GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH

BREATHTAKING OBFUSCATION


Last Saturday I wrote about the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's attempts to undermine me as a volunteer on SWAT which stands for Soil, Water, Air & Technical. By the way Chemtura despise both me and the name SWAT. SWAT members were appointed by CPAC members who themselves are appointed by Woolwich Council. I applaud CPAC's willingness to recognize free talent and experience when it is offerred to them. I also must add that they reached out to the old CPAC 3 1/2 years ago with courtesy and respect and were rebuffed by Susan and Pat with extreme rudeness, pettiness and nastiness in front of multiple witnesses. Despite Pat & Susan's past behaviour CPAC continue to welcome them with open arms at public CPAC meetings and when they attend treat them with courtesy and respect. This is the nature of the current CPAC.

Yesterday I received some stunning news. I learned that losing Mayor Todd Cowan had lied. This of course isn't front page news. It was the sheer breathtaking audacity of the lie as well as who he lied to that took my breath away. I bumped into a Woolwich councillor yesterday morning removing their election signs. I was out walking Grizelda my black lab. We were joined by a candidate for council also removing their signs. The current Woolwich councillor was bluntly asked by me why they had voted against my being on CPAC on two occasions. I was told it was because I had "broken the Blog rules". "What the hell are the Blog rules" I asked. Their response was: Todd told Council that you had agreed to stop blogging here on the Elmira Advocate if appointed to CPAC.

I stood there momentarily stunned. I always suspected that Todd and Julie Anne Herteis had fudged to their fellow councillors about their behaviour at the meeting in the Councillor's Board Room back in the spring of 2011 prior to the first CPAC meeting getting off the ground. They weren't likely going to get much sympathy from their fellow councillors if they honestly advised that Julie Anne went into the meeting with a huge chip on her shoulders and then walked out in the middle of the meeting. People tend to gild the lily somewhat when they are describing their less than stellar behaviour to third parties. That however is nothing compared to Todd's lie. I had sat down with Todd and Woolwich CAO Dave Brenneman prior to being appointed to CPAC. They both wanted to express to me their concern over my Blog (Elmira Advocate) which I had started in May 2010, five months prior to the October 2010 municipal elections. I advised them both that yes I was keen to be on CPAC but no I was not interested in "buying" my way on or in "conditions" being set for my membership. I also advised that my Blog would continue to be blunt but scrupulously honest and fair. While they were not thrilled with my position nevertheless I was appointed by Council to CPAC in the spring of 2011.

Todd attempted the same thing in the summer of 2013. The CPAC Chair and a friend of Todd's were discussing with him my being put back on CPAC. This was because I had been front and centre assisting CPAC & SWAT both before Council gave me the boot (April/May 2011) and ever since. I was a valued and respected member of the team and they wanted me formally on CPAC. They advised me that Todd was again insisting that I must drop the Elmira Advocate. Again I politely refused categorically. This went back to Todd and again he relented and advised that he would support my Application at Council. Turns out he did so after an in camera meeting where once again he advised Council that I had broken my word by not ending the Elmira Advocate. Therefore Todd knew that he could visibly support my Application while the rest of Council turned me down due to his lie. I'm not sure what excuse he gave them for his apparent support but it worked.

Therefore Woolwich citizens your Mayor bald faced lied to Council. Once again we have political interference and abuse of authority in the appointment of volunteers to a municipal committee. I will admit that I am much less upset with this old council now that I know at least a significant part of why they refused me CPAC membership. The question is will this blatant political partisanship continue in the appointment of citizens to committees? I know that Todd was under pressure from both Bill Bardswick of the M.O.E. and Chemtura back in early 2011. How much of that also figured into his lying to Council I do not know. If indeed CPAC must be a committee of Council; it is far too important a committee to have its' appointments done in secret and under cover via in camera meetings. Furthermore Chemtura and the M.O.E. categorically must not be permitted to lobby either Council, staff or the mayor regarding appointments. This committee must on occasion be in an adversarial mode with either Chemtura or the M.O.E. when their priorities do not align with the public interest.

As far as this Blog goes I think it is here to stay. I challenge anyone, anytime to engage in a public debate about anything I have or will post here. I do not censor comments unless they are gratuitously profane or gratuitously insulting and probably inaccurate. That said I do not claim perfection. If indeed I have made a mistake I want to know about it and will correct it. Come on you backdoor and backroom heroes. If you have the nerve to call me a liar to my back then man up and do it publically to my face in a forum where I can defend myself. Unless of course you're either yellow or a liar like Todd.