OfficiallyScrewed

Ontario Teachers, Do The Math

Mulder

In relation to the OPSEU teacher’s strike, I heard a college professeur call Lowell Green today.  He mentioned some numbers that relate to his story.  Let me restate these (along with my assumptions)

  1. He has 18 hours of teaching time a week
  2. He has at least 1 hour of prep work for every 1 hour of teaching time (let’s assume 1.25)
  3. He has 32 weeks of teaching a year (i.e. 20 weeks of no classes)
  4. He makes $70,000 a year
  5. He does some prep work over the summer. (let’s assume 1 day a week, because after all it is summer)
  6. Let’s assume a veteran equivalent to 10 years in other industries and give our teacher 4 weeks of full paid vacation annually.  This would be complete down time with no prep work, no teaching, no marking, etc.

Now for Math 101 – Adding and multiplying
40.5 (x32 weeks)=1296 (the hours of teaching and prep for teaching)

8 (x16 weeks)=128 (the hours of work in off teaching weeks)

Total hours?  (1296+128)=1424

Now for Math 102 – Dividing and Crying
$70,000 / 1424 = $49.16 per hour worked  (note minimum wage in Ontario is currently $7.75/hr and moving to $8.00/hr on January 1st, 2007)
1424 / 48 weeks = 29.67 hours per week (not on vacation)

Now for Strike Assessment 101 – There is never any subtracting

And that, my friends, is Officially Screwed

West End Ottawa Citizens About To Get Dumped On

Mulder

What do you call a west end Ottawa resident who may be at the whim of a deal City Council inked back in 2001?

You call them Officially Screwed.

In an Ottawa Sun article, Derek Puddicombe reports on an agreement that was entered into by our Council around the time of amalgamation which called for them to expedite valid landfill expansion claims. What does this mean? It means if Waste Management shows it’s expansion will be handled as per environmental guidelines, there probably isn’t much that all the yelling and screaming by local citizens will accomplish.

Carp Mountain will likely have no problem expanding and reaching higher than the 20 storeys it currently climbs.

In a related article, Torontonians may have a louder voice than West Ottawa when the Michigan border closes to Toronto trash leaving the province very few options other than to approve the landfill expansion.

Today I heard a statistic on Lowell Green’s show that said if a high efficiency incinerator was put to work on the landfills current pile of trash, and the heat used to generate electricity, it could power the city of Ottawa for 5 to 7 years. With expectations that another 300 Million tons a year will be coming our way, I see this as being more and more logical. The going rate for power would mean the city of Ottawa could sell the electricity, use the proceeds to pay the costs of the incinerator and the added cost per ton to dispose of it, and eliminate the mountain in less than a decade.

But that would be too logical.

Shake Rattle and Roll In The Nations Capital

Mulder

Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.  Tonight at 8:39 pm EDT, we had an earthquake in Ottawa.  I’m serious.

I was sitting here and the walls started shaking.  I jumped up because I am more used to a big thump when the kids get a bit over rambunctious.  Cookie looked at me bewildered and said “What was that??”  I told them I thought it was an earthquake, but put my shoes on and went outside to see if any big construction vehicles were rolling up the road.  A jet flew over, but it was way to high.

I went back inside and asked the kids what time it was.  8:40 pm.   Colbert felt it in south Ottawa too.  On his site he points people to the Earthquakes Canada site.  And sure enough, one was centered 7 km north of Thurso, Quebec and registered a 4.5.

For those who aren’t aware, Thurso is about 80 km East of Ottawa.

Responses To My Request That The Carp Mountain Expansion Not Be Passed

Mulder

It didn’t take long for Councillors El i El-Chantery and Janet Stavinga’s office to return my email request. I had emailed all of city council and the mayor of Ottawa asking them not to allow this growth.

Response from Eli El-Chantiry:

Thank you for your e-mail. I know this expansion is a real concern for all of us — it is in our community and we have to live with it every day. Our office was advised of WM’s proposed expansion plans in early February and that there would be an Open House held on Feb. 7th at the West Carleton Meeting Centre. I attended this Open House and talked to WM’s staff, concerned residents, and City Staff. Prior to this Open House I contacted City staff to confirm what involvement/authority we would have in this process. I was told that it falls under the Ministry of the Environment for approval and that this open house is part of the requirements for the Terms of Reference for the expansion. I was told that City staff will be in attendance each step of the way and that they would keep City Council apprised. As you know, it is very important that residents attend all the advertised information meetings and express their concerns so that they are documented with the data being sent to the Ministry of the Environment. It is also important to write to the Premier, Dalton McGuinty and your MPP, Mr. Norm Sterling. The contact at the City of Ottawa is Ken Brothers, P.Eng. who is the Director, Utility Services Branch should you have questions. There is also going to be a Public Meeting by WM held on Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 6-9:00 pm (presentation at 7:00 pm) followed by Q&A, at the Ecole elementaire catholique Jean-Paul II (gym), 5473 Abbott St., Stittsville. Please spread the word about this meeting to your neighbours. I will do my homework and I will represent my constituents’ views. I will continue to be your voice and support in our community. See you on March 1st and please keep me informed. Regards, Eli El-Chantiry.

Response from Janet Stavinga’s Office:

Thank you for your e-mail to Councillor Stavinga. This information will be brought to the councillor’s attention. In the interim, it would be of tremendous benefit to receive your permission to forward your message to Michael Walters, WM’s (Waste Management) Senior District Manager of Landfills for Eastern Canada, on this and any future correspondence you would be sending to Councillor Stavinga. This would enable your concerns and suggestions to be brought to Mr. Walters’ immediate attention and would also ensure your correspondence is placed on the public record required for the Environmental Assessment Review Process. Again, thank you for taking the time to express your concerns. Debra Belle Assistant to Councillor Janet Stavinga

Now I have no idea who to contact. One tells me my MPP, Norm Sterling, the other says the Sr. District Manager of Landfills for Waste Management, Michael Walters. i guess I will do both.  I gave Stavinga’s office permission to forward my email. I will contact Norm Sterling directly.  I urge you all to now contact your MPP’s to stop the chances of the growth of the Carp Mountain (of trash).

When Did Carp Get A Mountain?

Mulder

The Waste Management dump in west Ottawa is scheduled to grow unless something is done. The current monstrosity, dubbed the Carp Mountain, is about 1km x 1km and scrapes the sky a whopping 20 stories.

Waste Management is now looking at ways to expand the dump to 2 or even 3 times it’s current size.

The dump is already viewable from the 417 and on a downwind day you can smell it several kilometers away. According to Lowell Green as far east as Terry Fox Drive (2 highway exits over) and as far south as the old Stittsville Fleamarket.

The expectation is that trash would be coming from as far away as Trenton on the outskirts of Toronto. But, apparently, there is also a policy that enables the provincial government to force the dump to take trash from Toronto. With the state of Michigan looking at stopping 600 trucks a day of Toronto trash showing up to unload, this is going to be a problem.

WMI says that the plan is to accept only 10% of trash from outside the Ottawa area, but the ability for McGuinty to jump in and force this, I am on the side of stopping this expansion.

It’s bad enough we wallow in our own trash so close, but to wallow in the trash of others? Why is WMI not gasifying this stuff and turning it into electricity? Why are we not REDUCING the size of the carp mountain with these clean, safe methods of incineration?

For those in the Ottawa area there is something you can do. A march to demonstrate against the expansion is happening on March 1st at 6pm, starting at Sacred Heart in Stittsville. More info here. The last day for the city to accept input from the public is March 17th, so NOW is the time to act.

EMAIL CITY COUNCIL Today!! And tell them you don’t want the dump growing. I made that convenient link so you can send one email to all 21 councillors and the mayor.

Talk About Mr. Spilly Pants

Mulder

I can’t make this stuff up.

One of Canada’s largest breweries is in damage control after the 40-year-old Toronto actor who played a Scottish spokesman for Alexander Keith’s beer was charged with several counts of possessing child pornography.Robert Norman Smith, who is best known as the mutton-chopped, loudmouth Scotsman who praises Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale as “the pride of Nova Scotia” in television commercials, was charged Wednesday after Toronto police searched his home on a warrant Tuesday.

This is one heck of a CLM.

Canadian Visas Sold In Poland For $8000 – Bypassing Background Checks

Mulder

Have a gander at this in the Ottawa Sun.

Mounties are probing an alleged immigration scam at the Canadian Embassy in Poland in which dozens of Poles may have been sent here illegally without background checks.

And how much do you think our maple flavoured visas go for in Poland?

Poles in Canada said they dished out $8,000 to an Etobicoke man for each visa to bring their relatives here.

And just who do you think would pay this much for a visa which bypasses background checks?

“There were no background checks required,” said one Toronto-area Pole, who knew others who said they paid for visas. “Even the worst criminal can buy a visa for Canada.”

Even the worst criminal. How screwed are we on this one? Potential thieves, doctors, rapists, lawyers, etc. roaming our streets

Was The Privy Council Trying To Hide Dingwall's Severance Payment?

Mulder

I am just flabbergasted. I know the Dingwall severance issue is being watched by many, but for the Privy Council Office to release the statement on a Saturday is just astounding, let alone on a Saturday amid such huge distractions. Let me explain…

1) it was released two days before the new Privy Council is sworn in
2) it was released when the Muslim caricature violence is the highlight of every news agency. (nice distraction huh?)
3) it was released one day before the Superbowl (even nicer distraction huh?)
4) it was released on a Saturday. When was the last time you saw government work done on a Saturday?
5) it was released when political buzzers are focusing their antennae on Harper’s Cabinet.

But worst of all,

6) it was for a whopping $417,780! (subject to Revenue Canada, or course)

This is officially screwed up.

Settlement between the Government of Canada and the Former Master of the Royal Canadian Mint

OTTAWA, February 4, 2006 – The Government of Canada today announced that, following binding arbitration, it has paid a compensation package to Mr. David Dingwall, former Master of the Royal Canadian Mint.

The Government stated in October that it would pay Mr. Dingwall only that which is legally owed him. Since that amount could not be agreed to during negotiations, the Government agreed to submit the question of its legal obligations to an independent third party, in the interests of saving the time and money that legal proceedings could have entailed.

The issue was placed before a highly respected independent arbitrator for determination. The Honourable George Adams was asked by both parties to rule on the following questions:

1. Was Mr. Dingwall’s resignation voluntary or involuntary, having regard to all of the circumstances?
2. If the resignation was involuntary, what is the compensation, damages or terms of departure owing to Mr. Dingwall by Canada, having regard to all of the circumstances?

Mr. Adams has concluded that Mr. Dingwall’s departure was involuntary and the Government has a legal obligation to pay him $417,780, as well as associated pension benefits. The binding award of the arbitrator has the force of a court order, and the Government has respected the decision. This amount is subject to the provisions of the Income Tax Act.

For information:
Privy Council Office
957-5168

Is Ignatieff The Next To Fall?

Mulder

How do you upstage this…..

or how about this?

Well it appears that Michael Ignatieff has somehow managed to officially screw himself and upstage all the other goofy photos, including that one of Chretien with pie on his face. This photo of Ignatieff was in the Toronto Star is from a few days ago and slipped under the radar but I just caught a glimpse of it and died laughing. It has him shaking the hand of a supporter outside a subway stop while a man is draining his snake not three meters away. Now THAT’s Officially Screwed!!!

I wonder… will this be un-prime ministerial enough to have him bow out with the other big names? Or will this be his way to raise his profile?

I still think, tongue-in-cheek, that this will open the door for David Orchard!!!

Potholes need the touch of a child

Mulder

I used to fish a lot. But through all my fishing excursions, I never, EVER, touched a catfish. Call me squeamish, but those guys have nasty whiskers and are bottom feeders. I won’t eat them, touch them, and heck, I would rather not even think about them. It’s just one of those things. So, whenever I caught one I would just cut line and let it go. This had me wondering things like what happens when the fish tries to eat? Would the hook rust? Would other fish look at mine and laugh? Or is that hook sticking out of his lip going to set a trend followed by the youth of today?

Well a young boy was wondering the same thing and asked his dad the same questions…..sort of. The father and son were so touched by this thought that they worked and developed a dissolving fish hook. And now we have law mandating this.

Well today I was reading about the Pothole problem that has afflicted Ottawa, most likely due to the January thaw we have had, and I got hit with deja vu. This has tricked our asphalt into thinking spring has sprung early. Let’s hope Wiarton Willy is tricked as easily.

The city is filling as many of the nasty road holes as possible.

“We have 20 crews out day and night,” said John Manconi, the city’s acting director of surface operations. They’re also contracting out the job to keep up with the number of potholes.

Manconi blames the early arrival of potholes on the extreme variation in temperatures.

The reason I bring this up is because I saw a show years ago with a young lady named Gina Gallant, who started a science project to use plastic we put in landfills in our asphalt, instead of burying it all. As it turns out, her roads are outlasting even the best road scientists approach.

Gina’s new paving material is called “PolyAggreRoad,” or “PAR.” After much experimentation, it was determined that an optimal mix consists of 6% plastic, 6% asphalt, and 88% aggregate (crushed rocks).

Engineers expect that PAR will be able to withstand more movement than regular road surfaces without cracking. Pavement should last longer and require less maintenance since there will be less opportunity for destructive freeze-thaw cycles that occur when water gets into cracks.

Gina approached Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley with a plan to use her system to pave local roads. The Mayor was impressed. The project moved forward.

You can read all about Gina here.

Stories like Gina’s give me great hope for our future.

In a weird twist the research that had me talking to officials at one of the biggest construction companies in Eastern Ontario, and three or four people at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, led me to the location of the MTO test road (500M stretches of various aggregate mixes) which is nearby in Petawawa. I think I may be taking a short drive in the near future to take a peek and some photos. (It’s near the military base so I hope I am not arrested or anything snapping shots of the salty highway.)

Stay tuned