Letters: Mar 21/13

Mar 21, 2013

Central Frontenac Amnesty Loads

Isn't it nice to know, as a property owning tax payer, that Public Works management no longer feels the need to provide a public service. Remember us Mr. Labbett. We are the people that have to travel over pee poor roads, 20, 40, 60 kilometres, maybe even more. To suggest that the once a year amnesty load is the reason for our waste sites filling up is not only false, it borders on foolish.

The township has caused more problems then any one or group of property owners could try to do. If this township can afford a capital expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars for bins; if it can afford who knows how many tens of thousands of tax payer dollars for an un-needed electrified fence to keep out bears, why can't this township afford to give back ONE free load a year?

Why, Mike, and why Kyle does the average taxpayer have to endure insults, humiliation, bullying from an attendant if they dare make a mistake? Of course the township doesn't have to properly inform the tax payer; after all, you’re a cash cow.

As a recent former site attendant; I am shamed. Where are our councillors, where is our mayor? Come on people, you better start raising your voices.

Brian Davis

It's tax time again

One of the problems is that citizens in a democracy are supposed to be active participants. However, the tax system provides citizens with no opportunity to have any say in how their taxes are spent. Being required to hand over your taxes to be spent at someone else's pleasure is not at all democratic and is bound to create resentment.

Simply allowing citizens to direct a portion of their income tax (10 percent, for example ) to the government department or departments of their choice would be much more democratic.

Such democratically directed taxes would: allow citizens to feel they have some authority over the use of their taxes; force the government to be more respectful of citizen's wishes; cause government bureaucrats to be more respectful of citizens; be a forceful indication to the government of citizen's wishes with respect to the preferred use of their taxes; enhance Canadian democracy by giving citizens the ability to participate directly using the "power of the purse".

Businesses need to be concerned about retaining their customers. Not so with governments. Currently, governments bring in guaranteed cash through taxation without the need for any concern at all for taxpayers.

We would be better off if that changed. As long as citizens have no power of the purse, the childish behaviour in the House of Commons, that inevitably follows from an absolutely guaranteed flow of cash, will continue.

Paul Isaacs

Re: Granite Ridge Education Centre

Does anyone else wonder how such a mountain has come from this molehill? As a past grad of Sharbot Lake I seem to be missing the emotional cue that has sparked such outcry against the name Granite Ridge or the process behind it. How can people get so upset about the apparent lack of democratic process in a school board, when they barley make a peep over such undemocratic reforms as Bill C-38 coming from their duly elected representatives?

As for Granite Ridge, I feel like the only person in the Township who actually likes the name, although I highly suspect that many who are in favour simply don’t feel the issue is important enough to speak out about.

Here’s an alternative thought: perhaps this is the time where local students can benefit from re-branding their education and moving forward into a new era in a modern facility – but only once we leave the naming issues behind us.

Louise Dignum

Central Frontenac Amnesty Loads

Recently, I read in the Frontenac News that Central Frontenac Council was cancelling the yearly free truckload of garbage. While I can understand the financial reasons for this move, I wonder if there might be a compromise solution. On occasion, I have picked up items from back road ditches, stored them on my yard (ooops, a possible violation of the Property Standards Bylaw?), then included the item in my free truckload. In fact, last fall I noticed a plastic deck chair in a nearby ditch. I was waiting for spring before picking it up. If I know that I will have to pay to throw away someone else's garbage, I might be inclined to just leave that chair where it is - especially, knowing that, with the cancellation of the amnesty load, there will be ever more items like it in the ditches. I would encourage CF Council to reconsider this issue and try to find a way that I can pick up and dispose of that chair without me having to bear the cost.

Victor Heese

Re: Warden catches flak for community projects

In response to Mary DeBassecurt (Letters, Frontenac News, Mar. 14/13)

This is the inevitable backlash from Mayor Gutowski’s unethical, incredibly insulting power grab at Frontenac County Council. It’s called human nature. Simple cause and effect. Stick it to someone and sooner or later you’re going to get pay back. Gutowski not only shafted the entire County Council with her devious manoeuvre, she then embarrassed them by hiding behind the sophomoric cheering of her sycophants who lauded it as some kind of decisive blow for the women’s movement. Rubbish. It was nothing more than an egomaniacal power grab - period, full stop.

But it’s not going to end with some sniping directed at Central Frontenac although we can certainly expect more of that over the next 2 years. Gutowski is going to be sitting at the table with other wardens at the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus who are going to know that not only was her questionable presence there achieved by remarkably odious manoeuvring but that she was also impeached by a non-confidence vote by her own Frontenac County Council.

I can’t imagine any of them will ever get behind any initiatives she might put forward on our behalf and will probably be rolling their eyes or taking bathroom breaks whenever she speaks out. As long as Gutowski continues to think that she is the smartest person in the room the rest of us are going to end up paying for it.

It’s interesting to note that Mayor Gutowski is also now trying to downsize Central Frontenac Municipal Council. Reputed to be the most boring, uninspired municipal council in the history of municipal councils there is at least theoretically adequate representation from the current two members per district. Anything less, especially councillors elected-at-large, is completely unacceptable. Even with two councillors, since amalgamation Kennebec has been short changed over $1 Million in Public Works activities to the benefit of each of the other three districts. That injustice will be even easier to perpetuate with fewer local councillors.

If Gutowski is really trying to save Central Frontenac money she should downsize her administrative staff starting with Public Works. One manager, two coordinators and a supervisor? Then she should eliminate the tens of thousands of dollars spent on consultants who, for example, offered little more than duplications of the work that the unpaid volunteer Waste Management Committee were already doing.

Then maybe there would be room in the budget to maintain the once a year Amnesty Dump Load, the one bone that the taxpayers get from their ever increasing taxes and we would be spared the dubious accounting of the cost of that “service” and the bizarre logic that if taken away there would be more space in the landfills. Councillors cost considerably less than managers and they can be tossed every 4 years with impunity.

Patrick Maloney

Granite Ridge Education Centre

Where do Jaimie Riddell's roots truly lie?

In the beginning of the process there was the PARC committee formed that was dealing with the schools of our area. Jaimie Riddell was a member of that committee. His main goal was to see that his school, Land O'Lakes Public School, remains open. He got that. Then when the new school was to be built the location became an issue with Jaimie Riddell. He did not want it built in Sharbot Lake, so a new location to build the school was looked for but no other property worked so it ended up the best location was Sharbot Lake. JAIMIE RIDDELL THEN SAID THAT HE DID NOT WANT THE NEW SCHOOL TO BE NAMED SHARBOT LAKE. So Jaimie Riddell, where are you coming from now? Try to remember what you said from the beginning of this whole process and look at yourself now. You will not listen to anyone other than your friends. You will not take anything positive about the new name. You and your friends and Mayor of Central Frontenac have put a permanent ugly mark on this school. For what was going to be a happy time for the children, and the community has become a nightmare. Thank you Jaimie.

These are my personal opinions.

David Goodfellow

On rights

Every time I hear someone talking about their rights I have to chuckle. To illustrate why I have this reaction, make a list of what rights you are sure you have.

Look at each one and ask yourself the following questions.

1. Did this right exist 500 or even 100 years ago?

2. Does this right exist in every country?

3. Can this right be taken away by your country’s existing laws?

4. Can this right be taken away by a change in your country’s laws?

5. Can this right be taken away by legal or illegal actions?

If you answer yes to any of these questions what you have believed to be a right is in reality a privilege.

The fact is that rights don't exist, only privileges are real. Believing that you have rights is the greatest threat to your privileges. That belief makes you complacent and you take your privileges for granted. When you believe you have rights and you don't defend the privileges that you really have you allow them to be taken or eroded bit by bit. I am sure that many reading this believe that this can't happen here but world history soundly puts the lie to that. Defend and cherish your privileges or you will soon lose them.

David Bate