The latest numbers from Statistics Canada on population sound nice enough; the population of our province jumped a whole 1200 people or so. That is after four years of consecutive decline. The last time there was a bump in the province's population was in the last month of the Grimes administration in 2003, and before that was 1992. Both of the jumps were followed by more declines. There have been just a few recorded examples of significant in-migration over the past 60 years.
If I were the Government, I would not be uncorking the champagne quite yet. It would be premature to label this as proof of a significant reversal of our population numbers or of an economic upturn outside of the Avalon Peninsula.
The booming Alberta economy continues to act as a life preserver for much of the south west coast and the Burin Peninsula. The migratory workforce is content, for now, to go back and forth. This keeps the malls, the car dealers, the quad dealers, the lumber companies, the dance schools all busy and happy. The economic statistics do not tell the tale of the bubble under which these areas exist.
It acts as a buffer from the reality that most of the local industry has closed up shop. Yes. there are new jobs in aquaculture, tourism, mining and phone centres, but nothing compared to the thousands of jobs lost through the closures of paper mills, fish plants, saw mills and cement factories over the past four years.
One reality we all have to face is that out-migration and migratory workforces have been as much a part of our past, and our culture as salt beef and cabbage. The traditional staples of forestry, fishing and sometimes mining have been up and down, subject to the whims of world markets.
People migrated to the New England states for generations. They started as seamen on schooners or longshoremen. They would return a few times a year but eventually move their families closer. Members of the family would find employment in other sectors that paid salaries and then more family would join them. Those that did not make the move were often the benefactors of the newfound success of those that left. Care packages of clothing, shoes and money from the Boston states were fairly common up until the 1960’s. I still have a great-great aunt who continues to send something up each Christmas.
With the closure of the mine in Bell Island and the downturn in the fishery, generations of young men and women headed to southwestern Ontario in search of opportunity. Entire communities of expatriate Newfoundlanders can be found from Windsor up to London and Toronto.
In the 1970’s the fishery was the employer of last recourse. The boom of building Churchill Falls, The Liner Board Mill and Come By Chance had passed. Tradesmen headed to Alberta and British Columbia to find opportunity. Many came home but a lot stayed behind.
The 1990’s saw the mother of all declines when John Crosbie lowered the boom on the Northern Cod Fishery. The last bastion of survival had been hauled out from under many rural communities. There were a few exceptions like Corner Brook, Stephenville, Grand Falls, Marystown, Clarenville, Labrador City, Port aux Basques and Goose Bay. Towns like Bonavista, Burgeo and Trepassey would never recover. The other communities would see changes that continue to this day.
I know this is an oversimplification of the economic history of the past 100 years but it is meant to ground our opinions on the importance of out-migration and population. There are several other factors that could be discussed, like lower birth rates and longer life spans.
The current administration has been no more successful, despite its criticism while in opposition, of solving the economic woes of rural Newfoundland and parts of Labrador than the previous Liberal administration. The economic studies done by Memorial University, Commission Government, Liberal and PC provincial governments, the federal government, RED boards and rural development groups have created enough paper to keep another paper mill going in perpetuity. This little spike is far from a trend but we can hope that it is a harbinger of better times to come.
Friday, December 21, 2007
M.A.S.H MEETS MONTY PYTHON!
Leave it to the British to create a new slang for medical doctors. If you're in the hospital and you hear your doctor referring to movie stars it might be an indication of your state of health, or theirs. These new terms were published in this month's British Medical Journal. Here is a taste of the jargon of a new generation of doctors.
Hasselhoff is jargon for when patients give bizarre explanations for injuries. Source: Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff, who hit his head on a chandelier while shaving. The broken glass severed four tendons and an artery in his right arm.
Father Jack is a confused elderly patient who shouts or won't stay in bed, named after "Father Ted," a sitcom with a drunken priest.
Blamestorming happens when medical teams try to find who to blame for errors like who amputated the wrong limb or removed the wrong organ
Jack Bauer is a doc who stays up working all hours, a la the lead character on the television series "24."
DISCO BISCUITS: The clubbers' drug ecstasy. As in: “The man in cubicle three looks like he’s taken one too many disco biscuits."
404 MOMENT:The point in a doctor’s ward round when medical records cannot be located. Comes from World Wide Web error message, “404 -- document not found."
Can't wait to share these with my doctor friends over the holidays!
BAD CALL STEVE
More criticism of John Crosbie’s appointment as the province’s new Lieutenant Governor. The President of the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women has expressed her disappointment.Leslie MacLeod told the CBC: “"Prime Minister Harper had a chance to get this right, he had a chance to appoint a woman for the first time in our province, and no offence to Mr. Crosbie, but he [Harper] got it wrong," she said, noting that all 11 provincial lieutenant-governors have been men.
"We are the only province that has never had a female, and as far as we're concerned, this was the time to get it right, and he has definitely got it wrong.”
Yesterday I stated similar concerns and suggested that the Prime Minister’s reason for the choice might have been to place someone in the position who has an antagonistic relationship with the Premier. In other words, the Prime minister is so petty and determined to needle our Premier that he missed an opportunity to get this appointment right.
A fellow blogger defended the appointment of Crosbie and somehow refused to acknowledge the connection with personal politics. I guess he feels that after 11 men there is still no capable women for the LG’s job, that it is okay to talk about involving more women in government but not to do so when the opportunity is there.
Perhaps that blogger's zealous anti-dannyism has blinded him as much as it warped the Prime Minister's decision-making process.
Bad call Steve.
SHOCK THERAPY IN PRACTICE
Folks close to me know that I am a huge fan of Naomi Klein. Her latest book "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" was a riveting eye-opener.In the book she argues that the practitioners of “Shock Doctrine” saw the catastrophe that was Hurricane Katrina as a significant socio-economic opportunity, a chance to grab public land, institute charter schools and disperse the working poor.
On September 9th, 2005 she wrote “On September 4, six days after Katrina hit, I saw the first glimmer of hope. “The people of New Orleans will not go quietly into the night, scattering across this country to become homeless in countless other cities while federal relief funds are funneled into rebuilding casinos, hotels, chemical plants…. We will not stand idly by while this disaster is used as an opportunity to replace our homes with newly built mansions and condos in a gentrified New Orleans.” The statement came from Community Labor United, a coalition of low-income groups in New Orleans.
All of this rushed backed as I read news reports that police in New Orleans used chemical spray and stun guns on Thursday as dozens of protesters tried to force their way into a packed city council chamber during a debate on the planned demolition of some 4,500 public housing units to create new mixed neighbourhoods.
Democratic presidential contender John Edwards released a statement this week saying, “There is a housing crisis in New Orleans today - the result of government policies that have failed the people of the Gulf,” and that “Rents have doubled, families are being evicted from FEMA trailers and now the current administration is trying to make a bad situation worse."
The St. Thomas redevelopment has been a major source of distrust of housing. After it was torn down, a Wal-Mart superstore was built and most of the former residents wound up in other neighbourhoods.
Republican interests want to scatter the African-Americans and prevent their return to New Orleans. Louisiana is a so called “Pink State,” meaning that it swings between the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democrats' stronghold used to be New Orleans. The substantially decreased African-American voter turnout in New Orleans has already lent itself to Republican gains. The Gore-Bush Presidential race already proved that the Republicans will do whatever it takes to cling on to power.
I am not much of a conspiracy buff but if walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well it must be a duck. So much for the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Wii AND THEY
It would not be the Christmas shopping season without a shortage of popular toys. This year people are scouring stores for the Nintendo Wii video game system.
This is the second Christmas season that supply of this electronic game console has not been able to keep up with demand. Last-minute shoppers are coming up empty handed and retailers across Canada, the United States and Australia are all reporting shortages.
Some shrewd folks with entrepreneurial spirit are selling the systems on eBay for up to double the retail value as bidding wars flare up in the desperation to deliver the goods for Christmas morning.
Nintendo says it just cannot produce the units fast enough. A statement on their website states that "the unexpected demand has outstripped its capacity to produce the consoles”. The North American division of the company is producing 1.8 million Wii consoles a month.
The interactive unit is a hit with young and old alike. It features an easy-to-use wireless controller that translates a player's motions onto the screen. Its demographic stretches from children to senior citizens. People who have never picked up a video game controller in their lives cannot seem to put down the Wii. Grandparents are teaching their grandkids how to play as bridge and bowling are eclipsed by the Wii in retirement communities across North America.
My guys wrote a joint letter to Santa in the hopes of receiving one for Christmas this year. I have it from a good source that Santa did his shopping early.
This is the second Christmas season that supply of this electronic game console has not been able to keep up with demand. Last-minute shoppers are coming up empty handed and retailers across Canada, the United States and Australia are all reporting shortages.
Some shrewd folks with entrepreneurial spirit are selling the systems on eBay for up to double the retail value as bidding wars flare up in the desperation to deliver the goods for Christmas morning.
Nintendo says it just cannot produce the units fast enough. A statement on their website states that "the unexpected demand has outstripped its capacity to produce the consoles”. The North American division of the company is producing 1.8 million Wii consoles a month.
The interactive unit is a hit with young and old alike. It features an easy-to-use wireless controller that translates a player's motions onto the screen. Its demographic stretches from children to senior citizens. People who have never picked up a video game controller in their lives cannot seem to put down the Wii. Grandparents are teaching their grandkids how to play as bridge and bowling are eclipsed by the Wii in retirement communities across North America.
My guys wrote a joint letter to Santa in the hopes of receiving one for Christmas this year. I have it from a good source that Santa did his shopping early.
THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD IN QUEBEC
Quebec has passed a law which will make it mandatory for vehicle owners to install winter tires starting November 15th 2008.
A provincial task force on road safety found that while only 10% of the motoring public do not switch tires for the winter, they are involved in 38% of all winter road accidents. Offenders will face fines between $200 and $300.
This seems to be a very sensible law. In the past my employment would have me traveling a great deal in rental vehicles. They always seemed to be equipped with all season tires that were pretty much useless in winter weather. I must have slid into a dozen ditches and had just as many close calls over the years. I often thought that it must be even more dangerous for people unfamiliar with our roads.
Perhaps the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador should consider a similar law. Ms. Whalen, if you're looking for legislation you can find mandatory winter tire laws in Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.
A provincial task force on road safety found that while only 10% of the motoring public do not switch tires for the winter, they are involved in 38% of all winter road accidents. Offenders will face fines between $200 and $300.
This seems to be a very sensible law. In the past my employment would have me traveling a great deal in rental vehicles. They always seemed to be equipped with all season tires that were pretty much useless in winter weather. I must have slid into a dozen ditches and had just as many close calls over the years. I often thought that it must be even more dangerous for people unfamiliar with our roads.
Perhaps the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador should consider a similar law. Ms. Whalen, if you're looking for legislation you can find mandatory winter tire laws in Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.
LIBERAL PARTY NOMINATIONS
The Liberal Party of Canada is expected to call nominations for three hotly-contested nominations in Newfoundland and Labrador in January. Brian Tobin’s former Chief of Staff, Gerry Glavine, is the party’s provincial election chair, replacing St. John’s lawyer Norm Whalen who is seeking the party nod in Avalon District.
The Liberal field has been getting crowded as candidates sign up and renew members in advance of the anticipated nomination calls, which will impose a 14 day cut off on new members. The Liberal Party Office has been flooded with memberships.
Three people are seeking the right to represent the Liberals in St. John’s East. Paul Antle and Walter Noel have both run unsuccessfully for the party over the past two federal elections. St. John’s Businesswomen Debbie Hanlon is a new face to the process.
St. John’s South-Mount Pearl has at least two candidates vying for the role. Siobhan Coady wants to see if three times is the charm while real estate salesmen Steve Saunders would like to close the deal.
An interesting race is shaping up in Avalon Riding. CBS Town Councilor Scott Andrews hit the ground running earlier in the fall. He is the former Executive Director of the provincial Liberal Party and has put together an impressive organization. His competition for the role is long-time Liberal backroom organizer Norm Whalen and former provincial Liberal candidate Dr. Wanda Dawe.
The Liberals have candidates in place in the other five ridings. Former Provincial Cabinet Minister Judy Foote beat out former caucus mate Oliver Langdon and Burin Peninsula bussinesman Roger Jamieson for the nod in Random-Burin-St. George’s. Incumbents Scott Simms, Todd Russell and Gerry Byrne have all been re-nominated.
The last minute sign-ups are continuing into the Christmas season. It is shaping be an interesting few months ahead as the clock runs down for the Harper Conservative Minority Government.
In order to vote in a nomination, one must be a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Memberships are available on-line or at the Liberal Party Office in St. John's.
The Liberal field has been getting crowded as candidates sign up and renew members in advance of the anticipated nomination calls, which will impose a 14 day cut off on new members. The Liberal Party Office has been flooded with memberships.
Three people are seeking the right to represent the Liberals in St. John’s East. Paul Antle and Walter Noel have both run unsuccessfully for the party over the past two federal elections. St. John’s Businesswomen Debbie Hanlon is a new face to the process.
St. John’s South-Mount Pearl has at least two candidates vying for the role. Siobhan Coady wants to see if three times is the charm while real estate salesmen Steve Saunders would like to close the deal.
An interesting race is shaping up in Avalon Riding. CBS Town Councilor Scott Andrews hit the ground running earlier in the fall. He is the former Executive Director of the provincial Liberal Party and has put together an impressive organization. His competition for the role is long-time Liberal backroom organizer Norm Whalen and former provincial Liberal candidate Dr. Wanda Dawe.
The Liberals have candidates in place in the other five ridings. Former Provincial Cabinet Minister Judy Foote beat out former caucus mate Oliver Langdon and Burin Peninsula bussinesman Roger Jamieson for the nod in Random-Burin-St. George’s. Incumbents Scott Simms, Todd Russell and Gerry Byrne have all been re-nominated.
The last minute sign-ups are continuing into the Christmas season. It is shaping be an interesting few months ahead as the clock runs down for the Harper Conservative Minority Government.
In order to vote in a nomination, one must be a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Memberships are available on-line or at the Liberal Party Office in St. John's.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
IT'S ALL IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER
If Deputy Premier Tom Rideout had permission from the House of Assembly, and thus a special arrangement, to claim for accommodations in Lewisporte, then what has he done wrong? The accommodations exist, permission was granted to claim a legitimate expense, and he has done nothing illegal.
I have expressed my reservations about this past policy of allowing special arrangements, or special exemptions, for individual members, and my pleasure that the new auditing procedures, back-ups and clear rules found in a coded members handbook will prevent any confusion in the future.
Let's not forget what Justice Green said when he released his report, which identified a "broad-based systemic failure" at the House of Assembly, from poorly trained staff to defective administrative policies and ineffective internal audits.
I do not understand why some people think that it is legitimate to be paid for distances not travelled, but that it is wrong to have a special arrangement that allows a person to pay for a residence in his or her riding that actually exists.
Of course the issue gets pretty sticky when the person who was the Chief Financial Officer of the House of Assembly at the time the special arrangements were made is no longer in the role. Even more tangled when you consider that most interpretations of the rules governing members benefits were made by the now-suspended Chief Financial Officer who was responsible for members' affairs. There was only one man managing the legislature's finances and he is not talking because he faces six charges that include fraud, fraud on the government and breach of trust.
To quote the Telegram, "Perhaps the province's legislators should have been given more simple rules from the start: you can only bill for travel you take."
I have expressed my reservations about this past policy of allowing special arrangements, or special exemptions, for individual members, and my pleasure that the new auditing procedures, back-ups and clear rules found in a coded members handbook will prevent any confusion in the future.
Let's not forget what Justice Green said when he released his report, which identified a "broad-based systemic failure" at the House of Assembly, from poorly trained staff to defective administrative policies and ineffective internal audits.
I do not understand why some people think that it is legitimate to be paid for distances not travelled, but that it is wrong to have a special arrangement that allows a person to pay for a residence in his or her riding that actually exists.
Of course the issue gets pretty sticky when the person who was the Chief Financial Officer of the House of Assembly at the time the special arrangements were made is no longer in the role. Even more tangled when you consider that most interpretations of the rules governing members benefits were made by the now-suspended Chief Financial Officer who was responsible for members' affairs. There was only one man managing the legislature's finances and he is not talking because he faces six charges that include fraud, fraud on the government and breach of trust.
To quote the Telegram, "Perhaps the province's legislators should have been given more simple rules from the start: you can only bill for travel you take."
A FEW CHANGES
A few weeks into blogging and I am learning a few things about managing time. For one, a blog can quickly take up a lot of time. You spend time keeping it updated and current. Than you spend time reading and responding to posts.
In an effort to facilitate discussion with friends, family and visitors to the blog I will continue to welcome feedback via e-mail.
Thanks for the visits and the great comments.
P.S
On reflection. I wanted to have debates and discussions. The commentary section will stay up and you are still free to send me email.
In an effort to facilitate discussion with friends, family and visitors to the blog I will continue to welcome feedback via e-mail.
Thanks for the visits and the great comments.
P.S
On reflection. I wanted to have debates and discussions. The commentary section will stay up and you are still free to send me email.
ABC AND NDP
So much to do. So little time. I almost forgot about Jack Layton's visit to the province on Tuesday. At the risk of inflaming those pitcher plant hating zealous myopic anti-danny conspiracy theorists, a discussion on the potential for NDP gains is worth considering.
The federal NDP have not exactly been a force in Newfoundland and Labrador politics. They have won two seats in by-elections but have never pulled off a win in a general election. The NDP have been doing well in St. John's, placing second in a couple of elections. But has the climate changed a little.
Let's face it, the Liberals are looking for default wins in the two St. John's seats and in Burin-St. George's. Outrage over Harper's broken promise on equalization is supposed to push people over to the Liberals. That is ABC right? Well, actually not. What if the New Democrats had some really decent candidates? Would provincial Progressive Conservatives not flock to support them over former Liberal MHA's and future provincial liberal party leaders? The PC's just showed that they have a finely tuned war machine, what could it do for the NDP?
The NDP have gotten the highest marks for their answers to the Premier's past electoral surveys on issues important to Newfoundland and Labrador. They seem to be in tune with us. Yet we always turn our back on them.
As Premier Williams has stated so many times in the past he is a PROGRESSIVE conservative. He certainly has not been running a capital "C" conservative government when you consider the investments in education, health care, women's centres, pharmacare, anti-poverty strategies, housing and the creation of crown energy corporations. The PC's may have more in common with the federal NDP than one might think.
Even with the NDP's lower position in the latest polls, I would not count them out if they can convince someone like a Jack Harris to re-enter politics. I suspect that if Harris were to run in any of the three ridings he would mop up the competition.
So ABC, as yet undefined, could turn out to be less of a gift to the Liberals than originally thought. Of course a divided ABC could just end up splitting votes and delivering Conservatives to Ottawa.
TRUDEAU FOR PRIME MINISTER
Justin Trudeau is speaking at a fundraiser this evening at the University Club in Toronto. His topic is "The Way Ahead – the Liberal Party in 2008." God knows the Liberal Party needs new ideas. It has to find itself and than sell that refreshed brand to the Canadian public. I welcome a desire to find the common values that unite us as Canadians, and a departure from the politics of fear which is the only thing that has kept the party alive over the past few years. Liberals can and will do better.
Trudeau, who will turn 36 before the New Year, successfully won the Liberal Party of Canada's nomination in the Montreal riding of Papineau.
He could be the future champion of a strong national government and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which protects individual liberties. It is a little early to be talking leadership but I'm ready to jump on board. If anyone has a copy of the speech send it my way.
Trudeau, who will turn 36 before the New Year, successfully won the Liberal Party of Canada's nomination in the Montreal riding of Papineau.
He could be the future champion of a strong national government and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which protects individual liberties. It is a little early to be talking leadership but I'm ready to jump on board. If anyone has a copy of the speech send it my way.
MULTI-CULTURALISM AND CHRISTMAS
Roland S. Martin is an award-winning American journalist and a regular contributor on CNN. He is also working on his Master's Degree in Christian Communication. His latest commentary deals with political correctness and efforts to change the name of Christmas.
In light of the recent Statistic Canada numbers that showed two-thirds of Canada’s population growth over the past five years was fuelled by immigrant newcomers, with the country on track to becoming 100 per cent dependent on immigration for growth, the future of Christmas could be up for discussion.
The times are changing.
In light of the recent Statistic Canada numbers that showed two-thirds of Canada’s population growth over the past five years was fuelled by immigrant newcomers, with the country on track to becoming 100 per cent dependent on immigration for growth, the future of Christmas could be up for discussion.
The times are changing.
CROSBIE IS NEW LG!
John Crosbie as Lieutenant-Governor hey! It is official! I guess the desire to put someone in place who might be seen as a pain in the arse to the Premier outweighed making history by appointing the first female, the first aboriginal or the first Labradorian to the job.
There is some irony in the fact that Crosbie’s father led the fight against confederation and now John sits as LG. Not to mention he is the second Smallwood era minister in a row to occupy Government House.
I can hardly wait for the Speech from the Throne this year.Again, the
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
HEARN'S ARROGANCE KNOWS NO BOUNDS
What is up with Loyola Hearn? I note in today's
I cannot believe that Hearn is that stupid. His crass colonial paternalistic words were offensive, condescending and belittling. He is a member of the Privy Council of Canada,
Yes, Mr. Hearn.
Hearn has shown that
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Telegram has a pretty good editorial today that comments on the "special arrangements" available to some members of the House Of Assembly that really gets to the essence of the issue.
Here it is in its entirety:
But they said I could do it
The Telegram
Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too? As we continue our examination of receipts submitted by this province's legislators to claim money from the dodgy constituency allowance fund, we're beginning to see a pattern.
And that pattern is a disturbing lack of personal responsibility.
This past weekend, The Telegram revealed that, during recent years in office, Rideout had spent $23,000 of taxpayers' cash to rent a house in Lewisporte from a Tory organizer. At the time, House of Assembly rules prohibited members of the House of Assembly from charging the rental of houses or apartments in their districts to the MHA constituency funds.
And to add insult to injury, Rideout also claimed $53 a day in per diems to stay at the house he was already renting for between $750 and $850 a month. In his own defence, Rideout says he had an office in the house, and that made the space the equivalent of a constituency office - and that might be some kind of faint argument, if not for the fact that he already had a constituency office in a provincial government building about a kilometre away.
Listening to Tom Rideout's explanation of how he got permission to rent a residence - that he went downstairs to see House officials, asked if it was all right and was told it was (even though House officials have no recollection of approving any such arrangement) - we can't help but be struck by the clear similarity it bears to former Liberal Oliver Langdon's recent explanation about how he was told he was allowed to bill 900 kilometres of travel when driving only 600.
Rideout has his own interesting travel - like the fact that trips to his Lewisporte constituency often included travel to other parts of the province, and on at least six occasions, he claimed exactly 3,086 kilometres each time to get there and do constituency business - the equivalent of more than 30 hours of driving, or the distance to Moncton, N.B., and back.
Rideout and Langdon seem to have fallen into the same pitfall - the idea that being granted nebulous permission to do the unacceptable somehow miraculously absolves them of any personal responsibility.
Perhaps the province's legislators should have been given more simple rules from the start: you can only bill for travel you take, and you can't double-bill. When you're told you can't rent a house, you can't rent a house.
That kind of plain language would make sense to any other employee in this province. In fact, most people would take it as a given that you can only claim for the travel you actually take, and that you can only bill for the expenses that are allowed under the rules.
What we have to wonder is why that concept has so clearly escaped those at the top of the political food chain in this province.
Having started with one cliché, we can't resist ending with another.
To paraphrase Don Cherry, you're supposed to give 110 per cent, not take 150 per cent.
It is fairly reflective of my opinion expressed back on November 29th.
Once again hats of to the Tely.
P.S The comment section on the Telegram web page is full of comments that might be worth viewing.
Here it is in its entirety:
But they said I could do it
The Telegram
Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too? As we continue our examination of receipts submitted by this province's legislators to claim money from the dodgy constituency allowance fund, we're beginning to see a pattern.
And that pattern is a disturbing lack of personal responsibility.
This past weekend, The Telegram revealed that, during recent years in office, Rideout had spent $23,000 of taxpayers' cash to rent a house in Lewisporte from a Tory organizer. At the time, House of Assembly rules prohibited members of the House of Assembly from charging the rental of houses or apartments in their districts to the MHA constituency funds.
And to add insult to injury, Rideout also claimed $53 a day in per diems to stay at the house he was already renting for between $750 and $850 a month. In his own defence, Rideout says he had an office in the house, and that made the space the equivalent of a constituency office - and that might be some kind of faint argument, if not for the fact that he already had a constituency office in a provincial government building about a kilometre away.
Listening to Tom Rideout's explanation of how he got permission to rent a residence - that he went downstairs to see House officials, asked if it was all right and was told it was (even though House officials have no recollection of approving any such arrangement) - we can't help but be struck by the clear similarity it bears to former Liberal Oliver Langdon's recent explanation about how he was told he was allowed to bill 900 kilometres of travel when driving only 600.
Rideout has his own interesting travel - like the fact that trips to his Lewisporte constituency often included travel to other parts of the province, and on at least six occasions, he claimed exactly 3,086 kilometres each time to get there and do constituency business - the equivalent of more than 30 hours of driving, or the distance to Moncton, N.B., and back.
Rideout and Langdon seem to have fallen into the same pitfall - the idea that being granted nebulous permission to do the unacceptable somehow miraculously absolves them of any personal responsibility.
Perhaps the province's legislators should have been given more simple rules from the start: you can only bill for travel you take, and you can't double-bill. When you're told you can't rent a house, you can't rent a house.
That kind of plain language would make sense to any other employee in this province. In fact, most people would take it as a given that you can only claim for the travel you actually take, and that you can only bill for the expenses that are allowed under the rules.
What we have to wonder is why that concept has so clearly escaped those at the top of the political food chain in this province.
Having started with one cliché, we can't resist ending with another.
To paraphrase Don Cherry, you're supposed to give 110 per cent, not take 150 per cent.
It is fairly reflective of my opinion expressed back on November 29th.
Once again hats of to the Tely.
P.S The comment section on the Telegram web page is full of comments that might be worth viewing.
YOU SANK MY BATTLESHIP: QUALITY TIME WITH THE KIDS
I love gaming. Not the traditional Monopoly or Clue, but the more strategic enhanced euro style of gaming. I have become a little snobbish about it. That said, my oldest guy, Aidan, taught me a very valuable lesson the other night. Games are about fun. I had forgotten how much fun checkers, Sorry and Life can be. Not for their intellectual value but for the pure return of enjoying time with my children.
I have been sort of pushing the strategy games that I enjoy. He seems to like Carcassonne and caught on fairly quickly. Not realizing I was looking to create a gaming buddy for my fix, not his enjoyment.
So instead of rolling my eyes when he asks me to play one of his games, I am going to roll the dice or pop the bulb, or spin for the pleasure of watching him get genuine pleasure from the experience. After all, these are the same games that introduced me to the world of gaming in the first place.
Which reminds me, there is a star wars electronic version of Battleship here somewhere that my brother gave me for Christmas six years ago that Aidan and Liam would love. Kris swears the kids are going to be geeks!
Rather than try and find a euro game that I thought we might like to play together I am going to substitute a more traditional game and treasure the time playing with my boys.
I have been sort of pushing the strategy games that I enjoy. He seems to like Carcassonne and caught on fairly quickly. Not realizing I was looking to create a gaming buddy for my fix, not his enjoyment.
So instead of rolling my eyes when he asks me to play one of his games, I am going to roll the dice or pop the bulb, or spin for the pleasure of watching him get genuine pleasure from the experience. After all, these are the same games that introduced me to the world of gaming in the first place.
Which reminds me, there is a star wars electronic version of Battleship here somewhere that my brother gave me for Christmas six years ago that Aidan and Liam would love. Kris swears the kids are going to be geeks!
Rather than try and find a euro game that I thought we might like to play together I am going to substitute a more traditional game and treasure the time playing with my boys.
THE GIFT CARD DEBATE
This time next week the presents will be open, the boxing day sales will be raging and the return line-ups at customer services desks will be staggering.
Yesterday morning there was a timely discussion about gift cards as presents on CBC Radio's The Current. My wife prefers gift cards. She is very thrifty and can usually double or triple the quantity of her purchases for the value of the card. I felt that gift cards are cold and impersonal, leaving the impression that the giver has no creativity, or is too lazy to be bothered with finding that special gift for that special person. Really, how exciting is it to open envelope after envelope on Christmas day? Besides, after nine years I should know my wife well enough to be able to surprise her with that perfect gift.
I was determined this year not to give cards, with the notable exception of movie passes. This has turned out to be much harder than I expected and my opinion has changed somewhat.
Gift cards save time, they are easy to use, they save the recipient the hassle of returning a gift that they do not like or does not fit, and it appears that people love getting them.
There are some difficult choices to make. How to I decide on a gift for my dad? He has every power tool imaginable. He seems to be at the stage where he wants to unload, not continue to accumulate more. A gift card from Kents or Home Depot would be right up his alley. He gets to decide what he wants and take advantage of the post-Christmas sales, instead of saying thanks and throwing the shirt into the back of his closet.
The jury remains out. What are your thoughts?
Yesterday morning there was a timely discussion about gift cards as presents on CBC Radio's The Current. My wife prefers gift cards. She is very thrifty and can usually double or triple the quantity of her purchases for the value of the card. I felt that gift cards are cold and impersonal, leaving the impression that the giver has no creativity, or is too lazy to be bothered with finding that special gift for that special person. Really, how exciting is it to open envelope after envelope on Christmas day? Besides, after nine years I should know my wife well enough to be able to surprise her with that perfect gift.
I was determined this year not to give cards, with the notable exception of movie passes. This has turned out to be much harder than I expected and my opinion has changed somewhat.
Gift cards save time, they are easy to use, they save the recipient the hassle of returning a gift that they do not like or does not fit, and it appears that people love getting them.
There are some difficult choices to make. How to I decide on a gift for my dad? He has every power tool imaginable. He seems to be at the stage where he wants to unload, not continue to accumulate more. A gift card from Kents or Home Depot would be right up his alley. He gets to decide what he wants and take advantage of the post-Christmas sales, instead of saying thanks and throwing the shirt into the back of his closet.
The jury remains out. What are your thoughts?
THE PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP
It is about three oil fields late but it is welcome news. Newfoundland and Labrador has signed the first offshore equity deal that will put an ownership stake into the hands of our own energy company.
The province will invest a little over $200 million dollars in the expanded White Rose project. It sends a pretty strong message to the oil industry that we are growing and that there are plenty of opportunities for expansion and development.
The White Rose project will nearly double in size and its life expectancy could now reach 20 years. The potential payout to the province is huge. Super royalties will kick in when the project reaches its payout of costs. This all means lots of cash for the province, as in extra billions.
First oil could come as early as 2009. The benefits are already evident as the supply, exploration and other oil related industries are reaping the benefits of growing our existing offshore industry. The GSF Grand Banks has been retained by Husky to drill the satellite wells.
So much for the doom and gloom. So much for saying you can’t say no to less. That we have to realize that we are just bit players in this game and that should just accept what we are offered. So much for the Fraser Institute and their condescending, colonialist view of how our government should be behave.
Active government participation in the offshore oil play has been a significant success in Norway. Hydro Quebec has paid off hugely for the Province of Quebec. What is wrong with doing that here?
Now I wonder if Santa’s little elf Loyola Hearn can ask his master to transfer the federal government's equity position in Hibernia over to the province and move forward with fallow field legislation?
MERRY MACMAS
Apple's aggressive advertising campaign has been entertaining. You know, the ones where this dull Bill Gates clone chats with the hip Apple guy. They are conceptually brilliant, beautifully executed, and highly entertaining.The geek in me loves them. I look forward to each new addition as much as any tv episode. They just crack me up!
The special Christmas animation ad does not fail to disappoint!
PS. In the interest of being accountable and transparent, I should admit that this message was typed on my new mac. Yippie!
LIFE ON THE SHELF
I saw this cartoon on one of my favourite gaming sites the other night. The artist is Dimitri and he called it The Life of Games: “Life on the Shelf."As a fanatical collector of games, this cartoon just struck me. While it is really about the new game on the pile it very aptly applies to life, work and relationships.
Kristine just rolls her eyes when I come home with a new game. Just simmering beneath her tacit acceptance of my addiction is that smirky "and when are you going to find time to play that" look! I just placethe new game on the top of the pile and wait for the first opportunity to convince someone to read the rules and play a game.
Some days I feel like that bottom box!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
THE DANNY WILLIAMS EFFECT
The Globe and Mail is running an interesting story today giving Premier Williams credit for creating a boom in consumer confidence that has resulted in a 68% surge in home sales in
Lori McLeod says, “On the back of a phenomenon industry watchers are calling "the Danny Williams effect" - after the
All of this was prior to yesterday’s announcement of a formal agreement between the province and the White Rose partners regarding an expansion of that offshore field.
OMINOUS SIGNS IN THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY
More ominous signs in the Canadian Pulp and Paper industry today.
The company says overcapacity, the strong Canadian dollar and the rising cost of raw materials has made the export of paper products from the mill unprofitable.
New Brunswick Business Minister Greg Byrne says "We have to have a look at this structure and see what is available and what potential use could be made of this building and certainly that's going be our priority, and now that we know the company's not going to be operating, we're going to give all our attention to that."
More on this later
LOCAL HEREOS
St. Lawrence has a reputation for saving people from frigid waters. The 12,000 ton American destroyer The Truxton, and the 6,085 ton supply ship the Pollux , ran aground at Lawn Point on
A.L. Bristol Rear Admiral U.S. Navy at that time in his letter of gratitude to the people of St. Lawrence, "Memories of such acts can never die, and the total of almost two hundred men and officers saved on this occasion will stand as a monument to the people of St.