Oh My My CBC and its Trolls and their political games do go on and on N'esy Pas?

 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/shediac-campground-property-tax-assessments-1.4042442?__vfz=profile_comment%3D3183200007745

Campground tied to Victor Boudreau bucks property-tax trend with lower assessment

Service New Brunswick says classification changed and assessment lowered because land is undeveloped

By Robert Jones, CBC News Posted: Mar 27, 2017 2:49 PM AT

 96 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.


 
 Paul Bourgoin

Now I understand why and how Atcon happened!!

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David Raymond Amos

@Paul Bourgoin If they were clever they would turf Vic's campground plan and stick their hand out to create sewage process facility and make the really big score

 
David Lutz

That's funny, Hartt Island campground is still "under development" and theirs sky rocketed. How does Mrs. Cole explain that?

Mack Leigh

@David Lutz

Also why was it higher in 2016 and no appeal ?? Something smells and it ain't the coffee !!

Frank Shannon

@David Lutz Hart Island was full of campers all last summer for your information ! Get your story straight

Dianne MacPherson

@David Lutz Hartt Island Campground has been a
campground for 30(?) plus years !!!

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David Raymond Amos

@Dianne MacPherson That Yankee is still stuck in the sixties

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David Raymond Amos

@David Lutz Methinks you are NOT who you claim to be

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/john-ames-rti-parlee-beach-letters-1.4044534

Tourism minister does about-face on release of Parlee Beach emails

John Ames now says he'll release all park manager's emails from month when water quality issues surfaced

By Jacques Poitras, CBC News Posted: Mar 28, 2017 5:47 PM AT

 88 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.

 
Chuck Michaels

I haven't seen so many back spins and piroettes since the Olympic figure skating was on the TV.

Respectfully, it is time for some resignations to be tendered.

These gentlemen need to step up and demonstrate some honour - and respect for the people of New Brunswick.

Rosco holt

@Chuck Michaels
Don't hold your breath, NB politicians have no honor or respect for the majority of NBer.

They only respect those with deep pockets.

David Raymond Amos

@Chuck Michaels if truly wish to see some fancy back spins and pirouettes ask John Ames, Bruce Fitch et al if they will share our emails

david Jones

@David Raymond Amos Bruce will not even reply to phone calls been waiting months and months

David Raymond Amos

@david Jones You are not alone I have been waiting since 2004 and I ran for public office 5 times since first contact with Bruce et al

David Raymond Amos

@david Jones Perhaps you should try calling the Leader of New Brunswick's newest political party?

I have no doubt he will return your call

http://www.electionsnb.ca/content/enb/en/parties_assoc/rpp.html

David Raymond Amos

@Chuck Michaels FYI I just called all the Political Parties in New Brunswick (PANB did not pick up the phone as usual) I asked them a a very simple question as follows:

"Are you aware of the new Political Party in New Brunswick?"

Only the Green Party admitted that they did and the NDP checked to make sure I was not joking. Amazing N'esy Pas?

Johnny Horton

@David Raymond Amos

Leader?. I don't recall seeing KISS holding a leadership convention.i don't even recall them asking for candidates. Nor drumming up members to hold said leadership convention.

It's 2017 they can't even provide an email address.

We don't need another party run by s dictator that claims they are duly elected. We've got enough of those parties,

Johnny Horton

@David Raymond Amos

Awesome! another independent candidate who can't even get 3% of the vote in Fredericton!York who declares themseles s new party and doesn't hold any leadership contest or membership drives.

david Jones

@David Raymond Amos ha ha Actually the last call to his lord Brian over the province paying for my legal out of pocket expenses in regards to my conviction some how seemed to turn into a call from the attorney Generals office but since Luc did not now who left him a message nor what the message was I assumed the message was from Lord Brian ,The public should hear The deputy ministers audio as it is very interesting ,considering he lost his cool and in a raised voice said sue me mmmm I was not able to confirm his personal involvement in the first aquaculture case of it's kind in Canada ,until this conversation and the next conversation had some weeks later ,He refused to answer why I was refused my English language rights ,nor why was their such a cover up of the multitude of contradictory statements made by senior government officials and policy makers of this country ,and why where key documents missing in not only my trial but in Peter Andrews trial mmm there is a lot more but

David Raymond Amos

@Johnny Horton At the very least he has a real name and is not a troll CBC allows to attack folks

David Raymond Amos

@david Jones You should read the letter I got from Lord Brian's best lawyer. I nearly died laughing when I got it. Trust that I filed it in the docket of Federal Court

Johnny Horton

@David Raymond Amos

Cbc blocked my post that said the name obtained by s reverse phone lookup.

So people can do their own research,

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David Raymond Amos

@Johnny Horton Johnny Horton sang some great songs and you ain't him. Hell even your crybaby conservative fiddle is way out of tune.

David Raymond Amos

@Johnny Horton More importantly CBC blocked my response to you

Johnny Horton

@Harold Fitzgerald

The public doesn't need to know I discussed with my supervisor when my vacation time is and where it is.

In fact thet information released via a blanket RTI REQUEST violates my personal privacy and my safety and thet of my home as its public knowledge when I won't be At home.

Shawn McShane

@Johnny Horton Some information is exempt from the act and gets redacted (blacked out for legal or security purposes)

Johnny Horton

@Shawn McShane

Yes of course.

But the point is, should day be able to even get redacted emails of my vscatuon request and plans by simply demanding all emails.

My vote is no. Thet goes too far. You want a RTI thrn pick a topic and make the request on that topic,

David Raymond Amos

@Johnny Horton Are you trying to claim that Johnny Horton works for John Ames?

Johnny Horton

@David Raymond Amos

Dude. Horton is a legendary, I mean legendary, rock n roll star, everyone knows that. He ain't got time to work for the man.

 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/shediac-campground-property-tax-assessments-1.4042442?__vfz=profile_comment%3D3183200007745

Campground tied to Victor Boudreau bucks property-tax trend with lower assessment

Service New Brunswick says classification changed and assessment lowered because land is undeveloped

By Robert Jones, CBC News Posted: Mar 27, 2017 2:49 PM AT

The proposed campground in Shediac that Health Minister and local MLA Victor Boudreau is associated with was one of the few properties in town to see their property tax assessments reduced in 2017. (CBC) 

Land at the centre of a proposed Shediac campground that is connected to Health Minister Victor Boudreau received one of the area's few property assessment reductions and the second-largest property tax cut in the town this year, records show.

Rival campground owner Marie-Paule Martin, whose assessment and taxes both went up for 2017, said she does not understand how any campground-related property in the area could have gotten a reduction.

"When I found that out I couldn't believe it," said Martin, who has been a staunch critic of the Boudreau development.

'I guess there's tax for certain people, and there's tax for other people.' - Marie-Paule Martin, Shediac campground owner

"I guess there's tax for certain people and there's tax for other people."

Boudreau is one of seven investors trying to develop a 700-site campground in Shediac on prime undeveloped land just one kilometre from Parlee Beach.

The property is owned by the Anglican Parish of Shediac and got a tax bill of $5,430 this year, 46.9  per cent lower than last year. That's the second-largest tax cut in Shediac for 2017, marginally less than the building housing the former Super Body Fitness Centre, which suddenly closed its doors last summer and saw a property tax reduction of 47 per cent.

Shediac is one of New Brunswick's most prosperous communities and as a result few landowners in the town received reductions in either their assessments or tax bills this year.

Only 144 assessments lowered

 

Shediac campground owner Marie-Paule Martin says she was baffled to see the tax reduction on a proposed campground associated with Health Minister Victor Boudreau. (Submitted)

According to a CBC News review of all property tax bills that went out to town residents and businesses this year and compiled by the website propertize.ca, only 144 properties in the entire town (4.9 per cent) got an assessment reduction. By contrast 2,265 properties (77.3 per cent) received an assessment increase.

Among those increases, Shediac's five existing campgrounds received some of the largest, with provincial assessors valuing their properties at $5.6 million for 2017, up 76 per cent from last year.

Martin said that is why she was baffled after learning the land associated with Boudreau got the second-largest tax reduction this year because of assessment and tax changes made by the province.

Both the assessment and tax on land proposed for a new Shediac campground were lowered by the province this year.

	2016	2017	Change
Assessment	$231,300	$200,000	-13.5%
Property tax	$10,230	$5,430	-46.9%

"I couldn't believe it went down," Martin said.  "It's the only [campground] that went down."

The tax reduction on the proposed campground land was caused by two events. There was a drop in the market valuation of the property as calculated by provincial assessors that cut last year's tax bill by $1,384.

More significantly there was a province-wide change in the tax rate applied to all campgrounds — from commercial to residential —  that dropped the tax bill another $3,416.

Both changes were made by the province's tax assessment branch inside Service New Brunswick.

Service New Brunswick changes

In an email, department spokeswoman Judy Cole said that because the Shediac property has been zoned for a campground by the town it was entitled to benefit from the province's change to taxing campgrounds as residential property.

She also said because residential property generates lower valuations than commercial property it can cause a drop in assessed value.

'A campground that is under development and not in full operation does not have the same market value as a campground that is in full use.' - Judy Cole, Service New Brunswick spokeswoman

Other campgrounds would have gotten similar reductions in the assessed value of the land they sit on, but got overall assessment increases because of new valuations of buildings and other improvements on that land.

"A campground that is under development and not in full operation does not have the same market value as a campground that is in full use," wrote Cole.

"As part of a provincial campground re-inspection in 2016, SNB changed the classification on all campgrounds in the province from non-residential to residential which also impacted the land valuation rates."

The land administrator for the Anglican Parish, William Murray, did not return a request for comment on the property tax reduction.

Victor Boudreau placed his interest in the campground development in a blind trust in 2014.

Shediac town council approved the development of the proposed campground in 2014 but the project has been slow to proceed for legal and other issues.

Developers have until 2019 to proceed.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/john-ames-rti-parlee-beach-letters-1.4044534

Tourism minister does about-face on release of Parlee Beach emails

John Ames now says he'll release all park manager's emails from month when water quality issues surfaced

By Jacques Poitras, CBC News Posted: Mar 28, 2017 5:47 PM AT

New Brunswick's tourism minister has quickly reversed himself and is no longer trying to block the release of Parlee Beach emails requested by CBC News.

John Ames told the legislature Tuesday his department will release the park manager's emails from last August, when water quality problems became publicly known.

Tourism Minister John Ames told the legislature Tuesday that he will release all emails sought by CBC News under a Right to Information Request after initially asked the province's information commissioner for permission to decline the request. (CBC)

Last Friday, Ames invoked a rarely used section of the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to ask for permission to ignore the CBC's request for the emails.

The request was for all emails written in August 2016 by then-Parlee Beach park manager Pierre Niles, a provincial employee.

Ames asked Information Commissioner Anne Bertrand for permission to disregard the request under Section 15(b) of the act, which says "frivolous or vexatious" requests can be ignored if the commissioner agrees.

"We do believe that fishing for information is not a legitimate exercise of the right of access," Ames wrote.

'Interests of transparency'

Tuesday afternoon, Ames told the legislature that "in the interests of transparency" he'll release the emails "in this particular case."

But Ames's explanation contradicted what his letter said.

He told the legislature he wanted his department to avoid having to process a request for emails that had already been requested earlier.

Access to Information and Privacy Commissioner Anne Bertrand was asked by Tourism Minister John Ames for permission to disregard a request for information by CBC on the grounds 'frivolous or vexatious' requests can be ignored. (CBC)

"My department was concerned that releasing all emails regardless of subject matter could create a precedent in the future that would paralyze the department if requests for all emails on all subjects were made that could take countless hours to review and comply," he said.

But Ames's March 24 letter clearly cites Section 15(b) of the law. A separate section, 15(c), allows the department to ignore requests for "information already provided to the applicant."

Last summer, CBC News requested Niles's August 2016 emails dealing with water quality, but the new request, on Feb. 23, was for all his emails last August.

Mistakes in water samples

The period covered by the request is when the government says beach staff made mistakes in testing water samples, leading to fewer "poor" ratings than would have been the case.

Ames also said Tuesday he wrote to Bertrand "not to start an investigation but to seek her opinion on whether or not this was a real risk. Unfortunately I was not clear enough in my information request and the commissioner began a formal review."

But his letter explicitly said he was seeking permission to block the request.

Ames apologized Tuesday "for any confusion caused by this matter."

Bruce Fitch sees 'a mess'

Progressive Conservative MLA Bruce Fitch called the situation "a mess" and the latest snafu in a case that's been causing headaches for the Liberals for months.

"These people are the masters of their own fates," he said, suggesting Ames didn't have permission from Premier Brian Gallant to try to quash the CBC request.

"Obviously, someone got to him on the weekend and said 'You better release those emails.'"

• Government tries to block request for Parlee Beach contamination details
• Province looking for new managers for Parlee, Murray beaches
• Minister promises new Parlee Beach water-quality regime after public misinformed

The minister did not meet with reporters to answer questions later in the afternoon. Instead, Environment Minister Serge Rousselle tried to explain the reversal.

Rousselle said officials were worried that because the CBC hadn't narrowed the request to a specific subject, it would take a lot of time and resources to provide the information.

He tried to argue to reporters that Ames hadn't been refusing the request. But when it was pointed out Ames was trying to get the request thrown out, Rousselle said the wording of the minister's letter was "not perfect."

He added: "There's nothing wrong, I guess, with journalists' fishing expeditions."