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George Bernard Shaw once asked a duchess if she would sleep with a

man for £10,000. The duchess, smiling at the thought of all that money, replied, “Yes, of course.”  He then asked if she would sleep with a man for £10. With indignation and a withering look, the duchess snarled, “What kind of a woman do you think I am?” Whereupon Shaw responded, “We have already determined the kind; we only wish to establish the degree.”
11/24/04 Full Story...  

 

Kincardine’s ward system is revisited. Few wanted the amalgamation of

Kincardine, Kincardine and Bruce townships. Bruce certainly did not want to amalgamate. What with the possession of the goose with all its golden eggs locally known as BMTS, Bruce’s politicians were content with the status quo and spent a considerable amount of tax payers’ money to fight amalgamation. The Bruce Council deservedly lost this suit with its irresponsible waste of tax payers’ money.
11/17/04 Full Story...  

 

Have you forgotten yet?…

For the world events have rumbled on since those gagged days,
Like Traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:
And the Haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow
Like clouds in the lit Heaven of life; and you’re a man reprieved to go,
11/10/04 Full Story...  

By Fred Kirby       November 3, 2004 

The vote by telephone survey for the nuclear waste proposal, one vote per household, is not only a compromise but a flawed one. It should be dropped. 

I appreciate council not wishing to waste the time and to incur the cost of a referendum when the chances of its results not being binding are high because of the number of voters required. The blame for low voter turnouts lies with all of us, but it is not sufficient reason for council to reject a legitimate process for determining the will of the people. One vote per household taken by telephone is too flawed to have any valid use. Its only purpose would be to allow council to say they had public input. There is already enough cynicism towards politicians at all levels to contribute further by going down this road. 

Council needs to take the high road on this issue. Hold a flawless referendum and make a dedicated effort to involve the citizens in the process to ensure an acceptable turn out. To this end and to assure balanced information for the public, council should separate itself from the OPG Information office and invite an opposing established environmental organization, the green party might have a recommendation, to also set up an office to distribute information. The council’s role would be to take what steps necessary to encourage citizens to become informed and then vote when the time comes. The outcome will be far more acceptable to both sides of the issue because a transparent, balanced process was involved. 

Councillors are elected to make decisions for all of us. But those decisions should be well thought out decisions for the benefit of all citizens. They should not be based on expediency. 

If council will take the high road on this issue; it could be the start to putting Kincardine on the national map as a leader in a true democratic process under the rule of law, fair and transparent in every way with informed participating citizens. It is a wonderful opportunity but it does take imagination and will.