Ethics and behaviour – Page 7

Collingwood’s first post-literate council

At the Corporate & Community Services standing committee meeting this week, the committee discussed the Art on the Street festival, its operation and management to be taken over by the BIA. That’s probably a good thing because any affinity to culture and cultural events at the council table evaporated early this term. A cup of yogurt has more culture in it than The Block has. The whole ‘cultural economy’ thing and all the benefits that cultural tourism can bring has simply flown away this term.* That report led to a discussion of a local Word on the Street festival, a ……… click below for more ↓

The Block are privatizing our public assets

2017-09-30 2017-10-05 Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Planning & Policies / Staff and administration / Taxes / User fees and costsLeave a comment

So Brian and his Block minions want to sell our airport. Our publicly-owned asset. And they’re doing it without even the pretence of the courtesy to tell us why. No public input, no public engagement, no open discussion over it. In the flaccid Connection story, it notes, In November, 2016, deputy mayor Brian Saunderson asked Clearview Township Deputy Mayor Barry Burton if his municipality was interested in taking over operation of the airport. As usual, the slavish local media drool over their buddy Brian, but cleverly neglect to point out that Saunderson is neither the spokesperson for the town (and ……… click below for more ↓

True Integrity? Not The Block…

2017-09-15 2017-09-15 Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Psychology & SociologyLeave a comment

There’s an interesting article online called, 13 Traits of People With True Integrity that opens with the (unintentionally?) funny line: Integrity, for those who are not familiar, is quite important. After you guffaw at that bit, the author continues, “People who have a strong sense of integrity are sadly a rare breed. However, there are still some people left in this world with integrity, and usually, they share the following 13 traits.” Integrity in this article is linked to the meaning, “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” (Yes, I know we’re talking about The Block, just ……… click below for more ↓

Montaigne and The Block

2017-09-14 2023-03-04 Collingwood / Council / Ethics & morality / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Philosophy / Taxes / What I'm Reading NowLeave a comment

I do love reading Michel de Montaigne. And writing about him. In 2014 alone, I wrote ten separate posts about him and his famous book, Essays. But since then, my reading habits moved on to other writers and topics. I hadn’t actually been reading Montaigne in the past few years, but recently while sorting some of my books, I found him again. I started re-reading the Essays last week (and reading his travel journal, included in the Everyman edition – Frame translation, which I had not read previously). He is such an inspiration at times. Witty, observant, genteel, curious, passionate, ……… click below for more ↓

Why not to run for council

2017-09-12 2017-09-12 Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Municipal PoliticsLeave a comment

A recent article shared with me on Facebook, titled “Five Terrible Reasons to Run for Municipal Office” lists many – but far from all – of the reasons people should not run for office. It’s a good read and, since the silly season will be on us soon enough (some of The Block are already in campaign mode), you should pay attention if you plan to run for office next year. Knowing why not to run is as important as knowing why you should. The author of this piece is Danielle Klooster, self-described as, “… a leading Alberta provider of ……… click below for more ↓

Brian just keeps bashing our hospital

2017-09-11 2017-09-11 Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital3 Comments

I see DM Saunderson continues his assault on our hospital with his motion on the upcoming Sept. 11 council agenda: Whereas the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital has received information from the Ministry providing additional comments regarding their redevelopment submission; And Whereas Council is concerned this information may be of serious significance and impact on healthcare provision in the future; Therefore be it resolved that Council herein request comments directly from the Ministry regarding the Hospital’s Phase 1A and 1B redevelopment submissions. But apparently he is unaware the answers have already been posted on the hospital’s website. They’ve been there ……… click below for more ↓

Why are they called The Block?

2017-09-09 2017-09-09 Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviourOne Comment

Seven members of our council are collectively referred to as “The Block” in common parlance. A fitting nickname for a group that includes its leader, the deputy mayor, Brian Saunderson, his five core minions (all newly elected to council this term), and one veteran wannabe (nicknamed the “pledge” in frat house terms). Most folks assume they are called The Block because they vote as a block. Once Brian raises his hand, the rest raise theirs like obedient little puppets. No need to think, no need to question, analyze or debate: they do what they’ve been told. For which they are ……… click below for more ↓

The work of politics

2017-08-27 2017-09-05 Books & Reviews / Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

Politics is like many other skills, jobs and pastimes in that it requires work to succeed. Hard work, sometimes, for some folk, and easy for others, but always it requires attention, study, and focus. It isn’t something you can do when you’re not paying attention or even when you’re napping at the table (no matter what our own somnambulant councillor thinks… or more likely, doesn’t think at all). It isn’t something you can do effectively if, like our Block, you try to do it casually, or part-time, or whenever you feel like doing it, without paying attention or without effort. ……… click below for more ↓

Disrespectful treatment of the mayor, again

2017-08-25 2017-08-25 Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

There’s a seemingly innocuous story in the Connection this week titled, “Collingwood to sell railway to County of Simcoe for $900,000” that underscores the ongoing disrespect The Block and the local media have for our Mayor. Down at the bottom of the piece there is a quote from The head of The Block, Deputy Mayor Brian Saunderson. That clearly shows how the local media collude with The Block to promote their personal agendas.* Saunderson doesn’t speak for council or the town. The mayor does. Using a quote from him instead of her is a flagrant act of disrespect. And it ……… click below for more ↓

The Block’s worst abuse of power yet

2017-08-23 2017-08-24 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Staff and administration / Utilities: electricity and waterLeave a comment

I warned you. I warned you The Block would blame others for their own evil acts, that they would scheme and connive to sell your assets behind closed doors, and they would find a way to keep the much-disliked interim CAO on, no matter what the cost to taxpayers. I warned you they would lie, scheme in secret, and behave unethically in order to get their own way. And I was right. They did it all, Monday night, behind closed doors. This week, the town issued a media release that can only be described as the most flagrantly disingenuous statement ……… click below for more ↓

The symphony of government

2017-08-20 2017-08-21 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Municipal Politics / What I'm Reading NowLeave a comment

A good government in operation is like a symphony: disparate parts, dozens of different instruments and performers, each in their own space and place, all working together under the benign management of a conductor. When working in harmony, they are a delight to hear and see. There’s no “me” in a symphony: it’s the result of a remarkably efficient collaboration and trust of everyone involved. To be good, to sound good, they all have to watch the baton, to play and move in syncopation and in harmony. They all need to be tuned to the same pitch (A440). Singers need ……… click below for more ↓

Betrayal by the Block, again

2017-08-19 2017-08-20 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Taxes / Utilities: electricity and waterLeave a comment

Monday night, The Block will engage in their favourite political activity: betraying the public trust. In fact, it’s the only political activity they’ve engaged in this term, in which the public has been concerned. Everything else they’ve done has been to further their own personal agendas or entitlement. But Monday, they’re doing it up in style. And, of course, in secret. At the council meeting, Monday, there is what promises to be a lengthy in-camera session: Items for Discussion: a) Hydro Share Sale; b) Committee/Board Applications; c) Sale of 70 Huron Street property; d) Proposed Land Acquisition; e) Airport Lands ……… click below for more ↓

Taking credit for the work of others

2017-08-17 2017-08-17 Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / Planning & Policies / TaxesOne Comment

A short while ago, I received an unsolicited email from the interim (and soon to be departing) CAO, John Brown, with the subject, “Ideas. Observations. Musings . Opinions . Facts ?” (yes, written just like that…). Although he says he never reads my blog, it inspired me to write this post. He wrote (copied in its original form and punctuation): I was wondering if you might be interested in the towns (sic) recent building permits statistics reflective of highly positive growth in the tax base during the recent past ? As you are aware from your time on council our financial position has ……… click below for more ↓

Thrasymachus and The Block

2017-08-09 2017-08-10 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / What I'm Reading NowLeave a comment

There’s a character in Plato’s Republic called Thrasymachus who acts as a foil to Socrates by presenting a series of comments and arguments the old philosopher has to debate and counter. He (Thrasymachus) is based on an actual historical figure, a Sophist from the fifth century BCE. It’s unknown if the views Plato has him voice are those of the real person, or simply a literary device to advance Socrates’ (and thus Plato’s) arguments. Of late, I’ve been reading Alan Bloom’s translation of The Republic. At the same time, I’m listening to the Great Courses 36-lecture series on Why Evil ……… click below for more ↓

Marcus Aurelius and The Block

2017-08-07 2017-08-07 Books & Reviews / Collingwood / Council / Ethics & morality / Ethics and behaviour / Philosophy / Stoicism & classical philosophyLeave a comment

Perhaps the most famous work by any Stoic is the Meditations, written as a series of notes-to-myself by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. I’ve been reading a lot of Stoic works of late, and this remains my favourite. Although never meant for publication, just as reminders to himself, it’s full of wonderful, inspiring comments. And some seem eerily prescient in our current municipal calamity. For example, Book Two opens with these words: Begin the morning by saying to yourself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ……… click below for more ↓