Roasted & Toasted – December 8, 2020
By Roast and Toast on December 8, 2020.
ROAST: To city council for wanting to cut police funding: We need all the police we can get to patrol all streets in Lethbridge to control the crime rate. More police on the streets and less criminals. One way to do this is when you have extra money don’t build or renovate any arts centre, build a jail and put the criminals in it instead of back on the streets. Perhaps you could use Casa for now for all the good it is doing us.
ROAST: To the person complaining about the bylaw officer: I believe the bylaw officer only does his job if someone complains. So you and all your friends and neighbours need to phone in to city 311 and then you will get action.
TOAST: We should all expect a reduction in refuse services soon. The $7.50 per month surcharge should have by now eliminated the cost for the “Tarleck Tubs” and the blue (no refund) tubs. If you remember the $7.50 originated with our latest (blue) refundable units. Have you ever received a report on the credits for recyclables that conveniently flows into general revenue? We doubt that there is any taxable write-offs left for this acquisition. So who is doing the bookkeeping to keep the public in touch? It sure as heck isn’t the council members who only know how to spend.
ROAST: My first receipt of “The Epoch Times” was quite interesting but scattered with a variety of rather extremist views. The most important fact that was noticed was that since the Liberals in Canada approved legalized cannabis extracts or concentrates, that one in five students from Grade 7 through 12 are using the drug now. The evident increases to the THS marijuana levels will unfortunately and inevitably diminish our adolescent brain power development in Canada.
TOAST: This week from Health Canada, Ottawa. Breaking news! Tonight at 8 p.m. local time a medical satellite is flying over Canada to take everybody’s temperature. Please stand outside naked beside your door and wave your health card in the air.
ROAST: While we are one of the highest-taxed cities in Canada, wouldn’t you think that Mayor Spearman could stop expounding on the accomplishments of zero increases for property, water, waste water and garbage collection? The taxpayers should be finding a surplus in savings rather than zero increases. City council should curb their continual attempts at mounting their names on brass plaques on the never-endng list of new projects that we can’t really afford at this time. Do not overspend and you won’t end up short at year’s end.
TOAST: The waste collection drivers deserve a big thank you for traversing our front streets. It is like a game of dodgeball as they navigate sharp corners and continually back up to comply with city council’s bad decision to discontinue rear-premises pickup.
ROAST: Who is responsible enough to eliminate all of the fradulent robocalls to our homes and businesses? The phone companies say nay, the police give you a national number to call where they listen to your concerns and file it under miscellaneous, never to be heard from again. Dial one at your own peril as no one is interested except the crooks.
TOAST: Corona Coaster – noun: The ups and downs of a pandemic. One day you’re loving your bubble, doing workouts, baking banana bread and going for long walks and the next you’re crying, drinking gin for breakfast and missing people you don’t even like.
TOAST: I see people about my age skiing and mountain climbing. I feel good getting my leg through my underwear without losing my balance.
ROAST: Just watch the City Finance Committee under Miyashiro cave in to demands by the organizations that supply aids to our mental stability. The arts, library, Galt Museum, Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Sports Council, Nikka Yuko and the Ethnic Association are all operating on a diminishing availability due to health conditions. Who could not put up with a 25 per cent reduction in these services for a year? Look at it realistically as to the cause and effect and put our medical health above these supplementary items in our society.
TOAST: Since the invention of GPS-locating devices, wouldn’t it be advisable to place a wrist or ankle bracelet on those who are on probation, treatment programs, awaiting sentencing or conditional release? Why should the judicial system be held hostage by all of those who disrespect the laws of the land? Removal of location devices prior to the removal of criminal arrest procedures would be an automatic jail sentence. Catch-as-catch-can is a real waste of our police system’s time!
TOAST: To The Herald for keeping us informed and easing public panic during this crisis. Compliments to your journalists, the public health officers and translators to ordinary citizens, they keep us calm, cool and, most of all, connected.
ROAST: To Jason Kenney and the UCP government for not taking the $300 million from the federal government with no strings attached to supplement the wages of the overworked front-line workers in Alberta during the pandemic we are in. Is this government totally incompetent or do they prefer to complain and fight with the frontline workers? We know they do not take this pandemic seriously. Totally poor management.
ROAST: To the non-stop whining and complaining of businesses. Maybe you should have had a nine-month emergency fund put away. Maybe you’re just not motivated enough. Maybe you shouldn’t have wasted your money on luxury items. How much longer do you expect the Canadian taxpayer to keep bailing you out? Show some personal responsibility and pull yourselves up by your bootstraps.
ROAST: It won’t kill you to wear a mask but it might kill someone if you don’t.
ROAST: To the northside automotive store that allows people without masks to shop. When confronted, the three people did not say they were medically exempt, but that masking is harmful. There is a bylaw! If that is your opinion get someone else to shop for you or get a face shield! The stores must enforce these laws!
TOAST: To those who support the Lethbridge Herald with a subscription. You support a more open and transparent city hall with its public notices being advertised in The Herald. Put your money where your mouth is and keep track of which councillors support open and transparent advertising of city hall activities. List those against in roasts and or letters to the editor. Ask why they want city hall activities hidden?
TOAST: To the CRH staff and to Dr. Johnson. I recently had a procedure done and the care I received was excellent.
ROAST: To all those protesting the wearing of masks or the religious zealots who claim God will protect them and insist it is their right to choose. Their names and those of their families should be entered into a data base that can be used to determine who gets medical treatment for COVID.
ROAST: To the City of Lethbridge and their ridiculous budget review. All these cuts to amenities we as taxpaying citizens use but no cuts to over paid management? I would like a review done on how many useless managers sit up in that ivory tower we call city hall. Are they going to jump on a mower when our coulees are overgrown? Or jump on a plow when streets are covered in snow? How about police our streets? Typical, don’t trim the fat from the top but take jobs from the lower hard-working employees. Shame.
TOAST: In Canada we should consider electing Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, as the Man of the Year. No one has committed more time and effort this year.
TOAST: Many thanks and best wishes to The Herald main office staff who will not be attending to the public entry to the premises after Nov. 25.
ROAST: It is very thoughtful for our provincial and federal governments to radio and television broadcast that we wash our hands and cover our faces. We are all quite coherent so a little of this should go a long way. Enough is evident now as we all smarten up.
TOAST: Although the St. Patrick’s Church has been closed for years, the Catholic hierarchy continues to keep the locks on the doors. Former parishioners might just as well recommend that it be turned into a historic site and save their contributions for more worthy endeavours.
ROAST: What does the future hold for your farm? Through 2020 many young farmers and farm families reach out for planned tips to pass along the businesses. The taxation rules set out by our federal government make it ever more trying to keep farms within the family. Our future of agriculture will continue with larger and larger farms and the elimination of small to medium farms.
ROAST: Watching Mike Tyson box is as exciting as watching Trump golf.
ROAST: To everyone slamming the person re: wait times for a simple hospital procedure, telling of the immense cost of same in the “American system.” You know not much about how that system works, percentage wise there’s no more left out in the cold in the USA with health problems than in Canada. Check the list of medications not covered in the Canadian system, then the actual cost for a family of four in this country; you will be surprised, all hidden well in the outrageous taxes each Canadian pays to cover that “free” health care. The money at play adding surreal numbers annually to the debt should startle anyone with a heartbeat.
ROAST: What? Since when does the City of Lethbridge have control over The Herald’s print ads? But hey, while we’re on the topic, what about all the TV commercials. I counted 15 commercials at once during a show and it seems they break every five minutes to play commercials during some programs. I actually change the channel as it is very annoying.
ROAST: To the small group of mask protesters. You choose to listen to ridiculous opinions on not wearing masks instead of placing faith in science and medical professionals. Give your head a shake.
ROAST: To Spearman and council voting to extend the mandatory mask bylaw. Extend it but not enforce it. Grow a backbone. Make it simple. No mask, no entry.
ROAST: Wow, we really are under marshal law with these new powers the police have. Now a 23-year-old rookie police officer can be your law, judge and executioner. Kenney has given police officers the undisputable right to take the family car, their only way to get to work, and put it in their towing company’s yard (cahoots)and bill them daily so the bill is worth more than the car. Now they get to sell the car at auction and split the profits. You have to hire a lawyer if you want to fight said charge, thus making it out of reach for the commoner (us poor people trying to survive COVID). Trudy, Kenney and the rest of them are all in the pocket of the one-percenters. Communism is on our doorstep. Wake up. Are you surprised to be told to sort and clean your trash? Every day we are being forced to be more subservient.
ROAST: To the people complaining about the lack of mandatory masking. Lethbridge does have a masking bylaw. It doesn’t matter! People still don’t wear them. No one is enforcing the law! Get after the City to enforce this. Store owners aren’t enforcing it as they don’t want to be assaulted and want the business.
ROAST: To the roaster who roasted Rachael Harder based on an article/news story by the Liberal Propaganda Machine CBC! The story was clearly twisted and filled with innuendo to make it look like Ms. Harder was only focusing on the 10 Albertans who died from COVID with no comorbidity. The article Ms. Harder posted on Facebook was a story from the Sun based on information provided by AHS. The CBC only insinuated Ms. Harder was inferring only the 10 were important. The article by the Sun had important information that we all should know because it obviously showed that COVID attacks the vulnerable with greater severity and that we as a society have an obligation to protect those who are vulnerable. We don’t always know who that may be and we should always be on guard by following the recommendations of AHS by wearing a mask, social distancing and washing our hands.
ROAST: To members of the city council who do not know the difference between “essential service” and fee-for-service groups, the terms of the operating budget, and service fee. The question: is fee for service a business unit included in the operating budget; are they an essential service? Why does the Finance Committee shortchange the LPS $1 million – an essential service – and gives fee-for-service groups $1 million over two years. The for-service groups are not part of the operating budget; they are councillors’ initiatives, normally last on the budget process but this time first to pick taxpayers’ pockets. Why pay them from an MRSR loan to be paid back by the taxpayer with interest? Phone or email your council members and give them your opinion on this.
TOAST: To all the churches gathering socks for the Soup Kitchen and the Shelter! And to my own church, McKillop, plus my good friends Ruth and Debi … who donated 27 pairs of socks to our Sox Box! And of course to all the folks in Lethbridge who together are making Christmas bright for so many in need.
ROAST: Jason Kenney says ordering huge military tents to house COVID victims is just good forward planning, as all other provinces are doing. The difference is that other provinces are forward planning to prevent COVID deaths while Alberta is forward planning to accommodate more COVID deaths. What a disaster for Alberta!
ROAST: The UCP government needs to be much stricter with virus rules. Wearing masks made mandatory was definitely needed. As for anti-maskers, if you don’t wear one you have a greater chance of catching the virus. Such a simple choice for you to make.
ROAST: To Spearman and his cronies. They say there will be zero tax increases. Well, here goes another hike in our utilities. They have to make money up somewhere so they can support all their artsy-fartsy employees who get paid to stand around and twiddle their thumbs in taxpayer heated and cooled buildings planning their next wine-and-cheese party.
TOAST: To City of Lethbridge Forestry, 311 complaint for tree requiring action, received and acted upon within one day, including limb being sent through chipper same day as action. Outstanding service.
ROAST: To the service request system, not for furthering the request, everything was great; however, there is no system in place to access the request after the action taken and comment on the action( either pro or con). This needs to be addressed. The only way I can see is to through the Herald Roasted & Toasted which is OK but if there is negative input, the City would not have an easy access to refute the roast except in the same format. If either negative or positive, the employees should know what the comments received are.
ROAST: To the CP rail engineer who never even tried to slow down when he ran over half a herd that looks to be 100. He should be fined with animal cruelty and pay for every animal he maimed and killed. I worked on the railway and he had ample time to slow down, he could see them for miles ahead. He just wanted to get home and he gets paid by the trip and not the hour. Type in Maple Creek pronghorn on CP Rail, it will appall you.
ROAST: For years I have been reading in these pages people complaining with the big spenders we have got in our city hall. Then, by surprise, I read now every day that our mayor and some councillors are cutting their budget to save taxpayers money. What is happening in city hall? Could it have to do with the fact that we have entered the last stretch before the next civic elections?
ROAST: To The Herald for not putting the stats in sports section any more.
TOAST: No matter what a government is doing, there is always two sides of supporters. In this pandemic time, it is worse. Some are just not believing in science and it is mindboggling how that is possible. Is it because of Trump? He created lots of confusion. Today Dr. Hinshaw said the truth. We have to work together, taking care of each other. One-third of the COVID cases came from smaller towns and rural areas! The mask is not about freedom, it is about loving each other. You do not want to follow the rules, stay home! The more we work together, the more life can get back to normal sooner. The case numbers are not fake news! We cannot blame the government for this sickness but to co-operate to help them to do the job right. It is our lives we are talking about. God only helps those who help themselves!
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