It happens. A post is started with a thought in mind . Then it takes off like it has a mind of its own.
The first on Order and Chaos speaks to how Councillors work together, civilly, orderly and productively.
Rules are useless if Councillors do not share a common understanding of their intent..
Wording must be succinct with no opportunity for interpretation
Councillors Gaertner's and Gallo's comments in Tuesday, provides their perspective of how a Council functions.
I had no expectation otherwise..
The alignment of others with Gaertner's and Gallo's perspective is what concerns me.Once the Bylaw is passed, I have no other opportunity for influence.
Gaertner's main concern is that confidentiality of information from closed door meetings should be thoroughly understood and observed.
Gallo expressed comfort with words like obey and consequences for disobedience.
The Municipal Act is clear on matters a Council may deal with behind closed doors.
Plotting a scheme to destroy the reputation of a Councillor who is not malleable,is not in the list.
Nor are public resources to be expended to destroy one's political adversaries. Or to punish one for "disobedience".
Rules of confidentiality are not to provide cover and secrecy for plots of nefarious intent
Councillor Gallo's comfort with words like obey and disobedience reveals a mind beset with the concept of power of the majority over the rights of the individual. .
A chasm exists between myself and these two councillors. No set of rules will bridge the gap.
But who among the rest aligns themselves with those two.?
Which consciously chose wording to uphold the principle of absolute dominance?
My concerns would be resolved by a simple adaptation of Bourinot's Parliamentary Rules.
They have withstood the test of time and practice throughout history. Their intent is to serve the principle of order over chaos.
They have been written and amended to suit the times by experts acknowledged nation wide and through the centuries.
Instead ,we have rules flooded with redundancy and phraseology that disrespects the authority of a person chosen by the electorate; denies the right to exercise judgment; leading to frustration and precipitating bitter dispute and serious consequences.
Unanimous agreement made in good faith for rules to abide by.for the rest of the term is essential.
Nothing less will suffice.
Whatever time it takes to reach a common understanding , is the time it should take.
Hours of futile wrangling at Council meetings are not conducive to mutual or the community's respect.. .
Rules giving power to the majority, to beat the minority into the ground. like a wooden tent peg splayed out with a sledge hammer, have the opposite effect..
Friday, 9 September 2011
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7 comments:
This town is ripe with bullying.
It is disturbing to say the least.
The higher you go,the integrity thins like the air.
Councillors Gaertner and Gallo should be muzzled in return for being permitted to attend Council and General Committee meetings.
They should have available to them an electronic voting device with three coloured light bulbs that would display their votes:
RED - No or Oppose
Green - Yes or In Favour
Yellow - Abstain or Undecided - It really makes no difference.
The length of Council and GC meetings would probably be reduced by 40% and they could still claim that they had participated in the decision making process.
Tough times require tough solutions.
It is obviously frustrating for you Evelyn that no-one is listening to you.
It seems no matter how much you blog about it that it falls on deaf ears.
Good luck.
You cannot change them; the hope is that the
other councillors have seen what this sort of
behaviour can lead to....bullying, foul language and
endless involvement with lawyers. They would act the
same way all over again. Nothing has been learned
by either individual and that is truly sad.
Anonymous, so what you are saying is that Gaertner and Gallo should shut up and obey and not being permitted to attend would be the consequence for disobedience.
It must rankle that if they had stuck to Town
Business instead of personal vendettas, they could
all have been re-elected. But we did our best to stop
them.
We all did a dance of joy when the last lot were chucked out, however, I feel that Councillor Buck has gone from being the bullied to being the bully.
Please, Evelyn, enough with the personal vendettas.
Read some of your posts - you are trying to do to them what was done unto you.
Rise above.
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