Clear-bagged trash is back, maybe to stay, and other than the monopoly supplier and user-fee mentality, I wouldn't mind so much if they would just tell us what is and what is not 'recycle material', because for the life of me I cannot tell the difference between the roast chicken packaging from Kirklands vs the cake packaging from Independent. To name but one. But then again, it's not really about community services, its about the money:

"It has become apparent that we must ask those who make garbage to pay for what they make."
The committee says the system being proposed will not only extend the life of the landfill, it will reduce municipal costs by an estimated $309,000 per year -- the equivalent of a five per cent tax reduction.
Under the proposed bylaw, garbage would only be picked up if it was in a transparent bag stamped with the municipality's logo. The bags would be sold for $1.50 apiece at approximately 20 locations in the town.
Lamont and Coun. Dan Kerr, also a member of the committee, plan to visit local schools and service clubs to explain the process before the bylaw, if passed, goes into effect. Ratepayers will receive information sheets promoting the program -- ideas borrowed from Saugeen Shores, which heavily marketed the idea before it was implemented there.
[ Council proposes clear bags for trash ]

Final reading is set for the October 14th meeting, no word at all as to whether the committee has at all considered recycling the dump itself.

Hold on to your hats. Reading this essay on re-evolutionary industrial organizational theory and practice on Future Positive, the thought, mind-blowing crazy as it is, occurred to me that our present stalemate council is perhaps the perfect incubator for setting the Dr Wilkins plan into action at the municipal level. We're nearly doing it anyway, only in a destructive spirit; formally adopting the Ortegrity method simply saves us the stigma of not doing it the old, broken way:

Reporter Phil McNichol doesn't want to go to Council meetings anymore, and his reasons, which we all already know all too well, are put forth hilariously in last Saturday's column:

"Life is too precious not to enjoy at every possible moment. Members of council might want to take more than a little time to think about that, rather than psych themselves up for their next battle with their colleagues."
[ Keep your eyes and years on your local council... ]

"The Town of South Bruce Peninsula will strike a citizens' committee to look at possible changes to the way local municipal elections are held, including whether to do away with the ward system"
bla bla bla,,,, "Mayor Gwen Gilbert and councillors Betty Hall and King against. Gilbert said later in an interview the ward system was the subject of a referendum in 2003 and an "overwhelming majority of people" voted in favour of keeping it."

Once again council is looking at wasting more time, energy and tax dollars, with an issue that the voters overwhelmingly said no to in 2003. At least Gwen and Betty (both females, Hmmmm) had the common sense to vote no.

"Consultant sees cash cow in albino groundhog; Proper branding could turn one day a year fame into a year-round marketing celebrity"

I see our council has now hired a consulting firm to market "The Rodent". What the hell is the matter with these people? Again wasting our tax dollars on a captured wild animal being imprisoned in a cage. We have a world class beach which can draw more people on a Friday afternoon in June than that rodent can attract in 5 years. Another waste of $$

Attended last nights Council meeting and as usual it moved from the sublime to the ridiculous. To start off, there was a moments silence, followed by the Lord's Prayer. Two of the audience actually sat down during the prayer, obviously unaware of proper etiquette or just didn't care--those of us who do care, would like those who don't to either wait outside til the prayer is over or follow protocol, which says remain standing until the prayer is completed (What else,though,should we expect from louts).