I posted an article from the Peterborough Council meeting for their budget - many may ask why a biker news site cares about budgets from cities or communities - well - because of HOW the police services appear to ignore city and town councils requests to trim their budgets.
From the Peterborough Examiner:
After driving the tax increase down to 1.335% from the 3.2% it started with last month, council finished with a 1.8% increase largely as a result of putting $303,000 back into the public transit budget to maintain current service levels and city police failing to meeting council's request to shave $300,000 from its almost $1.3-million budget increase.
City police returned with a request for a $1,177,380 increase, which will increase its budget to $18,940,149 from $17,762,769.
Coun. Bob Hall argued that council should keep the police budget increase in line with the rest of the city budget.
The police force is adding eight positions this year, but it reduced the cost this year by delaying the hiring until later in year, Hall said.
"It's probably a $2 million annualized impact," he said, adding the police service plans to return to council with a request for 11 more positions next year. "We don't get the bill this year, we get it next year."
Hall added that council doesn't have control over the police budget because it has one representative on the police services board and it gets to appoint one community member, giving it two out of the five members even though it pays 97% of the police budget.
"It's a huge governance issue. The people who pay should have the say," he said.
Coun. Dan McWilliams supported the budget increase for city police, pointing to the biker gangs, guns and drugs in the community.
"I really truly believe that they do need it," he said.
End Quote.
Do you see how this gets done? Do you see who really runs the city halls across the country? I know for a fact that Peterborough is not unique here and I find it frustrating - taxpayers get held for ransom constantly.
In the US, the Canadian Free Press has a great write up on the Nanny State that has come about...
It suggests that the reason for so many inane laws that are meant to protect the stupid from themselves come from bureaucrats that want to author as many laws as possible to see their name in print and that certain media companies must be in the hip pocket of said bureaucrats because of their investigation methods...Sadly - I think the author of that article is right - look at Helen Jaczek right here in Canada - there is the typical attention seeking politician IMHO.
I have been saying for a long time that we have become a police state and that the nanny state mentality is ridiculous. I guess I am not alone in my line of thinking - question is - when does the pendulum start swinging the other way? We have gone so far in the protection of people from themselves that the rest of us who think for ourselves are penalized for everything we do.
Your thoughts and feed back on this topic are greatly appreciated - help me to see the other sides of these two issues - cause right now I am angry and feeling rather impotent for the anger.
In other news:
A video is circulating of a father letting his four year old daughter ride a motorcycle on the freeway in India - what do you think of this situation?
In Winnipeg, off duty police officers are being bullied by criminals and the Toronto Labour Relations board is using this information to squash the Toronto Police services desire not to wear name tags citing that name tags for officers do not increase their risk of being targeted for harassment and Winnipeg is proof.
In the US the debate over Ethanol in fuel has some very concerned.
Arizona is gearing up for a multi cultural motorcycle rally
Also in the US a unique auction is being held to support motorcycle museums.
There is a ton of other news for you to cathc up on over at www.beltdrivebetty.com
Hope you'll join in the voting for our Beat the PMS Blues on line show 'n' shine - Voting begins Thursday!
Have a FANTASTIC day!
Absolutely right on when it comes to our own Dr. Jaczek, who is at it again! http://ontwowheels-eh.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-hard-to-keep-righteous-crusader.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to another great blog! I will ad that to my blog roll.
ReplyDeleteWe posted that lovely news on our site as well - I shake my head at these people...The post name was Ontario beware Helen Jaczek is at it again.