Hockey fighting
Hockey Fighting a BIG Contradiction
I may just give up...
The wealthy and big cars
City Priorities
Last night we held our monthly Council meeting and we discussed a large number of items, one of which was the difficulty in finding $10,000 to reinstate the skunk removal program and yet we not long ago budgeted $10,000 for the New Years Day Levee. Right priority?
We say we need more Police overtime money and yet we budget a third of a MILLION DOLLARS for 150th Anniversary events... Right Priority?
There was comment last night about how great the new pools and rinks are that cost $22,000,000 - ”could we have built a smaller facility and used the Millions left over for safer crosswalks for our children and seniors? Or for filling in ditches that are dangerous! Also, we have tens of thousands of dollars for City related travel and for 150th Anniversary pins and arm patches... Right priorities
Last night we approved the building of a new clock for about $25,000. The money is coming from the Province and other sources so it's not "city money"! Would the Province not better spend their $15,000 contribution on reinstating the serious cuts to the Craft association? Right priority?
But most importantly of all was the speech last night by Cecil on the importance of clean water worldwide- he said a BILLION people do not have safe water to drink! A Billion people...! Last night we heard about the plan to have the largest fireworks in the whole country on Canada Day and a BILLION people don't have safe water to drink! That's some priority.!
I read on the internet that the UN estimates 25,000 children worldwide die DAILY from lack of food and water-- 25,000 a DAY!
I may have oversimplified some very complicated issues here. You may say some of these issues are not in the jurisdiction of the City but I believe we should be involved with all level of issues. These comments can be taken as too serious or too dark or too heavy but I feel they should be said.
Our Council is made up of some truly fine people and I mean these comments to be suggestions rather than criticisms. Can we meet to revamp the budget and set new priorities that are more serious and much more important? Let's be leaders and address larger issues. Can we not meet with our Provincial and Federal counterparts to set loftier and more serious priorities?
Bruce Garrity
Councilor Ward 6
May 10, 2005
Trust in Public officials
There is little trust in the honesty and efficiency of public officials.
Why-- it's rasy to read about the rip-offs and glaring mistakes we all read about almost daily.
How can we better the situation- try caring a bit more- call your local representative and keep up to date on issues. Ask to be involved or at least be aware of issues prior to them being voted on
The public is at least as smart as their representatives if not a lot more intelligent. Put pressure on officials to open up and make issues and meetings open to the public
The system can be made better- don't just complain- get involved
Peace
Open city meeting to public and press
Is everyone in favor of opening most if not all Charlottetown Council meetings to the press and public?
Bruce Garrity
religious leaders blackball sweat shops
Suggest all world religious leaders get together to identify and blackball manufactoring sweat shops. Simple: if "abc" company is using slave labour the rel. leaders ask their followecrs -could easily be 3 billion or more-- to not buy that product until the company provides better wages and working conditions
simple sounds like it
Bruce Garrity
I am back
Hi
Was not paying attention to this site for a while but I will try to post a note more often.
Todays thought... The invasion of Iraq had to be done to remove the murder Saddam from power. Lately i have read that his santioned criminal acts were so terrible, that its hard to conceive.. The hell with the WMD, the removal of this new age Hitler was enought reason to invade and the UN should have been the leader in all this too! We cannot close our eyes to atrocities as they did when Hitler murdered so many Jews and others...
so there
Bruce Garrity
Expensive rink-pool complex
Garrity continued, “ I suggest the Council downsize the project to 2/3 of the estimated costs. The first item that can be removed is the second rink. The Charlottetown area with one new City rink will have nine ice surfaces from Cornwall to Pownal. We should be able to live with the number. The rest of the complex should also be downsized. I am positive that this Council can tackle this issue, construct a satisfactory and totally acceptable structure and save millions of dollars, which can then be rerouted toward other necessary City infrastructure activities. Also I do hope an open public meeting will be held immediately on this project so all interested City residents have the opportunity to offer their input and advice”
Mr. Garrity concluded “ I don’t want the facility construction delayed any more than others but an in-depth review of what is the largest City project in history is certainly warranted”.