Well, it’s almost been a year since I created Propertize, an application that screen-scrapes the existing government website to make is easier to compare your property assessment to the rest of the street, and it seems that a lot of people have been asking about it lately!  If you are wondering why I did this, then just try using the existing government application – the user interface is terrible!

Just click the image below to check it out:

As always, send along any feedback!

So much for respect in the New Brunswick Legislature.

Yesterday, it was another “day at the circus” with Abel being Abel:

Opposition members Margaret-Ann Blaney and Paul Robichaud complained to Speaker Roy Boudreau about repeated insults hurled by Abel LeBlanc, a Liberal backbencher, toward Blaney.

But after both sides of the house agreed the solution was for all members to show more respect toward each other, the Conservatives were stunned when LeBlanc then gave Blaney “the finger.”

Although Government house leader Greg Byrne quickly stood and promised to deal with LeBlanc’s behaviour in caucus, there was no stopping LeBlanc as he jumped to his feet to make his feelings crystal clear.

“I’ll not apologize in this house for that young lady over there,” he said of Blaney, accusing her of lying about former tourism minister Stuart Jamieson.

Then turning his sights on Tory Dale Graham, LeBlanc said, “I’ll walk outside with any one of you here. Don’t ever laugh at me. Yes, I gave you that (gesturing with his middle finger) and I’ll give you that again (gesturing once more with his finger) and I’ll give you this (a fist) if you want to go outside. You’re a punk.”

Boudreau asked LeBlanc to withdraw his remarks. When he did not, the Speaker told him to leave the chamber, which he did.

I can’t be the only one counting down to the election this fall…

The voters will be sure to give you “some of this” Abel!

Not a fan of the plan to sell NB Power?

Check out this hilarious protest song:

Like many people in Saint John, I’ve been trying to figure out how the sale of NB Power would affect the rate that I pay for power.

I asked the president of Saint John Energy for details, and I received the following response:

Shawn,

You’ve asked a very pertinent question. The honest answer is ..We don’t know, due to the lack of details at this time. As one of three municipal utilities (Wholesale class) in the province we are discussing a number of issues with costs being the prime focus. We hope to be meeting with the government in the near future to express our concerns. As the deal stands today with frozen rates for all but the industrial class, the Wholesale utility will lose money over the first five years due to the effects of inflation. Any loss must be made up from rates. It will be our intent to maintain the benefits we bring to our respective municipalities as this proposal moves forward. Thank you for your concern.

Eric J. Marr, P.Eng.
President & CEO
eric.marr@sjenergy.com

This runs contract to Mayor Ivan Courts comments on the matter.

Following meetings with Premier Shawn Graham and others in the provincial government, Court said Saint John power rates should actually go down.

“My understanding is whatever reduction is going to industry will go to Saint John Energy. So there should be actual savings,” Court said. “What we have now we’ll still have, but there should be actual reductions.”

However, this wouldn’t be the first time the Mayor is completely wrong on a given subject.

It was only a few months ago that the Mayor suddenly announced that the province would be chipping in $59 million dollars for water treatment.  It turned out that he was wrong on the subject, and according to Saint John Energy, he is also wrong on energy rates.

While we await more details, it looks like this deal isn’t just bad for us in the long term – it’s going to be bad for us in the short term too!

A lot has been said over the past week around the sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec.

Regardless of where you stand, one thing is clear – this is a very contentious issue that will not be settled by a million dollar (tax-payer funded) PR campaign by the government.

I believe strongly that this issue is so important (as it WILL affect each and every New Brunswicker) that it can only be decided by calling an election.

If the government believe so strongly in this plan, then they should be willing to fight an election on it.

After all, this government was elected to represent the people of this province.  If the people in the province want NB Power sold – they will vote according.

Shawn Graham – don’t sell out our province in a backroom deal.  It’s our NB Power just as much as yours.  We own the assets along with the debt.

Let us decide what to do!

What do you think?  Comment below, or post your thoughts on Twitter using the #nbpower4sale hashtag!

Don’t forget to join the “NO to Sale of NB Power” Facebook group!

Today, I came across a bizarre story about a provincial school assignment:

The assignment for the Grade 4 students at École Mont-Carmel in Ste-Marie-de-Kent was based on the notion that the planet was about to explode.

The students had three spaces in a rocket ship and they had to decide whom to save among an Acadian francophone, a Chinese person, a black African, an English person and an aboriginal person. The assignment also included images representing each of the different ethnic groups that they could choose to save.

While it sounds like a school assignment straight from the 50’s – this assignment is part of the provincial curriculum.  Apparently this assignment teaches children something.

Bernice Ryan, the school’s principal, said she has listened to Lomax’s concerns, but feels the exercise is a good one, as it is intended to show the students how to be respectful to all groups.

Ryan said the exercise was prepared by the Department of Education and is part of the curriculum. The principal said she doesn’t believe the exercise is out of date, but she has passed concerns on to the district office.

Yeah, because nothing makes people more respectful of others then choosing who lives and who dies based on their race.  Just look at the picture of the assignment that CBC obtained.

When I was in school we had a similar assignment; however, we had to choose who to save based on their skills and relationship to each other – there was never any mention of their race!

While I hate to see extreme political correctness – this is one example of something that is clearly racist.

Hopefully someone will clue in to this and remove it from the provincial curriculum.

UPDATE - Here is the latest update on the story:

There’s confusion over where the school assignment originated.

Ryan said the exercise was prepared by the Department of Education and is part of the curriculum. The principal said she doesn’t believe the exercise is out of date, but she has passed concerns on to the district office.

However, Gerald Richard, the District 11 superintendent, said the material was not made in the Department of Education. He said he believed it was locally produced.

“I have to admit it really doesn’t sound good. It got my attention. We contacted the school,” he said. “[The] exercise will no longer be used in that school or any other school.”

Another Update – The story made it to the front page of Fark.com – here are the comments.

The big news in the province yesterday was the announcement from the Liberal Finance Minister that New Brunswick will run a $285 million dollar deficit in 2008-2009.  In March (only nine months ago), he predicted a surplus of $19 million dollars.

The worst part about this news is that the Minister blames the economy; however, there was a great deal of spending that was not related to the economy:

• The regional health authorities overspent their budgets by $40 million.
• The Department of Social Development spent an additional $19 million.
• St. John River flood assistance in the spring hit $29 million.
• The Regional Development Corp. is spending an additional $17 million to help spur economic growth

The Minister says spending is $302 million above the budget forecast in March.  This may come as a surprise to many New Brunswickers that are cutting their own spending to ensure they can pay the bills in these tough times.

The Liberal’s idea that overspending and over taxing will result in self-sufficiency is just one more reason why their government needs to be replaced with one that is fiscally responsible.

If one Dieppe resident had his way, Dieppe would be the first city in the province to tell business owners what must be on their signs.

This resident is circulating a petition for the city to create a bylaw forcing business to have bilingual signs.

The reason?  He feels that there are too many English signs.  He thinks govenment should step in and change that.

“We now live in a province where French and English are united for bilingualism and anglophone residents understand that French being a minority language in the region needs the support of laws in order to be as present as the English language,” he said.

When I first heard this on the radio, I couldn’t believe it.  It instantly reminded me of Quebec’s Bill 101.

Governments should not be interfering with the languages that a business owner wants to put on a sign.  Period.  If they want to put up a Chinese sign, go for it.  If they choose to put up an English sign in a French community, so be it.  Personally, I am more concerned with what is sold at the business then what their sign says (or looks like).

One comment, posted on the CBC website, sums it up for me:

Nowhere in the language section of our charter of rights and freedoms mentions anywhere policing language of private individuals, only services offer by government. Stay out of my home, life, and business Mr. LeBlanc-Rioux.

Fortunately, there are people who understand this.

Andreea Bourgeois, director of provincial affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said business owners know their customers the best, so should be responsible for choosing their signing, not politicians.

“It’s in their best interest to adjust to their customers’ needs, including linguistic needs. If the issue is lack of customer service in a particular language, simply regulating the display language of a sign does little to improve customer service,” Bourgeois said. “Therefore, such a bylaw must come from the business community and meet businesses’ and customers’ needs.”

Last night, the Progressive Conservative candidate Jack Carr beat Liberal Debbie McCann in the byelection for New Maryland-Sunbury West.

The results were as follows:

• Jack Carr finished with 2494 votes (51.09%)
• Debbie McCann finished with 2236 votes (45.8%)
• and the NDP candidate Michael McCaffrey finished with 152 votes (3.11%)

Carr credited his win to voters who were dissatisfied with Premier Shawn Graham’s Liberal government over a series of controversial decisions, such as increasing taxes and changing the French immersion program.

“You know they had the power, they had the money, they could have the promises, but what I had was the heart, the determination, and the winning attitude,” Carr said. “And what this says is there is discontent for people for Shawn Graham for broken promises.”

“It’s a message to the little guy – never give up and don’t let other people set your limitations.”

Also, Jack is joining his twin brother Jody in the legislature.  Jody is the MLA for Octomocto.  Not sure if that is a first; but, it is an interesting note!

This weekend, I attended the Progressive Conservative Party’s leadership convention.

The convention took place at the Aitken Centre in Fredericton.  It was my first convention, and I have to say that it was quite an experience.

Walking into an arena full of people in yellow and orange both cheering on their leadership candidates was very exciting.

I was there cheering on Robert MacLeod in a yellow shirt with yellow thunder-sticks.  I was able to be a part of the group walking around the arena with Robert when he finished his speech.  I also was a scrutineer for one of the polls at the arena.  Seeing the process from start to finish was very interesting.

While the vote didn’t go the way I had hoped, at the end of the day our party does have a new leader – David Alward.  David has been an MLA since 1999, and he has cabinet experience in the past government.

I strongly believe that if the party can unite and organize behind him, we stand a very good chance of winning the next election and making the Liberal’s the first one-term government in the history of New Brunswick.

2010 is only two years away, and for Shawn Graham, the clock is now ticking.

It’s time for “Shawn Dion” to be gone.