Ryan Geddes http://www.ryangeddes.com

Haldimand County Public Library

Anyone who knows me knows that I am the quintessential bibliophile (I love books).  I typically buy all of my literature and either clutter up my house or to give away to friends.  I decided to step into the Jarvis branch of the library the other day to get some children' s books; my kids go through them quicker than I do.  The last library I was in was an academic library so it was an experience to see how the modern public library is laid out.  It is quite open and peaceful.  For those of you who don't know, the library carries audio, video and now video games.  I was able to get my daughter a Mickey Mouse DVD along with her books.

I asked the librarian about the video games and she explained it was a bit of a draw to get kids off the street (or their butt) and into the library.  I went home and packaged probably 20 Wii and Xbox 360 games as well as the two machines and the hardware.  I also included really good DVDs that we no longer watch (or very rarely).  I would recommend  that everyone donates their DVD collection they aren't using and their video games.  I ended up in Caledonia because Jarvis has wonky hours, but I contributed to the same system.

The prefix word of community is com which means "together". Public is a word that can be loosely translated as "the people".  We are responsible for the quality of our  library through contributions.  Whether its video games or novels and whether they shelve or sell them - together, we the people can help build a strong library system.

The system already has some really cutting edge partnerships including online access to audio books and online access to language learning software.  As with most organizations, if nobody helps out we can never expect improvement.

Transit

I know there are many of you out there who think I am crazy for even thinking of developing a transit system in a rural location.  I think it is crazy not too.  When you take low income and wide spaces of undeveloped land with no transportation you are bound to have problems - especially with employment.  This is an essential idea and an entirely affordable idea.
There are three different busses that could be used, mostly along the Hwy 3 and Hwy 6 routes.  Intra-city for Dunnville and Caledonia would have to be figured out with demand.

This bus I found used for less than 20k ( I could probably negotiate even lower).  It seats about 30.

The next one is a true mini bus; most of these are Ford E350 or E450 converts.  They hold about 15 to 20 people and cost around 20k ( could probably find some even cheaper).

The final bus holds about 50 people.  It is what we would use during rush hour or on peak bus lines.  They cost anywhere from about 10k ( the african one below) to 150k for a new mercedes.

I think used it good in our situation and we can easily put something together and create a few jobs along the was for less than a couple hundred thousand.  When Mississauga Transit first started, it was blue school busses running in a continuous loop.  I remember waiting an hour for a bus sometimes;  though it did become a big and successful transit.  It is essential that we get a transit system set up for the sake of the commuters, the low income and the environment.

Ontario Agrees with me

It started out a lovely morning; I was outside digging holes for cedars, the birds were chirping, my kids were playing but my recycling bins sat untouched.  I tried to get a hold of the city to get a new blue boxl,  I never received a response so I purchased a new one with a lid that latches.  I figured there was probably a problem with the bin so I went inside to find the "guide" which is a calendar with some info.  I was disappointed first of all to see that even though its customized (full page picture of the mayor herself) it was printed either in Toronto or Dallas.  I have been approached by at least 3 or4 printers in the area wanting my business (Dunnville and Caledonia).  I searched through the book and didnt find the answer to my troubles, what I did find was a list of ways to fight climate change, there are two things on the list that dont even exist and I am  championing for.

According to this book put out by the city (sponsered by Ontario) we should: lower our thermostat, Hang dry clothes, turn your lights off when you leave, switch to compact flourescent bulbs, unplug mobile phone charger, caulk windoes and the two shockers "take your bike insead of your car" and the big one "use public transportation.   We have no bike lanes and we have no public transportation - I think the book is telling us something.

Minor Ordinance Major Headache

I ran into a local resident while I was in Simcoe today at TSC (ironically enough).  We were both there too early waiting for the store to open, so we go to chatting and I found out he was from Haldimand, and he found out I was running for mayor.  I asked him how he felt about the house he bought a few years ago and how the city was performing, and he was less than impressed.  He told me about a minor ordinance he needed to apply for in order to build a pole barn to start a wrought iron business.  The business of course would not only bring him cash and the county through him spending, but would potentially create jobs.  A building one stood where he is proposing, but he doesn't want to take a $1500 gamble and have his application denied for whatever reason.

I feel that small business is the backbone of society and putting any impediment in the way of progress is scary.  I think its more logical to pay after the assessment if its approved (maybe have a small deposit).  I understand the need for permits and the city to do its due diligence on every project, but cash grabs I am totally against, especially when it is potentially prohibitive to a future business operator or a farmer.

Investing During A Depression

I am writing this one as a private citizen not as a mayoral candidate - I also take no responsibility for your finances; go for a walk or talk to someone, take lots of time before you do anything with your money.

Ive been spending the last while looking at real estate in the area as well as doing my solar project that I wanted to expand (now wait lists are as high as a year for big installs).  I still think its one of the best deals going but make sure you do your due dilligence and factor in HST, income tax, insurance increases, etc.  Most accountants I speak to always say the same thing - real estate, equity, cash and either debt, universal life or both (I will talk about debt later).  A balanced approach is important but it seems like most people get stuck at the equity part and end up losing money.  I will show you one thing you can do to stop losing money Monday morning and have something to talk about at cocktail parties. Most people own mutual funds which can in theory be a good thing; in practice however it has seemed to only be good for the managers.  They charge 1-2% in "MER" or management fees regardless of if they made or lost money; theoretically they could lose half of your money and charge you 2% of your investment to do it.  That type of gross incompetence is not my cup of tea. Many will blame the market or bad intel or "thats life" but its not life - it is sheer incompetence.  I started to look at my stock list and go over the fundamentals to make sure I am not it anything too risky or anything too boring and saw things were good.  Stocks havent been much better than cash lately (GICs) - I have some of those at amazing rates, but again you want a balance.  GIC is taxed as income (up to 50%), Capital Gain is taxed in such a way that it usually works out being very low (A capital gain is when you buy something for 10 and sell is for 12, $2 would be your gain), the final is dividend which is when a company declares a profit and distributes it to shareholder (the best tax situation around).

So I only buy stocks that are dividend stocks unless I am gambling (my fathers view of stocks).  Dividend stock are fantastic because you get very little movement in terms of the capital price and you get dividends typically at regular intervals.  The two stocks I will tell you about are BNS and RY.  That is Bank of Nova Scotia and Royal Bank, $48 and $52 respectively.  They consistently pay their dividends on the same 4 days of the year, the amount of the dividend is predictable and usually only changes with inflation (if you look at their history).  Right now Scotia is paying 49 cents a share and Royal is paying 50 cents..  I can see the better buy can you?  In a real world example lets say you bought 100k worth of Royal Bank at $50; you would have 2000 shares which means you would get $1000 every 3 months which works out to 4% on your money paid in cash (or reinvested) that also does not take into account the fact that there will be movement in the stock with time just like anything else - depending on your age you may want to just reinvest half and some of you might want to take the cash and dump it into a GIC or a little business you have been dreaming of.  50 cents is really good quarterly per share.. If you look at WMT (WalMart) you will see a $50 stock with a 30 cent dividend (at least they have them).  There could be a lot of upside in a WalMart or one of the other few hundred dividend stocks.  BCE (Bell Canada) is another stable good one - its $30 and they have been paying out a 40 cent dividend.  So your 100k would net you $5332.80 which of course would be 5.3%.  There is lots of opportunity out there if one looks - my personal feeling is if you are going to invest your money do it in something you know and think  will be there tomorrow and seek the dividend paying stocks  only.

Things have been quiet on the campaign trail other than the normal chatte - summer is upon us and I have a feeling it is going to be pretty dry until September hits.   I will of course keep posting and hopefully getting email from all of you to answer.

Starting Your Own Business Successfully

I get a lot of questions from people who know I have been successful in the private sector - they all seem to ask many of the same questions in regard to starting their own business.  Let me start  by saying I actually enjoy these questions and I love helping people out, but sometimes the truth hurts.

What starting your own business is not:

• A way to get rich quick (usually)
• Easier than your current job
• A way to avoid being told what to do
• A way to a more flexible lifestyle

Starting you own business is:

• Something that requires almost every waking moment of your time
• Sometimes not taking a paycheck
• Accountability to your employees
• Being told what to do by your shareholders, suppliers, lenders and anyone else you are reliant on

The reality of being a business owner especially in the startup stage is not pleasant.  They say life imitates art,  I think business imitates life - most businesses are short, brutish and poor.  Most businesses fail in the first year.  Most business owners walk around with a debt load after this happens and many are scared to try  again.  I am writing this because I believe small business is the key to the future of Haldimand's growth and employment.

The first thing you have to do is make sure what you are starting is either unique and in demand or in such demand finding customers will not be difficult.  A plumber for example will rarely find it hard to get steady business here but a steel drum salesman might.  Know your market and most of all know yourself.  Right now transportation and warehousing are booming across Canada - these could be good things to get into but they are also high over head.

Know your means and dont live outside them.  I have seen so many people fail because of money; they either spend it all or they dont have enough to begin with.  Do not get into a business where you are shipping things FOB from China if you cannot afford to float your orders for weeks at a time or you may close shop.  Don't cheap out on important things like Insurance - when the boat sinks you will want you money.

Don't overhire.  I am pushing job creation here as my agenda but I want your business to work.  For the first while you are going to be everything from the janitor to the CEO.   Hiring people should be planned and should be done in very small doses until you learn the flow of your business.  The alternative is to hire a bunch of people, realize half the year you only need half the people and then you lay them all off (not the best case scenario).

Location and Advertising - people need to know how to get to you and your goods and also need to know you exist.  This is again something not to be overlooked.  A clean modern professional retail space will go a long way in building customer loyalty (and allow you to charge accordingly).  Advertising is an experimental thing that requires time to find what works best for your business - a consultant may be the best bet.

Make a business plan.  Yes it is like homework, but without one you are flying by the seat of your pants.  It doesnt need to be formal but it has to be the where, when, why, and how of your business.  Why is your grass seed better than the competition?  When is your grass seed going to be purchased the most? What happens if your supplier goes out of business?  How do you plan on Advertising?  You could go on for hours; but plan it to the point that you know what you will do if you get in a car accident on your way to work.  I suggest you consult with the Business Development Bank Of Canada (BDC) they can help with everything including money.

Starting a business is a huge undertaking, buying a franchise may be a better option for some as they usually hold your hand through a lot of the tough stuff.  The hardest part is figuring out WHAT you want to do, WHY you want to do it, WHERE you are going to run it and HOW you are going to get it off the ground.

I wish everyone success.  I have met with a few successful small start ups in the county whom I am very excited for.  We need more and we need to facilitate entrepreneurship at the municipal level as well as lobbying the provincial and federal government to help.

Running without fundraising

I am not sure if any of you follow municipal politics close enough to know that there is a cap on how much you can spend - but there is.  For mayor in Haldimand it works out to just under forty thousand.  That sounds like a lot of money (and it is) but its also only about a dollar a person.

Most candidates are put in a tough position, not only do they need to knock down doors to get their name out, but they also have to knock down doors to try and get money.  The most a single person or business other than yourself or spouse can contribute is $750.00.  For a mayoral candidate that means a lot of fundraisers; the best ones being 10.00 or less because receipts don't need to be issued.

I am not raising funds for my campaign not because it is difficult or because I can't,  its because I don't want to feel like I owe a company something.  I know that not the case (in an ideal world) but we are human, it makes it difficult to do anything for your contributors because it may be looked on as a conflict of interest.  I am going to attempt to run on as much of a shoestring as possible and you can all be sure that my loyalties will lie with all of the citizens  of Haldiamand County and not the ones who "tossed me a few bucks to get in".

Comments Are Back

I have decided to re-enable comments on this site.  I felt that it was getting a bit off track and I didnt have the time to moderate the posts properly.  I now have that time and will heavily monitor the comments - not if someone disagrees but rather if they go on a tangent or are offensive in anyway.  I am hoping for some substantial and productive dialogue this time around.