A NEWS RELEASE & VISIT TO THE LOCAL MEDIA TODAY

I will be releasing a news release today advising that " Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz is in contravention of the Municipal Election Act". Along with the news release will be backup documentation showing three separate probable contraventions. I would rank two of them as 99% probable and number two as perhaps 70% probable. These contraventions include Sections 72 and 78 of the Elections Act. They are significant including one probable overdonation by a corporate contributer. Also included is the Mayor's unique accounting/mathematical calculations. I have compared her calculations on one particular item with both explanatory examples on the internet as well as with her fellow Mayoral and Councillor candidates. Her method appears to be both unique and incorrect. To say that of all the Council we would expect the Mayor to set an example is an understatement. That said as of the information currently available I am witholding judgement as to whether she has intentionally misrepresented or whether she simply isn't up to the job of filling out these forms correctly.

That members of Woolwich Council take legal requirements far too casually is another understatement. To date we have Scott Hahn and Mark Bauman with proven errors in their ability to follow the provincially legislated election rules. I believe based upon serious examination of the facts that Mayor Shantz will make three. I will also add that I have seen too many examples of this Council and senior Woolwich staff who believe that they either make up the rules themselves or that they can stickhandle around them. This is one reason for my diligence on these matters.

I would far rather be spending my time reading environmental reports rather than election rules and legislation. This Mayor and her sidekick Mark Bauman have pulled the plug on meaningful environmental public consultation. They have dishonestly attacked the character, competence and integrity of the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee. So tell me Sandy and Mark; how do you like having your competence and possibly character attacked albeit with honesty and transparency? This behaviour by both Mark and Sandy make my decision to hold them accountable for their multiple Election Act errors much easier.

WOOLWICH COUNCIL ADDS "INDIAN GIVING" TO THEIR SINS

Hunh it just hit me that that expression we used since we were kids (and probably long before) is actually racist. My apologies to First Nations and aboriginal people. As if they haven't been subjected to enough denigration over the decades and centuries by Canadian authorities. Yes when it comes to bullying, harassment and just plain contemptible behaviour you need only look to the powerful in any country. Powerful whether by money, influence or political office.

For the past twenty-four years Uniroyal then Chemtura have provided funding to Woolwich Council in order to hire a secretary to take Minutes, coorespond with parties etc.. In recent years it has been $10,000 per annum. On two occasions this current CPAC appointed by the 2010 Woolwich Council have used some of the funds to hire consultants. In 2012 it was Dr. Gail Krantzberg (McMaster Univ.) and in 2014 it was Peter Gray (MTE). Recently CPAC via Graham Chevreau obtained a grant from the Region of Waterloo in order to take samples and analyse them from the Canagagigue Creek and area.

Woolwich Council a week and a half ago stole CPAC's money. They dipped into CPAC's annual budget without so much as a by your leave. They took the money in order to pay for a consultant ostensibly representing the citizens of Woolwich to attend another private, by invitation only Chemtura meeting. This meeting is not in the public interest. This meeting is Mayor Shantz's favourite kind of meeting namely out of the public sight and pretending to be what it isn't. After the fact, CPAC were informed.

MAYOR SANDY SHANTZ IS IN CONTRAVENTION OF THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ACT.

This Council are corrupt. Corrupt as a whole not necessarily each and every member. I leave it to you to figure out the white hats from the black hats. Corruption is defined as so much more than the quintessential brown paper bag of the Mulroney style, filled with cash. One definition among many is "riddled with errors".

Dr. Dan Holt took Councillor Scott Hahn to task for his pathetic and ridiculous attempt to comply with the Elections Act regarding his expense report. I have zero grounds to believe that it was anything more than Dr. Dan's superior knowledge of the legislation plus his sense of right and wrong and fair play. From originally claiming $258 Mr. Hahn's admitted expenses are now $3,200 and rising as he still hasn't included the value of 180 steel posts.

I took Councillor Mark Bauman to task for his complete failure to file any expense report whatsoever. I was shocked by the Clerk's comment after I requested to see Councillor Bauman's expense report. Firstly she stated that it was on-line. I informed her that no it was not. Secondly she informed me after a ten minute wait that as per "Woolwich tradition" she had not required Mark Bauman to submit an expense report because he was acclaimed. I nearly responded that I wasn't aware that "Woolwich tradition" trumped provincial legislation. I have read Mark Bauman's Court Decision written by Justice Campbell. It is all of three pages long and explains nothing other than Mark's Application to the Court for reinstatement was unopposed by the Respondent, Woolwich Township. Basically impossible to lose under those divine circumstances isn't it Mark?

Questions arise. Did the Judge know that Mark had not filed all four times he was acclaimed? Did he know that the Clerk had immediately issued a Default Notice to Todd Cowan for failing to file? Did he know that the Clerk sent out a "Notice To Candidate Of Filing Requirements" well prior to the March 27/15 deadline? Did he know that the Clerk and others feel that "Woolwich traditions" trump the law? Did he know that Mark had seven months from his nomination date until the nomination deadline (& hence his acclamation) in which if he so much as distributed a single brochure from his 2010 contested election; then he had election expenses? Are you sure it's over Mark?

ELMIRA INDEPENDENT REPORTS ON LAST WEEK'S CPAC MEETING

The title of yesterday's Elmira Independent article (not on-line yet) is "Chemtura advisory committee term to end in September". Editor Gail Martin focuses on three issues namely the extension of the term until September 1, CPAC's declaration that Peter Gray (MTE) does not represent their interests at Chemtura's private, by invitation only "technical" meeting (CPAC members all excluded) and finally the Ministry of Environment's ridiculous, butt covering claim that they need $1,628 to cover costs of providing a two page Summary of taxpayers' costs (via the M.O.E.) of cleaning up the Elmira Aquifers.

CPAC spoke bluntly of their disappointment and concerns regarding Woolwich Council's abject failure to reappoint the current CPAC in a timely manner. They also spoke bluntly of certain Council members contemptible behaviour towards CPAC, both verbal and in writing, and then Council's arrogance at assuming they could extend CPAC's term contrary to both their Procedural By-Laws and contrary to decency, courtesy and respect. Two members of this Council have been meeting behind CPAC's back with Chemtura and the M.O.E. and have been totally undermining them for over six months now. They have also been excusing Chemtura and the M.O.E.'s absence from public consultation by holding their private, not in the public interest meetings with them. This is how Woolwich Township and Council treat citizen volunteers who take their public interest mandate seriously when it conflicts with the interest of senior staff and or Council. Shame on them.

Peter Gray's representation of Woolwich at private Chemtura meetings is also disgusting. Council in approving this are violating every known principle of public consultation there is. Chemtura/M.O.E/CRA desperately need to minimize Peter Gray's (MTE) two reports from October 2014 and March 2015. Those two Reports expose Chemtura/M.O.E. gross negligence in allowing off-site flow of DDT, Dioxins and much more. Peter will be co-opted either in reality or in fantasy but Chemtura/CRA will control all reports and documentation concerning the properties east and south of their site.

The Ministry's (M.O.E.) $1,628 FOI bill to CPAC is unacceptable. When will their be a public inquiry into this corrupt Ministry? They are beyond belief.

The next regularily scheduled full public CPAC meeting is scheduled for June 25 at 6 pm. in Council Chambers unless Council of course throw a snit in the meantime.

MARK BAUMAN DID NOT REPRESENT COUNCIL NOR CPAC AT APRIL 9 MEETING

Quoting from last Saturday's Woolwich Observer "According to the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Bauman immediately forfeited his seat when he failed to file a report by the March 27 deadline. Despite being acclaimed to the seat he's held since 2000, he was still required to submit an election expense report under changes to the Municipal Election Act approved prior to the 2010 vote." Furthermore ministry spokesperson Yanni Dagonas stated "It's automatic. The act is clear. There is no mechanism by which council needs to act".

This raises some questions. Did Woolwich Township commit an offence by not formally removing Mark Bauman from office? Secondly are they knowingly committing an offence by not formally reinstating him via some oath of office or other mechanism after Judge Campbell gave his O.K.? Thirdly and this interests me greatly: Are all of Mark Bauman's votes, actions and decisions from March 27 until Thursday May 28 out the window? The answer seems pretty clear to me. He wasn't a Woolwich Councillor during that time frame. Hence the notorious April 9/15 "meeting minutes" of Mayor Shantz's pretend stakeholders' meeting were attended by an imposter, namely one Mark Bauman. He was there as either Council's CPAC representative or as a Council member or both when in fact he was neither. He was simply one more member of the unwashed masses ie. the public.

As it was this meeting attended by seventeen individuals representing various levels of government and various agencies had only Dwighte Este of Chemtura and Mark Bauman with current CPAC knowledge. All the rest were at best pretend stakeholders and some of those with personal axes to grind. The meeting was nothing more than a "bitch" session to allow Mayor Shantz written ammunition to wield against CPAC in her restructuring of CPAC to Chemtura's specifications.

MIDNIGHT DUMPING & UPCOMING SCOTT HAHN AUDIT

Well first of all the two subjects in the above headline are essentially unrelated except that they are both occurring here in Woolwich Township. The midnight dumping of toxic wastes was described in the Waterllo Region Record a couple of days ago in a story titled "Gallons of toxic waste dumped at sugar bush". My educated guess based upon the contents being diesel fuel and oily water and paint is that they may be from either a commercial auto body shop or even someone's backyard do it yourself car painting operation.

Regarding the Scott Hahn Audit, today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story titled "Scott Hahn audit to get underway this month". We are advised that the Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee (MECAC) will be meeting in the next couple of weeks in order to choose an Auditor. To date three proposals for audit services have been received by Woolwich Township. It is beyond impossible for the Auditor not to find errors and discrepancies in Mr. Hahn's original filing simply based upon the already agreed unreported expenses of brochures and signs. Other issues may also possibly come to light.

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME AND THE ADVOCATE

O.K. I'm not comfortable with the above title and I've been resisting it for the last few months. I've been resisting it despite mounting evidence and a few close colleagues assurring me that it is so. Irony abounds. Firstly no individual, singlehandedly can take on Chemtura, their consultants, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the Mayor, Councillor Bauman, a couple of other fence sitting Councillors, and finally two co-opted citizens one a former CPAC Chair and even think they have a ghost of a chance at succeeding.

Past CPACs have had good individuals on them including Dr. Henry Regier, Fred Hager, Ken Driedger, Gerry Heideburt, myself and others. The current CPAC have five excellent members namely Dr. Dan Holt, Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach, Vivienne Delaney, Ron Campbell and Graham Chevreau. Combined with them are a dream SWAT team namely Henry Regier, Richard Clausi, David Marks, Ken Jensen and Paul Menkveld.

My colleagues have been advising me that the primary reason for bringing back the antiquated, disproven, authoritarian and anti populous idea of private, by invitation only technical meetings is to exclude myself from having any public input whatsoever. Besides my understanding of the technical issues there is my outspokeness at CPAC meetings combined with this Blog. The other five honest CPAC members have learned over the last 4 1/2 years that I am a straightshooter who not only tells the truth but backs it up with facts and logic.

Similarily the plan of removing the CPAC Chair Dr. Dan Holt and relegating CPAC to only three or four cheerleading meetings a year is to appease Chemtura and the M.O.E.. Public consultation for them is al about appearances not reality.

Perhaps a more accurate discription of my input and influence would be that I am a catalyst. Without the influence of Pat & Susan at CPAC meetings I have been able via truth, logic and facts to win the hearts and minds of a group of dedicated Woolwich citizens. It is to the shame of Woolwich Council that this extraordinary group are being shamefully attacked and relegated to the sidelines by Mayor Shantz and Councilor Bauman at the behest of Chemtura and the Ministry of the Environment.

FINAL (?) ANALYSIS OF THE MARK BAUMAN CASE

While there has been lots of comment both pro and con regarding Mark Bauman's illegal "suspension" or non-removal from office for eight days by Woolwich Township; last Friday's Woolwich Observer Editorial and cartoon have to be my favourite. The title of the Editorial is "Be thankful for those who bring errors to light". Of course as per the headline an alternate title could be "Don't shoot the messenger".

The cartoon is a belly laugher. It shows Todd Cowan, Scott Hahn, Mark Bauman and Clerk Val Hummel in the Woolwich Saloon nursing their injuries. Those wounds are all self inflicted bullet holes in one of their feet. While normally personal injuries caused by gunfire are no laughing matter; the expression "shooting oneself in the foot" is a well known, long established and publicly accepted saying.

The Editorial itself points out that the messengers namely myself and Dr. Dan Holt have both assisted the democratic process. Also "As a member of the Municipal Elections Act Compliance Audit Committee noted at Hahn's hearing, it's important that the public see politicians are not above the law, that they have to follow the rules."

The Observer's Editorial and cartoon both make critical comments regarding Township Clerk Val Hummel. While there is some basis for that I would remind both readers and the Observer that as per the Elections Act, primary and fundamental responsibilty for compliance is solely upon the candidate not the Clerk.