Municipal Politics – Page 5

My Rogers’ Cable TV Speech

Each candidate was given three minutes to speak for a spot on Rogers Cable TV recently. Here is what I said (in about two minutes): Municipal politics is really quite simple. It’s all about people. Caring about the people you live and work with. Caring if seniors can afford their taxes. Caring if the sidewalk in front of your neighbour’s house is in good repair. Caring about parents who had to drive for hours on dark, snowy roads to get their kids to hockey practice … click below for more ↓

My BIA ACM Speech

2014-09-26 2014-09-26 Collingwood / Municipal Politics / Personal Reminiscences / PoliticsLeave a comment

This is the speech I gave at the BIA-ACO all-candidates’ meeting, Wednesday evening. The question all candidates had to answer was, “What is your vision to ensure that Downtown Collingwood thrives as a vital economic and cultural part of our community?” We had two minutes to respond. Here’s what I said: For our downtown to thrive, it needs people. The town can help bring them here. But it is up to the businesses to draw them in. People come to any downtown for two main … click below for more ↓

The OPP Investigation

2014-09-19 2014-09-23 Collingwood / Municipal Politics / Politics4 Comments

In order to clear up the misinformation, rumours and outright lies about the OPP investigation, spreading on social media by some candidates and among the angry bloggers, let me set the record straight. Here’s what we know: Approximately eighteen months ago, someone local went to the police and and filed a formal complaint. The police opened an investigation. The police have not interviewed the Mayor, Deputy mayor, Councillors Lloyd, Cunningham, West, Edwards or myself in that time. After more than 18 months, no one has been charged with … click below for more ↓

Green initiatives for next term

2014-08-31 2014-08-31 Collingwood / Municipal Politics / Planning & Policies / PoliticsLeave a comment

Collingwood should be in the forefront for green initiatives in Ontario, not lagging behind. There’s no reason we should not be leaders in exploring new ways to reduce greenhouse gases, reduce our carbon footprint, promote sustainable and environmentally-friendly strategies, and reduce our energy costs. These will be some of my top goals for the 2014-18 council, if I’m re-elected. In the energy world, we have a great partner with Powerstream, which has already explored many of these areas and taken steps in other municipalities. We … click below for more ↓

Taoist Lessons for Politicians

2014-08-31 2014-08-31 Books & Reviews / Faith / Municipal Politics / Politics / Translations & translatingLeave a comment

Those who look down upon this world, will surely take hold and try to change things. So begins verse 29 of the 4th century BCE Chinese classic (Jonathan Star translation*), the Tao Te Ching. That verse suggests that those who feel themselves superior to the world and to others, who feel their actions, thoughts, views and beliefs are above those of others, will attempt to impress their own rule on others. And, as the verse continues, they can only fail in their attempts to control things. Control slips from … click below for more ↓

Looking forward to 2015-18

2014-08-25 2014-08-25 Collingwood / Development & Growth / Municipal Politics / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

Looking forward to 2015 and beyond, here are some of the things I would like to see Collingwood Council and the town staff accomplish in the upcoming term. I have laid these out in my campaign website and literature already, but thought I should include something in my blog to complement those sources. Maintain our current fiscal stability and sustainability. This council has been very proactive in keeping taxes and spending low, without compromising on any essential services or infrastructure. We have paid down $11 of the … click below for more ↓

New post on the Municipal Machiavelli

2014-08-05 2021-05-15 Books & Reviews / Municipal Politics / PoliticsLeave a comment

I’ve written a short post that I trust will serve as an introduction to a longer piece I plan to write. It’s on the letter of Quintus Tullius Cicero to his brother on how to win an election (written circa 64 BCE). You can read it here: ianchadwick.com/machiavelli/quintus-ciceros-letter-on-elections/ I will be working on a more in-depth analysis of Cicero’s letter and a comparison with Machiavelli’s works and other political pieces in the near future.

Our 21st Century Library

2014-06-17 2014-06-17 Collingwood / Culture / Municipal Politics / Provincial Politics2 Comments

In the 20-plus years I’ve been on the Collingwood Library board, I have watched the functions of the library and its role in the community evolve and change to keep pace with the needs and demands of its growing number of users. It’s been a remarkable, exciting journey. Of all our civic institutions, I believe the library has best adapted to the new technologies and the changing community demographics. In sheer numbers, it is our most popular, most well-used community facility. And the library continues to … click below for more ↓

Why Term Limits Are a Bad Idea for Municipal Government

2014-06-14 2014-06-14 Collingwood / Municipal Politics / PoliticsLeave a comment

Leo Longo wrote in three recent Municipal World articles (April, May, June, 2014) that it is time to consider setting term limits on municipal politicians. I beg to disagree. Is municipal democracy in such dire straits that it needs restrictions that no provincial or federal politician faces? Are voters so ignorant and ill-informed that they need outsiders to guide their choices? Applying arbitrary term limits goes against the grain of representational democracy, suggesting the arbitrator knows what is better for the electorate than the electors … click below for more ↓

Twenty years of strategic planning

2014-06-05 2014-06-05 Collingwood / Development & Growth / Municipal Politics / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

Twenty years ago – May, 1994 – the Town of Collingwood started a community-based strategic plan. That report was released in October, 1995. Then in October, 2000, Vision 2020 released its Blueprint Collingwood. These two documents are generally forgotten by the general public today, but they have been the basis of planning, of policy and strategic targets by councils and staff ever since. No particular council or mayor can take credit for the accomplishments; they’ve been achieved over more than two decades of effort and resolve. … click below for more ↓

The ACDC/AVI Site Remediation

2014-05-24 2014-05-24 Collingwood / Municipal Politics / PoliticsLeave a comment

Earlier this week, members of council received this email from Ian Adams of the Enterprise Bulletin about the upcoming motion on remediation of the empty property at Hume and Hurontario Streets: I was wondering if I could get your thoughts with regard to extending/not extending the site remediation agreement for the ACDC/AVI property, and whether an extension should be granted/not granted. Ian Adams, Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin The site remediation agreement is unique: it is, as I have been told by the Planning Department, the only one of … click below for more ↓

Irony and cognitive dissonance

2014-05-04 2014-05-04 Collingwood / Municipal Politics / PoliticsOne Comment

Politics is as full of irony as it is full of cognitive dissonance. And I don’t mean simply in politicians and their agencies: it is everyone and every group, every agency and every organization that dabbles in politics. Sooner or later, the irony comes out. And the cognitive dissonance sets in. Irony is a difference between the appearance of something and its reality. As Google brings up the definition: “a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and … click below for more ↓

Getting solid numbers makes sense

2014-03-24 2014-03-24 Collingwood / Municipal PoliticsLeave a comment

I recently was directed to read a statement that I had “…put forward a notice of motion calling on the municipality to spend the money to put a concrete floor in the building, without any kind of business case …” That is incorrect. The notice simply asked the town to put out a ‘request for proposal” (RFP). If the writer had asked me about my notice of motion (or asked any of the other councillors or senior staff with whom I discussed it), I would … click below for more ↓

Conspiracy Theories: 2014 Update

2014-02-28 2014-02-28 Collingwood / Conspiracy Theories / Municipal Politics / Social Order & DisorderLeave a comment

It’s time to update a piece I wrote in December, 2012, outlining the secret deals, backroom negotiations and “barbecue politics” that our council has been involved in since that date, more than a year ago. So here comes the update, the emperor without his clothes: Secret meetings: none Backroom negotiations: none Barbecue deals: none Sorry, I know this is a disappointment to local conspiracy theorists and bloggers, coming hard on the failure of the world to end as per the Mayan Calendar, or the failure … click below for more ↓