Mixed Priorities

The Mistress is currently out of town and will be returning to her blog Tuesday. Today we have another guest blogger:

I was surprised to see the wide reaction of Councillors in today's Star Phoenix (Councillors discuss Mendel's future) when it came to discussing the Mendel. Of particular shock was when Randy Donhauer mentioned the desire to keep it a public building. This is especially surprising due to the budget cuts being bandied about by Council. If the minutest of spending on services is being evaluated in terms of saving tax dollars, why on earth is the same not being done for the Mendel? I understand the "desire" to maintain the building as a public facility, but when the city is in such a financial crunch why is this of a top concern? Even more appalling is when Donhauer says they could rent it out as private office space for top dollar and have it rented out tomorrow. Excuse me? The City is, by all accounts, stretched to max in terms of financing and spending, are actively seeking on hand to cut spending on programs that impact those with the most needs (ie. ending subsidized bus passes) while on the other hand turning away 'top dollar' for renting a City owned facility because they prefer have it operated by a public organization.

The reason of Councillors on this topic is tough to grasp. They are turning away a potential opportunity to have the facility significantly reduce it's burden on the city finances, while at the same time potentially saving other programs from the chopping block. Even more discouraging is the lack of public organizations willing to step up to the Mendel, with two withdrawing their proposals due to already high rent rates/renovation costs.

City is broke, city owns a facility that will have no tenant, city is able to rent that facility out for 'top dollar' rent, city is choosing not to that but to (likely) increase operating costs and reserve the space for a public programming organization (while at the same time telling residents cuts are needed to public programming due to finances).....am I missing something here?

I guess the conundrum for Saskatonians is what further programming and services cuts will have to me made so that Council can keep their preference of having the Mendel building occupied by public programming.

No consequences

I think students sending text messages while in class is equivalent to passing notes. You know if you do it and get caught chances are that note will be shared. And if you are caught doing anything that remotely smacks of illegal activity, chances are school officials will intervene.

In today's SP (Aug. 11/11) grandparents are suing the Saskatchewan Rivers school division for intercepting a student text message that related to auto theft. The school officials called in city police and put the matter in their hands.

Now the school division and the teacher are being sued for their actions. The grandparents seem more interested in the actions of the school officials than the activities of the kid. How sad.

Cash will be king

Yikes! I'm starting to think that anyone who has any money left should be purchasing a mattress with deep pockets. Watching the volatility of the markets after the downgrade of the USA government credit rating from its triple A standing to double A is just scary.

Although a downgrade in our city's rating would not affect the markets, I hope our Council is watching as to the reaction of lenders to a downgrade. Then again, I understand that the formula for setting the credit rating is going to change which might prevent such downgrades. But debt is debt.

Parked

The residents of Corman Park have just spent $33,000.00 to find out what they already knew - their local government is dysfunctional. I can't recall when the next elections are for the rural municipalities, but after this term they all get four years. Its a long time when your government isn't working effectively for you.

Perhaps its time to look a recall legislation in this province.

I've got a nose for garbage

It would seem that garbage is going to be the wrap-up focus for this Council. In Saturday's SP (Aug. 6/11) it was reported that a recommendation going to Council was for a 25% increase in the fees for those 2,400 households that signed up and paid for garden waste pick-up. I am one of those households.

I purchased a garden waste bin from the city and paid my annual fee, over and above the taxes I currently pay to cover garbage pick-up. It is all compost material that doesn't end up in a plastic bag in the landfill. Rather than encourage citizens in this direction, we will be penalized with an increased fee. Hardly an incentive to participate in the program.

There was also mention of starting a household waste compost bin to be collected separately but it was unclear as to whether or not there will be an additional fee for this service. If this comes to be I'm not sure what I should do with the composter I also purchased from the city earlier on.

This is over and above the fees I will also pay for recycling pick-up.

Supposedly this would leave little garbage left for the regular bin and thus require a bi-weekly pick-up year round, and I assume extend the life of the landfill and save money.

But what about the cost of having trucks operated by city employees driving around on all these pick-ups?

It also assumes that all citizens are going to be cooperative in sorting their garbage and running a variety of bins to the front street for scheduled pick-ups.

Garden waste pick-up come bi-weekly. The stench that wafts out of that bin when we are nearing pick-up day could knock you out. I can't imagine the odour that will emit from household compost waste.

But I'm already holding my nose from the stench that is seeping from this report.

Wednesday's Blog

The Mistress is unavailable for blogging today. We're hoping she will be up and writing again as early as tomorrow.

In the meantime, what are the thoughts on the recent revelation that the NDP interim leader was a card carrying member of a separatist party? Is this a big deal? little deal? No deal at all?

I for one find it weird that a separatist would be the leader of a nationalist party? Whatever one's motives for joining an organization (or political party) they should be aware of the perception. Should Turmel be labelled a separatist for being a card carrying Bloc? Probably no more than Brad Wall being labelled an heir apparent of Grant Devine by virtue of being a ministerial assistant during the Devine government.

In the end, this is probably no big deal and should be looked at for what it is: The NDP trying to appease it's Quebec base, nominating an interim leader that serves their party's interests rather than those of Canadians. So much for all that election rhetoric.

The Mistress' helper

New revenue stream

Certainly having police and fire cruising the river looking for drunks and monitoring safe use of water craft is a good thing (SP Aug. 2/11.) But I was taken by the comments of fireman Len Protz when he stated that the river is safe to be on again and he was disappointed that there weren't more people on the river.

I find this strange since there is a sign on the riverbank behind the Rawlco Station saying it was against a city bylaw to swim in the river.

So if you are on a Seadoo, boat, canoe, kayak or any other vessel and you fall in, don't swim!