Hit the road Jack

Once again one of Jack Grover's rentals is involved in a fire death. Whether he was aware of a fire alarm being dismantled or not, he rented bedrooms furnished with hotplates which was in breach of conditions as the rooms were to be rented for sleeping quarters only with no cooking allowed (SP jan. 13/12.) Given his history I would have hoped that spot inspections would have been done to ensure he was complying with the condition.

This tradegy brings to the forefront the rental problems in this city. I was more than surprised to read that tenants were paying $450 a month for a bedroom with a hot plate and bar fridge. I suspect the maze of bedrooms was not kept in pristine condition. Grover would have pulled in $4,000 a month on these bedrooms alone plus whatever he received for the main floor suites. That should be more than sufficient revenue to properly maintain and operate this building.

How do you put a man like Grover out of the rental business? Sending him to jail simply means he hires someone to manage the properties while taxpayers pay for his keep. I just don't understand the greed that drives men like Grover.

Stay healthy

After reading in this mornings paper (SP Jan. 12/12) the Conference Board of Canada's forecast for our continued growth, I read the article on hospitals and patient care. While I followed with interest the development of the city's infrastructure and amenities, it didn't cross my mind that our medicare services were not keeping pace with our population growth.

With the exception of City Hospital, our two other facilities are antiquated and in need of major repairs and up-grades. Although the province is trying to get a handle on patient wait lists, it will still need to deal with the old facilities and issues around staffing. I hope they won't wait until we hit the wall.

Spoon fed pap

The Library Board had best not cancel its late return fines policy because it is going to take a lot of quarters to pay a more than $50 million dollar debt. I give credit to library director, Zenon Zuzak, for his honesty in stating the planned budget of $50 million will probably be higher given current market constructions prices (SP Jan. 11/12.)

While it's true the city has doubled in size since the construction of the current central library in 1966, it should also be mentioned that in that era branch libraries in new neighbourhoods were not the norm. Nor did we have online booking and e-books.

What I hate most is the spoon feeding of these announcements. First we had the library survey to let us know about the user rate of the library. Today its having the library take the police station property and soon to follow will be City Hall taking the central library space to expand its growing operations. Couldn't we just get the whole package laid out with a price tag attached?

It is time to remember that come 2013 we will have debt of $310 million on major projects before we add on the library, relocation of the bus barns and city yards, City Hall expansion, transit mall, roadway rehabilitation and, and, and . . .when does this end?

Bottoms up!

No wonder the job of House of Commons Speaker is a stiff competition. Not only do you get a residence and chauffeur, you get to choose the scotch you will drink and serve over your term (SP Jan. 10/12.)

This relatively new tradition, adopted from Britain in 2003 by retired Speaker Peter Milliken, is a pretty nice perk if you are a scotch drinker - and I will assume if your not a scotch drinker when you started in office, you will be when you leave.

To the credit of current Speaker, Andrew Scheer, he didn't go for the cheap stuff or the most expensive libation. And he did do the selection democratically by inviting House members to a tasting and let them cast a vote.

Apparently House Members can buy this gift, and get is signed by the Speaker, for a mere $75 a bottle. Not knowing the liquor board price for this scotch, I want to assume that price includes the heavy tax placed on booze. He also states the initiative is a full cost recovery, save for the nominal label costs, and that House Members buy it out of pocket - although I'm not sure whose pocket he's talking about.

I don't expect to receive this gift bottle from my MP, or to be invited to the Speaker's residence for a nip. I'll just watch for snoozing MPs and figure out for myself who is on the guest list.

Only in Ottawa.

Blown away

I admit I was blown away with the news report (SP Jan. 7/12) that the wind turbine project was to be put on hold - even more so for the reason that the project was coming in over budget. I can't think of one other project that got cancelled for that reason. This is what I like about election years - politicians become more cognizant of voter opinions.

What is most irksome is that the City spent $500,000 before coming to this juncture. The budget for the project would have been developed during the consulting process. And the only bid on the project came from the company that did much of the consulting work. You would think this company would have known the prices and advised accordingly while billing for the advice.

Perhaps its face-saving, but to have the folks from Saskatoon Light and Power maintain that they still believe that the landfill is best location for a wind turbine, despite the expert report from the Research Council saying the site was marginal, has to make me question the wisdom of this administrative advice.

There is more blowing in this project than wind.

Never a borrower or a lender be

I was pleased to read the province introduced the Payday Loans Act. I admit to not being a big supporter of pawn shops, money marts and the like, but I have come to understand for those in desperate need they are a necessity.

I have a special distaste for pawn shops. While on Council, at the request of the police, the operations of these businesses was reviewed. Police found that too many stolen articles were being sold through these shops. I toured many of them and became horribly depressed when seeing kids' toys and bikes had been pawned for pennies. I couldn't wrap my head around how anyone could be so desperate for $5 or $10 that they would sell off toys.

I also discovered that a big market was construction workers pawning their tools for the weekend and then looking to employers for salary advances so they could redeem them for work the following week.

I'm not sure that posting the fees through large signage so customers can shop around will make any difference. I was led to believe that once a relationship is established between the business and it's customer, the customer is pretty much hooked. And anyone that desperate for money probably isn't shopping for best rates - only quick cash.

Although 23 per cent still seems outrageous, I would guess anything lower than that would see some of these businesses reducing service. Then again, many credit card companies charge far higher rates and get away with it.

Maybe money is the root of all evil.

The race is on

We welcome the new year with Mayor Atch's announcement that he will seek re-election in the 2012 civic election. No great surprise. Given the lack of interest in the position I suspect it will be much like the provincial election with a foregone conclusion.

The provincial economy is booming. Even Mother Nature has lined up in support - there will be a budget surplus in snow clearing and removal.

It would appear that the only issue we have is affordable housing. The solution to that problem is developing another 10,000 housing lots. The fact that lots are priced on average at $150,000 each is not a concern. Why? Because we are not in a boom time - this is our new norm. The good times are here to stay.

If for no other reason than optimism, Don will carry the year ahead.