William Sheehan

2015-05-11 14:55:41 -0400

LCBO

BBQ

LCBO

LCBO

DFAIT

LCBO

I might have to stand corrected.4 years ago, my neighbour (now deceased) angrily-reported seeing our lousy councillor, at the local, completing a related form, at the cash register. The municipal politician was apparently hosting aand the form would apparently allow him to receive a 49% discount, on his alcoholic purchases. My neighbour said he was standing directly behind the politician, when the incident was happening.This did not surprise me, because it sounded like something that politician would do. In addition, that was the same politician who – although having been paid about $100,000.00 per year – had the gall to make taxpayers cover the cost of his 3 golf balls. On other occasions, he ‘nickled and dimed’ taxpayers, by expensing a tie, a milkshake, a hotdog, plus other small items. (You can verify them, at the City’s website.) Last time I checked, it looked like taxpayers were even covering the cost of the guy’s home internet. So, I guess taxpayers were paying for his porn, too!There is an abusive ‘culture of entitlement’, at Toronto’s largely-corrupt City Hall.Another aspect which made my neighbour sound believable was that his account seemed too detailed, to be incorrect. Also, there appeared to be a ‘logic’ about what he was saying.Rather than give me an emphatic “No”, today, however, when I asked anspokesperson, whether a non-diplomat could get the 49% discount, she said it was “highly-unlikely”.The reason why diplomats got the discount, she explained, was because they did not pay taxes, in Canada. I could read “more” about it, she said, at thewebsite.Yet, I could find nothing there.According to Foreign Affairs, though, commencing on June 24, 2013, the 49% discount would be provided to anyone who was “officially recognized by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade ()”. [See: http://www.international.gc.ca/protocol-protocole/policies-politiques/lcbo-diplomatic-letter_2013-05-24.aspx?lang=eng .] This description, though, sounded like it was for more than just some one who was a diplomat.The spokesperson also mentioned that, at one time, a person who worked in theoffice, which was responsible for handling the discount, had been arrested and jailed, for, apparently, distributing fake permissions.Similarly, she said, there might have been “some hanky panky” regarding the politician about which my neighbour was complaining.So, I might have to stand corrected.-William F. SheehanToronto, Ontario