SIMILAR BEHAVIOUR FROM WOOLWICH COUNCIL AND THE WRDSB (School Board)

 First of all readers please, please read today's Waterloo Region Record article (pg. A4) written by Luisa D"Amato titled "Mike Ramsay's offence? Vehemently disagreeing with other school trustees". Otherwise you have no real basis to compare and understand this post. Luisa has literally decades of experience in following, questioning and reporting on the Waterloo Region District School Board's (WRDSB) decisions and  behaviour.

Her article today is essentially about differing opinions and how one of our local authorities are so terrified of  even publicly elected representatives disagreeing with their position on just about anything. Mike Ramsay primarily expressed his opinions and understanding of the issues under discussion to his fellow trustees. Many of us, including myself, think that his position has merit and deserves further discussion. Most (not all) of his Trustee colleagues think otherwise and voted him (possibly illegally) off the educational island last June. He has been banned from attending/voting Trustee/Board meetings since. He was also prohibited from communicating with his colleagues and from receiving reports and correspondence relevant to his job as Trustee since last June.

Flash forward to Woolwich Township. Seven years ago they arbitrarily removed CPAC who had worked as volunteers diligently for four and a half years holding both Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment's (MECP) feet to the fire. They had been appointed by the previous Woolwich Council. CPAC's actions were necessary to get the Elmira cleanup back on track after two decades of Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura running the show (investigation & cleanup) and consistently doing the least expensive, bare minimum and less. Both Chemtura and the MECP ran for help to the new, incoming Mayor Sandy Shantz. She completely rolled over to their pleas and agenda which had been proven inadequate and not in the public interest. To this day CPAC members including myself AS WELL AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC are not allowed to ask any questions or offer any verbal comments at public meetings of RAC and TAG. Possibly three times a year the public are allowed to speak to RAC as a Delegation only. No questions allowed from the public. TAG prohibit all verbal comments or Delegations. Written comments may be submitted which they NEVER ask questions about and which most do not read. 

Yes there are differences between the two matters. The result however is the same. The public's opinions and comments are denied and muzzled while "good" little citizens who follow the Board/Council's position are given the podium to speak. Council members to their shame appear to fully delegate the Elmira cleanup to the Mayor and one other councillor. This does not exonerate them from responsibility for their grossly undemocratic and possibly illegal and or discriminatory behaviour towards their citizens.