What’s wrong with debt
Is debt important? Does it really matter how much we owe and whether or not we can pay it back? Some readers have suggested recently, and they aren’t alone, that a preoccupation on debt and deficits is a rightwing distraction—that we have obligations to spend money today—whether or not we have that money. Even if […]
Soft ground
Council has certainly found itself in a fine pickle this time. Though not entirely of its own making, Council might have sidestepped the provincially engineered trap a bit more elegantly. Instead its next few meetings are likely to be dominated by residents and developers on a quest for the County’s two points. How it chooses […]
Wizard of Ontario
It was crass and ugly political theatre. It could not have been more bald. Two days before the leaders’ debate in advance of the last Ontario election, three Liberal MPPs—Laurel Broten, Charles Sousa and Donna Cansfield—stood on a stage, their arms raised in triumph. All three were running in ridings around Mississauga amidst a debate […]
Pawns in a larger game
Seventeen of 22 kids in my daughter’s Grade 4 class had signed up to participate in the County cross-country running event next week. She learned Monday the event won’t happen this year—maybe never again. Teachers have withdrawn their participation in the event as part of their union’s dispute with the province. Hundreds of kids across […]
Broken model
For many, Germany is the model for Ontario’s energy future. It has invested heavily in a renewable energy supply. It has built more than 21,000 industrial wind turbines and erected 185,000 acres of solar panels. Combined, they have the potential to produce about 10 per cent of Germany’s electricity’s needs—when the sun shines and the […]
Wake up, Maggie
September is the real New Year. It isn’t cluttered by holidays or solstice celebrations or turkey. The ritual of returning to school over several years imprints upon us profound anticipation, stirrings of anxiety and for some a bit of sadness that lingers throughout our lifetimes. For September is about new beginnings and a fresh start. […]
At the Rubicon
Bad policy gives off a foul odour. The longer it is allowed to fester and decay, the worse it smells. The putrid stench lures vultures and scavengers—those who would profit from the misfortune of others. Nearly a decade after he was first elected as Premier Dalton McGuinty is increasingly being boxed in by bad financial […]
Change is hard
It is a sleepy time on council these days. There are few meetings in the summer and the corridors of Shire Hall do not hum. It remains a bit of an anachronism that the machinery of local government gears down during July and August. There is seemingly plenty to do and, come October or February, […]
Rich bounty
Prince Edward County is truly a special place. While true all the time, it is particularly so this time of year. The tomatoes are ripening, the cucumbers plentiful and even the corn, despite a long dry patch, is proving its resilience in every tasty, sweet kernel. But summer in the County is also when some […]
Not gone yet
Arrogant to the finish, Dalton McGuinty has decided to pick up his ball and go home. He is quitting his job as Premier and taking the opposition’s ability to question and probe his government with him. For he didn’t simply promise to quit on Monday; he also asked the Lieutenant Governor to prorogue the legislature—which […]