Tuesday, January 5, 2016

More Interesting Media Articles

 

Periodically, I am going to post stories that I find interesting. Just to make sure that you understand, I do not necessarily take a position for or against what is disclosed in any of the articles. If I do comment, they are just my opinions and you can come to your own conclusions.

This still mystifies me. 

I never understood why the Mayor sat on this information for several months and then only revealed it and discussed it around budget time. Clearly, it was a time when he needed cash to be used and it was readily available. 

Maybe he should have told us why he was waiting for so long. As you will see subsequently, there may well have been a reason for it: 

"Windsor mayor slams economic development group for sitting on $2 million
Dilkens 'flabbergasted' money wasn't spent on attracting new jobs 
CBC News Posted: Nov 30, 2015 

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Commission didn't spend $2 million in its budget.  

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens can't understand why the region's economic development corporation is sitting on $2 million in unspent budget money, considering the city's soaring unemployment figures. 

Sometime within the last two months, the city discovered the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation was sitting on the cash, which is the equivalent of a year's operating revenue, according to Dilkens. 

The mayor dropped news about the unspent money while laying out Windsor's 2016 draft budget proposal during a news conference at city hall Monday." 

Is this budgetary nonsense 

What is the game that is being played, in respect to the City's budget position? 

"Only 'faint' hope exists for eighth-straight zero per cent tax hike
Craig Pearson, Windsor Star
Published on: December1, 2015

Windsor’s impressive string of property tax freezes may be over — though Mayor Drew Dilkens still holds out a glimmer of hope.

After seven-straight years of no property tax increases, the City of Windsor on Monday publicly released a five-inch thick collection of budget documents, with administration recommending a 1.75 per cent tax hike. 

The good news is that for the first time in years, the city is projecting about $1 million in increased revenue, thanks to more building projects, and a decrease in education costs, due to fewer students.

“It’s possible to get to zero, depending on what the growth increase is and what the education decrease is, but at this point I would call it the faint-hope clause,” Dilkens said at a news conference on the budget, where he noted that agencies, boards and commissions will cost $3 million extra if not trimmed.  It’s going to be really tough to find the $3 million. 

“But we can get pretty darn close.”


Of course, this has to be considered as complete and utter nonsense in my opinion considering that the Mayor came up with a huge sum of money a few minutes before midnight on the day in which the Budget was discussed. That money became part of the Budget and was used.

Remarkable isn't it:
 
"Mayor defends last-minute $10 million capital budget items
Craig Pearson, Windsor Star
  
Some councillors are wondering if Mayor Drew Dilkens plays favourites, after he added an extra $10 million for councillors to vote on Monday at the end of an 11 1/2-hour marathon budget session.

The concerned councillors called Dilkens’s introduction of a 2016 enhanced capital budget list unfair in two ways. 

First, they say they had no warning, following a session that started at noon and ended close to midnight. 

Second, the mayor’s “ward priorities” mostly only included specific goodies for half the councillors: Hilary Payne, Ed Sleiman, Paul Borrelli, Fred Francis and Jo-Anne Gignac. 

Coun. Bill Marra voted for the zero per cent tax increase and for the $112-million capital budget, as well as the $512-million budget over five years. But he did not support the $10-million enhanced capital budget. 

“Overall, it was an excellent budget,” said Marra, noting that saving such things as Atkinson Pool and the Water World community centre felt great. “But I voted against the enhanced budget, which was the table drop given to us at 11:20 p.m. for a proposed $10 million in capital spending without the benefit of any budget details.” 

Marra feels the enhanced capital budget ward projects were not evenly spread across the city. 

“If you drill down on some of the details, it’s interesting that it hit a few wards and not others,” Marra said. “And we all have priority projects.” 

Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk also wondered about how the projects were decided. 

“I’ve never seen that much money go out the door without any prior consultation between mayor and council,” Kusmierczyk said. “That’s not how I conduct business.” 

But Mayor Drew Dilkens said the same budget process happens every year, including with former Mayor Eddie Francis. 

“This is something that councillors — certainly, the ones who are complaining the loudest — are very used to,” Dilkens said. “This is what we’ve done for many, many years.” 

Should this be the way that this City uses taxpayer money when dealing with the City's budget funds?

Does it really make sense for it to happen this way "every year" as was done "for many, many years." 

A fantastic program from England
 
This was the University group which I joined in London, England when I received my LL.M back many years ago. Here is something that I saw for which people who plan to go to London for their graduate degree ought to consider:
 
Scholarship Program

The application process for the 2016-2017 academic year is now open.  

For more than two decades the main focus of the LGAC has been to provide scholarships to Canadian graduate students studying in London and living at Goodenough College, the pre-eminent residential college for international graduate students in London. Superbly located in central London, the College attracts members from over 80 countries, creating a rich cultural and academically diverse residential community. Goodenough College is comprised of two main residential halls: London House, which re-opened in September, 2014 after an extensive renovation, and William Goodenough House which was fully renovated in 2011-12... 

Since 1990, the LGAC has funded Scholarships for 167 students with awards totaling over $1 million."
 
As people get older, the need for money for health matters gets bigger
 
It should hardly be a surprise to anyone that the demand for money for seniors is growing dramatically. As I can easily verify given what has happened to me, as people get older their need with respect to health issues gets bigger as well.   

The number of seniors is growing significantly as people are living much longer now. Accordingly, a lot more money needs to be found to help deal with their medical problems, especially those who are very ill.

Here is one story about that involving one organization: 

"Surge in demand puts Alzheimer Society services at capacity for first time
Beatrice Fantoni, Windsor Star
For the first time in its 34-year history the local Alzheimer Society is running programs at capacity and has even had to place clients on a waiting list as local demand surges for respite care.

“At times we’re showing small wait lists,” said Sally Bennett Olczak, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County
 
Waiting lists for the agency’s on-site daycare program and in-home respite care range from two to eight people, Bennett Olczak said, and the wait can be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. 

The growing demand is primarily due to the fact that more people in Windsor-Essex are being diagnosed with dementia and more families are seeking out support services. And the number will only keep growing, she said. Right now, there are about 6,100 people in Windsor-Essex diagnosed with dementia, Bennett Olczak said. That number is expected to double in a generation’s time."

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