Hinchey's Store

Trucker's Pair O' Dice...

2011-08-17T15:22:00.000-05:00

In a break from the regular day to day, here's something you'll enjoy...

The makers of this feature film give full credit to Linkin Park and Lynyrd Skynyrd for the use of their songs. They also wanted to shine a spotlight on the seedy underworld of the transportation industry:

A 'regular' truck driver who thinks that a 3000km day is putting in a full day's worth of driving, Bill Brandit (Oscar winner Bill Brandt - 1998's A Long Way From Home, Best Actress) becomes incensed when he learns that his efforts have not endeared him to his employers, and he sets out for revenge. It's the trucking way...

That's how I see it, how about you?

Morris IS Manitobaville 2011!

2011-08-11T12:26:00.000-05:00

Please be sure to stop by the Hot 103fm website (here) and vote for your favourite video (this one's pretty good if you ask me!) between August 22nd and September 2! There are 27 videos up as of today, and we find out next week if our town is still in the running for the $25000 grand prize! Please vote when the opportunity allows, even if you're not from Manitoba! Like a federal/provincial/municipal election, every vote counts! : )

Also, please see my previous post (here) for 6 reasons why I think Morris is a great place to visit, work, live and play!

That's how I see it, how about you?

6 Reasons Why You Should Come To The Town Of Morris...!!!

2011-07-08T06:00:00.061-05:00

1- The People & the Community: Without people, there is no community. Morris comes together in the good times - Canada Day Celebrations, Morris Stampede Week (July 21st - 24th!)- and the bad times - Spring Flooding comes to mind. It’s the People that make Morris a vibrant, growing Community with the ability to do whatever we set our minds to!

2- Volunteerism: It’s amazing how many people give of their own free time in the Town of Morris! Whether it’s for Sports & Recreation, like keeping the baseball diamonds in top shape, running and coaching hockey teams at our rink complex, setting up major curling events like the Dekalb and the Scotties, making the Morris Stampede the annual success that it always is; or doing behind the scenes things like getting the Wellness Centre up and running - which houses a Gym as well as Physiotherapy offices, or getting the flowers planted around town in the spring; or helping out at the Southern MB Convention Centre when the roads get closed and people traveling through need a place to stop to wait out a storm.

3- Local Services & Amenities: We have so many great services and amenities available to us in Morris! For a small town of our size (pop. 1750), we have tons of things for people to get involved in: There’s a Convention Centre, Curling & Hockey Complex that is second to none, Walking Trails, a brand new Pool House and renovated pool that just recently opened, a 9 hole Golf course, Soccer fields, Baseball diamonds, a well-equipped Fire Department, an RCMP detachment, and a hospital situated right here in town. We’ve got industry, repair shops, a flower and gift shop, a local greenhouse, a newer grocery store, a successful pharmacy, various accommodations including hotels and a Bed & Breakfast, numerous gas stations and card locks for travelers, not to mention all of the great restaurants to choose from. And that's not even the half of it!

4- Location: Morris is only a ½ hour from the US border and International travel! Even if you’ve never stopped in Morris, you’ve probably driven through our town!

5- Location: Morris is only a ½ hour from the City of Winnipeg! To put that into perspective, a ½ hour is the time it would take to get from Charleswood to Transcona, or St. Norbert to Henderson Hwy. Our town is: affordable living, an easy commute… and you can see the stars at night!

6- Location: Morris is one of the only places in MB that can still boast having a major highway that runs right through the heart of town as its' Main Street - and which is currently getting replaced! With Centreport coming straight down Hwy 75, Morris is poised for growth and is actively grabbing at the opportunity to be a choice destination or even just a pit stop on the Mid-Continental Trade Corridor that runs right down to Mexico. In fact, the intersection at Boyne Avenue and Main Street in Morris has the distinction of being home to the last traffic signal between Manitoba, Canada, and Victoria Street - a mile from the Mexican border - in Laredo, Texas, USA - 2,687 kms to the south of Morris!

The People & the Community, Volunteerism, Local Services & Amenities, and Location, Location, Location! This is my town... and that’s why I think Morris is the greatest!

That's how I see it, how about you?

Just Wanted To Throw Out A Huge Thank You!!!

2011-07-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

I disappeared from this blog world for a couple of months. Still not sure how often I'll be able to keep updating, but I have to say thank you to the Iceman, Springer and Alberta Ardvark for keeping me on their favourites list (If I'm on your list and I don't know it, please let me know and I'll update this post!), even though I haven't written anything at all since May 5th...

Actually, that's not true at all. I wrote a really long letter to the editor of the Southeast Journal a little over a month ago. If you can find it online, feel free to let me know what you think, but I'm not going to post it on here - what was needed to be said, was said.

And now I can spend the next 3.4 years mending my relationship with the local media!

That's how I see it, how about you?

I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself, If I Had Said It Myself...

2011-05-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

Hats off to Margaret Wente of the Globe & Mail, with her article titled, 'Here's why Stephen Harper Really Won.'

It's reflects my feelings completely, so I would recommend it as essential reading.

And just for the record, I am willing to drink 15,000 cups of tea. Maybe not all at once, but the offer is out there.

That's how I see it, how about you?

On Why I Feel Our Country Is Headed In The RIGHT Direction...

2011-05-04T01:30:00.000-05:00

I'll give you one reason off the top of my head that makes me certain I am supporting the right man for PM.
...
Every other party is against what had already been agreed to: further reducing the corporate tax rate. This had already been approved in a previous budget, and the Conservatives were (will be) simply fulfilling a promise.

Why do I feel corporate taxes are bad? A tax like this takes money away from entrepreneurs - people who drive the full-sized pickup that holds the economic engine of our country. Corporations create jobs. Corporations generate wealth. I do not for the life of me understand why the word 'wealth' is such a dirty word. We should want people to be successful! (OK, it's late, and maybe I'm rambling, but I'll try and tie it together a little bit.)

I know a number of small, medium and large business owners who pay corporate tax. It's not just the 'Big Banks and Oil Companies.' Anybody who owns a business that is incorporated? Pays corporate tax. (Farmers, transportation companies, manufacturers, tech companies...) While some may feel that's fair, I tend to disagree. The people who own these businesses are taxpayers. And when they employ people - Man! Think of all the costs that are incurred to pay the other half of the CPP, EI premiums, Group Health Plans, etc. Our business sector is overtaxed and overcharged, but those are beneficial costs to the employer and the employee (the cost of doing business). Corporate tax taxes a taxpayer twice. To say otherwise makes no sense.

There's a valid argument out there that some people suffer from the 'Corporate Greed Disease', but in my experience, most businesses I've worked with or for aren't out to screw their employees. Bonuses, raises, all benefit the employee, but also the employer - happy worker, happy owner.

What's my point? The less money the government is sucking out of people's pockets the better. I keep reading reports that even as taxes of all kinds are slowly dropping, Canada's revenue isn't suffering - in fact, there seems to be more money coming in! Every time Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page comes out, he tries to scare us all into believing that the country's deficit is huge, but every actual accounting is showing us that the deficit that was unanimously forced on Canadians by the opposition (and the global economic crash) is shrinking faster than predicted. And that's with most of the corporate cuts already in effect.

So to conclude, what Harper is doing is two things: lowering the rates to make Canada the best place to do business while taxing business owners less the 2nd time (because again, they are already taxpayers once - and why is a corporation a taxpayer? It can't vote, so why make it pay?), and following through on the pledge to balance the budget by leaving some extra money in the hands of the people who work their butts off to be successful. If I still had a band and we toured and made lots of money, and got big enough to 'own' a brand, my understanding is that we would get taxed twice, once for any income we received, and a second time for generating profit. (I'm not a numbers genius, but I believe that's how it works.)

Where's the incentive in that? I realize everyone needs to pay their share, but ambitious people have to pay twice? Unacceptable. More money in people's pockets means more to save and more to spend.

So you may disagree with me, and that is the beauty of this democracy that we live in, but I support a Prime Minister who supports drive, ambition, hard work, and success.

That's how I see it, how about you?

Go Vote! And Good Entertainment Will Be Had Tomorrow Evening...

2011-05-02T00:17:00.000-05:00

Vote. It's your right.

There will be no more free commenting from now until after the polls close. I will moderate as I see fit, and find the time. And then they will be wide open again after that.

Good night, good day tomorrow and may the best PM win!

That's how I see it, how about you?

Update: 2 day Nanos poll has CPC at 37.1. That means they're trending up. Food for thought. I am excited to see how close (or how far off) my predictions were.

Watch For CPC 'CFB's...

2011-05-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

My predictions:
CPC = 41% 192
NDP = 26% 55
LPC = 23% 49
BQ = 5% 11
GPC = 4% 0
Ind = 1% 1

That's my best guess - a stab in the dark if you will. Let's see how close I am. And if I'm closer than some of these sites that make money off their predictions, I demand a raise!

Final note: Be very aware of the advance vote. It may look like a close battle after the regular ballots are counted, but watch for a lot of 'CPC come from behinds' in ridings they weren't expected to do well in.

That's how I see it, how about you?

Why I Voted Conservative - Before Election Day...

2011-04-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

I have been having a slow-motion Facebook debate with a guy who posted a link from Project Democracy. He stated that because I am in politics he was, '...genuinely interested' in my viewpoint regarding the strange dichotomy of, 'Why Conservatives preach fiscal responsibility, but seem to exclusively run huge deficits.' After answering, I decided what I wrote would make a wonderful post explaining why I voted Conservative as quickly as I could during this campaign. That's right - Good Friday, Vic Toews got my vote. But anyway, here's what I think:

Hey Jeremy. Yes that's right, I'm involved in municipal politics. It's a whole different ball of wax, but essentially - the goal is to leave whatever jurisdiction you have responsibility over in a better place than where you found it.

I'm going to quickly look back at what the Liberals have done to our country over the last 30 or so years: Make the provinces and municipalities pay for everything so the Liberals can balance the budget and say, 'Hey look at how awesome we are!' (which in the end, doesn't really matter, because who is really paying for everything? You. And me.).

We have a healthcare problem, an infrastructure problem, an economic problem, a defence problem, etc... I'm a not a member of any party - I don't carry a card, but I have no reservations in saying that I am a Conservative voter.

Paul Martin's 'healthcare fix for a generation' is going to end less than 10 years after he 'fixed' it. Harper plans to continue that funding.

Our infrastructure is crumbling all around us, and municipalities are shouldering more than they've ever had to before - while I don't think this is an inherently bad thing, there needs to be some assistance from the federal and provincial governments in order for smaller centres to be able to hold their own - Harper's Economic Action Plan is helping that, and there is evidence even in my small town where the highway that runs through has been in disrepair for decades, is finally getting fixed this year (although I feel that some of the approved projects ie: gazebos and doorknobs, aren't serious infrastructure initiatives).

Our economy is humming along quite nicely, and while there are many things Liberals have done to lay the groundwork for that, the Conservatives appear to be handling this file more appropriately - that is, not moving federal debt to the provinces just to show black ink.

As for the defence problem, used subs, unsafe choppers, inadequate transport planes, an airforce whose planes are ready to be retired... before the Conservatives took over, this was Canada's defence legacy under Liberal governments - and don't say it wasn't, because Liberals have been in power more than twice as often as Conservatives. These initiatives take time to restore, and certainly take a long time to deteriorate. A specific policy for defence? How about everything the Conservatives have done so far?

If Liberals didn't let everything deteriorate, the Conservatives wouldn't have to come in and spend massive amounts of $$ to keep our beautiful country from falling apart. Fiscal responsibility is important, but spending to keep the rust away is what I would call prudent spending. It's not perfect, but in my opinion, it's better than what the others offer.

So, the next time the Liberals or NDP(!!) take power, hopefully the Conservatives will have been able to leave Canada in a better place than where they found it.

Thanks for asking for my viewpoint.

Anyway, that's how I see it, how about you?

Gilles Duceppe And The Bloc Quebecois Hate Mothers! Especially Yours...

2011-04-25T23:35:00.000-05:00

This is unbelievable! Someone start a Facebook group, or an online petition, or some sort of strategic voting system. Gilles Duceppe and his party have decided to leave their own mothers out of their platform. No special treatment for their own and especially not for our mothers, not even in honour of Mother's Day. See for yourself below:

The Harpers, along with NDP Leader Jack Layton, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, shared some family recipes in honour of Mother’s Day. Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe’s staff did not provide any recipes or comments.

This is what separatism and treason smells like?!?!?! How could anyone have ever supported a man who doesn't care about his own mother?!?!?!

*-sarcasm off, sort of...-*
---------
On another note, I read recently that, 'If you vote Conservative, you are stupid.' This brilliant line is somewhere in the comments over at the Toronto Star. I'll let you go and look for it yourself. It'll be like a game - like searching for a hate-filled syringe in a haystack of despair! All that being said, it's a perfectly valid point. Unless you earn income.

That's how I see it, how about you? : P

So Now Harper's Getting Bashed For Being Consistent???

2011-04-04T21:58:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, but I have a huge problem with the way this is being portrayed in the national media. On the one hand, I can understand the frustration of media players paying $10000/week to follow the Prime Minister around on his campaign tour, only to keep hearing the same message. The whining and crying on Twitter and elsewhere by the reporters/journalists on the tour is made evident in the National Post's article here. It's not the only article, but it sums up the feeling quite nicely.

However, I have a question:

What is wrong with the Prime Minister going from stop to stop all across the country, stating his case for a Conservative Government? Further to that, when was the last time a leader went from BC to Alberta, to Saskatchewan, to Manitoba, to Ontario, to Quebec, to PEI, to New Brunswick, to Nova Scotia, to Newfoundland & Labrador, and to the North - WITH THE SAME MESSAGE?!?!?!?!

Seriously guys, apart from being monotonous and boring, is it not a plus that the PM is telling Quebeckers the same thing as he's telling Newfoundlanders, Ontarians, Albertans and Manitobans?

It might be telegraphed (or teleprompted, which seems to be a huge sticking point with the pundits for some reason...), but it's the same message for ALL Canadians. Either way you slice it, that's a plus in my books.

That's how I see it, how about you?

Know What This Election Reminds Me Of?

2011-04-02T01:18:00.001-05:00

...So far, it reminds me of Parliamentary Question Period.

Except for a couple of things:

1 - The leaders are sniping at each other from different parts of the country (and via Twitter).

2 - They are all overdoing the partisanship.

3 - They aren't yelling as much, even though they're farther away from each other...

4 - Nobody really wants to work together (except Jack Layton, if we are to take his Campaign Ads at face value. Nah, we shouldn't do that!). And the 'Coalition.'

5 - All of the candidates are doing an amazing job of pretending to be enraptured by what their party's leader is saying whenever he speaks, even when it's really, really, really boring and likely untrue. Bloc MPs especially.

So far the Federal Election campaign has been a breath of fresh air in comparison to what happens before and after...

That's how I see it, how about you?

Oh yeah, I've changed my site around a bit. Needed an update. Give me your feedback if you think of anything!

The Best Headline Since The Campaign Began...!!!

2011-03-29T20:25:00.000-05:00

...ELIZABETH MAY EXCLUDED!

PLUS... A Note to all the Federal Party Leaders (and the Separatist) who were in the House last week...

I have been waiting for something to get me fired up about being 'forced into an unnecessary and reckless federal election.' And finally, this is it. Elizabeth May and her shrill yell, impolite attitude and extreme lack of etiquette displayed whenever she was supposed to be speaking - and especially when she was not supposed to be speaking - during the 2008 debates was unbelievable!

I hope this doesn't turn into the ordeal it did last time around, when everyone said no, and she pitched a hissy fit and whined her way into the debates anyway.

Note to all Federal Leaders (and Gilles, just this once):
Even though you couldn't agree while Parliament was in session, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE agree on this one thing. People with an addiction to politics and a fully functioning set of ears will thank you for it.

That's how I see it, how about you?

For My Official 200th Post, I Just Have To Say...

2011-01-30T15:41:00.000-06:00

...Thank you! For those that keep coming back, you are appreciated. For those that visit once in a while, please stop by more often! And leave a comment, good or bad. You are welcome here, and I can't thank you enough for giving me even the tiniest justification for continuing to do this...

And I did a little fact checking on my previous post - turns out there are others who allegedly received calls from the Liberal War Cubicle!

Ardvark's neighbour got a call from the Cubicle telling him that Bob Rae was going to be leader of the Liberals by summer, and that they were going to absorb the NDP.

bertie, his neighbours, and a number of their friends also got calls from the Cubicle - the reason for the calls was a plea for donations to fund attack ads for the upcoming election. They got the calls because the Liberal party members won't donate anymore, since they know they can rely on the $2 per-vote subsidy to cover most everything.

This is unbelievable! These unsubstantiated allegations need to be published in a well-circulated newspaper immediately!

So far, it's a threefold assault - 1) On March 29th, the evil Stephen Harper will be removed from power by a coalition.
2) Bob Rae will become the Liberal leader and absorb the NDP.
3) If enough Conservatives donate to the Liberal party, we can be rest assured that the $2 per-vote subsidy that gives the Bloc more than 3/4's of it's funding will be around for a long time to come.

Good to know what we need to watch out for! (#3 is probably not going to be very successful, if you ask me...)

That's how I see it. How about you?

Have I Got A Story For You...!!!

2011-01-29T22:43:00.004-06:00

So I got a phone call today. It was from the Liberal Party. When I answered the phone, the woman on the other end introduced herself as being from the Liberal war ~~room~~ cubicle. She asked if I was a supporter of either the Liberals, the NDP or the Bloc. When I told her I wasn't, she proceeded to inform me that after the next election (which will be on March 29 of this year), those three opposition parties would be forming a coalition to take the reins of power away from the evil Stephen Harper.

She must have realized that it's supposed to be a secret, because after that exchange, she quickly intimated to me that I shouldn't let the cat out of the bag.

When I suggested that I didn't think this was actually going to happen in the way she was purporting it would, because I think the Conservatives will obtain a majority after the next election, she grunted in disgust, told me that a majority wasn't possible due to the forthcoming Conservative loss of Quebec seats (this will occur because the CPC won't give in to the $5 billion in budget demands made by the Quebec Separatist Party), and hurriedly ended the call.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there were any way to prove this, I would. But it only happened because I say it did.

Susan Delacourt over at The Red Star, on the other hand, decided that publishing an article based completely on hearsay from a 3rd party would make good 'news.' Her published 'news' article is a step further away from being 'straight from the horse's mouth' than this post is.

Looks like the National Enquirer is now operating in Canada. And it's operating as: The Toronto Star.

That's how I see it, how about you?

$27 Million Subsidies For Political Parties Is OK, & So Is Project Vision...

2011-01-29T09:50:00.001-06:00

...The CBC went $30 million over budget for computers.

None of the federal political parties in Opposition want to touch the topic of the removal of the per-vote subsidy they all currently receive. The Conservatives are the ones pushing it, and from one perspective, make the most money from it. The flip side to that is that the Bloc Quebecois relies heavily on this subsidy in order to campaign on a separatist's agenda.

The left-leaning CBC - oh who am I kidding?!?! If the CBC was politically any further to the left, they'd be leaning right - kind of like the old joke that Saskatchewan is so flat, you can watch your dog run away for days, and as soon as you lose sight of it, if you look in your rear view mirror, you'll see the dog coming back...

Well, The CBC went over it's budget by $30 million for what they called, 'Project Vision.'

Why is this getting less attention than the $27 million per-vote subsidy? The CBC is a taxpayer funded organization, and this single project costs more than subsidizing all of the political parties for a year.

$30 million. Keep that dollar figure in mind the next time you see Peter Mansbridge or Evan Soloman on TV, or read something from Kady O'Malley online. A project that ended up costing a total of approximately $63 billion.

CBC is a money drain/pit/sewer. So is the $2 per vote subsidy.

That's how I see it, how about you?

It's Only A Minor Irritant, Or Harper Is Risking National Unity...

2011-01-29T08:00:00.020-06:00

...Mr. Jim Travers, do you think you could make up your mind before you write a mindless essay that supposedly passes for journalism over at the Toronto Star?

Some interesting bits from Saturday's online edition, beginning with the 'article's' introduction, followed by the 'essay's' conclusion:

Stephen Harper is risking a great Canadian success by soothing one of the country’s rawest irritants. Ending public subsidies for political parties – Conservative code for, among other things, getting separatist Bloc Quebecois fingers out of the federal purse – is a feel-good exercise rippling with bad omens for national unity.

...

Politics is about winning and winning often demands taking risks. But it would be reckless to jeopardize a Canadian success to soothe what is nothing more than an irritant.

...Unless I'm reading it all wrong and Jim means that the subsidy is a minor irritant and the Bloc is a great Canadian success story (hee hee!), which then brings us to this little gem:

Opposing subsidies is also good politics for the Prime Minister. It appeals to his party’s libertarian, stand-on-your-own-feet ethos while positioning opponents as weak, needy and grasping. And, perhaps best of all, it holds out the promise of a future Commons majority if the Bloc looses (sic) the financial means to maintain its stranglehold on Quebec seats.

Unfortunately, what’s good for the ruling party isn’t always what’s best for the country. Even though $27 million sounds like a lot of money, it’s a drop in the bucket of Ottawa’s $200 billion budget. More importantly, it’s a very modest investment in a democratic system vibrant enough to absorb tension by managing differences.

- (bold sections are my emphasis)

The paragraph above concerning the politics of the Prime Minister is the best section of this piece. I completely agree with every word of it. But what follows it is hard to digest: $27 million is a modest investment because Canada is democratically vibrant enough to absorb tension by managing differences?!?!?! If it didn't say James Travers at the top of the article, I'd have to ask who writes this crap! If managing differences means throwing exorbitant amounts of cash at the province of Quebec, then I apologize for getting so worked up! Because that's exactly what we're doing. Otherwise, based on that fact, I would have to say we aren't managing our differences very well.

$27 million in per-vote subsidies helps political parties to be partisan. I think if they want to attack and snipe all the time, let them raise the funds themselves. And how is that amount of money justifiable when a portion of it goes to fund a separatist, nationalist, treasonous party like the Bloc Quebecois? The Bloc, of course, is the party that only runs provincially in federal election campaigns, only looks out for the best interests of Quebec and not Canada as a whole, tries to bribe the government with $5 BILLION in ransom demands for a promise of support, and whose sole purpose is to remove Quebec from Canada. So, why are we publicly funding the Bloc? And why is it just a drop in the bucket? Give me $27 million. I can think of a lot of ways to spread that around that would be more beneficial to Canada than funding/subsidizing Quebec. Because with the Bloc in Quebec, it's never enough.

And one more thing - what is this 'Great Canadian Success' that's repeatedly mentioned? Is it the national unity thing? Because I would have to say that it hasn't been all that successful - there are separatists in Parliament, Quebec is the only province that hasn't even signed the Constitution, and the province is eternally trying to leverage far more money (further subsidies) than is reasonable from the Federal Government of Canada. It's called extortion - and in the end, it doesn't even guarantee support come election time. Politicians of every stripe have be hypersensitive to anything that COULD rub the province's nose the wrong way. Stop funding the separatists, and work toward actual national unity.

...Mr. Jim Travers, do you think you could make up your mind before you write a mindless essay that passes for journalism over at the Toronto Star? - Oh look! I stayed on message for the entire post! Maybe, unlike Mr. Travers, I'm a journalist now. So where's my paycheque?

That's how I see it, how about you?

Liberals, and Their Problem With $6 Billion in Corporate Tax Cuts...

2011-01-21T09:51:00.000-06:00

I know that everyone who didn't support the Conservative Party cried bloody murder when Stephen Harper's Conservatives cut the GST from 7% to 6%, and then to 5%.

But they did it, and I don't think Canada's fallen apart just yet, has it?

Somewhere along the way, I remember hearing that each point in the GST was worth around $6 billion. So we, the people got a couple of tax cuts, each worth $6 billion.

Why am I bringing this up? Well, there were two Liberal ads released this morning, complaining about Conservative decisions regarding corporate tax cuts and a tender for 65 fighter jets.

What's wrong with corporate tax cuts in the same vein as the GST cuts? It benefits everyone - jobs, job security, competitiveness in the global economy... I could go on and on.

Fighter jets on the other hand, are things that I don't profess to know much about, but that kind of money for military equipment doesn't sound exorbitant to me. Also, do we want to risk another fiasco like what happened in the early 1990's with the helicopters? The Mulroney/Campbell/Chretien battle over a contract that cost millions (billions?) to get out of, and then in the end, cost much more to procure?

Back to the ads... here is a link to the Liberal website. Have a look at the ads for yourself. Do you have a problem with long term, forward thinking plans for competitiveness and preparedness from the current government? Or for once, does this show that we have a government that is not simply making decisions for Canada based on the current election cycle?

That's how I see it, how about you? And please don't hate me just because I linked to the Liberal website. I headed straight for the kittens' den...

To Discuss Or Not To Discuss, Is This The Question?

2011-01-13T16:24:00.000-06:00

For your reading pleasure, the 'hi-lites' from the Town of Morris' last council meeting, which occured on 12/16/2010:

The Southeast Journal - scroll to page 6.

Personally, I feel that's only part of the story, but maybe that's just me. There simply isn't enough room to print all the substance that comes to bear at a council meeting. Fact of the matter is, I was there too (as you might notice my name a couple of times in the article), and that's not entirely how I remember the meeting. There are at least three sides to every story, right?

I wonder if they're hiring opinion editorialists? I'll have to look into it, but I wouldn't want to oversaturate the paper with that type of columnist.

That's how I see it, how about you?

Kyoto And Canada. And Japan, For That Matter. And The UN. And Dictatorships...

2010-12-05T01:09:00.000-06:00

Japan is opting out of the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto is in Japan. If the host country where the agreement was signed sees no benefit in trying to remain in this protocol, that simply tells me that there is one more country in addition to Canada that sees the futility in trying to redistribute the wealth of the richer nations, while not holding all to account for their emissions - it's a money grab, pure and simple. And the UN is party to this? Why? Because the prevailing sentiment nowadays is that wealthy nations should feel bad for being wealthy, so it should be spread out amongst corrupt dictatorships.

If everyone was serious about 'climate change,' everyone would be at the table, but China and India are pretty big polluters, and they haven't signed on to anything. Canada has at least been consistent since the government changed in 2006.

Canada's emissions take up about 2% of the world's total - and when you consider how much of a commodity-based country we are, that says a lot about how environmentally friendly we really are. Why does this country get vilified for standing up for itself?

That's how I see it, how about you?

That's Me, Second From The Left, Back Row...

2010-11-02T15:40:00.002-05:00

From left to right:
Back - Ruth Murray, Me, Bill Ginter, Bruce Third, Trevor Thiessen.
Front - Mayor Gavin van der Linde, CAO Brigitte Doerksen, Scott Crick.

...And now, the work begins...

That's how I see it, how about you?

Judy Couldn't Beat Sam, So Now That She's Out Of Public Life...

2010-10-28T00:57:00.002-05:00

...maybe her vacated federal riding will go Tory blue on November 29th. Wouldn't that just be the icing on Winnipeg's cake?!?!?!

As for my run for office, it was a disappointing turnout of less than 50% (likely due to no race for mayor and the weather), but the final tally of votes was the opposite of disappointing! Considering that I was the newest and youngest resident running, I'm a little floored by the nod of approval! The results are below (taken from PembinaValleyOnline.com):

TOWN OF MORRIS

(I) William Ginter 500
(I) Ruth Murray 500
(I) David Smith 363
(I) Trevor Thiessen 416
Bruce Third 385
Mike Hinchey 433
Scott Crick 417

Voter Turnout 645 or 48%

So... breaking that down a little bit:

Bill Ginter and Ruth Murray each garnered 77%.
My total of 433 votes out of 645 total ballots cast = 67%.
Scott Crick - 64%
Trevor Thiessen - 64%
Bruce Third - 60%
Dave Smith - 56%

In this instance, 60% or greater was good enough to make council.

I look forward to experiencing the next four years and helping to grow our town in a positive way. Congratulations to all who were elected, and even though someone had to lose, Mr. Smith treated me with nothing but respect and support throughout the campaign, so it's very sad for me to see his bid for re-election end unsuccessfully. It was always a friendly competition, with 7 candidates trying for 6 positions - and mudslinging seemed to be non-existent (or maybe there was mudslinging, and I'm just living in a bubble!).

Regardless, I knew going in that whoever got elected would be working with 5 other councillors and a mayor, so coming out swinging wasn't an option for me. And now that I'm certain of my standing, I plan to continue my campaign practice and work within council to make any changes, not against council by questioning someone's integrity through divisive means.

So, to those who helped in any way throughout my campaign, you have no idea how much you are appreciated! Tarin, Kerry, Wade, Derek, Crystal, Justin, Monica, Helen, Henry, Bill, Kerry, Barb and Tracy - thank you so much for your support and assistance! Couldn't have done it without you!

Also, thank you to everyone who supported my run - even if you couldn't voice your opinion at the ballot box! After all that walking, knocking and talking, I was really buoyed by the constant encouragement from everybody.

That's how I see it, how about you?

UPDATE: Here's a link to the official results.

And Let The Voting Begin...

2010-10-27T08:19:00.000-05:00

TODAY'S THE DAY!!! I'll let you know how it all shakes down later... I'll find out if I'm on Morris Town Council at around 9:00pm CST.

That's how I see it, how about you?

In The Aftermath Of The All Candidates Forum...

2010-10-19T08:44:00.000-05:00

...I had a great time last night in front of a packed house! This alone was hard to believe, because the Mayor of the town and the Mayor of the RM of Morris are already acclaimed. So people showed up to see who the candidates were, figure out who the new wannabe councillors are, and try to get some answers to the many questions that surround our local municipalities.

I don't think I did badly at all for a rookie! There were a few moments that I kind of felt out of my league, but only because I didn't quite know how to answer some of the more technical queries.

I also thought I was being taken to task for 'advertising' more affordable residential lots elsewhere - however I did get a chance to clarify my position, which is that we know we need to get the money to pay for our big ticket issues from somewhere, but hitting prospective new residents in their wallet before they've even built a home with prohibitive lot fees is simply not feasible. If there are other places to build for less, what's stopping a person from doing so? We need to make Morris more attractive to potential residents, otherwise we run the risk of alienating ourselves and cutting off our right arm, simply because we're worried that our left arm isn't getting enough blood! (If only I had said it that way at the meeting!)

All in all, it was a good experience for me, and I hope I get a chance to learn and grow for four years as a member of Council!

That's how I see it, how about you?

It's Kind Of Like Groundhog Day Around Here (Time For A Rant)...

2010-10-11T00:34:00.004-05:00

The first time all of my election signs were pulled off the boulevards throughout Morris, MB, the individual was too lazy to take them with, so I found all but 2 and put them back up. Tire treads and road dust were pleasant accents to my name and picture, not to mention a few that had gravel embedded in them. That occurred a week ago today.

Fast forward to around 8:15 yesterday morning, and I had a 'pleasant' drive 5 blocks to church, where I happened to notice that someone's signs were missing again. Mine. Just mine. Pretty much the same route as last time, so this is beginning to look like a pattern, and not a very exciting one. Bill Murray comes to mind - waking up every morning and doing the exact same things over and over again. Needless to say, on this occasion the culprit took them with, and ironically, I only found 2 this time!

Monday, October 4th, I had the minor irritant of having to leave work to go and survey the damage, and the signs were back up within an hour of the discovery with a little help from my sister-in-law. Yesterday, I had a commitment to play bass at church, so I couldn't deal with it immediately. But after lunch, my father-in-law (my wife's family lives locally and is pretty amazing!) took me for a drive around town and we replaced the missing signs. Fortunately, I had picked up a few more on Saturday to distribute in people's yards, so you could say I was prepared.

I even found an RCMP constable to report it to this time, but was rather disappointed with the response. So we'll see where it goes... According to my limited understanding of the Manitoba Elections Act, theft or vandalism of election signs is punishable by a penalty of up to $10000 and/or 1 year in jail, so you would think that someone running for council (in a town that pays close to $200000 a year for RCMP service) would have the local authority's ear. I'm hopeful, but am I optimistic? ...

Granted, if you look at this from a long term angle, it's free publicity and a lot of cardiovascular activity for me! So I'll admit it's frustrating and irritating. But the response has been phenomenal so far, with a number of the competing council candidates calling me and offering me their support in this situation. Needless to say, I'm very thankful for that.

So here's my theory: my job requires me to make a lot of judgment calls - do I hire a driver? Do I not hire a driver? Do I have to put something negative in their file, or do I have to terminate their employment?
If my hunch is correct, I decided not to hire one particular person who took it the wrong way. I won't go into all of the details, but there are two things I'm looking for when a long distance truck driver comes looking for a job - Professional driving skill, and Professionalism when representing the company. If you don't have both of those attributes, you won't be getting a job. It doesn't matter if you write my boss a letter afterward telling him I'm unprofessional. I can defend that. What bothers me about this is that you are still angry 6 months later, even though you've found employment elsewhere. This really boils down to a security issue that I'm not willing to risk.

But guess what? All that tells me is that I can make an unpopular decision for the betterment of my employer, and have the backbone to not have to be the people pleaser every step of the way. And if I get the opportunity to represent the Town of Morris for 4 years, I'll be willing to help make the right choices, not just the popular ones. Besides, if a manager is stepping on toes once in a while, it means he or she is doing their job.

Get over yourself. I'm done talking about this for a bit. And I hope you have a crap load of time on your hands, because I've got over 100 more signs coming, and I can keep replacing them as often as you keep removing them. Thank you for showing me that you have a small mind and proving to me yet again that I made the right decision not to hire you.

If it's not the person I'm thinking of, well then I've got it all wrong. But this is the only possible 'suspect' I can think of. Thank you for reading my rant. And now back to your regularly scheduled election campaign!

[UPDATE]: So, I hadn't thought much about this for a long time, but I actually think it might have been someone else - who's more than a little crazy! But no matter, this is all water under the bridge of public life...!
That's how I see it, how about you?