milton issues

Today Is Election Day

Mike Cluett

Its been over 10 months since I began my campaign to become the local councillor for ward 6.  On January 11, 2010 I visited town hall and filed my nomination papers and started what was to become a tiring, yet satisfying campaign.

Over these past 10 months I have met many of you, a couple of times over, and heard what issues you find to be important.  In this time I spoke about 3 main things…responsible financial management, neighbourhood safety and accountability.

The first item of business for the new council will be to review the 2011 budget which has a projected 6.91% increase to the mill rate.  You have told me you want value for your dollar and you want your taxes spent wisely and this rate increase is simply too much.  Council needs to review line by line each item in the budget so we can see whats working, what isn’t working and where we can find savings.  I have made the promise I wont support the 2011 budget if the increase is over the rate of inflation.  I hope my council colleagues will work hard over that budget process to see if we can find the savings and give you value for your tax dollar.

We’ve talked about neighbourhood safety at length as well.  Im glad my opponent has been reading my blog since he started his campaign mid September and now understands this is an important issue.  Over the months and in fact the last few years, I have been talking about the importance of neighbourhood safety on our roads.  The town of Milton wants to become a pedestrian friendly town, but we need to look at options like traffic calming devices and other ways to slow down vehicles in the residential area so that all pedestrians are safer.  We’ve discussed the idea of a signalled crosswalk near Kennedy Circle and Thompson Road as there are people who would like to take advantage of the great splash pad and soccer fields on one side or others to go to Shoppers Drug Mart or Metro or the Dollar Blitz to shop without packing the kids in the car to travel less than 500 metres.  Over the next four years I want to bring these ideas forward and I need your input and help to get it done.

Last but not least, we talked extensively about accountability.  About being there when you call or email and giving you a quick response.  Ive promised, as I have done over the last 4 years, to update you on whats going on in Milton, at Town Hall, and how it affects you using this website/blog and other forms of social media like Facebook & Twitter.  During some important council meetings  you can find me sending updates through Twitter on what was going on, and when the decisions are made.  Its something I will do my best to continue as councillor, even though I’ll be sitting at the table, Ill make sure you can follow along.  Either by Twitter or what we hope to do is stream the meetings online so you can see whos working for you and asking the questions that need to be asked.

So now the brochures have been delivered and the doors have been knocked on and I’ve done my best to meet as many of you as I could over the last 10 months.  I leave it in your hands to make the decision on who you feel is the best candidate to represent all Miltonians at the council table.  If you havent made that crucial decision yet, I ask that you review my website and that of my opponents and see who has the plan for a better Milton.

You can vote today starting now at 10AM to 8 PM tonight.  If you live north of Clark Blvd in Ward 6 you will be voting at Guardian Angels on Bennett Blvd – and if you live south of Clark Blvd you will be voting at Hawthorne Village School also on Bennett Blvd.

If you have any last minute questions, call my cell (647) 888-9032!

Thank you everyone for making this a fun campaign.  Ive enjoyed meeting everyone and discussing the issues and while some of us disagreed we still came to the conclusion that the dialogue needs to continue and we need to work together to make Milton a better place.  I am humbled by the support I’ve received and the pledges of support and the volunteers who have worked endlessly to help me get the message out and for that Im eternally grateful.

I’ll update the blog once the polls close and the results come in.  Afterwards I will be at Ned Devines celebrating with other candidates, supporters, friends and family so feel free to drop by tonight (I’ll be there roughly after 9ish) and say HI!

Until then….I’ll see you at the polls.

Smitherman ignores Halton's needs

Mike Cluett

Voting has started in the Canadian Blog Awards where yours truly has been nominated as “BEST LOCAL BLOG”. First round voting continues later this week and hopefully I can make it to the second round and beyond…so vote early and often 😉

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As reported in the Milton Canadian Champion, Ontarios Energy and Infrastructure Minister George “Future Toronto Mayor” Smitherman says that Haltons growing pains “aren’t unique” and cant promise any additional funding. He proclaims that his government under Premier Dalton McQuinty has provided more funding for infrastructure than any other government. If they have, ID like to see it.

This comes on the heels of a proclamation from the Region of Halton to halt any future developments until this matter is resolved. Growth is mandated by the Province and the Liberal government is telling regions, like Halton, to grow to meet the needs of the people. They are however telling them to do it, with little or no help from them.

The Oakville Hospital expansion has been delayed … yet again … with no clear course of action on Milton’s hospital and the needs of the fastest growing municipality in Canada. More and more people are moving here and the heels of our municipal leaders seem to drag further and further with no end in sight.

According to the article, “The region has repeatedly argued that it can’t accommodate the thousands of new residents called for in the province’s Places to Grow plan without significant funding help for infrastructure.”

It can be argued that the growth in this region, being led my Milton, IS unique to the province and requires a long term plan and more focus by the provincial government. You simply cant say to the regions “build” and then sit by and not provide the funding.

With the economy in the tank and deficits coming from both provincial and federal governments, we in Halton can look forward to more delays as they will most certainly use the “we cant afford it” excuse. Infrastructure has been an issue for years and will continue to be an issue until we have a government that will take it seriously.

Also, the Region of Halton took further steps on this issue by a unanimous resolution to potentially slow down development in Oakville and Milton if the province doesnt provide any potential solutions to the problem other than they are “not unique”.

This isnt over yet…

2008 Milton Fall Fair

Mike Cluett

 

Its coming faster than you think. This years looks to be better than last years event. People come from all around to attend what most people feel is the best Fall Fair in Ontario. Id have a hard time finding one better.

www.miltonfair.com is the site to visit with more details coming in the next few weeks. This years Milton Fair will be held September 26-28, 2008!

Milton Canada Day

Mike Cluett

The family and I will be on the move to Milton’s fairgrounds in the next little while to take part in the official opening of Milton’s Canada Day Festivities. In case you have never been to our Canada Day Celebrations, heres some idea of what to expect.

Every year there is a veteran’s breakfast at Victoria Park from 10 -11 am. Then at 1130 there is a brief ceremony at the cenotaph to honour the men and women who have given their lives for our country. This is a great time to mingle with some of Milton’s veterans and have a chance to say thank you as well.

Afterwards they form a parade with the veterans, city politicians, our MP and MPP and march towards the fairgrounds and the stage for the formal part of the celebrations. After the dignitaries speak, the town officially opens up the day for celebrations by a cutting of our Canada birthday cake. The planned events go on all day long and will last until 11pm.

Also this year at 12:30 there will be a swearing in ceremony to welcome Canada’s newest citizens. Its a special day for them and what a better day to become a Canadian then on Canada Day!

Each year the Canada Day celebrations get better and better. Seeing how this will our first Canada Day with both Anthony and Miranda, it will be even more special. Theres always lots to do down at the fairgrounds with games, rides, and goods for everyone.

I urge everyone who attends to help raise money to pay for our celebrations by giving as generously at the entrances with the members of the Canada Day committee and the Lions club. Our celebrations are paid for exclusively from private donations from individuals, companies and people like us…ones who join together each year for one amazing day in Milton.

Happy Canada Day everyone.

Try to focus on the good.

Mike Cluett

Its Sunday afternoon and its less than 2 days before Christmas.

The last thing on the minds of people in the Town of Milton is a 6.6% tax increase and what the money was spent on. Most people are rushing around from store to store picking up those last minute presents for people on their lists, extra bottles of wine for those unexpected guests, snacks for friends and family to munch on over the holidays and wrapping paper (myself included)…lots of wrapping paper.

I recently received an email from a friend who mentioned “the inmates are now running the asylum” at Town Hall. They had mentioned that taxes were going way too high, slot funds are being uses to balance the budget (Mike notes: which is very risky and a bad precedent to set for the future) and “the community fund is being savaged!”

In the coming entries, I am going to be going through the budget and showing where the money the town is planning to spend is going. There are many worthwhile projects on the docket for 2008 including some more money to improve roads in town and others like a new library on the east side of town. Whether you agree or disagree where the money should go, most people don’t know where ANY money is going.

The tax measures were made official by town council with only Mayor Gord Krantz, Ward 2 Councillor Mike Boughton, Ward 1 Councillor Rick Day and Ward 4 Councillor Paul Scherer voting against the increase.

Which means Regional Councillor Colin Best, Ward 4 Councillor Wendy Schau, Ward 3 Councillor Jan Mowbray, Ward 1 Councillor Brian Penman, Ward 2 Councillor Greg Nelson, Ward 3 Councillor Cindy Lunau and the other Regional Councillor Barry Lee all voted for the increase in taxes.  Merry Christmas right?

I know, I know…tis the season.  What needs to be done is a careful look at what the money is being spent on for 2008.

Some examples are $1.4 million for an overpass on Main Street by Milton Mall. I have met with some people who told me that the Town of Milton could have done this project much sooner and for less money a few years back, but those plans were sidelined.

This past year the Town of Milton spent $1.6 million on 4 new buses for Milton Transit. This was an item that was approved last year for the 2007 budget but a decision that should be called into question now seeing how Milton Transit ridership hasn’t increased over the past couple of years. They can show some statistics of increased ridership, but when you really look at the numbers, the increases are due to the Milton Transit “FREE RIDES” days which they have held several times throughout the year. It shows that when the fare’s are full price, the ridership drops back to its previous levels.

Why do I bring up that decision from 2007 budget? There was a further $865,000 in funds allocated to Milton Transit to supposedly purchase more buses. I don’t know about you (and this can be debated ad nausea ) but should’nt the town do more to increase the ridership first before allocating funds for more buses?

There is something wrong with our transit system if the only way we can increase ridership is by making it free. From a business standpoint it makes no sense. Incur expenses while taking in no revenue. Nope, double checked and it doesn’t make sense.

Another topic we can bring up is the Slots revenue from Mohawk. For those in Milton who don’t know, the Town gets a portion of the revenue from Mohawk Raceway just outside of town in Campbelville. Its an agreement that was reached awhile ago and those funds were always to go towards special projects or infrastructure needs of Milton. Apparently the Town of Milton gets roughly $ 5,000,000 from the revenues of the raceway.

That’s just some of the things that I will talk about in the coming days. But for know, I just want to go out and get those stocking stuffers I promised Pat, snacks and wrapping paper (I haven’t even started wrapping presents yet!) and get into the Christmas spirit.To everyone out there, please have a happy holidays and a Merry Christmas. Be safe!

Milton Santa Claus Parade

Mike Cluett

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Hundreds of people began lining the Main Street parade route as early as 1pm. Prime seats became hard to get for a great parade that gets better year after year and this year was no different.

Friends alike were seen along the parade route. Some people I haven’t seen in some time and a few people from out of town (as far as Orangeville I heard) to see what all the fuss was about. People come from far and wide to take part in Milton’s Santa Claus Parade.

Milton’s Santa Claus parade has a reputation for being one of the best in Ontario, let alone one of the best in Canada. This year had a bit of extra attention across Canada.

I opened my Friday’s edition of the National Post to see the result of a story first published in the Milton Canadian Champion by Melanie Hennessey. Organizers of the Milton Santa Claus parade had some hard decisions to make to keep the parade from becoming too long. They had made the decision to cut down on the extra cars or floats by asking Regional Chair Gary Carr, Halton MPP Ted Chuldliegh and Halton MP Garth Turner not to take part in this years parade.

Having politicians in a parade like this is tradition as far as I’m concerned. It goes along with all the other businesses and organizations that take part and create floats or cars or trucks.

I have no problem with having our local members being a part of the parade. But in the same breath, I am not the ones organizing. One would have to realize that hundreds and hundreds of hours are being volunteered by an untold number of people over the course of the year. To give you an idea, shortly after the new year the committee will reconvene to plan next years parade. Thats almost a years worth of planning. The parade was looking to be long (and it was this year) and they needed to make some cutbacks. There were some people that planned on being a part of the parade but couldnt. They looked to the current participants and decided that they could cut it down by the number of floats by removing the politicians. A hard decision mind you, but a necessary one according to members of the committee.

I was asked today that if I won the election last year, would I be upset if I wasnt able to be part of the parade today. Of course I would be upset, but I would accept the decision of the committee and move on.

Only the Mayor of Milton was asked to be the only politician allowed to participate in the parade. The theme of this years parade was for the 150th anniversary, a committee I have been part of since its inception back in 2005, and the floats and parade participants were to promote our 150th birthday year.

While Mr. Carr and Mr. Chudleigh were upset at not being allowed to take part in their usual way, they both showed class and stated they understood the decisions of the committee and planned to abide by it. Ted Chudleigh said that he would probably sit along the parade route with others and enjoy it as a spectator.

Over the past week this battle of words with Mr. Turner and those involved in running the parade reached a fever pitch where on his blog Garth stated that “he would walk the parade route with his dog” defying the committee and their decision.

Its gone beyond stupidity now with Garth claiming theres a conspiracy against him, and how the parade committee is partisan against him and its a way of shielding children from politicians and the political process and on and on and on. Its become so laughable its hard to believe that a grown man is making this much of a fuss about it. I hope it just goes away.

For those of you who were wondering, and as far as I could see, Garth didnt make an appearance on the parade route. In fact his name was brought up a couple of times, but only after the Mr. Grinch character made his way down by us did the name Garth Turner come up. Those who did bother to talk about this whole mess mentioned that its blown out of proportion and “SOMEONE” should grow up. I concur.

If someone is that bound on being in a parade, and the committee continues with their “ban” on politicians next year, maybe he can get involved in a number of organizations in order to be part of the parade and wave. He might have to put away his MP HALTON sash, but at least he can sit an wave.

The parade reached us in downtown Milton at about 225pm and Santa made his way at about 350pm. That made for a very long parade. Just imagine if there were politicians in the parade, eh? HA.

A great parade again this year and the people who planned this event should be congratulated!!! Excellent work this year. Pictures to be up shortly and if you have any, please feel free to email them to mike@mikecluett.ca and I can post them here as well. To those who took part in the parade and kept the crowd laughing and cheering along the route, thank you. And to those who braved the chilly wind with their kids, and holding tightly their hot chocolate from Troy’s Diner, shivering along the streets….thank you for coming out.

A classy event for a classy town. And no one was arrested for crashing the parade. A good day all around. Merry Christmas everyone!