Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Local MPPs defend pay hike
By Michael-Allan Marion, expositor staff
Local News - Thursday, December 14, 2006 Updated @ 12:23:12 AM
The outrage over MPPs voting themselves an eyebrow-raising Yuletide 25 per cent pay hike are a necessary price to pay to stop the Ontario legislature from becoming a political 'farm team.'
So say Liberal Dave Levac and Progressive Conservative Toby Barrett.
Levac, who represents Brant, and Barrett, from Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant, support the warning of integrity commissioner Coulter Osborne that the legislature could soon become a “farm team” for the House of Commons.
Both MPPs defended Wednesday their decisions to join a Grit-Tory alliance to vote an increase in their base pay to about $110,000 from $88,771, less than two weeks before Christmas. "
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Arar report misses the mark
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Arar report misses the mark: "What needs to be addressed is a culture within the RCMP which does not appear to hold anyone responsible -- save for former commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli who fell on his sword -- for this mess. Many who caused this disaster have been promoted. "
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Business - Back away: CWB
Stand your ground on freedom of choice for "independant farmers" . They are not serfs but free men who can do better then pay homage to the beaucratic wheat board monopoly.
winnipegsun.com - Business - Back away: CWB: "The Tories maintain that they want to give producers choice in how they sell their grain. But that's not what farmers have indicated they want, said wheat board chairman Ken Ritter.
In the House of Commons yesterday, Strahl refused to back down, insisting he will proceed with a vote among barley farmers by February. "
winnipegsun.com - Business - Back away: CWB: "The Tories maintain that they want to give producers choice in how they sell their grain. But that's not what farmers have indicated they want, said wheat board chairman Ken Ritter.
In the House of Commons yesterday, Strahl refused to back down, insisting he will proceed with a vote among barley farmers by February. "
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Err on side of compassion
They should be compensated for their innocent compliance to gevernment instructions
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Err on side of compassion: "After decades of both Liberal and Conservative governments denying this spraying even went on — some of it during the testing of Agent Orange for use in Vietnam — the previous Liberal government finally admitted the truth and approved a handful of compensation claims.
But, as reported by Sun National Affairs columnist Greg Weston, the federal bureaucracy has now got hold of the issue and has been trying to minimize the scope of the problem. It has also set what critics say is an impossibly high standard of proof for those making claims.
It’s time Canada erred on the side of compassion on this issue, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised to do in the last election.
(American experts have linked overexposure to Agent Orange to such diseases as cancer and various immune, reproductive and nervous system disorders.)
Some of the vets now planning a class-action suit over this issue have been advised by their lawyer not to accept any federal offers of compensation because they will have to give up the right to sue.
We think our vets are capable of deciding for themselves whether a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
Which is why the Tories should do what they said they would do and offer them a fair compensation deal. Now. "
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Err on side of compassion: "After decades of both Liberal and Conservative governments denying this spraying even went on — some of it during the testing of Agent Orange for use in Vietnam — the previous Liberal government finally admitted the truth and approved a handful of compensation claims.
But, as reported by Sun National Affairs columnist Greg Weston, the federal bureaucracy has now got hold of the issue and has been trying to minimize the scope of the problem. It has also set what critics say is an impossibly high standard of proof for those making claims.
It’s time Canada erred on the side of compassion on this issue, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised to do in the last election.
(American experts have linked overexposure to Agent Orange to such diseases as cancer and various immune, reproductive and nervous system disorders.)
Some of the vets now planning a class-action suit over this issue have been advised by their lawyer not to accept any federal offers of compensation because they will have to give up the right to sue.
We think our vets are capable of deciding for themselves whether a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
Which is why the Tories should do what they said they would do and offer them a fair compensation deal. Now. "
Sunday, December 10, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Resignation too long in coming
More clean up needed - a great start PR
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Resignation too long in coming
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Resignation too long in coming
Cut the fat in government before your preach to us
Enough is enough - start running the business of government services better - lets have action not words please PR ( excellent article by Wallace)
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "However, we are pikers compared to the Europeans. In U.K. for example,
the government has ruthlessly targeted billions in efficiency savings,
for example, by aggressively expanding the use videoconferencing between
jails and courts.
Ontario has identified $806 million in annual savings through efficiency
reviews, however, it's a far cry from what's needed.
We should be pursuing measures long called for - such as electronic
health cards to reduce waste, prescription errors and medical mistakes.
If the government can declare a war on public obesity, McCarter's report
gives ample cause for government to do the same with its own fat. "
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "However, we are pikers compared to the Europeans. In U.K. for example,
the government has ruthlessly targeted billions in efficiency savings,
for example, by aggressively expanding the use videoconferencing between
jails and courts.
Ontario has identified $806 million in annual savings through efficiency
reviews, however, it's a far cry from what's needed.
We should be pursuing measures long called for - such as electronic
health cards to reduce waste, prescription errors and medical mistakes.
If the government can declare a war on public obesity, McCarter's report
gives ample cause for government to do the same with its own fat. "
The Best & Worst of 2006
A worthhile read from Business week The Best & Worst of 2006: "The Best & Worst of 2006
This was a year of unpredictability and even downright weirdness. In our annual report, you'll find leaders, products, and ideas that left their mark—or their stain—on A.D. 2006 "
This was a year of unpredictability and even downright weirdness. In our annual report, you'll find leaders, products, and ideas that left their mark—or their stain—on A.D. 2006 "
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Unintended Consequences of the Law
A sequel to the great glass story - the moral of this story is that for every action there is a competitve reaction -"not intended by the "law". Tinkering with the basic competitve process or market economic forces through legislation always has consequences . Why can governments not understand that prohibition just does not work and just let the purchaser of the service make the decisions based on their own free will?. PR
Unintended Consequences of the Law
By Tom Dyson
In 1996, an Indian software developer named Anurag Dikshit wrote a program to allow people to play poker against each other on the Internet.
It turns out people love playing poker against each other on the Internet. Since Dikshit got there first, everyone went to his website. It’s called Party Poker, and it’s now the biggest name in the online poker industry.
Party Poker isn’t the boiler-room scam you might think. It has offices all over the world, including a large call center in India with a staff of thousands. It owns a world-renowned brand name and a listing on the London Stock Exchange. Its founders can be found in Forbes’ list of billionaires.
Its no surprise the founders of Party Poker are wealthy. The business generates tons of cash. In 2005, Party Poker generated $977 million dollars in revenue.
Online gambling is illegal in the United States, yet 80% of the online poker industry’s revenue was coming from American residents. So in September 2006, the United States government tried to kill the online poker industry.
It couldn’t go after the website’s operators – they are all based off-shore – so Congress went after the banks and credit-card companies that process poker players’ deposits. It passed legislation that made it illegal for payment processors to do business with online casinos.
The announcement caused a stampede... Party Poker and the other market-listed operations got nailed. Party’s stock price fell from around 150 pence to 30 pence.
Now, three months later, it’s clear the Feds’ attempt to kill Internet poker has totally failed.
1) The game hasn’t changed. I played last night. Internet poker is as easy to play for American residents as it was before.
2) Illegal offshore casinos have cleaned up. Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars are now the biggest poker sites in the world.
Conclusion: The U.S government drops a very lucrative industry into the laps of offshore gambling criminals, while stock market investors in regulated casinos lose around $20 billion.
Congratulations, senators. Nice work.
I’m always looking for unintended consequences of the law. They almost always create juicy investment opportunities. In this case, I think Party Poker’s stock may bounce back to its former glory as the poker boom goes global. We'll see.
If the poker business is not your idea of investment grade, here’s another “unintended consequence of law” opportunity:
Sarbanes-Oxley was a piece of legislation designed to toughen up American corporate accounting standards after Enron and WorldCom. It makes companies produce an “internal control report,” which must be certified by the auditors and signed off by two company executives.
The thing is, this “internal control report” costs several million dollars to produce. For a large firm, that’s fine. But small firms can’t afford it. So instead of complying with Sarb-Ox, they ditch their U.S. stock market listing and seek financing in London instead.
According to the Economist, “50 American firms have already done so, most of them since 2004. Hundreds of others are said to be considering it.”
And according to the Financial Times, last year, only one of the top-25 IPOs by value took place in New York.
While the FT and the Economist declare the death of American financial hegemony, I’ve been looking for ways to profit. The giant financial service conglomerates, like HSBC and JPMorgan Chase, are one group I’ve identified. Their stocks have gone nowhere, while more nimble investment banks, like Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, have soared.
I suspect the banking conglomerates could get carved up in a push for greater efficiency. This should release billions of dollars in pent up value and enrich shareholders. More to follow on this idea.
Good investing,
Tom
Unintended Consequences of the Law
By Tom Dyson
In 1996, an Indian software developer named Anurag Dikshit wrote a program to allow people to play poker against each other on the Internet.
It turns out people love playing poker against each other on the Internet. Since Dikshit got there first, everyone went to his website. It’s called Party Poker, and it’s now the biggest name in the online poker industry.
Party Poker isn’t the boiler-room scam you might think. It has offices all over the world, including a large call center in India with a staff of thousands. It owns a world-renowned brand name and a listing on the London Stock Exchange. Its founders can be found in Forbes’ list of billionaires.
Its no surprise the founders of Party Poker are wealthy. The business generates tons of cash. In 2005, Party Poker generated $977 million dollars in revenue.
Online gambling is illegal in the United States, yet 80% of the online poker industry’s revenue was coming from American residents. So in September 2006, the United States government tried to kill the online poker industry.
It couldn’t go after the website’s operators – they are all based off-shore – so Congress went after the banks and credit-card companies that process poker players’ deposits. It passed legislation that made it illegal for payment processors to do business with online casinos.
The announcement caused a stampede... Party Poker and the other market-listed operations got nailed. Party’s stock price fell from around 150 pence to 30 pence.
Now, three months later, it’s clear the Feds’ attempt to kill Internet poker has totally failed.
1) The game hasn’t changed. I played last night. Internet poker is as easy to play for American residents as it was before.
2) Illegal offshore casinos have cleaned up. Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars are now the biggest poker sites in the world.
Conclusion: The U.S government drops a very lucrative industry into the laps of offshore gambling criminals, while stock market investors in regulated casinos lose around $20 billion.
Congratulations, senators. Nice work.
I’m always looking for unintended consequences of the law. They almost always create juicy investment opportunities. In this case, I think Party Poker’s stock may bounce back to its former glory as the poker boom goes global. We'll see.
If the poker business is not your idea of investment grade, here’s another “unintended consequence of law” opportunity:
Sarbanes-Oxley was a piece of legislation designed to toughen up American corporate accounting standards after Enron and WorldCom. It makes companies produce an “internal control report,” which must be certified by the auditors and signed off by two company executives.
The thing is, this “internal control report” costs several million dollars to produce. For a large firm, that’s fine. But small firms can’t afford it. So instead of complying with Sarb-Ox, they ditch their U.S. stock market listing and seek financing in London instead.
According to the Economist, “50 American firms have already done so, most of them since 2004. Hundreds of others are said to be considering it.”
And according to the Financial Times, last year, only one of the top-25 IPOs by value took place in New York.
While the FT and the Economist declare the death of American financial hegemony, I’ve been looking for ways to profit. The giant financial service conglomerates, like HSBC and JPMorgan Chase, are one group I’ve identified. Their stocks have gone nowhere, while more nimble investment banks, like Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, have soared.
I suspect the banking conglomerates could get carved up in a push for greater efficiency. This should release billions of dollars in pent up value and enrich shareholders. More to follow on this idea.
Good investing,
Tom
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor
iNTERESTING :Is this a iconoclast medical technology versus existing special Luditte group monopoly battle? A pardigm shift held in check by the self serving and irrelevant buggy whip thinking of the affected medical establishment. God help those that innovate for the betterment of the consummer.The message is clearly tread cautiously and beware of innovations, or better ways of doing things in Canada's over regulated and government intrusive and in your face environment.
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Great Glasses fighting another battle
Michael-Allan Marion
Local News - Saturday, December 09, 2006 Updated @ 12:00:03 AM
The embattled Great Glasses optical chain is now fighting court battles on two fronts.
Bruce Bergez, the owner of the southern Ontario chain that has a store in Brantford Mall, is appealing a judgment and a $1-million fine ordered by Justice David Crane, who found him guilty of contempt two weeks ago for for blatantly violating a court order in 2003 requiring him to follow a provincial law that says glasses and contact lenses have to be prescribed by an optometrist or physician.
Meanwhile, the College of Opticians of Ontario is launching a court action against 15 Great Glasses franchises, including the one in Brantford.
The opticians college is seeking an order restraining employees, agents and independent contractors associated with each franchise from prescribing or dispensing eye glasses or contact lenses without the prescription of an optometrist, optician or physician.
An application for the order is scheduled to be heard in a Toronto court on Dec. 19."
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Great Glasses fighting another battle
Michael-Allan Marion
Local News - Saturday, December 09, 2006 Updated @ 12:00:03 AM
The embattled Great Glasses optical chain is now fighting court battles on two fronts.
Bruce Bergez, the owner of the southern Ontario chain that has a store in Brantford Mall, is appealing a judgment and a $1-million fine ordered by Justice David Crane, who found him guilty of contempt two weeks ago for for blatantly violating a court order in 2003 requiring him to follow a provincial law that says glasses and contact lenses have to be prescribed by an optometrist or physician.
Meanwhile, the College of Opticians of Ontario is launching a court action against 15 Great Glasses franchises, including the one in Brantford.
The opticians college is seeking an order restraining employees, agents and independent contractors associated with each franchise from prescribing or dispensing eye glasses or contact lenses without the prescription of an optometrist, optician or physician.
An application for the order is scheduled to be heard in a Toronto court on Dec. 19."
Thursday, December 07, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Canada News - Top cop packs it in
Wouldn't it be nice if this degree of acccountability prevailed in all of our civil service. The problem is that 30 to 40 % would have to resign maybe for Canada's betterment.
winnipegsun.com - Canada News - Top cop packs it in: "'TRANSPARENT'
'I have always tried to be transparent and accurate in my dealings with the government. That is precisely why I felt it important to appear again before committee, notwithstanding the risks,'he said. 'The continuing controversy, however, makes it increasingly difficult for me and for the institution to fulfil its responsibilities to the Canadian people.' "
winnipegsun.com - Canada News - Top cop packs it in: "'TRANSPARENT'
'I have always tried to be transparent and accurate in my dealings with the government. That is precisely why I felt it important to appear again before committee, notwithstanding the risks,'he said. 'The continuing controversy, however, makes it increasingly difficult for me and for the institution to fulfil its responsibilities to the Canadian people.' "
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Millions wasted on gov't credit cards: Ont. AG : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN
Millions wasted on gov't credit cards: Ont. AG : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN: "Millions wasted on gov't credit cards: Ont. AG
05/12/2006 3:03:53 PM
A number of Ontario's public sector workers can't account for millions in charges on taxpayer-funded credit cards, the province's auditor general finds.
toronto.ctv.ca
Jim McCarter, Auditor General of Ontario
'I'd have to say that we noticed examples across all broader public sector areas that we looked at,' Jim McCarter said in his annual report released Tuesday.
'The number of questionable examples that we noted across the system were certainly of concern this year ... we have a lot of examples in here of what we would call really questionable expenditures.'
The report highlights include:
Spending abuses at several Children's Aid societies, which prompted an outcry last week after a draft report was leaked to the media, included purchases of SUVs worth $59,000 and expensive trips to all-inclusive Caribbean resorts.
One staff member, who was given a society-provided vehicle, also received a $600 a month tax-free car allowance.
'Numerous expenditures of hundreds of dollars at a time were made at high-end restaurants, but the purpose and reasonableness of these could not be determined,' McCarter wrote.
'The society paid, on behalf of a senior executive, for an annual gym membership worth $2,000, along with quarterly personal trainer fees of $650. Several car washes were purchased at $150 each.'
McCarter said the province must aggressively address misspending at several Children'"
05/12/2006 3:03:53 PM
A number of Ontario's public sector workers can't account for millions in charges on taxpayer-funded credit cards, the province's auditor general finds.
toronto.ctv.ca
Jim McCarter, Auditor General of Ontario
'I'd have to say that we noticed examples across all broader public sector areas that we looked at,' Jim McCarter said in his annual report released Tuesday.
'The number of questionable examples that we noted across the system were certainly of concern this year ... we have a lot of examples in here of what we would call really questionable expenditures.'
The report highlights include:
Spending abuses at several Children's Aid societies, which prompted an outcry last week after a draft report was leaked to the media, included purchases of SUVs worth $59,000 and expensive trips to all-inclusive Caribbean resorts.
One staff member, who was given a society-provided vehicle, also received a $600 a month tax-free car allowance.
'Numerous expenditures of hundreds of dollars at a time were made at high-end restaurants, but the purpose and reasonableness of these could not be determined,' McCarter wrote.
'The society paid, on behalf of a senior executive, for an annual gym membership worth $2,000, along with quarterly personal trainer fees of $650. Several car washes were purchased at $150 each.'
McCarter said the province must aggressively address misspending at several Children'"
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Dion tells Liberals to think about next election : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN
It is going to be interesting - 2 cold dispassionate intellectuals - in charge of the major political parties in Canada. This could be to our overall benifit PR
Dion tells Liberals to think about next election : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN: "Dion tells Liberals to think about next election"
Dion tells Liberals to think about next election : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN: "Dion tells Liberals to think about next election"
Friday, December 01, 2006
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Thatcher given full parole; Former Saskatchewan cabinet minister spent 22 years behind bars for ex-wife's murder "
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Canada News - Highlights of the auditor general's report:
winnipegsun.com - Canada News - Highlights of the auditor general's report:: " The government is spending billions of dollars a year on hefty computer systems without the proper controls to keep project costs from ballooning many times over. Examining just seven of $8.7 billion worth of IT projects approved in the past three years, Fraser found that five lacked adequate business cases. A $2.5-million Canada Revenue Agency project aimed at prioritizing tax-collection work has inflated to a revised price tag of $147 million over five years.
- Moving contracts for soldiers, Mounties and public servants worth hundreds of millions of dollars were unfairly tendered, despite numerous warning signs of advantageous treatment toward the existing contract-holder, Fraser wrote. What's more, Canadian Forces members were overcharged thousands of dollars for property- management services.
- A significant number of Mounties with taxpayer-paid credit cards are improperly charging items including computer costs, gym memberships, car insurance and restaurant bills.
- Government-wide spending has grown to $209 billion from $162 billion in the past six years under an expenditure management system that fails to scrutinize the growth of existing programs, Fraser warns. She calls on the government to implement a new expenditure management system.
- Health Canada programs designed to regulate the safety of everything from cribs to prescription drugs may not be meeting their own regulatory responsibilities, Fraser found. Her report cites a drop in funding for core regulatory activities last year and says the department doesn't have the resources to tell whether it can meet responsibilities as regulator of drugs, medical devices and product safety"
- Moving contracts for soldiers, Mounties and public servants worth hundreds of millions of dollars were unfairly tendered, despite numerous warning signs of advantageous treatment toward the existing contract-holder, Fraser wrote. What's more, Canadian Forces members were overcharged thousands of dollars for property- management services.
- A significant number of Mounties with taxpayer-paid credit cards are improperly charging items including computer costs, gym memberships, car insurance and restaurant bills.
- Government-wide spending has grown to $209 billion from $162 billion in the past six years under an expenditure management system that fails to scrutinize the growth of existing programs, Fraser warns. She calls on the government to implement a new expenditure management system.
- Health Canada programs designed to regulate the safety of everything from cribs to prescription drugs may not be meeting their own regulatory responsibilities, Fraser found. Her report cites a drop in funding for core regulatory activities last year and says the department doesn't have the resources to tell whether it can meet responsibilities as regulator of drugs, medical devices and product safety"
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Fast and loose on the public dime
And the shit keeps raining on us with no relief in sight
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Fast and loose on the public dime: "Former Ottawa Rough Rider great Ron Stewart seems to have saved some of his best dekes for after he hung up his cleats.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser issued a scathing report into the ex-running back's later career as ombudsman for federal prison inmates, charging that he skipped work, billed personal expenses to the taxpayer and travelled on the public dime to destinations that had nothing to do with his duties.
Fraser found that Stewart collected $325,000 in improper or questionable salary, vacation pay and expenses in the six years between 1998 and 2004. Her probe didn't extend to the previous 21 years he held the job.
She said he was often absent from work, rarely attended staff meetings, frequently couldn't be reached by aides and charged the government for hospitality and travel apparently unrelated to his work, including five trips to cities hosting Grey Cup games.
Fraser wouldn't comment directly on whether any of the alleged misconduct amounted to criminal wrongdoing but she noted pointedly: We have referred the file to the RCMP.
There were other horror stories in Fraser's report, including:
* A sampling of seven of the 88 information technology projects launched since 2003, worth $7.1 billion, found rampant mismanagement.
* Controls on public servants charge cards were lax at the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, though there were only a few instances of direct abuse.
* Government was not vigilant enough about recouping $82 million in overpayments under Old Age Security program.
* Treaty negotiations with First Nations in British Columbia were badly bogged down, with not a single treaty signed as costs skyrocket to $426 million since 1993.
n Scandal in the RCMP's pension and insura"
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Fast and loose on the public dime: "Former Ottawa Rough Rider great Ron Stewart seems to have saved some of his best dekes for after he hung up his cleats.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser issued a scathing report into the ex-running back's later career as ombudsman for federal prison inmates, charging that he skipped work, billed personal expenses to the taxpayer and travelled on the public dime to destinations that had nothing to do with his duties.
Fraser found that Stewart collected $325,000 in improper or questionable salary, vacation pay and expenses in the six years between 1998 and 2004. Her probe didn't extend to the previous 21 years he held the job.
She said he was often absent from work, rarely attended staff meetings, frequently couldn't be reached by aides and charged the government for hospitality and travel apparently unrelated to his work, including five trips to cities hosting Grey Cup games.
Fraser wouldn't comment directly on whether any of the alleged misconduct amounted to criminal wrongdoing but she noted pointedly: We have referred the file to the RCMP.
There were other horror stories in Fraser's report, including:
* A sampling of seven of the 88 information technology projects launched since 2003, worth $7.1 billion, found rampant mismanagement.
* Controls on public servants charge cards were lax at the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, though there were only a few instances of direct abuse.
* Government was not vigilant enough about recouping $82 million in overpayments under Old Age Security program.
* Treaty negotiations with First Nations in British Columbia were badly bogged down, with not a single treaty signed as costs skyrocket to $426 million since 1993.
n Scandal in the RCMP's pension and insura"
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor
Are we busting monopolies or encouraging them ? Is there a middle ground ?
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Great Glasses to appeal $1 million fine
By Susan Gamble
Local News - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 Updated @ 11:08:20 PM
Despite losing his optician’s licence and being assessed a staggering $1-million fine, Bruce Bergez’s Great Glasses store is open for business as usual in Brantford.
And that has angered local opticians.
Bergez, the owner of a chain of Great Glasses stores, was found guilty of contempt last week for ignoring a court order requiring him to follow a provincial law that says glasses and contact lenses have to be prescribed by an optometrist or physician. At Great Glasses, eyes are tested by a machine and, until recently, Bergez was the only optician in the 17-store chain. "
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Great Glasses to appeal $1 million fine
By Susan Gamble
Local News - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 Updated @ 11:08:20 PM
Despite losing his optician’s licence and being assessed a staggering $1-million fine, Bruce Bergez’s Great Glasses store is open for business as usual in Brantford.
And that has angered local opticians.
Bergez, the owner of a chain of Great Glasses stores, was found guilty of contempt last week for ignoring a court order requiring him to follow a provincial law that says glasses and contact lenses have to be prescribed by an optometrist or physician. At Great Glasses, eyes are tested by a machine and, until recently, Bergez was the only optician in the 17-store chain. "
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - No 'pay raise' for federal prisoners
Do you think that prisoners are pampered?
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - No 'pay raise' for federal prisoners
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - No 'pay raise' for federal prisoners
Monday, November 27, 2006
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - More bungling from tax bureaucrats
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - More bungling from tax bureaucrats: "
Revenue Minister Carol Skelton ought not go to sleep one more night without correcting a couple of ludicrous tax-filing provisions implemented by her department.
Stories brought to light by Sun parliamentary correspondent Kathleen Harris give us a perfect examples of what happens when bureaucrats are let loose to develop and implement policy.
Harris tells of an Alberta businessman who owed the feds almost $2.9 million in taxes collected from employees. A few days before the money was due he dropped off his payment at his local federal tax office, where it was stamped “delivered by hand” and the cheque deposited to the Receiver General of Canada.
That, he says, is the way he has done his tax remittances for several years.
But if the businessman was expecting a federal thanks for getting his money in early, he was in for a nasty surprise. Instead he was slapped with a $287,000 fine for not making the payment at a bank.
Not only that but as far as the Revenue people were concerned, his payment didn’t even exist. They advised the business owner to pay up immediately or face potential “legal action being taken without further notice.”
CRA spokesman Jacqueline Couture said the Income Tax Act rule requiring businesses to make source deduction payments at financial institutions has been on the books since the early 1990s, but enforcement and a mandatory 10% fine only began last month.
Harris also revealed that CRA plans to refuse cash payments at government service counters.
Only in the rarefied atmosphere of a government agency can such nonsense be imagined. What company would turn away a customer who dropped by early to pay his $3-million bill and tell him to drive across town and drop "
Revenue Minister Carol Skelton ought not go to sleep one more night without correcting a couple of ludicrous tax-filing provisions implemented by her department.
Stories brought to light by Sun parliamentary correspondent Kathleen Harris give us a perfect examples of what happens when bureaucrats are let loose to develop and implement policy.
Harris tells of an Alberta businessman who owed the feds almost $2.9 million in taxes collected from employees. A few days before the money was due he dropped off his payment at his local federal tax office, where it was stamped “delivered by hand” and the cheque deposited to the Receiver General of Canada.
That, he says, is the way he has done his tax remittances for several years.
But if the businessman was expecting a federal thanks for getting his money in early, he was in for a nasty surprise. Instead he was slapped with a $287,000 fine for not making the payment at a bank.
Not only that but as far as the Revenue people were concerned, his payment didn’t even exist. They advised the business owner to pay up immediately or face potential “legal action being taken without further notice.”
CRA spokesman Jacqueline Couture said the Income Tax Act rule requiring businesses to make source deduction payments at financial institutions has been on the books since the early 1990s, but enforcement and a mandatory 10% fine only began last month.
Harris also revealed that CRA plans to refuse cash payments at government service counters.
Only in the rarefied atmosphere of a government agency can such nonsense be imagined. What company would turn away a customer who dropped by early to pay his $3-million bill and tell him to drive across town and drop "
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