Brantford made the national news last night:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Phil's Pointless Promise
Phil McColeman was very happy to announce funding for an extension to Brantford's famous Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. But then he imposed an impossible construction deadline. Now city councilors are desperately trying to get a funding extension for the project beyond March 2011. If they don't get an extension, Brant is faced with the choice of either paying extra money to get the project finished early, or paying extra money to complete the project after the deadline.
Brantford City Councilor Richard Carpenter said that "the federal government was interested mainly in showy photo-ops and not needed work such as road repair, leading to an overwhelming amount of arena and community centre renovations across the country and thus causing a bottleneck situation with contractors" that ultimately raised the cost of doing these renovations.
In Ottawa, Phil was too busy blabbering on about the gun registry instead of fighting for issues that really affect Brantfordians. However, Liberal Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Critic John McCallum did stand up for Brantford. McCallum said,
Brantford City Councilor Richard Carpenter said that "the federal government was interested mainly in showy photo-ops and not needed work such as road repair, leading to an overwhelming amount of arena and community centre renovations across the country and thus causing a bottleneck situation with contractors" that ultimately raised the cost of doing these renovations.
In Ottawa, Phil was too busy blabbering on about the gun registry instead of fighting for issues that really affect Brantfordians. However, Liberal Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Critic John McCallum did stand up for Brantford. McCallum said,
Next year, the Conservatives will spend billions on corporate tax cuts, while offering no flexibility to cities and communities who had to wait on the government’s delays.… The federal government is stiffing municipal ratepayers with the bill for Conservative delays instead of helping to finish projects. We need to finish the job and extend the deadline.But Brant city councilors doubt that Phil and the Conservatives will listen to their request.
One Mouth, Two Tongues
French Canadians have an expression that goes, "She has one mouth, two tongues." It means that somebody contradicts themself or says two opposite things. It certainly applied to Phil McColeman yesterday. First, he behaved like a sore loser after losing the vote on the gun registry, which has proven to be an invaluable crime-fighting tool. In Parliament he said:Twenty coalition MPs originally supported the simple and straightforward bill to scrap the long gun registry, but under pressure from their Ottawa bosses, they turned their backs on their constituents and voted to keep the registry. One of those flip-floppers…Well you know what, Phil? If I don't register and insure my car I can be charged on summary conviction and have to pay a fine. In other words, I'm a "criminal." That's because a car can be used as a deadly weapon and can cause damage to property, in addition to being an invaluable tool. Kind of like a gun, don't you think?
On this side of the House, we do not believe in treating law-abiding hunters, farmers and sports shooters as criminals and we will continue to work to scrap the $2 billion wasteful registry.
Then, Phil spoke in favour of a nonsensical tough-on-crime bill regarding prisoner transfers, despite the fact that crime has been decreasing for decades in Canada:
…we have taken action on the economy and on many other fronts including cracking down on crime. In particular, we have introduced several measures to crack down on violent gun crimes.So instead of preventing violent gun crime by making people register their guns, Phil would rather punish people after they've committed the crime. In terms of considering the victim, I think that your average victim would rather not be a victim in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
…
The bottom line, as I mentioned, is that Canadians want a justice system that works.
…
[This bill], therefore, reflects this government's commitment we have made to Canadians to stand up for victims and to ensure our streets, our homes, and our playgrounds are safer places.
…
This act would ensure the protection of our society is given paramount consideration
Just ask MP Scott Simms what it's like to have someone in your family killed by a gun. He is one of the "flip-floppers" who voted in favour of the gun registry. If we can prevent even a single death, he said, the registry is worth it. He didn't mention punishment after the fact.
(Mr. Simms also doesn't go around posting tasteless photos of himself with assault rifles.)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Phil with an Automatic Weapon
True to form, Phil has posted a photo of himself with an automatic weapon on his website.
(See this post, this post, this post, and this post for more on Phil's unwavering hatred of the firearms registry).
(See this post, this post, this post, and this post for more on Phil's unwavering hatred of the firearms registry).
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Philnocchio lied about the gun registry!
Everything Phil has ever said about the gun registry is false.
CBC broke the story...
Long-gun registry efficient: RCMP report
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | 10:02 PM ET
CBC News
An RCMP evaluation report of Canada's long-gun registry concludes that the program is cost effective, efficient and an important tool for law enforcement, CBC News has learned.
The findings of the report, conducted with the help of outside auditors and completed six months ago, have been in the hands of the government since February, but have not yet been released.
Rifles line an Ottawa hunting store's shelves in this 2006 photo. An RCMP evaluation report of Canada's long gun registry concludes that the program is cost effective and efficient. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
One section of the report states: "The program, as a whole, is an important tool for law enforcement. It also serves to increase accountability of firearm owners for their firearms."
The report found that the cost of the program is in the range of $1.1 million to $3.6 million per year and that the Canadian Firearms Program is operating efficiently.
“Overall the program is cost effective in reducing firearms related crime and promoting public safety through universal licensing of firearm owners and registration of firearms," the report states.
The full report contains over 40 pages of analysis of the effectiveness of the firearms registry, in both urban and rural areas. The RCMP would only confirm that the report is still being translated and could not give a firm date for its release.
The Conservatives have denounced the long-gun registry, which was introduced by the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien in 2002, as wasteful and ineffective.
A private member's bill being considered this fall that would scrap the registry.
Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner's bill, which passed second reading in the House last spring, is slated to face a vote in the House of Commons in September.
Earlier this week, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, said Canadians must see the report before Parliament votes on the issue.
“If that information is in fact made available to Canadians and to Parliamentarians then perhaps our parliamentarians will be in a far better position to make an informed decision about Bill C-391 and they will have a much better understanding of the value of the gun registry to law enforcement and public safety," Blair said.
His comments came as members of the police chiefs' association at their annual meeting endorsed a national firearms strategy that includes a recommendation for a public relations campaign to explain the value of the long-gun registry.
Police chiefs and police organizations across Canada have voiced support for the registry, saying it is a valuable tool in assisting officers in doing their job.
But some police officers have expressed support for eliminating the registry, saying it doesn't give frontline officers any comfort when they are entering a home or pulling over a driver.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Phil's Gun Crazy
The following is a great recent article in the Expositor:
Keep the long gun registry, Mr. McColeman
By Pat Kawamoto, The Brantford Expositor, August 7, 2010
Contrary to Brant MP Phil McColeman’s recent article on ending the long gun registry, not all Canadians are fed up with paying for it.
While the initial cost to implement the registry was high, police associations confirm that it is now controlled by the RCMP and costs this country a reasonable $4.1 million per year to run.
Also, while McColeman’s article iimplies that police chiefs and officers do not support the long gun registry, it should be noted that all of the major Canadian organizations representing police support the registry -including The Canadian Police Association, representing 41,000 police officers in Canada and The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs.
Additionally, Ontario’s Attorney General, public health organizations, labour organizations, social organizations, women’s safety experts and many others support the long-gun registry.
In fact, the parliamentary standing committee on public safety and national security, which McColeman acknowledges he is a part of, recommended to the House of Commons in its latest report that the government should keep the long-gun registry as it is a tool “…that promotes and enhances public security and the safety of Canadian police officers.”
Here’s what the experts are saying (visit www.guncontrol.cafor more information) and what McColeman’s article didn’t tell you:
– As of 2009, 111,533 firearms were seized by police for public safety reasons. Of those 87,893 or 78.8% were long guns;
– Of the 16 police officer shooting deaths in Canada since 1998, 14 were the result of long guns.
– Police across Canada access the long gun registry about 11,000 times a day, or more than four million times a year. Of those inquiries, more than 2,800 a day, or one million a year, directly involve community safety issues.
– Between 1974 and 2008, 40,000 long guns were stolen from Canadian residences and 1.85 million long guns changed hands in Canada since 2006. Registering long guns holds owners accountable for the safe storage of their firearms, for reporting lost or stolen guns and reduces the chances that legally owned guns will be diverted to unlicensed owners.
– On average, one in three women killed by their husbands is shot -88% of them with legally owned rifles and shotguns.
– When firearms are available, domestic homicides are more likely to involve multiple victims and end in suicide.
– Northern Ontario communities have higher rates of long gun ownership and gun-related injuries than the provincial average.
– Contrary to popular belief, it is relatively easy to register a long gun and it is free.
McColeman states in his article that the Conservatives support the registration of prohibited and restricted weapons but not the registration of long guns.
His argument for this is that the long gun registry is ineffective as criminals do not register their guns. If criminals do not register their long guns, why would they register their prohibited and restricted weapons?
Where is the logic in supporting one registry over another?
In closing, keep the long gun registry, Mr. McColeman — don’t waste the significant tax dollars already spent and please help protect our families and communities.
Pat Kawamoto was born and raised in Brantford and is a career banker currently working as an independent financial planner. She is a strong believer in giving back to both the local communities in which we live and the broader global communities with which we share our humanity.
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2702500
Keep the long gun registry, Mr. McColeman
By Pat Kawamoto, The Brantford Expositor, August 7, 2010
Contrary to Brant MP Phil McColeman’s recent article on ending the long gun registry, not all Canadians are fed up with paying for it.
While the initial cost to implement the registry was high, police associations confirm that it is now controlled by the RCMP and costs this country a reasonable $4.1 million per year to run.
Also, while McColeman’s article iimplies that police chiefs and officers do not support the long gun registry, it should be noted that all of the major Canadian organizations representing police support the registry -including The Canadian Police Association, representing 41,000 police officers in Canada and The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs.
Additionally, Ontario’s Attorney General, public health organizations, labour organizations, social organizations, women’s safety experts and many others support the long-gun registry.
In fact, the parliamentary standing committee on public safety and national security, which McColeman acknowledges he is a part of, recommended to the House of Commons in its latest report that the government should keep the long-gun registry as it is a tool “…that promotes and enhances public security and the safety of Canadian police officers.”
Here’s what the experts are saying (visit www.guncontrol.cafor more information) and what McColeman’s article didn’t tell you:
– As of 2009, 111,533 firearms were seized by police for public safety reasons. Of those 87,893 or 78.8% were long guns;
– Of the 16 police officer shooting deaths in Canada since 1998, 14 were the result of long guns.
– Police across Canada access the long gun registry about 11,000 times a day, or more than four million times a year. Of those inquiries, more than 2,800 a day, or one million a year, directly involve community safety issues.
– Between 1974 and 2008, 40,000 long guns were stolen from Canadian residences and 1.85 million long guns changed hands in Canada since 2006. Registering long guns holds owners accountable for the safe storage of their firearms, for reporting lost or stolen guns and reduces the chances that legally owned guns will be diverted to unlicensed owners.
– On average, one in three women killed by their husbands is shot -88% of them with legally owned rifles and shotguns.
– When firearms are available, domestic homicides are more likely to involve multiple victims and end in suicide.
– Northern Ontario communities have higher rates of long gun ownership and gun-related injuries than the provincial average.
– Contrary to popular belief, it is relatively easy to register a long gun and it is free.
McColeman states in his article that the Conservatives support the registration of prohibited and restricted weapons but not the registration of long guns.
His argument for this is that the long gun registry is ineffective as criminals do not register their guns. If criminals do not register their long guns, why would they register their prohibited and restricted weapons?
Where is the logic in supporting one registry over another?
In closing, keep the long gun registry, Mr. McColeman — don’t waste the significant tax dollars already spent and please help protect our families and communities.
Pat Kawamoto was born and raised in Brantford and is a career banker currently working as an independent financial planner. She is a strong believer in giving back to both the local communities in which we live and the broader global communities with which we share our humanity.
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2702500
Monday, July 5, 2010
Phil the Barbarian gets clubbed by Heritage Canada Official!
Recently, Phil the Barbarian complained that Heritage Canada officials did not let him and his demoliton crew storm the gates of Brantford and commence the destruction of heritage buildings on Colborne Street.
Fortunately, the folks at the Heritage Canada Foundation are used to dealing with barbarians who hate arts and culture a.k.a. the Conservative Party of Canada. Natalie Bull the Executive Director of the the Heritage Canada Foundation in a clear and concise way suggests that Phil and elected officials should be gratified that a federal law designed to protect our natural and cultural heritage might just be doing the job it was created to do.
Given that Phil has a history of using the Canadian flag as his personal advertising space; it should come as no surprise that he is wrong on this issue as well.
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