Waterloo, Kitchener, Woolwich and Casinos from the twitterverse

I wanted to post a collection of tweets from the last 24hours dealing with casino debates occurring across the province. Some are local some are not but a casino has the same stripes regardless of where it lives.

#Casino input to date: 1000+ survey, email, letter, Facebook messages. Have your say: waterloo.survey.esolutionsgroup.ca/TakeSurvey.asp… @citywaterloo
— Karen Coviello Scian (@karenscian) April 18, 2013

I would rather have a strong #Casino position - supported by 1000's of voices - than an apathetic one: Have your say! waterloo.survey.esolutionsgroup.ca/TakeSurvey.asp…
— Karen Coviello Scian (@karenscian) April 18, 2013

Finally!I hope blatant corruption of the #Liberals, #OLG, and their #casino cohortsrevealed @racing_future @rjgacem.therecord.com/news/canada/ar…
— Blair Burgess (@Desibesi) April 11, 2013

#Casino debate: How much of a tax break is a suicide worth? @queensu prof emeritus Dan Usher wonders #ygk bit.ly/XE5keo
— The Whig-Standard (@WhigStandard) April 11, 2013

Thanks for helping share this information! "@jimwaterloo: Give @citywaterloo your feedback on #casino here waterloo.survey.esolutionsgroup.ca/TakeSurvey.asp…"
— Brenda Halloran (@MayorBrenda) March 30, 2013

Listen Up Kitchener! "@richard_florida: Casinos = City-Ruiners - @huffpostcanada - huffingtonpost.ca/richard-florid…"
— Erin Rudland (@ErinRudland) April 18, 2013

Ontario Municipal Board(OMB) wants more Urban Sprawl in Kitchener-Waterloo

I would like to start off by thanking everyone who strolls past my blog and hopefully gets something out of it.  This post will push me past 1000 page views, more then I thought I would have after 20 posts. Thanks for taking the time to read.

This past week we learned that the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) over turned the Region’s smart-growth planning policies.  This was reported by Sustainable Waterloo Region.

"The recent decision by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) to overturn the Region of Waterloo’s smart-growth planning policies has put our community at an important crossroad: to continue supporting an increase in urban intensification or to repeat the failed policies of the past and allow the expansion of outlying suburbs. The OMB decision to open 2,593 acres of previously protected farmland for suburban development limits the economic, social and environmental potential of Waterloo Region. Sustainable Waterloo Region recommends that the Government of Ontario support the Region of Waterloo’s smart-growth planning policies to strengthen our community."

The idea that we have to make future planning decisions based on past events really frustrates me. We have to work to preserve the farmland that surrounds our region and continue to intensify the land we have already covered up.

Our Region is amazing and we have amazing minds and amazing people. The Intelligent Community Forum has named Mike Lazaridis as 2013 Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year.  Mr Lazaridis has been a leader in our community for a long time and we have many other visionaries and leader here in our region.  It is our responsibility to other communities to lead the way in sustainable development for the future.  This is how and why the Region of Waterloo developed the smart-growth planning policies in the first place.  The OMB is dead wrong here and we need to tell the OMB that they need to start learning from us instead of trying to block us.

We have a culture of high thinking and global impact yet 2 of our government run organizations, the OLG and the OMB want to put us back.  I have been a staunch liberal supporter for a long time but this next provincial election my vote may not continue with this current government until they start looking past the length of their noses and start seeing the sustainable future that we and all of our children will require.

Do you support OMB sprawling growth plans? So you support revenue gains from casinos? I support those who produce our food!  I support sustainable methods of revenue collection that do not harm those who need our help! We have to stop this short term thinking and look to the future and believe that we can accomplish it now.  We are an amazing and brilliant community let us bloom and flourish!

Waterloo Region Casino - Fact

This week in the news we learned that Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin have created a $100 million fund development and commercialization of quantum computing.

“This combination of technology and business experience has given us a unique understanding and deep commitment that we believe will be instrumental to the success of both this fund and the ‘Quantum Valley’,” Lazaridis said.

I mention this story to further support that my view of the Waterloo Region is one of innovation  progress and world wide impact.  We have a proven track record of this and my view of our future is more of the same.  I believe that investing in casino and other gaming properties is a major step back for our region.  The success in our region will be measured by our impact on the world.

Another story this week was that the chair and CEO of the lottery corporation attended a meeting with  Premier Kathleen Wynne.  This meeting was called because the Premier wanted to ensure that all host municipalities were treated the same in the funding formula.  This is a result of the rumors that the Toronto casino location was not being treated fairly and they were being offered more money and compensation then other potential hosts.  The big problem here for me was that it appears that the OLG is willing to change whatever rules that it needs to to get into whatever market it wants.  On top of that what happens when the OLG decided to change the funding formula in the future.  Right when the Region becomes dependent on it, I don't trust the OLG.  This meeting with the Premier does not speak to a trustworthy corporation.

This is not just any corporation this is a government corporation that has revenues of 6.7 billion in 2011 according to Problem Gambling.ca's Facts About document.  The document also states that Ontario had the highest total government operated gaming revenue in Canada.  This is a major corporation and it should strive to be trustworthy and transparent.  The other truth about this and the fact that OLG is massively expanding throughout Ontario is that the Ontario Government, regardless of the political stripes of the Premier, is very much hooked on gaming revenue.  One might even say addicted to it.

It is a scary thought to know that the success of your province is rooted in how much money it can swindle out of its own people.  Does anyone else see a problem with that?

The next steps for Woolwich, providing that the other municipalities don't get involved, is to select location and attempt to woo private operators to work out a deal to set up a casino.  The two location that they have selected are very close to other municipalities and as far away from their own council chambers as possible.  So I understand that both Kitchener and Waterloo want to figure out what is going on and get their hands on the host compensation.  I believe that both municipalities still do not want to have a casino in this region they have a right to the compensation considering both locations are only a few kilometers out of their borders.

We have a responsibility to continue to speak out against this development and help brainstorm ideas that will lead to sustainable change and future progress.

Please visit, like and share the facebook page at noWRcasino.com.

Power to change the world?

Do you ever have that desire to go out there and make a change that inspires people?  Do you want to remove barriers to change the world?  The problem is that you have to get out of bed first.

I often have these ideas about making positive change but I often lack the enthusiasm to get started on them. As you can tell from my blog I am trying to share my views on the casino debate currently occurring in Waterloo Region.  I am trying to maintain the enthusiasm that I have to make, what I feel, is a positive change.  I guess it is more preventing a negative one. The region was not in favour of a casino development in the past but now that Woolwich township has agreed to invite the Ontario Lottery and Gaming corporation (OLG) into the region, the City of Kitchener and the City of Waterloo now will be debating these ideas in their respective councils.  So Woolwich opened the can of worms and now everyone is looking over their shoulder to get a look to see what's happening.

I believe the Waterloo Region is a leader in many initiatives in technology, education, local food production / distribution and social / restorative justice. A casino as a way to improve economic conditions is way off base.

So I decided to step it up a notch and I have created a facebook page to see what support an "anti-casino" movement may have.  The difficulty with municipal politics is that no one really knows what is going on.  I am hoping that I can help keep people informed and they can keep me up to date as well.  The power of a group of like minded individuals can be overwhelming. I have not really spent the time to expand my social networks beyond a close friend group so it is now up to you to help me share this page.

Democracy only works when you get out of bed and make things happen.

Thanks.

Casino Decision Day

Today is March 5, 2013 and tonight the Council in Woolwich Township will vote on whether to continue discussion with OLG to build a casino in the township.  Todd Cowan believes that Woolwich has the independent right to approve this project and build it so close to Kitchener and Waterloo without consulting them.  On top of that he feels that the township is entitled to all the profits with no regard for the social implications it will have on neighbourhoods in Kitchener or Waterloo or anywhere else in the Region of Waterloo. The proposed locations for this are either at the St. Jacobs stockyards (border with Waterloo) or at a property at 2069 Shantz Station Road (border with Kitchener).  Both locations closer to KW then Elmira.  This is like saying hey liver your screwed because I am going to go out party all the time I will have fun but you won't in 10 years but really your not my concern right now and I am just going to ignore you until you become someone else problem.

It is shocking to me to understand that this significant decision could possibly be approved by 5 people.  The Region of Waterloo forever changed because 5 people didn't do what the people wanted.  To add to this complicated situation, this Council is not know for is fiscal restraint.  In a time of tighter budgets they can't keep their own house in order.  Why would I want to give them more money to waist.  Do not believe for a moment that once they start raking in 4 million dollars they will instantly become financially prudent!

According to this article Mayor Cowan does not feel that the survey results of 62% opposed to the casino are valid.  I understand that only 11% of eligible voters voted but you only mailed one card per household and you mailed it during the Christmas holidays. Had someone else not brought it to my attention I would not have looked in my recycling box to find it.  It is like you only wanted 11% to vote just so you could discount them.  Let's also consider that only 26% of eligible voters made it out to the last municipal election in Woolwich which is a highly publicized even that occurs across the entire province on the same day.  I will remind you Mayor Cowan only 2777 people voted for you in the last election.

Many experts and highly qualified people have spoken to Woolwich council. The allure of free money has led many people astray.  I hope that these Councillors can see that nothing is for free.  My big concern right now is who is pulling these Councillors strings to approve this project?  What is in it for them personally?  I don't know.  What I know is that they asked the people of Woolwich and the people of Woolwich have said "No" to gambling establishments in the past, and they are saying "No" again now.  If anyone could show me any evidence at all that the people in Woolwich and the Waterloo region wanted a casino, I would withdraw my criticism of this project and let the majority decide.  I believe very strongly that this is not the case.

Some people argue that opposing this project means we are restricting peoples freedom and why should we stop at a casino we should ban alcohol, tobacco, lotteries, etc.  This is not why I oppose this project.  I oppose this project because this Region doesn't want it.  I oppose this project because it is not sustainable.  The money that people will use for entertainment is not currently hiding under their mattresses.  Money isn't magically created by bringing in a casino.  It is reallocated from the bowling alley, from the corner store, from the grocery store.  If you think a casino is good for business you are very misguided.  A casino is only good for its own business and everything it contains under its roof.  Everyone else looses.  So if you own a business in Waterloo Region you don't want this either.  Casinos don't bring tourist dollars into the region they fly in they gamble at the casino and fly out.  What makes you think they will come here instead of Hamilton or the GTA (also undergoing casino debate) ?

If you want to make your voice heard I would encourage all of the Waterloo region to email these Councillors and tell them if you think this casino in Woolwhich Township bordering on either Kitchener or Waterloo is a good idea.  If you support this project by all means let them know all of their email addresses are @woolwich.ca (tcowan, apoffenroth, jaherteis, mbauman, bbryant).  I suspect that an overwhelming majority of this region do not support this development.  I will be the first to say I was wrong if this is not the case.

You have a choice you can be a part of the "silent majority" that Mayor Cowan believes is in support of this casino or you can be a part of the vocal majority that does not support this development.  This is a democracy and your opinion matters!  Be heard!

OLG wants a Casino in my backyard - I think NOT

So if you are a resident of the Township of Woolwich you would have received this card in the mail this past week (December 2 - 8, 2012).  I totally missed it and had to go digging in my recycling box to find it.  Let's just hope that the township didn't send this out on purpose on the same day as the flyers.  That would just make me angry.

Apparently, "The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has approached the Township to find out if interest exists concerning the possible establishment of a gaming facility in the municipality."

As a resident of the Township of Woolwich this concerns me greatly.  A casino is an extremely bad idea, it is not about the money it is about how you obtain that money.  We have to think long term about the values that we want in our township.

"Why is Council open to considering a possible gaming facility? It has been estimated that gaming facility can contribute approximately $4 million dollars per year to host municipalities"

Ok, lets just check out this statement "ESTIMATED"  and "APPROXIMATELY" are not very strong words now are they? Not only that, but if the casino can generate revenues in such excess to provide the host municipality $4 million dollars how much money has it stolen from the residents of said municipality.  Where do the supporters of casino funds to municipalities think the money comes from? Remember "The House" always wins and the Township and the residence are not "The House". People give your heads a shake.  Before we all get excited about the money don't forget this story about OLG potentially changing the rules on revenue sharing.  They are "The House" and they make and break the rules.  The Township Concil doesn't want to be put into this position in several years:

“It was not good news for us. It was not a good day,” said Michael Wood, chief administrative officer of the Township of Centre Wellington, which includes Elora. “We just don’t know what the announcement is really going to mean.”

Casinos are not sustainable municipal development. If you want to get some real information on gambling visit the University of Waterloo's Gambling Research Team or Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre.

We are suppose to check off "Yes" or "No" to the following question:

"Do you support the establishment of a gaming facility in Woolwhich?"

They forgot the option of "Heck, No you crazy politicians" because that is the box that I'd be checking.  If you want your opinion heard on this please go to www.woolwich.ca/olgsurvey.   The deadline is Friday, December 21, 2012.

Here is some discussion of a possible casino in The Township of Woolwich.

Here are the search results of other articles in the Record on the possible casino in Woolwich.

I would like to applaud the Cambridge council for dumping this idea as they voted to reject it.  Gambling is not a source of revenue, it is a source of problems now and into the future.  Please be informed and inform the Council in Woolwich that this is a bad idea. Woolwich said "No" to the slot machines in the past and now they have an arena and new homes on that land.  New homes and other services provide stable income for the municipality.  Casinos only provide an income as long as they are making more then they are providing to you.

Ok, this rant is over but I can almost guarantee that I will have more to say on this issue.

Say "YES" to a positive sustainable future and say "NO" to a casino in your backyard.