Happy Birthday Jesus!

This is a clip from a Christmas episode of "Community", titled "Regional holiday Music".

The cast does this episode as a parody of "Glee!". I especially like the line from the song "Happy Birthday Jesus!", which talks of how Public Schools teach children not to pray.
 

Choir:
There's a magic in the air around us
We all have the sudden urge to bake
It feels like a very special birthday
but whose name should be written on the cake?

We asked our public school to give the answer
but they could only teach us not to pray.
The Constitution says the state can't tell us:
Was anyone important born today?

Shirley: Jesus Christ!
Choir: Jesus Christ!
Shirley: Jesus Christ is Lord!
Choir: Jesus Christ!

Shirley: Happy birthday, Jesus
Choir: Happy birthday
Shirley: Cut the cake, cut the cake now
Cut the cake, my Lord

Merry Christmas, from Joe
 

Misleading Pricing

Went to Briwood this morning, and was pleased to see that they have local blueberries for sale.

According to the sign, a picture for which I have attached, the price is $2.99 a pint.

After I was rang through the till with all of my other purchase, and I was on my way out of the store, I saw on my receipt that I was charged $3.49 for the blueberries. I asked why this was. Well, apparently the blueberries are $3.49 a pint. The price was hidden below the stand of Certo products. I asked for my money back, and returned the blueberries. I brought this to the attention of Brian, who said the sign placement was an accident.

Well, it most likely was an accident, but the sign placement was very misleading.

At the store where I work, if an item is priced lower on the shelf than what is rang through the till, we give the customer the product at the price on the sign. We then change the price on the sign to the correct amount.

Briwood continues to be the best place in St. Thomas to purchase quality local produce, and also hard-to-find European products. While this incident was frustrating, their overall service and excellent fresh produce make Briwood one of the best places to shop in St. Thomas.

One way to reduce the cost of St. Thomas Police Services

With fuel prices continuing to rise, St. Thomas Police services should be doing their part to help.

St. Thomas Police Officers should spend part of their time patrolling city streets on foot. Having officers walk such streets as Edward, Balaclava, Centre, Elm and Wellington, to name just a few, on a daily basis, would allow the community to see that Police are out and about, and would allow the Police to better know the community, and the community to better know the Police.

I know of several people who would like to talk with Police about incidents that are occurring on their street, but are unable or unwilling to do so, after being told by the Police that the Police are “too busy”.

With the continuing increase in fuel and maintenance of Police vehicles, having some Police officers patrolling on foot would reduce the amount of fuel consumed by Police cars, and reduce the maintenance necessary on these vehicles. This would allow the Police to become “greener” from an environmental standpoint.

While many Police vehicles are out and about on city streets, many Police vehicles sit idling in plaza or business parking lots for an extended amount of time.

I realize that in some situations this is necessary, for example, at the intersection of Woodworth and Edward, where Police often sit in wait for people who ignore the stop signs at this dangerous intersection.

In other instances, Police will sit in their vehicles in other lots from between 30 minutes to 60 minutes, with their vehicle idling. During these times, fuel is consumed, costing the taxpayers of the City of St. Thomas.

I feel that these suggestions would better both the St. Thomas Police Services, and the St. Thomas community, allowing for better co-operation, understanding, and cost savings.

Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman has her eyes open

The St. Thomas Times-Journal titled their article “Police Headquarters Project Remains in Limbo.”

For those who think that the taxpayers of St. Thomas have $19 Million dollars burning a whole in their pockets, let me bring you up to speed.

Many of the taxpayers of St. Thomas, who have not lost their jobs, have not seen their wages increase. In many instances, these taxpayers have had to take a decrease in their pay.

They are having a difficult enough time making ends meet. How can you expect them to pay more property taxes for a new Police Services Building, when they do not have the money?

In the article, Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman is quoted as saying “A lot has changed in the five years since we went down the path....Maybe that's what we need to do is get some cost estimates on some of the other stuff that could happen on that site,"

As the Mayor says, the Ontario Court of Justice is planning to move out in 2014.

What is to become of the current building that houses Police Services and the Ontario Court of Justice? Will it become another vacant building, up for sale, along with so many other empty buildings in St. Thomas?

If it was a perfect world, a new Police Services Building should be constructed. Until we have a perfect world, we are going to have to make due with what we have.

If it is going to cost more than $25 million dollars to renovate the present building for Police Services, then yes, build a new Police Services Building. A new building will no doubt go over budget anyways, probably near the $25 million dollar mark.

City Council and Police Services have a money tree growing in their collective back yard. That money tree is called the taxpayer. Due to abuse by those in Municipal Government who have been forcing it to bear fruit prematurely, that money tree is dying.

Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman has her eyes open, thank goodness, and realizes this, and wants to make sure that the taxpayer pays what they can afford, not what they can’t afford.

The rest of them do not necessarily have their eyes closed, but are blinded to the economic reality of our situation.

Joe Caverly

Start the cost-cutting with MPP's

To my understanding, the base salary of an MPP in Ontario is $116,000, more if they are in cabinet or on a committee.

Presently, MPP’s receive 10% of their salary each year which goes into a locked-in retirement account (LIRA).

So, with a base salary of $116,000, which is paid for with taxpayer money, an additional $11,600 of taxpayer money goes into a LIRA for the MPP.

I was not able to put aside $11,600, or anywhere near 10%, of my after-tax income into a retirement plan this year. Of the people that I know, they were not able to do this either.

I was reading the Drummond Report, but did not see the elimination of the LIRA for MPP’s as one of the cost-cutting measures.

It would seem that anything involving the financial security of MPP’s is not considered being worthy of elimination.

The first thing the Government of Ontario needs to start reducing is their own wages and benefits.

Please take a moment to forward this message onto others, your MPP, and especially the Premier of Ontario.

You can contact Jeff Yurek, the MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London at http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=7174

You can contact the Premier of Ontario at https://correspondence.premier.gov.on.ca/en/feedback/default.aspx

Joe Caverly

St. Thomas Police Services ‘Adequacy Standards’

On page 3 of the St. Thomas Police Service - Needs Assessment & Concept Plan Project Status Report, it says;

“Staffing growth is anticipated to be substantially higher than the population growth – an ongoing increase in the police-to-population ratio is consistent with national and international trends over the past few decades. Many factors have contributed to this, including the ‘Adequacy Standards’ included in the Police Services Act.”

Who has created these ‘Adequacy Standards’ included in the Police Services Act, in which the number of staff in Police Services increases the police-to-population ratio?

Well, according to (http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/police_serv/about/about.html) it is the Ontario Government.

Perhaps St. Thomas should consider downsizing the staff in its Police Services, so that the present building will continue to be adequate for Police Services needs. This will minimize the cost to the taxpayer, helping to alleviate the tax burden from those in our community who have to make due with what they have, as the result of job losses and little or no wage increases.

St. Thomas Police Services should get a lottery license

Just as the St. Thomas Elgin-General Hospital has a foundation to raise money to help our hospital (http://www.granddraw.ca), so too should the St. Thomas Police Services, to help cover the $19 million cost of a new building for themselves. That way, those who can give more may do so, helping to alleviate the tax burden from those in our community who have to make due with what they have, as the result of job losses and little or no wage increases.

15 Minutes or it's free

At the St. Thomas Transit Open House at City Hall on August 11, one of my recommendations was to give an incentive to transit riders by making a rule where if the bus is 15 minutes (or more) late for their stop, the ride is free.

Today, I had to take St. Thomas Transit for my journey to and from the St. Thomas Elgin-General Hospital.

The odds were quite good that the bus would be at least 15 minutes late, due to the detour on First Ave., and the detour on Fifth Ave.

Alas, had their been a "15 minutes or it's free" rule in effect today, I would not have received a free ride, for the bus was only 14 minutes late. Yes, I timed it.

14 minutes behind schedule is not a good thing, but considering the detours the Hospital bus had to make, it was understandable.

If my suggestion were to be implemented, just how many free rides would St. Thomas Transit have to give out?

Well, let's see. St. Thomas Transit operates from Monday to Saturday, which is six days a week. That's 312 days per year (I know, some are holidays, but this is just a rough estimate).

If St. Thomas Transit were to have a 99% on-time schedule, it would only be behind schedule for a total of 3.12 days per year.

Buses break down, accidents happen, which would probably account for about 3.12 days per year.

As St. Thomas Transit now has an extra bus available, if a bus on route were to have a break down or accident, that spare bus could be dispatched to the transfer point to keep the buses on schedule.

It will be interesting to see what is presented before Council in regards to the future of St. Thomas Transit. I am looking forward to continued improvements for St. Thomas Transit.

Joe

Transit Open House

I went to the Transit Open House at City Hall last evening (Thursday), where I discussed some issues with Mr. Edward Soldo, Manager of Operations and Compliance, Environmental Services.

I was very disappointed that a certain councilor, and other City staff, were so loud and obnoxious that Mr. Soldo, myself, and another transit rider, had to go out into the hall, just so that we could hear each other talk.

I left the meeting feeling positive about the future of St. Thomas Transit, although the painfully slow, bureaucratic process is very frustrating.

Joe

First Ave. Railway Bridge

I took this video this evening of the First Ave. Railway Bridge, or the last parts of it, coming down.

The rails that brought prosperity to St. Thomas are gone, with not much of a trace of that prosperity remaining these days.

Joe

Changes To St. Thomas Public Transit

Raising the cost of a monthly bus pass to $65.00 will not pay the bills.

The City of St. Thomas obviously believes in charity. Either that, or they do not want a Public Transit System.

Costs continue to rise for the fuel, maintenance, registration and wages to operate this city’s Public Transit System.

Now, how can the cost of these increases be covered by increasing the monthly bus pass by only $5.00?

According to the CAA, the cost to operate a vehicle in Ontario is approx. $10,000 a year, depending on the vehicle you own, which translates to approx. $833 per month.

It costs about $115 a month just for insurance on your vehicle.

Thus, $65.00 a month for a bus pass is inappropriate. Realistically, an adult bus pass should be at least $90.00 per month. Individual cash fares should also increase to at least $3.75, and tickets to $3.00.

As a cost-cutting measure, eliminate Para-Transit. Since Para-Transit riders are now taking the Public Transit Buses, why do we even need the Para-Transit system any more?

Can everyone afford these increased fares? No, not everyone can afford these fare increases, but the bills have to be paid, and they will come out of our taxes regardless.

Many people can no longer afford to operate two vehicles. Asking a person for $90.00 per month for a reliable Public Transit System is still a bargain.

Domestic violence advocacy bias

From http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Domestic+violence+advocacy+bias/4935081/story.html

Re: Women And Domestic Violence, letter to the editor, June 9.

This letter's writers (seven women who run women's shelters) are not being totally honest with your readers. More than one-third of partners injured in domestic disputes are men, and at least a quarter of partners who are murdered are men. Yet there are no shelters and victims' services for men.

These numbers would undoubtedly be closer to equality if the legal system treated male and female victims equally. Women who stalk men are rarely charged, and women who commit sexual assault are never charged -even if they admit kneeing or stabbing a man in the groin area. Women who kill men are usually found to have been justified, or not guilty by reason of a mental disorder.

Women fear violence more than men mainly because their fears are constantly being stoked by those whose livelihoods depend upon it. It is long past time to end the cycle of bias in domestic violence advocacy.

Grant A. Brown, Edmonton.

The high price of gasoline

The U.S. futures regulator on Tuesday sued two veteran oil traders and their employers, the Arcadia and Parnon Energy firms, charging they booked US$50-million in profits by manipulating oil prices in 2008. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused traders at Parnon Energy Inc and Arcadia Energy Suisse SA of carrying out a cross-market trading scheme between January and April of 2008 involving accumulation and sell-off of a substantial position in physical crude oil to manipulate futures prices. Parnon and Arcadia are owned by Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen. The CFTC said James Dyer and Nick Wildgoose -former BP senior traders -directed the manipulative trading scheme. The complaint is among the agency's biggest charges of wrongdoing in energy markets.

From Page FP3 of the Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Financial Post

St. Thomas Air Show

I told the person in charge of the St. Thomas Air Show today that I would not be attending, since they will not allow anyone to drive their vehicles to the air show this year.

Instead, they will have "shuttle buses" coming to and from the St. Thomas Airport.

It seems that "safety" trumps practicality. So be it.

Since "safety" seems to be the big thing, I think it best that they stop having an Air Show at the St. Thomas Airport, since Air Shows are potentially dangerous.

St. Thomas Transit

For the first time in many years, I have not purchased a monthly bus pass.

As St. Thomas Transit has become an unreliable method of transportation, it has been necessary for me to find an alternate, more reliable form of transportation.

This is not the fault of AboutTown transit, or employees of AboutTown, but it is the fault of the bureaucracy at City Hall.

Many people depend on St. Thomas Transit for transportation to and from work.

It has become physically impossible for some buses to complete their route in a 30 minute time period, due to traffic and “equality”.

My suggestions to improve service “will be considered” for the future.

While I hope to be around in the future, I am in the now, and require a reliable method of public transportation.

St. Thomas, at this time, does not have a reliable method of public transportation.

RCMP Watch - Who Is Keeping Them Accountable?

Visit http://www.rcmpwatch.com/ for many articles where the RCMP believe that they are 100% correct, and the public is 100% wrong.

Elgin CAS

Eleven Children's Aid Societies took unprecedented action Tuesday in London, asking a court to order the province to pay tens of millions of dollars they say is needed to keep their doors open. - London Free Press, 2010/05/05

The Elgin CAS is one of these groups.

We, as a society, can no longer afford to keep maintaining the vast number of social services, including CAS. There is no money tree growing in the back yard of the Ontario Legislature. All the money, and I mean ALL of the money, for ALL social service programs come from the taxpayer, NOT the Government.

You cannot get water from a dry well. When you go to your wallet, and it is empty, how do you spend what you do not have? Do you use your credit card? Well, that's what the Government is doing, that's why, as a Province, and as a country, we are going deeper into debt.

Who is paying for this court challenge? We, the taxpayer, are paying for this court challenge.

Every social service agency thinks that they are the most important agency. The more nanny laws we create, the more bureaucracy, and debt, we create for ourselves.

Another Scam?

There seems to be quite a few people these days, who are soliciting businesses for door prizes. These door prizes are to be used for Stag and Does.

The targets seem to be stores that are operated as franchises.

When did this tradition start to ask for donations for private parties, from complete strangers?

To those who have the nerve to ask the owner of a franchise, be it a restaurant, grocery store, etc., for a door prize for a Stag and Doe, please be advised that many owners are not rich tycoons, and are barely scraping by, and having a difficult time of even keeping their businesses operating.

For some of these people, they seem to have no problem contacting the head office of a franchise, to complain that the owner did not give them a door prize for their Stag and Doe. They word their complaint as if they are the victims, and the franchise owner is a mean, evil person, for not providing a door prize for their Stag and Doe.

How does the owner know that you are indeed having a Stag and Doe? You did not provide any proof, just your word. How would YOU feel if someone came up to you, and asked YOU to donate a door prize to a Stag and Doe, someone you have never met before?

So, the next time that you decide on asking a business for a door prize for a Stag and Doe, put yourself in the business owners place, and see if you would donate a door prize for a Stag and Doe to someone you do not know, who provides no identification, and no proof that you are indeed having a Stag and Doe.

Scam artists are many these days. Think about it.

Attention liberals: Not all your critics are religious extremists

This is a quote from an article in the National Post, Page A21, April 29, 2010;

"Maybe it makes liberals feel better to write off opponents as religious nuts. That way they don't have to give serious thought to any opinions that differ from their own. It's a lot easier on the brain, and leaves more time for listening to talk radio."

The article was written by Kelly McParland.

Trashy Situation

I took this photo at 10:43 this morning.

It is a picture of the over-flowing garbage in a bus shelter at the Wal-Mart transfer point in St. Thomas, Ontario.

I have called City Hall on this in the past, but the answer is always that they only have enough money to empty the garbage once a week.

Well, if City Hall cannot empty the garbage more than once a week, can they at least provide larger garbage pails?

I have contacted Alderman Chapman, and she is going to see what can be done about this.