"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Saturday 22 June 2013

Code of Ethics 3

Tuesday's general committee meeting gave an update on communications between the Town and Bell Telephone on the issue of  planting a cell tower on the King Side of Bathurst Street.

It amounted to nothing new; nil, zilch and zero 

Three neighboring residents were present. Council was ready to move to the next item on te agenda. But not before Councillor Gaeertner took a swipe at the Director of Planning and placing blame entirely upon his shoulders. 

For any other Councillor, it would have been an odd contradiction. 

Just  the week before, in a discussion on Code of Ehics versus Code of Conduct, the Councillor had reiterated her preference for the Code of Conduct because it provides opportunity for  punishment of others. 

The Code of Conduct had teeth. All the better to bite a person.I assume. 

Clause 4 of the Code of Conduct  requires a Councillor to "Refrain from publicly criticizing  individual members of staff  in a way that casts aspersions on their professional competence and credibility."

The Code also requires a Councillor to  regularly read and understand The Code and sign two copies to signify to each other and all stakeholders they have read , understood and accept it. 

It's such a crock. 

None of the Gang of Six ever saw a rule  that applied to them.  Nothing has changed. 

Nothing  on a candidate registration form guarantees an  ability to read and understand the alphabet, let alone guaranteeing intelligence, judgement and integrity , simply by virtue of having been elected to public office. 


8 comments:

Anonymous said...


Clr. Gaertner is herself an odd contradiction.

A lot of the time she makes no sense whatsoever. This is usually when she is trying to make a serious contribution to the discussion around the table.

She should get someone to write position papers for her, that at the appropriate moment she can read to those assembled.

She might not understand what she is reading, but the others will.

Anonymous said...

I had been wondering what council would do when faced with Bell's refusal to waste any time or money on discussions with Aurora about a cell tower in King.
In the Auroran a few weeks ago, Councillor Ballard was quoted as looking forward to talks with the Mayor of King. Wonder how that went.

Anonymous said...

No doubt this enhanced the Director of Planning's opinion on how Councillor Gaertner does her job.

Anonymous said...

To be honest, I frequently bail out on Councillor Humpfryes' run-on sentences. A stream of them leaves me gasping so that the eventual vote can come as a surprise.

Anonymous said...

Christopher

Anonymous said...

I find it ironic that a woman who signed onto that non-defamation lawsuit with town funds under the pretext of ' protecting ' staff continues to attack staff members. How many did they dispose off when in office? Her mic should have been cut off .

Anonymous said...

The Conservative Convention scheduled for Calgary has been cancelled. Does anyone have any ideas about what they will do now ? An alternative site?

Anonymous said...

Wherever the Dictator Stephen Harper wants it.