I Heart Regina

Well, well, well, it seems the loony left has been missing me (see image insert)! They have been asking, where's Citizen Wilson?

Citizen Wilson has been around. I've been out and about getting 'inspired'. I've been wandering the stacks at Book and Brier, sipping Coffee in a few coffee shops, and listening to the grass roots asking for their chance to express their political will at the Provincial level. C'mon Lorne, just call it!

As for the City Budget, shee-it, the increase isn't so bad. Unlike many of those opposite me in the political debate, I prefer a slight increase rather than continue to keep locked into the events of the past.

Folks, the election is over, yet many of the CCFR cronies STILL want to keep on talking about campaign issues.

Got one word for ya'all.... WAAAH!

C'mon, put a soother in it, and move on!

Bah Humbug!

This Christmas Eve, as you sit by the fire basking in the glow of the season, I'd like to ask you to take a few moments and think about someone else.

Mr. Gordon Loucks will be sitting in his home, with a little less under his tree as he counts the days until the Grinches at City Hall come to evict him and seize his house for back taxes. (Click here for details).

Ah yes, the fine folks at the City of Regina, the Mayor, and all but two City Councilors are in agreement that the accrued interest on Mr. Loucks' back taxes cannot be forgiven. Unlike the breaks given to the owners of Cornwall Center, The Rough Riders, and numerous other businesses who come hat in hand asking for a favor. Oh no, so sorry Mr. Loucks, we wouldn't want to set an example for others (WTF!!! You can give breaks to everyone BUT Mr. Loucks?!!)

You know, I won't be sitting next to my tree and hearth, feeling all warm and toasty this Christmas Eve. No, not at all, knowing someone is going to lose his home because the 'fine' citizens of Regina don't really give a shit about anything but themselves.

I won't feel as bad as I could, because at least I dug into my own pocket and pulled out a Twenty, which was passed onto City Hall to pay something towards the accrued taxes. All it would take is a two hundred people to send in 20 bucks each, and Mr. Loucks could keep his house. No, apparently it's too much to ask. In this bastion of Socialism we call Saskatchewan, you can't find two hundred people who are willing to dig into their own pocket and help a brother out. Regina, and Saskatchewan, you make me sick and embarrassed to live among you. To the Mayor and the City Councilors who voted to refuse Mr. Loucks request, what a bunch of Hypocrites! A big lump of coal for each of you.

C'mon people, get some spirit this season and show some love to your fellow man! Send a short note to City Hall that says 'I'm helping pay the taxes on 908 Princess Street!' and include a few bucks to help our fellow citizen keep his house.

Here is the address to send your envelope:

P.O. Box 1790
2476 Victoria Avenue
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 3C8

or feel free to drop it in the After Hours Payment Slot at City Hall.

A few words of advice for Mr. Loucks.....get yourself some senior citizen roomates, and call your house a senior's home. I hear that City Hall is quick to cave in when seniors are involved.

When is a business not a business?

When it's a Senior's Home in Regina.

Barely a month since the election, and the duplicity continues. City Council had rightly decided to include Senior's Homes in the Business Tax rolls. Suddenly, a few days later, the decision is reversed. WTF?!

In my opinion, a business is a business, and should be taxed accordingly. Obviously the conspiracy of duplicity has already permiated the new City of Regina Council.

Some will say that the CCFR's campaign was a rousing success. (See here) The CCFR supporters claim they succeeded in bringing transparancy to the forefront of the public agenda, Urban sprawl slowed, increased voter awareness, and many issues are suddenly on the table because of their heroic and Hurclean effort. The City of Regina will be given a new direction because the CCFR rose up, 'challenged the man', made a ripple, and finished last or nearly last in almost every ward they fielded candidates within.

Great Spin Folks!

You could have much of the same 'accomplishments' with a few sheets of paper and a few stamps. Schedule a few meetings....GET INVOLVED more than just at election time. The claim is that the movement organized a year ago and began to build a strategy for change. Yeah, right.

Why was Pat (and others) targeted?

Darn good question! The CCFR campaign wasn't about issues. It was all about payback. Thankfully the Citzens of Regina saw through the smokescreen, and read between the lines that 'the movement' was simply going to make life difficult for the powers that be. The fine Citizens of Regina know that their system of government has checks and balances built in.

The former City Manager, Bob Linner, is the one who was ultimately responsible for the last contract negotiations. Bob did a fine job of negotiating with the resources he had at hand, and he had to make some very difficult decisions. Bob made the best offers he could with what we gave him. It was the employee's decision to withold labour and strike. Bob did a difficult job, unfortunately, there isn't much Unions can do to hurt or damage a City Manager (out of scope, and unelected). The Mayor and City Council were the only ones who could be targeted, hurt, and made to pay by making some noise.

Thankfully, the fine Citizens of Regina called 'bullshit' on Jim and his Crew, and made their mark on ballots accordingly.

Talk, talk, talk. Lips a flappin' and fingers pointing blame. When push comes to shove....there comes a time when you have to say foreplay is over, it's time to f@ck. That's the point when you find out who's got the goods, and who cuts and runs. While it took a year for 'an alternate voice' for Regina to get organized, the proof was in the actions....whining and playing politics rather than moving to action and problem solving. (See how one candidate decried 'others are to blame and need to do something' while others jumped to problem solving.)

During a year, one can get involved, get in touch, and get action happening; if one really wants to. Yes, City Hall can be moved. The fine Citizens of Regina are not easily fooled. They have chosen to reward encumbants who have BEEN DOING something, making/taking tough decisions, rather than take a chance on electing a bunch with an axe to grind and an agenda that would deplete scarce resources .

The Citizens have made their choice, and it's time to move on. It's time to move beyond ideology and get to work with the people we've chosen to represent us. It's time to put words into action.

In the Words of Teddy Roosvelt:

'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.'