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Thursday January 31, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 31, 2019

Trump is the most polarizing president on record — and almost nobody’s opinion of him is changing

Gallup’s Jeffrey Jones put things succinctly.

November 3, 2018

“Extreme partisan views of presidents are the new norm in politics,” he wrote in presenting new data on the partisan gulf in approval of President Trump. “The past 15 presidential years account for 14 of the top 15 most polarized years since Gallup began regularly measuring both job approval and party identification in the 1950s.”

The exception? 1996, when President Bill Clinton had an approval rating of 85 percent from Democrats and 24 percent from Republicans. To which the natural reaction is: His approval rating among Republicans was that high?

Since 2010, the average presidential approval rating from an opposing party in a year hasn’t topped 13 percent — and that was in 2010, when President Barack Obama’s approval rating was still slipping from his post-inauguration high.

The gap now is 79 points, 21 points shy of the maximum possible gap.

Who knows. Maybe we’ll get there.

But there’s another interesting aspect to Trump’s approval ratings that is worth isolating. The gap in 2017, according to Gallup, was only slightly narrower. Unlike Obama, Trump didn’t enjoy a period of broader support at the time of his inauguration. Views of Trump have been remarkably consistent by party since he took office.

There’s some movement, but not a lot. Data released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University make that clear. In Quinnipiac’s first poll of Trump’s favorability, taken less than a week after his inauguration, about a fifth of Americans had no opinion of his job performance. In the next poll, taken in early February 2017, 42 percent approved of his performance (including 88 percent of Republicans), and 51 percent disapproved (including 90 percent of Democrats). In Tuesday’s poll? Forty-one percent approve (including 86 percent of Republicans), and 55 percent disapprove (including 93 percent of Democrats).

Polar Vortex Animated Version!

What’s more, we’d normally expect some movement within those groups, as people who strongly supported the president became less enthusiastic or those who opposed him a bit grew more fervent. But while there are some isolated examples of shifts within each group in Quinnipiac’s polling, how strongly people view Trump has been steady over the course of the presidency. (Washington Post) 

 

Saturday May 6, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 6, 2017

Shoreline and flood worries as wind and rain hit Hamilton and region

A flood watch was in effect for Hamilton as the city and much of southern Ontario brace for several more days of rain.

The Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) says this forecasted rainfall may result in further increases in water levels and flows in area watercourses, with the potential for significant flooding.

There is further concern about the potential impacts of northerly winds on the shores of Lake Ontario. Those  winds may increase the risk of shoreline flooding and erosion, with Lake Ontario levels already high.

The latest rainfall — from Thursday through to Saturday — comes on top of records numbers for the year so far.

“This has been a record rainy first 125 days of a year, never has there been so much rain in that period in the Hamilton area,” said Dave Phillips, Environment Canada.

Phillips says Hamilton has received about 87 per cent more rain than the city would normally get so far this year.

The potential rainfall may also result in local drainage issues in low-lying or poorly drained areas, and storm sewer systems may become overwhelmed in intense rainfalls over short durations. (CBC News)

 

Thursday May 4, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 4, 2017

More rain coming, flooding possible: Environment Canada

Environment Canada says there’s more rain on the way this week and with the ground already wet there could be flooding.

The weather agency issued, on Wednesday morning, a special weather statement for Hamilton and much of Southern Ontario.

It says that with wet weather set to return later in the week and with the ground already saturated, there may be flooding.

Environment Canada says “rain will spread back into Southern Ontario from the southwest Thursday reaching Eastern Ontario by Friday morning.”

The agency expects total rainfall amounts may approach 50 mm in some areas by the weekend.

This comes after an April 20 rainstorm flooded parts of Hamilton — especially Dundas. The city declared it a disaster to unlock thousands in potential compassionate grants for homeowners who suffered water damage. (Source: CBC News) 

This comes a week after Hamilton Council almost rejected sending an environmental Assessment on the proposed LRT to Queen’s Park. Councillor Terry Whitehead decided not to vote against the assessment after the Province endorsed extending the line to Eastgate mall. Waterdown councillor Judi Partridge was opposed along with 4 other councillors

 

Tuesday March 2, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday March 2, 2016 Winter storm Approaches A winter storm is expected to hit Hamilton later this afternoon and drop up to 30 cm snow overnight. Blowing snow, powered by wind gusts of up to 70 km/h/, will create treacherous driving conditions as visibility drops to zero at times. The snow is expected to begin during the Tuesday evening commute and intensify later tonight. Environment Canada suggests postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. The forecast suggests the storm will have moved out of the area by midday Wednesday. In anticipation of the worst storm of the winter so far, evening classes are cancelled at McMaster University, Mohawk College and the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. McMaster University will close at 4:30 p.m. today. Mohawk will close at 4 p.m. today, with all evening classes at the Fennell, Stoney Creek and IAHS campuses cancelled. College officials say a decision will be made by 5:30 a.m. tomorrow about whether Mohawk will remain closed or reopen Wednesday. All Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board facilities will close at 6 p.m. tonight. All meetings, permits, continuing education courses, night school and ESL adult programs are cancelled. As part of that, the HWDSB senior elementary basketball championship scheduled for Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School for Tuesday evening has been postponed. Further information regarding the rescheduling of the event will be available on www.hwdsb.on.ca/athletics www.hwdsb.on.ca/athletics as well as Twitter when available. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6370366-winter-storm-mac-mohawk-and-hamilton-wentworth-school-classes-cancelled-tonight/ Hamilton, Ontario, Winter, snow, storm, blizzard, cancellation, snow day, weather, lion, board, education

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 2, 2016

Winter storm Approaches

A winter storm is expected to hit Hamilton later this afternoon and drop up to 30 cm snow overnight.

Thursday, February 5, 2015Blowing snow, powered by wind gusts of up to 70 km/h/, will create treacherous driving conditions as visibility drops to zero at times.

The snow is expected to begin during the Tuesday evening commute and intensify later tonight.

Environment Canada suggests postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.

The forecast suggests the storm will have moved out of the area by midday Wednesday.

In anticipation of the worst storm of the winter so far, evening classes are cancelled at McMaster University, Mohawk College and the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday March 11, 2008 McHattie is hot on snow removal If you've had it up to here with shovelling snow, Councillor Brian McHattie has an easy-on-the-back solution. The Ward 1 councillor is proposing hiring contractors to clear sidewalks outside people's homes next winter. If McHattie gets enough support from his west-end constituents, he'll ask city council to approve adding the snow removal cost toÊproperty owners' tax bills. After discussing it with city staff, McHattie estimates it will cost Ward 1 residents $28 to $31 per household for the first year of service. In the second year of a presumed five-year contract, the cost would fall to around $19 to $22 per year. It would be more expensive the first year because the private contractor would likely have to buy specialized plows. The work would be contracted out because the city apparently doesn't have the resources to take on the job itself. Right now, McHattie's proposal is focused only on his own ward. But he says there's nothing stopping other councillors looking at the same service for their area. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Canada, sidewalk, snow, winter, shovelling, habits, bylaw, civility, shovel

Tuesday March 11, 2008

McMaster University will close at 4:30 p.m. today. Mohawk will close at 4 p.m. today, with all evening classes at the Fennell, Stoney Creek and IAHS campuses cancelled.

College officials say a decision will be made by 5:30 a.m. tomorrow about whether Mohawk will remain closed or reopen Wednesday.

All Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board facilities will close at 6 p.m. tonight. All meetings, permits, continuing education courses, night school and ESL adult programs are cancelled.

As part of that, the HWDSB senior elementary basketball championship scheduled for Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School for Tuesday evening has been postponed. Further information regarding the rescheduling of the event will be available on its website as well as Twitter when available. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Thursday, February 5, 2015Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, February 5, 2015

City struggling to keep the streets clear of snow

Hamilton is pleading with storm-swamped homeowners to stop illegally shovelling snow back onto cleared streets and sidewalks — but some residents say city plows are to blame.

Iraq: January 4, 2003

The city fielded 70 snow-clearing complaints and counting in the 24 hours after Monday’s storm that left residents up to their knees. Many stemmed from snow pushed back onto previously cleared streets, either by commercial contractors or frustrated homeowners.

“It’s a big problem for us, especially where driveways are being cleared onto the roadway,” said winter control manager Bob Paul. He said local street clearing — and in some cases, re-clearing — will continue through Wednesday.

January 31, 2012

City bylaw officers are cracking down on snow dumping “problem areas” like the North End and west lower city, said enforcement manager Kim Coombs, noting residents risk a $105 fine for dumping snow back in the street.

But outraged residents on the east Mountain say the city’s own plows are to blame.

Sarah Nunes was part of a neighbourhood effort to quickly clear all sidewalks along East 35th Street after Monday’s storm. But later that night, snow banks on the street were shoved onto those painstakingly cleared walkways.

March 11, 2008

“We’re talking piles three times higher than our snowblowers and hard as a rock,” she said. “What are we supposed to do about that?”

Ward Councillor Tom Jackson said he visited several streets in his ward that suffered similar treatment, including East 31st, Virginia Court and Seventh Avenue.

“Some operator showed a reckless disregard,” said Jackson, who asked public works to investigate and send city equipment to clean up the mess. “It’s totally unfair, totally an insult to ask residents to deal with that.”

Paul said the city had complaints about a particular operator but added the plowing problem was “corrected” and represented the exception, rather than the rule. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)