Sunday, February 28, 2010

Keep The RCMP in HRM

Here we go again. Drastic changes with no public input. Again Mayor Kelly who cried and whined about the secrecy of council meetings when he was a councillor makes Howard Hughes look like an exhibitionist. Why do away with the RCMP? They do a great job and for the most part live in and are part of the community they police.
What will the change cost?
We will have to build and maintain and staff depots.
We will have to buy and maintain vehicles.
We will have to hire, train, outfit and maintain the police force.
Where was the PUBLIC INPUT into this?
It's our money they seem ready flush it down every economic black hole they can find.
Presently $30,000,000 in the hole.......
With a $46,000,000 bill coming up next year from the Canada Games
Almost $3,000,000 to buy an old rail spur that we now must pay to turn into a trail, maintain said trail and police it.
This council's spending is out of control and it's time we spoke up.
Tell them to leave well enough alone. If it isn't broke don't mess with it leave the RCMP where they are. It's our money and the vast majority of the people are happy with the RCMP.
The arrogance of our Mayor and the council can best be seen in their attitude in this matter when the Mayor tells us there will be no public input.

Speak up it's your money and your community, Contact your councillor and or the Mayor by using the E Mail index on the left of the screen.
Bruce DeVenne

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Halifax wrestles with financial shortfall

Mayor Peter Kelly and City Council were stopped from bringing us the total econimic disaster of the Commonwealth Games so they seemingly did the next best thing (in their minds) the Canada Winter games. Original estimated costs? Around $46 million
(see breakdown here http://www.novascotialife.com/chartermembers/2011-halifax-canada-games ) and we are already $30 million in the hole. Bad news is the games haven't been held yet. What will the final cost be? I doubt if Council can or will tell you but they'll roll merrily along spending money they don't have, running up horrendous debt against future increased tax grabs. Yes another year under their belt putting us deeper and deeper into debt. In addition to this city council just spent $2,802,339 buying an old rail spur. Now they will have to fork out money to develop it into the trail they are dreaming of and then there will be the cost of regular maintenance. How do we get it through our politicians heads, we are not made of money!!! If you want to save money divide HRM into 5 districts with 2 reps per district. 13 councillors gone and savings of millions of dollars a year. You can tell Mayor Kelly how thrilled you are with his spending habits at kellyp@halifax.ca
Full aeticle on debt at http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1169114.html
Bruce DeVenne

Friday, February 12, 2010

City Hall's "Hidden" Money

Is the hidden money of HRM councillors every accounted for? Every councillor (I don't know about the mayor) has a discretionary fund of over $60,000 per year that they can spend as they see fit. After seeing what went on in Province house we have to ask ourselves just how do they spend it. It is public money yet as far as I know there is no public accounting or accountability for it. They could just as easily spend it on themselves the way the provincial people have been doing. Drop a bit here and a bit there so people will say, "we got money from councillor so and so", but how do the taxpayers know exactly where it all goes. At least force an open accounting of this public money, every cent or, better, stop the practice all together and save the Halifax ratepayers over $1,00,000 per year. I don't like to tar every politician with the same brush as I am sure they do not like being tarred with it, therefore let them stop spending our money in secret and show where every cent of this annual largess is spent or stop it all together.
Visit http://www.governmentripoff.com/
sign petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/BDeVenne/petition.html

Bruce DeVenne

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Off to a poor start????

NDP Premier Darrell Dexter's clean up and transparency campaign isn't off to a very good start it appears. Until today they have been saying 28 people were caught. They claim to have released all the names yet if you look at the CBC URL http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/02/04/ns-mla-expense-claims.html there is only half that. How are we supposed to put any faith the governments word when the first promise or statement is this far out of whack? Secondly an EX MLA will fix it. To most Nova Scotian's that's like hiring a fox to guard the henhouse. Why isn't there somebody private involved in it. Somebody from a well established citizen's advocacy group like the Halifax Homeowners Association's president or a member of their executive with no political ties? Actually the investigation part should be done by the RCMP with any possible charges being laid. Richard Hurlburg is gone, others should follow him.
Please visit my main web site at www.governmentripoff.com and take the time to sign the petition calling for a full open police investigation into this whole affair.
Bruce DeVenne

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Politicians must think we are as stupid as sticks

Dear Reader

Ex PC MLA Richard Hurlbert would have us believe his $8,000 generator is for portable use. Do you have any idea how big the generator would be? I have one that will do my house, it cost $600 and there is no way it could be classed as portable unless it is on a light truck or in a utility trailer. As well his was hard wired into his house. Was he going to call an electrician to unwire it so he could take it where ever it was needed? How stupid do these politicians think the public is. Let the public have the names of the public servants who misspent public funds and a full investigation with criminal charges where warranted.Of course this would need direction from the ruling NDP party and one thing we learned very quickly is that it's business as usual under the NDP. Protect the MLA's at all costs. Next time get rid of the party sheep like method of government and vote for an independent. You may sign an on line petition calling for full disclosure and investigation at http://www.petitiononline.com/BDeVenne/petition.html



Bruce DeVenne