Last night's special meeting should have taken fifteen minutes.It lasted one hour and forty five minutes.
It was a familiar scenario. Staff person targeted for tag team interrogation by one Councillor after another. Security organizations probably have a name for a method of wearing a suspect down until they confess... to whatever ....don't matter what.
First there was a vote to suspend the Procedure bylaw for public forum to be added to the agenda after the fact.
Then Rebecca Beaton, MacEachern's friend and helper, took the microphone and asked what she obviously felt were telling questions.
Walter Mestrinaro, another friend of the Councillor, came forward with another question.
Sort of like they were proving something. It wasn't clear what.
Then it was the Councillors' turn.
How would the re-count be conducted?
Council gives approval , the Elections Act provides the Clerk, also the Elections Officer ,authority to direct a recount. Politicians have no jurisdiction. Isn't that a novel notion.
The information seemed difficult to digest. The resolution kept coming forward with direction from the outgoing Council.
Councillor Wilson said he had received phone calls from people who had experienced problems. The Clerk reported no calls received.
Councillor Wilson was concerned seventy-eight people might be in the room viewing the recount and couldn't see how that would work. The Councillor eventually put forward a resolution, seconded by MacEachern to direct a recount.
Then he withdrew it.
Councillor MacEachern worried people had a right to review the ballots but wouldn't actually be able to do so. The Councillor put forward a new resolution with directions to the Elections Officer
The Mayor apparently had similar concerns.
Legal Counsel advised the direction was redundant.
Councillor Gaertner needed Sections of the Elections Act read more than once for better understanding..
Councillor Granger made the request but steered clear of the debate. He declared a conflict of interest
He apparently had no reason for a recount except he didn't get enough votes to be elected.
History dictates little possibility of change.
We are doing it anyway.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
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4 comments:
"He apparently had no reason for a recount except he didn't get enough votes to be elected."
Of course he didn't have a reason. He hasn't had much reason for anything he's done since 2006, other than "because someone told him he should". Everything he does is orchestrated by Mormac. That's not news.
Of course Evelyn would not call a recount if the situation had her 21 votes down?
Right
Someone made the observation that Rebecca Beaton and Walter Mestrinaro had detailed prepared notes for presentation in advance of the meeting, despite the fact that the public was not invited to speak in the published agenda. I would like to know if this is in fact true because if so, it would constitute a very relevant observation. Given that there was apparently no pubic notice of a pending open forum and in light of their close relationship with Evelina and Phyllis and given the consistency of the arguments they all presented, this begs the question as to if they were somehow given advanced notice of what was to transpire and what the end purpose of the meeting was.
I would also like to confirm with Councillor Buck if there is typically open forum at special meetings such as this. If not, another big red flag go up.
In light of the comments made by Phyllis, Al, Wendy and Evelina and if my personal assumptions prove to be valid based on the facts as I understand them, this may all add up to clear evidence of the very kind of "orchestration" that was suggested by Councillor Buck and which was received with such great offence by Her Worship. Councillor MacEachern apparently took great exception to being falsely accused in such a way, which I for one, find to be highly ironic given any number of recent actions taken by Phyllis, Evelina, Sher and the Gang of Six in general.
There are legitimate reasons why freedom of speech is enshrined in our civil rights and protected so stringently by the courts. The very essence of our democracy is at stake and for the Mayor and her supporters to call into question the whole election process because their friend Mr. Granger lost by a mere 21 votes makes me (for one) question the underlying integrity and guiding principals of their motives.Thank goodness that there are some people that are still not afraid to speak up and question what is really going on at our town hall.
Signed Anonymous, for fear of retribution.
To Anonymous November 3, 2010.
The town is going to spend $6,000 or more in order to run the same electronic results through the same machines. Do you honestly think there will be any change in the results ?
What seems to escape council is that there will be no "hanging chads" in this instance because this was an electronically delivered vote and all of the votes have paper copies to accompany them.
For Morris, Wilson and MacEachern to try and suggest that the entire electoral system is somehow in question is highly suspect don't you think ?
Does it make you wonder why Evelina's friends showed up with written speeches that supported her case when there was no open forum scheduled ? Wilson said he received a few calls by people who said their votes may not have been counted, which begs the questions as to why they thought that and why they did not call the town clerk.
I'm not sure if "orchestrated" is the most effective word, because I can think of others to describe what transpired at the last special meeting of this apparently dubious council.
Anonymous for fear of retribution
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