Scolded Like Children in Public

A "wuss" is defined as "A person regarded as weak or timid." "An offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as weak or ineffectual." Do we have 10 of them on Council?

I am sure that you really like being told off by your boss. You try your best and then get dumped on. Can you imagine how small you would feel if your boss did that in front of your co-workers. How about if he/she did that in front of your customers and strangers too.

That certainly would be good for your self-esteem and would lower your worth in front of the others.

Can you imagine then how the Councillors must feel after being ridiculed by the Mayor at Council last Monday and on televison for all to see. It was as if they were children being scolded by a teacher for their stupidity at dealing with the simplest of matters.

The Star's comment hardly does justice to what the Mayor did:

• "Council appeared poised to do just that [to grant the Junction a one-year business license], but then Mayor Eddie Francis took the unusual step of removing himself from the chair of Monday's meeting in order to strongly oppose the option, which had been proposed by Coun. Fulvio Valentinis."

Can you imagine, Councillor Valentinis whom Henderson called "an educator and lawyer" being told off by a 33 year old "legal technocrat" who has never really practised law since he went right from Bar Admission to running for Mayor!

Our Mayor, if he was so clever, should have spotted the problem and not let it go to Council in the first place. Or he could have killed it in one second with a ruling from the Chair.

Yet he did not do either of those things. Gee, that gave him the terrific opportunity to perform his dramatic act to make sure the Junction was killed if anyone thought it could be saved. Who needs theatre at the Capitol when we have this show for free. I should ask the person who contacted me before if this was all "orchestrated" like a symphony in camera as well.

But it was more too. It allowed him to re-assert himself, to dominate his Councillors and let them know who is boss in case they forgot. It reminded them what their respective roles were. It is not enough for his ego that he forced Council to pass a motion in public that he is the "Voice of Council" on the border and that there may well be an Integrity Commissioner appointed who will be there if they dare step out of line. For a guy with so much power, our Mayor seems so insecure.

What was wrong with Councillors---are they so stupid that they did not understand the difference between heritage designation and the interim control by-law such that he had to remind them several times of it. How could they possibly follow what Administration said was a viable option in dealing with the Junction when he said it was not and that if they defied him then he would insist that Administrators be indemnified in case there was a lawsuit.

And the sad part was that they just sat there and took it with a couple of exceptions: Councillors Gignac and Halberstadt.

Why do we even need a Council when he is just so smart and they are just so dumb. No wonder he does not tell them anything significant. They cannot handle it. Remember what Mike Hurst said about the role of the Mayor and Councillors.

• "Hurst said that as mayor his mandate is to look at the overall picture that will be of most benefit to the city."Councillors don't have to do that but the mayor does," said Hurst. "

Well Eddie is taking that to the Nth degree. What an insult!

Oh there has been quite a change in what Eddie thinks about empowering Councillors from the time he first ran for Mayor:

• "EMPOWERING COUNCIL
  
  Portfolios
  
  City Councillors must become active participants, with the Mayor, in governing our City. Our Councillors come from diverse backgrounds that are rich in different life experiences. Many will have previously served as Councillors. We must leverage the depth and breadth of their knowledge and expertise to the City’s advantage."

The interesting point about the last Council meeting is that Eddie has put his neck on the line about the Junction, something he rarely does. He cannot hide behind Council on this one. He will be the #1 Witness if George Sofos decides to sue and George will not back off if he does. The animosity now runs too deep.

Our Mayor and Administration will have to explain why for instance certain saving provisions in the Official Plan were not presented as options to help George and why no one picked up on my suggestion re the CBO.

Let's see now....we have the Three Blind Mice and Councillor Gignac who have to be offended by the impudence of the Mayor. Councillor Hatfield is looking as if he is less and less pleased at what is going on. Councillor Valentinis cannot be thrilled at how he was treated. That already is a Council majority even not taking into account what I have heard about certain Councillors being very upset in camera as to how this City is being run or have ambitions to be the next Mayor and are looking for a way to separate from the pack.

Did Eddie overstep? Did he get carried away with his own power? Did he forget that he was one of the people who rallied Councillors to beat Hurst?

Will history repeat itself with Francis as Mayor? It will if six Councillors have guts and are tired of being treated as wusses. And Windsorites can only hope that Eddie's own foolish outburst caused that change.