Gather round ladies and gentlemen, because tonight’s blog is an extra special treat as I share with you some creative stories created by both councillors as well as the Windsor Star.
So put your feet up, sit back and enjoy your favourite beverage – but please mind that you do not choke or spray said beverage on your monitor as that could be hazardous to your health.
Last time, Councillor Hatfield shared with us his enthralling story from Maclean’s magazine which, contrary to what the councillor stated, talked about the financial problems facing CanWest.
Creat-o-pinion
And last night, the councillor took us to the halls of the Ontario Auditor General who was kind enough to respond to city council’s request for a legal opinion on the audit committee’s legal opinion regarding the Mike Dunbar audit/not audit/report.
Except that dastardly Auditor General does not play well with others as he had some terrifying news to share – news Councillor Hatfield felt television viewers didn’t really need to know about.
You see, while the Auditor General did say that his office would not release a draft report, what he also told council was somewhat different:
I suspect it will come as no surprise that I do not want to offer an opinion on a legal opinion you have already received. Quite frankly, for me to do this, I would want to obtain a legal opinion and therefore would suggest that if Council questions the initial opinion, then they seek a second legal opinion.
On the more general issue of whether it is appropriate to publicly release a draft audit report, from our Office’s perspective, this is something we would not do. I would so far as to say that even if this was requested by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts that I report to, I would strongly resist doing this. The above comment is meant to be general in nature rather than applying to your specific situation as I am not familiar with the details. However, I thought it might be of some use to give you my perspective on this.
But always a good story teller, the councillor determined this to mean “there is no need for a second legal opinion.”
So because the dastardly Auditor General was not aware of the details surrounding the issues as to the release of the Mike Dunbar Audit/Not an Audit/Report, and because he couldn’t personally offer a legal opinion as requested, he did only what an Auditor General can do and told our city councillors to seek a second legal opinion themselves!
I’m sure the Auditor General would have been interested to know how the Mike Dunbar Audit transformed into a draft audit and then morphed into an incomplete audit into a document that wasn’t an audit at all to something that had to be shuffled into the non-existent Auditor General after a Freedom of Information request is made!
He’d also be mighty interested in hearing the original legal opinion from Mr. Roman back in August 2008 that “any document can be released” (while in the hands of this non-existent Auditor General) can suddenly not be released in a new a legal opinion.
Confused yet?
Create-a-Vote
Later that same evening, the Mayor and the City Clerk enjoyed a moment of creativity with the help it appears, of Councillor Lewenza.
The issue before them was a vote to waive the procedural bylaw to permit a delegation to speak to the issue of a petition residents submitted to councillors demanding the boarded up homes in the west-end be torn down.
According to council procedure, the men and women around the table have to support the motion with a 2/3 vote – or seven councillors.
The vote is called and there appears to be some confusion, but with the help of Sony Vegas, your personal story teller – yours truly – was able to determine what the vote was.
So confused was the Mayor he had to call the vote again because the City Clerk advised there were only six votes.
But here are the votes as captured on Vegas:
Now gather close, my friends, and see that Councillors Gignac, Brister, and Valentinis are mean, mean people.
They didn’t want to hear from the delegation of residents demanding the neighbourhood they call home be improved for their own safety and enjoyment – ignorance must be bliss for these councillors.
But Councillors Hatfield, Marra, Jones, Dilkens, Halberstadt, Postma and Lewenza did – at least I think Councillor Lewenza did.
You see, his hand was up and down more times than my blood pressure watching this.
Note to councillor – you’re voting, not waving.
Create-a-Story
How are your drinks? Top ‘em up because I have one more story to share with you.
Last night, as I stated, the issue of the boarded up homes came before city council through a residents’ petition. Residents are mad – and rightfully so.
But that evil doing rabble rousing Hilary Payne had the nerve to draw attention to it with his west-end group, Boarded Up Houses Demolition Action Group.
He was so incensed he was removed from council chambers by security – so the Windsor Star wanted us to believe:
“Former CAO Payne removed from raucous council meeting,” boomed the online Star:
Watch video of Windsor’s former top bureaucrat, Hilary Payne, as he is escorted out of council chambers by security Monday night after hurling insults at politicians over the “appalling” state of a growing number of boarded-up houses owned by the Ambassador Bridge in the west side.
Escorted out for “hurling insults!”
“Ex-CAO ejected during protest,” the print edition cried on the front page. Ejected I say!
Now for the really scary part ladies and gentlemen – it didn’t happen as this video demonstrates:
Yes, someone was escorted out of council chambers.
But unless Mr. Payne lost all his hair and gained some weight in the span of a couple of minutes, the individual escorted out of council chambers was not Mr. Payne.
In fact, just moments later, you will see Mayor Francis addressing Mr. Payne in the audience.
How could the Mayor do this if Mr. Payne was “escorted” out of council chambers for “hurling insults?”
Then again, on second thought the Windsor Star just made Hilary Payne a hero for the people.
And so we end tonight’s blog regarding creativity.
Thursday, I will discuss the creativity as presented by Mayor Francis – contrary to the procedural bylaw he cited against Hilary Payne.
Watch the full and sad exchange below.
Chris Schnurr
Carol Kosowan LL.B., B.A. (Law), B.A. (Policy)
Can Edgar’s infractions under, and misuse of, procedural bylaw during council meetings be investigated by the Meeting Investigator?
When the $50K runs out, does Basse just stop investigating? Or will he offer 3-for-1 Bite-Sized McInvestigations with a free shake thrown in?
Will Basse have to conduct in camera meetings in camera to stop the leaks?
Unfortunately, no Rabbit. The Meetings investigator can only investigate meetings that allegedly illegally closed.
Possibily a code of conduct – but our poor poor integrity commissioner can’t seem to complete his investigations in a timely manner. Funny that, an investigation of Mayor Francis with the Detroit Mayor – 14 months. An investigation of the Mayor – who admitted wrong doing – regrading the canal proposal so far 7 months.
I’m noticing a pattern emerging here.
This is great fiction material, like you couldn’t make this up for a soap opera!
And the beat goes on while the city sinks deeper into the pit.
They could let the bridge tear down the homes and then charge them the taxes accordingly to help with the budget shortfall.
Oops. Sorry, that was an idea.
Those things are not allowed at city council meetings.
The race for the elections is heating up and I think it’s going to be a very warm summer for the runners.
I wonder if ethical behaviour is a consideration for a vote?
Yah, a pattern of abject stupidity.
Society has created a monster with this ‘corporate status’ business. Then Government colluded with corporations to dream up NAFTA granting corporations the ‘legal right’ to sue governments – the people pay of course, taxpayers get the bill for everything, pay the debts, fund the corruption. It’s an elaborate extortion racket. Mussolini correctly called it ‘fascism’ – (the merger of government, business and media creating the perfect shitstorm of parasitic control.)
When I get elected PM the first thing I’m gonna do is revoke the articles of ‘incorporation’ and seize back all the legal powers from those bums.
Government is bad and democracy is a monstrous evil, but it’s better than fascism under corporations.
Eddie is afraid of getting sued by the bridge outfit – foreign corporations have more ‘rights’ than individual Canadian citizens, and way more power. They just close up any shop they want, claim bankruptcy, ignore their debts to the workers, and head for overseas cheap labour, eventually undermining their own market in pursuit of short term greed – Chinese sweat shop workers cannot afford a new 90 thousand dollar Hummer H2. Michael Jordan gets paid more for his grinning idiot ‘endorsement’ than all the workers in the factories making the shoes. Oh yah, this plan is sustainable.
If there was a run down crack house in my neighbourhood, I would do what Detroiters did when faced with government stalling and inaction.