The Very Model of Bureaucratic Inefficiency
Here is the textbook model of bureaucratic inefficiency and council sluggishness that deserves a satirical Gilbert and Sullivan song of its own: Collingwood is conducting a “speed limit survey” through…
Civic Engagement
Traffic Calming: Not My Job Say Town Staff
No residents have been successful in three years in meeting all the town’s absurdly stringent requirements for investigation of the installation of even rudimentary traffic calming in their neighbourhoods. That’s…
Opt-in Polls: Bad Data, Bad Science, and Bad Actors
I was perusing the usual collage of semi-news, trivia, and fluff on CollingwoodToday recently and noticed a poll at the bottom asking “How old are you?” It piqued my interest…
Collingwood Needs a Communications Director and Plan
Yesterday, the Town of Collingwood sent out an email trying to rationalize the town’s budget and tax increase. That release underscores in so many ways why townhall desperately needs both…
Why is Collingwood So Secretive About its Salt Use?
Road salt is a huge concern in Ontario for its destructive effects on the environment and the infrastructure. Progressive municipalities across the province have been exploring alternatives for years, cutting…
Council’s First Year, Part 4
The final piece in the series in CollingwoodToday begins with an egregious error: “Collingwood’s Town Council, elected one year ago on Oct. 24, 2022, is celebrating their first year in…
Council’s First Year Continued Part 3
The third part of the series in Collingwood Today asked members of council what “surprises they’ve experienced so far in their terms.” As a former councillor, I appreciate how stepping…
The Challenge of Citizen Engagement
I recently read a good opinion piece in The Meaford Independent, titled, The Challenge of Remaining Informed & Engaged in Municipal Governance in Our Busy Modern World, In it, editor…
Who is sponsoring Canada’s Democracy Week? Elections Canada, of course
Are you like millions of Canadians outraged by Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s relentless assault on our democratic institutions, traditions and values? Maybe you’re wondering if the Harper can really be…
In defence of 14-year-old girls
So it was that MP Charlie Angus, the NDP’s self-appointed guardian of civility, has declared that Twitter has “turned us all into 14-year-olds in a cafeteria” where “verybody gets to…
Federal Budget 2012 Cuts: Statement from Katimavik
It is with extreme disappointment that we learned today that the Government has decided to end its funding commitment to Katimavik. Today’s announcement comes as a surprise, since we are…
@AntoniaZ, @SusannaKelley, @marcusbgee, and the Rob Ford ascendancy | #TOpoli
Wonderful thing, the Tweeter. Keeps things lively, and keeps you on your toes.So apparently there's some question over what I wrote about the Globe's ideologically reliable urban affairs curmudgeon and…
Another day, another embarrassing eruption from Mt. Ford | #TOpoli
Honestly, where do you begin?First, Mayor Stupid's dismissing all the folks who spoke at last month's city hall all-nighter as left-wing, NDP, special-interest types trying to protect their free money.…
@cityslikr on Team Ford’s bullshit, and our complicity therein | #TOpoli
Which Lie Do You Buy? « All Fired Up In The Big SmokeA lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.–…
Kate’s royal ass cheek: #sunmedia triumphs again, @davidakin makes sure we all know about it
Sad, isn't it. When this is what occupies our imaginations and dominates public discourse, is it any wonder that so many people don't bother to take the responsibilities of citizenship…
The capacity for critical thought – how do we build it?
Just as we wind down the first half of 2011 in preparation for Canada Day, three disparate blog posts are jumping out at me:At Sixth Estate, Government of Canada Issues…
@thekeenanwire, #TOpoli and that whole ‘deserve’ thing, redux
Go and read this piece from Ed Keenan in The Grid. He's right of course, and you don't need a master's degree in public administration to know that public services…
Volunteerism as a Tax Strategy?
The idea of rewarding volunteer hours with a tax break has been bruited around recently, and has caught my attention for a couple of reasons. The first issue with this…