Lol, I know what I wrote. You need to complete your thoughts or I can't provide you with any response. I am not going to play the guessing game.
Kathleen Wynne wants all MPPs’ expenses made public
- Thread starter mentalfloss
- Start date
Lol, I know what I wrote. You need to complete your thoughts or I can't provide you with any response. I am not going to play the guessing game.
I'd like to see how much the province has saved by contracting out winter road maintenance. Wynne makes a big deal about those "40 new snowplows". What she doesn't acknowledge is it isn't about plows. It's about the wet crap those plows squeegee across the lane in layers thin enough to freeze fast without sunshine and traffic to melt it. That creates black ice - more suited to curling than it is for driving surfaces. Here's a little experiment even the simplest of politicians can do:
On a cold day, on a cold screen, hit your windshield washer. It doesn't freeze right away. Now, turn on the wipers and watch Jack Frost work his magic. It's the same in plowing operations.
It's easy.... Sand the road. Salt works to about -15°. Calcium chloride to around -18°. That creates slush and the wet stuff plows move across lanes. Grit gives traction. Ice doesn't. Sand is environmentally friendly. Salt and "brine" (calcium chloride) aren't. Sand is relatively cheap. Sand and Calcium Chloride aren't. Sand has to be broomed in spring and clogs up Toronto storm drains. A highway between North Bay and Sudbury, or through Kapuskasing or Thunder Bay or Kenora or hugging a cliff on the Superior shore is a long bloody way from Toronto - where the rules get written
Bare asphalt policies kill. There is nothing more mortalizing than driving with toes clutching gas pedal and butt clamped firmly to seat on a known-to-be slippery road you might fall off of. Black ice looks like bare asphalt - a danger that only gets revealed when a set of "holy shyte" lights flare up on the vehicle ahead - or when you're spinning off the road.
On a cold day, on a cold screen, hit your windshield washer. It doesn't freeze right away. Now, turn on the wipers and watch Jack Frost work his magic. It's the same in plowing operations.
It's easy.... Sand the road. Salt works to about -15°. Calcium chloride to around -18°. That creates slush and the wet stuff plows move across lanes. Grit gives traction. Ice doesn't. Sand is environmentally friendly. Salt and "brine" (calcium chloride) aren't. Sand is relatively cheap. Sand and Calcium Chloride aren't. Sand has to be broomed in spring and clogs up Toronto storm drains. A highway between North Bay and Sudbury, or through Kapuskasing or Thunder Bay or Kenora or hugging a cliff on the Superior shore is a long bloody way from Toronto - where the rules get written
Bare asphalt policies kill. There is nothing more mortalizing than driving with toes clutching gas pedal and butt clamped firmly to seat on a known-to-be slippery road you might fall off of. Black ice looks like bare asphalt - a danger that only gets revealed when a set of "holy shyte" lights flare up on the vehicle ahead - or when you're spinning off the road.
This really doesn't sound like the kind of thing any premier would be personally dealing with. If you talk to your MPP they can probably hook you up or forward your comments onto the relevant bureaucrat.
Plowtrucks? Yeah. IMO, the only thing to use is just plain old sand. And when you get the potholes in the ice, fill em up with water and sand over em when it freezes again (or just ignore em and dodge em). 
I've stated many, many times here that I think all those in public office should have their expenses published. Ideally online and in relatively real time. And most politicians weave and dodge around that notion. So, applying the principle of "if they're telling us this, then what aren't they telling us", I'd say anytime a politician trots that out to pacify the public, it feels very much like a smokescreen.
But I'm all for it. It just isn't going to placate me.
On the topic of the OP I would think everyone should really be agreeable to having every public employee or those working for crown corporations should be required to publicize their expenses and budgets etc. In this day and age they could, and should, be updated weekly. We citizens should not accept anything less than complete financial transparency. It is after all OUR MONEY they are spending.
On a side note....in BC they sugar beet juice on the Coquihalla Hwy. It drops the freezing point of water to -35C.
On a side note....in BC they sugar beet juice on the Coquihalla Hwy. It drops the freezing point of water to -35C.
I worked for the eMpTy hOle.... Do you think I don't know how to get in touch with them?
I thought you knew everything....
Just for your information, the letter (with appropriate corrections and salutations) was sent to Wynne, Murray and Vanthof (my MLA) a couple of months ago in response to a Wahnapitae fatal collision caused by road conditions - within a half kilometre of an MTO patrol yard.
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We should think about this for a minute, its not how much the expense account is, it is
what you did for the money. For example those in Norther Ridings often have higher
expenses as they have a lot of travel costs to reach people and there are a thousand
other variables.
what you did for the money. For example those in Norther Ridings often have higher
expenses as they have a lot of travel costs to reach people and there are a thousand
other variables.
Been there done that but could never in a million years explain it as realistic as that .
Of course there is and people aren't stupid either . If you live in a more remote riding and fly or travel in the most economical fashion it will be completely transparent , if you travel like a king it will also be completely transparent . Make sure your glass of orange juice is not going to cost $32.00 .
Obviously. But it is also easy to see which are justified. It is not so much about who has the lowest expenses but which are ligit.
Any records should make note of where each trip is to/from. You would hope that people should be able to view travel to and from their riding, as well as travel within their riding, as a legitimate business expense.
What you mention is exactly why fixed limits would not make sense though. You have to expect that travel will be very different for the MPP from Trinity-Spadina and the MPP for Kenora-Rainy River.
Wouldn't you know it?...
I was stuck in traffic today (and watched as too many impatient drivers tried their luck in passing) behind a slow-moving plow attempting to scrape sunshine from a bare and mostly dry Highway 17. I can't believe it's MPP expenses that are the biggest waste in Ontario....
I was stuck in traffic today (and watched as too many impatient drivers tried their luck in passing) behind a slow-moving plow attempting to scrape sunshine from a bare and mostly dry Highway 17. I can't believe it's MPP expenses that are the biggest waste in Ontario....
I'd doubt very much if it actually is either. But I do believe it's a top down kind of thing. The more ship shape things are at the top, the more likely that they are to be so down the line also. It's all about attitude when spending other people's money.
Ahh.... The "people in glass houses" approach.... ;-)
By the time Ontario catches on to reality, we'll be too mortgaged to give a damn anyhow
By the time Ontario catches on to reality, we'll be too mortgaged to give a damn anyhow
Prior to the sellout, those FIVE companies were Ontario Hydro - minus nuclear power generating
Today's mail came with a message from Hydro One. I'll spare the details. It starts with:
"First and foremost, I would like to apologize to you if you are experiencing billing and customer service issues. As the leader of Hydro One, I am directly accountable for customer service and I promise you that I will focus our resources on not only fixing these problems but on changing our customer service culture"
It goes on to address a lot of bugs in the billing system in need of correction.
Hopefully, Carmine Marcello isn't heading out the door and his promises come to naught....
You are still not meeting the threshold of a complete thought in this line of posts.
If you want me to respond to you, give me something to respond to.
Riiight you did :roll:
Here's a hint, Raffi: If you're not bright enough to scroll back and read simple English, how are you ever going to follow a paper trail in complex Legalese when you grow up? Most of us KNOW what you are. We've all smelled it before - but thanks for helping keep the thread current.
I don't mind admitting.... I DO have an agenda