Time To Make Transit an Essential Service

Unions are beginning to go to far. Their time has ended.

The Toronto transit union went on an illegal strike today. They are protesting concerns over shift changes and on the job safety. My viewpoint, they should all be fired, and here's why.

The job safety concerns are absolute BS. I take transit because I attend school in Mississauga and it is too expensive to park. I have taken the bus nearly every day for three years now and I have not witnessed a single incident. I can't seriously imagine that Toronto is that different. I'd like to know their definition of a fare dispute. It's probably somebody not realising that fares were increased and depositing the old amount. Then the poor harassed driver has to advise them of the correct amount. Poor soul.
As for shift changes being protested by the maintenance workers, I've got news for them. If you work shifts, shift changes are a normal part of the job. If you can't handle that, quit now.

Unfortunately, the people running Toronto don't have any balls and will probably just let these idiots continue on their little temper tantrum. All unions are them same now. The wealthy union leaders brainwashed their members using almost Orwellian methods. That's why these things happen.

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Power Drive

I love these political documentaries that come out lately because there are just so many blatant lies in them. I was watching a trailer for one that is premiring at a variety of film festivals this summer dealing with the electric car. Today I'm going to mix politics with one of my other loves, tech.
Electric cars have been around for some time. Many, including the producer of this movie believe it has to do with an oil company conspiracy. Ok, let's slip away from commie central and talk to someone who knows quite a bit about vehicle tech.

The auto companies don't give a crap about what the oil companies do, because the oil companies have been putting their sales in the toilet. The real reason involves some science so bare with me.

The reason is batteries. There are basically several different types of battery technologies competing to power electric and hybrid vehicles. They are Nickle Cadmium, Nickle Metal Hydride, Lithium Ion/Litium Polymer, and Lead Acid.

Lead Acid is your standard 12 volt car battery. These batteries pack a lot of energy buy are big and heavy. If you've ever tried to pick one up, you'll know they aren't light. These batteries aren't expensive but you need several for the high voltage needed, making the car very heavy and inefficient. You wouldn't be able to drive very far with these. Also, unless they're expensive gel based, you'll need to keep all these batteries topped up. They are not maintenance free.

Rechargable nickle based batteries are usually found in portable electronics such as radios, MP3 players, toys, etc. These batteries are good for small applications but they are more expensive than lead based batteries but are lighter. However, they still are quite heavy. They pack about the same amount of energy. You'll get increased range but not much. They don't last as long as lead batteries either.

Lithium based batteries are the most expensive of all. We use these a lot in radio controlled aircraft. Most people will usually find this type of battery in their cell phone or laptop. Lithium polymer are the most common and are best suited for electric vehicles. They pack a lot of power but are relatively small and light. They can weigh less than half as much as the above batteries used in electric cars. The car is therefore effcient and has the greatest driving range. However, the batteries can cost as much as the rest of the car, making them impractical for the majority of people.

So that's why electric cars aren't more common. Batteries today are either inefficient or cost so much that they are out of reach for the majority of people. There is no conspiracy, the technology just isn't here yet to make them practical. I'm afraid you'll have to stick to hybrids if you want to cut back on gas consumption. Sorry to tell the truth my socialist friends. I don't like the big oil companies either but I'm afraid you are searching for things that just are not there.

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Top 10 Reasons Why You Should NOT Move to Milton

A lot of people are considering moving to Milton, but perhaps you should give it a second thought. Here are the top 10 reasons why Milton is not a good place to live.

10. Lack of Recreation Facilities: Milton does have three hockey areans and a couple of pools but not much else. Recreation programs and facility user fees are quite steep and have gone up a lot in recent years. If you are not interested in sports, there is little to do here. Parks are in poor condition due to unnecessry cut backs and some may even turn into more housing developements.

9. Lack of Schools: Milton's highschools are filled to the brim and cannot except many more students. We seem to have more Catholic schools than anything else even though majority of the town is not Catholic. Public elementary schools are over capacity as soon as they open.

8. High Taxes: If you're looking to get out of Toronto in hopes of getting a tax break, forget it. Milton has some of the highest taxes in the GTA despite huge income from growth and Mohawk race track.

7. Pollution: If you are leaving the city in hopes of escaping the noise and air pollution, you won't find that escape here. Traffic noise is constant for 20 hour a day periods. Constant construction and thick smog from the city drape the town in a choking haze.

6. Lack of Vision: If you think David Miller has a lack of vision, try this place. When the town tries to come up with a vision for Milton's future, it's more like the Mad Hatter's tea party due to chaotic and unthought out planning.

5. Lack of Safety: If you came here to escape the violence of the city, you may feel safe at home here. Milton certainly does not have any violent crimes, but remember that Milton is prone to break ins and auto theft. Petty crime has been rising steadily in recent years. Police spend more time at Timmy's than anywhere else. Let us not forget lack of traffic safety measures due to cost cutting.

4. Lack of Commercial Development: All these houses and hardly any shops to supply them. Expect long lines at grocery stores and drives into Mississauga if you want something specific. Stores that do open here are usually smaller than those in other towns and are of a second rate quality.

3. Bermuda Triangle Transit: Roads are an absolute mess in town and show no signs of improvements. Construction is slow and rush hour has become a 24-hour a day affair. It's difficult to get aroud town and even more difficult to get out of it. We have a bus system but it is expensive for what it is. GO service is not regular, and trains into the city only run during a narrow window around the morning and evening rush. There is no easy way to get to Downtown Toronto from here as it is in other towns.

2. Too Much Development: If you buy a new house for the view of the escarpment, you are a fool. You may loose that view pretty soon as new developments go up. Developers are just allowed to build anyware they wish without limits, including sensitive lands at the escarpment's base. Town infrastucture cannot sustain this out of control and unplanned development for much longer as it is already at it's limit.

1. Corrupt Local Government: Milton is in the mist of it's own sponsorship scandal including my suspicians of taking bribes from developers. Strong evidence has been found to support this. Expect to be ignored by your town and regional councilors as they only favour developer demands. The town council is run by small town cheap rednecks, much like Toronto's. Don't expect to leave Toronto and find things better out here.

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Iran Story Retracted?

The National Post retracted their story in which my last article was based on. This only leaves more questions about the issue. Was the story a fake or is Iran trying to cover something up that they know will leave a sour taste in the mouths of the international community? Whatever the case, Iran still poses a real and possible threat to world peace as it did even before the article was written. We must keep our eyes on them.

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Die Juden sind unser Unglück!: The Iranian Question

You may be wondering what the title of this article means. It is German for "The Jews are our misfortune!" This was a slogan used by the Nazi Party during Hitler's rule. Today, this slogan might as well read اليهود هم البلاء , which is the same phrase in Arabic.
I don't really like to venture into global politics, focusing more on things here at home, as I have a greater knowledge of Canadian issues. However, something in today's paper greatly upset me and I simply had to comment on it.

The problem is Iran although it could be any middle eastern country today. I chose the odd title of this article to reflect what is going on in that particular country at this moment. I have frequently been told by history professors that history does not repeat itself, but reading today's article in the National Post makes me question that. It seems that Iran is heading down the same path that Germany did 73 years ago. If there is one country that the entire world should be concerned about, it is Iran.

Iran has been in the news all too frequently lately. The issue has been their attempts to develope nuclear technology. The theocratic government of Iran seems all to egar to develop nuclear power, but for what purpose? It is feared that they will develope a viable nuclear weapon. Then there is their president, a Mr. Mahmound Ahmadinejad. He has an almost religious hatred toward Jews, has called the holocaust a hoax, and has stated that he wishes to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. This is not to mention the human rights violations that he and Iran's theocratic leadership have committed against their own people.

The latest issue, as expressed in the National Post today is a law being put forward that would require all Jews and Christians living in Iran to ware a special badge that will indicate what religion they are. This law is expected to pass and could be put in place by early 2007. For those who paid attention in highschool history class, this was part of the infamous Nurmburg laws laid down by the Nazi Government against the Jewish people. This is truely frightening. Will the world be doomed to repeat World War II all over again? The way things are looking now with Iran, the answer is most certainly yes. Iran seems to be preparing for war, with it's numerous parades to show off military might (as Hitler and the Nazis also did) and it's determination to develope nuclear weapons technology. It truely is a scary prospect. World War III is coming, but can be stopped if we act now. The United Nations better get off it's fat arse and do what it is supposed to do. Sanction the country and help those out who are having their human rights violated. The actions of Iran cannot and must not be tolerated as they were with Hitler and Germany in the 1930s. This need not lead to war, but the world has to stand up and show the Iranian government who's the boss.

Iran is a fascist neo-Nazi state that hides behind a veil of "faith".

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Town Corruption Confirmed

I have finally uncovered proof that the Milton town council is involved in a corruption scheme. A relative of mine recently sent a letter into the Canadian Champion blasting the town for its handling of the new growth. We got quite a surprise when letters came from Mattamy Homes and Ward 4 councilor John Challinor. The letters were vary odd. Why would these two spend the time to track down my relative? These letters were not sent in confidence so I am free to critique them, which I belive is my duty as a quasi-journalist and political commentator.

It turnes out that developers are giving huge loans to the Town of Milton according to these letters. It's amazing how people start to slip up when the heat is turned on them. In other words, the housing developers are likely bribing the town to allow them to do as they please. Now, didn't we just have a whole debate and election over the same things at the federal level of government? This is highly unethical. The letters also read as though these two parties are attempting to cover something up. If I was upset at the town of Milton and its council before, I am furious now. There is not a single member of that council who deserves to be re-elected to office in November, especially now that some truths are coming to light. In the mean time, I will see if I can make an arrangement with my relative to have these letters published in the local paper. I feel all Milton residents deserve to know the truth.

I call on the councillor in question to resign immediately or face a huge backlash from angry Milton residents. As for the developer, you can pack up and leave town immediately. Even if each and every Milton resident has to put our pennies together to buy back the land, we will make sure you cannot build another house, not now, not ever.

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The Right to Bear Dogs?

Once again I must be vague about a certain person, so as I don't get accused of something, or sued for lible. This certain person is a high profile lawyer who is challenging Ontario's pitbull ban in the courts on the grounds of it being unconstitutional. Now I've read through the constitution and I've come to the conclusion that this particular lawyer obviously needs to go back to law school, no, make that highschool. There is nowhere in the constitution that states that the rights of citizens to bear dogs will not be infringed upon. Nor does it say that a law must be specific in order to be constitutional. So lets examine the dog owner's (a Toronto woman) and her lawyer's case further.

Lets see, everybody has the right to life, liberty, and security according to the the Constitution's list of legal rights.
-Is her life being infringed upon? No. She certainly is not going to die because of the law, unless the dog decides otherwise.
-Must be her liberty then? No. It's not like she's still free free to own the dog, but she must muzzle it and is liable if it attacks somebody.
-What about her security? Well, she claims the dog is "friendly" so it's obviously not being kept as a guard dog.

Ok, so she has no case under legal rights, but what about other rights?
Is she being discriminated against? No. Keeping the dog is not part of her religion and this woman is hardly keeping it for political protest or to express a belief. It's just a pet.

Simple put, this woman and her certain lawyer have absolutely no case against the Ontario government on the grounds of constitutional violations. To even make that accusation is purely ludicrous and a mockery of core Canadian values.

It is rare that I ever agree with Big D's Liberals, but I do on this one. The fact is that pitbulls are dangerous dogs. People usually only get them because a certain body part happens to be smaller than most others, and a pitbull makes them look tough. Most people in that situation usually just buy an huge SUV, but unfortunatley there are many Canadians who are not blessed with an abundance of intellegence.
There have been numerous stories about the dogs mauling children, other pets, and people to death, and needing to be shot dead before they let go. The dogs are genetically bred to fight so pain is almost orgasmic to them. This is why they won't stop attacking even if you bash them with a shovel as hard as you can. The dogs serve no use as pets and are dangerous around children and other animals. It is also important to note that the law covers all breeds of dogs. Pitbulls are bared from being bred or sold, must be fixed, and must be muzzled while out in public. Owners may also be liable if the dog attacks someone. However, this liability applies to all breeds of dog. Banning pitbulls may be the old stone keeping tigers away though process, but it does seem to be working. Even if the drop in attacks is just a coincidence, it is still important to keep this breed of dog out of society for a simple reason. Society need not pay for a person's bad choice in pets. If they want to keep the dog so badly, just move to a place where they are still legal.

I just have one last comment for this woman and her certain lawyer. Have fun in court, though I suggest you both brush up on the fundamentals of Canadian law first. I guess for a man trying to be the white Johnny Cochran, if the muzzle doesn't fit, you must aquit.

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Counting Yourself In... Again?

I'm probably the only person in Canada who thinks about this stuff, but is it just me or is the Census a colosal waste of government money? Every five years the government requires Canadians by law to fill out this form, but is it really necessary. The truth is no. Think about it. All that information is already logged somewhere in the vast servers of the government's computer library. Got a birth cirtificat or immigration landing papers? They've got that info too including country of origin. Tax forms list your income, who you work for, and how many people live in your home. They already know where you live or else the package wouln't reach your house. Other stuff that they sometimes ask such as ethnicity is really none of their business, although they can usually guess by name or examining country of origin on immigration papers. Education can be obtained by looking through school board records. The government already has all the information they need, and if lazy civil servants did some digging it could be obtained far easier than making citizens fill out more forms. If they already have everything they need to know, what's the point of asking again?

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Blowing Smoke

There has been a lot I want to take about this week. This entry will deal with that ever persistant debate over the legalization of marijuana. I for one am strongly opposed to this drug being legalized, or even decriminalized.

What really upset me was the protest held on Queen Park on this past weekend by a bunch of dazed and confused stoned hippies. They were all committing an illegal act while the cops just stood there doing nothing. They were protesting for the drug to be legallized.

I feel that we already have too many toxic subsistance in society that are legal. Look at all the people who smoke cigarettes and pop doctor perscribed happy pills to get themselves through the day. Does our society really need all these chemical substances to function? It is important to note that alcohol should be left out of the debate as certain alcoholic beverages such as red wine are beneficial and the fact that most people are not drinking to get a buzz.

Marijuana on the other hand is not a beneficial drug. People only smoke it to get high. I don't buy this medicinal crap either. If it's such a good pain killer, why not extract the active chemical and put it in pill form. Why, because it's not a pain killer. It just numbs the mind temporarily. I also don't buy the crap that it isn't addicted. I remember kids in highschool were addicted to it. Alcohol isn't physically addictive yet we have alcoholics. Marijuana is the same, it is a mental addiction. People's minds begin to crave it. I saw these kids go from being relatively bright melt into a false reality as the drug began to consume their lives. They disolve themselves into the drug culture and it becomes imposible for them to deal with their lives problems without some sort of chemical substance to perk them up or relax them. It's sad really.

But I digress. What really upsets me is the effects these people have had on our society. The selfishness of the high is destroying our civilization. They say that drugs do not hurt anybody or only hurt the person using them. This is perhaps the biggest understatement of all time. Tell that to all the people murdered because they were caught in the cross fire of gangs fighting over drug territory. Tell that to those killed in drug deals gone wrong. Tell that to the families who anguish because their loved ones were killed by these drug dealers or have fallen into the pits of dispair caused by the drugs.

Not let us not forget that drugs simply are not morally wrong. For every toke somebody takes, that costs society thousands of dollars. Thousands for police to catch the dealers, thousands the send them to jail, thousands to treat people in hospital who have ODed. People must learn to stop doing these drugs. So what should be done. First of all, I think we should eliminate jail sentences for drug possesion but rather require manditory drug rehabilitation in a secure treatment facility. We also need to crack down heavily on the dealers and throw them in jail longer. Let them know that society won't tollerate this. Legallizing weed or other drugs won't eliminate these problems as more people will only use it more, not to mention gangs smuggling it to the US. If Canada ever legalizes weed, I will leave this country as it will be one of the biggest mistakes we could ever make.

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Municipal Elections: When to Vote?

Dalton McGuinty has done it again. His foolish Liberal majority has passed a law requiring municipal elections to be held every four years, as opposed to the current three years. Once again nobody was consulted. I hope somebody has the guts not to allow this to become a reality (Mr Lieutenant Governor...).

Elections should be held more frequently in municipalities and here's why. First off, issues come up a lot faster at the local level. Citizens must have more chances to voice their favour or opposition to local policies. I think our current situation here in Milton attests to that. Would you like to see our corrupt town council sitting for four streight years not listening to you while spending your money on useless projects and handing over town control to developers. I think not. If it were up to me, I would hold municipal elections every two years. Don't give me this garbage that councilors need the extra year to complete goals. First of all, what goals? Secondly, working at a municipality is not like running a large territory like a province or country. Issues crop up a lot faster as I already mentioned and must be solved faster. People cannot just sit on their hands on these types of issues. If we allow councilors to stay in too long, they simply get too comfortable.

McGuinty, please retract this new policy. It doesn't help anybody.

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Developers: Get Out of Milton NOW!!!

I'm getting absolutely tired of this crap and I know many of my fellow Milton residents are too. I am demanding that all future development be restricted to Milton's east end and that all developers immediately leave the south and west ends. For nearly five years now, Milton residents have had to deal with a town run by corrupt developers and a corrupt town and regional council. During this time, the town has been allowed to crumble around us. Roads are a mess, buildings have been illegally destoryed, subdivisions have been illegally put up. All this is seems to go un-noticed by our town council. With the sheer amount of complaints, I am led to believe that there are shady deals being made behind closed doors between developers and those in town government. This must stop, NOW. I don't want to see the number of houses cut down by half or a quarter of the original number in the enviromnetally sensitive escarpment country, I want the number to be ZERO.

Developers, you are no longer welcome in this town and I suggest you leave as soon as possible before you face the wrath of thousands the original residents of this town who have been infuriated by your actions. I suggest Milton residents take a page out of the book currently being written by the First Nations in Caladonia if this does not stop soon.

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