Category Archives: Journalism

Planning bonuses benefit developers, not taxpayers

Posted on March 6, 2018 by

Local taxpayers should read it and weep. They have paid about $1 billion for a bungled, much delayed light rail system that I’m glad to see has generated at least $1.2-billion construction activity in downtown Kitchener. But the same taxpayers … Continue reading →

Posted in Greener City, Heritage, Homelessness, Journalism, Light Rail Transit, Low-Cost Housing, Neighbourhoods, Transit, Vibrant Downtown, Ward News | 4 Comments

During budget, facile Facebook items cause spiteful spat

Posted on November 27, 2017 by

This is an example of what you elect people to do at budget time when they’re supposed to be setting your property taxes. In this spiteful spat on Facebook, our touchy twosome — Councillors John Gazzola and Yvonne Fernandes — last … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Journalism, Transparency | Leave a comment

Time to speak out on Victoria Park heritage hassle

Posted on July 7, 2017 by

I hope Kitchener councillors and heritage officials have the backbone to stand up to blatantly arrogant regional heritage colleagues who are determined to demolish two quality homes on Queen Street just south of Joseph Schneider Haus. And in early fall … Continue reading →

Posted in Heritage, Homelessness, Journalism, Low-Cost Housing, Neighbourhoods, Victoria Park | 4 Comments

Council transparency: Appearance or substance?

Posted on April 26, 2016 by

When it comes to efforts by Kitchener council to improve accountability and transparency, appearance of change is not enough. Such efforts must have clear, meaningful results and a motion from Coun. Scott Davey last night achieved no such thing. The motion … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Perks and Expenses, Transparency | Leave a comment

Decimated newsrooms serving up pablum journalism

Posted on January 26, 2016 by

In an era where newspapers die and decimated newsrooms continue to shrink,  it’s hardly surprising Kitchener residents are fed such a thin diet of daily-newspaper content. Pablum news is also dished up by our CBC outlet and other local radio-TV stations … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Journalism | 1 Comment

Too little, too late in non-creative CEI spat

Posted on December 16, 2015 by

The average artist in Waterloo Region lives below the poverty line, earning $25,000-$30,000 a year. Tonight, at Waterloo Regional Council, Creative Enterprise Initiative (CEI) — a group supposedly formed to help those artists and small arts-culture groups — will ask … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts & Culture, CEI, Journalism, Transparency | 1 Comment

Missing quality journalism

Posted on August 23, 2013 by

Because I occasionally miss my newspaper days of column-writing and sometimes find myself griping about the quality of local journalism, I have decided to go back to scribbling opinion pieces in this blog. That quality of journalism, by the way, … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | Leave a comment