You are wrong Mayor Miller

It's Official: All Plastic Bags In T.O. Stores Will Cost You 5 Cents Starting Next June

If your favourite grocery store is No Frills, Food Basics or Price Shopper, this won't really be anything new.

But if you shop at one of the other big chains in Toronto, like Metro or Loblaws, get ready for a change. And that change will be 5 cents.

City Council has passed a law making it mandatory for all stores in Toronto to charge you a nickel for every plastic bag you use.

The idea, which passed Tuesday night, is to get you to reduce the number of bags that inevitably wind up in a landfill and either use up the ones you have now or buy one of those reusable types that are earth friendly.

Mayor David Miller has complained that the carry-alls aren't biodegradable and can last for years and years at garbage dumps. "I'm very proud that Toronto is leading the way," he agrees. "It's the right thing to do."

Source: CityNews (Complete Article)
H/T DARRELL

This story comes via Darrell at NhiCAPS' entry regarding Roger's e-billing.

Although this is a step in the right direction, discouraging the use of Earth unfriendly products, I object to Mr. Mayor's affirmation that "Toronto is leading the way". Toronto is not leading the way, all it is doing is passing a superficial law that will in all likelihood have little affect on consumer behaviour.

Shoppers who buy their groceries at premium supermarkets will most probably not be swayed by the cost of five shopping bags on an eighty dollar shopping trip. As Darrell quite rightly points out, profits garnered from this five cent levy should at the very least be shared with Toronto's recycling facilities. If the Mayor's motivation is indeed our planet, why let the corporations keep 100% of the cash flow generated by this new charge? Why aren't said funds being allocated to improving Toronto's recycling facilities? Or being used to help clean up the city? Or a dozen other things?

Getting back to "Toronto is leading the way" - they are not sir. As of July 21st, 2004, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer here is a list of cities and countries who, over four and a half years ago began banning or cracking-down on plastic bag usage.

• Australia
• Bangladesh
• Ireland
• Italy
• South Africa
• Taiwan
• Mumbai, India

Leaf Rapids, Manitoba banned plastics bags in April of 2007 and later that year Nigeria and Kenya began spearheading banning plastic bags in Africa. So Toronto is hardly a leader, at least not in this respect.

I do not mean to harp on Toronto. I am proud that she is taking steps to at least try to help clean up the world in which we live, but if Toronto truly wanted to lead she would not stop at half measures that in my opinion reek of nothing more that public relations and photo op shenanigans.

Why Are Cab Fares Still So High?

Early this past summer gasoline prices in Toronto were at about $1.25 per litre. At about the same time, taxi companies increased their cab fares by 17% and the cost simply sitting in a taxi went up from $3.00 to $4.00 citing the increasing value of oil. That was in early June of 2008.

Today the price at the pump is anywhere from $0.69 to $0.75. In six odd months the cost of filling up a vehicle has fallen almost fifty percent, but when I needed to take cab ride last week, as soon I as got in to the car, the fare started at $4.00.

Why is it that the when the price of oil rises, it is reflected at the pumps and all related enterprises almost immediately, but when the opposite happens, everyone is found staring at the grounding whistling and unable to make eye contact?

This is just another example of Canadian consumers either not connecting the dots, or simply being okay with getting robbed blind.

Kevin Smith is Coming to Town

For those of you who are unaware, Apart from directing, acting, writing and producing films, he is also one hell of story teller. In the days of olde, he would have been considered an outstanding bard. He has already done this three times:

1. An Evening With Kevin Smith
2. An Evening with Kevin Smith: Evening Harder
3. Sold Out: A Theevening with Kevin Smith

And now for his fourth appearance he come to The Roy Thompson Hall! Get your tickets now!

Here`s a sample from An Evening with Kevin Smith: Evening Harder

Individual Rights v Societal Rights

Students Launch Human Rights Complaints Over School Food Allergies

There are all kinds of deadly weapons that have appeared in schools in the modern era. We've heard of recent knife attacks and gun threats. And then there's the peanut butter sandwich. The lunch bag staple many used to take for granted has become a new threat to some kids who suffer from severe food allergies.

And on Friday, six students from York Region afflicted with the problem announced their intention to file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission to force their school to re-introduce mandatory bag checks to ensure they're not exposed to any of the substances that can kill them.

The kids, who attend St. Stephen Catholic Elementary School in Woodbridge, insist their rights have been violated after repeated appeals to the principal and the board proved fruitless. The school used to have a policy that had teachers inspecting all lunch bags to ensure they were peanut free. But it became an onerous and expensive process and was eventually abandoned. Now the kids and their parents want it back, arguing it may not be pleasant or easy - but it's better than the alternative.

SOURCE: CityNews (Complete Article)

Hmm, I don't know where I stand on this issue. Although I am all for the safety of kids, I think this might be going too far. I mean if every allergy were catered to in this manner, what would be left? Thinking back to my childhood, I would have starved if all these options were removed.

Milk

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Deli slices,
• Canned tuna (casein, a milk protein),
• Pudding,
• Sour cream,
• Yogurt and custard,
• Margarine,
• Butter used to grill food, which melts into the product and can't be detected

Eggs

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Foam topping on coffee drinks,
• Egg substitutes, despite the name,
• Cooked pastas,
• Soup,
• Mayonnaise,
• Pasta,
• Marshmallows

Peanuts

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Any cooked products made with peanut oil,
• Many ethnic foods, like Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese,
• Baked goods,
• Ice cream,
• Sunflower seeds,
• Chocolate and other candy,
• Chili,
• Donuts and pastries,
• Egg rolls,
• Any product that is made near where peanuts or peanut oil is in use.

Tree Nuts

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Barbeque sauce,
• Cereals,
• Crackers,
• Ice cream,
• Mortadella,
• Pesto,
• Chocolates,
• Hacky sacks or bean bags (non-food items that may contain crushed nut shells.)

Fish

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Caesar salad dressings,
• Steak sauce

Soy

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Baked goods,
• Canned tuna,
• Cereals,
• Crackers,
• Infant formulas,
• Sauces,
• Soups,
• Peanut butter.

Wheat

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Many baked goods,
• Hot dogs,
• Ice cream,
• Imitation crabmeat,
• Couscous,
• Wreaths (a non-food product that may use wheat as part of its decoration)

Shellfish

Some forms of it can be found in:

• Crab,
• Lobster,
• Shrimp,
• Prawns,
• Oysters,
• Some natural or artificial flavourings

Lists courtesy of: Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, Health Canada and various health agencies

I believe that when the allergies get this extreme, the onus should be on the children and parents to protect themselves, even if it means wearing latex gloves all day. This sets a dangerous precedent in that, say for example, I have a child who is allergic to chlorophyll (extreme, I know, but humour me here) can I ask the school to chop down every tree, eliminate every bush and shrub and pave over every blade of grass? Would I be out of line in asking that children with such extreme conditions be home-schooled?

While I am all for individual rights, my common sense tells me to draw a line when they infringe on the rights of a society as a whole.

I see why road rage exists.

So Darrell and I were booting about the city on Saturday... actually, let me rephrase... So Darrell and I were moving about the city painfully slowly on Saturday. He was driving, while I was riding "shotgun" and I was the one getting my knickers in a twist. By the end of the day I was mother effing this and c sucker that. On more than one occasion I had to mentally slow myself down, find my Chi, and centre it.

Al has already discussed the Toronto Transit Commission's mismanagement here with a lively discussion ensuing. The people I have an issue with are whoever the hell plans roads and highways in and out of the city.

There are far too few arteries flowing in and out of Toronto for a city this size on the average day, however, when there is an event in the city such as the recently completed Toronto International Film Festival or the Home Show, the city grinds to standstill!

It is not as though these are Hailey's comet type events that happen every once in a while. No! These are yearly occurrences. The same can be said when there's a Leaf, Raptors, Jays (well, maybe not the Jays), Argos or Toronto FC game in town. The down town core is gridlocked! Getting on or off the Gardiner anywhere between Bathurst and Yonge is enough of an ordeal to throw a Zen master into a fit of rage. One can only imagine what the city would have become had we been awarded the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

One of the primary motives for the IOC not granting the City of Toronto the much coveted games was our poor infra-structure. To put it another way, according to the IOC (not that their credibility isn't unblemished), the Toronto road system is worse than the Beijing's pitiful human rights record.

I will concede that not all the traffic problems are the fault of the road network. A fair bit of blame should fall squarely on the some of the drivers in the city.

Making a green light is NOT as important as making it across the intersection.
Switching lanes just to get a car's length ahead is not work inconveniencing three other vehicles.
Indicator (signal) lights do serve a purpose - please use them accordingly.
Sightseeing at the expense of everyone behind you is RUDE

You know, I remember the good ol' days when they made you take a test to get a driver's license. Whatever happened to them? Maybe I'm just getting old...