UTTER CONTEMPT

Is there any other way to describe the relationship between this Mayor and Council and the citizens of Windsor. It seems to me that as time goes on things are getting worse. There seems to be little respect these days about how our Municipal Government should be carried on.

I am afraid that I am in one of those moods again. I just cannot believe what goes on at City Hall and that no one seems to be ashamed. For heaven's sake, this is a City of 200,000 people. Life is not that difficult here. Sure we have issues but they are not insurmountable. Most of them can be solved pretty quickly, especially the border issue. Can you believe that there is a city in North America that is rejecting billions of dollars of new investment and the creation of thousands of new jobs in a region that has the highest unemployment rate in this country!

One of our key concerns really is that our difficulties have been known for years but we've done nothing to prepare ourselves against their consequences. Clearly in disregard, I'm talking about the automotive industry and the lack of economic development.

I do not expect anything to be accomplished after living through so many years of lack of leadership and agendas for which "hidden" is an understatement.

It troubles me that we have a Mayor who is so secretive and who mocks the expression open and transparent government. It troubles me that Councillors are so timid. It troubles me that they do not seem to know or care what their legal obligations are. It troubles me that there are no checks and balances in the system and that frankly citizens are powerless unless someone wants to risk thousands of dollars of their own money in court action.

In fact, don’t you see the same type of relationship in the dealings amongst the Mayor and Council and amongst themselves too. It is no secret about the friction amongst Members of Council especially when you see the word dysfunctional being applied.

I was going to get all sociological and psychological in this BLOG. I was going to try and use some of the terms that I have heard used in describing relationships and apply them to what I see taking place. However, that kind of approach is really not my style. I thought the easiest way of describing how I feel is to talk about one item that took place at Council on Monday and let you decide for yourself whether I am overstating the case or not.

The big issue was the payment to the Windsor Star of $100,000 for eight pages of a “special Windsor Star magazine to promote this region's attractions and economic opportunities nationwide and in parts of the U.S.” The vote was tied at 4-4 until the Mayor decided to cast the deciding vote in favour of spending the money.

Not such an important issue in the scheme of things…money can be taken out of the City’s contingency fund to pay for it. It’s also probably good publicity for a Region that needs it after all the slams that we have been taking in the media caused primarily by shameful actions of City Hall. If by chance someone decides to take a trip to Windsor or start up a business here or partner with a local company because of the magazine, then it is probably money well spent.

It is the way that this was done that disgusts me. It is the lack of backbone shown that makes me sick. It is the disregard for the rules and the purpose of them, notwithstanding the expedient “waiver of the Procedural Bylaw,” that shows me disregard for citizens. It is the actions of the Mayor that trouble me. It is the totality of all of this that demonstrates to me conclusively utter contempt.

The difference between the Councillors was not about spending the money but rather how the money was to be spent. The very vocal minority on Council, who are generally the ones who seem to have some brains and are prepared to use them, objected

• “They would have preferred more lead time, so there would be an administration report fully detailing participation in the magazine, or formation of a new overall regional promotion campaign.”

They did not want to put in money for some one off magazine publication. Nevertheless, they were virtually blackmailed into doing so because they County had already decided to contribute their hundred thousand dollars. It would not look very good if there were as no “Windsor” section would it.

I remember watching part of the discussion on television and seeing the Mayor pontificating about how advertising and promotional campaigns are supposed to be carried out. I did not know that he was an advertising guru as well amongst his talents. He talked a very good game about what should have been done and how this magazine should have been part of a campaign both before and after its issuance. Mind you, he is very good at talking rather than executing as we know. Execution might mean he could be wrong and be blamed.

It all made good sense to me until… Until I heard that the Mayor knew about this and had been talking to the Star about this since June. For over 3 months this subject had been discussed between the Mayor and the Star and nothing had been accomplished to develop the Mayor’s ad strategy for the development of the Region.

What was the Councillor reaction:

• “That didn't sit well with some councillors, irked at a last-minute request to buy into the magazine campaign."

“Irked.” What a mealy-mouthed word to describe the embarrassment that Councillors were put in. They really had no choice. Frankly, I am surprised that four Councillors voted against the proposal. Was this their way of showing disgust at the Mayor in the meekest possible way rather than standing up and censuring the Mayor for the way that he treated them and us? Why this time around, it seems that no Councillor was “loopy!” It seems that they were all kept in the dark.

And still no real objection. Why Councillor Loopy himself had to spend several minutes telling us about all of the good things in the region to publicize instead. He should have been assigned the task to write the copy by Council. He would do such a good job with his media skills!

If the Mayor is correct, given the advertising genius that he is, we just wasted $100,000 of taxpayer money because he had better things to do over the last few months. Red Bull, completing the commuter survey and developing new Greenlink Schwunnels are much more important than keeping his Councillors and the public up-to-date. Delegation to one Councillor or several of them to work the problem, I hardly think so.

Better to have a last-minute crisis to force the payment of the money to the Star than to have a reasoned approach that might have resulted in no magazine being created but perhaps something more productive being accomplished. Imagine, actually working with the County together to achieve something for the good of the region as well. It is so much better to play a divide and conquer game isn’t it. Because they did something, we have to as well, whether it makes sense or not.

I am sure that you are surprised that no member of WeACT was there to speak on this expenditure of money. I would expect that there might have been some people, just plain ordinary taxpayers, who might have spoken for or against the proposal. I was shocked that business people and the Chamber who might be considered the main beneficiaries of this expenditure were not there to speak in favour of spending the money.

The reason that none of them were there is because initially this was a Communications Package item and no one is allowed to speak on those matters under the Procedural Bylaw that the Mayor so steadfastly enforces. The Rules had to be waived in order for the money to be spent and they were, exactly according to the Bylaw.

How legalistic. How anti-democratic!

For months this matter was hanging around and at no time did anyone think that citizens should have the right to speak about it. This matter could easily have been deferred until the next Council meeting to permit people to register as delegations. That was not done. The voice of citizens was silenced. But then again, we are nothing more than the pocketbooks to some of these people.

All that would have happened I am sure if this matter was postponed was that the Councillors would have had to sit around for an hour or so listening to the usual suspects complaining about wasting money at a time when this City is in deep financial crisis. Then they would have approved the expenditure anyway. Why waste time listening to citizens when the result was a foregone conclusion.

Had enough yet? Don’t go away, the best is yet to come.

Interestingly, it was the Mayor who decided to be involved in the debate and who was ultimately forced to vote. I like Councillor Jones. He is a vote-counter. He was at least honest about it all when he said that we all knew that this matter was going to be tied in votes and that the Mayor would have to make the ultimate decision. And he did, he voted to spend the money.

Was this a good decision on his part or bad decision. Frankly, for the purpose of this BLOG, it does not matter. My question is why the Mayor participated at all. He could have let the Motion die by leaving it as a tie. That has happened before.

Why was he in the Chair when this was being debated? Why did he vote? Why didn’t he declare a pecuniary interest in this matter and not be involved at all given how he has acted in "an abundance of caution" in other matters that may directly or indirectly impact him as a conflict of interest. Does he not understand how bad this issue could be and how it could impact him? Does he not understand the turmoil that this City could be put through if someone decided to take him on over it? Does he have a legal opinion that he does not have a problem? Or does he just not care anymore because he knows that no one will challenge him, or thinks he does?

What am I talking about… I have already discussed enough the relationship between his Chief of Staff and the Star’s Editorial/Op-ed Editor. But it is much more than that. An in-law of the Mayor works for the Star and is in a very senior position there.

Is this a legal conflict of interest situation or not? Opinions can differ. However, it just looks bad! The Mayor broke the tie and by doing so gave the Star $100,000. Everything about the way this vote and expenditure took place just looks bad! The lack of Councillor condemnation just looks bad! Doesn't anyone at City Hall appreciate this?

When you put it all together and view it along with other recent matters such as:

•  the unreleased 400 Building draft audit that followed the whitewash WUC audit
  


•  the $350,000/almost 2 year search time Freedom of Information request secrecy
  


•  the new Greenlink proposal that has already been rejected by the Senior Levels and never disclosed to citizens nor perhaps to Councillors other than the loopy ones,
  


•  the strange lack of litigation threats by the Mayor
  


•  the accurate but narrow comments about the meeting with Kwame over the Tunnel deal and the need for the Mayor and his lawyer to go public to put the record straight
  


•  the whole Tunnel deal and its secrecy
  


•  the last-minute canal vision press conference,
  


•  the secrecy over the garage proposal that was only disclosed by our famous Columnist,
  


•  the leaks to the media

one has to wonder what this City is coming to.

I really do wish I had an easy answer to what can be done. Let's be direct, there is no remedy other than our Councillors right now. We need a champion (or more likely a few champions) amongst the Councillors to have the guts to stand up and take a stand for the interests of citizens.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs is a joke and the only time they really will get involved is when the City is on the verge of bankruptcy. We have no right to recall of Members of Council thanks to the Premier even though he extended their term by year. To expect a citizen to put their assets at risk in a court action is highly unlikely. In spite of the odd Editorial or comment, Windsor has a media that acts as cheerleaders rather than as members of the Fourth Estate.

I can only hope that this is starting to happen, that several Councillors have had enough of this abusive relationship. Perhaps it is as can be shown by the vote on the Star issue or the lack of threatened litigation against the Senior Levels or the vote on the garage.

It happened with the Council under former Mayor Hurst and we had the best City Council as far as I am concerned for years. Will we see March 4, 2003 again? Your guess is as good as mine.