OUR LOCAL COUNCIL ROUTINELY LIES TO THE PUBLIC

O.K. just to put this in perspective, our democratically elected governments at all levels routinely lie to citizens. That makes Justin, Doug, formerly Stephen and Kathleen all liars so exactly why would say Todd or Sandy be any different? Of course they aren't. What is interesting is when successive governments use the very same lies and get away with them. Following is an example.

The Elmira Independent had an article in their March 24, 2011 edition titled "New CPAC terms of reference approved". The Woolwich Observer two days later had an article on the same topic titled "Council adopts new guidelines for CPAC". There indeed were a couple of legitimate changes such as insisting on evening meetings rather than the 9 am. meetings which Chemtura and the MOE preferred and that made Pat and Susan feel like big shots because they could attend and most working citizens could not. Also all meetings were to be open to the public including sub-committees. While some tightening was needed based upon abuses in the past, this provision while good in theory, was sometimes a little too strict. All the rest of the so called changes were window dressing exactly as Sandy Shantz did in mid 2015. Blather about "greater council involvement in the process" was just that, blather. Council already had their own member on CPAC. Comments about greater reporting back to Council were just plain nonsense. Any and all council members could attend the advertised in advance, public meetings, if they wanted. The reality is none of them wanted.

This goes for both Todd Cowan's and Sandy Shantz's councils. Both of them lied and bullfrittered to the public with their claims of greater accountability and involving council more. In Todd's case as hinted at by Ron Ormson of CPAC a week later, Todd and company had no confidence in the old CPAC. The reason was under Pat McLean, CPAC members had both gotten much too close to Chemtura and two members were making decisions that were either all voting CPAC members decisions to make or Council's. Sandy on the other hand wanted to clean house of the citizen volunteers (CPAC) because the two most routinely dishonest parties (MOE & Chemtura) didn't like their dishonesty and intentional delaying being thrown in their faces. Poor babies wanted it both ways as they had it with the old CPAC. In other words they could lie like dogs yet not regularly be called out for it.

Neither council wanted to call a spade a spade and tell the public the truth. Shame on them both although the greater shame is Sandy's as her reasons for removing CPAC were to give the lying big boys a major break.