Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen":
I know you do not read the papers much, Evelyn. But perhaps you could get someone who gets the Globe online- I do not- to print off their article on how the new mayor of Brampton is planning to clean up the mess she has on her hands. She is going to use the first 100 days & wants an integrity tzar that cannot be ignored. They sacked one already there.
sound familiar ? Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 1 December 2014 13:Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleme
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The media's been busy with stories of change and renewal in the GTA . The Globe and Mail has an account of an interview with Linda Jeffrey the new Mayor of Brampton.
Oh My!
The Mayor-elect had nothing positive to say .
Brampton has a Mayor and ten Councillors. Several are Peel Region Reps. Seven are newly elected.
Re-elected Councillors (3) may not be benignly inclined toward the still-unsworn Mayor's broad strokes of vilification and promise of retribution...
Andre Marin ,Ontario's Ombudsman of repute, has already been consulted and looms large in the story along with a new Integrity Tzar who must be obeyed in Brampton though not elsewhere in
Ontario because the Act does not require it.
Brampton is Peel's Regional seat.
The city's public service has not been left unscathed in the Globe interview . I'm no expert on labour relations but fairness indicates a grievance procedure might be in order.
Either way, it's not a cheerful wave in their direction and a Merry Ho -Ho -Ho from the City's new magistrate
I don't read newspapers much. I do keep tabs on headlines and follow stories that shout at me.
Over the years , we heard of the former Mayor Of Brampton. First story was of a feud with the
redoubtable Mayor of Mississauga with the latter 's publicly expressed desire to secede from the Region
Then it was Brampton Mayor's Golf Tournament and personal control of proceeds that hit the fan
Code of Conduct complaints in Brampton seem to have stayed under the radar.
The last and final controversy about improper spending in the Mayor's office came in time for the election.
As paradox goes, this one is a doozy.
Since February 2013 until March 2014, mayoralty challenger Linda Jeffrey was Chair of
Provincial Cabinet and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing As such, various Acts were
under her jurisdiction. Conflict of Interest ,Code of Conduct and Integrity Commissioner legislation are but a smidgin.
If they failed to serve their purpose and we know they did, The Honorable Minister had power to change them.
That never happened.
The Minister resigned her post prior to the Provincial election which did not look hopeful at the time and threw her hat in the ring for the better paying job of Mayor of The City.
A new start is always fraught with challenge. Accusations against rivals in an election are par for the course.
The public service is not considered a worthy foe by any self-respecting politician.
They can't fight back.
True or false, the new Mayor painted everyone with the same brush.
In the hands of a legislator, reckless is an appropriate definition..
The Mayor has already disclosed consultation with Andre Marin,Ontario Provincial Ombudsman of repute.
Her preference for an Integrity Commissioner with power and authority whose decision cannot be ignored is strongly stated.
We have had experience with Code of Conduct and IntegrityCommissioner legislation . We are singularly unimpressed with effectiveness in the area intended .
Experience with Conflict of Interest Legislation has taught us what not to expect.
We read the Province intends to ban S.L.A.P.P. litigation. But the focus of their concern does not relate to our experience .
If Mayor Jeffrey's intent was to destroy Brampton's confidence in the integrity of the municipal
administration, I think we can safely say she succeeded.
It will not be so easy to maintain the self-assigned role of Warrior Queen for four years.
A reservoir of good will is always handy.
There was no noticeable dent when the new Mayor of Brampton left Queen's Park and Office of
Minister of Municipal Affairs.
She does seem determined to create animosity. It appears to have slipped her mind that she will only have the one vote on council. Her announcement about dedicating the first hundred days of this term to cleaning house may run counter to what other councillors would prefer.
ReplyDeleteStill, if I were in any way involved as a staffer with Brampton council's book-keeping in the recent past, I would be looking for safer pastures,
I think that the Mayor of Brampton was one of the highest paid mayors in Canada. The incumbent plans to take less as her salary & is expecting the councillors to do likewise. They may be disinclined unless they actually ran on such a pledge.
ReplyDeleteFour years is a looong time to be seen as the Warrior Queen. I had not realized that so many of the Brampton councillors were new so she might be use them.
ReplyDeleteBrampton booted a worse 'nightmayor' than we had, and it's the "new broom" that's coming under criticism?!
ReplyDeleteShould she have consulted with Mr Marin without even having being sworn in ?
ReplyDelete17:21
ReplyDelete"worse "
That's a fighting word.
Did she sue her residents ?
Another event at the Town Hall not announced on their web site or streamed.
ReplyDeleteWhy did I think it would change ?
20:03- There's so much to be proud of with our communications dept. Nice to see our hard earned tax money hard at work.... Pathetic.
ReplyDelete20:51
ReplyDeleteThey did announce the tree lighting this year. I s'pose that it progress of a sort.
Yesterday afternoon I asked the Town web site for the inauguration info. They questioned my spelling and said there was none available.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't miss much. Cllr Sandra was all emotional & Cllr Wendy gave what sounded like a doomsday prophesy.
ReplyDeletechristopher
ReplyDeleteSomeone forgot to tell Cllr Wendy that she won the election.
ReplyDeleteI expected as much from Cllr Sandra. She seemed like she wanted to cry at least a dozen times at council in the last term. But then….I wanted to cry too when I found out she got re-elected.
ReplyDelete@15:43
ReplyDelete"...subjecting us to appallingly amateurish and error plagued output deserves no celebration."
19:32
ReplyDeleteHe really does get to you, doesn't he ?
Too bad you never bother to correct the perceived errors.......
@19:32
ReplyDeleteAccording to your somewhat convoluted reasoning, we should regard the Banner as a reliable source of information and the Centre is on its way to self-sustainability. I do not think so.
ReplyDelete21:10
I think we should ban both from our minds and live happier ever after.