Play Ball!

Not sure why the Blue Jays' 2009 home-opener against the Detroit Tigers wasn't televised on Sportsnet tonight (on cable anyway). For everyone who missed the game, here's the CBC report on a 12-5 Blue Jays' victory.

Six In The Morning

1 MAD ABOUT MULRONEY Some Conservatives want to fraternize with the former Prime Minister they've been ordered not to see by Tory den mother Stephen Harper. No drama like a family drama. (CP via Toronto Star)

2 NO NEED TO RAISE TAXES The always- civic-minded Canadian Federation of Independent Business says cash transfers in the provincial budget means cities don't need to raise property taxes this year. Because we all know there's no infrastructure deficit in Saskatchewan compounded by years and years and years of inadequate transfers and insufficient taxation. (CBC)

3 SPARE SOME CHANGE? Alberta gets its first deficit budget in 15 years. Fortunately, the ruling Tories prepared for the inevitability of an economic downturn and didn't go on an insane, reckless, right-wing rampage. Oh wait... (Calgary Herald)

4 WHO KNEW RAPE AND OPPRESSION WERE SO UNPOPULAR? Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai says he's backing away from a religiously-inspired law meant to keep the ladies in line. Oh, and get him votes from Islamists. But yeah, kinda didn't work out so well. (Globe And Mail)

5 EARTHQUAKE HORROR IN ITALY An Italian capital is trashed and more than 90 people are dead in a region that should have been prepared, but wasn't. (The Guardian)

6 NO ONE LIKES SHRINKAGE Economist Jim Stanford says you can't downsize your way out of a recession. Of course Stanford works for the Canadian Auto Workers, so he's got a dastardly pro-job bias. He's also smart and uses facts in his argument--and it doesn't get much worse than that. You've been warned! (Globe And Mail)

In lieu of actual, you know, work ...

Remember the song Get This Party Started, which Pink recorded about 10 years ago?

Well, Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger) re-recorded it in 2007. (Dailymotion) Not bad at all ....

This Week at City Hall

Monday, April 6
Community Investment Review Board (12:15 pm): Review of funding recommendations for various community groups.
City Council (5:30 pm): Considering a concept plan for the Greens on Gardiner which appears to be an attempt to make this eastern sprawl less odious, a special tax levy for back alley maintenance, and a request by Councillor Fougere to review the Regina Road Network Plan with regards to Southeast Regina and the rapid expansion thereof. Also, there is a schwack of budget-related stuff on the schedule. I think a lot of it will be tabled until the April 20 meeting so that everyone has time to go over it. But hey, this is my first time through a Regina budget process so maybe I'm totally wrong. Oh... and for the record, "tabled" is city hall speak for "put-off until". Yeah, maybe you knew that already, smartguy. Me, months went by as I blinked mystified at such fancy lingo. If only there'd been a guy with a blog back then to hep me to the city-hall slang.

Tuesday, April 7
Finance and Administration Committee (12:15 pm): Considering the budgets for Warehouse District and Downtown Business Improvement Districts, a recommended taxi metre rate increase, a request for a $34,425 tax abatement on a property owned by Souls Harbour and Rescue Mission, and a request to expand the City Square Master Plan consultancy budget beyond $500,000 so as to accomodate detailed study of transit and traffic issues related to the Wow Project. (The Wow Project is a proposal to create a festival plaza of 12th Ave north of Victoria Park.)
Green Ribbon Community Climate Change Advisory Committee (1:15 pm)

Wednesday, April 8
Paratransit Advisory Board (5:30 pm)

As always, full meeting agendas and reports can be downloaded from the city's website.