Osprey Media Group Inc. - Brantford Expositor: "Father's wish of accessible home for disabled daughter comes true
Expositor Staff
By Vincent Ball
Local News - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 @ 01:00
What do you get when you mix more than 300 volunteers with national donors, corporate sponsors and about 80 local partners?
The fulfillment of a father�s dream.
�Every day for the last 15 years I�ve had a dream of building an accessible home for my daughter Amber,� Fred Pelzer said. �For the last three weeks, I�ve been living that dream.�
Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Brant, Fred, his wife Connie and their four children � Amber, Freddie, Matthew and Madison � will be able to live the dream for years to come.
They are the recipients of the first accessible home built by Habitat for Humanity Brant. It was constructed on land donated by Empire Communities in West Brant, with help from an army of volunteers backed by a lengthy list of corporate donors. "
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
innovation for health
Yahoo! Mail - respondfeedbacknow@yahoo.ca: "A Burst of Fresh Air
Deep-sea divers have long known the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) -- a method for efficient delivery of pure oxygen -- to treat those with the 'bends,' a condition that can occur as a diver rises to the surface and the changing pressure causes nitrogen gas bubbles to form in the lungs, tissues and bloodstream, leading to a potentially lethal blood flow blockage. Today, doctors use HBOT to treat a number of other conditions -- carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning, wounds that aren't healing properly, serious burns, soft tissue and bone infections and certain complications from radiation therapy. While everyone agrees about the usefulness of HBOT for these conditions, there is another usage that is generating much debate -- the practice of using HBOT to address neurological problems, including brain damage from strokes.
About HBOT
HBOT administers 100% oxygen (versus the 21% that is in the air we breathe) in a chamber with an air pressure considerably greater than the air around us. The pressure dramatically raises the number of oxygen molecules entering the bloodstream -- by as much as 2,000%. The vastly increased oxygen level allows the oxygen to reach bone and tissue that it normally can't reach, where it may accelerate healing. The oxygen also can enhance functioning of white blood cells, the infection fighters, which may improve aspects of immune system function. It is the ability to heal tissue that has neurologists evaluating HBO for use with stroke patients. Harry T. Whelan, MD, medical director of the Froedtert & Medical College Hyperbaric Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is "
Deep-sea divers have long known the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) -- a method for efficient delivery of pure oxygen -- to treat those with the 'bends,' a condition that can occur as a diver rises to the surface and the changing pressure causes nitrogen gas bubbles to form in the lungs, tissues and bloodstream, leading to a potentially lethal blood flow blockage. Today, doctors use HBOT to treat a number of other conditions -- carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning, wounds that aren't healing properly, serious burns, soft tissue and bone infections and certain complications from radiation therapy. While everyone agrees about the usefulness of HBOT for these conditions, there is another usage that is generating much debate -- the practice of using HBOT to address neurological problems, including brain damage from strokes.
About HBOT
HBOT administers 100% oxygen (versus the 21% that is in the air we breathe) in a chamber with an air pressure considerably greater than the air around us. The pressure dramatically raises the number of oxygen molecules entering the bloodstream -- by as much as 2,000%. The vastly increased oxygen level allows the oxygen to reach bone and tissue that it normally can't reach, where it may accelerate healing. The oxygen also can enhance functioning of white blood cells, the infection fighters, which may improve aspects of immune system function. It is the ability to heal tissue that has neurologists evaluating HBO for use with stroke patients. Harry T. Whelan, MD, medical director of the Froedtert & Medical College Hyperbaric Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is "
Friday, October 07, 2005
Citizens for an Alternative Tax System
Citizens for an Alternative Tax System: "Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, sets forth four signs of a bad tax system:
1. A large bureaucracy for administration. Did you know that the IRS, with over 150,000 employees is the largest tax bureaucracy since ancient Rome? Its tentacles reach out and have hold on over 200 million people.
2. A system that puts taxpayers through 'odious examinations...and exposes them to much unnecessary trouble, vexation, and oppression.'
3. A system that encourages evasion.
4. A system that obstructs the industry of the people, and discourages enterprise which might otherwise give 'employment to great multitudes,' i.e. jobs. That obligates people to excessive payments and thereby takes away the funds that would promote commerce, industry and employment. "
1. A large bureaucracy for administration. Did you know that the IRS, with over 150,000 employees is the largest tax bureaucracy since ancient Rome? Its tentacles reach out and have hold on over 200 million people.
2. A system that puts taxpayers through 'odious examinations...and exposes them to much unnecessary trouble, vexation, and oppression.'
3. A system that encourages evasion.
4. A system that obstructs the industry of the people, and discourages enterprise which might otherwise give 'employment to great multitudes,' i.e. jobs. That obligates people to excessive payments and thereby takes away the funds that would promote commerce, industry and employment. "
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
National Post More consumer choice -more gov't revenue
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=3ff93967-ccc1-4421-967b-a1511a54e360
National Post: "The government of Alberta, which privatized its retail outlets a decage ago, profits more from provincial liquor sales than Ontario or Quebec, a new study has found.
The Montreal Economic Institute compared the three provinces' liquor industries and concluded Alberta's private retail system not only racks up greater profits for the government, but has also spawned more outlets and a greater number of products for consumers to choose from."
National Post: "The government of Alberta, which privatized its retail outlets a decage ago, profits more from provincial liquor sales than Ontario or Quebec, a new study has found.
The Montreal Economic Institute compared the three provinces' liquor industries and concluded Alberta's private retail system not only racks up greater profits for the government, but has also spawned more outlets and a greater number of products for consumers to choose from."
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Hamilton Post Will government greed kill Stelco jobs ?
http://www.canada.com/hamilton/news/story.html?id=493c2a17-a647-4d1e-98d6-1e0825b44adc&page=2
"The province has at the very least been extremely opportunistic in delivering this blow to Stelco," apparently hoping that in all the confusion surrounding Stelco no one would notice the province dealt "a death blow" to Stelco and is "playing chicken with the lives of Stelco's employees and others . . . to cover up its own regulatory failures," the bondholders allege.
The group also outlines a series of complaints it has with Stelco's restructuring process and plan, including:
-an "excessive" downpayment of $400 million into the pension deficiency
-a $100 million convertible not issue, which is "extremely expensive, to the benefit of Tricap alone"
-a failure to search for competing financing proposals
-the intentional exclusion of Stelco's creditors from negotiations on the restructuring plan
-Stelco's attempt to boost the fee it will pay to UBS as a financial advisor, and a request to hire BMO Nesbitt Burns for further services
Also on Friday, Alex Morrison of Ernst & Young, the court-appointed monitor in the case, said voting creditors which "likely represent over 50 per cent, by dollar value, of the claims . . . have all indicated that, if a vote were to be held today, they would vote against the plan."
"The province has at the very least been extremely opportunistic in delivering this blow to Stelco," apparently hoping that in all the confusion surrounding Stelco no one would notice the province dealt "a death blow" to Stelco and is "playing chicken with the lives of Stelco's employees and others . . . to cover up its own regulatory failures," the bondholders allege.
The group also outlines a series of complaints it has with Stelco's restructuring process and plan, including:
-an "excessive" downpayment of $400 million into the pension deficiency
-a $100 million convertible not issue, which is "extremely expensive, to the benefit of Tricap alone"
-a failure to search for competing financing proposals
-the intentional exclusion of Stelco's creditors from negotiations on the restructuring plan
-Stelco's attempt to boost the fee it will pay to UBS as a financial advisor, and a request to hire BMO Nesbitt Burns for further services
Also on Friday, Alex Morrison of Ernst & Young, the court-appointed monitor in the case, said voting creditors which "likely represent over 50 per cent, by dollar value, of the claims . . . have all indicated that, if a vote were to be held today, they would vote against the plan."
Thursday, September 29, 2005
News | canada.com network
News | canada.com network: "Dingwall to resign, wants to clear his name
Alexander Panetta
Canadian Press
September 28, 2005
CREDIT: CP, Tom Hanson
David Dingwall, president and CEO of the Canadian Mint and former Public Works minister.
ADVERTISEMENT
OTTAWA -- The head of the Royal Canadian Mint has resigned amid allegations of ethical misdeeds, making him the fifth Crown corporation boss to leave in controversy since Paul Martin became prime minister"
Alexander Panetta
Canadian Press
September 28, 2005
CREDIT: CP, Tom Hanson
David Dingwall, president and CEO of the Canadian Mint and former Public Works minister.
ADVERTISEMENT
OTTAWA -- The head of the Royal Canadian Mint has resigned amid allegations of ethical misdeeds, making him the fifth Crown corporation boss to leave in controversy since Paul Martin became prime minister"
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
National Post
National Post: "Canada taxes business investment more heavily than any other competing nation except China -- and taxes on Canadians' personal investment income can reach 80%, according to a study released yesterday"
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Politics | Federal health minister tiptoes around Alberta's study of private insurance
Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Politics | Federal health minister tiptoes around Alberta's study of private insurance: "Federal health minister tiptoes around Alberta's study of private insurance
JUDY MONCHUK
CALGARY (CP) - Canada's health minister refused Monday to be drawn into a debate over Alberta's examination of private health-care insurance.
'Alberta has basically said they are reviewing the situation and I don't think it's appropriate for me to make any pre-emptory comments,' Ujjal Dosanjh said Monday. Dosanjh - buoyed by a new poll which shows Liberal fortunes soaring over Stephen Harper's Tories federally and even rising in traditionally anti-Liberal Alberta - did not seem to want to say anything that might rock that boat."
JUDY MONCHUK
CALGARY (CP) - Canada's health minister refused Monday to be drawn into a debate over Alberta's examination of private health-care insurance.
'Alberta has basically said they are reviewing the situation and I don't think it's appropriate for me to make any pre-emptory comments,' Ujjal Dosanjh said Monday. Dosanjh - buoyed by a new poll which shows Liberal fortunes soaring over Stephen Harper's Tories federally and even rising in traditionally anti-Liberal Alberta - did not seem to want to say anything that might rock that boat."
Sunday, September 18, 2005
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Registry shooting blanks
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Registry shooting blanks: "In late 1994, when then-justice minister Allan Rock unveiled the gun-control program, he declared, 'this tough new gun-control program will improve public safety and send a strong message that the criminal misuse of guns will not be tolerated.' Eleven years later, the Liberals are suddenly worried about gun crime because their electoral heartland has been blitzed by gun violence.
In a more sane country, Toronto would realize the gun registry has been exposed as an expensive waste of money and would punish the Liberals for lying to them by voting them out. And the Grits would shut down their useless registry and put the money into actual police officers fighting crime.
Sadly, neither of these things is going to happen. These lessons will go unlearned."
In a more sane country, Toronto would realize the gun registry has been exposed as an expensive waste of money and would punish the Liberals for lying to them by voting them out. And the Grits would shut down their useless registry and put the money into actual police officers fighting crime.
Sadly, neither of these things is going to happen. These lessons will go unlearned."
Saturday, September 17, 2005
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - A miserable failure
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - A miserable failure: " political wag once described former federal Conservative leader Robert Stanfield as the 'greatest prime minister Canada never had.' It was an acknowledgement that, while the quiet Nova Scotian possessed the intelligence and the acumen to lead the country, he was done in by political manoeuvring and never had the chance to prove himself. "
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Hamilton
TORONTO -- The dozen years an Ontario man has languished in jail for raping and killing a four-year-old girl is just one more painful reason Canada needs a better system to deal with wrongful convictions, his supporters said Tuesday
"It's very upsetting after the number of wrongful convictions that have happened in this country," Dalton said.
"The list is getting very long."
Lockyer said Canada needs an independent tribunal to review claims of wrongful convictions such as one set up in the U.K. eight years ago.
It has already found more than 50 murder convictions were unjustified.
"All we have now is a sort of a piecemeal examination of a case here and case there primarily brought forward by our organization," said Lockyer. "It's just not good enough."
Lockyer said Ontario has been "the worst province" when it comes to dealing with such cases and that promises made after the notorious wrongful murder prosecution of Guy Paul Morin have gone unkept.
© Canadian Press 2005
"It's very upsetting after the number of wrongful convictions that have happened in this country," Dalton said.
"The list is getting very long."
Lockyer said Canada needs an independent tribunal to review claims of wrongful convictions such as one set up in the U.K. eight years ago.
It has already found more than 50 murder convictions were unjustified.
"All we have now is a sort of a piecemeal examination of a case here and case there primarily brought forward by our organization," said Lockyer. "It's just not good enough."
Lockyer said Ontario has been "the worst province" when it comes to dealing with such cases and that promises made after the notorious wrongful murder prosecution of Guy Paul Morin have gone unkept.
© Canadian Press 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - About that gas tax ...
Sometimes it's just plain sickening to watch how the oil and gas industry works. It will be weeks or months before the full devastation of Hurricane Katrina is felt and oil production in the ruined Gulf of Mexico area can begin to get back on track.
But the resulting gas price hike? It happened instantly, hitting us here in Canada faster than Katrina did -- and harder. This, even though the gas being sold was refined and distributed long before Katrina developed.
True, in light of the horrendous human misery in New Orleans and throughout southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, gas prices may seem a small matter, and griping about them rather unseemly.
No more unseemly, however, than the fact that the tragedy of Katrina has been a bonanza for gas companies -- and government coffers.
There's little we can do about the market forces now driving the price of oil. But the sudden windfall in taxes -- particularly for Ottawa -- is another story.
As Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director John Williamson noted this week, one-third of the price of a litre of gas is taxes -- and the GST is charged on top of all the other taxes, meaning a sudden spike like this is highly profitable for the feds.
The CTF has repeatedly called on Ottawa to reduce fuel taxes three ways:
1. End the GST tax-on-tax -- a savings to the consumer of, on average, 1.5 cent/litre.
2. Scrap the dishonest "deficit elimination" tax (the government hasn't had a deficit in eight years, so why are we still paying this?), for another 1.5-cent reduction.
3. Cut the federal gas tax itself by 2 cents, bringing the total price reduction to 5 cents/litre.
Cynics argue, of course, that a nickel per litre either way won't make much difference. Finance Minister Ralph Goodale himself has refused to cut gas taxes, suggesting gas companies would just hike their prices accordingly anyway (which they deny). Meanwhile, the feds now portray their gas gouging as noble, saying big cities need their new gas tax transfer (only a fraction of the billions raised).
Nonsense. The CTF is right on this. It's blatant overtaxation, and the feds' excuses don't wash anymore. Our roads and infrastructure may be crumbling, but the feds are rolling in gas tax revenues -- up 18% over a decade ago. Small wonder they have no intention of helping consumers fight high gas prices.
Talk about sickening.
But the resulting gas price hike? It happened instantly, hitting us here in Canada faster than Katrina did -- and harder. This, even though the gas being sold was refined and distributed long before Katrina developed.
True, in light of the horrendous human misery in New Orleans and throughout southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, gas prices may seem a small matter, and griping about them rather unseemly.
No more unseemly, however, than the fact that the tragedy of Katrina has been a bonanza for gas companies -- and government coffers.
There's little we can do about the market forces now driving the price of oil. But the sudden windfall in taxes -- particularly for Ottawa -- is another story.
As Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director John Williamson noted this week, one-third of the price of a litre of gas is taxes -- and the GST is charged on top of all the other taxes, meaning a sudden spike like this is highly profitable for the feds.
The CTF has repeatedly called on Ottawa to reduce fuel taxes three ways:
1. End the GST tax-on-tax -- a savings to the consumer of, on average, 1.5 cent/litre.
2. Scrap the dishonest "deficit elimination" tax (the government hasn't had a deficit in eight years, so why are we still paying this?), for another 1.5-cent reduction.
3. Cut the federal gas tax itself by 2 cents, bringing the total price reduction to 5 cents/litre.
Cynics argue, of course, that a nickel per litre either way won't make much difference. Finance Minister Ralph Goodale himself has refused to cut gas taxes, suggesting gas companies would just hike their prices accordingly anyway (which they deny). Meanwhile, the feds now portray their gas gouging as noble, saying big cities need their new gas tax transfer (only a fraction of the billions raised).
Nonsense. The CTF is right on this. It's blatant overtaxation, and the feds' excuses don't wash anymore. Our roads and infrastructure may be crumbling, but the feds are rolling in gas tax revenues -- up 18% over a decade ago. Small wonder they have no intention of helping consumers fight high gas prices.
Talk about sickening.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - Injustice continues
winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - Injustice continues: "It's been almost three months since the government took over the life of Thomas Hanaway, 80, and there's still no sign it's prepared to give the Second World War veteran his freedom back.
Manitoba's Public Trustee, who took over Hanaway's life on June 6, continues to confiscate Hanaway's pension cheques, open his mail and pay his bills. "
Manitoba's Public Trustee, who took over Hanaway's life on June 6, continues to confiscate Hanaway's pension cheques, open his mail and pay his bills. "
Osprey Media Group Inc. - Brantford Expositor
What a waste - work is king - PR
Immigrants at work
By Amanda Pratt
Local News - Saturday, August 20, 2005 @ 01:00
He came to Canada with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, four years experience working for a manufacturing company and three for the government. She had a bachelor’s degree in public administration and sociology, with a combined seven years experience as a teacher and an office manager.
Immigrants at work
By Amanda Pratt
Local News - Saturday, August 20, 2005 @ 01:00
He came to Canada with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, four years experience working for a manufacturing company and three for the government. She had a bachelor’s degree in public administration and sociology, with a combined seven years experience as a teacher and an office manager.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - Paid more, doing less
winnipegsun.com - Manitoba - Paid more, doing less: "Senior staff at Manitoba's Office of the Public Trustee have been hauling in some pretty fat salary increases over the past few years -- money that comes from fees they charge clients. "
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - CBC should get real
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - CBC should get real: "So what's all the fuss? Much of the dispute is rooted in whether the government-funded CBC should operate like a private business. Management wants to be able to use contract workers where feasible, largely to keep costs under control. Workers -- despite being assured that no one who holds a permanent job will end up a contractor -- want limitations placed on the use of short-term workers. "
Monday, August 15, 2005
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Too good to be true
winnipegsun.com - Editorial - Too good to be true: "So it would seem that Ottawa will continue on as 'normal,' spending tax dollars with wild abandon. But the talk of big civil service cuts was a sweet dream, if only for a moment. "
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
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