Thanks for ignoring the law
RE: ‘THIS IS ABOUT PRESERVING DEMOCRACY’: FORD DEFENDS MOVES ON COUNCIL-CUTTING PLAN, SEPT. 13
Wow Dougie, you sure mean business — thanks for simplifying our lives with the option to ignore laws from anyone who wasn’t elected by 40 per cent of the Ontario electorate.
Next time I get in trouble with the law, the first question I will ask will be “did the minority of Ontario citizens vote for you.” If the answer is no, then I will carry on doing whatever caused the problem. Then if the courts sanction me I, like you, will use my own notwithstanding clause, rather than use the appeal process (which is run by more appointed people). Much quicker. Oh, by the way the judge didn’t say you didn’t have the power to do it, but rather the timing was the problem.
Pass me a beer. Hey buddy where is my change, it's only supposed to be a buck?
Oh, yes and by the way, take a look at the Niagara regional council, lots of scope for “savings” here.
David Waller
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Why didn’t Niagara challenge Ford’s legislation?
So the City of Toronto won round one against the Doug Ford-led Ontario government. In round two Ford is calling back his sheepish MPs to vote on the issue. He wishes to invoke the “notwithstanding clause.”
Kudos to Toronto for taking a stand. But what about our rights with regional government? The Ford government took away our right to elect the regional chair.
What is sad? None of the regional governments who lost this voting right have challenged the Ford government in a court of law as did Toronto. The provincial government truly created a sheepish state.
We know what kind of a regional chair we currently have. Surely there has to be someone on the regional council who wishes to bring forward a motion to challenge Ford’s legislation. For what you ask? Our right to vote.
Are any of the regional councillors or those running deserving of our votes? At this moment not mine.
Ron St. Louis
Welland
Signs should indicate parking rules
I am writing in regards to the City of Niagara Falls’ parking regulations, violations and fines.
Over the past several months, I have had friends visit from out of town/country by car. These friends come to experience the city and all it offers as an international destination.
Their mostly favourable impressions of our city have been tainted by being presented with parking tickets in violation of By-Law 89-2000, Section 205.1. Their complaint is there are no signs on my street stating that parking is not permitted during certain times of the day. They ask how they are to know what/when is legal parking if there are no signs to tell them.
You may counter with the feeble argument that they should read up on Niagara Falls’ parking regulations as posted on the City of Niagara Falls website. Just how many visitors to the city do you really think actually do that?
I have travelled extensively and have never experienced this in any other ‘tourist destination.’ Granted, I have had parking infractions in Milan, Boston, New York and Paris but not because I wasn’t made aware of the parking regulations posted on signs in the streets of those cities. I paid those fines because it was my fault for contravening the rules posted on the signs plainly and frequently visible on the street.
If you truly want to make a positive impression on visitors to this city and enhance its reputation as a friendly and helpful destination, please act in a more civilly responsible way by erecting parking signs on all streets — and not lie in wait for the unknowing and unsuspecting. John Archibald,
Niagara Falls