Guelph Politicast

OPEN SOURCES GUELPH BEAT #1 - CUPE and Affordable Housing

Do you like Open Sources Guelph, but hate when we talk about issues
going on in places other than Guelph? Good news, we have a brand new
podcast that takes the Guelph segments from Open Sources, and spins them
off in a convenient half-hour dish called Open Sources Guelph Beat. (I
know, what an original title!)For this first edition of Open Sources Guelph Beat, Soctty Hertz and I address the following topics: Don’t Get CUPE with City Hall.
The first negotiations between the City of Guelph and three Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE) locals that are currently trying to
secure new contracts began a few weeks ago. With controversy already in
the air, will the City – who is already in mediation with the local
firefighters – be able to secure a new contract with ease, or are we in
for a year of labour strife?? What’s Affordable in Guelph?
The City of Guelph is developing a new strategy to spur the development
of affordable housing in the Royal City. With housing prices only
heading in one direction, up, and social housing being handled by
Wellington County, this is a move that Guelph can make in order to make
some more room in the city, which has a vacancy rate of around one per
cent. But can the City talk about affordable housing independent of
social housing needs though, and can there be such a thing as affordable
in a red hot market that’s showing no signs of cooling off?Listen to the first episode of Open Sources Guelph Beat below.  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 - February 11, 2016

We said we'd never go there, but they tasked us. They tasked us! So on this week's Open Sources Guelph,
we'll open with discussion of the trial of Jian Ghomeshi, and how just
about no one involved, including the media covering it, will come out
looking good. We will also dig into the complexities of affordable
housing in Guelph, the greater complexities of the war against ISIS, and
the curiosities of the U.S. Presidential race. This Thursday, February 11, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Victimizing the Victims?
The trial of former CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi is winding down in 
Toronto, and the verdict is very much in doubt. The defense managed to
take apart the story of Ghomeshi's three accusers on the witness stand,
in a move that's being highly criticized as emblematic of the reason why
assault victims don't want to come forward. Meanwhile, insatiable
journalists covering the trial were tweeting details about witnesses not
meant to be identified, and the daily feeding frenzy outside of the
Toronto courthouse has not acquitted the media well in general. What
will the fallout of the Ghomeshi trial be?2) What's Affordable in Guelph?
The City of Guelph is developing a new strategy to spur the development
of affordable housing in the Royal City. With housing prices only
heading in one direction, up, and social housing being handled by
Wellington County, this is a move that Guelph can make in order to make
some more room in the city, which has a vacancy rate of around one per
cent. But can the City talk about affordable housing independent of
social housing needs though, and can there be such a thing as affordable
in a red hot market that's showing no signs of cooling off?3) On Canada's ISIS Strategy.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally announced how his
government intends to contribute to the fight against the so-called
Islamic State. While Canada's fighter jets are coming home, Canada's
commitment is actually being expanded with more training and support for
local ground troops in Iraq, a move that has angered critics to the
right, and to the left of the PM. Robert Somerville, a Canadian Forces
veteran who fought alongside Kurdish soldiers against ISIS in Syria,
will join us talk about Canada's new direction and what's really
happening on the ground in the war zone.4) The New Hampshire Games.
As predicted, Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump won -
wait for it - huge on Tuesday night in the second poll of the 2016
Presidential election season. On the GOP side, pundits are wondering if
there's now anything that can stop Trump from becoming the nominee,
especially with the alternative vote still split between four or five
different options? For the Dems, it's can Hillary Clinton rebound after
two disappointing finishes for the once inevitable candidacy for the
former Secretary of State? Also, why is Sanders crushing her in all age
groups among women?Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #29 - Sebastian Silva/ Joan Jylanne/ Lloyd Longfield

On this edition of the Guelph Politicast, we experiment with the form
by have three separate short interviews: robocall investigation
enthusiast Sebastian Silva, senior policy planner with the City of
Guelph Joan Jylanne, and Guelph Member of Parliament Lloyd Longfield.First up is Silva, who is a resident of Salt Spring Island in the Federal riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. Like some of us,
he caught the bomb dropped by Sen. Mike Duffy during his testimony
before Christmas alleging that Conservative operatives were behind a
robocall in 2008 that claimed to be made on behalf of a get-out-the-vote
effort for the NDP candidate who had dropped out of the race but
remained on the ballot. Silvia took initiative to write Elections Canada
about re-opening the investigation based on the allegations, and he got
a semi-ambiguous response (included bellow).Then, I talk
to senior policy planner Joan Jylanne, who earlier this week led two
workshops for the public to offer input on Guelph's developing
"Affordable Housing Strategy." I covered
the afternoon workshop, but because there's a lot of big words and big
definitions, I thought it might be better to hear it all from the expert
rather than me fumbling my way through it.And finally, a couple of words from Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield, who was in attendance at the special city council meeting on Thursday to hear how the mayor and councillors might spend the incoming Federal infrastructure money.Submitted for your approval is this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast: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 4, 2016

The clown car has sprung a leak. On this week's Open Sources Guelph
we'll journey to the Hawkeye State where the weird and wild journey of
the American presidential race finally lead to some actual voting.
Meanwhile, there's some voting here in Ontario too as a by-election
comes to a head, to say nothing of the debate around one of the most
controversial trade agreements ever negotiated in total secrecy. Perhaps
that's a lesson to learn as the Royal City begins sitting down with its
outside workers, officer staff, and librarians. This week, as it turns
out, the show is one big segue. This Thursday, February 4, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Forget it Donald, It's Iowa.
After what's seemed like a year of build-up, the votes were finally
cast in the Iowa Caucuses, and no one knows what it all means. Ted Cruz
took first place for the Republicans, but Trump's accused him of
cheating, and everyone's talking about the success of third place Marco
Rubio. Hillary Clinton won for the Democrats, but barely, and she's
heading into what looks like a slaughter in New Hampshire with a leading
Bernie Sanders. Is the Presidential race any clearer now that votes are
being cast?2) TPP Problems.
Canada and the other 11 member nations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
have all signed the agreement today, but what lies ahead is years of
work to enact the provisions, and in Canada, that also means having the
TPP ratified in Parliament. Still, only 3 out of 5 Canadians know about
the TPP, and over half of them couldn't tell you what's in it. Is
ignorance truly bliss in the case of the TPP, or are we being lead down
the garden path? And will the Liberals truly allow a full and open
debate on it in the House?3) Vote No One?
The people of Whitby-Oshawa will go to the polls next Thursday  to
decide who will represent them at Queen's Park, replacing long-time MPP
Christine Elliott of the Progressive Conservatives. We will be joined by
phone by Greg Vezina of the None of the Above party,
one of the 10 candidates running for the seat, including
representatives of the four major parties, perennial candidate John
Turmel and a guy that legally changed his name to Above Znoneofthe.4) Don't Get CUPE with City Hall. In a new regular segment on the show, and in honour of the dear departed Guelph Mercury,
we'll dedicate a segment of the show to a Guelph issue. This week,
we'll talk about the opening of negotiations between the City of Guelph
and three Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) locals that are
currently trying to secure new contracts. With controversy already in
the air, will the City - who is already in mediation with the local
firefighters - be able to secure a new contract with ease, or are we in
for a year of labour strife?Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - January 28, 2016

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're all about
tragedy. From the terrible loss of life in a small Saskatchewan
community, to the end of a Guelph institution and another casualty in
the slow decline of the printed news. In between, we'll talk about the
very loud sometimes comedic but terribly passionate debate about
pipelines. This Thursday, January 28, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Tragedy in La Loche.
A community of 3,000 people in northwestern Saskatchewan suffered one
of the worst mass shooting in 40 years when a 17-year-old killed four
and wounded three others. In the midst of mourning, many people are
looking at this Dene community, 90 per cent of whom identify as
Aboriginal, and are wondering how it's a home to so much tragedy. The
suicide rate in La Loche is three-times higher than the national
average, and there's a long list of violent incidents, gang activity,
and alcohol and drug abuse. How is this place so hopeless? So tragic? Is
this another example of the broken promises to our First Nations
people?2) On and On About the Pipe.
A war of words has erupted about the development of pipelines to move
Alberta oil from one end of this country to the other. A group of nearly
seven dozen Quebec mayors, including Montreal's Denis Coderre, released
a statement saying they didn't want Energy East passing through their
backyards. That move prompted Conservative Party interim leader Rona
Ambrose to declare a national unity crisis and that Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau was spending too much time "swanning" (?) with
celebrities rather than making pipe(line) dreams happen. Is there are
right answer here? Can two sides so far apart ever reach compromise?3) No More Mercury. It was sad and shocking news in the Royal City on Monday when it was announced that the Guelph Mercury would
cease publication on Friday after 149 years of serving the Guelph
community. How can a city of 122,000 people not sustain a daily
newspaper? What will be the effect on the community without such an
easily available, independent news source? Can anything fill the void,
and was there any way that the Mercury could have stopped its
own demise? We'll talk about all that, and the strike currently
affecting the country's largest independently owned paper, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, with social media guru and Guelph Green Party President Candice Lepage.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #28 - Sian Matwey, Community Organizer

The City of Guelph is full of wonderful, talented and inspired people
that constantly strive to make the Royal City a better place, and Sian
Matwey is one of them. In this episode of the Guelph Politicast, I talk
to Sian Matwey about her efforts as a community organizer, working to
develop projects like Murals of Hope, and the annual "Tie One On" campaign. For
the last couple of years, Matwey and a group of volunteers have been
tying scarves, hats and gloves to trees downtown so that if people
needed one, they were there, and that came in very handy during the
snowy, windy weather last week. All year 'round, Matwey co-ordinates
Murals of Hope, a project to let young artists turn bland, boring walls
into works of art. She's also become an advocate for transit use,
encouraging city councillors and the mayor to take the bus more (and
she's enjoyed some success on the issue). In our
conversation, Matwey talked about all these endeavours, and the
challenges and rewards they offer to herself and those participating. Of
course much of that, like all local activism, is dependent on
awareness, and in a twist of fate, Matwey and I met to record this
podcast on the same day that the Guelph Mercury announced its
closure. We also talk about how the loss of the daily local newspaper
will affect her work specifically, and the work of community organizers
in Guelph generally. Submitted for your approval is this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast. 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 - January 21, 2016

If last week's show was a major bummer, we try to lighten things up on this week's Open Sources Guelph
with some news that's a little more hopeful, or at the very least
head-scratchingly unbelievable. We look ahead to the coming week as
Parliament gets back down to business, and we look at the Official
Opposition's upcoming leadership race and the surprising entry into that
race. In other news, relations with an old enemy have thawed a little
further, while another damp chill falls over the Canadian media
landscape. We said we'd try!This Thursday, January 21, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Done Deal!
After years of negotiating, the deal between Iran and a group of
western nations working towards their nuclear disarmament went into
effect his weekend with the loosening of economic restrictions and
unfreezing Iranian assets in foreign banks. At the same time, Iran freed
four Americans it was holding, including Washington Post reporter
Jason Rezaian, in a prisoner swap negotiated by Switzerland. Has
diplomacy won over force? Has Iran shown it can be a trusted, and will
critical American politicians accept that?2) House Rules.
After a month-and-a-half break, the House of Commons will be getting
back to business. What will be on the docket? There's still no clear
strategy for Canada's involvement in the war on ISIS and our fighter
jets are still in the field. The economy is struggling as the dollar and
oil both sink in value, and the government is now forced to confront
bigger deficits than they once promised. Doctor assisted death,
electoral reform, and the ongoing refugee resettlement are all issues on
the frontburner, so what can we expect when Parliamentarians gets back
together next week?3) We Need to Talk About Kevin.
What started as one of the stupidest dares in history, a $1 million
investment in Alberata's oil patch in exchange for Rachel Notley's
resignation as Premier of the Wildrose province, became a full blown
political insurgency when Kevin O'Leary began pondering a run for the
leadership of the Conservatives. With his business background and
reality TV bonafides, people began making the comparisons to a certain
conservative politician currently leading the national polls in the
United States, but can O'Leary really make himself Canada's Trump? Is
Canada's right willing to gamble on that?4) Paper Cuts. Postmedia cut 90 jobs this week, including nearly the whole editorial staff of the Edmonton Journal. On
top of it all, newsrooms in Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver,
where Postmedia owns two daily newspapers, will see their staff slashed
and newsrooms merged as CEO Paul Godfry desperately tries to stem the
tide of red ink from the company that owns the vast majority of Canada's
English newspapers. Wasn't all this inevitable? Do Postmedia's cuts
represent a danger to the quantity and quality of journalistic
expression in Canada?Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - January 14, 2016

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we'll save a spot,
and a thought, for David Bowie, a truly unique individual that spanned
the realms of music, movies, fashion and culture in incalculable ways.
And like the Man Who Fell to Earth, we will forge our way through an
alien world we barely understand and hardly comprehend in order to bring
you the best analysis of the week's news. Right to die, the State of
the Union, water issues, and el Chapo all make the cut this week. As
they say, the show must go on. This Thursday, January 14, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) The Right to Pause Right to Die.
The Government of Canada went to the Supreme Court this week to secure a
six month extension to the deadline to pass legislation for the
regulation of doctor assisted death. The court ruled last February that
the government had a year to get the job done, but in an election year
and with a Conservative Party less than eager to tackle the issue, it
sort of fell by the wayside. Should the court grant the government's
request, or does the suffering of patience take president?2) Obama's Last State of the Union.
U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his seventh and final State of
the Union, and in as much as it outlined his priorities for his final
year in office, it was also a statement of mission: accomplished and a
backhanded slap to some of the politicians running to replace him. Will
Obama's words have any affect on the race, or is he now, more than
before, a lame duck?3) Don't Drink the Water.
A crisis in Flint, Michigan has reminded us again of the precarious
nature of our most important resource: water. The National Guard has
been activated to deliver bottled water as the local tap water drunk by
thousands of Flint residents has been found to be poisoned by lead. How
could the government in Michigan allow the condition of such a vital
resource be perverted to disastrous proportions? And how can we stop it
from happening elsewhere?4) Finding el Chapo.
Mexico's Most Wanted drug dealer Joaquín "el Chapo" Guzmán was on the
lam for six months, and it seemed that no one could find him... Except
Sean Penn. The award-winning actor was able to interview el Chapo (with
the assistance of Mexican actress Kate del Castillo) for a Rolling Stone article
days before Mexican authorities took the fugitive back into custody.
Penn has since taken it on the knuckles for not sharing what he knew
with authorities, but is Penn covered by journalistic standards? Does
his overly florid article count as journalism?Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - January 7, 2016

We're back! It's the beginning of year two on Open Sources Guelph,
and the beginning of a new year, and when those two forces combined it
makes for a very busy work week indeed. More trouble in the Middle East?
Check. Presidential Election talk? Check? Current U.S. President makes
last ditch effort for gun control? Check. Nuts that prove the reason why
gun control is needed? Check, and double check!This Thursday, January 7, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Another Middle East Powder Keg.
Saudi Arabia rung in 2016 by executing nearly 50 people including Shia
cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. Typically, when Saudi Arabia executes a bunch
of people, it just gets the usual amount of condemnation, but when the
biggest Shiite power in Middle East beheads a popular Sheikh from the
Shia side of Islam, you're going to have a problem. After Iranian
citizens set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Arab powers have been
lining up on either side of the religious divide, but what will the
global implications be of this major sectarian stand-off?2) Countdown to Iowa.
After months of build-up, the Presidential Election officially begins
in just a few more weeks with the Iowa Caucuses, the first time voters
will mark their own ballots as to who they think should be their party's
nominee for President. Not much has changed since we last talked about
the American election, but Donald Trump continues to get more
belligerent, this time dredging up ghosts of political scandals past by
evoking the indiscretions of Hillary Clinton's husband, former President
Bill Clinton. How will the candidates shake out now that the stakes in
the race are real?3) Obama Goes Solo (Again).
In a tearful speech at the White House Wednesday, Barack Obama kicked
off his final year in office with a move to use his executive authority
to take some kind of action on gun control. The President is looking to
close loopholes by having small dealers and gun show exhibitors keep
proper records and perform background checks before selling, but with a
powerful pro-gun lobby and dwindling influence in an election year, can
Obama still be the change he wants to deliver?4) Standoff in Oregon.
A group of anti-government militia men took over the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge in Oregon Sunday to protest the re-sentencing of two
ranchers charged with setting fire to public land. Led by Ammon Bundy,
son of infamous federal grazing fee scofflaw Cliven Bundy, is leading
the so-called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom who plan to occupy the
refuge for the long-term and are spoiling for a fight with the
tyrannical (in their mind) Federal government, even as the ranchers they
rallied to defend surrendered themselves to the law. Are we in the
midst of another Waco, or are these guys just wacko?Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - December 31, 2015

We've reached the end of 2015, and just like in the old days on the Gang of Four, the Open Sources Guelph
team will send out our first year on the air by carefully categorizing
what happened in the last 365 days under four broad topics that we, for
some reason, are calling awards. There's no actual trophies, but there
is lots of conversation and self-congratulating about our cleverness.
Before heading out to ring in 2016, rake out 2015 with the last show of
the year. This Thursday, December 31, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Worst Politician of the Year.
Throughout Canada and the United States, who was the one politician
that so utterly failed in his or her mission? Who gambled when they
should have played it safe? Who horribly miscalculated on the election
trail? Who led their party to tatters, or just really set them back for
the next four years?2) Good News Story of the Year.
It's hard to believe considering all the terrorism, crime, and
environment degradation there's been in 2015, but yes, there are still
some good news stories out there. Governments and people can still
sometimes do good, and over the past year there's been at least one or
two good news stories worth celebrating.3) Trainwreck of the Year.
Upgraded from the old Gang of Four's "Dumpster Fire of the Year,"
because the mistakes are just that much bigger now, we'll consider the
biggest blunders of 2015. Who screwed up the most? Whose mistakes were
the most costly? Who lost the most in terms of prestige, or influence,
or seats in the House of Commons?4) Best Politician of the Year.
This one should be self-explanatory, and since we will start the show
with a loser, that means there has to be a winner. This is the
politician who was able to take the most ground, win the most arguments,
and/or launch a new era of governance, perhaps even ushering in some
"sunny ways." Maybe that hint went too far...***Programming note: This episode of Open Sources Guelph is pre-recorded.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.