How do Ontarians feel about helping our social service problems in Hamilton?

Letters - Apr 04, 2008

After reading about Hamilton's last minute reprieve respecting the Dalton McGuinty government's decision to give Hamilton a $12 million grant to cover this city's "social services" deficit for the fifth year in a row, and, seven if you count the two times the previous Progressive Conservative government gave Hamilton a similar hand-out instead of a hand up, it leaves me wondering why this problem has persisted so long without a remedy?

As this "grant" was outside the province's budget process and not included in the hundreds of budget papers posted on the Ministry of Finance's web site, I'm left wondering what's wrong with Hamilton's "social services" or why no other municipality in Ontario has a "social service" deficit requiring a $multi-million hand-out like Hamilton always does?

Is it the actual social services mandated by the province that are in deficit or is it the financial cost of "delivering" these services that are in a deficit position?

How was this deficit created in the first place, by providing social services that aren't mandated by the Province and paid for by the local taxpayers?

Is it fair to all those taxpayers in other municipalities in Ontario, that don't have social service deficits like Hamilton's, have to chip-in their hard-earned provincial tax dollars to cover the cost of social services in Hamilton?

Only a line by line accounting of the documents given to the province that prompted Dwight Duncan, the Finance Minister, to give Hamilton millions in return will get to the root cause of Hamilton's "social service" plight so that it can finally be "fixed" so the clients who receive these social services are better served.

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In association with: Street Advisor Consulting.

Justice is missing

Re "Three times their son's killer had his trial on another slaying delayed ..." (March 23) and the plight of the Coward family: I'm outraged at the injustice and I tip my hat to Mark Bonokoski for rooting out what's wrong with Ontario's justice system and its courts. If this isn't a stark wakeup call for the Dalton McGuinty government to lead, what is?

We all know justice must be seen to be done, but dragging this family hundreds of miles back and forth, and the less than forthright apologies served up by the province's victim services staff is an outrage. Where's the accountability to the victim and his surviving family?

Government heads should roll but won't, thanks to an attorney general, Michael Bryant, who seems to prefer to govern through YouTube, espousing "all is well ... in the town of Caledonia." Just look to Caledonia to see what a failure of leadership looks like.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

(Add this injustice to the massive pile)
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In association with: Street Advisor Consulting.

MCGUINTY LIBERAL BUDGET HAS ONTARIO’S ECONOMY HURTLINGDOWN THE WRONG TRACK: TORY

Dalton McGuinty’s fifth budget is a missed opportunity, as it provides no relief from the high taxing, heavy regulating policies that have Ontario’s economy speeding down the wrong track.

Dalton McGuinty has ignored the warning signs. He would rather see jobs continue to leave Ontario because of his high taxing, heavy regulating policies than admit that he is wrong. Dalton McGuinty has Ontario’s economy on the wrong track and Ontario families are paying a huge price.

The 2008 McGuinty Liberal Budget continues to lead Ontario’s economy in the wrong direction. Even though the McGuinty Liberals had unexpected revenues of over $5 billion dollars, they still were unable accelerate the elimination of the job killing capital tax, provide some real business tax relief, provide some tax relief for Ontario families, decrease strangling regulations on businesses and come up with a real plan to invest in our energy sector.

There is evidence of Ontario’s decline in every financial and economic indicator. Ontario is losing ground to virtually every province in Canada, who regardless of political stripe have taken significant steps to reduce business taxes. With this budget Dalton McGuinty has said that all these other governments are all wrong and he is right. He has refused to change his course of action.

Why?

Ontario is blessed with smart hardworking people, tremendous resources and an incredible location. We should be leading the country, not trailing it.

Several glaring indicators that show Ontario’s economy is on the wrong track:

• Ontario has the least competitive business tax structure in all of Canada;

• Ontario has lost over 194,000 manufacturing jobs since 2004;

• Ontario’s unemployment rate was above the national average;

• All five major chartered banks in Canada ranked Ontario ninth of ten provinces in terms of economic growth;

• Since 2003, Ontario has lost a total of 71,804 people to other provinces and recorded consistently negative inter-provincial migration.

Ontario’s economy is on the wrong track. There is nothing in this budget that will get the economy going again and save jobs that are disappearing at an alarming rate. Canada’s economic engine is stalling, but Dalton McGuinty seems to think a one-time trip to the car wash will get it going.

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In association with: Street Advisor Consulting.

Wits on the Hill write memoirs for our leaders

With all the depressing things going on in the world (like Tibet) it's nice to see that there are still a few grins to be shared by all, no matter your political stripe.

As to Dion my favourite is this one.

"Assume the Dion voting position: Fetal."

And there will be two "second hand" fiddles, one to the left of Dion and one to the right.

How long before the knives come out, one front stabbing Dion while the other stabs him in the back.

One thing for sure, Stephane Dion will never, ever be prime minister of Canada, and neither will the other two who covet the job, or used to until Dion bought his way to the top with swing delegates instead of going face to face with the electorate at the ballot box so we could ultimately decide.

At least we can take comfort in the fact the Finance Minister understands Ontario's plight under the tutelage of the Dalton McGuinty Liberals who are sitting on $700 million in "surplus".

Theses are funds that should never have been collected from hard working Ontarians in the first place.

Meanwhile, Ontario's businesses are forced to foot the bill, since they pay higher taxes than citizens do on top of that.

Ontario businesses need to get a hand up, not a hand out so if Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's tax reduction plan for businesses was mirrored by the Dalton McGuinty Liberals, Ontario’s failing manufacturing communities, big and small, would be given the breathing room they need to survive.

No wonder the Finance Minister is miffed at Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty since other more responsible provinces have taken the Finance Ministers tax cutting advice and are thriving like no tomorrow, today.

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In association with: Street Advisor Consulting.

Obama Speech: 'A More Perfect Union'

Cadman controversy 'red herring of the century,' says letter-writer

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In association with: Street Advisor Consulting.

Fiery words part of council's venting

They didn't push and they didn't shove each other, at least not physically. But once the committee meeting was over, the two councillors dropped the strained politeness they had maintained during the debate and went at it openly and with a will.

Standing by the coat rack, a visibly angry Brad Clark accused Terry Whitehead of spreading the rumour that it was he, Clark, who was responsible for leaking a private e-mail exchange among councillors to The Spectator.

That's the leak involving messages from Whitehead and Scott Duvall concerning the handling of the Dave Mitchell controversy.That's the leak that may see the city auditing future BlackBerry messages.Clark firmly denies he was the leaker.

But rumours have been flying for days and Whitehead had certainly dropped a heavy hint to that effect in my direction.But to Clark's face, Whitehead scornfully denied fingering him.The fuming Clark was having none of it.

"Give me a break, Terry," he called out, insisting other councillors had informed him Whitehead was going around blaming him."Name names," Whitehead shot back.Heads swivelled. Clark boomed out, "Just because you don't respect confidences doesn't mean I won't."

Meanwhile, at the other end of the room, after reading a self-serving statement that tried to portray himself as a victim instead of a disgraced elected official, Mitchell was scuttling away, refusing to answer questions.What a fitting end to a volatile meeting that had Whitehead calling his unnamed leaker "gutless," accusing the person of sowing division and mistrust, and demanding an apology.

In response, Clark derisively dismissed the efforts of Whitehead and Duvall to track down the source of the leak as worthy of the "Hardy Boys," an unprofessional exercise in unsubstantiated finger-pointing that was itself the wellspring of mistrust.

The debate oscillated between the kind of tension and comedy that make Hamilton politics the best show in town.While some councillors listened stone faced, others mugged and grinned. Chad Collins jokingly indicated Tom Jackson was the leaker. Jackson pantomimed shocked innocence.

Into this volatile mix waded Mitchell.The allegation that Mitchell had tried to improperly influence a council vote on his own property came to light because an unknown whistleblower believed the public's right to know trumped rules of confidentiality.

But, neither addressing the allegation nor the fact council censured him for it, Mitchell ignored his own conduct to criticize those who break the rules governing confidential information.

Expanding his blame-shifting, the unrepentant Mitchell also took a swipe at Mayor Fred Eisenberger.Mitchell claimed that on the night he was censured, the mayor told him to go home, thus denying him a chance to speak in his own defence and leaving him to find out about the censure in the next day's paper.

Eisenberger strongly disputed that account. He insisted he told Mitchell that he didn't see any value in him sticking around, but the call was Mitchell's to make.

The mayor also said he personally called Mitchell late that night to tell him what council decided. When it was over, when Mitchell and Clark and Whitehead and all the rest had gone their separate ways, Eisenberger stood alone, coolly trying to pick up and make sense of the pieces. Yes, Eisenberger said, things are a little tense these days. All this leak stuff is getting under people's skin. Then again, let's not forget who we're dealing with.

"We're not going to have a bunch of choirboys walking around, soft-shoeing all the time," Eisenberger said."I think it's fair to say that from time to time these things get vented, sometimes in view of the public, sometimes not."Thankfully, between the news media and whistleblowers, both avenues are covered.

Andrew Dreschel's commentary appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

adreschel@thespec.com 905-526-3495

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In association with: Street Advisor Consulting