Special thanks once again to "Anonymous" for dropping down an intriguing "Investigator"/Ombudsman article from today's St. Catharine's Standard.
Ombudsman debate to be held in public at region headquarters
Posted By By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN Standard Staff
[I'll offer commentary inside square brackets. The article begins:]
"Ontario’s ombudsman and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) will compete Wednesday for the right to probe complaints about secret regional meetings.
As of Jan. 1, a new provincial law allows Ontario residents to request an investigation if they feel a municipality has inappropriately held a meeting in private.
Municipalities can either appoint an investigator or use the services of Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin."
[Note that Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga and Region of Peel all voted to "DUCK" --and therefore deny their citizens access to a legitimate complaints process by the Ontario Ombudsman. Why does it matter? Well, just think how Bramptonians would've responded had Brampton Civic Hospital said, "Yes, we acknowledge your concerns and as a result, we've appointed an investigator from a roster of qualified candidates from the Association of Ontario Hospitals subsidiary corporation, "Local Hospital Services..."
Because that's exactly what Peel residents are expected to swallow at the municipal "Investigator" level.
Here's the exciting part!]
"Now, after several weeks of debate and a reversed decision, Niagara regional councillors have arranged for representatives from both sides to speak in a public session Wednesday.
“This way, it will be an informed decision,” said Barb Greenwood, the Niagara Falls regional councillor who set the plan in motion. "....
Regional council voted to pay an AMO-sponsored investigator to do the job late last year.
So did municipalities like Thorold and Welland.
Others, like St. Catharines and Fort Erie, chose the ombudsman, who doesn’t charge a fee.
Greenwood brought forward a motion at the end of last year asking council to abandon its decision and get more information.
Councillors voted to do so.
[This means that on Wednesday, the OMBUDSMAN and AMO GO HEAD-to-HEAD
Back to the article]
"Representatives from Marin’s office and AMO will address councillors in regional council chambers at 9 a.m. Wednesday."
NEWSBREAK!
Just got a phone call from someone at Region of Niagara confirming the time of 9 a.m. Wednesday. I informed her that I would be videotaping. I was told no. I went into an explanation --especially how minutes of municipal meetings can vary wildly. (I really wanted to say that based on my experience, minutes can be the stuff of fiction, but I stifled.)
Anyway, I was told to write an email to her and the Chair and Members of Corporate Services and they will make their decision at the beginning of the "public meeting". I asked whether I could at least audiotape the beginning so as to document their discussion of whether a member of the public has the right to at least audiotape their proceedings on Accountability and Transparency.
I was told no.
So I wrote an email --and in the interest of Accountability and Transparency (which I cc'd to the St Catharines Standard, fellow Citizen-Bloggers --and the Ontario Ombudsman's Office), I share it here.
[EMAIL BEGINS]
From: MISSISSAUGA WATCH mississauga_watch@yahoo.com
Subject: Permission to videotape/audiotape the Ombudsman/AMO "public meeting"
To: [NAME]@regional.niagara.on.ca
Cc: [NAME]@stcatharinesstandard.ca, [NAME]@stcatharinesstandard.ca, [NAME]@ombudsman.on.ca, [NAME]@ombudsman.on.ca, [MY PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS] [Fort Erie-based Citizen-Blogger Sharon Bowers] [Ajax-based Citizen-Blogger, Karem Allen]To: CHAIR and Members of Corporate Services
I am responding to an article in the St. Catharines Standard, "Ombudsman debate to be held in public at region headquarters".
In part it states:
"Now, after several weeks of debate and a reversed decision, Niagara regional councillors have arranged for representatives from both sides to speak in a public session Wednesday."
It continues:
"Representatives from Marin’s office and AMO will address councillors in regional council chambers at 9 a.m. Wednesday."
This it to inform you that I will attend the Ombudsman/AMO address in order to report on the meeting in my Cititzen-Blog at The Mississauga News. I stress however, that I'm not "media" --just a highly-motivated student of Ontario municipal governance.
I wish to videotape the proceedings just like I did in Fort Erie Council back in December when they voted to go with our Ontario Ombudsman.
Here it is on Google Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8540237148619869839
And just as I did in Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga and Peel when they voted to hire their own "investigators" and therefore, block their citizens access to an independent, impartial complaints process by the Ontario Ombudsman.
I am documenting the history of how Ontario municipalities respond to the Accountability and Transparency provisions within Bill 130. I see myself as a video-historian.
I wish to videotape Wednesday's meeting. Failing that, I wish to at least be allowed to record with an audio-recorder. Here's why.
The reality is that what happens in municipal councils that I've "covered" is sometimes so unbelievable, so stupifying, ---so-so-TwilightZoney-- that unless I have video or at least an audio record of it, people won't believe it.
The St. Catharine's Standard reported that this was a "public meeting" and that was also confirmed by Ms. [NAME].
I hope you'll agree that when a "public meeting" is held at 9:00 am on a Wednesday, that locks out any member of the "public" with a day-job.
A "public meeting" held on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 9 am also locks out people currently too young to understand its importance and at some future date will be at the mercy of --minutes.
I believe that in the age of easy-to-store video, citizens should not have to rely on the quill-and-pen for what transpires at a municipal public meeting. Especially this AMO/Ombudsman discussion that will deal exclusively with Accountability and Transparency.
Accountability and Transparency...
I wish to videotape the proceedings in order to post to YouTube and Google Video. Should you not want your faces revealed, I have the technology to blank them out as I did with Caledon Council's Bill 130 deliberation. (In addition, I respect and know enough about Privacy issues not to aim my camera towards anyone in the audience.)
Failing permission to videotape, I ask that I at least be allowed to audiotape this unique Accountability and Transparency "public meeting".
Best wishes,
Ursula Bennett
The Mississauga Muse
MISSISSAUGAWATCH
http://www.mississaugablogs.com/Mississauga_Musings/
[EMAIL ENDS]
I guess we'll see what happens at Niagara Regional Council, Wednesday, January 9th at 9:00 am...
MISSISSAUGAWATCH one-person protest Queen's Park, December 2006.
MISSISSAUGWATCH challenged by Caledon Council regarding video/still images, December 2007
MISSISSAUGAWATCH at Fort Erie
It won't hurt to drop down a Fort Erie/MISSISSAUGA comparison here either.
MISSISSAUGA --FORT ERIE (A Tale of Two Cities)
(Click here to surf to the clip on Google Video)
Signed,
The (I HATE living in "interesting times") Mississauga Muse
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"In contrast to the local law enforcement agencies, Corporate Security provides a distinct difference in approach to providing a safe and secure environment within the community." --City of Mississauga Corporate Security 2003 Strategic Draft Plan
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
FOR READERS' COMMENTS --SCROLL TO VERY BOTTOM OF THIS ENTRY.
FELLOW-CITIZEN BLOGGERS
The CRYSTAL BEACH STRAND (Fort Erie Citizen-Blogger, Sharon Bowers)
TORONTOIAM (compilation of GTA Blogs)
Voices of Ajax (Citizen-Blogger, Karem Allen)
WindsorCityBlog (Citizen-Blogger, Ed Arditti)
Woodstock Ontario Independent News (Jim Bender)
FURTHER READING
MEDIA Bloggers:
Click here for John Stewart's Blog, RANDOM ACCESS
and Craig MxBride's X MARKS THE SPOT
"MISSISSAUGA --HOWZIT'S GOING" CARTOON ARCHIVE
Links to all previous cartoons in the Mississauga Howzit's Going series.
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Comments (4)
Hi Ursula,
Sharon kindly passed on your request to regional council asking for permission to video tape.
I have a question if you don't mind. Why are you asking?
I think you or anyone else has the right to video tape any public meeting you take the time to attend. Personally, as you are probably aware, I wouldn't ask, I would just go. If they have a problem with it, let the regular media record them removing you.
One other question if I may: Did you check into whether the councilor's demands that you not use their images is valid? I suspect that they can only ask. I certainly hope that public figures don't have the right to not be photographed. It has never been done before as far as I know.
I would think you are completely safe from being sued regardless of what you post on UT or G video as long as it is factual and not obviously manipulated to misrepresent what was stated.
At any rate, if you do find that by some chance, public figures may deny us usage of their images during public meetings, I suggest that you cover their faces with large text stating that "Councillor Smith didn't want his/her image to appear in this video" I think that if I was the councilor, I would be extremely embarrassed it this happened.
Good luck with it and keep up the great work,
Best regards,
John
Posted by John Gilmour | January 8, 2008 10:03 AM
Posted on January 8, 2008 10:03
Hi John,
Thanks for giving me permission to post your email to my Blog to provide me an opportunity to respond to you here.
You wrote:
I wasn't "asking" Niagara Region, I was telling them that I would be videotaping.
Given that a local Council here (Caledon) shrivelled at the sight of a handycam, I figured it best to "scout" out how Niagara felt.
You continued:
That's what everyone says that citizens have "the right to video tape any public meeting"
Such perception merely conveys to me that people don't know much about municipal government and their powers.
They can --and DO-- whatever the heck they feel like.
You wrote:
No thanks. I've seen what "removing you" does in Mississauga. You get arrested and spend the next couple years trying to --let's just say, they really DO remove you.
You wrote:
As I've already pointed out in another forum, a municipal council chamber is NOT public. It's PRIVATE PROPERTY.
In fact at the municipal level, any library, park, marina, community centre... cynically referred to by them as "public space" is actually PRIVATE PROPERTY.
When you open your mind to the hypocrisy of it all, you'll understand that even such abstracts as Accountability and Transparency are Beyond-Bogus-Illusions.
Why do we hear so much about "Accountability"? "Transparency" and even "public space"?
They're disappearing John. I'm reading a book right now on "The Politics of Public Space" and how it's being plucked from the public and converted to Private Property.
I've concluded the more repressive the municipal government, the more it'll trumpet its Private Property as "welcoming public spaces".
John, you wrote:
That's actually a better idea than what I've been doing. One problem though.
Any councillor who'd deny use of his image DOESN'T embarrass.
Back to you, John.
Yeah, well, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", John. "Who watches The Watchers?", John when they don't want to be watched...
Anyway... thanks for your concern/advice. I'm looking forward to tomorrow...
Ursula
Posted by The Mississauga Muse | January 8, 2008 10:38 AM
Posted on January 8, 2008 10:38
I HATE living in "interesting times" - I do too but it is a hard job and someone has to do it. Don't let anyone tell you that you are not a HERO.
Standing up to government is one of the hardest things for regular people to do but one of the most important.
Silence IS NOT AGREEMENT!!!!!
We want accountability & Transparency - without those Democracy is just an evil lie.
Posted by Donald Barber | January 9, 2008 10:41 PM
Posted on January 9, 2008 22:41
Meanwhile back in the Mississauga dog house, Rambo’s dug the Antonio Batista poet poop hole into Bill 132 that has us wondering why the province figured out their new responsibilities are twiddling theirs thumbs wondering hmmmmm wouldn’t an E-Bay puppy be a nice thing to send Hazel for retirement ? Probably one of those that resembles their owners liability policy or matching bankruptcy statements the Dudley George family acquired for refusing regional pooling proposals that were adopted by the Ontario Works in Peel people..
In reality, Michael Colle’s Private Members Bill on Puppy Mills were never harmonized into Bill 132, banning the diets of gun power and steroids into a puppies racial profiling before Gabriela Nowakowksa became another victim of contradicting Statutes the city uses so well to exploit public private profiteering thru bait and switch schemes the Mississauga Animal Control just dueled bills for arbitrary detaining.
The Ostridge provisions pulling CEO’s out from their corporate shells were always in the provincial books listed under complicating the EI surplus into the Canadian s $54 billion Super Build Fund for the willfully blind.
I’d be curious if Edward Greenspan is asking Brian Mulroney to produce his bank records as a corporate chair or whether the public CEO is refusing as a private citizen because the Rattray Marsh could become extinct of dangerous snapping turtles if they start breeding on same meds City councilors are taking.
Posted by Wayne Nagy | January 10, 2008 1:24 PM
Posted on January 10, 2008 13:24