Third World bully-boy politics have arrived in Mississauga in force this election.
It was bad enough when charges of intimidation, threatening and impersonation were laid against a candidate in the Ward 10 election earlier this week, but the Mississauga body politic suffered a much more serious blow yesterday when we learned that those same tactics have been employed from inside City Hall by an incumbent councillor seeking re-election.
Two young staff members working for Ward 5 Councillor Eve Adams have been actively campaigning for her on City time — at her direction — for several months. In statements they provided to the City Manager, the two staff members say that Adams not only directed them to break City regulations which ban campaigning on the corporate clock, but told them to wear false name tags so that their activities could not be traced.
Worse than that, the councillor told her brother in earshot of her assistants, that if he saw anyone with an illegal basement or a driveway that violated City regulations, he should indicate that the municipality might have to enforce its bylaws to persuade them to take a lawn sign.
This is coercion of the worst kind and unforgivable of any political candidate, let alone an experienced councillor.
Not surprisingly, the young staffers expressed their reluctance to break the rules. When they complained about all the extra time they were spending doing double duty as campaign and Ward 5 office staff and the gas they were using, Adams instructed them, “to start submitting it as a mileage expense through our corporate budget.”
Incredible. The councillor directs her staff to campaign on taxpayer time and, to add insult to ignominy, she suggests that they book their mileage costs on top of that. The mind boggles at the audacity.
Adams has denied that she ever directed her staff to work on City time and insists that an Aug. 21 e-mail that directs staff to “please send campaign messages after hours or on break time only,” clears her. She fails to grasp, apparently, that using City equipment or paid on-duty staff to campaign anytime is wrong.
The City has some e-mail messages too, about 70 of them. In their statement, the staffers say that they kept careful records because of their concern about the councillor’s behaviour.
“In reviewing the e-mails (which are date and time-stamped) that you have on file, it clearly shows that the councillor provided us direction on what was expected of us on her campaign and these e-mails from her were on corporate time,” says the statement. “These e-mails include confirmation of much of the information stated above.”
If Eve isn’t in enough political trouble for her original sins, she may have compromised herself further by denying her actions.
The most ominous note for Adams is that Mayor Hazel McCallion has decided, “to get involved personally.”
Cue the funeral music.
Unfortunately, the City can’t really do much about officially what has happened. The only real punishment that can really be meted out is at the polls Nov. 13.
Those residents who voted for Adams in 2003 to rid themselves of scandal-stained incumbent Cliff Gyles, will be looking at the rest of the current Ward 5 field with fresh eyes today.
They’re undoubtedly feeling angry and betrayed. As are we all.
Comments (7)
The problem is, we know next to nothing about the other 9 candidates for Ward 5 councillor. It would really help a lot if there were interviews published so we could make an intelligent choice.
Posted by another Ward 5 resident | October 26, 2006 7:22 PM
Posted on October 26, 2006 19:22
Quick point about the "third world bully boy tactics." When it comes to politics and dirty tactics, its really an equal opportunity sport practiced around the globe. First world, third word. Makes no difference.
Some may be clumsy and overt in their approach (stealing signs, impersonating cops) while others are more sophisticated in their technique, usually due to a better understanding of the system and how not to get caught (ie. tinkering with the voter list, dropping "unconfirmed" names from the list) but the third world certainly does not have the monopoly on this particular type behaviour -- to suggest that it does is naive.
p.s. just started reading this blog. Good stuff.
Posted by s.kaur | October 24, 2006 4:52 PM
Posted on October 24, 2006 16:52
Ted Blackmore wrote : "In light of these serious allegations we should expect calls for a carefull investigation........."
Yes, there should be an investgation and Eve should pay back.
Ward-5 resident
Posted by Anthony | October 24, 2006 4:07 PM
Posted on October 24, 2006 16:07
Ted Blackmore wrote:
"In light of these serious allegations we should expect calls for a carefull investigation, not flippant conspiracy accusations."
Of course, Mr. Blackmore is right. I take back my flippant conspiracy accusations and I deeply apologize.
Regarding my suspicions:
I think much of this comes from disillusionment with respect to the nature of politics, John.
Anyway.
I agree with Mr. Blackmore that this entire issue demands a careful investigation. It must be an INDEPENDENT OUTSIDE agency to conduct it though and not from within.
Why?
The Corporation can't distinguish Fact from Opinion.
(Really. True. It's a Fact.)
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
Posted by The Mississauga Muse | October 24, 2006 11:18 AM
Posted on October 24, 2006 11:18
I was very troubled by the response from the "Mississauga Muse". I find it appalling that the two individuals involved in the issue should be subjected to these comments. "The Corporation" is not the issue here. Only when the facts are revealed will the voters be able to make an informed decision. To diminish this issue by implying that it is no more than an attempt by the "corporation" to unseat an incumbent is simply wrong. In light of these serious allegations we should expect calls for a carefull investigation, not flippant conspiracy accusations.
Posted by Ted Blackmore | October 23, 2006 2:38 PM
Posted on October 23, 2006 14:38
John, you wrote:
"Two young staff members working for Ward 5 Councillor Eve Adams have been actively campaigning for her on City time — at her direction — for several months."
Yeah, "for several months"...
In a Mississauga News article by Joe Chin, it states:
"The City has 'oodles of data,' including affidavits and e-mail records, to support its charges, McCallion said.
The mayor said the public wasn't informed earlier out of concern for Edwards and Ferris.
'We're dealing with two girls here...they were very upset. We didn't want the matter rushed into press,' McCallion said.
TRANSLATION: We wanted to dump it to press when it would do the most political damage to Eves.
Otherwise, we're to believe that The Corporation held back because "two girls" "were upset"?
The Corporation can also apply its policies and procedures as it sees fit. Ignoring them some times. Applying them at others. Seemingly rAnDOmlY until you dig into the whole story.
Few things are ever as it seems at The Corporation.
You hinted at it when you wrote:
"The most ominous note for Adams is that Mayor Hazel McCallion has decided, 'to get involved personally.' Cue the funeral music."
Elected officials sometimes don't get along. Some may not fit in to the majority on a council.
This whole Adams-thing has left me wondering what does an Entity do when it doesn't want another four-years of an elected-someone sitting on a council?
I mean surely this question must've come up during the hundreds of years of municipal governance the world over.
Again. What does an Entity do when it doesn't want another four-years of an elected-someone sitting on its council?
With voting a mere three weeks away, this Adams-thing will prove instructive. Are Mississaugans about to watch The Corporation as it eats One of Its Own?
Signed,
The (And they say municipal governance is "boring") Mississauga Muse
Posted by The Mississauga Muse | October 22, 2006 10:49 AM
Posted on October 22, 2006 10:49
Hi John
It would be very interesting how many staff members Eve Adams has had.........
Roy Willis
Posted by Roy Willis | October 21, 2006 6:39 PM
Posted on October 21, 2006 18:39