Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "My Contract Manager On Vacation":
I don't know all those convoluted rules so please
excuse me if this is a dumb question. Can the
Council simply tell this fellow that they have heard
enough from him, and move on to reject the
idea of replacing the equipment ? Seems it would
save a great deal of unnecessary verbiage
******************
Yes indeed. But I am not sure they will.
There's nothing convoluted about the rules. The only people with authority to participate formally in the decision-making process are those elected to do so.
Appearing as a delegation is a privilege not a right. Most Council's extend the privilege. I'm not sure how many actively encourage its abuse.
Citizens have a right of access as often as they like to every council member and the Mayor to convey their concerns on any matter.
They have a right to take a soap box to the town park, stand on it and shout to inform anyone who cares to listen to their concerns.
They have a right to stand at the intersection of Wellington and Yonge carrying billboards informing the carriage trade about their particular beef.
They have a right to write letters to the editor. Send comments to blogs . Pay to advertise their discontent.
They have a right to speak frankly and freely without fear or favour.
They do not have the right to take up the time of Council during a business meeting ,time and time again to keep re-hashing the same issue over and over. Nor do they have the right to demand to be provided with documentation of this that or the other
How much of that do we provide before we require yet another municipal department added to the administration? And another half million dollars on the payroll.
Who should say "Enough already"?
I received a comment last week suggesting parks department staff could not be trusted because they are pressured by salesman flogging playground equipment.
Councillors cannot be trusted with the decision because what do they know about playground equipment?
But a person who speaks for no-one but himself can be deemed the one to be trusted. Because he cares.
Shades of the recent past...when volunteers were elevated above the status of the elected,by the elected themselves, the people trusted by the voters with solemn responsibility for minding the store and making decisions who cheerfully and righteously forfeit the authority and spending acountability to volunteer organisations, who answer to no-one but themselves and certainly do not show any respect in return to the elected authority.
Oh I DO hope that mayor Dawe and the other councillors read your blog and have the wisdom to see, and the courage to heed, the many lessons contained herein. Of course there are those three or four obstinate councillors that will stick to their hoary (oops, that word sounds like another word - did I offend someone?) positions, but hope remains for the rest!
ReplyDeleteAnd Parlaiment has the authority to in act The War Measures Act ... But they don't
ReplyDeleteEvelyn,
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to ask Christopher a question.
May I hopscotch on your site, please ? I would like to
know why he thinks this weekend's bit event will
be less than stellar. Do they not have enough money to
attract good groups ?
Don’t expect miracles , you can probably count on one hand ,the number of politicians in the land with your background and experience , the job of Politician is hard enough without the intimidation factor of your knowledge at the table, that combined with a lack of experience, lack of respect and sheer poor judgment has led to more failures for councilors than you care to tally. You have to have the cohonies to do the job and do it well , stand up to the whiners and bullshiters demand accountability for dollars spent, know what’s going on at ground level and yes offend the offenders. You would think that more of them would have silently embraced your knowledge and followed your example,. Lets not repeat what happend on October 25, 2010
ReplyDelete