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Back to Home Letters - February 16, 2012

Letters: Feb 16

Re: Proposed Black Rat snake regulations, Ritchie Arney

“Lawful access legislation”, Phillip Thompson

Central Frontenac garbage tag expiry unacceptable, Michael Wise

New CF garbage system, Peter May

Re: Deer rescue adventure, Mark Lynch

Re: Proposed Black Rat snake regulations

This is the first time I have heard about the new proposed Black Rat Snake regulations and after reading the article (With friends like the MNR, the Black Rat snake might not need enemies, Feb. 9/12) in the Frontenac News I was unsure of whether to laugh or throw up. We have elected officials to deal with immediate public needs such as homelessness, poverty, infrastructure, etc., while suddenly the snakes seem to have taken the limelight. Thank God some public officials still have common sense and backbone – for example, Randy Hillier, Steve Clark, Susan Freeman and hopefully many more. If they are even remotely close in their fears of the fallout of these yet unclear regulations, then God help us in rural communities. Perhaps we should put it to the know-it-all cities, universities, environmentalists and tree huggers - OK, we the rural populace will not cut our grass, brush our properties, cut trees, grade roads or even walk in the bush without the yet to be invented Black Snake detector. We won’t plow the earth that we may sow it with seed to feed ourselves and others. The extreme costs and red tape would make home-grown gardens and farms obsolete, along with the farmers markets we all love to shop at. Perhaps the cities are willing to give up their 12-lane highways, nuclear power plants, rail, subways, factories, housing developments and so on to add to the sustainability of this so-called endangered reptile.

Apparently a document was produced by the MNR pointing out that habitat loss has not been a factor for over 100 years.

Since our government is squeezing our seniors anyway, why not use this opportunity as a fiscal balance. “See – the longer you live the more chance you have of harming a black rat snake”. Simple – no more funding for seniors residences, hospitals, clinics, pensions etc. – would bring in billions if people did not live so long. Just look at what it would do for the black snake population.

Being realistic, however, all things can have a viable solution. Education and awareness on behalf of councils and MNR may help alleviate fears about this snake. On the other hand, the only reptiles in this province today to be feared are the snakes in the grass who condone such ridiculous regulations. What MPP Steve Clark calls “justifiable resentment” may have been given a new meaning in rural Ontario.

Let the MNR do what they do best, bring in another hundred trillion or so stinking lady bugs with no known enemies to invade my home, property and summer activities. Play God with nature if you will. But please stop and think before you legislate stupidly.

Ritchie Arney

“Lawful access legislation”

Despite being very outspoken on the question of crime, Prime Minister Stephen Harper seems far from eager to discuss the legislation he’s promised to pass within 100 days of taking office — legislation that will allow online spying without a warrant.

The proposed legislation will force every phone and Internet provider to allow "authorities" to collect the private information of any Canadian, at any time, without a warrant.

This will create legislation that is:

- Warrantless: A range of "authorities" will have the ability to invade the private lives of law-abiding Canadians and our families using wired Internet and mobile devices, without justification.

- Invasive: The laws leave our personal and financial information less secure and more susceptible to cybercrime.

- Costly: Internet services providers may be forced to install millions of dollars worth of spying technology and the cost will be passed down to you. As a rural internet user, our connections are expensive anyway, why make it worse?

Canada's Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, has voiced her concerns about online spying repeatedly, and has called for strengthened oversight and privacy safeguards in the bills.

Any proposals to expand telecommunications surveillance must be based on a clear need for new powers, which must be demonstrated by verifiable evidence. And these new powers must include comprehensive internal controls, clear oversight, meaningful deterrents, and a system of enforcement.

Phillip Thompson

Central Frontenac garbage tag expiry unacceptable

The residents of Central Frontenac have, for many years, purchased garbage tags on the understanding that they were valid indefinitely. The decision by the township to refuse to accept them after March 31, 2012 is an act of bad faith. It is unacceptable. It is equivalent to a retailer arbitrarily imposing an expiry date on a gift card after its purchase - an act violating its contract with the customer, an exercise in poor customer relations and one I very much doubt any of our councilors would condone.

I call upon council to be fair with the residents of Central Frontenac, to rectify this inequity, to accept one bag of garbage for each tag purchased. The solution is simple. Accept garbage tags in exchange for clear garbage bags and accept garbage in clear bags obtained from other sources with tags attached.

Michael Wise

New CF garbage system

I have things to say about our new garbage system – it stinks.

I thought our township was trying to cut taxes, so that makes me wonder why they got into printing garbage bags. This can’t be cheap.

The system we had worked and people used it. The only change that needed to happen was we should recycle more. If the township would have said - as of April 1 the dump would only accept clear bags, this would have given individuals the freedom to get their own clear bags at the retailer of their choice instead of making people go to the township offices to get printed garbage bags. This would give the freedom back to the voters/taxpayers and would save fuel and manpower, making it a much greener way to do business. Dump staff already know how to sell tags so no training needed there, and the dump staff are always analyzing everyone’s trash anyway, so what’s up.

A great part of the population are tourists and cottagers who are only around on the weekends, so the old tag a bag system was efficient for everyone. It’s funny how places like Ottawa have full out recycling programs but they are not required to have the township inspect their trash in clear garbage bags. Green bags are still used everywhere and the focus is on education.

As a retailer now in my 20th year here I have recycled quite effectively, about 50% of my trash has been recycled.

This new system does not take account that the population grows tremendously in the summer and the retailers are the ones having to deal with an inefficient system. I have talked to several and they are all wondering the same thing. How much garbage will be refused because it is not properly sorted?

The retailers in this community have to put up with people putting used diapers, car sick bags, mysterious bottles containing yellow liquid and even needles in their trash bins. When they pollute our trash bins and recycling containers with this type of garbage who is expected to sort it? I cannot ask my staff to to do it as I know I would not do it myself. I understand that we have to do something but the system should work for everyone. What about the provincial park and events like Canada Day? Who will sort that trash or are there exceptions?

What are we to do? Remove all trash receptacles from the public use and permit our community to get littered?

It would be nice if the council would re-examine this issue from a user point of view. Also do it from a cost savings point of view.

Make a system we all can be proud to have and use. Do it for us and do it for the world.

Peter May

Re: Deer rescue adventure

After just putting down the Toronto Star and then getting an email with this article (Deer Rescue Adventure, Feb. 2/12) attached, it reminded me once again of the value of our cottage. We have a cottage on Ashby Lake and over the years have bought firewood from Eythel Grant; his reputation in the area was that of fairness. Good for his daughter Shawna to share this experience with all of us and to remind everyone of the precious value of a shared memory especially between generations. Men like Eythel are a rare breed and daughters like Shawna, who will go out in the woods with them (with their cell phones) are the truly lucky ones. Thanks for sharing this with us and keep up the “good news” stories.....I never did find one in the Star.

Mark Lynch