PUBLIC MARKS from multilinko with tag ottawa

In this year's State of the Union address, President Bush told us that it was time to get serious about America's addiction to foreign oil. The next day, we found out that his idea didn't sit too well with the Saudi Royal Family. A few hours later, Energy Secretary Bodman backtracked and assured the world that even though the President said he planned to reduce the amount of oil we import from the Middle East, he actually didn't mean that literally. If there's a single example out there that encapsulates the ability of unstable, undemocratic governments to wield undue influence over America's national security just because of our dependence on oil, this is it.

Travelling into downtown Ottawa could get costly if a city councillor has his way. If rising gas prices aren’t enough to make you take the bus, maybe a congestion charge will. Capital Coun. Clive Doucet wants the city to charge a user fee for every car heading into the downtown core to help pay for road and sewer repairs in older Ottawa neighbourhoods. He wants the city to experiment with a two-year pilot project to test its effectiveness and gauge the public’s reaction to the charge. The idea is similar to one instituted by London, England, which began charging drivers a toll in an effort to discourage cars in the capital’s core.