It's a Taxing Time

Wednesday, there was an opening for seiners on Baynes Sound at the south end of the island. The nets went in the water at precisely ten a.m. and I assume closed an hour later as the fleet was heading back by 11:20. Oh yeah, we had blue skies for a change.

Yes, it’s time for a rant! Another rant, I'm sorry I'll try to get back on track next week with my happy-go-lucky attitude.
It’s a taxing time for all. As Revenue Canada gets their computer system working again, we’ve managed, (through my procrastination) to submit everything to an accountant in Courtenay. When I see the amount of taxes we pay (hidden and not) it brings out the little anarchist in me. The waste amazes me as governments at all levels gorge themselves on our tax dollars. I am honest to a fault and that’s my fault. Over this last year, I witnessed first hand the waste of taxpayers money in our court system. We have a Provincial Government that will do nothing of significance during their electoral term to improve our water, air, education or healthcare systems.
I am lucky enough to live in a vacation destination and consequently, have been smacked repeatedly by ferry rate increases because the service is not “self sufficient”. I want to hear what Whistler Residents would have to say, should they have to start paying to maintain one the most expensive pieces of highway in Canada. It really should pay for itself, and hey, user pays!
But I won’t be too hard on our provincial government because the Feds are too much fun. 2006 saw our Feds open Tatoo parlours in prisons, but nothing supersedes the “Dingwall” fiasco…. This should be a movie….
The following is an excerpt from the 2006 “Teddy Awards”…..Please read on…

Lifetime Achievement Teddy — David Dingwall:
The Academy of Taxers and Spenders is pleased to present its Lifetime Achievement Teddy to David Dingwall. Mr. Dingwall has relied on a steady dose of tax dollars for most of his career. First elected to the House of Commons in 1980, Mr. Dingwall held various cabinet portfolios under Jean Chrétien, including Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Public Works. His constituents elected him leading actor three more times but finally sent him packing in 1997. “But that only whet his appetite for taxpayers’ money even more,” said Kheiriddin.

After his defeat, Mr. Dingwall remained an Ottawa insider as a lobbyist. One of Jean Chrétien’s last acts as Prime Minister was to give his loyal friend a five-year appointment as President of the Royal Canadian Mint. Not only did this put Mr. Dingwall in charge of printing money, it seemed to give him a license to spend it as well. And at that, he was a natural.

Records show that in 2004, Mr. Dingwall and his top associates racked up $846,464 in expenses for wining and dining, traveling the globe, limousines rides, and country club memberships. Some of the gems included:

$133,037 in foreign and domestic travel

$14,487 in foreign and domestic dining (which included a Mint-staff dinner at a swanky Ottawa restaurant that cost $5,693)

$5,297 for golf membership fees

$5,998 for leased vehicles (including limousine services) despite having a car available for use from the Royal Canadian Mint
As head of the mint, David Dingwall was paid a paltry $277,000 a year – a salary that less than 1 percent of Canadians earn. No wonder public outrage followed when it was revealed that he still had the audacity to claim $1.09 for a newspaper, $1.79 for a bottle of water, $1.29 for a package of gum, and $6.04 for four Tim Horton’s coffees and a donut.

Surely, Mr. Dingwall’s disposable income provides him with the resources to pay for his own Dentyne, double-doubles and crullers? Apparently not. Despite a $20 per-diem to cover such incidentals, Mr. Dingwall still attempted to have taxpayers foot the bill.

Mr. Dingwall also received $350,000 for his supporting role in helping a Toronto-based pharmaceutical company secure $17.2-million in financing and grants through an Industry Canada Program, despite rules forbidding “success fees.”

The blatant disregard for taxpayers’ money finally caught up with Mr. Dingwall in September, 2005 when the allegations of ethical lapses and questionable spending forced him to resign as head of the Royal Canadian Mint, but to taxpayers’ dismay, this horror story gets worse.

While no one in the real world gets severance if they quit their job, David Dingwall is apparently the exception. When questioned about his expenses at a House of Commons committee, David Dingwall was asked whether he thought he should receive a severance. Mr. Dingwall uttered the now infamous, “I am entitled to my entitlements,” enraging taxpayers further. But as his last film ends Mr. Dingwall is laughing when in late January, 2006 he is awarded $417,780 in severance.

In the closing credits it is learned David Dingwall will “Ding” taxpayers for years to come as his parliamentary pension is currently valued at over $77,000 per year and will pay him $1.9-million in lifetime benefits.


OK, Back to Island Life....Last Friday, we went to a Classical Guitar Concert, featuring Daniel Bolshoy.
Although classical guitar isn't my thing, I enjoyed the concert and can certainly appreciate the talent it takes to master an instrument as this young fellow had. For the most part it sounded like there were two guitar players...? The concert was fairly well attended, as most concerts of this calibre are on Denman. This was a high-end gig at $15 bones.

For those of you that have seen "An inconvenient Truth", have a look at this video for a different slant on things.... What tics me off about this film is, it doesn't go on to say that although we may not be causing global warming, we're finding lots of other ways to screw up our planet. Grab some popcorn and give it a go.

It's hard to believe, but Curt has written 2 weeks in a row! Here ya go..... "WEre back from Tauranga now..safe and sound..
We spent our days boogieboarding in 4 ft. swells at Papamoa beach- some pretty sick rides and some war wounds on Denise's stomach..haha- some of her family got out of the water, scared that the blood would attract sharks, when Denise refused to let her wounds keep her from the waves. We also took a guided Kayak tour through Mclaren park...but get this= we were supplied with wine and cheese until the lighting was just right to go kayaking....we didnt realize that the lighting would have to be completely pitch black! We literally kayaked on a lake when we couldn't see 6 feet in front of us...our lead guide kayaked ahead 50 ft. and shined his torch as a signal to paddle towards where he was at. Anyways ..the climax of the tour was of course the amazing canyon of glowworms we floated through before heading back into the darkness..
Were now back at Pai's house relaxing by the ocean and planning a trip around Cape Kidnappers...a world-famous place to view a rare Gannet Colony's nesting grounds and to check out some pretty insane fault lines that would send MR. Colman over the edge.
Anywho..were ok and it sounds like you are too; island life sounds spectacular.....


Cheap Dave's Wine Corner
There was lots of wine to be tasted this week from a wide variety of countries. Let's get started.... Thanks to company, we were able to open more bargains than usual.

Flor do Crasto Douro 2004 (Portugal) $13.99
Several wine review sites have endorsed this wine recently. It is touted as a best buy, but there is no supply on the east coast of Van Isle. When my sister called and asked if there was anything she could bring, I suggested a stop in Port Alberni to pick up a bottle. Bingo! We opened this wine about 20 mins before tasting. It was a nice mix of a rustic, old world style with a healthy dose of fruit, topped off with a longish finish. Well worth the money, if you can find it.

Gallo Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 (USA) $18.99
I know what you're thinking....Cheap Dave, what's with this $19 wine? What can I say? I heard about this wine and it had decent reviews for a wine at this price point. The nose on this wine was very inviting and smokey, with a good quantity of fruit, but not a fruit bomb. It had a ton of that cedar, cigar, smokey taste that I love from Cali Cabs, but what happened to the finish? This wine teased you with lots of promise, but there was just no finish. It's the cab that dumped you on the side of the road and refused to take you home, even though you'd paid the fare in advance. At this price, I think I'll have to PASS. Damn, I really wanted to like this wine.

Cono Sur Viognier 2006 (Chile) $10.99 I first tried this wine back in November and it instantly became one of my favorite white wines. This Viognier has a buttery cream feel with lots of citrus, not over-oaked, (and as my sister pointed out, lots of front end anise). If you're turned off by the screw-cap, hide the bottle and serve it to your friends. A great wine and a great price! Also reviewed in last week's Vancouver Sun..and that usually means there will be a run on it.....buy some quick. Gismondi- "The quirky factor for Cono Sur Viognier Limited Release 2006 is how the hell do they do it for the price? The nose is all lime, mineral, mango and honey aromas. It is round and rich with elegance and moderate acidity. The flavours mix a ridiculous amount of spicy, ginger, orange peel, honey and mineral for the price. A solid, fresh wine for white meats and seafood. Great value".