There are not too many Ottawa city councillors that are considered team players. As such, it has been more than challenging for our elected representatives to lay out a clear vision for the future of Ottawa. Several are more concerned with their own little fiefdoms than they are with doing what is best for the entire city. Some are Mayor Larry O’Brien fans and others are simply out to do the opposite of anything the mayor says. Most cannot think beyond their own next election date. Otta... Read Full Story

The City of Ottawa’s budget deliberations are getting ready for the annual tug of war. With some people wanting to increase programs and services, the usual bureaucratic response is to increase taxes along with the size of the public service. While it is understandable that no one would want to offer up the resources in their work area for reallocation to more pressing priorities, the bureaucracy of Ottawa cannot keep increasing unchecked. We cannot afford to keep adding to the existing... Read Full Story

The contrasting colours of fall are slowly being replaced by the first snow...long before the water has a chance to freeze. db Comments Read Full Story

I saw an ad in the newspaper recently advertising an upcoming psychic fair. Wouldn’t psychics already know about the fair? Whatever happened to coloured toilet paper?Women’s hair salons should also be dry-cleaning establishments. With the prices they charge women, I think they are already taking them to the cleaner’s.When there is a sign that says “wet paint” why do people want to check if it is wet?(Do you have any one or two liners to add?) dbComments Read Full Story

It is surprising that not more residents in Ontario are objecting to the harmonized sales tax (HST) which comes into effect July, 2010. I applaud the federal NDP reaction that they will try and block the legislation that is needed for Ontario to proceed with the new tax scheme. The HST will increase the taxes people pay in Ontario. While the Ontario Liberal government has indicated that they will offset the tax increase with tax credits etc, the fact remains that Ontario residents will see th... Read Full Story

Over the centuries, organized religion has played an active role, both good and bad, in the lives of many people. While it can be a source of comfort and hope for those that need that type of support, religion has also been at the root of many world problems. Just look around and/or read about it in history books. There’s no need to single out any one religion and while the Muslim religion seems to be in the news in recent years, the other major religions of the world have also had their tim... Read Full Story

Over the past 14 years, Canadians have been required to register their long-guns. The registry was created during a period of national soul-searching following the deaths of 14 women at a university campus in Montreal in 1989. Notwithstanding the original objectives of the long-gun registry program, it was sold to Canadians on the basis that it was only going to cost a few million dollars and that the program would be a lifesaver. A billion dollars plus and 14 years later, the usefulness of t... Read Full Story

Notwithstanding the original objectives of the long-gun registry program, it was sold to Canadians on the basis that it was only going to cost a few million dollars and that the program would be a lifesaver. A billion dollars plus and 14 years later, the usefulness of the program objectives has continued to remain open to discussion. While there still are a few more hurdles to cross, I hope the naysayers will come to conclude that the long-gun registry had been advanced, however well-intended... Read Full Story

The City of Ottawa wants to more than double the waste collection tax. Currently $86, the proposed increase will bring a homeowner’s annual bill to $195. The $109 increase is broken down to $41 for the blue and black box service and $68 for the new green-bin program. Not too many people were prepared to accept that programs marketed as recycling and all those other environmentally-friendly attention grabbers would end up costing more. Just when we were starting to get over the grumbling... Read Full Story

Ottawa city councillor Alex Cullen, also known as the self-appointed champion of the underdog and crusader of unaffordable and unrealistic social policies, is now advocating more socialistic bureaucracy. Cullen is behind the move to have licensing for anyone wanting to rent an apartment. Tenants already have access to the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board to deal with problems and creating another level of red tape serves no useful purpose other than to create more problems for landlords. As ... Read Full Story