Hey, Big Spenders: Devolin and Del Mastro Rank in Top 25 for Printing Bills

MPs spending more on flyers - Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA.

The print version of this story contains additional information that the online version is missing. (It's a bit odd because it's not as if you have to crop online stories to work around space constraints. But whatever.)

Here are the key facts that are missing from the online version of this story, but that residents of Haliburton-Kawartha-Lakes-Brock and Peterborough Ridings should know:

• Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Barry Devolin (CPC) spent $80,460 on printing in 2008-09 (ranking him eighth among all MPs).
• Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro (CPC) spent $70,629 (ranking him 18th among all MPs).

It's a good thing the trees used to print these flyers aren't harvested locally or our tourist operators would be none-too-happy.....

Comments

[Ed Crawford]

I must say, I'm so happy to know that our area MP's care so much they have made sure the constituents in Peterborough and H-KL-B are the some of the most well informed in the country:)

[Sean McCarthy]

$70,629 more than what has been spent on the ghost train... $70,629 more than what was spent on the fake battery plant.... $70,629 more than what was spent on the waterfront redevelopment fiasco.... probably $70,629 more than what will be spent on the air port...

[Ed Crawford]

Hey Sean, I know you've written to the Examiner about a month ago and made the same type of comments, of Dean being a no man... Well incase you haven't been reading actually reading the Examiner, left me help you with some facts regarding, firstly the Train and then the Battery Plant:) both stories published in the past 3 months or so. I hope this helps:)

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1706071
'When, not if'
Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Posted 2 months ago

It's now a question of whether Peterborough-Toronto commuter train riders will end their journey at Summerhill Station in Scarborough or Union Station in Toronto, says Mayor Paul Ayotte.

A local delegation was given an update on the progress of the Transport Canada implementation study of the rail project at the 2009 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference, which wraps up today in Ottawa.

Ayotte, who spoke to The Examiner before heading back to Peterborough, said the report was very positive.

"They seem very committed to doing the rail project," he said.

"They said, 'It's not if, it's when.'"

Once the report is completed and released in October, Ayotte said, the work should begin in the spring or summer.

The community can expect the train, hopefully, by 2012, he said.

The Transport Canada officials mostly talked about the work that needs to be done on the tracks, particularly with the rail bed, he said.

"They need all welded tracks now so the trains can go faster, so they are pricing that in," Ayotte said.

Canadian Pacific, through its subsidiary Kawartha Lakes Railway, operates the historic rail line between Havelock and Union Station, he said.

The tracks pass through communities such as Peterborough, Cavan, Pontypool, Myrtle, Claremont in Pickering, Agincourt in Scarborough and Leaside.

One of the big-ticket items will be construction work to the Agincourt station, where a lot of freight trains intersect, he said.

"This line goes through a rail yard (at Agincourt), so they may have to put up an overpass or something for the different trains," he said.

"The train has to go through Agincourt."

Also, the train may end up going to Summerhill Station in Toronto rather than down to Union Station, he said, allowing riders to take the subway downtown from there.

"If you've been to Union Station lately, you'll see it's getting pretty busy with all the extra trains going in and out, so there's limited space down there," Ayotte said.

"So, Summerhill may be the best place for it.

"It's a question whether it goes down to Union Station or stays up high at Summerhill."

Ayotte said it's estimated to cost about $20 million to do the work required to Agincourt Station.

"A lot of the freight that comes from Montreal goes through Agincourt," he said.

"It's a very busy yard, so to put high speed passenger train in there would be pretty difficult."

Repairs on whole line will cost about $150 million, he said.

"The whole line basically has to be rebuilt, he said. "We'll do it in sections."

The freight services that currently use the lines in and out of Peterborough will not be disrupted while construction takes place, he said.

"That's one thing that they were really concerned about, not disrupting the services to Toronto that were already there," he said.

The local delegation sent to the AMO was made up of Ayotte, MP Dean Del Mastro, Warden Ron Gerow, Coun. Ann Farquharson, Cavan Monaghan Reeve Neal Cathcart, Norwood Reeve Doug Pearcy, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Coun. Larry Ellis and City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Ric McGee.

Ayotte arrived in Ottawa for the AMO Saturday night, he said.

After a meeting with other mayors on Sunday, he met with officials from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Minister of Labour, he said.

Yesterday he heard Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty speak. McGuinty told the mayors that combining the federal GST and the provincial sales tax is good for business.

"It was a feel-good message because Ontario has been through some challenges," Ayotte said.

"He feels the single tax gives our businesses the chance to compete globally."

McGuinty also encouraged the group to support Prime Minister Stephen Harper's efforts to convince President Barack Obama that buying exclusively American products is not good for America or Canada, he said.

"He just encouraged the municipalities to work together with the province," he said. "It was generally a rally-the-troops message."

ARTICLE 2
Battery plant tests positive
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Posted 3 months ago

Test cells for a planned battery manufacturing plant will be built in the city over the next few months, the businessman behind the idea said yesterday.

Wayne Hartford said in January the plant would be a $50-to $100-million business that would employ 100 to 450 people in its first few years.

The project is moving forward at a reasonable rate, Hartford said yesterday in a phone message toThe Examiner.

"Basically, we've completed a feasibility study that McShane (Engineering) in Peterborough did which was very positive," he said.

"McShane has now been commissioned to begin building test cells. Over the next few months they're going to actually be building test cells in Peterborough."

Hartford couldn't be reached for an interview yesterday.

He stated in the message that he was meeting with National Research Council officials in Vancouver. The National Research Council of Canada's Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, an applied research organization that supports Canada's fuel cell and hydrogen industry, is located in Vancouver.

Hartford didn't respond to an email for further information on the feasibility study.

"There's not a whole lot more I can tell you ... There's some sensitive negotiations on some various types of relationships going on," he said in the phone message.

Hartford initially revealed his plan in October last year before the federal election.

He admitted that he timed the announcement to benefit Peterborough Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro, who was running for re-election.

In October, Del Mastro said the plant could be open and operating in about 14 to 16 months.

Hartford said he would be moving ahead with the engineering plans for the manufacturing facility after the test cells are complete.

"We're working with Dean's office at the moment for potential locations (for the plant)," he said in the phone message.

Del Mastro couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

Hartford has said the manufacturing facility would produce thin, flat rechargeable batteries that could be used in applications such as cellular phone towers, golf carts and hybrid vehicles.

[Sean McCarthy]

Ed,

Thank you for posting these news pieces... Both of which provide strong evidence that these election promises can't be taken seriously...

1. "Once the report is completed and released in October, Ayotte said, the work should begin in the spring or summer" The report hasn't been completed... remember, this was the same report that was originally due last spring... when will we actually see the report? Probably after the next election, to prevent voters from knowing that the rail link is never coming...

2. "In October (2008), Del Mastro said the plant could be open and operating in about 14 to 16 months." - therefore, according to Del Mastro, the battery plant would open sometime between Dec. '09 - Feb. '10.

Ed... where is this plant going to be built? This plant is supposedly opening in the next three months after all... Has the zoning been completed? When is the ground turning ceremony? Where do people apply to work for this battery plant?

Here's an idea... lets propose to build the plant in the middle of a park... Then, lets waste thousands of tax dollars on a fake referendum on whether or not it’s a good idea... stir up lots of trouble and start fights with the community... When the referendum fails and nothing happens, lets blame the opposition parties...

[Ann Douglas]

Ed -

I have only received one mailing from Dean Del Mastro's office that could quality as information (the most recent newsletter-style mailing). And even it was more self-congratulatory than informative.

Every other mailing can either be classified as

1. party propaganda
2. attack ads against the opposition.

Many in our community have objected to these mailings. Our MP's response was to defend his right to send people mailings they don't want.

Here's what a constituent had to say during the last election about the effect of being subjected to these mailings:

"The campaign for this election began two and a half years ago when Steven Harper took office. The barrage of attack ads that we have seen since goes beyond normal mud-slinging -it is propaganda, a focused program of persuasion and manipulation. The arguments typically appeal to emotions rather than reason. Never in the history of Canada has a standing government made such efforts to minimize their political opponents....Here in Peterborough, Dean Del Mastro has conducted a similar propaganda campaign. On a biweekly basis, Mr. Del Mastro has sent out "the pamphlets." What is interesting about these flyers is that they are little more than name calling with absolutely no details or substantiation. This is a classic propaganda technique. What kind of a representative would conduct such a campaign against his constituents?"
- Alan Buchkowski, Hastings

http://anndouglas.typepad.com/one_woman_one_blog/womens_issues/

[Ed Crawford]

Hey Sean, pleasure going back and forth with you on this topic. As for any delay Mr. Hartford has encountered it is indeed unfortunate and indeed it is likely going to be at least a year or so I would suppose being the plant would be operational. I haven't a clue but I would suspect that would be likely.
As for the rail, any delays regarding the rail bed and a station at Summerhill certainly has nothing to do with Dean.
Anyway, I'm done with the topic and I'll make sure I take the day off work when Dean cuts the ribbon on the rail-line, even if it is in 2011 or so.
As for the battery plant, let's remember that Dean didn't make a campaign promise, Mr. HArtford just wanted to the public to know that he was building in Peterborough and not elsewhere because Dean convinced him to do so in Ptbo.
OK, we'll agree to disagree and move on.
As for the mailouts. Please try not to get so serious about the things I have to say, obviously some things posted will clearly be done with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
However, I will point out that there has been a clear reduction of the flyers since last years election, so perhaps Dean got the message. Oh and lets no forget the fact that I've received flyers from both Jack Layton and a Liberal MP.
Cheers,

[Ed Crawford]

first off I'm pasting a brief that was posted on the Examiner website while reading another article titled "Partisan messages OK in pamphlets: Milliken"
also see below:) Can't wait to find some time to visit the museum.

Museum receives more than $100,000
Posted By Examiner Staff
Posted 5 mins ago

MP Dean Del Mastro announced more than $100,000 in funding for the Peterborough Museum and Archives this morning.

The first $100,000 comes from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund and an additional $7,170 comes from the Museums Assistance Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The museum plans to use the funding to host a travelling exhibit from the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

[Ann Douglas]

Ed -

Perhaps you're new to the world of social media. It's considered rude (spamming) to post unrelated material to a discussion thread on a specific topic.

If we were talking about Dean Del Mastro's record in making funding announcements within the riding, this would be an appropriate post.

Do you see the difference?

Thanks,
Ann