How to piss off The Block

Collingwood / Council / HospitalOne Comment

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There’s an easy three-step process anyone can follow to piss off the seven-member Block on council (as well as the town’s administration): Do something good for a change; Accomplish something for the community’s benefit; Don’t involve The Block in the process. And that was just what was done last Thursday when our MPP Jim Wilson made a motion on the floor of the Legislature to have the province fund the redevelopment process for the General & Marine and Alliston hospitals. This isn’t the cost to build, but rather the costs involved in going through the lengthy and expensive process: legal ……… click below for more ↓

Madigan to chair do-nothing committee

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour2 Comments

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A story in last week’s Connection has the headline, “Madigan named chair of Collingwood development, operations committee.” Councillor Madigan has the dubious honour of chairing a standing committee that does nothing of value, has no decision-making authority and – like the rest of the standing committees – is redundant, ineffective and inefficient. Which is an absolutely perfect fit for a loyal Block member. It makes them look busy without allowing them to meddle in anything important, and lets them boast about their engagement without actually doing anything or engaging anyone. The emperor’s new clothes at its finest. Congratulations are in ……… click below for more ↓

We were lied to. Again.

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Utilities: electricity and water4 Comments

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On Monday, the Block chose a new representative for the town’s half of the Collus-PowerStream board. They advertised the position in the local media and accepted applications from several qualified local residents. They made it look like they were actually going to follow the proper and legal process for the first time. They went in camera to discuss the applications. And who did they appoint when they came out? Councillor Deb “What’s a dividend?” Doherty. Yes, the same councillor who complained about not getting a dividend from the utility after she and her colleagues gutted the utility and killed its ……… click below for more ↓

Albert and the Lion

Books & Reviews / Daily life / Family history / Personal Reminiscences / Poetry & LyricsLeave a comment

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There’s a famous seaside place called Blackpool, That’s noted for fresh-air and fun, And Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom Went there with young Albert, their son. A grand little lad was their Albert All dressed in his best; quite a swell ‘E’d a stick with an ‘orse’s ‘ead ‘andle The finest that Woolworth’s could sell. So begins the poem, The Lion and Albert, written by Marriott Edgar. I first read it in the book pictured on the right: a book that accompanied a collection of 78 rpm records in which Stanley Holloway read the poems (click to see a larger image). ……… click below for more ↓

As Elvis leaves the building, so do we all

Culture / Music & Reviews / Musings / Personal Reminiscences / Pop CultureLeave a comment

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No one gets out of here alive. We all die. And with us go into the dustbin the dreams, the values, the ideals, the culture we grew up with, we shared, we ensconced in our daily existence. And the clutter we accumulated during our lives. Elvis has left the building and, sooner or later, so shall we all. And as we do, the value of our own material legacy will diminish with each day. A recent story in The Guardian tells of how once-treasured Elvis memorabilia is falling in value, as collectors age and die off, leaving a younger generation ……… click below for more ↓

Sadly, it’s business as usual

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Municipal PoliticsOne Comment

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I suppose you expect I am disappointed that not a single one of The Block had the spine, the moral compass, the ethical guts to resign after killing the hospital redevelopment. After all, I called on them all – plus the interim CAO – to resign immediately. Not doing so, I said, would prove everything I ever said about them. They didn’t budge. Well, my compensation is that I get to say “I told you so.” Again. I suspect I will repeat those words several more times this term. People only disappoint you when they don’t live up to your ……… click below for more ↓

The Block killed the hospital. They MUST all resign. Now.

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital2 Comments

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The actions of The Block and the town’s administration have resulted in the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital losing its chance for redevelopment. The province didn’t include funding for the local proposal in its budget. The next opportunity for such funding will be at least a decade away, if one ever comes along. If any of these people have even a shred of decency, of honour, they will all resign immediately. If any of these people felt even a twinge of shame for misleading the community while they pursued their own personal – and very destructive – agendas, they would ……… click below for more ↓

‘Senator’ Jeffrey gets more money again

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / TaxesOne Comment

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The Block once again rewarded one of their own by granting Councillor ‘Senator’ Jeffrey an unlimited expense account to wine, dine and party across Canada on the taxpayer’s dollar. The Connection story is headlined, “Collingwood councillor seeks Federation of Canadian Municipalities seat. That – like so many other Connection headlines – is incorrect. She has held the seat for the last two-and-a-half years, paid for by you, the taxpayer. This is just to extend her entitlement, a blank cheque without the messiness of accountability. The Block think that your tax dollars should be shovelled into that maw, with no restrictions, ……… click below for more ↓

The DM’s height of hypocrisy

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / HospitalLeave a comment

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There’s a story in this week’s Connection with the misleading headline, “Town asks hospital for public meeting”. The online version has it as “Collingwood asks hospital for public meeting.” Neither is correct. The “town” wants nothing of the sort. The mayor – who speaks for the town – has never expressed that on behalf of council. Actually, she voted against the request. But the real headline is buried in the opening: “Collingwood’s deputy mayor wants council and the hospital to put out a united front on the redevelopment plan.” Well, it’s clear to see why the Connection is being called ……… click below for more ↓

Collingwood deserves answers

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

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The Most Secretive Council Ever has never told the public why it has been so intent on damaging this community. We have never had an explanation why they are so inflexible, so hostile to other ideas, so adversarial to opinions other than their own. We have never been told why they are so focused on their own entitlement and give no thought for or support to the residents and taxpayers in Collingwood. We have been kept in the dark about their motives and goals while The Block continues its destructive rampage against community institutions through these past two and a ……… click below for more ↓

Three, six, seven, nine… how many basic plots?

Books & Reviews / Literature / Reading & Literacy / What I'm Reading Now / Writing & FictionLeave a comment

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When I was in school, back in the last century, I was taught there were three basic plots in which every story ever written could be classified: Man-vs-man, man-vs-nature and man-vs-himself. That was in the days when it wasn’t politically incorrect to use the word man to mean everyone. Today we’d say it differently, use other pronouns, but the meaning is the same. Three is a bit simplistic, sure. The list has been expanded on by authors, academics and critics ever since. And by robots, too. Last summer, a story in The Atlantic told of university researchers who used software ……… click below for more ↓

This man should resign

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

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Can a municipality operate effectively with a toxic relationship between the mayor and the CAO? Can staff avoid being involved in the confrontation? Can the public expect the best service and support from its leaders if the two top people are at odds? Clearly not. A story in The Connection reinforced just how bad things have become in town hall between the mayor and the interim CAO. Once you read it, I believe you will agree with me: the interim CAO must go. Now. Right now. He is an embarrassment to everyone. This behaviour is intolerable. It doesn’t matter that he ……… click below for more ↓

More council secrecy, more council scheming

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Utilities: electricity and waterOne Comment

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On Monday’s council agenda there are again two in-camera topics that reinforce just how much little respect The Block have for process, ethics, the public, legality, openness and transparency. The Block will – again – secretly discuss privatizing our water and wastewater services to the out-of-province, for-profit corporation, EPCOR, and also secretly discuss appointing new directors to the Collus-PowerStream board. Both should be discussed and decided in public. Both should have had public input or consultation. But why should The Block change habits now? The backroom, sole-source EPOCR deal is so shady it could have been a script for The ……… click below for more ↓

Another imaginary roadblock for the hospital

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital5 Comments

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In the April 24 addendum to the agenda there is a report by the interim CAO about the hospital redevelopment you should read. It seems another council hissy fit is in the making. Your first question should be: why is the interim CAO writing and signing a report that ought to come from the planning department? It’s a planning issue – was the planning department reluctant to submit it? Didn’t agree with the conclusions? It’s a political document and written in political language. Perhaps no one in the department felt they should take ownership of it. Planning issues should be ……… click below for more ↓

Collus-PowerStream responds about dividend

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Taxes / Utilities: electricity and waterLeave a comment

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On the April 24 council agenda is an addendum that includes the response from Collus-PowerStream about The Block’s questions over the lack of a dividend from the utility. I wrote about this last month in Dividends for Dummies. I’m glad to see what I wrote then has been proven correct. The original letter from CPS back in February, stated, “The Board decision was based on the Dividend Policy of the Corporation including consideration of an appropriate capital structure and working capital levels required to continue to operate as a viable business.” Clearly none of The Block had the slightest clue ……… click below for more ↓

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