Doctors and the Lack of Choice

Any Kingstonians who feel that they are trapped in a doctor-patient relationship are encouraged to email me.
I have begun an aggressive attack on this problem, which I believe is counter to democratic values and liberal ideals.
I would like to say that the rumours are false.. many immigrants and residents of other countries believe that in Canada you are not allowed to choose your own health care provider. But alas, this is precisely the case.
Check this out:
Sustainablemiddleclass
Information Clearinghouse
Alternet
and blah blah blah. I notice that there is one very popular article by one author (who uses two names) repeated consistently across the WWW.

Anyway.. It's of little consequence. It isn't a myth.

I am hoping to collect similar stories from Ontarians trapped in a no-win healthcare situation.

And.. I'd encourage everyone to go to RateMDs.com and report their doctor. When you get to the homepage there you should look on the left pane near the top for the "Browse Doctors" link. If you click it, there's an alphabet at the bottom of the next page for the doctor's last name. Very interesting stuff. You can rate your doc, read other reviews, and reply to what others have said. At the time of this writing my (former) doctor has not only the most numerous reviews but also the most negative reviews in this whole city .. and I didn't even find that site until after I'd decided I was better off without a doctor than with this guy.
Remember if you visit the site to keep it brief, and be totally honest - you are legally responsible for what you write.

Feel free to contact me directly at
nelson23nelson@hotmail.com

This is going to be my project until I get justice.

The Upcoming Elections

Get out and vote, people!
let your voices be heard.

Seems to me that this is our chance to throw out nepotism and vote in a few new faces. It won't matter too much to those "in the inner circle" since they've already got their brass rings (Of course, I speak here of the LVEC and the re-naming of Market Square,) but it WILL matter from here on out. I've felt that the past couple of years have been a virtual hostile takeover of the city by a select few, in fact, and I'm glad for the opportunity to maybe change that.

I'm proud of the councilors who didn't sit back and let it happen, even if they were outnumbered. I'm proud of the instigators and rabble-rousers. I'm happy to see a vibrant democracy (almost) at work! And if it is to continue, we must educate ourselves about the issues, the candidates, and get out there on election day to cast our ballots.

And while I'm at it: LIBERALS - and Kingston has a lot of them. I implore you - get a party membership and vote for the new leader, just please think long and hard about who that leader should be. Ignatieff is a man who hasn't even lived in Canada for much of his life - his allegiances recently were to the Bush government in the form of his "liberal support for the war in Iraq." His post at Harvard provided him a grandstand from which he could spout his views, and the press took him up on it. Ask yourself, is this the man that will keep us Canadian?????

Gerrard Kennedy is a man of the people - his former co-workers and his peers have high praise for his work ethic and his ideas. He has extensive experience in public service in Ontario. He enjoyed enormous support in his riding.

I know Kingston is a liberal town, moreover, Kingston prides herself on having a great deal of "thinkers and intellectuals" in her midst. Ignatieff may have a profound ability with philosophy and the language - he may belong to mensa, who knows? But that shouldn't impress you. Who cares if you vote for the smarteest guy in the room if it ends up being the dumbest thing you ever did? I KNOW you'll all want to re-elect Milliken, and given that, you should be wary of the person in the lead chair of his party.

Get your membership and vote for the future leader. It's not too late.

Occupied Portsmouth Village

Normally, the residents of Hatter Street wake to see neighbours walking their dogs along the quiet street, but for the past week there has been a new kind of morning patrol in the area. What's with the men in fatigues - complete with scrim helmets - all over Portsmouth Village?

The story out of DND Kingston's CFSCE is that these are communications reservists on training. What sort of training involves an urban area? And why did they pick sleepy little portsmouth village? Maybe it's the village's proximity to the prison or to the water. Perhaps this location was selected because the village - once a quarry - is graced with limestone cliffs and ridges perfect for a soldier to practice guarding in defence of their camp, below. And what a camp it is! At the foot of the guarded, limestone cliff, twelve-foot-high fencing surrounds the baseball diamond and Harold Harvey Arena while rows of green trucks pass through gates at either side of the abutting roads. One unfortunate villager located across from the arena is currenlty trying to sell their house inside the official "militarized zone."

Residents appear to have accepted the state of affairsat this point but at first, many were leery.

"I called the police on them!" Hatter Street resident Herb Miller remarked. "I didn't know if it was just a couple of yahoos who went to the army surplus shop or what," he said, concerned that anyone could dress up in army greens and pretend to be a legitimate member of the military. Maintaining his sense of humour, Miller added, "Two of them came right across my driveway every morning at the same time, but I think they've changed their routine now so they don't get ambushed!"

Walking her dog earlier in the day, another resident said she had to pass "...a good thirty men, all lying low, all with guns pointed in every direction..." and called the experience "unnerving."

Approaching the band of green men is indeed intimidating. When asked how long they'd be in the area, the only soldier who spoke barked, "Can't tell you."

"Someone should be explaining this to all of us," said Miller angrily. "A little warning would have been nice. The way the world is today, you just never know."

According to the soldiers on the scene, that's the way they like it.

They're Going to Build it, huh?

Well well well.
What a shocker!
They are goign to go ahead and build that hideous, late-sixties style enormous box on that tiny, nearly gridlocked piece of land.
And they're not going to have to pay the price for this horrible decision, either.
You and I are going to pay for it.
And our kids are, too.

Welp, call me when the road rage starts around the causeway every day at both 7:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Should be a blast! And what a shame that they are moving the cop-shop from across the street to mucho blocks North of there. It would have been easy pickins for the boys and girls in blue. (err.. black now, right?)

I'm so sick of hockey and all related talk of it that I'm giving some thought to staging a hostile takeover of all puck manufacturers just to shut the bastards down. *sigh*
Friggin HOCKEY. Is that all we've GOT?

Think Big by Thinking Local

Kingston, like Canada, has everything it needs to be successful in her own right. For too long the city and the country have mined raw resources, shipped them off, and then bought back the assembled goods. We have to stop doing that to ourselves! Local production - and indeed local people are just as good as any we could import. It benefits not only the community but also the environment when local economies are favoured over cross-border trade.

Let's assess:

Kingston needs to become less reliant on government jobs. Why? Because they are largely out of our control. They cut back, they move, and they are subject to political whims. We need to stop looking at the lowest possible form of job-creation - call centers - as a solution. Why? Because these jobs necessarily seek out markets with high unemployment as a way of keeping costs low. When our people demand too much call center companies will simply cut and run for the next city offering up their desperate unemployment rate.

Kingston needs to create diverse products, services and events within the city. Why? In order to stop our citizens from traveling to other centers for the variety that we refuse to provide. When they leave, they take their money with them. We need to grow our local business interrelationships, create incentives to buy local, and incubate new ventures that are based in and around our downtown. Why? To ready ourselves for the shift to more local markets in the wake of increased fuel costs and to invest in a community that is more or less self-sustaining in terms of food, energy, goods, services, technology, education and healthcare.

What can we build on? Well... what have we got?

We've got history, talent, education, location, water, creativity, an established downtown, and farmland. We've got an economic development agency set up and ready to help. We've got motivated citizens who take an active interest in their community and the environment. We've got venture capitalists interested in seeing our economy grow. We've got vacant buildings and lots. We have a new-technology network, bio-tech, and green-energy companies already making their marks.

One thing is certain: what we've done up until now isn't working very well. We must venture in a new direction that doesn't involve wooing higher levels of government and aims higher than call center 'prosperity.' What stops us from trying? Maybe we are in a sort-of once bitten twice shy situation.

Kingston has had her share of really bad luck. Even our nickname, "the Limestone City" springs from disaster- a fire in 1840 that levelled the downtown resulted in panicked law-makers banning the use of wood in construction. Hence, our abundant Limestone buildings were erected. We coulda been a contenda in shipping - and we were, briefly. The Rideau Canal was outdated almost as soon as it was completed, and Kingston missed the mark with the Kingston-Pembroke railway, which it built to keep up with the Joneses. We didn't industrialize with the vigour of competing cities and therefore didn't benefit from immigration they way Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa did. We've tried taking big chances and we've tried to resist them. Neither paid off.

What to do, what to do?

Some would have you believe that nothing needs to change. They have their jobs and their homes and they watch the hockey. Nothing wrong with that. Too many young people, economically disadvantaged people and newcomers, however, can't catch a break. They have no voice here. They are invisible, but for when those others must step around them in the streets of downtown. For those on the outside - those living north of Princess, attending Queen's, or apartment hunting for the first time here - things do need to change. Drastically.

I believe in the creativity, generosity and energy of people. I believe that given the right conditions, every one of us can - and wants to - shine. What would it take right here in Kingston to see more shiny people? I believe that the solution lies in bringing people together and fostering small ventures - connecting the dots between the wishes in someone's head and the ways to make them realities. By doing this we will encourage economic self-reliance in individuals and for the City itself.

Small business incubators encourage individuals with vision to take the chance on their dreams. They give new graduates a running start in pursuing their plans and they provide a reason for out-of-town entrepreneurs to locate here. Arts districts draw tourists, give locals a place to go and support creativity in the community. Local farming markets that include a much broader range of products than is already in the Clarence Street market could be set up to run almost year-round. Alternative energy incentives for homes and businesses have a fourfold benefit: they promote our city's autonomy, they are better for our environment, they save citizens/businesses money which can be put into other sectors of the economy, and they encourage the development of this rapidly expanding industry - Kingston could for once realize its dream of being at the forefront of a movement!

The solution, in short, is not to think about ONE BIG DEAL, but lots of little ones. History has taught us to be ready for vast changes in the way economies run. It could be that the next big shift is away from wide-markets and onto smaller, localized ones. In either case, boosting our local productivity can not have a negative effect.

This is my vision for Kingston. Interconnectedness, prosperity, and creativity.
It's doable.

Like Cats and Dogs

Ahhhhhh, bureaucracy! It's gotten the better of many a good person and this time it's taking down the Kingston Humane Society. In all seriousness I should not use that term, "taking down." I'm sure they'll recover. After all, life is going to go on.. poop happens, right? Yes it does - it happens even if the right paperwork hasn't been handed in, or the rules of the Board of Directors aren't followed.. poop still happens.

To me, the debacle at the Kingston Humane Society is a perfect little picture to communicate to all how utterly ridiculous some rules of business are. Here we have a relatively simply operation: take in strays and abandoned cats and dogs, keep a vet on staff to make sure the animals are healthy (and put them down when needed,) schedule staff, approve some volunteers, do the books, and hold fundraisers to get extra cash.

So what went wrong? In a word: people. Personalities, power-trips, priorities... without having been involved it's difficult for any of us to know which lethal combination of human chemistry led to the implosion. Reading about it in the paper almost feels like voyeurism so personal is the story. It's clear that the business side of the shelter has taken a back-seat to the personalities that populate it.

One wonders how many other organizations are simmering, simmering... just waiting for that final ingredient that will make them boil over. I can tell you from my experience that this dysfunctional stew exists everywhere I've been employed. Indeed, everywhere I've volunteered, too.

All workplaces need to be pro-active in dealing with the power-struggles that plague them. Office politics is so draining it is often the only aspect of work that employees and managers take home with them after hours; but what can be done?

I leave you to ponder. It's an emormous question without easy answers, but I think it is vital that the dialogue begin.

Milliken and again and again...

Why did Kingston elect Peter Miliken again? According to some odd new reasearch, it
s because Kingstonians are creatures of habit. Perhaps it isn't the research that's odd, but the analysis. Seems to me that if - as the reaserach posits - an electoral district swings by more than 66% in voter turn-out that you've got a less than habitual result on your hands.

Supposedly the voter turnout numbers in the "Student Housing" area surrounding Queen's increased from 370 in 2004 to 1,012 in 2006. And the intrepid Kingston Whig-Standard attributes this increase to the timing of the election, stating that "in 2004, the election took place after the school year was over, meaning that many of out-of-town students had returned home..." And we're supposed to believe that these same students all voted for Peter Milliken while here, huh? I'm not saying they didn't, for I haven't got any scientific way of proving that. But... you'll notice, dear, that I'm also not claiming that these same people voted FOR Milliken.. since there is no data to back that up, either. Seems to me that another reporter did make that unsubstantiated claim...

Students, in the throes of their idealism might indeed be more inclined to vote than your average citizen. Being that students usually have a component of liberal arts in their education they may be more inclined to vote in an anti-conservative manner. But does this mean that these votes would have gone to Milliken just because he wasn't a conservative? I don't think you could count on it.

Students are anti-establishment, too, if I may elaborate on the preconceptions put forth in the above paragraph (which were relied upon, I believe in the Whig article) and this being the case, they would naturally vote against the status quo, ergo against Milliken. My immediate hypothesis is that more votes would have been tossed towards Hutchinson (NDP) or for fringe candidates than for stodgey old Pete.

Who knows?

What I'd like to impress here today is that newspaper reports that analyse data are usually biased in favour of whoever pays the bill for the ink. Remember that whenever you read anything in any print publication. Remember when you watch television that the advertisers are the Gods of information. Remember that magazine truth is bought and paid for before it hits the newsstands, and possibly even before it even happens.

This is a crazy world we live in, folks, even here in Kingston. Don't believe everything you read. And do NOT ever base your vote on who you think Sydenham Ward is voting for.

outie.

P.S - i'd like to apologize to anyone who read this entry before I had time to edit it. Gosh golly there were a lot of mistakes in it. Probably still are a couple - no one can do a great job of self-editing. But - I've fixed what I saw, and had intended to do so before publishing.. but software beign what it is, I didn't get the chance. (rassa-frackin-mumber-jumber) :) outie again.

LVEC Projects Elsewhere in North America

To continue getting real about the Large Venue Entertainment Center and it's potential for Kingston, let's look at some of the things that have happened in other North American cities:

In Niagara Falls, New York the public-private partnership between Seneca Gaming Corp, the City and the school board to build a similar venue to the one proposed here, decided against the idea:

"A proposed collaboration between the school district, the city and the
Seneca Gaming Corp. to build a state-of-the-art arena has fallen through.“The
numbers just didn’t work out,” School Superintendent Carmen Granto said
Thursday.

“Everyone was friendly and tried to make it work, but we all agreed it
wasn’t going to happen.”A feasibility study was conducted last year to determine
what impact an arena seating 5,000 to 7,000 people would have financially.
Granto said the study came back estimating the facility would operate at a loss
of $300,000 to $500,000 a year." - from the Niagara Gazette, Mar 3, 2006

Niagara Falls, NY has a population of 55,000 with an overall county population of 219, 000. It is located strategically between 3 major cities: Chicago, Buffalo and Indianapolis. It is also in close proximity to the Canada-U.S border. The city's economy is made up largely of services (31.4%), Retail and Wholesale Trade (22.9%) and government (17%) and manufacturing (14%). Sound like any city you know? The spokesman for Seneca Gaming had this to say about the failed arena plan in that city:

"We know full well most arenas usually end up losing money because you
can’t have an event there every day,” Pantano said. “We were OK with that
because we know it’s important to build up the surrounding area and an arena
might help drive added traffic into Niagara Falls.”

The LVEC might drive more traffic into downtown Kingston, too. The deal fell through mostly because a counted-on grant didn't come through as expected and the private partner would have been on the hook for more than it originally believed. In Kingston's case, where would the extra money come from if one of our grants falls through?

It turns out that Louisville, Kentucky is going through a very similar drama as Kingston with respect to its mayor's arena plan. Granted, they are looking to build a 22,000 seater - but the taxpayer's concerns are the same. The dispute the location and the cost v benefit scenario. "And the $75 million in taxpayer dollars that Fletcher wants to fund construction of the project may just be the tip of the funding iceberg, too. Unsuccessful arenas often require government officials to tack on even higher local taxes on restaurant meals, hotel rooms and rental cars to keep stadiums above water. " (source: The Bluegrass Institute). Their fight continues.

Nanaimo's debate on whether or not to build a multi-purpose facility went to a referendum in 2002. The "yes" votes won by a slim margin. The new Nanaimo Center is being built. Keep in mind that the referendum vote was in 2002 and then consider that a March 13, 2006 report on the progress of the build states that "Construction of Foundations is currently anticipated to begin in early summer." They have also run into some unanticipated funding problems "due to the nature of the Provincial-public-private partnership laws, the project simply cannot be built in 2006 with an expenditure cap of 52.5 million."

Des Moines, Iowa, population 198,000 opened 17,000 seat Wells Fargo Arena in 2005 with a local hockey team, the Iowa Stars, as its main tenant. The Arena has 1-2 concert events booked in each of the upcoming 3 months, with very few trade shows and family shows scheduled. To give you an idea of the impact this rate of success has had on the city - check the facts: in 2002 the Unemployment rate for Des Moines was 3.5%. As of January, 2006 that rate had risen to 4.4%.

Charlotte, North Carolina opened 20,000 seat Bobcat Arena in October of 2005. the city has a population of almost 600,000 and is home to NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, the WNBA's Charlotte Sting and the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers. It's shows for 2005 and into 2006 include Elton John, Dolly Parton, Disney on Ice, U2, Bon Jovi and oddly, Manheim Steamroller. (?) Charlotte's unemployment rate in 2000 was 3.3% - in December 2005 it was at 5.1%.

Our concept of a Large Venue Entertainment Center isn't really all that ... well ... large, is it?
Aside from our regular hockey games, what types of events will the LVEC likely attract?Compare the types of acts at Bobcat Arena with the acts attracted by 4,000 - 6,000 seat arenas, and for simplicity's sake, we'll leave out all non pro hockey-related bookings:

• Kamloops' "Interior Savings Center": 3 dates booked: Tanya Tucker, Beach Boys, Harlem Globetrotters.
• Peterborough Memorial Center: 5 dates booked: Faye's Bridal Show; Home Hardware Trade Show; Jann Arden; Home and Outdoor Show and Willie Nelson.
• Boston's Bank of America Pavillion: 10 dates booked up to the end of August: Sigur Ross, Dreyfus Presents Willie Nelson, Govt Mule with Michael Franti and Spearhead, The New Cars NEW TOUR 2006 with Blondie, Etta James with Susan Tedeschi, Souls Alike Summer Tour with Bonnie Rait and Special Guest Keb 'mo, Steve Miller, Gypsy Kings, and the Ian Anderson Orchestra.

Some of these are good, some might be great, and some are likely less than marketable in Kingston - especially considering that for whatever reason, the city is asserting that the facility would be used more often in winterthan in summer, and most of the dates booked in the above list are summer dates. Would performers even tour much in the winter?

There is much more to be researched. Let me assure you that this is a tedious task. It is difficult to unearth data on this subject, even though, as one digs, it becomes apparent that the downtown multiplex idea is one on which many cities are pinning - or have pinned - their hopes.

I will return when I get up the heart to read endless arena data again. For now, yo've got enough to chew on.