The $1.2 Million Bird-Flip

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Taxes / User fees and costs2 Comments

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Only 16 months into this term and I’m already worn out from saying “I told you so.” I warned you it would get worse just a few weeks ago. And look: IT DID. But you’re not really surprised, are you? The whole thing was choreographed by the Bobblehead Block Five through months of secret meetings and emails without any public input. Secrecy, no openness, no accountability – the hallmarks of this term. And it will get worse. Much worse. I’m going to be saying “I told you so” a lot more through the train wreck of this term. Get used to ……… click below for more ↓

The Crow and the Lion

Fables / Literary pretensions / PoliticsLeave a comment

Once upon a time, a crafty, old crow was sitting in his nest while his dole of pet doves brought him his breakfast. He happened to look down to the forest floor and saw a convocation of animals had been called. The animals gathered in front of their leader, a wise old lion. I don’t like lions, said the crow to himself. They’re too full of themselves. The animals like them too much. The lion shouldn’t be king of the beasts. I should be. So he called his doves to his side. “I am far more experienced, wiser, and smarter and ……… click below for more ↓

World Poetry Day

Culture / Festivals & Events / Poetry & LyricsLeave a comment

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Today, March 21, is World Poetry Day. Do you care? Not that I’m cynical about poetry – I think it’s important stuff. Poetry is far more important than, say, hockey. The Kardashians. The Oscars. The budget. The latest iPhone or iPad. A cute puppy or kitten video on Facebook. The latest anti-science fad. Or fad diet. It’s even more important than the US election. But that’s a hard sell to a culture with the average attention span lower than that of a goldfish. Whoever gets elected in the US in November will get into the history books, but the campaigns and the ……… click below for more ↓

Anti-GMO = Anti-Science

Critical Thinking / Diet Fads / New Age Codswallop2 Comments

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The politics of persuasion play a bigger role in the anti-GMO movement than science. Like so many anti-science movements before them – the anti-gluten fad, the anti-vaccination idiocies, creationism, the HIV and Zika virus conspiracies, chemtrails and on and on. Like them, anti-GMO is built on a combination of ignorance, fear and gullibility. And it’s all codswallop. First, lets get something clear: almost every single thing you eat today has been modified. Tomatoes, corn, beef, chicken, salmon, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, peas, apples, almonds, peanuts, wheat, potatoes, bananas, milk, cheese, yeast… aside from some wild fish and wild game, everything you ……… click below for more ↓

CAOs: Mene mene, tekel upharsin

Books & Reviews / Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / What I'm Reading NowOne Comment

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The title, as you well know, dear reader, comes from the writing on the wall in Daniel 5, translated as, “You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.” Those words came to me as I read David Siegel’s recent book on Canadian municipal CAOs, Leaders in the Shadows.  It’s subtitled, “The Leadership Qualities of Municipal Chief Administrative Officers.” Interesting stuff for any municipal politician engaged in the recruitment of a CAO.* Siegel suggests CAOs lead from the shadows because, in part, “…a CAO whose name is in the media frequently is probably in some kind of trouble.” I also suggest ……… click below for more ↓

The Crow and the Eagles

Collingwood / Council / Legends & MythsLeave a comment

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Once upon a time, the crafty old crow was huffing and puffing as he flapped his way up into his nest. Although the nest was barely halfway up the tree, the crow could barely fly that high with his stubby, fat little wings and his round belly full of the delicious clams his pet doves brought to him every day. This nest is too high! he said to himself. I’ll have to get my doves to move it to a lower branch. No bird should have to fly so high to get to its nest. It’s an insult to all ……… click below for more ↓

Undermining the Mayor, and Theft

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour2 Comments

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There are several changes to Collingwood’s procedural bylaw proposed. They will come up for voting on Monday night. Most are dry procedural stuff that will likely improve or smooth the normally byzantine process. But one section in particular troubles me: 4.3: allowing the CAO to call special meetings of council by himself: Special Meetings of Council The Mayor and/or CAO may, at any time, summon a Special Meeting of Council on twenty-four (24) hours written notice to the Members. Upon receipt of a written petition, hard copy or digitally, from a majority of the Members, the Clerk shall summon a Special Meeting ……… click below for more ↓

Debunking the Collus Myths

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Planning & Policies6 Comments

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I was recently told a member of town council is publicly making two incorrect statements that seriously need to be debunked: Collus is 100% owned by the town (not 50%), and Collingwood only received $8 million for the sale of its share. Yes, I realize that these are contradictory statements (why would someone pay you for something they never bought?), but a member of the public alleges they were told to him by a council member this week. That sort of foolishness cannot go unchallenged. So let’s correct those mistakes, shall we? Let’s get into the wayback machine to go ……… click below for more ↓

The Crow and the Pond

Collingwood / Ethics and behaviour / Legends & MythsLeave a comment

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One day, the crafty old crow was sitting in his nest while his pack of pet doves brought him breakfast and plucked out their own chest feathers to make sure his nest was soft and warm. He happened to glance down to the forest floor and saw a large pond at which deer and other animals were drinking. The water was clear and inviting. “That’s a mighty big pond,” the old crow thought to himself. “I’d like to bathe in it. I’d like to drink from its clear waters. But not with so many other animals around. I want it all to ……… click below for more ↓

Mazatlan, 2016

Culture / Mexico / Personal ReminiscencesLeave a comment

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We hadn’t been back to Mexico for at least six years and we missed it. We missed the climate, the culture, the food, the people, the music… Mexico has a dear place in our hearts from more than three decades of visiting it. For more than a decade we had been going to Zihuatanejo every February, staying in a house that was only a 10-15 minute walk from the downtown. Over the years, we met a lot of people, made friends with locals, with three generations of family that owned the house, and got to know the city pretty well. ……… click below for more ↓

Why We Deserve a Permanent CAO

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour3 Comments

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First, a little history. Back in the spring of 2012, Collingwood Council terminated the contract with Kim Wingrove, the CAO, according to the terms in the agreement. In her place, council appointed the CEO of Collus, Ed Houghton, as interim CAO. In addition to his other duties, Houghton took the job without any compensation. In January, 2013, council began the process of recruiting a new, permanent CAO. Houghton, an effective leader who was widely respected by staff and council, stepped down shortly afterwards. A consultant was found to begin the recruitment process. In July, 2013, on a recommendation from the town’s ……… click below for more ↓

The non-story of the year: the Elvis contract

Collingwood / Conspiracy Theories / Critical Thinking / Planning & PoliciesOne Comment

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The “big” news in the Collingwood Connection this week is the release of the contract between the town and Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE). Now we all know that Elvis tribute artists can’t engage in pie-eating contests.* The shame, the shame. The community reacted with… a loud snore. Really? This is NEWS? Who the frig cares? Why not cover something exciting, something really relevant? Like the contract for the paint for fire hydrants? Or the contract for aviation fuel? Why not get into the nitty gritty of the photocopier contracts? All of them are at least as important and worthy of your front ……… click below for more ↓

When is a tax increase not a tax increase?

Collingwood / Council / Taxes / User fees and costsOne Comment

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When blockheads don’t get what a levy is. This month, Collingwood Council voted for a tax increase that, through the admin’s sleight of hand, the bobbleheads believed wasn’t a tax increase. It was just the old shell game. According to a story in the Connection (which also didn’t get it), headlined “No tax hike, but assessment increase will add to Collingwood residents’ tax bills”: (Council) have also agreed to add a 0.75-per-cent capital levy, which will generate about $210,000 for the capital asset management plan. A levy IS a tax increase. That’s why it’s called a TAX LEVY. Trying to ……… click below for more ↓

But wait, it gets worse…

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviourOne Comment

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By now you know the worst thing that has happened during this term of council: last night, Dep. Mayor Saunderson made a notice of motion to extend the interim CAO’s contract for another year. Yes, the same interim CAO who was originally hired to fill in only until the town hired a permanent CAO. Last year. It appears several councillors have been conniving in secret AGAIN to extend the CAO’s contact, just as they did last year. Perhaps it was discussed at the secret meeting at a Thornbury restaurant, last December. No wonder the recruitment process for a new CAO was delayed. It was supposed to start ……… click below for more ↓

Loteria de Camacho

Culture / Mexico3 Comments

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Ever since I first visited Mexico, more than 30 years ago, I’ve been fascinated by its culture. It’s beautiful, exotic, alien, yet also comfortable and attractive. One of the things that have intrigued me since the start is the lottery game: loteria de camacho. I’ve seen it for sale in many stores, and played at street vendors and booths at local fiestas. from boxed games to plastic pouches, it can be found in almost every Mexican store. It’s more than a simple game: the set is used to teach literacy, history and writing, too. From the first time I saw ……… click below for more ↓

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