MECAC PROCEDURAL CONCESSIONS CONTINUE or FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON YOU, FOOL ME TWICE SHAME ON ME

Well according to Woolwich Clerk Val Hummel, all I needed to do was ask. In an e-mail yesterday she advised that "It's reasonable to move the deadline for written submissions up to Wednesday instead of Thursday.". Now of course I had asked that I and MECAC be given three business days at a bare minimum to avoid another "ambush" by Sandy as I sufferred on July 2/15 and as allegedly MECAC also sufferred. Instead we now have two business days (Thurs. & Fri.) prior to the Monday October 26, 9:30 am. MECAC meeting.

Secondly the amount of time in which I get to address MECAC has risen from five minutes to ten. Wow! Of course what is more significant for any kind of remotely honest process to occur is if each party to the hearing (mayor Shantz & myself) are allowed to respond one to each others comments, alleged facts or questions as well as to those from any of the MECAC members or for that matter from anyone who makes claims or allegations allegedly relevant to the mayor's four Financial Statements. This especially includes the Township's lawyer who to date has been called upon to be removed from the process by citizen Richard Clausi back on August 25/15 at Council Chambers. This was due to Woolwich Council's orders to their lawyers to take a Do Nothing position at mayor Shantz's Superior Court hearing into reversing the Elections Act automatic forfeiture of her mayor's chair.

What I have learned over the last two and a half decades here in Woolwich is that it's all about the process set ahead of time. Issues are won or lost not on their merits but on the process set up to allegedly adjudicate them fairly. In fact most of the time the very last thing politicians want is any kind of fair process or outcome. They want what suits their purposes politically. Of course the very simplest method is to stack the committee, board or tribunal with political friends and sympathizers. Secondly strictly control the amount and ability of citizens to ask questions or even make comments or dispute others' so called facts. An honest process allows for a back and forth exchange of ideas, positions and most importantly the ability of each party to provide counterpoint opinions and facts to those raised by the committee or other parties.

There are still huge areas of disagreement process wise. Blatant conflicts of interest on MECAC are being ignored and denied by the Woolwich Clerk and by your Council. This is why the above title includes the second part namely "Fool Me Once Shame On You, Fool Me Twice Shame On Me".