We're starting to see scrapers rummaged from the trunks of cars this morning as frost is becoming the order of the day (well, the morning anyway).
That said, it was a brilliantly sunny day to attend the Remembrance Day ceremony downtown yesterday. With Prince Charles and Governor General Michaelle Jean in full military dress, thousands of onlookers, and most importantly the veterans of war in attendance, one couldn't help but feel the chest swell with pride.
At city hall today, as many are aware, we'll be hearing from many delegations and individuals regarding the Lansdowne Live proposal for the park's rejuvenation. The Mayor is said to hold a position of quiet confidence - something we've observed before (and that turned out well). Many councillors are starting to realize that the public sentiment is largely in favour of the plan and as the Nanos poll suggested, many just want this council to "get on with it".
This morning's Sun editorial urges council to "Approve vision for Lansdowne" and Patrick Dare at the Citizen has an article detailing the current situation at council: "Time to decide on Lansdowne".
The Citizen's Ken Gray had a rather pessimistic piece yesterday concerning Ottawa's silent majority - but buried within you'll find a nice little dig at one of our favorite councillors: "Few know this, but the word "Doucet" when translated from a rare Glebe dialect means NIMBY."
That about says it all ... here's Gray's work under the heading, "Ottawa's silent Lansdowne majority".
Still with Lansdowne - we caught the 11:30 p.m. news-broadcast at CTV-Ottawa last night detailing a new Compass poll commissioned by the "Friends of Lansdowne" group from the Glebe. Over three hundred glebe residents were surveyed - and correct us if we're wrong - but didn't we see that only 1 in 5 of those polled reject the proposal? And that's from the Glebe? We'll look into it to be sure - but that would certainly surprise us. Watch for this paragraph to be updated later ...
In provincial news the Toronto scene is all-a-buzz with the Smitherman run for mayor. But the buzz is really about John Tory and his expected (imminent?) announcement to join the race - not to mention the CFRB interview that Tory performed with George as his guest. If you weren't able to catch it, the Globe and Mail has some more on that here.
Gonna be a long day (and night) - but we expect the Lansdowne Partnership proposal to prevail ...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Lansdowne Larry and his band of merry men (and women) ...
Ran out of gas ... dog ate our homework ... traffic tie-up ... you get the picture ...
Clive Doucet pieced together another, last-ditched attempt to sway the citizens of Ottawa and his fellow councillors into opposition on the Lansdowne Live proposal. Flanked by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent and Councillor Diane Holmes, Doucet earnestly tried to argue that the sole-sourcing of the proposal is problematic.
In today's Citizen, however, a full-page spread appears with some big names of its own - and all in support of the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. The impressive list includes CFL alumnis Ken Evraire and Whit Tucker, former Ottawa mayors Jim Durrell and Jackie Holzman, the Citizen's own publisher Jim Orban, Ottawa Business Journal publisher Michael Curran, Coach Brian Kilrea, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon, former mayors of Kanata, Nepean, and Rockcliffe - Des Adam, Andy Haydon and Pat Murray respectively, and many more. You'll need to pick up a copy of the paper to read the entire list ...
Looks like Clive Doucet's little left-wing gathering is being drowned in a sea of Lansdowne Live support ...
Also in today's Citizen you'll find an article devoted to Jim Watson and his ongoing duplicity regarding a rumoured run for mayor. It was Lisa Macleod, the PC MPP, who yesterday took a good crack at Watson. Is he in, or is he out? With the question hanging around, people are starting to question Watson's devotion to his riding of Ottawa West-Nepean and his commitment to his role as McGuinty's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As we've said all along - the Minister should declare his intentions - but he claims he hasn't decided ... yet.
Now Watson could be playing a little game with all of us on this - waiting to hear whether Larry O'Brien will seek re-election before committing to the run. But O'Brien himself is said to be mulling the future quite seriously. Could be that the vote on Lansdowne will motivate the Mayor one way or the other. We'll soon see ...
One thing is for certain: Jim Watson has been strangely silent in the past couple of weeks - sending his lapdog MPP, Yasir Naqvi, to throw his two cents around. At least Watson has stopped meddling in Ottawa's affairs for the time being - which has always been City Holler's beef. In fact, we'll take a little credit for the Minister's recent shyness.
We're slowly coming to the conclusion - slowly, mind - that Watson will not seek the mayor's chair after all. His aversion to risk will make stepping into the ring - well - uncomfortable. With Lansdowne's success looking more promising (Shad Qadri being the latest to declare his support with Madely this morning) - we think that Larry O'Brien will indeed sign the papers in the new year - and Jim will stay where he is.
McGuinty needs "all hands on deck" - at least, that'll be the line....
Clive Doucet pieced together another, last-ditched attempt to sway the citizens of Ottawa and his fellow councillors into opposition on the Lansdowne Live proposal. Flanked by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent and Councillor Diane Holmes, Doucet earnestly tried to argue that the sole-sourcing of the proposal is problematic.
In today's Citizen, however, a full-page spread appears with some big names of its own - and all in support of the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. The impressive list includes CFL alumnis Ken Evraire and Whit Tucker, former Ottawa mayors Jim Durrell and Jackie Holzman, the Citizen's own publisher Jim Orban, Ottawa Business Journal publisher Michael Curran, Coach Brian Kilrea, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon, former mayors of Kanata, Nepean, and Rockcliffe - Des Adam, Andy Haydon and Pat Murray respectively, and many more. You'll need to pick up a copy of the paper to read the entire list ...
Looks like Clive Doucet's little left-wing gathering is being drowned in a sea of Lansdowne Live support ...
Also in today's Citizen you'll find an article devoted to Jim Watson and his ongoing duplicity regarding a rumoured run for mayor. It was Lisa Macleod, the PC MPP, who yesterday took a good crack at Watson. Is he in, or is he out? With the question hanging around, people are starting to question Watson's devotion to his riding of Ottawa West-Nepean and his commitment to his role as McGuinty's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As we've said all along - the Minister should declare his intentions - but he claims he hasn't decided ... yet.
Now Watson could be playing a little game with all of us on this - waiting to hear whether Larry O'Brien will seek re-election before committing to the run. But O'Brien himself is said to be mulling the future quite seriously. Could be that the vote on Lansdowne will motivate the Mayor one way or the other. We'll soon see ...
One thing is for certain: Jim Watson has been strangely silent in the past couple of weeks - sending his lapdog MPP, Yasir Naqvi, to throw his two cents around. At least Watson has stopped meddling in Ottawa's affairs for the time being - which has always been City Holler's beef. In fact, we'll take a little credit for the Minister's recent shyness.
We're slowly coming to the conclusion - slowly, mind - that Watson will not seek the mayor's chair after all. His aversion to risk will make stepping into the ring - well - uncomfortable. With Lansdowne's success looking more promising (Shad Qadri being the latest to declare his support with Madely this morning) - we think that Larry O'Brien will indeed sign the papers in the new year - and Jim will stay where he is.
McGuinty needs "all hands on deck" - at least, that'll be the line....
Monday, November 9, 2009
O'Brien: "Let's dance..."
This week's city business will be dominated by the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal, the two-day special debate, and the ensuing vote on Friday. Many councillors have already made up their minds (one way or the other) leaving only a few swing-votes to determine the outcome.
In our view, council has a rare opportunity to do something great for this city - and actually leave behind something of which they can be proud. Sue Sherring has a column that asks if this group can "get the job done". Apparently some councillors admit the failings of the council as a whole - and we know they're all starting to feel the pressure as next year's election may see city-wide dissatisfaction result in significant change. Here's Sue's column.
Patrick Dare at the Citizen reckons it's a "Waiting for Larry" situation at city hall lately. The new budgeting structure has councillors putting forward huge spending increases in their various portfolios. The idea was supposed to be that they would "challenge" their budgets - but - perhaps predictably - they have instead started showing that they are unwilling to make the kinds of changes needed to protect taxpayers-at-large from increases on the tax bill. The waiting game is really for Mayor Larry O'Brien's Audit, Budget and Finance committee to try and piece the whole thing together. Here's Dare's article.
Our hope is that he can stem the flow of cash that his council would love to throw down the drain, and balance those budget pressures with an eye on the taxpayer ...
Many people in the city wish for a more cohesive council - and many wish that they would "just do it" when it comes to the Lansdowne plan. But councillors like Clive Doucet will stop at nothing to throw a wrench in the spokes. A letter to the editor at the Citizen succinctly describes Doucet thus - "Capital Councillor Clive Doucet knows no shame. He has shown totally classless behaviour throughout his opposition to the Lansdowne Live proposal. His crusade of misinformation, innuendos, accusations, deceit and improprieties have become not only an earache, but a dreadful bore." Here's the letter by Vince Licandro.
In some other developing news, we learned of George Smitherman's resignation from Cabinet - effective immediately - so that he can take a run at the top job at the City of Toronto. Smitherman's mayoral intentions were widely known and despite Premier Dalton McGuinty saying that George would stay - well - he's jumped ship. Now in our neck of the woods the question falls to Minister Jim Watson. Will he, or won't he? If he intends to make a go of it, he'll have to announce soon in order to legitimize his campaign and start meaningfully gathering his troops. CFRA has a poll on Jim here.
If Watson does indeed jump in - we think it'll be a close one next year. Certainly, the Minister should not interfere in Ottawa's municipal affairs until he has declared his intentions one way or the other.
Something we've been saying all along.
In our view, council has a rare opportunity to do something great for this city - and actually leave behind something of which they can be proud. Sue Sherring has a column that asks if this group can "get the job done". Apparently some councillors admit the failings of the council as a whole - and we know they're all starting to feel the pressure as next year's election may see city-wide dissatisfaction result in significant change. Here's Sue's column.
Patrick Dare at the Citizen reckons it's a "Waiting for Larry" situation at city hall lately. The new budgeting structure has councillors putting forward huge spending increases in their various portfolios. The idea was supposed to be that they would "challenge" their budgets - but - perhaps predictably - they have instead started showing that they are unwilling to make the kinds of changes needed to protect taxpayers-at-large from increases on the tax bill. The waiting game is really for Mayor Larry O'Brien's Audit, Budget and Finance committee to try and piece the whole thing together. Here's Dare's article.
Our hope is that he can stem the flow of cash that his council would love to throw down the drain, and balance those budget pressures with an eye on the taxpayer ...
Many people in the city wish for a more cohesive council - and many wish that they would "just do it" when it comes to the Lansdowne plan. But councillors like Clive Doucet will stop at nothing to throw a wrench in the spokes. A letter to the editor at the Citizen succinctly describes Doucet thus - "Capital Councillor Clive Doucet knows no shame. He has shown totally classless behaviour throughout his opposition to the Lansdowne Live proposal. His crusade of misinformation, innuendos, accusations, deceit and improprieties have become not only an earache, but a dreadful bore." Here's the letter by Vince Licandro.
In some other developing news, we learned of George Smitherman's resignation from Cabinet - effective immediately - so that he can take a run at the top job at the City of Toronto. Smitherman's mayoral intentions were widely known and despite Premier Dalton McGuinty saying that George would stay - well - he's jumped ship. Now in our neck of the woods the question falls to Minister Jim Watson. Will he, or won't he? If he intends to make a go of it, he'll have to announce soon in order to legitimize his campaign and start meaningfully gathering his troops. CFRA has a poll on Jim here.
If Watson does indeed jump in - we think it'll be a close one next year. Certainly, the Minister should not interfere in Ottawa's municipal affairs until he has declared his intentions one way or the other.
Something we've been saying all along.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Mayor Larry O'Brien: "Vote yes - and mean it."
A busy day in political news has us posting a little later this morning after reading for too long ...
So Toronto won their bid for the Pan-Am games to be held in 2015. Toronto mayor David Miller was joined by Premier Dalton McGuinty in Guadalajara, Mexico for the announcement. Most reports indicate that this will require a $2.4 billion budget. On CTV's Toronto news last night (in an interview with anchor Ken Shaw), however, the Premier seemed to think it was a $1.4 billion budget instead. What with a looming 24.7 billion dollar deficit, a billion-dollar eHealth boondoggle, and the current musings about 'Dalton Days' - it's no wonder the Premier can't tell one billion from another.
Isn't it heartening to know we're in such capable hands?
Back here in Ottawa the Lansdowne Live proposal is reaching fever-pitch as the two-day debate approaches and the council vote to move forward (or not at all) will follow. Clive Doucet is surely rattling his cage as he tries to find another way to undermine the proposal. Speaking to some of Doucet's allegations Roger Green berg had this to offer:
"'I think the events of earlier this week are shameful,' Greenberg told the Sun’s editorial board Friday. He reiterated that it was his group that approached the city with the Lansdowne Live idea, not the other way around. Greenberg said he’s tried to arrange meetings Doucet, but Doucet isn’t accepting the offers."
The Sun's Jon Willing has the full article here.
Surely one might be wise to wonder why Councillor Doucet has refused to meet with Greenberg and his group. Could it be that the councillor cannot argue rationally against the proposal? Is it possible that Doucet knows that his disdain for the developers has clouded his judgment? Or is it the case that Doucet recognizes his fight is merely a "not in my backyard" campaign that has no sensible foundation? Okay - one last possibility - is Doucet's unseemly behaviour simply to spite Larry O'Brien in Clive's self-proclaimed "political war" against the Mayor?
We're hopeful that councillors will vote to move forward on the proposal - and mean it. As Sue Sherring in today's Sun rightly points out - this council has shown a serious inability to make a decision and stick with it. Sue's column is here. We expect the Mayor to demand of councillors a vote that reflects their willingness to commit to the project - not a vote that some councillors might see as reversible later. Moving forward will mean refining parts of the proposal - but always with an eye on its success - not a way out.
As we know, the only decision some (most?) councillors are comfortable with is a decision to defer a decision. Decision-deferring Diane Deans tried to push the Lansdowne vote into March of next year, as one example.
(As Dalton McGuinty quipped about 'Dalton Days' - "I like the alliteration")
Speaking of this council (most of whom have been in their seats for many years) and their inability to make a decision, we caught Rob Snow's comments on 580 CFRA yesterday. In his Op-Ed piece, Rob makes a compelling argument for the "clean sweep" first pondered by the Citizen's Randall Denley. It's worth a listen and can be found under "Interviews" on the 580 CFRA website. Here's a link to take you there.
And speaking of the favorite AM radio station of many thousands across this city, we wanted to congratulate Lowell Green on the success of his book-launch event two nights ago. After a waiting period to be sure our photo didn't appear in any publications, we can safely say that over three hundred people attended, and Lowell's colleague and friend Steve Madely did a wonderful job of highlighting Green's illustrious career in broadcasting. And no, there was no "announcement" of his retirement - but there were plenty of hints.
Without Lowell Green's voice over the airwaves - hammering our parochial politicians - well - some might say that life would be intolerable ... and we'd happen to agree.
Here's a link to Lowell Green's website where you can purchase his latest work: - and get it autographed too.
So Toronto won their bid for the Pan-Am games to be held in 2015. Toronto mayor David Miller was joined by Premier Dalton McGuinty in Guadalajara, Mexico for the announcement. Most reports indicate that this will require a $2.4 billion budget. On CTV's Toronto news last night (in an interview with anchor Ken Shaw), however, the Premier seemed to think it was a $1.4 billion budget instead. What with a looming 24.7 billion dollar deficit, a billion-dollar eHealth boondoggle, and the current musings about 'Dalton Days' - it's no wonder the Premier can't tell one billion from another.
Isn't it heartening to know we're in such capable hands?
Back here in Ottawa the Lansdowne Live proposal is reaching fever-pitch as the two-day debate approaches and the council vote to move forward (or not at all) will follow. Clive Doucet is surely rattling his cage as he tries to find another way to undermine the proposal. Speaking to some of Doucet's allegations Roger Green berg had this to offer:
"'I think the events of earlier this week are shameful,' Greenberg told the Sun’s editorial board Friday. He reiterated that it was his group that approached the city with the Lansdowne Live idea, not the other way around. Greenberg said he’s tried to arrange meetings Doucet, but Doucet isn’t accepting the offers."
The Sun's Jon Willing has the full article here.
Surely one might be wise to wonder why Councillor Doucet has refused to meet with Greenberg and his group. Could it be that the councillor cannot argue rationally against the proposal? Is it possible that Doucet knows that his disdain for the developers has clouded his judgment? Or is it the case that Doucet recognizes his fight is merely a "not in my backyard" campaign that has no sensible foundation? Okay - one last possibility - is Doucet's unseemly behaviour simply to spite Larry O'Brien in Clive's self-proclaimed "political war" against the Mayor?
We're hopeful that councillors will vote to move forward on the proposal - and mean it. As Sue Sherring in today's Sun rightly points out - this council has shown a serious inability to make a decision and stick with it. Sue's column is here. We expect the Mayor to demand of councillors a vote that reflects their willingness to commit to the project - not a vote that some councillors might see as reversible later. Moving forward will mean refining parts of the proposal - but always with an eye on its success - not a way out.
As we know, the only decision some (most?) councillors are comfortable with is a decision to defer a decision. Decision-deferring Diane Deans tried to push the Lansdowne vote into March of next year, as one example.
(As Dalton McGuinty quipped about 'Dalton Days' - "I like the alliteration")
Speaking of this council (most of whom have been in their seats for many years) and their inability to make a decision, we caught Rob Snow's comments on 580 CFRA yesterday. In his Op-Ed piece, Rob makes a compelling argument for the "clean sweep" first pondered by the Citizen's Randall Denley. It's worth a listen and can be found under "Interviews" on the 580 CFRA website. Here's a link to take you there.
And speaking of the favorite AM radio station of many thousands across this city, we wanted to congratulate Lowell Green on the success of his book-launch event two nights ago. After a waiting period to be sure our photo didn't appear in any publications, we can safely say that over three hundred people attended, and Lowell's colleague and friend Steve Madely did a wonderful job of highlighting Green's illustrious career in broadcasting. And no, there was no "announcement" of his retirement - but there were plenty of hints.
Without Lowell Green's voice over the airwaves - hammering our parochial politicians - well - some might say that life would be intolerable ... and we'd happen to agree.
Here's a link to Lowell Green's website where you can purchase his latest work: - and get it autographed too.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Doucet: "Damn it people - how did the knowledgeable ones get surveyed?"
The release of the Nanos poll results on the revitalization plan for Lansdowne Park are now being "interpreted" by councillors. As you'd expect - those like Clive Doucet or Diane Deans are trying hard to see it as a sign that the people of Ottawa don't like the current proposal. Now, you know we already knew the questions that were asked of the 1,000 people polled - and we predicted some of the results that Nik Nanos spoke to yesterday. Those polled who were geographically close to the existing embarassment on Bank Street like the plan the least - while those further away from the site like it more.
Just as we figured - Nimby-ism in all its glory ...
We'll let you decide what the poll results mean. Here's an article at the Sun on the results - and here's another at the Citizen.
The Federation of Community Associations is now trying to drum up attendance at a rally to be held next week at city hall in opposition to the current proposal. Don't let their title fool you, however, as the group is led by Bob Brocklebank - a nice enough fella from (you guessed it) the Glebe.
November 12th and 13th will see an opportunity for the public to make their opinions known before council. There will be hundreds of five-minute presentations at Andrew Haydon Hall over the two days.
Wonder if they'll be checking for megaphones at the door ...
One of the questions contained in the city-wide survey asked residents what direction they might give to city council regarding the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. More than half of those polled basically said "get on with it". And other results revealed that those who responded high on a scale of one-to-ten regarding their own knowledge of the plan - well - they were also more supportive of the plan.
Again, as we predicted - the more people know of the proposal - the more they like it. And that's driving Councillor Doucet nuts. Watch for more conspiracy theories or peculiar antics from the councillor and his like-minded cohorts over the next week.
Should be fun ...
Just as we figured - Nimby-ism in all its glory ...
We'll let you decide what the poll results mean. Here's an article at the Sun on the results - and here's another at the Citizen.
The Federation of Community Associations is now trying to drum up attendance at a rally to be held next week at city hall in opposition to the current proposal. Don't let their title fool you, however, as the group is led by Bob Brocklebank - a nice enough fella from (you guessed it) the Glebe.
November 12th and 13th will see an opportunity for the public to make their opinions known before council. There will be hundreds of five-minute presentations at Andrew Haydon Hall over the two days.
Wonder if they'll be checking for megaphones at the door ...
One of the questions contained in the city-wide survey asked residents what direction they might give to city council regarding the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. More than half of those polled basically said "get on with it". And other results revealed that those who responded high on a scale of one-to-ten regarding their own knowledge of the plan - well - they were also more supportive of the plan.
Again, as we predicted - the more people know of the proposal - the more they like it. And that's driving Councillor Doucet nuts. Watch for more conspiracy theories or peculiar antics from the councillor and his like-minded cohorts over the next week.
Should be fun ...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Prince Charles: "Of course I read City Holler - who doesn't?"
Today marks the beginning of Veterans' Week as we approach November 11th and our national day of remembrance ... here's more information.
Well - we'll say this - we never run out of things to talk about regarding our fair city ... and some of the 'children' were acting up at city hall yesterday (we know - nothing new...).
Councillor Diane Deans was at it again in one of her frenzied, non-sensical tirades (her mayoral intentions are starting to cloud her judgment, perhaps). You'd think she'd choke on that microphone that she loves so much - but she still manages to squeak out a little phrase here and there. Yesterday, she was pretending to care about tax increases - all the while proposing increases of her own in her little fiefdom we know as Community and Protective Services. We call that "rich". Here's Patrick with the story at the Citizen.
Will Diane be supporting the Mayor if (and when) he becomes more "visible" on these issues? We think we're going to find out soon, Diane ...
Poor Clive Doucet was guilty of being "at it" again yesterday too. He gets an 'A' for effort (we have to give him that) - but an 'F' in the subject of truth. Poor guy. In our opinion, Mr. Doucet is starting to realize that his NIMBY-driven efforts might fail at next Friday's vote on the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. Our advice? - think of the city as a whole, Clive ... it should make things a bit easier.
In other news, we were out in the west end of the city yesterday and discovered that the wristband-strategy in the vaccination lines is having some success. Patience is a virtue, as they say ... and we got the scoop from a couple of councillors (or those close to them) on the upcoming vote ... stay tuned.
Down on Laurier Avenue we heard that Ade Alumide (of the Ottawa Taxpayers' Advocacy Group) and a few of his crew were at the Mayor's office. Word in the hall (or should it be 'holl'?) is that the Mayor listened intently - and while appreciative of their efforts and intent - he shared with them some of the complexities associated with their self-imposed mandate. We figure he knows a thing or two about that now ...
John Ruddy (of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) met with the Mayor recently to discuss some of the outstanding issues related to refining the partnership plan. To the group's credit, they continue to be determined that any plan should result in something of which the people of Ottawa can be proud.
Architectural integrity will soon be coming to the fore ... call it 'iconic'.
Still with the Lansdowne plan - today we should receive the release of the Nanos Research polling results on the Lansdowne revitalization. We're betting that "Nimby-ism" will be plain for all to see - with those living closest to the crumbling stadium liking the proposal the least. But we're also expecting that those who consider themselves more knowledgeable about the plan - well - we figure they're gonna like it.
But what do we know? ... we'll publish early to test our skill (and refine later).
In an unexpected turn of events we learned that Prince Charles - the future King of England - is a fan of City Holler - imagine that!
We managed to catch up with the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall in Toronto yesterday afternoon. First, we caught Her Highness at the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor Street - but we also managed to catch the royal couple together on Yonge Street a little later. Of note, we started to ask Ontario's Finance Minster (Dwight Duncan) about the looming deficit, eHealth, OLG, Cancer Care, etc., as he tailed Camilla from the Conservatory. It was a little chilly - so we understand his haste - but when we asked if the Minister ever wondered why two MPPs from Ottawa (Premier Dalton McGuinty and Jim Watson) wouldn't go 'to bat' for their home-city on transit - the Minister accelerated at quite a remarkable pace. Since this photo won't make it to print (due to Duncan's speed) we thought we'd post it here ....
And while we're thinking of those who fought for the Red Ensign and continue to fight for the Maple Leaf - here's one of our future Head of State at the Carlu last night (note to the Governor General).
Tonight is Lowell Green's big do, so a 'tip of the hat' to a legend in broadcasting ... sign the inside-cover to 'City Holler' please Mr. Green ... ;)
Well - we'll say this - we never run out of things to talk about regarding our fair city ... and some of the 'children' were acting up at city hall yesterday (we know - nothing new...).
Councillor Diane Deans was at it again in one of her frenzied, non-sensical tirades (her mayoral intentions are starting to cloud her judgment, perhaps). You'd think she'd choke on that microphone that she loves so much - but she still manages to squeak out a little phrase here and there. Yesterday, she was pretending to care about tax increases - all the while proposing increases of her own in her little fiefdom we know as Community and Protective Services. We call that "rich". Here's Patrick with the story at the Citizen.
Will Diane be supporting the Mayor if (and when) he becomes more "visible" on these issues? We think we're going to find out soon, Diane ...
Poor Clive Doucet was guilty of being "at it" again yesterday too. He gets an 'A' for effort (we have to give him that) - but an 'F' in the subject of truth. Poor guy. In our opinion, Mr. Doucet is starting to realize that his NIMBY-driven efforts might fail at next Friday's vote on the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. Our advice? - think of the city as a whole, Clive ... it should make things a bit easier.
In other news, we were out in the west end of the city yesterday and discovered that the wristband-strategy in the vaccination lines is having some success. Patience is a virtue, as they say ... and we got the scoop from a couple of councillors (or those close to them) on the upcoming vote ... stay tuned.
Down on Laurier Avenue we heard that Ade Alumide (of the Ottawa Taxpayers' Advocacy Group) and a few of his crew were at the Mayor's office. Word in the hall (or should it be 'holl'?) is that the Mayor listened intently - and while appreciative of their efforts and intent - he shared with them some of the complexities associated with their self-imposed mandate. We figure he knows a thing or two about that now ...
John Ruddy (of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) met with the Mayor recently to discuss some of the outstanding issues related to refining the partnership plan. To the group's credit, they continue to be determined that any plan should result in something of which the people of Ottawa can be proud.
Architectural integrity will soon be coming to the fore ... call it 'iconic'.
Still with the Lansdowne plan - today we should receive the release of the Nanos Research polling results on the Lansdowne revitalization. We're betting that "Nimby-ism" will be plain for all to see - with those living closest to the crumbling stadium liking the proposal the least. But we're also expecting that those who consider themselves more knowledgeable about the plan - well - we figure they're gonna like it.
But what do we know? ... we'll publish early to test our skill (and refine later).
We managed to catch up with the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall in Toronto yesterday afternoon. First, we caught Her Highness at the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor Street - but we also managed to catch the royal couple together on Yonge Street a little later. Of note, we started to ask Ontario's Finance Minster (Dwight Duncan) about the looming deficit, eHealth, OLG, Cancer Care, etc., as he tailed Camilla from the Conservatory. It was a little chilly - so we understand his haste - but when we asked if the Minister ever wondered why two MPPs from Ottawa (Premier Dalton McGuinty and Jim Watson) wouldn't go 'to bat' for their home-city on transit - the Minister accelerated at quite a remarkable pace. Since this photo won't make it to print (due to Duncan's speed) we thought we'd post it here ....
Tonight is Lowell Green's big do, so a 'tip of the hat' to a legend in broadcasting ... sign the inside-cover to 'City Holler' please Mr. Green ... ;)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
O'Brien: "Let's get it all on the table..."
We're heading off to investigate some developments in the upcoming Lansdowne Partnership Proposal debate ... could be interesting.
Those user fees for our various methods of waste disposal are giving us all a look at what each actually costs. We're hearing that the Mayor is simply watching the play unfold - allowing councillors to "fill their boots". But we're also hearing that in doing so, we'll see just what these councillors are after before O'Brien makes a play of his own ...
We'll be visiting the vaccination clinics in the west end while we're out there today.
The human resources required for the City's continuing efforts are in high demand. That said, we noticed a new job posting for nurses at the City - so if you're an RN, this city is looking for you....
We'll have more time to catch up tomorrow...
Those user fees for our various methods of waste disposal are giving us all a look at what each actually costs. We're hearing that the Mayor is simply watching the play unfold - allowing councillors to "fill their boots". But we're also hearing that in doing so, we'll see just what these councillors are after before O'Brien makes a play of his own ...
We'll be visiting the vaccination clinics in the west end while we're out there today.
The human resources required for the City's continuing efforts are in high demand. That said, we noticed a new job posting for nurses at the City - so if you're an RN, this city is looking for you....
We'll have more time to catch up tomorrow...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Lansdowne Looms: Councillors ready for debate ...
Off to Laurier Avenue this morning to keep an eye on some things ...
It looks like the supply of the H1N1 vaccine will dwindle over the coming week as Ottawa Health waits for its next shipment. Despite the sometimes frustrating process of line-ups and paperwork, computer-inputting and screening, the City's program has successfully administered over 80,000 doses of the vaccine in about a week since the "super-clinics" first opened. The program will, for the time being, refocus on efforts to vaccinate the priority groups of infants and those with pre-existing conditions that necessitate protection against this particularly virulent flu. We'll send you to CFRA for part of the story.
In today's Metro we hear from Councillor Rick Chiarelli in his continuing support of the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. Restating what we have been blogging all along, the councillor says that at worst, the plan will not affect taxes - but at best - the City may see revenue generated by the commercial portion of the Lansdowne rejuvenation. Again Chiarelli argues that the "history" of the park is one of a sports-entertainment hub (which might be something the residents in the Glebe should be reminded of from time to time). Here's the councillor with the Metro.
We're hearing that the Nanos Research polling that was extensively performed across the city by way of the telephone is soon to be released. We at City Holler know full-well what was contained in that survey, and we're expecting to hear more support for the Lansdowne plan than some councillors would lead residents to believe. Something that comes to mind is the old NBC phrase - "The More You Know" ... stay tuned on that one. Could be quite interesting ...
And yes - the legal tab on the Lansdowne file thus far is reaching $150 thousand dollars - but that pales in comparison to the nearly $4 million the city will be paying (each and every year) if this council chooses to do nothing with the crumbling stadium and leaky-roofed arena. Here's the scoop on the tab with Derek Puddicombe at the Sun.
As the public delegations get set to present their opinions to council by the end of next week, we're wondering if there are any councillors left with an open mind to the plan. Some councillors are getting bogged down in finite details without an ability to see the 'big picture'. Others continue to hope that the plan will fail and that we'll have to start from scratch. That would be, in our opinion, a very risky situation. We wouldn't count on a group such as these respected businessmen to participate in such an ordeal again - and any others who might have had an interest may simply avoid any future dealings for fear that they would be subjected to the same - often insulting - criticism endured by Roger Greenberg and his colleagues.
In a last bit of news the City is apparently having a tough time filling management spots within the organization. Councillor Maria McRae thinks it's to do with morale and Deputy City Manager Steve Kanellakos thinks that you can't have people come to work "pissed off" - and yes, that's a quote. The Citizen has the story here.
But here's the thing - is it possible that the City's bilingualism policy has anything to do with deterring otherwise well-qualified candidates? Or could it be that working for a City, headed by a fractured council that can't move forward on a project even when half is being paid for, doesn't sound like a great employment opportunity? Might want to think about that councillors ....
It looks like the supply of the H1N1 vaccine will dwindle over the coming week as Ottawa Health waits for its next shipment. Despite the sometimes frustrating process of line-ups and paperwork, computer-inputting and screening, the City's program has successfully administered over 80,000 doses of the vaccine in about a week since the "super-clinics" first opened. The program will, for the time being, refocus on efforts to vaccinate the priority groups of infants and those with pre-existing conditions that necessitate protection against this particularly virulent flu. We'll send you to CFRA for part of the story.
In today's Metro we hear from Councillor Rick Chiarelli in his continuing support of the Lansdowne Partnership Proposal. Restating what we have been blogging all along, the councillor says that at worst, the plan will not affect taxes - but at best - the City may see revenue generated by the commercial portion of the Lansdowne rejuvenation. Again Chiarelli argues that the "history" of the park is one of a sports-entertainment hub (which might be something the residents in the Glebe should be reminded of from time to time). Here's the councillor with the Metro.
We're hearing that the Nanos Research polling that was extensively performed across the city by way of the telephone is soon to be released. We at City Holler know full-well what was contained in that survey, and we're expecting to hear more support for the Lansdowne plan than some councillors would lead residents to believe. Something that comes to mind is the old NBC phrase - "The More You Know" ... stay tuned on that one. Could be quite interesting ...
And yes - the legal tab on the Lansdowne file thus far is reaching $150 thousand dollars - but that pales in comparison to the nearly $4 million the city will be paying (each and every year) if this council chooses to do nothing with the crumbling stadium and leaky-roofed arena. Here's the scoop on the tab with Derek Puddicombe at the Sun.
As the public delegations get set to present their opinions to council by the end of next week, we're wondering if there are any councillors left with an open mind to the plan. Some councillors are getting bogged down in finite details without an ability to see the 'big picture'. Others continue to hope that the plan will fail and that we'll have to start from scratch. That would be, in our opinion, a very risky situation. We wouldn't count on a group such as these respected businessmen to participate in such an ordeal again - and any others who might have had an interest may simply avoid any future dealings for fear that they would be subjected to the same - often insulting - criticism endured by Roger Greenberg and his colleagues.
In a last bit of news the City is apparently having a tough time filling management spots within the organization. Councillor Maria McRae thinks it's to do with morale and Deputy City Manager Steve Kanellakos thinks that you can't have people come to work "pissed off" - and yes, that's a quote. The Citizen has the story here.
But here's the thing - is it possible that the City's bilingualism policy has anything to do with deterring otherwise well-qualified candidates? Or could it be that working for a City, headed by a fractured council that can't move forward on a project even when half is being paid for, doesn't sound like a great employment opportunity? Might want to think about that councillors ....
Monday, November 2, 2009
Back to Business
The City of Ottawa has a page on its website dedicated to the H1N1 flu virus and vaccination program. We caught some of '60 Minutes' on CBS and we have to point out that our vaccination program looks to be in much better shape than that in the United States. Despite the frustration of line-ups, our system is moving along. Here in Ottawa, thousands are being vaccinated daily, with no signs of slowing. Down south - there's a very limited supply of the vaccine and they're scrambling to produce more. (And yes, we know eggs are used in the production of the vaccine, but no, we're not trying to be funny by saying 'scrambling')
Anyway, here's the written story at CBS. It's an interesting read.
In some other news we thought you might enjoy Randall Denley's column: "So now the premier wants to talk transit?"
In his column Mr. Denley points out that,"...the opinion that $700 million over a decade for transit in Ottawa could be unaffordable comes only days after McGuinty committed $1.5 billion over five years for full-day kindergarten..."
And as regards trying to make the plan more "affordable" Denley also adds that, "McGuinty will discover that his choices are to do it right or don't do it at all."
Lastly, regarding the politics of the plan, our favorite columnist has this to say: "Believe it or not, all three levels of government are working constructively on transit, but the public comments from provincial politicians haven't done much to assure the public that the light-rail plan will go ahead"
Now which "provincial politicians" do you think he might be referring to? (Uh-huh ... you, Minister Watson)
In some more city biz we hear that the transit workers' pension plan is going to cost taxpayers a bundle for a while. Pretty scary how many millions seems to be disappearing lately ... Here's the story at the Citizen.
And yes - there's yet another Lansdowne Park alternative to be unveiled a week from today. Another group wants to throw in their two cents. Our take on this latest distraction is that you can keep your two cents until you can back it up with hundreds of millions of dollars (you know - like the City's partners in the current proposal?).
"Imagine" that.
Anyway, here's the written story at CBS. It's an interesting read.
In some other news we thought you might enjoy Randall Denley's column: "So now the premier wants to talk transit?"
In his column Mr. Denley points out that,"...the opinion that $700 million over a decade for transit in Ottawa could be unaffordable comes only days after McGuinty committed $1.5 billion over five years for full-day kindergarten..."
And as regards trying to make the plan more "affordable" Denley also adds that, "McGuinty will discover that his choices are to do it right or don't do it at all."
Lastly, regarding the politics of the plan, our favorite columnist has this to say: "Believe it or not, all three levels of government are working constructively on transit, but the public comments from provincial politicians haven't done much to assure the public that the light-rail plan will go ahead"
Now which "provincial politicians" do you think he might be referring to? (Uh-huh ... you, Minister Watson)
In some more city biz we hear that the transit workers' pension plan is going to cost taxpayers a bundle for a while. Pretty scary how many millions seems to be disappearing lately ... Here's the story at the Citizen.
And yes - there's yet another Lansdowne Park alternative to be unveiled a week from today. Another group wants to throw in their two cents. Our take on this latest distraction is that you can keep your two cents until you can back it up with hundreds of millions of dollars (you know - like the City's partners in the current proposal?).
"Imagine" that.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
City's vaccination efforts continue, O'Brien visits injection site
It's steady-as-she-goes with the City's massive effort to vaccinate the many thousands of people across Ottawa. Now moving to enable doctor's offices to administer the injection, Dr. Isra Levy and Mayor Larry O'Brien continue to work on increasing the speed and volume of vaccinations performed - and it's much the same story in cities throughout North America. Line-ups are long so wristbands will now be given to those in line - further enabling them to leave and return as opposed to enduring the wait at the injection-site. The feds are warning that the H1N1 vaccine supply may dwindle over the next couple of weeks - hopefully not - but the story is here.
Mayor Larry O'Brien paid an unexpected visit to the Tom Brown Arena a couple of days ago to show his support to the frontline healthcare workers and to those who were waiting in the long line for their injection.
Speaking of O'Brien, an interview appeared in the online Ottawa Business Journal yesterday featuring an interview with the Mayor. He says he still hasn't decided whether or not he'll run again because he's working hard to move forward on the major projects before him and council at the moment. When asked about taxes, the Mayor offered, "Do I think we can do better? Yes I do ... I think we can make some decisions relating to programs and efficiencies. I don't think this particular council has the will to make those decisions and I think we learned that during (last year's) budget setting when a group of councillors, as we were getting into the process of making some of the hard decisions, decided they didn't want to go there."
The Mayor added - "I'm not going to make that mistake again ... " Enough said.
The rest of the interview is online here at the Ottawa Business Journal.
In other city news, the cancelled "smart bus" contract hasn't deterred Clever Devices from hoping to work with the City of Ottawa. The company's CEO is quoted as saying that his company isn't "traditionally litigious" - and would rather work things out with their partners ... so here's hoping the City can avoid an unnecessary lawsuit. The Sun has that story here.
The Sun also has an editorial on the same subject with the self-explanatory heading : "Get on with it, call out the stops" We're thinking that perhaps when a driver is found to be delinquent in his/her duty to call out major stops, they should be held accountable - instead of taxpayers ...
It seems the City's Manager of Environmental Services - Dixon Weir - could use a lesson in diplomacy. His response to the presence of more problems in Glen Cairn didn't come off as very compassionate. Sue Sherring's column has the details.
Lastly, CFRA's radiothon is underway - helping to raise funds for the valued Elisabeth Bruyere hospital. If you'd like to donate - here's a link to their site.
Mayor Larry O'Brien paid an unexpected visit to the Tom Brown Arena a couple of days ago to show his support to the frontline healthcare workers and to those who were waiting in the long line for their injection.
Speaking of O'Brien, an interview appeared in the online Ottawa Business Journal yesterday featuring an interview with the Mayor. He says he still hasn't decided whether or not he'll run again because he's working hard to move forward on the major projects before him and council at the moment. When asked about taxes, the Mayor offered, "Do I think we can do better? Yes I do ... I think we can make some decisions relating to programs and efficiencies. I don't think this particular council has the will to make those decisions and I think we learned that during (last year's) budget setting when a group of councillors, as we were getting into the process of making some of the hard decisions, decided they didn't want to go there."
The Mayor added - "I'm not going to make that mistake again ... " Enough said.
The rest of the interview is online here at the Ottawa Business Journal.
In other city news, the cancelled "smart bus" contract hasn't deterred Clever Devices from hoping to work with the City of Ottawa. The company's CEO is quoted as saying that his company isn't "traditionally litigious" - and would rather work things out with their partners ... so here's hoping the City can avoid an unnecessary lawsuit. The Sun has that story here.
The Sun also has an editorial on the same subject with the self-explanatory heading : "Get on with it, call out the stops" We're thinking that perhaps when a driver is found to be delinquent in his/her duty to call out major stops, they should be held accountable - instead of taxpayers ...
It seems the City's Manager of Environmental Services - Dixon Weir - could use a lesson in diplomacy. His response to the presence of more problems in Glen Cairn didn't come off as very compassionate. Sue Sherring's column has the details.
Lastly, CFRA's radiothon is underway - helping to raise funds for the valued Elisabeth Bruyere hospital. If you'd like to donate - here's a link to their site.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Politics, Projects, Provincial Posturing, and Procurement Processes
Today's letter is 'P'. A later post this morning as we were carving a pumpkin and got carried away ...
We're not sure how the whole Larry "Knuckles" O'Brien thing is playing with the public - but it sure is fun to watch. Yesterday's announcement by Dalton McGuinty, that Ottawa's transit plan might be too costly, was followed by quick retorts from Larry O'Brien in the media, saying that a "sit-down" would be a great idea. The Mayor wasted no time, however, pointing out the issue for the Province is their own 25 billion-dollar deficit projection for the coming year. O'Brien took a well-deserved, additional swipe at Minister Jim Watson, suggesting that if Watson previously supported the failed Chiarelli-led LRT plan - but chose not to back this improved plan - well - that he would be a "silly" Member of Provincial Parliament.
We'll call that a jab...
Unfortunately, this 'song-and-dance' will continue until MPP Jim Watson says he'll run - or says he won't. The same could be said about the Mayor's intentions, except that he is continuing his job, whereas the Minister is politically meddling.
Although we're rather supportive of the current mayor - we think that the game Watson is playing is taking its toll on his public image too and he's losing favour out there in the public realm. Suspicion of every act the Minister makes isn't just bred from our perspective any longer. While we were successful at launching opposition MPPs at Mr. Watson, it now falls to the public to demand an answer as to Watson's intentions and some fairness in the treatment of the City, its organization, and its elected officials. The longer this goes on, the worse it is for Watson - but we worry more about the City ...
In other news, the City's procurement staff are feeling the heat after "...staff was sent out to buy four tires and they came back with a car” - as the Citizen quotes Councillor Rick Chiarelli regarding the Smart Bus deal (broken yesterday at council). Council had originally approved a $6.7 million procurement, but returned holding a deal with Clever Devices totalling $17 million. Council cancelled the deal.
The City is now (again) vulnerable to legal action from Clever Devices for council having broken the deal - but on the flip side - they were already threatened with a lawsuit by Bell Canada for the lousy procurement process that left Bell 'out in the cold' in the first place. 'Lose-lose', they call that. City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick has said that he'd "tighten" up the process at a later date - but here's our suggestion for Kent and the procurement staff - build in an escape clause to every major procurement, agreement, and contract. Perhaps include an agreed upon expenditure that could be recouped by a company if city council changes its mind on a project or contract.
Imagine if, for every project, we knew ahead of time the cost of breaking the contract? If the previous LRT deal, for example, had a properly built-in clause that said something like, "should this council, or a new one, determine not to proceed with the project in its current incarnation, the Siemens-PCL consortium would be entitled to recoup 'x' amount of dollars, and proven costs, upon any project-termination - and by signing this agreement, the Siemens-led consortium hereby foregoes and relinquishes any and all possibility of legal action against the City of Ottawa, based on, and in the event of, project-termination. "
But hey - we're not lawyers - we just think that something should be done to protect both the City and its partners when an agreement fails from either a poor procurement process, or an often-fickle elected council. Sometimes a council is replaced, or renewed, while a major project is in its infancy - so shouldn't the next council have a right to amend a previous decision and know the exact cost of doing so?
Makes sense to us, anyway.
We're not sure how the whole Larry "Knuckles" O'Brien thing is playing with the public - but it sure is fun to watch. Yesterday's announcement by Dalton McGuinty, that Ottawa's transit plan might be too costly, was followed by quick retorts from Larry O'Brien in the media, saying that a "sit-down" would be a great idea. The Mayor wasted no time, however, pointing out the issue for the Province is their own 25 billion-dollar deficit projection for the coming year. O'Brien took a well-deserved, additional swipe at Minister Jim Watson, suggesting that if Watson previously supported the failed Chiarelli-led LRT plan - but chose not to back this improved plan - well - that he would be a "silly" Member of Provincial Parliament.
We'll call that a jab...
Unfortunately, this 'song-and-dance' will continue until MPP Jim Watson says he'll run - or says he won't. The same could be said about the Mayor's intentions, except that he is continuing his job, whereas the Minister is politically meddling.
Although we're rather supportive of the current mayor - we think that the game Watson is playing is taking its toll on his public image too and he's losing favour out there in the public realm. Suspicion of every act the Minister makes isn't just bred from our perspective any longer. While we were successful at launching opposition MPPs at Mr. Watson, it now falls to the public to demand an answer as to Watson's intentions and some fairness in the treatment of the City, its organization, and its elected officials. The longer this goes on, the worse it is for Watson - but we worry more about the City ...
In other news, the City's procurement staff are feeling the heat after "...staff was sent out to buy four tires and they came back with a car” - as the Citizen quotes Councillor Rick Chiarelli regarding the Smart Bus deal (broken yesterday at council). Council had originally approved a $6.7 million procurement, but returned holding a deal with Clever Devices totalling $17 million. Council cancelled the deal.
The City is now (again) vulnerable to legal action from Clever Devices for council having broken the deal - but on the flip side - they were already threatened with a lawsuit by Bell Canada for the lousy procurement process that left Bell 'out in the cold' in the first place. 'Lose-lose', they call that. City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick has said that he'd "tighten" up the process at a later date - but here's our suggestion for Kent and the procurement staff - build in an escape clause to every major procurement, agreement, and contract. Perhaps include an agreed upon expenditure that could be recouped by a company if city council changes its mind on a project or contract.
Imagine if, for every project, we knew ahead of time the cost of breaking the contract? If the previous LRT deal, for example, had a properly built-in clause that said something like, "should this council, or a new one, determine not to proceed with the project in its current incarnation, the Siemens-PCL consortium would be entitled to recoup 'x' amount of dollars, and proven costs, upon any project-termination - and by signing this agreement, the Siemens-led consortium hereby foregoes and relinquishes any and all possibility of legal action against the City of Ottawa, based on, and in the event of, project-termination. "
But hey - we're not lawyers - we just think that something should be done to protect both the City and its partners when an agreement fails from either a poor procurement process, or an often-fickle elected council. Sometimes a council is replaced, or renewed, while a major project is in its infancy - so shouldn't the next council have a right to amend a previous decision and know the exact cost of doing so?
Makes sense to us, anyway.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Busy days at the City of Ottawa
H1N1 flu virus continues to be top-of-mind for people across the city this morning. Increased vaccinations were administered throughout day two of the City's efforts - numbering approximately 5,300 doses yesterday - up from 4,200 the day before. Healthcare workers are being added, as well as other support staff to tackle the needs of residents. Dr. Isra Levy and Mayor Larry O'Brien are known to be working hard to keep things moving in the right direction.
Unfortunately, some on city council are still shamelessly using any opportunity to place themselves before a camera or microphone. Councillor Diane Deans continues to speak up - or speak out - this time saying that everyone under the age of 18 should get the vaccine. That is certainly ideal, but instead of working with the team to oversee and administer the many tens of thousands of influenza vaccinations, she apparently veers off on her own tangent without recognizing that it's "all hands on deck" already - each and every moment of the day. As we said yesterday - this effort requires cooperation on every level. This is not an easy undertaking and will require patience and steady leadership.
Our kudos go out to the medical health staff across the city who are diligently working on our city's behalf. An article from today's Metro details the effort at CHEO. Of note - any children experiencing flu-like symptoms are presumed to have H1N1 as the seasonal flu is not present in Ottawa. The story's here.
In other city news, the Lansdowne Live Partnership Proposal is a decision that looms only a couple of weeks away. The decision will be a close one either way. City-wide polling results from Nanos Research are expected shortly, and councillors will be asked to decide whether they do something with Lansdowne Park - or nothing. As we've said before - and it's worth restating - it will require leadership and courage from councillors to support the plan (even if they don't think it is a gleaming proposal). Leaving the aged stadium crumbling, and the sea of asphalt in disrepair, versus a plan to revitalize the area is what's at stake.
Citizen columnist Ken Gray has published his own piece this morning in support of the proposal. Here's his column. His final words being "...build it".
It looks like yet another piece in the "puzzle-budget" is being placed on the table as Maria McRae's transportation committee put forward the proposal for increased spending on cycling infrastructure in the city. Seeking $16.7 million to add bike lanes and pathways, the Councillor and vice-chair Christine Leadman argue that while hundreds of millions are spent on roads, cycling expenditures are too often cut from the budget. Randall Denley is proven correct (again) that the new budgeting structure has made advocates of those councillors overseeing departments instead of budget "challengers". Again, we'll see how it comes out at the Audit, Budget and Finance committee, with Mayor O'Brien as chair (but a whole host of leftist councillors on the committee). The Citizen has the full story here.
In another story, the City's Planning and Environment committee has approved an arrangement with developers in Kanata West to fund sewer upgrades. We're not sure why the developers should be "getting back" the $1.6 million from development charges paid to the city if the development will require additional water-pumping and related sewer costs - but what do we know? Again we send our readers to the Citizen to read more here.
Lastly, it seems that the Province will be making some changes to municipal election law - moving the date of next year's election to the third Monday of October (25th) from November 8th. And Jim Watson is also looking at election-financing reform. Just for fun, we'll link you to Ken Gray's blog for the scoop.
Now where did we read about that before today? Hmmm. Our advice to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing? - be careful not to get into a conflict of interest on any proposed reforms given your rumoured run for mayor. Hey - we're just sayin' ...
Off to city hall now for today's meeting - we'll see what happens to the "Smart Bus" plan before lunch ...
Unfortunately, some on city council are still shamelessly using any opportunity to place themselves before a camera or microphone. Councillor Diane Deans continues to speak up - or speak out - this time saying that everyone under the age of 18 should get the vaccine. That is certainly ideal, but instead of working with the team to oversee and administer the many tens of thousands of influenza vaccinations, she apparently veers off on her own tangent without recognizing that it's "all hands on deck" already - each and every moment of the day. As we said yesterday - this effort requires cooperation on every level. This is not an easy undertaking and will require patience and steady leadership.
Our kudos go out to the medical health staff across the city who are diligently working on our city's behalf. An article from today's Metro details the effort at CHEO. Of note - any children experiencing flu-like symptoms are presumed to have H1N1 as the seasonal flu is not present in Ottawa. The story's here.
In other city news, the Lansdowne Live Partnership Proposal is a decision that looms only a couple of weeks away. The decision will be a close one either way. City-wide polling results from Nanos Research are expected shortly, and councillors will be asked to decide whether they do something with Lansdowne Park - or nothing. As we've said before - and it's worth restating - it will require leadership and courage from councillors to support the plan (even if they don't think it is a gleaming proposal). Leaving the aged stadium crumbling, and the sea of asphalt in disrepair, versus a plan to revitalize the area is what's at stake.
Citizen columnist Ken Gray has published his own piece this morning in support of the proposal. Here's his column. His final words being "...build it".
It looks like yet another piece in the "puzzle-budget" is being placed on the table as Maria McRae's transportation committee put forward the proposal for increased spending on cycling infrastructure in the city. Seeking $16.7 million to add bike lanes and pathways, the Councillor and vice-chair Christine Leadman argue that while hundreds of millions are spent on roads, cycling expenditures are too often cut from the budget. Randall Denley is proven correct (again) that the new budgeting structure has made advocates of those councillors overseeing departments instead of budget "challengers". Again, we'll see how it comes out at the Audit, Budget and Finance committee, with Mayor O'Brien as chair (but a whole host of leftist councillors on the committee). The Citizen has the full story here.
In another story, the City's Planning and Environment committee has approved an arrangement with developers in Kanata West to fund sewer upgrades. We're not sure why the developers should be "getting back" the $1.6 million from development charges paid to the city if the development will require additional water-pumping and related sewer costs - but what do we know? Again we send our readers to the Citizen to read more here.
Lastly, it seems that the Province will be making some changes to municipal election law - moving the date of next year's election to the third Monday of October (25th) from November 8th. And Jim Watson is also looking at election-financing reform. Just for fun, we'll link you to Ken Gray's blog for the scoop.
Now where did we read about that before today? Hmmm. Our advice to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing? - be careful not to get into a conflict of interest on any proposed reforms given your rumoured run for mayor. Hey - we're just sayin' ...
Off to city hall now for today's meeting - we'll see what happens to the "Smart Bus" plan before lunch ...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
H1N1: "1 Flu over the Cuckoo's nest"
The biggest news story in the city today is the H1N1 influenza virus and the City's massive efforts undertaken to vaccinate residents against it.
Yesterday marked 'day one' of the City's fixed-site clinics offering the injection, with "swine lines" (as they were first dubbed in the U.S.) forming quickly at each of the six locations. Before long, healthcare practitioners were forced to turn people away - the deluge becoming too great to be handled in a single day.
Diane Deans, Chair of the Community and Protective Services committee has found herself scrambling to remedy some of the issues with the vaccination-delivery. Clearly not as prepared as she could have been (nor professed she was), Deans is said to be a nervous wreck - and we're hearing that she's 'taken her hands off the steering wheel'. Here's hoping that someone with a steadier hand will ease the ship through the choppy first days of vaccinations .... we're hearing that Mayor Larry O'Brien has come to her aid.
The problems being faced, as we understand them, are that the Province has required a significant 'paper-trail' on each injection - thus slowing delivery. Healthcare practitioners are also fielding a lot of questions - and understandably so. The serum itself must be kept at very precise temperatures which makes refrigeration capacity at any venue a serious issue - from doctors' offices to schools. The City has opened its vaccination sites ahead of schedule to tackle the huge task - lines are long - and many are frustrated (including those administering the 'shot') so let's hope that the extra couple of weeks they've given themselves will help them work out the problems that are appearing in the early going.
The Citizen has a lengthy piece on the situation here.
Still, even with the kinks - 4,200 doses were apparently delivered yesterday - with a projected target of 8,000 per day within two weeks. Watch for a batch of 100 additional nurses to be hired on a temporary basis to help with staffing the effort. Today, we're hearing that hospitals and paramedics will receive over 3,000 pre-filled needles to administer the injection for themselves.
The good thing here is that the message is getting out - H1N1 is a serious virus - with a serious ability to spread quickly. While we're often light-heartedly grumbling about politics in this town - we thought we should take a serious look at the H1N1 flu today . Here is a question-and-answer page provided by the City of Ottawa.
The provincial administrators and politicians overseeing the vaccine-delivery will need to examine the issues forced upon the City - and they'll have to do it fast. They can start by listening (although speaking is often their preferred option) to our own officials at the City - including Mayor Larry O'Brien. There needs to be a spirit of cooperation among all levels of government and an ability to move swiftly. Plugging up the delivery by demanding extensive paperwork should be stopped. Decisive action is the order of the day.
"If you're not a part of the solution - you're part of the problem."
The demeanour of those in line is said to sometimes be confused - and frustrated - but some are recognizing that it's better to endure the lines and get the injection than not to.
As the Sun quotes a mother of three in today's paper: "I could be sitting waiting at CHEO, so I’d rather be waiting with healthy kids here..." Here's the Sun's full article.
Yesterday marked 'day one' of the City's fixed-site clinics offering the injection, with "swine lines" (as they were first dubbed in the U.S.) forming quickly at each of the six locations. Before long, healthcare practitioners were forced to turn people away - the deluge becoming too great to be handled in a single day.
Diane Deans, Chair of the Community and Protective Services committee has found herself scrambling to remedy some of the issues with the vaccination-delivery. Clearly not as prepared as she could have been (nor professed she was), Deans is said to be a nervous wreck - and we're hearing that she's 'taken her hands off the steering wheel'. Here's hoping that someone with a steadier hand will ease the ship through the choppy first days of vaccinations .... we're hearing that Mayor Larry O'Brien has come to her aid.
The problems being faced, as we understand them, are that the Province has required a significant 'paper-trail' on each injection - thus slowing delivery. Healthcare practitioners are also fielding a lot of questions - and understandably so. The serum itself must be kept at very precise temperatures which makes refrigeration capacity at any venue a serious issue - from doctors' offices to schools. The City has opened its vaccination sites ahead of schedule to tackle the huge task - lines are long - and many are frustrated (including those administering the 'shot') so let's hope that the extra couple of weeks they've given themselves will help them work out the problems that are appearing in the early going.
The Citizen has a lengthy piece on the situation here.
Still, even with the kinks - 4,200 doses were apparently delivered yesterday - with a projected target of 8,000 per day within two weeks. Watch for a batch of 100 additional nurses to be hired on a temporary basis to help with staffing the effort. Today, we're hearing that hospitals and paramedics will receive over 3,000 pre-filled needles to administer the injection for themselves.
The good thing here is that the message is getting out - H1N1 is a serious virus - with a serious ability to spread quickly. While we're often light-heartedly grumbling about politics in this town - we thought we should take a serious look at the H1N1 flu today . Here is a question-and-answer page provided by the City of Ottawa.
The provincial administrators and politicians overseeing the vaccine-delivery will need to examine the issues forced upon the City - and they'll have to do it fast. They can start by listening (although speaking is often their preferred option) to our own officials at the City - including Mayor Larry O'Brien. There needs to be a spirit of cooperation among all levels of government and an ability to move swiftly. Plugging up the delivery by demanding extensive paperwork should be stopped. Decisive action is the order of the day.
"If you're not a part of the solution - you're part of the problem."
The demeanour of those in line is said to sometimes be confused - and frustrated - but some are recognizing that it's better to endure the lines and get the injection than not to.
As the Sun quotes a mother of three in today's paper: "I could be sitting waiting at CHEO, so I’d rather be waiting with healthy kids here..." Here's the Sun's full article.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Bob Chiarelli: "Hey Jim - what are you gonna do?"
The rumour mill is really churning now that Bob Chiarelli has said he's receiving a lot of "encouragement" to get back into politics. He is apparently considering all his options, which include every level of government as a possibility. Some are suggesting that he'll wait for Jim Watson to step down and is considering a run for Jim's spot in Ottawa West - Nepean. Others think that he may have a good shot at unseating Larry O'Brien, so we'll wait and see - but it could be a very interesting election next year. The Citizen piece is here.
Unfortunately, all the fuss may again leave the electorate overly focused on the mayoralty rather than the councillors - but we intend to make sure that each council-race is given its due attention ...
Kelly Egan writes in the Citizen yesterday that he "doesn't buy" the Glebe BIA's complaints about traffic and parking on Bank Street should the Lansdowne proposal go ahead. As we've blogged before - neither do we. Here's Egan's article. In fact, the BIA director Catherine Lindquist was on CFRA last evening with little Gerry Cammy hosting, Councillors Rick Chiarelli and Marianne Wilkinson, and lawyer Michael Polowin. Only Polowin and Chiarelli impressed with arguments based on logic. Wilkinson touted her previous experience in real estate - but we're thinking that selling a townhouse isn't quite the measure of experience required to oversee a 250 million-dollar deal. Lindquist tried to cut off Polowin and Chiarelli at every opportunity - and the frustration resulting was palpable.
We've come to the conclusion that opponents of Lansdowne's revitalization are unwilling to hear reasoned arguments as to the proposal's benefits. It'll be up to the reasonable councillors to have the guts to move forward on this exciting project. Now - how many of them are "reasonable", you ask? - we'll soon find out.
Unfortunately, all the fuss may again leave the electorate overly focused on the mayoralty rather than the councillors - but we intend to make sure that each council-race is given its due attention ...
Kelly Egan writes in the Citizen yesterday that he "doesn't buy" the Glebe BIA's complaints about traffic and parking on Bank Street should the Lansdowne proposal go ahead. As we've blogged before - neither do we. Here's Egan's article. In fact, the BIA director Catherine Lindquist was on CFRA last evening with little Gerry Cammy hosting, Councillors Rick Chiarelli and Marianne Wilkinson, and lawyer Michael Polowin. Only Polowin and Chiarelli impressed with arguments based on logic. Wilkinson touted her previous experience in real estate - but we're thinking that selling a townhouse isn't quite the measure of experience required to oversee a 250 million-dollar deal. Lindquist tried to cut off Polowin and Chiarelli at every opportunity - and the frustration resulting was palpable.
We've come to the conclusion that opponents of Lansdowne's revitalization are unwilling to hear reasoned arguments as to the proposal's benefits. It'll be up to the reasonable councillors to have the guts to move forward on this exciting project. Now - how many of them are "reasonable", you ask? - we'll soon find out.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Ottawa's unofficial mayoralty race - "Knuckles O'Brien" versus "Glass-Jaw Jim"?
It looks like Mayor Larry O'Brien and Liberal Minister Jim Watson are going to be duking it out in the media for the foreseeable future. Larry "Knuckles" O'Brien seems to have had enough of Jim Watson's pestilent interference in Ottawa's municipal affairs - and rightly so. The Minister has been asked by many to stop meddling in Ottawa's affairs until he has declared his candidacy for mayor - or otherwise.
It was our humble blog that got the ball rolling. The day we made some explicit "requests" for action NDP MPP Michael Prue asked Watson to keep out of Ottawa's affairs while in session at Queen's Park. Our post from that day is here. The Mayor of Ottawa has taken a couple of gentle jabs at Watson in the past, but today it's pretty clear that O'Brien has merely been tenderizing the meat. If the two decide to run for mayor - well - "there will be blood"...
Here's the story by Jon Willing in the Sun.
The Mayor asks some good questions about whether Jim Watson is speaking for himself as a future mayoralty candidate, or whether he's speaking for the Premier. One certainly wonders why Jim Bradley (the Provincial Minister of Transportation) isn't the one overseeing Ottawa's transit plan. Perhaps it's as MPP Lisa Macleod wondered in the Legislature a few weeks back - the Province hasn't interfered or meddled in any other city's transit plans the way Watson has in Ottawa - so Minister Jim Bradley wouldn't stick his nose in until funding requests are made.
The following snippets are from a Citizen piece that appeared September 30th:
“We need to make sure that every time he speaks on municipal issues in our city, he’s speaking for the right reasons – not to set himself up for mayor,” said Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod."
"New Democrat leader Andrea Horwath said Watson's failure to indicate whether he will run for Ottawa mayor 'is a big concern.'"
"New Democrat MPP Michael Prue said Watson is in a 'real conflict of interest,' because the decisions he makes could have bearing on next year’s municipal election. He called on Watson to 'set an example for the rest of his cabinet colleagues' and exclude himself from all Ottawa municipal issues until he decides whether he’s in or out of the race for mayor."
(you'll notice that Prue's comments are nearly a carbon-copy of our "requests" from the "Terror in the Tunnel" City Holler blog post)
David Reevely has a high-quality piece on his blog from yesterday that speaks of Watson's remarks as "disingenuous" - and Reevely pieces together the figures from other cities in Ontario that have received, or will receive, many billions of dollars in Provincial monies. Here's Reevely's article. (thanks to one of our readers for providing the link)
So why shouldn't Ottawa receive its fair share?
It's a good question, and one the Mayor is right to ask. We finally have a transit plan that will serve the entire city and solve the growing problem of downtown congestion and transit delays. This plan is the one we need if Ottawa is to grow and prosper. Is the cost worrisome? - of course. Is it out of control? No. Once the plan is set, the costs are properly estimated, and then the City begins asking the other levels of government for funding. That's how it's done and Jim Watson is out of line commenting in the media about "ballooning" costs, when the costs themselves had not been established.
And as for losing faith in the Province's ability to manage its funds - Christina Blizzard's column offers some free advice to Dalton McGuinty, and Randall Denley adds that the Liberal government won't solve the deficit problem by "dithering". Here is Denley's column: "Six months of dithering won't slay Ontario's Deficit".
It was our humble blog that got the ball rolling. The day we made some explicit "requests" for action NDP MPP Michael Prue asked Watson to keep out of Ottawa's affairs while in session at Queen's Park. Our post from that day is here. The Mayor of Ottawa has taken a couple of gentle jabs at Watson in the past, but today it's pretty clear that O'Brien has merely been tenderizing the meat. If the two decide to run for mayor - well - "there will be blood"...
Here's the story by Jon Willing in the Sun.
The Mayor asks some good questions about whether Jim Watson is speaking for himself as a future mayoralty candidate, or whether he's speaking for the Premier. One certainly wonders why Jim Bradley (the Provincial Minister of Transportation) isn't the one overseeing Ottawa's transit plan. Perhaps it's as MPP Lisa Macleod wondered in the Legislature a few weeks back - the Province hasn't interfered or meddled in any other city's transit plans the way Watson has in Ottawa - so Minister Jim Bradley wouldn't stick his nose in until funding requests are made.
The following snippets are from a Citizen piece that appeared September 30th:
“We need to make sure that every time he speaks on municipal issues in our city, he’s speaking for the right reasons – not to set himself up for mayor,” said Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod."
"New Democrat leader Andrea Horwath said Watson's failure to indicate whether he will run for Ottawa mayor 'is a big concern.'"
"New Democrat MPP Michael Prue said Watson is in a 'real conflict of interest,' because the decisions he makes could have bearing on next year’s municipal election. He called on Watson to 'set an example for the rest of his cabinet colleagues' and exclude himself from all Ottawa municipal issues until he decides whether he’s in or out of the race for mayor."
(you'll notice that Prue's comments are nearly a carbon-copy of our "requests" from the "Terror in the Tunnel" City Holler blog post)
David Reevely has a high-quality piece on his blog from yesterday that speaks of Watson's remarks as "disingenuous" - and Reevely pieces together the figures from other cities in Ontario that have received, or will receive, many billions of dollars in Provincial monies. Here's Reevely's article. (thanks to one of our readers for providing the link)
So why shouldn't Ottawa receive its fair share?
It's a good question, and one the Mayor is right to ask. We finally have a transit plan that will serve the entire city and solve the growing problem of downtown congestion and transit delays. This plan is the one we need if Ottawa is to grow and prosper. Is the cost worrisome? - of course. Is it out of control? No. Once the plan is set, the costs are properly estimated, and then the City begins asking the other levels of government for funding. That's how it's done and Jim Watson is out of line commenting in the media about "ballooning" costs, when the costs themselves had not been established.
And as for losing faith in the Province's ability to manage its funds - Christina Blizzard's column offers some free advice to Dalton McGuinty, and Randall Denley adds that the Liberal government won't solve the deficit problem by "dithering". Here is Denley's column: "Six months of dithering won't slay Ontario's Deficit".
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Deans: "Minister - if I help you - will you help me?"
So Sue Sherring at the Sun and that other blog both had it wrong ... that's pretty weird. Sue's column is here with a little ditty about the Mayor attending a photo op - and she'd be wrong.
If there was one councillor we'd like removed from office today, it would be Diane Deans. We're getting tired of hearing from her - almost as much as that Minister who has nothing to do with LRT but continues to berate the City's plans on the file. We almost wish that Diane Deans had won that Liberal nomination she desperately sought, so that she could be where she really wants to be - cozied up by the flames of our burning tax dollars with Jim Watson and his crew of flunkies.
Deans might have considered following Jim out to Pembroke last night to chat with a room full of Liberals about what a great job his government has done - and how they're not like the Mike Harris government. Give it up. The Minister would do well to stop blaming a government that has been out of office for years.
Come to think of it, Minister Watson might do well to concentrate on his actual job - perhaps by helping the tornado victims in Vaughan, or the flooded in Hamilton - perhaps the Minister could alter legislation to protect groups who oppose development from SLAPP lawsuits levied against them by developers. Heck, maybe the Minister could help the flood victims in Kanata with the cost of fixing their homes, or at least the costs associated with mending the aging infrastrucure that led to the flood.
Nah ... why do any of the hard work, when you can attend a ribbon-cutting, have a party celebrating 15 years of ribbon-cutting, and then pick a fight with the City of Ottawa to make sure there will be no ribbon to cut for a downtown tunnel .... just one call to Derek Puddicombe and you're there.
With the costs for the first phase of the LRT plan now estimated to be $2.1 billion - it's easy pickings for those who would like to undermine the plan. Diane Deans is quick to throw in her two cents as well - completely undermining confidence in the plan and questioning whether there would ever be funding from other levels of government. Great team spirit, Diane.
Apparently, Larry O'Brien wasn't at Nancy Schepers' announcement and we agree with Sherring that he needs to show leadership on the project and its costs. People are getting worried and losing confidence that the project will go ahead, so it will be up to the Mayor to keep the pieces together and demonstrate to the public that the project is do-able.
Speaking of piecing things together - Randall Denley thinks the new budget process is - well - ridiculous. This is mostly as a result of the councillors who fail to grasp their role. Diane Deans is the "case and point". Instead of "challenging" the staff budget proposals, she's become a champion for them. Instead of scrutinizing the figures, she's become a saleswoman for her particular budget. With other budgets rolling out, we're seeing potential for a giant tax increase next year. This group of councillors doesn't get it - or perhaps they do, but they see the new process as an opportunity to spend - who knows.
It will fall to the Mayor and his Audit, Budget and Finance committee to put the jigsaw puzzle together and determine the spending and revenue needs for the future. But we're worried that even if the Mayor were to meaningfully challenge each budget, that the rest of his committee would sooner approve a whopping tax increase and get back to the buffet than tough it out. Here's Randall's piece in the Citizen.
If there was one councillor we'd like removed from office today, it would be Diane Deans. We're getting tired of hearing from her - almost as much as that Minister who has nothing to do with LRT but continues to berate the City's plans on the file. We almost wish that Diane Deans had won that Liberal nomination she desperately sought, so that she could be where she really wants to be - cozied up by the flames of our burning tax dollars with Jim Watson and his crew of flunkies.
Deans might have considered following Jim out to Pembroke last night to chat with a room full of Liberals about what a great job his government has done - and how they're not like the Mike Harris government. Give it up. The Minister would do well to stop blaming a government that has been out of office for years.
Come to think of it, Minister Watson might do well to concentrate on his actual job - perhaps by helping the tornado victims in Vaughan, or the flooded in Hamilton - perhaps the Minister could alter legislation to protect groups who oppose development from SLAPP lawsuits levied against them by developers. Heck, maybe the Minister could help the flood victims in Kanata with the cost of fixing their homes, or at least the costs associated with mending the aging infrastrucure that led to the flood.
Nah ... why do any of the hard work, when you can attend a ribbon-cutting, have a party celebrating 15 years of ribbon-cutting, and then pick a fight with the City of Ottawa to make sure there will be no ribbon to cut for a downtown tunnel .... just one call to Derek Puddicombe and you're there.
With the costs for the first phase of the LRT plan now estimated to be $2.1 billion - it's easy pickings for those who would like to undermine the plan. Diane Deans is quick to throw in her two cents as well - completely undermining confidence in the plan and questioning whether there would ever be funding from other levels of government. Great team spirit, Diane.
Apparently, Larry O'Brien wasn't at Nancy Schepers' announcement and we agree with Sherring that he needs to show leadership on the project and its costs. People are getting worried and losing confidence that the project will go ahead, so it will be up to the Mayor to keep the pieces together and demonstrate to the public that the project is do-able.
Speaking of piecing things together - Randall Denley thinks the new budget process is - well - ridiculous. This is mostly as a result of the councillors who fail to grasp their role. Diane Deans is the "case and point". Instead of "challenging" the staff budget proposals, she's become a champion for them. Instead of scrutinizing the figures, she's become a saleswoman for her particular budget. With other budgets rolling out, we're seeing potential for a giant tax increase next year. This group of councillors doesn't get it - or perhaps they do, but they see the new process as an opportunity to spend - who knows.
It will fall to the Mayor and his Audit, Budget and Finance committee to put the jigsaw puzzle together and determine the spending and revenue needs for the future. But we're worried that even if the Mayor were to meaningfully challenge each budget, that the rest of his committee would sooner approve a whopping tax increase and get back to the buffet than tough it out. Here's Randall's piece in the Citizen.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Update: Fact, not fiction
Unlike the poorly-written tabloid blog, we thought we'd provide some real information.
Today's bridge-dedication was not attended by Mayor Larry O'Brien as he had other engagements (we hear he's working the Lansdowne file). Apparently, the Mayor advised that he would not be there days ago. The OPP's Eric Booth might have been able to provide the facts for those interested ...
The bridges will be dedicated to honour fallen officers of the OPP dating back to the 1920s.
You can still add any comments on this morning's post ...
Today's bridge-dedication was not attended by Mayor Larry O'Brien as he had other engagements (we hear he's working the Lansdowne file). Apparently, the Mayor advised that he would not be there days ago. The OPP's Eric Booth might have been able to provide the facts for those interested ...
The bridges will be dedicated to honour fallen officers of the OPP dating back to the 1920s.
You can still add any comments on this morning's post ...
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