New Evidence

Three years ago , an anonymous letter was placed in each Councillor's box . It bore no date stamp for incoming mail, however delivered. The Clerk said it had been received at the Mayor's office and brought across to the Clerk's department. .

The Councillors room is secure. No-one can gain entry without the little do-hickey that does the open- sesame thing. Only Councillors and staff have access.

The letter was six pages long and full of hate. My experience and age were a specific target.

Colleagues felt it should not be ignored. An R.C.M.P. officer informally reviewed it and deemed it " incitement to hatred"

I forwarded it to Chief Armand La Barge and an officer attended on the Clerk. The nature of the letter was not disputed but tracking its source was next to impossible.Also "incitement to hatred" is an offence in only certain circumstances.

The letter, if not written, had certainly been distributed by a Councillor.

Mr. Wilson's frequent personal attacks in the public forum during the previous term of Council made him a likely possibility.

I referred to the letter publicly. Councillor MacEachern denied either she or Councillor Gaertner were responsible. I believed that. Councillor MacEachern is famous for her vituperative style of self- expression but she always signs her name.

Recipients of the Councillor's insults compared notes and established her most spectacular missives were usually dispatched around midnight... the witching hour.

At 8.31 p.m. on Sunday, Councillor Wilson sent an e-mail to Mayor Morris, copied to Councillors and the Chief Administrative Officer, expressing similar sentiments to the anonymous letter.

Authorship is no longer in doubt.

Councillor Wilson's unhappiness with my conduct continues. He is confident however the good work of Council to improve the Town is recognized and appreciated.

The following is an exert:

even with years of experience there can be a complete lack of understanding
of how to effectively deal with issues and conduct one's self in the 21st
century.

This consistent style of negativity and conflict while directed at staff as
'the punching board' is clearly meant to discredit the whole Council and
thereby the Town in any effort of continuous improvement, change or
potential success;
'the true motive has become more than obvious'.

The good news is that this 'mud slinging' has failed! It simply is not
effective; the constant combative poking, negativity and critical style
towards individuals, in this case again senior staff, (often it is the
elected &/or the public) can only be for a personal agenda, almost a
vendetta, and does nothing to make Aurora a better place.

******************************

The Councillor continues along the same vein , vows to defend staff against me and encourages other Councillors to do the same.

I have no doubt he believes what he says. He is consistent.

A question occurs;why he is not prepared to shout it from the roof-tops when he is so confident of his rectitude and public appreciation of his good faith.

I think of the conference I attended in St.Johns, Newfoundland.

Staff went out from the University and asked people, in their homes and places where they gathered, what are the problems and how they could be fixed.

The film- makers returned later with videos for the participants to hear what they had said and examine their own logic.

In effect,people took their thoughts out, laid them on the table, to poke them and prod them and see how they stood up to the examination.

It's a Catholic idea. Examination of conscience.Impure thoughts and all that. The ritual becomes the habit of a lifetime. A particular genre of humour has been developed from the practice. We all recognise a Catholic when we hear one.

The University's project was so simple, it was brilliant.

Hundreds visit this Blog every day. Numbers continue to grow. I remain content I am making a contribution. It's not the one I would chose but it is the only one available to me.

I do not claim to be the single voice of the people. No-one can.

Mr. Wilson and his colleagues resolved from the beginning; no input from myself would be welcomed or permitted. They made no bones about it.

Time passed. Other Councillors were marginalised. The claque continued to hold the majority and added to it when former Councillor Grace Marsh resigned.

Four years is too long to sit quietly with hands folded in submission.Well,.Hell, four minutes is
entirely unlikely.

It is too long to spend being idle. You know what they say about the devil. I chiseled out my own role.

Councillor Wilson's bitter reaction is not surprising.

I recognize no obligation to uphold or explain decisions I strenuously oppose.

I do not hold staff responsible for decisions made by the Mayor and her following.

To allow them to pass unnoticed. To be forgotten by the time of the election.

No No No...Laddie

It's not going to happen.

If I were to copy the anonymous letter and Councillor Wilson's last e-mail and provide them to the two students invited to join this Council at the table to discover how this Council functions behind the scenes,

What impression would that make on fresh young minds, I wonder.

But I wont.

I will leave that up to the Councillor's own judgement

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