Archive for August, 2009
Save The Toronto Bluffs Demand a Voice for Toronto at Queen’s Park – Endorse Sue Ann Levy
Below is a press release issued by Save the Toronto Bluffs after a discussion of next steps this weekend. It is important to note that 90% of members of the Save the Toronto Bluffs steering committee, myself included, do not hold any provincial party membership. This isn’t about being partisan, this is about being represented. Sadly, we’ve seen how badly Liberal MPPs fail to represent communities when it is a choice between party line and community consensus. When elected officials fail to do their jobs and represent their communities, they get replaced.
Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs will actively participate in Sue-Ann Levy’s election as MPP in St. Paul’s in hopes of sending the Ontario Liberals a message, and finding a voice at Queen’s Park that will stand up for the City, where the Ontario Liberal’s Toronto caucus has so badly failed.
I anticipate criticism from Ontario Liberals for this move, but my response is simple – we were participating in a bureaucratic process for months before the Premier and Minister Smitherman decided to come to the public aid of a law breaking, irresponsible developer (Toronto Hydro Energy Services). The Premier and Deputy Premier chose on their own to attack residents, resorting to name calling and distorting our arguments and we’ve stood up and will continue to, until they are defeated or back down. Considering John Gerretsen personally signed off on Toronto Hydro’s illegal application, it’s clear the Ontario Liberals still aren’t listening, so residents will once again turn up the heat and continue to, until Scarborough’s waterfront MPPs find their spines, stand up for residents, or are defeated.
Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs frustrated at the lack of representation Toronto’s timid Ontario Liberal MPPs have provided, are calling on St. Pauls voters to heed their warning and elect someone who will stand up for their community and our City at Queen’s Park.
‘We’ve seen first hand how poorly Liberal MPPs respond to community concerns that don’t line up with the ‘party line’. Toronto doesn’t need an 18th Liberal MPP who won’t stand up for their constituents or our City. Said John Laforet. ‘Sue-Ann Levy has a proven track record of being outspoken, and her election can only help Torontonian’s voices to be heard at Queen’s Park.’ Laforet continued.
On August 11th, members of Save the Toronto Bluffs staged a protest of Premier McGuinty’s visit first visit to Scarborough since he and Minister Smitherman attacked Scarborough Bluffs residents for opposing Toronto Hydro’s Lake Ontario wind proposal. Last week, the government, ignoring all community concerns, accepted Toronto Hydro’s application.
‘Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs have tried for a year to convince the Provincial government a project like this does not belong in our drinking water, so close to a sensitive natural shoreline and especially without an environmental assessment.’ Said Barry Matthews, Vice President of Save the Toronto Bluffs, a group representing thousands of Scarborough residents who oppose Toronto Hydro Energy Services proposal to install a wind farm 2km off the Scarborough Bluffs. ‘Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears, have been met with indifference from local MPPs and have seen members of Cabinet resort to name-calling while passing legislation specifically intended to deny residents a voice.’ Matthews continued.
The Progressive Conservative Party is the only party that stood up for Scarborough Residents during the debate on the Green Energy Act, a law that stripped environmental assessments, community participation and city planning legislation from renewable energy projects.
Save the Toronto Bluffs is endorsing Sue-Ann Levy in hopes of sending a clear message to Dalton McGuinty ‘listen, or be defeated.’
Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs are planning to go canvassing in support of Sue-Ann Levy in hopes that an upset win for her could see all Torontonians with a voice a Queen’s Park.
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No Comments »Volksinitiative To Run 18 Candidates Opposing Irresponsible Wind Projects in Brandenburg State Election
Volksinitiative, a citizen group in the state of Brandenburg has met the necessary requirements to get eighteen candidates on the state ballot for the September 27th election. They are seeking election on a single issue platform – namely, opposing irresponsible wind development.
Like Wind Concerns Ontario, the Volksinitiative seeks a minimum setback of 1.5 KM for wind projects, and has been actively opposing irresponsible development and government attempts to push these projects on communities against the wishes of local municipalities and residents. Volksinitiative is seeking protection of conservation lands, emphasis on construction in ‘conflict free areas’, the decommissioning of current projects that do not meet setback requirements and a protection of local planning by municipalities of renewable energy projects.
As part of their activism, members of the Volksinitiative collected over 27 000 signatures opposing irresponsible wind projects, an impressive number, especially in a state with fewer than three million people. With 18 candidates seeking election in a system that uses mixed member proportional representation, and based on their ability to collect 27 000 signatures, it is reasonable to expect they could well shake up politics in Brandenburg and send a very loud message to the government of their state.
Generally speaking, I would support the election of Volksinitiative members to the Landtag of Brandenburg, because it would allow the voices of citizens who have been shut out of decision making by their leaders to be active in all government affairs, while advocating their primary issue. Based on the electoral system in Germany, single issue parties do have some hope of winning seats without having to tie themselves to a party, something Ontarians unfortunately cannot do.
Europeans are standing up. There are 630 citizens groups in Europe fighting poorly planned projects and irresponsible regulations. They unite under the umbrella of the European Platform Against Windpower www.epaw.org. It is safe to say many members of Wind Concerns Ontario are sympathetic to the cause of EPAW, Volksinitiative and others who are fighting similar fights on that side of the pond.
I personally wish the folks at Volksinitiative the best of luck in the upcoming state election and hope that they are able to take advantage of the openness of their electoral system to get some representation for residents.
For more information on Volksinitiative, visit this Google Translate version of their website.
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1 Comment »Hydro One Green Energy Act Cash Grab In For a Bumpy Ride
On August 17th I wrote an entry called ‘Hydro One Seeks Permission to Raise Distribution Rates 24.3% Over Two Years Cites Green Energy Act as Reason’ and quoted George Smitherman’s BS comment about how the Green Energy Act would only increase the rate of electricity by 1% per year.
On August 18th www.smalldeadanimals.com posted ‘Y2Kyoto: We Don’t Need No Stinking Giant Fans’ to help get this story out.
On August 19th netnewsledger.com wrote an article called ‘McGuinty Green Will Turn Income Statements Red‘ further carrying this story along and helping to keep it alive.
Today, on August 21st, John Yakabuski, the Energy Critic for the Progressive Conservatives issued the following press release ‘Liberals Misleading on Energy Prices‘ essentially calling out the Liberal government for the reasons myself, Kate at smalldeadanimals.com and James at netnewsledger.com have. I was glad to see him it all the points that have been previously made, including that this massive cash grab is also subject to the HST when it is implemented in 2010.
I sincerely hope Yakabuski gets some play on his release in hopes of helping to force the government to back down on this. As President of Wind Concerns Ontario, I can tell you that our organization will be standing up for Ontarians in opposing this massive cash grab on behalf of Hydro One (a 100% provincially owned entity).
Now it is the mainstream media’s turn to weigh in on this. The public can also comment by writing boardsec@oeb.gov.on.ca to voice your opposition. Be sure to cite board file EB-2009-0096 when doing so. Be sure to send them your comments before September 16th 2009. For comment ideas, feel free to view any of the links above or contact me directly.
Below is Yakabuski’s release.
LIBERALS MISLEADING ON ENERGY PRICES 8/21/2009 11:00:00 AM
(Ottawa, ON) – Energy Critic John Yakabuski (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP) said today that Dalton McGuinty and George Smitherman have clearly pulled a fast one on Ontario electricity customers. Yakabuski pointed out that the recent request by Hydro One for shocking rate increases is proof that Energy Minister Smitherman was not being honest when he repeatedly claimed that the “Green Energy Act” would only add 1% per year to your electricity bill.
“This is simply unacceptable. How can Dalton McGuinty and George Smitherman allow this to happen?” said Yakabuski. “Have they no regard for what people are going through these days? And worse yet, the McGuinty Liberals will rub salt into the wound when they add a further 8% to your bill with the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax on July 1, 2010.”
Hydro One’s request would see the delivery charge on the average residential customer’s bill rise by 9.5% in 2010 and 13.3% in 2011. Some customers could see their charges go up by as much as 24.6% next year. Electricity is an essential commodity. While everyone is encouraged to conserve, this rate increase will do the opposite. As these charges are for delivery, bills will rise even when consumers use less. Yakabuski assures that Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservative Caucus will not allow this to go unchallenged.
“The Liberal government was warned that their policies would lead to this, but they denied it or just didn’t seem to care,” said Yakabuski. “This could be devastating to so many Ontarians already struggling to pay their bills. We will fight tooth and nail to protect families, seniors and all electricity ratepayers from these harmful increases. We will hold the Liberals accountable.”
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For More Information:
Mr. John Yakabuski
(613) 639-3005
1 Comment »
