nanny state – mackaycartoons

Saturday July 21, 2018

July 20, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 21, 2018

These are dark days for recycling and composting in Hamilton

If you’re among the thousands of citizens who try to do the right things about recycling and waste diversion, these are not good times.

It’s a discouraging double-whammy.

May 2, 2018

Part one happened early this year. After years of imploring citizens to put items like coffee cup lids, Styrofoam and black plastic in the recycling box, city officials had to reverse that. It was, in the words of city recycling manager Emil Prpic, a “market-driven” eco-dilemma. The problem is, virtually no one wanted to buy those recycled goods. In January, China, which was the giant in the buying market, cracked down on imported plastics. It applied new more stringent purity standards that ruled out most of our plastics.

There must be more buyers than China? Yes. But China has been voracious, consuming more than half the world’s recyclables. There isn’t adequate infrastructure yet to make up for that lost capacity.

So in Hamilton, and many other municipalities, recyclables have to be stored or handled by a third party. Tragically, some of this stuff is ending up in our landfills.

That was bad enough, but then more recently the second whammy hit. The city’s composting plant on Burlington Street East was stinking. It has been odiferous for a long time, but recently the problem has been getting worse. Last month, responding to growing citizen complaints, the plant was closed until a solution can be found.

April 24, 2018

So that food and organic waste you have been separating? It’s going into our only landfill site in Glanbrook. Something like 660 tonnes — daily.

So no food waste recycling. Limited plastics recycling, with the most common types — so-called low grade plastics — being not recyclable because no one wants them. If they’re mixed in with other, legitimate recycling, they contaminate them and have to be sorted by hand otherwise the entire load is useless.

Just to add insult to injury, we’re living under a new government that doesn’t appear to believe the environment matters at all, and next door to a superpower that is losing its mind and racing backwards on environmental protection. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

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Saturday February 27, 2016

February 26, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 27, 2016

No mixed martial arts or boxing, please, we’re Hamilton

(By Andrew Dreschel) For a city that claims to be open for business and eager to generate revenue, Hamilton sure has a funny way of showing it.

Get a load of this story.

Boxing promoter Tyler Buxton figured he had a perfect fight card lined up at the city-owned Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena.

After preliminary bouts between local pros, the main event would feature Hamilton’s own Kevin Higson defending his Canadian super welterweight championship in front of a hometown crowd.

But then the word came from city staff — no combat sports allowed at city-run facilities.

Why, you ask?

We’ll get to that. For now let’s just say banning combat sports is not a council-approved policy. It’s strictly a staff decision.

Buxton, president of United Boxing Promotions, was stunned by the refusal. How could this be? Boxing is a legal and licensed sport, overseen by the Ontario Athletics Commission, which sets rigid safety, medical and liability insurance standards.

Buxton has run boxing events in city-owned community facilities in Ajax and Belleville, and regularly stages fights at the Hershey Centre, privately managed but owned by the City of Mississauga.

“This is the first time I’ve ever had any issues,” he says

Maybe the first for him, but he’s not alone.

Garnet Ace, president of Global Warriors, tried to run a mixed martial arts (MMA) event at the Mountain Arena.

The Ancaster resident says city staff was initially very receptive to renting to him until he got a phone call several weeks later.

“Somebody at City Hall basically said, ‘No, we don’t want it. It’s against our policies.'”

Ace says he pressed but didn’t receive a more detailed explanation. Instead, he moved the event to Burlington’s city-owned Central Arena last May, which was attended by about 2,500 fans.

Both promoters say they want to grow events in Hamilton. Ideally, Ace would like to do four at the Mountain Arena this year alone.

FirstOntario Centre and Hamilton Place are too costly to rent. Private convention facilities too small. With a seating capacity of 3,000 or more, the Mountain Arena is the ideal venue.

The problem is, city staff keep turning thumbs down. It’s not clear who’s making the call or how far up the ladder it goes. Recreation director Jack Brown bounced inquiries to communication staff. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

Thursday September 24, 2015

September 23, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 24, 2015

Six-packs coming to Ontario supermarkets this fall

Consumers, craft brewers, grocers and owners of small bars and restaurants will finally quench their thirst for change under a new deal between Queen’s Park and the Beer Store, the Star has learned.

The 10-year accord clears the way for six-packs to be sold at 450 of Ontario’s 1,500 supermarkets starting later this fall at the same cost as in LCBO outlets and Beer Stores.

Beer prices in Ontario will continue — on average — to be among the lowest in Canada.

“Nobody thought you could get this agreement with the beer guys,” said a senior government official, referring to the foreign parent companies of Labatt, Molson, and Sleeman, which own the Beer Store and have enjoyed a virtual monopoly since Prohibition ended in 1927.

“For the small brewers, we are increasing their shelf space,” the insider said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the arrangement will not be made public until Wednesday.

Indeed, 20 per cent of beer shelving in supermarkets, the LCBO, and Beer Stores will be reserved for independent brewers from anywhere in the world that make fewer than 4.6 million six-packs a year.

That boutique category includes Ontario’s 100 craft brewers — such as Toronto’s Steam Whistle — as well as small Canadian firms like Brick. It does not encompass corporate craft brewer Creemore Springs, which is owned by Molson, or Labatt’s Goose Island. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)