Saturday, July 31, 2010

Candidates share visions for city's future - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

Candidates share visions for city's future - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

We have real candidates that are interested in comming for the public interview and sharing their views -These are the real people who care and are not under investigation for behind closed door dealing

In the community interest

Proud of candidate meetings
Posted By
Posted 30 minutes ago


In response to the July 29 Expositor article on "Four candidates miss
the Taxpayers Coalition debate at the Knights of Columbus Hall ...."


With respect, the inability to communicate or conversely the inability
to hear what the people of Brantford are saying or want appears to be
an apparent common weakness in Brantford governance process. For the
record, we are proud of the "meet the candidates" public meetings in
bridging the information gap and allowing all people to make informed
and wise decisions through their power of voting for the most
qualified candidate of their choice. All candidates were invited to
the Taxpayers Coalition "meet the candidates" public scheduled events.
This information was conveyed in a grassroots manner -- by personal
invitation, phone, word of mouth, e-mail social media and well
publicized in both local newspapers and local community television. In
our opinion, the quality and participation in the debate process, by
the participants -- candidates from all wards was high. The ward and
mayors debates where extremely informative to the voters. Those that
did not attend missed an opportunity to be heard. One wise person, a
serious candidate, made the following realistic and astute observation
and comment about this public process. "If you have a job interview
with the public, it is wise to show up for the interview."

It is unfortunate that some candidates, could not or chose not to
attend, due to personal, work commitments, or other scheduling
conflicts. A special public "meet the candidates" meeting is scheduled
for Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus hall to
give these people the opportunity to speak and to ensure that everyone
is fairly represented and objectively treated. Please contact us if
you "officially" wish to participate. Respectfully speaking and with
nothing to hide.

Sieg Holle

Communications director Brant Taxpayers Coalition

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"
http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Some people are unhappy as Canadians -what is your opinion?

Please read this one from our readers.. 
Everyone that lives in Canada should see this.and ask for changes  .


I AM CANADIAN  
I am in the minority in Calgary , Vancouver , Toronto 
and every casino in this country.

I was born in the forties, fifties or sixties, yet I am somehow responsible for some First Nations people being screwed out of their land in the 1700's!
I pay import tax on cars made in Ontario

I am allowed to skydive and smoke, but not allowed to drive without a seat belt.

All the money I make until mid July must go to paying taxes..

I live and work among people who believe Americans are Ignorant....
These same people cannot name this country's new territory.

On April 1st, 1999, the map of Canada changed for the first time in 50 years with the creation of Nunavut Territory .
The Northwest Territories was split and approximately 2 million square kilometers of the central and eastern arctic became ' Nunavut '.

Although I am sometimes forced to live on hamburgers and don't have a pot to piss in,  
I sleep well knowing that my taxes helped purchase a nice six figure home in Vancouver for some unskilled refugee.

Although they are unpatriotic and constantly try to separate...
  Quebec still provides most of my nation's prime ministers.

95% of my  nation's international conflicts are over fish.

I'm supposed to call black people African Canadians,
although I'm sure none of them have ever been to Africa for that matter.
I am being told that paying a 200% tax on alcohol is fair.

I am also being told that  the same tax on gasoline is also fair.

Even if I have no idea what happened to that old rifle my
Grandfather gave me when I was 14, I will be considered a criminal if I don't register it.

I am being told that spending $15 billion to promote the French language in the rest of Canada is fair when the province of Quebec doesn't support or recognize the English language.

I am being told that paying $1million for 3 Stripes
('The Voice of Fire' painting in Ottawa )
 by the National Art Gallery was a good purchase, even  though 99% of this country didn't want it or will ever see it.

When I look at my pension and realize that I take home a third of what I actually make, I say
'Oh well, at least we have better health care than the Americans.'

I must bail out big corporations who drive their business into the ground and say,  
'yeah that's ok.'
When they move all their manufacturing plants and jobs to a third world country and say,
'no problem.'
 
Pledge Billions of Canadian Dollars to Rebuild Haiti But Can't give Pensioners a decent pension to Live on after taking their hard earnd wages for Fourty years of work
                   "Goverments arn't  wrong"

My National Anthem has versions in both official languages.
Canada is the highest taxed nation in North America, the biggest Military buffer for the United States, and the number one destination for fleeing terrorists.
I am not an angry white person.

I am one pissed off taxpayer,
 who is broke
I am Canadian !!!

-- I am a Canadian who believes that knowledge ,and  worthy people  can change things for the common good
Please pass this on to those that care and can make a difference.....

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Advisors News | Industry news | ADVISORS - IMF: Canada likely to outperform this year

Advisors News Industry news ADVISORS - IMF: Canada likely to outperform this year

Canada's economy is on track to grow more quickly this year than previously expected, putting it ahead of the United States and most other advanced economies, according to new estimates from International Monetary Fund.
The IMF said Thursday it's raising the 2010 growth forecast for Canada to 3.6 per cent from its previous estimate of 3.1 per cent, issued in April.
The IMF's July report also raised its U.S. growth estimate to 3.3 per cent, up from 3.1 per cent and its world estimate to 4.6 per cent from 4.2 per cent.
Asian countries with rapidly maturing economies will grow more quickly than the United States, Japan and European countries that have historically been more advanced.


Excellent this is our decade !!!! Sieg

Friday, July 09, 2010

Fwd: Business development SCC -informal thoughtsto garner expression of interest2

 

Saving 200 jobs in Brantford

 

Positioning thoughts on Shop rite  SCC   and community initiatives

Confidential            S Holle

 

261 Oakhill Drive

Brantford N3T5L7

519- 754-0018

respondfeedbacknow@yahoo.ca

 

 

 

 



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sieg Holle <siegholle@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 8:02 AM
Subject: Fwd: Business development SCC -informal thoughtsto garner expression of interest2
To: Levac_Dave-MPP <dlevac.mpp@liberal.ola.org>, Phil <McColeman.P@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: steelworkers <rmason@usw.ca>, mayor <johnsless@rogers.com>


Community leaders mobilize and pass it on . -This is a worthy cause that deserves priority attention. You can be part of the solution -please comment and make suggestions  you can make the  difference . Sieg

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S.Holle <holcrest@worldchat.com>
Date: Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 6:50 AM
Subject: Business development SCC -informal thoughtsto garner expression of interest2

"When good men do nothing there are normally bad consequences and loses by default"- Sieg Holle BS MBA  About us

The purpose of this working paper is to see if there is the will or means in the community to save Shoprite ( Screenprint) and the 200 jobs in a revitalized and restructured form . The Shoprite Community Corporation or SCC model has proved effective in the past and  is a means to such an end .

Facts and background:

Fact:

Shoprite is a mature Brantford headquartered company with an over  50 year tradition of providing prosperity to the community or people of Brant /Brantford in terms of higher paying jobs ,municipal, provincial, and federal tax revenue,  and is both a purchaser and proven leading supplier of needed goods and services to the Canadian and international markets.

 

The company is in technical receivership with estimated assets of 2.5 million and liabilities of 5 million dollars. Over 200 jobs, with an average hourly pay level of $28 are at risk . The Receiver is presently running, and winding down the 2 facilities located on Elgin street  They are in the first stage of the receivership process and fulfilling existing orders. No formal RFP for the company or its assets have been publicly posted as is required. The entity is still in operation on a scaled down basis.

 

Fact:

Based on information provided by political candidates at the Taxpayer Coalition sponsored "Meet the Candidates" and other concerned citizens input- there are compelling reason to retain high paying jobs in the community.

  • One in four jobs in Brantford has been lost in the economic downturn which has placed additional strains on community services and other community businesses.
  • There are many empty or underutilized industrial factories  in the Brant/Brantford community. The economic base and tax base is eroding.
  • Two mayor candidates ( Sless and Calnan)  have expressed support and suggested that a community initiative be undertaken to save the jobs and company if feasible .

 

Should good men in the community do something? Are their benefits that override the risks? When is talk and political posturing not enough?

·        Why not find out ? – a prudent business strategy and community decision   What is required ? –basically a will to succeed.

o       The five step process is proven and simple  - pre-feasibility( public consultation), Feasibility, Business Plan, Financial /ownership Plan , Implementation 

·        Leadership required – Who will champion the cause legally?

o       An entity is needed to consolidate community interests

o       SCC  is an entity which can be formed for the specific purpose

·        Considerations

o Do the creditors have an incentive to keep the restructured company alive by receiving  a benefit greater then getting a tax write off and write downs ?

§         What acceptable terms  can be negotiated in everyone's best interests?

o       What is the market for the existing and new products that can be produced and marketed by the restructured company?

o       What good men should serve on the SOS task Force committee and in what capacity?

o       What assistance is available from government or other sources?

§         Capitalize creditor write-offs

§         Incentives  -municipal, provincial, federal

·        Training

·        Equipment

·        Product service orders

·        Other

·        Guarantees

·        Tax deferrals and grants

·        Talent or services lend for task at hand

o       Time is of the essence

 

 

Other Points to be made:

  • Once  the company is decommissioned , it is a sad fact that it will be hard to revitalize . The cost of creating the same level of  jobs has proven to be more expensive. See Enterprise benchmarks . The following adages apply
    • A bird in hand is worth many promises in the bush
    • All the kings horses and all the kings men will not be able to put humpty back together again
  • Real time starts when the Receivers asks for public tenders or RFPs. Can we be ready ? It is estimated that this is a 3 to 6 month process.

 

Can the SCC model work?

Yes , with a few good men, real people that are  motivated, knowledgeable, productive  and with intelligent leadership

 

Should we make it work?

Yes , with real action , real energy , real plans, real people –not talkers or self interested posturing .

There are 1200 people ,their families, with  their purchasing power and influence  at stake.

 

Is it worth a shot?        Yes        Maybe        No

 

 

 

 

Job creation benchmarks – Brantford

 

 

Economic performance benchmarks   Information based on Enterprise Brant


Enterprise Brant is responsible for delivering the Community Futures Program in
Brantford·Brant County which is a job creation program funded by Industry Canada.
During the past 21 years of operation Enterprise Brant has:
• approved over $16 million in loans to over 600 businesses in Brantford/Brant
• granted over $3.5 million to over 231 Community Development Projects
• assisted over 800 unemployed individuals with starting up 757 new businesses, creating 1028 jobs over the past 21 years.
Small and medium sized businesses can borrow up to $250,000 to expand an existing business or start a new one.

Quick benchmarks   Enterprise Brant

These funds are part of the South West Community Adjustment Funds that were allocated to Enterprise Brant to administer for stimulating local economic growth in Brantford and Brant County. As part of the Economic Stimulus package implemented by the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario, it is important that these funds are allocated to businesses that will enable them to grow and/or position themselves to take advantage of the improving economy.

What are 200 jobs worth?

SCC comparison using Enterprise benchmarks




--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care



--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Monday, July 05, 2010

Advisors News | Industry news | ADVISORS - OBSI swamped with complaints

Advisors News Industry news ADVISORS - OBSI swamped with complaints

focus of 44 cases.
On the MFDA side, Investors Group Financial Services Inc. was the subject of 29 cases, followed by WFG Securities of Canada with 24.
Banking
Among the most common complaints in the banking sector were those regarding pre-payment penalties charged to customers seeking to refinance their mortgages. In most of these cases, OBSI found that the charges were explained in the mortgage documentation.
TD Bank saw the greatest number of banking-related complaints (102), followed by Scotiabank (79) and CIBC (48).
Overall, a disproportionate percentage of complaints came from Ontario clients, accounting for 57.8% of complaints, but only 38.8% of the country's population. British Columbians (13.3% of population) made 13.2% of complaints, while Quebec (23.4% of population) made only 12.5% of complaints.
"The proportionately lower number in Quebec reflects the fact that the caisses populaires Desjardins do not participate in OBSI for banking services," OBSI notes.
For the full OBSI report, click here.

Note :

Have you been ripped off by a bank lately ? Have they taken funds from you without your authorization? In normal countries that is known as stealing - do not let them get away with it. SH

Lets us know if you have been whooshed ,fees taken without your consent. A sorry is just not good enough! Let us know and we can start class action proceedings against them .It is your money -Banks are in a legal trust position which should not be abused without consequences and damages to them for bad behaviour .

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Why Friedrich Hayek Is Making a Comeback: FCPP - Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Why Friedrich Hayek Is Making a Comeback: FCPP - Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Why Friedrich Hayek Is Making a Comeback
With the failure of Keynesian stimulus, the late Austrian economist's ideas on state power and crony capitalism are getting a new hearing. Russ Roberts, Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2010

Hayek's classic, "The Road to Serfdom," on his TV show, the book went to No. 1 on Amazon and remains in the top 10. Hayek's persona co-starred with his old sparring partner John Maynard Keynes in a rap video "Fear the Boom and Bust" that has been viewed over 1.4 million times on YouTube and subtitled in 10 languages.

Why the sudden interest in the ideas of a Vienna-born, Nobel Prize-winning economist largely forgotten by mainstream economists?
Hayek is not the only dead economist to have garnered new attention. Most of the living ones lost credibility when the Great Recession ended the much-hyped Great Moderation. And fears of another Great Depression caused a natural look to the past. When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke zealously expanded the Fed's balance sheet, he was surely remembering Milton Friedman's indictment of the Fed's inaction in the 1930s. On the fiscal side, Keynes was also suddenly in vogue again. The stimulus package was passed with much talk of Keynesian multipliers and boosting aggregate demand.

But now that the stimulus has barely dented the unemployment rate, and with government spending and deficits soaring, it's natural to turn to Hayek.

He championed four important ideas worth thinking about in these troubled times.
First, he and fellow Austrian School economists such as Ludwig Von Mises argued that the economy is more complicated than the simple Keynesian story. Boosting aggregate demand by keeping school teachers employed will do little to help the construction workers and manufacturing workers who have borne the brunt of the current downturn. If those school teachers aren't buying more houses, construction workers are still going to take a while to find work. Keynesians like to claim that even digging holes and filling them is better than doing nothing because it gets money into the economy. But the main effect can be to raise the wages of ditch-diggers with limited effects outside that sector.

Second, Hayek highlighted the Fed's role in the business cycle. Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's artificially low rates of 2002-2004 played a crucial role in inflating the housing bubble and distorting other investment decisions. Current monetary policy postpones the adjustments needed to heal the housing market.
Third, as Hayek contended in "The Road to Serfdom," political freedom and economic freedom are inextricably intertwined. In a centrally planned economy, the state inevitably infringes on what we do, what we enjoy, and where we live. When the state has the final say on the economy, the political opposition needs the permission of the state to act, speak and write. Economic control becomes political control.
Even when the state tries to steer only part of the economy in the name of the "public good," the power of the state corrupts those who wield that power. Hayek pointed out that powerful bureaucracies don't attract angels—they attract people who enjoy running the lives of others. They tend to take care of their friends before taking care of others. And they find increasing that power attractive. Crony capitalism shouldn't be confused with the real thing.
The fourth timely idea of Hayek's is that order can emerge not just from the top down but from the bottom up. The American people are suffering from top-down fatigue. President Obama has expanded federal control of health care. He'd like to do the same with the energy market. Through Fannie and Freddie, the government is running the mortgage market. It now also owns shares in flagship American companies. The president flouts the rule of law by extracting promises from BP rather than letting the courts do their job. By increasing the size of government, he has left fewer resources for the rest of us to direct through our own decisions.

Hayek understood that the opposite of top-down collectivism was not selfishness and egotism. A free modern society is all about cooperation. We join with others to produce the goods and services we enjoy, all without top-down direction. The same is true in every sphere of activity that makes life meaningful—when we sing and when we dance, when we play and when we pray. Leaving us free to join with others as we see fit—in our work and in our play—is the road to true and lasting prosperity. Hayek gave us that map.

Despite the caricatures of his critics, Hayek never said that totalitarianism was the inevitable result of expanding government's role in the economy. He simply warned us of the possibility and the costs of heading in that direction. We should heed his warning. I don't know if we're on the road to serfdom, but wherever we're headed, Hayek would certainly counsel us to turn around.

Mr. Roberts teaches economics at George Mason University and co-created the "Fear the Boom and Bust" rap video with filmmaker John Papola. His latest book is "The Price of Everything" (Princeton, 2009).