The results are in from Regina’s wastewater treatment referendum. And unfortunately, the combined forces of the City and the corporate sector (with an assist from far too much of the city’s media) were able to carry the day. But there’s still plenty of reason to think we’re better off for
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Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Today is of course voting day in Regina’s wastewater treatment plant referendum – and you can get voting information here. And Paul Dechene explains his personal Yes vote by pointing to the need for public control over our infrastructure, while Brian Webb highlights
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On sucker’s bets
As the old saying goes, if you sit down at a poker table and can’t spot the sucker, you’re it. And there shouldn’t be much doubt that when the City of Regina sits down with an interconnected group of consultants and privatization advocates to decide who stands to be handed
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #wwtp Referendum Roundup
A few links and notes as Regina’s wastewater referendum approaches tomorrow. – Jason Hammond explains that his Yes vote will be based largely on concerns about the City’s dishonesty and sense of entitlement in trying to push through a P3 model. And Paul Dechene provides the full list of City
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Paul Krugman writes about the right-wing belief that “freedom’s just another word for not enough to eat”: (Y)ou might think that ensuring adequate nutrition for children, which is a large part of what SNAP does, actually makes it less, not more likely that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Paul Dechene interviews Maude Barlow about the downside of privatizing public infrastructure: Somebody asked me to point blank explain the difference between private and public and I said, profit. That’s the difference. In a public system, it’s the same amount of money; you’re
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On questions of trust
I’ll give Deputy City Manager Brent Sjoberg credit for at least partially answering one of my long-standing questions about a privatized water treatment plant: namely, who’s going to be left with the job of making sure a private operator lives up to its promises? Q8. What are the contractual terms
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how the real question in Regina’s P3 referendum vote is that of how to operate the City’s vital infrastructure – and why we should vote “yes” to maintain some control. For further reading…– CBC reports on last night debate between Jim Holmes and Michael Fougere.– Brent Sjoberg’s interview
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Tavia Grant reports on the most recent world happiness report from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. And David Doorey points out a rather striking similarity among the countries at the top of the list, while Dan Gardner highlights Stephen Harper’s longstanding
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Juxtaposition
The Fouge sez: have no fear about corporate abuses or contract manipulation in a privatized wastewater system because…public procurement process! Hamilton Wastewater System – A sewage operation and maintenance contract in Hamilton was cancelled. In Hamilton, the contractor was hired without a public procurement process. The City of Regina will
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On benefits at stake
Martin Regg Cohn is right to note that there’s no empirical support for attacks on unions when it comes to jobs or economic development: Why then is Hudak trying to turn the clock back? He points to the rise of Right to Work states in the U.S., where right-wing legislators
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the dangers of accepting advice from self-interested advisers – and the obvious conflict of interest of the consultants hired to push a wastewater P3 on Regina’s citizens. For further reading…– The Museum of Hoaxes offers some background on the now-notorious movie reviews of Dave Manning. – Matt Taibbi
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Simon Enoch nicely challenges the City of Regina’s blind faith in “risk transfer” by pointing out how that concept has typically been applied elsewhere: So what price should we put on such a risk transfer? This is where things can get dicey. How
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Polly Toynbee discusses how the UK’s attacks on social programs are based on gross ignorance about what social spending does (and who it helps): The Citizens Advice Bureau reports a rise of 78% in the last six months in people needing food banks
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading. – Mark Leiren-Young shares Corky Evans’ perceptive take on how the B.C. NDP has lost its way – and the message is one which we should apply elsewhere as well: I remember when one of the Leaders I worked for asked some guys
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the tendency of both political decision-makers and the general public to give too much credence to secret information – and the need for citizens to scrutinize leaders all the more closely if they rely on bare declarations that we’d agree with their actions if only we knew what
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Bruce Livesey discusses how offshoring undermines government – and how it happens with the approval of those same governments claiming we can’t afford to provide for citizens: Today, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) claims that offshore banks globally hide
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on Regina’s wastewater referendum as just the first step in encouraging regular citizen engagement in the decisions that affect us all. For further reading…– Again, Hugh Mackenzie’s analysis of the cost of private financing is here (PDF). And Barrie McKenna’s take on the hidden price of P3s is here.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: To the polls!
Needless to say, it’s great news (as well as a pleasant surprise) that Regina will get a referendum on a proposed P3 wastewater treatment plant. And kudos to Regina Water Watch and everybody connected to the petition campaign for making that happen. But of course, the most important step comes
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