was based on totally false information.

Lead testing

2007-06-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

A recent article in the Welland Tribune's editorial page covering lead testing confirms what I've written about numerous times particularly during the water meter installations. At those times I asked if the meter installers reported lead lines when they were installing a meter. Not once, again not once was there a response,not even from any city official. I pointed out the senseless way of testing for lead by flushing before testing, and again no response in support of the method.
There are times when I do know what I am talking about.

Lead Water Line Testing

2007-06-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just a short article from one who was very critical of the method used to test lead water lines. ONE DOES NOT FLUSH A LINE FOR 5 OR 10 MINUTES BEFORE DOING A TEST, THAT METHOD IS USELESS AS IT REMOVES ANYTHING THAT COULD SETTLE IN THE LINE OVER NIGHT AND THE TEST MUST BE DONE ON AN INSIDE TAP.
Having said all of this I read the test results are in disclosing a number of municipalities with lead in the water lines. The municipalities have not been named yet. I Emailed the minister this afternoon asking for the Welland results. I am waiting for a reply.
If the tests come back negative it does not mean the municipality is off the hook. I suggest all citizens of Welland, living in homes built prior to 1950 and as far back as 1930, phone the city and ask to have your line tested regardless of the dismal amount of testing that was done. Do not let the tester flush the line before testing contrary to what has been said Water sitting in a line overnight will have a build-up as any knowledgeable person knows.
It is your right.
It is your health.

Welland's Resuracing Capital Budget

2007-06-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

The subject capital budget was made public to-day June 1, 2007 in the Welland Tribune. There were 11 roads in that budget scheduled for resurfacing for 2007. Noticeably Denistoun Street was not one of them.

Now one can expect one reason for not being on the list was due to the work now being done on the water and sewer lines from Hooker Street to Main, work that would leave the street in a patch up position subject to leveling after the fill has settled hopefully leaving no hump bumps as was left on other sections of the street.

I am sure the people in the Denistoun area can accept that as a delay however what the local residents can not accept is the lack of communication between the two councillors and the residents who seem to have a tendency to ignore this segment of their ward, a lack of same that stretches back over two years.

This writer has a tendency to believe these two councillors have not even addressed this problem at city council, if they have why haven't they saw fit to inform their constituents of their efforts and any decisions that are planned for Denistoun Street? Please!!! don't sit back and say nothing.

The Denistoun area must represent at least 25% or more of the total eligible voters in the ward. voters who deserve a little more support and output from these two.

Freedom of information and lead testing

2007-05-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

There is an article in to-days Tribune centered on people having problems receiving information under the Freedom of Information Act which in numerous cases is true.
With this in mind how about the City of Welland disclosing what went on with that piece of land sold to the Seaway Mall over 4 years ago under the condition if it was not developed as outlined by the Seaway Mall in a 3 years period it would revert back to the city. The 3 year period expired over a year ago, the land was not developed, and so what happened?
Several people have written in the paper, including this writer asking this question only to find unwillingness by the city to reply. Was there a problem in this deal?
In the same issue of to-days Tribune there is another article stating the lead tests demanded by the province are finished. The method used to test the tap water leaves much to be desired, why would one flush out the water before taking the test? The flushing will certainly remove any possible lead that could be sitting in the water lines as anyone would know.
Twenty homes out of say 1000 were all that were tested as stipulated by the province. That is utter lack of common sense. What about all of those other homes that are known to have lead water lines? Are the people in those homes expected to sit back not knowing if their water is safe to drink? Is there a remote chance the city will warn those people they they have lead water service and it should be tested?Mind you it should be tested at the city of Welland's expense.

Lawn Watering Bylaw

2007-05-29T04:13:00.000-07:00

I saw in last weeks Welland Tribune an article on the Welland Conservation Committee's dedication, for another year, to low flow toilets, rain barrels, and downspout inspection along with the expected expenditure however I noticed again the absence of a Lawn Watering Bylaw.
Is the Welland City council and the Conservation Committee so naive to believe Welland is the only community that is unaffected by water supply and shortage? This same council used up over $4 million on water meters not only to help the consumer save money on expensive water bills but help the city trim down water consumption. This council spent a great deal of money on water saver toilets and rain barrels with the same purpose to save money and water, a program set up again for 2007, a program that I've endorsed for a number of years before it became a reality.This same council and Conservation Committee has shown an unwillingness to put into practice a lawn watering bylaw with no explanation as to why, a bylaw that will save innumerable cubic meters of water, a bylaw that will cost nothing but time to bring in a motion and the salaries for the students to monitor as they are doing downspout disconnect inspections.
This same council set up the Conservation Committee with a budget of $50,000.00, a budget that included water conservation as laid out by the Province of Ontario to have conservation measures in place with lawn watering restrictions as part of the conservation process, a process to control double water consumption in the summer months.
For the past week this writer made contact with municipalities throughout the province of Ontario along with the province of British Columbia asking if their municipalities had a lawn watering bylaw along with a monitoring system.Most of the municipalities in British Columbia have very strict lawn watering bylaws complete with a monitoring system and a watering limit of once per week.This is a province with numerous lakes and rivers for a water source.
The reply from the Ontario municipalities, chiefly those around lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario was incredible bearing in mind their close proximity to the lakes mentioned. Every municipality contacted had a lawn watering bylaw supported in most cases with a monitoring program, monitored by students, fines put on water bills, written warnings, and reports of misuse by neighbors. The municipalities who provided the information were The municipality of Lambton Shores(Grand Bend, Forest, etc),Sarnia, Goderich,Clearview Township, The Region of Waterloo( 7 communities),Ottawa, Kingston,, The Region of Durham, Barrie, Peterborough,and The County of Brant.
Most of these communities have abundant water sources but all are mindful of the summer consumption problems to-gather with the regular warning of future water shortage.
Are the Welland councillors afraid if they put into practice this bylaw it will disturb their individual constituents to the point they will not be re-elected or is it they don't believe the water warnings?

Ice Pads

2007-05-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

In the May 25 issue of the Welland Tribune there was an extensive article on a proposed new arena to cover a shortage of badly needed ice rinks, shortages recognized almost 4 years ago.
Have we forgotten the sale of land to the Seaway Mall 4 years ago for $ 35,000.00, land that was going to include in the proposal 2 ice pads?
The sale of the land was on the condition if the Seaway Mall did not come through with the proposal within a 3 year time period the land would go back to the city.
At that time or shortly after an article appeared in the Welland Tribune outlining the intentions of the Seaway Mall to have a firm from Chicago meet with the Mall people to discuss the construction of the ice pads. Needless to say nothing was ever reported on that meeting, if indeed there was a meeting, the rinks were never built and the 3 year time period expired last year.
What happened to the Seaway plan?
Did the land go back to the city?
Over the past months many people have questioned this deal, unfortunately neither the city nor the Seaway Mall have yet to make a comment.

Welland Residential taxes

2007-05-26T04:09:00.000-07:00

Every time discussions revolve around Welland city residential taxes we are told we are not the highest. Well I am going to show you some figures based on 2005 property taxes on a $200,000.00 property in Southwestern Ontario and Central and Eastern Ontario.
The following are all residential;
1st Cornwall $3,495.00
2nd Deep River $3,353.00
3rd Welland $3,324.00
Third highest in the areas specified.
Here are the figures for the municipalities in the Niagara Region.
Fort Erie $2,686.00
Grimsby $2,655.00
Lincoln $2,544.00
Niagara Falls $2,799.00
Niagara-on-the-Lake $1,992.00
Pelham $2.685.00
Port Colborne $3,246.00
St.Catharine's $2,989.00
Thorold $2,899.00
Wainfleet $3,000.00
Here are a few more interesting tax figures.
Hamilton $2,908.00
Windsor $2,876.00
Barrie $2,259.00
Ottawa $2,053.00
Toronto $1,221.00
All of these figures sure puts a hole in the statement we don't have the highest taxes

Lead pipe water lines

2007-05-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

How does it feel to be included in a list of 35 cities and towns in Ontario where city officials don't care about the health of their community? That is right otherwise Ontario's Chief Water Inspector would not have ordered each of those communities to test taps for lead.
These communities for better words never got the lead out. These communities disregarded the Ontario Water Inspector's order to test their water for lead about 4 weeks ago. The inspector now wants 20 samples from homes with lead service from each community within 2 weeks.
Welland was one of these communities including Toronto, Hamilton, Brockville, Cornwall, Peterborough, South Peel, Welland, and Whitby.
Why were the citizens of Welland kept in the dark? Why did Welland not act in accordance with the inspector's request?
The areas in the relevant communities will, in most cases involve homes built in pre-1950, homes I am sure are known to the city. In the event these homes are found to have lead levels above the provincial standard the residents should be given a warning.
When the water meter installation program started the installers must have come across situations where homes had lead pipe water service, was anything done to bring this to the attention of the home owner and the city? Not likely

Earth Day

2007-05-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

The following is a copy of an article I wrote on April 23, 2007;
The article in the Tribune on Earth Day brought out one very significant point all vehicle operators should think about very seriously, "Commit your self to public transit"
For those who may or may not have watched ABC's 20/20 last Friday on Earth 2007, monitored by Dianne Sawyer, a lot of time was spent in the production on vehicle emission and the effect on the atmosphere vs taking public transit, the production made a great deal of sense.
If the City of Welland's Conservation Committee and the Transit Commission are serious about emission problems maybe both should consider some additional transit routes to other areas of the city that have no service. Areas, such as Prince Charles from Thorold Road down to Southwell Industrial Park and over to John Deere in Dain city.Take the time to check the number of vehicles parked in the assorted business parking lots along that route. The lots are packed with vehicles that spew out emissions to the atmosphere in mind boggling amounts going to and from their individual places of employment. If the transit system were to run buses to those areas I believe conscientious motorists would use public transit, cut back emission, boost revenue for the city, and save money on gas, now at all time highs.
Think about this suggestion as a follow up to the excellent Earth Day promo.

Water Crisis

2007-05-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

Municipalities' right across Canada who have Conservation programs and deliberately ignore implementing a lawn watering by-law, one of the more serious misuses of water, because of their misconception Canada has all kinds of water should take the time to study hundreds of reports put out by experts outlining the future of water not only in Canada but in the entire world. These municipalities must change their view and deal with the issue head on. Ignoring the problem is no longer an option.
The following exert from the Academies of Arts, Humanities, ans Sciences of Canada"It is predicted that by 2025 world wide demand for fresh water will rise 56% and as much as two-thirds of the world's population will be living with serious water shortage. Water will become the primary resource-scarcity problem by 2015.
The Future of Canada, an article from Fortune Magazine states" Water will be to the 21st century what oil is to the 20th.
Another article from Ontario Tenants under the title of Canadians Abusing Water Supply states"There is never enough water to satisfy our thirsty lawns and our water consuming lifestyles".
Canadians have been warned the river and lake flows are becoming erratic yet Canadians still use multi litres everyday washing cars, watering lawns, and flushing it down the toilet. Canadians must be made to understand, second in the world in the use and misuse of water, our water use is not sustainable. Canadians have a perception they have lots of water, so why worry?
According to Environment Canada ' There is no unlimited water supply, it is a myth". Canada faces threats to its freshwater resources. World Day mentions the water crisis will have to change the way we value and use water and the way we manage water resources. We need better management. We need to create the political will to address the water issue.Municipalities having for example no Lawn Watering Program should study this statement with care.
A week ago our city had rain for at least 3 or 4 days. On the first rain free day I drove through parts of the residential area in the city noticing sprinklers on and vehicle and driveways being washed. This is a perfect example of why municipalities who frown on Lawn Watering by-laws should look a little deeper into the predicted water crisis. They should readjust their thinking to coincide with most municipalities, municipalities that are conscious of the pending water crisis and have implemented Lawn Watering Programs, Programs that have teeth.

Public Sector Disclosure Act

2007-05-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

In this mornings copy of the Welland Tribune there is a first rate article on the " Public Sector Disclosure Act", an act that requires disclosure of employee's salaries earning more than $100,000.00 during the previous year.
Did you know the Act includes every education board, every university in Ontario and every college of applied arts and technology and post secondary institution in Ontario whether or not affiliated with a university?
I stand corrected but I believe Niagara College falls under this criterion. For some reason the college has not disclosed their salary list which under the act must be made public April 1 of every year. If it was disclosed to the best of my knowledge it never made the Tribune as I am sure the Tribune would have printed it at the same time as they printed other disclosures. Now, if I missed it my sincere apologies.

In conclusion I must point out I requested this information by way of E mail to the college at least 6 times. I have yet to receive a reply, even one stating it was disclosed and date of same.

Seniors and MPPs

2007-05-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

On April 18, 2007 it was announced the Ontario MPPs received a 2% increase in wages on top of the 25% increase the MPPs voted themselves last December that was opposed by all members of the NDP party. Apparently this 2% represents a Consumer Price Index(CPI) increase, an increase enjoyed by both the MPPs and the MPs per annum every April. This last increase raised the MPPs salaries from $111,000.00 per year to $112,990.00, a 2 thousand dollar increase.
Most seniors depend on their Canada Pension(CPP) and Old Age Security(OAS) cheques every month hoping there will be a CPI increase to cover their rising cost of living. Regrettably those increase are few and far between needless to say as seniors are not blessed with the yearly guaranteed hand out.
Based on the maximum for both CPP and OAS a 65 year plus senior receives $1355.00 per month subject to income tax. The CPP is $863.75 per month and the OAS is $491.00 per month.

Seniors are told they can anticipate an increase in their CPP cheques every January and an increase in their OAS cheques every quarter but only if there is an increase in the CPI if over a certain level. Seniors have not received an OAS increase since October 2006.There were no increases in January and April of 2007 as according to CPI there were no increase in those quarters. From January 2006 to December 2006 the seniors received the sum total of $17.36., starting at $411.94 and ending at $418.15. Our MPPS got 2 thousand. Why are seniors not permitted the same privilege enjoyed by the MPPs instead of doling out a minute allowance?

I came across the following government statement: "The CPI increase to the MPPs and MPs was viewed as a reasonable assessment of the erosion of salaries caused by inflation"
Seniors do not fit into this assessment.
It is obvious the MPPs and MPs are not limited to a certain level before realizing an increase as their increases dating back to 1991 and up to 2006 were as low as 0.2% to a high of 5.6%, an average increase of 2.13%.
Seniors are lucky if they even get 1%.
I welcome your comments.

Flooded basements

2007-05-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Some of the articles I write about cover subjects that contain information not always readily available to the general public.
Over the past few years the city of Welland experienced some very severe storms, storms resulting in power failures, blackouts, and sewer backups, sewer backups causing significant damage to the basements of many homes. In many cases the homes did not have sump pumps and backwater valves, some homes may have had sump pumps that would not work because of a power failure.Home owners can avoid such a crisis in the future by taking advantage of a program set up by the city covering a portion of the cost involved in having a sump pump and backwater valve installed in one's home.
There are two types of domestic sump pumps on the market, a column type and a submersible.It is suggested one discuss the merits of each with the plumber.At the same time
one should look into the purchase of a battery operated sump pump to take over for the electrically operated sump pump if there is a power failure. The cost of this pump is considerably less than the cost to repair the damage.
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Low Flow toilets

2007-05-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

For well over 10 years the citizens of Ontario have been encouraged to switch their toilets to low flow stressing two major points; one the toilets will save the home owner money and two the toilets will save water. outside of having to install these toilets in new homes the general public has been rather hesitant to switch over. In the interim many municipalities encouraged the use of these toilets by using an incentive promotion whereby a home owner could obtain a low flow toilet via the city and receive a monetary discount off the retail price. In most municipalities is still being used but it has been found the rush to switch toilets leaves much to be desired.
Just recently the mayors of municipalities around the Great Lakes have requested the province of Ontario to ban inefficient toilets.
Even with the savings in water and money being significant the public demand is minor.
This writer believes the proposed ban is necessary when forecasts of serious water supply problems are inevitable in the next 10 years.
My city, Welland, has a low flow toilet incentive program that will save the home owners money and water.
WHY NOT USE IT?