Ontario Budget Release March 2012

Here's  a copy of the press release we received from the office of the Premier of Ontarion on March 27, 2012..TELL US YOUR VIEW IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON FACEBOOK!

Strong Action for Ontario

A Plan to Balance the Budget, Create Jobs, Protect Education and Health Care

The 2012 Ontario Budget includes a deficit elimination plan that reduces program spending growth and contains costs by $17.7 billion over the next three years, while increasing revenues by $4.4 billion without raising taxes.

This is serious action for a serious time and puts Ontario on track to eliminate the deficit by 2017–18.

More than 50 cents of every dollar spent by the Ontario government pays for the compensation of teachers, doctors and others in the broader public sector. Given the serious fiscal challenge the Province is facing, compensation costs must be managed if the government is to meet its fiscal targets and protect the gains made over the past eight years in education and health care.

The collective bargaining process will be respected. Where agreements cannot be negotiated that are consistent with the plan to balance the budget and protect priority services, the government is prepared to propose the necessary administrative and legislative measures.

The government intends to introduce a number of measures to make public sector pensions more affordable for taxpayers and sustainable for pension plan members, following consultations with affected stakeholders. For example, in cases where pensions are in a deficit, many public sector workers would be asked to reduce future benefits before seeking additional pension contributions from employers or the government. Current retirees would not be affected.

The 2012 Budget proposes strong action to balance the budget by 2017–18, including:

§  Implementing savings of $4.9 billion over three years

§  Freezing the general Corporate Income Tax rate and Business Education Tax rate reductions until the budget is balanced

§  Capping the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit at 3,000 kWh per month

§  Changing the Ontario Drug Benefit program so that about five per cent of seniors — those with the highest incomes — pay a larger share of their prescription drug costs

§  Ensuring Ontario user fees recover more of the cost of providing programs and services

§  Extending the pay freeze for MPPs for another two years — for a total of five years

§  Extending the pay freeze for executives at hospitals, universities, colleges, school boards and agencies for another two years.

The deficit for 2011–12 is projected to be $15.3 billion — $1 billion lower than forecast a year ago and an improvement of over 38 per cent from the 2009–10 deficit forecast in the fall of 2009. Without the measures announced in the 2012 Budget, Ontario’s deficit would approach $25 billion in 2014–15. Instead, it is projected to be $10.7 billion that fiscal year.

The government will continue to focus on its priorities to further strengthen the economy and spur job creation.

Jobs and Prosperity

To help build a strong and diversified Ontario that enables business to invest in innovation, improve productivity and become more globally competitive, the government will:

§  Consolidate many business support programs into a Jobs and Prosperity Fund that will focus on productivity growth and job creation, while generating overall savings of $250 million in 2014–15

§  Establish a multi-stakeholder Jobs and Prosperity Council to advise the government on a plan to boost Ontario’s productivity, and lead a research agenda on Ontario’s productivity and innovation

§  Diversify Ontario’s exports to emerging economies by streamlining and coordinating the trade promotion activities of relevant ministries.

Knowledge and Skills

The government will continue to build on its plan to have the world’s best-educated workforce to ensure future prosperity in the knowledge-based economy by:

§  Fully implementing full-day kindergarten by September 2014

§  Keeping a cap on class sizes in the early grades

§  Remaining committed to the 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant for eligible full-time undergraduate university and college students

§  Further integrating training programs across government to make them more responsive to today’s job market.

Transforming Health Care

The government will build on Ontario’s Action Plan for Health Care to create a sustainable and high-quality health care system by:

§  Transforming health care to reduce the rate of growth of spending to an average of 2.1 per cent annually over the next three years

§  Enhancing community-based care to treat patients in alternative settings such as non-profit clinics and at home instead of in hospitals, where appropriate

§  Moving to patient-centred funding models to improve the value and quality of care.

QUOTES

“We are making the right choices to ensure that Ontario families are receiving the best possible services and the best value for tax dollars. All of us have a role to play in balancing the budget.”
- Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance

“Building a stronger Ontario requires strong action. We will make the right choices to protect the vital gains we have made together. When we make these choices, we will choose protecting education and health care — every single time.”
- Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance

QUICK FACTS

 §  As a result of measures proposed in the 2012 Budget, Ontario’s accumulated deficit would be $22.1 billion lower in 2014–15 than if no action was taken.

§  For every dollar in new revenues outlined in the 2012 Budget, there are four dollars of savings and cost-containment measures.

§  Measures to reduce program spending by a cumulative $17.7 billion over the next three years, compared to what it would have otherwise been, include:

§  $4.9 billion in planned savings from removing overlap and duplication, implementing more efficient delivery models and focusing on core business

§  $6 billion in government actions to restrain compensation for school boards, payments to physicians and public servants

§  $6.8 billion to contain costs across the broader public sector.

§  Ontario’s economy is projected to grow at 1.7 per cent in 2012, 2.2 per cent in
2013 and 2.4 per cent in 2014.

§  In 2011, more than 121,000 jobs were created in Ontario — with full-time employment increasing by 123,400.

§  The cost of servicing Ontario’s debt is approximately $10 billion, the third-largest annual expense behind health care and education. To put this in perspective, Ontario spends more on interest each year than on colleges and universities.

§  For every one per cent increase in interest rates, the cost to service the debt increases by $467 million in the first year of the increase. If no action is taken to balance the budget, Ontario would pay almost as much to service the debt in
2017–18 as it spends on education today.

§  In February 2012, the Conference Board of Canada suggested that if no action was taken to control growth in spending, Ontario’s deficit could be $16 billion by 2017–18. Using similar assumptions, the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services estimated that the deficit could be as high as $30 billion.

§  In 2011–12, Ontario’s per capita program spending is projected to be $8,560. This is the lowest among the provinces and 11 per cent below the average spent across the other nine provincial governments.

§  Ontario delivers government services with the lowest per-capita number of provincial public servants.

LEARN MORE

Read the 2012 Ontario Budget.

Learn more about expense management measures being taken by Ontario.

Read background information on the 2012 Ontario Budget:

§  Ontario’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Plan

§  Public Sector Compensation

§  Balancing the Budget

§  A Fair and Efficient Drug System

Read highlights of the 2012 Ontario Budget.

by Richard Rosenthal

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JOB FAIR MARCH 28, 2012

Premier Aviation and the City of Windsor to Host Job Fair

Premier Aviation Overhaul Centre, a leading aircraft maintenance and overhaul company located in Trois-Rivières (QC) and Rome (NY) is expanding and ready to open its new 143,000 square foot facility at the Windsor International Airport.

In partnership with the City of Windsor, Premier will host a job fair seeking immediate positions in aircraft heavy maintenance on Wednesday, March 28^th, 2012 at the Windsor International Airport, Main Terminal (Gate 5) between 10am and 2pm.

Proud to be a part of the Windsor community, Premier Aviation is looking to build a exciting team of qualified technicians including:

·         E/S/M2 AME’s

·         Avionics / Composites technicians

·         Mechanics / Structures technicians

·         Inspectors and Supervisors

·         QA Auditor

They are also looking for: 

·         General Manager

·         Director of Maintenance

·         Director of Quality

For those unable to attend the job fair, resumes can be posted online at premieraviation@city.windsor.on.ca.  To learn more about Premier Aviation, please visit website at www.premieraviation.ca.

by Richard Rosenthal

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March 27, 2012 Meeting On Fitness Tips For Professional Women

The Women’s Economic Forum of Windsor invites the general public to attend their monthly dinner meeting on March 27, 2012 to attend the Business Dinner Meeting .   Mike Bates,  Personal Trainer and writer of “Get Fit” will share his insights on “FITNESS  Tips for Professional Women”.

The Women’s Economic Forum is a meeting for business women, and provides networking with the opportunity to increase business, skills and relationships with other professional women.  The event will be held at the Other Place Catering and Reception Centre located at 1395 Walker Road, Windsor Ontario.

You are welcome to come and bring a friend . You will see first hand how WEF works to support each other and you will have an opportunity to promote your own business, introduce your service or organization by expanding your network with supporting members. This is an exciting meeting you will not want to miss.  

The cost is $25 for WEF members, $35 for guests. Registration and networking begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the speaker at 7:30 p.m.

Deadline for reservations is noon Friday, March 23, 2012.

Tickets can be obtained by calling the WEF Hotline at (519) 992-5993 or by emailing administrator@womenseconomicforum.com. For more information visit womenseconomicforum.com


by Richard Rosenthal

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Practice Your Pitch 4 The Dragons March 21, 2012

With CBC’s Dragons’ Den auditions coming to Windsor on March 29^th at the Chamber of Commerce (2575 Ouellette Place from 11 am to 6 pm NOTE DATE CHANGE), WEtech thought it would be a great idea to piggyback on these auditions and help our local inventors/entrepreneurs get some practice before the BIG day.

Having said that, Essex Angel Capital’s CEO and COO have graciously agreed to participate in a “Practice Your Pitch” session at the Accelerator (downtown Windsor next to the Bull N' Barrel) on March 21^st from 7-9PM.

Go to the registration/application page at http://practiceyourpitch2012.eventbrite.com/ to learn more.

WEtech will be involved in the judging process and making sure that only the 10 most promising pitches move forward. This is primarily due to timing constraints. The application process is very simple. The application deadline is March 13^th at 5PM. Please pass along this information to any of your clients that are planning on pitching to the Dragons (not limited to just those who are pitching to the Dragons). The 10 pitch spots will be giving to those who have ideas/inventions that can be easily pitched and in 5 minutes.


by Richard Rosenthal

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Windsor Rock Wall March 7 to 10, 2012 At Phog Lounge

Windsor Rock Wall
March 7 - 10th, 2012
Opening Night: Saturday March 10th, 7pm
(4 days only!)

"Can every Windsor musician and band fit on one sheet of paper? Many of them already have, but the sheet of paper is gargantuan."

Starting as a visual art experiment, Tom Lucier began asking his customers at Phog Lounge to add musicians and bands to a series of ever-growing sheets of paper located in the front entrance of the bar. The core concept was to take the final product and make it into a silkscreen poster. But it quickly expanded into a giant archive of local music history, recent and not-so-recent. The centre point, labeled "Windsor Music Tangle" was not supposed to be the spot where all bands and musicians stemmed. Bands were supposed to find a common band member from the bands already on the wall, and then branch out from there. It has now been termed the Windsor Rock Wall. The result is an overwhelming visual knot of snaking black lines connecting bands (written in red) and musicians (written in black). Bands only connect to musicians, and vice-versa. Bands don't connect to bands, and musicians don't connect to musicians.

The Windsor Rock Wall contains any bands that have played live shows...even if it was just one time, in front of a crowd. All genres of music are accepted, including cover bands, from any era. So far, rock has dominated, but pop, metal, screamo, electronic, folk, country, jazz, blues and more all have found their way onto the Wall. As long as the root of the band had/has members in Windsor/Essex, it's fair game. Solo musicians can also make it, but Lucier believes that they've played with a band for at least one show, and he'd rather tie them into the design that way, rather than a direct line from the centre.

"The collection of bands has been mistaken for a roadmap of some kind, and has been compared to a Windsor brain, with all of it's musical synapses. It's like a physical version of Facebook, for musicians...if it were visualized." states Lucier.

The Windsor Rock Wall has outgrown it's initial home, and will be transitioning to SB Contemporary Art gallery @1017 Church Street, where it can have dedicated attention and space to allow for musicians to add new content. Spending almost six months in the busy front entrance of Phog Lounge, it has been vandalized and tagged by people just looking to make their mark, although many of them aren't musicians.

"It's time to protect this thing," Lucier said. Sarah Beveridge, the owner of SB Contemporary Art agreed, "it was time to give this large work of art some breathing room in order to let it grow." It will stand in SB Contemporary Art gallery for four evenings. The first three nights (March 7-9 from the hours of 7pm to10pm) will be dedicated to welcoming anyone wanting to come in and add music information, and the Saturday night will host a night for everyone to just reminisce, have a drink, and enjoy the spectacle. Lucier will be on-hand with red and black markers and two dedicated ledgers (filled with all of the bands and musicians currently on the Rock Wall) each night. "It got so big, people stopped wanting to add to it because they don't have enough time to assess whether or not their band, or bandmate is already on it."

With the contents mapped out using a grid system like a map, it's going to be easy for people wanting to add information by simply looking in the alphabetized books and then charting from there. "I'd like it to be as inclusive and expansive as possible," Lucier said, "and who knows where we go after these four days go by when it's chock full of info." Lucier knows the next step is to plot the info online using archiving software of some kind, and possibly publishing a book, and hosting a website that can house the band info, their connections, and any media that the bands are willing to upload such as photos, videos, and songs. "We'd likely need funding to research if all of these are legit, if everyone's names are spelled correctly, and to untangle this unbelievable mass of criss-crossing lines if we want it to be done right," Lucier said.

Lucier is willing to take submissions via email, phoglounge@gmail.com, where he requests that musicians send the band name, and the names of each band member. "I'll add everyone to this wall as long as I receive the info before March 7th."

For more information: Tom Lucier can be reached at phoglounge@gmail.com and Sarah Beveridge can be reached via...

SB Contemporary Art

1017 Church Street

Windsor, ON  N9A 4V3

(519) 819-0536

sbeveridgeart@gmail.com

by Richard Rosenthal

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Help Little Noah Bondy Feb. 20 to 27, 2012

Mike Coffin and Amy Coffin-Bondy are Sales Professionals with Royal Lepage Binder Real Estate and are sponsoring a blood drive the week of February 20th to the 27th.

Mike Coffin's grandson Noah was diagnosed at 7 months with the rarest blood clotting disorder there is called Factor X deficiency. With about 22 diagnosed in Canada there is not a lot known about it. Noah's levels are low and he is considered severe.

Noah's parents, Mike and Amy Coffin-Bondy will be learning how to give him injections for his treatments once a week for the rest of his life to try and minimize the risk of internal bleeding. Please take the time to donate, so many people will be helped! Call 1 888 2 DONATE to book your appointment and mention Noah.

 **Many are asking if this will go directly to Noah and no it won't but there is a great need for blood donations and so many will benefit. Noah's treatment is made from blood donations from many people and they extract the actual factor he needs.

Contact Amy Coffin-Bondy at amybondy@yahoo.ca if you need further information.


by Richard Rosenthal

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Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair Open House Feb. 23, 2012

The Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair will host an open house to meet with the community and generate new project ideas.

“Since 1975, we have contributed more than $1 million to our local and worldwide communities,” said President Paul Charbonneau. “But we’re not done yet!  We want to meet with organizations and individuals who might have great community service project ideas and are looking for partners to help turn them into reality.”

Since its inception, the Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair has undertaken many service projects aimed at making the world a better place.  In addition to the partnership that created the Ganatchio Trail, the club has contributed significant amounts of money to developing the park at Shanfield Shores, and has built a beautiful gazebo at that location. They continue to conduct at least one cleanup at the trail each year.  As well, the club raised $100,000 for the Windsor-Essex Cancer Centre Foundation, presenting the final installment of their commitment in 2002.  In 2004, the Rotary Centennial Playground was built at LaCasse Park, providing a boundary free experience for all children, regardless of their level of physical or sensory ability.   Internationally, the club has contributed to fresh water projects and shipped thousands of eyeglasses to the Philippines. In partnership with the Town of Tecumseh, they refurbished a firetruck and shipped it to Namibia, Africa.  In Kenya and Ghana, the club has undertaken a major role in building and refurbishing schools and health clinics through their RELAY (Rotarians Enhancing Learning for African Youth) initiative. 

The open house will take place on Thursday, February 23 from 5pm – 6:30pm at the Windsor Yacht Club, 9000 Riverside Drive East.  Those interested in submitting a project proposal form at the open house should visit the club’s website at www.rotarywindsorstclair.com to fill out the simple application.

“We hope that many ideas will come forward.  We also hope that individuals who wish to learn more about  who we are and what we do will join us,” Charbonneau concludes.  “There are endless opportunities to contribute to improving the community we all share.”

Rotary is the world’s largest service organization with 1.2 million members. The Rotary Club of Windsor St. Clair is comprised of about 40 members from around the Essex Region dedicated to improving our local and worldwide communities by undertaking projects to address hunger, health, literacy, promote physical activity, and provide support to the financially disadvantaged in our community. 


by Richard Rosenthal

Read Biz X Magazine Here