Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Mayor begins building bridges day after slim margin of victory
Expositor Staff

By Michael-Allan Marion
Local News - Wednesday, November 15, 2006 Updated @ 12:00:05 AM

Mayor Mike Hancock says hes wasting no time following his re-election Monday in forging a productive council.

Hancock, who survived with a tight 165-vote edge over challenger Chris Friel, said his first priority is to line up meetings with the four newcomers to council.

Councillors-elect Jennifer Kinneman and Mark Littell in Ward 1, Vince Bucci in Ward 2 and John Bradford in Ward 5 can expect a phone call from the mayors office.

I want to chat with them about their aspirations and how they see themselves working with the new council, Hancock said Tuesday, as candidates were busy removing election signs from lawns and buildings across the city.

I want to hear their thoughts. "

50Plus.com - A flower of remembrance

50Plus.com - A flower of remembrance: "A flower of remembrance
Article By: Cynthia Ross Cravit

In November, Canadians wear scarlet poppies to pay tribute to those who have died in war and military operations. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – the time the Armistice of World War I was signed in 1918 – people across the country are asked to observe two minutes of silence to remember those servicemen and women who have sacrificed their lives. "

Canada commits $40 million to developing world microfinancing

Good strategy

Canada commits $40 million to developing world microfinancing: "Canada commits $40 million to developing world microfinancing Juliet O'Neill, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen
Published: Monday, November 13, 2006 Article tools

OTTAWA -- The federal government announced $40 million Sunday for small loans and other microfinance help for destitute people in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The expenditure on the Nobel prize-winning method of alleviating poverty and suffering was announced as about 2,000 delegates from around the world gathered in Halifax for the four-day Global Microcredit Summit.
'Around the world, the power of microfinance is transforming lives,' Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said in a joint statement with International Co-operation Minister Josee Verner."

winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - House arrest for tax fraud

An interesting precedent
winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - House arrest for tax fraud: "House arrest for tax fraud
By STAFF




A Springfield man has been sentenced to one year of house arrest after he defrauded the Canada Revenue Agency of more than $365,000 in bogus tax returns.
Kevin Gibbons, 56, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count each of fraud and tax evasion. Judge Lynn Stannard also ordered Gibbons to pay a fine of $272,000 and perform 75 hours of community service work. "

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Tough call on income trusts

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Tough call on income trusts: "Tough call on income trusts



We would hardly have expected big business to stand up and applaud this week's federal announcement about rule changes for the way income trusts are to be taxed in Canada.
But Finance Minister Jim Flaherty found himself being backed into an increasingly tight corner under tax regulations that threatened to take billions of dollars out of federal coffers and he responded with decisive action -- something that has been in short supply in Ottawa in recent years. "

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor

Calm and uninspiring or brash and off the wall-which is your choice?
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Mayor candidates in re-match

By Michael Allan Marion, Expositor Staff
Local News - Saturday, November 04, 2006 @ 01:00

Brantford is being treated to an electoral rematch in the 2006 race between Mayor Mike Hancock and predecessor Chris Friel that shows more than ever a dramatic contrast in styles.

Listen carefully, though, to the two repeat the 2003 clash that had a 15-year councillor best a nine-year mayor by 15 votes, and you’ll not hear much difference in each candidate’s vision of the city’s future.

As the race approaches the home stretch, the differences are more articulated in the intermittent criticisms that each makes of the other’s actions and decisions while in the mayor’s chair.

At 64, Hancock is sticking to the undramatic, quiet, capable, steady-as-she-goes, consensus-building style of management that saw him through the 2003 race. "

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor

Lets change it
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Property tax system unfair, voters say

James Wallace
Queens Park - Friday, November 03, 2006

Few Ontario voters are happy with Ontario's controversy-plagued property
tax system, shows an SES Research/Osprey Media poll.
Just 14 per cent of those surveyed believe the province's local tax
system is fair while 31 per cent see the system as unfair, the poll
found.
'This is definitely a pocket book issue for many voters,' said SES
Research president Nik Nanos. 'It directly or indirectly touches
everyone.'
'When we look at the extremes, people are twice as likely to think that
it's unfair compared to fair,' Nanos said.
However, middle-aged and older voters were more likely than younger
voters to view the property tax system as unfair, the poll found.
'Sixty per cent of middle aged Ontarians think our property tax system
is either somewhat unfair or unfair,' Nanos said.
The SES Research/Osprey Media poll found a broad range of voters
expressed some degree of concern over property taxation with 18 per cent
surveyed saying the system is 'somewhat unfair' and 29 per cent that it
is 'somewhat fair.
Property taxes have been a controversial issue in Ontario for much of
the past decade. "

winnipegsun.com - Business - Letter reveals friction at CMHC

Higher House prices? PR

winnipegsun.com - Business - Letter reveals friction at CMHC: "Letter reveals friction at CMHCSharp reprimand from bank governor
By CP




OTTAWA -- A tart letter of reprimand from the governor of the Bank of Canada suggests there have been rocky relations between the bank and the embattled Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
The newly released letter from David Dodge to Karen Kinsley, president and CEO of the housing corporation, uses unusually strong language to criticize new lending policies announced by the federal corporation over the summer.
'DISMAY'
'I read with interest and dismay your press release of June 28 which indicated that CMHC would offer mortgage insurance for interest-only loans and for amortizations of up to 35 years,' says the two-page letter. "

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Jail is not the answer: advocate; Fewer charges being laid under new law

Vincent Ball
Local News - Friday, October 27, 2006 @ 01:00

City police have charged only 47 youths with crimes so far this year, but that doesn't mean fewer young people are breaking the law.

Nor does it mean there has been a huge drop in crime.

The figures, provided by police, are a reflection of the changes introduced when the Youth Criminal Justice Act came into effect in April 2003.

In addition to those charged, 279 had their offences deferred by police pending completion of a diversion program offered by St.
Leonard's Community Services"

High Taxes top issue

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Taxes top issue in November municipal election

James Wallace
Queens Park - Monday, October 30, 2006

Osprey News Network

Money is the top issue on the minds of municipal voters across Ontario, shows a SES Research/Osprey Media poll.

Almost half of those surveyed listed taxes or funding for cities as the top issue in the November municipal election, the poll found.

This upcoming municipal election is really about dollars and cents, said Nik Nanos, president of SES Research. "

50Plus.com - Bid online to invest

50Plus.com - Bid online to invest: "Bid online to invest
Article By: Jennifer Gruden
Ed has a situation many of us may have experienced in our youth. He's working his way through school in an in-demand field, and expects to be employed after graduation. In the meantime his mother offered him an interest-free loan to pay educational expenses. But Ed's found theres still a cost:
“Well, I have concluded that THERE IS a price to pay! This loan, although at zero interest, is NOT FREE. It's actually an enormous burden,” he says in his request for a loan at Prosper.com.
That’s why he’s requesting an $8,000 (US) loan at 9.00 per cent interest. And 2 days and 23 hours before his loan request will close, he’s found it fully funded, with 182 people bidding online in order to each loan him part of the total loan.
Bidding online? Isn’t that what you do to pick up bargains at eBay? Well yes. And since February 2006, it’s also been a way for people to lend money – from tens of dollars to thousands of dollars – to other people.
'Until now, financial institutions have controlled who is able to obtain credit and the rates people pay,' said Chris Larsen, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Prosper, in a press release issued as the company came online. 'Over time, this one-sided control has bred inefficiencies and excessive margins – leading to higher rates for borrowers, and restricting people who have money to lend from entering and generating income from this vital and lucrative market.'
'Prosper gives people the opportunity to take back the marketplace for consumer credit,' said Larsen.
How does it work?
A basic transaction is fairly simple. People who want to borrow money create a l"

Medical wait times inching up, Fraser Institute reports

Medical wait times inching up, Fraser Institute reports

Consumer News - Eight Ways To Sink Yourself Financially - ArcaMax Publishing

Consumer News - Eight Ways To Sink Yourself Financially - ArcaMax Publishing: "Eight Ways To Sink Yourself Financially
Rich Acheampong
1. Don't focus on your finances

The reason most people get into debt is because they don't spend enough time focusing on their finances. You need to get a grasp of where you're at financially, keep track of your income in relation to expenses and spending habits.

2. Failure to develop a good financial plan

Eight Ways To Sink Yourself Financially
Rich Acheampong 1. Don't focus on your finances The reason most people get into debt is because they don't spend enough time focusing on their finances. You need to get a grasp of where you're at financially, keep track of your income in relation to expenses and spending habits.
2. Failure to develop a good financial plan No one would imagine going on vacation without planning for it. Yet when finances are concerned, many people don't plan. A good financial plan can be the difference between comfortable living and struggling to get by.
3. Waiting too long to invest When making investments, time is of the essence. Compound interest earns money over time; so don't wait too long to save for retirement. The longer you wait to invest, the smaller your return on investment.
4. Marrying the wrong person Who you marry has a huge impact on your finances. Couples with different views on money, create stress in their marriage. Divorce apart from the emotional pain and suffering causes financial heartache.
5. Habits Although habits seem minor, the prices add up. Buying a $1 coffee each day cost you $365 every year. Imagine how much more money you spend by eating out regularly. If you smoke, the cost of cigarettes along could drive you to quit.
6. Running up credit card balances If you carry unpaid balances on credit cards, you are already losing money in interest payments alone. Credit card companies have high interest charges that accumulate with unpaid balances.
7. Be under-insured You need to protect yourself and your family from unforeseen emergencies, sickness, accidents and possible death. The goal is to make sure that you have proper financial coverage incase anything should happen.
8. Investing in things you don't understand If I had a dollar for every sure fire stock tip... I'd be rich. Then I'd lose that money by investing in those tips. Make sure you know what you are investing in, by asking a lot of questions, don't hesitate to get another financial opinion.

No one would imagine going on vacation without planning for it. Yet when finances are concerned, many people don't plan. A good financial plan can be the difference between comfortable living and struggling to get by.

Prison ombudsman accuses prison system of ‘institutionalized discrimination’

Prison ombudsman accuses prison system of ‘institutionalized discrimination’: "Meagan Fitzpatrick,
Font: * * * * OTTAWA -- Canada’s jail system routinely discriminates against aboriginal offenders, according to the federal prison watchdog. In his annual report released Monday, ombudsman Howard Sapers outlined a number of concerns but chose to focus on aboriginal Canadians, saying they are over-represented in the justice system and treated unfairly within it.
Sapers said the general picture is one of 'institutionalized discrimination.'
'Aboriginal people are routinely disadvantaged once they are placed into the care and custody of the correctional service,' he said.
Aboriginal offenders are more often placed in maximum security prisons and in segregation than non-aboriginal offenders, Sapers reported, and that 'severely limits access to rehabilitative programming and services.' He also said aboriginal inmates are not always given the same chance at parole as non-aboriginal offenders.
Sapers said Canada’s correctional service is not responsible for the social conditions and the policy decisions which contribute to its offender population, but it is responsible for ensuring that all offenders are treated fairly.
'It is, therefore, with grave concern that today I am underscoring that the Correctional Service of Canada falls short of this standard of care by allowing for systemic discrimination against aboriginal inmates,' he said.
Sapers said his recommendations must be acted upon swiftly. Among changes to the system, Sapers wants to see more aboriginal people employed in the correctional service.

"My message to the correctional service today is to walk your talk and make real progress a priority in this area. My message to the government is to give the service the resources they need to get the job done," he said

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor

One year from now we can effect change PR

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "McGuinty plots out re-election campaign

James Wallace
Queens Park - Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Dalton McGuinty leans back in his chair, turns slightly and nods out the
window behind him.

'You're here today, in my office, overlooking the lawn of Queen's Park,' the
Premier tells a visitor, then pauses to make a point.

'It's pretty quiet out there.'

McGuinty's Liberal government moved into the fourth and final year of its
mandate this past week. Less than a year from now, voters will get a chance
to weigh the accomplishments and failings of his party, which convinced
voters to 'choose change' in 2003.

In an exclusive interview with Osprey News, McGuinty reflected on his coming
campaign for re-election and the broad messages he'll be bringing to voters.

'For the last year, we will continue to drive hard on our original mandate,
particularly when it comes to the fundamentals,' he said, 'Getting class
sizes down, test scores up, getting wait times down, getting nurses hired
and graduating more physicians.'

'We also want to continue to work with labour and business to continue to
grow the economy, whether it's in the auto sector, manufacturing, forestry
or agriculture.'

'Beyond that, we will use that as a foundation on which we'll build our next
platform and our next set of commitments,' he said.


Those will be unveiled in the coming months but more broadly, the thrust of
McGuinty's campaign message will be twofold.

First, elaborating on his point about the relative absence of pro"

The other key theme in his campaign will directly address his greatest vulnerability - broken promises. Conservative leader John Tory recently foreshadowed what's coming at a press conference at his Queen's Park caucus office by lining the walls with signs listing broken Liberal promises. "I won't raise your taxes," one cried. "Stop school closings," said another. Others said "Unclog emergency rooms," "Balance the budget," "Provide a new funding formula for rural and northern schools," "Divert 60% of municipal garbage to recycling by 2005," "Tackle gridlock," "Close coal-fired electricity plants by 2007." Tory called McGuinty's decision to break a campaign promise by creating a new, $2.4 billion health care tax a "gross betrayal of the people" and predicted debate over broken promises in the coming campaign will be "vigorous." McGuinty made promises without thinking through their consequences and as a result was repeatedly forced to break them, he said. "I would never govern that way," Tory said. "I couldn't afford to run a business that way. I couldn't afford to run a football league that way, I couldn't afford to run charitable organizations that way." "In fact nobody runs things that way in their lives, they don't run their family life that way and yet he thinks he can run the Province of Ontario that way, Tory said. McGuinty, understandably, will ask the public to view things differently. "The other thing I would ask people to note, as they come to learn a little bit more about me. I'm not going to shrink from tough decisions," he said. "I didn't raise a health tax because I thought it would be warmly embraced by my mother, or all Ontarians," he said. "I did it because I honestly believed it was the best thing for us to do in the circumstances." Finally, McGuinty will run on a record of "recognizable improvement" in health care, education and other areas of provincial responsibility. No other government, he said, has done that - set goals, measured the results and reported back to voters. "You can count the kids in a classroom, you'll be able to do that at election time; count the test scores, count the graduations, count the wait times, count the doctors, count the nurses," he said. Come Oct. 4, 2007, all that will be left to do is count the votes.

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Let�s not point fingers

winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Let�s not point fingers: "Students at Montreal�s Dawson College are too young to remember the terrible massacre at the city�s L�Ecole Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989 � but yesterday�s shootings recalled that tragedy for us all.
This time, the carnage was mercifully less than when Marc Lepine opened fire that night, killing 14 women and injuring other students, male and female, before finally killing himself.
But that is ultimately little comfort, as yesterday�s rampage by a lone gunman (who was killed by police at the scene) took at least one innocent life and left up to eight others critically injured, with 20 people shot in all. "

Bush calls CIA prisons 'vital' tool - Yahoo! News

Bush calls CIA prisons 'vital' tool - Yahoo! News: "Bush calls CIA prisons 'vital' tool "

Graham, R-S.C., said withholding evidence from a war criminal sets a dangerous precedent other nations could follow. "Would I be comfortable with (an American service member) going to jail with evidence they never saw? No," Graham said.
Also on Wednesday, the
Pentagon' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Pentagon put out a new Army field manual that spells out appropriate conduct on issues including prisoner interrogation. The manual applies to all the armed services but not the CIA. It bans torture and degrading treatment of prisoners, for the first time specifically mentioning forced nakedness, hooding and other procedures that have become infamous during the war on terror.

Wages seen rising in tight labour market - Sympatico / MSN Finance

Wages seen rising in tight labour market - Sympatico / MSN Finance: "Wages seen rising in tight labour market
Posted 8/31/2006

By Louise Egan
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian companies in need of new talent will raise salaries by 3.5 percent next year to attract and keep skilled staff in a tight labour market, according to a survey released on Thursday.
With the unemployment rate at a 30-year low and a booming oil and gas industry in Western Canada sucking up new blood, many firms are hard-pressed to fill vacant positions.
The salary increase, based on forecasts of employers surveyed by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, would come on top of a higher-than-expected 3.6 percent average wage hike in the June 2005 to June 2006 period."

Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor

Great trend

Laurier driving growth Susan Gamble

Local News - Saturday, September 02, 2006 @ 01:00 Eight years ago, 39 students were rattling around in a newly created university that had little more than high hopes and great expectations. But what started so small and so slowly has burgeoned into an innovative, booming movement thats almost totally responsible for driving downtown redevelopment. And the flood of student residences, faculty buildings, classrooms, food services and resources isnt slowing, say those involved. Were in a situation where we can grow to the extent that we have buildings, says Lauriers principal, Leo Groarke. Although its still in the planning stages, this week Laurier president Bob Rosehart released the conceptual drawings of the universitys next dream project -- a massive five-storey creation to be built on Dalhousie Street, just across from the call centre in the downtown mall. The tentatively named Academic Building will have more residence beds, teaching space, a library area and a food vendor. *** First it was Laurier, then Nipissing University and then Mohawk College throwing their mortarboards into the core. Today, with close to 1,800 students flooding into the downtown for classes, the impetus of the schools is the main factor behind all downtown development, says Mayor Mike Hancock. Although plans for Laurier and Mohawk to renovate the old PUC building fell through earlier this year, that building is being eyed very seriously by Nipissing University. I can hardly wait to see a Nipissing sign on that building, says the mayor. But, he hastily adds, whats happening is about more than just buildings. This is a commitment to the city, Hancock says. The buildings are great because they keep the character of the community, but its the life thats energized here and the momentum were feeling. Its changed how we view ourselves as a city. The growth has spurred on private development, private student residences, restaurants and services. And theres no signs of that growth spurt abating. In fact, says the mayor, with the civic square work, theres been a renewed interest in the dilapidated south side of Colborne Street. With Nipissing looking to expand, the possibilities are endless. *** The numbers substantiate that optimism.
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From 39 full-time students in 1999, Laurier has leapt forward with 103 students in 2000; 200 in 2001; 295 in 2002; 632 in 2003; 922 in 2004 and 1,263 in 2005. This fall, there are 1,653 students enrolled, plus about 100 part-timers. Nipissing started with 30 students in 2002 enrolled in a concurrent program with Laurier -- so theyre counted in the Laurier total -- and thats jumped to 565 students this fall, plus an additional class of 35 area students that is an overflow from the enrolment in North Bay. Add in Mohawk students who have traditionally stayed in the east end of the city and have been coming into the core for classes at the Odeon building for the last few years. This year there are about 25 Mohawk kids in the core. This weekend marks the beginning of a mass influx of students as they return to the downtown. Laurier and Nipissing first years are assured of a residence bed, providing a more protected environment, says principal Groarke. First year is a transition year and we provide a more structured environment with dons and people watching over the students who might face issues of alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex. After that year, theyre expected to go and find accommodations elsewhere in private residences. To accommodate those second, third and fourth year students, private residences have cropped up all through the downtown -- from the 30-bed Rizzo Building on Colborne Street to a multitude of three and four bedroom houses converted for student use. Many are listed on a North American website called www.places4students.com. Some landlords, like Harold Mannen, have found creating small student residences to be a perfect sideline. I have 39 beds in the area but not all are targeted at students, says Mannen, who started the projects because of Laurier. I really love it and the kids are great. Ive had no trouble whatsoever. Mannen is also a downtown businessman, owner of the John Peel Restaurant. Theres now a vitality about the downtown that wasnt there before. Look at all the new buildings. Theres renewal happening all over and its not because of the casino. Every bit of it is due to Laurier. *** Growth doesnt always come evenly in the downtown. Groarke describes the process in terms of steps where, for a while, the schools are short of beds and classrooms, then theres a building boom and, for a while, there are too many beds and classrooms. When we started, the issue was trying to attract students. Very quickly that turned to having a problem finding buildings to fit the students. Despite the new Wilkes House and Faculty House that are just online, Laurier is back at capacity again. New housing at Lucy Marco Place (the old Y building) and the new East civic square building are welcome, but theyve come online a bit late for this year, Groarke says. Residence beds, classroom space and faculty offices have to keep apace of each other. Nipissing is also bursting at the seams, says Sandra Reid, the director of the Brantford campus. In a perfect world wed have five more offices in our building, at least three more classrooms, a gym and some large group instruction rooms. The cramped quarters mean the school is constantly problem-solving and partnering. For example, it uses the Brant Community Church when bringing large groups of students together. Aside from about 580 students who are also counted as Laurier students, Nipissing has a new class of 35 area students who are an overflow class from the North Bay campus after that location was swamped with acceptances. As well, Nipissing does a huge business in Additional Qualification courses or professional development for teachers. During the summer, for instance, 150 teachers from around southern Ontario were in the downtown upgrading their skills in Nipissing courses. Offering the concurrent courses for Laurier students to get a bachelor of education was a winning idea. With just 30 students in the program in the fall of 2002, Nipissing is growing at a dizzying pace and a switch to a five-year program for the B.Ed means automatic growth. Well have 700 students here next year and were developing whatever new courses the area school boards tell us they need for additional qualifications, says Reid. *** Laurier didnt want to own any Brantford buildings when it came to town. Now, it owns seven facilities and is planning the eighth. Part of the campuss huge success, says Groarke, is being creative in both programs and solutions. We havent duplicated Waterloo here. If youre willing to be inventive and creative and look for programs that are a little bit outside the box, you can keep attracting students. Groarke said some programs, like criminology, have been highly successful while others, like the education program done with Nipissing, hit the jackpot. President Rosehart predicts the school will soon move into the 2,500-student range which will make it more of its own entity, rather than a satellite campus. *** Theres plenty of talk about how much money the city has contributed to Lauriers growth. Rosehart calculates Brantford has corporately invested between $10 million and $12 million, but he is quick to point out that that amount is almost the same as Lauriers investment so far. The citizens of Brantford have invested privately, as well, contributing between $3 million and $4 million in donations and scholarships. Nipissing paid for the total renovation of its Market Street building -- about $1.4 million -- and expects to be sinking more into the area. Everyone is hoping the provincial government will eventually pony up some capital funds for new buildings. But in the meantime, the schools point out they and the students are making a giant contribution to the Brantford economy. A study released last year by Adventus Research in Guelph showed that construction and renovation costs are bringing millions into the downtown and the economic impact of the students, teachers and programs is between $39 million and $49 million each year. Spin off effects include restaurants, the retail food industry, housing units, retail clothing and transportation. People who dont frequent the downtown can barely believe the changes happening -- including having to make a lunch reservation at some eateries if you want a seat. Other cities are beginning to study Brantfords success in order to recreate it for their own downtowns. Theres even, says Mayor Hancock, renewed interest in the south side of Colborne Street -- the remaining dregs of the once worst downtown in Canada. Come back in 100 years and see our growth.

The third wave

In the ‘third wave’ world in which platform companies operate, taxes will increasingly become voluntary. Governments will thus have to compete with each other to provide the best services at the lowest possible costs to attract the world’s best platform companies, and their workers. Over time, this should mean that governments which provide the most efficient Regalian functions, and at the lowest costs (Hong Kong? Singapore? ...) stand to survive in their current structures. Hong Kong is adapting to this economic reality. And that is great news for the local economy.