Somebody once told me that when a new government is elected
they go through a period of time where the electors are very patience, very
understanding and accept that every thing does not change over night.
This period his often referred to as the honeymoon phase, during
my two terms of council this phase lasted about six months.
Since the election I was not at all surprised that things
were pretty quite then for the first six months, I was a little surprised with
the next six months (Apr 11-Oct 11), then I was shocked that the last six
months have been so subdued.
But I have to keep in mind that our local government has
been acting like the good folks at the Lotto 649 they were selling hope
(Strategic plan, Municipal reorganization, Improved efficiencies etc, etc).
Suddenly the last couple of weeks it was like Spring came
early, a rebirth around town, people started talking about local politics and
not in the Pollyanna sense that I have heard over the last eighteen months, but
in the sense that they are starting to ask questions and have expectations.
“When is the strategic plan going to do something for us”, “why
is the municipal hiring so many new people”, “where are the inefficiencies”, “how
much are we spending on consultants”, “are our taxes going up”.
Then two weeks ago “the cancellation of TITV” all of a
sudden the local media jumped on board, editorials were written that put our
local government in less than a positive light, they have started to ask questions.
Maybe just maybe the honeymoon is over, let’s be honest folks I have lived here
for almost 30 years and this council has gotten a fairly easy ride from the
media compared to previous councils.
On my first term on council I was told if you can’t handle
the heat get out of the kitchen. So I felt it would be interesting to see how this
council reacts over the next few months to feeling a little bit of pressure
from the public and the media. Well I
did not have to wait a few months, Tuesday night March 20 I went to the council
meeting. I expected just a regular council meeting, they went through the normal
course of business. Just prior to going into camera the Mayor announces that he
is going to do something different. He is going to allow the media the
opportunity to ask a question each to clarify anything that may have happened
that night. Didn’t seem like a bad idea until suddenly the Mayor seized the
opportunity to chastise the media for some “blatant errors in both papers
reporting over the last few weeks”, then the lecture turned to how critical it
is that they report the council proceeding “accurately”. When a member of the
media attempted to respond to his comments she was shut down very quickly and
told this is not a “debate”.
Wow, I realized at that moment why there is so little debate
during the council meeting, (debate to me is not taking a moment to agree with
the party line, or making the right motion). If this had been 30 years ago in
the old USSR
During my six years on council I always believed I had the
right to disagree with the media, to not like what they were printing. Never
once did I feel like I had the right to control what they had to say to make
sure that they reported “accurately”.
It will be very interesting to see how the media reports
from this point forward!.
44 comments:
Looks like the mayor is showing his true colours.
So did any of the other members of council speak up?
I mentioned on this blog about a year ago that the mayor came off as a bully.I just hope the lemmings(councilors)can find their balls and stand up to the bully.Why are the lemmings so afraid to think for themselves.I know there is no way that they all can be in agreement on some of these issues and yet they vote the party line, pathetic.
I will assume it was the Promoter reporter who stood up for herself.To bad it wasnt Lisa, she is not nearly as kind and would have torn him a new one.
1:49
Nobody spoke up.
Councilors Gail, and Saje were absent
Counselors find their balls? Not likely. Check out the editorials. Our reporters have the biggest balls of them all. Chastising the media is not bright, no matter who you think you are.These ladies can not be intimidated.
Dean
You are so right these guys have had an easy ride in the media.
2:23 you are also right I do not think for a second that these ladies can be intimidated
Well maybe the honeymoon is over.
John
It's budget time now and all this new hiring will have to be accounted for by reducing services, closing facilities, raising fees on everything and raising taxes. So change is coming after all.
Do you think we will ever know what they have spent on consultants?
Larry
Sounds like "Napoleon" at his best---Goerge Orwell-- Animal Farm the simularities are unreal. Rule #1 All animals are equal some animals are less equal.
Napoleon with the dogs following him, now mounted onto the raised portion of the floorwhere Major had prevoiusly stood to deliver his speech. He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning meetings would come to an end. They were unnecessary, he said, and wasted time. In future all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs,presided over by himself. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decision to others.
Dean, this has gone way over the top. I could hardly take it at the Town Hall meeting watching Decoux have each councilor stand, read a page then set down. He thinks he is the teacher/principal and treats the councilors like his underlings. His disrespectful handling of the fireman, volunteers and various board members has me fuming. Maybe these councilors will sit quietly by while the crap gets shoveled out but I am guessing neither paper will. Your reader that called him “Pompous Bruce” hit the nail on the head.
The thought of the councilors sitting quietly by while Decoux tells the press to “report accurately” has me pissed. I don’t know if I am madder at Decoux or the spineless councilors.
So why am I not surprised?
5:23
Remember the old German expression "We have ways of making you Pork"
Did his Worship give any specific examples of these "blatant errors"? There is nothing to prevent him or his acolytes from correcting them in a blog. Their idea of "communication" seems to be that we don't deserve to know anything unless we all come out to every council and committee meeting (except, of course, for the unofficial secret backroom meetings).
Slightly offtopic, at the same Tuesday meeting:
Bylaw No. 840, 2012 – Fireworks Bylaw
M#-6467-12: Councillor Gallant moved to defeat Bylaw No. 840, 2012.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
M#-6468-12: Councillor Gallant moved to recommend to direct Administration to rework the sales and storage component to allow the sales of fireworks on a regulated basis to be returned to Council for first reading at the April 3, 2012 Council Meeting.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
According to the grapevine, this is because a local store has just ordered in a years supply. But the only locals who could meet the onerous conditions to buy them and put on a display are Firemen.
Wow, very pompous indeed. Who does he think he is? His employers are the people of the Crowsnest. He reports to them... including those reporters ...I'll leave it at that, just to be polite...
There is absolutely zero business acumen at the council table and at the town office. They are creating a trainwreck that will take years to fix.
Are there any “resistant to change” groups, volunteer associations and boards left in the Crowsnest Pass? It seems like this Mayor and his administration are going out of their way to upset everyone.
There is a rumour floating around that a group of concerned citizens are going to start a petition to have this council thrown out by Municipal Affairs.
Dean it would be interesting to see if any of your other readers have heard the same rumour?
The story of the Ant, the Lion & the Cockroach (Satire on local Government). This clip is pretty self-explanatory and timely again. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge4X86CxOUY
Anonymous at 1:42. The problem with rumours is that they are simply just that ... rumours.
If I remember correctly, wasn't there a group who put a petition together for Municipal Affairs to have the last council thrown out? I believe Dean was on the hit list last time. The folks at Municipal Affairs are probably shaking their heads.
Section 219-235 of the MGA deals with petitions.
I don't see anywhere that you can throw a council out.
But if you are really interested read the section above and see what you think.
Dean,
Maybe this will put an end to the rumours.
Oh my goodness. What would give anyone the right to get rid of a council that you voted in. Crazy, what a world that would be if that went on all the time. You have no right to go against the democractc vote.
I am not saying anybody has the right I am just commenting regarding an issue that is going around town.
There was a group a few years ago I think it was called "The Citizens to save the Crowsnest Pass" that attempted to overturn council.
I do not know if this is them again or another group, but that talk is definitly out there.
And getting stronger by the day.
Municipal Affairs does not remove a sitting council just because they are incompetent and are bankrupting us. This is what elections are for.
Anon 12 :45 What if any council raised taxes by 500% or 1000% or did something crazy like tried to cancel the Calgary stampede? Would the democratic vote still be the rule or would the people have the right to stand up for what a very strong majority beleive in? Just because you have a council does NOT mean they can do whatever they want.
Dean,
Getting stronger by the day? Why has this group not come forward then? Are they still in the planning stages? I have not seen any petitions around town, and have not been approached on the street to sign one. I'm not saying it won't happen, but look what happened last time. That's right ... nothing, and rightfully so.
They will have the opportunity to change things come next election, just like they did last time. Nothing will come of this. Trust me.
It shouldn’t be hard to figure out if this is the same group as last time. That is, unless they are all wearing hoods.
Lisa organized the petition appealing to the Minister of Municipal Affairs last term because she was upset with four councilors questioning the value of the CLC, its benefits vs what it was costing us. When Lisa’s petition failed she misused her news paper to discredit the councilors who took away the tax payers money from her baby (the CLC). Her malicious use of the Herald managed to get the four offending councilors defeated with a mandate for CHANGE for the new council. I disagree with this council orchestrating their changes behind closed doors but I would never sign a petition asking them be removed. We voted them in. Let’s get engaged and figure out how things have gone so wrong and how proper change can come about. A little gossip and reading the Herald weekly count down to the next election was effective but a disservice to the community. Folks we can do better…get apprised of good information and do not be the vehicle for misinformation unless of coarse you are part of a group who enjoy misinformation and the resultant chaos.
This community has a lot to build on and 18 months from now this council is gone along with the two new shot gun toting Peace Officers.
I was there at the council meeting as well and it was totally unprofessional and uncalled for.
OH I Remember Well!!!!!
About mid term of the previous council a group of disgruntled citizens led by the local newspaper and some busineses organized the countdown to change. They too approached municipal affairs to have them look at the way council was managing this community. Municipal Affairs could find no wrong doing but these people continued their countdown to change. During this period i attended one of their advertised meetings and told them they were wrong for what they were doing. There was over 100 citizens in attendance and they were organizing a petition to have Municipal Affairs look into matters here. I was the only one at that meeting that objected to what was taking place. I was then asked by the chairperson Lisa Sygutak to leave. At the time i was shocked at the people that were involved in this and ashamed at the "men" hiding under Lisa's skirt. They are at it again but will hide behind someone else just like a lot of the ANON bloggers. Hell you can say whet you want nobody knows what you stand for. GO Lisa Go
The counselor’s blogs are silent. They feel no obligation to communicate with us? Or people can’t be bothered with them? Dean, if it weren’t for you, we would really be in the dark. What’s the matter with this picture?
It is likely that the councillors have been told by their leader and the bureaucrats that what they are they doing are both necessary and unpopular. They are doing this for the benefit of the community that is simply not smart enough to appreciate what has to be done to correct the years of mismanagement. The arrogance and the stupidity are beyond understanding!
Re Gallant's motion to "defeat" the Fireworks bylaw:
Normally you would just vote on the Fireworks bylaw and it would pass or not. What if they change their minds again and vote to pass the Fireworks bylaw - will they also have to pass another motion to defeat Gallant's "defeat" motion?
One would think that if there are more people being hired by this council that there would be better services instead of a reduction of services. This must be their idea of bringing us back woods people to the 21st century political way doing things. Promise change, tax more and do less.
10:17 Maybe you are arrogant.All this council ever talks about is a plan.I am sick of plans, I want action.So far they have cut services, raised taxes, raised utility bills twice, raised franchise fees once and are planning to raise them again.They raised the penalty for late paying taxpayers to Mafia type rates.They have killed Thunder the largest tourist attraction we had.Now for the positive side I will let you tell me one or two things they may have done because I can not think of anything.
So excuse me for being stupid.
10:21 The arrogance of this council is ......
10:21 I may add - The way this council treats this community is an affront to every woman and man whoever sat in the chairs they are currently sitting in. They are not only arrogant, but also naive. The.fruit of their labour will be reduced services, higher fees, closed facilities and higher taxes. And let no one ever use the word efficiency when speaking about this council.
Regarding the previous comment:
"Just because you have a council does NOT mean they can do whatever they want."
Well, yes they can that is why they are elected. And if the people of CNP elect someone because the Newspaper lady tells them to are not very informed. Everyone knows you can believe maybe half of what a newspaper says. Hello. As far as signing your name on a blog, no way, the black hoods would probably be out for me!
So much corruption everywhere in CNP. Scratch by back, I will definitely scratch yours. I feel like I am living in the 50's.
Interesting comments about corruption every where in the CNP. Do you think business leaving/failure or do not come here are for no reason? Make no mistake, people that comment ANOM do so knowing what will happen to their business other wise. We have a Mayor making changes while demanding we do not talk about anything that went on in the past. I wonder if the Mayors idea of sweeping all the dirt from the past under the carpet and start with a clean slate will work.
Bridgecreek / River Run will never be forgotten...sorry Decoux..
They will be forgotten. People have short memories.
An RCMP Investigation may serve to jog a few memories, especially among the sitting politicians of the day. The stench lingers in the CNP.
In response to 1:54, Lisa would have said nothing as it was this Council that made the decision to once again advertise in both local newspapers. She will not bite the hand that feeds her.
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