Mississauga Watch --Your TRUSTed Guide to Municipal Governance since March 9, 2007
NEW CITIZENS' BLOG ---HEY THERE, MISSISSAUGA
Many thanks to The Mississauga News for providing this Blog as a platform for citizens to discuss municipal governance and politics. Even more thanks to John Stewart for his support, encouragement and sense of humour.
Anyway. Like Moving Forward, eh?
I know what you're thinking. How can anyone write about municipal politics and governance, let alone read anything so mind-numble-ling-ly boring.
Not so. Not so.
Municipal-types just want you to believe municipal politics and governance is brain-cell destroying-boring but no. It all depends on how you look at it.
Really.
Municipal governance and politics is --is, like--WOW-- what can I say? It's 50% Cloak-and-Dagger-Intrigue, 50% Spectator Sport (think Kiddie Greased Pig Chases), 75% Soap Opera and 110% game of Survivor and 2000% Kafka Novel.
Regular contributors to this Blog will include my good friends, The Mississauga Muse --who's currrently on assignment in Brampton, and our resident ever-vigilant sheepdog Murrow who also doubles as our Canine vigilantis watch dog.
Introducing Murrow
Murrow is in charge of all visuals in this Blog including audio-video editing. Murrow also fetches coffee and Timbits from across the street and will bring back some even for us. Murrow also acts as our ex-officiado-liaison with The Province (yes, THAT province).
We invite fellow Mississaugans to contribute to this forum. We'd love to see your Mississauga-related self-produced videos. We even hope to draw Net-izens from other municipalities --Yo! Brampton! Yo! Caledon! Yo! (dare we say it?) TORONTO!-- to this Citizens' Blog.
We have slogans!
There's so much to ponder --so much to discuss and debate.
Best of all, we have more slogans to keep you coming back!
Plus souvenirs! Yes, we have souvenirs!
And now --our Mayor, our Esteemed Hazel McCallion...
CLICK on the (upper) left arrow to play.
And we'll also let Her Worship have The Last Word --1998, source: The Toronto Star
"You've got to be tough. You can't be namby-pamby in politics. You don't have to use foul language and call people names, but you have to be strong and not let people push you around, you have to be honest with people."
001: "A profile of Hazel McCallion" Director: PeterGWall (YOUTUBE September 12, 2006)
002: Mayor Hazel McCallion summarizes her political leanings.
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Mississauga Watch --Your TRUSTed Guide to Municipal Governance since March 9, 2007
POVERTY IN MISSISSAUGA
Yes, I know.
When you read, "Poverty in Mississauga" you went, "Whaaa? What Poverty in Mississauga"?
Much like bowel movements and that drunken, abusive uncle on their side of the family, Poverty is something Mississaugans just don't talk about.
You'll certainly find no hint that Poverty in Mississauga is of any concern at the City of Mississauga website.
Here. Take a look.
Lots of smiley faces, the advertisement "Fun City" with a smiley sun and a smiley Rogers TV "City Report" reporter all on one smiley page.
The glowing-relentless-Mississauga-cheer beaming from this "award-winning website" masks the fact that the people who often need municipal government services the most can't afford easy access to them.
Poverty is a fact in Mississauga.
Before going further on the subject of Poverty, it's vital that we nail down what the word "fact" means. Anyone keeping any sort of track of politics at any level of government knows that politicians and bureaucrats can --and will-- say anything.
So much of what they say is devoid of fact.
The dictionary defines "fact" as:
Main Entry: fact
3: the quality of being actual : actuality [a question of fact hinges on evidence]
4 a: something that has actual existence [space exploration is now a fact] b: an actual occurrence [prove the fact of damage]
5: a piece of information presented as having objective reality
— in fact : in truth
REPEAT:
5: a piece of information presented as having objective reality
— in fact : in truth
Here is a Mississauga fact about Clarkson/Lorne Park:
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Canada, 1996; 2001.
• The average family income in Clarkson/Lorne Park was $117,550 in 2000, an increase of 30.8% from the average family income of $89,900 in 1995.
Here is a Mississauga fact about Malton:
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Canada, 1996; 2001.
• The average family income in Malton was $50,700 in 2000, an increase of 11.2% from the average family income of $45,602 in 1995.
Here are two Mississauga facts based on the two prior Mississauga facts (that is, if my math is correct)
FACT: In 2000, the average family income in Clarkson/Lorne Park was 2.3 times as much as the average family income in Malton.
FACT: Between 1995 to 2000, the increase in average family income in Clarkson/Lorne Park was 2.75 times greater than the increase in the average family income in Malton.
One last fact about "Poverty in Mississauga" today.
FACT: When you type in the word "Poverty" into the mississauga.ca search engine, you will only get 3 "hits". They are as follows --and feel free to follow the link for each one:
Mississauga Watch --Your TRUSTed Guide to Municipal Governance since March 9, 2007
MISSISSAUGA WEATHER REPORT
Every morning, first thing (no kidding) I check out the City of Mississauga City Hall webcam. The cam helps me wonder and ponder about what's going on inside what I've come to call "The Big Yellow".
It's 7:50am and as I "refresh" the image feed, I see people coming and going at Civic Square. I get no read as to The Winds today, though. Maybe, I'll find out in the papers.... or in the City Clerk's office poring over minutes of the Audit Committee...
Usually, I hear voices. They go off inside my head all the time --and they're inescapable. Today, the dominant voice I hear is that of Ontario MPP Liberal, Brad Duguid (Parliamentary Assistant on urban issues to Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, John Gerretsen).
I'm gratified that SOMEONE so high up the Provincial Food Chain has "full confidence and always have" in municipalities. Mr. Duguid's "full-confidence-and-always-have"-voice goes off inside my head a lot.
Which brings me to yesterday's topic.
Poverty in Mississauga
Still reading "Portraits of Peel: Neighbourhood Environmental Scan 1996 to 2001." published by the Social Planning Council of Peel in September 2004. I'm ashamed to say it's taken me far too long to discover it.
One report in particular, "Facts and Faces: Strategic Review of Poverty in Peel Portraits of Peel: Facing the Facts" has really hit home. Rather than summarize that report in writing, I'll put faith in the old adage that a picture's worth a thousand words.
While this is a report on the Region of Peel, I've highlighted in yellow, the statistics specific to Mississauga (2001 data).
Now in addition to Voices, I see---
Faces, Faces of Peel --and Mississauga
Ready for the Stats?
Our Neighbours
Our Neighbours
Our Neighbours
Oh oh... another voice inside my head --
Our Esteemed Mayor
QUOTE OF THE DAY regarding The Vulnerable/The Voiceless:
"These people, these citizens cannot be ignored and abandoned. They have the right and the responsibility to ask their government for social policies and social programs that would help them to minimize their vulnerability and build healthy and productive lives." --The Social Planning Council of Peel
U. Bennett
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and time to check The Corporation's WebCam to make sure that no one's sneaking up on our venerable ever-vigilant sheepdog-watchdog, Murrow.
*shudder* --the place looks cold and bleak. Wouldn't put a dog out on a night like this, but Murrow volunteers, like he does every night.
Yep, there he is, southwest side --like last night and the night before that and the night before that --ever faithful, ever vigilant on the top step of The Big Yellow. We can all rest easy that Murrow sits on guard for all-us-Thees.
Yes, pulling Night Watch is a tough go --even if you're a purebred watchdog like Murrow is. But don't conclude that he's 100% altruistic and selfless. We happen to know that Peel Regional Police Division 12 runs a squad car to check on Murrow every hour.
Peeler Double-doubles and chocolate Timbits will keep Murrow going til morning.
*sigh* stretch **yawn**....
11 pm then --and if everything isn't All Well at least there are two eyes and a keen nose on the lookout.
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Yepper, that really is one of the definitions of fact in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. And so we-here at Mississauga Watch offer you another:
Fact: It is a fact that the fifth definition of "fact" in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is:
Fact: The Mississauga Watch slogan is:
While it is a fact that "Your TRUSTed Guide to Municipal Governance since March 9, 2007" is our slogan, the slogan itself is not fact. It's just that --a slogan. It's a fact that CNN has a similar slogan:
HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHH*snork* (wipes tears from eyes) As you can see, someone's slogan can actually substitute for someone else's Joke of the Day!
Let's investigate.
There are millions --perhaps even billions of people who would disagree strongly with
and I suspect that The Disagree Line would start behind Edward R. Murrow if he were alive today.
is an opinion because --
CLICK twice and wait for this jewel.
That's Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman (Critic, Municipal Affairs and Housing) during the clause-by-clause deliberations on Bill 130 Municipal Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006. Mr. Hardeman's "Saying it doesn't make it so" is our mantra here at Mississauga Watch.
Remember, please, "Saying it doesn't make it so". And neither does writing it making it so. If you remember that 24/7, you'll go a long way to not-quite-ever-navigating the treacherous unnavigable waters of government at all three levels.
Let's Review "TRUST"
To quote The Mississauga Muse, "Trust is an Endangered Species."
The "Trust" Bottomline?????????????????
If you only learned one thing from this Blog today, let that be it --"Saying it, doesn't make it so".
Signed,
U. Bennett
Please Note:
The Mississauga Muse is currently on assignment in a secret, undisclosed location.
Our sheepdog-watchdog, Murrow (below with feathery friend) is testing the logistics behind our new Mississauga Watch aerial combination video/stealth-loaded-digital-still surveillance camera system.
*WOOF*
(Translation: "YO! GOOSE! Don't even THINK about it!")
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Readers' emails have trickled in. So far our Readership-of-Three tends to echo what Feisty wrote yesterday in the Comments section.
"Sauga needed this."
(thanks Feisty)
One reader felt the same way but said,
"When are you going to get to the point and write about Municipal Government?"
Yes, we acknowledge that our gait out the Blog-gate has been a tad slow. Our Blog has five entries so far --the first, "Hey there, Mississauga" just being (more or less) an introduction to the three principals of Mississauga Watch so Entry-1 wasn't about Municipal Governance.
Then we had Good Night, Mississauga, about "Mississauga" --our ever-vigilant sheepdog-watchdog and even though he was being ever-vigilant and On Watch at The Big Yellow, that entry wasn't about Municipal Governance either.
Three Blog entries with "Fact"s in the title --and two entries with the actual dictionary definition of "FACT" in them.
You can now make that three Mississauga Watch entries with the definition of "FACT" in them.
And that's the Point
The point in all this "--Eff-Ay-See-Tee-- FACT" stuff is that last line in the dictionary definition:
"in fact : in truth"
See? Fact is Truth. Facts are Truths.
Unless you cherish Facts/Truth as you would your own beating heart, you'll never be able to understand Municipal Governance --or any other level of government for that matter.
Most readers would agree that people are capable of both Good and Evil. For decades I've believed that it's the role of government to ensure that the Good prevail. A few months ago, I surfed to the dictionary to check out the definition of "government".
I expected something like "a formal or informal human construct to ensure The Common Good" --I don't know, something like that. Boy was I surprised at the real definition of "government"
Don't you hate when you look up the word "government" and then you have to go to "governing" or "govern"? Well, I did and the definition wasn't the sweetness-and-light of "ensure The Common Good" or "ensure that the Good prevail".
This definition wasn't chirpin' to the opening bars of "O Canada".
Here. Check it out for yourself (I even made this image bigger so you can see it easier).
Those yellow highlights throughout are my emphasis --not the dictionary's. Let's examine the main themes here of the word "govern":
: to exercise continuous sovereign authority over
: to control
: to rule without sovereign power and usually without having the authority to determine basic policy
: manipulate b: to control the speed of (as a machine) especially by automatic means
3: to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of
b: to exert
: to hold in check : restrain
4: to require (a word) to be in a certain case
1: to prevail or have decisive influence : control
2: to exercise authority
The conclusion is inescapable. Government --to govern-- means "control". Government --to govern-- is all about controlling the vertical and the horizontal.
When Government has control of the Vertical and the Horizontal, they have control of all of us. We hear that "Information is Power." We hear that the key to Power is control of Information. When you control Information, you control people.
Moving Forward....
What is Information? Data?... Certainly the most-cherished pulses of information are Facts. But we must never confuse facts with data. Facts and Data are the Ying and Yang of CONTROL.
I keep hearing one reader say:
"When are you going to get to the point and write about Municipal Government?"
That's the Point, Dude.
Ying. Yang.
Let's examine the "face" of a Municipal Government --in this case, the City of Brampton. The "front door" of a municipality's webpage is its "face". Brampton puts on a Happy Face surrounded by a multitude of tulips from The Flower City.
Brampton --HappyHappyHappy and Blooming with Possibilities.
Surfin' to Caledon...
Caledon --HappyHappyHappySMUG --and White!
I know, I know, the website you've all been waiting for!
"The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue." --Edward R. Murrow
VIDEO CLIP OF THE DAY
This is a must-see clip. Jon Stewart of Comedy Central interviews Juliet Elperin --a national reporter for the Washington Post. What follows is:
"corrosive to the soul."
And now for our Mississauga News John Stewart at RANDOM ACCESS.
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"...it's because we have a lot more poor people in this City than we'd like to acknowledge." --Councillor Carolyn Parrish (February 14, 2007)
Yes. We know. Quite the title.
Revisiting the September 2004 document, "Portraits of Peel:Neighbourhood Environmental Scan 1996 to 2001" we review this quote:
"However, in the shadow of the above rosy picture of Peel, there lurks a dark and sad reality which needs to be addressed immediately and with compassion. Alongside the thriving middle-class in Peel is a large group of vulnerable people who are struggling to make ends meet, to have equal access to opportunities in society, to live in safety, to live with dignity:" -- The Social Planning Council of Peel
We actually got to see some compassion for Mississauga/Peel's Poor at The Big Yellow at one Council Meeting in February --and we're celebrating.
Mississauga Watch presents "Just Another Day in Paradise" --video of the Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Mississauga City Council debate regarding their "pilot project" of "Pay-and-Display Parking" at the Four Mississauga Waterfront Parks.
(You may need to click twice on the arrow to view this Google video)
Not only did this Waterfront Parks Pay-for-Parking initiative hit the poorest Mississauga citizenry the most --it potentially nailed the poorest throughout Peel Region. After all, if residents of Brampton wanted leisure at Lake Ontario, their most direct access is through "Mississauga's" waterfront.
And get this. The "large group of vulnerable people who are struggling to make ends meet" in Peel also can't afford Cable TV services --and thus aren't privileged to Rogers Mississauga City Council "gavel to gavel" telecasts of issues affecting them the most!
Yes, we know. Peel's Poor are unlikely to see even this online-video...(computers and Internet access cost $$$ too) --but that's the topic of another Mississauga Watch entry.
QUOTES OF THE DAY
"..we're going in the wrong direction in terms of the Waterfront. There are many-many people that go there because they don't have the pools and amenities..."--Councillor Pat Mullin (February 14, 2007)
"I don't think we should be metering parks at all --especially like VULTURES saying we're doing it in high use times when people who have three little kids barely exist, pile in their used car we're going to nail them for parking now." --Councillor Carolyn Parrish (February 14, 2007)
"I believe we should allow them at least the Waterfront without charging them for parking."--Councillor Maja Prentice (February 14, 2007)
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
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Let's start with our own MISSISSAUGA NEWS Dion shadowed
Mar 18, 2007
The Mississauga News reports:
Conservative Resource Group senior researcher James Murray is featured on YouTube in a video called Tory Spy Revealed that shows him videotaping Dion's speech until he is spotted. Murray stops only to turn and point a camera at Liberal Mick Gzowski - who was filming him...
...The video was posted by someone with the username liberalvideo. It has been viewed several hundred times.
Well I just surfed to this way-cool video! Check it out Mississauga Dudes and Dudettes! Intrigue and skulking set to music.
"A Tory spokesperson made no attempt to deny Murray had been following Dion, or to make any apology for it.
'An opposition researcher does opposition research,' said Ryan Sparrow. 'It would be irresponsible to simply rely on media reports to track the missteps of Stephane Dion.'
Sparrow declined to explain why Murray's activities were being paid out of the House of Commons research budget rather than party coffers."
Speaking of "It would be irresponsible to simply rely on media reports to track the missteps of Stephane Dion." we-here at Mississauga Watch believe it would be irresponsible of us "to simply rely on media reports to track" government in general.
Stephane Dion Comments on Citizens' Rights to Criticize Government
Thank you to Don Barber for his email sharing the Internet location of an audio tape he made of Liberal Leader Stephane Dion answering Mr. Barber's question on a citizen's rights to criticize government without constant fear of court action.
Mississauga Watch has produced a video using Don Barber's audio and present it here.
(You may need to click twice on the arrow to view this Google video)
Mississauga Council Meets for General Committee this Wednesday
"21. Remuneration Practices of Hydro Boards, Police Services Boards and
Conservation Authority Boards Corporate Report dated March 9, 2007 from the Commissioner of Corporate Services and Treasurer regarding the remuneration practices of certain local boards.
RECOMMENDATION
That the report dated March 9, 2007 regarding the 2006 remuneration practices of Hydro Boards, Police Services Boards, and Conservation Authority Boards, be received for information."
Regarding the item "Remuneration Practices of Hydro Boards", during the February 28, 2007 Council meeting, there was considerable discussion around Enersource.
For more information, please see John Stewarts' Random Access Blog entry, regarding Enersource "double-dipping".
Either way, during that meeting, Councillor Nando Iannicca assured all by stating:
"I welcome a full review. I think that's the key --there's so many aspects to it."
(You may need to click twice on the arrow to view this Google video)
"a full review"...
Councillor Iannicca's mention of "a full review" reminds me "it's deja-vu all over again". I remember all that time spent at Queen's Park sitting in on the clause-by-clause deliberations of Bill 130, the Municipal Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006.
What follows is video of MPP Ernie Hardeman during December 6, 2006 debate on what The Public expects "full review" to be. MPP Hardeman states: "I think The Public would expect that third party review to be an impartial third party."
(You may need to click twice on the arrow to view this Google video)
Since Wednesday's Agenda item "regarding the 2006 remuneration practices of Hydro Boards, Police Services Boards, and Conservation Authority Boards" appears to have been conducted by Mississauga's own "Corporate Services and Treasurer" The Public continues to await the results of the "full review" conducted by an "impartial" "third party" regarding Enersource.
Peel Regional General Committee Meeting on Thursday
Here's this week's Peel Regional Council agenda (This time, I'm bringing popcorn and a tent for when they go In-Camera again)
For those interested in listening in on Regional Scuffling, Peel Council provides Live Audio for citizens. Admittedly, it isn't near as interesting as actually being there.
Here's a sample of the excitement.
Mississauga Watch sitting out an In-Camera session of Peel Regional Council on March 8, 2007.
(Usually, Peel Regional Council has a "No Pets Allowed Policy" but we were able to convince them that I was a Seeing-Eye-Human and that the Sheepdog needed me.)
Signed,
U. Bennett
The Mississauga Muse
"woof" (Translation: "Good Night and Good Luck")
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And I was THERE! I saw Democracy happen with my very own little eyeballs. Best of all I videotaped every single second of it. Mississauga HISTORY --of how they saved The Library!
Complete story later. Got to run around now (and I mean literally --far too long sitting and sitting and sitting like in Horton Hatches the Egg)
**WARNING** TONS OF VIDEOS --PAGE MAY TAKE FOREVER TO LOAD
Apologies for these last two entries being so late. I knew doing a Blog would be taxing, especially in terms of time commitment. What I didn't realize was the degree to which videotaping, editing and the research, would be this all-consuming.
In all honesty, I didn't really understand what I got myself in for. Oh, I was warned, believe me. Got to tell you, for the amount of Forward I make?....
I'd rather be skating on gravel.
Onto cheerier thoughts.
Yesterday I promised "a complete story" on the Port Credit Library Debate and I'm about to make good on that promise. Rather than report on what I saw and heard, I'll let the Mayor and Council provide you with their own story. (That's actually what took all this time --the editing)
Speeches were made. Then more speeches. Then came time for The Decision. Like the Port Credit people, I figured their old library was Done-for-Done-deal. Cue the Bulldozers
I think I now know why things happened as they did, but for now, let's just enjoy the drama played out at City Hall on Wednesday.
Yes. Correct. For the first time ever, I've referred to The Big Yellow as "City Hall". Well, that's because it actually acted like one on Wednesday.
Moving Forward....
You may need to click twice on the arrow to view these Google videos.
(Mississauga, Your Mayor and Councillors --enjoy)
For more detailed video clips of how Mayor and Councillors weighed in:
Her Worship, Mayor McCallion (MOVE)
Carmen Corbisson (Ward 1) Port Credit's Councillor (STAY)
Councillor Nando Iannicca (Ward 7) (STAY)
Councillor Pat Saito (Ward 9 ) (STAY)
Councillor George Carlson (Ward 11 )
Councillor Maja Prentice (Ward 3) (MOVE)
Councillor Frank Dale (Ward 4) (STAY)
Councillor Pat Mullin (Ward 2) (STAY)
Councillor Carmen Corbisson "calls the Vote" and they VOTE.
Very last one. Councillor Carolyn Parrish (Ward 6) Acting Mayor (STAY) summarizes.
I can tell Councillor Parrish one thing with certainty. She's absolutely wrong when she said, "Sit there long enough on those hard benches, you get what you want." (But let's leave that for the subject of our next Blog entry)
Yesterday we shared this videoclip of Councillor/Acting Mayor, Carolyn Parrish as she summarized the benefits of Democracy during the Port Credit Library Debate. (Please be patient, this video may need time to load)
(You may need to click twice on the arrow.)
Then I wrote:
"I can tell Councillor Parrish one thing with certainty. She's absolutely wrong when she said, "Sit there long enough on those hard benches you get what you want." But let's leave that for the subject of our next Blog entry."
OK,. this is the next Blog entry, so... Here's why the good Councillor is wrong about "Sit there long enough on those hard benches you get what you want.". Doesn't matter how long I sit on those hard benches, I won't ever get what I want because I'm experiencing the opposite of "it's turtles all the way down!"
What does the expression "turtles all the way down" mean?
Wikipedia states:
"Turtles all the way down" refers to an infinite regression belief about cosmology, the nature of the universe.
The most widely known version today appears in Stephen Hawking's 1988 book A Brief History of Time, which begins with an anecdote about an encounter between a scientist and an old lady:
A well-known scientist (some say it was the philosopher Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the Earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the centre of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy.
At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise."
The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?"
"You're very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!"
Follow me so far?
"It's turtles all the way down!" is why Councillor Parrish is wrong when she says, "Sit there long enough on those hard benches you get what you want." (Harrumph, I know what's what.)
I get it now.
--Federal Governance.
--Provincial Governance.
--Municipal Governance.
Same Toxin --Different Strength.
And I'm here to tell you I won't ever get what I want no matter how long I sit on hard benches at any level of Government because --
This from "A Comparative Perspective of Social Indicators in Peel Neighbourhoods, 2001"
HIGHLIGHTS: INCOME AND POVERTY IN PEEL, 2001
• The average family income in Peel is higher than that in Ontario, and Canada
[Peel ($79,325), Canada ($66,160) and Ontario ($73,849)].
• Peel, compared to Ontario and Canada, has a much lower percentage of individuals and families on low incomes. In 2000, less than 12% of the Peel population lived on low incomes/below the poverty line, compared to 14.4 % in Ontario and 16.2% in Canada.
• The neighbourhoods with the three highest average family income were: Clarkson/Lorne Park with $117,550, Caledon (Urban) with $ 97,871, and Streetsville with $94,792.
• The neighbourhoods with the three lowest average family income were: Malton, $50,700;Cooksville/Dixie, $69,267, and Hurontario, $72,453.
Today, I set out on a Mississauga-Marathon-Drive-About and videotape two Mississauga communities:
highest Peel Region family income area: Clarkson/Lorne Park with $117,550
lowest Peel Region family income area: Malton, $50,700
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" The Mississauga News (March 24, 2007)
Thank you, to the Mississauga News for the Mar 24, 2007 editorial "Sticks and stones"
The subject of this editorial is Farzana Hassan-Shahid, a Mississauga woman who The News describes as "an outspoken champion of moderation and president of the Muslim Canadian congress."
The News reports that Hassan-Shahid came home to the chilling words, "I will slaughter you" left on her answering machine.
In addition to this kind of threat, the New reports, that she has also "been heckled, had her home vandalized and threatened with death by those who oppose her approach to peaceful devotion."
The Editiorial then ends with a Call to Arms:
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear and reclaim those who teeter on the brink of radicalism."
Thank you to The Mississauga News for a verbal shield from which citizens can draw courage and comfort.
Edward R. Murrow is my hero and "We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" surely would've struck a chord in him for he too stood up to those who would silence others through intimidation.
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" --The Mississauga News
"No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices." --Edward R. Murrow
Same message. Different words.
I prepared a video and posted it to Google just waiting for the right time to Blog it.
So. This video is dedicated with my gratitude to The Mississauga News for its support of "free speech, freedom of association and worship" and all that is Canada.
(To Farzana Hassan-Shahid, I just want to say, you have far more courage than I do. Thanks to you also)
On Thursday, March 22, 2007, I attended the General Committee Meeting of Peel Regional Council. It was there that disturbing stats were presented on Immigration in Peel. Much of the information dealt with the plight of recent immigrants to our Region.
In my March 22nd Blog entry, "Port Credit Library Stays" I wrote:
"I think I now know why things happened as they did, but for now, let's just enjoy the drama played out at City Hall on Wednesday. "
Thursday's Peel Regional Council meeting echoed my own belief in "why things happened" --that is, why the Port Credit library got to stay. Money. Education. Mobilization. Delegation. POWER.
But not The Voiceless. As Councillor Carolyn Parrish observed Thursday morning, "And the poor immigrants are just happy to survive day-to-day. They don't get organized and come and delegate us."
As Edward R. Murrow observed in his documentary 1961 "Harvest of Shame" (yes, over 45 years ago), the working poor "have the strength to harvest our fruits and vegetables. They do not have the strength to influence legislation."
Voiceless.
Here's Theeee Stat from Thursday's Peel Regional Council.
"More than 1/3 of recent immigrants in Mississauga fall in the low income class."
I want to thank those two presenters at Peel Regional Council on Thursday. Next, if anyone wants more complete video of that Peel "Immigrant" presentation, I can accomodate. (You sure wouldn't get it from Rogers TV)
Last. I prepared a video with the help of "Edward R. Murrow". He's not only My Hero; he's also one of many "Voices" I carry around inside my head.
Signed,
The (I was once part of The Great Unwashed) Mississauga Muse "We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24) Click here for John Stewart's Blog
Environics Survey, Enersource, Enforcement, Public Question Period, Freedom of Information, Audit Committee, Urban Forestry Management, Accountability, Transparency on and on...
Boy, it's a good thing that The Corporation killed Open Public Question Period on at that June 7, 2006 Council meeting when Don Barber got arrested let me tell you.
Environics Survey, Enersource, Corporate Security, Public Question Period, Audit Committee results from last year, Audit Committee thrusts for this year, Urban Forestry Management, Accountability, Transparency on and on...
I have numerous questions about each and every one of these issues (80 kabillion questions in all) but I can't get there from here.
What? Did I hear someone say that Public Question Period is still on Council Agendas?
Sure, but you only get to ask a question of any item on the Agenda. Yes, yes, I know that someone can go up and make a special request of Council to hear a question that isn't on the Agenda.
So?
Some people on Council know me pretty well by now and in all honesty, if I were them?-- ...I'm not all that sure I'd grant myself permission to ask a question that isn't on the Agenda.
Questions. Questions. Questions. Questions. Questions about Environics Survey, Enersource, Corporate Security, Public Question Period, Audit Committee results from last year, Audit Committee thrusts for this year, etc etc --and my attendance at yesterday's first 2007 Audit Committee meeting just added more questions, like Urban Forestry Management and IT Management, to piles of questions I already feel compelled to investigate.
Just can't see the Forest for the Trees either. I've learned that emails to Public Info asking for information won't get me there. Really simple example. The 2006 Environics Survey.
Straightforward, right? Well, I emailed and asked the following question:
"My first question for now is why would the City enter into a contract with any research company that would limit the release of the entire report?"
Among other things I also wrote:
"How were survey subjects selected? (We were one of the 1,104 Mississauga residents selected this time around. My husband answered the phone so he was the one surveyed. We're part of the 95% who approve of McCallion.
We couldn't help notice, for example, that the survey was done in English. Did that happen for all 1,104 people called?
I'm interested in results by ward. I've been researching Poverty in Peel and my, got a nasty surprise regarding certain areas of Mississauga. I'd like to know how many people were surveyed from those areas."
You guessed it. Had to fill out a Freedom of Information Request.
I really believe in Freedom of Information and since I had to plunk down five bucks and fill out a form, no one else should have to. So here's page 1 of my Freedom of Information results on the ENVIRONICS 2006 "Mississauga Tracking Survey of Residents".
I was there at that meeting and gee, I didn't remember a presentation on the Environics results. So I checked the February 7, 2007 minutes to make sure (old age related memory loss):
Environics Presentation not there. If you're smart enough to read this sentence, you've got enough neurons to reach your own conclusion.
"Telephone survey conducted among of 1,104 residents of the City of Mississauga" Date. Margin of Error. That's all it says under "Survey Methodology".
My hypothesis is that all 1,104 telephone calls were conducted in English. I tried to have that confirmed through this first Freedom of Information request.
No soap radio.
My husband told me they asked how he felt about the Mayor. "Loved McCallion" --like 95% of other Mississaugans according to mississauga.ca.
Problem?
Freedom of Information provided me with all the Questions for the "Enhanced Survey" and unless my eyeballs are dulling with age, there's no question I can find on it specifically relating to the Mayor.
Logical conclusion then is that we were one of the 400 residents telephoned in the "Focus Ontario" 2006 survey conducted earlier in the Fall not part of the 1,104 in the Enhanced Survey.
"October 24 and November 15, 2006"... Most of that survey was conducted in the last weeks of the 2006 Municipal Election! (Recall Vote Day was November 13th)
Naturally --intrigued-- I asked for the Focus Ontario 2006 results as part of my Environics Freedom of Information request.
Problem?
"Full Report" Denied.
To be fair, The Corporation did state:
I'm faced with a dilemma. Fill out another Freedom of Information request for just the Environics Focus Ontario 2006 questions or take a chance on getting "The Full Monty" through The Information and Privacy Commissioner for $25.00....
I'm really only interested in the actual questions but I'm truly compelled to witness what other citizens might experience when making FOI requests at the actual Commissioner level. (After all, write what you know...)
...oopsie...wait. Advice goin' off inside my head. Distinctive cultured voice of "Edward R. Murrow" whisperin' in my ear to go the five-buck route. Not giving me a reason either (he does that a lot).
How convenient, actually. Just this morning, I got my husband to sign his name to three more Freedom of Information forms.
Well. Onward. To the Third Floor...
Signed,
The (Why wasn't The Mississauga News coverin' yesterday's Audit Committee meeting) Mississauga Muse
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24) Click here for John Stewart's Blog
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Sometimes you just skid your toes into something so smushy that your only logical response is a silly one. Here goes.
Yo! Dudes! Was slummin' it trying out my board at one of 'Sauga's Waterfront Parks, and hopin' to avoid any Pay-n-Display parking meters ya know, when I figured ah what the heck, why not cruise over to The Big Yellow, drop down a couple FOI's and maybe pick up a dog licence for my cat. So. Like.
Oh. Wow. Like. There I was at the Clerk's office, ya know and I'm-like I see this big wad'a stapled papers that can --like-- only mean it's the Agenda for tomorrow's Council meeting, eh?
Letter from Jim Grieve --you know-- the Main Dude at the Peel District School Board writin' to The Corporation --and like, he's complainin' that The Corporation had "very recently adopted a resolution not to include school board representatives on the Mississauga Library Board." Like he even bolded "not" --Grieve was that burned.
Yeah, really. Mr. Grieve like goes:
"We were surprised to learn that City Council made this decision a full two months after the name of the representative appointed by the Peel District School Board was submitted to the City Clerk for confirmation by Council."
And get --like-- this cool part.
Mr. Grieve writin':
"It is the opinion of this Board, that if the Council intended to change its process, we should have been notified well before we undertook our process to appoint a Peel District School Board representative."
"Thank you for your letter"... "confirm that Council, at its meeting held on February 14, 2007, adopted" ya da etc blah blah ya da...boom badda boom and there's more.
Like, check this out for sincerity:
"Council indicated that they would be pleased if Barbara O'Neil would submit an application form to the City of Mississauga and apply for one of the citizen positions. Council is going through the interview process this month and would be able to accomodate Ms. O'Neil for an interview at a time convenient to her."
But I musta dozed off at the wheel, have to admit it. I even checked the February 14, 2007 minutes and sure enough, there was that resolution, embedded right there among all the myriad of other resolutions like some tenacious-vexatious protracted hemorrhoid --and I hadn't noticed! It must'a slipped by me during a "short read" near the end or something because had I noticed that Peel Board Reps could be potentially blocked from the Mississauga Library Board, I'd have squawked earlier.
But the fact is, (and this IS a fact), I'm slow-on-the-take when it comes to political stuff. It's just all so difficult to comprehend --and I mean all the way up for Food Chain.
I don't know why there was all this fuss-debate and Angst at the clause-by-clause Standing Committee deliberations on Bill 130 about "closed meetings". You can easily "close" a meeting in an open one even in front of Rogers Television just by short readin' all the resolutions.
Ya. "Short read". Looks like this.
"Items 1 through 25. Anyone Opposed? Carried."
"Items 26 through 75. Anyone Opposed? Carried."
"Items 76 through 527. Anyone Opposed? Carried."
"Items 528 through 13,015. Anyone Opposed? Carried."
"Items 13,015 through 56,019,322. Anyone Opposed? Carried."
This is the second time it's happened that something important slipped by me (and those are just the two I know about).
Get this. There are at least two Councillors who were on the Peel Board of Education in a former life and they should'a slapped their tails about this. Me, I got an excuse for missing this non-notification Library thing. I'm a Rube. One of those former Peeler trustees should'a played a little DEEfense here, for Peel students.
Hmmmm....(she scans The Corporation's letter) "interview process this month". Maybe I'll volunteer for the Mississauga Library Board. I mean I can read without moving my lips most of the time.
Signed,
The (Short Reads = Closed Meetings) Mississauga Muse "We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24) Click here for John Stewart's Blog
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But nothing I did all that time, ever prepared me for this.
or this:
and above all, this:
Oops. Wait a sec. That's not entirely correct....
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24) Click here for John Stewart's Blog
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Well, *blush*, actually, it isn't. I was working on an update of yesterday's Council meeting when I smelled something like frying plastic and then my computer sputtered and died.
I'm writing this from my husband's computer just to ask for people's patience as we-here all hope that only a power supply is fried and not a hard drive. If it's a hard drive, I'll be asking for even more patience.
Mississauga Sunshine. Mississauga Blue Skies. Failed computer....
Well, two out of three ain't bad. Enjoy your day, Dear Readers.
11:00pm. Back online and also back from the "Peel Youth Violence Prevention Initiative Working Group Inaugural Meeting" at The Big Yellow! Yes! I was a PART of the Inaugural meeting! Thank you to Tim Hortons for the three raisin cookies and one chocolate chip cookie, plus the five Timbits I wolfed down before settling down into my working group in Meeting Room D on "Education, Policy and Programs"
There were even four youth in that meeting out of the twenty present and they even got to talk a tad toward the end there. There was even someone there from The Corporation's Parks and Rec. Small World.
Signed,
The (You won't BELIEVE what happened in Councl yesterday!) Mississauga Muse "We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24) Click here for John Stewart's Blog
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