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Friday, December 10, 2010

Fwd: [FAIR Newsletter] OAG report on Integrity Commissioner – a devastating indictment

What is your position on this ?

OAG report on Integrity Commissioner – a devastating indictment

The Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, released yesterday the results of her investigation into the the conduct of the government whistleblower watchdog, Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet – an investigation that was prompted by complaints from three of Ouimet's former employees. These findings amount to a devastating indictment of the Commissioner's conduct.

Fraser concluded that the three areas of complaint were founded:

that the Commissioner failed to perfom her mandated functions, showing great reluctance to accept or investigate cases, failing to establish proper procedures for handling cases, and refusing to investigate for reasons that were not supported by the available evidence
that she engaged in inappropriate conduct towards her staff – that she "yelled, swore, berated, marginalized and intimidated" certain of her employees
that she engaged in reprisals against employees, in one case devoting significant resources to a bogus security investigation against a former employee whom she suspected of complaining about her.

Fraser also reported separately to Treasury Board about allegations related to performance pay decisions, and referred to the Privacy Commissioner violations of the Privacy Act by Ouimet that she uncovered.

FAIR's analysis

The importance of Auditor General Sheila Fraser's thorough investigation cannot be overstated. Over the past three years FAIR has repeatedly criticized the inadequacy of the law and the lack of results from Christiane Ouimet's office. We are pleased to see our concerns validated and to understand better why this office accomplished nothing.

It is ironic that this commissioner was a role-model for the types of behaviour that she was employed to help drive out of the public service: misconduct in the performance of her mandate; and reprisals against honest employees who objected to this.

OAG's findings lay bare at least three major failures:

A failure of the whistleblower legislation. It is noteworthy that OAG soon found that it could not even conduct its limited investigation effectively under the whistleblower act and decided to proceed under the Auditor General Act instead.
A failure of the appointments process. This commissioner did not suddenly turn into this type of person when appointed to this office – she had a track record which should have been examined. This is the kind of bad decision that so often results from secretive back-room deals.
A failure of oversight. This appalling situation continued for more than three years before being brought to light. The first complaint to OAG was more than two years ago – yet when Ouimet appeared before parliamentary committees she essentially got a free pass. Committee members asked her few tough questions because they had no idea what was going on.

Described by some as a 'reign of terror', Ouimet's actions over the past three years have had very serious negative consequences.

The worst is that instead of deterring wrongdoers she has emboldened them, since they could quickly see that her office presented no threat to them.

And instead of protecting honest public servants from reprisals, she has terrorized her own employees and abandoned to their fate those who came to her office for help: they soon learned that the safe harbour promised to them was an illusion. There is a human tragedy behind so many of the 228 complaints that she ignored, as we know only too well from the many calls we have received from desperate whistleblowers.

Sheila Fraser's description of the lax and arbitrary manner in which cases were disposed of, and the bizarre reasons given for refusals, suggest a contempt for due process and a complete disregard for the plight of many of these truth-tellers who had been brave enough to come forward.

Some of the details revealed by the report are quite surreal. For example, Ouimet launched an investigation of an employee who had left 6 months before because she suspected (incorrectly) that he had complained about her. In the process she compiled four binders of information on him containing more than 375 pages, circulated at least 50 emails about him, and engaged at least six of her 20 staff in this task. She also attempted to get access to the personnel files of this person (and three others) from previous employers and shared confidential personal information about him with others within and outside the public service.

For those who, like us, wondered what the Commissioner was doing with her time – since her office seemed to be doing nothing – here perhaps is part of the answer.

Further revelations to come

There is a lot more information still to come out about what was going on within this office – and across the federal government.

At least two Parliamentary committees have an obligation to examine and learn from this catastrophe – Government Operations for the operational aspects, and Public Accounts for the legislative aspects. The Public Accounts committee has apparently decided already to call Mme Ouimet to appear before it on Tuesday.

We will hear in due course from the Privacy Commissioner the results of her investigation into Ouimet's actions, and the Treasury Board will be under great pressure to release the results of its investigations into allegations of improper performance pay decisions by Ouimet.

There are also the dozens of public servants who went to this office for help – submitting a total of 170 complaints of wrongdoing and 58 complaints of reprisal. When their cases are re-examined properly there will surely be many more investigations, followed by more exposures of wrongdoing within government departments.

In addition many people who have been silent while waiting for Fraser's findings can now speak out publicly, knowing that their concerns have been vindicated. These include former PSIC employees such as Normand Desjardins (who submitted the first complaint) and Pierre Martel, the acting Commissioner who left within weeks of Ouimet's arrival.

It is noteworthy that, although FAIR has received a steady stream of calls from whistleblowers over the past three years, we never heard from any PSIC staff – until this audit was announced. Now we are in contact with several former employees – some still very fearful and insisting upon complete anonymity – who say that there is yet more more to this story that needs to be told.

Actions required

As recently as October 25, after the OAG audit was announced, President of the Treasury Board Stockwell Day assured the public of his confidence that PSIC "continues to be a safe and independent agency for public servants to bring concerns about wrongdoing in the workplace without fear of reprisals". How was he so badly briefed?

Hopefully Fraser's report will erase the government's past denials that there is a problem, and it will then become possible to have sensible discussions on the Hill about how to fix this mess.

So one of the first things that needs to happen is a frank admission by the government of the magnitude of the problem. Its much-touted "ironclad" protection for whistleblowers, the core of its Accountability Act, is a complete shambles – a bad law compounded by a bad choice of commissioner.

The Liberals also need to avoid turning this situation into a purely partisan debate, since their track record is no better: after promising during their successful 1993 election campaign to clean up government and protect whistleblowers, they reneged and even blocked several private members bills. Only when forced into a corner by the Gomery Inquiry did they introduce legislation – a pitifully inadequate bill that never came into force.

Minister Day's statement today – that he 'assumes' the acting Commissioner will now review all the old files – raises serious concerns.

The current acting Commissioner Joe Friday was Ouimet's long-standing senior legal counsel. In this role he was responsible for reviewing all cases and providing guidance to the Commissioner regarding the legal basis for her decisions. Is it reasonable to expect him to review his own work?

The government must also realize that this review will be a massive task, since it involves essentially re-doing three years of work – the work that this office of more than 20 people was supposed to be doing. This will require an entire team of people, who must not only be competent, but must also be independent of those who did the original work.

Going forward, we see at three major processes that need to be initiated:

The search for a new Commissioner – this time using a public, merit-based appointment process, not the type of secretive back-room process that led to Mme Ouimet's selection and the glowing endorsement of her as the ideal candidate.
A root-and-branch reform of the current deeply-flawed legislation, which was condemned by FAIR and many others even before it came into force. This law creates so many barriers and pitfalls for whistleblowers that most will fare just as badly under a new Commissioner, whose hands will be tied until the law is rewritten.
A complete, thorough and independent re-examination of all the past cases, and thorough investigations of wrongdoing and reprisals where warranted.

There also need to be consequences for those who perpetrated this massive obstruction of justice – and not just the Commissioner. Other senior PSIC staff who willingly collaborated in depriving whistleblowers of due process – and effectively assisted in the cover-up of suspected departmental wrongdoing – need to be disciplined.

This office was created to punish and thus deter wrongdoers, as well as to protect whistleblowers and make them whole after reprisals. These same goals must be pursued in the efforts to clean up the current fiasco. We cannot allow yet another scandal in which the wrongdoers retire in comfort while the truth-tellers have to lick their wounds and adjust to straightened circumstances.

The USA began protecting whistleblowers more than 30 years ago. The UK has had effective protection for truth-tellers for more than a decade. Even former Communist-bloc countries like Bulgaria have made important strides. Meanwhile Canada has been pretending – but doing nothing serious – for 17 years.

This government, with assistance from Mme Ouimet, has brought about a spectacular meltdown of whistleblower protection. On the issue of protecting honest employees, which is central to the entire process of transparency and accountability, we are now the laughing stock of the developed world.

Canadians deserve better.

FAIR looks forward to assisting all sincere efforts to fully understand what went wrong and to develop a way forward. We will work with the government, opposition leaders and any other interested parties to help recover from this body blow to the integrity of our democracy.

We hope that this time around the government will pay attention to the expert advice available from ourselves and others to create a system that's not just for show, but one that will work to protect the public interest.

David Hutton
Executive Director

Read the full text of the Auditor General's report (pdf)

About FAIR

Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform (FAIR) promotes integrity and accountability within government by empowering employees to speak out without fear of reprisal when they encounter wrongdoing. Our aim is to support legislation and management practices that will provide effective protection for whistleblowers and hence occupational free speech in the workplace. FAIR is a registered Canadian charity.

FAIR is a volunteer-run charity with slender resources. If you feel that our work is worth supporting, please consider making a donation.

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Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Fwd: [ProActive Rants] A tax saving strategy that helps charities

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: BrantKnight <siegholle@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 7, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Subject: [ProActive Rants] A tax saving strategy that helps charities
To: holcrest@worldchat.com

Worth a look http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/tax-matters/a-donation-strategy-to-help-shelter-income/article1821238/

In the 2000s, tax shelters evolved and donation tax shelters became the rage. Many were buy-low-donate-high schemes where you'd purchase something for one price then donate it to charity and receive a donation receipt for a much higher value. The Canada Revenue Agency isn't exactly thrilled about these.

Interestingly, not all donation tax shelters should be painted with the same brush. Some are different. Some legitimately help charities.

Recent tax saving structure There's a donation tax strategy, designed by EquiGenesis Corp. and their legal team, that is worthy of some mention. Over the past seven years since it was first introduced, it has distributed $14.7-million to charities in Canada, with significantly more expected over the next decade.

Now, before I go on, I want to emphasize that this strategy does come with tax risk. There's the likelihood that the CRA will audit the 2010 version of this strategy, and the risk that taxpayers could be reassessed.

Having said this, I like the fact that the total cash to be distributed to charities over the life of this tax structure will be greater than the donation receipts issued to the taxpayers who participate. This gives the strategy more legitimacy than many. It also helps that this strategy is fully on the taxman's radar already. It was audited by the CRA for 2005 and 2006, and was given a clean bill of health subsequent to those audits.

How it works

There are basically two phases to this tax structure. The first is that the taxpayer will make an investment in a limited partnership. The second involves a donation to charity. It's a 10-year program so that, at the end of 10 years, your investment is wound-up and you are expected to receive a cash distribution (although not guaranteed).

Specifically, the investor will borrow money to invest in a limited partnership. This will provide the investor with annual deductions on his tax return for interest costs on the debt and financing charges.

Once the investor acquires the limited partnership units, he uses those units as collateral on a second loan, and he donates those loan proceeds to charity. There is no deduction available for the interest on this second loan, but the individual investor will receive a sizable donation receipt. So the tax savings in the first year can be significant.

Part of the funds that are invested in the limited partnership are set aside and invested in a portfolio that is designed to grow over the 10-year program. At the end of 10 years, the funds in the portfolio are expected to be sufficient to pay off the loans. This is part of the risk of the structure. If that portfolio does not grow sufficiently, the investor may have to make up the difference to pay off the loans. The fact that there is some risk to the structure makes it more palatable to the taxman.

At the end of the day, the net cash in the investor's pocket from the tax savings and cash distributed in year 10 is expected to be higher than the cash outlay, with most of the tax savings coming up front in the first year.

If you can help charities and save more tax at the same time, it's worth a look. But before jumping into any tax-structured program, be sure to have a tax specialist review the program on your behalf.

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Posted By BrantKnight to ProActive Rants at 12/07/2010 11:41:00 PM

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Knowledge is power -smile

Expressions Explained, Part I did you know where it came from ......smile

When political correctness was not an option

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

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As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

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In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man." Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."

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Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt...therefore, the expression losing face."

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Monday, December 06, 2010

True leaders lead ,have a moral compass and therefor make a difference

True leaders are not afraid to swim against the tide. Their goal is not prestige, power, or popularity … or to be served tea. They stand for justice and righteousness. And whether it is in Canada, the United States or the United Nations, in local churches or on school boards, on judiciary benches or in the local council, what the world desperately needs today are statesmen and stateswomen (not merely politicians)—leaders who lead; judges who love justice; and Christian leaders who love, practice, and make a stand for righteousness.

Sad to say far too many politicians and so-called leaders have no moral compass. They raise their finger to the wind to see which way it is blowing and follow the in-crowd in order, not to promote justice or righteousness, but to gain votes, votes, and more votes. This makes them followers—not leaders. They allow themselves to be controlled by vocal minorities without regard to moral guidelines and, in so doing, often disregard the will of the people.

So for all citizens who have the privilege of voting and choosing their leaders we are to choose men and women who stand for justice and have a strong moral compass to clearly show the way they are to lead their people.

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Sunday, December 05, 2010

A made in canada smile

The largest condom factory in the States burns down. President Obama is awoken at 4 am by the telephone.

"Sorry to bother you at this hour, Sir, but there is an emergency! I've just received word that the Durex factory in Washington has burned to the ground. It is estimated that the entire USA supply of condoms will be gone by the end of the week."

Obama: "Oh damn! The economy will never be able to cope with all those unwanted babies. We'll be ruined. We'll have to ship some in from Mexico ."

Telephone voice says, "Bad idea... The Mexicans will have a field day with this one. We'll be a laughing stock. What about Canada ?"
Obama: "Okay, I'll call Stephen Harper and tell him we need five million condoms, ten inches long and three inches thick. That way, they'll continue to respect us as Americans."

Three days later, a delighted President Obama runs out to open the first of the 10,000 boxes that had just arrived.

He finds five million condoms, 10 inches long and 3 inches thick, just as requested.... all coloured with red maple leaves with small writing on each one:

'MADE IN CANADA - SIZE MEDIUM'

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Be happy this Christmas- brothers all

Dont worry be happy takes on new meaning at Christmas

The happy person also has healthy relationships with other people. The person who lives only for himself is immature and usually miserable. Even the ancient Greeks had a word for the self-centered person. It was idios from which we get our word, "idiot." It means belonging to one's self.

To love and be loved is without question one of mankind's greatest needs for happiness. Without love all else in life is meaningless. Once again, however, love comes from within. If we give love we will receive love. That is a law of life. Unfortunately, many people, especially in childhood, were hurt because of a lack of love and as adults are afraid to love for fear of being hurt again. With effective counseling and the will to overcome, this fear can usually be conquered.

A well-integrated self is also needed for happiness. If the self is whole and mature, happiness will follow.

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Pension Alert - and your wake up solutions are- a challenge ?

Canada wake up. Tragedy for People on Pensions - a point of view

Wow.....We got $3.11 extra on the Nov OAP. That will buy a loaf of bread. Even if you only eat 1 slice a day, it wont last a whole month!!

Remember this when you cast your ballot both federally and provincially Â– both should be coming up soon - (just how soon ??)

As a raise last year, seniors got 2/5th of 1% on their Canada Pension and 0% on the Old Age Security. This won't even scratch the raise in taxes that McGuinty levied, what Premier Campbell's doing in B.C with the 12% HST and other user fees. We're "broke" & can't help our own seniors, Homeless, Veterans, Orphans, etc.????? This is so pathetically true... In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, and Turkey. Now Pakistan, the same people that will turn around and build the I.E.D.'s that kills our troops. Also another boat load of refugees has arrived from Sri Lanka that will get aid that should go to the CANADIAN people that have worked all their lives to make this the country it is today Our retired seniors living on fixed income receive no aid while our government and religious organizations pour hundreds of millions of dollars and tons of food to foreign countries. We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans. Why are so many CANADIAN citizens, and the CANADIAN government, so star struck they won't provide for our own?

CANADA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents, clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies. Imagine if we gave ourselves the same support that we gave all of these other countries. I feel bad for them, but I also care about CANADA and our seniors who developed this great country, only to be forgotten.

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Political correctness,agendaism gone wild on smoking

Opinion : Smokers' kids in crime link

Smokers are already treated like criminals -- and now, researchers are taking it a step further: They say the kids of smokers really ARE criminals!

A new study makes the ludicrous claim that children born to women who smoke heavily during pregnancy are 30 percent more likely to be arrested multiple times.

That's right -- if you had the nerve to enjoy a smoke during pregnancy, your kid is going to jail.

Why wait for the crime? Arrest any kid born in a tobacco cloud, right now!

Researchers looked at data on 3,766 adults whose mothers took part in a study between 1959 and 1966, when many of them happily puffed away during pregnancy without the dirty stares and nasty judgments.

Until now, anyway -- because researchers were happy to pass judgment in the pages of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, where they said kids born to women with a pack-a-day habit were nearly a third more likely to have multiple arrests on their record.

But this study is the research equivalent of a baby only its mother could love. There are so many flaws with it that I don't even know where to begin, but let me start with the most obvious one: The children in this study were born in an age when nearly everyone smoked, including 62 percent of their mothers.

In other words, barely a third of the women were non-smokers, which attaches disproportionate significance to each child they produce who is or isn't arrested.

What's more, the researchers didn't look at convictions -- just arrests.

For all we know, kids born to non-smokers could have fewer arrests, but more convictions -- or maybe they're like Wall Street brokers: They're simply better at not getting caught in the first place.

In any case, we've reached a point where smokers don't need to do anything to be considered a criminal -- because just lighting up in the first place, even in your own home, is turning into a crime.

Maybe you and your kid will do time together.

Catch me if you can,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Q-jumpers-The Health Myth Busters: How did we do and how can we improve it your ideas are welcome

Re: CanadaHelps Bulletin December 2010 FYI

We use CanadaHelps for our fundraising activity - See the Canadahelps button on our web site. Useful information for all who want to be involved in this activity

CanadaHelps Bulletin December 2010 - In this issue:

5 Quick Holiday Fundraising Tips!
Free Training Seminars for Charities - 2011 Webinar Schedule Announced!
CanadaHelps now accepts PayPal!
10 Years of Innovating for Good
CanadaHelps is on Facebook

5 Quick Holiday Fundraising Tips!

'Tis the season to be giving! The Giving Season is upon us and that means campaigns are in full swing, donating is on people's minds, and your fundraising and marketing department is extremely busy! Here are some quick holiday fundraising reminders to help you keep organized and motivated:

Update your website. Maximize your homepage real estate for your holiday appeal. Remove any out-dated information and keep your content, imagery and messaging current. Test and fix sources of frustration.

Gather contact information. Collect contact information everywhere. Giving season is a great time to build your email list and donor database.

Use a personal voice. Adopt a writing style that caters to your target audience, and write to convey emotion. Focus on shared experiences, values and goals.

Integrate your communication efforts. If you're doing a direct mail appeal, a Facebook appeal, and an email appeal, consider how they are connected. Make sure all your efforts are integrated, consistent and coherent.

Create clear messaging and let your supporters spread the word. Be direct when asking your audience for help, tell them what you want them to do, and give them all the tools they need to do it easily.

Free Training Seminars for Charities - 2011 Webinar Schedule Announced!

Want to learn more about online fundraising, social media and technology? CanadaHelps can help!

Join us for free online training seminars (webinars) about current topics you need to know about to stay ahead of the online fundraising curve. All you need is an internet connection and a set of speakers or headphones to join in. Click on the topics to find out more and register today!

January 18 - Special Webinar: CanadaHelps & McMaster Survey Results - Part 1 of 2

January 25 - Special Webinar: CanadaHelps & McMaster Survey Results - Part 2 of 2

January 26 - What is CanadaHelps and Why Should My Charity Sign Up?

January 27 - Qu'est-ce que CanaDon et Pourquoi Inscrire Mon Organisme?

February 9 - CanadaHelps Orientation for Registered Charities

February 10 - Orientation pour ton organisme inscrit sur CanaDon

February 23 - Top 10 Online Fundraising Mistakes

March 9 - Facebook Basics for Your Organization

March 23 - The Art of Storytelling: 2.0 Edition

April 13 - Blogging Basics

April 20 - What is CanadaHelps and Why Should My Charity Sign Up?

April 27 - Social Media Done Right: 5 Case Studies

May 11 - Spruce up your E-Newsletter

May 25 - Ten Tips to Improve Your Website

June 15 - Getting the Most From Your MyCharity Account & Reports

June 29 - Know Your Website: An Intro to Google Analytics

July 20 - YouTube's NonProfit Program & The Fundamentals of Video Storytelling

August 17 - Orientation for Newly Registered Charities with CanadaHelps

The 2011 MyCharityConnects Webinar Series is generously supported by Direct Energy.

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Is there some aspect of online fundraising or social media that you would like to learn about? Let us know at amyh@canadahelps.org.

Other news

CanadaHelps now accepts PayPal!

CanadaHelps is pleased to announce that your donors can now use PayPal to make donations through CanadaHelps. PayPal is the world's most loved way to pay and get paid online, letting users transact more safely with their PayPal balance, credit cards or bank balances. PayPal has more than 4 million active account holders in Canada.

No matter which way you want to pay, CanadaHelps is Giving Made Simple!

10 Years of Innovating for Good

This month we are celebrating 10 wonderful years of giving made simple and innovating for good. On November 9, 2000, CanadaHelps.org went live, providing charities with a cost-effective way to raise funds online and donors with a one-stop-shop for giving.

In the last 10 years, we have seen over $170 million go toward important causes like yours. We started with a strong mission that continues today: to provide accessible and affordable online technology to charities and to find new ways to encourage Canadians to give.

CanadaHelps has accomplished a great deal in the last ten years, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank YOU for the great work you do, for using CanadaHelps, and for making a difference in the world.

CanadaHelps is on Facebook!

"Like" our Facebook page today at www.facebook.com/canadahelps to see what's new with CanadaHelps, keep updated on philanthropic news, network with others, and to show your friends and family that you use CanadaHelps!

You can also follow CanadaHelps on Twitter (www.twitter.com/canadahelps), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/1304872), YouTube (www.youtube.com/canadahelps) and Flickr (www.flickr.com/canadahelps)!

Our office number remains the same at 416-628-6948. For customer support, call us toll-free at 1-877-755-1595 or email at info@canadahelps.org.

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Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations

Thursday, November 25, 2010

What is rich -an interesting perspective and food for thought

Go Ahead, Tax the Rich, Just as Long as It's Not Me
Cliff Ennico
A lot of people are confused right now about Congress' plans to raise taxes (more precisely, eliminate the Bush-era tax cuts) for people with incomes of $250,000 per year or more.

"How can anyone argue against a tax increase for rich people?" I've heard people ask. "After all, they can afford it more than middle-class people can. And raising these taxes will generate $700 billion in revenue for the government over the next 10 years without anyone suffering too badly."

There's nothing wrong with that logic. Since 1913, the federal government has been committed to a program of "progressive" taxation -- basically, the more you make, the more taxes you pay. Aside from affordability, many people believe that wealthier people have a social obligation to subsidize government benefits for those who are less well off (and besides, there are so few rich people that their votes at election time don't count for much).

The problem comes about in defining precisely who is "rich" and who isn't. There's an old saying: "A rich person is anyone who makes more than I do." In other words, it's OK to increase taxes on the rich as long as I myself am not included in the definition of "rich."

I have always had a problem with a progressive tax system that is based solely on people's income. The reason is that I have always lived in the New York City metropolitan area, where the cost of living is extremely high. A lot of people I know make more than $250,000 a year, and they are outraged by the notion that they are so rich that they can afford a significant tax hike.

To understand the shortcomings of a progressive tax system based solely on income, take the following two situations:

-- Person A lives in rural Kansas, in a sprawling family farmhouse with no mortgage. Person A has an annual pretax income of $150,000, has no dependents and has average annual expenses of $30,000.

-- Person B lives in midtown Manhattan, in a cramped two-bedroom condo with two mortgages and two children in private schools (not because Person B is a snob, but because his kids stand a better chance of surviving to adulthood than if they were in New York City's public schools). Person B has an annual pretax income of $300,000 and has average annual expenses of $270,000.

Who would you say is the "richer" of the two? Most of us would say Person A, and we would be right from an economic point of view. Person A makes half as much as Person B, but has four times the discretionary income of Person B ($120,000 versus $30,000) because of Person A's low expenses.

However, under our current tax system, Person B is considered to be "richer" than Person A, and is taxed at a higher rate. If the Bush-era tax cuts for high-income people are not extended, Person B will see a significant increase in his taxes. The tax increase for Person B may be enough to wipe out his meager discretionary income and may threaten his personal liquidity. Meanwhile, Person A, who could more easily afford a tax increase because of his high annual discretionary income, continues to enjoy a "windfall" from his continued low tax rate.

The big assumption here, of course, is that all of Person B's expenses are necessary and unavoidable, and not the result of irresponsible luxury spending. In my example, I think they would be -- New York City has the highest cost of living, real estate costs, and state and local taxes of just about anyplace in America. And anyone who knows anything about New York City's public schools would send their kids to private schools in a heartbeat if they lived there. Frankly, there isn't much room for Person B to cut back on his living expenses.

There isn't any effective way for the government to base taxes on "discretionary income" -- this varies widely from individual to individual, and somebody's "necessary" expense is somebody else's "luxury." ("After all," I can hear some readers thinking, "nobody's forcing Person B to live in Manhattan" -- except perhaps his employer).

But if the government's goal is to allocate tax burdens to those best able to bear them, I think a better approach would be to base our tax system upon people's assets -- what they're worth after taking expenses into account -- rather than just their income. With a tax on individual net worth (or perhaps a progressive income tax that is adjusted or "weighted" to reflect a person's overall assets), Person A would pay higher taxes than Person B, resulting in a much more fair and equitable outcome.

If as a business owner you make a significant income but are working 24/7 in your business and are up to your ears in legitimate business debts, you are not "rich," yet the government thinks you are. It's time for that mentality to change.

Cliff Ennico (crennico@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt."

--

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Extreme reporting is part of the problem

Food for thought -from Innes

Absolute Power Part II

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."1

It's not only the influence of some prison guards whose power has corrupted them, but one cannot help but wonder about the power of the news media that daily influences the minds of multiplied millions of people—seeking to shape the minds of listeners according to their particular slant and agenda.

Here in the U.S., for example, while mostly ignoring all the good that has been done in places like Iraq and other places around the world, the TV news media thrive on reporting the number of deaths of our military personnel in Iraq and/or in Afghanistan. I'm not in any way implying that such deaths are not tragic. They certainly are. What I am talking about is truth and responsibility in reporting. These same news channels rarely mention the daily slaughter on our highways—43,220 deaths in one recent year—that was an average of 118 deaths every day!2

Furthermore, of these 43,200 deaths 17,401 were alcohol related! (By way of interest, not so long ago, while waiting to turn left at a stop light, I was slammed into by a car that was slammed into by a heavy pickup truck driven by a youth who caused a six-car pileup. I wonder if he had been drinking! I'm just fortunate that my injuries weren't much worse. The accident caused $8000 damage to my vehicle.)

Nor does the news media mention the hundreds of babies who are being murdered every day throughout our nation, nor the merciless butchery of partial-birth abortion, nor the accelerating moral decline of our nation. Why aren't these tragedies newsworthy? Is it because it wouldn't be politically correct to report on these issues? Or is it because their TV station would lose listeners and therefore financial support?

Think too of the far-out-of-proportion power of some politicians who are adept at making decisions that they believe will keep them in power, rather than for the good of the country … and those who blame other politicians (or anyone else) for the problems that they themselves helped to create in the first place, or who refuse to call acts of terrorism for what they are? Instead, the war on terrorism has been called "Overseas Contingency Operation."

Furthermore, let's be realistic, the "overseas contingency operation" its not only a war against terrorism, it is a religious war caused by militant Muslims who are hell-bent on destroying and killing Americans, Westerners, Jews, Christians and all who oppose their fanatical, barbarous "interpretation" of their religion. If we don't win the war against this barbaric "religiosity" the consequences will be unthinkable for our children and our children's children. Will our politicians and the news media ever consider calling the "overseas contingency operation" for what it truly is—a war against religious terrorism? Not likely!

How tragic when we use words to twist the meaning of critical issues and in so doing deny their reality. This, too, shows the deceitfulness and hypocrisy of the human heart. Would we dare call poison by any other name? To do so would be murderous.

So wherein lies the answer to the dilemma we currently face? Is it, as Ed Ames asked about the national problems our country faced in the sixties, is it in the "stars, or in ourselves?" Not likely.

If we who claim to be Christians, whose faith is definitely not in the stars or in ourselves but in God and his Word, don't give answers, who will? Godless politicians, the outspoken immoral minority, irresponsible news reporters, and militant religionists will give hopelessly false answers to lead us astray. Of this we can be certain.

--

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Excellent Letter of opinion on special interest rights NO MORE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

a worthy opinion

Subject: Fw: Excellent Letter

Reality is something you rise above.

Congratulations to our fellow Canadians in Quebec who had the courage and conviction to exhibit their common sense in officially banning the hijab for certain transactions where identity is mandatory .... It's a start. It's a privilege to be allowed to immigrate and to live in this country....not a right. When this hit the e-news a few weeks ago, there was overwhelming support by the readers who AGREED with Quebec 's action.

A Letter to the Editor (excellent letter)

So many letter writers have explained how this land is made up of immigrants. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people why today's Canadian is not willing to accept the new kind of immigrant any longer.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to Canada , people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in Halifax and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new Canadian households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.

Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labour laws to protect them. All they had were the skills, craftsmanship and desire they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out.Canadians fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France, Japan, China, Czechoslovakia, Russia,Sweden,Poland and so many other places. None of these first generation Canadians ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Canadians fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the Freedom as one people. When we liberated France , no one in those villages was looking for the Ukrainian-Canadian or the German-Canadian or the Irish-Canadian.The people of France saw only Canadians.

And we carried one flag that represented our country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be a Canadian. They stirred the melting pot into one red and white bowl.

And here we are in 2010 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes a Canadian passport and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being a Canadian is all about. Canadians have been very open-hearted and open-minded regarding immigrants, whether they were fleeing poverty, dictatorship, persecution, or whatever else makes us think of those aforementioned immigrants who truly did ADOPT our country, and our flag and our morals and our customs, and left their wars, hatred, and divisions behind. I believe that the immigrants who landed in Canada in the early 1900s deserve better than that for the toil, hard work and sacrifice those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags, fighting foreign battles on our soil, making Canadians change to suit their religions and cultures, and wanting to change our countries fabric by claiming discrimination when we do not give in to their demands.

Its about time we get real and stand up for our forefathers rights, we are CANADIAN Lest we forget it I am a Native of this Country & proud of it!

NO MORE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

NO MORE not saying CHRISTMAS in stores and our schools!

I Want my Canada of birth BACK

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Re: even before swearing in new Councils, they are passing more motions on the Hydro file

Well done -thank you for leading the way . You are making a difference . Other local grassroots are mobilizing to bring these rates back into line .

Sieg Holle

Brant Taxpayers Coalition

On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 11:14 AM, Municipal Taxpayer Advocacy Group <admin@municipaltaxpayer.com> wrote:

Dwight Duncan
Ontario Minister of Finance
CC Ontario MPPs & City Council
Thank you for your recent letter, while this Globe & Mail story is somewhat encouraging, our city councils campaign will continue until we are assured that Hydro rate increases will not exceed inflation.
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/ontario-expected-to-announce-hydro-rate-relief/article1800432/?service=mobile
1) Due to the size of the sole sourced non tendered Samsung deal and the associated transmission costs the government is adding about $10 billion to the hydro cost structure. This money will come from the pockets of customers through hydro rates or taxes. Any suggestion that rising rates has nothing to do with the Green Energy Act stretches credulity to the limits.
2) The government is signing contracts to buy power at 15 times the current rate. It is only a matter of time before Hydro doubles as a result an uncosted ideological compulsion to impose a carbon tax without any consultation or victim impact statements from residents. A more rational approach would be to simply reduce renewable energy investments until the costs come down, if this is not possible, then cut other areas of the budget to pay for this self imposed government priority.
3) A number of people have been sending us their Hydro bills. One of this emails included a spread sheet of bills from 2003 to 2010, Gas had gone up 13% and Hydro 62%. Gas has risen at close to the rate of inflation, can't say the same for Hydro. Signing renewable energy contracts without any reference to consumer affordability will only lead to a new type of poverty and put Ontario at an economic disadvantage.
Ade Olumide, Municipal Taxpayer Advocacy group, admin@municipaltaxpayer.com
PO Box 93, 2808 Dunrobin Road, Ottawa, ON K0A 3M0
Enclosed Motion Was Adopted By St. Thomas
St. Thomas council has joined a provincial lobby group in condemning the imposition of the harmonized sales tax on utilities. In a unanimous vote, council gave its support to the Municipal Taxpayer Advocacy Group, which sent a letter to council late last month asking for support on the issue of hydro and taxes. Ald. Gord Campbell spearheaded the request from St. Thomas council.
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2829461&auth=KYLE%20REA%20TIMES-JOURNAL
Enclosed Motion Was Adopted By The Township of Aramanth on November 3
Whereas increase in Hydro rates has been brought to Council's attention as a major concern by Township residents,
Whereas overhead costs are rising at Ontario Power Authority, Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One, Independent Electricity System Operator, Ontario Energy Board, Ontario Electricity Financial Corp and Ontario Hydro.
Be it resolved that this Council send a letter to the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Energy asking for the removal of the PST portion on the Hydro HST bill.
Be it resolved that this Council send a letter to the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Energy asking that any increase in Hydro rates does not exceed the rate of inflation.
Be it resolved that this Council send a letter to the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Energy, Ontario Minister of the Environment asking that municipalities be consulted in drafting waste to energy policies and choosing locations for windmills.
Enclosed Motion Was Adopted By The Township of North Shore on November 8
BE IT RESOLVED THAT Township of the North Shore municipal council supports in the principle the Municipal Taxpayer Advocacy resolution related to Hydro rates, and municipal consultation in drafting waste to energy and windmill locations in Ontario.
Enclosed Motion Was Adopted By Township of Casey on November 10
That we, the Council of the Township of Casey do hereby, agree with the Municipal Taxpayer Advocacy Group and request the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Energy to remove the HST portion of the Hydro bill and to limit any increase in Hydro rates so that it does not exceed the rate of inflation.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .

Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Thumbs up -Chatham - and the 1000 farmers for solar ontario diversification

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2847594&#postbox
Leading the way -in competitve solutions

Solar power to create 50 new jobs By BOB BOUGHNER, THE DAILY NEWS

DIANA MARTIN photo@chathamdailynews.ca Andrew Steele, far right, a master electrician for Northwind listens to questions from Wayne D'Hondt, of Muirkirk, centre, on how the base will help balance the multi-directional solar panel being used in the Agris Solar co-operative following the stakeholders update meeting Monday.STANDALONE

An aggressive plan to place at least 1,000 ground-mounted solar units on farms in southwestern Ontario is right on target.

More than 700 farmers have signed up with Agris Solar Co-Op, a divison of Agris Farmers Co-Op, to purchase the $70,000 units. Officials of Agris Solar held an information meeting Monday to update farmers and municipal officials on its construction plans.

The organization has joined forces with Northwind Solutions of Oshawa to build the on-farm units.

Northwind president Greg Duke said more than 50 Chatham-Kent residents are about to be hired by his company.

He said the number of employees could easily increase as more orders are received. The hope, he said, is to construct units right across the province.Northwind has acquired a Chatham site at 744 Grand Ave. E. Jim Campbell, secretary of Agris Solar, said $20 million in equity and land commitments have been received from 1,000 farmers.

He said $55 million has been committed toward the project by the Farm Credit Corporation and Rabobank.

"This is an exciting day for FCC,'' said spokesman John Guertjens. "The FCC wants to be part of advancing the business of agriculture.''

Agris board chairman David Mallott of Muirkirk described Monday as an historic day for the co-operative.

-----------------------------------
"Today is the day the rubber hits the road,'' he said.

He said more than $14 million in equity has been raised and more than 700 farmers are now committed to the program.

Mayor Randy Hope congratulated the co-operative on the fast and efficient manner in which it moved from the planning to the building stage.

The mayor expressed surprise that only 200 area residents applied for work with Northwind -"especially considering the large number of skilled workers in the area.''

The mayor called the project as a "positive step forward.''

Also involved in the project with the co-operative is Hatch Engineering and Sparks Solar.
--
Brant Positive Action Group

The green energy hub challenge to creating jobs ?

Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .

Friday, November 12, 2010

ALERT !! COSTLY NEW AREA CODE SCAM - PLEASE READ!!

Scam alert

New Area Code - PLEASE READ Be sure you read this and pass it on.

809 Area Code

We actually received a call last week from the809 area code. The woman said 'Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you- get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you.' Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. We did not respond. Then this week, we received the following e-mail:

Do Not DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284, AND 876

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809

This one is being distributed all over the US ... This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call.

Be sure you read this and pass it on.

They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc..

In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls.

If you call from the U.S. , you will apparently be charged $2,425.00 per-minute.

Or, you'll get a long recorded message.

The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges.

WHY IT WORKS:

The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic .

The charges afterward can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong.
Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.

AT&T VERIFIES IT'S TRUE :http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6045

SNOPES VERIFIES IT'S TRUE:

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/809.asp

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Fwd: Lest We Forget.................

Everyone should agree with this . God bless them all

Keep it moving, please,

It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN , not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN , not the poet,

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,

Who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN , not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN ,

Who salutes the Flag,

It is the veteran ,

Who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

I don't usually suggest that many emails be forwarded, but I'd be EXTREMELY proud if this one reached as many as possible. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

God Bless them all!!!

--
Boris Jazbec

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Smile - How to avoid going shopping -proven male self defence techniques

WHY WOMEN SHOULDN'T TAKE MEN SHOPPING

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to
Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and
preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like
most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the
following letter from the local Target store .

Dear Mrs. Samuel,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in
our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to
ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband,
Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by our video
surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other
people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at
5-minute intervals.

3.July 7: He made a trail of apple juice on the floor leading to the
women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official
voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the
employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from
her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing
management to lose time and costing the company money.

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M & Ms
on layaway.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the
children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and
blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began
crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs
were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a
mirror while he picked his nose...

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he
asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly
humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look'
by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed
through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he
assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES
AGAIN!'

And last, but certainly not least:

15.October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile,
then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One
of the clerks passed out.

If you don't send this to 12 of your dearest friends, your property
taxes will go up, your stocks will go down, and your middle will
spread. (How's that for a curse?!?) What? It's already come true?
Then send it anyway--you've got nothing to lose

--
The beauty of these tips for Males is that you normally only have
to do it once . Please feel free to share your shopping avoidance tips
with your brothers .

Saturday, November 06, 2010

Invitation to view Sieg Holle's Picasa Web Album - Vets honoured-Nov 2010

You are invited to view Sieg Holle's photo album: Vets honoured-Nov 2010

Vets honoured-Nov 2010

Brantford -

Feb 14, 2010
by Sieg Holle

Thank-A-Vet Luncheon , Assumption College , Nov 6,2010

View Album
Play slideshow

Message from Sieg Holle:

Gentlemen and all the volunteers who made the Thank- A-Vet luncheon a huge success

Thank you for a very enjoyable event with a meaning. It was excellent and really demonstrates how the people of our community can do great things. This is the positive community leadership that makes everyone proud . You deserve and have earned a merit medal and big thumbs up from all for staging the biggest and best "thank you Vet event" in Canada.

Enjoy the "public" pictures and smiles

Sieg Holle for myself-others

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