Monday, November 29, 2010

City council hits the wall


Halifax budget: Which wall?

"WE HAVE HIT THE WALL, finance staff told Halifax council in a sobering presentation last week on the outlook for the next two municipal budgets."

Where does this wall come from? Mayor Peter Kelly and his council keep building or trying to build it with our money no less.
The list is long and self evident to almost everybody but our Mayor Kelly lead City Council.
1. The Commonwealth Games
2. The new Convention centre
3. The way over priced excessive new library.
4, A football stadium that will sit Idle most of the year
5. The high speed ferry from Bedford.
6. Paying to bring money losing concerts and sporting events to HRM.
7. Building things like the Bedford rink without waiting for federal financial support.

The answer is simple. Council get your act together and spend money on what you are mandated to do, what the majority of the taxpayers need and that will benefit the majority of taxpayers and stop pandering to the few.
Accept the fact that, contrary to your evident beliefs, the tax well is not bottomless, that there is a limit and you've passed it. Spend money the way we have to and you personally do by accounting for every cent and the need of spending it.
Its not hard to do look at what you have in the bank and use it wisely don't squander money on economic black holes today with the idea that you will cover it with tax hikes and service cuts next year.
If you want to spend money like Moncton. Toronto Vancouver move there and get yourself elected to that council.
Bruce DeVenne
Full article @ http://thechronicleherald.ca/Editorials/1214390.html#comments

Sunday, November 21, 2010


Our lipstick on a pig award today goes once again to Mayor Peter Kelly for political and fiscal hairsplitting.


In Sundays Herald he says:

It ( the $35 million they were short) was a "Funding gap,’ not shortfall" and goes on to add," City hall’s latest money woes are certainly challenging but not insurmountable, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly said Saturday" and " Such fiscal measures as service cuts or increased taxes — or both — could be on the way.
We need to look at the way we do our business," to see if there’s a better method of managing expenses with monies received, Kelly said.
"Funding gap,’ not shortfall" Try being a few thousand short on your mortgage or car payments and see if this hairsplitting works with your bank. NO way so why should it work with the HRM taxpayer? If you were in this mess you could

A Cut back spending and buy less costly goods

B Get a second job

Mayor Kelly and his council won't be getting second jobs to cover the shortfall oops the funding gap and they show no intention of killing the white elephants they plan to spend our money on so get ready for large annual tax hikes and regular cuts in service which seem to be the only way Mayor Kelly plans to work. Remember Mayor Kelly wasn't short the money he just didn't take enough from us but is seems he is ready to remedy this oversight
Bruce DeVenne


Friday, November 19, 2010

You were warned


From the Herald
'Not a good-news story': Halifax in budget crunch
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9018742.html
The story starts with:
"Halifax Regional Municipality is facing another cash crunch, and such fiscal measures as service cuts or increased taxes — or both — could be on the way".
What can be done??
1. Not take on the winter games? Too late they've already lost millions on them..The cost was quoted on CTV as just over $35 million almost last springs shortfall to the penny. What services and now much more taxes are you paying to bring us the Canada Winter Games?
2. Dump the convention centre yep
3. Dump the stadium yep
4. Forget about the high speed ferry yep
5.Build a functioning library for 20 million +/- rather than that 55 million + glass monstrosity yep
6. Stop dumping money into losing concerts annually (600 grand on Sir Paul alone) yep
7. Cut council to 12 members Yep BIG savings
8, Take away discretionary spending Yep another BIG saver
I'm sure there are lots more examples but these will do for a start.
9 Do away with the Greater Halifax partnership. Over $1 million annually on a setup that is a duplication, triplication or even a fourplification of existing services in both government and private sectors. This is job creation at it's worst.Yep another good sized saving.
10 Stop sending so many people to council get togethers around Canada send one or two people and let them report back. Better yet let them stay here and run the city with input and attention paid to fiscal reality and the tax payers i.e. plebiscites where needed.

This blog has spoken out against the irresponsible spending by government, in particular the totally out of control spending of HRM council, time and time again. Now even without the economic black holes of a new convention centre and football stadium our warnings have born fruit.

General rule to Mayor Kelly and Council: spend our money the way you spend your own!!!!
Now you know why council likes to work behind closed doors in total secrecy. As always E mail addresses for the Mayor and council members are listed on the left. Speak up or pay up!
Bruce DeVenne

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Mayor Kelly confirms deal is money loser

Mayor Peter Kelly says, "It will lose money" On the editorial page this week an article referred to the new convention centre, and government's attitude. It said "although our political system is democratic, derived from the Greek words demos and kratia, which roughly translates to "power of the people" in which elected politicians represent our interests, it is hard not to wonder how much power we, the people, really have". It seems the prime concern of elected officials here in Nova Scotia and HRM are downtown bars, restaurants and hotels.

The cost of this economic disaster will run, when everything is factored in to between $350 and $400 million dollars at which time it will belong to a private company or I suppose we can then buy it for tens of millions more tax dollars. As it stands, based on population HRM taxpayers will pay half the provincial cost and 100% of the civic costs. This would put us on the hook for around $275 to $300 million.

I can't afford nor do I wish to chip in on this kind of a gift for the downtown businesses nor would the vast majority of taxpayers if they were asked in a plebiscite. Better yet establish an "are rate" set so it totally covers all casts of the centre and tack it on to the businesses in the downtown core that will benefit from this deal? You'd hear them scream NO in Amherst. NOT WITH OUR MONEY! We just want to gravy send the bills to John Q Public taxpayer. If its such a great deal let private business build or at least pay for it. If its not a good deal for them its not a good deal for the taxpayer.

We KNOW its going to lose money Mayor Peter Kelly told us so on today's (Wed.) Rick Howe Show. Way to look out for us Mayor Kelly. Remember only Councillors Barkhouse & Watts voted against it. If the taxpayer has any brains these will be the only two returned in the next election.

Bruce DeVenne

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Congratulations Brad and Jennifer


Congratulations to Brad Johns for showing enough interest to show at St Mary's last night for to see the speaker on the convention centre and to Jennifer Watts who attended a breakfast meeting this morning on the same subject. While the MLA's excuse was that the house was sitting they could have made the effort to adjourn early in order to attend the evening meeting or they could have attended the one Jennifer attended this morning.. At least I would have expected Estabrooks, Dexter and Kelly to show. We got two councillors out of 75 elected officials involved that's 2.6% of our combined governments, a sad comment on their interest on fiscal reality. Once again congratulations to the 2.6% who showed up
Bruce DeVenne

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Heywwod Saunders speaks on convention centres

I would like to take this opportunity, as a member of the executive of the Halifax Homeowners Association to invite you to attend:

A free public presentation with renowned convention centre expert
Dr. Heywood Sanders

to consider questions you have about the proposed convention centre promises.
Is there a business case?
Will it revitalize the downtown?
What are the impacts?

Dr. Heywood Sanders holds a PhD in government from Harvard University, is a professor of public administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio and has taught at Brown University, the University of Illinois, and Trinity University. His research looks at urban politics and development, and includes the 2005 Brookings Institution study of convention centers, "Space Available." Dr. Sanders is currently completing a book on convention center development and politics. An article he published in which he looked at the new Vancouver convention centre can be seen at http://www.governmentripoff.com/005kpmgft.html


It will take place at
Halifax: Monday, November 8th, 7:00- 9:00 pm,
Saint Mary's Sobey School of Business, 923 Robie St
Followed by Q & A

Hosted by: Coalition to End Poverty for Nova Scotia * Council of Canadians-Inverness Chapter * Council of Canadians-South Shore Chapter * Ecology Action Centre * Facebook Group-Save the View from Citadel Hill * Friends of the Halifax Common * Halifax Regional Homeowner's Association * Nova Scotia Heritage Trust * Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group * Peninsula South Neighbourhood Association * Sierra Club of Canada-Atlantic Chapter * see www.savetheview.ca
Bruce DeVenne