Conservation

Conservation Quiz

The quiz is inspired by a short news clip ('Mixed Message') from The London Free Press, July 18.

Q: Can you finish the sentence?

(From clip)... A couple received a warning that they might -

A. Not be scaling back enough to comply with state expectations

B. Be fined for not scaling back enough to help the state conserve precious supplies of underground water

C. Be jailed if compliance does not occur within week

D. Be fined for creating an eyesore (i.e., dry patches on lawn)

E. Be run out of town on a hot shingle

Link to Motorcycle Miles re conservation

Photo GH

live small, with a neighbour

I like living in a house, with trees in the front yard.

["Having a workshop is a very good idea"]

And I currently live in one that will very likely be my last earthly address, in Wortley Village, London, Ontario. The house is small, close to the corner of Coffee and Hardware, has a great workshop in the backyard and is surrounded my wonderful neighbours and hundreds of healthy trees.

["My situation may change": April 18, London Free Press]

Recent news has me thinking. Will I one day have to rent out the basement in order to stay where I am? Will one of my philosophies of life, i.e., 'live small and prosper', have to change to 'live small and prosper and with a neighbour or friend renting out the basement in order to cover expenses'?

["Easy money and household debt court disaster"] 

The new normal appears to involve higher unemployment, rising household debt, vast wealth in the hands of the few, a resistance to taxes and paying our collective way, fewer safety nets to help those with decent jobs, rising threats to pensions and bad news around every corner.

Some will ask, "All this from a recent news article?"

Not word for word, but it got me thinking of the following:

Low interest rates have fuelled rising household debt

New home buyers are lured by cheap money

When interest rates go up so will the struggles related to paying mortgages

Sustaining an economy with low interest courts disaster

Low interest doesn't sustain pension funds, it robs them of growth

Pensioners will struggle as well to keep their homes

I should tidy up my basement. I'll need a broom and a lot of cardboard boxes.

Do events related to the housing market seem troubling to you?

Photos by GH

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Please click here for local unemployment figures

the good the bad the ugly

Though Gail Vaz-Oxlade makes a few good points, I am growing tired of articles - e.g., re saving for retirement - that are printed when only half-baked. Growing numbers of recent graduates and middle-aged workers are facing a 'no-jobs today' climate and have burned through savings accounts to stay alive. Governments, businesses and raw news articles aren't helping to change matters.

the good:

"...people are unwilling to stop spending every red cent they make." 

If Gail is addressing just those who have a lot of disposable cash, she makes a good point. If she is also addressing those who barely make enough to cover the rent and meager groceries, then she needs to giver her head a shake. She makes no distinction in the article.

"If you think a manicure is a need, you're delusional."

Good point. There is a lot of confusion amongst die-hard shoppers concerning wants and needs.

"shop only with cash"

I agree that it is one good way to save money because cash is hard to part with once it's in one's wallet (vs use of e.g., credit card)

the bad:

"If you think you don't make enough to save, think again."

Harsh words to the growing ranks of the under- or unemployed, to those living back at home with struggling parents. London will likely hit 10% unemployment in the near future and I'd be very surprised if Gail's article will encourage a spike in the number of new savings accounts.

the ugly:

"without the commitment to having something in the future, the amount of income you earn has very little to do with long-term savings success"

True, we need a commitment to save money when we have some disposable income.

However, not only is disposable income drying up for a lot of people (new grads and seasoned employees), but a few big factors work against a secure future for many.

big factors:

Good, full-time jobs in or close to many urban centres are declining (e.g., in London alone, 5,200 manufacturing jobs were lost in the last year)

[April 6, London Free Press]

PM Harper has postponed retirement benefits for most Canadians, from age 65 to age 67. He likely will  make people work even longer in the future because we're living longer. Too bad for those who can't save any money now.

Apparently, Canadians - especially those affiliated w the ruling class - hate unions, the public sector and taxes of any kind. So positive job benefits (like reasonable pensions), jobs in the public sector and funds to protect the future of many Canadians will dry up over the years.

The rich are getting richer, thanks to low tax rates for corporations and the wealthiest among us, but the benefits associated with that trend (job creation, trickle-down wealth, a stronger economy) have all but disappeared.

We have a government interested in making the wealthy wealthier, but not good at promoting job creation and beneficial tax reform.

If you feel the noose tightening, it's not for good reason, but for bad, ugly ones.

Photos of Free Press (April 7) by GH

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Please click here to read 'controversy vs conservation'

news from Gord's attic: Dionne Quints, 1937

I found several old newspapers in my attic and they fall apart in my hands as I turn the pages.

The Dionne quints were in the news in 1937:

And news about shipping was a regular feature.

["I think 'shipping news' should be revived"]

Going to the Soo? I'd love to catch a ride.

Photos by GH

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Please click here to read news about 'controversy vs conservation'

Money Matters: Stressful times for many

[Photo of 'Alison on Money', METRO, Jan. 29]

Financial analysts may at times appear to have all the answers - related to our financial health - but they fail to address very big questions. While 'Avoiding the stress of RRSP season' may sound helpful (and it will be to some readers), consider the following:

The average Canadian is up to his eyeballs in debt 

He doesn't make enough money to have an RRSP

When he hears "the maximum you can deposit to an RRSP for 2012 is $22,970" he wonders if he even makes that much and what planet is the writer from anyway?

Welcome to Canada, eh, the land of milk and honey for fewer people each year.

There are many reasons why fewer people are prospering each year and why comments from 'Alison on Money' (e.g., "setting up an automatic contribution plan will help you deal with this stressful time") sound really out of place for the average person. Canadians buy foreign products as if they're going out of style and 'Made in Canada' products and related jobs are going the way of the Dodo just as quickly. Modern machines do the jobs of many men and women and related unemployment figures seem destined not improve. Other reasons abound.

Since this is the season for financial analysts and gurus to pedal their wares, I predict a certain amount of financial stress will surface as a result of some of their encouraging words.

For example, when 'Alison on Money' says "$69,426.19 (is) the value of $100 saved monthly for 25 years at six per cent average annual return...", the average Canadian will wonder where they are going to scrap up that $100/mo. for 25 years.

Unfortunately, on that final matter, Alison remains silent. So do and many others, including most levels of government and businesses. Why is that?

Photo by GH

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Please click here for more about Money Matters

Politicians, Teachers, Parents, Students and Money (1)

The London Free Press published a story and photo ('Young runner idled', Jan. 16) related to an issue involving politicians, teachers, parents, students and money (and much more). Something the student Jessie Fleming said caught my attention.

["I give her that. I liked sports too. Still do."]

Sports are so big. If we studied the history of sport within the school setting we would likely be amazed. The number, intensity and importance of sport has literally exploded. We've gone from bags of clay marbles and games of scrub with borrowed bats and spongy balls to badminton, football, hockey, track and field, basketball, soccer, to name a few. You name it, a child can sign up for it. Some students will even say, "(Pick a sport, any sport) is my life."

At the same time we should study those things that contributed to the wild growth from marbles to a mountain of athletic activities.

What might those things be?

Photo of news quote by GH

Stamping Out Stupidity (1): “Hammer the public sector?”

Garnet Bloomfield, former member of parliament, is way, way off base, so in love is he with only the private sector.

 [Oct. 9 issue London Free Press]

There is no sector that enriches itself more than the private sector. The lack of fair pay and pensions in the private sector is not because the public sector and democratic unions are paid too much. The undemocratic private sector pays and cares too little.

Follow the money, the “enriched salaries” of the top ten per cent. It won’t lead primarily to the public sector.

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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Who are the top 10 per cent?

Please click here for Dear Editor

News Clips: Fred asks more than one fine question

Londoner Fred Huska begins a recent letter to the editor by stating he has ‘a question’. Turns out he has two, maybe three.

There is certainly a question there about whether stripping the public sector of bargaining rights is as far as the government alliance will go. After all, the current deficit is huge.

Plus, there may be a question there about what type of ‘fantasy mindset’ some people have. E.g., is it Type A (the private sector is untouchable) or Type B (everyone, including corporations, should sacrifice some freedoms). 

Then, there is another obvious question - his own - that Fred doesn’t count for some reason. And he should because it's a good one.

Are tax cuts working out well?

More questions, from GH:

How so?

Should we raise taxes in a fair manner so that all citizens sacrifice more $$ and freedoms according to their means?

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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Please click here for more from This Old Economist

The Better Mousetrap: Conserve money, little guy

[Photo link]

Little guys, take note.

Lorrie Goldstein, a relatively well-known Sun Media newspaper columnist, recently wrote an article entitled ‘How the UN can get its green mojo back’, and tells the organization how it can improve its handling of the global warming file after less-than stellar results were achieved at June’s Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. 

Besides writing a short intro and listing seven pieces of advice for the UN, Mr. Goldstein signs off by saying, “Anyway, United Nations, you don’t have to thank me. Just get busy.”

Cocky guy, that Goldstein. Wags his finger at the UN, thinks he can set them straight.

But I’m not so sure about that. By simply admonishing the UN (and the 50,000 delegates who attended last month’s Earth Summit), he’s ignoring ‘the little guy’, i.e., me, and you, and 99.999% of the people who have a say about the future health and sustainability of the planet, and I think that’s where a lot of the real power dwells.

Actually, ‘ignoring’ is the wrong word. Goldstein does mention the little guys when he writes, “As for the rest of the world, concerns over global recession have pushed worries about global warming to, you should pardon the expression, the back burner.” 

I say, that certainly is a broad brush with which the rest of us - seven billion strong, and not employed by the United Nations - have been painted. 

Admittedly, the global recession affects certain economic matters within every country of the world, and many governments, media outlets, corporations, erstwhile families and individuals have ‘THE ECONOMY’ writ large upon the top of their agendas, because they believe that is where the secret of success resides. However, in my opinion, a vast number of the planet’s citizens do wonder, and worry, if much will ever be done to develop sustainable economic practices in the here and now to ensure reasonable health and prosperity for future generations. 

As well, a vast number believe when governments, media, corporations, etc. focus chiefly on economic and lifestyle concerns, thereby pushing concerns about global warming or climate instability to, ‘you should pardon the expression, the back burner’, they do so to the detriment of the environmental and quality of life files.

More to follow.

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Please click here for a related post. 

Newspaper Clippings: “Canadian wages keep falling”

[Canadian workers are failing to keep up with the rising cost of living as real wages continue to fall dramatically, new data from Statistics Canada shows. Nov. 25, Metro]

Average weekly earnings for non-farm payrolls fell in September. Many already know that.

When the “3.2 per cent inflation rate for the month is taken into consideration, the drop in real wages was more dramatic.” (Metro) Many already know that.

Many also know Canada’s unemployment rate is hovering around 8 per cent, with my home region of London suffering 9 per cent rates. Many know that because of the high rate of under-employment, low wages associated with part-time employment and lack of reliable full-time jobs with some semblance of benefits, the true unemployment rate is double or triple the reported number.


["I'd like something smaller than a Falcon, please."]

What many do not know is if governments and businesses have plans to create an alternative economy to the unsustainable, market-first, high-production-of-wasteful-goods model that is faltering in most countries of the world at present, and that will continue to do so into the future as easy, cheap oil disappears.

May I suggest The Small Economy, based on the culture of small (rather than the culture of big)? May I suggest the building of small houses (900 sq. ft. and smaller, not larger) and accompanying smaller-scaled appliances and furnishings, small vehicles (e.g., a three-wheeled, enclosed scooter with a small bed in the back for groceries) and necessary smaller-scaled parts and accessories, and small, energy-efficient apartments close to the downtowns of cities to save on fuel and infrastructure costs. (I’ll take a one-bedroom on the fifth floor - close to Gambrinus - as soon as it’s ready!)

Don’t hold your breath waiting for governments or corporations to promote The Small Economy or the culture of small. But - as real wages continue to shrink - prepare for it nevertheless.

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Please click here for more reasons to adopt the culture of small.

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Deforest City Blues: Is corporate welfare fair?

Is corporate welfare real? Is it fair?

London resident Shawn Lewis makes it clear in a letter to the editor of the London Free Press that he doesn’t think local corporations or businesses deserve more tax money.

Hey, I’ve been concerned about that too recently, because rescuing our city, province and country from growing debt and high unemployment figures shouldn’t all fall to the public sector.

Shawn responds to the same news article that I cited in the recent past, i.e., ‘(Mayor) Fontana floats a new tax’ (Dec. 16, Free Press)


["All hands needed on deck": photo GH]

Our Mayor expressed a wish to impose a special levy (for an economic development fund) on local taxpayers so that monies can be collected and used to encourage local economic development.

I wrote about it in my blog here.

I wrote about it in my weekly column here.

Shawn writes, “Corporate welfare is what Mayor Joe Fontana is proposing with the new “economic development” tax for 2012... we already subsidize development and industry in London at ridiculous rates. We repeatedly hear claims from the corporate sector and its right-wing political friends that the private sector can do things much more efficiently than the public sector, so why should the public shell out more tax dollars for corporate welfare?”

(What I can the big waive, Shawn calls welfare).

Shawn concludes, “The taxpayers need to understand that, by and large, it is not the public sector costs that keep driving up our cost of living; it is corporate welfare run amok.... we need political leadership that puts people - not corporate profits - first.” (Dec. 24, 2010)

Good luck with that one, Shawn.

Lest you get the feeling I think the private sector is made up of only bad guys who wear black hats and ride black horses, let me say that it does much good.

But with editorialists and letter writers proclaiming that it’s time for the public sector (with no mention of the heavily subsidized private sector) to step up, accept wage freezes, reduce pensions, etc. in order to rid the region of debt and unemployment, I thought it was only fair to share this letter, you know, for balance.


["Full Dilbert cartoon here"]

Is corporate welfare real? Is it fair given the circumstances?

***

Some Lite News here, you know, for balance.

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Newspaper Clippings: The taller the trash pile, the better

I tip my hat to Ian Gillespie, columnist for The London Free Press, for saying what I was thinking (well, almost) about grievances from local residents related to Toronto’s trash.

(Ian. G.’s full article here.)

Yes, Toronto produces a lot of trash, dozens of truckloads per day will enter a landfill site in our backyard, our sight lines along the 401 will change and the smell SW of town will ripen.

But Ian rightfully nails our complaints to the wall.

He says:

“London, we should remember, is the city that’s ranked 10th out of 12 larger urban centres in Ontario in terms of waste diversion.”


[Fresh Kills landfill: "On a clear day you can smell for miles"]

In other words, if we’re going to complain about sight lines, look closer to home.

Ian says:

“When it comes to trash, nobody does the “out of sight, out of mind” attitude better than London.”

“We refuse to take any real responsibility for limiting our waste, and we’re shocked when another city does the same.”

“And here’s the kicker: London did almost the identical thing about 30 years ago when the city disregarded objections from the annexed township of Westminster and built a giant landfill site there.” (Jan. 5, London Free Press)

All fair and good observations.

In my humble opinion, the taller the pile of Toronto trash the better. If it one day rivals the (now-closed) Fresh Kills landfill site on Staten Island, N.Y., fine.

Maybe then we’ll take notice of our own trashy habits, excessive consumption levels, and endless waste.

***

What’s that smell?

I don’t always compliment articles in the local paper, like a recent one that rips the public sector. Click here for the whole kit and caboodle.

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Climate Change Concerns: Australian flood - Is it no big drama?

Deep flood waters are beginning to recede in some regions of Queensland, according to a recent news clip.

And according to a few Aussies, they’re getting used to big troubles.

After reading a short news bite in the Jan. 5 issue of The London Free Press (i.e., “the small town of Dirranbandi was an island. “It’s totally surrounded by waters,” said Mayor Donna Stewart), I Googled ‘dirranbandi flood’ and linked to an article by Dan Nancarrow of the Brisbane News and read that, to some, it’s no big deal.

For example, I read the following:

“The small southwest town of Dirranbandi could be completely cut off from the rest of the state by this time next week, but that doesn't seem to faze its unflappable residents.”

“Last year's floods were the worst the town had seen since 1890.”


["Will we just grow used to extreme conditions?"]

"It's no big drama - we're getting used to it," Mr. K. Smith said.

“...we're lucky compared to these other little towns, Theodore, Condamine and all these other towns that went underwater, there'd be nothing worse."

Sheep farmer Gerry Grant said... "I went into St George on Thursday last week and I got a bit of extra food, we keep it in the freezer, so we're pretty right for a while. We know what to expect this time where in March it was unknown.”

Dirranbandi resident Phyllis Howard said... she was prepared for the town to be isolated once more. "We were cut off for three weeks last year and we managed.”

So, to some it’s not a drama, folks will manage.

But yesterday, after reading that “the state is the biggest exporter of coal used in steel making" (Jan. 5, London Free Press), I wondered if nature was just biting back because of rising carbon emissions.

And today I wonder, as climate instability worsens in the future and other towns go underwater (like the aforementioned Theodore and Condamine), will we too just get used to it and shrug it off as if there’s nothing we can do about it?

Common sense tells me that if we don’t learn from present day disasters of great magnitude, then disasters of greater magnitude will follow.

***

Is nature biting back in Queensland?

Please click here to read more Climate Change Concerns.

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Deforest City Blues PT 2: Where do Londoners get complete news?

The welfare state has roared back to bite the British lion in the rump.

Ditto for the Irish economy.

Saddled with massive debt and staggering under unaffordable social programs, both the British and the Irish are facing massive cuts.

So begins a recent editorial in our local paper, The London Free Press. (Dec. 28, 2010)

And shortly after I read it, I began to write a long but useful rant. (Some stuff you just shouldn’t hold inside!)

Though the headline, i.e., ‘Canada must take lessons from European debt woes,’ wasn’t a bad start (we all might be able to learn something from the debt crisis in Ireland and England), the first 3 sentences above left a lot to be desired, especially certain key words.

I.e., the welfare state... unaffordable social programs.

Does QMI Agency call this “reliable, complete and up-to-the-minute news coverage” as per their mission statement?

Don’t make me laugh. If social programs are the only or chief cause of fiscal problems in Britain and Ireland then I’ll eat my hat - the sexy straw number made in Caracas, Venezuela!


["The sexy straw number from Caracas": photo GH]

And if that’s the chief lesson Canada will learn from European debt woes then I’ll even eat the silk hat band.

The anonymous editorialist makes the point that “this country has weathered well the economic storm that has battered the U.S. and Europe. But we can’t sit smugly back on our laurels.”

Good for him or her. Smug is bad. Cocky, even worse.

But to suggest only the following remedies is way past smug, way beyond cocky.

“We cannot continue to fund costly programs such as all-day kindergarten when we can't afford them.

“We must get civil service salaries and lavish pensions under control.

“We must get public sector pay hikes under control - now.”

Why, the writer’s list is so incomplete, so devoid of proper balance, it is little wonder he/she didn’t provide their name.

To conclude the above list by saying ‘they are ticking time bombs waiting to blow up in the faces of future generations’ is so much a joke the whole piece deserves to be posted on the comics page.

And - coincidentally - on the comics page, the same day, I found a Dilbert strip that delightfully puts the editorial in proper perspective.

Below is Scott Adams’ second panel of three.


["Corporations actually transfer their tax burden?": dilbert.com]

So, what’s the punch line?

Stay tuned.

***

Scott’s first panel and Deforest City Blues PT 1 can be found here.

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Catch-44, the progress trap, and the greedy monkey PT 1

I’ve recently discovered that the term Catch-44 is pretty popular.

By ‘recently’ I mean within the last few hours and after coming inside from my shop.

Not only have I used the term twice today - thinking it was a product of my own imagination - but a Google search reveals Catch .44 is an indie crime drama filmed in Shreveport, LA., starring Bruce Willis and Forest Whitaker, among others.l

Stink. I wanted the term all to myself, just like the litre of ice-cream loaded with Smarties I found in the downstairs freezer a few days ago. (Somehow my wife knew about it!)

I like the term Catch-44 because it conjures up memories of Catch-22 (a gripping book and film with later connections to the movie and TV show M*A*S*H) and... it’s twice as bad.

Feelings that I would describe as Catch-44-ish come up almost every day. Sometimes early in the morning before I’m even out of bed.

(The feelings are unrelated to having to get out of bed. I like getting out of bed - eventually. Coffee awaits. Sorry, I digress).

I used the term first while describing our predicament with rising costs - and not just related to hydro, which much on the minds of many Ontarians.

I said:

“Because no government is effectively encouraging the move toward smaller cars, homes and lifestyles, our roads will continue to support more cars per capita (and the related expense), our homes will continue to grow and demand more energy and production of household goods, and the associated costs of our lifestyle will increase."

It’s a Catch-44, which is twice as shocking and frustrating as a Catch-22 and any hydro bill.

I elaborated a bit on my use of the term in a later post when I said, “In other words, we’re in a Catch-44, a bad trap, twice as bad as a Catch-22.

We’re building and paving roads today that we’ll never repair or replace in the future as far as present home owners are concerned, because they’ll be dead.”

Now, where did I get the idea that we’re in a bad trap?

Stay tuned.

***

I’d say more now but Corrie St. starts in a few minutes and I have many miles to ride for the sake of ‘fun and fitness.’

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Memory Lane PT 2: ‘Navy Days’ have more meaning now

While reading an article written by my father entitled “Down Memory Lane: Navy Days” (Nov. 1992, Norwich Gazette) I learned for the first time - among a few other things - he was stationed in barracks at ‘The Spit’ on Vancouver Island, B.C. in 1944.

The Spit was offshore opposite Comox and near Courtenay, home of the Sons of Freedom Hall where a bit of dancing took place, so I’m told, when my dad was all of 24 years old.

If the experience was considered a break from action (the year before he had been aboard the SS Silver Walnut and in convoy from England to Sicily, via the southern tip of Africa), my father doesn’t say so in the article.


["I could make this bigger but then what would I write about?"]

What he does say, however, spurs my imagination and gives me a better understanding of the man during formative years.

For example, he writes, “Fishing for salmon was great there. I myself never fished; I ended up on the business end of a pair of oars in the captain’s dinghy while someone else sat in the stern and trawled, using filleted herring as bait which acted as a shiny spinner. Some Fridays we were able to supply the noon meal with freshly caught salmon. We didn’t have meat because of the R.C.s.”

I know my dad liked to fish. He and pal Gord Bucholtz (from Norwich) often fished for green bass at Long Point, Ontario, and he told stories about catching smelt by wading into Lake Erie with nothing more than a basket.

Too bad he didn’t get to fish for salmon, but he sure wasn’t afraid of hard work, so if somebody had to man the oars for hours at a time, dad would have been up to the task.

He mentions salmon a second time in another context:

“A few miles west of Comox was the small town of Courtenay, and I have stood amazed on the bridge over the river in spawning season and watched the salmon. Bank to bank salmon - it didn’t seem possible.”

His appreciation for nature and raw, natural scenes lasted into his later years.

On one of our longer car rides together (from his residence at Parkwood Hospital to Long Point and back) I stopped at the side of a gravel road as a flock of birds flew toward us. The flock turned out to be about two dozen crows chasing a bald eagle SE toward Lake Erie, and the eagle, keeping low to the ground for protection, flew directly toward us and then over the car.

“Well, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that!” he said as we pulled away to head home.

One of us joked that the eagle looked big enough to pick up my Civic.

We also spotted bluebirds - his absolute favourite birds - along that same road (before or after the eagle, I’m not sure), so, all in all, that was a pretty fine day in his book.

Already my wife and I are talking about a trip to B.C. within the next year or two, and we’ll have to look for that bridge near Courtenay. It would be nice to look upon a few of the same scenes as my father did, appreciative raw scenes as he did, and maybe eat a plate or two of fresh oysters while we’re at it.

More about those oysters tomorrow.

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Please click here to read Memory Lane PT 1.

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Newspaper Clipping: Want to live to 100? Forget the meds

We have a winner - two of them actually.

The oldest twins in the world, at 100-years of age, are now Ena Pugh and Lily Millward of Wales.

The previous record holders, Raymonde and Lucienne Wattelade, both 98, are from France and some sharp-eyed census taker must have spotted they just weren’t keeping up.

The two pairs of twins cited the following for their longevity:

whisky

pastis

laughter

Not a bad recipe, eh!

I know about whisky and laughter and learned the following re pastis at Wikipedia.

“Pastis is an anise-flavored liqueur and apéritif from France, typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume, although alcohol-free varieties exist.”


["Photo of Pastis from Wikipedia"]

I’d say, buy the bottle that has alcohol.

“Pastis was first commercialized by Paul Ricard in 1932 and enjoys substantial popularity in France. Pastis emerged some 17 years following the ban on absinthe, during a time when the French nation was still apprehensive of high-proof anise drinks in the wake of the absinthe debacle.”

For more information re the debacle, I bet we could talk to the Wattelades!!

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Please click here to read more Lite News.

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Will Joe Fontana create more jobs than you can shake a stick at?

Joe Fontana, so we were told by campaign co-chair Cheryl Miller, is only going to serve for one term if elected mayor of Deforest City. (He can do all that is needed for Londoners in one term).

Wait. There’s been a change.

“Fontana now says that is not the case - he’ll serve as long as Londoners want him, but the root of that discrepancy in his camp remains unclear.” (Oct. 9, London Free Press)


["Jobs are needed, but what fits with an age of austerity?"]

(I will digress. Let’s speculate re the root problem for all of 30 seconds. Trust me, we have the time. One of the co-chairs is impulsive and speaks without thinking clearly. Or, both co-chairs suffer from what I call ‘muddled thinking.’ Or, ‘serve one term’ sounded really clever a few weeks ago to someone demanding and, therefore, all-powerful - who will remain nameless at this time, though I think she has a name. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...)

Joe Fontana built his platform on the promise of a four-year tax freeze.

Tax freeze. Everybody’s hurting. No new taxes - that’s all the balm, spit and polish people need.

Wait. There’s been a change.

Mr. Fontana is adding another plank to his platform.

“He will now create 10,000 jobs in the next five years.” (LFP)

Believing that this action will allow young people to work in town instead of being forced to move and - quite possibly - get him elected at the same time (Hey, anything can be promised, anything can happen), Joe has now shimmied his way out to the end of a very long and skinny branch.

10,000 jobs in five years. That’s 2,000 jobs per year. That’s 166.67 jobs per month or 5.56 jobs per day.

By gosh, if he finds the magic formula and stays for a second term even I could be working again (Is that part-time or full-time, Joe?) by mid-April 2017.

I sure hope it's the perfect job for me and has nothing to do with adding a slice of cheese - in under 5 seconds or I’m doing the night shift - to someone’s greasy burger. Sorry, I digress.

Not that I wouldn’t love to see 10,000 new jobs over 5 years, or even 10 years for that matter.

But, I have to ask myself, in what place is Joe going to find 10,000 jobs that hasn’t been tried already?

What strings can he possibly pull that haven’t been pulled already?

Will he pull jobs out of a hat? Will he pull them out of thin air?

Or will he simply wait for a week and pull out another plank?

***

London’s election campaign just got a little more interesting at any rate, in my opinion.

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Deforest City Blues: Joe Fontana says he can do it all in one term

What?

Why would a mayoral candidate say that? I.e., something like ‘I can do all I want to do for Londoners in just four years.’

What is he? A magician?

Maybe he can bring taxes under control in four years and everyone (who likes that sort of platform) will be as contented as a Cheshire cat asleep in a bowl of warm butter.

I say, good luck with that.

Maybe he said something like ‘one term and I’m outta Dodge’ because it was the only way to get Cheryl Miller to be his campaign manager.

According to yesterday’s issue of The London Free Press, Ms. Miller said his one-term vow is the only reason she’s agreed to help him run.

She said, and I quote, “The thing that’s good about it is, you see a beginning and you see an end. People think being in government for a long time is good. I don’t.”

In other words, seeing the beginning of Joe and then his end in four years is a good thing?


["Is Joe as smart as a Smart meter?": photo GH]

Some people might think that Joe and Cheryl place little value in continuity. I think that if every city politician followed the same philosophy (“Four years and I'm gone. See ya!”) Deforest City would suffer from some lack of consistency and flow. So many citizens would never know who to call anymore when their garbage can is left in the middle of the street. (And trust me, it will be left in the middle of the street for some of you sometime this afternoon. Go check right now!)

Continuity, people. We need continuity.

In my opinion, seeing the end of a person’s career might very well be better after 8 years or 12 or 16.

And guess who would know when they want to see the end of Joe or Bob or Duke or Anne Marie or Carol better than a campaign manager? You got it - the voters.

Because Joe and Cheryl’s ‘one term and I’m outta Dodge - philosophy’ seems to smell of lack of continuity and commitment to the good cause of governing Deforest City, I will be placing my vote for mayor elsewhere.

You?

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To the other candidates for mayor.

As you can see, I respond well to continuity and commitment.

I also respond well to chocolate-covered Oreos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

That’s just an FYI.

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The Lite News: Do you “feel naked without your cellphone?”

Who knew?

Almost 40 per cent of cellphone users in Canada have a new disorder - the missing mobile disorder. (MMD for insiders and those with sweaty palms but no cell).


Good grief! Where have I been, man?

I have ‘order disorder’ (I’d like to have a neater desk but I get distracted easily).

I have ‘the rescuer’ gene. (I see a pile of scrap lumber on the curb or boulevard. My car stops).

And I suffer from ‘short guy on defence complex.’ (I see a hockey player taller than me and I want to slash him with my stick).

But, and this is a big but, I don’t have MMD - because I don’t own a cellphone. Don’t want one. Never will.

Especially after reading the following:

“Nearly four in 10 report being overwhelmed with physical and emotional symptoms when completely disconnected." (e.g., they flushed their cell down the toilet)

“Respondents report increased heart rates, nausea and panic - and even feeling naked.” (June 7, London Free Press)

What? Nikked?

I admit, I feel the first three symptoms after I slash a big guy on the ice and he starts to chase me - but never starkers (i.e., without every last piece of my hockey gear).

I can understand that 12 per cent of Canadians have dropped their devices in a lake, ocean pool or the toilet. After all, many people are at the same time on their cellphone and close to water, sometimes standing right in it (except maybe the toilet, but I have no stats on that one), every single minute of the day and night.

But naked?

Get a grip, people.

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I think I’ll stick to sending emails.

My gosh!!! I just dropped my computer into the loo!!

Ha! Just kidding.

Please click here for more Lite news.

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