It was disheartening when the Association of Ontario Municipalities opposed the Transparency in Public Matters bill introduced recently in the Ontario Legislature by MPP Caroline Di Cocco. One of the basic tenets of honest government is openness. That the Kincardine council also opposed it is not encouraging.

The reader will readily identify incidents where they have been frustrated by the lack of openness when seeking information from government. A Toronto woman, concerned about the poor maintenance of local parks, asked an official for an accounting of spending on the local parks and was told it would cost her $12,960.

Transparency dispels doubt and rumors. When the water pipeline along the B Line was installed, Brad Pryde’s company recommended the line proceed along a shore route rather than continue on the B Line. When Mrs. Pryde purchased substantial property along the chosen route, the question of a conflict of interest arose. The question still persists because there was no transparent process to clarify the issue. Council had a duty to appoint outside legal council to investigate this legitimate concern. Regardless of the findings, the air would have been cleared.

Mr. Pryde’s name comes up in a related context. The shoreline facing the property appears to be altered, it all looks rather bear as if a backhoe or bulldozer was at work. Though this could well improve the salability of the property, the mayor needs to tell the public who gave permission to give the shoreline north of Huron Highland a facelift.

Glen is uncomfortable with transparency. He needs to learn that being legal is not sufficient; ethics also counts. That has to come from the top. There is no room for the ‘good old buddy’ way of government here or anywhere. We see enough of that in Ottawa and continue to pay for the consequences. Openness should be second nature in council; without it councillors make themselves vulnerable to valid and not so valid accusations. If the mayor will not make open government a reality, then councillors should demand it.

Integrity is not something talked about at elections; it is something lived.

November 9, 2005

There is not much respect for politics to-day. Politics never was held in high esteem. Perhaps that is to be expected, considering the job of politics. Politics is the art of reconciling, as fairly as possible, beliefs and expectations of all citizens in order that we can live together in relative harmony and security, with the welfare of all in mind. It can also be the source of discontent, for perfection is the ideal not the reality. Not all issues are open to compromise, not all problems have simple solutions. Governing is making choices with the knowledge and resources available.

Politics is not a science; politics is an art. Some folks are better at the art than others but we all need to participate to the level we are able. The word itself referred to ‘citizens’ in ancient Greece. Politics R Us, and when we say we can’t stand politics we are speaking of ourselves, for the political system is about governing ourselves.

History tells us that the alternatives have not served mankind well. The divine right of kings was an early form of governing. It was fine if you were a king. Dictatorship does nothing for the ordinary person and is no more than a system of pillaging communities. We still have dictators, though many now give the illusion of democracy with rigged elections. The worst alternative by far has been totalitarianism. We have witnessed the horrors of National Socialism in Germany and communism in the former Soviet Union and in China. Ideology is a dangerous master. When we say we cannot be bothered with politics, we need to think of the alternatives and be thankful we have not, as yet, handed our lives over to them.

Are there miscreants, crooks and crimes in and around government? Yes, as there are in business, churches, unions, wherever there is authority to grasp and purse strings to control. It’s unfortunate but true -.power corrupts. That is not an excuse to do nothing. It is reason to be engaged.

On a positive note: there are many good and competent men and women in politics whom we should support rather than lump them in with the weak, the venial, and the non-talented. For now, it is enough to know that politics is the only system that gives us hope of democracy under the rule of law.

November 16, 2005

Will our Day Away fade away through lack of public interest? Will it die because the health professionals do not pick up on the clues and take the time to make the referrals? We will know by the end of the month. 

The Day Away Program provides therapy and socialization for adults who, because of serious difficulties with memory, judgment, communication, problem-solving or physical care, require continuous care. Clients attend the program from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. and in Kincardine the activities take place two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday. Depending on demand, the program can be offered up to five days a week. Tending to the client is important; of equal importance is the provision of a much-needed “time off” for the care-giver. 

The Kincardine Day Away program has been a fixture for 15 years. Usually a spouse is the care-giver, though sons and daughters may be the caregivers. 

To understand this ‘care giving’ know that it is not an occasional task, nor is it comparable to looking after a family member with the flu or a broken hip. It is 24 hours a day seven days a week, month after month and if you are alone, there is no relief. There is no, “It’s your turn, Honey.” When called during the night you get up; being elderly is not an excuse, being tired to the bone is not an excuse, not feeling well is no excuse because you are the only person available. The caregiver may give the impression that all is fine but do not believe it. A stiff upper lip, a smile, and a shrug only hide the aching soul. We so often fail those who need us most. I am reminded of the woman who on the first day her spouse entered the Day Away program, went home and simply slept until it was time for her spouse to return. She had forgotten how excruciatingly tired she really was. 

There are many advantages to participating in the Day Away Program both for the care-giver and the client. Before we lose this valuable asset to the quality of life in our community, I ask the health services and the public-at-large to wake up and keep this program in our municipality. You are the only ones that can do it. 

Call 396-9555 now to participate or help.

November 23, 2005

Kincardine has adopted comprehensive guidelines to make the community accessible to those with disabilities. That is well and good if they are followed. The movement to make the interior and entrances of buildings, sidewalks and transportation accessible has been around for forty years. It is not information we need but the will to do what is right. It is an ethical issue, not a legal one.

In this respect the Medical Centre is an example of how little concern we give to this issue. Let me count the ways: automatic doors were installed at the entrance but having entered the building from the front one finds that the door to the elevator is not automatic. Was it not apparent that someone requiring automatic doors might also wish to use the elevator? Then there are the washrooms marked for the disabled - transfer bars are in place but the toilets are of normal height rather than raised. There is a corridor too narrow for a wheel chair to move easily. It is not sufficient to say the corridor is not used by the public. We do not make buildings accessible just for the public. We make them for everyone and that includes staff. Accessibility applies to working areas equally as well as to public areas.

Would someone explain the purpose of the gable over the front door? The whole front door area must be reconfigured to allow a marquee over the door under which cars may drop off those with disabilities. It was a thoughtless oversight needing remedy now.

I also ask why the path joining the Medical Centre and the Hospital slopes to one side? Even a slight slope can make it difficult to wheel or push a chair. Since the path is a recent development, it shows nothing is learned from past mistakes. Why is incompetence so acceptable in Kincardine?

Cheapness and ignorance come with their own costs; citizens continue to pay for those decisions whether it is the roof, flooding and the above. These changes are needed; the $500,000 (and counting) tourist booth is optional and can wait. Does Council serve the few travelers who may stop or does it serve the citizens of Kincardine who pay the bills?

Those with disabilities have rights that are unmet, Council should honour them now.

November 30, 2005

The Kincardine Hospital and the Medical Centre need a sidewalk from Queen Street. I do not know why one was not built in the past. I suspect people just accepted the lack of a sidewalk, grumbled, walked on the road and like the passive citizens we are, quietly accepted it.

Politicians and Hospital officials probably consider the number of citizens that might use a sidewalk insufficient to justify the expense.

Then, of course, the matter of jurisdiction becomes a factor which can be either an excuse for passing the buck or a need to work together for the common good.

It is a simple enough project. A sidewalk, leveled properly (unlike the one laid down between the Hospital and the Medical Centre) with a splash board on the road side and two railings on the inside – one for those on scooters or chairs and a higher one for walkers - should not require an architect or consultant. The grade will require careful consideration. The cost will be much less than the wasteful $500,000 tourist booth, serve more citizens and do it all year round.

Cooperation between our municipal government and the Kincardine Hospital cannot be achieved by the mayor demanding a place on the Hospital Board, a cheap ploy he used during the last election. We require a mechanism to allow on-going discussion between the municipal government, the hospital, the Foundation, doctors, and related health groups. This should be the forum of mutual concerns. Recruiting of doctors and purchasing of equipment are closely related. New doctors want more than a desk; they need support given by appropriate equipment, helpful colleagues, and a positive working environment both at the hospital and at the clinic. They may even want a different means of remuneration. You set the goal and forget the turf.

Such a mechanism is needed now, and certainly will be necessary when a new bureaucratic level is added by the passing of the Local Health System Integration Act. These regional boards will have control over major funding and services. It will be imperative that the community speak with one voice. Such a proactive mechanism could lead to local solutions not thought of to-day.