Friday, October 31, 2008

A Towering Project....

Here's an interesting project http://www.stratfordtowers.ca/ and I'm sure there may be a few meetings in Stratford before we'll see this one built... I like the design but what will others think?

Johnny B Goode... you have to know when to shake..

My buddy Johnny called me today to rub it in that he was right...but he could have had my house... he was pounding his chest the last 10 days touting Gail was a lock for Fisheries Minister... so I laid a large number on him.... but "no shakie"... "no takie"... as good a candidate as Gail is I just didn't believe she'd get anything bigger than a junior post and I was a little suspect of that... I guess I really didn't believe that Harper would come through with supporting a female from Atlantic Canada so I have to give him credit... and I don't think he made a mistake, as it's been my experience, that Gail is a solid, sincere, hard working individual and I'm sure she will be a great appointment for PEI... Johnny Boy I was wrong and you should have taken the bet...I don't want you sulking around thinking about what you could have had, so here's your second chance on the blue team... you take Toronto and I'll stick with the red team and I'll let you pick the number but don't forget to shake.. Ouch! .... Congratulations Gail and best of luck in the new post..
P.E.I. gets voice at cabinet table
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
Egmont MP Gail Shea is now the federal minister of Fisheries and Oceans.She was sworn into Stephen Harper’s cabinet in an official ceremony in Ottawa Thursday. Shea, a former provincial cabinet minister, is the first woman to ever hold this title in parliamentary history. But it’s not the only first in Shea’s political career to date. She was also the first woman to become Transportation minister on P.E.I. and was the first Conservative MP elected on the Island in almost 25 years. Prior to Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony in Ottawa, it was widely expected Shea would garner a cabinet post if she won the Egmont riding in western P.E.I. She ended up winning the riding over Liberal candidate Keith Milligan twice — by 63 votes on election day and by 55 votes in a judicial recount last week.As a federal rookie, Shea’s post as minister of Fisheries and Oceans is a major coup for the Tignish native. But with her family’s background in fisheries on P.E.I., Shea will likely bring some personal experience to the cabinet table.“I do have seven years as a provincial cabinet minister and it may have been scary when I was first elected back in 2000, but it’s not scary anymore,’’ she said after being sworn into cabinet Thursday. “And I’m sure Islanders are happy today.’’ Premier Robert Ghiz extended warm congratulations to Shea in her new role as Fisheries minister. “It’s a good role for Prince Edward Island, and I think it was Prince Edward Island’s turn with regards to becoming minister of Fisheries,’’ Ghiz said.But there are a number of local issues in fisheries she will likely be asked to look into in the immediate future, Ghiz said.“Whether it (is) seiners, a lobster buyback program, increased quotas or small craft harbours, I know minister Shea will be busy but we’ll be looking forward to working with her on those important issues.” Shea’s new position will indeed be busy — and tough, said Liberal Malpeque MP Wayne Easter. “It’s a major portfolio, but it’s a very difficult file,’’ he said.Easter once worked as parliamentary secretary under a former Fisheries minister and said she will be dealing with a wide variety of tenuous issues. “There is so many competing interests and there’s different issues in central Canada, there’s the northern fisheries, there’s the West Coast fisheries which are structured very differently from the East Coast fisheries,’’ Easter said. “So it is a difficult portfolio, but we’ll help push her along.” Easter said he will be looking for Shea to follow through on her election promises, including a restoration of the Summerside racetrack. But as the minister responsible for P.E.I., Easter hopes Shea will also work for the struggling agriculture industry on the Island. Overall, Shea will likely have an uphill battle ahead of her, but some Islanders were just plain happy to see her recognized in federal cabinet. Opposition Leader Olive Crane was beaming with pride when she heard about Shea’s appointment. “She’s got lots of knowledge and skill and experience,” Crane said. “She deserves to be a cabinet minister just based on her own credentials.” “And being a minister from Prince Edward Island nationally? You couldn’t do any better, I’m just extremely proud of her.” Shea’s strong work ethic and amiable personality will help her get a lot done in her new portfolio, Crane added. “She’s got determination and she will really work hard for Atlantic Canada and nationally for the fisheries.’’

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

YIKES...they're robbing us blind...

We have all heard the expression “rob someone blind”, this idiom may allude to robbing a blind beggar, who cannot see that the cup collecting donations is being emptied. This also sums up how IRAC see and treat the average Islanders…. It's hard to believe that these overpaid appointees at IRAC just don't get it... consumers want discounts and they will take it any way they can get it... Islanders are tired of the IRAC crowd always coming down on the little guy... It wouldn't surprise me if they roll over and give Maritime Electric more than the 7 1/2% increase in rates they are asking for.... they wanted the rate increase because of the high cost of oil but now the price of oil is down by 50% and even lower than it was last year....but I'm sure IRAC are gullible enough to believe Maritime Electric that they are "entitled" to raise their rates..... believe me that these IRAC guys will figure some way of allowing a rate increase. If the Premier doesn't do something soon about IRAC, at the very least he should change their name and slogan to YIKES.... "here come the hikes"...
Cash discounts nixed at gas bar: IRAC
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
CBC News
Wilsons Fuel on P.E.I. has been told by the provincial regulator to stop giving a two-cent-a-litre discount to consumers who pay cash for gasoline.
The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission was responding to complaints that the discount at the Summerside gas bar meant Wilsons was charging less than the regulated minimum price for gas.
Doug MacDonald, area manager for Wilsons Fuels, said he saw the offer as being similar to incentives offered at other gas stations: like Petro Points at Petro-Canada, Esso Extra Points at Esso or the annual rebate at Co-op. He said the discount is a charge that would otherwise go to the credit card company.
"In our business, whenever a customer comes in and pays with their credit card for fuel, the credit card charges back two per cent," said MacDonald.
"What we're trying to do is offer that money back to the customer, so we're saying give us cash and we'll rebate you back what you would have paid to the credit card company."
But in a ruling this week, IRAC disagreed that the cash discount is in the same category as other incentive programs and ordered a stop. Legislation allows incentives, but not direct cash discounts.
MacDonald said he will now have to find another way to offer his customers a discount.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Mitch .... someone please find him a job....

Mitch, did you ever think about what the impact of your "public" grand standing and fear mongering does to the potential new comers looking to locate in Charlottetown. The Province is trying to lure health professionals here, businesses are trying to entice professionals to transfer here, immigrants are considering investing here, post secondary students are considering our schools, etc, etc.... but they aren't going to come here if we scare their families away.... if you think there is a problem at Colonel Gray then it's probably time to collect the facts by speaking to all the stakeholders before you start trying to solve it in the media.... maybe you could get all the stakeholders and some collective minds at City Hall (including the police) behind closed doors. If you all agree there is a problem then develop a strategy and implement it....but putting a cop in the school is insulting at any level… shooting your mouth off in public without the facts and without the views of other stakeholders just creates a negative stigma about our Community that may or may not be actually as bad as you believe... don't scare people away from our City with your grandstanding.... and don't accuse all the students at Colonel Gray because of a few bad apples... surely you must be able to find some other "silly" thing to get you name in the newspaper rather than insulting our students.... please someone find Mitch a real job to keep him busy and away from the public...
Charlottetown school needs police: councillor
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
CBC News
A Charlottetown city councillor wants to see a police officer permanently assigned to Colonel Gray High School.
Coun. Mitch Tweel told CBC News on Monday he's getting calls from people in the neighbourhood around the school who are complaining about illegal activity off school property. Students are loitering in the nearby church parking lot, and there are reports some of them are using drugs.
"The time has come for a strategy to be put in place so these safety and security issues are met head-on," said Tweel.
"You can't do that one day a week, you can't do it one day a month."
Tweel is calling for a six-month pilot project, but officials at the Eastern School District are not convinced.
Superintendent Sandy MacDonald agrees there should be an increased police presence, but disagrees officers are required in the hallways.
"What we do need is policing the parking lots from time to time, certainly the properties that are adjacent to our schools," said MacDonald.
"Assigning a police officer to patrol the school, the hallways and such, I don't know that's necessary on a daily basis."
Some students interviewed at the school by CBC News, however, agreed with Tweel that the situation is getting out of hand, saying there are too many drugs at the school.
"A lot of people have drugs and stuff in their locker … [a police presence] would help," said one student.
Tweel and MacDonald plan to meet with police and staff at Colonel Gray within the next couple weeks to discuss how best to increase security.

Bad News For Red Team....but the wife's happy...

Frank's officially out of the race and that could be bad news for the Liberal Party. Everyone was holding back announcing their candidacy because there were some great rumours circulating that Frank was seriously considering taking a run for it and "others" chances might not be that good with Frank in the race. But my guess is that in the end it really boiled down to what his "bride" said. I can't blame her for putting her foot down. After the many years staying at home, raising a family, while he was in politics and then experience the good fortune of Frank's recent pursuits (not the least of jet setting around) and it would be pretty had to go back to the thankless job of politics. I can just imagine telling my "bride" that I was going to give up all the "stress and personal slanders" of my business and head back to a life of golf. Once she figured out it would mean less money and me around the house more, I'd probably be "told" exactly (like Frank) what my future would be. It's back to work boys with my marching orders, someone got to do it.....
McKenna rejects Liberal leadership bid
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Rebuilding the federal Liberals and restoring the party to a majority government will take more time than he’s ready to give, Frank McKenna said Tuesday. The 60-year-old former New Brunswick premier formally ruled himself out of the leadership race to replace Stephen Dion. “The challenge of winning the leadership, restoring the health of the Liberal party and returning a Liberal majority government requires a longer time commitment than I am prepared to make,” McKenna said in a news release. “There will be an ample number of well-qualified candidates to do this important work.” McKenna has twice been touted in Liberal circles as the heir apparent to the party throne. But Canada’s former ambassador to the United States declined to run in the 2006 race that elected Dion as a dark horse choice from a wide field. Now, despite a widespread draft-McKenna movement, he’s declining again. “Although I have been deeply moved by expressions of support for me from across the country, I have not been persuaded to change my long-standing resolve to exit public life for good,” he said. The only declared candidate is New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, the son of former governor general Romeo LeBlanc. Several others, including former deputy prime minister John Manley, have said they are putting out feelers before making a decision on running.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Holy Cow Batman...we've got a crime to solve..

Someone took off with.. $400,000.00 of taxpayer's money, a real "who" done it, and it sure seems like a crime to me... Alfred, quick get the Batmobile.... I think Catwoman is on the loose...

Really, it is quite intriguing and there are a lot of questions that have to be answered....
1. Since when does the Tourism Department start handing out loans?
2. Who approved the loan?
3. Who exactly where the Directors of the Company and who were the guarantors?
4. What experience did the promoters have as "concert promoters"?
5. Was there an actual business plan or was it "just those girls" looking for a party?

I'm sure it all started out quite innocent and probably with good intentions but so does a visit to your bank to discuss a loan but at some point the banker wants to see a business plan, an appraisal and some security, coupled with your guarantee before you get the dough!!! But when it is taxpayer's dough surely someone must be responsible?

Robin we may have to call out "The Justice League" to solve this caper before Catwoman gets away with it....


Here's the Guardian story and have a look at the comments following the article; http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=183646&sc=98

Guardian Bang On.... a failing grade..

Back in February the Guardian had an editorial on Tourism which pointed out that our Government was using our Tourism Department to help someone get a PhD and the Editor summed it with these final comments... "Well, tourism is too important for P.E.I. to be treated like a lab rat." and I concur and after the complete failure of the Alanis Morissette festival "experiment" the pupil should be sent back to school before she loses us taxpayers more money.... a big fat "F"... have a good look at the last paragraph of the Guardian's Editorial that follows..

GUARDIAN EDITORIAL
09/02/08
Is change in the wind for tourism?
The Guardian
Moderation seems to be a foreign word for Tourism Minister Valerie Docherty and her deputy Melissa MacEachern. They were criticized last year for inaction in the tourism sector. In their defence, the marketing plan for 2007 was already in place when the new government took power last June but as the months progressed, there wasn’t a whole lot new coming from the department. Or so we thought. Then the bombshell dropped this week that government was considering handing over the department to a Crown corporation, catching everyone by surprise, including more than 300 employees in the Department of Tourism and the union that represents them. This seems to have been poorly handled. And it has spawned the expected reaction. The union was so upset at not being consulted and at Docherty’s comments about getting the “best people” in the right places, it called for an apology and immediate clarification of government’s intentions. The Opposition, instead of looking at any merits of the plan, immediately arrived at the worst-case scenario, suggesting that all seasonal workers would be fired and replaced by Liberal supporters. Besides creating a disservice by causing undue concern for those workers, is the Opposition suggesting that those employees are all supporters of the previous government and were hired for that reason? That, in itself, would be an embarrassing admission. Another question is, why did the province create Tourism P.E.I. as a Crown corporation in 1998? It still exists today but has never been put to use. If the Opposition is saying a Crown corporation is a step backwards, why did it create Tourism P.E.I. when it was the government? Government should give a full explanation of why it’s considering the Crown corporation idea. Tourism has endured a rocky period this decade. There was a slight improvement in visitations in 2007 — of between two and three per cent — but getting back to those heady days just after the opening of the Confederation Bridge is going to take a lot of work. For the department to proceed along the present path would mean the status quo is acceptable. It’s not.We have assurances nothing will happen in the Department of Tourism this year. But change is imminent because the four government golf courses are officially for sale, as are all Rodd hotel and resort properties. It’s important to remember that moving tourism to a Crown corporation is very much just a proposal. There are clear statements from both Docherty and MacEachern that the province will consult widely with the tourism industry before making a final decision and there will be no changes made for the 2008 tourism season. The industry stakeholders must ensure they hold them to that promise. Don Cudmore of the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I., is taking a wait-and-see attitude. “It may not be that bad,’’ said Cudmore. The industry wants what is best and is seeking more information. It’s an attitude the Opposition should also take instead of adding to the hysteria. Docherty and MacEachern have turned this ‘Gentle Island’ on its heels. It’s now an Island in turmoil with angry waves washing ashore. MacEachern said she is doing her PhD in tourism and one of the things she’s looking at is what are the best practices in tourism development and management around the world. Well, tourism is too important for P.E.I. to be treated like a lab rat.
The Editor

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Shuffle The Deck..."NOW"... Mr. Premier...

The Premier has no options left, it's time for a major shakeup.... another $400,000 out the window.... add on the $1,500,000.00 for the "Big Break" another "Legend's Decision"... add on the $2,380,000.00 loss this year at Golf Links.... "taxpayers money going up in smoke" ....I could go on and on, but I might say what's on my mind, so I'll come back to this subject after I have a nice morning at the "market" and hopefully a nice score at golf this afternoon. Hopefully I'll be calmed down ..... HOUSTON WE GOT A "MAJOR" PROBLEM. Heads have to roll...Here are a couple of my previous posts on the subject...
http://timbanks.ca/2008_09_01_archive.html

Music festival loses province its $300,000 stake
The Guardian
By Teresa Wright
The Guardian
A provincial loan of $300,000 given to promoters of the recent Alanis Morissette concert in Alexandra is now a 'jagged little pill' the province will have to swallow. The province learned a few days ago it shouldn't expect this loan to be paid back due to the poor attendance and high costs of the concert, said Deputy Tourism Minister Melissa MacEachern. The $300,000 was a 45-day term loan granted by the province to help promoters pay up-front costs to the acts. It wasn't part of the original deal that saw $100,000 of provincial money given toward the concert as a grant. But when the time came for the promoters to pay the acts, cash was required, MacEachern said.“We supported a bridge financing of which in the last few days we've determined that $300,000 would not be repaid.” This loss wasn't something foreseen, she said. But the department sees it as an investment made in trying to expand the Island's shoulder season tourism numbers.“Our job is to stimulate the economy, and we do all kinds of things and we use all kinds of different strategies to do that,” she said. At the time, they were looking at one of the lowest numbers ever for July in Confederation Bridge traffic and the department was getting pressure from operators to do more to boost tourism for September. “Concerts were something the industry supported and were looking for, so we were entertaining a number of different options at the time and this was one that panned out — or didn't pan out, depending on your perspective.” Final numbers are still being compiled to determine if the concert did in fact increase tourism. Some off-Island traffic was recorded, but not nearly the amount that was anticipated, MacEachern said. The only positive was that it taught the department some lessons, she added. One lesson learned is that if the province were to invest in another concert, they now believe mid-September is too late. "There were a lot of key learnings out of it that were good and bad, but was it worth the risk? Probably yes, it always is if you're going to learn from it and we certainly have." Despite the total loss amounting to $400,000 of Island taxpayers' dollars, MacEachern said taking these kinds of risks to stimulate the economy is the 'the reality of what (government) does.'" We did take a calculated risk. It didn't go the way it was planned. Concert business is a very risky business - it can go extraordinarily well or it can fail," she said. The tourism department is now in the process of developing a concert investment strategy that will work with the Tourism Advisory Council to deal with these kinds of issues for the future.MacEachern said the department hasn't yet determined if it will work again with promoter Mark Carr-Rowlitt in the future. The Guardian made several attempts to reach Carr-Rowlitt for comment. The calls were not returned.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Good Move Premier...let's hope it happens here

Great to see people like the Premier of Nova Scotia stepping up and recognizing the importance of development in his Province. Bottom line here was the Developer was prepared to compromise with his proposed development within a reasonable level but the Heritage Don't Get Ahead Gang just wouldn't compromise or listen to any reason. Wouldn't it be nice if our Premier would step in and help Developers try and manage their way through our City Hall. Some Examples....MacArthur's Appliances tried to build a new apartment building on a properly zoned lot in Parkdale and when some local residents didn't "like the idea" Charlottetown City Hall butted in and wouldn't issue a permit. The Developer went to court and won an order to proceed as he "had a right to build" but by this time the market conditions and interest rate had passed him by and I would suggest he lost about three hundred thousand dollars of real cash through delays and over a Million dollars in opportunity because City Council stepped out of bounds on their authority.... Now right before our own eyes Council is trying to stop a Trailer Park Owner from developing "HIS" land because a few of "HIS" tenants are whining that they have no place to go and the simple truth it is "HIS" land not the City's and it is properly zoned for what he wants to do with it and that is a owners fundamental right to do whatever he wants to do with it.... a local developer was trying to develop a beautiful waterfront development that included residential units and a new yacht club and the City Team drove him away with their antics of trying to stop something before it got started as the City continued to try and enforce their "own made up rules" that suit what they perceive are issues as opposed to just working with the developer within the current rules..... THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF EVERYDAY INTERVENTION BY THE CITY THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE and this is when the our Premier should step in and strip away some of their authority so people can go forward abiding by the rules and develop some much needed jobs, investment, choice and tax base for our Community.
Premier may give spurned developer second chance
By DAVID JACKSON and AMY PUGSLEY FRASER
Staff Reporters, Chronicle Herald
Thu. Oct 23rd
Premier Rodney MacDonald is trying to overturn Halifax regional council's recent rejection of a development in the downtown. Mr. MacDonald said growth in the downtown area is important for both Halifax and Nova Scotia as a whole, so he's directed staff to find a way to make the Armour Group's proposed Waterside Centre happen. "It's our intention to do everything we can to see this development move forward," the premier said after a cabinet meeting this morning. Mr. MacDonald didn't talk about specific options, but said officials were looking at regulations and legislation. If legislation is necessary, Mr. MacDonald's minority government would need opposition support to get it passed in the legislature. MLAs start the fall session next week.Council voted 9-9 on the propsal Tuesday. The tie vote meant council rejected the project.The new council — which will be sworn in Nov. 4 — would not be permitted to vote on Waterside Centre. Under council procedure, "only members of council present for the entire public hearing are permitted to vote. "That's why several members of the current council — including Linda Mosher (Purcell's Cove-Armdale), who missed both nights of public input — were not eligible. The mayor was allowed to vote but left chambers before it was held. He told reporters afterward that he had a previously scheduled family commitment he could not break. The project would have unified six old buildings bordered by Upper Water, Duke and Hollis streets, retained their facades and put a six-storey office structure on top of them. Mr. MacDonald said he didn't like the fact a project that could generate millions went down in a tie vote, and one by a council that didn't include new members from last Saturday's municipal election." We have a situation where financial service companies and others (are) wanting to come to Halifax. We have growth opportunities, we have multi-million dollars of investment (wanting) to come here to Halifax, to come to Nova Scotia," Mr. MacDonald said."We're sending the wrong message to the business community, we're sending the wrong message if we want to see growth in our economy." Halifax city hall is not anti-development, says Mayor Peter Kelly. "There are six projects in the books and there's nothing holding them back — only the willingness of the developer to move forward," Mr. Kelly said. Each of the developments can "start today," he said, listing off projects like ECL's (Empire) 22-storey class-A office building at the north end of the Granville Mall and Centennial Properties’ five-storey hotel and 142-unit residential building at the foot of Salter Street. "We are more than open for business and I think that the amount of approvals that have been done in the downtown in the last few years certainly prove that we are," he said. "However, it's not carte blanche and (those decisions) are ones that we take very seriously in terms of our overall responsibility to the heritage component as well. "The mayor says he welcomes the premier's input and his willingness to speak." But I hope he's also open to bringing resources -- either monetary or land-based -- to the table that may be able to help find resolve with this particular situation."

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hurray Mary Jean...great work..

Again and Again the Irving’s continue to support our Island. They invest here and they are always at the forefront of new developments and investments here on PEI and in Atlantic Canada. They do a lot of things behind the scenes and over the years they have made substantial donations on PEI like the generous one Mary Jean presented today. They employ thousands of Islanders and pay many millions in taxes year in and year out. What really annoys me is reading this story and seeing a comment from the captain of the "don't get ahead gang" anonymously shooting his face off about the Irving’s... but not brave enough to use his own name. I get a little tired of people shooting down anybody going forward particularly the Irving’s and it's been my experience most of these naysayers usually can't get out of their own way and have never really done anything to improve our Community. Congratulations Mary Jean your donation means a lot to real Islanders....
Mammography unit donated to Charlottetown hospital
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
CBC News
Mary Jean Irving presented the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation with a donation of $750,000 on Tuesday for the purchase of a new digital mammography unit.
While the contribution was made on behalf of her company, Master Packaging, Irving said the donation was personal. In 2005 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and told she only had months to live.
She received extensive treatment in Boston, and now that she's healthy again, she said she wants her hometown to be able to offer the same level of care.
Irving's donation, paired with the Charlottetown hospital's fundraising efforts over the last year, means the QEH now has enough money to replace both of its existing mammography units. The two current units use film; one is nine years old and the other is eight.
Machines breaking down
Head of radiology Dr. Kim Hender said both units are in desperate need of replacement. The older machine has been breaking down regularly and is reaching the point where it can no longer be repaired.
The mammography procedure for patients will not change with the new units, but the pictures won't have to be developed and so will be available more quickly, and it will be easier to move them around for specialists to read.
The new machines are due to arrive in four to six months.

Please Keith, give it up....save your money...

This story can't get any funnier until you read some of the CBC reader comments after the story so I may as well add my thoughts....
Will someone please take Keith aside and tell him it's all over but the crying.... when Keith worked against me in Montague I lost by 5 votes and three of the voters that got ballots that day had been dead for over a year, but you didn't see me looking for a recount... I couldn't have anyway as my good friend John Broderick quickly took it upon himself, without any authority, to destroy all the records..... life's not fair Keith but we're both losers and we have to make the best of it... and what's now best for PEI is Gail Shea with a potential shot at Cabinet so why rock the boat... gee, I don't think Keith and I will make the Senate anytime soon...
Dead person voted, Milligan alleges
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
CBC News
Records show a dead person voted in last week's federal election, Liberal candidate Keith Milligan states in his affidavit asking for a recount in the western P.E.I. riding of Egmont.
Milligan lost the count on election night to Conservative Gail Shea by just 62 votes, the closest result in a federal election on P.E.I. since the Second World War. He has asked for a judicial recount, which will begin Thursday in Summerside.
In a sworn affidavit filed with the P.E.I. Supreme Court Milligan alleges a number of irregularities. He said some people who live out of province were allowed to vote in Egmont when they didn't qualify, and that some potential voters were turned away because they didn't have the proper identification, while others without identification were allowed to vote.
It's up to the presiding judge to decide whether to proceed with a manual recount of all the ballots. Milligan will have to pay costs unless the recount alters the outcome of the vote.

NEWS FLASH....Morrell, PEI....

News out of Jonesy's Restaurant in Morrell today is that Larry McGuire is considering taking a run at the Federal Liberal Leadership to be held this spring... apparently he's now mad at Dion because Stephane wouldn't help Larry fight Lawrence during the most recent campaign... sure makes sense to me. I sure hope they invite him to the debates as he will be entertaining if nothing else... Good Luck Larry!

Monday, October 20, 2008

No Justin Here...but how about me..

Here we go again but this time before liberals make a commitment they should wait until they see who is in the race. It should also be made easier this time to be a delegate and if so it might be easier to build a stronger National party. My guess is Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff are well underway with their campaigns but will have trouble getting past the post as Liberals are looking for some fresh blood. A few people like Gerard Kennedy and Martha Hall Findlay are probably accessing the situation but more than likely will have trouble raising the money so I doubt if we'll see them. There will be a big push for Frank McKenna and there will be lots of money behind him but there will be some questions about his French so we’ll have to wait and see. Speaking of French I'm sure Justin Trudeau will have a lot of media pressure on him to run but very little Liberal support as he has too little experience, but in the end I'll bet he won't run. There is a good chance that Dominic LeBlanc will take a run at it and if Frank doesn't go then Dominic will be a solid candidate that will do well. John Manley will certainly give it some consideration but for some reason I doubt if he'll give it a shot at this time. Others like Ujjal Dosanjh, Martin Cauchon, David McGuinty, Denis Coderre are probably considering it and may run but they wouldn't make it past the second ballot. For my part I'm hoping to support someone from the Atlantic Provinces even if I have to run myself….just kidding! In any event it will be exciting times for Liberals and I'm hoping everyone will be pleased with the outcome. Mr. Dion as usual did a very noble thing for the Party and I'm sure he is going to play a big part on how we go forward...
Dion says he’ll resign as Liberal leader
The Canadian Press
Stephane Dion says he will resign as Liberal leader, clearing the way for a leadership contest as the party struggles to recover from an election battering. Dion announced Monday that he will step down when party members elect a new chief, likely in May. The news comes less than a week after the party’s worst electoral showing since Confederation — a defeat Dion blames on Conservative money and misinformation. “On the election itself and our disappointing result, I fully accept my share of the responsibility,” Dion told a news conference. “The centrepiece of the Liberal platform was an income-tax cut — one of the largest cuts in Canadian history — all in the interest of fighting the climate-change crisis ... Yet the Conservatives were able, because of a massive financial advantage, to distort this policy into a tax increase.” Dion said the Liberal party must modernize its fundraising efforts and do what it can to ensure the next leader doesn’t fall victim to the Tory propaganda machine. “We must learn quickly from this experience and move on. The search for a new Liberal leader will be part of the process of renewing our party but it clearly will not, in itself, be sufficient. “We have to look beyond the issue of leadership to understand what happened in the recent campaign. And we must be willing to face up to uncomfortable realities — inconvenient truths, as perhaps some might call them — and begin to fix our problems so that we can, I hope and I am confident, form a Liberal government again for Canadians.” Dion is only the second Liberal leader in history to fail to became prime minister, joining Edward Blake who led the party in the 1880s. The once-mighty, self-described “natural governing party” is now likely to turn a previously scheduled policy convention, booked for May in Vancouver, into a leadership convention. The contest is almost certain to become another showdown between deputy leader Michael Ignatieff and former Ontario NDP premier Bob Rae. They were the front-runners in the 2006 contest but so polarized the race that Dion was able to come up the middle to score a stunning come-from-behind victory. Both men, former university roommates, have kept their leadership machines warmed up and began quietly revving up their engines immediately after last Tuesday’s election. The Liberals were reduced to 76 seats, down from 103 in 2006. They captured just 26.2 per cent of the popular vote — two points less than the party’s disastrous showing under John Turner in 1984 and only four points ahead of its worst-ever showing in 1867. Liberals who fear another polarizing clash of titans are casting about for alternatives, including former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna and former deputy prime minister John Manley. Liberals close to McKenna say he’s very unlikely to take the plunge, but Manley has been coy about his intentions. Two other contenders from the 2006 contest could take another stab at the top job: former Ontario cabinet minister Gerard Kennedy, the kingmaker who ensured Dion’s victory; and Toronto MP Martha Hall Findlay, who ran last in 2006. Other possible contenders include: New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, Montreal MP Denis Coderre, Ottawa MP David McGuinty, and Vancouver MP Ujjal Dosanjh. Liberal insiders have said Dion was bitterly disappointed by the election results. He and some of his tiny band of loyal supporters believed he deserved a second chance to reverse Liberal fortunes. But Dion was forced to accept that he simply could not win a mandatory, party-wide vote of confidence in his leadership, the results of which would have been announced at the May convention. He had neither the strong base of support nor the money required to win a leadership review campaign.

Great Event for PEI...keep it running..

Great work there Myrtle... these are the type of events the Province's Tourism Department can continue to support as it reinforces our healthy PEI lifestyles and brings real visitors here. Much better than rock concerts..... Seems this event grows every year but I see that a couple of my buddies "the two sisters" haven't run since 2004 and I'm pretty sure the heavy weights have figured out that one of their wives would beat "the snot out of them" so this is probably why they have given up.... she has continued to perform every year with a very impressive record... in fact I had a little $20. on her against my Premier and after filling her up with a little pasta dinner Saturday night I'm now able to collect.... in defence of the Premier, his time was great and I didn't see any other politicians even close to his time... an unnamed Ch'town stock broker said, “at least the Premier was brave enough to give it a try much more than I can say for his much "heavier" friends...” Great job there to everyone who was involved…. great race Liz and maybe the "boys" could take up bowling...
Islanders, visitors nurse aches after biggest P.E.I. Marathon
STEPHEN BRUN
The Guardian
Ice packs and sore legs may be in store for many Islanders and some visitors today. Over 1,600 runners converged on P.E.I. over the weekend to take part in the BMO Nesbitt Burns P.E.I. Marathon, with many more on hand to cheer them on. Event co-ordinator Myrtle Jenkins-Smith said she plans on taking a bit of time before thinking about what next year’s event will hold, but is pleased every year with how far the marathon has come. “It’s amazing to see the growth. To go from 173 to over 1,600 is massive growth and we couldn’t do it without the many sponsors that we have and the volunteers are all amazing. We have over 275 volunteers on the course today,’’ she said. Five years ago, local businessmen Danny Murphy and George Fisher revamped the marathon that had been run on the Island for a couple of decades, hoping to make it a world-class event. Organizers saw double the expected amount of 400 participants for the first year. The numbers — both in participation and in economic spin-offs — have grown every year since. “We had several restaurants tell us they didn’t have any seats available (Saturday) night, so that’s a good thing. People were asking us all day what was open, and there are a lot of people here,’’ said Jenkins-Smith. “When you look at every province, 12 states and international participants from as a far away as Amsterdam and Great Britain — they’re here for a holiday. It’s really terrific that they’re coming here and spending time and staying in hotels.’’ The weekend kicked off on Saturday with the Kids Spud Run at the Charlottetown Driving Park and Entertainment Centre. Over 300 children and their parents came out to run a lap around the CDPEC racetrack, for the free, safe and fun family event. “It was a lot of fun and I got some prizes,’’ said nine-year-old Payton Brown at the Spud Run. She and her parents, Eric and Karen, moved to P.E.I. from Texas two years ago. Brown bettered her time of about 12 minutes from last year, she said. “I run cross-country and sometimes I go for a jog with my dad. I beat my time by eight minutes.’’ The Spud Run is sponsored by the P.E.I. Potato Board, with the goal of mixing the Island’s best-known product with a day of exercise, said the board’s general manager Bob Harding. “It’s an awesome turnout,’’ said Harding. “What better way to start off the marathon weekend. It’s great for us to tie in potatoes with another healthy activity for kids.’’ Sunday’s marathon began at 9 a.m., with full marathon runners and corporate teams starting at the P.E.I. National Park in Brackley before winding 42.2 kilometres into Charlottetown by way of the Confederation Trail. Corporate and eight-member teams participating on Sunday included runners from Parks Canada, BMO Nesbitt Burns, Ocean 100 and K-Rock, and the UPEI school of business. Crossfit P.E.I.’s corporate team entry was the first to cross the finish line in that event, but team member Dave Whitty said a marathon isn’t the type of running the training centre normally does. “We never run. We do a lot of weight training and cardio, but the most we ever run is probably 400 metres,’’ he laughed. “We’re a training group and some of us have been training together since January and (a) few others have joined along the way.’’ The fastest runner of the day was Mike MacKinnon of Miscouche, who ran the full marathon in 2:39:28, a personal best. Jen Nicholson of Cornwall was the fastest female runner, finishing at 2:56:35. In addition to the full marathon, participants could also run a 21-km half-marathon and walk or run a 10-km track which all started at Province House in Charlottetown. Thousands of spectators also followed the runners’ progress, along with several musical acts to energize the marathoners along the way. “I couldn’t believe how many people were out there, it was really incredible,’’ said Jenkins-Smith. “I think it’s really great that we have a lot of people from off-Island to bring in a fan base and we have our corporate team which brought out a lot of people along the route. Every category was up in terms of participants, and where people are coming from really is amazing.’’

Sale in asile 1 .... coming soon..

Back in May I posted a note when Linens' US operation went into bankruptcy and I was hoping the Canadian operation would succeed but unfortunately it appears the Canadian operations is going to close as well. There was talk that Bed, Bath and Beyond were looking at the Canadian operations but I suspect with the slowing economy they are probably pulling back. I don't think this will mean the Charlottetown store will close anytime soon but expect some major Clearance Sales and more likely a possibility that the Charlottetown store will be taken over by a competitor as I understand it was doing quite well. Let's hope that is the case for the staff's sake...
Linens 'n Things files for bankruptcy protection
Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:10pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Canadian subsidiary of Linens 'n Things has filed for bankruptcy protection in Canada, the retailer said in a statement on Sunday.
It said Linens 'n Things Canada Corp (Linens Canada) expects to appear in court in Canada in the coming week to seek approval under the Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
Canadian subsidiaries were not part of the company's voluntary filing for protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code on May 2.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Come Clean With The Golf Numbers....

Message to Miss Golf Minister, the 4 Provincial courses are now closed and it should only take a few minutes to figure out the numbers and I'm betting they are really, really bad.... Ask your people what the green fee revenue was in 2007 and have them take a couple of hours and they should be able to give you the 2008 green fee figures and then you'll know it's time to live up to your Premiers commitment and sell, sell, sell... the truth is these courses are costing taxpayers millions of dollars every year and getting worst... I'm going to make a prediction that the Golf Links folks and your Staff are going to fudge around the numbers by taking the debt expense (over $10,000,000.00 that your Government wrote off) off last year’s operating expenses and try to tell us naive taxpayers that the courses did better this year. How many free rounds did you give away... What I don't understand is where are those roving reporters who listened to the Premier when he was in Opposition pounding the desk... "sell, sell, sell.." and now when nothing is happening they're hiding behind the desk... Where are the left over Binn's Crowd (our Opposition) who forked over about $12,000,000.00 of taxpayers’ money to buy "Dumb-darave"... are they keeping quiet because they know "Dumb-darave" wouldn't fetch a quarter of what they paid for it... I smell a Minister losing their Car and a Public Inquiry coming... sell, sell, sell before it's too late...

Keith, it's all over... hang up the skates!

I'm pretty sure that Bobby Morrissey had an inkling that there was something afoot in Egmont and no matter how many times you count it the bottom line is Gail Shea is the WINNER. Unfortunately Keith, it's all over and no big cheque from Ottawa. Keith's been in PEI politics long enough to know that there is not much chance of winning a recount so why put yourself through the aggravation. It's time to hang up the skates...
Judicial recount to be held in P.E.I. riding of Egmont

Saturday, October 18, 2008
CBC News
There will be a judicial recount of votes cast in Prince Edward Island's federal riding of Egmont.
Conservative Gail Shea won the hotly contested race in the western P.E.I. riding in last Tuesday's election, beating Liberal Keith Milligan by just 62 votes.
Elections Canada on Friday said the recount, requested by Milligan, will begin on Thursday in Summerside and be conducted by a P.E.I. Supreme Court justice.
Judicial recounts have also been ordered for the riding of Vancouver South, where incumbent Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh won by 33 votes over Conservative candidate Wai Young, and in Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo, where Conservative Peter Braid's margin of victory over Liberal Andrew Telegdi was cut to 48 votes during a validation count.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Gas 92.9 cents a litre...but not here..

Yes sir everyone... .93 cents a litre but not here only in Ontario where it is NOT REGULATED... Come on guys, celebrate the big blue win and give Islanders a break and lower the prices...Oil is nearly half price and we haven't seen anything other than you guys protecting the big oil companies. The Big Oil Companies have had a good run of it over the past 5 years and now it's time for the little guy. Think of all the Islanders that are scratching by on about a quarter of what you guys are making and give them a break. And while you're at it can you please put a big stop to those electricity price increases. When you think about it, it's Island taxpayers that are paying you guys the "big bucks" so why don't you think about looking after them... I'd almost bet if we wound up IRAC we'd all be far better off.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Larry the Loser...and then some..

Larry McGuire, here's a guy who believes he was wronged by Premier Ghiz so he tries to take it out on the Liberal Party of PEI by running as an independent in the last Provincial election where he loses handily. For some strange reason he had expected Lawrence MacAulay should support him on this foolish quest and when that didn't happen he decided to "get back" at Lawrence by running against him in the Federal election. During this election he did everything he could to embarrass Lawrence and the Federal Liberals, in the debates and on the doorsteps, but as it turns out he didn't shake a single vote away from Lawrence MacAulay. If you compare the results to the last Federal election you will see that Larry only garnered 5% of the vote which is exactly what the Tory candidate's percentage of vote should have increased from the previous election if you followed the 2008 trend but instead the Tory candidate was down. In other words the only support Larry had was a bunch of Tory votes that wanted to try and create an appearance of dissatisfied among Liberals which surely wasn't the case. After the results were in the Tory Candidate went to Lawrence's to congratulate him and the Green candidate gave him a call but not a single peep out of Larry the Loser. It must be pretty embarrassing for the well respected McGuire Family to have to watch the antics of Larry especially after all the things Lawrence has done for Larry and his family over the years... Sleazy, Slimy, Slippery comes to mind but "Loser" sums it up best...

Bang on George...too much name calling..

I was watching the House of Commons on TV one evening when my youngest boy piped up and asked what everyone was "whining about" and with all the name calling, yelling, clapping and screeching going on I couldn't remember... but I remember him walking away mumbling something to the tune of "they sound like a bunch of babies"... I can't say one party is any better than another but I do believe our representatives whoever they are should show a little more respect for our Parliamentary system and get away from the name calling, etc... there's enough of that going around by folks like myself ... so when you see your local MP it certainly wouldn't hurt to tell them how you feel about this..
Negative ads, Commons bickering keeping voters away: former MP
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
Despite the millions of dollars spent on election ads, voters turned out in record low numbers for this federal election. Only 59 per cent of Canadians bothered to cast a ballot this time around. Even voters on P.E.I., who usually garner higher turnout rates than the rest of the country, dropped this year. P.E.I. did have the highest voter turnout in Canada at about 69 per cent. But this represents a drop of 5.48 per cent from the 2006 general election turnout. George Henderson, who represented the Egmont riding for the Liberals from 1980 to 1988, believes Islanders are turning out in fewer numbers because of the confusion and negativity pushed on them by political parties. “I think it turned people off,’’ he said.“The campaign as I saw it was so negative, and I’m not meaning any one party. Every party was just negative upon the other one calling one another liars and that sort of thing.’’ Henderson has been retired from politics for a number of years now. He said the difference between the political scene 30 years ago and politics today is vast. “In this last session of the House of Commons, the decorum got terrible — just yelling at one another,’’ he said. In the past, MPs were more respectful and campaigns offered a chance to debate the issues, rather than conduct smear campaigns, Henderson added. It’s this kind of virulent behaviour that’s been turning voters on P.E.I. and in Canada off, he said. “It seems (politicians) lose all dignity when it comes to one another. This name calling doesn’t do anything for me and I know it doesn’t do anything for most people."

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

"Hack" those prices boys....

As I previously said during the Campaign don't hold your breath waiting for the gas prices to go down before the election because all the political hacks working at IRAC were too busy working the election... all the election speech writing was done so they probably took 2 minutes before they headed home tonight and threw a bone to us Islanders and lowered prices... time for a shake up there Robert and allow some competition...
Gas prices dropping by more than 10 cents tonight
The Guardian
Election results may not be known until later this evening but The Guardian can confirm that fuel prices are about to take a dramatic decrease. Gas will decrease 10.1 cents at midnight tonight. That will drop the price of regular unleaded at self-serve pumps to between $1.03 and $1.05 cents per litre. But gas isn’t the only fuel about to drop. Diesel will decrease by 7 cents per litre, furnace oil will decrease by 6.4 cents per litre, and stove oil will decrease by 4 cents per litre.Propane prices will not change. The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission no longer announces price changes in advance. An official announcement will be made tomorrow morning, after the new prices are already in effect.

"Green (Vote) Shift"...to the other parties..

I wrote Mr. Dion in April of 2007 and told him he was making a major mistake in partnering with Elizabeth May in Central Nova and not giving a liberal an opportunity to represent the voters. When Dion announced his major "Green Shift" I wrote him and expressed my concern that the Green Shift was "too complicated" and would have a serious impact on future Liberal fortunes. It appears that Dion is going to get the message loud and clear tonight when everyone shifts their votes ... On PEI, I was wrong, but only by less than 1/2% but that doesn't bother me very much as it's a great opportunity for PEI as Gail Shea will be a great Member of Parliament and has the potential to be in Cabinet someday. Gail and her campaign workers obviously worked very hard and the difference can probably be credited to Harper himself for visiting PEI twice and suggesting to voters that he could "use Gail in Ottawa".... I expect a big Tignish tailgate party is well underway... I'll predict that this is the end to Keith's political career with no Senate seat....Congratulations to Lawrence, Shawn, Wayne and Gail and all the others who put there names forward.

Election Prediction...big blue win

I'm quite surprised at how many emails I got today looking for my final predictions on today’s results so as an arm chair pollster here's my take. Four liberal seats on PEI all of which will be closer and the closest being Egmont (100 votes). Harper will win and get close to his majority but no real support out of Atlantic Canada. NDP will show some strength around Halifax and in parts of Ontario and BC. The Green party will have about 5% of the vote but more real support in BC. It was Dion's race to win but he put his own nail in his coffin when he gave up the Central Nova (Pictou) seat to the Greens which really sent a message to Liberals everywhere that voting Green was OK but the results will speak for themselves. Liberals won't be able to say that Dion's "Green Shift" didn't work as it did "shift" voters away from the Liberals and be split between the NDP and the Green party. Harper played it smart on the home stretch as he didn't act too arrogant or confident, which will work in his favour... he hasn't done a bad job so I don't think Canadians are ready to dump him just yet...

Monday, October 13, 2008

Big Blue Breakfast....

It was interesting reading some of the comments following the Guardian news article. It seems most people were focused on the reporting about the number of people at the rally. The CBC had 700, the Guardian 500 and most Tories observed over 800 but the bottom line is whatever the numbers were it will be a great boost to the local Tory campaign workers. Obviously the Tory national camp must believe they have a chance at a few seats here or they wouldn't waste their time, but I'm still thinking its all Red. I also thought it was very smart of Harper not to gloat on his polling numbers but instead talked about how close it might be which I'm sure will keep everyone working hard and not taking things for granted. In any event it's great news for PEI that Ottawa has us in their radar. It was also great advertising for APM as I noticed that there were a lot of National News stories that went across the Country that mentioned the APM Centre. Maybe Harper got a picture in front of the APM sign, that should help the campaign.... Good luck to all the candidates...
Harper rallies for support on P.E.I.
CORNWALLCheck Spelling
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
Conservative supporters from across P.E.I. traveled to Cornwall bright and early Monday morning to greet Prime Minister Stephen Harper as he kicked off his final whistle-stop tour of the country with a rally at the APM Centre. About 500 people came to hear Harper’s address to Islanders, scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Some traveled from Tignish on a charter bus, while another busload arrived from Montague. By 8:30 a.m. when Harper and his wife finally arrived, the auditorium situated in the Malpeque riding was packed with Tory supporters of all ages, waving signs and cheering on their leader. Mary Crane, Conservative candidate for Malpeque, was ecstatic to have Harper visit her riding on this last day of the election campaign. “There are 308 ridings across this country that the prime minister could have chosen to visit this morning, and he chose Malpeque,” Crane said excitedly. “I am honoured to have him here today in Cornwall and to listen as he tells us in person that his government will put the needs of Islanders first.” Harper returned the compliment, urging Islanders to support Crane. “We need representatives like Mary in parliament,” he said, also putting a plug in for each of the other three Conservative candidates. Harper spoke with much gusto, but kept his remarks fairly broad and brief. He focused mainly on the economy, and pointed to measures he has promised to implement throughout the campaign, such as indexing the childcare benefit. He addressed the concerns many have in light of a world economic crisis, making sure not to succumb to the “doom and gloom” he accused the other parties of promoting. “I know that many Canadians are concerned with the economy and how that could impact their jobs and savings,” Harper said. “I also know that it is my responsibility not to panic. We simply can’t afford to improvise,” he said. Harper then used the opportunity, in speaking of finances, to get a few digs in at Liberal Leader Dion’s green shift plan. He called Dion’s unwavering promotion of this key element of the Liberal platform a “stubborn obsession” in trying to push a carbon tax on Canadians. “It’s something Islanders cannot afford,” he said. But Wayne Easter, the Liberal incumbent for Malpeque, said Harper’s own environmental plan also includes a carbon tax – something Easters says he has “kept secret” from Canadians. “I get a kick out of Mary Crane’s and Tom DeBlois’ signs saying, ‘Say no to a carbon tax.’ Well, they have one, they’ve just not been honest and forthright with people” Easter said. “What about Stephen Harper’s carbon penalty, which is higher than the Liberals’ and what’s the consequences of that?” Harper’s left P.E.I. immediately after the rally and went on to Fredricton. He plans to then skip all of Ontario, Quebec and the prairies and fly straight to Vancouver and finally end his day in his home riding of Calgary.

A boat load of ideas...

Some things are just not worthy of a comment but here I go anyway...Mitch, do you have any idea who is going to pay the millions of dollars to do all this or do you just think the money is going to fall off some trees in Victoria Park?? Wouldn't it be cheaper to build a big boat and load it up with all the complainers and move them over to St. Peters Island saving us taxpayer's some money...
Tweel wants industrial firms moved to city's outskirts
BY DAVE STEWART
The Guardian
Charlottetown Ward 4 Coun. Mitchell Tweel says he wants the city to convince industrial companies to move to the outskirts of the capital. Tweel says residential areas are no places for propane tank farms (such as the one on Allen Street, which Tweel calls "poor planning') or auto body shops."One of the challenges we have to face is non-conforming uses, particularly in residential areas,' Tweel said. "We need a plan to relocate industrial uses out of communities and into industrial parks.' Tweel said he recently made a presentation to the planning and economic development committees and would like to see the city create an incentive program in which businesses would benefit from locating outside residential areas, similar to existing incentive programs in the city for programs like heritage and downtown revitalization. "I think it's time to start putting a plan together. We have programs to redevelop and revitalize the downtown but redevelopment and revitalization don't just take place in the downtown.' Tweel says the co-operation of the provincial government is also essential. "People are getting tired of (having industrial companies in residential areas). We've got to start seeing some progress.'

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Lizzy Baby...where do you want the "green"..

It's pretty interesting sitting back watching an election for a change rather than being fully up to your eyeballs in the campaign in one way or another. Back in the old days I would always believe I had a good "scent" for the campaign because I was always in the thick of it but I soon learned that this wasn't the case and that in fact the candidates themselves had less of an idea than the "workers" as Islanders were just too polite to lie to them. It became more obvious that there were some real "bellwethers" one of which was how and "when" the money was coming in. Some elections fundraisers would spend a great deal of time chasing someone for a donation and somehow never quite being able to get a commitment out of that person and this generally meant your party was in trouble. Sometimes things would be going quite smooth and the cheques would be "rolling in" and this generally meant you were already in Government and more than likely there would be no changes other than a few "bloodsuckers" who felt your party hadn't done enough for you. They thought everyone else was going to "run to the other side" like they foolishly did. They were always the ones "whooping" it up at the victory party and sheepishly handing over a bigger cheque than usual at the party... but the real tell tale was always in the last week of the campaign "when" cheques would start to arrive unsolicited sometimes from companies and individuals that weren't even on a list and this was a sure sign you had a "winner". Even though the Red Team booted me out in Montague I'm still "maybe" a little connected so I thought I would make a couple of calls to Red "fundraisers" and see how we're doing this campaign and let everyone in on a few secrets... sorry guys they changed the rules, "Pork Barrelling Companies" like my own can't give anymore, just individuals, and so this Bellwether went out the window with it. So I'm now back to the theory that the Red Team is going to win as I watched the 6 to 1 romp of the Blue Team last night... Gee, now I have to find a way to "personally fill the pockets of those Politicians" otherwise the "Don't Get Ahead Gang" wouldn't be able to advertise that I'm back at the Trough again... Quick, does anyone know Elizabeth May's address so I can get her a big cheque...

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Election Indigestion...

I was quickly scanning the Guardian today and I came across this article summarizing yesterday’s events on the Island Campaign trail and they summed it up as "Election Digest" but it just gave me "indigestion". Not one single good idea, just attack the other person or the other party...is this what our political system has come too? Occasionally I'll watch a report from the House of Commons and it is embarrassing and it appears that we the electorate are their training grounds during an election for all the mud slinging. Wouldn't it be "fresh" to actually see a candidate talk about some ideas and what they would like to achieve when they get to Ottawa.. I’ve had enough of this, I’m heading out to “Dumb-darave” to see our Provincial taxpayer’s money hard at work and I’ll not going to attack anyone other than the golf ball…
Election digest
The Guardian
Harper out of touch with market crisis: Murphy
Stephen Harper’s comments on the stock market crisis representing a “good buying opportunity’’ shows that he is not in touch with average Canadians, says Liberal Shawn Murphy. “A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet and are concerned for their future,’’ said Murphy. “They want a government that will help them — advice on stocks is not the first thing on their minds.’’Murphy said a government needs to support individuals and families during this economic downturn. “We need to work together to weather the storm,’’ he said.
Shea accuses rival of personal attacks: Shea
Gail Shea has expressed disappointment with the repeated personal attacks voiced by Egmont Liberal Keith Milligan."I am disappointed that Mr. Milligan has had to resort to personal attacks as opposed to dealing with the issues at hand,’’ said Shea.Personal attacks towards Shea and the Conservative Party began with Milligan’s nomination speech, continued through the debates and up until Thursday’s article regarding the Prince County Horsemen and Summerside Raceway, Conservatives say. “While Mr. Milligan says he supports the Prince County Horsemen, he has condemned my attempt to assist with this critical piece of Summerside infrastructure,’’ said Shea.
NDP candidate urges voters to ignore myths: Pollard
Citing figures from the Department of Finance, Charlottetown NDP candidate Brian Pollard is urging voters to ignore the myths and propaganda promoted by the Liberal and Conservative parties regarding the issue of fiscal responsibility.“When the truth is told, New Democrat governments have produced fewer deficits than their rivals have,’’ Pollard saidBetween 1984 and 2006, NDP provincial and territorial governments stayed out of deficit 49 per cent of the time, compared to 39 per cent for Conservative governments and only 23 per cent for Liberal governments.“As noted recently by the Progressive Economists Forum, there are times when governments need to act to protect their citizens. And sometimes that means running a deficit and incurring debt on a temporary basis.’’
Liberal plan would hurt seniors, says DeBlois
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion’s plan to end pension income splitting for seniors is a bad idea for Charlottetown seniors, says Charlottetown Conservative Tom DeBlois.DeBlois made his comments in response to remarks by Liberal Leader Stephane Dion that pension income splitting was “very, very costly’’ and “not our priority.’’DeBlois also noted that the Dion Liberals had voted against allowing pension income splitting for seniors in the House of Commons.“Helping seniors keep more of their own money is important and pension income splitting is a good way to do that.’’
Conservatives not party to fix economy: Murphy
The economy is in trouble and the Conservative party can’t manage the Canadian economic system, says Charlottetown Liberal Shawn Murphy.“They have been managing the government for only two-and-a-half years and in that time, they have squandered away the surplus, allowing hundreds of thousands of good jobs to disappear across the country and have yet to provide any plan or direction,’’ said Murphy. “The Liberal record speaks for itself. We inherited one of the worst fiscal messes under Mulroney and presented 10 years of good economic growth and fiscal balance. Canada needs a Liberal government . . . to clean up our current economic troubles.’’
Conservatives offer nothing for future of ACOA, says Easter
Wayne Easter, Liberal candidate in Malpeque, says according to the platform released by the Conservatives, the Conservatives offer nothing for the future of ACOA other than what is currently allocated. “If anyone believes that regional economic development is a priority for the Harper Conservatives, guess again. According to their release, the Conservatives commitment to ACOA and Atlantic Canadians for next year is over $150 million less than when they took over,’’ said Easter. “The Conservative platform promise of $300 million includes a southern Ontario strategy. “They also have no intention of renewing the separate $400 million Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) to increase our regions research and commercialization for our innovative industries. AIF is above regular ACOA programming.“I think it’s important for voters to know the truth — that the Conservatives committed to reducing the budget to ACOA — not increasing it as they now claim.’’

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Here We Go Again...

I get a great charge out of the Spin Doctors at Tourism...they would certainly fit well on George Bush's Speech Writing Team. Let's face it... look at the bridge numbers ...it's been a "Gentle Letdown" to say the least and to try and say Islanders travelling in our own Province is keeping us going is a bunch of crap...you could spin it another way - that Islanders are doing so poorly that they can't afford to get away, which doesn't say much for how our Government is handling the economy. A good start to the 2009 season would be to live up to the Premier's commitment and "sell the golf courses" and get some operators in that will reinvest and bring some new ideas and promotions to this industry that would lure more customers...Please, please, please stop the spin doctor crap and focus on some planning...
Islanders save P.E.I. tourism in August
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
CBC News
Despite miserable weather and a prediction of poor market conditions, tourism dropped only slightly on P.E.I. in August, thanks largely to people vacationing at home.
Overall, occupancy rates were down only 0.4 per cent in August.
The Island tourism industry appears to have been saved from disaster by Islanders travelling in their own province. Room nights sold to people from P.E.I. were up by a third over August 2007. At the same time, actual visitors appeared to be down, with travellers over Confederation Bridge and on the ferry dropping significantly. Air travel continued a long run of double-digit increases.
Travellers
By air
+17%
By ferry
-5%
By bridge
-9%
But results were mixed, depending on region and type of accommodation. Campgrounds in particular had a disastrous August, with occupancy down 15 per cent from last year.
"I knew it was down right from the get-go, really," said Bill Hogg, the owner of Sunset Campground in Cavendish.
"You keep hoping week after week. Like we would always say, it doesn't get going until mid-July, then third week of July. Then when it rained the first two weeks of August, I knew we were done." August ended up setting a P.E.I. record for rainfall in the month, with triple the average falling. "When you look at the report, you can see a mix of numbers, some good and some not as good as we would like to see," said Tourism Minister Valerie Docherty in a release.
"Global tourism is facing shifts in markets and visitation numbers. Prince Edward Island is very much holding its own considering the strong potential to break even at the end of the 2008 season. With that said, we must focus our sights on 2009 and address with industry how we get these numbers up."
Activities
Golf
-14%
Provincial museums
-9%
The South Shore region, which includes Charlottetown, was up 4.3 per cent and hotels, motels and resorts were up 1.3 per cent. Points East occupancy was down 7.5 per cent. Bed and breakfast nights sold fell 4.6 per cent.
The success of Charlottetown in August was reflected in the numbers for the activities in which people took part. The Charlottetown Festival reported its best season ever and visitors to the historic Beaconsfield home were up 42 per cent, while historic sites in every other part of the province suffered. Golf was down 14 per cent.

Wake Up IRAC...and allow competition..

Simply put, Sobeys, Wal-Mart, Loblaws, Canadian Tire, etc.. have all put a push on investing in new gas bars in Ontario and what do you get...LOWER PRICES through COMPETITION...but Islanders shouldn't worry. Once all the political appointees at IRAC are done working the election they might have some time to look at our gas prices...
Gasoline prices drop to double digits in some Ontario cities
THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY — Pump prices are on their way down — especially in Ontario, where some stations are posting prices below $1 per litre. The average across Canada Tuesday is about $1.14 per litre, down nearly three cents from Monday, according to the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com. Ontario has by far the cheapest prices, with Ottawa-area stations selling gas for around 99 cents per litre and Hamilton and Toronto averaging around $1.05.The oil-industry hub of Alberta normally sees the cheapest prices in the country because the product does not need to travel far to get to market. But in Calgary and Edmonton Tuesday, drivers were paying more than 10 cents more per litre than their Ontario counterparts. GasBuddy’s Jason Toews says fierce competition is what’s driving the steep price drop in Ontario — Canada’s most populous province — and that Alberta should follow suit soon.

Red, Covers Prince Edward Island Like The Dew...

Win or Lose, over the years I had a lot of fun working in the elections but now I'm just an armchair lackey. Back in the good old days we used polling as an important tool in helping understand what the issues were and what the electorate were looking for. Unfortunately I'll be the first to admit that once elected Governments tend to toss the polls away and start to work on their own agendas which ultimately gets them tossed out. But now-a-days a poll seems to be a tool to help the media predict the outcome of the election and in this case it maybe to sell some papers. Although this poll is a very small sample, I was predicting a similar outcome when the election was first called but about ten days ago I changed my prediction and called Easter safe and Milligan close if we were heading for a Harper majority. I don't think we're looking at any kind of majority Government so I'm now going to call a straight up Liberal Win here on PEI in spite of what this poll says. Surely if I'm right those high priced Editors at The Guardian will tap me for some free future advice before heading out to buy a poll... boys, how's Larry doing in Cardigan or do you need another poll....
Liberals on top across most of P.E.I.
BY WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian
The federal Liberal party remains eight points ahead of the governing Conservatives across much of P.E.I., but those numbers may be deceiving, according to polling data. The Guardian commissioned Corporate Research Associates to find out which party Islanders are most likely going to vote for in the Oct. 14 federal election.Pollsters sampled 601 Islanders.The poll shows support for the Liberal party at 46 per cent province-wide. That compares to 41 per cent for the Conservatives. But when Egmont is removed from the polling data, support for the Liberals increases to 47 per cent while support for the Conservatives decreases to 39 per cent — giving the Liberal party an eight-point lead. Don Mills, president and CEO of Corporate Research Associates, explains that there are wide discrepancies in the rest of P.E.I.While the sample size is too small to provide exact numbers, Mills said polling data indicates that it is a virtual dead-heat between Liberal Wayne Easter and Conservative Mary Crane.In Cardigan, Liberal Lawrence MacAulay appears to have a small but comfortable lead over Conservative Sid McMullin. But in Charlottetown, Liberal Shawn Murphy appears to have a substantial lead over Conservative Tom DeBlois. But Mills cautions that the margin of error is more than nine per cent in these riding breakdowns. “It just says to me that there may be a couple of ridings that are going to be a lot closer than last time,” said Mills, noting that in the 2006 federal election Liberals won the seats with between 2,900 and 4,600 votes. Support for the NDP remains at eight per cent across Prince Edward Island. In Egmont, that support increases slightly to nine per cent.But the NDP remains far and away Islanders’ second choice. When asked who Islanders would support if they could not support their number one choice, 31 per cent of Islanders picked the NDP. That compares to 13 per cent for the Green Party, 10 per cent for the Liberals and eight per cent for the Conservatives. The Green Party’s support remains at five per cent across the province. Support is weaker in Egmont, where only three per cent say they’re most likely to vote Green.In terms of leadership, support for Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper remains strong across P.E.I.When asked which one of the following individuals would you most prefer as prime minister of Canada, 36 per cent of Islanders picked Harper — an 11-point lead over his Liberal rival. Liberal Leader Stephane Dion was the choice of 25 per cent of Islanders.NDP Leader Jack Layton came in third with 17 per cent while the Green Party’s Elizabeth May placed fourth with five per cent. The Guardian commissioned Corporate Research Associates to conduct the poll. There were 601 Islanders interviewed. The margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points 19 times out of 20.The interviews were conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 5. In Egmont, 251 interviews were conducted over the same time period. The margin of error is plus or minus 6.2 per cent 19 times out of 20. In 2006, Mills said Islanders gave the Liberals 53 per cent support while the Conservatives, who were shut out in the last election, had 33 per cent.Now, Liberal support has fallen to 46 per cent province wide while the Conservatives are at 41 per cent. “There is an opportunity for the Conservatives to pick up a seat.”The Guardian will have more from the Corporate Research Associates’ poll on Wednesday, including a closer look at what issues are on the minds of Island voters.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Only on PEI you say....

It certainly is a wonderful place we live in; a tractor trailer drives through our economy today smashing our world financial markets which will eventually impact all of us. So I get home tonight and I scan through our local CBC, Guardian and Journal websites to get some sense of just how bad it was and the biggest news from our Island media was some woman smashing into the courthouse. Nothing on the economy, WHY WORRY ABOUT THE ECONOMY.... In the old days we Islanders may have been somewhat insulated from what was happening in the rest of the world but I've got a sneaking suspicion that this is not the case now. Pretty soon we're going to get a lot of those people who moved out West coming back looking for jobs as the money out there is going to dry up...if we think our tourism has been down the last few years, think again as the rest of North America will not have the disposable income to travel... our farmers, fishers and manufacturers are like the rest of the Country with 75% of our exports to the US and they don't have any money... Maybe some stories on how we can work together to manage our way through this mess would be refreshing...

Sunday, October 5, 2008

"Signgate"...surely there is more than this..

I've been in the States for the past 9 days and there is absolutely "nothing" on the TV or in the papers regarding our Canadian election and certainly nothing on the PEI front. So as soon as I got in the door I grabbed the papers and started milling through the local news and the first item I came across was "Signgate"...surely there are more important issues to deal with during this campaign than squabble about some foolish signs....maybe everyone should get a "spanking" and get back to the campaign and give us something to really think about...
Conservative candidate wants Liberal executive removed from opponents' campaign team
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian
Conservative Tom DeBlois is calling for the executive director of the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island to be removed from Liberal Shawn Murphy’s campaign after more Conservative signs went missing Thursday night. Mark O’Halloran, the executive director of the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island, was caught on camera removing political signs put in place by local Conservatives. Those lawn signs read: “Say no to the Dion tax!’’ The signs were strategically placed below Liberal billboards throughout the capital city. Photos provided to The Guardian show the back seat of O’Halloran’s car stacked to the roof with lawn signs, many of which had their stakes snapped in two. DeBlois says more signs were vandalized Thursday night, only hours after being put up a second time. He has no idea who is responsible for the latest damage. A city public works crew found 18 of DeBlois’s signs strategically placed in the middle of Central Field ball diamond in Charlottetown. The signs were not thrown there, but carefully placed in a circle, stakes in the ground. In a span of 24 hours, more than 40 signs have been removed, or damaged.“(Thursday) my opponent’s campaign assured the media that the vandalism by the Liberal party employee and campaign workers was a 'miscommunication’. In light of (Friday’s) developments those assurances ring hollow,’’ said DeBlois.“I know that the carbon tax is a poor sell at the door for the Liberals but that doesn’t justify such childish behaviour. I’m calling on Shawn Murphy to apologize to my volunteers and remove Mark O’Halloran from the Murphy campaign. He needs to put a stop to this immediately.’’