There is lots of talk about fund raising for this proposed leash free dog park. My question is, Why?
Why isn't our Town Council charging user fees like they do else where? Why are they treating dog owners like a special, user-fee exempted class of citizen?
We charge money to individual residents using the public pools or to go public skating. It seems obvious to me that to raise the $100,000 needed for dog the dog park, then the Town only need to increase its' dog license fees appropriately. (To prevent free riders, anyone who shows up at the dog park without a Town of Newmarket licensed dog should receive a punitive fine).
The Town of Newmarket shouldn't be in the fundraiser business. We have a lot of charities and not for profit organizations that depend on donations. The Town of Newmarket shouldn't be competing with those worthy causes for people's generosity.
Instead, the province has given the Town of Newmarket the authority to charge appropriate licensing fees. If the demand for a dog park is so high, then the new park should only be financed with dog licensing. Bottom line is that dog owners need to put their money where the mouth is and pay for the leash free park with higher dog license fees.
Friday 27 June 2014
Tuesday 24 June 2014
Fix Graffiti Problem Before Spending on Public Art and Signs
Graffiti is a blight on Newmarket that is costing taxpayers tens of thousands each year to clean up. Not one mail box, hydro pole or private fence has been spared the spay painted tags. Even the asphalt on the trails has been defaced.
In a town that outlawed pesticides prior to the Province of Ontario enacting the similar legislation, I wonder why nobody on Council had the idea of restricting the sale of spray paint. At the very least, they could require retailers to collect a graffiti clean up levy of a $2 on each can of paint sold in Newmarket stores.
Or how about setting up a program where local retailers agree not to sell spray paint without recording the ID of the purchaser. Such a move would make a would-be tagger think twice before buying paint.
The reason we need to get tougher with the taggers is because the Town of Newmarket is about to spend $300,000 on welcome signs and maybe more on public art. How long will it take for some one to deface these expensive items if we don't crack down on graffiti?
Before any money is allocated to these beautification projects, I would like to know what Council and York Regional Police intend to do about public graffiti. Otherwise, we are just wasting public money.
In a town that outlawed pesticides prior to the Province of Ontario enacting the similar legislation, I wonder why nobody on Council had the idea of restricting the sale of spray paint. At the very least, they could require retailers to collect a graffiti clean up levy of a $2 on each can of paint sold in Newmarket stores.
Or how about setting up a program where local retailers agree not to sell spray paint without recording the ID of the purchaser. Such a move would make a would-be tagger think twice before buying paint.
The reason we need to get tougher with the taggers is because the Town of Newmarket is about to spend $300,000 on welcome signs and maybe more on public art. How long will it take for some one to deface these expensive items if we don't crack down on graffiti?
Before any money is allocated to these beautification projects, I would like to know what Council and York Regional Police intend to do about public graffiti. Otherwise, we are just wasting public money.
Thursday 19 June 2014
Shock Wave Within the Gruesome Twosome Bloc
Over the last few weeks, we learnt how significantly municipal voting records matter. Failed PC candidate and current Ward 3 Councillor Jane Twinney couldn't hide from all her tax hikes and broken promises. She was ignominiously defeated on June 12th as Newmarket Aurora voted Liberal for the first time ever.
This result has sent a shock wave through the Gruesome-Twosome bloc on Newmarket Council.
News has since surfaced that Jane Twinney lost the polls located in her own ward. Her unpopularity in Ward 3 at the provincial level casts serious doubt whether she could win if she decides to re-up municipally. I predict that we will see a new Ward 3 councillor come October.
Since the election, Ward 7 Councillor Chris Emanuel, announced he would not seek re-election which will definitely impact the bloc's position on Council. There is a lot of distrust and anger simmering towards both Van Bynen and Taylor over the Glenway debacle. Glenway residents rightfully feel that they were double-crossed. I have no doubt that the Gruesome Twosome will have their candidate running in Ward 7, but I have serious doubts if that candidate can win.
So if the Gruesome Twosome bloc that currently consists of Van Bynen, Taylor, Twinney, Emanuel, and Hempen, gets reduced to three members, then what does that mean for the next term of Council?
Monday night's meeting gave a glimpse of how worried the Gruesome Twosome bloc really is. Whether it was John Taylor speaking at a mile a minute to defend his pro-development stance, or Jane Twinney inexplicably dredging up Frank Klees' private member's bill (apropos of nothing); clearly they are worried that they are losing.
Only Ward 1 Councillor Tom Vegh and Ward 6 Councillor Maddie Di Muccio have yet to declare their intentions for October. In particular, Di Muccio's tactics make things very difficult for both Taylor and Van Bynen. Effectively, they are both running against Di Muccio as the rumours that she will opt for one of their seats continue to swirl.
What scares Van Bynen and Taylor the most is that they must run on their own track record, as Jane Twinney was forced to do during the provincial race, and potentially face the same results that Twinney received.
This result has sent a shock wave through the Gruesome-Twosome bloc on Newmarket Council.
News has since surfaced that Jane Twinney lost the polls located in her own ward. Her unpopularity in Ward 3 at the provincial level casts serious doubt whether she could win if she decides to re-up municipally. I predict that we will see a new Ward 3 councillor come October.
Since the election, Ward 7 Councillor Chris Emanuel, announced he would not seek re-election which will definitely impact the bloc's position on Council. There is a lot of distrust and anger simmering towards both Van Bynen and Taylor over the Glenway debacle. Glenway residents rightfully feel that they were double-crossed. I have no doubt that the Gruesome Twosome will have their candidate running in Ward 7, but I have serious doubts if that candidate can win.
So if the Gruesome Twosome bloc that currently consists of Van Bynen, Taylor, Twinney, Emanuel, and Hempen, gets reduced to three members, then what does that mean for the next term of Council?
Monday night's meeting gave a glimpse of how worried the Gruesome Twosome bloc really is. Whether it was John Taylor speaking at a mile a minute to defend his pro-development stance, or Jane Twinney inexplicably dredging up Frank Klees' private member's bill (apropos of nothing); clearly they are worried that they are losing.
Only Ward 1 Councillor Tom Vegh and Ward 6 Councillor Maddie Di Muccio have yet to declare their intentions for October. In particular, Di Muccio's tactics make things very difficult for both Taylor and Van Bynen. Effectively, they are both running against Di Muccio as the rumours that she will opt for one of their seats continue to swirl.
What scares Van Bynen and Taylor the most is that they must run on their own track record, as Jane Twinney was forced to do during the provincial race, and potentially face the same results that Twinney received.
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