CORRUPTION INCLUDES SIMPLE RULE BREAKING

A commenter here on the Advocate has recently stated that rules are made by those in power and authority to buttress and support themselves to stay in power, get power and to defend themselves from legitimate attacks by outraged citizens. Hence many rules are not in the public interest. Those that are can be blunted by assurring that like minded people/supporters hold key positions. When councils and other political bodies are the ones appointing Clerks, Council committees, Compliance Audit Committees (MECAC), Chairs of Committees you can see the problems. Municipal Councils are supposed to live by the Municipal Act 2001 but it itself was written by provincial politicians, many who started their political careers at the municipal level. These same Councils write their own Procedural By-Laws which again allow themselves to write the rules for their benefit, not for the public's.

Selective enforcement is also an age old method of stickhandling around awkward rules. I saw this in the behaviour of two different Councils when dealing with election contraventions. Hamilton Council sucessfully went to court to oppose a candidate trying to be relieved of the penalty for failing to file election Financial Statements. Woolwich Council went the exact opposite route in order to support Councillor Bauman and Mayor Shantz. The difference was not in the severity of the contraventions but in the popularity of the candidates. Mark and Sandy are with the program and status quo here in Woolwich. They are not reformers trying to make improvements in our governance.

Woolwich Council themselves are gulity of selective enforcement of both rules and laws. They jumped all over former mayor Todd Cowan for allegedly "steaing" $3,200 via double expensing. Todd paid back $2,700 almost immediately claiming paperwork errors. I am doubtful, however his day in court is coming up in November. Meanwhile Mayor Shantz has made thousands of dollars in errors both in understating her Contributions and in understating her expenses thus avoiding a mandated Audit. She has admitted as of July 2/15 to this as well as to receiving an overdonation from a corporation. Until then she was denying (lying) stating that I was out to lunch and her Financial Statements were fine. She has still refused to admit many more election expense contraventions, some extremely serious, as listed on my August 3/15 posting here. Despite this Council continue to support her as well as Councillor Scott Hahn. His problems are now legion and public since the release of the Forensic Audit on August 11/15. I posted about them on August 14 (last Friday).

Counicl's "support" includes their refusing to provide counterpoint evidence at Superior Court for both Councillor Mark Bauman and for Mayor Shantz. Other support has come from the Woolwich Clerk who said one thing to me (ie. "Woolwich tradition") when I went to her regarding Mark Bauman's failure to file his legally mandated Financial Statement and different testimony to Mark and Council and hence Superior Court.

Woolwich Council have written new Terms of Reference for the RAC & TAG committees of Council. Again we have blatant selective enforcement by Council in order to get their buddies and supporters onto the Technical Advisory Group. Their own rules state that conflicts of interest can not be allowed. I have written here in the Advocate of the incredible, decades long conflicts of interest, that Pat McLean and Susan Bryant have. These include expense paid trips around the country from Uniroyal/Chemtura in the past as well as Pat still enjoying the same via the Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) of which Chemtura are a member. Pat also voted in favour of Chemtura's last reverification under *Responsible Care. Dr. Dan Holt of CPAC did not. Susan has received employment income from both the Region of Waterloo (RAC member) as well as by her own admission from Conestoga Rovers, decades long consultants to Uniroyal/Chemtura. I provided the recorded, public CPAC meeting date that Susan bragged about this; to Mayor Shantz this spring and all Sandy did was scream about me smearing Susan's name. Susan did that all by herself and mayor and Council are looking the other way because Pat was with Sandy during the campaign (senior centre debate) and both are strongly supported by Chemtura and their corrupt "regulator" the Ontario M.O.E.. Being supported by Chemtura & the M.O.E. for membership on either RAC or TAG is a damning indictment and honest and intelligent (both required) people understand that.

No need to list all the laws this Council have broken and continue to break as recently as last Tuesday (4:30 pm in camera meeting). These include the Municipal Act 2001 and the Elections Act 1996, so far. These are symptoms of pervasive rot morally and politically. I have pointed them out in order to remove the false aura of legitimacy and honesty with which most of Woolwich Council wrap themselves. They are dangerous, vindictive people whose motives are selfish and self centred.