Here is my response ( or more like support ) to one of this weeks Mirror articles, The Front, about just one more idiot in office. I sent it to the weekly rag, we'll see if they publish it. Enjoy.
Alex is part of the Project Montreal party or whatever you want to call it, here is the FB page should you want to see where you dollars are going.
Its really starting to get to me.
The Front
Time, terresses
Time, terresses
Where Does it End?
By Ulric Rousseau
Its really starting to get to me.
All this political shit in the papers, 4 elections in 7 years c
osting us millions, Charest taking a 6 day,
100,000.00$ trip
to Russia on my dime. Now, they want to chop off the legs of those who pay their salaries. Mille End city counselor Alex Norr
is decides that 1 am is late enough for us? Just because you go to bed at 9pm ( I do too ) doesn’t mean everyone should. What is this, communist China? You know, I
do not mind a cut in the biz hours of operations on the establishments, but shouldn’t a cut in income to the owners and workers come with a cut in their
taxes across the board? I mean, if you are making 20% less because some over the hill burnout who has nothing better to do on a Monday morning but to conjure up some lame reason to address an issue that is, in my opinion, the last to be addressed, then shouldn’t you be paying 20% less in your land yaxes, income taxes, booze taxes, licenses fees ect? I mean, in all fairness, when the government idiots in parliament ups its annual salaries, don’t they up our taxes and fees? Doesn’t Mr Norris have anything else better to do? How about walking over to the Laurier station and stopping drug dealers, or maybe walking the beat making sure women are safe in alleys across the city, or picking up needles before our 4 year olds poke themselves with them. Really. Our attention is entirely focused on issues that have no importance. If people want to stay up until 4 am spending money and infusing there capital into the system to pay your salary, then, MR. Norris, I suggest you let them. What is it they say, oh yeah, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Really. Are we paying this idiot or is he doing this as a hobby out of his mothers basement? Oh, and btw, if you are out of ideas on what to do next with your time Mr. Norris, here are a couple. Fixing the potholes in your burrow, making bike paths, planting a tree, adopt a dog at the spca and shut down le Berger Blanc. How about cleaning the bus stop shelters of its stench, focus on getting the city to shut down to cars, or make it easy for people to drive motorcycles, or how about opening an orphanage, or making it easy for loving people ( gay or straight ) to adopt a Canadian kid instead of sending our money over seas or making sure our mayor is not spending his nights going over spy cams in his office, giving people a reason to go out and vote, ect. I could go on.
You're getting too political. Politics are a waste of time.
ReplyDelete- PBS
Ulric,
ReplyDeleteMuch as you may believe that I dreamed up this idea "because I had nothing better to do" this decision was in fact made by our entire borough council after careful consideration and based not only on our own observations but also on the advice we were given by the local police commander who told us that because of frequent brawls and other problems at bar-closing time on the Main (in which both police and passers-by have been injured) and elsewhere on the Plateau, it would be a law-enforcement nightmare to continue having the bars and the terrasses all close at 3 a.m. during these special events. (Keep in mind that throughout the rest of the season, the outdoor terrasses close at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.) You say you go to bed at 9 a.m., so perhaps this explains why you might be unaware of how badly the situation has deteriorated on the Main in recent years.
This is not a decision we made with any joy in our hearts. We hope that the situation will improve this summer, that there will be less violence at 3 a.m. and that bar owners will behave more responsibly (and refrain, for example, from packing their terrasses with up to three times the number of patrons legally permitted under fire-safety bylaws, as some did during the last Grand Prix sidewalk closure on the Main). Keep in mind that these terrasses will still be able to stay open 18 hours a day (from 7 a.m. till 1 a.m.), instead of 20 hours a day, so there'll still be plenty of opportunity for the bars and waiters/waitresses to make good money as people enjoy drinks and meals outside.
As for your suggestion that I should start arresting drug dealers and patrolling back alleys, much as it might seem gratifying to pin a badge on my coat and start performing citizens' arrests, I think that type of work is best left to law-enforcement professionals. And regarding your suggesion that I start picking up needles, I am happy to inform you that I will be joining other volunteers in doing just that next Wednesday here on the Plateau. The needle pick-up event has been set up by the organization Plein Milieu; if you want to join us in this public effort to make our streets safer, I encourage you to get involved as well. It will be a pleasure to meet you then.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Norris, city councillor, Mile End district
If there are enough complaints, would you shut down Highway 40 from midnight to 6am? Or would you restrict air travel during tea time at the local senior citizen home?
ReplyDeleteAnd I am sorry to say that you have the " getting involved" concept all wrong. What you are doing is a job with a salary that might be or not be paid by check. Getting involved is working 70h a week to pay the rent and finding time to volunteer at Santropol meals on wheels. That, MR. I wish to give an excuse for every decision I make, is getting involved. Yes, excuses, seeing as you cite everything under the sun, giving us reason after reason for every decision made for the "well being" of the citizens. What you lack in your response is the gusto to acknowledge that you are making decisions that will not em-better OUR lives, but rather take the side of who most will likely to vote and offer "charity " donations to the party in the future. Why else does my grandmother, who can barley make it down the stairs and who has reflexes of a toddler still have a drivers licence.
And btw, if you think there is a difference between a reason and an excuse, you are well on your way to becoming mayor of this fair city and slicing off your share of our pie to put in your pocket.
Very sorry that this decision has so made you so angry. Not sure I fully understand your arguments but I have done my best to explain the rationale behind the decision to you. You're always welcome to get in touch with me directly if you want to discuss this further. Yours sincerely,
ReplyDeleteAlex Norris
I am not angry mr Norris. I am just expressing my right to free speech in a comment about an article about your decision and vote making. Anger is the fallman to despair and apathy.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am saying is that you ( and I use YOU as a general term to encompass all Government ) are wasting your time on issues that should be left on the back burner until more pressing issues are addressed and punctuated correctly. Why are you arguing over language laws when 80% of high school graduates can't even speak it correctly? Why spend time lobbying for a law that restricts party goers on the main when the bridge they will drive on the next morning is falling apart? Why call elections and spend my money before making sure more than 40% of the voting citizens will show up to vote themselves?
You are working in a system that is just a merry-go-round of lies, corruption, greed and systemic propaganda, perpetuated by people who claim to love Canada but who clearly can't stand Canadians.
I will never meet with you Mr.Norris. Nor will I ever vote for you or anyone else for that matter.
This is not sad.
The sad part, is that i am not alone. There are millions of citizens like me who will go out tomorrow and work an honest days pay to make sure your salaries are paid and the checks don't bounce while we can barley afford the gas to get to work.
Your focus has been clouded by issues of non-importance in a time when we need you to rise and fight. You have been seduced into believing lies that are now becoming true, your fault in the making.
I wish you the best. But I fear for the worse.
This comment has been removed by the author.
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