Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph - March 24, 2016

What a news week it was! Putting aside the Brussels attack (and we do
because we can all agree that ISIS is terrible and no one deserves to
die on the whim of a madman or men), it was a busy week of big stories,
big decisions and big losses here for Open Sources Guelph.
Consequently for everyday Canadians, there's talk about the federal
budget and its impact on our roads, and bridges, and pocketbooks... Also
in Ottawa, there were money matters for the Red Chamber and the hope
that there might be some class coming back there in the future. We also
goodbye (hopefully) to over a half-a-century of hostility with the last
enemy of the Cold War, and we say goodbye to a giant of Toronto politics
who changed the landscape forever.
This Thursday, March 24, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Black and White and Red All Over.
The Federal government dropped the first budget under Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau Tuesday, and when he promised deficits on the campaign
trail... But seriously, the roughly $30 billion per year deficit for the
next three years has the lofty goal of being well-spent on
infrastructure, veterans, the arts, and improving the lives of Canada's
First Nations people. It's a bold gambit, but is it good policy? Good
politics? And how will Trudeau and the Liberals respond to the idea that
they ran roughshod over at election promise to cap their deficits at
just $10 billion? We'll get out the abacus and crunch the numbers.
2) Bad Senators. Better Senators?
First the Trudeau government named seven new senators last
week representing a group of tremendously talented individuals from the
fields of journalism, law, and provincial politics among others. Then
this week, we got the other news. Just as we were starting to feel good
about the senate again, the special arbitrator came out with her final
report and the final tally of what 14 scofflaw senators are supposed to
pay back to the Canadian people, which was, admittedly, lower than
originally advertised. Is that the end of the senate expense scandal?
Does the due diligence of the Liberals gain the senate an iota of
confidence again?
3) So Long, Rob.
Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford lost his long battle with cancer Tuesday
at the age of 46. He leaves behind a grieving family, legions of
supporters, and most importantly, two young children who are now
fatherless, but what about his legacy? The nature of Ford as a political
animal, and whether or not he was a net positive or a gross negative to
the City of Toronto in his 16 years of public service will be debated
for decades. We'll begin that debate by looking at all Rob Ford did, and
what he could have done, as this chapter of Canadian politics called
"Ford Nation" comes to a close.
4) Havana Barry.
Breaking an 88-year streak of zero visits from an American President,
Barack Obama headed to Cuba as part of the gradual thawing of diplomatic
relations between the two former Cold War enemies. Of course, because
this is Obama, and Cuba, it did not come without controversy with
opponents attacking Obama for appeasing a dictator, and overlooking the
Castro regime's human rights record. In spite of that though, the
majority of the American people believe it's time to normalize
relations, and the Cuban people were welcoming of the Obamas, so was
this good politics, or good PR?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

OPEN SOURCES GUELPH BEAT #2 - City Councillor Dan Gibson (Ward 1)

Last month, it occurred to Scotty Hertz and myself that maybe our
radio show on CFRU can be used for more than saying our opinions about
current events... Seriously though, we always knew that, but we decided
that we should set ourselves the goal of inviting all 12 of Guelph's
city councillors on the show for a friendly conversation, and because
our imagination is so poor, we decided to start with Ward 1. 
So
last week, Dan Gibson came into CFRU as the first of what we're hoping
will be 12 such interviews, which is not only about us asking the
councillors questions, but inviting listeners to ask questions too. In
our conversation with Cllr. Gibson we cover as wide a range of topics
possible in about 25 minutes, from development to unemployment to
construction to city services. Scotty also managed to squeeze a plug for
his pet cause at the end. On top of that, there was one listener
question we didn't get to during the interview, so I asked Gibson if he
wouldn't mind providing an answer via email, and he was happy to oblige.
So without further adieu, listen to this new edition of Open Sources Guelph Beat below: 
As for that question we were never able to get on air, it comes from Marg in Guelph: 
I'm hoping to get an opportunity to listen to Thursday's show with Dan Gibson, and have a question for him:
I
believe he supports the GEERS program but has some concerns about costs
and how it's implemented. I know it will very likely be implemented in
Guelph, and agree that it's a great idea, but also have concerns. Please
ask Dan if he's aware of a GEERS program that's in place, and doesn't
put a burden onto those who cannot afford to benefit from it but must
help to subsidize it?
And here is Councillor Gibson's response: 
This
is a great question and one I have responded to a number of times. I
am passionate about making sure this program has a universal benefit to
the community.
The GEERS program is an
exciting and ambitious endeavor that I am in support of if implemented
correctly. To protect the universal benefit to all in Guelph however,
Council needs to ensure the administrative burdens of the program are in
line with realistic revenue projections. In short, it must be revenue
neutral or revenue positive for this city.
My
reason for this position is fairly straight forward. If we build a
program that requires annual support from property taxes, we risk
creating a scenario where those who can afford the retrofit loan get to
A) upgrade their homes and B) reduce their energy costs, while those who
cannot afford the loan are still forced to help pay for those upgrades
through their taxes. I believe the original model (as presented to
council) would create this scenario (i.e. the program would require
annual support from tax revenues). I have very clearly identified these
concerns to staff (despite my support of the overall concept) and trust
the business model will be more universally beneficial when it returns
to committee in 2016.
You can download more podcasts off the Guelph Politicast channel on Podbean, including episodes of the Guelph Politicast, and full episodes of Open Sources Guelph

Open Sources Guelph - March 17, 2016

It's civics, drugs and rock 'n' roll on this week's edition of Open Sources Guelph.
Civics because we'll be hosting a Guelph city councillor in the second
half of the show; drugs because we're going to be talking about Toronto
is exploring a new pilot project that's had great success in Vancouver;
and rock 'n' roll because of the U.S. Presidential Election, which
remains the greatest show on Earth. It's everything a Nazi Grandma could
love.
This Thursday, March 17, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Super Tuesday III: The Search for Sanity.
It's a mad, mad, mad, world and it seems to belong to either Donald
Trump or Hillary Clinton. The third "Super Tuesday" in a row further
narrowed the field with Marco Rubio dropping out after a stunning loss
in his home state Florida, but John Kasich's win in Ohio means that the
#NeverTrump vote remains divided. Meanwhile, Clinton opened up her lead
over Bernie Sanders further despite a week of unfortunate misspeaks that
managed to insult people on both the right and the left. In the shadow
of growing violence on the right, and quiet resignation to a Clinton
candidacy on the left, what could possibly happen next in the U.S.
Presidential race?
2) Injecting Safe Injections into Toronto.
Toronto's medical officer of health Dr. David McKeown is asking city
council to consider the opening of safe injection sites, which would
make Toronto only the second city in Canada to host them. The research
about the effectiveness of safe injection sites is sound, but no less
controversial, and the neighbourhoods in Toronto that might host the
first three sites will surely offer their opposition to having them in
their own backyard. So can NIMBY opposition be overcome to create a safe
means for intravenous drug users to get high cleanly while getting
help? How will Toronto City Council react when it comes to them for a
final decision?
3) One of the Wards of the Ward.
In the first part of a 12 part series, we are welcoming Ward 1 City
Councillor Dan Gibson to the show this week to talk about all things
related to 'The Ward." It's going to be a busy construction year for
Guelph's East end with improvements coming to York Road, renovations
beginning on the Victoria Road Recreation Centre, and more housing
construction in growing neighbourhoods in the Victoria Rd. and Watson
Pkwy. area. What should Guelphites look out for? What work is left to be
done? What are Gibson's goals for the coming year? We'll ask all those
questions and more, not to mention your questions, when Gibson joins us
in studio.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - March 10, 2016

This week on Open Sources Guelph it's all Trump, all
the time! Did he really make money on selling Trump Shuttle? Is his
victory in Ohio and Florida inevitable? Where can we get some Trump
Steaks and Trump Vodka? Just kidding. We are going to do our damnedest
to make sure that we leave that whole fustercluck south of the border
alone for the week, and turn our attention to more pressing things like
the environment and rebellion. And did you know that our Prime Minister
once boxed a senator? It fascinated a whole lot of Americans. Oh forget
it! Let's get on with the show...
This Thursday, March 10, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) WaukeshaWorld.
A small town in Wisconsin is looking to get fresh water from Lake
Michigan, a move that would require the eight U.S. state governors that
oversee the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Sustainable Water Resources
Agreement to override the current protections and provisos of the Great
Lakes basin as laid out in that agreement. Why does Waukesha need more
water? Well their own resources are either depleted or filled with
radiation! Ontario and Quebec residents get a say leading up the final
decisions, so what should we say? Should we lend a hand, or is their a
dangerous precedent about to be enacted here?
2) Generation BetraYed? A Guardian series
is looking at a generational problem, that Millennials - confronted
with too much debt, too much unemployment, and not enough opportunity -
are losing the economic sweepstakes; the wealth of the west just isn't
flowing their way. Millennials are the subject of a lot of scorn, but
the one thing that the data says for certain is that the life of
Generation Y, economically speaking, is not going to be as good as their
parents and their grandparents, and that milestones like marriage,
children, careers and home ownership are happening later for them
because of it. Are the children of the 80s and 90s doomed to a sharing
economy that doesn't see them share in the wealth?
3) JT on 60.
Washington's got Justin Fever, and for once the outbreak can't be
blamed on anti-vaxxers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has landed in
Washington D.C. for a big meeting and state dinner with President Barack
Obama, and in preparation, the PM was profiled in glowing terms of 60 Minutes.
And why not? Trudeau once beat up a guy on live TV, a fact that the
segment seemed oddly fascinated with. But in the wake of some many
Americans looking from an escape plan from Donald Trump's America, are
we basking a little too much in the States' Trudeau envy?
4) KUDATAH! Ever heard of a coup
d'état, but couldn't be bother to spell check it once invoked? Welcome
to "Kudatah", the populist attempt by rural Albertans to bring down the
provincial government of Rachel Notley, and if you thought Canada had
earned the right to mock Tea Partiers and Trump supporters south of the
border, check your privilege (and the photo above). George Clark has
promised revolution in Alberta with Notley and the NDP pushing an agenda
of carbon taxes and farm employee safety, but is he also exposing an
ugly underbelly in Canadian politics?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #32 - Kelly Smith of the 2016 Resilience Festival

You might have heard that the people of Guelph are known for being
environmentally friendly. Given that somewhat foggy reputation, you
might imagine that next Saturday's commemoration of Earth Hour is an
occasion here in the Royal City, but you only know the half of it. In
2010, Transition Guelph first held an Earth Hour potluck for the
community, a candle-lit communal meal to mark the one hour per year we
give up electricity in acknowledgement of how beholden we are to it. And
now, in 2016, that one meal has grown into a full-blown festival.
March
17-20 will mark the dates for the 2016 Resilience Festival in Downtown
Guelph. Called a celebration of "our wonderful city and everything that
makes our community more resilient!" the Resilience Festival brings
together various groups and individuals in the city to try and find a
way to navigate this crazy world in a much more sustainable manner.
Amongst the usual events are the aforementioned pot luck, Seedy
Saturday, the Reskilling Fair, and more. 
But what does
"resilience" mean? Or "sustainability" Or "reskilling"? I put those
questions and more to Kelly Smith, a member of Transition Guelph and an
organizer of the Resilience Festival. Not only did we talk about the ins
and outs of this year's festival, but we also talked about the
challenges of sustainability, the struggle between economic and social
pressures, and how we can combat the cynicism that things are getting
worse and not better. Is it too late to change? Are we all doomed? We
talk about that too with surprising candor.
Here's this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast!
To learn more about what's in store for the Resilience Festival click here, and to learn more about Transition Guelph click here.
The theme music for Guelph Politicast is provided by Crazy Pills and their song "Break It Down" courtesy of Free Music Archive.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph - March 3, 2016

So that happened. No matter where you reside on the political
spectrum, watching the drama unfold Tuesday night had you on the edge of
your seat as an intrepid, trail-blazing woman tried to hold her own
against a consortium of powerful men had you mesmerized... But enough
about the Agent Carter finale! This week on Open Sources Guelph,
we'll eagerly take up the American political discussion again, and mix
in the promised dissection of last week's Ontario Budget. We'll also
talk about the latest developments in Syria, and take a time trip to
Guelph's General Hospital to look at an emergency room emergency
situation.
This Thursday, March 3, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Super Tuesday! America continued its slow decline into Mad Max
-like post-apocalyptic hysteria this week with a Tuesday vote so
special it's called "Super!" The Final Five on the Republican side of
things tried to take each other apart as Donald Trump's inevitability
was tested by Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in a last ditch effort to stymie
the billionaire's populist rise. Meanwhile, amongst the Democrats,
Hillary Clinton wanted to seal the deal with the American left, but
Bernie Sanders remains a formidable opponent. So was their a Knockout? A
Knighthood? A Kingship? We'll also talk about the elephant in the room.
2) Budget Bomb!
The Liberal government in Queen's Park announced the new budget last
Thursday and revealed a surprise move for the province's post-secondary
students: a consolidation of the loans and grants program that will
allow low-income students more accessible tuition fees. On the other
hand, Premier Kathleen Wynne is now backpedaling on a plan to raise
deductibles on prescription drugs for seniors to decrease the cost to
low income families. And all the while, pundits are left wondering if
Ontario's still going to meet that 2018 deadline to get rid of the
deficit. We'll look at the good news/bad news of the 2016 budget.
3) 911 in the ER!
A report from the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network
says that the emergency room at the Guelph General Hospital is being
brought to a standstill because it's ill-equipped to deal with people
who have mental health concerns. According to the report, 95 per cent of
patients with mental health distress that arrive at the E.R. on
Saturday, are still there on Monday. As city council looks for ways to
fund an expansion of the hospital's emergency room in the next five
years, is there a more pressing crisis already at hand?
4) Syria Success?
After months of negotiations, Syria began a ceasefire between most (not
all) of the sides involved in the now five-year long Civil War that has
seen hundreds of thousands killed, hundreds of thousands more
displaced, and contributed to the rise of I.S.I.S. As an unsteady peace
settled on Syria, Canada welcomed its 25,000th Syrian refugee just
before the March 1 deadline, but while Canada continues its welcoming
ways, Europe struggles with its own political situation, as borders get
tighter, and the people just keep on coming. Is there a light to the end
of the tunnel, or are we being too optimistic that there's still a
practical solution here?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #31 - Michael Druker, TriTAG

Transit in Guelph is always a struggle. Every budget year, public
transit somehow makes into the first round of cuts proposed; sometimes
public pressure gets them taken off the table, and sometimes the fare
goes up and holiday service is cut down to an hour. Still, looking at
the transit situation throughout our general area it's not all bad news.
So this week, the Guelph Politicast will look to Waterloo Region, where
not only is bus service expanding, but they're building a train down
the main street. 
One of the strongest proponents
of the new ION LRT in Kitchener-Waterloo, is TriTAG, which stands for
the Tri-Cities Transport Action Group. TriTAG is a strong advocate in
Waterloo Region for improving all aspects of alternative transportation,
from busing to biking to walking, and, eventually, taking light rail
transit. With the LRT construction on track (so to speak), many are
looking to Waterloo Region as a leader in developing alternative
transportation, and is widely considered to be an area where transit is
being done right. So how did they do it? How are they doing it? 
I
talked to Michael Druker, who is a member of TriTAG's executive, and
asked about Waterloo Region's successes, the challenges that Grand River
Transit still has to overcome, the different set of challenges being
faced by K-W bike riders, what Guelph might learn from Waterloo Region's
example on transit, and why it's just not enough to travel on transit
but we also have to travel with dignity.
Here is this week's transit-centric edition of the Guelph Politicast.
To learn more about TriTAG, visit their website by clicking here.
The theme music for Guelph Politicast is provided by Crazy Pills and their song "Break It Down" courtesy of Free Music Archive.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph - February 25, 2016

This week's edition of Open Sources Guelph will
touch on several different aspects of news and current affairs:
politics, the economy, technology and diplomacy. In Canada, we'll
consider the epic series finale to the Duffy trial, nearly one year long
in the making, and we'll consider Bombardier asking "Please sir, may I
have so more?" of the Federal government. In the States, a rich and
powerful corporation is sticking up for individual privacy, and Great
Britain is trying to decide if it will be greater without being ankled
by the European Union.
This Thursday, February 25, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) A Duff for All Seasons.
More than 10 months after it started, the trial of Senator Mike Duffy
wrapped up earlier this week with closing arguments from the Crown and
the Defense. At stake is Duffy's guilt or innocence on 31 charges
involving fraud, bribery and breach of trust, and whether or not Duffy
can hold on to his six figure job in the Red Chamber. But when the judge
renders his verdict in just a couple of months, will anyone care?
Interest in the case has died down since the Tories lost the election in
October, so is the public missing a big story?
2) Bombardier on Board?
Adding to an already precarious job situation in Canada last week,
Bombardier announced that it was cutting 7,000 jobs, 2,800 in Quebec,
while patting itself on the back for getting an new order for aircraft
from Air Canada. Within minutes of that news, the company wanted another
loan from the Federal government, despite $1.5 in outstanding loans to
the Feds not to mention another billion already borrowed this year from
the Quebec provincial government. Everyone wants to save good paying
Canadian jobs, but how much is too much?
3) Apple Bites FBI.
Investigators looking into the December attack by two terrorists in San
Bernadino have hit a snag, unable to break into the iPhone held by one
of the attackers, and they'd like Apple to hack it open. A reasonable
request, they've got a court order and everything, but Apple is refusing
on the grounds that to do so would create a skeleton key that could
conceivable hack all older generations of iPhones. Is this really a
battle over privacy, or is Apple being purposefully obstinate? Listener
warning: The hosts of this show are not tech savvy, and at least one of
us, we're not saying who, still has a Blackberry.
4) The Brexit Club.
Last year tested the Greeks' commitment to stay in the European Union;
in 2016, it's the United Kingdom's turn. As promised in the last
election, David Cameron announced that the U.K. will be holding a
referendum on June 23 to determine if it will stay in the E.U. or go,
and the battle lines have already been fiercely drawn. London Mayor
Boris Johnson took a bold stand to leave and called out Cameron for
fear-mongering; Cameron hit back saying that Johnson was using the issue
as way to promote his own political ambitions. But with most of the
establishment backing "stay" is there really a danger of a "Brexit"?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #30 - James Gordon on Freedom to Read Week

Not the most well-known celebration to take place in February, but
still no less important, the past few days have marked Freedom to Read
Week both here in Guelph and across Canada. Walk into the main branch of
the Guelph Public Library today, and you'll see a Freedom to Read Week
display, or you might, assuming that they've been able to keep the
banned books on the shelves...
According to their own
website, Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages
Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual
freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. That covers areas including freedom of expression, censorship,
and access to information, all hot topics in the current political
ether. Freedom to Read Week is organized by the Freedom of Expression
Committee of the Book and Periodical Council.
I
reached out to the staff of the Guelph Public Library to see if someone
might be available this week to talk about Freedom to Read Week and GPL,
and I got Politicast regular James Gordon. Of course, Ward 2 City
Councillor Gordon is a renowned Guelph singer/songwriter who's noted on
the GPL website as one of Guelph's Most Famous.
Gordon also serves on the Guelph Public Library Board as council's
representative, and is an enthusiastic promoter of Guelph arts and
culture.
What follows is a laid back discussion about
the right to read what we want, the dangers of self-censoring and
political correctness, and why the Guelph Public Library is thriving
despite the our being told that libraries are past their expiration
date. (Don't tell anyone at the library Wednesday, it was pretty busy
despite their being a winter storm and everything.)
Here's this week's Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about Freedom to Read Week by clicking here. And, of, course, learn more about Guelph Public Libraries by clicking here.
*Special
thanks to the main branch of the library at 100 Norfolk Street for
hosting this week's podcast, and to communications co-ordinator Lisa
Cunningham for making the arrangements.
The theme music for Guelph Politicast is provided by Crazy Pills and their song "Break It Down" courtesy of Free Music Archive.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes here.
Remember
that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast
versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open
Sources will be posted on Mondays.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast.

Open Sources Guelph - February 18, 2016

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we take a break
from American politics to talk about American justice and how that's
affecting American politics. The passing of a man known to be the most
passionate and articulate right-wing voice on the bench has added napalm
to the crazy fire already burning in this wacko campaign south of the
border, so let's focus on Sunny Ways up north here and how they might be
coming to end. We'll also enjoy a laugh at the expense of a
media/government slap fight no one was prepared for, and offer our two
cents on local infrastructure priorities. This Thursday, February 18, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Disorder in the Court.
The sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia last Saturday
did more than open up a vacancy on the United States' highest court, it
open a political can of worms that became all anyone could talk about.
From the senate floor where GOP politicians refused to even entertain
the possibility of a nominee, to the White House where Barack Obama says
he'll name one anyway, to the election trail where to name or not to
name has been the hot-button issue of the week, there's a lot to
consider in the replacement of the man thought to be the Supreme Court's
most conservative member.2) Shopping for Infrastructure.
The upcoming budget from the Federal government will contain stimulus
money earmarked for infrastructure projects designed to get Canadians
working as early as this coming summer. Guelph City Council met last
Thursday to prioritize "shovel ready" projects that can best take
advantage of the Feds' open wallet, including new parking downtown,
improvement to various city-owned buildings and some plain old road
maintenance. How best can the City tackle its $60 billion infrastructure
gap?3) 100 Days Down...
Last Friday marked 100 Days in office for the Trudeau Liberals, and
what kind of 14 and a half weeks has it been? From the new direction on
the ISIS mission, to the beginning of the Inquiry into Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, to gender parity in cabinet, and
all points in between, it's been a very busy 100 days indeed for the new
Prime Minister. There's been a lot good will from Canadians in this
time, but the tough decisions now before Parliament will test the
limitations of Trudeaumania 2.0. Where will the prime minister go from
here, and how long can the Sunny Ways last?4) The Rebel Rebels. Fans of Ezra Levant's crowd-funded alternative news site The Rebel
know that he's no fan of the Alberta NDP government under Rachel
Notley. Indeed, Levant and his associates have been waging a war of
words against Notley's government who evidently have been pushed too far
as the Alberta government revoked the journalistic privileges of The Rebel
and its correspondents. While Levant and Co. clearly have an agenda,
does that give Notley and Co. the right to revoke their access? Should
the government be allowed to decide who and what is a journalist? Will
we be able to contain the schadenfreude while talking about this
subject?Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.