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Back to Home Letters - March 15, 2012
Letters: Mar 15
Why I'll lose my assessment appeal, Jerry Ackerman
Robo-calls, Robert Taylor
Re: Stop The Attack On Free Speech, Paul Isaacs
One year anniversary of tsunami in Japan, Kahoru Noonan
Re: Scott Reid's letters, Doug Adams
Why I'll lose my assessment appeal
On April 19 I'll be catching the ferry to Wolfe Island, and meeting with MPAC and the Assessment Review Board to determine the correct assessment for my property as of Jan 2008.
Will I win my case ? No, not a chance.
How do I know this, now ? It's not that I haven't been trying. I appealed two years ago, learned a lot, but lost the appeal.
For this time, I researched the Ombudsman's report of 2004, (where he labelled MPAC's conduct "unreasonable, unjust, oppressive, and wrong") and I dug into the econometric model used to explain current market value.
The latter is an equation derived from a multiple regression statistical technique --
something I happen to understand. But I may be one of very few such taxpayers.
Five major variables - property location, lot dimension, building area, age and quality -
are weighted in accordance with average data collected for that geographical zone. Expectations are that "85 % of current value " can be attributed to these factors.
Transparency is a missing element here and the Ombudsman noted "an astounding
degree of inaccuracy". For my property, the location and the building area, age and quality were precise, but without a site visit, how could the assessor have found value in the cliff, ravine, steep rock ledge and tiny lake access at anywhere near the assigned values? ("large acreage, gentle slope to 200 feet of useful lake frontage" just ignores the actual situation.)
The value of the lake frontage declined between 2005 and 2008 due to the Eurasian milfoil invasion which was aggravated by the extra phosphorus from the breach of 3 beaver dams on lake tributaries. I checked the immediate neighbor properties and found their assessment escalated the very same 41%.
So, I won't win my appeal. As the Ombudsman explained : "When the ARB unsettles a particular assessment achieved using the computerized mass appraisal model, MPAC sees this as unfair to taxpayers who were similarly assessed, and who, because they did not appeal, are going to pay more than the appellant is."
Jerry Ackerman
Robo-calls
I expect many of you, as I am, are totally disgusted with the Robo-Call scandal. Our electoral system is the most sacrosanct plank in our democracy, a democracy that many of our forefathers fought and died to establish and to protect. Our politicians of all political stripes should ensure our electoral system must not lose its integrity. Unfortunately, they continue to play partisan gamesmanship, which I find deplorable. At the slightest provocation they puff up with feigned indignity like a bullfrog on helium and accuse others. We deserve more from our elected government, which has already eroded our democratic rights. We must request, no, we must demand that our elected federal representation demand from their political masters that our electoral system take precedence over political posturing.
Right now it doesn’t pass the smell test.
Robert Taylor
Re: Stop The Attack On Free Speech
Yet another press the hot buttons missive from Scott Reid. At least he is consistent. Scott, you have a majority. Remember? You are the "Harper Government". You "make the rules". Remember? Why not simply change the law and get on with business? Why put a bullhorn in my ear and scream "Attack on free speech"?
I know doing so automatically paints you as a defender of free speech. Conveniently, it also places me in the position of being forced to agree with you lest I open myself to the possibility of being labelled as someone who is opposed to free speech. You, or the people who tell you what to say, have turned "keeping in touch" into a repetitive rhetorical cheap shot. Maybe it just runs in CPC genes. Vic Toews: "Either you're with us or your with the child pornographers". Same double bind. It really is pathetic. You can do better. I can only hope.
"What do YOU think? Yes! Scrap Section13!
No! Section 13's limits on free speech should be kept"
I think that anyone who thinks at all about the foregoing will be irritated to say the least that their representative in Parliament would produce such manipulative and juvenile tripe. Its always the same. Time and again. Over and over. Enough. Please try to stop insulting and embarrassing your constituents - and yourself.
Paul Isaacs
One year anniversary of tsunami in Japan
I just wanted to say many, many thanks for the report on the huge earthquake in Japan that was in the issue of March 24, 2011.
You might not realize how much encouragement you gave to Japanese people to stand up strongly again.
I had many e-mails from my family and friends in Japan saying "Please, please tell Canadians many, many thanks for their love and kindness. We will NEVER forget it and will keep thanking you forever!" Very kindly, the post office kept some newspapers for me, so I will bring them with me when I go back to Japan next time.
I am planning to visit the Tohoku area, which had big damage from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant. All of my friends already knew how much Canadians care for Japan but I would like to tell about Canadians to other Japanese people that I meet.
To be honest, many people are still missing and some people still have great difficulties in their lives. But we will never give up and never quit believing for a bright future.
Again, thank you very much for the report with the message in Japanese that you published in the Frontenac News a year ago.
Kahoru Noonan
Re: Scott Reid's letters
I would like to thank the numerous readers who have recently written regarding Mr. Scott Reid. I freely admit that Mr Reid's re-election had caused me to lose my faith in the residents of the area. Mr. Reid's blatant pandering to the lowest common denominator such as the long gun registry and his absolute failure to raise the level of discourse to include real issues such as climate change, the economy, trade imbalance with China, loss of manufacturing, a vision for Canada's Armed Forces, etc. etc. had left me apathetic and fearful for Canada's future. The superlatives that I would use to describe the mindless kindergarten level polls that Mr. Reid sends to me (at taxpayers expense) had caused me to give up. And then the letters began to arrive at the Frontenac News. The realisation that I am not alone has re-invigorated me.
Doug Adams
